The Giants won their third straight, with Cincinnati charging into 2nd and Pittsburgh 3rd. Chicago and St. Louis were also over .500, with Brooklyn just below that mark. Boston and Philadelphia were everyone's patsies. The Giants had hitting and decent pitching, the Reds great pitching but little offense.
Rogers Hornsby won the batting title at .384, but was limited to 107 games. He would have qualified by today's rules, but just barely. Jim Bottomley was second in batting at .371. Hornsby also led in the other percentage categories, on-base, slugging, and OPS. Ross Youngs edged Max Carey in runs 121-120, Frankie Frisch led with 223 hits and 311 total bases, Edd Roush had 41 doubles, Carey and Pie Traynor had 19 triples apiece. Cy Williams hit 41 homers in Philadelphia's bandbox, Irish Meusel led the league in RBI with 125, Carey had 51 steals, and Frisch tied Jacques Fornier with 122 runs created, although they didn't know that at the time.
Dolf Luque led the league with 27 wins and a 1.93 ERA, and was second in strikeouts to Dazzy Vance's 197. Luque's 201 ERA+ was way ahead, with teammate Eppa Rixey second at 139. Johnny Morrison was second in wins with 25, Eppa Rixey was second in ERA with a 2.80 mark.
Win Shares leaders, players: Frankie Frisch (New York) 31, Max Carey (Pittsburgh) 29, Edd Roush (Cincinnati) and Pie Traynor (Pittsburgh) 28, Jack Fournier (Brooklyn) 27, Jigger Statz (Chicago) and Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 26, Bob O'Farrell (Chicago), Bubbles Hargrave (Cincinnati) and Ross Youngs (New York) 25 each, Jim Bottomley (St. Louis) 24.
WS leaders, pitchers: Dolf Luque (Cincinnati) 39, Pete Alexander (Chicago) 27, Eppa Rixey (Cincinnati) 26, Johnny Morrison (Pittsburgh) 23, Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn) and Pete Donohue (Cincinnati) 21.
WARP3: Frisch and Hornsby 6.4, Traynor 5.9, O'Farrell 5.7, Hargrave 5.0 (best season), Fournier 4.6, Dave Bancroft (New York) 4.2, Youngs 3.8, Bottomley (first full year) and Heinie Groh (New York) 3.7.
Pitchers, Luque 9.7 (career year), Jimmy Ring (Philadelphia) 8.1, Bernie Friberg (Chicago) 6.2, Rixey and Grimes 4.9, Dazzy Vance (Brooklyn) 4.6, Joe Genewich (Boston) 4.4, Jesse Barnes (Boston) 4.2, Wilbur Cooper and Lee Meadows (both Pittsburgh) 3.6.
WAR leaders, position players: Frisch 7.8, Hornsby 7.3, Fournier 6.1, Carey 5.7, Roush and Traynor 5.0, O'Farrell 4.9, Statz and Johnston 4.6, Bottomley and Youngs 4.5. Pitchers: Luque 9.9, Ring 6.4, Rixey 5.7, Alexander 5.1, Morrison 4.4, Vance 4.3, Cooper 4.0, Haines 3.6, McQuillan 3.5, Keen 3.4.
Best player: Frankie Frisch. Tough choice with Hornsby limited to 107 games by injuries. Frisch led the league in hits and total bases, was 3rd in runs and RBI, 5th in steals and average. He also played a strong 2B. Hornsby, even with the missed time, was #2. Carey led in triples and steals, he's #3. Jack Fournier is #4, Bob O'Farrell #5.
Best pitcher: Dolf Luque had the greatest single season ever by a 20th century Reds pitcher. 27-8, 1.91 ERA, leading in wins, ERA, shutouts, 2nd in strikeouts. Reds also had the second-best pitcher in Eppa Rixey, 20-15 and 2.80. Pete Alexander is #3 at 22-12, 3.19. Jimmy Ring #4, Johnny Morrison #5.
Best rookie: Gus Felix hit .273 in 139 games for Boston, in a bad year for NL rookies.
Best manager: Pat Moran, nearly getting the Reds to the pennant with an offense of Edd Roush and not much else.
30 December 2007
26 December 2007
1923 American League
The Yankees won their third straight pennant, and finally took the World Series, their first of 26 in the century. Detroit was second but 16 games back. The Yanks lapped the field, winning 98 games. Detroit won 83 and Cleveland 82, and were the only other teams above .500. The rest were mediocre, not really bad, with Washington, St, Louis, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston in that order.
Harry Heilmann won the batting title at .403, Charlie Jamieson of Cleveland led with 222 hits, Tris Speaker was second with 218 hits and led with 59 doubles, while Washington's Sam Rice and Goose Goslin led with 18 triples, and Eddie Collins paced the loop with 48 steals. Everything else was all Babe Ruth, all the time. Ruth was second in batting at .393, led in runs with 151, homers with 41, RBI with 131. He drew 170 walks, and his 239 OPS+ easily outpaced Heilmann's 194.
For the pitchers, George Uhle's 26 wins easily led the league over the 21 of Hooks Dauss and Sam Jones, Stan Coveleski's 2.76 ERA topped Waite Hoyt's 3.02, while Walter Johnson led with 130 strikeouts.
Win Shares leaders, players; Babe Ruth (New York) 55, Tris Speaker (Cleveland) and Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 35, Joe Sewell (Cleveland) and Ken Williams (St. Louis) 29, Charlie Jamieson (Cleveland) 25, Eddie Collins (Chicago), Ty Cobb (Detroit) and Sam Rice (Washington) 24.
WS leaders, pitchers; George Uhle (Cleveland) 29, Howard Ehmke (Boston), Hooks Dauss (Detroit) and Eddie Rommel (Philadelphia) 25, Joe Bush (New York) 24, Herb Pennock (New York) and Elam Vangilder (St. Louis) 23.
WARP3: Ruth 15.4 (arguably his best year), Heilmann 8.7, Speaker 8.6, Sewell 7.3, Williams 6.5, Collins 6.1, Muddy Ruel (Washington) and Willie Kamm (Chicago) 5.4, Jamieson 5.0 (best year), Aaron Ward (New York) 4.9, Cobb and Johnny Bassler (also Detroit) 4.8, Johnny Mostil (Chicago) 4.7, Rice 4.3.
Pitchers, Uhle 7.7, Ehmke 7.1, Dauss 6.2, Rommel 6.1, Walter Johnson (Washington) 5.4, Urban Shocker (St. Louis) 5.3, Jack Quinn (Boston) 5.0, George Mogridge (Washington) 4.9, Sloppy Thurston (Chicago) 4.8, Vangilder 4.7, Bush 4.4, Pennock 4.3.
WAR leaders, position players: Ruth 15.4, Heilmann 9.7, Speaker 9.2, Williams 7.9, Sewell 7.4, Collins 6.3, Cobb 5.6, Jamieson 5.5, Ward 4.9, Kamm and Harris 4.8. Pitchers: Uhle 5.1, Pennock and Shocker 5.0, Vangilder 4.7, Dauss and Ehmke 4.6, Rommel 4.4, Thurston 4.3, Bush 4.2, Coveleski 4.1.
Actual MVP voting:
Place Name Team 1st place Points
1 Babe Ruth NYY 8 64
2 Eddie Collins CHW 0 37
3 Harry Heilmann DET 0 31
4 Wally Gerber SLB 0 20
4 Joe Sewell CLE 0 20
6 Charlie Jamieson CLE 0 19
7 Johnny Bassler DET 0 17
8 Chick Galloway PHA 0 13
8 George Uhle CLE 0 13
10 George Burns BOS 0 8
11 Howard Ehmke BOS 0 7
11 Muddy Ruel WSH 0 7
13 Roger Peckinpaugh WSH 0 6
14 Urban Shocker SLB 0 5
15 Joe Judge WSH 0 4
15 Marty McManus SLB 0 4
15 Ken Williams SLB 0 4
18 Bucky Harris WSH 0 3
18 Joe Harris BOS 0 3
20 Joe Hauser PHA 0 1
20 Walter Johnson WSH 0 1
20 Cy Perkins PHA 0 1
Top player: Umm, let me think........OK, Babe Ruth. Back to full health, the Babe was easily the best in the league. He had perhaps the finest year ever: .393, 1309 OPS. Heilmann and his .403 average #2, Speaker with his .380 average and league lead in doubles fits at #3, Joe Sewell and his .353 average with good defense at shortstop will fit at #4, while Ken Williams, 4th in OPS+, is #5.
Top pitcher: George Uhle. Big lead in wins and innings, the quantity leader. Uhle was 26-16, 3.77. Hooks Dauss, 21-13, 3.62, is #2. Howard Ehmke was 20-17, 3.78 for #3. Urban Shocker is #4, Herb Pennock #5.
Top rookie: Willie Kamm, .292 in 149 games for Chicago with terrific defense at third base, over Heinie Manush, .334 in 109 games for Detroit. Manush never was much of a fielder.
Top manager: Miller Huggins guided the Yankees to their first World Series victory.
Harry Heilmann won the batting title at .403, Charlie Jamieson of Cleveland led with 222 hits, Tris Speaker was second with 218 hits and led with 59 doubles, while Washington's Sam Rice and Goose Goslin led with 18 triples, and Eddie Collins paced the loop with 48 steals. Everything else was all Babe Ruth, all the time. Ruth was second in batting at .393, led in runs with 151, homers with 41, RBI with 131. He drew 170 walks, and his 239 OPS+ easily outpaced Heilmann's 194.
For the pitchers, George Uhle's 26 wins easily led the league over the 21 of Hooks Dauss and Sam Jones, Stan Coveleski's 2.76 ERA topped Waite Hoyt's 3.02, while Walter Johnson led with 130 strikeouts.
Win Shares leaders, players; Babe Ruth (New York) 55, Tris Speaker (Cleveland) and Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 35, Joe Sewell (Cleveland) and Ken Williams (St. Louis) 29, Charlie Jamieson (Cleveland) 25, Eddie Collins (Chicago), Ty Cobb (Detroit) and Sam Rice (Washington) 24.
WS leaders, pitchers; George Uhle (Cleveland) 29, Howard Ehmke (Boston), Hooks Dauss (Detroit) and Eddie Rommel (Philadelphia) 25, Joe Bush (New York) 24, Herb Pennock (New York) and Elam Vangilder (St. Louis) 23.
WARP3: Ruth 15.4 (arguably his best year), Heilmann 8.7, Speaker 8.6, Sewell 7.3, Williams 6.5, Collins 6.1, Muddy Ruel (Washington) and Willie Kamm (Chicago) 5.4, Jamieson 5.0 (best year), Aaron Ward (New York) 4.9, Cobb and Johnny Bassler (also Detroit) 4.8, Johnny Mostil (Chicago) 4.7, Rice 4.3.
Pitchers, Uhle 7.7, Ehmke 7.1, Dauss 6.2, Rommel 6.1, Walter Johnson (Washington) 5.4, Urban Shocker (St. Louis) 5.3, Jack Quinn (Boston) 5.0, George Mogridge (Washington) 4.9, Sloppy Thurston (Chicago) 4.8, Vangilder 4.7, Bush 4.4, Pennock 4.3.
WAR leaders, position players: Ruth 15.4, Heilmann 9.7, Speaker 9.2, Williams 7.9, Sewell 7.4, Collins 6.3, Cobb 5.6, Jamieson 5.5, Ward 4.9, Kamm and Harris 4.8. Pitchers: Uhle 5.1, Pennock and Shocker 5.0, Vangilder 4.7, Dauss and Ehmke 4.6, Rommel 4.4, Thurston 4.3, Bush 4.2, Coveleski 4.1.
Actual MVP voting:
Place Name Team 1st place Points
1 Babe Ruth NYY 8 64
2 Eddie Collins CHW 0 37
3 Harry Heilmann DET 0 31
4 Wally Gerber SLB 0 20
4 Joe Sewell CLE 0 20
6 Charlie Jamieson CLE 0 19
7 Johnny Bassler DET 0 17
8 Chick Galloway PHA 0 13
8 George Uhle CLE 0 13
10 George Burns BOS 0 8
11 Howard Ehmke BOS 0 7
11 Muddy Ruel WSH 0 7
13 Roger Peckinpaugh WSH 0 6
14 Urban Shocker SLB 0 5
15 Joe Judge WSH 0 4
15 Marty McManus SLB 0 4
15 Ken Williams SLB 0 4
18 Bucky Harris WSH 0 3
18 Joe Harris BOS 0 3
20 Joe Hauser PHA 0 1
20 Walter Johnson WSH 0 1
20 Cy Perkins PHA 0 1
Top player: Umm, let me think........OK, Babe Ruth. Back to full health, the Babe was easily the best in the league. He had perhaps the finest year ever: .393, 1309 OPS. Heilmann and his .403 average #2, Speaker with his .380 average and league lead in doubles fits at #3, Joe Sewell and his .353 average with good defense at shortstop will fit at #4, while Ken Williams, 4th in OPS+, is #5.
Top pitcher: George Uhle. Big lead in wins and innings, the quantity leader. Uhle was 26-16, 3.77. Hooks Dauss, 21-13, 3.62, is #2. Howard Ehmke was 20-17, 3.78 for #3. Urban Shocker is #4, Herb Pennock #5.
Top rookie: Willie Kamm, .292 in 149 games for Chicago with terrific defense at third base, over Heinie Manush, .334 in 109 games for Detroit. Manush never was much of a fielder.
Top manager: Miller Huggins guided the Yankees to their first World Series victory.
16 September 2007
1922 National League
The New York Giants again outlasted their pursuers, which included Cincinnati, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Chicago in a pretty good race. Brooklyn was just under .500 with Philadelphia and Boston were at the bottom. The Giants then won another World Series over the Yankees.
Rogers Hornsby dominated the league's stat leader boards. He won the Triple Crown quite easily, and led in slugging percentage by 150 points over second-place Ray Grimes. Hornsby also led in runs, hits, and doubles. About the only key categories Hornsby didn't take were triples, led by Jake Daubert with 22, and steals, led by Max Carey with 51. For an idea of Hornsby's domination, he led the league with 202 Runs Created, and the next guy on the list was Carey with 127. Hornsby nearly lapped the field.
Eppa Rixey led pitchers with 25 wins, followed by Wilbur Cooper at 23 and Dutch Ruether with 21. Phil Douglas led with a 2.63 ERA. Rosy Ryan was a distant second at 3.01 and Pete Donohue third with 3.12. Dazzy Vance topped the loop with 134 strikeouts. Cooper was second with 129.
Win Shares leaders, players; Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 47, Ray Grimes (Chicago) and Max Carey (Pittsburgh) 29, Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) and Dave Bancroft (New York) 27, Bob O'Farrell (Chicago) 26, Charlie Hollocher (Chicago) and Jake Daubert (Cincinnati) 24.
WS leaders, pitchers; Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 27, Eppa Rixey (Cincinnati) 23, Art Nehf (New York), Johnny Morrison (Pittsburgh) and Jeff Pfeffer (St. Louis) 21, Dutch Ruether (Brooklyn) 20.
WARP3: Hornsby 9.5, Bancroft 6.0, O'Farrell 5.3 (best year), Grimes 5.0 (best year, last good year), Frankie Frisch (St. Louis) 4.9, Hollocher 4.7 (best year, last good year), Babe Pinelli (Cincinnati) 4.2, Ross Youngs (New York) 3.8, Rabbit Maranville (Pittsburgh) 3.6, Carey 3.5.
Pitchers, Cooper 6.1 (best year), Ruether 5.1, Pfeffer (last good year) and Lee Meadows (Philadelphia) 5.0, Morrison 4.2 (best year), Pete Alexander (Chicago) 3.6, Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) and Dazzy Vance (Brooklyn) 3.5.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 11.0, Bancroft 7.2, Grimes 6.3, Carey 6.0, Hollocher 5.5, Frisch 5.1, Bigbee, Kelly, and Wheat 4.9, Daubert, O'Farrell, and Youngs 4.8. Pitchers: Cooper 6.0, Morrison 5.4, Ruether 4.6, Alexander 4.4, Rixey 3.9, Meadows and Pfeffer 3.8, Douglas 3.6, Aldridge and Nehf 3.5.
Actual award voting: the AL began MVP voting again in 1922, but the NL didn't start until 1924.
Best player: Rogers Hornsby had one of the all-time great seasons, batting .401 with 42 homers and 152 RBI, easily winning the triple crown. The closest race was RBI, with Irish Meusel 20 behind him. Ray Grimes #2, Bob O'Farrell #3, Max Carey #4, and Dave Bancroft #5.
Best pitcher: Wilbur Cooper was 2nd in wins and strikeouts, 4th in ERA, and the best all-around at 23-14, 3.18. Eppa Rixey #2 at 25-13, 3.53. Pete Donohue at #3, with Dutch Ruether #4 and Johnny Morrison #5.
Best rookie: Andy High, .283 for Brooklyn.
Best manager: John McGraw again. Hard to ignore a World Championship.
Rogers Hornsby dominated the league's stat leader boards. He won the Triple Crown quite easily, and led in slugging percentage by 150 points over second-place Ray Grimes. Hornsby also led in runs, hits, and doubles. About the only key categories Hornsby didn't take were triples, led by Jake Daubert with 22, and steals, led by Max Carey with 51. For an idea of Hornsby's domination, he led the league with 202 Runs Created, and the next guy on the list was Carey with 127. Hornsby nearly lapped the field.
Eppa Rixey led pitchers with 25 wins, followed by Wilbur Cooper at 23 and Dutch Ruether with 21. Phil Douglas led with a 2.63 ERA. Rosy Ryan was a distant second at 3.01 and Pete Donohue third with 3.12. Dazzy Vance topped the loop with 134 strikeouts. Cooper was second with 129.
Win Shares leaders, players; Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 47, Ray Grimes (Chicago) and Max Carey (Pittsburgh) 29, Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) and Dave Bancroft (New York) 27, Bob O'Farrell (Chicago) 26, Charlie Hollocher (Chicago) and Jake Daubert (Cincinnati) 24.
WS leaders, pitchers; Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 27, Eppa Rixey (Cincinnati) 23, Art Nehf (New York), Johnny Morrison (Pittsburgh) and Jeff Pfeffer (St. Louis) 21, Dutch Ruether (Brooklyn) 20.
WARP3: Hornsby 9.5, Bancroft 6.0, O'Farrell 5.3 (best year), Grimes 5.0 (best year, last good year), Frankie Frisch (St. Louis) 4.9, Hollocher 4.7 (best year, last good year), Babe Pinelli (Cincinnati) 4.2, Ross Youngs (New York) 3.8, Rabbit Maranville (Pittsburgh) 3.6, Carey 3.5.
Pitchers, Cooper 6.1 (best year), Ruether 5.1, Pfeffer (last good year) and Lee Meadows (Philadelphia) 5.0, Morrison 4.2 (best year), Pete Alexander (Chicago) 3.6, Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) and Dazzy Vance (Brooklyn) 3.5.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 11.0, Bancroft 7.2, Grimes 6.3, Carey 6.0, Hollocher 5.5, Frisch 5.1, Bigbee, Kelly, and Wheat 4.9, Daubert, O'Farrell, and Youngs 4.8. Pitchers: Cooper 6.0, Morrison 5.4, Ruether 4.6, Alexander 4.4, Rixey 3.9, Meadows and Pfeffer 3.8, Douglas 3.6, Aldridge and Nehf 3.5.
Actual award voting: the AL began MVP voting again in 1922, but the NL didn't start until 1924.
Best player: Rogers Hornsby had one of the all-time great seasons, batting .401 with 42 homers and 152 RBI, easily winning the triple crown. The closest race was RBI, with Irish Meusel 20 behind him. Ray Grimes #2, Bob O'Farrell #3, Max Carey #4, and Dave Bancroft #5.
Best pitcher: Wilbur Cooper was 2nd in wins and strikeouts, 4th in ERA, and the best all-around at 23-14, 3.18. Eppa Rixey #2 at 25-13, 3.53. Pete Donohue at #3, with Dutch Ruether #4 and Johnny Morrison #5.
Best rookie: Andy High, .283 for Brooklyn.
Best manager: John McGraw again. Hard to ignore a World Championship.
1922 American League
The Yankees win their second straight pennant in a tremendous race with the St. Louis Browns decided by a single game. The Browns led as late as September 7h, though the Yankees had compiled a decent lead with a week to go. Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago were just above .500. Washington and Philadelphia were in the second division, and Boston, having sold off their best players, sank to last. Babe Ruth had a series of problems that limited him to 110 games, which no doubt made the race closer.
George Sisler won the batting title at .420, with Ty Cobb second at .401. Not often a .400 hitter finishes second in batting average. Tris Speaker hit .378, Harry Heilmann .356. Sisler also led in runs with 134, hits with 246, triples with 18, and steals with 51. Lu Blue was second with 131 runs, Cobb was second with 211 hits, Cobb and Baby Doll Jacobson second with 17 triples. Ken Williams second with 37 steals. Sisler's teammate Williams led in homers with 39 and RBI with 155. Tillie Walker was second with 37 homers, Ruth third in spite of missed time with 35 HR. Tris Speaker led in doubles with 48, while injury-hampered Babe Ruth still led in OPS, and edged Speaker in OPS+. Sisler and Williams played in a pretty serious hitters' park.
Eddie Rommel led with 27 wins, followed by Joe Bush at 26 and Urban Shocker 24. George Uhle won 22 and Red Faber 21. Faber led in ERA at 2.81, just ahead of Herman Pillette at 2.85. Then came Bob Shawkey at 2.91 and Rasty Wright at 2.92. Urban Shocker's 149 strikeouts edged Faber's 148. Shawkey was third with 130.
Win Shares leaders, players: Tris Speaker (Cleveland) and Ken Williams (St. Louis) 30, Ty Cobb (Detroit), Babe Ruth (New York) and George Sisler (St. Louis) 29, Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 24, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 23, Ray Schalk (Chicago), Bobby Veach (Detroit), Wally Pipp (New York), Bing Miller and Tilly Walker (Philadelphia) 22 each.
WS leaders, pitchers: Red Faber (Chicago) 31, Urban Shocker (St. Louis) 29, Bob Shawkey (New York) and Erwin Rommel (Philadelphia) 27, Joe Bush (New York) 26, Stan Coveleski and George Uhle (Cleveland), Herman Pillette (Detroit), and Elam Vangilder (St. Louis) 22 each.
WARP3: Williams 6.9, Sisler 6.6, Ruth 6.5, Speaker 5.9, Cobb 5.6, Veach 4.9 (last big season), Heilmann and Schalk (best season) 4.7, Chick Galloway (Philadelphia) 4.1, Pipp 3.9 (best year), Baby Doll Jacobson (St. Louis) and Earl Sheely (Chicago) 3.7.
Pitchers, Faber 8.1, Rommel 7.6 (best year), Coveleski 6.5, Uhle and Walter Johnson (Washington) 6.1, Shocker and Pillette (career year) 6.0, Tom Zachary (Washington) 5.3, Vangilder 5.0 (best year), Shawkey and Jack Quinn (Boston) 4.8, Bush 4.6.
WAR leaders, position players: Sisler 8.7, Williams 7.9, Speaker 7.0, Ruth and Cobb 6.7, Heilmann 5.4, Veach 4.9, Pipp 4.7, Miller 4.4, McManus 4.3. Pitchers: Faber 7.9, Shocker 6.5, Shawkey 5.9, Rommel 5.7, Pillette 5.2, Coveleski 4.9, Johnson 4.6, Hoyt, Leverett, and Quinn 3.7.
Actual award voting, MVP:
Place Name Team Points
1 George Sisler SLB 59
2 Eddie Rommel PHA 31
3 Ray Schalk CHW 26
4 Joe Bush NYY 19
5 Eddie Collins CHW 18
6 Johnny Bassler DET 13
6 Steve O'Neill CLE 13
8 Joe Judge WSH 12
8 Wally Pipp NYY 12
10 Lu Blue DET 11
11 Chick Galloway PHA 10
12 Harry Heilmann DET 8
13 Del Pratt BOS 7
13 Wally Schang NYY 7
15 Bob Meusel NYY 6
15 Everett Scott NYY 6
17 Walter Johnson WSH 5
17 Urban Shocker SLB 5
19 Charlie Jamieson CLE 4
19 Joe Sewell CLE 4
21 George Burns BOS 2
21 Jimmie Dykes PHA 2
21 Bucky Harris WSH 2
21 Roger Peckinpaugh WSH 2
21 Bill Wambsganss CLE 2
26 George Cutshaw DET 1
26 Cy Perkins PHA 1
Best player: I will go with the voters and say George Sisler wins, though the top five are very close. St. Louis played in a very good hitters' park for the time, so the stats of Sisler and Williams are boosted a bit. I will still pick Sisler #1, with Speaker #2, Williams #3, Cobb #4, and Ruth #5.
Best pitcher: Red Faber, again. Led league in ERA, 2nd in strikeouts, 5th in wins. Either Rommel or Bush would have won in real life, due to more impressive win totals. Faber was boosting up a still-depleted White Sox team. I'd put Urban Shocker #2 and Rommel #3, followed by Bob Shawkey and Pillette.
Best rookie: Joe Hauser, a .323 hitter for the A's, with Vangilder in his only good year close behind. Hauser is better known as a minor league slugger.
Best manager: Lee Fohl for almost getting the Browns into the winner's circle.
George Sisler won the batting title at .420, with Ty Cobb second at .401. Not often a .400 hitter finishes second in batting average. Tris Speaker hit .378, Harry Heilmann .356. Sisler also led in runs with 134, hits with 246, triples with 18, and steals with 51. Lu Blue was second with 131 runs, Cobb was second with 211 hits, Cobb and Baby Doll Jacobson second with 17 triples. Ken Williams second with 37 steals. Sisler's teammate Williams led in homers with 39 and RBI with 155. Tillie Walker was second with 37 homers, Ruth third in spite of missed time with 35 HR. Tris Speaker led in doubles with 48, while injury-hampered Babe Ruth still led in OPS, and edged Speaker in OPS+. Sisler and Williams played in a pretty serious hitters' park.
Eddie Rommel led with 27 wins, followed by Joe Bush at 26 and Urban Shocker 24. George Uhle won 22 and Red Faber 21. Faber led in ERA at 2.81, just ahead of Herman Pillette at 2.85. Then came Bob Shawkey at 2.91 and Rasty Wright at 2.92. Urban Shocker's 149 strikeouts edged Faber's 148. Shawkey was third with 130.
Win Shares leaders, players: Tris Speaker (Cleveland) and Ken Williams (St. Louis) 30, Ty Cobb (Detroit), Babe Ruth (New York) and George Sisler (St. Louis) 29, Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 24, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 23, Ray Schalk (Chicago), Bobby Veach (Detroit), Wally Pipp (New York), Bing Miller and Tilly Walker (Philadelphia) 22 each.
WS leaders, pitchers: Red Faber (Chicago) 31, Urban Shocker (St. Louis) 29, Bob Shawkey (New York) and Erwin Rommel (Philadelphia) 27, Joe Bush (New York) 26, Stan Coveleski and George Uhle (Cleveland), Herman Pillette (Detroit), and Elam Vangilder (St. Louis) 22 each.
WARP3: Williams 6.9, Sisler 6.6, Ruth 6.5, Speaker 5.9, Cobb 5.6, Veach 4.9 (last big season), Heilmann and Schalk (best season) 4.7, Chick Galloway (Philadelphia) 4.1, Pipp 3.9 (best year), Baby Doll Jacobson (St. Louis) and Earl Sheely (Chicago) 3.7.
Pitchers, Faber 8.1, Rommel 7.6 (best year), Coveleski 6.5, Uhle and Walter Johnson (Washington) 6.1, Shocker and Pillette (career year) 6.0, Tom Zachary (Washington) 5.3, Vangilder 5.0 (best year), Shawkey and Jack Quinn (Boston) 4.8, Bush 4.6.
WAR leaders, position players: Sisler 8.7, Williams 7.9, Speaker 7.0, Ruth and Cobb 6.7, Heilmann 5.4, Veach 4.9, Pipp 4.7, Miller 4.4, McManus 4.3. Pitchers: Faber 7.9, Shocker 6.5, Shawkey 5.9, Rommel 5.7, Pillette 5.2, Coveleski 4.9, Johnson 4.6, Hoyt, Leverett, and Quinn 3.7.
Actual award voting, MVP:
Place Name Team Points
1 George Sisler SLB 59
2 Eddie Rommel PHA 31
3 Ray Schalk CHW 26
4 Joe Bush NYY 19
5 Eddie Collins CHW 18
6 Johnny Bassler DET 13
6 Steve O'Neill CLE 13
8 Joe Judge WSH 12
8 Wally Pipp NYY 12
10 Lu Blue DET 11
11 Chick Galloway PHA 10
12 Harry Heilmann DET 8
13 Del Pratt BOS 7
13 Wally Schang NYY 7
15 Bob Meusel NYY 6
15 Everett Scott NYY 6
17 Walter Johnson WSH 5
17 Urban Shocker SLB 5
19 Charlie Jamieson CLE 4
19 Joe Sewell CLE 4
21 George Burns BOS 2
21 Jimmie Dykes PHA 2
21 Bucky Harris WSH 2
21 Roger Peckinpaugh WSH 2
21 Bill Wambsganss CLE 2
26 George Cutshaw DET 1
26 Cy Perkins PHA 1
Best player: I will go with the voters and say George Sisler wins, though the top five are very close. St. Louis played in a very good hitters' park for the time, so the stats of Sisler and Williams are boosted a bit. I will still pick Sisler #1, with Speaker #2, Williams #3, Cobb #4, and Ruth #5.
Best pitcher: Red Faber, again. Led league in ERA, 2nd in strikeouts, 5th in wins. Either Rommel or Bush would have won in real life, due to more impressive win totals. Faber was boosting up a still-depleted White Sox team. I'd put Urban Shocker #2 and Rommel #3, followed by Bob Shawkey and Pillette.
Best rookie: Joe Hauser, a .323 hitter for the A's, with Vangilder in his only good year close behind. Hauser is better known as a minor league slugger.
Best manager: Lee Fohl for almost getting the Browns into the winner's circle.
13 August 2007
1921 National League
The Giants outlasted Pittsburgh and St. Louis to win the pennant, then beat their crosstown rival Yankees to win the World Series. Both New York teams won, and both Philadelphia teams lost 100 games. The Giants beat out the Pirates by four games and the Cardinals by seven. Boston was fourth and Brooklyn fifth, both a bit above .500, while the dregs of the league were occupied by Cincinnati, Chicago, and then the Phillies with 103 losses.
Statistical leaders: George Kelly led with 23 homers, Frankie Frisch with 49 steals. Everything else was all Rogers Hornsby, all the time: .397 average, 131 runs, 235 hits, 44 doubles, 18 triples (tied with Ray Powell), 126 RBI. Edd Roush was second with a .352 average, Austin McHenry third with a .350 average. Dave Bancroft tied with Frisch for second with 121 runs. Frisch was second with 211 hits. Kelly second with 42 doubles, Hornsby second with 21 homers, Kelly second with 122 RBI.
Wilbur Cooper and Burleigh Grimes tied with 22 wins, Grimes led with 136 strikeouts (two more than Cooper) and Bill Doak posted a 2.59 ERA. Art Nehf and Joe Oeschger won 20 games. Babe Adams was second with a 2.64 ERA, Whitey Glazner third at 2.77, Eppa Rixey fourth with 2.78. Cooper was second with 134 strikeouts.
Win Shares leaders, players; Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 41, Dave Bancroft and Frankie Frisch (New York) 31, Austin McHenry (St. Louis) 25, Ray Powell (Boston), Jimmy Johnston (Brooklyn), George Kelly (New York), Max Carey (Pittsburgh) and Jack Fournier (St. Louis) 24 each, Tony Boeckel (Boston), Zack Wheat (Brooklyn), Ross Youngs (New York) and Rabbit Maranville (Pittsburgh) 23.
WS leaders, pitchers; Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn) 29, Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 27, Dolf Luque (Cincinnati) 23, Pete Alexander (Chicago) and Eppa Rixey (Cincinnati) 22, Whitey Glazner (Pittsburgh) 21, Joe Oeschger (Boston) 20, Jesse Barnes (New York) and Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) 19.
WARP3: Hornsby 11.4, Bancroft 6.9, Frisch 6.4, Maranville 5.4, McHenry 4.4 (career year), Fournier 4.1, Kelly 3.8, Youngs 3.6, Frank Snyder (New York) and Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 3.5.
Pitchers, Grimes 7.6, Alexander 5.4, Luque 4.9, Rixey 4.4, Clarence Mitchell (Brooklyn) 3.5, Oeschger 3.4 (career year), Adams 3.2, Cooper 3.1, Dutch Ruether (Brooklyn) 3.0.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 11.1, Bancroft 7.5, Frisch 7.1, McHenry 5.1, Carey 4.5, Maranville and Fournier 4.4, Youngs and Kelly 4.1, Johnston 4.0. Pitchers: Grimes 6.1, Glazner 4.4, Oeschger 4.0, Cooper and Rixey 3.9, Alexander and Luque 3.7, Adams 3.3, Doak and Morrison 3.2.
Best player: Rogers Hornsby. The Rajah was in the process of dominating the league. Hornsby led in average, runs, hits, doubles, triples, RBI and OPS. Far behind at #2 would be Dave Bancroft, the Giants' shortstop and #2 in the league in runs. Frisch, 2nd in hits and tied with Bancroft for second in runs, ranks #3. Austin McHenry's best year puts him at #4, and Jack Fournier checks in at #5.
Best pitcher: Burleigh Grimes. 1st in wins, 1st in strikeouts, 5th in ERA. #2 Wilbur Cooper, #3 Eppa Rixey, #4 Pete Alexander, #5 Dolf Luque.
Best rookie: probably Pete Donohue, 7-6 with a 3.35 ERA for Cincinnati.
Best manager: John McGraw, leading New York back to dominance.
Statistical leaders: George Kelly led with 23 homers, Frankie Frisch with 49 steals. Everything else was all Rogers Hornsby, all the time: .397 average, 131 runs, 235 hits, 44 doubles, 18 triples (tied with Ray Powell), 126 RBI. Edd Roush was second with a .352 average, Austin McHenry third with a .350 average. Dave Bancroft tied with Frisch for second with 121 runs. Frisch was second with 211 hits. Kelly second with 42 doubles, Hornsby second with 21 homers, Kelly second with 122 RBI.
Wilbur Cooper and Burleigh Grimes tied with 22 wins, Grimes led with 136 strikeouts (two more than Cooper) and Bill Doak posted a 2.59 ERA. Art Nehf and Joe Oeschger won 20 games. Babe Adams was second with a 2.64 ERA, Whitey Glazner third at 2.77, Eppa Rixey fourth with 2.78. Cooper was second with 134 strikeouts.
Win Shares leaders, players; Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 41, Dave Bancroft and Frankie Frisch (New York) 31, Austin McHenry (St. Louis) 25, Ray Powell (Boston), Jimmy Johnston (Brooklyn), George Kelly (New York), Max Carey (Pittsburgh) and Jack Fournier (St. Louis) 24 each, Tony Boeckel (Boston), Zack Wheat (Brooklyn), Ross Youngs (New York) and Rabbit Maranville (Pittsburgh) 23.
WS leaders, pitchers; Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn) 29, Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 27, Dolf Luque (Cincinnati) 23, Pete Alexander (Chicago) and Eppa Rixey (Cincinnati) 22, Whitey Glazner (Pittsburgh) 21, Joe Oeschger (Boston) 20, Jesse Barnes (New York) and Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) 19.
WARP3: Hornsby 11.4, Bancroft 6.9, Frisch 6.4, Maranville 5.4, McHenry 4.4 (career year), Fournier 4.1, Kelly 3.8, Youngs 3.6, Frank Snyder (New York) and Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 3.5.
Pitchers, Grimes 7.6, Alexander 5.4, Luque 4.9, Rixey 4.4, Clarence Mitchell (Brooklyn) 3.5, Oeschger 3.4 (career year), Adams 3.2, Cooper 3.1, Dutch Ruether (Brooklyn) 3.0.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 11.1, Bancroft 7.5, Frisch 7.1, McHenry 5.1, Carey 4.5, Maranville and Fournier 4.4, Youngs and Kelly 4.1, Johnston 4.0. Pitchers: Grimes 6.1, Glazner 4.4, Oeschger 4.0, Cooper and Rixey 3.9, Alexander and Luque 3.7, Adams 3.3, Doak and Morrison 3.2.
Best player: Rogers Hornsby. The Rajah was in the process of dominating the league. Hornsby led in average, runs, hits, doubles, triples, RBI and OPS. Far behind at #2 would be Dave Bancroft, the Giants' shortstop and #2 in the league in runs. Frisch, 2nd in hits and tied with Bancroft for second in runs, ranks #3. Austin McHenry's best year puts him at #4, and Jack Fournier checks in at #5.
Best pitcher: Burleigh Grimes. 1st in wins, 1st in strikeouts, 5th in ERA. #2 Wilbur Cooper, #3 Eppa Rixey, #4 Pete Alexander, #5 Dolf Luque.
Best rookie: probably Pete Donohue, 7-6 with a 3.35 ERA for Cincinnati.
Best manager: John McGraw, leading New York back to dominance.
1921 American League
Mark this down as the beginning of the Yankees Era. This was the year of the first pennant won by the New York Yankees franchise, and the start of the most successful run ever by any sports franchise, still continuing today. While there would be dry spells, 29 of the next 44 pennants would be won by New York. In 1921, they held off defending champs Cleveland for the title, with St. Louis and Washington rounding out the first division. The Red Sox and Tigers trailed, the White Sox, shorn of the Black Sox, faded to 7th, while Philadelphia lost 100 to come in last.
Statistical leaders: Harry Heilmann took the batting title at .394, edging Ty Cobb by five points. Heilmann also led with 237 hits. Tris Speaker had 52 doubles, and George Sisler tied Howie Shanks and Jack Tobin with 18 triples as well as leading with 35 steals. Babe Ruth led in most everything else, including 177 runs, 59 homers, and 171 RBI. Tobin was second in runs with 132, Roger Peckinpaugh third with 128. Tobin was also second with 236 hits. Ken Williams and Bob Meusel were second with 24 homers each, Tillie Walker had 23. Heilmann had 139 RBI, Meusel 135.
Carl Mays and Urban Shocker tied for the lead with 27 victories, Walter Johnson had 143 strikeouts, and Red Faber posted a 2.48 ERA, the only pitcher below 3.00. Red Faber had 25 wins, Sad Sam Jones and Stan Coveleski 23 wins. George Mogridge had a 3.00 ERA, Mays 3.05, Waite Hoyt 3.08. Shocker struck out 132, Bob Shawkey 126.
Win Shares leaders, players; Babe Ruth (New York) 53, Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 28, Tris Speaker (Cleveland) and George Sisler and Ken Williams (St. Louis) 27, Joe Sewell (Cleveland) and Ty Cobb (Detroit) 26, Baby Doll Jacobson and Jack Tobin (St. Louis) 25, Bob Meusel (New York) 24.
WS leaders, pitchers; Red Faber (Chicago) 37, Carl Mays (New York) 35, Urban Shocker (St. Louis) 30, Sam Jones (Boston) 29, George Mogridge (Washington) 26, Stan Coveleski (Cleveland) 25, Joe Bush (Boston) and Waite Hoyt (New York) 24.
WARP3: Ruth 12.4, Sewell 6.2, Speaker 6.0, Heilmann 5.7, Cobb 5.0, Sisler 4.8, Meusel 4.4, Bobby Veach (Detroit) 4.3, Larry Gardner (Cleveland) and Patsy Gharrity (Washington) 4.2.
Pitchers, Faber 10.6, Shocker 6.9, Mays 6.7, Jones 6.6 (career year), Mogridge 6.1 (best year), Coveleski and Eddie Rommel (Philadelphia) 5.8, Bush 5.3, Walter Johnson (Washington) 5.1, Hoyt 4.3.
WAR leaders, position players: Ruth 14.4, Heilmann 7.6, Cobb 7.3, Speaker 6.9, Sisler 6.4, Williams 6.2, Veach 6.1, Sewell 5.1, Meusel 5.0, Gardner, Jacobson, and Collins 4.9. Pitchers: Faber 9.9, Shocker 6.6, Coveleski 6.5, Mays 6.1, Jones 6.0, Mogridge 5.9, Hoyt 5.2, Bush 4.4, Johnson 4.1, Leonard and Rommel 3.8.
Best player: Babe Ruth. Can't be any argument, because not only was he statistically the best, his team won. Ruth led in runs, total bases, homers, RBI, and OPS. The rest are closely grouped: Harry Heilmann #2, he led in average and hits and was 2nd in OPS, followed by Cobb #3, Speaker #4, George Sisler #5.
Best pitcher: Red Faber. Faber had a Steve Carlton 1972-type year, 25-15 with a 2.48 ERA for a 7th place team. Led league by a large margin in ERA, 4th in strikeouts, 3rd in wins. Urban Shocker #2, Carl Mays #3, Sam Jones #4, George Mogridge #5.
Best rookie: Lu Blue batted .308, although Bing Miller had more power. Blue had 17 Win Shares to Miller's 12.
Best manager: Miller Huggins. Any one who had to put up with Ruth on his team deserves a bunch of awards. Ruth made him a good bit of World Series money, though.
Statistical leaders: Harry Heilmann took the batting title at .394, edging Ty Cobb by five points. Heilmann also led with 237 hits. Tris Speaker had 52 doubles, and George Sisler tied Howie Shanks and Jack Tobin with 18 triples as well as leading with 35 steals. Babe Ruth led in most everything else, including 177 runs, 59 homers, and 171 RBI. Tobin was second in runs with 132, Roger Peckinpaugh third with 128. Tobin was also second with 236 hits. Ken Williams and Bob Meusel were second with 24 homers each, Tillie Walker had 23. Heilmann had 139 RBI, Meusel 135.
Carl Mays and Urban Shocker tied for the lead with 27 victories, Walter Johnson had 143 strikeouts, and Red Faber posted a 2.48 ERA, the only pitcher below 3.00. Red Faber had 25 wins, Sad Sam Jones and Stan Coveleski 23 wins. George Mogridge had a 3.00 ERA, Mays 3.05, Waite Hoyt 3.08. Shocker struck out 132, Bob Shawkey 126.
Win Shares leaders, players; Babe Ruth (New York) 53, Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 28, Tris Speaker (Cleveland) and George Sisler and Ken Williams (St. Louis) 27, Joe Sewell (Cleveland) and Ty Cobb (Detroit) 26, Baby Doll Jacobson and Jack Tobin (St. Louis) 25, Bob Meusel (New York) 24.
WS leaders, pitchers; Red Faber (Chicago) 37, Carl Mays (New York) 35, Urban Shocker (St. Louis) 30, Sam Jones (Boston) 29, George Mogridge (Washington) 26, Stan Coveleski (Cleveland) 25, Joe Bush (Boston) and Waite Hoyt (New York) 24.
WARP3: Ruth 12.4, Sewell 6.2, Speaker 6.0, Heilmann 5.7, Cobb 5.0, Sisler 4.8, Meusel 4.4, Bobby Veach (Detroit) 4.3, Larry Gardner (Cleveland) and Patsy Gharrity (Washington) 4.2.
Pitchers, Faber 10.6, Shocker 6.9, Mays 6.7, Jones 6.6 (career year), Mogridge 6.1 (best year), Coveleski and Eddie Rommel (Philadelphia) 5.8, Bush 5.3, Walter Johnson (Washington) 5.1, Hoyt 4.3.
WAR leaders, position players: Ruth 14.4, Heilmann 7.6, Cobb 7.3, Speaker 6.9, Sisler 6.4, Williams 6.2, Veach 6.1, Sewell 5.1, Meusel 5.0, Gardner, Jacobson, and Collins 4.9. Pitchers: Faber 9.9, Shocker 6.6, Coveleski 6.5, Mays 6.1, Jones 6.0, Mogridge 5.9, Hoyt 5.2, Bush 4.4, Johnson 4.1, Leonard and Rommel 3.8.
Best player: Babe Ruth. Can't be any argument, because not only was he statistically the best, his team won. Ruth led in runs, total bases, homers, RBI, and OPS. The rest are closely grouped: Harry Heilmann #2, he led in average and hits and was 2nd in OPS, followed by Cobb #3, Speaker #4, George Sisler #5.
Best pitcher: Red Faber. Faber had a Steve Carlton 1972-type year, 25-15 with a 2.48 ERA for a 7th place team. Led league by a large margin in ERA, 4th in strikeouts, 3rd in wins. Urban Shocker #2, Carl Mays #3, Sam Jones #4, George Mogridge #5.
Best rookie: Lu Blue batted .308, although Bing Miller had more power. Blue had 17 Win Shares to Miller's 12.
Best manager: Miller Huggins. Any one who had to put up with Ruth on his team deserves a bunch of awards. Ruth made him a good bit of World Series money, though.
1920 National League
Brooklyn took the pennant by seven games over New York, with Cincinnati running 3rd. The Robins then lost the Series to the Indians. It was Brooklyn's second pennant in five years. Six different teams had won pennants in the previous six years, following a three-peat by New York. The Giants would end the parity with another run. Pittsburgh was fourth, St. Louis and Chicago tied for fifth, Boston and the Phillies at the bottom. The Phillies, after a brief period of success, were sinking into a very long period of horrible baseball.
Statistical leaders: Rogers Hornsby heralded his arrival as the dominant player in the NL. He led with a .370 average, 218 hits, 44 doubles, and tied George Kelly with 94 RBI. Hornsby also led in the percentage categories. Hy Myers had 22 triples, Cy Williams 15 homers, and Max Carey 52 steals. George Burns had 115 runs, Dave Bancroft was second with 102, Jake Daubert third with 97. Ross Youngs was second in batting average at .351, Edd Roush third at .339, Zack Wheat .328, Cy Williams .325.
Meantime, Pete Alexander reasserted his pitching dominance, winning another Triple Crown with 27 victories, 173 strikeouts, and a 1.91 ERA. Wilbur Cooper won 24, Burleigh Grimes 23. Babe Adams had a 2.16 ERA, Grimes 2.22. Grimes and Hippo Vaughn struck out 131.
Win Shares leaders, players; Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 38, Edd Roush (Cincinnati) and Ross Youngs (New York) 33, Dave Bancroft (Philadelphia/New York) 31, Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) and Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) 28, Hy Myers (Brooklyn) 27, Jake Daubert (Cincinnati), George Burns (New York) and Cy Williams (Philadelphia) 24, Pat Duncan (Cincinnati) 23.
WS leaders, pitchers; Pete Alexander (Chicago) 36, Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn) 32, Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 31, Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) 25, Hippo Vaughn (Chicago) 22, Leon Cadore (Brooklyn) and Fred Toney (New York) 21.
WARP3: Hornsby 10.6, Youngs 7.9 (peak season), Groh 6.9, Roush 5.5, Bancroft 5.2, Burns 4.8, Wheat 4.2, Williams 4.0 (peak season), Frankie Frisch (New York) 3.8, Daubert and Pete Kilduff (Brooklyn) 3.5.
Pitchers, Alexander 13.9, Grimes 7.7, Vaughn 6.4, Cooper 5.7, Bill Doak (St. Louis) 5.3, Cadore 5.0, Adams 4.8, Sherry Smith (Brooklyn) 4.5, Lee Meadows (Philadelphia) 4.3, Eppa Rixey (Philadelphia) 4.1, Dolf Luque (Cincinnati) 3.9.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 9.6, Youngs 6.6, Bancroft 6.1, Roush 5.7, Williams 5.0, Wheat 4.9, Burns 4.7, Myers 4.1, Groh 3.8, Fletcher 3.7. Pitchers: Alexander 10.0, Grimes 5.6, Cooper 5.3, Adams 5.1, Vaughn 4.6, Ruether 4.2, Cadore and Doak 4.0, Luque 3.7, Meadows 3.0.
Best player: Rogers Hornsby. Hornsby breaks out as the NL's premier player, a status he would hold for most of the decade. Hornsby led the league in average, hits, total bases, and doubles. Ross Youngs for the #2 spot, he was 2nd in average and tied with Hornsby for times on base. Edd Roush #3, Zack Wheat #4, Dave Bancroft #5.
Best pitcher: Pete Alexander, winning the pitching triple crown. Burleigh Grimes, 23-11 with a 2.22 ERA for the pennant winners would be 2nd. Wilbur Cooper, 24-15 with a 2.39 ERA, ranks 3rd, Hippo Vaughn #4, Babe Adams #5.
Best rookie: Russ Wrightstone, .262 in 76 games at 3B for Philadelphia, is the best I can find. Pie Traynor also debuted, but played very little.
Best manager: Wilbert Robinson. "Uncle Robby" rode a deep pitching staff to a Brooklyn pennant, their second in five years. They wouldn't win another until 1941.
Statistical leaders: Rogers Hornsby heralded his arrival as the dominant player in the NL. He led with a .370 average, 218 hits, 44 doubles, and tied George Kelly with 94 RBI. Hornsby also led in the percentage categories. Hy Myers had 22 triples, Cy Williams 15 homers, and Max Carey 52 steals. George Burns had 115 runs, Dave Bancroft was second with 102, Jake Daubert third with 97. Ross Youngs was second in batting average at .351, Edd Roush third at .339, Zack Wheat .328, Cy Williams .325.
Meantime, Pete Alexander reasserted his pitching dominance, winning another Triple Crown with 27 victories, 173 strikeouts, and a 1.91 ERA. Wilbur Cooper won 24, Burleigh Grimes 23. Babe Adams had a 2.16 ERA, Grimes 2.22. Grimes and Hippo Vaughn struck out 131.
Win Shares leaders, players; Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 38, Edd Roush (Cincinnati) and Ross Youngs (New York) 33, Dave Bancroft (Philadelphia/New York) 31, Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) and Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) 28, Hy Myers (Brooklyn) 27, Jake Daubert (Cincinnati), George Burns (New York) and Cy Williams (Philadelphia) 24, Pat Duncan (Cincinnati) 23.
WS leaders, pitchers; Pete Alexander (Chicago) 36, Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn) 32, Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 31, Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) 25, Hippo Vaughn (Chicago) 22, Leon Cadore (Brooklyn) and Fred Toney (New York) 21.
WARP3: Hornsby 10.6, Youngs 7.9 (peak season), Groh 6.9, Roush 5.5, Bancroft 5.2, Burns 4.8, Wheat 4.2, Williams 4.0 (peak season), Frankie Frisch (New York) 3.8, Daubert and Pete Kilduff (Brooklyn) 3.5.
Pitchers, Alexander 13.9, Grimes 7.7, Vaughn 6.4, Cooper 5.7, Bill Doak (St. Louis) 5.3, Cadore 5.0, Adams 4.8, Sherry Smith (Brooklyn) 4.5, Lee Meadows (Philadelphia) 4.3, Eppa Rixey (Philadelphia) 4.1, Dolf Luque (Cincinnati) 3.9.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 9.6, Youngs 6.6, Bancroft 6.1, Roush 5.7, Williams 5.0, Wheat 4.9, Burns 4.7, Myers 4.1, Groh 3.8, Fletcher 3.7. Pitchers: Alexander 10.0, Grimes 5.6, Cooper 5.3, Adams 5.1, Vaughn 4.6, Ruether 4.2, Cadore and Doak 4.0, Luque 3.7, Meadows 3.0.
Best player: Rogers Hornsby. Hornsby breaks out as the NL's premier player, a status he would hold for most of the decade. Hornsby led the league in average, hits, total bases, and doubles. Ross Youngs for the #2 spot, he was 2nd in average and tied with Hornsby for times on base. Edd Roush #3, Zack Wheat #4, Dave Bancroft #5.
Best pitcher: Pete Alexander, winning the pitching triple crown. Burleigh Grimes, 23-11 with a 2.22 ERA for the pennant winners would be 2nd. Wilbur Cooper, 24-15 with a 2.39 ERA, ranks 3rd, Hippo Vaughn #4, Babe Adams #5.
Best rookie: Russ Wrightstone, .262 in 76 games at 3B for Philadelphia, is the best I can find. Pie Traynor also debuted, but played very little.
Best manager: Wilbert Robinson. "Uncle Robby" rode a deep pitching staff to a Brooklyn pennant, their second in five years. They wouldn't win another until 1941.
1920 American League
Cleveland, Chicago, and New York put on a great pennant race, although a cloud continued to hover over the Sox following their World Series loss the previous year. There were rumors that the Sox continued to throw games during the season. By the end of the year eight White Sox players had been indicted, and while they were acquitted, they were summarily thrown out of the game by the new commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis. Landis also tossed other players out of the game, and blackballed others who had conducted themselves in a suspicious manner. It did a lot to clean up the game.
Cleveland won the pennant, and then the World Series. Chicago finished two games out, and New York three. Below .500 were St. Louis, Boston, Washington, and Detroit, with Philadelphia last at 106 losses.
Statistical leaders: George Sisler batted .407, breaking Ty Cobb's string of batting titles. Sisler set a season record with 257 hits that would stand for many years. Tris Speaker led the league with 50 doubles, and Joe Jackson with 20 triples. Speaker was second with a .388 average, Jackson third with a .382 average. Sisler had 49 doubles and Jackson 42. Sisler had 18 triples and Harry Hooper 17. For all that, Babe Ruth stole the headlines. He hit an astounding 54 home runs, while Sisler was second with 19. Ruth also led the league in on-base, slugging, and (of course) OPS, as well as runs (158) and RBI (137). Speaker and Sisler tied for second with 137 runs. Sisler and Baby Doll Jacobson had 122 RBI each, Jackson 121. Sam Rice had 63 steals.
Jim Bagby led pitchers with 31 wins, Carl Mays won 26 and Stan Coveleski 24. Red Faber had 23 and Lefty Williams 22. Bob Shawkey's 2.45 ERA edged Stan Coveleski's 2.49, followed by Urban Shocker at 2.71 and Eddie Rommel at 2.85, and Jim Bagby at 2.89. Coveleski led with 133 strikeouts, then came Williams at 128, Shawkey at 126.
Win Shares leaders, players: Babe Ruth (New York) 51, Tris Speaker (Cleveland) 39, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 38, Joe Jackson (Chicago) 37, George Sisler (St. Louis) 33, Happy Felsch (Chicago) 30, Steve O'Neill (Cleveland), Bobby Veach (Detroit), Del Pratt (New York), and Baby Doll Jacobson (St. Louis) 25 each.
WS leaders, pitchers: Jim Bagby (Cleveland) 34, Stan Coveleski (Cleveland) 32, Carl Mays and Bob Shawkey (New York) 27, Red Faber (Chicago) 25, Eddie Cicotte (Chicago) and Urban Shocker (St. Louis) 24.
WARP3: Ruth 13.0, Collins 9.6, Sisler 9.4 (peak season), Speaker 7.4, Jackson 6.0, Pratt 7.6, Jacobson 8.6 (peak season), Larry Gardner (Cleveland) and Harry Hooper (Boston) 5.2, O'Neill 5.1, Felsch 4.7, Ray Chapman (Cleveland, killed by a pitched ball during the season) 4.6, Joe Judge (Washington) 4.5.
Pitchers, Coveleski 8.2 (best year), Bagby 8.0 (peak season), Shocker 6.5, Shawkey 6.1, Mays 5.7, Howard Ehmke (Detroit) and Eddie Rommel (Philadelphia) 5.6, Dixie Davis (St. Louis) 5.3, Scott Perry (Philadelphia) 4.8, Faber and Cicotte 4.6.
WAR leaders, position players: Ruth 14.1, Sisler 11.2, Speaker 9.8, Collins 9.5, Jackson 8.9, Jacobson 7.1, Felsch 6.6, Hooper 6.3, Pratt 5.9, O'Neill and Rice 5.5. Pitchers: Bagby 7.7, Coveleski 7.4, Shawkey 6.9, Mays 5.6, Faber and Shocker 5.2, Cicotte 5.0, Davis 4.7, Rommel 4.5, Quinn 3.9.
Best player: Babe Ruth. Sisler was incredible, and Speaker was terrific for the pennant winners, while Collins led the contending White/Black Sox, but it's gotta be the Babe. An unimaginable 54 home runs for the season. Ruth also led in runs, RBI, walks and OPS. Sisler's .407 earns him second. Collins' all-around excellence in the face of a season-long crisis puts him third. Speaker was 2nd in batting and led in doubles, he's 4th. Joe Jackson will go 5th in his last major league season.
Best pitcher: Jim Bagby. The Indians rode the arms of Bagby and Coveleski, plus Speaker's excellence, to the World Series. Bagby won 31 games and led the league in innings. Coveleski was 3rd in wins and 2nd in ERA, and ranks 2nd here. ERA leader Bob Shawkey is 3rd, Carl Mays 4th, Urban Shocker 5th.
Best rookie: Bob Meusel batted .328 for the Yankees in full-time play. Now that's putting an OF together quickly, with Bob and the Babe!
Best manager to Tris Speaker, holding Cleveland together for the pennant despite the White Sox publicity and the death of shortstop Ray Chapman.
Cleveland won the pennant, and then the World Series. Chicago finished two games out, and New York three. Below .500 were St. Louis, Boston, Washington, and Detroit, with Philadelphia last at 106 losses.
Statistical leaders: George Sisler batted .407, breaking Ty Cobb's string of batting titles. Sisler set a season record with 257 hits that would stand for many years. Tris Speaker led the league with 50 doubles, and Joe Jackson with 20 triples. Speaker was second with a .388 average, Jackson third with a .382 average. Sisler had 49 doubles and Jackson 42. Sisler had 18 triples and Harry Hooper 17. For all that, Babe Ruth stole the headlines. He hit an astounding 54 home runs, while Sisler was second with 19. Ruth also led the league in on-base, slugging, and (of course) OPS, as well as runs (158) and RBI (137). Speaker and Sisler tied for second with 137 runs. Sisler and Baby Doll Jacobson had 122 RBI each, Jackson 121. Sam Rice had 63 steals.
Jim Bagby led pitchers with 31 wins, Carl Mays won 26 and Stan Coveleski 24. Red Faber had 23 and Lefty Williams 22. Bob Shawkey's 2.45 ERA edged Stan Coveleski's 2.49, followed by Urban Shocker at 2.71 and Eddie Rommel at 2.85, and Jim Bagby at 2.89. Coveleski led with 133 strikeouts, then came Williams at 128, Shawkey at 126.
Win Shares leaders, players: Babe Ruth (New York) 51, Tris Speaker (Cleveland) 39, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 38, Joe Jackson (Chicago) 37, George Sisler (St. Louis) 33, Happy Felsch (Chicago) 30, Steve O'Neill (Cleveland), Bobby Veach (Detroit), Del Pratt (New York), and Baby Doll Jacobson (St. Louis) 25 each.
WS leaders, pitchers: Jim Bagby (Cleveland) 34, Stan Coveleski (Cleveland) 32, Carl Mays and Bob Shawkey (New York) 27, Red Faber (Chicago) 25, Eddie Cicotte (Chicago) and Urban Shocker (St. Louis) 24.
WARP3: Ruth 13.0, Collins 9.6, Sisler 9.4 (peak season), Speaker 7.4, Jackson 6.0, Pratt 7.6, Jacobson 8.6 (peak season), Larry Gardner (Cleveland) and Harry Hooper (Boston) 5.2, O'Neill 5.1, Felsch 4.7, Ray Chapman (Cleveland, killed by a pitched ball during the season) 4.6, Joe Judge (Washington) 4.5.
Pitchers, Coveleski 8.2 (best year), Bagby 8.0 (peak season), Shocker 6.5, Shawkey 6.1, Mays 5.7, Howard Ehmke (Detroit) and Eddie Rommel (Philadelphia) 5.6, Dixie Davis (St. Louis) 5.3, Scott Perry (Philadelphia) 4.8, Faber and Cicotte 4.6.
WAR leaders, position players: Ruth 14.1, Sisler 11.2, Speaker 9.8, Collins 9.5, Jackson 8.9, Jacobson 7.1, Felsch 6.6, Hooper 6.3, Pratt 5.9, O'Neill and Rice 5.5. Pitchers: Bagby 7.7, Coveleski 7.4, Shawkey 6.9, Mays 5.6, Faber and Shocker 5.2, Cicotte 5.0, Davis 4.7, Rommel 4.5, Quinn 3.9.
Best player: Babe Ruth. Sisler was incredible, and Speaker was terrific for the pennant winners, while Collins led the contending White/Black Sox, but it's gotta be the Babe. An unimaginable 54 home runs for the season. Ruth also led in runs, RBI, walks and OPS. Sisler's .407 earns him second. Collins' all-around excellence in the face of a season-long crisis puts him third. Speaker was 2nd in batting and led in doubles, he's 4th. Joe Jackson will go 5th in his last major league season.
Best pitcher: Jim Bagby. The Indians rode the arms of Bagby and Coveleski, plus Speaker's excellence, to the World Series. Bagby won 31 games and led the league in innings. Coveleski was 3rd in wins and 2nd in ERA, and ranks 2nd here. ERA leader Bob Shawkey is 3rd, Carl Mays 4th, Urban Shocker 5th.
Best rookie: Bob Meusel batted .328 for the Yankees in full-time play. Now that's putting an OF together quickly, with Bob and the Babe!
Best manager to Tris Speaker, holding Cleveland together for the pennant despite the White Sox publicity and the death of shortstop Ray Chapman.
11 August 2007
1919 National League
Cincinnati was yet another surprise NL pennant winner, by 9 games over the Giants. Chicago, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, Boston, St. Louis, and Philadelphia trailed. The Reds then won the NL's first World Series in five years, and only the second of the decade. But the win would be tainted by the Black Sox gambling scandal.
Statistical leaders: Edd Roush hit .321 to edge Rogers Hornsby's .318 for the batting title. Ross Youngs hiti .311 and Heinie Groh .310. George Burns led in runs with 86 and steals with 40. Groh and Jake Daubert had 79 runs each. George Cutshaw 36 steals. Ivy Olson had 164 hits. Hornsby had 163, Roush and George Burns 162. Ross Youngs had 31 doubles, Burns and Fred Luderus had 30. Gavy Cravath had 12 homers and Benny Kauff 10, Hy Myers 73 RBI, Hornsby and Roush 71 each.
Jesse Barnes led pitchers with 25 wins, Hippo Vaughn had 141 strikeouts, and Pete Alexander led with a 1.72 ERA. Vaughn and Slim Sallee had 21 wins each. Vaughn had a 1.79 ERA, Dutch Ruether 1.82, Fred Toney 1.84. Hod Eller was second with 137 strikeouts.
Win Shares leaders, players; Edd Roush (Cincinnati) 33, George Burns (New York) 32, Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 30, Ross Youngs (New York) 27, Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 26, Benny Kauff (New York) 24, Hy Myers (Brooklyn) 23, Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) and Morrie Rath (Cincinnati) 21.
WS leaders, pitchers; Hippo Vaughn (Chicago) 30, Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) 27, Pete Alexander (Chicago) and Dutch Ruether (Cincinnati) 26, Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 25, Jesse Barnes (New York) 24, Hod Eller (Cincinnati) 23, Slim Sallee (Cincinnati) 22.
WARP3: Groh 8.0, Hornsby 6.8 (he would kick into high gear the next year), Burns 6.6, Youngs 6.4, Roush 5.7, Milt Stock (St. Louis) 5.4, Larry Doyle (New York) 5.2, Rath 4.8 (best year), Art Fletcher (New York) 4.6, Gavy Cravath (Philaelphia) 3.4.
Pitchers: Alexander 8.3, Vaughn 6.8, Dick Rudolph (Boston) 6.2, Adams 5.7, Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn) 5.5, Leon Cadore (Brooklyn) 5.2, Lee Meadows (Philadelphia) 4.5, Cooper 4.0, Ruether 3.7 (first full season), Barnes 3.6.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 6.5, Burns 6.2, Groh 5.8, Roush 5.5, Fletcher and Youngs 4.8, Stock 4.5, Maranville and Hollocher 4.2, Rath and Myers 3.9. Pitchers: Alexander 6.2, Adams and Vaughn 6.1, Cadore 4.7, Cooper, Pfeffer, Ruether, and Sallee 3.8, Nehf 3.6, Rudolph 3.5.
Best player: Edd Roush takes the award for the World Champion Reds. Roush hit .321 in a year like most of his others, but it's enough to lift him to the top. Heinie Groh led the league in OPS and ranks #2. Burns is #3 for the Giants with Rogers Hornsby #4 and Ross Youngs #5.
Best pitcher: Hippo Vaughn at 21-14, 1.79 over Pete Alexander's comeback to 16-11, 1.72 for the same team. Babe Adams ranks #3, Jesse Barnes #4 and Dutch Ruether #5.
Best rookie: No candidate I can find.
Best manager: Pat Moran led the Reds to the pennant, their only NL flag until 1940.
Statistical leaders: Edd Roush hit .321 to edge Rogers Hornsby's .318 for the batting title. Ross Youngs hiti .311 and Heinie Groh .310. George Burns led in runs with 86 and steals with 40. Groh and Jake Daubert had 79 runs each. George Cutshaw 36 steals. Ivy Olson had 164 hits. Hornsby had 163, Roush and George Burns 162. Ross Youngs had 31 doubles, Burns and Fred Luderus had 30. Gavy Cravath had 12 homers and Benny Kauff 10, Hy Myers 73 RBI, Hornsby and Roush 71 each.
Jesse Barnes led pitchers with 25 wins, Hippo Vaughn had 141 strikeouts, and Pete Alexander led with a 1.72 ERA. Vaughn and Slim Sallee had 21 wins each. Vaughn had a 1.79 ERA, Dutch Ruether 1.82, Fred Toney 1.84. Hod Eller was second with 137 strikeouts.
Win Shares leaders, players; Edd Roush (Cincinnati) 33, George Burns (New York) 32, Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 30, Ross Youngs (New York) 27, Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 26, Benny Kauff (New York) 24, Hy Myers (Brooklyn) 23, Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) and Morrie Rath (Cincinnati) 21.
WS leaders, pitchers; Hippo Vaughn (Chicago) 30, Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) 27, Pete Alexander (Chicago) and Dutch Ruether (Cincinnati) 26, Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 25, Jesse Barnes (New York) 24, Hod Eller (Cincinnati) 23, Slim Sallee (Cincinnati) 22.
WARP3: Groh 8.0, Hornsby 6.8 (he would kick into high gear the next year), Burns 6.6, Youngs 6.4, Roush 5.7, Milt Stock (St. Louis) 5.4, Larry Doyle (New York) 5.2, Rath 4.8 (best year), Art Fletcher (New York) 4.6, Gavy Cravath (Philaelphia) 3.4.
Pitchers: Alexander 8.3, Vaughn 6.8, Dick Rudolph (Boston) 6.2, Adams 5.7, Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn) 5.5, Leon Cadore (Brooklyn) 5.2, Lee Meadows (Philadelphia) 4.5, Cooper 4.0, Ruether 3.7 (first full season), Barnes 3.6.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 6.5, Burns 6.2, Groh 5.8, Roush 5.5, Fletcher and Youngs 4.8, Stock 4.5, Maranville and Hollocher 4.2, Rath and Myers 3.9. Pitchers: Alexander 6.2, Adams and Vaughn 6.1, Cadore 4.7, Cooper, Pfeffer, Ruether, and Sallee 3.8, Nehf 3.6, Rudolph 3.5.
Best player: Edd Roush takes the award for the World Champion Reds. Roush hit .321 in a year like most of his others, but it's enough to lift him to the top. Heinie Groh led the league in OPS and ranks #2. Burns is #3 for the Giants with Rogers Hornsby #4 and Ross Youngs #5.
Best pitcher: Hippo Vaughn at 21-14, 1.79 over Pete Alexander's comeback to 16-11, 1.72 for the same team. Babe Adams ranks #3, Jesse Barnes #4 and Dutch Ruether #5.
Best rookie: No candidate I can find.
Best manager: Pat Moran led the Reds to the pennant, their only NL flag until 1940.
1919 American League
The White Sox won the pennant and then lost a World Series that had a very dark cloud over it, which would shortly erupt into a furious storm. Gambling had been a problem in baseball for a very long time. This problem now boiled over. There has been a lot of revisionist history perpetrated that the 1919 Black Sox were one of the greatest teams ever. They were not. They were a very good team, and one that could have continued a strong run of success for awhile, until Eddie Collins and Joe Jackson were too old to carry the offense. Most of the rest of the players, save Happy Felsch, were on the downside of their careers.
Cleveland, New York and Detroit made strong showings in the pennant race, St. Louis, Boston, and Washington were in the second division, while Philadelphia returned to a horrid performance and lost 104 games. The league struggled to get back to normal after the end of World War I.
Statistical leaders: Ty Cobb won, yes, the batting title at .384, well ahead of Bobby Veach at .355, George Sisler at .352, and Joe Jackson at .351. Babe Ruth led in on-base, slugging, and OPS, and with 103 runs, 29 HR, and 114 RBI. Sisler was second in runs with 96 and Cobb third with 92. Ruth's 29 nearly tripled the second-place total of ten home runs, reached by Sisler, Tilly Walker, and "Home Run" Baker. Veach had 101 RBI. Bobby Veach led with 45 doubles and 17 triples and tied Cobb with 191 hits. Tris Speaker was second with 38 doubles, Sisler and Harry Heilmann had 15 triples, Jackson was third with 181 hits. Eddie Collins had 33 steals.
Eddie Cicotte won 29 games, while Walter Johnson led with 147 strikeouts and a 1.49 ERA. Stan Coveleski was second with 24 wins, Lefty Williams won 23. Cicotte had a 1.82 ERA and Carl Weilman was second at 2.07. Jim Shaw was second with 128 strikeouts.
Win Shares leaders, players; Babe Ruth (Boston) 43, Joe Jackson (Chicago), Ty Cobb and Bobby Veach (Detroit) 32 each, Eddie Collins (Chicago) and Tris Speaker (Cleveland) 27, Roger Peckinpaugh (New York) and George Sisler (St. Louis) 24, Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 23.
WS leaders, pitchers; Eddie Cicotte (Chicago) 32, Stan Coveleski (Cleveland) and Walter Johnson (Washington) 27, Bob Shawkey (New York) and Alan Sothoron (St. Louis) 24, Lefty Williams (Chicago) 23.
WARP3: Ruth 13.0, Veach 8.0, Peckinpaugh 7.7 (best season), Collins 7.5, Sisler 6.5, Del Pratt (New York) 6.2, Wally Schang (Boston) 5.9, Cobb 5.7, Speaker 5.4, Jackson 5.1, Sam Rice (Washington) 4.5, Ray Schalk (Chicago) 4.4, Ray Chapman (Cleveland) 4.0, Buck Weaver (Chicago) and Frank Baker (New York) 3.7, Happy Felsch (Chicago) and Heilmann 3.6.
Pitchers: Johnson 11.3 (last of his huge seasons. He would now be a Good Pitcher), Cicotte 8.9, Coveleski 7.7, Jim Shaw (Washington) 6.3, Williams (best season) and Jim Bagby (Cleveland) 4.9, Scott Perry (Philadelphia) 4.7.
WAR leaders, position players: Ruth 10.2, Veach 7.6, Sisler 7.3, Cobb 6.9, Jackson and Peckinpaugh 6.8, Collins 6.5, Speaker 6.1, Pratt 5.6, Rice 4.8. Pitchers: Johnson 9.2, Cicotte 8.8, Coveleski 5.9, Shaw 5.4, Williams 5.2, Sothoron 4.8, Mays and Shocker 4.2, Boland 3.9, Bagby, Quinn, and Shawkey 3.6.
Best player: Babe Ruth. Time to get used to it, it will be true for most of the next decade. Ruth led in runs, homers, RBI, total bases, times on base, and most percentage categories. Veach led in doubles and triples and ranks #2, with Cobb #3, Sisler #4, and Joe Jackson #5 for the pennant winners.
Best pitcher: Walter Johnson, leader in ERA, strikeouts and shutouts. Runner-up is Cicotte, the wins leader with 29. Coveleski was second in wins and #3 here. Sothoron ranks #4, Williams #5.
Best rookie: Dickie Kerr was 13-7, 2.88 ERA for Chicago, then won two games in the World Series. George Uhle was 10-5 with a 2.91 ERA for Cleveland.
Best manager: Tris Speaker took over Cleveland in midseason and nearly got them to the pennant.
Cleveland, New York and Detroit made strong showings in the pennant race, St. Louis, Boston, and Washington were in the second division, while Philadelphia returned to a horrid performance and lost 104 games. The league struggled to get back to normal after the end of World War I.
Statistical leaders: Ty Cobb won, yes, the batting title at .384, well ahead of Bobby Veach at .355, George Sisler at .352, and Joe Jackson at .351. Babe Ruth led in on-base, slugging, and OPS, and with 103 runs, 29 HR, and 114 RBI. Sisler was second in runs with 96 and Cobb third with 92. Ruth's 29 nearly tripled the second-place total of ten home runs, reached by Sisler, Tilly Walker, and "Home Run" Baker. Veach had 101 RBI. Bobby Veach led with 45 doubles and 17 triples and tied Cobb with 191 hits. Tris Speaker was second with 38 doubles, Sisler and Harry Heilmann had 15 triples, Jackson was third with 181 hits. Eddie Collins had 33 steals.
Eddie Cicotte won 29 games, while Walter Johnson led with 147 strikeouts and a 1.49 ERA. Stan Coveleski was second with 24 wins, Lefty Williams won 23. Cicotte had a 1.82 ERA and Carl Weilman was second at 2.07. Jim Shaw was second with 128 strikeouts.
Win Shares leaders, players; Babe Ruth (Boston) 43, Joe Jackson (Chicago), Ty Cobb and Bobby Veach (Detroit) 32 each, Eddie Collins (Chicago) and Tris Speaker (Cleveland) 27, Roger Peckinpaugh (New York) and George Sisler (St. Louis) 24, Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 23.
WS leaders, pitchers; Eddie Cicotte (Chicago) 32, Stan Coveleski (Cleveland) and Walter Johnson (Washington) 27, Bob Shawkey (New York) and Alan Sothoron (St. Louis) 24, Lefty Williams (Chicago) 23.
WARP3: Ruth 13.0, Veach 8.0, Peckinpaugh 7.7 (best season), Collins 7.5, Sisler 6.5, Del Pratt (New York) 6.2, Wally Schang (Boston) 5.9, Cobb 5.7, Speaker 5.4, Jackson 5.1, Sam Rice (Washington) 4.5, Ray Schalk (Chicago) 4.4, Ray Chapman (Cleveland) 4.0, Buck Weaver (Chicago) and Frank Baker (New York) 3.7, Happy Felsch (Chicago) and Heilmann 3.6.
Pitchers: Johnson 11.3 (last of his huge seasons. He would now be a Good Pitcher), Cicotte 8.9, Coveleski 7.7, Jim Shaw (Washington) 6.3, Williams (best season) and Jim Bagby (Cleveland) 4.9, Scott Perry (Philadelphia) 4.7.
WAR leaders, position players: Ruth 10.2, Veach 7.6, Sisler 7.3, Cobb 6.9, Jackson and Peckinpaugh 6.8, Collins 6.5, Speaker 6.1, Pratt 5.6, Rice 4.8. Pitchers: Johnson 9.2, Cicotte 8.8, Coveleski 5.9, Shaw 5.4, Williams 5.2, Sothoron 4.8, Mays and Shocker 4.2, Boland 3.9, Bagby, Quinn, and Shawkey 3.6.
Best player: Babe Ruth. Time to get used to it, it will be true for most of the next decade. Ruth led in runs, homers, RBI, total bases, times on base, and most percentage categories. Veach led in doubles and triples and ranks #2, with Cobb #3, Sisler #4, and Joe Jackson #5 for the pennant winners.
Best pitcher: Walter Johnson, leader in ERA, strikeouts and shutouts. Runner-up is Cicotte, the wins leader with 29. Coveleski was second in wins and #3 here. Sothoron ranks #4, Williams #5.
Best rookie: Dickie Kerr was 13-7, 2.88 ERA for Chicago, then won two games in the World Series. George Uhle was 10-5 with a 2.91 ERA for Cleveland.
Best manager: Tris Speaker took over Cleveland in midseason and nearly got them to the pennant.
1918 National League
A war-shortened season, something not seen before or since in MLB. An influenza pandemic also contributed to the crisis, as some players stayed home, as did many fans, rather than risk exposure to the germs. The Cubs won the pennant handily over New York, with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh following. You may notice the conspicuous absence of Pete Alexander from these proceedings.
Statistical leaders: Zack Wheat batted .335 to edge Edd Roush's .333 for the batting title. Heinie Groh batted .320 for third place, and led with 86 runs and 28 doubles. George Burns as second with 80 runs, Gavy Cravath and Les Mann were second with 27 doubles. Charlie Hollocher had 161 hits, Groh was second with 158 hits. Jake Daubert had 15 triples. Sherry Magee led with 76 RBI, George Cutshaw had 68 RBI, while Max Carey had 58 steals.
James "Hippo" Vaughn won the pitchers' Triple Crown with 22 wins, 148 strikeouts and a 1.74 ERA. Claude Hendrix was second with 20 wins, Wilbur Cooper, Burleigh Grimes, and Lefty Tyler had 19 wins each. Tyler was second with a 2.00 ERA, Cooper 2.11. Cooper was second with 117 strikeouts, Grimes 113.
Win Shares leaders, players; Charlie Hollocher (Chicago) and Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 28, Dode Paskert (Chicago) and George Burns (New York) 23, Fred Merkle (Chicago), Edd Roush (Cincinnati), Ross Youngs (New York) and Max Carey (Pittsburgh) 22 each, Red Smith (Boston) 21.
WS leaders, pitchers; Hippo Vaughn (Chicago) 28, Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn) 25, Lefty Tyler (Chicago) 24, Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 23, Brad Hogg (Philadelphia) 19, Claude Hendrix (Chicago) 18.
WARP3: Groh 7.4, Burns 6.0, Art Fletcher (New York) 5.5, Hollocher 4.8 in his rookie season for the pennant winners, Youngs 4.7 in his rookie year also, Roush and Carey 4.2, Billy Southworth (Pittsburgh) 4.1, Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 4.0, Lee Magee (Cincinnati) 3.6.
Pitchers: Vaughn 7.8, Tyler 6.3, Hogg 5.2 (career year), Cooper 5.1, Grimes 5.0 (first good year), Art Nehf (Boston) 4.8, Bill Doak (St. Louis) 4.4, Hod Eller (Cincinnati) 3.7, Hendrix 3.5 (last big year).
WAR leaders, position players: Hollocher 6.0, Groh 5.7, Hornsby 5.5, Burns and Roush 5.2, Carey 5.0, Fletcher 4.8, Smith 4.5, Youngs and Merkle 4.0. Pitchers: Vaughn 6.8, Tyler 6.0, Cooper 4.2, Grimes 3.5, Hogg 3.3, Eller 3.1, Nehf and Prendergast 2.5, Mayer 2.4, Hendrix 2.2.
Top player: Heinie Groh. 1st in OBP, 2nd to teammate Roush in OPS and OPS+. Looking at Groh as arguably the best player in the NL for 1917-18 casts a new light on the 1919 WS, I think. Hollocher #2, Edd Roush #3, George Burns #4, Ross Youngs #5.
Top pitcher: Hippo Vaughn. With Alexander out of the league due to WW I for most of the year, Vaughn was the top hurler in the league. He led in wins, ERA, strikeouts, and several other categories. Lefty Tyler was #2, Burleigh Grimes #3, Wilbur Cooper #4, Brad Hogg #5.
Top rookie: Charlie Hollocher. Ross Youngs has an argument, but Hollocher played at least as effectively and for the pennant winners.
Top manager: Fred Mitchell led the Cubs to the flag in his second year on the job.
Statistical leaders: Zack Wheat batted .335 to edge Edd Roush's .333 for the batting title. Heinie Groh batted .320 for third place, and led with 86 runs and 28 doubles. George Burns as second with 80 runs, Gavy Cravath and Les Mann were second with 27 doubles. Charlie Hollocher had 161 hits, Groh was second with 158 hits. Jake Daubert had 15 triples. Sherry Magee led with 76 RBI, George Cutshaw had 68 RBI, while Max Carey had 58 steals.
James "Hippo" Vaughn won the pitchers' Triple Crown with 22 wins, 148 strikeouts and a 1.74 ERA. Claude Hendrix was second with 20 wins, Wilbur Cooper, Burleigh Grimes, and Lefty Tyler had 19 wins each. Tyler was second with a 2.00 ERA, Cooper 2.11. Cooper was second with 117 strikeouts, Grimes 113.
Win Shares leaders, players; Charlie Hollocher (Chicago) and Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 28, Dode Paskert (Chicago) and George Burns (New York) 23, Fred Merkle (Chicago), Edd Roush (Cincinnati), Ross Youngs (New York) and Max Carey (Pittsburgh) 22 each, Red Smith (Boston) 21.
WS leaders, pitchers; Hippo Vaughn (Chicago) 28, Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn) 25, Lefty Tyler (Chicago) 24, Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 23, Brad Hogg (Philadelphia) 19, Claude Hendrix (Chicago) 18.
WARP3: Groh 7.4, Burns 6.0, Art Fletcher (New York) 5.5, Hollocher 4.8 in his rookie season for the pennant winners, Youngs 4.7 in his rookie year also, Roush and Carey 4.2, Billy Southworth (Pittsburgh) 4.1, Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 4.0, Lee Magee (Cincinnati) 3.6.
Pitchers: Vaughn 7.8, Tyler 6.3, Hogg 5.2 (career year), Cooper 5.1, Grimes 5.0 (first good year), Art Nehf (Boston) 4.8, Bill Doak (St. Louis) 4.4, Hod Eller (Cincinnati) 3.7, Hendrix 3.5 (last big year).
WAR leaders, position players: Hollocher 6.0, Groh 5.7, Hornsby 5.5, Burns and Roush 5.2, Carey 5.0, Fletcher 4.8, Smith 4.5, Youngs and Merkle 4.0. Pitchers: Vaughn 6.8, Tyler 6.0, Cooper 4.2, Grimes 3.5, Hogg 3.3, Eller 3.1, Nehf and Prendergast 2.5, Mayer 2.4, Hendrix 2.2.
Top player: Heinie Groh. 1st in OBP, 2nd to teammate Roush in OPS and OPS+. Looking at Groh as arguably the best player in the NL for 1917-18 casts a new light on the 1919 WS, I think. Hollocher #2, Edd Roush #3, George Burns #4, Ross Youngs #5.
Top pitcher: Hippo Vaughn. With Alexander out of the league due to WW I for most of the year, Vaughn was the top hurler in the league. He led in wins, ERA, strikeouts, and several other categories. Lefty Tyler was #2, Burleigh Grimes #3, Wilbur Cooper #4, Brad Hogg #5.
Top rookie: Charlie Hollocher. Ross Youngs has an argument, but Hollocher played at least as effectively and for the pennant winners.
Top manager: Fred Mitchell led the Cubs to the flag in his second year on the job.
1918 American League
The War was on...an influenza epidemic swept the country and the world, killing thousands....the season was ended early, due to travel considerations. Teams played 120-130 games, rather than the normal 154 of the time. Boston won the pennant narrowly over Cleveland and Washington. Chicago slipped back to 6th. It would be Boston's last pennant until 1946. Some players had gone off to war, others to jobs in war-related industries, others stayed home to avoid the epidemic and worked on their family farms. More were called away as the season went on, a major reason for the premature end. The Red Sox also bested the Cubs in the World Series, their last championship until the historic 2004 World Series.
Statistical leaders: Ty Cobb batted .382 to take yet another batting title, way ahead of George Burns at .352. George Sisler hit .341. Cobb also led in on-base average, but sensation Babe Ruth led in slugging and OPS. Ray Chapman led the league in runs at 84, with Cobb at 83 and Harry Hooper at 81. George Burns led in hits with 178 while Cobb had 161 and Sisler and Home Run Baker had 154. Tris Speaker had 33 doubles, Hooper and Ruth 26. Cobb had 14 triples, Hooper and Bobby Veach 13. Ruth tied Tilly Walker with 11 home runs. Bobby Veach had 78 RBI, Burns 70, Ruth and Joe Wood 66. George Sisler had 45 steals.
Walter Johnson won the pitchers' Triple Crown, with 23 wins, 162 strikeouts, and a 1.27 ERA. Stan Coveleski was second with 22 wins and a 1.82 ERA. Carl Mays won 21, Scott Perry 20. Allan Sothoron had a 1.94 ERA, Perry 1.98. Jim Shaw had 129 strikeouts, Bullet Joe Bush 125, Guy Morton 123.
Win Shares leaders, players; Babe Ruth (Boston) 40 (20 games pitching, 59 on the OF, I'll list him here), Ty Cobb (Detroit) 31, Harry Hooper (Boston) 29, Tris Speaker (Cleveland) 27, George Burns (Philadelphia) 24, Frank Baker (New York) 23, George Sisler (St. Louis) 22, Ray Chapman (Cleveland) 21.
WS leaders, pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 38, Scott Perry (Philadelphia) 30 in what I believe would qualify as a rookie season, Stan Coveleski (Cleveland) 29, Carl Mays (Boston) 25, Joe Bush (Boston) 21.
WARP3: Ruth 9.4, Cobb 6.8, Hooper 6.7, Sisler 6.3, Speaker 5.6, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 5.0, Burns 4.8 (best year), Baker 3.9, Larry Gardner (Boston) 3.3, Chapman and Steve O'Neill (Cleveland) 3.3.
Pitchers, Johnson 11.1, Coveleski 8.6, Perry 8.5 (career year), Mays 5.1, George Mogridge (New York) 4.9, Bernie Boland (Detroit) 4.8, Jim Bagby (Cleveland) 4.3, Hooks Dauss (Detroit) 3.9, Bush 3.7, Eddie Cicotte (Chicago) 3.5.
WAR leaders, position players: Cobb 7.3, Sisler 7.2, Speaker 6.4, Burns 6.1, Hooper 5.9, Ruth 5.6, Baker 5.1, Chapman 4.6, Gardner 4.1, Collins 3.8. Pitchers: Johnson 8.7, Coveleski 7.5, Perry 6.8, Harper, Mogridge, and Sothoron 3.5, Boland and Mays 3.3, Bagby 3.2, Bush 3.0. (Ruth was 14th at 2.2)
Top player: Babe Ruth. I could have picked Hooper, or Sisler, or even Cobb, but Ruth as the part-time RF and part-time P was hard to ignore. Ruth led the league in slugging and OPS, and tied for the lead in homers and led in extra-base hits despite only 317 ABs. About 2/3 of his value was as a hitter, 1/3 as a pitcher. I'll put Cobb #2, #3 Speaker, #4 Sisler, #5 Hooper
Top pitcher: Walter Johnson. Leader in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Hard not to pick him. Coveleski would be #2, Perry #3, Mays #4 and Bush #5.
Top rookie: Assuming he would have the status, Scott Perry. 4th in wins and ERA in his only good year, possibly an arm injury due to overwork.
Top manager: Ed Barrow managed a pennant in his first year with the Red Sox.
Statistical leaders: Ty Cobb batted .382 to take yet another batting title, way ahead of George Burns at .352. George Sisler hit .341. Cobb also led in on-base average, but sensation Babe Ruth led in slugging and OPS. Ray Chapman led the league in runs at 84, with Cobb at 83 and Harry Hooper at 81. George Burns led in hits with 178 while Cobb had 161 and Sisler and Home Run Baker had 154. Tris Speaker had 33 doubles, Hooper and Ruth 26. Cobb had 14 triples, Hooper and Bobby Veach 13. Ruth tied Tilly Walker with 11 home runs. Bobby Veach had 78 RBI, Burns 70, Ruth and Joe Wood 66. George Sisler had 45 steals.
Walter Johnson won the pitchers' Triple Crown, with 23 wins, 162 strikeouts, and a 1.27 ERA. Stan Coveleski was second with 22 wins and a 1.82 ERA. Carl Mays won 21, Scott Perry 20. Allan Sothoron had a 1.94 ERA, Perry 1.98. Jim Shaw had 129 strikeouts, Bullet Joe Bush 125, Guy Morton 123.
Win Shares leaders, players; Babe Ruth (Boston) 40 (20 games pitching, 59 on the OF, I'll list him here), Ty Cobb (Detroit) 31, Harry Hooper (Boston) 29, Tris Speaker (Cleveland) 27, George Burns (Philadelphia) 24, Frank Baker (New York) 23, George Sisler (St. Louis) 22, Ray Chapman (Cleveland) 21.
WS leaders, pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 38, Scott Perry (Philadelphia) 30 in what I believe would qualify as a rookie season, Stan Coveleski (Cleveland) 29, Carl Mays (Boston) 25, Joe Bush (Boston) 21.
WARP3: Ruth 9.4, Cobb 6.8, Hooper 6.7, Sisler 6.3, Speaker 5.6, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 5.0, Burns 4.8 (best year), Baker 3.9, Larry Gardner (Boston) 3.3, Chapman and Steve O'Neill (Cleveland) 3.3.
Pitchers, Johnson 11.1, Coveleski 8.6, Perry 8.5 (career year), Mays 5.1, George Mogridge (New York) 4.9, Bernie Boland (Detroit) 4.8, Jim Bagby (Cleveland) 4.3, Hooks Dauss (Detroit) 3.9, Bush 3.7, Eddie Cicotte (Chicago) 3.5.
WAR leaders, position players: Cobb 7.3, Sisler 7.2, Speaker 6.4, Burns 6.1, Hooper 5.9, Ruth 5.6, Baker 5.1, Chapman 4.6, Gardner 4.1, Collins 3.8. Pitchers: Johnson 8.7, Coveleski 7.5, Perry 6.8, Harper, Mogridge, and Sothoron 3.5, Boland and Mays 3.3, Bagby 3.2, Bush 3.0. (Ruth was 14th at 2.2)
Top player: Babe Ruth. I could have picked Hooper, or Sisler, or even Cobb, but Ruth as the part-time RF and part-time P was hard to ignore. Ruth led the league in slugging and OPS, and tied for the lead in homers and led in extra-base hits despite only 317 ABs. About 2/3 of his value was as a hitter, 1/3 as a pitcher. I'll put Cobb #2, #3 Speaker, #4 Sisler, #5 Hooper
Top pitcher: Walter Johnson. Leader in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Hard not to pick him. Coveleski would be #2, Perry #3, Mays #4 and Bush #5.
Top rookie: Assuming he would have the status, Scott Perry. 4th in wins and ERA in his only good year, possibly an arm injury due to overwork.
Top manager: Ed Barrow managed a pennant in his first year with the Red Sox.
06 August 2007
1917 National League
New York returned to the winner's circle, beating out Philadelphia, while St. Louis finished a surprising third. The rest of the standings went Cincinnati, Chicago, Boston, Brooklyn, with Pittsburgh last at 103 losses.
Edd Roush led the league with a .341 average, with Rogers Hornsby second at .327. Hornsby led in OPS and slugging, Heinie Groh in on-base average. George Burns led with 103 runs, Groh was second with 91, Benny Kauff third with 89. Groh led with 182 hits and 39 doubles; Burns was second with 180 hits, Edd Roush third with 178. Red Smith and Fred Merkle were second with 31 doubles. Hornsby led with 17 triples, Gavy Cravath was second with 16. Heinie Zimmerman topped the loop with 102 RBI, followed by Hal Chase with 86 and Cravath with 83. Max Carey had 46 steals.
Pete Alexander nearly won another pitching Triple Crown. He won 30 games, was second with a 1.83 ERA, and struck out 200. Fred Toney won 24 games and Hippo Vaughn 23. Fred Anderson led with a 1.44 ERA in just 162 innings. Pol Perrit was third with a 1.88 ERA. Ferdie Schupp was next at 1.95. Vaughn had 195 strikeouts, Phil Douglas 151.
Win Shares leaders, players: Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 38, Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 37, George Burns (New York) 34, Edd Roush (Cincinnati) and Benny Kauff (New York) 30, Art Fletcher (New York) 27, Heinie Zimmerman (New York) and Gavy Cravath (Philadelphia) 26.
WS leaders, pitchers: Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 40, Hippo Vaughn (Chicago) 24, Ferdie Schupp (New York) 23, Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 22, Leon Cadore (Brooklyn) 21, Eppa Rixey (Philadelphia) 20.
WARP3: Groh 8.1, Hornsby 7.4, Burns 7.2, Fletcher 5.4, Zimmerman 5.3, Max Carey (Pittsburgh) 4.8, Cravath 4.6 (last big year), Kauff 4.1, Rabbit Maranville (Boston) 3.6, Roush and Casey Stengel (Brooklyn) 3.4.
Pitchers: Alexander 10.9, Vaughn 7.2, Cooper 6.3, Cadore 5.5, Rixey 4.5, Schupp (his career year) and Lefty Tyler (Boston) 4.4, Art Nehf (Boston) 4.3, Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn) 4.2, Fred Toney (Cincinnati) 3.9.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 10.0, Burns 7.6, Groh 7.5, Fletcher 7.3, Kauff 6.2, Carey 6.1, Zimmerman 5.9, Roush 5.6, Maranville 5.4, Cravath 5.2. Pitchers: Alexander 8.4, Vaughn 5.7, Cooper 5.5, Schupp 4.9, Pfeffer 4.6, Cadore 4.2, Toney 4.0, Bender 3.3, Rixey 3.2, Anderson and Perrit 3.0.
Best player: Rogers Hornsby, in his arrival as the best player in the NL. He would continue to be that good for over a decade. Second is Heinie Groh, and people have forgotten he was that good. George Burns would be #3 and Art Fletcher #4, with Benny Kauff #5.
Best pitcher: Pete Alexander, in the third of his three 30-win seasons. No one else comes close. Hippo Vaughn, 23-13 and 2.01, is a distant 2nd. Wilbur Cooper #3, Ferdie Schupp #4, Leon Cadore #5.
Best rookie: No one I can see.
Best manager: John McGraw, back in the winners' circle.
Edd Roush led the league with a .341 average, with Rogers Hornsby second at .327. Hornsby led in OPS and slugging, Heinie Groh in on-base average. George Burns led with 103 runs, Groh was second with 91, Benny Kauff third with 89. Groh led with 182 hits and 39 doubles; Burns was second with 180 hits, Edd Roush third with 178. Red Smith and Fred Merkle were second with 31 doubles. Hornsby led with 17 triples, Gavy Cravath was second with 16. Heinie Zimmerman topped the loop with 102 RBI, followed by Hal Chase with 86 and Cravath with 83. Max Carey had 46 steals.
Pete Alexander nearly won another pitching Triple Crown. He won 30 games, was second with a 1.83 ERA, and struck out 200. Fred Toney won 24 games and Hippo Vaughn 23. Fred Anderson led with a 1.44 ERA in just 162 innings. Pol Perrit was third with a 1.88 ERA. Ferdie Schupp was next at 1.95. Vaughn had 195 strikeouts, Phil Douglas 151.
Win Shares leaders, players: Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 38, Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 37, George Burns (New York) 34, Edd Roush (Cincinnati) and Benny Kauff (New York) 30, Art Fletcher (New York) 27, Heinie Zimmerman (New York) and Gavy Cravath (Philadelphia) 26.
WS leaders, pitchers: Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 40, Hippo Vaughn (Chicago) 24, Ferdie Schupp (New York) 23, Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 22, Leon Cadore (Brooklyn) 21, Eppa Rixey (Philadelphia) 20.
WARP3: Groh 8.1, Hornsby 7.4, Burns 7.2, Fletcher 5.4, Zimmerman 5.3, Max Carey (Pittsburgh) 4.8, Cravath 4.6 (last big year), Kauff 4.1, Rabbit Maranville (Boston) 3.6, Roush and Casey Stengel (Brooklyn) 3.4.
Pitchers: Alexander 10.9, Vaughn 7.2, Cooper 6.3, Cadore 5.5, Rixey 4.5, Schupp (his career year) and Lefty Tyler (Boston) 4.4, Art Nehf (Boston) 4.3, Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn) 4.2, Fred Toney (Cincinnati) 3.9.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 10.0, Burns 7.6, Groh 7.5, Fletcher 7.3, Kauff 6.2, Carey 6.1, Zimmerman 5.9, Roush 5.6, Maranville 5.4, Cravath 5.2. Pitchers: Alexander 8.4, Vaughn 5.7, Cooper 5.5, Schupp 4.9, Pfeffer 4.6, Cadore 4.2, Toney 4.0, Bender 3.3, Rixey 3.2, Anderson and Perrit 3.0.
Best player: Rogers Hornsby, in his arrival as the best player in the NL. He would continue to be that good for over a decade. Second is Heinie Groh, and people have forgotten he was that good. George Burns would be #3 and Art Fletcher #4, with Benny Kauff #5.
Best pitcher: Pete Alexander, in the third of his three 30-win seasons. No one else comes close. Hippo Vaughn, 23-13 and 2.01, is a distant 2nd. Wilbur Cooper #3, Ferdie Schupp #4, Leon Cadore #5.
Best rookie: No one I can see.
Best manager: John McGraw, back in the winners' circle.
1917 American League
Chicago won the pennant by 9 games over Boston, with Cleveland in 3rd. The rest of the standings went Detroit, Washington, New York, St. Louis and Philadelphia, which was not as bad as the year before.
Statistical leaders: Ty Cobb led the way in many categories, including batting average at .383, with George Sisler and Tris Speaker tied for second at .352, and Bobby Veach fourth at .319. Cobb led in OPS at 1014, with Speaker second at 918. Cobb also led with 225 hits, 44 doubles, 24 triples, and 55 steals. Speaker had 42 doubles, Joe Jackson 17 triples, Wally Pipp had nine homers and Veach eight, Veach led with 103 RBI and Cobb and Happy Felsch had 102.
Eddie Cicotte led with 28 wins and a 1.53 ERA, and Walter Johnson with 188 strikeouts. Babe Ruth had 24 wins, Johnson and Jim Bagby 23. Carl Mays had a 1.74 ERA, Stan Coveleski 1.81, Red Faber 1.92. Cicotte was second with 150 strikeouts, then Dutch Leonard with 144.
Win Shares leaders, players: Ty Cobb (Detroit) 46, Tris Speaker (Cleveland) 37, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 32, Joe Jackson (Chicago) and Bobby Veach (Detroit) 31, Happy Felsch (Chicago) and Ray Chapman (Cleveland) 30, George Sisler (St. Louis) 29.
WS leaders, pitchers: Babe Ruth (Boston) 36, Eddie Cicotte (Chicago) 35, Jim Bagby (Cleveland) 34, Carl Mays (Boston) 30, Stan Coveleski (Cleveland) and Walter Johnson (Washington) 29.
WARP3: Cobb 12.1 (his best season by WARP), Collins 8.4, Veach 8.0, Chapman 6.9 (best year), Speaker 6.7, Sisler 6.6, Jackson 5.3, Duffy Lewis (Boston) 4.5, Ray Schalk (Chicago) 4.4, Harry Hooper (Boston) 4.2.
Pitchers: Cicotte 11.5, Bagby and Johnson (an off year for Walter) 8.9, Ruth 8.7, Coveleski 7.9, Mays 6.7, Bob Shawkey (New York) 5.6, Ray Caldwell (New York) 5.0, Bob Groom (St. Louis) 4.6, Doc Ayers (Washington) 4.5.
WAR leaders, position players: Cobb 12.7, Chapman 8.8, Speaker 8.7, Veach 7.5, Sisler 6.9, Collins 6.4, Jackson 6.3, Felsch 5.7, Bush 5.0, Roth 4.9. Pitchers: Cicotte 10.0, Coveleski 6.8, Bagby 6.7, Ruth 5.8, Johnson 5.2, Mays 5.1, Leonard 4.2, Ayers and Shawkey 3.3, Groom 3.2.
Best player: Ty Cobb. This was arguably the best year of a tremendous career, considering context, and Ty strode across the league. His Tigers were barely over .500, but Cobb couldn't have played better. He led in average, hits, doubles, triples, total bases, and steals. I put Speaker #2, #3 Bobby Veach, #4 Ray Chapman, and George Sisler #5.
Best pitcher: Eddie Cicotte. There were other fine performances for the pennant-winning White Sox, but Cicotte was the best pitcher over Ruth and Johnson. He led in wins and ERA, was 28-12, 1.53. Ruth at #2, 24-13, 2.01. Johnson was so bad he's just #3, at 23-16, 2.21. Jim Bagby #4, Stan Coveleski #5.
Best rookie: I can't find anyone deserving.
Best manager: Pants Rowland guiding the White Sox to the pennant.
Statistical leaders: Ty Cobb led the way in many categories, including batting average at .383, with George Sisler and Tris Speaker tied for second at .352, and Bobby Veach fourth at .319. Cobb led in OPS at 1014, with Speaker second at 918. Cobb also led with 225 hits, 44 doubles, 24 triples, and 55 steals. Speaker had 42 doubles, Joe Jackson 17 triples, Wally Pipp had nine homers and Veach eight, Veach led with 103 RBI and Cobb and Happy Felsch had 102.
Eddie Cicotte led with 28 wins and a 1.53 ERA, and Walter Johnson with 188 strikeouts. Babe Ruth had 24 wins, Johnson and Jim Bagby 23. Carl Mays had a 1.74 ERA, Stan Coveleski 1.81, Red Faber 1.92. Cicotte was second with 150 strikeouts, then Dutch Leonard with 144.
Win Shares leaders, players: Ty Cobb (Detroit) 46, Tris Speaker (Cleveland) 37, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 32, Joe Jackson (Chicago) and Bobby Veach (Detroit) 31, Happy Felsch (Chicago) and Ray Chapman (Cleveland) 30, George Sisler (St. Louis) 29.
WS leaders, pitchers: Babe Ruth (Boston) 36, Eddie Cicotte (Chicago) 35, Jim Bagby (Cleveland) 34, Carl Mays (Boston) 30, Stan Coveleski (Cleveland) and Walter Johnson (Washington) 29.
WARP3: Cobb 12.1 (his best season by WARP), Collins 8.4, Veach 8.0, Chapman 6.9 (best year), Speaker 6.7, Sisler 6.6, Jackson 5.3, Duffy Lewis (Boston) 4.5, Ray Schalk (Chicago) 4.4, Harry Hooper (Boston) 4.2.
Pitchers: Cicotte 11.5, Bagby and Johnson (an off year for Walter) 8.9, Ruth 8.7, Coveleski 7.9, Mays 6.7, Bob Shawkey (New York) 5.6, Ray Caldwell (New York) 5.0, Bob Groom (St. Louis) 4.6, Doc Ayers (Washington) 4.5.
WAR leaders, position players: Cobb 12.7, Chapman 8.8, Speaker 8.7, Veach 7.5, Sisler 6.9, Collins 6.4, Jackson 6.3, Felsch 5.7, Bush 5.0, Roth 4.9. Pitchers: Cicotte 10.0, Coveleski 6.8, Bagby 6.7, Ruth 5.8, Johnson 5.2, Mays 5.1, Leonard 4.2, Ayers and Shawkey 3.3, Groom 3.2.
Best player: Ty Cobb. This was arguably the best year of a tremendous career, considering context, and Ty strode across the league. His Tigers were barely over .500, but Cobb couldn't have played better. He led in average, hits, doubles, triples, total bases, and steals. I put Speaker #2, #3 Bobby Veach, #4 Ray Chapman, and George Sisler #5.
Best pitcher: Eddie Cicotte. There were other fine performances for the pennant-winning White Sox, but Cicotte was the best pitcher over Ruth and Johnson. He led in wins and ERA, was 28-12, 1.53. Ruth at #2, 24-13, 2.01. Johnson was so bad he's just #3, at 23-16, 2.21. Jim Bagby #4, Stan Coveleski #5.
Best rookie: I can't find anyone deserving.
Best manager: Pants Rowland guiding the White Sox to the pennant.
1916 National League
A good four-team race with Brooklyn emerging on top, ahead of Philadelphia (previous year's winner), Boston (1914 winner) and New York (1913 winner). Chicago, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Cincinnati made up the second division. The Giants had the hitting, Boston had the pitching, but Brooklyn had the best balance.
Statistical leaders: Hal Chase won the batting title at .339, and led in hits with 184. It is one of the few years when Chase lived up to his billing as one of the best players in the game. He would soon be chased from organized baseball in the gambling scandals. Gavy Cravath led in on-base average at .379, Zack Wheat slugged .461, and Cy Williams led with an 831 OPS. George Burns led with 105 runs, Heinie Zimmerman with 83 RBI, Bert Niehoff with 42 doubles, and Max Carey with 63 steals.
Among pitchers, Pete Alexander won the Triple Crown again, with 33 wins, 167 strikeouts, and a 1.55 ERA. He was challenged by Larry Cheney, who was one strikeout short, and Rube Marquard with a 1.58 ERA. Second in wins was Jeff Pfeffer's 25.
Win Shares leaders, players; Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) 32, Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 28, Rabbit Maranville (Boston), Benny Kauff (New York) and Dode Paskert (Philadelphia) 27, Ed Konetchy (Boston) Gavy Cravath (Philadelphia) and Billy Hinchman (Pittsburgh) 26. Hal Chase had 22.
WS leaders, pitchers; Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 44, Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn) 32, Hippo Vaughn (Chicago) and Eppa Rixey (Philadelphia) 24, Dick Rudolph (Boston) 21. Rube Marquard had 20, as did Lefty Tyler and Wilbur Cooper.
WARP3: Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 7.2, Wheat 6.9, Art Fletcher (New York) 6.0, Maranville and Dave Robertson (New York) 5.0, Chase 4.8 (best year), Jake Daubert (Brooklyn) 4.5, Hornsby and Max Carey (Pittsburgh) 4.3, Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 4.2, Cravath and Hinchman (last good year) 4.1.
Pitchers: Alexander 13.6, Pfeffer 7.0, Vaughn 6.4, Cooper 5.8, Rixey 5.2, Rudolph 4.9, Fred Toney (Cincinnati) 4.6, Claude Hendrix (Chicago) 4.0, Tyler and Fredie Schupp (New York) 3.9, Slim Sallee (New York) 3.8.
WAR leaders, position players: Wheat 7.0, Fletcher 6.5, Groh 5.9, Hornsby 5.6, Carey and Maranville 5.3, Hinchman 5.2, Williams 4.9, Cravath, Doyle, and Daubert 4.6. Pitchers: Alexander 9.8, Pfeffer 6.4, Vaughn 5.4, Cooper 5.2, Schupp 4.6, Marquard 4.3, Rixey, Rudolph, and Toney 4.2, Sallee 3.3.
Top player: Zack Wheat, who led Brooklyn to a surprise pennant with a super season. Wheat led the league in slugging and total bases. Emerging Rogers Hornsby at #2, Art Fletcher #3, Heinie Groh #4, Bill Hinchman #5.
Top rookie: Rogers Hornsby, following an 18-game debut the season before. He would soon own the top player award.
Top pitcher: Pete Alexander, and it's not close. Alexander was on a run of being the dominant pitcher in the NL. He led the league in wins, strikeouts, ERA, shutouts, and a bunch of other stuff. Jeff Pfeffer is #2, second in wins and 5th in ERA. Eppa Rixey #3, Hippo Vaughn #4, Dick Rudolph #5.
Top manager: Wilbert Robinson, guiding his Robins to the pennant.
Statistical leaders: Hal Chase won the batting title at .339, and led in hits with 184. It is one of the few years when Chase lived up to his billing as one of the best players in the game. He would soon be chased from organized baseball in the gambling scandals. Gavy Cravath led in on-base average at .379, Zack Wheat slugged .461, and Cy Williams led with an 831 OPS. George Burns led with 105 runs, Heinie Zimmerman with 83 RBI, Bert Niehoff with 42 doubles, and Max Carey with 63 steals.
Among pitchers, Pete Alexander won the Triple Crown again, with 33 wins, 167 strikeouts, and a 1.55 ERA. He was challenged by Larry Cheney, who was one strikeout short, and Rube Marquard with a 1.58 ERA. Second in wins was Jeff Pfeffer's 25.
Win Shares leaders, players; Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) 32, Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 28, Rabbit Maranville (Boston), Benny Kauff (New York) and Dode Paskert (Philadelphia) 27, Ed Konetchy (Boston) Gavy Cravath (Philadelphia) and Billy Hinchman (Pittsburgh) 26. Hal Chase had 22.
WS leaders, pitchers; Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 44, Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn) 32, Hippo Vaughn (Chicago) and Eppa Rixey (Philadelphia) 24, Dick Rudolph (Boston) 21. Rube Marquard had 20, as did Lefty Tyler and Wilbur Cooper.
WARP3: Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 7.2, Wheat 6.9, Art Fletcher (New York) 6.0, Maranville and Dave Robertson (New York) 5.0, Chase 4.8 (best year), Jake Daubert (Brooklyn) 4.5, Hornsby and Max Carey (Pittsburgh) 4.3, Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 4.2, Cravath and Hinchman (last good year) 4.1.
Pitchers: Alexander 13.6, Pfeffer 7.0, Vaughn 6.4, Cooper 5.8, Rixey 5.2, Rudolph 4.9, Fred Toney (Cincinnati) 4.6, Claude Hendrix (Chicago) 4.0, Tyler and Fredie Schupp (New York) 3.9, Slim Sallee (New York) 3.8.
WAR leaders, position players: Wheat 7.0, Fletcher 6.5, Groh 5.9, Hornsby 5.6, Carey and Maranville 5.3, Hinchman 5.2, Williams 4.9, Cravath, Doyle, and Daubert 4.6. Pitchers: Alexander 9.8, Pfeffer 6.4, Vaughn 5.4, Cooper 5.2, Schupp 4.6, Marquard 4.3, Rixey, Rudolph, and Toney 4.2, Sallee 3.3.
Top player: Zack Wheat, who led Brooklyn to a surprise pennant with a super season. Wheat led the league in slugging and total bases. Emerging Rogers Hornsby at #2, Art Fletcher #3, Heinie Groh #4, Bill Hinchman #5.
Top rookie: Rogers Hornsby, following an 18-game debut the season before. He would soon own the top player award.
Top pitcher: Pete Alexander, and it's not close. Alexander was on a run of being the dominant pitcher in the NL. He led the league in wins, strikeouts, ERA, shutouts, and a bunch of other stuff. Jeff Pfeffer is #2, second in wins and 5th in ERA. Eppa Rixey #3, Hippo Vaughn #4, Dick Rudolph #5.
Top manager: Wilbert Robinson, guiding his Robins to the pennant.
1916 American League
Boston outraced Chicago (by two games) and Detroit (by four games) for the pennant, their second in a row, then won the World Series. New York and St. Louis were also above .500, while Cleveland was at .500 and Washington was a game below. The whole league beat up on Philadelphia, with 117 losses. Everybody else was, or nearly was, above average.
Tris Speaker led in many of the statistical categories, including taking the batting title with a .386 average, besting Ty Cobb's .371. Speaker also led in on-base, slugging, and OPS, as well as with 211 hits and tied with teammate Jack Graney at 41 doubles. Cobb led with 113 runs and 68 steals. Joe Jackson had 21 triples, Wally Pipp 12 homers. Del Pratt had 103 RBI. Walter Johnson led pitchers with 25 wins and 228 strikeouts, while Babe Ruth took the ERA title at 1.75.
Win Shares, Players; Tris Speaker (Cleveland) 41, Ty Cobb (Detroit) 40, Joe Jackson (Chicago) 34, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 31, Larry Gardner (Boston) and Bobby Veach (Detroit) 27, Harry Hooper (Boston) and Burt Shotton (St. Louis) 26, George Sisler (St. Louis) 25.
WS, Pitchers; Babe Ruth (Boston) 37, Walter Johnson (Washington) 36, Harry Coveleski (Detroit) and Bob Shawkey (New York) 27, Dutch Leonard and Carl Mays (Boston) 22.
WARP3: Speaker and Cobb 8.7, Collins 7.7, Jackson 6.5, Veach 5.9, Shotton (right before his career jolted to a stop) and Sisler 5.4, Hooper 5.3, Del Pratt (St. Louis) 5.2, Gardner 4.6.
Pitchers: Johnson 11.9 (in the last year of a run of 7 consecutive ERAs under 2.00), Ruth 10.1, Shawkey 8.2 (best year), Joe Bush (Philadephia) 8.0, Coveleski 6.9 (last good year), Mays 6.3, Harry Harper (Washington) 5.2, Carl Weilman (St. Louis) 5.1, Jim Bagby (Cleveland) 4.8, Leonard 4.7.
WAR, position players: Speaker 9.2, Cobb 9.1, Jackson and Collins 7.6, Gardner and Veach 5.7, Strunk 5.6, Shotton 5.5, Peckinpaugh 5.4, Felsch 5.3. Pitchers: Johnson 7.8, Ruth 7.4, Shawkey 5.8, Coveleski 5.6, Leonard 4.2, Bush 4.0, Harper and Weilman 3.9, Mays 3.6, Russell 3.4.
Best player: Tris Speaker. Speaker and Cobb are very close, I'll take the Grey Eagle. Speaker led in batting average, hits, times on base, and OPS. #2 man Cobb led in runs and steals and was 2nd in OPS. Eddie Collins #3, Joe Jackson (the triples leader) #4, Bobby Veach #5.
Best pitcher: Walter Johnson. Ruth was great, but Walter was better for a team that was much worse. Johnson was 25-20, 1.90, while Ruth was 23-12, 1.75. #3 is Bob Shawkey, 24-14, 2.21. Harry Coveleski was #4, at 21-11, 1.95, Dutch Leonard at #5.
Best rookie: Whitey Witt, batted .245 as shortstop for Philadelphia.
Best manager: Bill Carrigan again, in his last year as a player, and the last in this stint as Red Sox skipper.
Tris Speaker led in many of the statistical categories, including taking the batting title with a .386 average, besting Ty Cobb's .371. Speaker also led in on-base, slugging, and OPS, as well as with 211 hits and tied with teammate Jack Graney at 41 doubles. Cobb led with 113 runs and 68 steals. Joe Jackson had 21 triples, Wally Pipp 12 homers. Del Pratt had 103 RBI. Walter Johnson led pitchers with 25 wins and 228 strikeouts, while Babe Ruth took the ERA title at 1.75.
Win Shares, Players; Tris Speaker (Cleveland) 41, Ty Cobb (Detroit) 40, Joe Jackson (Chicago) 34, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 31, Larry Gardner (Boston) and Bobby Veach (Detroit) 27, Harry Hooper (Boston) and Burt Shotton (St. Louis) 26, George Sisler (St. Louis) 25.
WS, Pitchers; Babe Ruth (Boston) 37, Walter Johnson (Washington) 36, Harry Coveleski (Detroit) and Bob Shawkey (New York) 27, Dutch Leonard and Carl Mays (Boston) 22.
WARP3: Speaker and Cobb 8.7, Collins 7.7, Jackson 6.5, Veach 5.9, Shotton (right before his career jolted to a stop) and Sisler 5.4, Hooper 5.3, Del Pratt (St. Louis) 5.2, Gardner 4.6.
Pitchers: Johnson 11.9 (in the last year of a run of 7 consecutive ERAs under 2.00), Ruth 10.1, Shawkey 8.2 (best year), Joe Bush (Philadephia) 8.0, Coveleski 6.9 (last good year), Mays 6.3, Harry Harper (Washington) 5.2, Carl Weilman (St. Louis) 5.1, Jim Bagby (Cleveland) 4.8, Leonard 4.7.
WAR, position players: Speaker 9.2, Cobb 9.1, Jackson and Collins 7.6, Gardner and Veach 5.7, Strunk 5.6, Shotton 5.5, Peckinpaugh 5.4, Felsch 5.3. Pitchers: Johnson 7.8, Ruth 7.4, Shawkey 5.8, Coveleski 5.6, Leonard 4.2, Bush 4.0, Harper and Weilman 3.9, Mays 3.6, Russell 3.4.
Best player: Tris Speaker. Speaker and Cobb are very close, I'll take the Grey Eagle. Speaker led in batting average, hits, times on base, and OPS. #2 man Cobb led in runs and steals and was 2nd in OPS. Eddie Collins #3, Joe Jackson (the triples leader) #4, Bobby Veach #5.
Best pitcher: Walter Johnson. Ruth was great, but Walter was better for a team that was much worse. Johnson was 25-20, 1.90, while Ruth was 23-12, 1.75. #3 is Bob Shawkey, 24-14, 2.21. Harry Coveleski was #4, at 21-11, 1.95, Dutch Leonard at #5.
Best rookie: Whitey Witt, batted .245 as shortstop for Philadelphia.
Best manager: Bill Carrigan again, in his last year as a player, and the last in this stint as Red Sox skipper.
04 August 2007
1915 National League
The second straight surprise pennant winners, as the Philadelphia Phillies won with just 90 victories, seven games ahead of Boston and 10 ahead of Brooklyn, the only other teams over .500. Chicago, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Cincinnati came next. The worst team, New York, was 69-83. It was a year of mediocrity.
Statistical leaders: Larry Doyle won the batting title for the last-place Giants at .320 with Philly's Fred Luderus second at .315. Gavy Cravath led the percentage categories of on-base, slugging, and OPS. Cravath also led in runs (89), total bases, home runs, (24), RBI (115), and walks. Philadelphia had a great hitter's park, but that's still a strong performance. Doyle led the league with 40 doubles, Tom Long with 25 triples, and Max Carey with 36 steals.
Pete Alexander had 31 wins (Dick Rudolph was second with 22), 241 strikeouts (Jeff Tesreau was second with 176) and a 1.22 ERA (Fred Toney was second at 1.58). It is safe to say Alexander was dominating.
1915 NL Win Shares:
Players; Gavy Cravath (Philadclphia) 35, Larry Doyle (New York) 33, Jake Daubert (Brooklyn) 27, Sherry Magee (Boston) and Fred Luderus (Philadelphia) 26, Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 25, Red Smith (Boston), Zack Wheat (Brooklyn), Vic Saier (Chicago), George Burns (New York), Bill Hinchman (Pittsburgh) and Frank Snyder (St. Louis) 24 each.
Pitchers; Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 43, Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn) 26, Dick Rudolph (Boston) and Erskine Mayer (Philadelphia) 24, Fred Toney (Cincinnati) 23, Tom Hughes (Boston) 22.
WARP3: Cravath 8.0, Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 6.6, Snyder 6.1 (best season), Groh 5.9, Luderus 5.5, Hinchman 5.3 (best season in return to big leagues), Magee 4.7, Doyle 4.4, Daubert 4.0, Saier 3.8 (last good year), Hank Gowdy (Boston) 3.7.
Pitchers: Alexander 12.2 (in the first of three straight 30-win seasons), Jeff Tesreau (New York) 8.4, Toney 7.2 (first big year, best year), Pfeffer 6.4, Rudolph and Al Mamaux (Pittsburgh) 5.6, Mayer 5.5, Hughes 5.2 (best season), Jimmy Lavender (Chicago) 4.8, Pat Ragan (Boston) 4.6.
WAR, position players: Cravath 7.1, Groh 5.7, Wagner and Luderus 5.6, Hinchman and Herzog 5.0, Magee and Doyle 4.8, Smith, Saier and Bancroft 4.2. Pitchers: Alexander 9.8, Toney 6.6, Mamaux 5.4, Pfeffer 5.0, Tesreau 4.6, Hughes 4.1, Ragan 3.8, Mayer 3.4, Lavender 3.3, Doak 3.1.
The top award winners are Gavy Cravath and Pete Alexander, both for a Phillies team that won its only pennant ever until 1980.
Best player would go Cravath #1, Larry Doyle #2, Fred Luderus #3, Heinie Groh #4, Bill Hinchman #5.
Best pitchers are Alexander way ahead at #1 (31-10, 1.22), with Toney (1.58 ERA) #2, Al Mamaux #3, Dick Rudolph #4, Erskine Mayer #5.
Best rookie was Dave Bancroft, batting .254 in 153 games for the Phillies as a shortstop.
Best manager was Pat Moran, completing a clean sweep of awards for the Phillies.
Statistical leaders: Larry Doyle won the batting title for the last-place Giants at .320 with Philly's Fred Luderus second at .315. Gavy Cravath led the percentage categories of on-base, slugging, and OPS. Cravath also led in runs (89), total bases, home runs, (24), RBI (115), and walks. Philadelphia had a great hitter's park, but that's still a strong performance. Doyle led the league with 40 doubles, Tom Long with 25 triples, and Max Carey with 36 steals.
Pete Alexander had 31 wins (Dick Rudolph was second with 22), 241 strikeouts (Jeff Tesreau was second with 176) and a 1.22 ERA (Fred Toney was second at 1.58). It is safe to say Alexander was dominating.
1915 NL Win Shares:
Players; Gavy Cravath (Philadclphia) 35, Larry Doyle (New York) 33, Jake Daubert (Brooklyn) 27, Sherry Magee (Boston) and Fred Luderus (Philadelphia) 26, Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 25, Red Smith (Boston), Zack Wheat (Brooklyn), Vic Saier (Chicago), George Burns (New York), Bill Hinchman (Pittsburgh) and Frank Snyder (St. Louis) 24 each.
Pitchers; Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 43, Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn) 26, Dick Rudolph (Boston) and Erskine Mayer (Philadelphia) 24, Fred Toney (Cincinnati) 23, Tom Hughes (Boston) 22.
WARP3: Cravath 8.0, Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 6.6, Snyder 6.1 (best season), Groh 5.9, Luderus 5.5, Hinchman 5.3 (best season in return to big leagues), Magee 4.7, Doyle 4.4, Daubert 4.0, Saier 3.8 (last good year), Hank Gowdy (Boston) 3.7.
Pitchers: Alexander 12.2 (in the first of three straight 30-win seasons), Jeff Tesreau (New York) 8.4, Toney 7.2 (first big year, best year), Pfeffer 6.4, Rudolph and Al Mamaux (Pittsburgh) 5.6, Mayer 5.5, Hughes 5.2 (best season), Jimmy Lavender (Chicago) 4.8, Pat Ragan (Boston) 4.6.
WAR, position players: Cravath 7.1, Groh 5.7, Wagner and Luderus 5.6, Hinchman and Herzog 5.0, Magee and Doyle 4.8, Smith, Saier and Bancroft 4.2. Pitchers: Alexander 9.8, Toney 6.6, Mamaux 5.4, Pfeffer 5.0, Tesreau 4.6, Hughes 4.1, Ragan 3.8, Mayer 3.4, Lavender 3.3, Doak 3.1.
The top award winners are Gavy Cravath and Pete Alexander, both for a Phillies team that won its only pennant ever until 1980.
Best player would go Cravath #1, Larry Doyle #2, Fred Luderus #3, Heinie Groh #4, Bill Hinchman #5.
Best pitchers are Alexander way ahead at #1 (31-10, 1.22), with Toney (1.58 ERA) #2, Al Mamaux #3, Dick Rudolph #4, Erskine Mayer #5.
Best rookie was Dave Bancroft, batting .254 in 153 games for the Phillies as a shortstop.
Best manager was Pat Moran, completing a clean sweep of awards for the Phillies.
1915 Federal League
The last year of the Federal League resulted in a terrific pennant race, as Chicago, St. Louis and Pittsburgh battled down to the final day. The Indianapolis franchise shifted to Newark, but star Benny Kauff moved to Brooklyn. A few more stars defected, notably 1B Ed Konetchy and P Eddie Plank and Chief Bender. The Feds were really a pretty good AAA league, not a true major league. There aren't really any examples of major league stars in mid-career switching over to the Feds. Some were on the tail end (like Plank) or got a start (like Flack) but it wasn't like the Cobbs and Speakers and Collinses played in the FL. This was also the last league outside the American and National recognized as a major league.
Statistical Leaders: Benny Kauff won another batting title and led the percentage categories, with a .342 average and 955 OPS. Babe Borton led with 97 runs, Jack Tobin with 184 hits, Steve Evans with 34 doubles, Les Mann with 19 triples, Hal Chase with 17 home runs, and Dutch Zwilling with 94 RBI. Kauff led with 55 steals. George McConnell led pitchers with 25 wins, Dave Davenport with 229 strikeouts, and Earl Moseley with a 1.91 ERA.
These Win Shares just handed to me:
Players; Benny Kauff (Brooklyn) 34, Dutch Zwilling (Chicago) 30, Ed Konetchy (Pittsburgh) 27, Max Flack (Chicago) 26, Bill Rariden (Newark) 25, Claude Cooper (Brooklyn), Hal Chase and Baldy Louden (Buffalo) and Jack Tobin (St. Louis) 23 each.
Pitchers; Dave Davenport (St.Louis) 34, Doc Crandall and Eddie Plank (St. Louis) 29, George McConnell (Chicago) and Nick Cullop (Kansas City) 25, Frank Allen (Pittsburgh) 24.
WARP3: Kauff 6.2, Rariden 4.4, Konetchy 3.7, Zwilling 3.6, Cooper 3.1 (career year).
Pitchers, Plank 6.1, Davenport 5.1 (career year), Crandall 4.1, Ed Reulbach (Newark) 3.8, Fred Anderson (Buffalo) 3.7.
WAR leaders, position players: Kauff 9.6, Konetchy 7.5, Zwilling 6.9, Cooper 6.0, Miller 5.8, Tobin 5.7, Mowrey and Flack 5.6, Mann 5.3, Esmond 5.1. Pitchers: Davenport 9.0, Plank 6.7, Allen 5.4, Anderson, Moseley, and Reulbach 4.8, Crandall 4.6, Cullop 4.3.
Best player: Benny Kauff. He was a decent major leaguer until he went down in the gambling scandals of the 1910s-1920s. #2 Ed Konetchy, #3 Bill Rariden, #4 Dutch Zwilling, #5 Max Flack.
Best pitcher; Eddie Plank. The old pro showed 'em how it was done. #2 Dave Davenport, #3 Doc Crandall, #4 Nick Cullop, #5 George McConnell.
Statistical Leaders: Benny Kauff won another batting title and led the percentage categories, with a .342 average and 955 OPS. Babe Borton led with 97 runs, Jack Tobin with 184 hits, Steve Evans with 34 doubles, Les Mann with 19 triples, Hal Chase with 17 home runs, and Dutch Zwilling with 94 RBI. Kauff led with 55 steals. George McConnell led pitchers with 25 wins, Dave Davenport with 229 strikeouts, and Earl Moseley with a 1.91 ERA.
These Win Shares just handed to me:
Players; Benny Kauff (Brooklyn) 34, Dutch Zwilling (Chicago) 30, Ed Konetchy (Pittsburgh) 27, Max Flack (Chicago) 26, Bill Rariden (Newark) 25, Claude Cooper (Brooklyn), Hal Chase and Baldy Louden (Buffalo) and Jack Tobin (St. Louis) 23 each.
Pitchers; Dave Davenport (St.Louis) 34, Doc Crandall and Eddie Plank (St. Louis) 29, George McConnell (Chicago) and Nick Cullop (Kansas City) 25, Frank Allen (Pittsburgh) 24.
WARP3: Kauff 6.2, Rariden 4.4, Konetchy 3.7, Zwilling 3.6, Cooper 3.1 (career year).
Pitchers, Plank 6.1, Davenport 5.1 (career year), Crandall 4.1, Ed Reulbach (Newark) 3.8, Fred Anderson (Buffalo) 3.7.
WAR leaders, position players: Kauff 9.6, Konetchy 7.5, Zwilling 6.9, Cooper 6.0, Miller 5.8, Tobin 5.7, Mowrey and Flack 5.6, Mann 5.3, Esmond 5.1. Pitchers: Davenport 9.0, Plank 6.7, Allen 5.4, Anderson, Moseley, and Reulbach 4.8, Crandall 4.6, Cullop 4.3.
Best player: Benny Kauff. He was a decent major leaguer until he went down in the gambling scandals of the 1910s-1920s. #2 Ed Konetchy, #3 Bill Rariden, #4 Dutch Zwilling, #5 Max Flack.
Best pitcher; Eddie Plank. The old pro showed 'em how it was done. #2 Dave Davenport, #3 Doc Crandall, #4 Nick Cullop, #5 George McConnell.
1915 American League
Faced with spiraling salaries, the erstwhile pennant winners gutted the roster and fell to the league's basement. Sounds like a contemporary headline, but it happened to Connie Mack's A's when faced with the Federal League competition. Mack lost ace pitchers Eddie Plank and Chief Bender to the Feds, and third baseman Frank Baker was out for the year due to his wife's death, so Mack sent 2B Eddie Collins to Chicago to raise funds. Even without his star and veteran pitchers Mack hoped to contend, but SS Jack Barry tanked, veteran Nap Lajoie was no replacement for Collins, and Baker's absence ripped a hole in the infield that could not be patched over. It would take Mack years to rebuild. This edition lost 109 games.
Boston and Detroit stepped into the gap, the Red Sox beating out the Tigers for the pennant by 1.5 games, with Chicago a solid third. Washington finished 4th, riding Walter Johnson as usual. New York, St. Louis, and Cleveland were in the second division. The Red Sox then won the World Series over the Phillies.
Statistical leaders: Ty Cobb ran away with the batting title, hitting .369. Eddie Collins was second at .332. Cobb also led in on-base average and OPS, as well as runs (144), hits (208), and steals with a career-high 96. That was the 20th century record until Lou Brock exceeded it in 1974. Cobb's teammates Bobby Veach led in doubles with 40, Sam Crawford in triples with 19, and the two tied for the RBI lead at 112. Cobb had a big lead in runs created.
Walter Johnson led the way with 27 wins and 203 strikeouts, while Smokey Joe Wood posted a 1.49 ERA to edge Johnson's 1.55. Ernie Shore came in at 1.64. Hooks Dauss, Jim Scott, and Red Faber each won 24 games.
Here's who Shared in the Wins:
Players: Ty Cobb (Detroit) 48, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 40, Tris Speaker (Boston) 36, Bobby Veach (Detroit) 30, Jack Fournier (Chicago) and Sam Crawford (Detroit) 28, Duffy Lewis (Boston) and Burt Shotton (St. Louis) 24, Ossie Vitt (Detroit) 23, Eddie Foster and Clyde Milan (Washington) 22.
Pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 42, Rube Foster (Boston) and Hooks Dauss (Detroit) 25, Harry Coveleski (Detroit) and Ray Caldwell (New York) 24, Babe Ruth (Boston) and Jim Scott (Chicago) 23, Ernie Shore (Boston) and Bert Gallia (Washington) 22.
WARP3: Collins 10.9, Cobb 9.8, Speaker 7.6, Fournier 6.6, Veach (first big season) and Vitt (peak year) 5.6, Crawford 4.8 (last big year), Donie Bush (Detroit) 4.7, Ray Schalk (Chicago) 4.2, Buck Weaver (Chicago) and Del Pratt (St. Louis) 3.9.
Pitchers, Johnson 11.5, Guy Morton (Cleveland) 7.9, Carl Weilman (St. Louis) 6.3, Caldwell and Joe Wood (Boston) 6.2, Dauss and Ray Fisher (New York) 5.3, Scott 4.9, Foster 4.8 (best year), Ruth (first full year), Gallia (best year) and John Wyckoff (Philadelphia) 4.2, Shore 4.0.
WAR, position players: Cobb 10.5, Collins 9.8, Speaker 7.0, Fournier 6.3, Veach 5.3, Shotton 5.0, Vitt 4.7, Pratt and Crawford 4.6, Chapman 4.4. Pitchers: Johnson 9.5, Morton 5.8, Scott 5.7, Dauss and Wood 4.9, Benz and Shore 4.7, Fisher 4.6, Ayers and Gallia 4.4.
Best player: Ty Cobb, for a Detroit team that came up just short of a pennant. Cobb led the league in average, runs, hits, total bases, and steals. Collins was a solid second. He played his usual excellent defense in Chicago, was 2nd in batting and first in walks. Speaker third for the pennant winners, followed by Veach and Fournier.
Best pitcher: Walter Johnson led in wins and strikeouts, 2nd in ERA. The rest are far behind, but Jim Scott would be #2, followed by Harry Coveleski, Hooks Dauss, and Guy Morton.
Best rookie: George Sisler batted .285 in 81 games.
Best manager: Bill Carrigan guided Boston to their pennant and World Series wins.
Boston and Detroit stepped into the gap, the Red Sox beating out the Tigers for the pennant by 1.5 games, with Chicago a solid third. Washington finished 4th, riding Walter Johnson as usual. New York, St. Louis, and Cleveland were in the second division. The Red Sox then won the World Series over the Phillies.
Statistical leaders: Ty Cobb ran away with the batting title, hitting .369. Eddie Collins was second at .332. Cobb also led in on-base average and OPS, as well as runs (144), hits (208), and steals with a career-high 96. That was the 20th century record until Lou Brock exceeded it in 1974. Cobb's teammates Bobby Veach led in doubles with 40, Sam Crawford in triples with 19, and the two tied for the RBI lead at 112. Cobb had a big lead in runs created.
Walter Johnson led the way with 27 wins and 203 strikeouts, while Smokey Joe Wood posted a 1.49 ERA to edge Johnson's 1.55. Ernie Shore came in at 1.64. Hooks Dauss, Jim Scott, and Red Faber each won 24 games.
Here's who Shared in the Wins:
Players: Ty Cobb (Detroit) 48, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 40, Tris Speaker (Boston) 36, Bobby Veach (Detroit) 30, Jack Fournier (Chicago) and Sam Crawford (Detroit) 28, Duffy Lewis (Boston) and Burt Shotton (St. Louis) 24, Ossie Vitt (Detroit) 23, Eddie Foster and Clyde Milan (Washington) 22.
Pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 42, Rube Foster (Boston) and Hooks Dauss (Detroit) 25, Harry Coveleski (Detroit) and Ray Caldwell (New York) 24, Babe Ruth (Boston) and Jim Scott (Chicago) 23, Ernie Shore (Boston) and Bert Gallia (Washington) 22.
WARP3: Collins 10.9, Cobb 9.8, Speaker 7.6, Fournier 6.6, Veach (first big season) and Vitt (peak year) 5.6, Crawford 4.8 (last big year), Donie Bush (Detroit) 4.7, Ray Schalk (Chicago) 4.2, Buck Weaver (Chicago) and Del Pratt (St. Louis) 3.9.
Pitchers, Johnson 11.5, Guy Morton (Cleveland) 7.9, Carl Weilman (St. Louis) 6.3, Caldwell and Joe Wood (Boston) 6.2, Dauss and Ray Fisher (New York) 5.3, Scott 4.9, Foster 4.8 (best year), Ruth (first full year), Gallia (best year) and John Wyckoff (Philadelphia) 4.2, Shore 4.0.
WAR, position players: Cobb 10.5, Collins 9.8, Speaker 7.0, Fournier 6.3, Veach 5.3, Shotton 5.0, Vitt 4.7, Pratt and Crawford 4.6, Chapman 4.4. Pitchers: Johnson 9.5, Morton 5.8, Scott 5.7, Dauss and Wood 4.9, Benz and Shore 4.7, Fisher 4.6, Ayers and Gallia 4.4.
Best player: Ty Cobb, for a Detroit team that came up just short of a pennant. Cobb led the league in average, runs, hits, total bases, and steals. Collins was a solid second. He played his usual excellent defense in Chicago, was 2nd in batting and first in walks. Speaker third for the pennant winners, followed by Veach and Fournier.
Best pitcher: Walter Johnson led in wins and strikeouts, 2nd in ERA. The rest are far behind, but Jim Scott would be #2, followed by Harry Coveleski, Hooks Dauss, and Guy Morton.
Best rookie: George Sisler batted .285 in 81 games.
Best manager: Bill Carrigan guided Boston to their pennant and World Series wins.
27 July 2007
1914 National League
It was the year of the Miracle Braves, as manager George Stallings embarked on a remarkable set of platooning, which had been tried in small amounts but never in this kind of volume. Stallings did the kind of juggling job Casey Stengel would later become famous for, although Stallings had fewer people to juggle. Only three players, Rabbit Maranville, Johnny Evers, and 1B Butch Schmidt, played every day. Career years from some pitchers completed the Miracle, and the Braves then swept the mighty A's in the World Series. New York ran second, and St. Louis improved all the way to third. Chicago was fourth. Brooklyn, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati trailed.
Statistical leaderboard: Jake Daubert led the league with a .329 average, followed by Beals Becker at .325. Casey Stengel led in on-base, Sherry Magee in slugging, and Gavy Cravath in OPS. George Burns led with 100 runs scored and 62 steals, Magee with 171 hits, 39 doubles, and 103 RBI, and Cravath with 19 homers. Magee led in runs created, Joe Connolly in OPS+.
Pete Alexander led in wins with 27 and strikeouts with 214. Bill James, Dick Rudolph, and Jeff Tesreau each won 26. Bill Doak posted a 1.72 ERA to take honors there. James posted a 1.90 mark, Jeff Pfeffer 1.97. Tesreau struck out 189. Tesreau had eight shutouts, Alexander 32 complete games.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; George Burns (New York) 31, Sherry Magee (Philadelphia) 29, Gavy Cravath (Philadelphia) 28, Tommy Leach (Chicago) 27, Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) 26, Joe Connolly and Johnny Evers (Boston) 25, Rabbit Maranville (Boston) and Vic Saier (Chicago) 24.
Pitchers; Bill James (Boston) 36, Dick Rudolph (Boston) 29, Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn), Jeff Tesreau (New York) and Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 26, Slim Sallee (St. Louis) 25, Bill Doak (St. Louis) 24.
WARP3: Burns 6.8 (best year), Wheat 6.5, Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 5.5, Miller Huggins (St. Louis) 5.1, Magee 5.0, Maranville 4.2, Connolly (career year), Dots Miller (St. Louis) and Jake Daubert (Brooklyn) 4.1, Art Fletcher (New York) 4.0, Leach (the last good year of a long career), Saier, and Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 3.9, Cravath 3.6.
Pitchers: Alexander 11.1, James (his only good year) and Erskine Mayer (Philadelphia) 8.6, Pfeffer 7.6 (rookie, best year), Rudolph 7.0, Tesreau 6.5, Sallee 6.1, Doak 4.9, Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) 4.4, Bob Harmon (Pittsburgh) 4.1.
WAR leaders, position players: Burns 7.8, Magee 6.3, Herzog 6.2, Wheat 5.9, Cravath, Maranville, and Evers, 5.5, Huggins 5.4, Saier 5.2, Smith 5.0. Pitchers: James 7.4, Alexander 7.0, Pfeffer 6.9, Rudolph 5.9, Doak 4.9, Sallee and Tesreau 4.8, Mayer 4.7, Adams 3.6, Perrit 3.4.
Award Voting (MVP top 10):
Place Name Team 1st place Points
1 Johnny Evers BSN 0 50
2 Rabbit Maranville BSN 0 44
3 Bill James BSN 0 33
4 George Burns NYG 0 31
5 Dots Miller STL 0 18
6 Jeff Tesreau NYG 0 15
7 Sherry Magee PHI 0 14
7 Dick Rudolph BSN 0 14
9 Zack Wheat BRO 0 10
10 Pete Alexander PHI 0 9
You can tell the shock at the Miracle Braves: the top 3 in the MVP voting came from Boston.
Top player: George Burns was the best overall player in the league, leading in runs and steals and 3rd in doubles. At the time, I would have been tempted to select a Boston player, but Connolly was a platoon player, Evers and Maranville didn't hit enough. I'd have to put Sherry Magee 2nd, Zack Wheat 3rd, Gavy Cravath 4th and Johnny Evers 5th.
Top pitcher: Pete Alexander at the beginning of his run as top NL pitcher. It's tempting to pick James or even Rudolph, but Alexander was better. James would rank #2, Jeff Pfeffer #3, Dick Rudolph #4, and Jeff Tesreau #5. The Braves triumph was a true team effort, which is why the true honor to bestow is...
Top manager: George Stallings. He used platooning like no one had before, and got a couple of career years that the Boston Braves rode to the World Championship.
Top rookie was pitcher Jeff Pfeffer, not the same as the earlier Big Jeff Pfeffer.
Statistical leaderboard: Jake Daubert led the league with a .329 average, followed by Beals Becker at .325. Casey Stengel led in on-base, Sherry Magee in slugging, and Gavy Cravath in OPS. George Burns led with 100 runs scored and 62 steals, Magee with 171 hits, 39 doubles, and 103 RBI, and Cravath with 19 homers. Magee led in runs created, Joe Connolly in OPS+.
Pete Alexander led in wins with 27 and strikeouts with 214. Bill James, Dick Rudolph, and Jeff Tesreau each won 26. Bill Doak posted a 1.72 ERA to take honors there. James posted a 1.90 mark, Jeff Pfeffer 1.97. Tesreau struck out 189. Tesreau had eight shutouts, Alexander 32 complete games.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; George Burns (New York) 31, Sherry Magee (Philadelphia) 29, Gavy Cravath (Philadelphia) 28, Tommy Leach (Chicago) 27, Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) 26, Joe Connolly and Johnny Evers (Boston) 25, Rabbit Maranville (Boston) and Vic Saier (Chicago) 24.
Pitchers; Bill James (Boston) 36, Dick Rudolph (Boston) 29, Jeff Pfeffer (Brooklyn), Jeff Tesreau (New York) and Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 26, Slim Sallee (St. Louis) 25, Bill Doak (St. Louis) 24.
WARP3: Burns 6.8 (best year), Wheat 6.5, Heinie Groh (Cincinnati) 5.5, Miller Huggins (St. Louis) 5.1, Magee 5.0, Maranville 4.2, Connolly (career year), Dots Miller (St. Louis) and Jake Daubert (Brooklyn) 4.1, Art Fletcher (New York) 4.0, Leach (the last good year of a long career), Saier, and Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 3.9, Cravath 3.6.
Pitchers: Alexander 11.1, James (his only good year) and Erskine Mayer (Philadelphia) 8.6, Pfeffer 7.6 (rookie, best year), Rudolph 7.0, Tesreau 6.5, Sallee 6.1, Doak 4.9, Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) 4.4, Bob Harmon (Pittsburgh) 4.1.
WAR leaders, position players: Burns 7.8, Magee 6.3, Herzog 6.2, Wheat 5.9, Cravath, Maranville, and Evers, 5.5, Huggins 5.4, Saier 5.2, Smith 5.0. Pitchers: James 7.4, Alexander 7.0, Pfeffer 6.9, Rudolph 5.9, Doak 4.9, Sallee and Tesreau 4.8, Mayer 4.7, Adams 3.6, Perrit 3.4.
Award Voting (MVP top 10):
Place Name Team 1st place Points
1 Johnny Evers BSN 0 50
2 Rabbit Maranville BSN 0 44
3 Bill James BSN 0 33
4 George Burns NYG 0 31
5 Dots Miller STL 0 18
6 Jeff Tesreau NYG 0 15
7 Sherry Magee PHI 0 14
7 Dick Rudolph BSN 0 14
9 Zack Wheat BRO 0 10
10 Pete Alexander PHI 0 9
You can tell the shock at the Miracle Braves: the top 3 in the MVP voting came from Boston.
Top player: George Burns was the best overall player in the league, leading in runs and steals and 3rd in doubles. At the time, I would have been tempted to select a Boston player, but Connolly was a platoon player, Evers and Maranville didn't hit enough. I'd have to put Sherry Magee 2nd, Zack Wheat 3rd, Gavy Cravath 4th and Johnny Evers 5th.
Top pitcher: Pete Alexander at the beginning of his run as top NL pitcher. It's tempting to pick James or even Rudolph, but Alexander was better. James would rank #2, Jeff Pfeffer #3, Dick Rudolph #4, and Jeff Tesreau #5. The Braves triumph was a true team effort, which is why the true honor to bestow is...
Top manager: George Stallings. He used platooning like no one had before, and got a couple of career years that the Boston Braves rode to the World Championship.
Top rookie was pitcher Jeff Pfeffer, not the same as the earlier Big Jeff Pfeffer.
1914 Federal League
Here come the Feds! They burst onto the scene in 8 cities; Baltimore, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Chicago, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Pittsburgh and St. Louis. They were well-financed, built new ballparks, and posed a threat to the status quo. Of course, the AL and NL attempted to circle the wagons. With an economic downturn, the Feds lasted only two years, but they shook things up. Indianapolis won the pennant in a close race with Chicago; Baltimore and Buffalo were not far behind.
Statistical leaderboard: Benny Kauff led the league in hitting at .370, with Steve Evans second at .348. Evans led in slugging, Kauff in on-base and OPS. Kauff led in most categories, including runs (120), hits (211), doubles (44), and steals (75). Frank LaPorte of Indianapolis had 107 RBI. Claude Hendrix led the league with 29 wins and a 1.69 ERA, while Cy Falkenberg led in strikeouts with 236.
Win Shares leaderboard; Players--Benny Kauff (Indianapolis) 38, Steve Evans (Brooklyn) and Bill Kenworthy (Kansas City) 30, Charlie Hanford (Brooklyn) and Dutch Zwilling (Chicago) 29, Art Wilson (Chicago) 27, Doc Crandall (St. Louis) 26. Pitchers--Claude Hendrix (Chicago) 37, Cy Falkenberg (Indianapolis) 34, Jack Quinn (Baltimore) 32, Russ Ford (Buffalo) 29, George Suggs (Baltimore) 28.
WARP3: Wilson 6.2 (career year), Kauff 5.6, Evans 4.2, Kenworthy 3.9, Ed Lennox (Pittsburgh) 3.1. Pitchers, Suggs 7.6, Quinn 7.4, Hendrix 6.8, Falkenberg 6.7, Ford 5.5.
WAR leaders, position players: Kauff 11.1, Zwilling 7.7, Kenworthy 7.5, Evans 7.4, Wilson 6.8, Lennox 6.5, McKechnie 6.1, Wickland 6.0. Pitchers: Falkenberg 9.3, Hendrix 9.2, Ford 7.5, Quinn 6.9, Suggs 6.6, Krapp 5.7, Lafitte 5.4, Watson 5.2.
Most FL players had little careers in the majors, or were much better in the FL than in the AL or NL. It was really a marginal major league.
Best player: Benny Kauff. Propelled Indy to the pennant. Led the league in OPS, runs, hits, doubles, and steals. Steve Evans, a strong hitter but poor defender, #2, with Kenworthy #3, Wilson #4, and Zwilling #5.
Best pitcher: Claude Hendrix. The major league vet led the league in wins (29) and ERA (1.69). Falkenberg #2 and Quinn #3, Russ Ford #4, George Suggs #5.
Best rookie: Max Flack hit .247 in 134 games for Chicago.
Best manager: Bill Phillips of Indianapolis for guiding his team to the pennant.
Statistical leaderboard: Benny Kauff led the league in hitting at .370, with Steve Evans second at .348. Evans led in slugging, Kauff in on-base and OPS. Kauff led in most categories, including runs (120), hits (211), doubles (44), and steals (75). Frank LaPorte of Indianapolis had 107 RBI. Claude Hendrix led the league with 29 wins and a 1.69 ERA, while Cy Falkenberg led in strikeouts with 236.
Win Shares leaderboard; Players--Benny Kauff (Indianapolis) 38, Steve Evans (Brooklyn) and Bill Kenworthy (Kansas City) 30, Charlie Hanford (Brooklyn) and Dutch Zwilling (Chicago) 29, Art Wilson (Chicago) 27, Doc Crandall (St. Louis) 26. Pitchers--Claude Hendrix (Chicago) 37, Cy Falkenberg (Indianapolis) 34, Jack Quinn (Baltimore) 32, Russ Ford (Buffalo) 29, George Suggs (Baltimore) 28.
WARP3: Wilson 6.2 (career year), Kauff 5.6, Evans 4.2, Kenworthy 3.9, Ed Lennox (Pittsburgh) 3.1. Pitchers, Suggs 7.6, Quinn 7.4, Hendrix 6.8, Falkenberg 6.7, Ford 5.5.
WAR leaders, position players: Kauff 11.1, Zwilling 7.7, Kenworthy 7.5, Evans 7.4, Wilson 6.8, Lennox 6.5, McKechnie 6.1, Wickland 6.0. Pitchers: Falkenberg 9.3, Hendrix 9.2, Ford 7.5, Quinn 6.9, Suggs 6.6, Krapp 5.7, Lafitte 5.4, Watson 5.2.
Most FL players had little careers in the majors, or were much better in the FL than in the AL or NL. It was really a marginal major league.
Best player: Benny Kauff. Propelled Indy to the pennant. Led the league in OPS, runs, hits, doubles, and steals. Steve Evans, a strong hitter but poor defender, #2, with Kenworthy #3, Wilson #4, and Zwilling #5.
Best pitcher: Claude Hendrix. The major league vet led the league in wins (29) and ERA (1.69). Falkenberg #2 and Quinn #3, Russ Ford #4, George Suggs #5.
Best rookie: Max Flack hit .247 in 134 games for Chicago.
Best manager: Bill Phillips of Indianapolis for guiding his team to the pennant.
1914 American League
Philadelphia won the pennant, their fourth in five years. In the World Series, they got swept by the "Miracle Braves." The Red Sox were a strong second in the AL, but they were the only other really good team. Washington and Detroit were a little over .500, St. Louis, Chicago and New York were a bit below. Cleveland occupied the basement. This was the first year of the rival Federal League, and salaries began to skyrocket as the Feds made offers to lure stars over. Some teams lost significant talent, others traded valuable players rather than lose them.
Statistical leaderboard: Ty Cobb led in the percentage categories, but lost a lot of time to injuries. He batted .368 to Eddie Collins' .344. Tris Speaker and Joe Jackson were at .338. Collins led with 122 runs, Speaker with 193 hits and 46 doubles, Sam Crawford with 26 triples and 104 RBI, Fritz Maisel with 74 steals.
Walter Johnson led in strikeouts with 225, and with 28 wins, as Stan Coveleski was second with 22. Dutch Leonard posted the all-time low, a 0.96 ERA. Rube Foster was second at 1.70. Johnson also led with 33 complete games, 9 shutouts, and 372 innings.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; Tris Speaker (Boston) 45, Eddie Collins (Philadelphia) 43, Frank Baker (Philadelphia) 35, Sam Crawford (Detroit) 31, Tilly Walker (St. Louis) 28, Ty Cobb (Detroit) and Del Pratt (St. Louis) 26, Eddie Murphy (Philadelphia) and Eddie Foster (St. Louis) 23, Donie Bush (Detroit) 22.
Pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 38, Dutch Leonard (Boston) 29, Carl Weilman (St. Louis) 24, Harry Coveleski (Detroit) 23, Ray Caldwell (New York) and Earl Hamilton (St. Louis) 22.
WARP3: Speaker 10.2, Collins 8.1, Crawford 6.9, Baker 6.1 (last year before his first career interruption), Walker 6.0 (best year), Bush 5.6, Pratt 5.1, Cobb 4.7 (he played only 98 games), Wally Schang (Philadelphia) 4.1, Ray Schalk (Chicago) 3.9.
Pitchers; Johnson 13.3, Leonard 8.2 (best year, his 0.96 ERA season), Caldwell 6.4, Bill Steen (Cleveland) 6.1, Coveleski 6.0, Weilman 5.9, Hamilton 4.7 (best year), Chief Bender (Philadelphia) 4.5, Ray Fisher (New York) 4.4, Rube Bressler (Philadelphia) and Eddie Cicotte (Chicago) 4.2.
WAR, position players: Speaker 9.3, Collins 8.5, Baker 6.4, Crawford 5.8, Walker 5.2, Bush 5.1, Jackson 4.3, Pratt 3.9, Moriarty 3.6, Gandil 3.4. Pitchers: Johnson 9.9, Leonard 7.9, Caldwell and Weilman 5.4, Coveleski 4.1, Fisher and Hamilton 3.8, Bender 3.7, Bressler 3.5, Steen 3.2.
Award voting:
MVP
Place Name 1st Place Team Points
1 Eddie Collins PHA 7 63
2 Sam Crawford DET 0 35
3 Frank Baker PHA 0 17
3 Donie Bush DET 0 17
5 Joe Jackson CLE 0 15
6 Ray Schalk CHW 0 13
7 Eddie Foster WSH 0 11
7 Stuffy McInnis PHA 0 11
7 Buck Weaver CHW 0 11
10 Del Pratt SLB 0 10
10 Wally Schang PHA 0 10
12 Tris Speaker BOS 0 9
12 Tilly Walker SLB 0 9
14 Ty Cobb DET 0 7
14 Everett Scott BOS 0 7
16 Jack Barry PHA 0 6
16 Dutch Leonard BOS 0 6
18 George McBride WSH 0 5
18 Eddie Plank PHA 0 5
Speaker or Collins, Collins or Speaker.....the voters at the time thought it was clearly Collins. I'm not so sure, but I'll go with it.
Top player; Eddie Collins, mainly because his team won. Collins led the league in runs, was 2nd in batting and on-base. Speaker is #2. He led in hits and total bases, was second in slugging and OPS. Sam Crawford #3, Frank Baker #4, Tilly Walker #5.
Top pitcher; Walter Johnson. Walter looks great, except in comparison with himself the year before. Sure, Dutch Leonard had an 0.96 ERA, and he also had Speaker to run everything down behind him. Walter pitched over 100 more innings. Johnson was 28-18 with a 1.72 ERA. Leonard was 19-5 with a 0.96 ERA. Johnson #1, Leonard #2, Carl Weilman #3, Harry Coveleski #4, Ray Caldwell #5.
Top rookie: George Burns hit .291 in 137 games for Detroit.
Top manager: Connie Mack, extending a terrific run.
Statistical leaderboard: Ty Cobb led in the percentage categories, but lost a lot of time to injuries. He batted .368 to Eddie Collins' .344. Tris Speaker and Joe Jackson were at .338. Collins led with 122 runs, Speaker with 193 hits and 46 doubles, Sam Crawford with 26 triples and 104 RBI, Fritz Maisel with 74 steals.
Walter Johnson led in strikeouts with 225, and with 28 wins, as Stan Coveleski was second with 22. Dutch Leonard posted the all-time low, a 0.96 ERA. Rube Foster was second at 1.70. Johnson also led with 33 complete games, 9 shutouts, and 372 innings.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; Tris Speaker (Boston) 45, Eddie Collins (Philadelphia) 43, Frank Baker (Philadelphia) 35, Sam Crawford (Detroit) 31, Tilly Walker (St. Louis) 28, Ty Cobb (Detroit) and Del Pratt (St. Louis) 26, Eddie Murphy (Philadelphia) and Eddie Foster (St. Louis) 23, Donie Bush (Detroit) 22.
Pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 38, Dutch Leonard (Boston) 29, Carl Weilman (St. Louis) 24, Harry Coveleski (Detroit) 23, Ray Caldwell (New York) and Earl Hamilton (St. Louis) 22.
WARP3: Speaker 10.2, Collins 8.1, Crawford 6.9, Baker 6.1 (last year before his first career interruption), Walker 6.0 (best year), Bush 5.6, Pratt 5.1, Cobb 4.7 (he played only 98 games), Wally Schang (Philadelphia) 4.1, Ray Schalk (Chicago) 3.9.
Pitchers; Johnson 13.3, Leonard 8.2 (best year, his 0.96 ERA season), Caldwell 6.4, Bill Steen (Cleveland) 6.1, Coveleski 6.0, Weilman 5.9, Hamilton 4.7 (best year), Chief Bender (Philadelphia) 4.5, Ray Fisher (New York) 4.4, Rube Bressler (Philadelphia) and Eddie Cicotte (Chicago) 4.2.
WAR, position players: Speaker 9.3, Collins 8.5, Baker 6.4, Crawford 5.8, Walker 5.2, Bush 5.1, Jackson 4.3, Pratt 3.9, Moriarty 3.6, Gandil 3.4. Pitchers: Johnson 9.9, Leonard 7.9, Caldwell and Weilman 5.4, Coveleski 4.1, Fisher and Hamilton 3.8, Bender 3.7, Bressler 3.5, Steen 3.2.
Award voting:
MVP
Place Name 1st Place Team Points
1 Eddie Collins PHA 7 63
2 Sam Crawford DET 0 35
3 Frank Baker PHA 0 17
3 Donie Bush DET 0 17
5 Joe Jackson CLE 0 15
6 Ray Schalk CHW 0 13
7 Eddie Foster WSH 0 11
7 Stuffy McInnis PHA 0 11
7 Buck Weaver CHW 0 11
10 Del Pratt SLB 0 10
10 Wally Schang PHA 0 10
12 Tris Speaker BOS 0 9
12 Tilly Walker SLB 0 9
14 Ty Cobb DET 0 7
14 Everett Scott BOS 0 7
16 Jack Barry PHA 0 6
16 Dutch Leonard BOS 0 6
18 George McBride WSH 0 5
18 Eddie Plank PHA 0 5
Speaker or Collins, Collins or Speaker.....the voters at the time thought it was clearly Collins. I'm not so sure, but I'll go with it.
Top player; Eddie Collins, mainly because his team won. Collins led the league in runs, was 2nd in batting and on-base. Speaker is #2. He led in hits and total bases, was second in slugging and OPS. Sam Crawford #3, Frank Baker #4, Tilly Walker #5.
Top pitcher; Walter Johnson. Walter looks great, except in comparison with himself the year before. Sure, Dutch Leonard had an 0.96 ERA, and he also had Speaker to run everything down behind him. Walter pitched over 100 more innings. Johnson was 28-18 with a 1.72 ERA. Leonard was 19-5 with a 0.96 ERA. Johnson #1, Leonard #2, Carl Weilman #3, Harry Coveleski #4, Ray Caldwell #5.
Top rookie: George Burns hit .291 in 137 games for Detroit.
Top manager: Connie Mack, extending a terrific run.
25 July 2007
1913 National League
New York won another easy pennant, by 12.5 games over surprising Philadelphia. Chicago was 3rd and Pittsburgh 4th. Boston, Brooklyn, Cincinnati, and St. Louis made up the second division. The MVP voters picked an odd candidate, Brooklyn 1B Jake Daubert, the batting average leader at .350. The MVP voter's pick of Daubert is an historical hiccup caused by a complete dearth of star players in the NL. That's what you notice looking at this period of National League history, the quality of play was not that good. The AL was much better. New York lost another World Series in October, and the NL would win only two WS in the 1910s, one of those the tainted 1919 affair.
Statistical leaderboard: Daubert at .350 and Gavy Cravath at .341 were far ahead of the rest, including Jim Viox and Joe Tinker at .317 in third place. Cravath led in slugging and OPS, Miller Huggins in on-base. Max Carey and Tommy Leach tied with 99 runs, Cravath led with 179 hits, 19 homers, and 128 RBI. Red Smith had 40 doubles, Vic Saier 21 triples, and Carey 61 steals.
Tom Seaton of the Pirates led with 27 wins, ahead of Christy Mathewson's 25. Mathewson led with a 2.06 ERA followed by Babe Adams at 2.15. Seaton edged Jeff Tesreau 168 strikeouts to 167. Larry Cheney had 11 saves. Pete Alexander had nine shutouts, Lefty Tyler 28 complete games. Seaton led with 322 innings to Adams's 314.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; Gavy Cravath (Philadelphia) 29, Vic Saier (Chicago) 26, Heinie Zimmerman (Chicago) 25, Tommy Leach (Chicago) and Art Fletcher (New York) 24, Tilly Shafer (New York) and Jim Viox (Pittsburgh) 23, George Burns (New York) 22, Larry Doyle and Fred Snodgrass (New York) 21.
Pitchers; Christy Mathewson (New York) 30, Tom Seaton (Philadelphia) and Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) 29, Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 27, Rube Marquard (New York) 26, Larry Cheney (Chicago) and Jeff Tesreau (New York) 25, Slim Sallee (St. Louis) 22.
WARP3 scores: Chief Meyers (New York) 5.6, Fletcher 4.8, Joe Tinker (Cincinnati) 4.7, Cravath 4.5, Jake Daubert (Brooklyn) and Ed Konetchy (St. Louis) 4.4, Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) 4.1, Rabbit Maranville (Boston) 4.0, Shaffer, Saier (best year) and Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 3.9, Zimmerman and Leach 3.6. It really says something that two of the top three in WARP and six of the top eight are not among the leaders in Win Shares.
Pitchers; Adams 8.9, Sallee 7.9, Seaton 7.3 (best year), Alexander 7.0, Mathewson 6.8 (last great year), Cheney 6.1, Dick Rudolph (Boston) 6.0, Lefty Tyler (Boston) 5.4, Tesreau 5.1, Ad Brennan (Philadelphia) and Claude Hendrix (Pittsburgh) 4.8, Nap Rucker (Brooklyn) 4.5, Marquard 4.4.
WAR, position players: Cravath 6.6, Fletcher and Zimmerman 5.6, Smith 5.3, Daubert 5.0, Lobert and Saier 4.9, Viox 4.7, Shafer and Veach 4.6. Pitchers: Adams 7.6, Mathewson 6.8, Alexander 6.5, Seaton 6.3, Sallee 5.4, Marquard 5.1, Tesreau 5.0, Cheney 4.7, Rucker 4.3, Demaree 4.0.
Award voting (MVP only):
Place Name Team Points
1 Jake Daubert BRO 50
2 Gavvy Cravath PHI 40
3 Rabbit Maranville BSN 23
4 Christy Mathewson NYG 21
5 Chief Meyers NYG 20
6 Vic Saier CHC 15
7 Larry Cheney CHC 12
8 Dots Miller PIT 11
8 Honus Wagner PIT 11
10 Johnny Evers CHC 10
11 Tom Seaton PHI 9
12 Art Fletcher NYG 7
13 Jimmy Archer CHC 6
13 Mickey Doolan PHI 6
13 Bill Sweeney BSN 6
13 Jim Viox PIT 6
17 Larry Doyle NYG 5
17 Tillie Shafer NYG 5
19 Otto Knabe PHI 4
19 Red Murray NYG 4
19 Heinie Zimmerman CHC 4
22 Babe Adams PIT 3
22 George Cutshaw BRO 3
24 George Burns NYG 2
24 Bert Humphries CHC 2
24 Armando Marsans CIN 2
27 Mordecai Brown CIN 1
Daubert, the contemporary voters' choice for MVP, collected 17 Win Shares. Rabbit Maranville, 3rd in the voting, also had 17 Win Shares in his first full season. Maranville always did much better in the voting than his stats supported.
Best player: um, nobody? For lack of a truly good alternative, I pick Gavy Cravath, who was certainly the best player of an overall poor lot. Heinie Zimmerman #2, Jake Daubert #3, Art Fletcher #4, Vic Saier #5.
Best pitcher: Babe Adams, 2nd in ERA on a fading team. Christy Mathewson #2, Tom Seaton #3, Pete Alexander #4, Slim Sallee #5.
Best rookie: I have to go with Les Mann, .253 average in 120 games with Boston. Not much to work with here.
Best manager: Red Dooin of the surprising Philadelphia team.
Statistical leaderboard: Daubert at .350 and Gavy Cravath at .341 were far ahead of the rest, including Jim Viox and Joe Tinker at .317 in third place. Cravath led in slugging and OPS, Miller Huggins in on-base. Max Carey and Tommy Leach tied with 99 runs, Cravath led with 179 hits, 19 homers, and 128 RBI. Red Smith had 40 doubles, Vic Saier 21 triples, and Carey 61 steals.
Tom Seaton of the Pirates led with 27 wins, ahead of Christy Mathewson's 25. Mathewson led with a 2.06 ERA followed by Babe Adams at 2.15. Seaton edged Jeff Tesreau 168 strikeouts to 167. Larry Cheney had 11 saves. Pete Alexander had nine shutouts, Lefty Tyler 28 complete games. Seaton led with 322 innings to Adams's 314.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; Gavy Cravath (Philadelphia) 29, Vic Saier (Chicago) 26, Heinie Zimmerman (Chicago) 25, Tommy Leach (Chicago) and Art Fletcher (New York) 24, Tilly Shafer (New York) and Jim Viox (Pittsburgh) 23, George Burns (New York) 22, Larry Doyle and Fred Snodgrass (New York) 21.
Pitchers; Christy Mathewson (New York) 30, Tom Seaton (Philadelphia) and Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) 29, Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 27, Rube Marquard (New York) 26, Larry Cheney (Chicago) and Jeff Tesreau (New York) 25, Slim Sallee (St. Louis) 22.
WARP3 scores: Chief Meyers (New York) 5.6, Fletcher 4.8, Joe Tinker (Cincinnati) 4.7, Cravath 4.5, Jake Daubert (Brooklyn) and Ed Konetchy (St. Louis) 4.4, Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) 4.1, Rabbit Maranville (Boston) 4.0, Shaffer, Saier (best year) and Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 3.9, Zimmerman and Leach 3.6. It really says something that two of the top three in WARP and six of the top eight are not among the leaders in Win Shares.
Pitchers; Adams 8.9, Sallee 7.9, Seaton 7.3 (best year), Alexander 7.0, Mathewson 6.8 (last great year), Cheney 6.1, Dick Rudolph (Boston) 6.0, Lefty Tyler (Boston) 5.4, Tesreau 5.1, Ad Brennan (Philadelphia) and Claude Hendrix (Pittsburgh) 4.8, Nap Rucker (Brooklyn) 4.5, Marquard 4.4.
WAR, position players: Cravath 6.6, Fletcher and Zimmerman 5.6, Smith 5.3, Daubert 5.0, Lobert and Saier 4.9, Viox 4.7, Shafer and Veach 4.6. Pitchers: Adams 7.6, Mathewson 6.8, Alexander 6.5, Seaton 6.3, Sallee 5.4, Marquard 5.1, Tesreau 5.0, Cheney 4.7, Rucker 4.3, Demaree 4.0.
Award voting (MVP only):
Place Name Team Points
1 Jake Daubert BRO 50
2 Gavvy Cravath PHI 40
3 Rabbit Maranville BSN 23
4 Christy Mathewson NYG 21
5 Chief Meyers NYG 20
6 Vic Saier CHC 15
7 Larry Cheney CHC 12
8 Dots Miller PIT 11
8 Honus Wagner PIT 11
10 Johnny Evers CHC 10
11 Tom Seaton PHI 9
12 Art Fletcher NYG 7
13 Jimmy Archer CHC 6
13 Mickey Doolan PHI 6
13 Bill Sweeney BSN 6
13 Jim Viox PIT 6
17 Larry Doyle NYG 5
17 Tillie Shafer NYG 5
19 Otto Knabe PHI 4
19 Red Murray NYG 4
19 Heinie Zimmerman CHC 4
22 Babe Adams PIT 3
22 George Cutshaw BRO 3
24 George Burns NYG 2
24 Bert Humphries CHC 2
24 Armando Marsans CIN 2
27 Mordecai Brown CIN 1
Daubert, the contemporary voters' choice for MVP, collected 17 Win Shares. Rabbit Maranville, 3rd in the voting, also had 17 Win Shares in his first full season. Maranville always did much better in the voting than his stats supported.
Best player: um, nobody? For lack of a truly good alternative, I pick Gavy Cravath, who was certainly the best player of an overall poor lot. Heinie Zimmerman #2, Jake Daubert #3, Art Fletcher #4, Vic Saier #5.
Best pitcher: Babe Adams, 2nd in ERA on a fading team. Christy Mathewson #2, Tom Seaton #3, Pete Alexander #4, Slim Sallee #5.
Best rookie: I have to go with Les Mann, .253 average in 120 games with Boston. Not much to work with here.
Best manager: Red Dooin of the surprising Philadelphia team.
1913 American League
Philadelphia jumped back into the pennant-winning seat with 96 wins as Boston slipped back to 4th. Washington was a surprising second with 90 wins mostly on the strength of Walter Johnson's arm. Cleveland was a solid 3rd. Chicago also finished over .500, followed by Detroit, New York, and St. Louis. The A's then beat the Giants in the World Series.
Statistical leaderboard: Ty Cobb won the batting title at .390, with Joe Jackson at .373 and Tris Speaker at .363. Cobb also led in on-base percentage. Eddie Collins (125) led in runs scored, Jackson in hits (197) and doubles (39), Sam Crawford with 23 triples, Clyde Milan with 75 steals, and Home Run Baker with 117 RBI. Jackson led in slugging, OPS, and runs created.
Walter Johnson blew every other pitcher out of the water, with 36 wins to Cy Falkenberg's 23, a 1.14 ERA to Eddie Cicotte's 1.58, and 243 strikeouts to Falkenberg and Vean Gregg's 166. Chief Bender led with 13 saves. Johnson had 29 complete games, 11 shutouts, and pitched 346 innings.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; Eddie Collins (Philadelphia) 39, Frank Baker (Philadelphia) 38, Tris Speaker (Boston) and Joe Jackson (Cleveland) 36, Ty Cobb (Detroit) 31, Clyde Milan (Washington) 28, Sam Crawford (Detroit) 27, Stuffy McInnis (Philadelphia) 26, Buck Weaver (Chicago), Nap Lajoie (Cleveland), Burt Shotton (St. Louis) and Chick Gandil (Washington) 23.
Pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 54, Reb Russell (Chicago) 32, Eddie Cicotte and Jim Scott (Chicago) 27, Cy Falkenberg (Cleveland) 25, Vean Gregg (Cleveland) and Joe Boehling (Washington) 23, Willie Mitchell (Cleveland) and Chief Bender (Philadelphia) 20.
WARP3 scores: Collins 10.6, Baker 8.9, Speaker 7.9, Jackson 7.1, Cobb 7.0, Jack Barry (Philadelphia) 6.2, McInnis 5.1, Rube Oldring (Philadelphia) 4.3, Donie Bush (Detroit) 3.8, Crawford 3.7, Weaver and Lajoie (last good year) 3.5.
Pitchers, Johnson 14.7 (in maybe the best season ever by a pitcher), Russell 8.6 in his rookie year, Cicotte 7.0 (comeback year), Falkenberg 6.8, Scott 6.6 (career year), Ray Collins (Boston) 5.3, Mitchell 5.3 (best year), Ray Caldwell (New York) 4.7, Gregg 4.5 (last good year), Hugh Bedient and Dutch Leonard (both Boston) 4.4.
WAR, position players: Collins 9.9, Speaker 9.3, Baker 8.6, Jackson 8.3, Cobb 7.9, Shotton 5.7, McInnis 5.6, Lajoie 5.3, Crawford 5.1, Milan and Barry 4.8. Pitchers: Johnson 12.4, Russell 7.3, Falkenberg 6.5, Scott 6.3, Cicotte and Mitchell 6.0, Collins 4.7, Gregg 4.4, Bedient 3.6, Bender 3.4.
Award voting (MVP, top ten only):
Place Name Team Points
1 Walter Johnson WSH 54
2 Joe Jackson CLE 43
3 Eddie Collins PHA 30
4 Tris Speaker BOS 26
5 Frank Baker PHA 21
6 Chick Gandil WSH 14
7 Stuffy McInnis PHA 12
8 Wally Schang PHA 11
9 Jack Barry PHA 8
9 Clyde Milan WSH 8
Top player: Eddie Collins, star of the pennant winners and leader in runs. Home Run Baker #2, Speaker #3, Jackson #4, Cobb #5.
Top pitcher: Walter Johnson. If anyone ever had a better year than Walter's 36-7, 1.14 ERA, it must have been on another planet. Reb Russell #2, Eddie Cicotte #3, Jim Scott #4, Cy Falkenberg #5.
Top rookie: Reb Russell, outstanding for the Chisox at 22-16, 1.90 ERA.
Top manager: Clark Griffith of the surprising Senators.
Statistical leaderboard: Ty Cobb won the batting title at .390, with Joe Jackson at .373 and Tris Speaker at .363. Cobb also led in on-base percentage. Eddie Collins (125) led in runs scored, Jackson in hits (197) and doubles (39), Sam Crawford with 23 triples, Clyde Milan with 75 steals, and Home Run Baker with 117 RBI. Jackson led in slugging, OPS, and runs created.
Walter Johnson blew every other pitcher out of the water, with 36 wins to Cy Falkenberg's 23, a 1.14 ERA to Eddie Cicotte's 1.58, and 243 strikeouts to Falkenberg and Vean Gregg's 166. Chief Bender led with 13 saves. Johnson had 29 complete games, 11 shutouts, and pitched 346 innings.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; Eddie Collins (Philadelphia) 39, Frank Baker (Philadelphia) 38, Tris Speaker (Boston) and Joe Jackson (Cleveland) 36, Ty Cobb (Detroit) 31, Clyde Milan (Washington) 28, Sam Crawford (Detroit) 27, Stuffy McInnis (Philadelphia) 26, Buck Weaver (Chicago), Nap Lajoie (Cleveland), Burt Shotton (St. Louis) and Chick Gandil (Washington) 23.
Pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 54, Reb Russell (Chicago) 32, Eddie Cicotte and Jim Scott (Chicago) 27, Cy Falkenberg (Cleveland) 25, Vean Gregg (Cleveland) and Joe Boehling (Washington) 23, Willie Mitchell (Cleveland) and Chief Bender (Philadelphia) 20.
WARP3 scores: Collins 10.6, Baker 8.9, Speaker 7.9, Jackson 7.1, Cobb 7.0, Jack Barry (Philadelphia) 6.2, McInnis 5.1, Rube Oldring (Philadelphia) 4.3, Donie Bush (Detroit) 3.8, Crawford 3.7, Weaver and Lajoie (last good year) 3.5.
Pitchers, Johnson 14.7 (in maybe the best season ever by a pitcher), Russell 8.6 in his rookie year, Cicotte 7.0 (comeback year), Falkenberg 6.8, Scott 6.6 (career year), Ray Collins (Boston) 5.3, Mitchell 5.3 (best year), Ray Caldwell (New York) 4.7, Gregg 4.5 (last good year), Hugh Bedient and Dutch Leonard (both Boston) 4.4.
WAR, position players: Collins 9.9, Speaker 9.3, Baker 8.6, Jackson 8.3, Cobb 7.9, Shotton 5.7, McInnis 5.6, Lajoie 5.3, Crawford 5.1, Milan and Barry 4.8. Pitchers: Johnson 12.4, Russell 7.3, Falkenberg 6.5, Scott 6.3, Cicotte and Mitchell 6.0, Collins 4.7, Gregg 4.4, Bedient 3.6, Bender 3.4.
Award voting (MVP, top ten only):
Place Name Team Points
1 Walter Johnson WSH 54
2 Joe Jackson CLE 43
3 Eddie Collins PHA 30
4 Tris Speaker BOS 26
5 Frank Baker PHA 21
6 Chick Gandil WSH 14
7 Stuffy McInnis PHA 12
8 Wally Schang PHA 11
9 Jack Barry PHA 8
9 Clyde Milan WSH 8
Top player: Eddie Collins, star of the pennant winners and leader in runs. Home Run Baker #2, Speaker #3, Jackson #4, Cobb #5.
Top pitcher: Walter Johnson. If anyone ever had a better year than Walter's 36-7, 1.14 ERA, it must have been on another planet. Reb Russell #2, Eddie Cicotte #3, Jim Scott #4, Cy Falkenberg #5.
Top rookie: Reb Russell, outstanding for the Chisox at 22-16, 1.90 ERA.
Top manager: Clark Griffith of the surprising Senators.
23 July 2007
1912 National League
The Giants won the pennant again, with 103 victories to outdistance Pittsburgh by 10 games. Chicago was close behind in third. Everyone else was below .500; Cincinnati, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Brooklyn, with Boston bringing up the rear again with 101 losses. The Giants dropped the World Series, but it was a hard-fought battle with the Red Sox.
Statistical leaders: Heinie Zimmerman took the batting title at .372 for Chicago, ahead of Chief Meyers' .358. Meyers led in on-base, Zim in slugging. Zimmerman also led in hits (207), doubles (41) and homers (14). Chief Wilson of Pittsburgh set a record that still stands with 36 triples, an astonishing feat. Honus Wagner drove in 102 runs, followed by Bill Sweeney with 100, and Bob Bescher stole 67 bases and scored 120 runs. Zimmerman dominated the league offensively, with a big margin in runs created and OPS+.
From the mound, Larry Cheney and Rube Marquard led with 26 victories each. Claude Hendrix won 24. Jeff Tesreau's 1.96 ERA edged Christy Mathewson's 2.12, with Nap Rucker third at 2.21. Pete Alexander led with 195 strikeouts, followed by Hendrix with 176 and Marquard with 175. Slim Sallee had six saves, Rucker six shutouts, Cheney 28 complete games. Alexander edged Mathewson by 1/3 of an inning pitched.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 35, Heinie Zimmerman (Chicago) 34, Larry Doyle (New York) 29, Johnny Evers (Chicago) 27, Dode Paskert (Philadelphia) and Chief Wilson (Pittsburgh) 24, Bob Bescher (Cincinnati) and Chief Meyers (New York) 23, Max Carey (Pittsburgh) and Ed Konetchy (St. Louis) 22.
Pitchers; Christy Mathewson (New York) 31, Claude Hendrix (Pittsburgh) 29, Larry Cheney (Chicago) 27, Rube Marquard (New York) 26, Nap Rucker (Brooklyn) and Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 24, Howie Camnitz (Pittsburgh) 23, George Suggs (Cincinnati) 22.
WARP3 scores: Wagner 10.5, Zimmerman 6.6 (best year), Evers 5.8 (best year), Joe Tinker (Chicago) 4.6, Meyers 4.5, Carey and Bill Sweeney (Boston) 4.2, Konetchy 3.7, Jimmy Sheckard (Chicago) 3.6, Doyle, Wilson, Art Fletcher (New York) and Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) 3.5.
Pitchers; Rucker 9.2, Mathewson 7.2, Alexander and Suggs 6.4, Slim Sallee (St. Louis) 6.0, Hendrix 5.8, Marquard 5.7, Art Fromme (Cincinnati) 5.2, Rube Benton (Cincinnati) 4.6, Cheney 4.5, Eppa Rixey (Philadelphia) 4.3, Jeff Tesreau (New York) 4.0, Camnitz (his last good year), Hank Robinson (Pittsburgh) and Otto Hess (Boston) 3.8.
WAR for position players: Wagner 9.3, Zimmerman 8.3, Evers 6.8, Doyle 6.6, Sweeney 6.2, Paskert 5.5, Wilson 5.2, Konetchy 5.0, Carey 4.9, Bescher 4.8.
WAR for pitchers: Rucker 7.4, Mathewson 7.2, Marquard 5.8, Alexander 5.7, Sallee 5.5, Fromme and Tesreau 5.0, Cheney 4.9, Hendrix and Suggs 4.7.
Award voting (MVP only)
Place Name Team Points (64 possible)
1 Larry Doyle NYG 48
2 Honus Wagner PIT 43
3 Chief Meyers NYG 25
4 Joe Tinker CHC 22
5 Bob Bescher CIN 17
6 Bill Sweeney BSN 16
6 Heinie Zimmerman CHC 16
8 Jake Daubert BRO 13
8 Rube Marquard NYG 13
8 Chief Wilson PIT 13
11 Otto Knabe PHI 10
12 Ed Konetchy STL 8
12 Christy Mathewson NYG 8
14 Dode Paskert PHI 6
14 Jeff Tesreau NYG 6
16 Miller Huggins STL 5
16 Red Murray NYG 5
18 Armando Marsans CIN 4
18 Fred Merkle NYG 4
20 Johnny Evers CHC 2
20 Claude Hendrix PIT 2
22 Pete Alexander PHI 1
22 Jimmy Archer CHC 1
Best Player: Honus Wagner, having his last great year at age 38. Oddly, Zimmerman did not do very well in the voting although he was the batting champ. Doyle won the award he could have taken in 1911, for the champs.
Wagner #1, Zimmerman #2, Evers #3, Doyle #4, Wilson #5.
Best pitcher: Christy Mathewson, 4th in wins and 2nd in ERA. WARP likes Nap Rucker again, but he pitched his heart out for another poor Brooklyn team. Put Rucker #2 with Claude Hendrix a distant third, Pete Alexander 4th and Rube Marquard 5th.
Best rookie: Jeff Tesreau, filling out a terrific Giants rotation andP leading the league in ERA.
Best manager: John McGraw for another Giants pennant.
Statistical leaders: Heinie Zimmerman took the batting title at .372 for Chicago, ahead of Chief Meyers' .358. Meyers led in on-base, Zim in slugging. Zimmerman also led in hits (207), doubles (41) and homers (14). Chief Wilson of Pittsburgh set a record that still stands with 36 triples, an astonishing feat. Honus Wagner drove in 102 runs, followed by Bill Sweeney with 100, and Bob Bescher stole 67 bases and scored 120 runs. Zimmerman dominated the league offensively, with a big margin in runs created and OPS+.
From the mound, Larry Cheney and Rube Marquard led with 26 victories each. Claude Hendrix won 24. Jeff Tesreau's 1.96 ERA edged Christy Mathewson's 2.12, with Nap Rucker third at 2.21. Pete Alexander led with 195 strikeouts, followed by Hendrix with 176 and Marquard with 175. Slim Sallee had six saves, Rucker six shutouts, Cheney 28 complete games. Alexander edged Mathewson by 1/3 of an inning pitched.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 35, Heinie Zimmerman (Chicago) 34, Larry Doyle (New York) 29, Johnny Evers (Chicago) 27, Dode Paskert (Philadelphia) and Chief Wilson (Pittsburgh) 24, Bob Bescher (Cincinnati) and Chief Meyers (New York) 23, Max Carey (Pittsburgh) and Ed Konetchy (St. Louis) 22.
Pitchers; Christy Mathewson (New York) 31, Claude Hendrix (Pittsburgh) 29, Larry Cheney (Chicago) 27, Rube Marquard (New York) 26, Nap Rucker (Brooklyn) and Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 24, Howie Camnitz (Pittsburgh) 23, George Suggs (Cincinnati) 22.
WARP3 scores: Wagner 10.5, Zimmerman 6.6 (best year), Evers 5.8 (best year), Joe Tinker (Chicago) 4.6, Meyers 4.5, Carey and Bill Sweeney (Boston) 4.2, Konetchy 3.7, Jimmy Sheckard (Chicago) 3.6, Doyle, Wilson, Art Fletcher (New York) and Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) 3.5.
Pitchers; Rucker 9.2, Mathewson 7.2, Alexander and Suggs 6.4, Slim Sallee (St. Louis) 6.0, Hendrix 5.8, Marquard 5.7, Art Fromme (Cincinnati) 5.2, Rube Benton (Cincinnati) 4.6, Cheney 4.5, Eppa Rixey (Philadelphia) 4.3, Jeff Tesreau (New York) 4.0, Camnitz (his last good year), Hank Robinson (Pittsburgh) and Otto Hess (Boston) 3.8.
WAR for position players: Wagner 9.3, Zimmerman 8.3, Evers 6.8, Doyle 6.6, Sweeney 6.2, Paskert 5.5, Wilson 5.2, Konetchy 5.0, Carey 4.9, Bescher 4.8.
WAR for pitchers: Rucker 7.4, Mathewson 7.2, Marquard 5.8, Alexander 5.7, Sallee 5.5, Fromme and Tesreau 5.0, Cheney 4.9, Hendrix and Suggs 4.7.
Award voting (MVP only)
Place Name Team Points (64 possible)
1 Larry Doyle NYG 48
2 Honus Wagner PIT 43
3 Chief Meyers NYG 25
4 Joe Tinker CHC 22
5 Bob Bescher CIN 17
6 Bill Sweeney BSN 16
6 Heinie Zimmerman CHC 16
8 Jake Daubert BRO 13
8 Rube Marquard NYG 13
8 Chief Wilson PIT 13
11 Otto Knabe PHI 10
12 Ed Konetchy STL 8
12 Christy Mathewson NYG 8
14 Dode Paskert PHI 6
14 Jeff Tesreau NYG 6
16 Miller Huggins STL 5
16 Red Murray NYG 5
18 Armando Marsans CIN 4
18 Fred Merkle NYG 4
20 Johnny Evers CHC 2
20 Claude Hendrix PIT 2
22 Pete Alexander PHI 1
22 Jimmy Archer CHC 1
Best Player: Honus Wagner, having his last great year at age 38. Oddly, Zimmerman did not do very well in the voting although he was the batting champ. Doyle won the award he could have taken in 1911, for the champs.
Wagner #1, Zimmerman #2, Evers #3, Doyle #4, Wilson #5.
Best pitcher: Christy Mathewson, 4th in wins and 2nd in ERA. WARP likes Nap Rucker again, but he pitched his heart out for another poor Brooklyn team. Put Rucker #2 with Claude Hendrix a distant third, Pete Alexander 4th and Rube Marquard 5th.
Best rookie: Jeff Tesreau, filling out a terrific Giants rotation andP leading the league in ERA.
Best manager: John McGraw for another Giants pennant.
1912 American League
The Boston Red Sox won the pennant and the World Series, breaking up a streak by Philadelphia which finished third behind Washington. The Red Sox ran away with the pennant, taking charge of the race in June and cruising to the flag, beating second-place Washington by 14 games and the A's by 15. Chicago and Cleveland followed, then Detroit. St. Louis and New York each lost 100 games.
Statistical leaders: Ty Cobb led the league with a .409 average, ahead of Joe Jackson's .395 and Tris Speaker's .383. Speaker led in on-base (.464) and doubles (53), Eddie Collins in runs (137), Jackson in triples (26), Clyde Milan in steals (88). Home Run Baker drove in 130 runs. Cobb and Jackson tied with 226 hits, Speaker and Baker had 10 HR each. Cobb led in slugging and OPS, while Speaker led in runs created.
Pitchers had big years too, as Smoky Joe Wood edged Walter Johnson 34 wins to 33, but Walter led Wood in ERA by 1.39 to 1.91, and in strikeouts 303 to 258. Those were the two top pitchers, although Ed Walsh won 27 and saved 10 more with a 2.15 ERA and 254 strikeouts, pitching an astonishing 62 games. Walsh led in innings with 393, Johnson 369 and Wood 344. Wood pitched ten shutouts.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; Tris Speaker (Boston) 51, Ty Cobb (Detroit) 40, Frank Baker (Philadelphia) 39, Joe Jackson (Cleveland) 37, Eddie Collins (Philadelphia) 36, Clyde Milan (Washington) 33, Larry Gardner (Boston) 29, Morrie Rath (Chicago) and Eddie Foster (Washington) 26, Sam Crawford (Detroit) and Stuffy McInnis (Philadelphia) 24.
Pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 47, Joe Wood (Boston) 44, Ed Walsh (Chicago) 40, Eddie Plank (Philadelphia) 25, Buck O'Brien (Boston), Vean Gregg (Cleveland), and Bob Groom (Washington) 23.
WARP3 scores: Jackson 9.2, Speaker 9.0, Baker 8.6, Cobb 7.9, Collins 7.8, Gardner 5.5, McInnis 4.8, Donie Bush (Detroit) 4.7, Amos Strunk (Philadelphia) 3.9, Nap Lajoie (Cleveland) 3.8.
Pitchers; Johnson 12.7, Walsh 11.5, Wood 8.8, Jack Warhop (New York) 6.3, Russ Ford (New York) 5.9, Gregg 5.8, Jean Dubuc (Detroit) 5.4, Plank 5.0, Fred Blanding (Cleveland) 4.3, George McConnell (New York) 4.1.
WAR for pitchers: Johnson 11.8, Walsh 9.9, Wood 9.6, Gregg 6.1, O'Brien 5.3, Collins 5.1, Warhop 4.9, Plank 4.7, Groom 4.2, Bedient 4.1.
WAR for players: Speaker 11.0, Cobb 9.5, Jackson 9.4, Baker 9.3, Collins 8.8, Gardner 6.0, Milan 5.5, McInnis 5.2, Foster 4.8, Lajoie 4.7.
Award voting (MVP only):
Place Name Team Votes
1 Tris Speaker BOS 59
2 Ed Walsh CHW 30
3 Walter Johnson WSH 28
4 Clyde Milan WSH 23
5 Joe Wood BOS 22
6 Eddie Collins PHA 18
7 Frank Baker PHA 17
7 Ty Cobb DET 17
9 Joe Jackson CLE 16
10 Heinie Wagner BOS 12
11 Chick Gandil WSH 7
12 Burt Shotton SLB 6
13 Del Pratt SLB 5
14 Jack Barry PHA 4
14 Sam Crawford DET 4
14 Eddie Foster WSH 4
14 Larry Gardner BOS 4
18 Bill Carrigan BOS 3
18 George Moriarty DET 3
20 Joe Birmingham CLE 2
21 Bert Daniels NYY 1
21 George McBride WSH 1
21 Stuffy McInnis PHA 1
21 Danny Moeller WSH 1
Best player: Tris Speaker had an absolutely amazing season both ways for the pennant winners. Best overall player in the league. Led the league in OBA, doubles, times on base, and tied for the home run lead. Cobb led in OPS and hits and is #2. Frank Baker #3, Joe Jackson #4, Eddie Collins #5.
Best pitcher: Walter Johnson, the first of many incredible years, led the Senators to a surprise 2nd place. Smokey Joe Wood was astonishingly good. Johnson was even better, maybe the best year ever for a pitcher at 33-12 with a league leading 1.39 ERA. Wood is #2, he led in wins and was 2nd in ERA. Walsh was 3rd in wins and ERA, and 3rd here. Eddie Plank #4, Vean Gregg #5.
Best rookie: Senators 3B Eddie Foster, who may or may not qualify after 30 games and 84 AB in 1910. He batted .285 with 98 runs.
Best manager: Chick Stahl of Boston, stealing the only pennant from Philadelphia in five years.
Statistical leaders: Ty Cobb led the league with a .409 average, ahead of Joe Jackson's .395 and Tris Speaker's .383. Speaker led in on-base (.464) and doubles (53), Eddie Collins in runs (137), Jackson in triples (26), Clyde Milan in steals (88). Home Run Baker drove in 130 runs. Cobb and Jackson tied with 226 hits, Speaker and Baker had 10 HR each. Cobb led in slugging and OPS, while Speaker led in runs created.
Pitchers had big years too, as Smoky Joe Wood edged Walter Johnson 34 wins to 33, but Walter led Wood in ERA by 1.39 to 1.91, and in strikeouts 303 to 258. Those were the two top pitchers, although Ed Walsh won 27 and saved 10 more with a 2.15 ERA and 254 strikeouts, pitching an astonishing 62 games. Walsh led in innings with 393, Johnson 369 and Wood 344. Wood pitched ten shutouts.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; Tris Speaker (Boston) 51, Ty Cobb (Detroit) 40, Frank Baker (Philadelphia) 39, Joe Jackson (Cleveland) 37, Eddie Collins (Philadelphia) 36, Clyde Milan (Washington) 33, Larry Gardner (Boston) 29, Morrie Rath (Chicago) and Eddie Foster (Washington) 26, Sam Crawford (Detroit) and Stuffy McInnis (Philadelphia) 24.
Pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 47, Joe Wood (Boston) 44, Ed Walsh (Chicago) 40, Eddie Plank (Philadelphia) 25, Buck O'Brien (Boston), Vean Gregg (Cleveland), and Bob Groom (Washington) 23.
WARP3 scores: Jackson 9.2, Speaker 9.0, Baker 8.6, Cobb 7.9, Collins 7.8, Gardner 5.5, McInnis 4.8, Donie Bush (Detroit) 4.7, Amos Strunk (Philadelphia) 3.9, Nap Lajoie (Cleveland) 3.8.
Pitchers; Johnson 12.7, Walsh 11.5, Wood 8.8, Jack Warhop (New York) 6.3, Russ Ford (New York) 5.9, Gregg 5.8, Jean Dubuc (Detroit) 5.4, Plank 5.0, Fred Blanding (Cleveland) 4.3, George McConnell (New York) 4.1.
WAR for pitchers: Johnson 11.8, Walsh 9.9, Wood 9.6, Gregg 6.1, O'Brien 5.3, Collins 5.1, Warhop 4.9, Plank 4.7, Groom 4.2, Bedient 4.1.
WAR for players: Speaker 11.0, Cobb 9.5, Jackson 9.4, Baker 9.3, Collins 8.8, Gardner 6.0, Milan 5.5, McInnis 5.2, Foster 4.8, Lajoie 4.7.
Award voting (MVP only):
Place Name Team Votes
1 Tris Speaker BOS 59
2 Ed Walsh CHW 30
3 Walter Johnson WSH 28
4 Clyde Milan WSH 23
5 Joe Wood BOS 22
6 Eddie Collins PHA 18
7 Frank Baker PHA 17
7 Ty Cobb DET 17
9 Joe Jackson CLE 16
10 Heinie Wagner BOS 12
11 Chick Gandil WSH 7
12 Burt Shotton SLB 6
13 Del Pratt SLB 5
14 Jack Barry PHA 4
14 Sam Crawford DET 4
14 Eddie Foster WSH 4
14 Larry Gardner BOS 4
18 Bill Carrigan BOS 3
18 George Moriarty DET 3
20 Joe Birmingham CLE 2
21 Bert Daniels NYY 1
21 George McBride WSH 1
21 Stuffy McInnis PHA 1
21 Danny Moeller WSH 1
Best player: Tris Speaker had an absolutely amazing season both ways for the pennant winners. Best overall player in the league. Led the league in OBA, doubles, times on base, and tied for the home run lead. Cobb led in OPS and hits and is #2. Frank Baker #3, Joe Jackson #4, Eddie Collins #5.
Best pitcher: Walter Johnson, the first of many incredible years, led the Senators to a surprise 2nd place. Smokey Joe Wood was astonishingly good. Johnson was even better, maybe the best year ever for a pitcher at 33-12 with a league leading 1.39 ERA. Wood is #2, he led in wins and was 2nd in ERA. Walsh was 3rd in wins and ERA, and 3rd here. Eddie Plank #4, Vean Gregg #5.
Best rookie: Senators 3B Eddie Foster, who may or may not qualify after 30 games and 84 AB in 1910. He batted .285 with 98 runs.
Best manager: Chick Stahl of Boston, stealing the only pennant from Philadelphia in five years.
07 July 2007
1911 National League
New York outdistanced Chicago for the pennant, winning by 7.5 games. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and St. Louis were above .500, Cincinnati and Brooklyn were also-rans, while Boston lost 107 games. The Braves had horrid pitching and hitting.
The Numbers Game---
Statistical leaders: Offense didn't pick up in the NL quite as much as it did in the AL, but it did some. Honus Wagner was back on top with a .334 average, edging Doc Miller by a point with Chief Meyers another point behind. Jimmy Sheckard led in runs, Miller in hits, Frank "Wildfire" Schulte in total bases, home runs, and RBI (tied), Ed Konetchy in doubles, Larry Doyle in triples, Bob Bescher in steals, and Chief Wilson tied for the RBI lead.
Pete Alexander led with 28 wins, followed by Christy Mathewson with 26 and Rube Marquard with 24. Mathewson led with a 1.99 ERA, trailed by Lew Richie with a 2.31 mark and Babe Adams at 2.33. Rube Marquard took the strikeout lead with 237, followed by Alexander at 227. Alexander had seven shutouts, 31 complete games, and 367 innings. Mordecai Brown led the league with 13 saves, which established a new single-season record, though no one was counting at the time. The record would stand until 1924.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; Frank (Wildfire) Schulte (Chicago) 31, Jimmy Sheckard (Chicago) and Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 30, Larry Doyle (New York) 28, Ed Konetchy (St. Louis) 26, Johnny Bates (Cincinnati) and Fred Snodgrass (New York) 23, Heinie Zimmerman (Chicago), Chief Wilson (Pittsburgh) and Steve Evans (St. Louis) 22.
Pitchers; Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 34, Christy Mathewson (New York) 32, Nap Rucker (Brooklyn) 31, Rube Marquard (New York) 26, Miner Brown (Chicago) and Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) 25, Earl Moore (Philadelphia) and Lefty Leifield (Pittsburgh) 24.
WARP3: Wagner 7.0, Sheckard 6.8, Schulte 5.1, Joe Tinker (Chicago) 4.6, Chief Meyers (New York) 4.5, Konetchy 4.2, Fred Clarke (Pittsburgh) and Jake Daubert (Brooklyn) 3.6, L. Doyle, Art Fletcher (New York) and Jim Doyle (Chicago) 3.5.
Pitchers; Rucker 9.7, Alexander 8.2 in his rookie year, Mathewson 7.2, Marquard 5.7, Adams and Leifield (best year) 5.5 , George Suggs (Cincinnati) 5.4, Moore 5.0 (last good season), Bob Harmon (St. Louis) 4.5, Bobby Keefe (Cincinnati) 4.3, Jeff Tesreau (New York) 4.0, Lew Richie (Chicago) 3.6, Brown 3.4.
WAR, players: Wagner 7.5, Doyle 6.5, Sheckard and Schulte 6.4, Konetchy 5.9, Bates 5.3, Snodgrass and Tinker 4.9, Merkle 4.8, Herzog 4.7.
Pitchers: Alexander 7.8, Rucker 7.7, Mathewson 7.3, Adams 6.5, Leifield 6.2, Marquard 6.0, Moore 5.4, Richie 5.0, Keefe 4.5.
1911 was also the first year of "official" awards. 8 voters, one from each city (counting Brooklyn as a separate city) cast ballots. Here are the results, from baseball-reference.com:
Place Name Team 1st place Points
1 Frank Schulte CHC 0 29
2 Christy Mathewson NYG 0 25
3 Pete Alexander PHI 0 23
3 Larry Doyle NYG 0 23
3 Honus Wagner PIT 0 23
6 Miller Huggins STL 0 21
7 Rube Marquard NYG 0 19
7 Fred Merkle NYG 0 19
9 Jake Daubert BRO 0 16
10 Chief Meyers NYG 0 11
10 Joe Tinker CHC 0 11
12 Mike Mitchell CIN 0 9
12 Jimmy Sheckard CHC 0 9
14 Mickey Doolan PHI 0 6
14 Bob Harmon STL 0 6
16 Jimmy Archer CHC 0 5
17 Bob Bescher CIN 0 4
17 Mordecai Brown CHC 0 4
17 George Gibson PIT 0 4
17 Hans Lobert PHI 0 4
21 Bill Sweeney BSN 0 3
22 Josh Devore NYG 0 2
22 Dick Hoblitzel CIN 0 2
22 Otto Knabe PHI 0 2
22 Ed Konetchy STL 0 2
22 Jimmy Walsh PHI 0 2
27 Babe Adams PIT 0 1
27 Johnny Kling TOT 0 1
27 Fred Luderus PHI 0 1
27 Nap Rucker BRO 0 1
Don't understand the lack of first-place votes. Could be a typo, or perhaps voters voted for both leagues together, as in the original Cy Young voting.
Top player: Honus Wagner returned to his accustomed place as the finest player in the National League. Frank Schulte was terrific for the Cubs, Larry Doyle excellent offensively (he never was good with the glove) for the winning Giants, Sheckard as usual an on-base machine, and Ed Konetchy is a terrific unrecognized player.
#1 Wagner, #2 Schulte, #3 Doyle, #4 Sheckard, #5 Konetchy.
Top pitcher: Christy Mathewson. Big Six was getting by more on guile and less on stuff at this point, but his big year for the pennant winners should not be overlooked. Pete Alexander came up big as a rookie, Nap Rucker had a solid year as the usually hard-luck pitcher won 22, and Rube Marquard won 24 for his first big year.
#1 Mathewson, #2 Alexander, #3 Marquard, #4 Rucker, #5 Adams.
Top rookie: Grover Cleveland Alexander. Led NL in wins his first year in the league.
Top manager: John McGraw leads the Giants back to the top.
The Numbers Game---
Statistical leaders: Offense didn't pick up in the NL quite as much as it did in the AL, but it did some. Honus Wagner was back on top with a .334 average, edging Doc Miller by a point with Chief Meyers another point behind. Jimmy Sheckard led in runs, Miller in hits, Frank "Wildfire" Schulte in total bases, home runs, and RBI (tied), Ed Konetchy in doubles, Larry Doyle in triples, Bob Bescher in steals, and Chief Wilson tied for the RBI lead.
Pete Alexander led with 28 wins, followed by Christy Mathewson with 26 and Rube Marquard with 24. Mathewson led with a 1.99 ERA, trailed by Lew Richie with a 2.31 mark and Babe Adams at 2.33. Rube Marquard took the strikeout lead with 237, followed by Alexander at 227. Alexander had seven shutouts, 31 complete games, and 367 innings. Mordecai Brown led the league with 13 saves, which established a new single-season record, though no one was counting at the time. The record would stand until 1924.
Win Shares leaderboard:
Players; Frank (Wildfire) Schulte (Chicago) 31, Jimmy Sheckard (Chicago) and Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 30, Larry Doyle (New York) 28, Ed Konetchy (St. Louis) 26, Johnny Bates (Cincinnati) and Fred Snodgrass (New York) 23, Heinie Zimmerman (Chicago), Chief Wilson (Pittsburgh) and Steve Evans (St. Louis) 22.
Pitchers; Pete Alexander (Philadelphia) 34, Christy Mathewson (New York) 32, Nap Rucker (Brooklyn) 31, Rube Marquard (New York) 26, Miner Brown (Chicago) and Babe Adams (Pittsburgh) 25, Earl Moore (Philadelphia) and Lefty Leifield (Pittsburgh) 24.
WARP3: Wagner 7.0, Sheckard 6.8, Schulte 5.1, Joe Tinker (Chicago) 4.6, Chief Meyers (New York) 4.5, Konetchy 4.2, Fred Clarke (Pittsburgh) and Jake Daubert (Brooklyn) 3.6, L. Doyle, Art Fletcher (New York) and Jim Doyle (Chicago) 3.5.
Pitchers; Rucker 9.7, Alexander 8.2 in his rookie year, Mathewson 7.2, Marquard 5.7, Adams and Leifield (best year) 5.5 , George Suggs (Cincinnati) 5.4, Moore 5.0 (last good season), Bob Harmon (St. Louis) 4.5, Bobby Keefe (Cincinnati) 4.3, Jeff Tesreau (New York) 4.0, Lew Richie (Chicago) 3.6, Brown 3.4.
WAR, players: Wagner 7.5, Doyle 6.5, Sheckard and Schulte 6.4, Konetchy 5.9, Bates 5.3, Snodgrass and Tinker 4.9, Merkle 4.8, Herzog 4.7.
Pitchers: Alexander 7.8, Rucker 7.7, Mathewson 7.3, Adams 6.5, Leifield 6.2, Marquard 6.0, Moore 5.4, Richie 5.0, Keefe 4.5.
1911 was also the first year of "official" awards. 8 voters, one from each city (counting Brooklyn as a separate city) cast ballots. Here are the results, from baseball-reference.com:
Place Name Team 1st place Points
1 Frank Schulte CHC 0 29
2 Christy Mathewson NYG 0 25
3 Pete Alexander PHI 0 23
3 Larry Doyle NYG 0 23
3 Honus Wagner PIT 0 23
6 Miller Huggins STL 0 21
7 Rube Marquard NYG 0 19
7 Fred Merkle NYG 0 19
9 Jake Daubert BRO 0 16
10 Chief Meyers NYG 0 11
10 Joe Tinker CHC 0 11
12 Mike Mitchell CIN 0 9
12 Jimmy Sheckard CHC 0 9
14 Mickey Doolan PHI 0 6
14 Bob Harmon STL 0 6
16 Jimmy Archer CHC 0 5
17 Bob Bescher CIN 0 4
17 Mordecai Brown CHC 0 4
17 George Gibson PIT 0 4
17 Hans Lobert PHI 0 4
21 Bill Sweeney BSN 0 3
22 Josh Devore NYG 0 2
22 Dick Hoblitzel CIN 0 2
22 Otto Knabe PHI 0 2
22 Ed Konetchy STL 0 2
22 Jimmy Walsh PHI 0 2
27 Babe Adams PIT 0 1
27 Johnny Kling TOT 0 1
27 Fred Luderus PHI 0 1
27 Nap Rucker BRO 0 1
Don't understand the lack of first-place votes. Could be a typo, or perhaps voters voted for both leagues together, as in the original Cy Young voting.
Top player: Honus Wagner returned to his accustomed place as the finest player in the National League. Frank Schulte was terrific for the Cubs, Larry Doyle excellent offensively (he never was good with the glove) for the winning Giants, Sheckard as usual an on-base machine, and Ed Konetchy is a terrific unrecognized player.
#1 Wagner, #2 Schulte, #3 Doyle, #4 Sheckard, #5 Konetchy.
Top pitcher: Christy Mathewson. Big Six was getting by more on guile and less on stuff at this point, but his big year for the pennant winners should not be overlooked. Pete Alexander came up big as a rookie, Nap Rucker had a solid year as the usually hard-luck pitcher won 22, and Rube Marquard won 24 for his first big year.
#1 Mathewson, #2 Alexander, #3 Marquard, #4 Rucker, #5 Adams.
Top rookie: Grover Cleveland Alexander. Led NL in wins his first year in the league.
Top manager: John McGraw leads the Giants back to the top.
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