The former Western League announced its arrival as a major league for the 1901 season, opening play in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Washington, which had all been major league cities in the recent past. No New York yet, which would mark a truly major league outfit, but definitely a loop with pretensions. A number of former NL stars were lured to the AL, including Joe McGinnity, Cy Young, Jimmy Collins, Clark Griffith, Fielder Jones, Nap Lajoie, and Lave Cross. Chicago won the pennant race by a small margin over Boston, Detroit and Philadelphia not far behind. Baltimore was also over .500, with Washington off the pace, while Cleveland and Milwaukee trailed the pack. Still a strong midwest flavor here.
The biggest star was definitely Nap Lajoie, who led in most meaningful offensive categories, including winning the Triple Crown. He hit .426, while Mike Donlin was second with .340. Lajoie had 14 home runs, ahead of Buck Freeman's 12; and Lajoie had 125 RBI, ahead of Freeman's 114. Frank Isbell took the stolen bases crown with 52. Lajoie had 152 Runs Created, while Jimmy Collins was second with exactly 100. That was how much Nap dominated the league.
Cy Young likewise dominated the pitching categories, winning 33 games (Joe McGinnity was second with 26), posting a 1.62 ERA (Nixey Callahan came in second at 2.42) and striking out 158 batters (Roy Patterson was next at 127).
First-year Win Shares, players; Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 42, Jimmy Collins (Boston) 28, Dummy Hoy (Chicago) 25, Buck Freeman and Chick Stahl (Boston) 24, Fielder Jones (Chicago) and Jimmy Barrett (Detroit) 23, Jimmy Williams (Baltimore), Ollie Pickering (Cleveland) and Kid Elberfeld (Detroit) 22.
Pitchers; Cy Young (Boston) 41, Roscoe Miller (Detroit) 30, Joe McGinnity (Baltimore) and Clark Griffith (Chicago) 27, Nixey Callahan (Chicago) 23, Ed Siever (Detroit) 22, Joe Yeager (Detroit) 21.
WARP3 leaders, players; Lajoie 10.6, Collins 7.9, Williams 7.0, Buck Freeman (Boston) 5.5, Freddy Parent (Boston) 5.4, Elberfeld 5.3, John Anderson (Milwaukee) 5.0, Stahl 4.7, Sam Mertes (Chicago) 4.6, Ollie Pickering (Cleveland) 4.5.
WARP3 leaders, pitchers: Young 11.1, Miller 7.4, McGinnity 7.2, Callahan 6.0, Griffith 5.8, Yeager 5.4, Eddie Plank (Philadelphia) 4.2, Moore (Cleveland) 4.0.
WAR leaders, pitchers: Young 11.2, McGinnity 5.9, Miller 5.7, Griffith 5.2, Plank 4.4, Callahan 4.0, Moore 3.8. Position players: Lajoie 9.5, Collins 7.2, Mike Donlin (Baltimore) and Parent 5.4, Hoy 5.3, Freeman 5.2, Stahl 5.0, Jones and Williams 4.9.
Top player: Nap Lajoie. The Triple Crown winner and obviously the best player.
#1 Nap Lajoie, #2 Jimmy Collins, #3 Jimmy Williams, #4 Dummy Hoy, #5 Buck Freeman.
Top pitcher: Cy Young. Nap Lajoie and Cy Young dominated this fledgling major league, still finding its feet. Young was an established star, Lajoie a young player entering stardom. They were the cream of the crop. Both won their respective Triple Crowns, and led in many other statistical categories.
#1 Cy Young, #2 Roscoe Miller, #3 Joe McGinnity, #4 Clark Griffith, #5 Nixey Callahan.
Top rookie: Roscoe Miller, 23-13 for Detroit, although a better career would be had by Eddie Plank, 17-13 in his debut for Philadelphia.
Top manager to Clark Griffith, who pieced together a pennant winner in Chicago. He went 24-7 on the mound, too.
Several of these guys had played in the NL in 1900, or in 1899 before the Great Contraction. The AL was not yet on a par with the NL. But it wouldn't be long.
27 May 2007
16 May 2007
1900 National League
The NL contracts to 8 teams in this year, setting up next year's emergence of the AL. Cleveland, Washington, Louisville, and (surprisingly) Baltimore disappeared, with the best players going to existing franchises. The cream of Louisville went to Pittsburgh, giving them a strong team. Washington's best players went to Boston. Baltimore's pipeline to Brooklyn continued. Cleveland's best players had already gone to St. Louis. Where there was excess, players got scattered, and some retreated to smaller leagues. Ban Johnson's Western League absorbed some players and cities, was renamed as the American League, and in 1901 would announce themselves as a new major league.
Brooklyn won the pennant again, in a good race with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. With the sad-sack teams gone, those were the only three teams over .500, but there were no real bad teams. Boston was fourth, then St. Louis, Chicago, and Cincinnati. New York finished last but only 23 games out, as talent evened out.
Honus Wagner emerged as a force, leading the league with a .381 average and 45 doubles, also leading in total bases, triples, slugging, and OPS. Elmer Flick batted .367, Jesse Burkett .363, Willie Keeler .362. Roy Thomas led in runs scored with 132 while Jimmy Slagle was next with 115. Jimmy Barrett and George Van Haltren scored 114. Keeler had 204 hits, Burkett 203, Wagner 201, and Flick 200. Wagner had 45 doubles, Nap Lajoie 33. Wagner had 22 triples, Joe Kelley and Charlie Hickman 17. Herman Long had 12 home runs. Flick led with 110 RBI, Ed Delahanty had 109, Wagner 100. Patsy Donovan and George Van Haltren tied for the lead in steals with 45 while Barrett had 44.
Joe McGinnity won 28 games, while second place was 20, a four-way tie by Bill Dinneen, Brickyard Kennedy, Deacon Phillippe, and Jesse Tannehill. Rube Waddell led with a 2.37 ERA, Ned Garwin came in at 2.41, Jack Taylor 2.55. Noodles Hahn led with 132 strikeouts, Rube Waddell had 130, Cy Young 115.
And now........your 1900 Win Shares data! Welcome to the doorway to the 20th century!
Position players; Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 34, Elmer Flick (Philadelphia) 32, Kip Selbach (New York) 27, Roy Thomas (Philadelphia) and Jesse Burkett (St. Louis) 25, Billy Hamilton (Boston) and Jimmy Barrett (Cincinnati) 23, Willie Keeler and Joe Kelley (Brooklyn) and Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) all 22.
Pitchers; Joe McGinnity (Brooklyn) 30, Bill Dinneen (Boston) 27, Brickyard Kennedy (Brooklyn) Deacon Phillippe and Jesse Tannehill (both Pittsburgh) 23 each, Cy Young (St. Louis) 22, Noodles Hahn (Cincinnati) 21, Win Mercer (New York) and Sam Leever (Pittsburgh) 20.
WARP3 scores, players: Wagner 10.1, Flick 9.4, Lajoie 7.4, Selbach and Hamilton 7.3, Keeler and John McGraw (St. Louis) 6.9, Burkett 6.8, Bill Dahlen (Brooklyn) and Jimmy Collins (Boston) 6.4, George Davis (New York) 6.3, Jake Beckley (Cincinnati) 6.0.
WARP3 scores, pitchers: Young 7.6, Hahn 7.2, Clark Griffith (Chicago) 6.8, Phillippe and Mercer 6.4, Dinneen and Tannehill 6.2, Ned Garvin (Chicago) 5.9, Al Orth (Philadelphia) 5.4, McGinnity and Leever 5.3, Chick Fraser (Philadelphia) and Pink Hawley (New York) 5.2, Kennedy 5.1.
WAR for pitchers: Young 6.4, Dinneen 5.7, Hahn 5.4, McGinnity 5.0, Phillippe 4.6, Leever 4.3, Nichols 4.1, Tannehill 3.7, Kennedy 3.6. Position players: Wagner 7.0, Flick 6.4, Burkett 5.9, McGraw 5.8, Selbach 5.5, Hamilton 5.4, Keeler 4.6, Davis and Lajoie 4.2.
Honus Wagner was the top player. Elmer Flick is a notable second, overshadowed by Honus, a great year overwhelmed by a greater year. Wagner led the league in average, doubles, triples, slugging and OPS. Flick led in RBI and was 2nd in OPS.
#1 Honus Wagner, #2 Elmer Flick, #3 Jesse Burkett, #4 Kip Selbach, #5 Willie Keeler.
Best pitcher has to go to Joe McGinnity, 28-8 with a 2.94 ERA. No one else had more than 20 wins. Iron Man benefited from the good club around him, and while a case could be made for the other guys, that sterling record still looks you in the face. So it's the Win Shares this time.
#1 Joe McGinnity, #2 Bill Dinneen, #3 Deacon Phillippe, #4 Jesse Tannehill, #5 Cy Young.
Ned Hanlon of the pennant-winning Superbas for top manager again.
Best Rookie: Jimmy Barrett, with a caution he may not qualify. Barrett hit .316 with an OPS+ of 120. Very few rookies debuting in this contraction year. Doc Newton pitched in 234 innings for the Reds, was just 9-15 with an ERA worse than league average. Christy Matthewson became the best player but didn't do much in 1900, going 0-3 in six games. He got better.
Brooklyn won the pennant again, in a good race with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. With the sad-sack teams gone, those were the only three teams over .500, but there were no real bad teams. Boston was fourth, then St. Louis, Chicago, and Cincinnati. New York finished last but only 23 games out, as talent evened out.
Honus Wagner emerged as a force, leading the league with a .381 average and 45 doubles, also leading in total bases, triples, slugging, and OPS. Elmer Flick batted .367, Jesse Burkett .363, Willie Keeler .362. Roy Thomas led in runs scored with 132 while Jimmy Slagle was next with 115. Jimmy Barrett and George Van Haltren scored 114. Keeler had 204 hits, Burkett 203, Wagner 201, and Flick 200. Wagner had 45 doubles, Nap Lajoie 33. Wagner had 22 triples, Joe Kelley and Charlie Hickman 17. Herman Long had 12 home runs. Flick led with 110 RBI, Ed Delahanty had 109, Wagner 100. Patsy Donovan and George Van Haltren tied for the lead in steals with 45 while Barrett had 44.
Joe McGinnity won 28 games, while second place was 20, a four-way tie by Bill Dinneen, Brickyard Kennedy, Deacon Phillippe, and Jesse Tannehill. Rube Waddell led with a 2.37 ERA, Ned Garwin came in at 2.41, Jack Taylor 2.55. Noodles Hahn led with 132 strikeouts, Rube Waddell had 130, Cy Young 115.
And now........your 1900 Win Shares data! Welcome to the doorway to the 20th century!
Position players; Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 34, Elmer Flick (Philadelphia) 32, Kip Selbach (New York) 27, Roy Thomas (Philadelphia) and Jesse Burkett (St. Louis) 25, Billy Hamilton (Boston) and Jimmy Barrett (Cincinnati) 23, Willie Keeler and Joe Kelley (Brooklyn) and Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) all 22.
Pitchers; Joe McGinnity (Brooklyn) 30, Bill Dinneen (Boston) 27, Brickyard Kennedy (Brooklyn) Deacon Phillippe and Jesse Tannehill (both Pittsburgh) 23 each, Cy Young (St. Louis) 22, Noodles Hahn (Cincinnati) 21, Win Mercer (New York) and Sam Leever (Pittsburgh) 20.
WARP3 scores, players: Wagner 10.1, Flick 9.4, Lajoie 7.4, Selbach and Hamilton 7.3, Keeler and John McGraw (St. Louis) 6.9, Burkett 6.8, Bill Dahlen (Brooklyn) and Jimmy Collins (Boston) 6.4, George Davis (New York) 6.3, Jake Beckley (Cincinnati) 6.0.
WARP3 scores, pitchers: Young 7.6, Hahn 7.2, Clark Griffith (Chicago) 6.8, Phillippe and Mercer 6.4, Dinneen and Tannehill 6.2, Ned Garvin (Chicago) 5.9, Al Orth (Philadelphia) 5.4, McGinnity and Leever 5.3, Chick Fraser (Philadelphia) and Pink Hawley (New York) 5.2, Kennedy 5.1.
WAR for pitchers: Young 6.4, Dinneen 5.7, Hahn 5.4, McGinnity 5.0, Phillippe 4.6, Leever 4.3, Nichols 4.1, Tannehill 3.7, Kennedy 3.6. Position players: Wagner 7.0, Flick 6.4, Burkett 5.9, McGraw 5.8, Selbach 5.5, Hamilton 5.4, Keeler 4.6, Davis and Lajoie 4.2.
Honus Wagner was the top player. Elmer Flick is a notable second, overshadowed by Honus, a great year overwhelmed by a greater year. Wagner led the league in average, doubles, triples, slugging and OPS. Flick led in RBI and was 2nd in OPS.
#1 Honus Wagner, #2 Elmer Flick, #3 Jesse Burkett, #4 Kip Selbach, #5 Willie Keeler.
Best pitcher has to go to Joe McGinnity, 28-8 with a 2.94 ERA. No one else had more than 20 wins. Iron Man benefited from the good club around him, and while a case could be made for the other guys, that sterling record still looks you in the face. So it's the Win Shares this time.
#1 Joe McGinnity, #2 Bill Dinneen, #3 Deacon Phillippe, #4 Jesse Tannehill, #5 Cy Young.
Ned Hanlon of the pennant-winning Superbas for top manager again.
Best Rookie: Jimmy Barrett, with a caution he may not qualify. Barrett hit .316 with an OPS+ of 120. Very few rookies debuting in this contraction year. Doc Newton pitched in 234 innings for the Reds, was just 9-15 with an ERA worse than league average. Christy Matthewson became the best player but didn't do much in 1900, going 0-3 in six games. He got better.
12 May 2007
1899 National League
It was in 1899 that the evils of "syndicate ownership" reared up and afflicted baseball by a widespread transfer of players to franchises in richer markets. All of Cleveland's best players, particularly Cy Young, Jesse Burkett and Bobby Wallace, went to St. Louis. The Spiders fell from a solid fifth place, with an 81-68 record, to a remarkable record for futility at 20-134. It got so bad in Cleveland the fans stopped coming out to the park, and the team spent the last month of the season on the road. In essence, the fortunes of the formerly moribund St. Louis franchise were exchanged with those of the previously healthy Cleveland team.
Brooklyn had picked up its own collection of players, adding Joe Kelley and Willie Keeler along with manager Ned Hanlon from Baltimore, and Bill Dahlen from Chicago, and won the pennant. Those transfers are less sinister, but still unusual for the 19th century. Trades, as we know them today, were almost unheard of at the time. Boston and Philadelphia trailed close behind, and Baltimore, St. Louis and Cincinnati ran well.
Ed Delahanty took the batting title at .410, and also led in slugging, OPS, hits, total bases, doubles, and RBI. Jesse Burkett hit .396 and John McGraw .391. Willie Keeler and McGraw shared the lead in runs at 140. Delahanty had 238 hits, Burkett 221, and Jimmy Williams 220. Delahanty had 55 doubles, Honus Wagner 45. Williams had 27 triples, Buck Freeman 25. Freeman led with 25 home runs and Bobby Wallace was second with 12. Delahanty had 137 RBI followed by Freeman with 122, Williams with 116, and Wagner with 114. Jimmy Sheckard was tops in stolen bases with 73.
Jay Hughes and Joe McGinnity each won 28 games, Vic Willis won 27, Cy Young 26, Jesse Tannehill 24. Willis posted a 2.50 ERA, Young 2.58, Noodles Hahn and Joe McGinnity 2.68. Hahn led in strikeouts with 145 Cy Seymour 142.
1899 Win Shares, players; Ed Delahanty (Philadelphia) 41, John McGraw (Baltimore) 34, Chick Stahl (Boston) and Jimmy Williams (Pittsburgh) 32, Joe Kelley (Brooklyn) Roy Thomas (Philadelphia) and Jesse Burkett (St. Louis) 30 each, Willie Keeler (Brooklyn) 29, Tom Daly (Brooklyn) 28, Honus Wagner (Louisville) 26.
Pitchers; Vic Willis (Boston) 39, Joe McGinnity (Baltimore) and Cy Young (St. Louis) 35, Jay Hughes (Brooklyn) 33, Frank Kitson (Baltimore) and Kid Nichols (Boston) 31, Noodles Hahn (Cincinnati) and Jack Powell (St. Louis) 29, Brickyard Kennedy (Brooklyn) 28, Sam Leever and Jesse Tannehill (Pittsburgh) 27.
WARP3 scores, position players: McGraw 10.0, Delahanty 8.1, Williams 7.6, Stahl 7.5, Wagner 7.1, Thomas 6.9, Ed McFarland (Philadelphia) 6.5, Keeler and Bill Dahlen (Brooklyn) 6.1, Jimmy Collins (Boston) 6.0, Burkett 5.9, Kelley, Daly, and Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 5.8, Elmer Flick (Philadelphia) and Bobby Wallace (St. Louis) 5.7, George Davis (New York) 5.6.
WARP3 scores, pitchers: Young 9.0, Willis 7.4, McGinnity and Hughes 7.2, Tannehill 7.1, Leever and Cy Seymour (New York) 7.0, Kitson 6.5, Clark Griffith (Chicago) 6.4, Hahn 6.2, Deacon Phillippe (Louisville) 5.6, Powell 5.2.
WAR leaders, pitchers: Willis 8.9, McGinnity 7.4, Hahn 7.2, Young 7.1, Kitson and Tannehill 6.8, Hughes and Nichols 6.6. Position players, McGraw 9.4, Delahanty 8.4, Williams 7.6, Burkett 6.5, Wagner 6.4, Stahl 6.2, Tenney 6.1.
Top player: Delahanty was outstanding again, and the best hitter in the league, leading in batting, slugging, OPS, hits, total bases, doubles, and RBI. McGraw had a great year, but it's hard to overcome that kind of performance. McGraw would be second in his last 100-game year, with Jimmy Williams 3rd, Chick Stahl 4th and Jesse Burkett 5th.
Top pitcher: Vic Willis, 3rd in wins and 1st in ERA. No clear front-runner here. Cy Young would be #2. I'd put Iron Man #3. Hughes 4th in his career year and Noodles 5th.
Top rookie to Jimmy Williams, the Pirates sensational new third baseman. Williams had a good career, but not up to this first year's promise. Runner-up was McGinnity, and Sam Crawford also broke in this year. Roy Thomas, Sam Leever, and Noodles Hahn were notable in the best season for rookies in many years.
Best manager to Ned Hanlon, who went to Brooklyn after seven years in Baltimore, and led the Superbas to their first pennant since 1890. And he did it with Willie Keeler, Joe Kelley, and a bunch of has-beens, never-weres, and guys playing over their heads.
Brooklyn had picked up its own collection of players, adding Joe Kelley and Willie Keeler along with manager Ned Hanlon from Baltimore, and Bill Dahlen from Chicago, and won the pennant. Those transfers are less sinister, but still unusual for the 19th century. Trades, as we know them today, were almost unheard of at the time. Boston and Philadelphia trailed close behind, and Baltimore, St. Louis and Cincinnati ran well.
Ed Delahanty took the batting title at .410, and also led in slugging, OPS, hits, total bases, doubles, and RBI. Jesse Burkett hit .396 and John McGraw .391. Willie Keeler and McGraw shared the lead in runs at 140. Delahanty had 238 hits, Burkett 221, and Jimmy Williams 220. Delahanty had 55 doubles, Honus Wagner 45. Williams had 27 triples, Buck Freeman 25. Freeman led with 25 home runs and Bobby Wallace was second with 12. Delahanty had 137 RBI followed by Freeman with 122, Williams with 116, and Wagner with 114. Jimmy Sheckard was tops in stolen bases with 73.
Jay Hughes and Joe McGinnity each won 28 games, Vic Willis won 27, Cy Young 26, Jesse Tannehill 24. Willis posted a 2.50 ERA, Young 2.58, Noodles Hahn and Joe McGinnity 2.68. Hahn led in strikeouts with 145 Cy Seymour 142.
1899 Win Shares, players; Ed Delahanty (Philadelphia) 41, John McGraw (Baltimore) 34, Chick Stahl (Boston) and Jimmy Williams (Pittsburgh) 32, Joe Kelley (Brooklyn) Roy Thomas (Philadelphia) and Jesse Burkett (St. Louis) 30 each, Willie Keeler (Brooklyn) 29, Tom Daly (Brooklyn) 28, Honus Wagner (Louisville) 26.
Pitchers; Vic Willis (Boston) 39, Joe McGinnity (Baltimore) and Cy Young (St. Louis) 35, Jay Hughes (Brooklyn) 33, Frank Kitson (Baltimore) and Kid Nichols (Boston) 31, Noodles Hahn (Cincinnati) and Jack Powell (St. Louis) 29, Brickyard Kennedy (Brooklyn) 28, Sam Leever and Jesse Tannehill (Pittsburgh) 27.
WARP3 scores, position players: McGraw 10.0, Delahanty 8.1, Williams 7.6, Stahl 7.5, Wagner 7.1, Thomas 6.9, Ed McFarland (Philadelphia) 6.5, Keeler and Bill Dahlen (Brooklyn) 6.1, Jimmy Collins (Boston) 6.0, Burkett 5.9, Kelley, Daly, and Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 5.8, Elmer Flick (Philadelphia) and Bobby Wallace (St. Louis) 5.7, George Davis (New York) 5.6.
WARP3 scores, pitchers: Young 9.0, Willis 7.4, McGinnity and Hughes 7.2, Tannehill 7.1, Leever and Cy Seymour (New York) 7.0, Kitson 6.5, Clark Griffith (Chicago) 6.4, Hahn 6.2, Deacon Phillippe (Louisville) 5.6, Powell 5.2.
WAR leaders, pitchers: Willis 8.9, McGinnity 7.4, Hahn 7.2, Young 7.1, Kitson and Tannehill 6.8, Hughes and Nichols 6.6. Position players, McGraw 9.4, Delahanty 8.4, Williams 7.6, Burkett 6.5, Wagner 6.4, Stahl 6.2, Tenney 6.1.
Top player: Delahanty was outstanding again, and the best hitter in the league, leading in batting, slugging, OPS, hits, total bases, doubles, and RBI. McGraw had a great year, but it's hard to overcome that kind of performance. McGraw would be second in his last 100-game year, with Jimmy Williams 3rd, Chick Stahl 4th and Jesse Burkett 5th.
Top pitcher: Vic Willis, 3rd in wins and 1st in ERA. No clear front-runner here. Cy Young would be #2. I'd put Iron Man #3. Hughes 4th in his career year and Noodles 5th.
Top rookie to Jimmy Williams, the Pirates sensational new third baseman. Williams had a good career, but not up to this first year's promise. Runner-up was McGinnity, and Sam Crawford also broke in this year. Roy Thomas, Sam Leever, and Noodles Hahn were notable in the best season for rookies in many years.
Best manager to Ned Hanlon, who went to Brooklyn after seven years in Baltimore, and led the Superbas to their first pennant since 1890. And he did it with Willie Keeler, Joe Kelley, and a bunch of has-beens, never-weres, and guys playing over their heads.
1898 National League
Boston won their second pennant in a row, outdistancing Baltimore, and finishing 63.5 games ahead of last-place St. Louis. That was a larger margin in part because the schedule was increased to 152 games: they had played 154 in 1892, but were normally playing about 130. They would go to 154 in 1899, then down to 140 for several years before settling at 154 until expansion. It was Boston, Baltimore and Cincinnati at the top, Brooklyn, Washington and St. Louis at the bottom, and the rest in between. Player transfers started, and syndicate ownership began showing an ugly face, as Pink Hawley and Elmer Smith were moved from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati, in an era where that was rare. Owners with a piece of two or more teams starting moving players to make a bigger splash in the biggest market.
Willie Keeler won another batting title, at .385. Billy Hamilton was second at .369 and led in on-base and OPS. Keeler led with 216 hits, while John McGraw scored 143 runs. Nap Lajoie led with 43 doubles and 127 RBI. John Anderson had 22 triples, Jimmy Collins collected 15 home runs. Ed Delahanty was the surprise stolen base leader with 58.
Kid Nichols led the league with 31 wins again, Bert Cunningham won 28 games, Pink Hawley and Doc McJames 27. Clark Griffith posted a 1.88 ERA to lead the loop, Al Maul had a 2.10 mark, Nichols posted a 2.13. Cy Seymour was the strikeout champ at 239, McJames was second with 178. Seymour would switch to the outfield a few years hence after arm trouble.
Pitching Win Shares: Kid Nichols (Boston) 44, Cy Young (Cleveland) and Jesse Tannehill (Pittsburgh) 34, Clark Griffith (Chicago) 32, Ted Lewis (Boston) 31, Doc McJames (Baltimore) and Bert Cunningham (Louisville) 30, Pink Hawley (Cincinnati) 28, Cy Seymour (New York) 26, Vic Willis (Boston), Ted Breitenstein (Cincinnati) and Jack Powell (Cleveland) 25.
Players Win Shares: Jimmy Collins (Boston) 34, Billy Hamilton (Boston) and Ed Delahanty (Philadelphia) 33, Hughie Jennings (Baltimore) 32, John McGraw (Baltimore) 31, Jesse Burkett (Cleveland) and George Van Haltren (New York) 29, Jimmy Ryan (Chicago) 28, Bill Dahlen (Chicago) and Elmer Smith (Cincinnati) 27, Elmer Flick and Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 26.
WARP3 scores, pitchers; Griffith 9.2, Nichols 9.0, Tannehill 7.0, Young and Cunningham 6.7, Al Maul (Baltimore) 6.6, Seymour 6.2, Lewis 6.0, Rusie 5.8, Wiley Piatt (Philadelphia) 5.7, McJames 5.4, Powell 4.9, Brickyard Kennedy (Brooklyn) 4.8, Jack Taylor (St. Louis) 4.7.
Players; Jennings 10.2, McGraw 9.3, Collins 8.5, Gene DeMontreville (Baltimore) 7.5, Dahlen 7.1, Flick and Willie Keeler (Baltimore) 6.6, Dan McGann (Baltimore) 5.9, Hamilton, Delahanty, and Bill Lange (Chicago) 5.7, Van Haltren and Lajoie 5.5.
WAR for pitchers: Nichols 9.5, Griffith 9.2, McJames 7.4, Maul 6.7, Young 6.6, Lewis and Powell 5.7, Tannehill 5.4, Cunningham 5.3, Hawley 4.9. Position players: Jennings 8.3, McGraw 8.1, Collins 6.6, Delahanty 6.3, McGann 6.0, DeMontreville 5.8, Dahlen 5.7, Burkett 5.4, Hamilton and Keeler 5.2.
Top pitcher: Kid Nichols, 31-12 with a 2.13 ERA, over Clark Griffith, 24-10 with a 1.88 ERA in a close race. Nichols led the league in wins and WHIP, Griffith in ERA. Nichols also had four saves of his teammates, and more strikeouts than Griffith.
#1 Kid Nichols, #2 Clark Griffith, #3 Doc McJames, #4 Cy Young, #5 Jesse Tannehill.
Top player: Do-it-all third baseman Jimmy Collins in his best year. Collins was the greatest third baseman of the era, and a deserving Hall of Famer. Collins led in homers and total bases, was 2nd in slugging and RBI, and played great defense. I'll put Jennings second and McGraw third.
#1 Jimmy Collins, #2 Hughie Jennings, #3 John McGraw, #4 Ed Delahanty, #5 Billy Hamilton.
Top manager to Boston's Frank Selee, with another pennant.
Top rookie to Elmer Flick, 4th in on-base and a .302 average. 2nd to fellow Hall of Famer Vic Willis, 25-13 for Boston.
Willie Keeler won another batting title, at .385. Billy Hamilton was second at .369 and led in on-base and OPS. Keeler led with 216 hits, while John McGraw scored 143 runs. Nap Lajoie led with 43 doubles and 127 RBI. John Anderson had 22 triples, Jimmy Collins collected 15 home runs. Ed Delahanty was the surprise stolen base leader with 58.
Kid Nichols led the league with 31 wins again, Bert Cunningham won 28 games, Pink Hawley and Doc McJames 27. Clark Griffith posted a 1.88 ERA to lead the loop, Al Maul had a 2.10 mark, Nichols posted a 2.13. Cy Seymour was the strikeout champ at 239, McJames was second with 178. Seymour would switch to the outfield a few years hence after arm trouble.
Pitching Win Shares: Kid Nichols (Boston) 44, Cy Young (Cleveland) and Jesse Tannehill (Pittsburgh) 34, Clark Griffith (Chicago) 32, Ted Lewis (Boston) 31, Doc McJames (Baltimore) and Bert Cunningham (Louisville) 30, Pink Hawley (Cincinnati) 28, Cy Seymour (New York) 26, Vic Willis (Boston), Ted Breitenstein (Cincinnati) and Jack Powell (Cleveland) 25.
Players Win Shares: Jimmy Collins (Boston) 34, Billy Hamilton (Boston) and Ed Delahanty (Philadelphia) 33, Hughie Jennings (Baltimore) 32, John McGraw (Baltimore) 31, Jesse Burkett (Cleveland) and George Van Haltren (New York) 29, Jimmy Ryan (Chicago) 28, Bill Dahlen (Chicago) and Elmer Smith (Cincinnati) 27, Elmer Flick and Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 26.
WARP3 scores, pitchers; Griffith 9.2, Nichols 9.0, Tannehill 7.0, Young and Cunningham 6.7, Al Maul (Baltimore) 6.6, Seymour 6.2, Lewis 6.0, Rusie 5.8, Wiley Piatt (Philadelphia) 5.7, McJames 5.4, Powell 4.9, Brickyard Kennedy (Brooklyn) 4.8, Jack Taylor (St. Louis) 4.7.
Players; Jennings 10.2, McGraw 9.3, Collins 8.5, Gene DeMontreville (Baltimore) 7.5, Dahlen 7.1, Flick and Willie Keeler (Baltimore) 6.6, Dan McGann (Baltimore) 5.9, Hamilton, Delahanty, and Bill Lange (Chicago) 5.7, Van Haltren and Lajoie 5.5.
WAR for pitchers: Nichols 9.5, Griffith 9.2, McJames 7.4, Maul 6.7, Young 6.6, Lewis and Powell 5.7, Tannehill 5.4, Cunningham 5.3, Hawley 4.9. Position players: Jennings 8.3, McGraw 8.1, Collins 6.6, Delahanty 6.3, McGann 6.0, DeMontreville 5.8, Dahlen 5.7, Burkett 5.4, Hamilton and Keeler 5.2.
Top pitcher: Kid Nichols, 31-12 with a 2.13 ERA, over Clark Griffith, 24-10 with a 1.88 ERA in a close race. Nichols led the league in wins and WHIP, Griffith in ERA. Nichols also had four saves of his teammates, and more strikeouts than Griffith.
#1 Kid Nichols, #2 Clark Griffith, #3 Doc McJames, #4 Cy Young, #5 Jesse Tannehill.
Top player: Do-it-all third baseman Jimmy Collins in his best year. Collins was the greatest third baseman of the era, and a deserving Hall of Famer. Collins led in homers and total bases, was 2nd in slugging and RBI, and played great defense. I'll put Jennings second and McGraw third.
#1 Jimmy Collins, #2 Hughie Jennings, #3 John McGraw, #4 Ed Delahanty, #5 Billy Hamilton.
Top manager to Boston's Frank Selee, with another pennant.
Top rookie to Elmer Flick, 4th in on-base and a .302 average. 2nd to fellow Hall of Famer Vic Willis, 25-13 for Boston.
11 May 2007
1897 National League
Boston outdueled Baltimore for the pennant by a two-game margin, ending the Orioles' three-year reign at the top. New York was a solid third, Cleveland and Cincinnati also finished over .500. Washington, Brooklyn, and Pittsburgh were next in a clump, Chicago, Philly, and Louisville were also-rans, and St. Louis was the sad sack with a 29-102 record.
Willie Keeler won the batting title with a .424 average, while Fred Clarke was second at .390. Jesse Burkett hit .383 and Ed Delahanty .377. Keeler led in OPS, although John McGraw led in on-base average and Nap Lajoie led in slugging. Keeler led with 239 hits, Billy Hamilton scored 152 runs, George Davis had 136 RBI, and Bill Lange stole 73 bases.
Among pitchers, Kid Nichols led with 31 wins, Amos Rusie led with a 2.54 ERA, while Doc McJames and Cy Seymour each had 156 strikeouts. Down the lists were Amos Rusie with 27 wins, Fred Klobedanz had 26, Joe Corbett 24, and Ted Breitenstein 23. Nichols had a 2.64 ERA, Jerry Nops 2.81, Corbett 3.11. Corbett had 149 strikeouts, Rusie 135.
Win Shares leaders, pitchers; Kid Nichols (Boston) 41, Ted Breitenstein (Cincinnati) 34, Amos Rusie (New York) 31, Cy Young (Cleveland) 28, Win Mercer (Washington) 27, Fred Klobedanz (Boston) and Brickyard Kennedy (Brooklyn) 25, Billy Rhines (Cincinnati) 24, Joe Corbett (Baltimore), Frank Dwyer (Cincinnati) and Jouett Meekin (New York) 23.
Players: Willie Keeler (Baltimore) 32, George Davis (New York) 31, Fred Clarke (Louisville) 30, Hughie Jennings (Baltimore) 29, Billy Hamilton (Boston) 28, Joe Kelley (Baltimore) and Jimmy Collins (Boston) 26, Hugh Duffy (Boston) 25, Jake Stenzel (Boston) and George Van Haltren (New York) 24, Jesse Burkett (Cleveland), Mike Tiernan (New York) and Ed Delahanty (Philadelphia) 23.
WARP3 scores, pitchers; Nichols 8.9, Rusie 8.7, Breitenstein 6.7, Mercer 6.3, Kennedy 6.0, Clark Griffith (Chicago) 5.9, Nixey Callahan (Chicago) 5.4, Cy Seymour (New York) 4.6, Meekin and Rhines 4.3, Young 4.1.
WARP3 for players: Keeler 9.6, Jennings 9.3, Davis 9.2, Collins 7.8, Clarke 7.6, Kelley 7.1, Bobby Wallace (Cleveland) and Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 6.9, Hamilton 6.8, Cupid Childs (Cleveland) 6.6, Delahanty 6.4, Heinie Reitz (Baltimore) 5.8, Burkett 5.6.
WAR, pitchers: Nichols 10.0, Rusie 7.7, Breitenstein 6.5, Young 5.5, Powell 4.6, Dwyer and Rhines 4.3, Nops 4.2, Corbett 4.1. Position players: Jennings 7.7, Keeler 7.5, Clarke 7.1, Davis 7.0, Burkett 6.3, Wallace 5.8, Hamilton, Childs, and Delahanty 5.5, Kelley 5.4, Collins 5.3.
Top pitcher: Kid Nichols, 1st in wins, innings and WHIP, 2nd in ERA. Amos Rusie a close second, he was the ERA leader.
#1 Kid Nichols, #2 Amos Rusie, #3 Ted Breitenstein, #4 Cy Young, #5 Win Mercer.
Top player: Willie Keeler, leader in batting average, hits and OPS, 2nd in runs. He also was in the pennant race.
#1 Willie Keeler, #2 George Davis, #3 Hughie Jennings, #4 Fred Clarke, #5 Ed Delahanty.
Top rookie was Jack Powell, 15-10 for Cleveland. Honus Wagner (.338 in 61 games) had the best career.
Manager of the Year to Boston's Frank Selee, slipping past the Orioles for the pennant.
Special Award for Best Comeback: Amos Rusie.
After not playing in 1896 because of a contract dispute Rusie was one of the best pitchers of 1897, arguably THE best.
Willie Keeler won the batting title with a .424 average, while Fred Clarke was second at .390. Jesse Burkett hit .383 and Ed Delahanty .377. Keeler led in OPS, although John McGraw led in on-base average and Nap Lajoie led in slugging. Keeler led with 239 hits, Billy Hamilton scored 152 runs, George Davis had 136 RBI, and Bill Lange stole 73 bases.
Among pitchers, Kid Nichols led with 31 wins, Amos Rusie led with a 2.54 ERA, while Doc McJames and Cy Seymour each had 156 strikeouts. Down the lists were Amos Rusie with 27 wins, Fred Klobedanz had 26, Joe Corbett 24, and Ted Breitenstein 23. Nichols had a 2.64 ERA, Jerry Nops 2.81, Corbett 3.11. Corbett had 149 strikeouts, Rusie 135.
Win Shares leaders, pitchers; Kid Nichols (Boston) 41, Ted Breitenstein (Cincinnati) 34, Amos Rusie (New York) 31, Cy Young (Cleveland) 28, Win Mercer (Washington) 27, Fred Klobedanz (Boston) and Brickyard Kennedy (Brooklyn) 25, Billy Rhines (Cincinnati) 24, Joe Corbett (Baltimore), Frank Dwyer (Cincinnati) and Jouett Meekin (New York) 23.
Players: Willie Keeler (Baltimore) 32, George Davis (New York) 31, Fred Clarke (Louisville) 30, Hughie Jennings (Baltimore) 29, Billy Hamilton (Boston) 28, Joe Kelley (Baltimore) and Jimmy Collins (Boston) 26, Hugh Duffy (Boston) 25, Jake Stenzel (Boston) and George Van Haltren (New York) 24, Jesse Burkett (Cleveland), Mike Tiernan (New York) and Ed Delahanty (Philadelphia) 23.
WARP3 scores, pitchers; Nichols 8.9, Rusie 8.7, Breitenstein 6.7, Mercer 6.3, Kennedy 6.0, Clark Griffith (Chicago) 5.9, Nixey Callahan (Chicago) 5.4, Cy Seymour (New York) 4.6, Meekin and Rhines 4.3, Young 4.1.
WARP3 for players: Keeler 9.6, Jennings 9.3, Davis 9.2, Collins 7.8, Clarke 7.6, Kelley 7.1, Bobby Wallace (Cleveland) and Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 6.9, Hamilton 6.8, Cupid Childs (Cleveland) 6.6, Delahanty 6.4, Heinie Reitz (Baltimore) 5.8, Burkett 5.6.
WAR, pitchers: Nichols 10.0, Rusie 7.7, Breitenstein 6.5, Young 5.5, Powell 4.6, Dwyer and Rhines 4.3, Nops 4.2, Corbett 4.1. Position players: Jennings 7.7, Keeler 7.5, Clarke 7.1, Davis 7.0, Burkett 6.3, Wallace 5.8, Hamilton, Childs, and Delahanty 5.5, Kelley 5.4, Collins 5.3.
Top pitcher: Kid Nichols, 1st in wins, innings and WHIP, 2nd in ERA. Amos Rusie a close second, he was the ERA leader.
#1 Kid Nichols, #2 Amos Rusie, #3 Ted Breitenstein, #4 Cy Young, #5 Win Mercer.
Top player: Willie Keeler, leader in batting average, hits and OPS, 2nd in runs. He also was in the pennant race.
#1 Willie Keeler, #2 George Davis, #3 Hughie Jennings, #4 Fred Clarke, #5 Ed Delahanty.
Top rookie was Jack Powell, 15-10 for Cleveland. Honus Wagner (.338 in 61 games) had the best career.
Manager of the Year to Boston's Frank Selee, slipping past the Orioles for the pennant.
Special Award for Best Comeback: Amos Rusie.
After not playing in 1896 because of a contract dispute Rusie was one of the best pitchers of 1897, arguably THE best.
06 May 2007
1896 National League
Baltimore won their third straight pennant, and pretty easily, with second place Cleveland 9.5 games behind. Cincinnati, Boston, and Chicago were in the race, while St. Louis and Louisville were the tail-end, with the other teams in between. Louisville finished 53 games out. Franchise locations were stable through the decade, but richer owners started buying up interests in poorer teams, something not allowed in 21st century (and with good reason).
Jesse Burkett won the batting title again, at .410. He also led in runs, hits, and total bases. Hughie Jennings batted .401, Ed Delahanty .397, Willie Keeler .386, Mike Tiernan .369, Billy Hamilton .366. Delahanty led in slugging, OPS, doubles, homers, and RBI (126). He also took the OPS+ crown. Joe Kelley stole 87 bases.
Frank Killen and Kid Nichols each won 30 games, Cy Young 28, Jouett Meekin 26, Nig Cuppy, Bill Hoffer and Win Mercer 25 each. Billy Rhines led in ERA with a 2.45 mark, followed by Nichols at 2.83 and Cuppy at 3.12. Cy Young led in strikeouts with 140. Pink Hawley had 137, Killen 134.
Pitching Win Shares leaders: Cy Young (Cleveland) 43, Nig Cuppy (Cleveland) 38, Kid Nichols (Boston) 33, Frank Killen (Pittsburgh) 32, Bill Hoffer (Baltimore) 31, Clark Griffith (Chicago) and Frank Dwyer (Cincinnati) 30 each, Jack Stivetts (Boston) 29, Jouett Meekin (New York) and Pink Hawley (Pittsburgh) 27, Red Ehret (Cincinnati) 24.
Players: Hughie Jennings (Baltimore) 36, Joe Kelley (Baltimore) Bill Dahlen (Chicago) and Ed Delahanty (Philadelphia) 31 each, Billy Hamilton (Boston) 30, Jesse Burkett (Cleveland) 29, Cupid Childs (Cleveland) 27, Elmer Smith (Pittsburgh) 26, Willie Keeler (Baltimore) and Mike Tiernan (New York) 25, Bill Lange (Chicago) 24, George Van Haltren (New York) 23.
WARP3 scores, pitchers; Cuppy 7.4, Hawley 6.8, Nichols 6.6, Ted Breitenstein (St. Louis) 6.4, Young 6.3, Hoffer 6.2, Killen 6.0, Meekin 5.1, Griffith 5.0, Stivetts 4.9, Dwyer 4.5, Win Mercer (Washington) 4.4, Bill Hill (Louisville) 4.3.
WARP3 leaders, position players: Jennings 11.3, Childs 9.0, Delahanty 8.8, Dahlen 8.3, Tiernan 8.1, Keeler and Kelley 7.4, Burkett and Smith 7.3, Van Haltren 6.5, Hamilton and George Davis (New York) 6.0, Lange 5.6.
WAR leaders, pitchers: Young 8.8, Cuppy 8.5, Hawley 7.0, Hoffer 6.6, Killen and Nichols 6.4, Dwyer 6.3. Position players: Jennings 8.9, Kelley 7.8, Childs 7.5, Delahanty 7.4, Dahlen 7.2, Burkett 6.6, Joyce 6.4, Hamilton 6.2, Smith 6.0.
Best pitcher: I'll take Cy Young again. There's a reason they named the award after him. Cy was 3rd in wins, 5th in ERA, 1st in strikeouts. Young's teammate Nig Cuppy would be #2, those two pitchers carried the team. 30-game winners Kid Nichols and Frank Killen follow at #3 and #4, with Bill Hoffer 5th.
Top player: Hughie Jennings, .401 hitter and shortstop for the pennant winners. 2nd in average and OBP, 3rd in hits, 2nd in RBI. Ed Delahanty, the OPS leader, would be my #2 with Dahlen #3, Burkett 4th, and Joe Kelley 5th.
Best rookie Fielder Jones, although Nap Lajoie would have the better career. Jones batted .354 in 104 games for Brooklyn.
Top manager of 1896 to Buck Ewing, for bringing the Reds from 8th to 3rd.
Jesse Burkett won the batting title again, at .410. He also led in runs, hits, and total bases. Hughie Jennings batted .401, Ed Delahanty .397, Willie Keeler .386, Mike Tiernan .369, Billy Hamilton .366. Delahanty led in slugging, OPS, doubles, homers, and RBI (126). He also took the OPS+ crown. Joe Kelley stole 87 bases.
Frank Killen and Kid Nichols each won 30 games, Cy Young 28, Jouett Meekin 26, Nig Cuppy, Bill Hoffer and Win Mercer 25 each. Billy Rhines led in ERA with a 2.45 mark, followed by Nichols at 2.83 and Cuppy at 3.12. Cy Young led in strikeouts with 140. Pink Hawley had 137, Killen 134.
Pitching Win Shares leaders: Cy Young (Cleveland) 43, Nig Cuppy (Cleveland) 38, Kid Nichols (Boston) 33, Frank Killen (Pittsburgh) 32, Bill Hoffer (Baltimore) 31, Clark Griffith (Chicago) and Frank Dwyer (Cincinnati) 30 each, Jack Stivetts (Boston) 29, Jouett Meekin (New York) and Pink Hawley (Pittsburgh) 27, Red Ehret (Cincinnati) 24.
Players: Hughie Jennings (Baltimore) 36, Joe Kelley (Baltimore) Bill Dahlen (Chicago) and Ed Delahanty (Philadelphia) 31 each, Billy Hamilton (Boston) 30, Jesse Burkett (Cleveland) 29, Cupid Childs (Cleveland) 27, Elmer Smith (Pittsburgh) 26, Willie Keeler (Baltimore) and Mike Tiernan (New York) 25, Bill Lange (Chicago) 24, George Van Haltren (New York) 23.
WARP3 scores, pitchers; Cuppy 7.4, Hawley 6.8, Nichols 6.6, Ted Breitenstein (St. Louis) 6.4, Young 6.3, Hoffer 6.2, Killen 6.0, Meekin 5.1, Griffith 5.0, Stivetts 4.9, Dwyer 4.5, Win Mercer (Washington) 4.4, Bill Hill (Louisville) 4.3.
WARP3 leaders, position players: Jennings 11.3, Childs 9.0, Delahanty 8.8, Dahlen 8.3, Tiernan 8.1, Keeler and Kelley 7.4, Burkett and Smith 7.3, Van Haltren 6.5, Hamilton and George Davis (New York) 6.0, Lange 5.6.
WAR leaders, pitchers: Young 8.8, Cuppy 8.5, Hawley 7.0, Hoffer 6.6, Killen and Nichols 6.4, Dwyer 6.3. Position players: Jennings 8.9, Kelley 7.8, Childs 7.5, Delahanty 7.4, Dahlen 7.2, Burkett 6.6, Joyce 6.4, Hamilton 6.2, Smith 6.0.
Best pitcher: I'll take Cy Young again. There's a reason they named the award after him. Cy was 3rd in wins, 5th in ERA, 1st in strikeouts. Young's teammate Nig Cuppy would be #2, those two pitchers carried the team. 30-game winners Kid Nichols and Frank Killen follow at #3 and #4, with Bill Hoffer 5th.
Top player: Hughie Jennings, .401 hitter and shortstop for the pennant winners. 2nd in average and OBP, 3rd in hits, 2nd in RBI. Ed Delahanty, the OPS leader, would be my #2 with Dahlen #3, Burkett 4th, and Joe Kelley 5th.
Best rookie Fielder Jones, although Nap Lajoie would have the better career. Jones batted .354 in 104 games for Brooklyn.
Top manager of 1896 to Buck Ewing, for bringing the Reds from 8th to 3rd.
05 May 2007
1895 National League
It was 1895, and Baltimore won their second straight pennant by squeaking past Cleveland in another good race, with Philadelphia a strong 3rd. Nine teams were above .500, with three lousy teams in Washington, St. Louis and Louisville that served as the league's punching bags.
Jesse Burkett won the batting title at .409, with Ed Delahanty close behind at .404. Offense remained high. Delahanty led in on-base, was second in slugging, and first in OPS, as well as doubles. Sam Thompson led in slugging, total bases, homers and RBI. Billy Hamilton led in runs and steals. Cy Young topped the league with 35 wins, Al Maul with a 2.45 ERA, and Amos Rusie with 201 strikeouts. Pink Hawley was second in wins (31), ERA (3.18) and strikeouts (142).
Win Shares leaders, pitching: Pink Hawley (Pittsburgh) 44, Cy Young (Cleveland) 37, Bill Hoffer (Baltimore) 35, Kid Nichols (Boston) and Clark Griffith (Chicago) 34, Nig Cuppy (Cleveland) 33, Amos Rusie (New York) 28, Jack Taylor (Philadelphia) and Ted Breitenstein (St. Louis) 25, George Hemming (Baltimore) 24, Adonis Terry (Chicago) and Dad Clarke (New York) 22.
Positions: Jesse Burkett (Cleveland) 35, Ed Delahanty (Philadelphia) 31, Billy Hamilton (Philadelphia) 30, Hughie Jennings (Baltimore), Mike Griffin (Brooklyn) and Bill Lange (Chicago) 29 each, Sam Thompson (Philadelphia) and Jake Stenzel (Pittsburgh) 28 each, Joe Kelley (Baltimore) 27, Ed McKean (Cleveland) 25, Willie Keeler (Baltimore) and Hugh Duffy (Boston) 23, Mike Tiernan and George Van Haltren (New York) 22.
WARP3: pitchers, Hawley 10.5, Young 10.1, Breitenstein 9.1, Rusie 8.5, Nichols 7.0, Griffith 6.9, Cuppy 6.5, Hoffer 6.4, Taylor and Al Maul (Washington) 5.6, Clarke 5.4, Terry 4.4, Frank Dwyer and Frank Foreman (both Cincinnati) 4.1.
Position players, Jennings 11.0, Griffin 8.9, Keeler and Deacon McGuire (Washington) 8.1, Thompson 8.0, Delahanty 7.7, Burkett and John McGraw (Baltimore) 7.5, Lange 6.6, Kelley and Hamilton 6.5, Jack Clements (Philadelphia) 6.1, Duffy 6.0, Stenzel and Steve Brodie (Baltimore) 5.9, McKean 5.8.
WAR leaders, pitchers: Young 10.2, Hawley 10.1, Nichols 8.6, Hoffer 8.1, Cuppy 8.0, Griffith 7.3. Position players: Jennings 8.1, Delahanty 7.1, Hamilton 6.5, Kelley 6.4, Burkett 6.2, Keeler 5.9, Griffin and McGraw 5.8, Thompson 5.7, Lange 5.5.
Best pitcher: Cy Young was the leader in wins, but Hawley was the best overall this year. I'll give it to the guy with the funny nickname.
#1 Pink Hawley, #2 Cy Young, #3 Kid Nichols, #4 Bill Hoffer, #5 Nig Cuppy.
Top player: Hughie Jennings hit .386 and played shortstop for the pennant winners. That's pretty good credentials.
#1 Hughie Jennings, #2 Ed Delahanty, #3 Billy Hamilton, #4 Jesse Burkett, #5 Sam Thompson.
Top rookie was pitcher Bill Hoffer. Jimmy Collins was the best for a full career.
Top manager to Patsy Tebeau, as Cleveland jumps from 6th to 2nd.
Jesse Burkett won the batting title at .409, with Ed Delahanty close behind at .404. Offense remained high. Delahanty led in on-base, was second in slugging, and first in OPS, as well as doubles. Sam Thompson led in slugging, total bases, homers and RBI. Billy Hamilton led in runs and steals. Cy Young topped the league with 35 wins, Al Maul with a 2.45 ERA, and Amos Rusie with 201 strikeouts. Pink Hawley was second in wins (31), ERA (3.18) and strikeouts (142).
Win Shares leaders, pitching: Pink Hawley (Pittsburgh) 44, Cy Young (Cleveland) 37, Bill Hoffer (Baltimore) 35, Kid Nichols (Boston) and Clark Griffith (Chicago) 34, Nig Cuppy (Cleveland) 33, Amos Rusie (New York) 28, Jack Taylor (Philadelphia) and Ted Breitenstein (St. Louis) 25, George Hemming (Baltimore) 24, Adonis Terry (Chicago) and Dad Clarke (New York) 22.
Positions: Jesse Burkett (Cleveland) 35, Ed Delahanty (Philadelphia) 31, Billy Hamilton (Philadelphia) 30, Hughie Jennings (Baltimore), Mike Griffin (Brooklyn) and Bill Lange (Chicago) 29 each, Sam Thompson (Philadelphia) and Jake Stenzel (Pittsburgh) 28 each, Joe Kelley (Baltimore) 27, Ed McKean (Cleveland) 25, Willie Keeler (Baltimore) and Hugh Duffy (Boston) 23, Mike Tiernan and George Van Haltren (New York) 22.
WARP3: pitchers, Hawley 10.5, Young 10.1, Breitenstein 9.1, Rusie 8.5, Nichols 7.0, Griffith 6.9, Cuppy 6.5, Hoffer 6.4, Taylor and Al Maul (Washington) 5.6, Clarke 5.4, Terry 4.4, Frank Dwyer and Frank Foreman (both Cincinnati) 4.1.
Position players, Jennings 11.0, Griffin 8.9, Keeler and Deacon McGuire (Washington) 8.1, Thompson 8.0, Delahanty 7.7, Burkett and John McGraw (Baltimore) 7.5, Lange 6.6, Kelley and Hamilton 6.5, Jack Clements (Philadelphia) 6.1, Duffy 6.0, Stenzel and Steve Brodie (Baltimore) 5.9, McKean 5.8.
WAR leaders, pitchers: Young 10.2, Hawley 10.1, Nichols 8.6, Hoffer 8.1, Cuppy 8.0, Griffith 7.3. Position players: Jennings 8.1, Delahanty 7.1, Hamilton 6.5, Kelley 6.4, Burkett 6.2, Keeler 5.9, Griffin and McGraw 5.8, Thompson 5.7, Lange 5.5.
Best pitcher: Cy Young was the leader in wins, but Hawley was the best overall this year. I'll give it to the guy with the funny nickname.
#1 Pink Hawley, #2 Cy Young, #3 Kid Nichols, #4 Bill Hoffer, #5 Nig Cuppy.
Top player: Hughie Jennings hit .386 and played shortstop for the pennant winners. That's pretty good credentials.
#1 Hughie Jennings, #2 Ed Delahanty, #3 Billy Hamilton, #4 Jesse Burkett, #5 Sam Thompson.
Top rookie was pitcher Bill Hoffer. Jimmy Collins was the best for a full career.
Top manager to Patsy Tebeau, as Cleveland jumps from 6th to 2nd.
02 May 2007
1894 National League
Baltimore took the pennant in a close race with New York as Boston ran third, then a group of teams bunched together with Louisville and Washington at the end. What was beginning to happen about now was that the same owners were buying up pieces of multiple teams, which would lead to one of the darkest chapters in major league history, syndicate ownership. Teams would transfer top players to one team they owned, effectively creating a league where teams were competing against their own farm teams, thirty years before farm teams were invented by Branch Rickey. This abomination would come to dominate the rest of the 1890s.
Walks counted as hits in this one season, so batting averages were wild. Hugh Duffy led the league with a .440 average which today would be roughly his on-base percentage. If only we had kept counting it that way. He also led in hits, total bases, doubles, homers, and RBI in a career year. Tuck Turner had a .418 average, Sam Thompson .415, Ed Delahanty .404, Billy Hamilton .403. Sliding Billy Hamilton scored 192 runs. Think about that for a minute. Hamilton also led in stolen bases, naturally.
Amos Rusie won the pitching trifecta, leading in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Rusie had 36 wins with teammate Jouett Meekin at 33, Kid Nichols with 32. Rusie had a 2.78 ERA, way ahead of Meekin at 3.70. Win Mercer was at 3.85 and Cy Young 3.94. Rusie had 195 strikeouts, Ted Breitenstein was second with 140. Meekin had 137.
Win Shares leaders:
Pitching; Amos Rusie (New York) 56, Jouett Meekin (New York) 48, Cy Young (Cleveland) 39, Kid Nichols (Boston) 37, Ted Breitenstein (St. Louis) 36, Jack Stivetts (Boston) 33, Pink Hawley (St. Louis) 29, Nig Cuppy (Cleveland) 28, Ed Stein (Brooklyn) 27, Sadie McMahon (Baltimore) and Brickyard Kennedy (Brooklyn) 24, Frank Dwyer (Cincinnati) 23, Tom Parrott (Cincinnati) 22.
Positioning; Hugh Duffy (Boston) 33, Joe Kelley (Baltimore) 30, Billy Hamilton (Philadelphia) 29, George Davis (New York) 25, Hughie Jennings and John McGraw (Baltimore) and Jake Stenzel (Pittsburgh) 24 each, Willie Keeler (Baltimore) 23, Lave Cross and Ed Delahanty (Philadelphia) 22, Dan Brouthers (Baltimore), Bill Dahlen (Chicago), Jesse Burkett (Cleveland), and George Van Haltren (New York) 21.
WARP3 leaders, pitchers: Rusie 12.0, Meekin 9.6, Breitenstein 8.8, Young 6.9, Win Mercer (Washington) 6.2, Jack Taylor (Philadelphia) 6.1, Clark Griffith (Chicago) 5.8, Stein and George Hemming (Louisville) 5.7, Nichols 5.6, McMahon 5.2, Hawley and Dwyer 4.8.
WARP3 leaders, position players: Hamilton 9.7, Cross 8.1, Kelley 7.7, Delahanty 7.4, Jennings 7.0, Duffy 6.8, Davis 6.7, Mike Griffin (Brooklyn) 6.3, Bill Joyce (Washington) 6.2, Keeler 5.7, Duke Ferrell (New York) 5.6, Sam Thompson (Philadelphia) 5.4, McGraw 5.3, Heinie Peitz (Baltimore) 5.2, Cupid Childs (Cleveland) 5.1.
WAR leaders, pitchers: Rusie 13.3, Meekin 10.9, Young 8.4, Breitenstein 7.8, Nichols 7.4, Taylor 6.1. Position players: Hamilton 8.0, Duffy 7.3, Kelley 6.9, Delahanty 5.5, McGraw, Davis, and Joyce 5.2, Jennings 5.1.
Best pitcher: Amos Rusie was the leader in wins, strikeouts and ERA, so it's hard not to vote for the Triple Crown leader, even if he did walk more than he struck out. He led in ERA by nearly a full run over teammate Meekin.
#1 Amos Rusie, #2 Jouett Meekin, #3 Cy Young, #4 Ted Breitenstein, #5 Kid Nichols.
Top player: Duffy was the standout batter in this year, leading the league in average, slugging, total bases, hits, doubles, homers, RBI, and OPS. A nearly clean sweep of the stats. It was Duffy's age 27 year, and by far his best work. Billy Hamilton is #2 with a lead in walks, OBA, steals and runs. Joe Kelley ranks #3.
#1 Hugh Duffy, #2 Billy Hamilton, #3 Joe Kelley, #4 Ed Delahanty, #5 John McGraw.
Not much in the rookie department in 1894. Fred Clarke may have become the best player of the lot.
Best manager to Ned Hanlon, for pulling the Baltimore Orioles up to the pennant.
Walks counted as hits in this one season, so batting averages were wild. Hugh Duffy led the league with a .440 average which today would be roughly his on-base percentage. If only we had kept counting it that way. He also led in hits, total bases, doubles, homers, and RBI in a career year. Tuck Turner had a .418 average, Sam Thompson .415, Ed Delahanty .404, Billy Hamilton .403. Sliding Billy Hamilton scored 192 runs. Think about that for a minute. Hamilton also led in stolen bases, naturally.
Amos Rusie won the pitching trifecta, leading in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Rusie had 36 wins with teammate Jouett Meekin at 33, Kid Nichols with 32. Rusie had a 2.78 ERA, way ahead of Meekin at 3.70. Win Mercer was at 3.85 and Cy Young 3.94. Rusie had 195 strikeouts, Ted Breitenstein was second with 140. Meekin had 137.
Win Shares leaders:
Pitching; Amos Rusie (New York) 56, Jouett Meekin (New York) 48, Cy Young (Cleveland) 39, Kid Nichols (Boston) 37, Ted Breitenstein (St. Louis) 36, Jack Stivetts (Boston) 33, Pink Hawley (St. Louis) 29, Nig Cuppy (Cleveland) 28, Ed Stein (Brooklyn) 27, Sadie McMahon (Baltimore) and Brickyard Kennedy (Brooklyn) 24, Frank Dwyer (Cincinnati) 23, Tom Parrott (Cincinnati) 22.
Positioning; Hugh Duffy (Boston) 33, Joe Kelley (Baltimore) 30, Billy Hamilton (Philadelphia) 29, George Davis (New York) 25, Hughie Jennings and John McGraw (Baltimore) and Jake Stenzel (Pittsburgh) 24 each, Willie Keeler (Baltimore) 23, Lave Cross and Ed Delahanty (Philadelphia) 22, Dan Brouthers (Baltimore), Bill Dahlen (Chicago), Jesse Burkett (Cleveland), and George Van Haltren (New York) 21.
WARP3 leaders, pitchers: Rusie 12.0, Meekin 9.6, Breitenstein 8.8, Young 6.9, Win Mercer (Washington) 6.2, Jack Taylor (Philadelphia) 6.1, Clark Griffith (Chicago) 5.8, Stein and George Hemming (Louisville) 5.7, Nichols 5.6, McMahon 5.2, Hawley and Dwyer 4.8.
WARP3 leaders, position players: Hamilton 9.7, Cross 8.1, Kelley 7.7, Delahanty 7.4, Jennings 7.0, Duffy 6.8, Davis 6.7, Mike Griffin (Brooklyn) 6.3, Bill Joyce (Washington) 6.2, Keeler 5.7, Duke Ferrell (New York) 5.6, Sam Thompson (Philadelphia) 5.4, McGraw 5.3, Heinie Peitz (Baltimore) 5.2, Cupid Childs (Cleveland) 5.1.
WAR leaders, pitchers: Rusie 13.3, Meekin 10.9, Young 8.4, Breitenstein 7.8, Nichols 7.4, Taylor 6.1. Position players: Hamilton 8.0, Duffy 7.3, Kelley 6.9, Delahanty 5.5, McGraw, Davis, and Joyce 5.2, Jennings 5.1.
Best pitcher: Amos Rusie was the leader in wins, strikeouts and ERA, so it's hard not to vote for the Triple Crown leader, even if he did walk more than he struck out. He led in ERA by nearly a full run over teammate Meekin.
#1 Amos Rusie, #2 Jouett Meekin, #3 Cy Young, #4 Ted Breitenstein, #5 Kid Nichols.
Top player: Duffy was the standout batter in this year, leading the league in average, slugging, total bases, hits, doubles, homers, RBI, and OPS. A nearly clean sweep of the stats. It was Duffy's age 27 year, and by far his best work. Billy Hamilton is #2 with a lead in walks, OBA, steals and runs. Joe Kelley ranks #3.
#1 Hugh Duffy, #2 Billy Hamilton, #3 Joe Kelley, #4 Ed Delahanty, #5 John McGraw.
Not much in the rookie department in 1894. Fred Clarke may have become the best player of the lot.
Best manager to Ned Hanlon, for pulling the Baltimore Orioles up to the pennant.
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