The year of *60*. The Yankees ran away with the pennant, winning 110 games. Philadelphia was second, 19 games behind. Washington was third, 25 games behind. Detroit was the other team over .500. Boston languished in the basement with 103 losses, while Chicago, Cleveland and St. Louis were in between. New York was far and away the best team in the league in offense and in pitching/defense, so it was not a suspenseful race.
Harry Heilmann batted .398 with Al Simmons at .392, but this was the year of 60, the magical 60 home runs of Babe Ruth. Ruth led in the percentage categories, on-base, slugging, and OPS, as well as homers and walks. Lou Gehrig, hitting behind him, actually led in RBI with 175 to Ruth's 164. Gehrig also led the league with 52 doubles and 447 total bases, while Ruth led with 158 runs to Gehrig's 149. Their teammate Earle Combs led with 231 hits and 23 triples. George Sisler led with 27 steals.
Waite Hoyt and Ted Lyons tied for the league lead with 22 wins, and Wilcy Moore, working mostly out of the bullpen, led the league in ERA at 2.28, with Hoyt second at 2.64. Moore also tied Garland Braxton for the saves lead with 13. Lefty Grove topped the league with 174 strikeouts.
Win Shares leaders, players; Babe Ruth (New York) 45, Lou Gehrig (New York) 44, Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 32, Earle Combs (New York) 31, Goose Goslin (Washington) 28, Al Simmons (Philadelphia) 26, Tony Lazzeri (New York) 24, Mickey Cochrane (Philadelphia) 23, Bob Fothergill (Detroit) and Ty Cobb (Philadelphia) 22.
WS leaders, pitchers; Ted Lyons (Chicago) 30, Tommy Thomas (Chicago) 27, Wilcy Moore (New York) and Lefty Grove (Philadelphia) 24, Waite Hoyt (New York) 23, Willis Hudlin (Cleveland), Earl Whitehill (Detroit) and Bump Hadley (Washington) 19.
WARP3: Ruth 12.1, Gehrig 11.1, Lazzeri 7.0, Combs 6.8 (best year), Heilmann 5.4, Simmons 5.3, Goslin 5.0, Cochrane 4.8, Sammy Hale (Philadelphia) and Bibb Falk (Chicago) 4.2, Fothergill (best year) and Joe Sewell (Cleveland) 4.1, Muddy Ruel (Washington) 4.0, Cobb (last good year) and Ossie Bluege (Washington) 3.8.
Pitchers, Thomas 6.6 (best year), Lyons 6.4, Moore 5.3 (30-year old rookie, career year), Hudlin 5.1 (rookie), Hoyt 4.6 (best year), Grove 4.4, Hadley 4.3 (rookie), Whitehill 4.2 (best year), Jack Quinn (Philadelphia) 3.8, Jake Miller (Cleveland) and Lefty Stewart (St. Louis) 3.6.
WAR, Position players: Ruth 13.8, Gehrig 13.2, Combs 7.6, Heilmann 7.5, Lazzeri 7.0, Goslin 5.7, Falk 5.1, Cobb, Meusel, and Cochrane 4.8, Metzler and Fothergill 4.7. Pitchers, Thomas 7.4, Lyons 7.0, Hoyt 5.6, Moore 5.4, Grove 5.0, Hadley 4.7, Quinn 4.5, Whitehill 3.9, Hudlin and Miller 3.8.
Actual MVP voting, remembering previous winner Ruth was ineligible under the arcane rules of the time (top 14):
Name Team 1st place Points
1 Lou Gehrig NYY 7 56
2 Harry Heilmann DET 0 35
3 Ted Lyons CHW 0 34
4 Mickey Cochrane PHA 0 18
4 Al Simmons PHA 0 18
6 Goose Goslin WSH 0 15
6 Muddy Ruel WSH 0 15
8 Jimmie Dykes PHA 0 14
9 Luke Sewell CLE 0 13
10 Joe Sewell CLE 0 9
11 Tony Lazzeri NYY 1 8
12 Bobby Reeves WSH 0 7
13 Frank O'Rourke SLB 0 6
13 Jackie Tavener DET 0 6
I don't know what the guy who put Lazzeri first was thinking.
Best player: Babe Ruth. Gehrig was close, but the Babe was the best, 60 homers and all. Babe #1, Gehrig #2, Heilmann #3, Combs #4, Lazzeri #5.
Best pitcher: Ted Lyons. Teammate Tommy Thomas was close, and Lefty Grove is making noise here, but Lyons was the AL's best pitcher in 1927. Lyons #1, Thomas #2, Moore #3, Grove #4, Hoyt #5.
Best rookie: Wilcy Moore gave the Yankees' staff a big boost, mostly coming out of the bullpen.
Best manager: Miller Huggins. Who else could you give it to in this year?
25 January 2008
15 January 2008
1926 National League
The Cardinals won the pennant and then the World Series, thanks to some heroics from veteran Grover Cleveland Alexander. The NL was tightly bunched, as second-place Cincinnati was 2 games back, Pittsburgh was 4.5 back, and Chicago was 7 back. New York was 5th, followed by Brooklyn, Boston, and Philadelphia. Brooklyn led the early going, then Cincinnati, then Pittsburgh, before the Cardinals surged to the front at the end.
The top two in the batting race were Reds Bubbles Hargrave and Cuckoo Christensen, neither of whom would be eligible for the title under today's rules. Neither reached today's mark of at-bats, though both had 100 games, which was the requirement at the time. The veteran catcher and 26-year old rookie outfielder made their biggest splashes in this season. The #3 and #4 men, Earl Smith of Pittsburgh and Cy Williams of Philadelphia, wouldn't have enough at bats under today's rules either. Under current rules, the batting titlist would be rookie Paul Waner of Pittsburgh, at .336. Waner also led in triples with 22 and runs created with 116. Christensen also led in on-base, and Williams in slugging. Under modern rules, Waner would lead those categories as well.
Kiki Cuyler led the league in runs with 113, Eddie Brown in hits with 201, Jim Bottomley in total bases, doubles with 40, and with 120 RBI. Hack Wilson led with 21 homers, Cuyler with 35 steals. Waner scored 101, Wilson drove in 109, Les Bell had 100 RBI.
For the pitchers, Ray Kremer led in ERA with 2.61, and also led in winning percentage and tied for the lead in wins with 20. Other 20-game winners were Pete Donohue, Lee Meadows, and Flint Rhem. Carl Mays won 19. Dazzy Vance led in strikeouts with 140. Charlie Root was second in ERA at 2.82, Jesse Petty was third at 2.84. Root was second in strikeouts with 127.
Win Shares leaders, players: Paul Waner (Pittsburgh) 28, Hack Wilson (Chicago) and Kiki Cuyler (Pittsburgh) 26, Les Bell (St. Louis) 25, Jim Bottomley and Bob O'Farrell (St. Louis) 23, Curt Walker (Cincinnati) and Pie Traynor (Pittsburgh) 22, Sparky Adams (Chicago), Edd Roush (Cincinnati) and Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 21 each. Hughie Critz, 2nd in the MVP vote, had 19 Win Shares for Cincinnati.
WS leaders, pitchers: Ray Kremer (Pittsburgh) 25, Jesse Petty (Brooklyn) 24, Hal Carlson (Philadelphia) 23, Charlie Root (Chicago) 22, Pete Donohue (Cincinnati) 21, Carl Mays (Cincinnati) 20, Flint Rhem (St. Louis) 18, Doug McWeeny (Brooklyn), Freddie Fitzsimmons (New York) and Bill Sherdel (St. Louis) 17.
WARP3: O'Farrell 5.5 (last big year), Waner 5.2 (rookie), Frankie Frisch (New York) 5.1, Traynor 4.9, Freddie Lindstrom (New York) 4.5, Bell and Hornsby 4.4, Walker 4.3 (best year), Travis Jackson (New York) 4.0, Wilson 3.9 (breakthrough year), Cuyler 3.8, Rube Bressler (Cincinnati) 3.7, Hughie Critz (Cincinnati) 3.6.
Pitchers, Carlson 8.6 (peak year), Petty 5.4 (best year), Kremer 5.3 (best year), Root 4.9 (best year), Mays 4.7 (last good year), Bob Smith (Boston) 4.4, Johnny Werts (Boston) 3.9, McWeeny 3.6, Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn) 3.5.
WAR leaders, position players: Wilson 6.1, Waner 5.8, Cuyler 5.5, Adams and Frisch 5.3, Bell 5.2, Hornsby 4.9, Southworth and Walker 4.3, Blades 4.2, Bancroft 4.1, Critz 4.0. Pitchers: Carlson 6.0, Kremer 5.5, Root 4.9, Petty 4.7, Mays 4.0, McWeeny 3.3, Bush and Fitzsimmons 3.1, Alexander and Sherdel 3.0.
Actual MVP vote:
1 Bob O'Farrell STL 79
2 Hughie Critz CIN 60
3 Ray Kremer PIT 32
4 Tommy Thevenow STL 30
5 Hack Wilson CHC 25
6 Les Bell STL 24
6 Bubbles Hargrave CIN 24
8 Flint Rhem STL 20
9 Dave Bancroft BSN 17
9 Freddie Lindstrom NYG 17
11 Hal Carlson PHI 16
12 Paul Waner PIT 15
13 Pie Traynor PIT 14
14 Wally Pipp CIN 12
15 Eddie Brown BSN 10
Best player: Bob O'Farrell. It seems an odd choice, but there were no true standouts in this year with Hornsby hurt and below par. Hack Wilson was probably the best hitter, and Cy Williams succeeded in a reduced role at age 38, but O'Farrell was the driving force on the pennant winners. He only dented the leaderboard by tying Hornsby for 6th in walks, but he had a 112 OPS+ and excellent defense. He batted .293 and drove in 68 runs. I'll put Hack Wilson #2, he hit .321 with 21 HR and 109 RBI. Rookie Waner led the league in triples and hit .336 with 101 runs. Kiki Cuyler shifted to CF for Waner, he's #4, and Les Bell at #5.
Top pitcher: Ray Kremer, ERA leader and tied for the lead in victories. Again, no clear winner. Kremer was 20-6 with a 2.61 ERA. Hal Carlson #2, he was 17-12 with a 3.23 ERA for a last-place team. Veteran Carl Mays #3, he was 19-12 with a 3.14 ERA. Jesse Petty #4 and Charlie Root #5.
Top rookie: Paul Waner. Led league in Win Shares in his first try.
Top manager: Rogers Hornsby, an odd choice, but his team won a close pennant race even though their best player, himself, was hurt much of the time.
The top two in the batting race were Reds Bubbles Hargrave and Cuckoo Christensen, neither of whom would be eligible for the title under today's rules. Neither reached today's mark of at-bats, though both had 100 games, which was the requirement at the time. The veteran catcher and 26-year old rookie outfielder made their biggest splashes in this season. The #3 and #4 men, Earl Smith of Pittsburgh and Cy Williams of Philadelphia, wouldn't have enough at bats under today's rules either. Under current rules, the batting titlist would be rookie Paul Waner of Pittsburgh, at .336. Waner also led in triples with 22 and runs created with 116. Christensen also led in on-base, and Williams in slugging. Under modern rules, Waner would lead those categories as well.
Kiki Cuyler led the league in runs with 113, Eddie Brown in hits with 201, Jim Bottomley in total bases, doubles with 40, and with 120 RBI. Hack Wilson led with 21 homers, Cuyler with 35 steals. Waner scored 101, Wilson drove in 109, Les Bell had 100 RBI.
For the pitchers, Ray Kremer led in ERA with 2.61, and also led in winning percentage and tied for the lead in wins with 20. Other 20-game winners were Pete Donohue, Lee Meadows, and Flint Rhem. Carl Mays won 19. Dazzy Vance led in strikeouts with 140. Charlie Root was second in ERA at 2.82, Jesse Petty was third at 2.84. Root was second in strikeouts with 127.
Win Shares leaders, players: Paul Waner (Pittsburgh) 28, Hack Wilson (Chicago) and Kiki Cuyler (Pittsburgh) 26, Les Bell (St. Louis) 25, Jim Bottomley and Bob O'Farrell (St. Louis) 23, Curt Walker (Cincinnati) and Pie Traynor (Pittsburgh) 22, Sparky Adams (Chicago), Edd Roush (Cincinnati) and Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 21 each. Hughie Critz, 2nd in the MVP vote, had 19 Win Shares for Cincinnati.
WS leaders, pitchers: Ray Kremer (Pittsburgh) 25, Jesse Petty (Brooklyn) 24, Hal Carlson (Philadelphia) 23, Charlie Root (Chicago) 22, Pete Donohue (Cincinnati) 21, Carl Mays (Cincinnati) 20, Flint Rhem (St. Louis) 18, Doug McWeeny (Brooklyn), Freddie Fitzsimmons (New York) and Bill Sherdel (St. Louis) 17.
WARP3: O'Farrell 5.5 (last big year), Waner 5.2 (rookie), Frankie Frisch (New York) 5.1, Traynor 4.9, Freddie Lindstrom (New York) 4.5, Bell and Hornsby 4.4, Walker 4.3 (best year), Travis Jackson (New York) 4.0, Wilson 3.9 (breakthrough year), Cuyler 3.8, Rube Bressler (Cincinnati) 3.7, Hughie Critz (Cincinnati) 3.6.
Pitchers, Carlson 8.6 (peak year), Petty 5.4 (best year), Kremer 5.3 (best year), Root 4.9 (best year), Mays 4.7 (last good year), Bob Smith (Boston) 4.4, Johnny Werts (Boston) 3.9, McWeeny 3.6, Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn) 3.5.
WAR leaders, position players: Wilson 6.1, Waner 5.8, Cuyler 5.5, Adams and Frisch 5.3, Bell 5.2, Hornsby 4.9, Southworth and Walker 4.3, Blades 4.2, Bancroft 4.1, Critz 4.0. Pitchers: Carlson 6.0, Kremer 5.5, Root 4.9, Petty 4.7, Mays 4.0, McWeeny 3.3, Bush and Fitzsimmons 3.1, Alexander and Sherdel 3.0.
Actual MVP vote:
1 Bob O'Farrell STL 79
2 Hughie Critz CIN 60
3 Ray Kremer PIT 32
4 Tommy Thevenow STL 30
5 Hack Wilson CHC 25
6 Les Bell STL 24
6 Bubbles Hargrave CIN 24
8 Flint Rhem STL 20
9 Dave Bancroft BSN 17
9 Freddie Lindstrom NYG 17
11 Hal Carlson PHI 16
12 Paul Waner PIT 15
13 Pie Traynor PIT 14
14 Wally Pipp CIN 12
15 Eddie Brown BSN 10
Best player: Bob O'Farrell. It seems an odd choice, but there were no true standouts in this year with Hornsby hurt and below par. Hack Wilson was probably the best hitter, and Cy Williams succeeded in a reduced role at age 38, but O'Farrell was the driving force on the pennant winners. He only dented the leaderboard by tying Hornsby for 6th in walks, but he had a 112 OPS+ and excellent defense. He batted .293 and drove in 68 runs. I'll put Hack Wilson #2, he hit .321 with 21 HR and 109 RBI. Rookie Waner led the league in triples and hit .336 with 101 runs. Kiki Cuyler shifted to CF for Waner, he's #4, and Les Bell at #5.
Top pitcher: Ray Kremer, ERA leader and tied for the lead in victories. Again, no clear winner. Kremer was 20-6 with a 2.61 ERA. Hal Carlson #2, he was 17-12 with a 3.23 ERA for a last-place team. Veteran Carl Mays #3, he was 19-12 with a 3.14 ERA. Jesse Petty #4 and Charlie Root #5.
Top rookie: Paul Waner. Led league in Win Shares in his first try.
Top manager: Rogers Hornsby, an odd choice, but his team won a close pennant race even though their best player, himself, was hurt much of the time.
08 January 2008
1926 American League
The Yankees returned to first place after a two-year absence, thanks to the return of Babe Ruth and the emergence of Lou Gehrig. 1926 was an odd race in the AL, as the Yankees got off to a terrific start, and were playing .700 ball into June, but faded as the year went along and allowed other teams to make a run, with Cleveland second and 3 games back, Philadelphia third and six back, Washington fourth and eight back, and Chicago fifth and 9.5 back. Sixth-place Detroit was just 12 back. St. Louis was lousy and Boston was horrible, losing 107 games.
Heinie Manush hit .378 to edge Ruth's .372 for the batting race, while Ruth led by miles in on-base, slugging, and OPS. Ruth also led with 139 runs, 365 total bases, 47 homers and 150 RBI. George Burns and Sam Rice tied with 216 hits, while Burns led with 64 doubles. Lou Gehrig had 20 triples. Johnny Mostil led the way with 35 steals. It was the era of the mega-offense.
From the mound, slider specialist George Uhle won 27 games and Herb Pennock 23, while Lefty Grove had 194 strikeouts and a 2.51 ERA. Uhle was second with a 2.83 ERA and Ted Lyons third at 3.01. Uhle was also second with 159 strikeouts. Firpo Marberry had 22 saves.
Win Shares leaders, players: Babe Ruth (New York) 45, Goose Goslin (Washington) 33, Lou Gehrig (New York) 30, Joe Sewell and Tris Speaker (Cleveland) 29, Johnny Mostil (Chicago) 28, Harry Heilman (Detroit) and Al Simmons (Philadelphia) 27, Heinie Manush (Detroit) 26, Bibb Falk (Chicago) and George Burns (Cleveland) 24.
WS leaders, pitchers: George Uhle (Cleveland) 32, Lefty Grove (Philadelphia) 25, Ted Lyons (Chicago) 24, Urban Shocker (New York) and Tom Zachary (St. Louis) 19, Herb Pennock (New York) and Eddie Rommel (Philadelphia) 18, Dutch Levsen (Cleveland) 17.
WARP3: Ruth 11.6, Gehrig 6.8, Sewell 6.7, Goslin, Mostil, and Willie Kamm (Chicago) 6.2, Falk 5.4 (best year), Topper Rigney (Boston) 5.1, Heilmann 4.9, Pat Collins (New York) 4.2, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 4.0, Speaker (last All-Star level year) and Manush 3.6.
Pitchers, Uhle 6.4, Lyons 5.7, Grove 5.5, Zachary 4.7, Shocker 4.4, Rommel 4.3, Stan Coveleski (Washington) 3.9, Fred "Firpo" Marberry (Washington) and Sam Gibson (Detroit) 3.6, Walter Johnson (Washington) 3.4.
WAR leaders, position players: Ruth 12.6, Gehrig 7.7, Goslin 7.3, Mostil 6.9, Sewell 6.0, Falk and Simmons 5.9, Speaker 5.7, Heilmann 5.5, Manush 5.4, Burns and Kamm 5.3. Pitchers: Uhle 7.2, Grove 6.1, Lyons 5.5, Rommel 4.3, Shocker 4.0, Johnson 3.5, Zachary 3.2, Pate 3.1, Smith and Thomas 3.0.
Actual MVP voting, top 15: (previous winners, like the Babe, were ineligible)
1 George Burns CLE 63
2 Johnny Mostil CHW 33
3 Herb Pennock NYY 32
4 Sam Rice WSH 18
5 Harry Heilmann DET 16
5 Heinie Manush DET 16
5 Al Simmons PHA 16
8 Lefty Grove PHA 12
9 Goose Goslin WSH 9
10 Lou Gehrig NYY 7
10 Tony Lazzeri NYY 7
12 Bibb Falk CHW 6
12 Bob Fothergill DET 6
12 Ski Melillo SLB 6
12 Harry Rice SLB 6
Best player: Babe Ruth. A return to the everyday lineup makes this basically a foregone conclusion. George Burns is an odd selection, and hard to defend. Guess all those doubles made an impression. Gehrig would have been a much better choice, or even repealing the rule to make Ruth eligible. Ruth hit .372, 2nd in the league, and led the league with 47 HR and 150 RBI. My #2 would be Gehrig, the league leader in triples with 20, he hit .313 with 16 HR and 112 RBI. I'd rank Goose Goslin #3, he hit .354 with 17 HR and 108 RBI. Joe Sewell at #4 with a .324 average and 65 walks to go with strong shortstop play. Johnny Mostil would be #5, he batted .328 with 79 walks and scored 120 runs.
Best pitcher: George Uhle. Leader in wins, 2nd to Grove in ERA and strikeouts. Uhle was 27-11 with a 2.83 ERA. Grove, at #2, was 13-13 with a 2.51 ERA. Ted Lyons ranks #3, he was 18-16 with a 3.01 ERA. Urban Shocker #4, Herb Pennock #5.
Best rookie: Tony Lazzeri hit .275 with 114 RBI for the Yankees.
Best manager: Miller Huggins pushed the right buttons for the Yankees to win the pennant.
Heinie Manush hit .378 to edge Ruth's .372 for the batting race, while Ruth led by miles in on-base, slugging, and OPS. Ruth also led with 139 runs, 365 total bases, 47 homers and 150 RBI. George Burns and Sam Rice tied with 216 hits, while Burns led with 64 doubles. Lou Gehrig had 20 triples. Johnny Mostil led the way with 35 steals. It was the era of the mega-offense.
From the mound, slider specialist George Uhle won 27 games and Herb Pennock 23, while Lefty Grove had 194 strikeouts and a 2.51 ERA. Uhle was second with a 2.83 ERA and Ted Lyons third at 3.01. Uhle was also second with 159 strikeouts. Firpo Marberry had 22 saves.
Win Shares leaders, players: Babe Ruth (New York) 45, Goose Goslin (Washington) 33, Lou Gehrig (New York) 30, Joe Sewell and Tris Speaker (Cleveland) 29, Johnny Mostil (Chicago) 28, Harry Heilman (Detroit) and Al Simmons (Philadelphia) 27, Heinie Manush (Detroit) 26, Bibb Falk (Chicago) and George Burns (Cleveland) 24.
WS leaders, pitchers: George Uhle (Cleveland) 32, Lefty Grove (Philadelphia) 25, Ted Lyons (Chicago) 24, Urban Shocker (New York) and Tom Zachary (St. Louis) 19, Herb Pennock (New York) and Eddie Rommel (Philadelphia) 18, Dutch Levsen (Cleveland) 17.
WARP3: Ruth 11.6, Gehrig 6.8, Sewell 6.7, Goslin, Mostil, and Willie Kamm (Chicago) 6.2, Falk 5.4 (best year), Topper Rigney (Boston) 5.1, Heilmann 4.9, Pat Collins (New York) 4.2, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 4.0, Speaker (last All-Star level year) and Manush 3.6.
Pitchers, Uhle 6.4, Lyons 5.7, Grove 5.5, Zachary 4.7, Shocker 4.4, Rommel 4.3, Stan Coveleski (Washington) 3.9, Fred "Firpo" Marberry (Washington) and Sam Gibson (Detroit) 3.6, Walter Johnson (Washington) 3.4.
WAR leaders, position players: Ruth 12.6, Gehrig 7.7, Goslin 7.3, Mostil 6.9, Sewell 6.0, Falk and Simmons 5.9, Speaker 5.7, Heilmann 5.5, Manush 5.4, Burns and Kamm 5.3. Pitchers: Uhle 7.2, Grove 6.1, Lyons 5.5, Rommel 4.3, Shocker 4.0, Johnson 3.5, Zachary 3.2, Pate 3.1, Smith and Thomas 3.0.
Actual MVP voting, top 15: (previous winners, like the Babe, were ineligible)
1 George Burns CLE 63
2 Johnny Mostil CHW 33
3 Herb Pennock NYY 32
4 Sam Rice WSH 18
5 Harry Heilmann DET 16
5 Heinie Manush DET 16
5 Al Simmons PHA 16
8 Lefty Grove PHA 12
9 Goose Goslin WSH 9
10 Lou Gehrig NYY 7
10 Tony Lazzeri NYY 7
12 Bibb Falk CHW 6
12 Bob Fothergill DET 6
12 Ski Melillo SLB 6
12 Harry Rice SLB 6
Best player: Babe Ruth. A return to the everyday lineup makes this basically a foregone conclusion. George Burns is an odd selection, and hard to defend. Guess all those doubles made an impression. Gehrig would have been a much better choice, or even repealing the rule to make Ruth eligible. Ruth hit .372, 2nd in the league, and led the league with 47 HR and 150 RBI. My #2 would be Gehrig, the league leader in triples with 20, he hit .313 with 16 HR and 112 RBI. I'd rank Goose Goslin #3, he hit .354 with 17 HR and 108 RBI. Joe Sewell at #4 with a .324 average and 65 walks to go with strong shortstop play. Johnny Mostil would be #5, he batted .328 with 79 walks and scored 120 runs.
Best pitcher: George Uhle. Leader in wins, 2nd to Grove in ERA and strikeouts. Uhle was 27-11 with a 2.83 ERA. Grove, at #2, was 13-13 with a 2.51 ERA. Ted Lyons ranks #3, he was 18-16 with a 3.01 ERA. Urban Shocker #4, Herb Pennock #5.
Best rookie: Tony Lazzeri hit .275 with 114 RBI for the Yankees.
Best manager: Miller Huggins pushed the right buttons for the Yankees to win the pennant.
05 January 2008
1925 National League
Pittsburgh charged to a pennant, their first since 1909, and then a World Series title. New York fell from its four-year reign to second place. The Giants led in the early going, but the Pirates surged ahead in mid-summer and steadily built their lead. Cincinnati was third and St. Louis fourth. Boston was fifth, Brooklyn and Philadelphia tied for sixth, while Chicago was last. The Cubs would contend soon.
Rogers Hornsby followed up his .424 average year with a Triple Crown, batting .403 with 39 HR and 143 RBI. He also took over as Cardinals manager during the season. Hornsby also led in on-base, slugging, OPS, and total bases. Kiki Cuyler led in runs with 144 and triples with 26, Jim Bottomley had 227 hits and 44 doubles, and Max Carey had 46 steals. Bottomley was second in batting average with a .367 mark, Zack Wheat was third at .359, Cuyler fourth at .357.
For pitchers, Dazzy Vance's 22 wins edged Reds Pete Donohue and Eppa Rixey at 21, while Red Dolf Luque led in ERA at 2.63. Rixey was 2nd (2.88) and Donohue 3rd (3.08). Vance led with 221 strikeouts.
Win Shares leaders, players; Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 36, Kiki Cuyler (Pittsburgh) 34, Jack Fournier (Brooklyn) 29, Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) and Jim Bottomley (St. Louis) 27, Max Carey and Pie Traynor (Pittsburgh) 26, Glenn Wright (Pittsburgh) 24, Edd Roush (Cincinnati) 23, Dave Bancroft (Boston) and George Kelly (New York) 22.
WS leaders, pitchers; Pete Donohue (Cincinnati) 28, Dolf Luque (Cincinnati) 27, Eppa Rixey (Cincinnati) 26, Jack Scott (New York) 25, Dazzy Vance (Brooklyn) and Pete Alexander (Chicago) 20, Johnny Cooney (Boston) and Bill Sherdel (St. Louis) 19, Lee Meadows (Pittsburgh) 18.
WARP3: Hornsby 8.7 (Triple Crown and his third .400 average in four years), Bancroft 7.0, Cuyler 6.8, Traynor 6.1, Fournier 5.0 (last good year), Wright 4.9, Ray Blades (St. Louis) 4.5, Bottomley and Gabby Hartnett (Chicago) 4.2, Carey 3.6 (last good year), Wheat 3.2 (last good year).
Pitchers, Vance 6.4, Luque 6.3, Scott 6.2, Donohue 5.5 (best year), Rixey 5.2, Alexander 4.2, Sherdel and Larry Benton (Boston) 4.1, Hal Carlson (Philadelphia) 4.0, Jimmy Ring (Philadelphia) 3.4.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 11.0, Cuyler 7.7, Bottomley 6.1, Fournier 6.0, Wheat 5.4, Bancroft 5.2, Blades 5.1, Carey 5.0, Wright 4.8, Walker and Frisch 4.3. Pitchers: Luque 6.2, Rixey 5.9, Vance 5.7, Donohue 5.5, Scott 5.0, Sherdel 4.8, Alexander 4.2, Carlson 4.0, Aldridge and Benton 4.0.
Actual award voting, MVP (top 11):
Place Name Team Points
1 Rogers Hornsby STL 73
2 Kiki Cuyler PIT 61
3 George Kelly NYG 52
4 Glenn Wright PIT 43
5 Dazzy Vance BRO 42
6 Dave Bancroft BSN 41
7 Jim Bottomley STL 28
8 Pie Traynor PIT 27
9 Frankie Frisch NYG 13
10 Edd Roush CIN 12
11 Max Carey PIT 11
Best player: Rogers Hornsby. The voters went for the spectacular performance of the triple crown winner for a .500 team over a strong performance for a player on the pennant winner, and I will too. .403, 39 HR, 143 RBI. #2 is Kiki Cuyler of the pennant winners, he hit .357 with 18 HR and 102 RBI. Hits and doubles leader Jim Bottomley is #3. Jack Fournier ranks #4. #5 Zack Wheat in a last great effort.
Best pitcher: Eppa Rixey, 21-11 with a 2.88 ERA for punchless Cincinnati. Pete Donohue was #2, he was 21-14 with a 3.08 ERA for the same team. #3 is the third Reds pitcher, Dolf Luque, 16-18 but the ERA leader at 2.63. Dazzy Vance was the wins and strikeouts leader at 22-9 and 3.53. Jack Scott #5.
Best rookie: Jimmy Welsh hit .312 in 122 games as Brooklyn's RF.
Best manager: Bill McKechnie led Pittsburgh to the title.
Rogers Hornsby followed up his .424 average year with a Triple Crown, batting .403 with 39 HR and 143 RBI. He also took over as Cardinals manager during the season. Hornsby also led in on-base, slugging, OPS, and total bases. Kiki Cuyler led in runs with 144 and triples with 26, Jim Bottomley had 227 hits and 44 doubles, and Max Carey had 46 steals. Bottomley was second in batting average with a .367 mark, Zack Wheat was third at .359, Cuyler fourth at .357.
For pitchers, Dazzy Vance's 22 wins edged Reds Pete Donohue and Eppa Rixey at 21, while Red Dolf Luque led in ERA at 2.63. Rixey was 2nd (2.88) and Donohue 3rd (3.08). Vance led with 221 strikeouts.
Win Shares leaders, players; Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 36, Kiki Cuyler (Pittsburgh) 34, Jack Fournier (Brooklyn) 29, Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) and Jim Bottomley (St. Louis) 27, Max Carey and Pie Traynor (Pittsburgh) 26, Glenn Wright (Pittsburgh) 24, Edd Roush (Cincinnati) 23, Dave Bancroft (Boston) and George Kelly (New York) 22.
WS leaders, pitchers; Pete Donohue (Cincinnati) 28, Dolf Luque (Cincinnati) 27, Eppa Rixey (Cincinnati) 26, Jack Scott (New York) 25, Dazzy Vance (Brooklyn) and Pete Alexander (Chicago) 20, Johnny Cooney (Boston) and Bill Sherdel (St. Louis) 19, Lee Meadows (Pittsburgh) 18.
WARP3: Hornsby 8.7 (Triple Crown and his third .400 average in four years), Bancroft 7.0, Cuyler 6.8, Traynor 6.1, Fournier 5.0 (last good year), Wright 4.9, Ray Blades (St. Louis) 4.5, Bottomley and Gabby Hartnett (Chicago) 4.2, Carey 3.6 (last good year), Wheat 3.2 (last good year).
Pitchers, Vance 6.4, Luque 6.3, Scott 6.2, Donohue 5.5 (best year), Rixey 5.2, Alexander 4.2, Sherdel and Larry Benton (Boston) 4.1, Hal Carlson (Philadelphia) 4.0, Jimmy Ring (Philadelphia) 3.4.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 11.0, Cuyler 7.7, Bottomley 6.1, Fournier 6.0, Wheat 5.4, Bancroft 5.2, Blades 5.1, Carey 5.0, Wright 4.8, Walker and Frisch 4.3. Pitchers: Luque 6.2, Rixey 5.9, Vance 5.7, Donohue 5.5, Scott 5.0, Sherdel 4.8, Alexander 4.2, Carlson 4.0, Aldridge and Benton 4.0.
Actual award voting, MVP (top 11):
Place Name Team Points
1 Rogers Hornsby STL 73
2 Kiki Cuyler PIT 61
3 George Kelly NYG 52
4 Glenn Wright PIT 43
5 Dazzy Vance BRO 42
6 Dave Bancroft BSN 41
7 Jim Bottomley STL 28
8 Pie Traynor PIT 27
9 Frankie Frisch NYG 13
10 Edd Roush CIN 12
11 Max Carey PIT 11
Best player: Rogers Hornsby. The voters went for the spectacular performance of the triple crown winner for a .500 team over a strong performance for a player on the pennant winner, and I will too. .403, 39 HR, 143 RBI. #2 is Kiki Cuyler of the pennant winners, he hit .357 with 18 HR and 102 RBI. Hits and doubles leader Jim Bottomley is #3. Jack Fournier ranks #4. #5 Zack Wheat in a last great effort.
Best pitcher: Eppa Rixey, 21-11 with a 2.88 ERA for punchless Cincinnati. Pete Donohue was #2, he was 21-14 with a 3.08 ERA for the same team. #3 is the third Reds pitcher, Dolf Luque, 16-18 but the ERA leader at 2.63. Dazzy Vance was the wins and strikeouts leader at 22-9 and 3.53. Jack Scott #5.
Best rookie: Jimmy Welsh hit .312 in 122 games as Brooklyn's RF.
Best manager: Bill McKechnie led Pittsburgh to the title.
04 January 2008
1925 American League
Washington won their second straight pennant, while Philadelphia climbed back into the fray and finished second. The Yankees slipped all the way to seventh with Babe Ruth injured and ineffective, and Boston was horrible. The loss of Ruth makes the "MVP" contest wide open. St. Louis, Detroit, and Chicago were also over .500, Cleveland was 6th, while the Red Sox lost 105 games for last.
Harry Heilmann won the batting title at .393 in a year of high averages, followed by Tris Speaker at .389, Al Simmons at .387, and and Ty Cobb at .378. Speaker led in on-base, Ken Williams in slugging in St. Louis' bandbox, and Cobb in OPS. Johnny Mostil led with 135 runs and 43 steals, Simmons with 253 hits and 392 total bases, Marty McManus with 44 doubles, Goose Goslin with 20 triples, and Bob Meusel with 33 homers and 138 RBI. Ruth tied Williams for second in homers at 25, and Heilmann was second in RBI at 134.
Ted Lyons and Eddie Rommel tied for the pitching lead with 21 wins, and Senators Walter Johnson and Stan Coveleski each won 20. Coveleski topped the loop with a 2.84 ERA with Herb Pennock second at 2.96 and Ted Blankenship at 3.03. Lefty Grove led with 116 strikeouts followed by Johnson with 108, and Fred "Firpo" Marberry amassed 15 saves. Herb Pennock hurled the most innings at 277.
Win Shares leaders, players; Al Simmons (Philadelphia) 34, Goose Goslin (Washington) 31, Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 30, Tris Speaker (Cleveland) and Ty Cobb (Detroit) 25, Joe Sewell (Cleveland) and Sam Rice (Washington) 24, Johnny Mostil (Chicago) and Baby Doll Jacobson (St. Louis) 23, Eddie Collins (Chicago) and Al Wingo (Detroit) 22.
WS leaders, pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 26, Ted Lyons (Chicago), Herb Pennock (New York), and Stan Coveleski (Washington) 23, Ted Blankenship (Chicago) 22, Slim Harriss and Eddie Rommel (Philadelphia) 21, Dutch Ruether (Washington) 20.
WARP3: Sewell 7.7, Simmons 6.5, Heilmann 5.6, Goslin 5.5, Wingo 4.9 (career year), Speaker 4.8, Muddy Ruel (Washington) 4.0, Willie Kamm (Chicago) 3.8, Cobb 3.7, Rice 3.5.
Pitchers, Pennock 5.8, Urban Shocker (New York) 5.3, Lyons (first big year) and Ted Wingfield (Boston) 5.1, Howard Ehmke (Boston) 5.0, Blankenship 4.9 (career year), Johnson 4.7 (last great year), Waite Hoyt (New York) 4.2, Coveleski 3.8, Harriss 3.6 (career year), Rommel and Jake Miller (Chicago) 3.5.
WAR leaders, position players: Simmons 7.4, Goslin 7.0, Heilmann 6.9, Speaker 6.7, Cobb 5.7, Wingo 5.4, Sewell 5.3, Collins 5.1, Rice 4.9, Mostil 4.8, Combs 4.2. Pitchers: Coveleski 6.0, Pennock 5.8, Blankenship 5.3, Lyons 5.1, Harriss 5.0, Rommel 4.7, Shocker 4.6, Gray 4.5, Johnson 4.4, Ehmke and Miller 3.9.
Actual MVP voting (top 20):
Name Team Points
1 Roger Peckinpaugh WSH 45
2 Al Simmons 41
3 Joe Sewell 21
4 Harry Heilmann 20
5 Harry Rice 18
6 Earl Sheely 17
7 Ira Flagstead 10
7 Baby Doll Jacobson 10
7 Johnny Mostil 10
10 Ossie Bluege 8
10 Mickey Cochrane 8
12 Lu Blue 7
12 Stan Coveleski 7
12 Willie Kamm CHW 7
12 Eddie Rommel PHA 7
12 Ray Schalk CHW 7
12 Al Wingo DET 7
18 Earle Combs NYY 6
18 Bob Meusel NYY 6
20 Ted Lyons CHW 5
This was one of the strangest MVP votes ever, Peckinpaugh winning despite not even being one of the best players on his team, with 15 Win Shares at age 34. Apparently it was a "leadership" thing which evaporated based on his 8 World Series errors.
Best player: Al Simmons. The choice is between Simmons and Goslin of the pennant winners, and I think it's Bucketfoot Al to win. Simmons batted .387 with 24 HR and 129 RBI, and led the league in hits and total bases. Goslin, in a tough hitters' park, hit .344 with 12 HR and 129 RBI, and led the league in triples. Batting average leader Harry Heilmann #3, #4 to Joe Sewell, a fine shortstop with a .316 average and 102 RBI. Tris Speaker #5.
Best pitcher: Walter Johnson. Another wide-open category, and I'll go with the sentimental choice. Johnson was 20-7 with a 3.07 ERA. #2 to Herb Pennock, 16-17 with a 2.96 ERA in his first year in New York. 3rd to Ted Lyons, 21-11 with a 3.26 ERA establishing himself as a star. #4 Stan Coveleski, #5 Ted Blankenship in his biggest year.
Best rookie: Mickey Cochrane hit .331 in 134 games for the A's, a major reason for their resurgance. Lefty Grove and Jimmie Foxx also debuted this year as Connie Mack prepared a powerhouse.
Best manager: Mack, pushing to another dynasty.
Harry Heilmann won the batting title at .393 in a year of high averages, followed by Tris Speaker at .389, Al Simmons at .387, and and Ty Cobb at .378. Speaker led in on-base, Ken Williams in slugging in St. Louis' bandbox, and Cobb in OPS. Johnny Mostil led with 135 runs and 43 steals, Simmons with 253 hits and 392 total bases, Marty McManus with 44 doubles, Goose Goslin with 20 triples, and Bob Meusel with 33 homers and 138 RBI. Ruth tied Williams for second in homers at 25, and Heilmann was second in RBI at 134.
Ted Lyons and Eddie Rommel tied for the pitching lead with 21 wins, and Senators Walter Johnson and Stan Coveleski each won 20. Coveleski topped the loop with a 2.84 ERA with Herb Pennock second at 2.96 and Ted Blankenship at 3.03. Lefty Grove led with 116 strikeouts followed by Johnson with 108, and Fred "Firpo" Marberry amassed 15 saves. Herb Pennock hurled the most innings at 277.
Win Shares leaders, players; Al Simmons (Philadelphia) 34, Goose Goslin (Washington) 31, Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 30, Tris Speaker (Cleveland) and Ty Cobb (Detroit) 25, Joe Sewell (Cleveland) and Sam Rice (Washington) 24, Johnny Mostil (Chicago) and Baby Doll Jacobson (St. Louis) 23, Eddie Collins (Chicago) and Al Wingo (Detroit) 22.
WS leaders, pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 26, Ted Lyons (Chicago), Herb Pennock (New York), and Stan Coveleski (Washington) 23, Ted Blankenship (Chicago) 22, Slim Harriss and Eddie Rommel (Philadelphia) 21, Dutch Ruether (Washington) 20.
WARP3: Sewell 7.7, Simmons 6.5, Heilmann 5.6, Goslin 5.5, Wingo 4.9 (career year), Speaker 4.8, Muddy Ruel (Washington) 4.0, Willie Kamm (Chicago) 3.8, Cobb 3.7, Rice 3.5.
Pitchers, Pennock 5.8, Urban Shocker (New York) 5.3, Lyons (first big year) and Ted Wingfield (Boston) 5.1, Howard Ehmke (Boston) 5.0, Blankenship 4.9 (career year), Johnson 4.7 (last great year), Waite Hoyt (New York) 4.2, Coveleski 3.8, Harriss 3.6 (career year), Rommel and Jake Miller (Chicago) 3.5.
WAR leaders, position players: Simmons 7.4, Goslin 7.0, Heilmann 6.9, Speaker 6.7, Cobb 5.7, Wingo 5.4, Sewell 5.3, Collins 5.1, Rice 4.9, Mostil 4.8, Combs 4.2. Pitchers: Coveleski 6.0, Pennock 5.8, Blankenship 5.3, Lyons 5.1, Harriss 5.0, Rommel 4.7, Shocker 4.6, Gray 4.5, Johnson 4.4, Ehmke and Miller 3.9.
Actual MVP voting (top 20):
Name Team Points
1 Roger Peckinpaugh WSH 45
2 Al Simmons 41
3 Joe Sewell 21
4 Harry Heilmann 20
5 Harry Rice 18
6 Earl Sheely 17
7 Ira Flagstead 10
7 Baby Doll Jacobson 10
7 Johnny Mostil 10
10 Ossie Bluege 8
10 Mickey Cochrane 8
12 Lu Blue 7
12 Stan Coveleski 7
12 Willie Kamm CHW 7
12 Eddie Rommel PHA 7
12 Ray Schalk CHW 7
12 Al Wingo DET 7
18 Earle Combs NYY 6
18 Bob Meusel NYY 6
20 Ted Lyons CHW 5
This was one of the strangest MVP votes ever, Peckinpaugh winning despite not even being one of the best players on his team, with 15 Win Shares at age 34. Apparently it was a "leadership" thing which evaporated based on his 8 World Series errors.
Best player: Al Simmons. The choice is between Simmons and Goslin of the pennant winners, and I think it's Bucketfoot Al to win. Simmons batted .387 with 24 HR and 129 RBI, and led the league in hits and total bases. Goslin, in a tough hitters' park, hit .344 with 12 HR and 129 RBI, and led the league in triples. Batting average leader Harry Heilmann #3, #4 to Joe Sewell, a fine shortstop with a .316 average and 102 RBI. Tris Speaker #5.
Best pitcher: Walter Johnson. Another wide-open category, and I'll go with the sentimental choice. Johnson was 20-7 with a 3.07 ERA. #2 to Herb Pennock, 16-17 with a 2.96 ERA in his first year in New York. 3rd to Ted Lyons, 21-11 with a 3.26 ERA establishing himself as a star. #4 Stan Coveleski, #5 Ted Blankenship in his biggest year.
Best rookie: Mickey Cochrane hit .331 in 134 games for the A's, a major reason for their resurgance. Lefty Grove and Jimmie Foxx also debuted this year as Connie Mack prepared a powerhouse.
Best manager: Mack, pushing to another dynasty.
02 January 2008
1924 National League
The Giants won their fourth straight pennant, fighting off Brooklyn and Pittsburgh to do so. Cincinnati and Chicago were also over .500. New York took the approach of outscoring everyone again, and it worked. The Dodgers were just 1.5 games behind, and Pittsburgh finished three games back. St. Louis trailed, Philadelphia was 7th with 96 losses, and Boston lost 100 games.
The Cardinals were just 6th, but had one of the great one-season performances from second baseman Rogers Hornsby. Hornsby set the 20th century record with a .424 batting average for the season, a mark hard to fathom today. It was 227 hits in 536 at bats, and his 222 OPS+ was the highest of his career. Hornsby also led in on-base, slugging, OPS, hits, total bases, walks, and tied Frankie Frisch for the lead in runs with 121. The few categories not led by Hornsby include triples, where Edd Roush had 21, home runs, where Jacques Fournier had 27, and RBI, led by George Kelly with 136. Max Carey had 49 steals.
Pitching was also dominated by one individual, as Dazzy Vance won the pitching Triple Crown with 28 wins, a 2.16 ERA, and 262 strikeouts. He won by wide margins, as second place in those categories went to Burleigh Grimes' 22 wins, Hugh McQuillan's 2.69 ERA, and Grimes' 135 Ks. Grimes did edge Vance in shutouts, and tied him in complete games.
Win Shares leaders, players: Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 38, Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) 35, Jack Fournier (Brooklyn) 34, Frankie Frisch (New York) 30, Ross Youngs (New York) 29, Andy High (Brooklyn) 28, George Kelly (New York) 26, Max Carey (Pittsburgh) 25, Kiki Cuyler (Pittsburgh) 24, Glenn Wright (Pittsburgh) 22.
WS leaders, pitchers: Dazzy Vance (Brooklyn) 36, Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 24, Jesse Barnes (Boston), Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn), Eppa Rixey (Cincinnati), and Ray Kremer (Pittsburgh) 21 each, Carl Mays (Cincinnati) 20, Emil Yde (Pittsburgh) 19.
WARP3: Hornsby 12.2 (the .424 average year, and his best), Frisch 7.1, Youngs 6.8 (last big year before Bright's disease struck), Wheat 6.2, Fournier 6.1, Kelly 5.0, Heinie Groh (New York) and Babe Pinelli (Cincinnati) 4.7, Wright 4.6 (rookie), Cuyler 4.2 (rookie), Carey and Pie Traynor (also Pittsburgh) 3.8.
Pitchers, Vance 9.9, J. Barnes 6.2 (last good year), Rixey 4.7, Bill Doak (St. Louis/Brooklyn) 4.1, Mays and Jimmy Ring (Philadelphia) 3.9, Hal Carlson (Philadelphia) 3.5, Bill Hubbell (Philadelphia) 3.3, Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn) 3.2, Virgil Barnes (New York) 2.8.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 12.4, Frisch 7.6, Wheat 6.9, Fournier 6.6, Youngs 6.2, Wright 5.6, Kelly 5.1, High 5.0, Cuyler 4.9, Grantham 4.4, Carey, Williams, and Jackson 4.1. Pitchers: Vance 9.1, Rixey 4.5, J. Barnes 4.2, V. Barnes and Kremer 3.6, Doak and Yde 3.3, McQuillan 3.1, Aldridge 2.9, Cooney and Mays 2.7.
Actual award voting (MVP)- top 9
Name Team Points
1 Dazzy Vance 74
2 Rogers Hornsby 62
3 Frankie Frisch 40
3 Zack Wheat 40
5 Ross Youngs 35
6 George Kelly 34
7 Rabbit Maranville 33
8 Kiki Cuyler 25
9 Jack Fournier 21
Not very close this year.
Best player: Rogers Hornsby. Was top player in MVP voting (2nd to Vance) in spite of playing for 6th place team. Hornsby batted .424 for a record that still stands. Frankie Frisch #2, he tied Hornsby for the lead in runs. Zack Wheat #3, he was 2nd with a .375 average. Ross Youngs #4 and Jack Fournier #5.
Best pitcher: Dazzy Vance. A spectacular 28-6 year with a 2.16 ERA in a hitter's era lifted Brooklyn to within 1.5 games of the pennant. Jesse Barnes was 2nd best, which sounds odd since he was 15-20 with his 3.23 ERA...but that was for the sad-sack Braves. His team dragged him down. Eppa Rixey #3, Wilbur Cooper #4, Burleigh Grimes #5.
Best rookie: Kiki Cuyler. Had 43 previous MLB at bats, presumably would have had rookie status. Hit .354 in 117 games for Pirates.
Best manager: Wilbert Robinson nearly rode Dazzy Vance to a pennant.
The Cardinals were just 6th, but had one of the great one-season performances from second baseman Rogers Hornsby. Hornsby set the 20th century record with a .424 batting average for the season, a mark hard to fathom today. It was 227 hits in 536 at bats, and his 222 OPS+ was the highest of his career. Hornsby also led in on-base, slugging, OPS, hits, total bases, walks, and tied Frankie Frisch for the lead in runs with 121. The few categories not led by Hornsby include triples, where Edd Roush had 21, home runs, where Jacques Fournier had 27, and RBI, led by George Kelly with 136. Max Carey had 49 steals.
Pitching was also dominated by one individual, as Dazzy Vance won the pitching Triple Crown with 28 wins, a 2.16 ERA, and 262 strikeouts. He won by wide margins, as second place in those categories went to Burleigh Grimes' 22 wins, Hugh McQuillan's 2.69 ERA, and Grimes' 135 Ks. Grimes did edge Vance in shutouts, and tied him in complete games.
Win Shares leaders, players: Rogers Hornsby (St. Louis) 38, Zack Wheat (Brooklyn) 35, Jack Fournier (Brooklyn) 34, Frankie Frisch (New York) 30, Ross Youngs (New York) 29, Andy High (Brooklyn) 28, George Kelly (New York) 26, Max Carey (Pittsburgh) 25, Kiki Cuyler (Pittsburgh) 24, Glenn Wright (Pittsburgh) 22.
WS leaders, pitchers: Dazzy Vance (Brooklyn) 36, Wilbur Cooper (Pittsburgh) 24, Jesse Barnes (Boston), Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn), Eppa Rixey (Cincinnati), and Ray Kremer (Pittsburgh) 21 each, Carl Mays (Cincinnati) 20, Emil Yde (Pittsburgh) 19.
WARP3: Hornsby 12.2 (the .424 average year, and his best), Frisch 7.1, Youngs 6.8 (last big year before Bright's disease struck), Wheat 6.2, Fournier 6.1, Kelly 5.0, Heinie Groh (New York) and Babe Pinelli (Cincinnati) 4.7, Wright 4.6 (rookie), Cuyler 4.2 (rookie), Carey and Pie Traynor (also Pittsburgh) 3.8.
Pitchers, Vance 9.9, J. Barnes 6.2 (last good year), Rixey 4.7, Bill Doak (St. Louis/Brooklyn) 4.1, Mays and Jimmy Ring (Philadelphia) 3.9, Hal Carlson (Philadelphia) 3.5, Bill Hubbell (Philadelphia) 3.3, Burleigh Grimes (Brooklyn) 3.2, Virgil Barnes (New York) 2.8.
WAR leaders, position players: Hornsby 12.4, Frisch 7.6, Wheat 6.9, Fournier 6.6, Youngs 6.2, Wright 5.6, Kelly 5.1, High 5.0, Cuyler 4.9, Grantham 4.4, Carey, Williams, and Jackson 4.1. Pitchers: Vance 9.1, Rixey 4.5, J. Barnes 4.2, V. Barnes and Kremer 3.6, Doak and Yde 3.3, McQuillan 3.1, Aldridge 2.9, Cooney and Mays 2.7.
Actual award voting (MVP)- top 9
Name Team Points
1 Dazzy Vance 74
2 Rogers Hornsby 62
3 Frankie Frisch 40
3 Zack Wheat 40
5 Ross Youngs 35
6 George Kelly 34
7 Rabbit Maranville 33
8 Kiki Cuyler 25
9 Jack Fournier 21
Not very close this year.
Best player: Rogers Hornsby. Was top player in MVP voting (2nd to Vance) in spite of playing for 6th place team. Hornsby batted .424 for a record that still stands. Frankie Frisch #2, he tied Hornsby for the lead in runs. Zack Wheat #3, he was 2nd with a .375 average. Ross Youngs #4 and Jack Fournier #5.
Best pitcher: Dazzy Vance. A spectacular 28-6 year with a 2.16 ERA in a hitter's era lifted Brooklyn to within 1.5 games of the pennant. Jesse Barnes was 2nd best, which sounds odd since he was 15-20 with his 3.23 ERA...but that was for the sad-sack Braves. His team dragged him down. Eppa Rixey #3, Wilbur Cooper #4, Burleigh Grimes #5.
Best rookie: Kiki Cuyler. Had 43 previous MLB at bats, presumably would have had rookie status. Hit .354 in 117 games for Pirates.
Best manager: Wilbert Robinson nearly rode Dazzy Vance to a pennant.
01 January 2008
1924 American League
The first pennant ever for the Washington Senators highlighted the 1924 AL season, and a World Series win topped it off! The Senators held a two-game margin over the Yankees, with Detroit a strong third. Detroit had the offense and the Senators the pitching, and pitching won in this year. The rest of the league was under .500, though no one lost more than 87 games, as St. Louis, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Boston, and Chicago followed in order.
Babe Ruth led in nearly every offensive category, starting with batting average (.378), on-base, slugging, OPS (1252), runs (143), homers (46), and OPS+ (220) which was way ahead of second-place Harry Heilmann at 148. Nobody else was close to Ruth, making Washington's pennant all the more amazing. Sam Rice led with 216 hits, Heilmann and Joe Sewell tied with 45 doubles, Wally Pipp with 19 triples, and Goose Goslin with 129 RBI. Charlie Jamieson was second in average at .359, Joe Hauser second in homers with 27, Ruth was second in RBI with 121 and Bob Meusel third with 120.
Washington's Walter Johnson won the pitching Triple Crown, with 23 wins, a 2.72 ERA, and 158 strikeouts. Teammate Fred "Firpo" Marberry, a pioneering relief pitcher, led with 15 saves. Howard Ehmke led in innings pitched. Herb Pennock was second in wins with 21, Sloppy Thurston and Joe Shaute won 20. Tom Zachary was second with a 2.75 ERA, Pennock third at 2.83. Ehmke was second in strikeouts with 119, Bob Shawkey third with 114.
Win Shares leaders, players; Babe Ruth (New York) 45, Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 30, Goose Goslin (Washington) 29, Ty Cobb (Detroit) 27, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 25, Sam Rice (Washington) 24, Baby Doll Jacobson (St. Louis) 23, Joe Sewell (Cleveland), Topper Rigney (Detroit) and Roger Peckinpaugh (Washington) 22.
WS leaders, pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 29, Herb Pennock (New York) 27, Howard Ehmke (Boston) 25, Joe Bush (New York) 23, Joe Shaute (Cleveland) 22, Eddie Rommel (Philadelphia) and Tom Zachary (Washington) 21.
WARP3: Ruth 11.7, Peckinpaugh 6.5 (last good year, although he would win the 1925 MVP), Sewell 6.0, Goslin 5.8, Heilmann and Rigney 5.7, Cobb and Jacobson (last good year) 4.7, Johnny Bassler (Detroit) 3.9, Rice 3.8.
Pitchers: Pennock and Ehmke (best year) 7.2, Shaute 6.5 (career year), Bush and Sloppy Thurston (Chicago) 5.8, Sherry Smith (Cleveland) 5.7, Johnson 4.8 (for his first pennant winner!), Rommel 4.6, Jack Quinn (Boston) 4.4, Alex Ferguson (Boston) 4.3.
WAR leaders, position players: Ruth 13.1, Goslin 7.1, Heilmann 6.9, Cobb 5.9, Collins 5.6, Rice and Hooper 5.2, Rigney 5.0, Peckinpaugh, Jamieson, and Speaker 4.9. Pitchers: Pennock 7.0, Ehmke 6.8, Johnson 6.2, Smith 4.9, Shaute 4.4, Ferguson and Quinn 4.3, Baumgartner and Zachary 4.2, Wingard 3.9.
Actual award voting, MVP (top 8)--previous winners (Ruth and Sisler) not eligible.
Place Name Team Points
1 Walter Johnson WSH 55
2 Eddie Collins CHW 49
3 Charlie Jamieson CLE 25
4 Herb Pennock NYY 24
5 Johnny Bassler DET 22
6 Hank Severeid SLB 17
7 Joe Hauser PHA 13
8 Baby Doll Jacobson SLB 11
Top player: Babe Ruth, by a mile. He wasn't eligible for the official award, but he deserved it as usual. Missed triple crown by 8 RBI to Goslin, led in BA and HR. Ruth led in average, runs, homers and OPS. I'll put RBI leader Goslin #2. Heilmann is #3, he led in doubles and was 2nd in OPS. Ty Cobb at #4, while Eddie Collins tied Heilmann for the doubles lead and is #5.
Top pitcher: Walter Johnson, at age 36, won the pitcher's triple crown. That's good enough for me. 23-7, 2.72. Howard Ehmke was 2nd in strikeouts, 19-17, 3.46 record for #2. Herb Pennock ranks #3 with a 21-9 record and 2.83 ERA for a better team. Joe Shaute #4 and Joe Bush #5.
Top manager: Bucky Harris, the 27-year-old skipper of the pennant winners.
Top rookie: Al Simmons, a .308 hitter with 102 RBI for the A's.
Babe Ruth led in nearly every offensive category, starting with batting average (.378), on-base, slugging, OPS (1252), runs (143), homers (46), and OPS+ (220) which was way ahead of second-place Harry Heilmann at 148. Nobody else was close to Ruth, making Washington's pennant all the more amazing. Sam Rice led with 216 hits, Heilmann and Joe Sewell tied with 45 doubles, Wally Pipp with 19 triples, and Goose Goslin with 129 RBI. Charlie Jamieson was second in average at .359, Joe Hauser second in homers with 27, Ruth was second in RBI with 121 and Bob Meusel third with 120.
Washington's Walter Johnson won the pitching Triple Crown, with 23 wins, a 2.72 ERA, and 158 strikeouts. Teammate Fred "Firpo" Marberry, a pioneering relief pitcher, led with 15 saves. Howard Ehmke led in innings pitched. Herb Pennock was second in wins with 21, Sloppy Thurston and Joe Shaute won 20. Tom Zachary was second with a 2.75 ERA, Pennock third at 2.83. Ehmke was second in strikeouts with 119, Bob Shawkey third with 114.
Win Shares leaders, players; Babe Ruth (New York) 45, Harry Heilmann (Detroit) 30, Goose Goslin (Washington) 29, Ty Cobb (Detroit) 27, Eddie Collins (Chicago) 25, Sam Rice (Washington) 24, Baby Doll Jacobson (St. Louis) 23, Joe Sewell (Cleveland), Topper Rigney (Detroit) and Roger Peckinpaugh (Washington) 22.
WS leaders, pitchers; Walter Johnson (Washington) 29, Herb Pennock (New York) 27, Howard Ehmke (Boston) 25, Joe Bush (New York) 23, Joe Shaute (Cleveland) 22, Eddie Rommel (Philadelphia) and Tom Zachary (Washington) 21.
WARP3: Ruth 11.7, Peckinpaugh 6.5 (last good year, although he would win the 1925 MVP), Sewell 6.0, Goslin 5.8, Heilmann and Rigney 5.7, Cobb and Jacobson (last good year) 4.7, Johnny Bassler (Detroit) 3.9, Rice 3.8.
Pitchers: Pennock and Ehmke (best year) 7.2, Shaute 6.5 (career year), Bush and Sloppy Thurston (Chicago) 5.8, Sherry Smith (Cleveland) 5.7, Johnson 4.8 (for his first pennant winner!), Rommel 4.6, Jack Quinn (Boston) 4.4, Alex Ferguson (Boston) 4.3.
WAR leaders, position players: Ruth 13.1, Goslin 7.1, Heilmann 6.9, Cobb 5.9, Collins 5.6, Rice and Hooper 5.2, Rigney 5.0, Peckinpaugh, Jamieson, and Speaker 4.9. Pitchers: Pennock 7.0, Ehmke 6.8, Johnson 6.2, Smith 4.9, Shaute 4.4, Ferguson and Quinn 4.3, Baumgartner and Zachary 4.2, Wingard 3.9.
Actual award voting, MVP (top 8)--previous winners (Ruth and Sisler) not eligible.
Place Name Team Points
1 Walter Johnson WSH 55
2 Eddie Collins CHW 49
3 Charlie Jamieson CLE 25
4 Herb Pennock NYY 24
5 Johnny Bassler DET 22
6 Hank Severeid SLB 17
7 Joe Hauser PHA 13
8 Baby Doll Jacobson SLB 11
Top player: Babe Ruth, by a mile. He wasn't eligible for the official award, but he deserved it as usual. Missed triple crown by 8 RBI to Goslin, led in BA and HR. Ruth led in average, runs, homers and OPS. I'll put RBI leader Goslin #2. Heilmann is #3, he led in doubles and was 2nd in OPS. Ty Cobb at #4, while Eddie Collins tied Heilmann for the doubles lead and is #5.
Top pitcher: Walter Johnson, at age 36, won the pitcher's triple crown. That's good enough for me. 23-7, 2.72. Howard Ehmke was 2nd in strikeouts, 19-17, 3.46 record for #2. Herb Pennock ranks #3 with a 21-9 record and 2.83 ERA for a better team. Joe Shaute #4 and Joe Bush #5.
Top manager: Bucky Harris, the 27-year-old skipper of the pennant winners.
Top rookie: Al Simmons, a .308 hitter with 102 RBI for the A's.
30 December 2007
1923 National League
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.
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.
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.
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