1900
Code:
Team W L % GB
Pittsburgh Pirates 93 52 .641 -
Philadelphia Phillies 92 53 .634 1.0
St. Louis Cardinals 71 73 .493 21.5
Boston Beaneaters 70 74 .486 22.5
Brooklyn Superbas 69 75 .479 23.5
Cincinnati Reds 62 82 .431 30.5
New York Giants 61 83 .424 31.5
Chicago Orphans 59 85 .410 33.5
Pittsburgh was in first place for most of the first half of the season. But by mid-August the Phillies had taken a 5-game lead. Then, after winning 9 of their final 10 games that month, the Pirates moved to within a game of the Phillies. With four games left in the season, the Pirates managed to tie Philadelphia. Both teams went 2-1 in their final three games and wound up tied.
The pennant-deciding game was a thriller. Both teams tossed out their top pitchers. Bill Vinton (24-14, 3.19) went for the Phillies and rookie sensation Rube Waddell (23-12, 2.50) went for the Pirates. Both pitchers allowed just 2 runs and the game went into extra innings.
Waddell pitched a perfect 10th and reliever Jack McFetridge pitched the 10th for Philly. After 2 outs, the Pirates got runners on the corners, but McFetridge struck out Honus Wagner to end the inning.
In the 11th, Ed Delahanty hit a 2 out triple off reliever Brownie Foreman and scored on a single by Mike Grady to give Philly a 3-2 lead. Then the Pirates strung together a single, a walk and another single to tied the game. With two on and one out, McFetridge struck out Harry Davis and got pinch hitter Charlie Reilly to ground out.
In the 12th, Sam Leever came in and sat the Phillies down 1-2-3. Then McFetridge allowed a leadoff triple to Fred Clarke. After an out and an intentional walk to Wagner, Jimmy Williams stepped to the plate. Before he could take a swing, Wagner took off for 2nd and catcher Jack Clements overthrew 2B Nap Lajoie, allowing Clarke to score the winning run, giving Pittsburgh their first pennant since 1897.
Pittsburgh Pirates
This entire team was outstanding. LF Fred Clarke hit .337 and highlighted a Top Batter season with an impressive 38-game hitting streak. SS Frank Shugart led the team with a .367 average. SS Honus Wagner hit .314 with 92 RBI, and 2B Jimmy Williams hit .294 with 103 RBI. CF Ginger Beaumont hit .318. On the pitching side, Phil Knell went 29-9 with a 2.27 ERA and won the Top Pitcher award at age 35. The veteran was complimented by Top Rookie Rube Waddell who went 23-12, 2.50.
Philadelphia Phillies
Losing the pennant was hard enough, but to lose it on a bad throw in the bottom of the 12th of the final game of the season was brutal. The Phillies finished 2nd to Pittsburgh in most pitching categories and team average, although they did score more runs. LF Billy Hamilton hit .321 with 58 steals. CF Ed Delahanty hit .319 with 77 RBI, and 1B Mike Grady hit .318 with 80 RBI. RF Elmer Flick led the team with 94 RBI while hitting .284. Catcher Jack Clements hit .285 with 82 RBI. The 36-year-old has over 1000 career hits and a .290 average but he may forever be remembered for the bad throw that lost the pennant. Bill Bernhard (15-7) led the team with a 2.81 ERA. Outside of him, the Phillies had three 20-game winners: Bill Vinton (24-14, 3.19), Tully Sparks (23-11, 3.12) and Ned Garvin (20-13, 3.72). The 35-year-old Vinton became the 3rd pitcher to pass 300 wins. He also passed Lady Baldwin for 2nd all-time.
St. Louis Cardinals
Formerly the Cleveland Spiders, the addition of several players from the disbanded Baltimore and Louisville clubs helped push this team back above .500. 2B Bill Keister was the only starter to hit over .300. He hit .312 with 10 HR and 80 RBI. Catcher Jack Doyle led the league with 11 HR's and he also drove in 75 RBI with a .280 average. 3B Bobby Wallace hit .294 and led the team with 83 RBI. Jack Powell was the team's top pitcher, going 20-15 with a 3.40 ERA. Joe Corbett was right behind him with a 19-19 record and a 3.34 ERA. George Davies went 15-11 with a 3.77 ERA. Cy Young (12-16, 4.34) struggled once again, but after being pulled from the rotation in July, he returned in late August and went 3-2 with a 2.12 ERA that month.
Boston Beaneaters
Billy Herman led the team with a .336 average and 80 RBI. Herman Long hit .331 with 76 RBI and 100 runs. Despite few other standout performances, the team finished with the 3rd best offense. In his first season as a starter, Big Bill Dinneen went 19-9 with a 3.08 ERA. Kid Nichols anchored the rotation and went 19-18, 3.46. Bill Daley had a respectable 3.66 ERA but went just 14-20 after winning 20 games last season. After going 17-19 with a 3.22 ERA last season, Vic Willis struggled with a 4.93 ERA in 1900 and had a 8-17 record.
Brooklyn Superbas
Catcher "Broadway Aleck" Smith led the team with a .310 average. LF Jimmy Sheckard hit .297 and led the Superbas with 77 RBI. Michael Griffin (.283, 45 RBI, 99 R) and Hughie Jennings (.286, 62 RBI, 85 R) combined for 107 stolen bases. In his first season with the team, Doc McJames went 17-18 but led Brooklyn with a 2.73 ERA. George Keefe went 22-15, 3.42.
Cincinnati Reds
RF Dusty Miller had the team's top average (.311) and stole 44 bases. Catcher Jocko Halligan's 65 RBI were a team high. Pitching was a bright spot at times. Amos Rusie (15-11, 2.53 ERA) continues to keep his place in the rotation even though locals never expect him to last through a whole season as a starter. Noodles Hahn went 19-15, 3.05. Elton Chamberlain (13-22, 3.98), who has consistently frustrated the team, lost 20 games for the 7th straight season.
New York Giants
RF Willie Keeler (.350, 63 RBI) and 1B Tom McCreery (.316, 64 RBI) continue to shoulder the load in New York. Four of the team's remaining six starters hit between .256 and .213. Ed Doheny (14-18, 3.66), Jouett Meekin (17-22, 3.53) and Bill George (12-11, 3.54) had decent seasons but not good enough to get this team near .500.
Chicago Orphans
It took 25 years, but Chicago finally suffered their first losing season. Not only did they lose, but they lost often. They finished dead last with a 59-85 (.410) record. LF Jimmy Ryan's .296 average was a team high. At age 37, "Pony" has 2602 hits and a .325 career average. Double play combo Peter O'Brien (.271, 10 HR, 77 RBI) and Bill Dahlen (.262, 9 HR, 75 RBI) had low averages but provided the team's power. Clark Griffith's 3.30 ERA was a team best. His 13-13 record put him one win behind team leader Arlie Pond (14-20, 4.29). Pond was a huge disappointment after going 17-14, 2.92 last season with Baltimore. Late in the season, Pop Williams (6-11, 3.58) assumed a bigger role and should be in next year's rotation.
Batting AVG
.367 Frank Shugart, PIT
.350 Willie Keeler, NYG
.337 Fred Clarke, PIT
.336 Billy Nash, BSN
.331 Herman Long, BSN
HOMERUNS
11 Jack Doyle, STL
10 Peter O'Brien, CHC
10 Bill Keister, STL
9 Jocko Halligan, CIN
9 Fred Clarke, PIT
9 Bill Dahlen, CHC
RBI
103 Jimmy Williams, PIT
94 Elmer Flick, PHI
92 Honus Wagner, PIT
83 Bobby Wallace, STL
82 Jack Clements, PHI
81 Nap Lajoie, PHI
OPS
.892 Mike Grady, PHI
.876 Ed Delahanty, PHI
.864 Frank Shugart, PIT
.860 Fred Clarke, PIT
.839 Honus Wagner, PIT
.832 Bill Keister, STL
.814 Willie Keeler, NYG
.802 Herman Long, BSN
.796 Elmer Flick, PHI
STEALS
61 Bill Lange, CHC (61-18, 77.22%)
58 Billy Hamilton, PHI (58-29, 67.44%)
57 Vince Dailey, STL (57-13, 81.43%)
57 John McGraw, STL (57-28, 66.67%)
54 Frank Chance, CHC (54-18, 75.00%)
54 Michael Griffin, BRO (54-16, 77.14%)
53 Hughie Jennings, BRO (53-23, 69.74%)
ERA
2.27 Phil Knell, PIT (29-9)
2.50 Rube Waddell, PIT (23-12)
2.53 Amos Rusie, CIN (15-11)
2.73 Doc McJames, BRO (17-18)
2.81 Bill Bernhard, PHI (15-7)
3.05 Noodles Hahn, CIN (19-15)
3.08 Bill Dinneen, BSN (19-9)
WINS
29 Phil Knell, PIT
24 Bill Vinton, PHI (24-14, 3.19)
23 Tully Sparks, PHI (23-11, 3.12)
23 Rube Waddell, PIT
22 George Keefe, BRO (22-15, 3.42)
20 Ned Garvin, PHI (20-13, 3.72)
20 Jack Powell, STL (20-15, 3.40)
STRIKEOUTS
261 Rube Waddell, PIT
234 Bill Daley, BSN (14-20, 3.66)
229 Joe Corbett, STL (19-19, 3.34)
193 Noodles Hahn, CIN
190 Doc McJames, BRO
190 Jack Powell, STL
POY: Phil Knell, PIT, 29-9, 2.27 ERA, 82 BB, 149 K, .263 OAVG, 1.24 WHIP
BOY: LF Fred Clarke, PIT, .337, 9 HR, 68 RBI, 48 SB, .860 OPS
ROY: Rube Waddell, PIT, 23-12, 2.50 ERA, 74 BB, 261 K, .197 OAVG, 0.91 WHIP