1901 American League
Code:
Team W L % GB
Detroit Tigers 77 63 .550 -
Chicago White Sox 76 64 .543 1
Philadelphia Athletics 72 68 .514 5
Cleveland Blues 71 69 .507 6
Milwaukee Brewers 71 69 .507 6
Baltimore Orioles 68 72 .486 9
Boston Americans 65 75 .464 12
Washington Senators 60 80 .429 17
League AVG: .255
League ERA: 3.33
Detroit Tigers
In the AL's first season, Detroit came out on top. On October 5th, the Tigers had a 1.5-game lead on Chicago. The White Sox's only hope was to win their final two games and hope Detroit would lose their last game. However, the A's beat Chicago 6-3 on this day while Detroit beat Baltimore 7-5.
On the field, the Tigers were a tale of two sides. First, their offense led the league. After 13 seasons with the Beaneaters and becoming a backup last year, LF Tommy McCarthy jumped to the Tigers and hit .302 with 94 runs scored. SS Kid Elberfeld hit .297 with 93 RBI. CF Roy Thomas hit .358, leading the league and making the Phillies sad they ever lost him. However, Detroit's pitching finished last in the league and was the main reason the team could never pull away. Alex Jones won Top Pitcher honors by going 25-13 with a 3.13 ERA. Rookie Frank Owen went 22-15, 3.32 and was named Top Rookie.
Chicago White Sox
Chicago came up just short in their first season, but their pitching gives them hope for next year. They led the AL with a 3.12 team ERA. Sam Leever went 25-13 with s 3.07 ERA. Roy Patterson went 19-16 with a 3.18 ERA. Despite only throwing 172.1 innings, rookie Wee Willie Sudhoff (7-11) finished 2nd in the league with a 2.61 ERA. On offense, RF Tommy Dowd led the team with a .309 average, and 1B Harry Davis' 69 RBI were a team high. Dowd also stole 50 bases, but LF George Flynn led the team with 69 swipes.
Philadelphia Athletics
The A's offense scored the 2nd most runs per game in the league. Rookie RF Socks Seybold hit .302 with 11 HR and 78 RBI and was named Top Batter in his first season. 3B Charlie Reilly hit .324 with 78 RBI, while rookie LF Matty McIntyre led the team with a .337 average. Rookie 2B Pete Childs hit 9 HR with just a .205 average. The team's pitching was around the middle of the league. Frank Kitson starred with a 22-15 record and a 2.90 ERA. Rookie Eddie Plank went 19-16, 3.70.
Cleveland Blues
Cleveland was mediocre at bat and on the mound. 1B Klondike Douglass led the team with a .303 average. 2B Sam Mertes hit .296 with 8 HR and 93 RBI. After winning 24 games as a rookie with Pittsburgh in 1898, Tom Colcolough went 7-14, 5.97 the next season and couldn't make the Pittsburgh roster in 1900. This year, he was on top again, going 20-16 with a 2.80 ERA in Cleveland.
Milwaukee Brewers
LF Tom O'Brien (.336, 78 RBI) and rookie RF Irv Waldron (.326, 59 RBI) were a powerful duo. 1B Candy LaChance hit .303 with 73 RBI. 32-year-old Hal Mauck (21-18, 2.86) made the most of his first chance to start regularly. Silver King (20-19, 3.15) had a good season as well. 38-year-old Charlie Sweeney also took advantage of another shot at starting. After starting 39 games for Brooklyn in 1899, he started just 8 last season. This year, the Brewers limited the veteran's arm to 24 starts but he was able to go 12-10 with a 3.63 ERA. He won his first three starts of the season, and that 3rd win on May 23rd against the Senators gave him 300 for his career.
Baltimore Orioles
28-year-old rookie CF Cy Seymour led a respectable offense with a .334 average. RF Jimmy Bannon (.280) and SS Tommy Corcoran (.289) led the team with 67 RBI. The pitching staff allowed the 2nd most runs per game in the league even though Wiley Piatt (22-12) led the league with a 2.60 ERA. Ed Stein (18-17, 2.90) had a great season too.
Boston Americans
Rookie pitcher George Prentiss helped lead one of the best rotations in the league. He went 17-14, 2.93. Buttons Briggs posted a 3.07 ERA but went just 16-23. Jake Volz (15-18, 3.46) had a respectable season. Rookie SS Freddie Parent led the team with a .312 average. RF Shad Barry's 61 RBI was a team high, but he hit just .224. Rookies Ossee Schreckengost (.236, 9 HR) and Ace Stewart (.225, 7 HR) provided power with low average.
Washington Senators
The Senators finished last despite the top pitching staff in the league. Davey Dunkle (17-14, 2.64) and Tom Smith (17-18, 2.85) led the way. The offense, however, was dead last in the AL. Two regulars hit below .200, and no one hit above LF Jimmy Slagle's .283. Slagle also led the team with 52 steals.
Batting AVG
.358 Roy Thomas, DET
.337 Matty McIntyre, PHA
.336 Tom O'Brien, MLA
.334 Cy Seymour, BLA
.326 Irv Waldron, MLA
HOMERUNS
11 Socks Seybold, PHA
9 Pete Childs, PHA
9 Ossee Schreckengost, BOS
8 Sam Mertes, CLE
RBI
93 Sam Mertes, CLE
93 Kid Elberfeld, DET
78 Charlie Reilly, PHA
78 Tom O'Brien, MLA
78 Socks Seybold, PHA
73 Candy LaChance, MLA
OPS
.904 Roy Thomas, DET
.857 Socks Seybold, PHA
.857 Sam Mertes, CLE
.848 Tom O'Brien, MLA
.838 Matty McIntyre, PHA
STEALS
69 George Flynn, CHW (69-33, 67.65%)
67 Dave Fultz, PHA (67-26, 72.04%)
59 Tommy McCarthy, DET (59-14, 80.82%)
52 Jimmy Slagel, WSH (52-17, 75.36%)
ERA
2.60 Wiley Piatt, BLA (22-12)
2.61 Willie Sudhoff, CHW (7-11)
2.64 Davey Dunkle, WSH (17-14)
2.80 Tom Colcolough, CLE (20-16)
2.85 Tom Smith, WSH (17-18)
2.84 Hal Mauck, MLA (21-18)
WINS
25 Alex Jones, DET (25-13, 3.13)
25 Sam Leever, CHW (25-13, 3.07)
22 Frank Owen, DET (22-15, 3.32)
22 Wiley Piatt, BLA
22 Frank Kitson, PHA (22-15, 2.90)
21 Hal Mauck, MLA
STRIKEOUTS
239 Frank Owen, DET
236 George Prentiss, BOS (17-14, 2.93)
230 Davey Dunkle, WSH
208 Jake Volz, BOS (15-18, 3.46)
204 Sam Leever, CHW
POY: Alex Jones, DET, 25-13, 3.13 ERA, 74 BB, 200 K, .235 OAVG, 1.12 WHIP
BOY: RF Socks Seybold, PHA, .302, 11 HR, 78 RBI, .857 OPS
ROY: Frank Owen, DET, 22-15, 3.32 ERA, 98 BB, 239 K, .227 OAVG, 1.16 WHIP