[batted balls]

Jan. 2, 1946

Pontiac, Ill. (SION)--The post-war boom continues to shine on Americans as league officials announced today that the Livingston County League (LCL) will return following a 22-year absence.

The original LCL ran from 1903-1924. It consisted of two eight-team leagues that competed for berths in the LCL World Series.

"The original league enjoyed numerous years of strong followings and loyal fans," said newly named Commissioner Gordon Spears. "It also featured top-notch baseball at an affordable price."

The original LCL fell apart shortly after the 1924 season. Although legend has it that Prohibition caused the league's demise, LCL historian John C. Stonecipher cited other factors, primarily all financial.

"Early on, Blackstone was the top team," said Stonecipher. "But then Odell and St. Paul just took over. Those dynasties essentially ran the other teams out of business."

Commissioner Spears indicated that league officials have learned from the past.

"We want every franchise to feel it has a legimate chance to win the LCL World Series," Spears said. "Therefore, free agency will not be granted to the players at this time."

All league players must sign a waiver stating that "for the good of the league and fair competion, I hearby forfeit my rights for free agency to allow the LCL to get off the ground in good standing."

Spears declined to define good standing.

The inaugural LCL draft will be held in early February to allow all teams to begin preparations for spring training.

Stonecipher provided the following history of the original LCL:

Livingston County League History (1903-1924)

The Livingston County League (LCL) began in 1903. It was divided into two-eight team leagues, the American and the National. The American League was comprised of the Blackstone Bears, Cayuga Braves, Emington Patriots, Flanagan Falcons, Forrest Trappers, Graymont Giants, Long Point Pirates, and the St. Paul Saints. The National League franchises were the Chatsworth Blue Jays, Cornell Cardinals, Cullom Chargers, Dwight Trojans, Fairbury Hawks, Odell Rams, Pontiac Indians, and Saunemin Eagles. Free agency was in place.

1903
A trade deadline deal helped lead the Fairbury Hawks to the World Series title. Just one day before the trade deadline expired, Fairbury acquired pitching ace Bill Dineen from St. Paul in exchange for All-Star shortstop Honus Wagner. Dineen, who won 26 games between the two leagues, racked up two victories en route to the Hawks' 4-2 win over Cayuga in the inaugural World Series. Fairbury captured the NL pennant with a 98-56 record and finished 13 games in front of second-place Dwight. The AL race went down to the final days with Cayuga squeaking past Forrest by one game and Blackstone by two games. Cayuga posted an 85-69 record. Three no-hitters were thrown during the regular season. The pitching gems were the works of Bob Ewing (Dwight), Clarence Currie (Saunemin) and Jack Powell (Emington). Silver Bat Awards went to Dwight's Mike Donlin (.391-eight home runs-97 RBIs) in the National League and Forrest's Nap Lajoie (.352-11 home runs-78 RBIs) in the American League. Golden Arm Award recipients were Jack Taylor (28-11, 2.27 ERA, six shutouts) of Cullom in the NL and Addie Joss (23-10, 2.37 ERA, four shutouts) of Forrest in the AL.

1904
Graymont shocked the baseball world by reeling off a 93-61 record to win the AL title. The Giants were a lackluster 69-85 in 1903. One of the biggest reasons for the Giants' success was their pitching staff. Golden Arm Award winner Watty Lee posted a 25-11 record with nine shutouts en route to a 1.54 ERA. Free agent pitcher Bill Dineen joined Lee to anchor the Graymont staff. Dineen, hero of the '03 Series with Fairbury, joined Graymont after signing a five-year, $8.3 million contract. The Giants knocked off Dwight 4-1 in the World Series. Lee pitched two World Series shutouts against the NL champion Trojans while Dineen won the Series clincher. Noodles Hahn won the NL Golden Arm Award (29-8, 1.59 ERA, and 10 shutouts). St. Paul's Honus Wagner (.323-1 home run-67 RBIs) captured the AL's Silver Bat Award; Dwight's Cy Seymour (.386-0 homers-a league record 108 RBIs) won the NL honor. Seymour also established LCL records for hits (226) and hitting streak (50).

1905
Forrest rolled to a major-league best 91-63 record. Leading the Trappers to the pennant were Golden Arm Award winner Addie Joss (27-10, 1.52 ERA, 12 shutouts) and Silver Bat Award recipient David Pylant (.272-13 home runs-83 RBIs). Forrest then swept Fairbury (86-68) in four straight to capture the World Series title. Pylant won the Series MVP by batting .529 with one homer and five RBIs. Martin Glendon won two Series games, while Joss tossed a one-hitter in game two. Fairbury finished two games in front of Cullom and four games ahead of Odell. Rookie Ed Walsh of Cornell won the National League Golden Arm Award (22-13, 1.89, five shutouts) but was somehow beat for Rookie-of-the-Year honors by Pontiac's flame-throwing Sam McDill (19-12, 2.12 ERA, five shutouts). Cullom's Johnny Evers (.309-1-96) took home the NL Silver Bat Award.

1906
For the first time in LCL history, the World Series went to game seven. It seemed only fitting that a game seven was needed as Emington and Cornell made their first Series appearances with identical 89-65 records. The Patriots won the AL title finishing two games in front of Graymont. The Cardinals took the NL flag beating out Fairbury by three games. Emington jumped out to a 2-0 Series lead by winning games at Cornell. Returning to its home ballpark didn't work for Emington however as Cornell won three straight on the road. The Patriots tied up the Series by winning at Cornell to force a game seven. The string of road wins ended when the home-standing Cardinals captured the Series title with a 2-1 victory behind the strong pitching of Irv Young. Emington second baseman Adam Bordeaux became the first Series MVP (.440 average-eight RBIs) to play on the losing side. Forrest pitching ace Addie Joss (25-11, 1.61 ERA, eight shutouts) won his third AL Golden Arm Award in four years. Pontiac right-hander Sam McDill took NL honors (27-9, 1.99 ERA). Silver Bat winners were the AL's Harry Lumley (.292-4 home runs-79 RBIs) of Graymont and the NL's Fred Clarke (.372-1 homer-83 RBIs) of Fairbury. Oscar Jones of Cornell set a single-game strikeout record by fanning 23 in an 11-inning performance. Emington's Willy Wilson threw the first no-hitter since 1903.

1907
The World Series was a matchup of the 1903 champion Fairbury Hawks (95-59) and the 1904 champion Graymont Giants (94-60). Fairbury became the first team to win a second World Championship by taking the Series 4-1. Golden Arm Award winner Noodles Hahn (26-11, 1.49 ERA) was the Series MVP by going 2-0 and allowing just one earned run in 18 innings. Graymont's Hooks Wiltse (23-8, 1.59 ERA) was the AL Golden Arm winner. The Silver Bat Awards went to Blackstone second baseman Marvin Moore (.309-4 home runs-73 RBIs) in the AL and Fairbury outfielder Fred Clarke (.342-0-64) in the NL. Clarke, who banged out 201 hits, won the honor for the second straight season. Despite playing for a last-place team, Pontiac ace Sam McDill set a record by striking out 394 batters. McDill tossed a no-hitter as well.

1908
Blackstone roared out the gate with a 15-0 start en route to a record-setting 103-51 season. In fact, the Bears clinched the AL pennant on Sept. 3, faster than any team to date. They finished an incredible 24 games in front of second-place Forrest. The Bears were lead by Golden Arm Award winner Andy Coakley (28-10, 2.33 ERA, five shutouts) and right-hander Weldon Henley (26-10, 2.71). Odell won its first pennant going 87-67 in the NL. The Rams were bolstered by Golden Arm recipient Ed Walsh (26-9, 1.33, eight shutouts) and key aquisitions Addie Joss (21-14, 1.60), Sam Crawford (.319-57 RBIs-43 steals) and George Stone (.295-14 triples). Odell bested second-place Chatsworth by four games. The Rams were no match for the Bears in the World Series. Blackstone took the championship 4-1 behind the MVP performance of second baseman Marvin Moore (.455-one homer-four RBIs). Long Point's Michael Losada (.308-five homers-82 RBIs) won the AL Silver Bat Award. Dwight's Roy Thomas (.378-0 homers-64 RBIs) won the NL honors. Graymont's Hooks Wiltse hurled a no-hitter.

1909
Blackstone became the first dominant team in LCL history. After playing .500 baseball for the season's first two months, the Bears captured the AL pennant with a 95-59 record. Blackstone then swept NL champion Dwight 4-0 to win its second consecutive World Series. Dwight (84-70) returned to the Series for the first time since 1904. Leading the Blackstone Bear attack was Silver Bat Award winner Young Upshaw. The left fielder, who signed as a free agent in February, batted .298 with one home run and 88 RBIs. Second baseman Eddie Tutten was the Series MVP by batting .529. Star pitcher Andy Coakley won two games, including a game one shutuout. Cayuga's Lew Richie, the 1906 Rookie of the Year, captured the AL Golden Arm Award (25-12, 1.92 ERA, five shutouts). Chatsworth's Martin Glendon won the NL award (22-13, 1.69 ERA, six shutouts, 300 strikeouts). Oliver Dollard of Pontiac was the NL Silver Bat winner (.283, 11 home runs, 84 RBIs). Dollard, the 1903 Rookie of the Year, also set a league record with 45 doubles.

1910
This season saw the closest pennant races in history. Emington pulled out of a mid-September three-way tie for first place to capture the AL flag with an 83-71 record. The Patriots, the 1906 AL champions, finished two games in front of surprising St. Paul. In the NL, the Odell Rams returned to the World Series for the first time since 1908. The Rams overcame injuries to several key players as they ran off 11 straight wins in September to pull away from the pack. Odell posted an 88-66 mark and finished five games ahead of Fairbury. The Rams became the first team in LCL history to lead the league in hitting, pitching and fielding. After dropping the Series opener in its home ballpark, Odell reeled off four straight wins to claim its first championship. Second baseman Eddie Collins was the Series MVP by batting .524 with a record 11 hits (a mark he shared with teammate Frank "Home Run" Baker). Collins reached base his first seven times in the Series (six hits, one walk). Remarkable Addie Joss won two Series games, lifting his career post-season record to 4-1. Short stop Marc Jason hit .381 and drove in five runs while playing in his third straight Fall Classic. Golden Arm Awards were issued to Fairbury's George McQuillan (26-11, 1.76 ERA, nine shutouts) in the NL and Flanagan's Roy Hitt (19-8, 1.69 ERA, two shutouts) in the AL. Silver Bat Awards went to Cullom's Fred Clarke (.352-69 RBIs) in the NL and Emington's Nathan Hammons (.312-seven home runs-89 RBIs). Clarke previously won the award twice with Fairbury. Watty Lee of Chatsworth hurled the season's only no-hitter.

1911
For just the second time in league history, the World Series went seven games. The Chatsworth Blue Jays, champions of the NL, defeated the Cayuga Braves four games to three to claim their first title. Golden Arm Award winner Martin Glendon (24-14, 1.83 ERA, eight shutouts) earned the victory in the deciding Series game for Chatsworth. Glendon, who went 2-1 in the Series, was the post-season MVP. Second baseman Miller Huggins ignited the Blue Jay offense by hitting .440 in the Fall Classic. Chatsworth won the NL with a 96-58 record. Cayuga, playing in its first Series since 1903, took the AL flag with a 92-62 mark. Lew Richie of the Braves won the Golden Arm Award with a 27-9 record, 1.69 ERA, and eight shutouts. Graymont's Leonard Juliano was the AL Silver Bat winner (AL record .359-seven home runs-58 RBIs). Pontiac's Jesse Huffaker won the NL honor (.296-nine home runs-86 RBIs). Jim Scott of Emington threw two no-hitters (only 16 days apart). Cayuga's Roger Bresnahan won his fifth Golden Glove Award in right field.

1912
Three seasons after winning its second consecutive World Series title, the Blackstone Bears clawed their way back to the Fall Classic. The Bears won the AL crown with a 98-56 record, finishing 13 games ahead of second-place Emington. The Bears' Series opponent was Cornell, the 1906 world champions. The Cardinals captured the NL title with a 97-57 season, 12 games ahead of Fairbury. Blackstone took game one of the Fall Classic by winning 3-1 in an incredible 19 innings. The Cardinals returned the favor the following day with a 5-4 victory in 13 innings. After Cornell won game three to go up two games to one, Blackstone reeled off three straight wins to claim its third World Series championship. The Bears' first baseman Ed Konetchy took MVP honors by batting .345 in the Series. He also displayed remarkable fielding to illustrate why he was a three-time Golden Glove winner. Blackstone holds a 12-3 record in World Series games. St. Paul swept the two big AL awards with Eddie Plank winning the Golden Arm (23-12, 2.15 ERA, four shutouts) and Nathan Hammons winning the Silver Bat (.284-six home runs-87 RBIs). Hammons, however, left the Saints after the season via free agency in a salary dispute. NL awards went to Cornell's Red Ames (27-9, 1.73 ERA, nine shutuouts) and Fairbury's Charlie Killinger (.306-four home runs-88 RBIs). Killinger, a third baseman, also won the Golden Glove for the fifth time. Fairbury's Duffy Lewis set an NL rookie record with 179 hits (good for a .330 average). The LCL Hall of Fame also opened its doors in December 1912 in recognition of the league's 10th anniversary. Pitcher Jack Powell and outfielder Fred Clarke were the inagural inductees.

1913
The Cayuga Braves survived the closest race in LCL history and then captured the World Series 4-1 over Cornell. The Braves won the AL crown on the last day of the regular season. Following a 7-3 run to pull even with St. Paul (the Saints went 3-7 in that same stretch) in the standings, the Braves defeated Graymont 4-3 in 11 innings on a pennant-winning single by left fielder Kevin Gayhart (St. Paul lost 3-2 to Flanagan). Thus, Cayuga (86-69) won the flag by one game over the Saints. Defending champion Blackstone finished two games back, and Forrest was four out. Cornell won the NL with an 87-67 mark, finishing four games ahead of Fairbury. Gayhart, who was a reserve on Cornell's 1906 world champions, won the Fall Classic MVP by batting .350 with four RBIs. Forrest's Lew Richie won his third Golden Arm Award by going 28-9 with a 1.88 ERA and tossing six shutouts. Richie had previously won the award in 1909 and 1911. Fairbury's George McQuillan won the honor in the NL by posting a 25-11 record, 2.06 ERA, and had one shutout. McQuillan also won the honor in 1910. St. Paul's Ty Cobb won the AL Silver Bat by hitting .333 with three home runs and 80 RBIs. Jesse Huffaker of Pontiac took NL honors at .277 with 13 homers and 90 RBIs. Emington's Phillip Serra threw the league's only no-hitter.

1914
The year belonged to Odell ace Ed Walsh. After winning the NL Golden Arm Award (27-11, 2.01 ERA, six shutouts) and pitching the Rams to the pennant, Walsh turned in the greatest World Series performance to date. Big Ed set Series records by posting a 3-0 record with a miniscule 0.33 ERA (just one earned run in 27 innings). Walsh allowed just 17 hits, two walks, and struck out 21 as Odell upset Blackstone four games to two in a rematch of the 1908 Series. The Bears were heavy favorites after rolling to the AL pennant with a 100-54 record (still, they only finished one game ahead of St. Paul). Odell, meanwhile, took the NL flag with an 89-65 mark. St. Paul, second-place finishers for the second straight year, boasted four 20-game winners--Golden Arm winner Nap Rucker (28-9, 1.64 ERA, five shutouts), Jim Scott (28 wins), Joe Wood (28 wins), and George McQuillan (27 wins). Rucker came to the Saints on June 30 in a blockbuster deal that sent free agent-to-be Red Ames to Blackstone. Scott made history by hurling his third career no-hitter on July 11. Moreover, Scott hit a 420-foot home run in the 2-0 victory over Graymont. Scott's teammate Ty Cobb won his second consecutive Silver Bat Award by hitting a league-leading .357 with two homers, 65 RBIs, and 12 steals. Cobb set an AL single-season record with 223 hits. Cullom's Steve Evans won the NL award by hitting .316 with three homers and 69 RBIs.

1915
A new season brought a new champion. After winning the NL flag, the Dwight Trojans (91-63) defeated the Blackstone Bears (92-62) four games to two for their first World Series title. The Trojans were led by Golden Arm Award winner Weldon Henley (26-11, 2.78 ERA, five shutouts). Left fielder Young Upshaw was the Series MVP by batting .435 with five RBIs. Dwight gained revenge on Blackstone for having been swept in the 1909 Series by the Bears. Dwight also played in the 1904 Fall Classic. For Blackstone, the Series was bittersweet. It marked the fifth occasion that the Bears had played in the Series. After winning its first three appearances, Blackstone now has lost two straight Fall Classics. David Pylant of AL runner-up Forrest won the Silver Bat Award (.299 and league records with 18 home runs and 112 RBIs). Odell's Frank "Wildfire" Schulte won the NL award (.354-two homers-65 RBIs). Red Ames began the season with Forrest before an early summer trade returned him to St. Paul. The veteran right-hander won his second Golden Arm Award by going 25-5 with a 1.44 ERA, 200 strikeouts and eight shutouts. Blackstone's Phillip Serra threw the second no-hitter of his career (the first came in 1913). Serra struck out 12 St. Paul batters in his gem.

1916
Fairbury captured its record-tying third World Series by outlasting AL champion St. Paul 2-1 in an 11-inning game seven battle. The NL champion Hawks (98-56) came from behind for three of its World Series victories to upset the Saints, winners of a record-setting 106 regular-season games. St. Paul, perennial bridesmaids in the AL, appeared on its way to the Fall Classic title. All-time LCL wins leader Red Ames tossed a no-hitter through seven innings before yielding the tying run in the bottom of the eighth. Ames, who gave up just two hits and walked none, dueled Fairbury's Claude Hendrix through 10 innings. The Saints left men stranded in scoring position countless times, including a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the first. Ames was eventually lifted for a pinch-hitter in the 11th. The Saints' Gene Packard, winner of 24 games during the season, suffered his second bad outing of the Series by giving up an inning-opening double to the Hawks' Howard Smith. Things were looking up for St. Paul when Packard threw Smith out at third on a poor sacrifice bunt attempt by pinch-hitter Eddie Grant. However, lead-off hitter Larry Doyle singled Grant to third and then proceeded to steal second. Smokey Joe Wood relieved Packard and retired Dino McCelvey on a pop out. The Saints then intentionally walked two-time Silver Bat Award winner Nathan Hammons. The strategy backfired, however, as Wood walked in the Series-ending run by throwing four straight balls to George Neagle. The Hawks added this World Series title to the championships they won in 1903 and 1907. Hendrix, who was 2-1 in the Series, was the Fall Classic MVP. St. Paul's Ty Cobb won his third Silver Bat Award (.349-five home runs-100 RBIs) as Pontiac's Jesse Huffaker (.317-12 home runs-76 RBIs) in the NL. Forrest's Lew Richie claimed his fourth Golden Arm Award (21-6, 1.33 ERA, seven shutouts) in the AL, while Chatsworth's Chief Bender (25-11, 1.85 ERA, 9 shutouts, 213 strikeouts) took NL honors. World Series hero Neagle set a single-season record with 17 triples, as did St. Paul's Buck Herzog (115 runs) and Odell's Ray Chapman (63 stolen bases). Pat Bohen of Flanagan and Bill Chappelle of Long Point each threw the first no-hitters in their franchises' histories. The Hall of Fame opened its doors to pitchers Addie Joss (Forrest, 1903-07; Odell, 1908-'16; Graymont-Blackstone, 1916) and Hooks Wiltse (Saunemin-Graymont, 1904-'08; Forrest, 1908; Pontiac, 1908-'14; Flanagan, 1915-'16).

1917
With the bitter taste of losing game seven of the World Series the previous fall, the St. Paul Saints weren't about to be denied during 1917. The Saints steamrolled through the AL with a record-setting 113-41 record. St. Paul, which finished a record 28 games ahead of second-place Forrest, enjoyed winning streaks of 14, 12, 11, and 10 games during the course of the season. St. Paul then exacted revenge by sweeping Fairbury 4-0 in a rematch of the '16 Series. Saints' ace Red Ames was the Series MVP. Fairbury (88-66) won the NL by two games over Odell. The Hawks were sparked by pitchers Slim Salee (25-13, 2.64 ERA) and Claude Hendrix (20-16, 3.07 ERA). St. Paul boasted four 20-game winners--Grover Cleveland Alexander (26-8), Smokey Joe Wood (25-8), Nap Rucker (24-9) and Ames (30-7). Ames won the Golden Arm Award by becoming the LCL's first pitcher to win 30 games in a season. The Saints' right-hander also posted a 1.63 ERA to lead the league. St. Paul had three hitters in the league's top 10 with Silver Bat Award winner Ty Cobb (.360-two home runs-80 RBIs), Marc Jason (.332), and Tris Speaker (.308). It marked the fourth time Cobb has won the Silver Bat Award. Meanwhile, Young Upshaw of Dwight captured the NL award by batting .330 with seven homers and 68 RBIs. Cullom's George Hunter (26-10, 1.82 ERA, five shutouts) won the NL Golden Arm Award. Odell's Roy Hitt threw an 11-inning no-hitter on September 7 against Pontiac. The Hall of Fame inducted outfielder Roger Bresnahan.

1918
After several near misses over the years, the league saw its first crosstown World Series as the defending champion St. Paul Saints of the American League squared off with the two-time titlists Odell Rams of the National League. The Saints coasted to the AL flag a whopping 23 games ahead of second-place Emington. St. Paul, 103-51, boasted a pitching staff of Red Ames (25-10), Grover Cleveland Alexander (29-9), Nap Rucker (20-10) and Smokey Joe Wood (20-13). Ames won the Golden Arm Award for the fourth time (and second straight). Along with his 25 victories, Ames posted a 1.42 ERA, eight shutouts, and 229 strikeouts. Ty Cobb and Braggo Roth sparked the Saints offense. Cobb won his fifth Silver Bat Award (and third straight) by setting AL records with a .368 average and a 29-game hitting streak. Roth drove home 102 runs while rookie catcher Johnny Bassler batted .331 with 68 RBIs. All-Star second baseman Michael Losada hit .300, knocked in 89 runs and stole 50 bases. Meanwhile on the east side of town, Odell took home its fourth NL pennant. The Rams, 93-61, featured Golden Arm Award winner Stanley Coveleski (24-12, 1.44 ERA, nine shutouts, 202 strikeouts), Ed Walsh (20-15) and Roy Hitt (20-5). Ram second baseman Mickey Rawlings led the NL with 11 home runs while short stop Ray Chapman lead the league with 55 stolen bases. All-Star first baseman George Sisler hit .342 and Oscar Gober swatted 10 homers for the Rams. The town of Odell was mesmerized as the Rams raced to a 3-1 Series lead. St. Paul rallied with back-to-back one-run victories to tie the Series and force game seven. With a standing-room only crowd at Miller Memorial Park, the Rams claimed their third Series crown with a 2-1 win. Chapman, who injured his ankle in game six and was questionable for the deciding game, singled home the winning run in the bottom of the eighth off Wood. Coveleski then left the potential tying run stranded at second base to give Odell the title. Earlier in the game, left fielder Horace Milan made two spectacular catches on drives off the bat of Cobb to save at least three runs. Coveleski was named Series MVP with his two wins and 1.48 ERA. Cullom's Jack Dalton won the NL Silver Bat Award by hitting .320 with one homer and 80 RBIs. Pontiac's Willy Wilson threw the league's only no-hitter on August 6.

1919
The World Series trophy moved from the east side of town to the west as St. Paul swept Odell in a rematch of last season's crosstown Fall Classic. Still smarting from a game seven loss the previous season, St. Paul left nothing to chance this time around. Golden Arm Award winner Red Ames (24-9, 1.26 ERA, nine shutouts) won two games and allowed just one run in 18 innings en route to the Series MVP. In fact, St. Paul had a more difficult time winning its fourth straight AL pennant. For the first time in league history, a special one-game playoff had to be held as the Saints and Blackstone were tied for first place after the 154-game schedule was completed. St. Paul won the playoff 4-3 in 11 innings to advance to the Series. In addition to Ames, the Saints were led by pitchers Grover Cleveland Alexander (25-13, 2.39 ERA) and Babe Ruth (17-9, 1.83 ERA). The Saints' Ty Cobb won his sixth (and fourth straight) Silver Bat Award with a .364 average, one home run, and 71 RBIs. This was the seventh time in eight years that a St. Paul player had won the Silver Bat. Saints' short stop Marc Jason led the AL with 85 RBIs but missed the Series with a late-season injury. Odell won the NL with a 95-59 record. The Rams finished eight games ahead of second-place Saunemin. Odell's offense was paced by George Sisler (.302-71 RBIs-23 steals), Mickey Rawlings (.298-10 homers-73 RBIs), Eddie Collins (.304-17 steals) and Happy Felsch (.304). Stanley Coveleski (28-9, 1.91 ERA, eight shutouts) edged out teammate Roy Hitt (28-9, 1.97 ERA) for his second straight NL Golden Arm Award. Ram pitcher Ed Walsh (16-18, 2.81 ERA) suffered his first losing season since 1904. Forrest's Quinton Martin won the NL Silver Bat Award (.283-11 homers-80 RBIs). Ames threw the season's first no-hitter on April 13. Cullom's Dan Tipple tossed no-hitters on May 21 and June 24.

1920
League officials and owners, worried that St. Paul's dominance would hurt the league as a whole, agreed to make all players free agents. Each team was given a $50 million budget and a draft was held to stock the rosters. Fairbury was awarded the draft's first pick via a lottery. The Hawks selected Babe Ruth, formerly a St. Paul pitcher turned slugging outfielder, as the No. 1 overall pick. Ruth paid immediate dividends setting league records with 45 home runs and 123 RBIs to win the AL's Most Valuable Player Award (formerly the Silver Bat Award). To put Ruth's home run total into proper perspective, consider that Cy Williams of Pontiac finished second in the LCL with 18 round-trippers. Interestingly, a number of players including star pitchers Red Ames and Ed Walsh made the decision to retire rather than be drafted by a new team. Both pitchers were named to the Hall of Fame. Despite the league's restructuring, St. Paul returned to the World Series after winning the AL pennant with a 89-65 record. Cornell won the NL flag with a 92-62 record. The Cardinals took 2-0 and 3-1 Series leads before St. Paul stormed back to win a game seven thriller. St. Paul tied Odell and Fairbury by winning the Series three times. The Saints' Grover Cleveland Alexander won the Golden Arm Award by going 29-9 with a 2.15 ERA and eight shutouts. Odell's Wilbur Cooper won the NL award with a 26-10 record, 2.58 ERA and one shutout. Cornell's Harry Heilmann won the NL MVP by batting .337 with 17 homers and 107 RBIs. Long Point's Dave Robertson established a record by hitting in 32 straight games.

1921
The Dead Ball Era was officially buried. Perhaps pitchers Red Ames and Ed Walsh knew best when they retired a year earlier. This season will forever be known as the year the offensive record book was rewritten. Babe Ruth became the first player in league history to win the Triple Crown. The Bambino did so by setting LCL records for home runs (52), walks (148) and RBIs (151). In addition, Ruth set an AL record by batting .397. Cornell's Rogers Hornsby set LCL records for batting average (.420), hits (250), doubles (50) and runs scored (119). While both men won the MVP, it was Hornsby's Cornell Cardinals that won the World Series, 4-1 over Ruth's Fairbury Hawks. St. Paul, which did not play in the Series for the first time since 1915, finished three games behind Fairbury. Grover Cleveland Alexander won his second straight Golden Arm Award by posting a 20-8 record with a 1.81 ERA and eight shutouts. St. Paul has won the Golden Arm Award five straight years and 10 of the last 12. Pontiac's Jesse Barnes won the NL award by going 23-11 with a 1.66 ERA and seven shutouts.

1922
When league officials decided to restructure the LCL in 1920, they had teams like Flanagan in mind. From 1903-1919, the Falcons never finished higher than fifth place. In fact, Flanagan finished last 11 times. Following the league's major changes in '20, the Falcons took flight by finishing third for two straight seasons. In 1922, Flanagan soared to new heights: a World Series title. The Falcons won 92 games and then rallied from a 3-1 deficit to upset heavily favored Cornell to win the title. The Cardinals, playing in their third consecutive Series, posted a 100-54 record. Flanagan's Leon Cadore won the AL Golden Arm Award (16-4, 1.44 ERA, two shutouts). Joining Cadore in anchoring the Falcon staff was Howard Ehmke (19-12, 3.44 ERA). Veteran Eddie Collins (.304-6-58) led the Flanagan offense. Collins became the World Series leader in games played (34) and hits (33). He previously played in five World Series with Odell. Ross Youngs of Forrest won the AL's MVP Award (.341, seven homers, 75 RBIs). Long Point's Bill Doak (23-6, 1.83 ERA, four shutouts) and Bob Meusel (.348-15-90) swept the NL awards. Two-time Golden Arm Award winner Grover Cleveland Alexander set a record by striking out 17 batters in one game. However, after St. Paul fell out of the pennant race the Saints traded Alexander to Emington. While trying to pitch the Patriots to the pennant (they would finish two games out), Alexander suffered a career-ending back injury. Alexander's lifetime record was 130-59 with five 20-victory seasons. He won 29 games twice. Alexander was instrumental in St. Paul winning four AL pennants and three World Series titles. One of the major factors in St. Paul's trading of Alexander was payroll reduction. The Saints shelled out a record five-year, $110 million contract to free agent slugger Babe Ruth. However, Ruth suffered through an injury-plagued season. His final numbers (.341, 29 home runs, 76 RBIs), while solid, were a disappointment.

1923
For the second straight season the Flanagan Falcons met the Cornell Cardinals in the World Series. And for the second straight season, Flanagan took the title. The Falcons, perennial losers for numerous seasons, won the AL pennant (82-72) by finishing two games ahead of Emington and Fairbury. The Falcons were led by Golden Arm Award winner Howard Ehmke, who led the league in wins (24), ERA (2.26) and strikeouts (245). Lefty Williams and Leon Cadore won 19 and 18 games respectively for Flanagan. Irish Meusel sparked the Falcon offense (.289-18-92). Cornell, NL champions for the fourth straight season, finished 94-60. Top Cardinal performers included Bob Jones (.351-14-89) and Joe Jackson (.285-83 RBIs-93 runs). Elam Vanglider led the Cornell staff with 19 victories. The Cardinals appeared on the verge of forcing a game seven in the Series, but blew a 5-1 ninth-inning lead in game six. Flanagan rallied to take the game and Series title 6-5 on Roger Peckinpaugh's two-run single. Falcon first baseman Joe Judge earned Series MVP honors by batting .391 with three RBIs. Babe Ruth of St. Paul won the AL MVP by winning his second Triple Crown in three years (.364-47-129). Pontiac, which finished three games behind Cornell in the NL race, took both the Golden Arm Award (Jesse Barnes, 23-8, 2.78) and MVP (Cy Williams, .356-24-100). Veteran Tris Speaker of Saunemin set a record for doubles with 56, while Harry Courtney of Long Point established a new mark for strikeouts with 277. The league had not seen a no-hitter since 1919. Three pitchers threw no-hitters this season: Chatsworth's Cactus Keck, Cullom's Jimmy Zin and Forrest's Mule Watson.

1924
The league's 1920 restructuring produced another new champion as the Pontiac Indians defeated Flanagan 4-1 in the World Series. On August 15, the Indians were 10 games behind Long Point in the NL standings. From that point on everything seemed to go right for Pontiac while Long Point slipped into a series of losing streaks. The Indians, in fact, won 14 of their last 15 games to force a first-place tie and a one-game playoff to determine the NL champion. Pontiac, 89-65, beat Long Point's 25-game winner Harry Courtney 6-2 and advance to the Series. Pontiac's stars included NL Golden Arm Award winner Epp Sell (23-7, 2.35 ERA, three shutouts), Jesse Barnes (20-12) and two-time league MVP Cy Williams (.332-16-83). Flanagan won the AL for the third straight season with a 91-63 record. Lee King (.316-15-95) and Joe Judge (.318-2-72) paced the Falcon offense while Monty Swartz (21-10, 2.12 ERA) and Lefty Williams (15-5, 2.87 ERA) bolstered the pitching staff. The Series was one-sided as Pontiac took its first title in its 21-year history behind the performances of Barnes (2-0, 2.50 ERA) and Williams (.364-2-5). Barnes left the Indians after the season to sign a free agent contract with Cullom. Second-place St. Paul swept the AL awards. Babe Ruth won his third MVP in four years by again winning the Triple Crown with a .395 average with a record-tying 52 home runs, 130 runs scored and 131 runs driven in. Teammate Burleigh Grimes won the Golden Arm Award with a 26-10 record, 2.95 ERA and four shutouts. St. Paul has won the Silver Bat/MVP Award and the Golden Arm nine times. Cullom rookie Joe Martina tossed the season's only no-hitter on May 4.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY LEAGUE AWARDS

Golden Arm Award

National League-American League
1903--Jack Taylor, Cullom; Addie Joss, Forrest
1904--Noodles Hahn, Fairbury; Watty Lee, Graymont
1905--Ed Walsh, Cornell; Addie Joss, Forrest
1906--Sam McDill, Pontac; Addie Joss, Forrest
1907--Noodles Hahn, Fairbury; Hooks Wiltse, Graymont
1908--Ed Walsh, Odell; Andy Coakley, Blackstone
1909--Martin Glendon, Chatsworth; Lew Richie, Cayuga
1910--George McQuillan, Fairbury; Roy Hitt, Flanagan
1911--Martin Glendon, Chatsworth; Lew Richie, Cayuga
1912--Red Ames, Cornell; Eddie Plank, St. Paul
1913--George McQuillan, Fairbury;Lew Richie, Forrest
1914--Ed Walsh, Odell; Nap Rucker, St. Paul
1915--Weldon Henley, Dwight; Red Ames, St. Paul
1916--Chief Bender, Chatsworth; Lew Richie, Forrest
1917--George Hunter, Cullom; Red Ames, St. Paul
1918--Stanley Coveleski, Odell; Red Ames, St. Paul
1919--Stanley Coveleski, Odell; Red Ames, St. Paul
1920--Wilbur Cooper, Odell; Grover C. Alexander, St. Paul
1921--Jesse Barnes, Pontiac; Grover C. Alexander, St. Paul
1922--Bill Doak, Long Point; Leon Cadore, Flanagan
1923--Jesse Barnes, Pontiac; Howard Ehmke, Flanagan
1924--Epp Sell, Pontiac; Burleigh Grimes, St. Paul

Silver Bat Award

1903--Mike Donlin, Dwight; Nap Lajoie, Forrest
1904--Cy Seymour, Dwight; Honus Wagner, St. Paul
1905--Johnny Evers, Cullom; David Pylant, Forrest
1906--Fred Clarke, Fairbury; Harry Lumley, Graymont
1907--Fred Clarke, Fairbury; Marvin Moore, Blackstone
1908--Roy Thomas, Dwight; Michael Losada, Long Point
1909--Oliver Dollard, Pontiac; Young Upshaw, Blackstone
1910--Fred Clarke, Cullom; Nathan Hammons, Emington
1911--Jesse Huffaker, Pontiac; Leonard Juliano, Graymont
1912--Charlie Killinger, Fairbury; Nathan Hammons, St. Paul
1913--Jesse Huffaker, Pontiac; Ty Cobb, St. Paul
1914--Steve Evans, Cullom; Ty Cobb, St. Paul
1915--Frank Schulte, Odell; David Pylant, Forrest
1916--Jesse Huffaker, Pontiac; Ty Cobb, St. Paul
1917--Young Upshaw, Dwight; Ty Cobb, St. Paul
1918--Jack Dalton, Cullom; Ty Cobb, St. Paul
1919--Quinton Martin, Forrest; Ty Cobb, St. Paul
1920--Harry Heilmann, Cornell; Babe Ruth, Fairbury
1921--Rogers Hornsby, Cornell; Babe Ruth, Fairbury
1922--Bob Meusel, Long Point; Ross Youngs, Forrest
1923--Cy Williams, Pontiac; Babe Ruth, St. Paul
1924--Cy Williams, Pontiac; Babe Ruth, St. Paul

LIVINGSTON COUNTY LEAGUE HALL OF FAME

The LCL Hall of Fame also opened its doors in December 1912 in recognition of the league's 10th anniversary. The Hall is located in the basement of the Odell Community Hall. Pitcher Jack Powell and outfielder Fred Clarke were the inaugural inductees. Powell, who pitched for Emington and Dwight, posted a 147-113 record. He was a four-time, 20-game winner and threw the first no-hitter in LCL history. He played in two World Series (1906 with Emington and 1909 with Dwight). Clarke, who played for Fairbury and Cullom, banged out 1,794 hits for a career .349 average. Clarke won three Silver Bats and played in three World Series (winning in 1903 with Fairbury).

1914
The Hall of Fame inducted Nap Lajoie, who played with Forrest (1903-06) and Emington (1907-13). Lajoie batted .298 for his career and stole 326 bases. He won the 1903 Silver Bat (.352-11-78), two Golden Gloves (1906, 1911), and was a seven-time All-Star at second base. Lajoie won the 1905 World Series with Forrest and played in the 1910 Fall Classic with Emington.

1917
The Hall of Fame opened its doors to pitchers Addie Joss (Forrest, 1903-07; Odell, 1908-'16; Graymont-Blackstone, 1916), Hooks Wiltse (Saunemin-Graymont, 1904-'08; Forrest, 1908; Pontiac, 1908-'14; Flanagan, 1915-'16) and outfielder Roger Bresnahan (Odell, 1903-08; Cayuga 1908-16). Joss posted a 215-159 career record and 4-1 mark in World Series competition. He finished his career among the all-time leaders in ERA (third), shutouts (fifth), wins and complete games (seventh) and strikeouts (14th). Joss was a three-time World Series champion and three-time Golden Arm Award winner. Wiltse was 204-183 in his career with a no-hitter in 1908. Wiltse ended his career among the all-time leaders in complete games (fifth), wins and shutouts (ninth) and strikeouts (12th). He won the 1907 Golden Arm Award. Bresnahan batted .292 with 13 home runs and 765 RBIs in his career. In addition, he collected 2,301 hits and stole 455 bases. Bresnahan was a six-time All-Star and five-time Golden Glove recipient. He enjoyed a 25-game hitting streak in 1904. Bresnahan played in the 1911 World Series and started on the 1913 champion Cayuga Braves.

1919
Pitchers Frank Owen, Doc White and outfielder Sam Crawford were inducted. Owen played with five teams during his 16-year career. His best seasons came as an All-Star selection with Cornell in 1912 and '13. An eight-time Gold Glove winner, Owen was 253-234 with a 2.53 ERA in his career. He pitched in the 1907 World Series with Fairbury and threw a no-hitter in 1909. White, a six-time All-Star, pitched for seven league teams. He compiled a 284-240 record with a 2.31 ERA. White was a member of the World Champion Cayuga Braves in 1913. Wahoo Sam Crawford, a six-time All-Star, batted .300 with 2,778 hits and 52 home runs during his 16-year career. The left-handed hitting right fielder led the LCL in stolen bases three times (1907, '11, '12), hits twice (1905, '07), runs twice (1907, '12), batting once (1907) and triples once (1911). He won the World Series three times with Odell (1910, '14, '18). Crawford was a .325 career hitter in the Fall Classic.

1920
It seems only natural that Red Ames and Ed Walsh would go into the Hall of Fame together. Although Walsh began his career two years earlier than Ames, the right-handers battled each other for the next 13 seasons to determine who was baseball's top pitcher. In the end, Ames and Walsh finished 1-2 in nearly all major pitching categories. Ames wound up as the LCL's all-time leaders in wins (356), strikeouts (2,993), ERA (1.59) and shutouts (91). In addition, Ames won the AL Golden Arm Award five times (1912, 1915, 1917, 1918, 1919). He played on St. Paul's pennant-winning teams of 1916-1919 and was named World Series MVP in 1917 and 1919. Ames was the first pitcher to win 30 games in a single season (1917). He began his career with Chatsworth (1906), before moving to Cornell (1907-1913). Ames then spent the remainder of his career at St. Paul with the exception of brief stints with Blackstone (1914) and Forrest (1915). Walsh finished as the league's runner-up in career wins (332), strikeouts (2,864), ERA (2.38) and shutouts (76). "Big Ed" began his career with a late-season call-up by Cornell in 1904. The next season, Walsh won the NL Golden Arm Award while still being classified as a rookie. He joined Odell two seasons later and won the NL Golden Arm Award twice (1908 & 1914) more. Walsh pitched for the Rams in the World Series of 1910, 1914, and 1919. His finest season was 1914. That year Walsh posted a 27-11 record with a 2.01 ERA and six shutouts. He then was selected as the Series MVP with a 3-0 record and an incredible 0.33 ERA. He had only two losing seasons in his remarkable career.