[MattD]

Major League Baseball - 1903
AMERICAN LEAGUE

Team Reviews

BOSTON (A) PILGRIMS (104-50) - The Pilgrims are stacked in every sense of the word. Carl Lundgren was 28-6 and won the Spalding Award. Rube Waddell and Jack Chesbro also won at least 20 games. Despite an injury late in the season to Fred Clarke (.341), Boston had plentty of pop in the lineup. All nine players who appeared in at least 100 games batted over .280. 3B Bill Coughlin had one of the most amazing seasons ever, hitting 18 homers, driving home 111, and scoring 124 runs, numbers good enough to win him the Anson Trophy.

CLEVELAND NAPS (91-63) - Jock Menefee (25-6, 2.30) was high on the Spalding Award list, but Rube Vickers and Joe McGinnity also pitched very well. The lineup had the likes of LF Ginger Beaumont (.303, 2, 87), 3B Jimmy Collins (.295, 5, 93), and 1B Fred Tenney (.289, 7, 73).

NEW YORK (A) HIGHLANDERS (83-71) - The franchise had its best season ever in its first year in New York City. John McGraw evidently didn't care where the team played, batting .383 with a .489 on-base percentage, 200 hits, 109 runs, 81 walks, and just seven strikeouts. Herm McFarland had a career-high 98 RBI and 79 walks.

WASHINGTON SENATORS (73-81) - Cy Young continued to dominate (1.28 ERA) but started only 29 games. Heinie Pietz continued to show why he's believed to be the best catcher in the AL, batting .297 with five homers and 84 RBI. Elmer Flick and Ed Delahanty put up their usual numbers, but it wasn't enough to claim a third straight pennant.

CHICAGO (A) WHITE SOX (72-82) - Hughie Jennings, Kid Gleason, Harry Wolverton, and Charlie Hickman all had very good seasons, but the pitching wasn't as good as it has been. Jesse Tannehill tossed well, posting a 2.18 ERA and 21 wins.

DETROIT TIGERS (72-82) - Earl Moore and George Mullin went on the DL early and the Tiger pitching staff was not the same afterwards. CF Billy Hamilton continued to show why he's Detroit's favorite athlete, batting .370 with 200 hits and 45 steals.

ST. LOUIS (A) BROWNS (70-84) - The Brownies did have the second-highest batting average in the league, but also had the second-highest team ERA. C Klondike Douglas was excellent behind the plate, but didn't come through in the clutch situations enough (.343 AVG, but only 41 RBI). Erve Beck, Hugh Duffy, and Buck Freeman all had at least 90 RBI.

PHILADELPHIA (A) ATHLETICS (51-103) - The A's had the worst pitching in the league, and because of it finished with the worst record in American League history. Rookie Kaiser Wilhelm did manage to lose 30 games, setting a record no one would like to hold.

League Leaders
BATTING LEADERS

TOP 10 in BATTING AVG :
.383 John McGraw(NYA,AL)
.370 Billy Hamilton(DET,AL)
.340 Elmer Smith(BOS,AL)
.337 Hughie Jennings(CHA)
.324 Buck Freeman(SLA,AL)
.314 Ed Delahanty(WS1,AL)
.314 Kid Gleason(CHA)
.313 John Anderson(BOS,AL)
.309 Bill Coughlin(BOS,AL)
.304 Charlie Carr(DET)

TOP 10 in HOMERUNS :
18 Bill Coughlin(BOS,AL)
13 Irv Waldron(PHA,AL)
7 Fred Tenney(CLE)
5 Ed Delahanty(WS1,AL)
5 Heinie Peitz(WS1,AL)
5 Buck Freeman(SLA,AL)
5 Joe Sugden(CHA)
5 Elmer Flick( WS1)
5 Jimmy Collins(CLE,AL)
5 Charlie Hickman(CHA)

TOP 10 in RBI :
111 Bill Coughlin(BOS,AL)
100 John Anderson(BOS,AL)
98 Buck Freeman(SLA,AL)
98 Herm McFarland(NYA)
94 Hugh Duffy(SLA,AL)
93 Jimmy Collins(CLE,AL)
90 Erve Beck(SLA,AL)
89 Bert Conn(DET)
89 Boileryard Clarke(BOS)
88 John McGraw(NYA,AL)

TOP 10 in Doubles :
39 Ed Delahanty(WS1,AL)
38 Jimmy Collins(CLE,AL)
34 Bill Coughlin(BOS,AL)
34 Honus Wagner(SLA,AL)
34 Hughie Jennings(CHA)
33 Elmer Smith(BOS,AL)
32 Tom Daly( WS1)
32 Erve Beck(SLA,AL)
31 Bobby Wallace(CLE)
31 George Hogriever(SLA)

TOP 10 in Triples :
21 Jimmy Collins(CLE,AL)
19 Ginger Beaumont(CLE)
19 John McGraw(NYA,AL)
19 Buck Freeman(SLA,AL)
16 Honus Wagner(SLA,AL)
14 Danny Hoffman( DET)
14 Harry Bay(PHA)
14 Charlie Carr(DET)
13 Ed Delahanty(WS1,AL)
13 Fred Clarke(BOS)

TOP 10 in Runs :
124 Bill Coughlin(BOS,AL)
109 Jimmy Collins(CLE,AL)
109 John McGraw(NYA,AL)
102 Freddy Parent(BOS)
94 Jack Doyle(NYA)
94 Willie Keeler(NYA)
93 Honus Wagner(SLA,AL)
93 Ginger Beaumont(CLE)
89 John Anderson(BOS,AL)
88 Hughie Jennings(CHA)

TOP 10 in Stolen Bases :
55 Ginger Beaumont(CLE)
51 Ed Delahanty(WS1,AL)
47 Sam Mertes(PHA)
46 John McGraw(NYA,AL)
45 Billy Hamilton(DET,AL)
45 Tom Daly( WS1)
43 Joe Kelley(PHA)
43 Harry Bay(PHA)
43 Wid Conroy(DET)
43 Cupid Childs(CLE)

TOP 10 in BB's :
81 John McGraw(NYA,AL)
79 Herm McFarland(NYA)
72 Billy Hamilton(DET,AL)
65 Doc Nance(CHA)
65 Fred Tenney(CLE)
65 Jimmy Barrett(WS1)
54 Sam Mertes(PHA)
53 Bill Coughlin(BOS,AL)
53 Heinie Peitz(WS1,AL)
52 Elmer Smith(BOS,AL)

TOP 10 in Strikeouts :
92 Dutch Rudolph( NYA)
58 Simon Nicholls( WS1)
55 Win Kellum(DET)
50 Kaiser Wilhelm( PHA)
49 Jesse Tannehill(CHA,AL)
49 Bill Bernhard(WS1,AL)
44 Doc McJames(SLA)
43 Joe McGinnity(CLE,AL)
40 Doc White(DET)
40 Rube Waddell( BOS)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PITCHING LEADERS

TOP 10 in ERA :
1.28 Cy Young (WS1)
2.11 Bill Bernhard (WS1,AL)
2.19 Jesse Tannehill (CHA,AL)
2.28 Tully Sparks (BOS)
2.30 Jock Menefee (CLE,AL)
2.32 Barney Wolfe ( NYA)
2.37 Rube Vickers (CLE,AL)
2.55 Chief Bender ( NYA)
2.71 Jack Chesbro (BOS,AL)
2.82 Joe McGinnity (CLE,AL)

TOP 10 in WINS :
28 Carl Lundgren (BOS,AL)
25 Jock Menefee (CLE,AL)
24 Jack Chesbro (BOS,AL)
21 Jesse Tannehill (CHA,AL)
20 Rube Waddell ( BOS)
20 Chief Bender ( NYA)
20 Joe McGinnity (CLE,AL)
19 Bill Bernhard (WS1,AL)
18 Doc White (DET)
17 Tully Sparks (BOS)

TOP 10 in LOSSES :
30 Kaiser Wilhelm ( PHA)
23 Doc White (DET)
22 Win Kellum (DET)
20 Doc McJames (SLA)
19 Henry Thielman (SLA)
18 Roy Patterson (NYA)
18 Jesse Tannehill (CHA,AL)
18 Bill Bernhard (WS1,AL)
18 Ted Lewis (PHA)
18 Rube Vickers (CLE,AL)

TOP 10 in SAVES :
4 Kid Nichols (NYA)
4 Lew Moren ( PHA)
4 Jack McAleese (SLA,AL)
3 Mike O'Neill (NYA)
3 Clarence Currie (WS1)
3 George Mullin (DET)
2 Roscoe Miller (NYA)
2 Jimmy Wiggs ( BOS)
2 Ed Murphy (NYA)
2 Rube Vickers (CLE,AL)

TOP 10 in COMPLETE GAMES :
37 Bill Bernhard (WS1,AL)
36 Joe McGinnity (CLE,AL)
36 Doc White (DET)
36 Win Kellum (DET)
34 Jesse Tannehill (CHA,AL)
33 Henry Thielman (SLA)
32 Carl Lundgren (BOS,AL)
32 Jack Chesbro (BOS,AL)
32 Chief Bender ( NYA)
30 Rube Vickers (CLE,AL)

TOP 10 in SHUTOUTS :
4 Jesse Tannehill (CHA,AL)
4 Barney Wolfe ( NYA)
3 Rube Vickers (CLE,AL)
3 Win Mercer (PHA)
3 Chief Bender ( NYA)
2 Doc White (DET)
2 Joe McGinnity (CLE,AL)
2 Al Orth (CHA)
2 Jock Menefee (CLE,AL)
2 Bill Bernhard (WS1,AL)

TOP 10 in K's :
216 Doc White (DET)
119 Rube Waddell ( BOS)
110 Watty Lee (WS1)
107 Chief Bender ( NYA)
100 Rube Vickers (CLE,AL)
99 Harry Howell ( DET)
92 Jack Harper (CLE)
89 Bill Bernhard (WS1,AL)
85 Jesse Tannehill (CHA,AL)
73 Kaiser Wilhelm ( PHA)

TOP 10 in BB's :
104 Kaiser Wilhelm ( PHA)
103 Henry Thielman (SLA)
102 Doc McJames (SLA)
90 Carl Lundgren (BOS,AL)
85 Rube Waddell ( BOS)
82 Chief Bender ( NYA)
74 Joe McGinnity (CLE,AL)
70 Bill Bernhard (WS1,AL)
70 Harry Howell ( DET)
69 Rube Vickers (CLE,AL)