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Big Six · 06-22-2009, 08:36 PM

1911 Season Summary

Code:

TEAM           W   L    PCT  GB  RS   RA    OPS  ERA
Geneva        110  40  .733  --  813  513  .724  2.49
Waterloo       76  74  .507  34  763  701  .759  3.46 
Seneca Falls   74  76  .493  36  641  745  .669  3.87
Watkins Glen   67  83  .447  43  744  766  .720  3.54
Penn Yan       67  83  .447  43  728  791  .710  3.77
Canandaigua    56  94  .373  54  647  820  .649  3.89

The 1911 season witnessed the emergence of a superteam. The Geneva Green Sox won the regular season by an amazing 34 games, dominating the season so thoroughly that only one other team managed to win as many as half its games. Waterloo, in its bid for a third straight championship, fought bravely in the Seneca Cup Series, but eventually lost to the fearsome Green Sox, 4 games to 2.

Ace Casey Ladner won his second consecutive Outstanding Pitcher Award, going 27-11 with a 2.06 ERA and 226 strikeouts; his 88.5 VORP was the best in the league's history. Raul Alonso (25-8, 2.60) set a new record for strikeouts, punching out 236 enemy batters. However, the real key to the success of the Green Sox staff might have been another man who came to the team in an astute off-season trade.

The Sox packaged three good young players, including infielder Doyle Scurlock, and sent them to Seneca Falls for Dennis Williams. No longer burdened by the demands of being his staff's only ace, Williams exploded, posting a 28-8 record and a 2.69 ERA.

Paul Oliver and Kent Allen combined for a 12-2 record in relief. Allen's ERA was 1.60; Oliver's even better at 0.99.

Three youngsters injected new life into the Geneva attack. OF Don Stone hit .295 with 45 steals in his first full season. New CF Carl Nichols hit .335 with 46 RBI, and stole 55 bags in 98 games. Rookie 2B Mike Lewis drove in 76 runs and stole 45 bases. Perennial favorites like RF Mike Gamble (.308-6-68), 3B Tony Powell (.285-5-80), and C Bryant Brafield (61 RBI and his fourth Gold Glove) rounded out a team that will be the standard by which all other champions will be judged for a long, long time.

A third straight outstanding performance from LF Fernando Molina (.358, 200 hits, 55 steals) was the highlight of Waterloo's season. Shortstop Brandon Summers (.283-4-88), CF Paul O'Connor (.306-6-77, 41 SB), and C Al Williams (.293) also swung potent bats, and RF Duane Blackburn hit .309 with 40 RBI in half a season after breaking his foot in spring training.

Billy Edgar (18-12, 3.60) once again paced the Finches' staff, and Will Kirk, modeling his fourth uniform in as many years, bounced back to win 15 games. Javier Galvan went 1-10, but saved 10 games.

Seneca Falls nearly stole second place from Waterloo, storming back from nine games behind the Finches on August 22 and finishing only two games out of the Series.

Had the injury bug not bitten the Sheepdogs so hard, they might well have coasted into second place. Four separate injuries dogged RF Ryan Hill, but he still hit .340-1-53 and stole 38 bases in 114 games. CF Donnie Oliver separated his shoulder, ending his season in July. On a brighter note, young players like SS Geoffrey Veeck (.267, 67 SB) and C Henry Kester (8 home runs) made their presence felt. So did converted reliever Craig Sims, who went 21-12 as a starter, young lefty Eric Groves (16-14) and reliever Owen McLaughlin (6-3, 13 saves, 2.28). The troubles of Roger Hopkins (9-12) continued, causing some to doubt his future in the game.

Watkins Glen climbed back to fourth place, featuring a mixture of graying veterans and callow youngsters. Vets like C "Duck" West (.290-5-87, 55 doubles, age 38) and LF Ken Johnston (.295-6-55, age 38) enjoyed success that reminded long-time fans of days gone by. RF Mike Young (.317-4-60, age 39) recovered from his groin injury and found his stroke intact.

3B Robby Ward (.340-2-59, 99 walks, .443 OBP, age 35) was the best of them all, and narrowly edged Molina for the Outstanding Batter Award. He won a Gold Glove, as did 1B Travis Cantrell (.298-5-72, age 30).

The debuts of youngsters like 2B John Brown (.283-1-59, 98 games), RF Enrique "Riverboat" Ramos (.266, 41 steals) and RHP Chester Smith (18-11, 2.79) provided some contrast to the rest of the aging Bucks roster. Smith, who came from Waterloo in a trade of prospects that sent C Loren Jackson to the Finches, won the Rookie of the Year Award.

And 1911 brought about the farewell of Michael Watkins, who went 14-15 with a 4.39 ERA and retired at the end of the season. Watkins leaves as the all-time leader in victories (148) and ranks third all-time in strikeouts.

Hard-hitting Penn Yan was sparked by LF Ronald Brady (.309-4-110, 53 doubles, 12 triples), CF Francisco Rivera (.354, 51 SB), 1B Jim Stewart (.253-13-85, 41 doubles), and 2B Nick Wells (.290-1-80, 116 BB). Stewart broke his own home run record, set the year before. A thin pitching staff was led by lefty Patrick Davis (12-17, 2.70, 170 K)

Back to the cellar went Canandaigua, despite the efforts of veteran favorite C Hamilton Phillips (.283-2-53), the continued development of 1B Mal Chase (.309-9-68, 53 doubles, 12 triples), the emergence of rookie RF Brenton Kelly (.304-3-56, age 23), and the timely magic of 1B/OF/PH Dave Humphrey (.363-0-28 in 113 AB). Joe Norris (15-20, 2.78, 152 K), one of the league's class acts, continued to bear up manfully under the strains of eight straight seasons in the second division.

Seneca League Highlights

The Montour Falls Pioneers have made the playoffs in each season of the Seneca League's history, and in 1911 they won their second league championship, defeating the Lyons Lancers.

The Pioneers relied heavily on RHP Garland "Redeye" Taylor (15-6, 1.79, 143 K) and Bill "Toast" Baker (15-10, 2.19, 153 K). Lyons had an ace of their own, John "Bingo" Brown (17-11, 1.69, 180 K).

Clyde fans got a chance to see C Ramon Morales, sent down by Seneca Falls to serve as a player-coach. Morales hit .282 with a .444 OBP, drawing 76 walks.

College League Highlights

The University of Rochester won the collegiate league playoffs, defeating Cornell, 3 games to 2. SS Pat Fox hit .343 to lead the Yellowjackets; look for Fox in the 1912 draft pool. Underclassman Dale Johnston went 10-2 with a 2.59 ERA for the Big Red.

The hottest pro prospect in the collegiate ranks might be Ithaca College SS Javier Delgado, who posted a gaudy .354/.475/.578 line. Delgado, a junior, will be returning to Ithaca and will surely be a high choice in the 1912 draft.

High School League Highlights

Behind the powerful right arm of Jerry Wright (9-0, 2.75, 63 K/88 IP), Mynderse Academy won the prep championship over Fairport. Midlakes LF Mark Buchanan hit .479-0-32 at age 16, marking himself as a player to follow in the future.

06-22-2009, 08:36 PM	#43 (permalink)
Big Six Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Williamsburg, VA Posts: 2,410 Thanks: 117 Thanked 91x in 73 posts	1911 Season Summary Code: TEAM W L PCT GB RS RA OPS ERA Geneva 110 40 .733 -- 813 513 .724 2.49 Waterloo 76 74 .507 34 763 701 .759 3.46 Seneca Falls 74 76 .493 36 641 745 .669 3.87 Watkins Glen 67 83 .447 43 744 766 .720 3.54 Penn Yan 67 83 .447 43 728 791 .710 3.77 Canandaigua 56 94 .373 54 647 820 .649 3.89 The 1911 season witnessed the emergence of a superteam. The Geneva Green Sox won the regular season by an amazing 34 games, dominating the season so thoroughly that only one other team managed to win as many as half its games. Waterloo, in its bid for a third straight championship, fought bravely in the Seneca Cup Series, but eventually lost to the fearsome Green Sox, 4 games to 2. Ace Casey Ladner won his second consecutive Outstanding Pitcher Award, going 27-11 with a 2.06 ERA and 226 strikeouts; his 88.5 VORP was the best in the league's history. Raul Alonso (25-8, 2.60) set a new record for strikeouts, punching out 236 enemy batters. However, the real key to the success of the Green Sox staff might have been another man who came to the team in an astute off-season trade. The Sox packaged three good young players, including infielder Doyle Scurlock, and sent them to Seneca Falls for Dennis Williams. No longer burdened by the demands of being his staff's only ace, Williams exploded, posting a 28-8 record and a 2.69 ERA. Paul Oliver and Kent Allen combined for a 12-2 record in relief. Allen's ERA was 1.60; Oliver's even better at 0.99. Three youngsters injected new life into the Geneva attack. OF Don Stone hit .295 with 45 steals in his first full season. New CF Carl Nichols hit .335 with 46 RBI, and stole 55 bags in 98 games. Rookie 2B Mike Lewis drove in 76 runs and stole 45 bases. Perennial favorites like RF Mike Gamble (.308-6-68), 3B Tony Powell (.285-5-80), and C Bryant Brafield (61 RBI and his fourth Gold Glove) rounded out a team that will be the standard by which all other champions will be judged for a long, long time. A third straight outstanding performance from LF Fernando Molina (.358, 200 hits, 55 steals) was the highlight of Waterloo's season. Shortstop Brandon Summers (.283-4-88), CF Paul O'Connor (.306-6-77, 41 SB), and C Al Williams (.293) also swung potent bats, and RF Duane Blackburn hit .309 with 40 RBI in half a season after breaking his foot in spring training. Billy Edgar (18-12, 3.60) once again paced the Finches' staff, and Will Kirk, modeling his fourth uniform in as many years, bounced back to win 15 games. Javier Galvan went 1-10, but saved 10 games. Seneca Falls nearly stole second place from Waterloo, storming back from nine games behind the Finches on August 22 and finishing only two games out of the Series. Had the injury bug not bitten the Sheepdogs so hard, they might well have coasted into second place. Four separate injuries dogged RF Ryan Hill, but he still hit .340-1-53 and stole 38 bases in 114 games. CF Donnie Oliver separated his shoulder, ending his season in July. On a brighter note, young players like SS Geoffrey Veeck (.267, 67 SB) and C Henry Kester (8 home runs) made their presence felt. So did converted reliever Craig Sims, who went 21-12 as a starter, young lefty Eric Groves (16-14) and reliever Owen McLaughlin (6-3, 13 saves, 2.28). The troubles of Roger Hopkins (9-12) continued, causing some to doubt his future in the game. Watkins Glen climbed back to fourth place, featuring a mixture of graying veterans and callow youngsters. Vets like C "Duck" West (.290-5-87, 55 doubles, age 38) and LF Ken Johnston (.295-6-55, age 38) enjoyed success that reminded long-time fans of days gone by. RF Mike Young (.317-4-60, age 39) recovered from his groin injury and found his stroke intact. 3B Robby Ward (.340-2-59, 99 walks, .443 OBP, age 35) was the best of them all, and narrowly edged Molina for the Outstanding Batter Award. He won a Gold Glove, as did 1B Travis Cantrell (.298-5-72, age 30). The debuts of youngsters like 2B John Brown (.283-1-59, 98 games), RF Enrique "Riverboat" Ramos (.266, 41 steals) and RHP Chester Smith (18-11, 2.79) provided some contrast to the rest of the aging Bucks roster. Smith, who came from Waterloo in a trade of prospects that sent C Loren Jackson to the Finches, won the Rookie of the Year Award. And 1911 brought about the farewell of Michael Watkins, who went 14-15 with a 4.39 ERA and retired at the end of the season. Watkins leaves as the all-time leader in victories (148) and ranks third all-time in strikeouts. Hard-hitting Penn Yan was sparked by LF Ronald Brady (.309-4-110, 53 doubles, 12 triples), CF Francisco Rivera (.354, 51 SB), 1B Jim Stewart (.253-13-85, 41 doubles), and 2B Nick Wells (.290-1-80, 116 BB). Stewart broke his own home run record, set the year before. A thin pitching staff was led by lefty Patrick Davis (12-17, 2.70, 170 K) Back to the cellar went Canandaigua, despite the efforts of veteran favorite C Hamilton Phillips (.283-2-53), the continued development of 1B Mal Chase (.309-9-68, 53 doubles, 12 triples), the emergence of rookie RF Brenton Kelly (.304-3-56, age 23), and the timely magic of 1B/OF/PH Dave Humphrey (.363-0-28 in 113 AB). Joe Norris (15-20, 2.78, 152 K), one of the league's class acts, continued to bear up manfully under the strains of eight straight seasons in the second division. Seneca League Highlights The Montour Falls Pioneers have made the playoffs in each season of the Seneca League's history, and in 1911 they won their second league championship, defeating the Lyons Lancers. The Pioneers relied heavily on RHP Garland "Redeye" Taylor (15-6, 1.79, 143 K) and Bill "Toast" Baker (15-10, 2.19, 153 K). Lyons had an ace of their own, John "Bingo" Brown (17-11, 1.69, 180 K). Clyde fans got a chance to see C Ramon Morales, sent down by Seneca Falls to serve as a player-coach. Morales hit .282 with a .444 OBP, drawing 76 walks. College League Highlights The University of Rochester won the collegiate league playoffs, defeating Cornell, 3 games to 2. SS Pat Fox hit .343 to lead the Yellowjackets; look for Fox in the 1912 draft pool. Underclassman Dale Johnston went 10-2 with a 2.59 ERA for the Big Red. The hottest pro prospect in the collegiate ranks might be Ithaca College SS Javier Delgado, who posted a gaudy .354/.475/.578 line. Delgado, a junior, will be returning to Ithaca and will surely be a high choice in the 1912 draft. High School League Highlights Behind the powerful right arm of Jerry Wright (9-0, 2.75, 63 K/88 IP), Mynderse Academy won the prep championship over Fairport. Midlakes LF Mark Buchanan hit .479-0-32 at age 16, marking himself as a player to follow in the future. __________________ My OOTP dynasties: The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell: where it all began The Baseball Life of Tom Haley: a story of a modern player The New England Baseball League: a fictional league story Last edited by Big Six; 06-22-2009 at 08:39 PM.