I apologize in advance for the fact that I am not nearly as good as a writer as Tigerfan…and special thanks to Wallman and his fabulous HTML utility which makes data easy to view…
1902
League AVG: .269
League ERA: 3.58
The American League had a significantly higher batting average then the NL. A good show of this was the fact that the top NL batting team, the Pirates, would rank 5th in the AL, while the top AL pitching team, Cleveland, would fall 7th in the NL.
National League
The story of the regular season was the dominance of the
Pittsburgh Pirates, who went 105-49 over the year (.682 Winning Percentage), including an incredible road record of 59-18 (.753%). The Pirates’ Pythagorean record was ever better, up at an incredible 116-38. Of course, the Pythagorean record doesn’t actually count J . The Pirates’ staff was featured three 20-game winners, and 1 19-game winner: OHR Award Winner Jesse Tannehill (30-8, 1.58 ERA; Easily the best pitcher in the majors for the year of 1902), Jack Chesbro (26-13, 2.12), Sam Leever (21-13, 2.19), and Deacon Phillippe (19-11, 2.05). Not only was the Pirates’ staff the best in the majors, but also the lineup ranked as the best in the National League, featuring 5 All-stars. Chief among the stars was Ginger Beaumont (.372, 1, 86), who led the NL in Batting Average, runs scored and hits. Honus Wagner (.343, 3, 60), chipped in by leading the league in slugging percentage and doubles despite batting only 495 times. The other all-stars were catcher Jack O’Connor, 2B Jimmy Burke, and player-manager RF Fred Clarke.
The rest of the National League struggled to keep pace with the Pirates, and in the end, simply could not succeed. There was a log jam of teams ranging from 2-5 (Chicago, Cincinnati, Brooklyn, Beaneaters). The Orphans were headed up by the
second-best pitcher in the NL, Jack Taylor (26-11, 2.01), and SB leader Davy Jones (.309, 44 SB). The Reds over achieved at 85-69 (Pythagorean: 77-77), and were helped there by Deacon White Award Winner Sam Crawford (.358, 26 2B, 22 3B). The Superbas of Brooklyn had a solid staff with all four starters fielding ERAs of under 3, topped by Doc Newton (22-16, 2.43). Fred Tenney of the Boston Beaneaters has a good argument for the NL DW Award (.370 AVG, 103 Walks), but was done in by a less then impressive (for this era) 3 triples). The Phillies has Doc White (23-14, 2.15) and little else, and the Giants and Christy Mathewson (18-20, 2.90), and even less. In fact, they were the only team in either league not to have a all-star selected. Homer Smoot of the St. Louis Cardinals was an All-Star, but that didn’t prevent them from losing 112 times. It just isn’t good when your top pitcher is 13-29 (Bob Wicker).
Standings and other stats and stuff:
National League Standings :
(Name W L PCT GB AVG ERA)
National League
Pittsburgh 105 49 .682 -- .280 2.00
Chicago (N) 86 68 .558 19 .262 2.78
Boston (N) 85 69 .552 20 .268 3.17
Brooklyn 85 69 .552 20 .255 2.66
Cincinnati 85 69 .552 20 .268 3.24
Philadelphia (N) 72 82 .468 33 .250 3.18
New York (N) 56 98 .364 49 .245 3.73
St. Louis (N) 42 112 .273 63 .237 4.29
These players were selected for the NL OOTP-Allstar Team :
P Jesse Tannehill from Pittsburgh
P Vic Willis from Boston (N)
P Jack Chesbro from Pittsburgh
P Doc White from Philadelphia (N)
P Bob Rhoads from Chicago (N)
P Jock Menefee from Chicago (N)
P Bill Phillips from Cincinnati
P Ed Poole from Cincinnati
C Johnny Kling from Chicago (N)
C Jack O'connor from Pittsburgh
1B Jake Beckley from Cincinnati
2B Jimmy Burke from Pittsburgh
3B Ed Gremminger from Boston (N)
SS Honus Wagner from Pittsburgh
LF Ginger Beaumont from Pittsburgh
CF Homer Smoot from St. Louis (N)
RF Sam Crawford from Cincinnati
1B Fred Tenney from Boston (N)
RF Willie Keeler from Brooklyn
RF Fred Clarke from Pittsburgh
RF Duff Cooley from Boston (N)
SS Rudy Hulswitt from Philadelphia (N)
3B Charlie Dexter from Chicago (N)
League Leaders
BATTING LEADERS
TOP 10 in BATTING AVG :
.372 Ginger Beaumont(,NL)
.370 Fred Tenney(,NL)
.358 Sam Crawford(,NL)
.357 Jake Beckley(,NL)
.343 Honus Wagner(,NL)
.341 John Dobbs()
.335 Willie Keeler(,NL)
.329 Duff Cooley(,NL)
.324 Heinie Peitz()
.317 Steve Brodie()
TOP 10 in HOMERUNS :
6 Tom Mccreery()
6 Ollie Pickering( BSN)
6 Fred Tenney(,NL)
6 Tommy Leach()
6 Jimmy Sheckard()
5 Charlie Dexter(,NL)
5 Steve Brodie()
5 Jake Beckley(,NL)
4 Dummy Hoy()
4 George Barclay()
TOP 10 in RBI :
110 Tommy Leach()
101 Charlie Dexter(,NL)
99 Fred Clarke(,NL)
95 Sam Crawford(,NL)
93 Duff Cooley(,NL)
88 Dummy Hoy()
87 Ed Gremminger(,NL)
86 Ginger Beaumont(,NL)
86 Jimmy Sheckard()
85 Joe Tinker()
TOP 10 in Doubles :
35 Honus Wagner(,NL)
32 Fred Clarke(,NL)
31 Jimmy Burke(,NL)
31 Kitty Bransfield()
30 Davy Jones()
28 Fred Tenney(,NL)
27 Heinie Peitz()
27 Hughie Jennings()
26 Duff Cooley(,NL)
26 Sam Crawford(,NL)
TOP 10 in Triples :
22 Sam Crawford(,NL)
18 Fred Clarke(,NL)
16 Tommy Leach()
13 Honus Wagner(,NL)
13 Ed Gremminger(,NL)
12 Bill Hallman()
11 Kitty Bransfield()
9 Roy Thomas()
9 Gene Demontreville()
9 Jimmy Sheckard()
TOP 10 in Runs :
105 Fred Clarke(,NL)
105 Ginger Beaumont(,NL)
104 Fred Tenney(,NL)
102 John Dobbs()
101 Honus Wagner(,NL)
97 Kitty Bransfield()
96 Ollie Pickering( BSN)
94 Davy Jones()
92 Johnny Kling(,NL)
92 Gene Demontreville()
TOP 10 in Stolen Bases :
44 Davy Jones()
43 Ollie Pickering( BSN)
43 Frank Chance()
41 Steve Brodie()
35 Jimmy Sheckard()
35 Willie Keeler(,NL)
34 Bill Dahlen()
33 Ginger Beaumont(,NL)
31 John Dobbs()
31 Herman Long()
TOP 10 in BB's :
113 Roy Thomas()
103 Davy Jones()
103 Fred Tenney(,NL)
102 John Mcgraw()
98 Dummy Hoy()
94 Jimmy Sheckard()
91 Jimmy Slagle()
83 Frank Chance()
77 Fred Clarke(,NL)
70 Jake Beckley(,NL)
TOP 10 in Strikeouts :
133 Heinie Smith()
130 George Vanhaltren()
129 Pete Childs()
122 Dusty Miller()
120 Pat Carney()
118 Tim Flood()
99 Roy Brashear()
99 Art Nichols()
72 John Malarkey()
64 Chick Fraser()
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PITCHING LEADERS
TOP 10 in ERA :
1.52 Jesse Tannehill (,NL)
2.01 Jack Taylor ()
2.04 Deacon Phillippe ()
2.12 Jack Chesbro (,NL)
2.14 Doc White (,NL)
2.19 Sam Leever ()
2.42 Doc Newton ()
2.49 Jay Hughes ()
2.53 Vic Willis (,NL)
2.57 John Malarkey ()
TOP 10 in WINS :
30 Jesse Tannehill (,NL)
26 Jack Taylor ()
26 Jack Chesbro (,NL)
26 Vic Willis (,NL)
26 Bill Phillips (,NL)
23 Frank Kitson ()
23 Doc White (,NL)
22 Doc Newton ()
22 Jock Menefee (,NL)
21 Sam Leever ()
TOP 10 in LOSSES :
32 Brickyard Kennedy ()
29 Bob Wicker ()
26 Stan Yerkes ()
24 Mike O'neill ()
23 Dummy Taylor ()
21 Carl Lundgren ()
21 Bill Magee ()
21 Bill Duggleby ()
20 Chick Fraser ()
20 Noodles Hahn ()
TOP 10 in SAVES :
7 Dad Hale ()
5 Crese Heismann ()
5 Clarence Currie ()
4 Warren Mclaughlin ()
3 Henry Thielman ()
3 Roy Evans ()
3 Jack Cronin ()
2 Jim St.vrain ()
2 Ham Iburg ()
2 Wiley Dunham ()
TOP 10 in COMPLETE GAMES :
39 Bill Phillips (,NL)
38 Frank Kitson ()
38 Bob Wicker ()
38 Vic Willis (,NL)
37 Dummy Taylor ()
37 Jay Hughes ()
37 Jesse Tannehill (,NL)
37 Doc Newton ()
36 Bill Duggleby ()
36 Doc White (,NL)
TOP 10 in SHUTOUTS :
9 Jesse Tannehill (,NL)
7 Togie Pittinger ()
6 Sam Leever ()
5 John Malarkey ()
5 Jay Hughes ()
5 Bill Donovan ()
5 Doc Newton ()
4 Frank Kitson ()
4 Jock Menefee (,NL)
4 Noodles Hahn ()
TOP 10 in K's :
199 Doc White (,NL)
187 Christy Mathewson ()
185 Vic Willis (,NL)
163 Noodles Hahn ()
160 Bob Ewing ()
148 Jesse Tannehill (,NL)
147 Doc Newton ()
146 Bill Donovan ()
145 Togie Pittinger ()
139 Bob Wicker ()
TOP 10 in BB's :
154 Brickyard Kennedy ()
150 Bob Ewing ()
137 Stan Yerkes ()
135 Carl Lundgren ()
133 Bob Wicker ()
132 Bill Donovan ()
132 Bob Rhoads (,NL)
130 Ed Poole (,NL)
129 Dummy Taylor ()
120 Chick Fraser ()
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Brickyard Kennedy says:
"I may have only gone 7-32 for the '02 Giants but even I will stick around for the AL Review."