Cleveland Blues Update — April/May 1902
By Chauncey St. John, Associated Press
CLEVELAND — Just a few days after saying most of his draft picks would spend their first few months as professionals in Triple-A Buffalo, Cleveland Blues general manager Levi Chronister made two trades that opened up roster spots for three of those rookies.
Chronister sent shorstop Tommy Corcoran and starter Jerry Nops to New York for starting pitcher Win Mercer and $450,000 on April 1, and later that day traded SP Vernon Duffield, and shortstops Jim McGuire and Frank Genins to St. Louis (A) for RF William Hallman and $50,000.
"I really thought we'd start the season with those guys at Buffalo," Chronister said, "but after taking another look at our roster I realized they were better than the guys we had, and being cheaper didn't hurt either."
The two trades made the Blues about $2 million between the included cash and the savings on salaries. The deal with the Giants also opened up the starting shortstop spot for second-round pick Rudy Hulswitt, and the swap with the Browns allowed first-rounder Bob Wicker to move into the rotation and fourth-rounder Jimmy Burke to become a back-up infiedler.
Cleveland's shake-up worked early, as the Blues went 15-13 for their first-ever winning April. Cleveland was just three games behind Boston in the American League after a month.
Wicker, working from the fourth spot in the rotation, won his first two starts, including a six-hit shutout of Philadelphia (A) in his major-league debut. He led the lead with a 1.00 ERA two weeks into the season, and finished April as the team's best pitcher, going 4-2 with a 3.40 ERA and an AL-best 25 strikeouts in 53 innings.
John Dunn also threw a shutout for the Blues in April, blanking the Detroit Tigers on six hits April 28.
Cleveland had success at the plate as well, especially Jeffrey Schank. The 27-year-old leftfielder was honored as the AL's best player in the season's opening week, hitting .444 with three homers and eight RBI. Schank also won the AL player of the month award for April, hitting .364 with four homers and 19 RBI.
Schank finished the first two months of the season at .338/.420/.542 with a league-leading 19 homers and .962 OPS. He was second in the American League with 38 RBI, three behind Boston's Buck Freeman.
"Jeffrey's leaps and bounds ahead of where we thought he could be," Chronister said. "We thought he'd be an everyday leftfielder for us, but he's turned out to be a star. We couldn't be happier with him."
Cleveland's strong pitching carried over into the first two weeks of May, as Mercer, Dunn and Earl Moore each threw a shutout. Mercer gave up just six hits against Washington on May 3, Dunn allowed five hits to Baltimore on May 10 and Moore held Philadelphia to two hits May 13.
The Blues struggled at the plate though, resulting in a 12-15 mark in May, giving them a 27-28 record through the first two months and dropping them seven games behind Boston (34-21).
Cleveland's major hitting highlight in May was Rudy Hulswitt's 5-for-6 peformance against St. Louis (A) on May 22. The rookie had five singles and 6 RBI in an 11-2 win over the Browns.
Hulswitt finished May hitting just .242 with a homer and 30 RBI, though he was tied for third on the team with 15 stolen bases.
"We may have rushed Rudy a little bit," Chronister said, "but I hope that his performance against the Browns is a sign of things to come."
Wicker was 7-4 with a 3.40 ERA through May, and is second in the AL with 38 strikeouts. Burke, used sparingly in a backup role, was hitless in seven at-bats.
In the minors: Through the first month of the season, third baseman Donald Azar was hitting just .172 with two homers in Single-A Kinston. Azar, who hit. 251/.292/.631 with 61 homers last season for the Indians, improved his numbers to .229, 12 HR and 24 RBI by the end of May.
Charlie Shields, Cleveland's third-round pick this season, was 4-0 with a 1.43 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 44 innings at Triple-A Buffalo in April. He ran his record to 8-0 in May before finally suffering his first loss. His numbers after the first two months: 8-1, 1.86 ERA, 75 strikeouts in 87 innings.
The Blues' fifth-round pick, Harry Kane, is 4-4 with a 4.95 ERA in 10 starts at Single-A Kinston, striking out just under a batter an inning.
Cleveland signed catcher Tom Leahy to a minor-league deal as veteran insurance April 12 and sent him to Buffalo.
Through May the Buffalo Bisons (38-17) lead Triple-A by four games, the Akron Aeros (38-17) lead Double-A by five games, and the Kinston Indians (33-22) trail Baltimore's affiliate by just a game.
Around the league: Boston (A) led the American League with an 18-10 mark though April, and Brooklyn and New York were tied atop the NL with identical 16-12 records.
Cincinnati's Jack Sutthoff threw a no-hitter against New York on May 5. Sutthoff struck out six Giants and walked just one.
Philadelphia Phillies hurler Happy Townsend one-hit the Pittsburgh Pirates on May 15, striking out four. Kitty Bransfield broke up the no-hit bid with a two-out single in the sixth inning.
Washington closer Billy Milligan, picked up from Cleveland in the Rule 5 Draft, leads the majors with four saves.
April batters of the month: Schank and Philadelphia (N)'s Ed Delahanty (.370, .580 SLG, 16 RBI)
April pitchers of the month: Boston's Cy Young (7-0, 1.00 ERA) and Brooklyn's Deacon Phillippe (5-2, 1.67)
May batters of the month: Washington's Sam Dungan (.358, 1 HR, 16 RBI) and Philadelphia (N)'s Ed Delahanty (.413, 1 HR, 18 RBI).
May pitchers of the month: St. Louis (A)'s Pete Dowling (5-3, 1.52 ERA, three complete game shutouts) and Pittsburgh's Jack Chesbro (4-1, 1.12 ERA in 56.1 innings).
League files have been updated.