History Rewritten:

[Matches]

I am by no means an expert on Historical Leagues in OOTP. I had usually been engrossed in fictional leagues based in the real-world that I never got around to it. But as I wait for a couple mods to be completely released, I couldn't just sit on this game and do nothing. I have a hearty affection for baseball history so I decided to take a shot at my first ever historical league.

I used the Lahman 5.4 database. Not really knowing how to appropriately run one of these import leagues I left most settings to themselves. The result, I found, was a world that started as the real world did in 1901, and then played out fictionally after that. The amateur draft was on, so the worst teams add the best new players from the coming year. Free agents exist, trades were set to very low.

What follows is a year-by-year log of this fantasy world. I'll add new installments by decade (or until I pass out during any given stretch), as long as the game doesn't crash or expansion doesn't freak the experiment out. I hope you enjoy it, and I'll answer whatever questions you have as we go.


1901

The inaugural season of Major League Baseball encountered a few surprises, but it was not in the form of the eventual champion. The Pittsburgh Pirates, anchored by a dominant offense that scored over 5.8 runs a game and had a team batting average of .319, took the National League pennant with a 94-46 record, twelve games over the second place St. Louis Cardinals. Sam Leever (26-7, 2.74) won the Cy Young award for the Pittsburghs, who were led offensively by unknown rookie Lefty Davis. Davis hit .400 and won the NL MVP. His performance coupled with stars Honus Wagner (.359) and Fred Clarke (.364) made the Pirates’ offense nearly unstoppable.

While Leever excelled in the regular season, it was 24-year old Rube Waddell who stepped up in the World’s Series against the AL champion Cleveland Blues. Waddell pitched 2 complete game shutouts in the series, striking out 15 in 18 innings, as the Pirates dispatched Cleveland in 5 games. The Blues had squeaked out the AL Pennant over the Boston Americans by one game, posting a 77-64 record. Boston’s star pitcher Cy Young won an award for best pitcher in the league, which was immediately named after him.

The National League Boston club, the Beaneaters, posted the worst record and used their ensuing #1 draft pick to select 22-year old pitcher Addie Joss.

1902

With the Pirates struggling in second place at the trade deadline, Pittsburgh decided to unload Sam Leever for elder statesman Patsy Donovan. The irish-born Donovan hit .350 for the Cardinals in 1901 and filled a major hole in the Pirates’ lineup. But Donovan struggled for the Pirates, who finished nine games behind NL pennant-winners the New York Giants.

In the American League, it was the St. Louis Browns posting a .600 winning percentage on the strength of their pitching and defense. The Cleveland club meanwhile, went from captain to cooptain. The NL triumphed again in the world Series with 22-year old Giant Christy Mathewson posting 2 wins.

The Giants’ future looks bright with Mathewson teaming with NL Rookie of the Year and Cy Young winner Carl Lundgren. The 22-year old posted 22 wins and had a 2.07 ERA. Napoleon Lajoie won his second consecutive MVP award in the American League for the Philadelphia Athletics, while across town, Big Ed Delahanty hit .347 to win the NL award.

1903

An epic pennant chase was shaping up in the National League heading into August. Pittsburgh led the Brooklyn Superbas by a game and the defending pennant-holders the New York Giants by one and a half. Over in the AL, Cy Young’s Boston Americans were holding off the New York Highlanders. Heading into September, only the AL seemed settled as Cy Young was on his way to winning his own award for the second time. The Pirates held a half-game lead on Brooklyn and 3.5 games on New York. Their league-leading .264 batting average had a lot to do with it, as well as pitcher Jesse Tannehill, who had just won his 20th game of the season. Pittsburgh went onto a 17-4 September and cruised to the NL Pennant. However in the American League, Boston folded like a house of cards, going 8-15 in September, losing the pennant to the Highlanders by 2 games.

The Pirates were favored by oddsmakers to win the World’s Series, but the Highlanders had something to say about that, sending it to a 9th and deciding game. However Pittsburgh’s Rube Waddell outdueled Harry Howell in a 3-2 game, improving his postseason record to 4-1 and giving the Pirates their second World’s Series championship in three years. For his 24-win season, the 27 year-old Waddell won the NL Cy Young Award, while Young himself won the award in the AL. Ed Delahanty earned his second straight MVP award for the Philadelphia Phillies, while young catcher Roger Bresnahan won it for the Highlanders.

The hapless Chicago Cubs added to their stable of young pitchers, drafting can’t-miss prospect Ed Walsh with the first overall pick. He joins deformed pitcher Mordecai Brown, who was selected with the second overall pick in 1902.

1904

The Pirates and Giants battled hard again in 1904, with the Pirates again taking the pennant. In the AL, New York and Washington had a brilliant pennant race that was decided on the final game of the season, in a pair of doubleheaders, no less. Washington and New York were tied for first in the morning, but by evening, Boston had exacted a measure of revenge on the Highlanders for the previous season, taking both games from New York. Meanwhile the Senators won both games to clinch the pennant. However, Pittsburgh proved to be too much for Washington in the World’s Series, as they swept it in four games, with the Senators only managing 4 runs total.

Rube Waddell posted his best season, winning 28 games with an ERA of 1.53. He added 331 strikeouts to take the pitching triple crown, and win his second straight Cy Young award. Pirate third baseman George Browne led the NL in hitting at .336, but his teammate Honus Wagner (.317-5-87) was named the NL’s best hitter. The Highlanders’ Bresnahan took home his second straight AL MVP.

In what was considered a weak draft class overall, the Chicago Cubs felt they got a steal at the number five overall pick, drafting a 17 year-old outfielder from Georgia named Ty Cobb.

1905

Pittsburgh, winners of three out of the four World’s Series, faltered early in 1905, which saw a tight race among Brooklyn, New York, and Chicago entering August. The American League had an incredibly tight race, with seven out of the eight teams within six games of first place. A disillusioned Nap Lajoie faltered with the Philadelphia Athletics well out of contention for the second consecutive season.

Washington won the AL Pennant on the strength of Miller Huggins’ second straight batting title and an impressive comeback story by pitcher Vic Willis. Willis was traded by the Beaneaters to Washington before the 1903 season. The Senators then released Willis after the pitcher suffered a mental breakdown early in the 1904 season. After spending some time in an institution, Willis recovered and was signed by the Senators for the 1905 season, in which he won 23 games and posted a 2.42 ERA, winning the AL Cy Young Award

In the National League, the New York Giants’ offense left a lot to be desired, but their pitching staff of Christy Mathewson, Hooks Wiltse, Jack Powell, and Jim St. Vrain was undeniably the best in the league. Wiltse become the league’s first 30-game winner and would go on to win the Cy Young award. The Giants dispatched the Senators in 5 games as the National League improved to 5-0 in the World’s Series.

1906

Miller Huggins was the story of the 1906 season, as he paced the Washington Senators with a batting average well above .400 most of the season. His Senators battled Lefty Caldwell and the St. Louis Browns for supremacy in the American League. The National League saw a four-way battle between now-perennial powers Pittsburgh and New York, as well as the Reds of Cincinnati and Chicago. Only one game separated the four teams at the break

Huggins and the Senators faltered down the stretch, as Miller finished with a .391 average and the St. Louis Browns took the AL flag. The star-less Cincinnati Reds held on to the NL pennant, edging out the Pirates by a game. The Browns gave the American League it’s first World Championship in a seven-game series victory over the Reds.

With the first pick in the 2006 amateur draft, the Cleveland Naps, still trying to figure out why they are named that way, selected 18 year-old fireballer Walter Johnson.

1907

The Philadelphia Athletics rode a strong early start by their Big Three of left-handed pitching aces: Eddie Plank, Irv Young and 20 year old rookie Kid Durbin. Durbin in particular was stellar, posting a 17-2 record and a 1.67 ERA over the first four months of the season. In the National League, another classic battle between New York and Pittsburgh emerged. Philadelphia faltered though, and was soon blown out by the incredible finish of the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers had never finished more than 12 games over .500, but finished the 1907 season with 99 wins. Meanwhile, the Pirates’ potent offense, led by NL MVP Honus Wagner (.333-4-66), edged the Giants’ pitching prowess, earning Pittsburgh it’s 4th NL pennant. The Pirates, however, tasted their first defeat in the World Series, as the Tigers defeated Pittsburgh in 6 games.

The Athletics’ Irv “Young Cy” Young lived up to his nickname, taking home the award for best pitcher, winning 27 games with a 1.68 ERA. Roger Bresnahan took home his third AL MVP award, hitting .306.

1908

The 1908 season was marked by a tight pennant race in the National League. The Chicago Cubs led for most of the second half of the season, but a late collapse by the Windy City gang and a coinciding surge by the New York Giants left the Cubs in the dark, and the Brooklyn Superbas in a a regular season tie with the Giants. Christy Mathewson’s 28-win season ended in bittersweet fashion, as the Giants star pitched a 1-hitter but lost 2-0 to Brooklyn ace Red Ames. The Superbas were led by 20-year old sophomore sensation Tris Speaker, who hit .293 and led the team with 73 RBI.

Brooklyn defeated a nondescript Washington Senators team in the World’s Series in five games. Speaker hit .450 in the series and finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting and third in the MVP race to the Reds’ Sam Crawford. Roger Bresnahan continued his stellar career, winning his 4th AL MVP award for the struggling New York Highlanders.

1908 also saw the retirement of Cy Young, who at age 41 finished his career with 448 wins. Young became the third pitcher named to the Hall of Fame

1909

Young Fred Snodgrass was the catalyst for the Detroit Tigers in 1909. The 21-year old led all American League hitters in OPS with .841 and led the Tigers in hitting. This plus an award-winning performance from pitcher Rip Vowinkel helped Detroit win 96 games and return to the top of the AL after a one year hiatus.

In the National League, the New York Giants faded miserably down the stretch and the Brooklyn Superbas won their second straight pennant, beating Chicago by one game and the Reds by two. Tris Speaker’s .313 batting average and 60 RBIs paced Brooklyn. Speaker and Wildfire Schulte each had a solid postseason while Detroit’s star Snodgrass hit a paltry .048 in the World Series. Brooklyn took the ring in five games and won it’s second straight world title.

Nap Lajoie returned to prominence after a terrible ’08 campaign for the Athletics. He rebounded from his .223 performance to hit .310 with 71 RBI and win the AL MVP award, although Philadelphia continued to perform poorly, finishing with the worst record among major league teams.

[rasnell]

Nice job and enjoy the game. What's great is how you begin to know these players. Don't forget that there's a new tab in the player profile that shows you their real life stats so you can compare your sim with their real numbers.

[Matches]

1910

Detroit started the 1910 season at 18-3 but soon cooled off, allowing Washington to creep into the race. In the NL, Brooklyn and Chicago dueled for supremacy, with the Giants and Reds lurking a handful of games back. Miller Huggins again got off to a torrid start to the season, hitting over .400 well into June. July saw the New York Highlanders make a move toward the top of the American League behind the pitching of Joe Wood. Washington and Cleveland remained in the hunt. Cincinnati established itself as a serious contender with Eddie Collins and Vin Campell tearing up NL pitching.

Cleveland, Washington and Philadelphia all made noise in August, and at one point, 7 teams were within 4.5 games of first place. The Naps took over first place in mid-August but faltered down the stretch and the Tigers ended up winning the pennant by seven games on the strength of Zack Wheat’s 102 RBI. The Superbas took their third straight pennant with help from 27 year-old rookie Bert Daniels who hit .344, and Wildfire Schulte’s league record 19 home runs.

The Superbas were heavy favorites to win their third straight World Series title. But Detroit took 2 games in Brooklyn to go up early. However the Superbas battled back, evening the series at two apiece. Red Ames shut out Detroit in Game 5, but Nap Rucker won Game 6 for the Tigers. The Superbas were not to be denied, however, as they poured on eight runs in the seventh game, winning 8-1.

Joe Jackson took home MVP honors for the American League, coming into his own for Washinton by hitting .365 with 9 homers and 87 RBI. The Reds’ Eddie Collins won the award in the NL, as the 23 year-old hit .327 and stole 60 bases. Cleveland’s Walter Johnson won 20 games for the third straight year and won his first Cy Young Award as he posted a 21-12 record for the Naps. Brooklyn’s Red Ames was reliable again, and his 25-11 season was rewarded with a Cy Young Award.

1911

The biggest crop of free agent talent to date hit the market in the offseason. First, 36-year old Honus Wagner abandoned Pittsburgh for the Cubs of Chicago. The once powerful Pirates organization had finished in the second division the last two years. Departing Chicago was malcontent Johnny Evers, whose sulking in the clubhouse negatively impacted the team which was always close but never able to unseat Brooklyn. But most notably, it was 24-year old Ty Cobb who left Chicago for the bright lights of New York to play for the Giants. At 24 Cobb appeared on the cusp of great things as he broke out in 1910 with a .357 batting average.

Despite the moves, it was Detroit and Brooklyn on top in their respective leagues once again in the first half. Brooklyn got a stellar season from Tris Speaker and Jim Delahanty contributed as well. Detroit’s Orval Overall won 27 games en route to a Cy Young award, as the Tigers ran away with the AL pennant. Brooklyn took the NL flag going away, posting an impressive 103-51 record.

Brooklyn defeated Detroit in the World Series for the third consecutive year, and for the second straight year it took seven games to decide the champion. Tris Speaker hit .414 during the series.

Ty Cobb posted gaudy numbers: a .409 batting average, 16 home runs and 128 RBI, to go with 117 stolen bases. The Giants found him worth every penny, and he took home the NL MVP. Joe Jackson got the honor in the AL, as he hit .372 with 64 steals. Red Ames won his second straight Cy Young for Brooklyn. 21-year old Max Carey stole 63 bases and hit .298 to win Rookie of the Year in the NL, the first non-pitcher since Lefty Davis in 1901.

1912

The Boston Red Sox emerged as the early team to beat in the AL after years of futility. The NL saw usual suspects near the top of the heap: Chicago, New York and Brooklyn. Entering the final two months of the season, Boston clung to a 1 game lead over Detroit and Washington. The New York Giants, meanwhile, got another great season from Ty Cobb and Hooks Wiltse, who would go on to win his second Cy Young award. The Giants finally closed a season strong, and won the NL pennant by 10 games over Brooklyn. The AL race saw Boston win the pennant over Detroit in a regular season tiebreak

The Giants would have been favored in the World Series, but ace Hooks Wiltse suffered a back injury in his final start of the season and was unable to go. It bumped up a past-his-prime Christy Mathewson to the number one hole. But a stellar series for Cobb, who hit .450 including a 4-for-4 day including three stolen bases in the 10-inning affair that was the deciding Game 6, led the Giants to their first World Series ring. It capped another stellar season for Cobb who won his second straight MVP, as did Joe Jackson in the American League. Washington also had the AL’s best pitcher, second-year man Pete Alexander who won 23 games and posted a 2.74 ERA.

1913

In the National League, the defending champion Giants fell apart, finishing only two games over .500 and the Cincinnati Reds, whose potent offense included Eddie Collins, Frank Baker and Sam Crawford, won the pennant by three games over Brooklyn. Boston won the AL pennant by a game over the Cleveland Naps who got another great season from Walter Johnson as he won his second Cy Young award. The Red Sox took the World Series in seven games.

Ty Cobb won his third straight MVP award for the Giants, and 28 year-old Danny Moeller of the St. Louis Browns hit .408 to win the AL MVP.

1914

Cincinnati dominated the National League in the first half of the season, while Washington maintained a small lead in the American League over Cleveland, Boston and Detroit for most of the first four months. Grover Alexander was phenomenal for the Senators while the Reds finished first in nearly every offensive category despite struggling in the second half. The Senators also faded down the stretch, going 3-4 in October and losing three games to eventual champion Boston, including the regular season tiebreaker.

The Red Sox peaked at the right time as they swept Cincinnati in the World Series. Bobby Veach hit .538 in the four games and Sherry Magee hit .471 with 6 RBI. Jack Tobin won the AL MVP for the Red Sox at age 22 with a .307 batting average and 52 steals.

Alexander’s season was one of the best to date by a pitcher as he won 28 games and had a 1.67 ERA in his third full season. Ty Cobb, who reupped with the Giants in the previous offseason, won his fourth straight MVP award.

The Pittsburgh Pirates attempted to continue a tradition of excellence at shortstop, using their first overall pick in the amateur draft to select highly-touted prospect Rogers Hornsby.

1915

Detroit and Washington again battled for first in the American League for most of the season. In the National League, Chicago, New York, Brooklyn and Cincinnati were the teams to beat. The Giants fell off the pace after trading their aging pitching stud Christy Mathewson to the Phillies for Fred Merkle. The Cubs finished two games ahead of the Reds to take the NL pennant on the strength of rookie George Sisler’s .301 season. The Cubs drafted the 22-year old with the 8th overall pick the previous fall.

The defending AL champion Red Sox were not to be denied however. A strong final two months for Boston left the American League regular season in a tie for the second straight year. And for the second straight year, the Red Sox defeated Washington in the playoff. The Sox went on to win their third straight World Series title, beating the Cubs in 5 games.

Ty Cobb had an off year by his standards (.312-1-83) but he stole 98 bases and won his fifth straight MVP award. Pete Alexander took home another Cy Young award for Washington and young Benny Kauff broke through with a .308 season for the Senators to win MVP honors in the American League.

1916

The Philadelphia Athletics made a splash in free agency, prying star second baseman Eddie Collins from the Cincinnati Reds. Collins joined the A’s, who hadn’t played above .500 ball since 1907. It didn’t do them much good. Cleveland made what many thought was a questionable move, trading Chief Bender to the Red Sox for aging Miller Huggins. But Huggins had one of his strong early starts and Cleveland led the American League out of the gate and into July. The St. Louis Cardinals emerged from out of nowhere and had a nice season triggered by Edd Roush led the majors with 79 RBI. The Cardinals lost their lead to Brooklyn in mid August, and Cleveland faltered late as the Red Sox took their 4th straight AL pennant by 9 games over Chicago. St. Louis battled the Brooklyn Robins throughout the final months but finished with a 91-63 record to take home it’s first NL title.

The World Series went as expected – the experienced Red Sox dispatched the Cardinals in 5 games. The Cardinals lost Edd Roush to injury, and their rotation was anchored by young pitchers Jesse Barnes and Eppa Rixey. Boston’s ability to counter with a veteran staff of Chief Bender, Al Demaree and Hippo Vaughn, who had turned in the best season of his career was too much for the upstart Cardinals.

Vaughn won the AL Cy Young award for his 23-12, 1.64 ERA effort and his teammate Bender finished second in the voting. Barnes won the NL Rookie of theYear award. Brooklyn Robins took home both the major awards despite their second place finish. Rube Marquard earned the Cy Young trophy for his 23-10 record and 1.67 ERA, while Tris Speaker took advantage of a bad season by Ty Cobb to win his first NL MVP.

1917

Boston came out sluggish in 1917, and found itself 6.5 games behind the Senators with 2 months remaining in the season. In the NL, the Giants found new life after a dismal 68-win season the year before and led Chicago by two games heading into August. A resurgent Pittsburgh franchise squad took over first place in late August but a poor September took them out of the running. The Reds’ 19-5 record in September took the Giants and Robins by surprise, and Cincinnati took its fourth NL title. The Red Sox aging pitching staff, which now included 37 year-old Christy Mathewson, was unable to lead a late surge, and the Senators took the pennant with a five game cushion.

The Reds and Senators had each been in the World Series three times, but neither had experienced victory. It was a great series, going seven games and even in the final game, nine innings wasn’t enough to decide the winner. The Reds parlayed a one-out single by Whitey Witt into the series-winning run with a sacrifice bunt by Sam Crawford and a single by Everett Booe, a pinch-hitter who’d only had eight at-bats all season.

Eddie Collins led his Athletics to a 78-78 record, their best in 10 years. His .320 batting average earned him AL MVP honors as the Washington duo of Joe Jackson and Benny Kauff appeared to split the vote. Hippo Vaughn followed his brilliant 1916 campaign with a similar 1917 (24-11, 1.83) and was rewarded with the Cy Young award. Ty Cobb returned to prominence, winning his 6th NL MVP award.

1918

Washington was determined to get back to the World Series in 1918 but would once again have to deal with the Boston Red Sox, as well as the Cleveland Indians, who were boosted by the emergence of failed pitcher Babe Ruth. In the National League, it was the Reds and Giants again battling for first place, as the Cardinals and Pirates both fell back into the second division.

Babe Ruth’s incredible .324-18-97 season was good enough for AL MVP and the Triple Crown, but not enough to keep Cleveland in the pennant race, as the Indians finished eight games back. In another great race, the Senators held off the Red Sox and won the pennant by two games. The Reds finished strong again, winning 10 of their last 12 games to take the NL championsip. The Reds were led by Home Run Baker, Max Carey and a pitching staff that featured 31-game winner Henry Kuepper, and were favored to win the series. But Washington, led by leadoff hitter Milt Stock (.419 in the series) exacted revenge for their loss the previous year, and won in seven games.

Boston’s Hippo Vaughn won his second consecutive Cy Young award, posting a 23-13 record and a 2.25 ERA. Ty Cobb won another NL MVP for the Giants, hitting .355. The 32-year old star became a free agent after the season and signed a 5-year deal with the Philadelphia Phillies in December.

1919

A star was born in 1919 as Cleveland’s Babe Ruth shattered the single-season home run record – in July. But the Indians struggled and spent most of the season in seventh place. The Philadelphia Athletics had a good start and led heading into August with Eddie Collins leading the way. But they faced lots of competition; the Red Sox, Yankees and White Sox all lurked within three games.

The National League saw Chicago win the pennant, with George Sisler leading the league in batting with .342, in home runs with 14, and RBI with 96. In the American League, the Athletics only went 12-10 in September and Boston regained the pennant after two second place finishes. The Red Sox took the World Series five games to one. Eddie Cicotte lost two games for Chicago and Boston’s leadoff man Ray Chapman hit .409 for the series. It was Boston’s fifth World Series title in six appearances.

But the league buzzed about 24-year old Babe Ruth, who hit 43 home runs to shatter the previous mark of 19 by Frank Schulte in 1910. He also hit .330 and added 113 RBIs to win the AL MVP. Sisler won the award in the National League. Boston’s Hippo Vaughn took home his fourth consecutive Cy Young award.

[MizzouRah]

Great reading! My setup is about identical to yours and it's been quite immersive.

[Matches]

1920

The Senators were dealt a blow in the offseason as Pete Alexander, the longtime Washington ace, signed a 2-year contract with the New York Giants. Alexander became New York’s number one starter and put them back into the NL pennant mix with Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and the emerging Philadelphia Phillies. The Reds won the pennant by one game. Wally Schang hit .338 for the Reds, who got a boost from former pitcher Smokey Joe Wood midway through the season in a trade with Cleveland. Wood, won 141 games before throwing his arm out and converting to first base.

Detroit’s Harry Heilmann paced the Tigers who earned a 10 game lead halfway through the season and held on to win their first AL pennant since 1911. Detroit got good seasons also from Carson Bigbee (.337), Sam Rice (.326) and rookie Joe Sewell (.314), the seventh overall pick in the previous fall’s draft.

The Reds took the World Series, five games to one. Schang took home the National League MVP, while Babe Ruth broke his own home run record with 47, adding 126 RBI and hitting at an impressive .369 clip.

1921

The year 1921 went down as the Year of the Bambino. Ruth signed a three-year contract with Cleveland and responded with a .382 batting average, 69 home runs and 180 RBIs. It was good for his second Triple Crown in the American League and the MVP. His presence in the Cleveland lineup also gave Cy Williams lots of good pitches to hit, as he mashed 32 homers, a distant second to the Babe.

All that offense wasn’t enough to overcome a sub-par pitching staff, and the Indians finished two games under .500. The Washington Senators defied the experts and finished the regular season tied with Chicago for first place. The Senators pulled out all the stops in the playoff, winning 17-3 to earn the right to face the NL champion Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Pirates had returned to the NL pennant picture over the last three seasons. 1921 was Rogers Hornsby’s breakout year, as he hit .386 with 28 homers and 139 RBI to win the NL MVP. The Pirates also shrewdly acquired catcher Bubbles Hargrave from the New York Yankees. The Pirates cruised in the World Series, sweeping the Senators in five games.

Jeff Tesreau won the Cy Young award in the American League, going 20-10 with a 3.79 ERA. Ty Cobb proved he had something left in his 34-year old tank, hitting .405 and hitting a career-high 11 home runs. Tris Speaker also hit .372 as a new era of lively-ball hitting appeared to be setting in.

Hornsby left the Pirates for the St. Louis Browns as a free agent in the offseason. His three-year deal made him the highest-paid player in the major leagues.

1922

As expected, the defending champion Pirates faltered without their star shortstop. The New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers battled much of the season in the National League, while the White Sox, led by ace Urban Shocker, and the Indians, led by the powerful Ruth-Williams duo were tops in the American League. The Dodgers faded down the stretch and the Giants took the NL by seven games on the strength of a league-best pitching staff which posted a team 3.30 ERA. The White Sox won the pennant by 3 games, posting the league’s best batting average and ERA. The Giants had never lost in a World Series, while this was the White Sox first trip. The Giants made short work of Chicago, winning the series in 5 games.

Jack Fournier of the Reds took home the NL MVP, as he hit .408 with 25 homers. Babe Ruth walked away with another MVP award in the AL, hitting .377 with 56 home runs.

1923

Cleveland and Chicago were again at the top of the American League, but were joined by several other teams, including the Athletics, Tigers, and Browns. Cleveland held a decent lead late in the season until the final stretch, where they lost 10 of their last 13 games, losing the pennant to the White Sox.

In the National League, Brooklyn was the team to beat early, with the Cubs not far behind and the Giants a few games over .500. Brooklyn had a dominant home stretch and finished with 98 wins. But the White Sox were ready this year, and thanks to a couple of great outings from Urban Shocker, Chicago swept the Dodgers in four games.

Brooklyn’s Red Faber took home NL Cy Young honors with a 22-11 season and a 3.09 ERA. Journeyman Win Noyes won 21 games for Chicago and won the AL Cy Young award. Babe Ruth hit a career-best .392 with 48 home runs and 131 RBI to win the AL MVP, while Ike Boone got the award for the Boston Braves in the National League.

1924

The Chicago Cubs made a series of offseason moves that figured to improve the team. They signed future Hall of Fame second baseman Eddie Collins and veteran third baseman Buck Weaver to contracts and traded for Riggs Stephenson, who had posted a .341 batting average in his first three seasons.

It didn’t work out so well for the Cubs, however, as the Philadelphia Phillies got off to a phenomenal 46-15 start. Rookie Jim Bottomley (.371-18-98) led the Phillies’ offense and Dazzy Vance (23-10, 2.77) anchored the pitching staff, and Philadelphia finished with a league-record 103-51 record.

In the American League, Cleveland again proved to be a contender, but faced opposition from Rogers Hornsby and the St. Louis Browns. Hornsby and Ruth had begun a friendly rivalry since Rogers moved over from the National League, and the Indians and Browns emerged as the class of the American League in 1924. St. Louis’ 97-win season included an MVP win for Hornsby (.412-29-109) and a Cy Young award for Joe Shaute (21-2, 3.44), but was spoiled by Cleveland’s 99-55 effort, which came with Babe Ruth out of the lineup for three months due to a fractured cheekbone. Jesse Barnes won 19 games as the ace of the Cleveland staff.

It was the first time for the Phillies in the World Series, and the Cleveland franchise hadn’t won a pennant since the league’s opening season in 1901. The series went to seven games, and the Phillies exploded for an 11-1 win to take their first World Series crown as Ruth watched hopelessly from the bench.

1925

Cleveland came back with a healthy Babe Ruth in 1925 and took first place in early May and never looked back. Ruth hit 38 homers and Harry Rice hit .356 to lead the AL’s top offense as the Indians finished at 90-65 depite a September swoon that nearly allowed the Washington Senators to sneak away with the pennant.

The NL saw a right race as the defending champion Phillies fought with a suddenly frisky Boston Braves team which was spurred by 22-year old Lou Gehrig. The Braves faded, but the Pittsburgh Pirates surged with an 18-9 record in August while the Phillies, who lost Jim Bottomley for the entire season in spring training, could only muster .500 ball in the final two months of the season. Pittsburgh won it’s 6th NL pennant with an 88-66 record.

The Indians were favored in the World Series, but Pittsburgh’s George Kelly hit .385 with a pair of homers and seven RBI as the Pirates shocked the Indians by winning in seven games. Regular season MVP Babe Ruth hit just .222 in the series.

Boston’s Lou Gehrig won the National League MVP, and his teammate Freddie Fitzsimmons won the Cy Young as a rookie, going 21-7 with a 3.60.

1926

Cleveland continued to improve, as they signed future Hall of Famer Joe Jackson in the offseason. It paid off early as the Indians held first place for nearly the entire season and Jackson was among the leaders in batting average and won the AL MVP. The Washington Senators had a strong second half but finished two games out of first.

It was the Phillies returning to the top of the National League, boosted by the return of Jim Bottomley and the breakout season of Al Simmons making up for Ty Cobb’s season-ending injury in early May. The Boston Braves also were in contention in the first half, but dropped out of the race in the second half as the Phillies cruised – winning 101 games and finishing 22 games ahead of the Braves.

The Braves were led by Lou Gehrig who won his second consecutive MVP at age 23. Philadelphia’s Dazzy Vance won the Cy Young award for his 21-8, 2.04 season, but the Phillies lost the World Series to Cleveland in 6 games.

1927

The Indians celebrated their first World Series win – some a little too hard. The great Babe Ruth, who’d ushered in a new era of baseball with his home run hitting prowess, had always been a bit of a partier. His championship celebration continued well into the 1927 season and it began to affect his play. The Babe was only hitting .285, though he was on pace to eclipse 50 home runs for the third time in his career. A particular rowdy night on the town saw Ruth wake up with blurred vision that did not improve with time. Doctors determined that a risky surgery was necessary for Ruth to have any chance of playing baseball again, however, the surgery did not improve his vision enough and the “Sultan of Swat” was forced to call a short end to a brilliant career at the age of 32. He retired with a career .343 batting average, 406 home runs, and 1225 RBI.

The loss left a gaping hole in the Indians lineup. Cleveland had traded away the likes of Cy Williams and Kiki Cuyler and now counted on 38 year-old Shoeless Joe Jackson heavily for offense. Cleveland was able to hang around in the pennant race, but Washington led most of the way and finished with a four game lead on Cleveland to win the pennant.

In the NL, the Phillies were not as dominant as a season before, but still managed to hold off the Reds, who had a promising young core of hitters in Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott and Chick Hafey, and win the NL pennant by nine games. Ott would win Rookie of the Year for Cincinnati as an 18-year old, and Jimmie Foxx finished third in MVP voting at just 19.

Washington on paper looked like no match for Philadelphia. The Phillies featured veteran stars Ty Cobb, Ross Youngs and Zack Wheat, as well as young talent like Jim Bottomley, Al Simmons and Gabby Hartnett. Their pitching staff was old but effective. Late bloomer Dazzy Vance had won two straight Cy Young awards and was about to win his third. Urban Shocker had two himself, and Dutch Leonard was approaching 250 career wins and would finish second in Cy Young voting this year. But the better team on paper doesn’t always win, and sometimes, as in 1927, the better team on paper loses the World Series in five games.

Joe Jackson won his second straight MVP, giving him five for his career. Lou Gehrig had already won two for the Braves in the NL, and was only getting better. His .345-37-127 campaign as a 24-year old won him his third straight MVP award.

1928

Dazzy Vance jumped from the Phillies to Cincinnati Reds, giving the Reds an ace pitcher to go with their potent offense. But Vance struggled, and it was the Brooklyn Robins who came out of the gate as a contender to Philadelphia for the NL crown. The Phillies faltered, and the Robins, led by shortstop Travis Jackson and pitcher Jack Russell took the pennant by 12 games.

In the American League, Cleveland and Washington battled early, but Chicago’s pitching tandem of Lefty Grove and Eppa Rixey made them a contender, and a 19-4 record in August gave then a 10 game lead into September that would increase to 12 as the Sox finished with a 100-54 season.

Chicago’s Tony Lazzeri drove in 11 runs for the White Sox in their 4-2 World Series win over the Robins. It was the franchise’ second World Series win and third pennant of the ‘20s. Lou Gehrig won another MVP in the National League, with 41 homers, while Rogers Hornsby returned to the top of his game posting a .336 average and 28 homers after a couple sub-par seasons.

1929

A multi-team race shaped up halfway through the American League’s season. Washington, Cleveland, St. Louis and an emerging Yankees franchise challenged Chicago for the pennant. It was an incredibly tight race, and as late as September 9, only one game separated the top four teams, with Cleveland lurking just four and a half back. Washington played best when it counted, going on an 11-game winning streak in late September to win the title.

In the National League, Brooklyn saw Pittsburgh challenge them in a tight race as well. The Pirates’ offense was tops in the NL, while the Robins hung their hats on pitching. It went down to the last day of the season but the Pirates defeated the Cubs while Brooklyn fell to Philadelphia.

The Pirates went on to beat Washington in 6 games in the World Series. It was their third championship of the decade and 6th in franchise history. Pittsburgh was led by pitcher Charley Root (24-10, 3.47), who won the Cy Young award. Lefty Grove won his second straight Cy Young for the White Sox in the AL while Rogers Hornsby had a phenonmenal .368-38-126 campaign to win the AL MVP. Lou Gehrig won his fifth straight MVP but remains stuck on the last place Boston Braves.

[MizzouRah]

Great stuff!!

[Matches]

As a Clevelander, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at Ruth's career-ender. There's a lot of people in this city who think negatively about sports, to the point where it doesn't surprise anyone if I tell them that I replayed history and Ruth was signed by the Indians only to suffer a career-ending injury the year he hit 60 homers for the Yankees in reality...



1930

Pittsburgh and Washington continued their success into 1930. Pittsburgh was challenged by Brooklyn and Philadelphia in a close race in the last couple months. Philadelphia got a specatular season from Al Simmons, who hit .420-41-158 and won the NL MVP. Brooklyn featured six of the NL’s top seven base stealers, including free agent signee Chick Hafey who came over from Cincinnati and led the league with 47 swipes. The Dodgers actually had the second-worst team batting average in the NL and lost the pennant in a regular season tiebreak with Pittsburgh. The Phillies finished a game and a half back.

Washington was chased by Rogers Hornsby’s St. Louis Browns but win the AL pennant by 4 games. Washington had signed Kiki Cuyler away from the Yankees in the offseason, and he along with Charlie Gehringer and Showboat Fisher led the league’s most potent offense. The Senators also made a midseason trade for pitcher George Uhle, which really solidified their pitching staff. Pittsburgh beat the Senators in the World Series for the second straight year. This one went seven games and the MVP of the series was undoubtedly Pirate third baseman Ed Morgan, who hit .517 with 6 HR and 16 RBI during the series.

Chicago’s Lefty Grove won his fourth straight Cy Young award with his third straight 20-win season.

1931

The Boston Red Sox were a surprise success in the American League. Boosted by Hack Wilson’s best season and a midseason trade for pitcher Red Ruffing, the Red Sox took the AL by storm and won their first pennant in 12 years, after failing to win more than 65 games the previous year. Meanwhile the Washington Senators went from captain to cooptain, with George Uhle suffering a season-ending injury and a poot efford from Charlie Gehringer contributing to their demise.

In the NL it was the Chicago Cubs as the surprise winners of the pennant. The Cubs had finished no better than sixth place in the last five seasons. They had actually signed Ruffing in the offseason, only to trade him away, apparently not subscribing to the theory that you can never have too much pitching. The Cubs’ Bill Walker won 20 games and a Cy Young award as their pitching staff made up for a mediocre offense and helped Chicago win 95 games, the most in club history. Their season was capped by win in the World Series over the Red Sox. Fans questioned the trade of Red Ruffing to the Red Sox for Chicken Hawks, but Hawks hit .429 in the series while Ruffing lost both his starts, though he did pitch well, surrendering only 2 earned runs. It was the Cubs’ first World Series win in three trips; Boston had beaten them back in 1915 and 1919.

1932

The surprise success of the Cubs and Red Sox didn’t carry over to the next season. The Cubs finished sixth in the National League, 28 games out of first. Pittsburgh returned to the top of the league in the first half of the season, but the Cincinnati Reds went 57-21 in the final three months of the season to take their first pennant since 1920. 41-year old Dazzy Vance (19-7, 2.57) won his fourth Cy Young Award for the Reds and 23-year old Mel Ott (.329-33-111) won the NL MVP. Third baseman Stan Hack (.339, 28 steals) won the Rookie of the Year award as well.

In the American League, the Detroit Tigers were anchored by their pitching staff, which featured Carl Hubbell and 22 year-old Mel Harder. The young Harder faded in August and September and the Tigers played less than .500 ball down the stretch. A 17-6 September for the New York Yankees gave them their first pennant in 29 years. The Yankees drafted shortstop Arky Vaughan with the 6th pick in the draft the previous fall, and the 20-year old hit .325 during the season to win the A.L. Rookie of the Year award and .367 during the World Series as New York’s leadoff man. The Yankees beat the Reds in seven games to win their first World Series title.

1933

A couple of big names changed addresses in the offseason. With Paul Waner a free agent, the Brooklyn Dodgers decided to upgrade by signing Mel Ott from the Cincinnati Reds. Waner took his .330 career batting average signed with Chicago, as he signed with the Cubs. The result was the Reds falling into the bottom half of the National League and the Cubs rising to the top with an amazing 107 wins, the most ever in the major leagues. Waner led the NL in batting average for much of the year but lost the title by .001 to Lou Gehrig. The Cubs also got a nice season from Pinky Higgins who hit .322-10-111 in his second season with Chicago.

The AL champion Yankees were well out of the pennant race as well. Dizzy Dean had a 23-win season for the Boston Red Sox who won the pennant by 10 games over St. Louis. Dean’s effort earned him the A.L. Cy Young award.

Chicago defeated the Red Sox in six games to win their second ring in three years. Waner hit .500 in the series to win the MVP. He finished third in the regular season MVP voting to Lou Gehrig and Mel Ott. Cubs ace Lon Warneke (23-8, 2.88) won the Cy Young award.

1934

The up-and-down nature of baseball continued as Boston, one year removed from winning the A.L. pennant, spent most of the next season in the cellar. Detroit’s Carl Hubbell (21-7, 1.53) had another great year in leading the Tigers, but the team again faded miserably down the stretch, going 23-31 in the final two months, essentially handing the pennant over to the Philadelphia Athletics.

In the NL, a three team race emerged. Chicago couldn’t duplicate the magic of their 107-win season of the previous year, and along with Brooklyn chased the Cincinnati Reds early on. The Dodgers faded and the Reds held on to win the pennant by three games. Catcher Jimmie Foxx led the Reds with a .322 batting average. The Reds came back from down two games to win the World Series in six.

Arky Vaughan won the A.L. MVP at age 22 for his .330-15-104 season in New York. Lou Gehrig continued to toil away in relative obscurity for the Boston Braves, hitting .351 with 40 homers and 143 RBI., which was good for his third Triple Crown and his seventh NL MVP award.

1935

Both leagues had several teams in contention for first place midway through the season. Cincinnati led the National League, but only by two games over Brooklyn, and there were three other teams within six games of first place. The American League had a similar story, with five teams in contention, and the St. Louis Browns in first place heading into the final two months of the season. By September, the races had shaken out a bit more. St. Louis and Washington were neck and neck in the American League, with the White Sox lurking three games back. In the National League, Cincinnati had emerged with a four game lead on the Dodgers.

St. Louis went 9-17 in September, and the Senators went 13-15, opening the door for the White Sox, who on the strength of Lefty Grove’s 5-1 month, went 19-7 to win their first pennant since 1928. In the NL, the Reds went 19-8 and cruised to their second straight league championship and third in four years. Jimmie Foxx’s switch to first base paid dividends for the slugger, who toiled behind the plate for ten years. Foxx hit a career-high 41 homers and 151 RBI, but were beaten in the World Series in 5 games.

Foxx finished second in MVP voting to Lou Gehrig (.324-40-133), whose Boston club changed its name to the Bees with terrible results, as the team won only 59 games. Arky Vaughan won another MVP for the struggling Yankees.

1936

Chicago battled with Washington again at the top of the American League, with the Athletics lurking in the race as well. In the NL, the St. Louis Cardinals, who hadn’t finished above .500 in the 1930s, had amassed an impressive 51 wins at the break. 22-year old Paul Dean was putting together his best season and 23-year old Johnny Mize, drafted the previous fall, proved to be an instant success.

The Cardinals held on for the NL title despite a strong surge from the Pittsburgh Pirates, who got a stellar 41 home runs and 141 RBIs from rookie outfielder Joe DiMaggio. The White Sox went back and forth with the Senators and won the AL pennant with an 85-69 record. Lefty Grove continued his Hall of Fame career with a 23-11 record and a 2.96 ERA and won his eighth Cy Young.

Despite their paltry 85-win season, the White Sox took the Cardinals out in 5 games to win their second straight ring. Lou Gehrig passed Babe Ruth (406) on the all-time home run list in May and became a free agent in the fall. The Pittsburgh Pirates made a huge splash, signing the sure-fire Hall of Famer to a two year deal worth nearly $200,000 a season, making Gehrig the highest paid player in baseball and teaming him with Earl Averill and young Joe DiMaggio to form one of the most potent 3-4-5 combinations in baseball history.

1937

Pirates’ ownership was unable or unwilling to keep three superstars on the payroll, and in midseason they dealt longtime Pirate Earl Averill to the St. Louis Cardinals. Pittsburgh held a six-game lead at the break, and finished with 89 wins, five ahead of the second place Brooklyn Dodgers.

The White Sox continued their stay at the top of the American League. Dixie Walker led the league in hitting league and Lefty Grove again won 20 games and another Cy Young award as Chicago finished the season with 101 wins, 17 games ahead of Boston. Pittsburgh, however, was unimpressed by the two-time defending champions and their 101 wins, and won the World Series in seven games.

Charlie Gehringer continued his stellar career with Washington, and was rewarded with his first MVP trophy for his .350-15-78 season. 24-year-old Hal Trosky had an amazing year for the Cubs, hitting .357 with 47 home runs to win the NL MVP. He came .002 in average away from the Triple Crown.

1938

The Pirates struggled the following year, hovering around .500 as Lou Gehrig began showing signs of age. Brooklyn had the best pitching staff in the league and were in first place at the break. Cubs and Cardinals made some noise early in the second half, but faded as the Dodgers won the pennant with a 94-60 record. Catcher Bill Dickey hit a club-record 42 homers to pace the Dodgers and won the NL MVP.

In the American League, the Red Sox got a breakout season from young fireballer Bob Feller. It was a 4-team race for the AL pennant into mid-August, as the White Sox took over first place, with Detroit and New York within 5 games. But Chicago proved why they were the AL’s elite team posting a 43-16 record in the final two months. Dixie Walker again led the team in batting while Lefty Grove won a career-high 28 games and had a 2.20 ERA at age 38.

The Dodgers hadn’t been to the World Series in 10 years and hadn’t won one since their string of four consecutive ended in 1911. But they took it to the White Sox, who were overwhelmed by Brooklyn’s offense. Dickey hit .417 for the series and had 10 RBIs as the Dodgers won the series in 5 games.

1939

It was an eventful offseason in the big leagues. Perhaps the most highly touted prospect ever was selected first by the Philadelphia Athletics. Ted Williams, a 20-year-old outfielder from San Diego, was heralded as the savior of a Philadelphia franchise that won just 49 games the previous season. The Boston Bees, the majors’ least successful franchise, got a lovely consolation prize in the form of a young pitcher named Hal Newhouser.

The offseason also included a strong class of free agents. The New York Yankees made splash by signing Joe Medwick, a former Phillies outfielder just hitting his prime at age 27. They also re-signed Paul Derringer, who entertained offers before returning to the team he’d won 107 games with so far. Hank Greenberg, who had been drafted by the Tigers and hit 41 home runs in 1938, took a 4-year deal from the Red Sox and Lou Gehrig signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. Brooklyn signed sweet-hitting shortstop Arky Vaughan away from the Yankees, a move that made them the odds-on favorites to retain their National League title.

The Dodgers held a three game lead over the Cubs and Pirates at the all-star break. Boston’s Bob Feller won 12 games in the first half and led the Red Sox to a 4.5 game lead over the Tigers. The Dodgers though had a terrible second half and the Cubs ended up winning 96 games and taking the pennant. The Red Sox, however, held on to win their ninth American League championship.

Neither team had been to the World Series since the 1933 series, which the Cubs won. 1939 was another story as the Red Sox won it in 5 games. Bob Feller won the AL Cy Young award as he won the pitcher’s Triple Crown, winning 21 games, posting a 2.67 ERA and striking out 240. Ted Williams proved worthy of the hype, as he hit .379-39-123 as a 21-year-old rookie and won the AL MVP.

[Renner]

This is a great read !

[Radsmats]

Great stuff. I started a league in the mid-50s and will be interested to see how your results compare to mine (It's June 1961 and Pittsburgh's Roger Maris has only 16 homers and a Mendoza-like batting average, but as he had only one homer on May 1, I wouldn't count out a run at 61.) Mantle, with the Yankees, has been hurt twice and is hitting .232 w/ single-digit homers.

[Matches]

1940

Still stinging from their second half collapse a year earlier, the Brooklyn Dodgers came roaring out of the gate and at the all-star break had posted a gaudy 61-20 record. They finished with a major league record 112 wins.

The Chicago White Sox returned to the top of the American League after a rough ’39 season. They won the pennant after a tight three-team race with Detroit and Cleveland. Chicago finished in a regular season tie with Detroit and won in the playoff to take home their 5th AL title in six years. The White Sox’ experience in the postseason paid dividends, and they upset the Dodgers in seven games.

Bob Feller won his second straight Cy Young, winning 24 games and striking out 252 batters while posting a 2.24 ERA. Ted Williams won another MVP for Philadelphia as the team improved to have an 85-win season. They could be a contender if rookie SS Pee Wee Reese continues to develop.

1941

Brooklyn continued to play well in the National League, fighting off the Cubs and Pirates in the first half of the season. The Pirates won 94 games but still finished 8 games behind the Dodgers.

The Boston Red Sox had baseball’s best record at the all-star break, thanks to stellar first half performances by pitchers Bob Feller and Marius Russo. The defending champion White Sox had a solid season, winning 92 games, but it was no match for Boston, who set an American League record with a 109-45 record. Their pitching staff was phenomenal, as they led the league on all major categories, but suffered a blow late as ace Bob Feller (21-9, 2.27) injured his knee in the final week of the season, putting him out of the World Series. Boston posted a team ERA of 2.67, while the American League on average had an ERA of 3.80.

The World Series was one to remember for the Dodgers. Still stung from their poor showing the previous year, the Dodgers found themselves down 3-0 to Boston. But they exploded for four runs in the first inning of Game 4 and cruised to an 11-4 win. Charlie Gehringer hit a walk-off home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth in Game 5. Game 6 in Boston went 10 innings and went in Brooklyn’s favor. The Dodgers completed the comeback with a 3-2 win in Game 7.

Boston’s Big Three of pitchers finished 1-2-3 in the Cy Young Award voting, with Marius Russo (24-4, 2.22) beating out Feller and Johnny Vander Meer (22-6, 2.17). Boston’s Stan Hack and Hank Greenberg finished behind Philadelphia’s Ted Williams in MVP voting.

1942

Brooklyn lost Buddy Lewis to Pittsburgh in free agency, and the move created a little more parity at the top of the NL. The Cubs, led by rookie shortstop Johnny Pesky and a great first half by veteran pitcher Si Johnson, led at the break. The Red Sox were not as dominant in the American League, which saw four teams contending halfway through the season. Boston fought off both Cleveland and Detroit to win the American League by three games, while in the National League, the Dodgers fell out of the race and the Cubs edged Pittsburgh by a game to win their second pennant in four years.

In the World Series, Johnny Vander Meer won two games for Boston as they won their seventh World Championship. Vander Meer also won the AL Cy Young for his 21-11 season. Philadelphia’s Ted Williams won another MVP award, despite being hurt late in the season and only playing 109 games. He finished with a .352 batting average and 29 homers.

1943

Brooklyn returned to the top of the National League in 1943, holding an eight and a half game lead over the Cardinals at the break. Boston faced opposition from Washington, Cleveland and Detroit, and the race only got tighter as the summer wore on. Detroit was a game up on Cleveland going into September, with Boston and Washington fading out of the picture. The Indians’ 18-8 September put them over the top, and Cleveland won it’s first pennant since the too-short Babe Ruth era in the mid-20s. Brooklyn, meanwhile, finished with 99 wins and a comfortable 18 games ahead of Cincinnati and St. Louis, with the defending champion Cubs suffering a 69-85 season.

The Dodgers were heavily favored in the World Series, most of their players having been there before, and they did not disappoint, sweeping the Indians to win their third title in six years.

Ted Williams (.355-29-128) won yet another MVP award for the Athletics, who continued to struggle.

1944

Pennant races in both leagues were hot and heavy in 1944. The AL defending champs were two games out of first place at the break, with Stan Musial and the Washington Senators in first, and the Detroit Tigers, led by Frank McCormick, hovered five and a half games back. The Tigers faltered and it became 2-team race going into September, but Washington’s lead slipped away as they completely folded in September, going 6-17 for the month. Cleveland’s league-best pitching staff led the team to it’s second straight pennant.

In the National League, the Reds held a one game lead over the Cardinals, with the Philadelphia Blue Jays three and a half out. Pittsburgh, Chicago, and even the Dodgers, who were four games under .500, all considered themselves in contention. The Blue Jays scuffled in the second half, finishing 9 games under .500. St. Louis’ strong finish put them in the World Series for only the third time in franchise history.

The Indians took the World Series in 5 games. Third baseman Ken Keltner, who signed a 5-year deal with the team the previous fall, hit .450 with a homer and 7 RBIs in the series.

In what appeared to be becoming a ritual in the American League, Ted Williams and Stan Musial finished 1-2 in MVP voting. Boston’s Pete Reiser had a breakthrough year at age 25, hitting .354 and stealing 38 bases. Cleveland’s Jack Kramer won the Cy Young Award. St.Louis’ Charle Keller earned the MVP in the NL for his 39 homer season. He added 126 RBI to lead the majors in both categories.

1945

8-time All-Star Mel Ott signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the offseason. The Pirates signed the veteran away from Brooklyn as their right fielder for the last seven years, Enos Slaughter, signed with the last-place New York Giants. Ott had spent 11 seasons in Brooklyn and was at the tail end of a long career that began back in 1926 with the Reds. The Dodgers, for their part, improved by signing shortstop Lou Boudreau from Detroit.

The American League experts were divided. Some thought Cleveland would repeat. Others thought the Senators would finally put a full season together, and still others felt that Boston’s crack pitching staff of Bob Feller, Ken Raffensberger, Harry Brecheen and Preacher Roe would win out. It was the third group that looked like geniuses early, as they held a 6.5 game lead over Cleveland, which was the only other team above .500 going into August. Raffensberger was particularly dominant the first 4 months, going 17-3 with a 2.61 ERA. Their success continued and Boston finished with 101 wins to take the pennant.

In the National League, the Cardinals and Pirates battled for first, with the Cubs and Dodgers within striking distance. St. Louis’ Johnny Mize had his best season since his second year in the majors, hitting .353 with 30 homers and 100 RBI, as that Cardinals maintained their lead and won their second straight pennant.

The Red Sox were favored in the World Series, since good pitching beats good hitting. But this year, “vice versa” was the case as the Cardinals stunned Boston by winning in six games. Tiny Bonham was the star of the series, pitching two complete game wins and posting an ERA of 1.50.

Mize took home the NL MVP, the first of his career. Ted Williams and Stan Musial finished 1-2 again in the American League. Ted Williams had played seven seasons, won seven MVP awards, but still was without a pennant. The Spendid Splinter opted for free agency at the end of the year, as did NL MVP Johnny Mize. Williams signed a $419,000 a year deal with the struggling NewYork Giants franchise, becoming the highest paid player in baseball. Johnny Mize signed the game’s second-richest contract, opting for the Phillies, who hadn’t finished better than fifth place since 1931.

1946

The Giants made some noise in the offseason, signing Ted Williams to create a potent core of the lineup with Williams, Enos Slaughter, and Ernie Lombardi. They also signed Claude Passeau to be their new number one starter, and hoped for a boost from rookie draft pick Ellis Kinder. But for all the offseason noise the Giants made about a renaissance, in the regular season they were quiet. The Cardinals were in first at the break, and the Giants were 18 and a half games back, in last place. To add injury to insult, Ted Williams tore his groin muscle in mid-June and was lost for the year. A phenomenal season for Johnny Mize in his new home in Philadelphia made the Phillies pennant contenders. Mize hit .355 with an NL record 62 home runs and 145 RBI, winning the Triple Crown and the NL MVP. In the end, it was not enough as it was the Pirates who finished strong, taking the pennant by one game over Philadelphia.

Boston and Chicago were tied for first in the American League, with the St. Louis Browns a half game out. Hank Greenberg led the AL in homers for Boston and led them to another pennant, as the Browns; first half turned out to be a fluke and Chicago couldn’t keep pace.

The World Series was a matchup of two of baseball’s most successful franchises. It was Boston’s 13th appearance (no team had been there more often), and Pittsburgh had won World Series eight rings (no team had won more often). Boston again found itself on the losing end, as the Pirates won it in five very close games. No game was won by more than two runs, and the final three were all one-run ballgames. Joe DiMaggio had a .474 batting average for Pittsburgh to silence some of his critics who said he’d been underachieving for most of his career.

The Giants finished with the baseball’s worst record, and so had the fortune of picking from of a loaded draft class which included Duke Snider, Al Rosen and Ted Kluzewski as well as the game’s first black players, Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby. However, they passed on all of them and selected pitcher Harry Perkowski. Fans were crestfallen. Snider was the first to go, 4th overall to the Athletics. The Reds took Rosen and the Browns made Jackie Robinson the game’s first African-American player with the 8th pick, figuring that they had never won a pennant with all white guys.

1947

The Giants, determined to get back to the top of the National League, made another offseason splash, signing former Boston Braves ace Hal Newhouser to a multi-year contract. The 25-year old Newhouser was coming of a 24 win season in which he won the NL Cy Young award. But experts figured they still didn’t have the horses, especially with Ted Williams’ status unsure as he returned from his groin injury a week after the season started.

The Giants did hover around .500 in the first half, but it was not good enough to really be in contention. The Pirates continued their success from the previous season, with Joe DiMaggio among the leaders in home runs and Max Butcher winning a career-high 26 games and posting a 3.01 ERA. Pittsburgh won the pennant by 12 games over the Dodgers with a 94-60 record. Mel Ott hit 32 home runs, overtaking Lou Gehrig as the all-time home run king.

The Red Sox continued to play well in the Amerian League, and had a six game lead at the break over Chicago, with the Senators right behind the White Sox. Washington’s Stan Musial flirted with .400 as late as August but the Senators were unable to keep pace with the Red Sox, who finished with 96 wins, taking their third straight pennant.

This time around, Boston was able to take care of business, and they dispatched the Pirates in a four-game sweep. Harry Brecheen won his two starts and had a 1.50 ERA, w hile Hank Greenberg and Jim Russell each hit two home runs in the series.

Butcher won the NL Cy Young, while Bob Feller (19-10, 2.31) won the award in the American League. Stan Musial’s .384 batting average and 27 homers earned him his second straight MVP award. Johnny Mize followed his historical ’46 season with another MVP performance, hitting .309 with 45 homers and 136 RBI.

1948

The Red Sox fell horribly out of contention in 1948, falling to last place by the All-Star break, as the Chicago White Sox rose to the top of the American League. The Red Sox pitching, once the envy of all of baseball, fell apart. The White Sox were led by pitchers Ellis Kinder and Dizzy Trout, while the Indians had a nice rotation that included former Boston pitcher Ken Raffensberger, Curt Simmons, and free agent acquisition Early Wynn.

The National League had a measure of parity at the All-Star break. Even the last place Reds were just nine games back of first place, which was held once again by the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs and Braves were each within two games of first. Thinks still weren’t settled into mid-August, with seven of the eight teams within a paltry 4 games of first place, with Pittsburgh still clinging to the top spot. As the season wound down the Pirates remained steady and clinched the pennant on October 1 with two games remaining. It was a scant 83 wins that won it for the Pirates, led by Joe DiMaggio’s .315-28-113 performance and a September in which he hit .373.

The White Sox took the World Series, four games to two, as after getting shut out in Game 1, the Chicago offense woke up, including a 13-2 win in Game 6. It was Chicago’s sixth World Series victory in franchise history. Ralph Kiner won the AL MVP for the White Sox, hitting .327 with 42 home runs and 125 RBI in a breakout season for the 25-year old outfielder. Raffensberger (19-10, 2.55) of Cleveland won the AL Cy Young award.

The Giants’ Hal Newhouser (18-12, 3.23) took home the NL Cy Young and Ted Williams got healthy and hit .338 with 35 homers and 126 RBI to win his eighth MVP award.

1949

The Boston Red Sox returned to the pennant race after a year in the basement. They were in first place by games at the all-star break, over second place Washington. Harry Brecheen had 14 wins at the all-star break for Boston, and the Senators’ Stan Musial was again leading the league in batting. The Red Sox held on to their lead despite going 2-8 in their last 10 games. They won the pennant by one game over Washington. It was their sixth American League title in the decade.

The National League saw another very crowded race. St. Louis held a one game lead over Chicago, with Pittsburgh, Brooklyn and Philadelphia all within five games. Pittsburgh took over first place in mid August but the Cardinals came back. They dueled all through September and in the end, the Cardinals won out, winning the pennant by one game.

The Red Sox cemented their status as the team of the decade, winning their fourth World Series title in the 1940s by taking the Cardinals in five games. Ron Northey hit four homers in the five game series and Harry Brecheen improved his postseason record to 4-2 with a 2.25 ERA.

[TheeeeeeeeeYankeesWin]

Originally Posted by Matches

As a Clevelander, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at Ruth's career-ender. There's a lot of people in this city who think negatively about sports, to the point where it doesn't surprise anyone if I tell them that I replayed history and Ruth was signed by the Indians only to suffer a career-ending injury the year he hit 60 homers for the Yankees in reality...

That is funny. Cudos to you though for not 'fudging' it and replaying it!

PS: Maybe the Knicks will get Bron when I play TPB

[Matches]

Back to it after a hiatus...

1950

Another tight race in the National League was shaping up as the season reached its midway point. The Cardinals were five and a half back of the Pirates at the break. The Brooklyn Dodgers were two games out and the Reds five. Also making noise in the second half were the Phillies, led by Johnny Mize. Pittsburgh held a 3 game lead going into September and ended up edging the Dodgers out by one run.

Chicago had a three game lead on the Red Sox in the American League at the break, but the Indians and Tigers both had designs on hanging around to take down the two major powers in the American League. Boston struggled in the second half and Cleveland made some noise in early September, but the White Sox finished on top with a 91-63 record, six games ahead of Cleveland.

The Pirates won their 10th World Series, taking it in six games over Chicago. Warren Spahn won two games for the Pirates and Bobby Doerr hit .400 for the series.

Ted Williams won another MVP award hitting 40 homers despite finishing with a batting average under .300 for the first time in his career. In the American League it was Duke Snider’s 46 homers and .321 batting average that netted the 24-year old Athletics star his first MVP award.

A pair of highly touted centerfielders entered the league via the amateur draft in the Fall. The St. Louis Browns used the first overall pick to select 19-year old Mickey Mantle, while the Boston Braves, drafting second, took 19-year old Willie Mays.

1951

The Brooklyn Dodgers were the team to beat in the National League early in the season. Led by catcher Yogi Berra and second baseman Jackie Robinson, the Dodgers were up by 5 games at the all-star break. The Dodgers acquired Robinson after his rookie season with the Browns, and he proved to be a success, enjoying his best year in the majors in 1951. He hit .342 to lead the Dodgers and added 35 stolen bases, and was named the NL’s Most Valuable Player. They also got a great season from Andy Pafko, who hit .317 with 30 homers as the Dodgers finished with 92 wins and their 11th pennant.

Meanwhile, in the American League, it was a tight race. The Indians had a half-game lead on the Red Sox, and a one game cushion over the Athletics. Also in the hunt were Chicago and Washington, both within five games of first place. Philadelphia put together a great stretch in July and August and held on to win the American League pennant by six games over Cleveland. Led by a couple 25-year old stars in center fielder Duke Snider and third baseman Minnie Minoso, the A’s won just their second pennant in team history.

The Dodgers had the edge in pitching and the Athletics had the better hitting staff. But it was considered to be a pretty even matchup and the result proved it, as the World Series went to seven games, with Philadelphia winning it’s first ever world title by a score of 4-1 in Game Seven. Snider hit 3 home runs in the series.

Larry Doby hit .322 with 35 homers and 114 RBIs, and won the American League MVP. Both Doby and Robinson were pioneers as they were the first black players to be selected in the draft, and this year both became the first to be voted MVP of their respective leagues.

1952

The Boston Braves, baseball’s most historically futile franchise, found themselves in a strange position in 1952: in first place, and with a bright future ahead of them. They’d had special talents before; Lou Gehrig became known as one of the all-time greats and Paul Waner was inducted to the Hall of Fame. Both started their careers in Boston, and went on to bigger and better things later on. The Braves felt that something was different now, as they had a top pitching prospect in 23-year old Whitey Ford, and the exciting 21-year old centerfielder Willie Mays. 21-year old pitcher Vinegar Bend Mizell was having great rookie season. Catcher Smoky Burgess also showed promise and Richie Ashburn and Ted Kluzewski were also fan favorites. This young core contributed to the Braves fine first half as they were 55-26 at the all-star break and seven games up on the Pirates.

The Senators signed free agent pitcher Allie Reynolds to their rotation, and traded Bobby Thomson and Dutch Leonard to Pittsburgh for Warren Spahn, forming the most impressive pitching staff in the game. They led the Senators to a 54-27 record at the all-star break.

Both the Senators and Braves cruised to their respective league championships. The Senators won 97 games and finished 10 games ahead of the White Sox. Meanwhile, the Braves put together one of the best seasons by any team, let alone in franchise history, going 107-47 and winning the pennant by 20 games. Whitey Ford won 25 games and had a 1.91 ERA to win the Cy Young award.

The Braves’ first trip to the World Series started off rocky, as the Senators pounded them 11-1 and then won Game 2 6-4. Then The Series went back to Washington and Allie Reynolds pitched a 1-run complete game to win Game 3 and then Warren Spahn, the American League’s Cy Young award winner, shut the Braves out in Game 4 to complete the sweep. Musial hit .438 in his first taste of World Series action and was later named the AL’s MVP. The Senators’ Eddie Mathews hit 34 homers and won the Rookie of the Year award.

The Braves decided to move to Milwaukee after their franchise-best showing didn’t fail to woo enough fans away from their ties to the more historically successful Red Sox.

1953

The Braves had success in Milwaukee as well. Willie Mays had 24 home runs at the break, but the Giants were hanging around thanks in part to Ted Williams who was chasing the triple crown. The Giants took first place briefly but the Braves retook control in mid-August when Whitey Ford returned from an elbow injury that had kept him out since May, and never looked back. They went 39-11 over the final two months to win 100 games and the pennant.

The Senators were only four games over .500 at the break after winning the World Series the previous year. The usual suspects found themselves near the top of the standings; Chicago was in first and the Red Sox were a game back. Cleveland was five games out. The race heated up in September, with Boston and Chicago tied for first and the Senators just a half game out with two weeks remaining. Losing streaks by the Red Sox and White Sox put the Senators in first going into the last week of the season. Washington won it’s last 4 games to c