Thriftlon Reports

[Syd Thrift]

Originally Posted by Mel Ott

This dynasty rules, Syd. Nice work!

Thanks!

[Syd Thrift]

Overview

The Peoples' Ballclub had an iffy first season in the National League. The perennial contenders finished 2nd once again and were a full 20 games over the .500 mark but only once in team history did they ever finish with fewer than 80 wins. They were expected to end quite a bit closer to the NL title than 3 games back and when they opened the season with 9 straight victories it looked like they'd do to the NL the same as what they'd done to the American Association. However, they immediately dropped 10 of their next 11 matches and from then on were constantly on the outside looking in. A solid September (17-9) masked a very mediocre August; had this club not wilted in the dog days of summer, we'd very likely be crowning a different National League champion. Of course, said crown would then be sold and used to fund the Cincinnati commune, but we would certainly all remember.

Pitching

Player				Age	W	L	Pct	G	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
Joshua Williams			30	20	17	0.541	39	38	312.2	302	117	4	142	143	3.37
Tom Wilbanks			26	21	13	0.618	36	34	281.2	279	100	3	102	72	3.20
Tommy Wace			27	15	10	0.600	27	26	222.0	220	57	1	62	91	2.31
Coffey O'Malley			31	12	6	0.667	19	19	159.0	191	80	4	65	49	4.53
Todd Warwick			32	6	9	0.400	15	15	128.0	123	50	3	61	52	3.52
Edgar Wallace			33	4	1	0.800	27	0	66.1	81	23	1	16	28	3.12
 Rick Haider			28	2	3	0.400	11	6	62.0	60	20	0	20	26	2.90
Riordan Kitson			24	0	1	0.000	2	2	12.2	21	12	0	7	4	8.53

Chief on the list of disappointments was Joshua Williams. As a pitcher gets older, he is traditionally supposed to tame his control while he loses miles on his fast ball. Such was not the case with Williams last year. Control has always been an issue for him but 1900 and 1901 have seen him issue the 2nd and 3rd highest walk totals of his career. That's a big part of why he was only 20-17 last year, and even that mark required a 5-2 (1.83 ERA) September to achieve. [b]Tom Wilbanks had an outstanding rookie campaign that would have looked even greater had he shut it down in September: he gave up 71 hits in 47 innings during that time with a 6.89 ERA. How he went 3-3 for the month is beyond us. We're hoping he just hit the so-called rookie wall. Tommy Wace repaid the Reds' kindness in liberating him from those notorious hedonists in Brooklyn by hurting his back and missing a month and a half. He was as good as anybody on the staff when healthy. Coffey O'Malley came over from the New York Giants and won a dozen games by exhorting the players behind him to do their part. For such a newcomer to the team, we are amazed at how well he has already embraced the Red philosophy. It should be stated that this is the last team left that used a bull pen ace to any extent; Edgar Wallace was just too good a contributor in his special role to ask him to take over another man's.

Catcher and First Base

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
C	 Tyler Lenard		27	108	413	72	119	15	8	0	74	3	53	28	.288
C	#Austin MacHowell	30	13	42	3	6	0	0	0	4	0	0	3	.143
1B	*Cody Plummer		23	125	512	96	159	32	11	10	70	1	65	34	.311
1B	 Tomás Colhoun		34	80	315	42	89	15	7	4	50	1	31	25	.283

Tyler Lenard proved that his first year as a full-time starter was no fluke; although his average dropped nearly 40 points, .288 is still more than adequate for a receiver, and he did many things that are not explained by batting average to help his team win. When the Reds needed a stronger fielder, they turned to Jim Hebert (listed among the outfielders), who gunned down 64% of runners who tried to steal on him. We aren't huge on property rights, but that's still nice. The league gasped a sigh of despair when the Reds found that former Colt Tomas Colhoun still had some life in him. His solid play allowed the Reds to use Cody Plummer to fill holes created in the outfield for much of the season. Plummer finished in the NL top 10 in average, walks, doubles, home runs, runs scored, and RBIs, so he can play pretty much wherever he wants but sometimes the Reds like their players to make a show of selflessness, and Plummer certainly did so last year in being a two-position player.

Infield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
2B	Tim Gates		35	83	309	27	72	13	0	0	28	0	14	32	.233
2B	*Cooper Chamings	35	35	78	14	20	5	3	0	11	1	6	10	.256
3B	 Bill Snow		33	75	300	39	73	15	5	0	37	6	19	28	.243
3B	 Mike Altmann		31	53	226	49	67	8	3	0	24	3	18	14	.296
3B	 John Pasley		30	3	9	1	3	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	.333
SS	 Drake Gates		33	136	539	92	161	26	21	1	91	33	70	36	.299
SS	 Dan Wayland		28	66	225	22	65	14	3	0	32	1	18	30	.289

Tim Gates, an integral part of this team's lineup in one way, shape, or form since 1895, showed his age in '01 and left the Reds scrambling for a replacement. First Cooper Chamings was used, but it quickly became clear that although the man should definitely have been given a job several years hence he was also too old to take it over now. That led the Reds to move Drake Gates over to 2nd and give Dan Wayland shortstop. Like so many things the Reds do, this solved 2 issues with one masterful stroke, as not only did it get Wayland's glove onto the infield where it could be most effective (Wayland is a Gold Glove quality shortstop who has been itching for a chance to play for several seasons) but it moved the younger of the Gates brothers to a less demanding defensive position so that he can continue to concentrate on his hitting.

The infield was a very busy part of the Peoples' Ballclub. In addition to all the things listed already, the Reds also made what some call a "challenge" trade in July with the Philadelphia Phillies, sending disgruntled third sacker Bill Snow to the City of Brotherly Love in exchange for the equally unhappy Mike Altmann. We don't like that term "challenge trade" because so many other things are involved but if we did then the numbers show who won the challenge.

Outfield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
LF	Kent Cashion		30	97	375	60	106	19	7	4	61	12	29	25	.283
LF	*Haywood Kingsmore	22	28	92	13	18	2	1	0	7	2	3	15	.196
LF	 Bill Ruffner		31	15	24	2	7	0	0	0	6	1	0	2	.292
CF	 Dowd Swanne		25	132	563	103	202	14	11	7	58	28	56	61	.359
RF	 Jim Herbert		29	71	256	24	58	10	5	0	29	9	28	25	.227
RF	Bip Campbell		27	42	163	23	52	3	4	0	29	7	11	26	.319
RF	 Bryant Barnes		24	25	81	11	11	1	2	0	7	2	6	10	.136

Kent Cashion is perhaps the best example of a Reds kind of player: able to move from one position to another as befits the needs of the franchise, solid because he constantly seeks the greater glory of the team, but not spectacular because he is not interested in personal reward. Sadly, he missed significant time for the second straight year; the Reds would like nothing more than to pencil him in the lineup 140 times a year but it's beginning to look like his back is not willing to make the sacrifice anymore. With him out of the lineup, Cincinnati tried for a time to use Cody Plummer and Jim Herbert at the corners. Plummer fielded like a first baseman and Herbert hit like a catcher. Disappointing (though as said before we give Plummer all the credit that he is due). If there was a National League award for Best Sophomore, Dowd Swanne would surely have won it. He led all NLers in hitting and has nicely made the transition from excellent prospect to excellent player.

[Syd Thrift]

Overview

Surely Cleveland deserves to have a better ballclub than this, correct? The 51-89 record was the best the town has seen since 1898, but that's not saying much and we can understand the population feeling melancholy about this. Bluesy, if you will. So bluesy that before home games some fans will gather around a street corner with their harmonicas and their washboards and their guitars and lament in song about how badly the world is treating them. This music has come to be named after the current team, the Blues. Cleveland may not have a good team and may not have a good team any time soon but at least it will have the solace of being the birthplace of this phenomenon.

Oh, you wanted to hear about the team itself? Why? They were bad from start to finish and in the middle, they were bad at hitting, they were bad at pitching, and they were bad at fielding. Their veterans were bad, their youngsters were bad, and the people in between were bad. Stretch that out to 12 bars and you too could sing on a Cleveland street corner.

Pitching

Player				Age	W	L	Pct	G	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
Kevin Trimbey			30	15	15	0.500	32	30	271.2	281	83	5	53	102	2.75
Bill Copeland			33	10	8	0.556	21	20	187.2	193	60	3	35	63	2.88
Larry MacCaa			30	4	11	0.267	17	16	131.1	164	63	0	58	27	4.32
 Glen Bond			27	4	9	0.308	15	13	112.0	141	61	4	42	30	4.90
Brian Gilbert			22	3	11	0.214	15	13	109.2	115	45	3	48	34	3.69
Finnian Galloay			32	1	9	0.100	12	10	84.1	87	33	2	32	23	3.52
Frank Pilkington		27	1	6	0.143	24	5	82.1	90	38	3	25	38	4.15
Auliffe Oulton			24	3	7	0.300	10	10	80.2	107	40	2	31	26	4.46
Woody Tatum			32	3	4	0.429	8	7	59.0	72	32	0	36	4	4.88
John Thurmond			26	2	6	0.250	8	8	56.0	88	40	0	10	22	6.43
Paul Howell			36	1	3	0.250	4	4	35.0	34	9	3	14	10	2.31
Bill Hawkins			34	4	0	1.000	4	4	33.0	29	10	1	6	26	2.73

First, let's get the good news out of the way so that we may properly bask in the bad news. Kevin Trimbey actually managed to finish .500 despite pitching for a full season for this team, a Herculean feat to say the least. He was actually 7-3 from August 1 to the end of the season, which would have been meaningful if Cleveland was in anything close to a pennant chase. As it happened, all the winning did was keep the Blues out of last place in the American League, which means that the youngsters who will declare their interest in Major League Baseball will have a better chance of being more talented for the Detroit team. Don't ask us how that works. We're not sure either.

Bill Copeland was also pretty good. That's why he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. Watching baseball in Cleveland is like being one of those self-flagellating monks from medieval times. Oh, Lord, deliver unto me Larry MacCaa and his expired fastball, and Glen Bond and his completeth inability to win games, and Frank Pilkington whose very nickname "The Massacre" implieseth that thy home runs shall rain upon thee like locusts, and his nickname hast been bestowed without ironic intenteth. Monks if I recall also sang chants, no? In music, everything that goes around comes right back again.

Catcher and First Base

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
C	 Biff Minion		28	45	142	8	24	3	3	0	14	0	6	25	.169
C	 John Coleman		22	43	135	14	35	10	1	1	18	0	10	14	.259
C	 Chad Werrett		26	35	127	18	34	10	3	1	11	0	5	12	.268
C	 Tim Steele		20	28	91	8	13	2	0	0	4	0	3	20	.143
1B	*Rick Harpham		23	124	470	61	147	16	4	4	67	2	43	37	.313
1B	*Werner Oland		25	8	27	1	7	0	0	0	1	0	1	3	.259

Here was a common joke in the Forest City in 1901:

"Q: What kind of team gives a man with a .143 average 91 at-bats?"
"A: A team with Biff Minion at catcher."

This is what is known as a "Cleveland joke". A Cleveland joke is not a joke in your regular sense in that it tends to be associated with tears and the cutting of one's own wrists rather than laughter and gaiety. It's worth noting that the two catchers who weren't awful, weren't awful. In similarly manufactured good news, Finian Galloway was 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in starts he got the decision for but did not lose. Do we have to mention their names? It's like licking a sore tooth. It hurts like the Dickens and yet you can't stop. John Coleman and Chad Werrett. Are you happy? We're sure that their parents don't care because they've probably lied to them about their vocation anyway. Note to Coleman and Werrett's mothers and fathers: it's probably another John Coleman and Chad Werrett. Note to Biff Minion's mother: why did you?

Rick Harpham actually had a bona fide good season for the Blues last year. He'll probably get run over by a horse.

Infield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
2B	James Engelhardt	26	135	549	58	136	17	4	2	52	5	24	77	.248
3B	*Rowan Dillon		26	70	269	45	72	8	5	3	45	8	35	25	.268
3B	 John O'Gavagan		25	43	164	15	43	11	1	0	12	1	7	16	.262
3B	*German Queiruga	37	19	70	11	15	2	0	0	10	0	5	9	.214
SS	*John Parris		27	71	242	19	59	10	2	2	27	1	13	20	.244
SS	 Don Verney		31	60	233	19	49	7	1	1	21	0	6	29	.210
SS	Jim Earwaker		35	35	110	7	21	4	2	0	9	0	10	18	.191
SS	 George Herriman	23	7	25	1	7	1	0	0	4	1	0	6	.280

James Engelhardt got to play an entire season as the Blues's starting second baseman, which is something he will forever be able to tell his grandchildren. Or - who are we kidding? - his parole officer. He provided the team with the kind of stability mediocre teams just dream about. Rowan Dillon was one of the kangaroos, but he apparently did not find the new league to his liking, hitting-wise. He also missed half the season, which allowed us all to witness the stunning awfulness of John O'Gavagan. There are players who have no power (11 XBH's in 164 ABs), who will not take a 4th ball unless it is given to them, and who cannot field their position (.824 FA in 40 starts), but how often do you see all those weaknesses in one player? German Queiruga was equally bad, is old, and is not even actually German. Shortstop was another position where the Blues held open tryouts all season long. John Parris lasted the longest of those. I went to Paris once. French people do not bathe as regularly as Americans do, it's fact. None of them were anywhere near as smelly as John Parris was last year. Luckily for him, Don Verney and Jim Earwaker were even worse. One of the highlights of the Blues season last year was when Earwaker held a press conference to announce he was retiring at the end of the season. We kid you not, it had a podium and everything. It reminded me of this time my wife sent me a telegram to tell me she just bought a new pair of shoes.

Outfield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
LF	*Valentin LoschiLosurdo	33	109	425	59	133	22	7	0	59	1	34	41	.313
LF	 Nivens O'Mulvany	36	103	348	61	86	13	6	3	35	19	39	48	.247
LF	Alec Dagger		31	6	20	1	1	0	0	0	3	0	0	4	.050
CF	 Jim Shears		26	109	424	70	118	20	14	0	36	10	33	34	.278
CF	*Dante Bommarito	33	47	176	17	31	6	0	0	12	16	10	21	.176
CF	#Kevin Bright		29	31	109	6	20	2	1	1	16	0	7	13	.183
CF	#Nealon Bryson		36	9	32	7	13	2	2	0	3	3	5	2	.406
RF	 Ken Collen		28	34	112	15	26	0	0	2	5	0	14	18	.232
RF	*Ray Fields		25	20	37	3	6	0	1	0	2	0	4	3	.162
RF	#Erin Winterscale	30	24	70	6	16	0	0	0	3	0	0	9	.229

That's a lot of outfielders to use in just one season. For a little while, we considered that it might just be easier to list all the able-bodied Cleveland residents who didn't put on an outfielder's glove last year, but we figured in the end that that might make things a tad confusing for future scribes. Personally, we liked the fact that we couldn't look up the statistics, but we suppose that Washington fans for example might want to have a good idea of what kind of hitter their pitching staff fattened themselves against.

Outfield was actually supposed to be a strong point of the Blues in 1901. They'd raided the National League for superstar Nivens O'Mulvaney and solid starters Valentin LochiLosurdo and Dante Bommarito. They were supposed to lead the league in several categories but in the end only led in most times they had their names abbreviated by the official scorer. O'Mulvany was actually pulled out of the lineup for several weeks after a disastrous start, but then after the Blues realized they didn't have anybody better they stuck him back in and he climbed back to semi-respectability. Since there's still nobody waiting in the wings, the Blues will no doubt continue to hope and pray that old "Quack" re-acquires his MVP stroke in 1902. LochiLosurdo was fine so we'll skip him. Bommarito was just plain awful and was replaced with Jim Shears, who has no future. I take that back. I am no fortune-teller, after all. He could become President of the United States for all I know. He just has no future in playing baseball for a living.

[Syd Thrift]

Overview

The city of Detroit has not had a team yet in the New League and, we have to admit, we didn't really do a great job of collecting talent. Still, it's only the team's first year and we figure we'll figure this out as we go along. A few fun facts about our fair city to those who may be as ignorant about where we live as we were about this fine game:

- We are known as the Paris of the West. At least we were around 20 years ago. It's not a cruel joke, we swear!
- We're actually located north of part of Canada. If they ever try to invade us, ours shall be the front line of defense.
- Henry Ford built his "motor plant" in the city 5 years ago. He is building an invention known as the automobile. Mark our words, it will be keen!
- Many famous people come from Detroit. Some of them have not been born yet.

Pitching

Player				Age	W	L	Pct	G	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
Gar Wood			18	9	18	0.333	34	29	238.1	250	109	4	115	109	4.12
Newton MacDaid			31	9	15	0.375	31	26	207.2	261	98	4	61	64	4.25
Brian Mellen			36	8	15	0.348	28	22	194.1	214	90	5	76	66	4.17
Joe McCullogh			36	6	13	0.316	26	17	172.1	184	67	4	80	5	3.50
Paul Cossart			27	3	10	0.231	15	15	120.1	135	60	2	49	33	4.49
Reardon O'Mullany		24	7	7	0.500	16	15	116.1	128	38	2	41	40	2.94
Chris Langdon			24	2	6	0.250	20	7	78.1	94	42	3	26	25	4.83
Donnell Rymour			32	3	5	0.375	16	6	70.1	76	49	2	21	10	6.27
Dempsey Quarell			33	0	3	0.000	3	3	24.0	20	11	1	9	7	4.13
Dennis Culler			30	1	0	1.000	5	0	6.0	4	0	0	1	1	0.00

Gar Wood was, we guess, the staff ace last year. Quite an accomplishment for an 18-year old, we say! Sure, he mostly just showed up but as the saying goes sometimes the most important thing to do is just show up. Plus, he is a Detroit native. He will be here FOREVER! Newton MacDaid throws the ball very quicky but kind of straight. That didn't work out too well. Speaking of "not working out", manager Brian Mertz made us get rid of Joe McCullough, who walked just 5 batters in 172 innings pitched. Wait, that's not 5 walks, that's 5 strikeouts. Okay, we were just kidding about that. He was a lot of fun to watch during the part of the season he was with the team; pretty much everything in the strike zone went back into the field and yet somehow he managed to win a third of his games and post one of those "ERA" things that was pretty close to average.

For those pitchers who are coming back, we have bestowed upon them wacky nicknames:

Gar "Doctor Detroit" Wood (note: he doesn't actually hold a doctorate. He is far too young for that. If you are choking, do not expect him to know how to save you)
Brian "Water" Mellen
Reardon "Chuckles" O'Mullany
Chris "The Birmingham Bunter" Langdon (from good old Birmingham, Michigan!)
Paul "Hot Pocket" Cossart

Catcher and First Base

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
C	 Earl McAllen		34	90	320	26	81	3	2	0	38	1	13	33	.253
C	 George O'Kyan		28	47	152	14	34	2	2	0	10	0	6	20	.224
C	 Keverne Cator		36	8	29	0	5	0	0	0	2	0	0	5	.172
1B	 Farquhar Kifford	25	82	263	29	77	13	4	1	32	0	27	16	.293
1B	*Yago Espinel		26	63	222	32	57	7	1	5	32	3	8	20	.257
1B	*Bob McGary		29	32	101	11	20	2	1	2	18	0	15	11	.198

Oh, these nicknames are ever so much fun! Everybody gets one!

Earl McAllen is a rough, tough customer who is in the game due to a substance known as "grit" rather than any real playing talent. His manliness has earned him the name "Gravel". His backup is George "Lucky McIrish" O'Kyan, so named because he truly is lucky to have a job in this league. At first base, we expect to see more of Farquhar Kifford, who brings so much joy to the art of hitting that we cannot help but call him "The Gay Slapper". He brings a smile to our faces every time he comes to the plate. Go, Gay Slapper, go! He'll likely be taking playing time away from Yago "Mexican Sombrero" Espinel, which is too bad but not every man can start every day, and this spot is reserved for the Gay Slapper.

Infield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
2B	#Pearce Fulbrook	33	69	265	29	81	11	7	2	28	2	35	18	.306
2B	Roger Milstead		37	54	179	14	46	4	0	0	23	1	9	15	.257
2B	 Hegarty Babbage	28	21	78	3	20	3	2	0	8	0	6	10	.256
3B	 Brodie Swan		22	108	414	57	116	23	10	3	53	1	39	38	.280
3B	 Max Fitzgerald		29	44	150	13	32	3	3	0	8	2	4	19	.213
SS	#Lawler Gillespie	32	99	362	51	77	10	3	3	38	19	32	30	.213
SS	*Kenyon Merrilees	27	51	184	21	43	9	1	1	17	1	5	19	.234

Pearce "Captain New Jersey" Fulbrook started the season with us but good old Mister Ban Johnson explained that if we didn't move him off to a team with a chance to contend for the title he might be totally lost back to the National League after the season ended. We are always willing to acquiesce to Mister Johnson! It allowed our fans to see Roger "Coffee House" Milstead, who isn't much of anything before his morning "cuppajoe". Brodie "The Dive" Swan thrilled us all season long with his wondrous fielding. When he wasn't making the crowd gasp with his stops of balls that no normal man had any chance of catching, let alone turning into outs, he was making them guffaw at his inability to catch those balls hit right at him. This is a man who has truly mastered the spheres of comedy and tragedy. Neither Kenyon "Christmas" Merrilees nor Lawler "Dizzy" Gillespie did a whole lot for us, but we don't think we have much else around here right now.

Outfield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
LF	 Clint Heath		34	89	357	41	91	14	7	0	28	4	9	51	.255
LF	*Henry Hosler		21	53	207	37	68	13	0	1	15	0	22	31	.329
CF	 Gary O'Larkin		30	88	363	40	103	20	10	1	42	8	9	30	.284
CF	 Franklin Sluggett	27	36	125	13	20	3	1	0	5	7	4	20	.160
CF	Al Honaker		28	19	72	5	9	0	0	0	7	1	5	9	.125
RF	*Bob Trantham		23	137	568	83	167	23	15	2	54	15	47	66	.294
RF	 Leandro Brando		28	20	37	2	9	2	0	0	2	0	0	6	.243
RF	*Haley O'Meenan		38	4	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000

Henry "Fire" Hosler took over the left field job from Clint "Toffee" Heath in midseason and never really looked back. He is truly our player to watch coming into 1902. In center, Gary "Stapler" O'Larkin was rescued from a job in retail sales to return to some level of baseball prominence. Well, he was starting at least. He was flanked in right by Bob "Pencil Case" Trantham, who emerged as a top rookie and the team MVP. We don't know why, but we also kind of like Leandro "Ink Blotter" Brando as well. I realize it looks as though I nicknamed the last three players after things that happen to be lying around on my desk, but that's mere coincidence, I swear!

[Syd Thrift]

Overview

It's not easy being a Louisville fan. It's the smallest market in all of major league baseball, even smaller than Pittsburgh, and that means that there's very little room for error or excess. We thought that a move to a new league would get them competitive again, and it did to some point but come mid-August they were still playing for next year. And there is even less room for luck. Despite starting the year out with a bang and leading the AL into mid-May, they still fell off. Last year the Colonels finished 2nd in batting and 2nd in ERA and yet were just 22-29 in June and July.

How will the Colonels engage this quandary? With military precision, of course. The first issue is pitching, where the team finished just 6th in the league in bases on balls. That's not the kind of self-control that Louisville endorses. The hitting was better, although again they were in the bottom 4 in walks, which is particularly scandalous to military types. As the saying goes, an army cannot march on an empty stomach. We don't know what this has to do with the team's plight but it seems prescient.

Pitching

Player				Age	W	L	Pct	G	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
Kelan Quarton			26	20	17	0.541	39	38	330.2	302	113	3	80	87	3.08
Jim Badgett			35	20	13	0.606	35	33	286.1	284	97	2	127	49	3.05
Berto Sarrie			24	15	14	0.517	30	30	272.2	217	58	4	54	112	1.91
Ralph O'Mulvany			21	17	10	0.630	30	29	246.1	201	64	5	57	122	2.34
Harry Herapath			27	3	5	0.375	21	5	82.1	87	31	4	34	20	3.39
Scott Jones			24	2	4	0.333	8	5	52.0	53	21	1	21	22	3.63

Kelan Quarton and Jim Badgett may have both won 20 games, but their way to reach that mark was varied. Quarton was good, but his streakiness matched the teams: after opening the season 7-4, he went 5-9 during midsummer and only managed to salvage his season with an 8-4 finish. It's also worth noting that although he gave up just 3 homeruns all season long, all 3 happened during that horrible 2-5 June. Is that the kind of performance you want out of an ace? Still just 27 years of age, Quarton showed his youth last year. Badgett, meanwhile, continues to defy critics by winning ballgames despite walking nearly 3 times as many men as he strikes out. His 1901 total of 49 was actually his highest total since 1897. His K/9 and K/BB ratios were the highest of his career since the inaugural 1892 year, when Badgett was the #1 man on a staff that won the Temple Cup.

Berto Sarrie, we think, was as underrated as Badgett can get overrated by people who are only concerned by wins. How he managed to barely reach .500 is beyond us, but as he grows into starting we're confident he'll learn to win. Ralph O'Mulvany also showed a great deal of promise.

Catcher and First Base

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
C	*Joey Tadlock		27	94	338	40	88	26	5	1	43	1	31	45	.260
C	 Wally Hanley		25	49	165	12	48	7	2	0	24	0	8	16	.291
C	 Emiliano Zapata	22	4	17	4	10	0	1	0	6	0	0	0	.588
1B	 Jay Hoskinson		32	140	552	78	162	32	7	3	70	3	71	34	.293

Joey "Field Marshal" Tadlock was just a bit off his game last year but was still very solid. His role as the man who dictates the orders to all the rest of the players on the team is one that's going to be subject to some competition and perhaps a little bit of what we in the military like to call "platooning". Wally Hanley is pretty young and looked very good in his second year in the league. Although his arm is listed as a liability, he did catch nearly half of all baserunners last year who tried to run on him. Emiliano Zapata is even younger but could take the starting job over right away if he keeps hitting like he did in a brief trial last year.

The Colonels for some reason have been very adept at producing catchers the last few seasons. Jay Hoskinson has already been moved out from behind the plate. He's one of the few converted catchers we've seen who actually hit well enough for their new position. He was one of 8 players in the majors to play in every single game for his team.

Infield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
2B	Fergus McKnight		26	125	499	59	129	29	8	2	64	0	36	39	.259
2B	*Mark Jones		21	11	48	8	16	4	0	0	8	1	2	5	.333
2B	 Wyatt Marshall		29	9	22	2	2	1	0	0	1	0	3	1	.091
3B	Lawrence Willis		25	129	561	61	147	22	4	2	54	4	13	40	.262
3B	 Jim Kimes		23	11	35	11	18	3	0	0	7	0	6	0	.514
3B	 Caoimhín Wellsteed	26	10	9	1	2	0	0	0	3	0	0	1	.222
SS	 Brendon Harrison	29	139	534	82	170	35	17	0	65	6	35	51	.318

If you were starting to wonder why this team didn't get closer to the pennant last year, you should understand a bit better now. Fergus McKnight was supposed to be one of the anchors of the lineup in '01 but slumped all season long and saw his average drop 32 points from the year before. In September he started working more on slapping the ball, which did give him his second-highest monthly average at .271 (in July he hit .276) but didn't draw a single walk. Lawrence Wills hit about the same as McKnight ended up hitting, although nobody expected much out of the rookie so he wasn't regarded as too disappointing. Nonetheless, Jim Kimes made a very compelling case as to why he should man the hot corner next year by smoking 18 hits in just 35 September at-bats. Shortstop is the lone "safe" position come 1902, as Brendon Harrison more than hit his weight and led all AL shortstops in successful chances in the field.

Outfield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
LF	 Garrick MacPhedron	34	85	329	43	85	17	5	2	34	6	41	32	.258
LF	*Rick Burkett		22	37	129	10	32	2	5	0	16	6	8	19	.248
LF	*John Duley		28	16	41	8	9	2	1	0	0	3	3	5	.220
LF	#Brian Campbell		28	5	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000
CF	 Carl Hendron		31	123	543	93	173	32	11	0	45	49	18	36	.319
RF	*Billy Mitchell		24	103	390	48	112	7	1	2	55	3	19	47	.287
RF	*Paul Bump		22	57	234	27	69	4	4	3	29	6	7	18	.295
RF	*Ron Mure		30	24	53	6	10	2	1	0	2	2	3	7	.189
RF	Ulysses S. Grant III	19	11	47	9	11	2	0	0	5	0	1	5	.234

If the Colonels don't trade some people off, there's going to be some heavy competition for the corner outfield spots in a couple years. For now, Garrick MacPhedron is the man in left when he's healthy. He didn't hit altogether well last year though and already it looks like one of Rick Burkett, Paul Bump, and Ulysses S. Grant III might be the 1902 Opening Day left fielder for the Colonels. Burkett did not exactly shine in his trial last year. Bump mainly played right while Billy "Flyboy" Mitchell was hurt and was considerably more impressive. A lot can happen in six months, though. The wild card here might be Grant, who is considered the team's top prospect but who is also still likely a couple years away. Still, anybody who can hit at all in the majors at age 19 is probably something special.

[Syd Thrift]

Overview

Winning ballgames is often a matter of grit and determination, and although the Giants couldn't quite get up to the level of the pennant, they definitely hung in there. After a poor start left them at 28-38 as of the 5th of July, they could have packed it in. A lesser team, a team that didn't have a winning tradition such as the Giants', might have done so. Instead, these boys set a new goal: they would finish over .500 or die trying. People laughed at Norm "Big Napoleon" Aston when he said that; not only did this team sport a poor record, but to some they really looked that bad. Aside from trading away Coffey O'Malley and giving John Pearson a chance to start games, they really didn't make any moves to improve themselves - actually, the O'Malley trade was viewed at the time as a white flag deal.

Make no mistake, though, this is a team that is pretty darn old. They'll need something of a miracle to climb back to the level that Boston and Cincinnati are at. The youth movement is arriving, and it's better than many thought it would be, but will it get there in time to save the over-the-hill gang?

Pitching

Player				Age	W	L	Pct	G	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
Nathan Woombill			32	14	15	0.483	29	29	249.2	263	82	6	47	93	2.96
Pat Nihil			37	15	14	0.517	31	29	245.0	293	99	6	52	81	3.64
Cullen Crewe			31	10	14	0.417	30	24	212.2	218	82	3	61	76	3.47
Bob Shank			32	8	7	0.533	27	15	150.1	155	46	2	41	94	2.75
Roogan Olive			29	7	8	0.467	18	14	125.2	116	47	4	45	55	3.37
John Pearson			23	11	3	0.786	15	15	130.0	106	26	4	18	66	1.80
Coffey O'Malley			31	5	6	0.455	12	12	102.1	109	36	3	21	33	3.17
Todd Warwick			32	1	1	0.500	2	2	17.0	19	8	1	5	4	4.24
George Marshall			18	0	1	0.000	1	0	0.1	1	4	0	0	0	108.00

The heads of this staff really started to show their age last year, and that was a big part of why the Giants used 5 men in the rotation for so much of the year. Nathan Woombill threw a lot of innings in his youth and that appears to be coming back to haunt him now: he has posted a losing record in each of the last 2 seasons. Will he be able to turn that around as he gets deeper into his 30s? His partner in crime-fighting Pat Nihil managed to jump back over .500 for a full season for the first time since 1898. Used properly, he's still quite effective. Cullen Crewe got promoted to #3 starter after Coffey O'Malley was traded off. At age 31, 1901 was only his 2nd year in the bigs. It was not a surprise that he was shifted out of the rotation by season's end in favor of longtime Giants reliever Bob Shank and John Pearson, who at age 23 already looks like he could be the staff ace next season.

Catcher and First Base

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
C	*Scott Bedford		32	71	264	21	54	11	3	0	28	1	4	22	.205
C	*Garrett Olson		32	74	258	32	67	8	4	0	37	0	18	28	.260
1B	 Jon Knight		31	140	561	95	155	26	7	7	72	9	55	60	.276

Catcher was not the strongest position on the roster last year. Garrett Olson didn't so much wrest the starting job away from Scott Bedford as Bedford lost it on its own. New York is pretty thing at the position so there was nobody in the minors to try. We wouldn't be surprised if that situation changes next year. To contrast, [b]Jon Knight turned in another workmanlike year at first base, demonstrating that the various leg elements that kept him out of the lineup for so much of 1900 were but a series of flukes. It should be said that he did post the 2nd-lowest average of his career, but such things can happen when one's body is unused to the wear and tear of a full season.

Infield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
2B	*Duarte Gonzalez	23	81	310	44	96	11	6	0	55	13	23	23	.310
2B	George Marshall		18	63	218	27	57	7	0	1	28	13	10	31	.261
3B	 Norm Aston		30	137	504	98	179	30	17	5	93	12	92	10	.355
SS	*Montrell Liotta	26	107	429	54	103	10	6	0	45	31	16	49	.240
SS	 Doonan Sidebotham	26	36	129	14	37	5	2	0	21	0	5	11	.287
SS	 Luciano Chevere	21	17	45	8	15	3	1	0	6	2	5	6	.333

Duarte Gonzalez was even better than he was in his excellent 1900 rookie campaign. Too bad he barely played half the year. A couple of leg problems kept it out and led the Giants to use teenager George Marshall in his place. He doesn't appear to be really ready yet, but how many ballplayers are ready at that age? At third, Norm "The Big Napoleon" Aston was just plain outstanding. While the rest of the team was busy trying to figure itself out in June and July, Aston hit .329 and .371. All in all, he posted the highest average of his career, and his is a career full of high averages. He ranks 1st or 2nd lifetime in nearly every offensive statistic kept for 3rd basemen. At short, Montrell Liotta's average continued to dive for the 4th consecutive season. He's now in a range of offense where other options must be looked at.

Outfield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
LF	 Mike Hartigan		34	123	472	119	153	18	20	9	51	48	89	7	.324
LF	 Paul Blenkiron		27	23	42	7	9	2	0	1	10	1	3	3	.214
CF	 Tracey Welsman		29	111	430	70	128	17	8	4	55	28	42	20	.298
CF	 King Royal		30	51	156	23	39	5	6	0	16	15	10	17	.250
CF	#Reehan Crumpton	27	12	37	7	10	3	1	0	3	3	0	3	.270
RF	*Rick Douglas		25	135	530	86	172	16	14	8	85	36	50	51	.325

When you have a team with Mike "Flash" Hartigan and Norm Aston on it, it's almost hard *not* to contend. 1901 was just another season for the Flash - 2nd in the senior league in runs scored and triples, 4th in walks, 5th in steals. He's definitely the best leadoff hitter we've ever seen and should a section of a large building - a hall, perhaps - ever be devoted to fame in baseball, he will be one of the first people to have their likeness placed on the wall.

In center field, Tracy "The Hit Doctor" Welsman lived up to his name when he played. King Royal served as his caddy; while we were ever so hopeful that the future Crown Prince of Monaco would become a baseball star, that has not happened. He's still effective as a 4th or 5th outfielder. Rightfielder Rick Douglas is, along with John Pearson, one of the kids on this team whose success relative to the league will determine whether or not this club will be able to create a second dynasty.

[Syd Thrift]

Overview

The loss of Kevin MacKeochan and Ning Zhang spelled the end of our science-based dynasty before it could even get started. That is too bad, but the descent into mediocrity gives us the opportunity to try something out that we would like to call "moneyball". In essence, anybody on the team who takes too much money out of our coffers will be sent elsewhere. This will allow us to field a team full of young players as well as the occasional veteran who may not be the most talented but will, we theorize, hit that much better because he will finally be given the opportunity to show what he is made of. Overall, 71-69 isn't so bad but it isn't so good either, and sometimes the most successful experiments are the ones that fail.

Sadly, the coaching staff did not fully buy into this and also we were paying them too much so outside of pitching coach Greg Bold they all have been sacked. Actually, this also gives us the opportunity to find men who will play "scientific baseball", which means lots and lots of running, stealing, and play-calling. We don't want a "push button" manager whose only contribution to the game is that he can raise his team's morale by keeping from fallin asleep until it's over. Danny Bridges was so eager for a job that he agreed to adjust his strategies accordingly. We expect a wild but grand year in the City of Brotherly Science!

Pitching

Player				Age	W	L	Pct	G	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
Jerry Watson			32	22	13	0.629	36	34	323.2	250	78	9	65	218	2.17
Chet Kinser			26	19	11	0.633	34	29	259.1	240	57	7	57	74	1.98
John Boyd Orr			19	11	17	0.393	30	29	241.0	287	98	10	69	51	3.66
Martin Cheney			20	6	14	0.300	31	19	188.2	186	85	8	111	92	4.05
Rick Haider			28	7	10	0.412	23	20	149.2	129	34	2	60	60	2.04
Dave Gill			25	4	1	0.800	5	5	42.0	45	14	0	18	6	3.00
Horan Mulcahy			23	1	3	0.250	4	4	29.0	40	15	1	11	10	4.66
Riordan Kitson			24	1	0	1.000	9	0	13.2	22	13	3	9	2	8.56

We would have to say at this point that the chances of Jerry "Magoo" Watson being on this team come Opening Day are quite slim. Sure, trading away wil cause some fans who have grown overly attached to him to move away and others who are convinced that this will cause us to fail to cancel their ticket subscriptions, but even this has a positive side: it will leave the "true fans", who, we are convinced, spend as much on concessions as on tickets themselves and in the process cut down on the incessant "boo-ing" we have been hearing as of late. Chet Kinser and John Boyd Orr are both young enough that we can pay them lower wages. For that matter, we suspect that at this point we could give Martin Cheney a pot of chicken stew every week and he'd still play for us.

Catcher and First Base

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
C	*Renau Cosaro		29	94	317	33	71	8	1	3	35	2	22	26	.224
C	 Gallagher Tarrant	25	34	97	15	30	5	2	2	16	1	6	13	.309
C	 Stephen Getchell	25	22	73	9	16	3	1	0	9	0	5	8	.219
1B	*Tom Cruse		26	116	462	54	115	11	5	13	62	1	28	49	.249
1B	*George Darbyshire	27	23	91	16	33	1	0	1	13	0	8	4	.363

Congratulations to Renau Cosaro for winning the Gold Glove this year! We hope this does not make his head (or his salary demands!) too large, but Cosaro is precisely the kind of player we want for our "moneyball" experiment. Everyone can see how great he is but with so many watchers of this game over-invested in statistical output, he is tremendously undervalued. Gallagher Tarrant is a good back-up for Cosaro who covers for his weaknesses (namely the low average) well. It doesn't hurt that he's young. The Tom Cruse experiment failed, it appears; as it turns out, the only thing scientific about his "scientological" approach to hitting was the name itself. His tactics primarily involved sitting back and waiting for the multi-run homerun. Although he led all hitters in homeruns with 13, only 1 starting NL first baseman had fewer hits. George Darbyshire is as good a bet as any to replace him.

Infield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
2B	*José Quenones		35	134	557	80	157	16	10	0	50	15	40	45	.282
2B	 Dale Huntington	22	23	101	16	30	3	2	0	10	1	2	12	.297
3B	 Mike Altmann		31	76	303	27	74	6	0	2	39	3	26	17	.244
3B	Bill Snow		33	40	165	28	46	6	5	0	15	3	13	16	.279
SS	 Jerry Miller		26	125	474	38	111	9	7	1	54	4	14	41	.234
SS	Rowan Caird		29	24	67	7	13	1	0	0	6	0	1	11	.194
SS	 Ning Zhang		29	9	34	9	12	1	0	1	4	2	4	2	.353

Jose Quenones showed that we didn't need Kevin MacKeochan at all. As it turned out, our man had the better season since MacKeochan got hurt shortly after kangarooing across town (serves him right!). We applaud him for his masterful play even as we probably give him the proverbial kiss good-bye going into next season. Dale Huntington looks like he's ready to take over. Mike Altmann did basically nothing for us after we traded him to the hated Reds for Bill Snow. That's the last time we'll be trading with those cheats and communists! Our shortstop Jerry Miller might have misinterpreted management's directive to "hit them where they are not". All Season long he made a point of hitting the ball exactly where the fielders were positioned. Occasionally this would frighten them and he would pick up a base hit. We still hypothesize that the original approach is the superior one.

Outfield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
LF	#Lonan Eve		23	106	404	56	120	16	7	3	48	11	41	38	.297
LF	*Floyd Pickleheimer	28	35	111	16	36	7	0	0	16	3	15	12	.324
LF	*Galimberto Eccelino	30	17	26	7	10	0	2	0	1	1	4	4	.385
LF	Nathan Ketcham		21	2	7	0	4	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	.571
CF	Fred Jacobsen		25	71	301	53	74	10	2	11	34	21	27	35	.246
CF	#Kenyon Ingham		24	48	216	29	57	9	3	0	14	9	9	20	.264
CF	 Bob Mathie		34	40	104	12	24	4	2	0	8	8	6	15	.231
CF	 Dougal Mossman		29	9	18	1	2	2	0	0	1	0	1	1	.111
RF	*Doonan Elmes		26	132	489	69	149	21	4	3	58	14	43	47	.305

Lonan Eve covered a lot of ground in the spacious left field of the Baker Bowl and for this he won a Gold Glove. He is shining proof that one does not need veterans to win games. We didn't really want to part with Fred Jacobsen but he was clearly paying too much attention to Tom Cruse and his theories. We're afraid that his mind is now damaged goods. Kenyon Ingham isn't anywhere as talented but at least he doesn't swing for the fences all the time. Bob Mathie is still available should Ingham falter. Mathie thinks that if he is only given a chance, he can hit the way he did with Cleveland in 1895. Sadly, we don't think this is true, but we like having a guy with such high hopes on the team even if those hopes are making him unhappy. Doonan Elmes was, understatedly, the Phillies' Most Valuable Player in 1901 and is young and unnoticed enough to stay in Phillie red, at least for now.

[Syd Thrift]

Overview

The brand new Philadelphia Athletic Club had all kinds of luck in 1901, but nearly all of it was bad. A gentleman's agreement was made with the 1900 keystone combination of the crosstown Phillies, Kevin MacKeochan and Ning Zhang. We were prepared to use them to take the very first American League pennant but sadly injuries got in the way and they only played a combined 20 games for us. What's worse, there are rumblings of a lawsuit coming in to deny us the use of both players in '02 as well. Still, even without those guys the club finished a solid 12 games above .500 thanks to some solid athleticism. Our club may not have been anywhere near the best but they were the most conditioned. While much of the rest of the American League wilted in the hot summer air, our Athletics finished 39-23 from June 16th on. It is quite a good sign for the future of the Athletics team not to mention the future of calisthenics.

Pitching

Player				Age	W	L	Pct	G	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
David Pininferino		34	21	11	0.656	36	35	304.2	285	99	3	84	137	2.92
Jim McNeiledge			33	18	16	0.529	35	35	294.0	314	112	4	60	117	3.43
Jimmy Baker			30	16	14	0.533	35	30	262.2	306	94	10	57	65	3.22
Claude Cugnoni			26	17	10	0.630	37	24	239.2	218	72	4	51	147	2.70
Ken Maw				23	4	13	0.235	26	16	152.0	169	71	4	94	24	4.20

As you can see, only 5 people pitched for the inaugural Athletics. We could have opened the proverbial door to in-season tryouts as so many of the other first-year clubs did but we felt that would take some of the emphasis away from our regimen. As a staff ace, David Pininferino may not have had the best walk or strikeout numbers in the league but only 4 pitchers threw more innings than the 34-year-old. For that matter, him and Jim McNeiledge represented one of 2 AL squads with 2 men in the top 10 in IPs (the Baltimore Orioles being the other; the Red Sox also had Jesse MacLagan and Keith Gages but of course MacLagan only threw half the year for that ballclub). Jimmy Baker had the opportunity to get to that level himself but the longball ultimately doomed him. Claude Cugnoni is a man we adore; before '01 he had pitched in the majors just one season and never started a game, but insisted to us that he could handle the increased workload. Well, with the help of lots and lots of running on his days off, we are happy to say that Cugnoni proved himself right. We hope that Ken Maw will embrace Cugnoni's commitment to excellence, but sadly we expect he will not.

Catcher and First Base

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
C	#Dave Daniel		25	109	383	39	106	12	7	1	47	0	25	39	.277
C	 Carey Waye		26	41	127	13	28	9	0	1	12	0	2	17	.220
1B	#Ron Eshelman		33	133	505	88	134	40	8	5	71	1	80	58	.265
1B	#Olan Dreaper		29	10	36	2	6	0	0	0	3	0	1	0	.167

David Daniel showed that despite starting his career with the lowly Spiders, he is truly a winner. He doesn't have the finest arm in the world but hit well enough to make us forget that. Carey Waye is the kind of good-field no-hit backstop who can take over when the opposition is being a little too hard on that light arm. We're not entirely sure how, exactly, Ron Eshelman has crafted a career. His lifetime average of .294 is just 14th among the 23 players who have had enough at-bats to qualify for our career totals (1194 at present, which is a little over 2 seasons' worth of playing). However, he is selective at the plate, which leads to a lot of free passes from the pitcher and last year to leading all major leaguers in two-base hits. If his .265 average falls much further we may have to replace him with someone more athletic, but we submit that 1901 was still a good season to be had from a first baseman.

Infield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
2B	Cawthra Penington	25	96	346	48	82	11	8	0	38	28	25	40	.237
2B	#Albert Mangoni		32	41	125	12	24	5	0	1	13	3	15	10	.192
2B	 Kevin MacKeochan	36	12	49	7	21	5	0	0	8	1	3	2	.429
2B	Ning Zhang		29	8	29	5	7	1	0	0	2	1	1	2	.241
3B	*Rod van Schoonhoven	29	69	268	30	68	13	4	0	22	4	12	23	.254
3B	*Bailey Hamilton	26	89	354	50	102	10	13	3	58	6	25	40	.288
SS	#Ty Graham		29	124	483	92	131	19	7	3	49	6	62	16	.271
SS	 Cromawn McKlern	18	2	8	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	.250

Ah, what might have been. If Zhang and MacKeochan combined to provide even one full season for the A's last year, this is what we think that fantasy player would have produced:

140 G, 546 AB, 84 R, 196 H, 42 2B, 70 RBI, 14 SB, .359 BA

Instead, poor old Connie Mack was forced to use Cawthra Pennington and Albert Mangoni at second, who combined to hit just .225. There's not a lot available down on the farm here; otherwise you would have seen it in September or earlier. At third, Bailey Hamilton won the job from Rod van Schoonhoven coming out of spring training but himself missed 2 months barely a week into the season. The team doctor blames it on a torn groin muscle. We blame it on the 4th-year player having never learned the proper methods of warming up in his years with the thespians (thespians, guhhh) in Brooklyn. Ty Graham had a solid year at shortstop but was supposed to spend that solid year flipping around the infield to wherever he was most needed. He finished 3rd in the AL in errors at the position and only Gunnar Jones of the Red Sox sported a lower range factor. We're not saying we know where replacements for him will come from but mark our words: they will come.

Outfield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
LF	*Ken McKichan		34	106	442	60	138	12	9	2	65	32	19	37	.312
LF	#Kemen Adams		29	46	152	18	35	7	7	2	21	3	6	16	.230
LF	 Frank Kirton		24	31	77	7	16	4	0	0	11	1	1	17	.208
CF	Dan Leaf		27	136	580	88	149	29	13	1	54	27	24	69	.257
RF	*Ross MacKerlich	20	62	238	28	73	5	0	4	42	3	11	27	.307
RF	*Sesto Cimabue		32	55	179	22	42	9	7	0	26	4	10	25	.235
RF	*John Duley		28	22	73	11	25	2	0	0	7	0	8	3	.342

Unlike some of the other clubs in other cities, we are not adverse to employing the Irish. It's true that as many of them, when asked to name their favorite athlete, will name brawlers John L. Sullivan or James Jeffries rather than, say, Nivens O'Mulvany, but as far as we're concerned a person who uses their body for a living is a person who uses their body for a living. We are told that there is a diabolical way to take that last statement but we refuse to acknowledge it. We'd like also to point out that in this outfield that proved to be so baneful to the Athletics' chances in 1901, the biggest disappointments were an Italian and a so-called "true" American. Sesto Cimabue was supposed to show us all why the Cubs had been mistaken in never giving him a starting job or even a long amount of time in relief of an injured starter (he did hit .324 in 204 at-bats in 1896, the only time in his career before '01 that he had more than 80 of them), but instead did little else than stretch long hits into triples and steal an occasional base. Dan Leaf may have started all season but he lost 48 points off of his average compared to 1900 and left us to wonder what was in the Reds' drinking water back then.

On the other hand, Ken McKichan was the team's best hitter over the course of the season. He's not blessed with a powerful swing but he is as good as anybody in the league at chopping out hits and terrorizing people on the basepaths. And in right nobody expected much of anything out of Ross MacKerlich but the man confounded us all with tricky hit after tricky hit. And he's only 20 years old! He has quite the Athletic future in store for himself.

[Syd Thrift]

Overview

Stupid, stupid injuries. Yar. Our Pirates, they be startin' the year out 11-5 and lookin' like they be followin' up on the great 1900 year that saw them finally pick their carcasses up off the ocean floor and then... everybody gets hurt and they lose 13 of 14 games and that be the season. To top it off, although they never really got back into the winning they were competitive until another bad run saw them take victory in just 6 of 21 games during September. As a result, that '00 year remains the only time we be winnin' more than we be losin'. It's enough to make me want to walk the plank by meself.

Pitching

Player				Age	W	L	Pct	G	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
Kenneth Cudlip			20	18	15	0.545	36	34	307.2	300	89	7	78	172	2.60
Samuel Ouellette		25	17	18	0.486	35	35	304.1	277	88	5	76	166	2.60
Ted McQueil			30	14	17	0.452	32	32	262.2	294	101	7	70	88	3.46
Teh-huai Wang			26	16	7	0.696	34	22	219.0	193	65	1	58	118	2.67
Chris Tippett			33	3	8	0.273	19	10	99.2	135	60	6	42	15	5.42
Riordan Rowell			30	2	5	0.286	7	7	51.2	77	30	0	15	15	5.23

Although they only be winnin' barely half of their decisions, we be liking Kenneth Cudlip and Samuel Oullette for thar future. It really be lookin' like that Jon Choate-less lineup be responsible for the lack o' winnin' as much as anythin' else. Yah, we admit that overall the Pirates not be farin' well in the dreaded ERA stat but that's mainly because Chris Tippett and Riordan Rowell were so bad. I also like Teh-Huai Wang. Sometimes I accidentally type his first name when I tries to type "the", which our proofreader he hates, but then I tells him I was just talking about thar former closer turned staff star and they be okay with it. I want to also point out here that he was one of two Pirates to bring home booty in the form of NL awards. Ted McQueil also be pitchin' for us last year but I ain't got much to say about him.

Catcher and First Base

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
C	 Cleary Ubank		25	82	290	37	66	18	5	1	31	0	15	23	.228
C	 Alfred Eberhart	28	63	207	34	59	11	8	2	29	0	17	22	.285
1B	*Mark Lucott		28	137	548	71	173	29	9	3	83	0	51	34	.316
1B	 Jerry O'Fox		26	3	12	1	3	1	0	0	1	0	1	1	.250

Ya don't be seein' the biggest heartbreak at catcher because Mark Miller be fracturin' his skull during spring trainin' and that made him miss the whole season. We hoped he could appear with thar bandage on his head but he dinnae want to. We ain't sayin' he be hittin' for us but walkin' around with bandages and such on your head is very piratey. Oh well. He be back next year. We think Alfred Eberhart will probably be the backup, but who knows? We not be impressed with him or Cleary Ubank last year much. We were pretty impressed with Mark Lucott though. Actually, he and Captain Kid Long be just about the only bright spots in thar lineup.

Infield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
2B	 Gianluca Pezzo		23	120	455	68	98	12	10	1	52	9	42	54	.215
2B	 Doug Dubin		34	10	33	3	6	1	1	0	4	2	1	3	.182
2B	#Pete O'Radaghan	31	5	14	3	4	0	1	0	6	0	1	3	.286
3B	Shane Rathmell		26	73	294	38	75	10	5	4	33	0	16	21	.255
3B	#George Theodore	24	74	266	37	75	15	4	5	45	0	53	15	.282
3B	Ray Ellis		20	28	98	13	24	7	3	1	18	0	14	14	.245
SS	 Tim William		33	95	376	68	125	11	10	5	48	6	44	18	.332
SS	*Chris Fortescue	32	35	107	12	19	4	4	0	13	10	8	13	.178
SS	Monk Eastman		21	5	18	2	3	0	0	0	1	2	0	3	.167

Yar, this be ugly. So ugly it make my own ma look pretty, and I tells ya, my ma warn't all that pretty in conventional terms such as having all her teeth and having more than one eyebrow. If it's possible the one position that avoided hurtin' or players jumpin' ship was the ugliest of the bunch. Gianluca Pezzo entered the season as one of the best young second basemen out there. Granted, he was coming off of a poor year, but rather than bounce back he bounced the other way. Now he be fightin' for a job. Shane Rathmell also be a bit of a disappointment seein' as how he hit better than .300 in the minors each of the last 2 years. As ya kin see, he dinnae hit that here. And even he was thar second choice; Ray Ellis got himself a shot for a couple weeks but we had to take the converted catcher out because he was bein' an embarrassment even to us. Compared to those guys, George Theodore looked like the greatest player in the world. We won't be overlookin' ya any more, Smooth!

Since we lost Ty Graham to the new league, we thought it only be fittin' that we steal Tim William from thar Colts. Okay, we dinnae really steal him per se. We had tae trade him just like every other land-lubber out there. But we sure didn't give Chicago much!

Outfield

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
LF	Jon Choate		23	83	359	44	121	24	9	3	54	0	21	22	.337
LF	 John Bebbington	37	50	146	12	32	3	0	0	12	7	6	11	.219
LF	 Chris O'Hanlon		30	31	89	4	19	1	1	0	11	0	0	13	.213
LF	David Cook		20	29	73	15	24	3	1	0	11	0	4	8	.329
CF	#Johnston Long		23	138	540	120	174	25	18	7	58	28	112	44	.322
RF	*Ned Kelly Jr.		23	117	493	77	128	22	8	6	63	8	44	29	.260
RF	*Jon Wellwood		26	23	72	7	25	4	2	0	11	1	3	3	.347

We regret tae informa yas that Jon "First Mate Two Percent" Choate has hereby had his captain status revoked. Mebbe when he can prove once more he can play a full season... but alas, we be hearin' that he might miss all of next year! Aye, the four winds be buffetin' us mercilessly. We have no idea who replaces him. John Bebbington played himself off thar team. David Cook is still young, though he did look pretty strappin' in the yellow and black last year.

It is now time that we give praise to thar new captain Johnston Long. Thar National League, they gave him thar highest honor for all thar hitter. He doesn't do any one thing super-well which makes some land-lubber disappreciate him but he also finished in the runnin' in just about every catergory you can think of. Best of all, he did finish #1 in runs scored. Ned Kelly Jr. hit just .198 from September 1 through the end of the season and now we're worried about his job, too. Ar. The Pirates' life is never an easy one, tho be it the Pirates' life for me.

[Syd Thrift]

Overview

It has now been 4 seasons since the Cardinals (then the Brown Stockings) originally drew themselves up from the primordial muck that separated day from night and first division from second division. Yet, they have never come that close to pennant-winning absolution. Last year was, technically, the closest they came (previously the St. Louis team's closest was 1899, when they went 83-71 and yet were 12 games in back of the Cubs and also behind the Cincinnati Reds and Louisville Colonels as well). Does this satisfy us? Not in the least. It is our mission to make the Cardinals of St. Louis the most beloved franchise out of all, because then and only then may we properly spread The Word.

The biggest problem we saw was one of offense. Simply put, our boys were just too nice to score runs on our opponents. While we appreciate generosity as a virtue, it should also be mentioned that a man of the cloth knows that he is not granting any real mercies by letting an opponent out of a situation where he deserved to have runs scored upon his person. The pitching realizes that well enough. It is time the hitting understood this as well.

Pitching

Player				Age	W	L	Pct	G	GS	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA
Johnny Gruelle			23	23	11	0.676	36	34	309.2	282	73	8	70	155	2.12
Stephen Vickers			26	14	19	0.424	35	33	290.2	325	100	10	96	75	3.10
Kent Sanders			26	14	14	0.500	28	28	249.2	245	79	5	41	114	2.85
Trevor Munzie			20	13	10	0.565	23	23	196.2	207	65	5	67	92	2.97
Corey Wilson			28	3	7	0.300	11	10	79.0	100	39	1	35	37	4.44
Mike Hebert			30	2	4	0.333	12	6	62.1	80	32	0	19	23	4.62
Dan Hanson			22	3	2	0.600	5	5	41.1	44	12	0	28	21	2.61
Conway Shelvin			30	1	0	1.000	5	0	16.2	17	10	1	7	5	5.40
Gianfranco Amocacci		26	0	0	0.000	4	1	4.1	4	1	0	1	2	2.08

What a splendid year did Johnny Gruelle have! He was named the finest "rooky" in the entire National League, which is only fair. He was also one of the best pitchers in the league, experience or no experience, as finishing 2nd in wins, 3rd in ERA, and 5th in strikeouts will show. We expect he'll be holding down the staff for the next decade or more. Stephen "Parochial" Vickers was a bit of a disappointment but not nearly as much as Mike "Saint" Herbert was. Herbert, a career 191 game winner, was expected to be a staff ace but was flat-out ineffective. His status with the team as of 1902 is unclear. Vickers just lost a lot of games, just as he'd done in 1899 before the Cardinals rescued him from Cleveland. The poor play of the two supposed aces led St. Louis to give guys like Kent Sanders and Trevor Munzie a try. Neither had started more than 10 games in a season prior to '01 (Munzie made his debut last year) but both played like grizzled veterans when given the chance.

Catcher and First Base

Pos	Player			Age	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG
C	 Scott Syrett		29	108	391	30	102	17	3	1	44	0	24	51	.261
C	*Horst Verhaar		24	34	124	13	29	3	1	0	11	0	6	22	.234
1B	 Bob Perry		30	111	428	52	103	19	8	4	61	1	27	48	.241
1B	*Ju-wei Si-ma		44	26	67	3	14	1	1	0	13	0	7	12	.209
1B	 Dale Basinger		30	8	33	2	8	2	0	0	1	0	0	1	.242

The catcher position last year was... the catcher position. There's just not a lot to talk about here, which sometimes is a good thing. Not standing out shows that there is not too much pride emanating from the position, which is of course one of the Seven Deadly Sins. Scott Syrett may have been guilty of Sloth last year, though. Horst Verhaar played right about the way we expect a 24-year old backup catcher with an iffy future should hit. His arm was absolutely terrible, though; we're not sure whether this was because he actually didn't throw well or if he felt guilty stopping would-be thieves.

Meanwhile, what happen