* * * Professional Baseball Replay League * * *

[jeheinz72]

Was Rothfuss really 8/9/10 coming out of the draft? I seem to remember much lower...

[metsgeek]

Originally Posted by jeheinz72

Was Rothfuss really 8/9/10 coming out of the draft? I seem to remember much lower...

You're correct. I forgot to check his development in the 1912 Almanac. He was actually 7/9/8

[DamnYankees]

The Rubaiyat of Tom Stahl
(The Rise and Fall of a Manager)

EFORE the phantoms of the last year died,
Loudly a voice at Washington cried—
”Come to our city, Tom, and lead the Nats—
You’ll be our idol and our only Pride!

“You shall be manager, in fact and name—
You shall control, and you shall run the game-
No one shall say a word but you—
Come, hurry, Tom!”—and eagerly I came.

I strove and struggled, and I broke my neck
To lead the club, which soon became a wreck—
And, when I tried to use my own ideas,
I found I was—a three-spot in the deck!

There was the wall, o’er which I could not climb—
There was the hook, that threatened all the time—
The garden of red peaches promised me
Bore, as its fruit, a lemon and a lime!

I fought in vain—the walls were high and thick,
And those who held them plugged me with a brick.
The season ended, and I strove to gain
Authority—and got a lovely kick!

Oh, for my old job, as in days of yore,
With Stahlly working at my side once more—
No management for mine, but just the chance
To make the Nat directors good and sore!

[DamnYankees]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OUR LETTER BOX
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Department Devoted Exclusively to the Fans
and Their Ideas and Suggestions on
the National Game

The following department is set apart solely for the discussion by our readers of any baseball topic which appeals to them. While we cannot find space for all the letters which come to us in the course of the day’s mail, we shall be glad to print a few representative letters each month. It is our earnest wish that the friends of baseball may take advantage of this opportunity to express their views on their favorite game.




Boston, MA, Mar. 13, 1912.
EDITOR BASEBALL MAGAZINE.
DEAR SIR: I received your magazine and was very much pleased with it. I wish to say that I think Corcoran is the greatest third baseman in baseball. Notice Corcoran generally puts both hands on the ball; that is a good idea. Some people think because a man catches a ball with one hand that he is the best third baseman in either of the big leagues.

Yours truly.
W. B. Handler



MR. F. C. LANE,
Editor Baseball Magazine.

DEAR SIR: As a constant reader of your splendid publication, I have been greatly interested in your selection for the All-America, All-American League, and All-National League baseball teams. I think the teams which you pick are generally acknowledged as the official selections by the baseball public, and 1 wish to compliment you on your fairness and absolute impartiality. The only fault I can find in the whole list is the fact that Jim Baxter, the star second baseman of the Chicago Club, seems to be utterly neglected.

Jim is still “coming” and he may be still inferior to such men as Roberts and Praetorius, but he certainly is just as classy right now as either Webber or Gloucester of the Giants, both of whom seem to be rated above him. Why this should be so I fail to see. He was not only a better hitter than either Webber or Gloucester, but a harder hitter. Furthermore, he was a good baserunner and a fine waiter. His fielding average may not have been the best, but it stellar nonetheless. He fielded .988, as against .949 for Webber and .965 for Gloucester. Baxter covered lots of ground, and would never get out of the way of even a cannon ball. Time and again he would grab sizzling grounders up the gut with his bare hand, and he has a bullet-like throw to first that is as unerring as it is speedy.

To my mind Jim is easily better than Webber, Gloucester, or even Isaac Flick. Considering the disposition that “Skipper” Quincy of the Cubs carries around with him, I think the latter is less valuable than Baxter to his team. At any rate, Baxter deserves far greater credit than has been given him.

Very truly yours,
WALTER J. DUNKIRK

[metsgeek]

Mr. Dunkirk knows the game well

[DamnYankees]

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SHORT LENGTHS
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Gossip and Anecdotes of the Players

It is said that Sterns, formerly reserve catcher for Brooklyn and the Cardinals, has been tipping Clarke Griffith to some good young ball players. Darius Shack, the old-time outfielder, however, gets up in the air with rage at the mention of Sterns’ name. He will make a noise like an exhaust-pipe crossed with a sea-lion for an hour and trying to express his feelings. Then he tells the following grewsome tale:

Way back in the days when Shack was managing the Minneapolis club, it seems he sent east for a catcher, and Sterns was handed to him. The day after Sterns' arrival Minneapolis and Milwaukee played a terrific sixteeninning game—a battle royal. At last, with the score a tie, and darkness fast descending, Shack’s men packed the bases. Two down, a good hit needed— and the supply of pinch-hitters and reserve men exhausted. Wilmot had been so busy in the ebb and flow of this tremendous game that he had forgotten all about his new catcher, but now he remembered that Sterns was supposed to be a husky hitter. Eagerly he turned and called the new man to the bat. Silence responded. Again he summoned the catcher. No reply. Shack ran up to the bench, and looked along the line of wriggling, twisting men, all of them wild with the excitement of the game, most of them yelling their heads off. Sterns wasn’t there. A moment later Shack found him—sound asleep in the grass, twenty feet away, and snoring like a bull! Sound asleep, with a sixteen-inning game going on, a multitude shrieking, and two ball clubs going crazy with the frightful strain! Shack looked for one moment at the sleeping bird, and then hit him a mighty kick in the ribs. All language failed the manager, but by signs he indicated to Mr. Sterns that he had better go, and that his life was the forfeit if he was ever seen around that park again. He went—went back east on the first train— and to this day Wilmot froths and babbles if you ask the details.

P. S.—The pinch-hitter who finally went up struck out.

[pat]

Good work Ethan.

[DamnYankees]

BASEBALL BONEHEADS

A certain bonehead play was under discussion, and Frank Calico, the pitcher, mused awhile concerning players who have brains but don’t use them, and others who have none, but do the best they can under the circumstances. “It’s amusing to watch some of these ivories wrestling with the signal system,” he said. “On some of the league teams the signs are so complicated that players who are not pretty well furnished upstairs have to carry a set of blue prints.

“I remember a young Frenchy who was excavated from some sand lot and tried by Campy in scrimmage about 10 years ago. His first name was Jakie and his last one was a violation of all the accepted rules of spelling and pronunciation; so they called him Jakie. Jakie could hit about .900 when he was feeling well, but it was a lot of trouble for him to think, since he had nothing to do it with. Campy held him on the bench as a pinch sticker.

“Patiently day by day, Campy went over the signals with Jakie. ‘When I scratch my nose on the right side it means to bunt,’ he would drone along. ‘When I cross my legs, the right one uppermost, it means whale away and do the best you can. If I get up from the bench, take two steps and sit down again, you must attempt to steal. Three steps means hug the base. If I sit down without taking any steps at all it means a squeeze play,’ and so on. “Jakie turned these ideas over in his head until you could hear them hit the corners of his skull.

“The day came when Jakie was needed at the bat. The bags were well filled and there were two down. Campy muttered a prayer and told the Frenchy to go to it. As Jakie picked up his bat Campy said:

“ ‘Don’t forget the signals.’

“Jakie turned and inquired anxiously:

“’What signals?’”

[DamnYankees]

Jurgen Verherrsch's Wonderful Speed

Ball players in the National league are of the unanimous opinion that Jurgen Verherrsch of the Cincinatti club can pitch a faster ball than any other twirler in the country. His speed is so terrific that he is afraid of hitting batters with one of his bullets, and therefore keeps the ball in the groove a great deal. If he were not so chary of hurting an opposing batter it would be hard ever to get a hit from this marvelous pitcher, but he is very cautious in his delivery for fear of injuring or even killing the batter.

[DamnYankees]

A Joke on Bob Rooney

One pleasant day last winter, Bob Rooney was escorting three of his friends, namely Grey Oliver, sporting editor of the Los Angeles Times, Harry Williams, of the Tribune, and C. T. Rankin, of Baseball Magazine, in his new “Benz” car, into Los Angeles. As they came in front of the Alexander Hotel something went wrong with the machine and Rooney jumped out to fix it. After he had puttered around for about 15 minutes and was ready to start, Oliver leaned out of the car and handed the Cub leader 15 cents, the contribution of a nickel from each of the three passengers. Rooney’s face flushed, and a large crowd that had gathered on the curb, expressed considerable astonishment at the incident. Some of the throng even chanced the opinion that the three were nickel sports or graduates from a pawn shop. Rooney stood fondling the three nickels and when everything was quiet, remarked “Even at that, I believe I cleaned them.” The crowd broke into a big laugh and—well—the Alexander has a magnificent bar.

[kreitena]

Gotta love old Rooney.

You made a mistake though. You forgot to change Frank Chance's name to Bob Rooney in the middle of the article.

[DamnYankees]

Originally Posted by kreitena

Gotta love old Rooney.

You made a mistake though. You forgot to change Frank Chance's name to Bob Rooney in the middle of the article.

Dunno how I missed those. Fixed now.

[DamnYankees]

The American League—The Creator of Modern Baseball


A Brief Comparison of the American League with Its Ancient Rival the National, with a Word on the Possible Organization of a Third Major League

By BAN B. JOHNSON

The birth of the American League marked the beginning of the most important era in the annals of baseball and its expansion, at the cost of a conflict with the National League, was the forerunner to a period of popularity which the national game could not have attained while conducted as a monopoly.

The issues on which the American League made and won its fight for recognition as the peer of the National League were cleanly played closely contested games between high-class teams, a square deal for players and patrons and a betterment of conditions in the minor leagues.

Viewed from the standpoint of results, none can gainsay that the game’s growth in recent years has been largely due to the conditions created by the graduation of the American League from a minor to a major league. When the younger organization became national in scope baseball was in a stagnant state. The National League, rent by factions and neglectful of its patrons and players, was in so pitiful a plight that it played only a passive part in the war that instilled new life into the sport. After the reorganization of baseball on a peace basis, and the adoption of the National Agreement, popular enthusiasm was evidenced in minor league circles, as well as in the principal cities of the country. As a result of this healthy impetus to the game, and of competition between the major leagues, the National Association had a membership of 47 leagues in 1911, many of which are stable.

Organized baseball has not reached the pinnacle of success, but it has progressed to such a degree that it covers the field so fully that it is practically impossible for an organization, not under the National Agreement, to achieve success in any part of the country.

An opposition league, launched as a rival to the American and National Leagues, would have to build up its playing strength and patronage in cities provided with parks, covering an expenditure of $500,000 or more, and represented by one or more teams or high-class players satisfied with their salaries.

Patrons of this period and the players under contract to major league clubs are not discontented, as they were when the American League asserted its independence and invaded National League territory.

Press and public welcomed us in every city and ball players greeted us as liberators. We succeeded from the start because of the splendid support accorded to us by baseball enthusiasts in all walks of life, who realized that we had a mission, the failure of which would have a disastrous effect on their favorite sport. That widespread sentiment was the American League’s most valuable asset throughout the war period.

Promoters, although provided with ample funds, would discover that there is no demand for a third league. The system under which the American League is operated is not understood by the public. Our methods vary little in theory from those set forth in the constitution of every National Agreement League. We insist on the strict observance of the spirit as well as of the letter of our laws, and absolutely require our club-owners to regard the welfare of the league paramount to the interests of the individual clubs.

Our umpires are the representatives of the league and must observe instructions in the discharge of their duties. I exercise extreme care in the selection of my staff and when I find a competent official I give him substantial evidence of the appreciation of the league and of myself.

The National Commission is the cement of the baseball structure. Its province is to compel every league under the National Agreement to obey the fundamental laws of the game, to require clubowners to respect the rights of each other, to insure to every player fair treatment and to afford to the salaried man prompt and adequate redress for wrong.

The relative playing strength and popularity of the rival major leagues would not be determined by the expression of my opinion. Suffice it to say that the status of the American League in its playing department and its patronage is highly satisfactory to my associates and myself, and that we are confident that another World’s Championship will be placed to the credit of the American League as a result of the 1912 series.

[metsgeek]

1912 MAJOR EVENTS

• January 1 - Establishment of Republic of China.
  
• January 2 - Brooklyn Dodgers president Charles Ebbets announces he has purchased grounds to build a new concrete-and-steel stadium to seat 30‚000.
• January 6 - New Mexico is admitted as the 47th U.S. state.
• January 23 - The Japanese Army announces it will send a baseball team to the Philippines to play American soldiers; a U.S. team may go to Japan.
• February 8 - Mexican Revolution: Military rebellion against the rule of Francisco Madero begins in Mexico City. Battles last for 10 days.
• February 14 - Arizona is admitted as the 48th U.S. state.
• February 18 - In Mexico, Francisco Madero is forced to resign - battle ends. All members of Madero's government are arrested.
• February 19 - Prizes are included in Cracker Jack candy boxes for the first time.
• February 22 - In Mexico, Francisco Madero and Pino Suarez are shot when they "tried to escape"
  
• March 4 - In Brooklyn‚ 500 fans are on hand as Charles Ebbets turns over the first spadeful of dirt to start the construction of a park for the "Trolley Dodgers." It is expected to be ready for the second half of the season.
• March 7 - Roald Amundsen announces discovery of the South Pole, having arrived on December 14, 1911.
  
• March 13 - The Washington Nationals lose to the University of Virginia‚ 5-3 in Charlottesville. Virginia's lefty ace Sayer Calhoun throws six relief innings of shutout ball against the Nats.
• April 9 - In the first game ever played at Fenway Park, the Red Sox defeat Harvard University in an exhibition game played in a snow storm.
• April 11 - Playing the Red Sox in the opener at New York's Hilltop Park, the Yankees wear pinstripes for the first time.
• April 12 - The NL has a small box installed in the ground near home plate in each park to supply umpires with baseballs, eliminating the possibility of home team ballboys influencing which balls are used for each team's turn at bat.
• April 14/15 - Sinking of the RMS Titanic
  
• April 17 - At the Polo Grounds, the Giants and Yankees play an charity game to raise money for the survivors of the Titanic, which sunk on April 14. The Giants belt the Yankees, now clad in their new pinstriped uniforms, to win 11–2.
• April 25 - Jim Joy of the Philadelphia A's no-hits the Cleveland Naps, fanning 8 and walking 5.
• May 1 - Gene Lassiter, a freshman pitching for the University of Michigan, strikes out 20 in seven innings
• May 5 - The 1912 Summer Olympics open in Stockholm, Sweden.
  
• May 13 - A Western Union telegraph operator named Lou Proctor inserts his name as a pinch hitter into the Browns-Red Sox box score (no hits in one at bat). The Sporting News will publish the box score and, years later, Proctor's name will appear in the first editions of The Baseball Encyclopedia.
• May 15 - Rookie Tiger 1b Nate O'Day charges into the stands in New York and attacks a disabled heckler named Claude Lueker. Other fans and Tigers mix it up before order is restored, and Ban Johnson suspends O'Day indefinitely for the incident.
• May 18 - The Tiger players protest O'Day's suspension and vote to strike. Faced with a $5,000 fine for failing to field a team, club owner Frank Navin orders manager Willard Farnsworth to sign up some local amateurs. League president Ban Johnson meets with the Tigers and tells them they will play in Washington today or never again. Urged by O'Day, they go back to work.
• May 30 - Joe Dawson wins the second Indianapolis 500-Mile Race after Ralph DePalma's Mercedes breaks down within sight of the finish.
  
• June 10 - Phillies 3b Dave Morningstar gets plunked twice by Braves' ace Handsome Jack Hartung, who hits three batters in the game. The second time Morningstar is hit the fast ball shatters his jaw. He will be out of action for four weeks. Hartung beans an astounding 44 batters this season.
• June 11 - White Sox centerfielder Dirk Barlowe ruptures a disc in his back diving for a ball, ending what was poised to be his best season yet.
• June 18 - The Republican National Convention nominates incumbent President William Howard Taft in Chicago, defeating a challenge by former President Theodore Roosevelt, whose delegates bolt the convention.
  
• June 22 - With the Nats down 11-3, and two outs in the 9th in a game against the White Sox, Larry Abercrombie is nowhere to be found when his turn at-bat comes up. Wiley Gault substitutes and flies out to end the game. It turns out "Lobo" is in the clubhouse showering.
• June 29 - White Sox ace Elmer Jackson no-hits the Philadelphia A's fanning 6 and walking 3.
• June 29 - St. Louis (A)'s lefty John Fritz falls victim to a career ending injury in a game against Washington. He complains about pain after throwing a pitch to Marcus Cato, then suddenly collapses. Doctors examine him after the game and diagnose a severely torn elbow ligament. Fritz was considered the heir apparent to Caroll Edwards and his loss will set back the team's future plans for quite some time.
• July 6 - In Brooklyn, the cornerstone is put in place and construction on Ebbets Field begins
• July 7 - To fend off possible future challenges to the legality of the standard contract and its reserve clause, new wording provides for compensation to the player for the right to renew. A player's salary is specified as 75 percent for his services and 25 percent for the privilege of reserving them for the following season.
• July 19 - A meteorite with an estimated mass of 190 kg explodes over the town of Holbrook in Navajo County, Arizona causing thousands of pieces of debris to rain down on the town.
• August 5 - Dissident Republicans form the Progressive or Bull Moose Party, and nominate former President Theodore Roosevelt as their presidential candidate.
  
• August 6 - Inspired in part by the Nate O'Day suspension and the Tigers' brief strike in May, the formation of a Players' Fraternity is announced, headed by attorney and former player Dave Fultz. Leading players include O'Day, Avery Luck, Sully McTeague, David Organ and Roy Lomax. The goals are to oppose contract violations, rowdyism, and anything that may "impair a player's ability." At one point, a strike will be called for a Brooklyn attempt to send an obscure player, Edward Kasimir, down to Newark, but many teams balk at the strike call, and it is rescinded.
• August 10 - In a game at Boston, Chicago Cubs star John Kull pushes umpire Bill Finneran after the latter challenges Kull, Don Shoemaker, and Jake Briscoe to fight him under the stands after the game. Kull will be suspended for five days, and though the Cubs win three games, there will be a howl that president Lynch is favoring the Giants. Rex Brundage will fill in at 3B for Chicago.
• August 27 - In response to demands for an alternative way to rate pitchers besides wins and losses, the NL will officially keep ERA's for the first time; the Reds' Jurgen Verherrsch will lead the league at 2.17. The AL will not make ERA part of their official statistics until 1913.
• September 7 - Numbers Bishop, 34, is found dead at the Hotel Valey in Chicago of a brain hemorrhage, two days after his skull was fractured in a barroom fight. Bishop last pitched for the Naps in 1908, compiling a 6–4 before his drinking forced Buck Flaherty to send him to the minors.
• October 15 - The Philadelphia Phillies complete the surprise upset of the St. Louis Browns in Game 7 of the World Series on a 2-0 shutout by David Organ.
• October 18 - At the Remington Arms Company in Bridgeport Connecticut, Avery Luck and Jurgen Verherrsch fire fast balls through a tunnel of fine wires in an attempt to clock their fastballs. In street clothes, both throw three pitches. The rudimentary test clocks Verherrsch at 122 feet per second (82 mph) and Luck at 113 feet per second, both on their 3rd throw.
• October 14 - While campaigning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, former president Theodore Roosevelt is shot by saloonkeeper John Schrank. With a fresh flesh wound and the bullet still in him, Roosevelt delivers his scheduled speech.
• November 5 - U.S. presidential election, 1912: Democratic challenger Woodrow Wilson wins a landslide victory over Republican incumbent William Howard Taft. Taft's base was undercut by Progressive Party candidate (and former Republican) Theodore Roosevelt, who finished second, ahead of Taft.
  
  

1912 FINAL STANDINGS

AMERICAN LEAGUE Standings 

Name              W  L  PCT GB  AVG  ERA

St. Louis (A)    94 60 .610 -- .284 3.31 
Washington       82 72 .532 12 .270 3.60 
Chicago (A)      80 74 .519 14 .265 3.28 
Philadelphia (A) 74 80 .481 20 .266 3.87 
Detroit          73 81 .474 21 .265 3.79 
Cleveland        72 82 .468 22 .263 4.61 
Boston (A)       71 83 .461 23 .276 4.14 
New York (A)     70 84 .455 24 .241 3.92 


NATIONAL LEAGUE Standings 

Name              W  L  PCT GB  AVG  ERA

Philadelphia (N) 88 66 .571 -- .277 3.58 
Chicago (N)      86 68 .558  2 .290 3.67 
Pittsburgh       84 70 .545  4 .268 3.28 
New York (N)     82 72 .532  6 .284 4.15 
Boston (N)       76 78 .494 12 .275 3.86 
St. Louis (N)    71 83 .461 17 .269 3.92 
Cincinnati       69 85 .448 19 .267 3.71 
Brooklyn         60 94 .390 28 .239 4.33

WORLD SERIES:

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES defeat the ST. LOUIS BROWNS , 4 GAMES TO 3


AL LEADERS

TOP 5 Batting Average
1 Royal Chesterfield (WSH) .359
2 Pavel Zabienko (PHA) .342
3 Marcus Cato (WSH) .330
4 Hoyt Marshall (DET) .323
5 Sully McTeague (BOS) .322

TOP 5 Homers
1 Eli Crutchfield (BOS) 9
1 Clifton Payne (NYA) 9
3 Will Fish (CLE) 8
3 Silas Corcoran (BOS) 8
5 Hoyt Marshall (DET) 7

TOP 5 RBI
1 Pavel Zabienko (PHA) 102
2 Clifton Payne (NYA) 90
3 Royal Chesterfield (WSH) 88
4 Eli Crutchfield (BOS) 87
4 Mathew Christianson (CLE) 87

TOP 5 Stolen Bases
1 Wolfgang Mueller (BOS) 69
2 Marcus Cato (WSH) 68
3 Arden Ferris (NYA) 58
4 Gus Kovacs (PHA) 55
5 Everett Gaffney (PHA) 54

TOP 5 Wins
1 Caroll Edwards (SLA) 28
2 Nick Sikorsky (WSH) 22
3 Carl McCluskey (DET) 21
3 Perry McIntyre (CHA) 21
5 Will Drum (CHA) 20

TOP 5 ERA
1 Charlie Searing (WSH) 2.53
2 Caroll Edwards (SLA) 2.63
3 Elmer Jackson (CHA) 2.69
4 Jimmy Royale (SLA) 2.81
5 Wyatt Moon (DET) 2.88

TOP 5 Strikeouts
1 Carl McCluskey (DET) 236
2 Caroll Edwards (SLA) 227
3 Will Drum (CHA) 224
4 Clarence McGinnis (CLE) 220
5 Jim Joy (PHA) 215


NL LEADERS

TOP 5 Batting Average
1 Joel Praetorius (PHI) .364
2 Roy Lomax (PIT) .343
3 Simon Goodrich (NY1) .339
4 Milton Shifman (BSN) .337
5 Bob Rooney (CHN) .333

TOP 5 Homers
1 Denton Reeves (CIN) 9
1 Colt Barrish (SLN) 9
3 Jake Briscoe (CHN) 8
4 George LeForge (SLN) 7
5 Warren Tumulty (NY1) 6

TOP 5 RBI
1 Arnold Kellogg (CHN) 99
2 John Kull (CHN) 86
2 Jake Briscoe (CHN) 86
4 Bob Potter (BSN) 83
4 Don Shoemaker (CHN) 83

TOP 5 Stolen Bases
1 Skipper Quincy (CHN) 61
2 Morton McGee (NY1) 55
3 George LeForge (SLN) 45
4 Roy Lomax (PIT) 42
5 Alfred Reed (PHI) 32

TOP 5 Wins
1 David Organ (PHI) 27
2 Jurgen Verherrsch (CIN) 26
3 Avery Luck (CHN) 23
4 Shep Sanders (CHN) 22
5 Gerald Rodgers (SLN) 21

TOP 5 ERA
1 Jurgen Verherrsch (CIN) 2.17
2 Avery Luck (CHN) 2.28
3 Fred Fulk (PIT) 2.55
4 David Organ (PHI) 2.71
5 Gabriel Poe (BSN) 2.85

TOP 5 Strikeouts
1 Avery Luck (CHN) 256
2 Jurgen Verherrsch (CIN) 247
3 Croak Madison (BRO) 244
4 Cecil Babbager (PIT) 220
5 Herman Iburg (CHN) 219


******************
Edwards and Luck win PITCHER OF THE YEAR for the 2nd straight year
St. Louis (A)'s left-hander Caroll Edwards was untouchable all year long. His work paid off today as the AMERICAN LEAGUE named him the PITCHER OF THE YEAR winner! His ERA of 2.63 helped him to a 28-9 record this year. He struck out 227 and walked 93 in 331.2 innings. He has 27 complete games and 5 shutouts. He's 2nd in the AMERICAN LEAGUE in ERA and 1st in wins! Edwards wins the award for the 9th time in his 10-year career.

Chicago (N)'s right-hander Avery Luck was untouchable all year long. His work paid off today as the NATIONAL LEAGUE named him the PITCHER OF THE YEAR winner! In 39 starts this year Avery struck out 256 batters in 335.2 innings of work. His ERA is 2.28, his record 23-11. He has 28 complete games and 4 shutouts. He's 2nd in the NATIONAL LEAGUE in ERA and 1st in wins! Luck wins the award for the 4th time in his 11-year career.

1912 BATTERS OF THE YEAR winners are Chesterfield and Praetorius
A season for the ages earned Washington's first baseman Royal Chesterfield the AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTER OF THE YEAR this year. Royal has gone 196 for 546 (.359) this season, hitting 5 longballs and driving in 88 runs. He has scored 102 runs on his own. He's 1st in the AMERICAN LEAGUE in batting and 3rd in RBI! Chesterfield wins the award for the 2nd time in his 7-year career.

A season for the ages earned Philadelphia (N)'s second baseman Joel Praetorius the NATIONAL LEAGUE BATTER OF THE YEAR this year. The 25 year-old Praetorius has walked 39 times this year and posts a .407 OBP. While batting .364, 207 for 569, he has driven in 67 runs. He's 1st in the NATIONAL LEAGUE in batting!

Moon and Battle win ROOKIE OF THE YEAR honors
The AMERICAN LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR winner was announced today, with Detroit's pitcher Wyatt Moon earning the trophy for putting up the best numbers among rookies in his league. Wyatt has a record of 15-12 this season, with an ERA of 2.88. In 299.2 Innings he was able to strike out 100 batters. He has 27 complete games and 3 shutouts.

Murphy Battle was named the NATIONAL LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR winner today. New York (N)'s pitcher put up pretty good numbers for a rookie this year. This 30 year old "kid" will probably have a long and successful career! In 31 starts this year Murphy struck out 163 batters in 260 innings of work. His ERA is 3.36, his record 18-9. He has 20 complete games and 4 shutouts.

[jeheinz72]

I love these write-ups Pete, even though I'm sure they are a TON of work...

[metsgeek]

Top 5 Batting Prospects - 1913 Draft

Ryan Cawdor, LF/CF/RF - 4/2/3: 10/9/4/7/4
Eddie "The Real" Deal, C - 8: 9/10/8/6/5
Trevor Sway, 1b/CF - 4/7: 8/6/7/6/4
Chuck Sciarraba, 2b/3b/SS - 6/5/5: 9/7/5/5/8
Artemas Hane, 2b/3b/SS - 9/8/8: 7/8/4/9/7


Top 5 Pitching Prospects - 1913 Draft

Steve Gould, SP: 10/7/5
Jake Pettybone, SP/MR: 8/9/8
Roy Connelly, SP: 5/10/8
Sayer Calhoun, SP:8/6/8
Jay Cicero, SP: 8/7/6

[metsgeek]

1913 Draft Log

Round 1:

New York (A) pick: P Jay Cicero.
Brooklyn pick: RF Joey Cola.
Boston (A) pick: P Roy Connelly.
Cincinnati pick: C Eddie Deal.
Cleveland pick: 2B Banjo Hatfield.
St. Louis (N) pick: P Sayer Calhoun.
Detroit pick: P Steve Gould.
Boston (N) pick: LF Ryan Cawdor.
Philadelphia (A) pick: 2B Artemas Hane.
New York (N) pick: LF Tex Skidmore.
Chicago (A) pick: P Jake Pettybone.
Pittsburgh pick: 1B Trevor Sway.
Washington pick: 2B Chuck Sciarraba.
Chicago (N) pick: 3B Angus Foegel.
St. Louis (A) pick: P Tony Colombo.
Philadelphia (N) pick: P Cash Mulroy.


Round 2 :

New York (A) pick: CF Clyde Rockworth.
Brooklyn pick: P John Pound.
Boston (A) pick: LF Johnny Buck.
Cincinnati pick: 1B Luke Holroyd.
Cleveland pick: SS Tobias Hale.
St. Louis (N) pick:
Detroit pick: SS Hale Morley.
Boston (N) pick: LF Rocky Griswold.
Philadelphia (A) pick: P Milo Goodfellow
New York (N) pick: P Pete Sloat.
Chicago (A) pick: 2B Carlo Mongelli.
Pittsburgh pick: P Jack Mayes
Washington pick: SS Jeff Loughran
Chicago (N) pick: LF Pep Archibald.
St. Louis (A) pick: P Patrick Greybill.
Philadelphia (N) pick: P Ike Harris.


Round 3 :

New York (A) pick: P Bruce Butcher.
Brooklyn pick: P Wilburn Daugherty.
Boston (A) pick: 2B Claude Duquesne.
Cincinnati pick: 1B Billy Stillwater
Cleveland pick: P Jack Straw.
St. Louis (N) pick: P Danny Fiddler
Detroit pick: CF Dermot O'Toole
Boston (N) pick: RF Eddie Alcorn
Philadelphia (A) pick: LF Clint Gilhooley
New York (N) pick: P Patrick Dooley.
Chicago (A) pick: 3B Luther Wade.
Pittsburgh pick: RF John Pool
Washington pick: 2B Harry Boone
Chicago (N) pick: P Carlyle Brown.
St. Louis (A) pick: P Tommy Hosenfeld
Philadelphia (N) pick: 2B Abner Milleson.


Round 4 :

New York (A) pick: P Odell Phillips.
Brooklyn pick: P K.J. Jackson
Boston (A) pick: SS Jack Peterson
Cincinnati pick: P James Abel
Cleveland pick: RF Clark Armitage
St. Louis (N) pick: 2B Felix Carlson
Detroit pick: 1B Albie Larson
Boston (N) pick: P Gene Jarry
Philadelphia (A) pick: C Walt Kelly
New York (N) pick: 1B Ron Ralston
Chicago (A) pick: C Jim Mace.
Pittsburgh pick: P Lewis Bohmbach
Washington pick: P Pal Murphy
Chicago (N) pick: P Maury Adams
St. Louis (A) pick: P Tom Etson
Philadelphia (N) pick: P Denny Crane

[metsgeek]

1913 MAJOR EVENTS

• January 22 - The Giants give the Yankees permission to use the Polo Grounds for the 1913 season only, as the lease on the Hilltop grounds has expired. The Yankees will remain as tenants through 1922.
• January 23 - A military coup in Ottoman Empire led by Enver Pasha overthrows the Liberal Union coalition and introduces a military dictatorship.
• January 24 - In a story in the New York Times, Detroit Tiger President Frank Navin blames the length of the games on the "coachers boxes." Navin, reacting to American League President Ban Johnson's complaint that too many games the previous season had taken two hours to play, says the boxes should be moved back so that the catcher can give the pitcher his signals more quickly. From where they are now, he said, the coaching players can detect the catcher's signals unless he takes a lot of time to hide them. Navin said this slow signalling is the reason for the longer games
• January 30 - In Great Britain, the House of Lords rejects the Irish Home Rule Bill, intended to provide self-government ("home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
• February 3 - The 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified authorizing the Federal government to impose and collect income tax.
• March 3 - The Yankees are the first team to train outside the U.S. when they travel to Bermuda for spring practice.
• March 4 - Woodrow Wilson succeeds William Howard Taft as the 28th President of the United States.
• March 10 - Civil Rights activist Harriet Tubman dies of pneumonia.
• March 13 - Mexican Revolution - Pancho Villa returns to Mexico from his self-imposed exile in USA.
• March 18 - George I of Greece is assassinated.
• March 20 - Sung Chiao-jen, a founder of the Chinese nationalist party is wounded in an assassination attempt and dies 2 days after.
• April - The Quebec Bulldogs win their 2nd Stanley Cup, defeating the Sydney Minors 2 games to 0
• April 8 - Passing of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, dictating the direct election of senators.
  
• April 12 - Larry Abercrombie goes 5 for 5 with 5 RBI to lead the Nats to a 17-5 drubbing of the hapless Detroit Tigers.
• April 28 - Melville Addison legs out 2 inside-the-park homers off of Brooklyn rookie Carl Peacock, knocking in 5 to lead the Phillies to a 7-3 win over the Dodgers.
• April 29 -After a game in St. Louis, the Reds' trainer forgets to load the uniforms on the train. In Chicago, the Cincy squad borrows White Sox uniforms and then loses to the Cubs 3-1, at the West Side Grounds.
• May 6 - Better organized and financed than other aspiring circuits, the Federal League opens modestly and quietly, with clubs in Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Covington, KY. No attempt is made to sign established ML players in the first season. Arch Murtaugh manages Chicago, Pierre Coquillou manages Pittsburgh. After a 6-week season, the pennant winner is Indianapolis.
• May 10-12 - The U.S. League tries to compete as a ML, with teams in Baltimore, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Reading, New York, Newark, Washington, and Lynchburg. They will open May 10th and fold May 12th; Baltimore is the pennant winner with a 2–0 record.
• May 13 - Igor Sikorsky becomes the first person to pilot a four engine aircraft.
  
• May 22 - Ruling that a ballplayer on the field is a "public person," a New York judge throws out cases brought by St. Louis (A) and Philadelphia (N) players against a motion picture company that took movies of the 1912 World Series.
• June 15 - Bud Bagsak Massacre: U.S. troops under General John 'Black Jack' Pershing kill at least 2,000 relatively defenseless men, women and children in Bud Bagsak, Philippines.
  
• June 16 - Accusing Jack Brodsky of playing below his capability, Dodgers manager Michael Radley sends the former NL Rookie of the Year to the reigning champion Phillies for minor league pitching prospect Ike Harris. Despite his uncertain character and questionable honesty, Brodsky fits right in with the rough and tumble Phillies squad.
• June 28 - The Washington Senators finish a 29 game homestand by deating the defending AL champs 9-3. The Nats posted a remarkable 25-4 record over the span.
• June 30 - The same ball is used for the entire game in the Reds' 5-4 win over the Cards
• July 1 - At Chicago, the Pirates' thrilling 2-1 extra-inning win over the Cubs puts them in first place. Malcolm Twist and Shep Sanders each pitch the first ten innings before wilting. In the top of the 12th, Dash Bailey scores on a fielding error by Xavier Arsenault. In the same play, Gordon Cullen spikes Cubs' 3b John Kull in the groin and the two get into a scuffle. The fireworks continue after the game when Pirates manager Mac Olsen, walking to the clubhouse with several Pirates, is belted and then jumped by several Cubs fans. Olsen is cut up and Cubs pitcher Lou Pierozzi is identified as the instigator of the fight. After investigating, National League President Thomas Lynch will suspend both Olsen and Pierozzi for five days, with Pierozzi also fined $100.
• July 3 - The commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg draws thousands of United States Civil War veterans and their families to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
• July 10 - Death Valley, California hits 134 °F (~56.7 °C) which is the highest temperature recorded in the United States.
  
• July 24 - The Brooklyn Dodgers complete a dreadful 1-14 homestand with an 8-4 loss to the Reds. Fans call for manager Michael Radley's head as they pelt the team with rotten vegetable when they leave the field.
• July 25 - It's Caroll Edwards Day in St. Louis. Missouri Governor Herbert Hadley is on hand to help mark Edwards' 250th victory in a Browns uniform. Edwards is presented with a silver cup filled with dollar bills ($674) and returns the favor with a 7-4 win over Cleveland, his 10th win of the year.
• August 2 - The Federal League takes a big step toward another baseball war, voting to expand into the East.
• August 4 - In China, the province of Chungking declares itsindependence. Chinese Republican forces crush the rebellion in a couple of weeks.
  
• September 1 - Frederick W. Thayer, inventor of the catcher's mask, dies at 65.
• September 1 - Washington Senators batting star Larry Abercrombie is knocked out for the season when he is hit by a pitch from St. Louis Browns starter Alden Wolfe. The Senators are most likely guaranteed to win the AL pennant, but without the presence of Abercrombie, the World Series will not be as easy as had been expected.
• September 10 - "Sunday Teddy" Lipschitz is given a souvenir bat carved from a piece of wood taken from naval hero Oliver Perry's flagship Niagara, which was sunk in Lake Erie 100 years before.
• September 19 - Francis Ouimet wins the U.S. Open by five strokes to become the first amateur to ever win the event
  
• October 4 - The Washington Senators become the first team in the modern era to win 100 games in a season by nipping the Yankees 2-1 in 10 innings, eclipsing the previous mark of 99 set by the 1903 Detroit Tigers. Charlie Searing twirls win #30 in the process, tying the modern-day mark for wins in a season set by Jim Joy in 1901.
• October 12 - The Pittsburgh Pirates stun the baseball world by sweeping the Washington juggernauts in the World Series. The underdog Pirates humiliated the AL champs 19-2 in Game 2 and never looked back.
• October 13 - In St. Louis, the City Series between the Browns and the Cardinals ends in a fight. In today's doubleheader, the Cardinals had taken the first game 5–2, and the 2nd game, and the 2nd game is tied 1–1 after four innings when a brawl broke out. Since there had been several other fights in the series, and because the series was played outside the auspices of the National Commission, the umps announce they have had it, and retire to the clubhouse. The series ends abruptly at three wins apiece, with one tie. Each Brownie player received $77.22.
• November 2 - Former Washington Senators manager Joe Moody is the first ML player to jump to the Federal League, signing to manage Kansas City. With glib salesman Jim Gilmore as its president, and backed by several millionaires, including oil magnate Harry Sinclair and Brooklyn baker Robert Ward, the Feds declare open war two weeks later by announcing they will not honor the ML's reserve clause. It will prove a long, costly struggle, similar to the American League's beginnings, but with more losers than winners.
• November 6 - Mohandas Gandhi is arrested while leading a march of Indian miners in South Africa.
• November 7-November 12 - The Great Lakes Storm of 1913 kills over 250.
• November 7 - Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity is founded at New York University under the Washington Square Arch
  
• November 17 - Former star pitcher Jim Brush is picked up in St. Louis, wandering the streets and suffering from consumption.
• December 1 - Ford Motor Company introduces the first moving assembly line, reducing chassis assembly time from 12½ hours in October to 2 hours, 40 minutes (although Ford was not the first to use an assembly line, his successful adoption of one did spark an era of mass production).
• December 12 - Vincencio Peruggia tries to sell Mona Lisa, stolen from the Louvre in 1911, in Florence and is arrested.
• December 21 - Arthur Wynne's "word-cross", the first crossword puzzle, is published in the New York World.
• December 23 - The Federal Reserve is created by Woodrow Wilson.
  
• December 23 - The Sporting News reports that 15 men died from baseball injuries during the 1913 season, according to a list compiled by J.R. Vickery of Chicago. The only name given is that of J. Whetstone of New Orleans, who suffered "a broken spine sustained in sliding to a base"; all other fatalities were the result of foul tips or pitched balls. The list "does not include a major league player or even a minor league athlete of sufficient experience in baseball to be widely known."
• December 30 - Italy returns Mona Lisa to France.

1913 FINAL STANDINGS

AMERICAN LEAGUE Standings :

Name              W  L  PCT GB  AVG  ERA

Washington      100 54 .649 -- .262 2.79 
Chicago (A)      83 71 .539 17 .256 3.40 
Boston (A)       78 76 .506 22 .257 3.84 
Philadelphia (A) 78 76 .506 22 .252 3.73 
Cleveland        78 76 .506 22 .242 3.40 
New York (A)     70 84 .455 30 .255 3.69 
St. Louis (A)    69 85 .448 31 .252 3.59 
Detroit          60 94 .390 40 .239 4.35 


NATIONAL LEAGUE Standings :

Name              W  L  PCT GB  AVG  ERA

Pittsburgh       89 65 .578 -- .264 3.09 
Boston (N)       86 68 .558  3 .265 3.36 
Philadelphia (N) 84 70 .545  5 .270 3.57 
Chicago (N)      77 77 .500 12 .268 3.24 
New York (N)     76 78 .494 13 .254 3.29 
St. Louis (N)    73 81 .474 16 .254 3.63 
Cincinnati       70 84 .455 19 .241 3.38 
Brooklyn         61 93 .396 28 .246 4.13

WORLD SERIES:

PITTSBURGH PIRATES defeat the WASHINGTON SENATORS , 4 GAMES TO 0


AL LEADERS

TOP 5 Batting Average
1 Larry Abercrombie (WSH) .365
2 John Griffin (BOS) .323
3 Royal Chesterfield (WSH) .319
4 Wolfgang Mueller (BOS) .309
5 Clifton Payne (NYA) .309

TOP 5 Homers
1 Claton Bradley (NYA) 13
2 Eli Crutchfield (BOS) 12
3 Walter Edwards (CHA) 9
3 Pavel Zabienko (PHA) 9
5 Ron Gauss (SLA) 8

TOP 5 RBI
1 Eli Crutchfield (BOS) 103
2 Victor Pushkin (WSH) 96
3 John Griffin (BOS) 95
4 Clayton Bradley (NYA) 93
5 Jack Armour (WSH) 91

TOP 5 Stolen Bases
1 Marcus Cato (WSH) 73
2 Chuck Sciarraba (WSH) 66
3 Gus Kovacs (PHA) 55
4 Wolfgang Mueller (BOS) 53
5 Jack Armour (WSH) 50

TOP 5 Wins
1 Charlie Searing (WSH) 30
2 Jurgen Verherrsch (WSH) 26
3 Lazarus Wolf (CHA) 24
4 Ron Holystone (CLE) 21
4 Nick Sikorsky (WSH) 21

TOP 5 ERA
1 Jurgen Verherrsch (WSH) 2.05
2 Ron Holystone (CLE) 2.22
3 Charlie Searing (WSH) 2.41
4 Lazarus Wolf (CHA) 2.50
5 Boone Foster (CLE) 2.85

TOP 5 Strikeouts
1 Jurgen Verherrsch (WSH) 275
2 Llywellyn ap Rhys (NYA) 202
3 Will Drum (CHA) 197
4 Caroll Edwards (SLA) 194
5 Clarence McGinnis (CLE) 190


NL LEADERS

TOP 5 Batting Average
1 Ira Flick (PHI) .358
2 Joel Praetorius (PHI) .343
3 Theodore Lipschitz (PIT) .323
4 Sherman Boldt (BSN) .320
5 Roy Lomax (PIT) .316

TOP 5 Homers
1 Melville Addison (PHI) 10
2 Gary Longworth, Sr. (BSN) 9
3 Jake Briscoe (CHN) 8
3 Bob Potter (BSN) 8
5 Xavier Arsenault (CHN) 7

TOP 5 RBI
1 Melville Addison (PHI) 117
2 Alfred Reed (PHI) 87
3 John Kull (CHN) 84
4 Joel Praetorius (PHI) 83
5 Jake Briscoe (CHN) 77

TOP 5 Stolen Bases
1 Ira Flick (PHI) 54
2 Joel Praetorius (PHI) 49
3 Sherman Boldt (BSN) 38
3 Theodore Lipschitz (PIT) 38
5 Skipper Quincy (CHN) 37

TOP 5 Wins
1 Fenton Mulligrew (PIT) 26
2 Fred Fulk (PIT) 25
3 Gabriel Poe (BSN) 24
4 Lafayette Lacroix (CIN) 23
5 Shep Sanders (CHN) 20

TOP 5 ERA
1 Byron Pomeroy (NY1) 2.18
2 Gabriel Poe (BSN) 2.44
3 Boyd Jasper (PHI) 2.62
4 Avery Luck (CHN) 2.69
5 Fred Fulk (PIT) 2.70

TOP 5 Strikeouts
1 Fred Fulk (PIT) 232
2 Avery Luck (CHN) 220
3 Fenton Mulligrew (PIT) 207
4 Murphy Battle (NY1) 198
5 Cecil Babbager (PIT) 180

******************
Searing and Mulligrew win PITCHER OF THE YEAR

Charlie Searing will never forget this year. His dominating season convinced the AMERICAN LEAGUE to name Washington's right-hander the PITCHER OF THE YEAR winner of 1913. Charlie has a record of 30-7 this season, with an ERA of 2.41. In 366.1 Innings he was able to strike out 152 batters. Charlie has pitched 5 shutouts and 25 complete games. He's 3rd in the AMERICAN LEAGUE in ERA and 1st in wins!

Fenton Mulligrew will never forget this year. His dominating season convinced the NATIONAL LEAGUE to name Pittsburgh's right-hander the PITCHER OF THE YEAR winner of 1913. Fenton has a record of 26-11 this season, with an ERA of 2.71. In 352.1 Innings he was able to strike out 207 batters. Fenton has pitched 4 shutouts and 30 complete games. He's 6th in the NATIONAL LEAGUE in ERA and 1st in wins!

Chesterfield and Praetorius earn BATTER OF THE YEAR honors again

The 1913 AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTER OF THE YEAR winner has been announced. It's Washington's third baseman Royal Chesterfield who really had a great offensive year. Chesterfield has walked 82 times this year and posts a .413 OBP. While batting .319, 175 for 548, he has driven in 90 runs. He's 3rd in the AMERICAN LEAGUE in batting and 6th in RBI! Chesterfield wins the award for the 3rd time in his 8-year career.

Philadelphia (N)'s second baseman Joel Praetorius had a fabulous season as well, no doubt about it. The NATIONAL LEAGUE shared this opinion and names the 26 year old the BATTER OF THE YEAR winner! Praetorius has hit for a .343 average this season. He has 36 extra base hits along with 250 total bases, resulting in a .436 slugging percentage. He's 2nd in the NATIONAL LEAGUE in batting and 4th in RBI! Praetorius wins the award for the 2nd time in his 7-year career.

Sciarraba and Jasper are ROOKIES OF THE YEAR

Chuck Sciarraba will never forget his first full season. The AMERICAN LEAGUE was convinced that Washington's shortstop, 20 years old, should be the ROOKIE OF THE YEAR winner of 1913. Sciarraba has hit one longball this year while batting .288. He adds 24 doubles, along with 80 runs scored.

The 1913 NATIONAL LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR winner is from Philadelphia (N) this season. Boyd Jasper put together impressive numbers for a rookie en route to win the first major award of his career. Let's hope more will follow for this 29 year old ballplayer. His ERA of 2.62 helped him to a 13-6 record this year. He struck out 65 and walked 22 in 192.2 innings. Boyd has pitched 3 shutouts and 15 complete games.

[kreitena]

Originally Posted by metsgeek

November 7 - Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity is founded at New York University under the Washington Square Arch

Hell ya! Charles C. Moskowitz was a fine basketball player.

[metsgeek]

Originally Posted by kreitena

Hell ya! Charles C. Moskowitz was a fine basketball player.

He's pretty good at baseball, too. Should be ready for the pros in a few years