The Slippery Elm Boys

[No Pepper]

Indianapolis, April 1, 1902

Two teammates were warming up on the sidelines before an exhibition match-up between the Philadelphia and the Cincinnati Reds. The game’s outset looked bleak, as the dark grey clouds rolled in overhead. The Reds were in town for a series against their “farm team” the Indians and was a convenient stop for the Phillies on their way back to Philadelphia. The ball beat leather between throws and took faster pace and grew in volume as if a battle behind the hills was getting closer. For both players, this spring was indeed a battle to make the limited 16-man roster. Both of them, pitcher Frank Corridon and left-fielder George Hildebrand, came from opposite sides of the country to fill gaping holes left in Philadelphia after a number of last year’s starters jumped to the American League. They had something to prove to resurrect their stumbling careers. They came cheap and both knew they were just as expendable.

George Hildebrand, of San Francisco, California, took to the cooler climes of Toronto after an extended season in the California League with his hometown Wasps. He saw very limited action in a reserve role, the sun good for his complexion but not for his wallet. Sold north, Hildebrand at 23 was wise beyond his years, he knew the game in and out but couldn’t either get a break or the chance to prove it on the diamond. He hadn’t much chance either to chum with the rest of the fellows on his new team- he quietly observed their motions, noted their demeanors and tried to replicate some of the veterans’ actions. Frowning a bit, he knew the Phillies only had the venerable but touchy “Ee Yah” Hughie Jennings to emulate with the rest of the team new and green like himself. As they threw, the field was becoming a little muddy after yesterday’s rain and today’s continuing ight sprinkle. It dampened his spirits even if he was getting his first start of the spring.

Frank Corridon, of Newport, Rhode Island, was a relief ‘specialist’ for St. Paul of the newly reformed American Association last year. “Specialist” was an unkind misnomer for pitchers – entering a game in relief meant you either didn’t have the stuff to start or the stamina to finish one. Corridon had the stuff, but he was still young and was adjusting to life on the road in unfamiliar places. His young body hadn’t filled in yet and he struggled to keep a steady pace whenever he pitched. With St. Paul, he was 6-8 in 39 games, all in relief, with 11 “saves”. His 2.96 ERA was serviceable and he didn’t embarrass himself in the box, but he wanted to start. That was his ticket to the National League. Unsatisfied with his role, he was excited to learn that Toronto of the International League purchased his contract that fall. Renewed with enthusiasm, he kept in shape over the winter but strained his thigh while conditioning back home. Now healed, he was invited to travel south for spring training with the Phillies, but saw no action until the return trip. Today though, he was starting. On Fool’s Day…

[No Pepper]

With the last throw, Hildebrand was a bit slow to react and Corridon’s toss hit him in the shins.

“Why I ought to quit right now!” he grumbled. “Hey Frank, what pitch was that?”

Corridon acted as if it was nothing special, but he whetted his fingers as George returned him the ball with a little more zip than before. “It’s the old drop ball, George. Surely you’ve seen it over in that outlaw league of yours,” the pitcher quipped.

Hildebrand got off his haunches and ran over to the day’s starting pitcher. “You’re going up against the top National League pitcher Noodles Hahn today and you’re goofin’ off with that sorry ol’ pitch? Lemme show you something.”

George took the ball from Frank, looked skyward then around himself like a kid in a candy store, and slobbered all over the ball.“Now throw it and see what happens.”

…

Well, Corridon didn’t fare too well against the Reds and Hahn that day, suffering 3 runs on 6 hits in 4 innings of work, but he showed enough to get another start in Montreal against the parent club Brooklyn. Hildebrand, meanwhile struck out twice in three at-bats. Frank feared this would be his last stop before being sent to Toronto, but he fared a little better, pitching a scoreless 3 innings before being hit for 3 runs in his final frame, suffering a two-run single to veteran Bill Hallman. The Phillies liked what they saw and kept him around for another start on April 10 against the hapless former champs, the St. Louis Cardinals. Corridon worked his new-found pitch, Hildebrand’s spit ball, to the tune of 2 hits in 4 scoreless innings, inducing 2 groundball double-plays and one strikeout. His teammates quickly dubbed him “The Fiddler” and even though Corridon was sent to Toronto to begin the season there, he could already see greener (and wetter) pastures ahead. Hildebrand on the other hand, was released by Philadelphia and packed his bags for California once again.

[No Pepper]

With Hildebrand and Corridon teaming up to introduce the modern day spitball, the Matrix will now begin to churn its gears and take effect on my historical replay. What follows is what we’ll consider the formation of the exclusive club “The Slippery Elm Boys.”

Bill Hart, 36 year old journeyman from Kentucky, was once considered one of the speediest pitchers in baseball. Two years in the old American Association did not prove very productive and Hart spent over four years either out of baseball or trying to regain his form for local amateur teams. He returned to the National League with Brooklyn in ’92 but the team dropped him after the season, when another two year sabbatical derailed his career. In 1895 Pittsburgh signed him to a contract and was the second-slot pitcher where he went 14-17 with a 4.75 ERA and 135 walks. Released and traded to the St. Louis Browns early the next year, it is here where Hart learned the spitball. “I met catcher (Frank) Bowerman, who was with Baltimore that year. Calling me aside in St. Louis one day, he took the ball and requested me to get back of the catcher and watch his curves…I asked him what made the ball act so. He explained that he simply spit on the ball, held onto it with his thumb at the seam and let it go.”

Evidently, it took a while before Hart mastered the pitch as he struggled with a weak St. Louis club, leading the league with 29 losses. The next year he lost 27. By 1900 he was given another chance in Cleveland with Ban Johnson’s American League and in 1901 was used sparingly in a spot starter role, going 4-0 with 1 save in 46.1 innings with a 3.88 ERA. On May 19 he was called to start against the Detroit Tigers and used the spitball to great effect, allowing 2 hits in a 6-0 complete game shutout. The Blues released him in August and Chicago later picked him up for an astonishing two-year contract, perhaps enough time to teach young pitcher Bob “Dusty” Rhoads the ol’ saliva shoot. Rhoads experienced a tough rookie campaign in 1901, going 0-6 in 6 starts. The popular rookie from Wooster, Ohio was just 7 years old when Hart broke into the majors.

Thrift’s Training Matrix – With Hart already knowing the spitball, or at least the 19th century version, considered less wet and thrown with less speed, he takes benefits of the learning the pitch immediately, hopefully in time to save his career. However, Hart has suffered arm injuries in the past that he attributes to the pitch, so his work ethic falters a bit in spring training and his reliance on the pitch in the future may waver. He did however score good with the matrix. Hart’s veteran presence is a big boost for Dusty Rhoads, whose youthful know-it-all attitude surely hasn’t helped his winless record. However, Rhoads ignored the veteran and won’t dabble with the spitball again until 1905.

[No Pepper]

Always a fiery competitor, Clark Griffith learned baseball from the returning soldiers of the Civil War. Early on in his career, Griffith starred for the Western Association’s Milwaukee club until he caught the eye of Charles Comiskey, who persuaded him to play for Chicago of the American Association in 1891. Unstable paychecks led him to California in 1893 where he picked up 30 wins as a starter. He later returned to Chicago to play for Cap Anson’s Colts where he won at least 20 games for six consecutive years. Griffith sported a light frame for being 6 foot tall, and so “relied on wiles and control to get batters out, utilizing a variety of breaking balls, trick pitches, and deceptive deliveries to befuddle his opponents.” He often defaced the ball openly with his spikes to impart action on his pitches and was once billed by the Detroit club for eleven new baseballs.

Clark was instrumental in the formation of the American League, working to convince nearly 40 National League stars to jump to the new league. He himself signed with Comiskey’s Chicago team, but failed to return to his 20-win performance, going 14-17 with a 3.02 ERA. Down the stretch, Griffith lost his stuff and three straight games, perhaps costing Chicago the AL pennant. He was quickly traded to Milwaukee, which at the time was already being transferred to St. Louis. No doubt Griffith will help the American League again establish a competitive team in another NL stronghold.

Thrift’s Training Matrix - Not shy of freak pitches, Clark later in life denied throwing the spitball, so for our purposes he will ignore the Matrix. He (along with Bowerman and Hildebrand in other locales) will be a great coach for anyone willing to learn.

[No Pepper]

Charles “Chick” Fraser, now 28, began his career in 1896 with the National League’s Louisville Colonels. The Chicago native married the sister of Fred Clarke while they were teammates in Louisville. The righthander suffered a 12-27 season that year, mainly by lack of control, issuing 166 walks in over 349 innings. The next few years he did not fare much better, his control still eluding him, which resulted in his trade to Cleveland. By 1899 he was with the Philadelphia Phillies and enjoyed his most successful year to date with a 21-12 record, allowing only 85 walks in 270 innings with a 3.36 ERA. He kept pace in 1901 only to engage into a contract dispute which forced him to jump to the nascent American League, across town to the rival Athletics. His control induced a lot of ground balls which unfortunately found their way past his defenders, leading to 338 hits in just 273.1 innings. As a result, he went 16-17 in the new league with a disappointing 4.38 ERA. Dissatisfied, he came back to the Phillies for the 1902 campaign.

Thrift’s Training Matrix - It is possible that Fraser was using a spitball in the 19th century but it is evident he was wetting his fingers by the turn of the century. As a result, the Matrix was kind to Fraser and he will see great improvement, not only in control, but gaining almost a legendary ability to keep the ball down and induce more worm-burners to give the Baker Bowl's groundskeeper fits.

[No Pepper]

Earl Moore, 6 foot 195 pounder from Pinkerington, Ohio enjoyed a successful rookie campaign in 1901 with the Cleveland Blues. He went 8-9 with a 3.57 ERA in 148.2 innings. He suffered several blistered fingers which limited his action on the mound. Moore is one of the more promising young stars of the new American League who whips the ball with an intimidating sidearm motion. Edging the far end of the rubber and varying his attack angles, he aptly matched some of the game’s greatest pitchers in 1901. “Moore carries the title of 'Steam Engine in Boots,'" noted the Washington Post, "and after his name in the hotel registers always appears the letters 'S.E.I.B.'"

Thrift’s Training Matrix –The one-time personal catcher of Christy Mathewson, Frank Bowerman was traded from the New York Giants to Cleveland this offseason and will try to fight off the closing days of his career this spring, already slated to spend time in Columbus to teach the up-and-comers, such as Swiss Otto Hess (who would go onto ignore him). No exception is the talented Moore, who excels under Bowerman’s tutelage in learning the wet one. Not only will Moore gain the spitball, but the matrix will add a sidearm delivery to his growing repertoire. He’s got a real good chance to become extremely tough on right-handed batters and will keep his somewhat unproven infielders busy.

Frank Bowerman Otto Hess

[No Pepper]

Pennsylvania Court Upholds Reserve Clause, Lajoie Out of Action

In a reversal of the lower court’s decision, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania upheld the reserve clause in the case of Lajoie versus the Philadelphia Phillies on April 21. The court concluded that “"the services of the defendant are of such a unique character, and display such a special knowledge, skill and ability as renders them of peculiar value to the plaintiff. The action of the defendant in violating his contract is a breach of good faith…Substantial justice between the parties requires that the court should restrain the defendant from playing for any other Club during the term of his contract with the plaintiff."

After receiving a telegram of the decision on Opening Day, Cornelius Mack of the Athletics removed Lajoie from the lineup. It is not known how long the star will be out of action until an appeal is made. That same day, April 23, the Supreme Court of the District of Columbia issued a restraining order against the National League from interfering with its players received from Philadelphia (Delahanty, Orth, Wolverton and Townsend). Lawyers for the Cardinals of St. Louis also began proceedings to restrain its players from playing for the rival Browns.

In other news, the American League outdraws the Nationals at the box office in the contested cities of Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia. Early reports indicate that attendance figures exceed by several thousand in some select games.

[No Pepper]

The May Campaign 1902

After the two initial months of the season, the surprising New York Giants hold a slim lead over the hard charging Pirates and Reds in the National League. Despite having two stellar moundsmen in workhorse Christy Mathewson (6-4, 1.84 ERA and league leader in strikeouts with 72 in 93 innings of work) and Crese Heismann who has been lights out (7-1, 1.95 ERA, 3 shutouts), it is actually their ability to get on base and score runs that puts the Giants on top. The purchase of first baseman Kitty Bransfield from Pittsburgh this offseason has been the steal of the year. Bransfield is leading the league in hits and average at .415. His offensive prowess has made up for the lack of production from last year’s NL batting champion van Haltren, who currently has a sluggish .250 mark out of the gates. Pittsburgh leads the league in hitting behind the steady play of Honus Wagner, hitting .323 with 10 triples already. Ginger Beaumont at .352 and Fred Clarke at .329 aptly follow Wagner in the hit parade. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, star pitcher Waddell went down with a season-ending injury in a May 18th start against Chicago. He was 5-2 with an ERA a shade under 2 with an incredible 59 punchouts in 63 innings. One wonders if Pittsburgh will try to mend fences and regain the services of lost boxman Chesbro of the California League to fill-in. Boston climbs out of the second division for the first time thanks to the pitching of backend starters McCann (2.18 ERA) and Dresser (1.93 ERA). Overall, the race for the pennant is much closer this year, with all eight teams of the National league within 7 games of each other.

National League Club Standing May 31

  Club.	     Won. Lost. P.C.       Club.	Won. Lost. P.C.     
New York     23    15  .605    | Philadelphia    18   20   .474
Pittsburgh   22    18  .550    | Chicago         18   22   .450
Cincinnati   20    17  .541    | St. Louis       17   21   .447
Boston       19    19  .500    | Brooklyn        17   22   .436

In the American League, Baltimore continues its dominance of spring, sporting the best record in the major leagues with 25 victories to only 9 defeats. McGraw has trained his boys well in the mold of the old Orioles, despite himself being ejected from numerous games, with mounting fines and suspensions levied against him. Young jumper Shad Berry has been a lightning rod for a well-balanced offense hitting an amazing .548 batting average in tight games whereas Tom Hughes, Nig Cuppy and Bill Phillips all claim ERA’s under 2. Chicago has returned to form with steady Roy Patterson, who in his second start of the season, pitched 16 strong innings to outlast the Tigers 2-1. Second-year man Dusty Rhoads has flipped his fortunes in 1902, showing remarkable poise for a 22 year old, going 6-1 with a league-leading 1.29 ERA. Champion Detroit is still trying to find its pace while the new St. Louis club meekly tries to eek out wins with a .204 team batting average. Philadelphia hasn’t fared any better without Lajoie, who was finally granted free agency and later released to Cleveland. Lajoie was released on condition that he not play in Philadelphia this season. The teams who were successful in luring NL players to their rosters find themselves mired in the second division.

American League Club Standing May 31

  Club.	     Won. Lost. P.C.       Club.	Won. Lost. P.C.     
Baltimore    25     9  .735    | Detroit        16   18   .471
Chicago      22    12  .647    | Washington     13   21   .382
Boston       20    14  .588    | Philadelphia   11   23   .324
Cleveland    19    15  .559    | St. Louis      10   24   .294

[No Pepper]

Chesbro Dominates Western Circuit, Flick, Carlson Top Men in Los Angeles

A successful league out west runs its long course in year-round pleasant weather and plays its baseball in fast company. The California League, a four-team circuit consisting of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Sacramento and Oakland, is a growing source of talent that any fan of the national game should take notice. Currently, an exciting race exists between the ‘Frisco and Capital City clubs. Both clubs are stacked with former major league players. Sacramento features an all-pro rotation with Jack Chesbro, lefties Cristall and Wiley Piatt and Ted Lewis. The former Pirate Chesbro is dominating the western circuit, leading with an 11-3 record, 1.99 ERA and 54 strikeouts. Ex-Giant Danny Murphy paces the club’s batsmen with a .361 average, 20 doubles and 41 runs batted in. Bad Bill Dahlen, formely of Brooklyn, after sitting out 1901, has found a home in California hitting .329 with 7 triples and leading all shortstops in defense. San Francisco matches the Senators on the mound with former 20-game winners, ex-Pirate Deacon Phillippe (9-5, 2.08 ERA, 3 shutouts), ex-Cardinal Mike O’Neill (8-6, winner of 5 straight) and the old “Hoosier Thunderbolt” Amos Rusie (10-4, ERA 2.51). Ex-Card Patsy Donovan (.339) and Athletic top-hitter Lave Cross (.341) lead the offense. Elmer Flick in Los Angeles paces the third-place Angels with a .319 average, 30 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases but is lead by shortstop Will Carlson (lead-leaguing .428 average, 99 hits and 26 thefts). Oakland is the whipping post of the league, not yet managing 20-wins in a 200 game schedule that stretches to November. Ex-Pirate Tommy Leach, stranded in dire last place, may do well to convince former buccaneers Chesbro and Phillippe to head back east.

California Club Standing as of May 31

  Club.	     Won. Lost. P.C.     
Sacramento   35    22  .614    
SanFrancisco 35    22  .614    
Los Angeles  29    28  .509    
Oakland      15    42  .263

[No Pepper]

The July Campaign 1902

The Cincinnati Redlegs return to form and now sit atop the National League standings, thanks to the leading offensive attack. Sam Crawford with the bat averages .323 with 5 homeruns and 67 runs batted in. A current streak of 13 for 22 in the past four games helped the Redlegs power past second place Pittsburgh (who actually has one more win) in what is shaping up to be a two-team race. The pitching is staged by a one-man show, that of Noodles Hahn, who proves he may be the best pitcher in the league with a 15-6 record and 1.70 ERA. The lefthander has shaken any control problems he may have had by walking only 27 in 200 innings, striking out 110. The Pirates haven’t felt the season loss of speedballer Waddell with Jesse Tannehill manning the top slot of buccaneer moundsmen. Tannehill has gone 14-5 with a 2.29 ERA in 19 starts. The solid play of Harry Felix (10-11, 2.28 ERA) and others have given Pittsburgh the top pitching staff. “The Flying Dutchman” Wagner has been grounded somewhat this year, struggling with a .299 clip but with 15 triples, he leads the league. No other team looks to threaten the pennant, with 2 months to play. Overall, the National League is seeing a slippage in hitting, batting .260 collectively. With scoring down, attendance lags behind the upstart American League, and has owners uneasy.

National Club Standing July 31

    Club    Won. Lost. P.C.       Club.	      Won. Lost. P.C.     
Cincinnati   52    35  .598    | St. Louis     43   48   .473
Pittsburgh   53    38  .582    | Brooklyn      44   50   .468
Chicago      46    44  .511    | Boston        40   47   .460
New York     46    44  .511    | Philadelphia  35   53   .398

Despite his early success in Baltimore, John McGraw became increasingly at odds with league president Ban Johnson. Johnson accused McGraw of running the team into the ground, mainly by “deteriorating player morale and increasing friction with management”. On July 7, McGraw orchestrated his release from the club and signed with the New York Giants, claiming “I wish to state that I shall not tamper with any of the Baltimore club's players.” No sooner than two weeks had passed and a dismal fall in the standings, did Baltimore lose Dan McGann, Joe McGinnity and Roger Bresnahan to the Giants. The Orioles also lost the services of Cy Seymour to Cincinnati. Only McGraw was having a good season to date, hitting .332 with 13 triples. The others, and McGraw, have struggled since joining the Giants. With the moves, the Baltimore club looks to be in dire straits, laced in controversy. As in the National League, the pennant chase appears to be a duel between Chicago and Cleveland. Player-manager Fielder Jones, who took over the reigns after Clark Griffith was traded last year, has energized his team enough to keep the top spot but the month of July proved treading water in the heat of a race is no means of a sure survival. Cleveland, led by the perennial batting power of Nap Lajoie, also finds itself in choppy water, going 13-13 in July gaining no ground on the Colts. Lajoie, having only played 47 games and prohibited to play in Philadelphia, feasts all other American League pitching to the tune of .372 and driving in nearly a run a game and himself reaching base nearly 40% of the time. Pitcher Bill Hoffer sports a pristine 16-3 record, already matching his total of last year. Earl Moore has fallen back to earth but still dazzles batters with his crossfire delivery, striking out 122.

Only Boston appears to threaten the top two teams, with Buck Freeman enjoying another superb year slugging the bat. With 46 extra-base hits and 72 runs batted in, he has a chance to win the league’s first “Triple Crown”, leader in batting average, homeruns, and RBI. The disappointing Athletics have struggled mightily with the bat, the loss of Lave Cross to the California League and Napoleon Lajoie are major miscalculations by Cornelius Mack. It is believed the even-tempered Mack failed to persuade Elmer Flick to come back to Philadelphia and has even attempted to lure the injured and troubled Rube Waddell to come pitch for him. And the curse of major league jumping continues to plague the St. Louis club. Punchless except for the acquisition of Jesse Burkett (.355), the Browns lost shortstop Wallace with a torn up leg (spiked) and hurler Ned Garvin (traded after pitching a no-hitter for unknown talent). The mismanagement of the team by Clark Griffith has club executives looking for a different option next year.

American Club Standing July 31

  Club.	     Won. Lost. P.C.       Club.	Won. Lost. P.C.     
Chicago       53    35  .602    | Detroit        46   41  .529
Cleveland     51    37  .580    | Philadelphia   36   51  .414
Baltimore     46    41  .529    | Washington     36   51  .414
Boston        46    41  .529    | St. Louis      35   52  .402

[No Pepper]

California Gold Rush Led by Sacramento, All-Star Tour Announced

The Sacramento club enjoys a slim four game lead over San Francisco despite Jack Chesbro’s struggles in the summer heat. After a 12-5 start at the end of May, California batsmen have found their timing against the righthander, dropping him to a 6-8 summer mark, collecting nearly 30 more hits than innings pitched in the process. Sacramento ownership recently increased his salary in hopes that the pitcher remains in California for some time. Lefty Cristall has been the benefactor of the Senators’ assault, going 21-7 with a 2.61 ERA. Former Tiger Davey Crockett had a hot month to push his average to a club-leading .354, with 28 doubles and 89 RBI. Danny Murphy has already matched last year’s numbers in 20 fewer games, collecting 37 doubles and 17 triples hitting behind Crockett. San Francisco's catcher McCain leads all hitters with a .390 average and fellow teammates Lave Cross and Donovan round out a deadly lineup that enlists 8 .300 hitters. The pitching remains best in the league with workhorses Deacon Phillippe (six shutouts), O’Neill and old Rusie racking up innings.

It was learned that a collection of all-stars from both the National and American Leagues will tour the country after the conclusion of the 1902 championship season and finish in California against local teams. Although this will give a chance for people across this great nation not within major league cities to see their favorite stars, who are rumored to include Cy Young, Nap Lajoie, Wahoo Sam Crawford and Jake Beckley, it is feared among California club owners that the real reason for the tour is to lure back the services of former players such as Chesbro and Flick of Los Angeles, to name a few, that are now stars in the western circuit. Nevertheless, the tour should be a resounding success.

California Club Standing as of July 31

  Club.	     Won. Lost. P.C.     
Sacramento   69    46  .600    
SanFrancisco 65    50  .565    
Los Angeles  57    58  .496    
Oakland      39    76  .339

[No Pepper]

Pittsburgh Prevails and Cleveland Caps Crown in 1902 Championship Season

The pennant chase, for the second consecutive year, came down to the final series between the National Leagues top two clubs, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. On September 27 the teams met at rain-soaked Exposition Park in Pittsburgh for the beginning of a 5-game set to determine the champion. Pittsburgh, at 81-54, needed just 2 wins to clinch the title whereas Cincinnati needed at least 4 wins just to tie. The game started badly for the Pirates, displaying a defense not suited for a champion. 5 errors within the first 3 innings staked the Redlegs to a 10-0 lead en route to a 12-1 drubbing. Long Bob Ewing pitched masterfully in picking up the win, aided by Donlin’s 3-hit, 4 RBI performance. The next day the game was moved to Cincinnati and was a pitcher’s duel between Pirate stalwart Tannehill (22-8, 1.86 ERA) and Reds’ rookie Clarence Currie. Currie handled himself well until the sixth when Honus Wagner whalloped a 1-2 hanging curve in the seats in left-center field. Tannehill, coming off 2 consecutive shutouts, puzzled Sam Crawford in a number of at-bats and pitched a key scoreless eighth inning to hold off Cincinnati for a 7-4 win. Weather cleared up back in Pittsburgh for the decisive game on October 2. In the top of the ninth, starter Bob Ewing again helped keep the Reds' chances alive with sharp 2-out single to center that scored two runs to tie the game. In the 10th, after allowing singles to Donlin and Crawford, Felix issued 3 walks to allow a go-ahead run to score. In the bottom frame, Sebring led off with a single and two costly errors by Beck and Ewing set the stage for consecutive scoring singles by Ginger Beaumont and Pop Foster to clinch it for the Pirates.

The Pirates were led by Honus Wagner, hitting an even .300 with 20 triples to lead the majors and 61 stolen bases. Tannehill (23-8, 4 shutouts) and crafty Felix (19-14, 2.41 ERA) were the stars of the best pitching corps in the National League. Despite having the best offense of the league, Cincinnati cooled since a hot record in June and lost numerous games by a shaky defense at key moments. Pitcher Noodles Hahn led the league in wins, with 28 and ERA of 1.76, quickly earning a challenge for the title of best pitcher of the National League. New York’s Christy Mathewson finished a stingy 23-15, 1.97 ERA with 259 strikeouts in 349 innings. Beyond the top teams, the standings remained stagnant during the summer, with former champion St. Louis falling into the second division, just ahead of hapless Philadelphia where the future does not look bright.

Complete National Club Standings 1902

    Club     Won   Lost   Pct   G.B. Avg.  ERA    
Pittsburgh    84    56   .600    -   .277  2.51   
Cincinnati    81    59   .579    3   .279  2.79   
Chicago       74    66   .529   10   .259  2.86   
New York      71    69   .507   11   .271  2.95   
Boston        69    71   .493   15   .255  2.74
Brooklyn      64    76   .457   20   .248  2.90
St. Louis     62    78   .443   22   .247  2.95
Philadelphia  55    85   .393   29   .247  3.17

The pennant for the American League was decided by the league’s newcomers, the Browns of St. Louis, in the waning days of September. The Browns took 4 of 6 against the contending Chicago team, thanks to a hot-hitting Jesse Burkett and boxman Red Donahue (22 wins). Meanwhile, the eventual champions Cleveland capped a resurgent year by spanking the former champions Detroit four times out of 6 in the final series to take the flag. The free-agent acquisition of Nap Lajoie, top batsman of the American League (.370 average and .533 slugging percentage) in two-thirds of a season was the sparkplug to jettison the Bronchos from last place last year to the champions the next.. Cleveland lead all teams with 713 runs scored and sported 3 20-win pitchers: Earl Moore (22 wins, 193 strikeouts to lead the league), Bill Hoffer (22), and Addie Joss (20). In Chicago, manager Fielder Jones (.343) squeezed everything he could out of young starters George Winter (22 wins) and a confident but testy Dusty Rhoads (2.40 ERA in spot-start action). After the hottest start in baseball, the Baltimore squad never recovered after their fiery team leader John McGraw broke the camels back and was released to sign with New York. Following the looting of the Oriole roster, Baltimore fell precipitously in the standings, going 29-50 in the remainder. The franchise’s future remains in doubt and is speculated to be the pawn in Ban Johnson’s revenge against McGraw’s signing with the Giants. In Boston, problems continue for 300-game winner Cy Young, who followed two straight 19-loss seasons with a poor 13-22 record this year. Young could never string victories together, either plagued by poor offensive support or shoddy defense. Philadelphia, once thought to have all the king’s gold, were poor bottom-feeders all season long matching their NL brothers with the same record. The Mack Men offered no support for rising star Eddie Plank (16-19, 2.67 ERA), leaving the manager wondering why he agreed with American League executives to give up Lajoie to Cleveland.

Complete American Club Standings 1902

    Club     Won   Lost   Pct  G.B. Avg.  ERA    
Cleveland    82    58   .586    -   .278  3.11   
Chicago      80    60   .571    2   .279  3.05   
Boston       72    68   .514   10   .287  2.99   
Detroit      71    69   .507   11   .261  2.61   
Washington   68    72   .486   14   .272  3.03
Baltimore    67    73   .479   15   .279  3.12
St. Louis    65    75   .464   17   .247  2.79
Philadelphia 55    85   .393   29   .256  2.95

[No Pepper]

Final Statistical Leaders 1902

  National League          

Batting Average          
J. Beckley   CIN  .335          
G. Beaumont  PIT  .321          
S. Crawford  CIN  .317        

Runs Batted In              
S. Crawford    CIN  96             
H. Steinfeldt  CIN  86		    
H. Wagner      PIT  85		    

Stolen Bases		   
M. Donlin    CIN  69		   
J. Sheckard  BRO  63		   
F. Chance    CHN  61               

Wins			   
N. Hahn       CIN  25	   
C. Mathewson  NYG  23		   
J. Tannehill  PIT  23		   

Earned Runs Average		  
N. Hahn       CIN  1.76	  
J. Tannehill  PIT  1.86		   
C. Mathewson  NYG  1.97		   

Strikeouts		   
C. Mathewson  NYG  259		   
N. Hahn       CIN  164	   
D. White      PHI  149

  American League

Batting Average
N. Lajoie     CLE  .370
P. Dougherty  BOS  .348
F. Jones      CHI  .343

Runs Batted In
H. Davis    DET  102
B. Freeman  BOS  101
C. Hickman  BOS   95

Stolen Bases
O. Pickering  CLE  59
D. Fultz      PHI  57
D. Green      CHI  52

Wins
R. Donahue   STL  22	
B. Hoffer    CLE  22
E. Moore     CLE  22

Earned Runs Average
S. Yerkes  DET  2.15
R. Miller  DET  2.30
A. Orth    WAS  2.37

Strikeouts
E. Moore   CLE  193
T. Hughes  BOS  157
C. Young   BOS  130

[No Pepper]

Profiles of the Wet One: Frank “The Fiddler” Corridon

After leaving the Philadelphia Phillies during a successful training season, Corridon joined the Toronto club of the International League. On April 18, Frank beat Milwaukee 7-4 in a complete game effort where he surrended 2 earned runs and earned 4 strikeouts. He started a pattern of deft pitching by using his newly acquired pitch to induce the ground ball, as many as 20 in a 10-inning 0-1 loss to Indianapolis on May 9. An ensuing five game unbeaten streak solidified Philadelphia’s purchase of his contract and later eased the trade of ace Ham Iburg to Chicago (5-7, 1.89 at the time, finished 21-12, 1.98 ERA). The deal was another of Colonel Rogers’ money-saving transactions in the face of rising salaries and contract jumping.

“The Fiddler” found himself in the bullpen, earning his first victory in relief against St. Louis. He made his first start in the majors his next appearance, against Boston, where nerves showed a lack of command in issuing 4 walks but kept hitters off-balance enough to scatter 5 hits over 6 innings in a no-decision. He was shipped back to Toronto when the team needed depth at other positions and regained his control in 3 starts, picking up 2 wins and 18 strikeouts. He finished his year at Toronto with a 9-3 record, 1.87 ERA in 14 starts, walking 24 while striking out 59.

Corridon was recalled to Philadelphia and suffered 10 runs in 5.1 innings in a 6-11 loss to Chicago. He bounced back in relief of Cy Vorhees on August 8 against eventual champion Pittsburgh by allowing 1 run in 6 innings of work. That performance earned him two starts that month, one a masterful 5-0 complete game shutout against St. Louis where the spitball was responsible for 19 groundballs and 3 double-plays, and the other a loss again to Chicago. Veteran and fellow spitballer Chick Fraser barked about his role on the team and was awarded playing time over the rookie, leaving Frank with spotty action in relief the rest of the season. Overall, Corridon finished 2-3 with 1 save in 13 appearances, sporting a 3.51 ERA in 56.1 innings with 19 walks and 11 strikeouts.

At 21 and pitching for a last place team, Corridon’s start is promising but it’s unclear whether or not he can gain enough control to warrant a starting spot in the rotation next year. Meanwhile, mentor George Hildebrand caught on with Worcester for a half-year stint in a bench role before being released. He filled in for San Antonio for one game, before heading back to California to round out the extended season there.

[No Pepper]

American Base Ball Stars Declare Intentions, To Begin Tour in Chicago

Today the formation of two touring teams, the All-Americans and All-Nationals, was announced and the first series scheduled in Chicago for October 7. Organizing the trip is former Washington pitcher Win Mercer, who although well-liked among fans and players, was out of baseball last year. Sharing the financial and traveling logistics is American League founding father Clark Griffith of St. Louis. The All-Americans will sport red, white, and blue uniforms and have secured the obligations of the league’s top stars, which include pitchers Cy Young and Bill Dineen of Boston, Eddie Plank of Philadelphia, Red Donahue of St. Louis, and Earl Moore of Cleveland. The American batsmen signed up as of this printing are Nap Lajoie and Bill Bradley of Cleveland, Buck Freeman of Boston, Jesse Burkett of St. Louis and Big Ed Delahanty of Washington. It is expected the team will pick up several stars from the White Sox as players filter into Chicago over the weekend. The teams plan to travel towards Louisville and then head west to California by November.

[No Pepper]

McGraw Gathers Stars for All-Nationals

The Western Tour of 1902 is shaping up as the All-Nationals reign in their respective stars for the train ride to Chicago, this Sunday. Among those already committed are shutout king Christy Mathewson, Jesse Tannehill, and Noodles Hahn. Cincinnati Reds Sam Crawford, Mike Donlin, Jake Beckley and Mike Donlin are reporting direct from Pittsburgh along with champs Ginger Beaumont and Honus Wagner. It is rumored that each player committed nearly 200 dollars of his own money to ensure their obligations to the extended tour. However, some rumors suggest that Mathewson, Cy Young, and Napoleon Lajoie might head back east before the teams travel to southern California. The California League is a free-wheeling outfit that has not yet subscribed to the ways of the more established National League and any association which such leagues may be considered an unstable way of life for any ballplayer wishing to make an honest living in baseball.