What Could Have Been: An Alternate Baseball Reality

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by PhillieFever

From concept all the way thru execution,this is virtually flawless.Way to go Big Six,I'll most definitely be following.Go Phils!

Thank you for the compliment, PhillieFever! I'm really enjoying it, and I'm glad to hear that some of you are as well. Comments like that really make me eager to keep playing and writing.

Your Phillies are off to a fine start so far, with two playoff appearances and a division championship so far. The 1921 Phils finished seventh in the league in runs scored, and sixth in runs allowed--one mark of a strong, balanced team.

Five Phillies batted over .300 in 1921: 2B Joe Boyd (.350), 3B Howard Mooney (.330-2-68, 83 BB, .421 OBP, 107 R), C Dave Lord (.310-5-72), SS Carlos Cabrera (.312-1-62) and 1B Peter Shelton (.318-5-46). Boyd, who also led the league in RBI, is in his prime at age 27, while the other key Phillies are in their early thirties except for Cabrera, who is 36.

Bernardo Piniella (22-9, 2.95) and Stephen Jones (18-12, 2.94) are the team's best pitchers, and they should have plenty of good years ahead of them. Bernardo is 26, and Stephen is 25.

Because the Phillies have finished toward the top of the standings each year, their draft positions have been fairly low. Pitchers Pop Shriver and Fred Fussell are the only "real" major leaguers you might have heard of among the players Philadelphia has drafted. The Phils chose them in the first and second rounds of the 1921 draft, respectively.

Thanks again for your kind words about my dynasty. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

[Big Six]

As I was writing my last post, I thought of something else I wanted to mention.

I had thought about starting my dynasty with 1948, when the PCL applied for major league status, but I decided to move the start date back to 1920. I chose that date for several reasons.

I love dead ball era baseball, but I've done a lot of dynasties that are set in that era, so I decided to begin this one at the end of that period of baseball history. If I began the league in 1948, I'd miss out on the careers of several of my favorite players of all time--guys like Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Bob Feller, Charlie Gehringer, and Joe DiMaggio, guys my parents and grandparents watched and told me about. I wanted to see their entire careers play out.

One other thing that I'm enjoying about this story is the fact that all the "real" major league players will have full careers. The founding players are all fictional, including the guys whose careers will be short because they were in their 30s when the game created them. Any big leaguer who debuted in 1920 or later will have a shot at a full career.

That, of course, eliminates anyone who began his career earlier than that, including Babe Ruth. I confess; I did that intentionally. The Babe was so uniquely great that I honestly wanted him out of the picture this time.

Nobody but Ruth hits home runs like he does in the early 1920s, except maybe Cy Williams. By the middle of the decade, there will be several legitimate sluggers, including a couple of Negro Leaguers and a PCL star or two. By 1930 there are a number of them. Who will the career home run leader be if there's no Babe Ruth? We'll have a chance to find out.

Anyway, I wanted to throw in that explanatory aside. If it bored you, I'm sorry.

[ryanivr]

Hey Big Six...quick question.

I'm reluctantly restarting my UBA dynasty, and I'm strongly considering doing something more like this - a macro approach with a detailed summary of each season.

How are you getting your standings? Can you export to a text file from the game or are you inputting all of the numbers by hand?

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by ryanivr

Hey Big Six...quick question.

I'm reluctantly restarting my UBA dynasty, and I'm strongly considering doing something more like this - a macro approach with a detailed summary of each season.

How are you getting your standings? Can you export to a text file from the game or are you inputting all of the numbers by hand?

Hey, ryanivr-

I input my numbers by hand. I find that typing them into NotePad causes me to stop and think about them, which is something I sometimes have to remind myself to do when I am moving fairly quickly through a dynasty.

I'm not sure if there's a way to export to a text file, but I don't think there is. If you find one, let me know.

Good luck with the "new" UBA. I'll be following along.

[NYY #23]

I'm a big fan of alternative history, and I really love the concept. I'll be following along.

[DCG12]

Big Six

I am curious what you are using for a schedule? For example is it custom made or did the game generate it? Are games played only in the division or do American and National teams play the PCL?

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by DCG12

Big Six

I am curious what you are using for a schedule? For example is it custom made or did the game generate it? Are games played only in the division or do American and National teams play the PCL?

I let the game generate the schedule. I wasn't sure how to get the teams to play only within their division, so every team plays every other team.

NYY #23--thanks for the comment! I'm planning to keep this thing running a while, so you should see Mr. Mattingly making his debut in a few decades. Can't promise you he'll be a Yankee, however. He might end up being a Hollywood Star or a Sacramento Solon.

[Big Six]

1922 Season Summary

NATIONAL       W    L    PCT  GB
Cincinnati     99   55  .643  --
Brooklyn       91   63  .591   8
St. Louis      87   67  .565  12
Philadelphia   79   75  .513  20
Chicago        78   76  .506  21
Pittsburgh     72   82  .468  27
New York       71   83  .461  28
Milwaukee      65   89  .422  34

AMERICAN       W    L    PCT  GB
Baltimore      90   64  .584  --
Kansas City    84   70  .545   6
Chicago        79   75  .513  11
Cleveland      77   77  .500  13
Detroit        76   78  .494  14
Washington     75   79  .487  15
New York       62   92  .403  28
Boston         50  104  .325  40

PACIFIC        W    L    PCT  GB
Oakland        98   56  .636  --
Seattle        82   72  .532  16
Sacramento     81   73  .526  17
Los Angeles    81   73  .526  17
Hollywood      73   81  .474  25
Portland       72   82  .448  26
San Francisco  71   83  .461  27
San Diego      55   99  .357  43

The 1922 season brought about a scrambling of the standings that made it look like someone had drawn the finishing order out of a hat. With the exceptions of the growing powerhouses in Cincinnati and Baltimore, the top finishers from 1921 found themselves shuffled to the middle of the pack--or worse--while new contenders rose to the top.

The Reds established a new record for victories, only to be upset by the Orioles in the first round of the playoffs, 4 games to 3. Meanwhile, the new kings of the Pacific Division, the Oakland Oaks, defeated wild card winner Brooklyn in five games. The Dodgers basically traded places with the Phillies, who slid from the status of playoff team to .500 club while the Dodgers climbed in the other direction.

The Oaks completed their glorious season with a World Series victory over the Orioles in five games. Oakland won 25 more games than they had in 1922, and became the third consecutive Pacific team to win the Series.

Oakland rose on the strengths of the league's third-best pitching staff and fifth-most productive offense. Freddy Rodriguez (22-9, 4.01) was the team's big winner, but Nestor Ornelas (20-13, 3.70) and 25-year-old Roy Trent (19-6, 2.96) were even better. Derek Jenkins (10-3, 13 saves) led the bullpen; at age 22, he should only get better.

Outfielder Heinie Manush, who joined the team immediately after the Oaks made him the #8 pick in the June draft, hit .371-2-57 in 78 games, capturing the Rookie of the Year Award for his brilliant half-season's work. C Tim Stephens (.346-6-74) and 3B Norbert Shelton (.307-14-92) were also keys to the Oaks' offensive success. With Jenkins, Manush, and Shelton (age 21), the Oaks appear to have a core of youngsters they can build around; Stephens, their unquestioned team leader, is in his prime at age 28.

Mike Crawford (20-8, 2.76, 109 K) didn't repeat his otherworldly success of 1921, but he was still good enough to lead a fine O's staff. CF Rick Mar (.348-5-113, 38 2B, 17 3B, 34 SB) continued to mature into one of the league's most dynamic hitters, and he got great support from RF Dave McBride (.348-6-97, 211 hits, 19 3B) and SS Chris Gunn (.300-8-74, 113 R).

Cincinnati was paced by an award-winning duo. RHP Hector Orozoco (24-10, 2.65, 121 K) was named the league's Outstanding Pitcher, and 1B Christopher Harris (.365/.449/.513, 15 HR, 106 RBI, 225 H) won the Outstanding Hitter crown over a very tough field.

That field contained players like Hollywood LF Arnold Burns (.376-10-33, 133 R), perennial favorite Mike Dickey (.376-9-110, 133 R, 244 H) of the Dodgers, and Pittsburgh 3B Mike Chappell (.367-9-101). A trio of slugging Cardinals: LF Ike Boone (.317-20-117), 3B Travis Crawford (.308-20-107), and SS Jose Garcia (.277-20-98) shared the home run lead, and the Cubs' Joe Hauser went deep 17 times in his first full season.

Other pitching stars included Cleveland RHP Jim Jessup (19-9, 2.54), Seattle southpaw Dave Garner (22-8, 3.98), and San Francisco relief ace Alex "Biscuit" Carey (11-10, 3.14, 19 saves, 103 K in 160 IP).

While Heinie Manush was the first member of the 1922 draft class to make an impact at the major league level, he was by no means the only highly touted member of a star-studded class. First baseman Lou Gehrig was the real prize, and nobody was surprised when the Pittsburgh Pirates made him the #1 overall choice. The 18-year-old struggled at the Pirates' New Orleans farm (.185), but Gehrig clearly has the potential to be the most fearsome slugger in the game.

The Hollywood Stars are almost as excited about outfielder Hack Wilson, whom they chose with the #2 pick, and the Senators rave over #3 pick 1B Bill Terry. The Red Sox chose the first pitcher, Ted Lyons, at #4.

[ifspuds]

Hey Big Six, could you give me a bit of background on the Portland squad? Do we have any hopes of climbing the PCL standings?

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by ifspuds

Hey Big Six, could you give me a bit of background on the Portland squad? Do we have any hopes of climbing the PCL standings?

Sure, Jeff. I'd be happy to do that.

It's hard to blame the Beavers' pitching staff for the team's performance in 1922. Although they struggled with their control, walking the most batters in all of MLB, they managed to keep their opponents off the scoreboard fairly well. The Beavs allowed 5.1 runs per game, in a season when the average team gave up 5.3.

Southpaw Kurt Donovan posted a fine 17-11 record, but he allowed 321 hits in 274 innings and walked 129 batters, while striking out only 65. Veteran Emilio Romano and rookie Earl Whitehill were, by far, Portland's most effective pitchers. Romano's record (9-13) should have been better, given his 3.28 ERA. Whitehill, on whom the Beavs used the #9 overall pick in June, came straight to the Show and pitched well (10-7, 3.38 in 18 starts). Romano and Whitehill were the only Beavers pitchers to strike out more betters than they walked.

The Beavers offense was, in a word, horrible. Only the dreadful Padres were less productive; the Beavers' team OPS of .714 was forty points below the league average.

CF Robert Wallace (.321/.426/.429) had a very good year; he smacked 39 doubles and two homers, drove in a team-high 90 runs, and walked 102 times. 2B Henry Warren (.305-3-61, 32 2B, 18 3B, 92 R) and C Henry Harris (.297-3-68) were also solid, and Harris is only 23 years old. 1B Victor Morales led the team with 11 homers and has some value.

The Beavers could have some help on the way from their Minneapolis Millers affiliate (64-66 record in 1922). The Millers' best pitcher was Paul Davis (15-10, 2.80, 231 K in 228 IP). At age 26, Davis isn't much of a prospect anymore, but it's hard to see how he couldn't have helped the Beavers some. The Millers lineup is full of guys in their late 20s and early 30s who couldn't make the Beavers.

Portland will have a good position in next June's draft, so they can take a big step forward if they use their pick wisely. They need to do some rebuilding, and there are several very good teams in the Pacific Division that they'll need to pass on their way to the top.

[Big Six]

1923 Season Summary

NATIONAL       W   L    PCT  GB
Philadelphia   98  56  .636  --
Cincinnati     90  64  .584   8
New York       82  72  .532  16
Milwaukee      76  78  .494  22
Chicago        75  79  .487  23
Pittsburgh     73  81  .474  25
St. Louis      66  88  .429  32
Brooklyn       66  88  .429  32

AMERICAN       W   L    PCT  GB
Baltimore      86  68  .558  --
Cleveland      83  71  .539   3
Boston         78  76  .506   8
Washington     76  78  .494  10
Detroit        76  78  .494  10
New York       75  79  .487  11
Chicago        72  82  .468  14
Kansas City    61  93  .396  25

PACIFIC        W   L    PCT  GB
Oakland        87  67  .565  --
Hollywood      84  70  .545   3
Seattle        84  70  .545   3
San Francisco  80  74  .519   7
Los Angeles    74  80  .481  13
Portland       73  81  .474  14
Sacramento     72  82  .468  15
San Diego      61  93  .396  26

The 1923 season was perhaps the most exciting yet, as a dandy pennant race in the Pacific Coast Division kept fans interested well into autumn. At some point during the last three weeks of the season, Oakland, Hollywood, and Seattle all held first place, and a late surge by the Oaks, who won five of their last six games, earned the defending World Series champions a spot in the playoffs.

There, they met the Cincinnati Reds, owners of the second-best record in baseball. The Oaks played like champions, defeating the Reds in a thrilling seven-game Divisional Series.

The powerful Philadelphia Phillies won the National Division handily, making their mediocre 1922 season look like a fluke. Most experts figured they'd handle the American Division champion Baltimore Orioles with ease. Instead, the Orioles eliminated the Phils in four games. The Orioles and Oaks would now meet in a rematch of the 1922 Series.

This time, the Orioles swept the Oaks and wrested the World Series trophy from the Pacific champions' grasp.

Most of the Orioles' heroes were familiar ones. CF Rick Mar's batting average slipped a bit to .294, but he ripped 21 triples and 11 homers, drove in 87 runs, and stole 34 bases. LF Dave McBride (.342-7-85) shook off the effects of a May concussion, and SS Chris Gunn hit .282 and belted nine homers.

Baltimore ace Mike Crawford (17-15, 3.07) suffered some bad luck, but veteran John Ferris (23-8, 3.15) enjoyed the best season of his career. Closer Andres Ramirez (9-9, 2.07, 16 saves) gave the O's a powerful weapon in the endgame.

Oakland's Tim Stephens (.348-9-81, .867 OPS, 98 R) added to his reputation as the league's best catcher, while LF Heinie Manush (.316-11-93, 94 R, 191 H) beat the sophomore jinx in style. The remarkably balanced Oaks batting order featured seven players who drove in at least 60 runs.

Oaks ace Nestor Ornelas, known as "The Hobo" because of a boyhood habit of stashing aboard box cars, produced a season for the ages (23-8, 2.00, 123 K, 5 shutouts) and won the Outstanding Pitcher Award.

The hard-hitting duo of 3B Howard Mooney (.360-2-91, 204 H, 114 R, 95 BB, .450 OBP) and 2B Joe Boyd (.347-2-115, 47 2B), powered the Phillies, with Bernardo Piniella (21-6, 2.57) and reliever deluxe Stephen Turner (18-5, 19 saves, 2.84) providing the pitching punch.

Hollywood LF Arnold Burns (.373-4-93, 18 triples, 98 R, 224 H) won the batting title and the Outstanding Hitter Award, outdistancing Portland CF Robert Wallace (.363-2-73, 73 BB, .463 OBP), who might well have taken the prize from Burns had he not been diagnosed with an inguinal hernia that ended his season in July.

Rookie of the Year Jim Bottomley of Washington (.366-8-87) and 1B Joe Hauser of the Cubs (.341-23-116) also enjoyed banner seasons in '23. "Unser Choe" won the home run and RBI crowns. Seattle CF Gabriel Morales stole 90 bases, establishing a new league record; he also scored 123 runs.

It was a great year for relief pitchers, as closers like Randy Lynch of the Giants (5-4, 1.78, 20 saves) and Alex Carey of the Seals (10-5, 2.40, 21 saves) joined the ranks of the league's best twirlers. Lynch worked enough innings to win the league ERA championship.

The 1923 draft class was even better than the impressive 1922 contingent. The Boston Red Sox chose RHP Leroy "Satchel" Paige with the first overall pick. Paige is as raw as they come--he didn't turn 17 until after the draft--but his upside is tremendous. He was hit hard and often by professional hitters while pitching for the Birmingham Barons, but the Red Sox think they've treated themselves to a future ace.

The San Diego Padres are equally thrilled with CF James "Cool Papa" Bell, whose blazing speed can change a game no matter which team is at bat. LF Al Simmons reported straight to the New York Yankees after being drafted #3 overall, and hit a respectable .265.

Other notable draftees include RF Chick Hafey (#6, San Francisco) C Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe (#7, Portland), 2B Charlie Gehringer (#8,Pittsburgh) P Red Ruffing (#9, Hollywood) and CF Earle Combs (#10, Washington). The Senators also might have struck gold in Round Two, when they chose LF George "Mule" Suttles, who hit .
328 with 10 homers in 77 big league contests.

Note: I added Satchel Paige to the draft list based on the fact that he supposedly began his career in 1924. Therefore, he'd belong in the rookie draft class of '23. And, if Bill Veeck's research was accurate, Satch would have been at least 23 years old in 1923.

[Big Six]

1924-1929 Summary

I hope I don't make too many of you readers upset, but I just lost a long post about the 1924 season and, honestly, don't want to write it all over again.

Moreover, I've already played through 1929; in fact, I haven't actually played this dynasty for over a week while I caught up on the writing. I'm in the mood to play more now, and I'm thinking about a few changes.

So, here's a quick history of the rest of the "Roaring Twenties."

The remainder of the decade witnessed the rise of the league's first true "superteam," the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles won the World Series in 1926, 1928, and 1929, giving them a total of four Series championships. Two Pacific Coast Division teams-- the San Francisco Seals (1921, 1924) and the Oakland Oaks (1922, 1927)--have won two Series apiece.

CF Rick Mar, SS Chris Gunn, and RF-LF Dave McBride, all original Orioles, have given the club a core of stars on which it can depend year in and year out. Mar's greatest season came in 1928, when he hit .383/.456/.607 with 11 homers and 136 runs scored, and won the Outstanding Hitter Award. Mar and Gunn are 34 years old, and McBride is 33, so Orioles fans should be able to cheer their exploits for several more years.

Mike Crawford has given the Baltimore pitching staff the same kind of stability. Four times a 20-game winner, Crawford threw a no-hitter in 1924 and is third all-time in wins.

No National Division team has reached the postseason as many times as the Philadelphia Phillies, but in five tries, the Phils have yet to reach the World Series, much less win it. In ten years with the Phillies, 3B Howard Mooney has never posted an OBP less than .420; in 1929, at age 40, Mooney hit .359, walked 112 times, and got on base 46% of the time.

Stephen Jones (153 wins) and Bernardo Piniella (152 wins) have been the mainstays of the Philadelphia pitching staff since 1920.

The Oakland Oaks have appeared in the playoffs four times, second only to Baltimore's six appearances. Oakland's biggest star is C Tim Stephens, a lifetime .350 hitter who has completely recovered from a scary 1926 knee injury.

LF Heinie Manush has also established himself as one of the game's biggest stars in eight seasons as an Oak. He hit .363 in 1928 and .378 in 1929, and has hit for the cycle twice.

Diminutive lefty Nestor "Hobo" Ornelas, like Stephens an original Oak, won 153 games before suffering a career-ending labrum injury early in 1929; until then, he was still going strong at age 40.

Once among the league's weakest teams, the Pittsburgh Pirates have made the playoffs four times in the past five years. The Bucs have ridden the booming bats of CF Maxime Beaumont, 3B Mike Chappell, and 1B Lou Gehrig to prominence.

Quebec native Beaumont, 34, is a classic leadoff man with a sharp eye and great speed., Chappell, 35, has posted batting averages of .388, .380, .377, and .367, draws lots of walks, and hits lots of doubles and triples. It is Gehrig, however, who is emerging as the Pirates' greatest player and one of the league's brightest stars.

Just entering his prime at age 26, Gehrig is one of four players who have hit as many as 40 home runs in a single season, belting 41 in 1928 and again in 1929. He was the league's Outstanding Batter in 1927 (.338-32-116), but he was even better in 1929 (.356-41-156, 150 R). Is this only the beginning of greater years to come for the Iron Horse?

Gehrig might one day be the league's all-time home run king, but he'll have strong competition from sluggers like Joe Hauser and Mule Suttles. "Unser Choe" began his career with the Chicago Cubs, but was traded to the Hollywood Stars early in 1925. Hauser has won the home run title only twice, but he's finished first or second in that category every year since 1923. In 1928, his best season, Joe hit 46 homers with 152 RBI.

Hauser is now the single-season home run leader, taking that title from Washington's Suttles, who went deep 45 times in 1926 and again in 1929. Suttles, a five-time home run king, has driven in at least 100 runs in five consecutive years.

Brooklyn 1B Mike Dickey doesn't hit with much power, but he's produced at least 209 hits in each of his ten seasons and has a .364 lifetime average. Among the young stars who are rapping base hits at remarkable rates are men such as Detroit's Paul Waner and Portland's Chuck Klein.

The Tigers drafted Waner in the first round in 1925, and he hit .404 the rest of the way as the Tigers won the World Series. After five seasons, Waner's career average stands at .361.

Klein's is even better; he's hit .368 in his three-year career with the Beavers. In 1927, Klein exploded onto the scene like no young hitter ever had. He won the Rookie of the Year Award, hitting .413-22-77 in 80 games.

The Cincinnati Reds have been consistent winners for most of the last ten years, and the fine work of RHP Hector "Groundhog" Orozoco has been a big reason why. Orozoco has won at least 20 games six times (1920-1923, 1927, 1928) and was crowned the league's Outstanding Pitcher in '22 and '28. No hurler can match Orozoco's 192 career wins and, at age 37, the Groundhog still retains many of his skills.

The league's most exciting young pitcher is undoubtedly Boston's Satchel Paige. The #1 overall pick in 1923 when he was allegedly only 16, Paige not surprisingly took some time to mature. Satchel learned his craft with the Birmingham Barons before making his major league debut in 1926. Now he's emerged as the greatest strikeout artist the league has ever seen.

In 1927, his first full season, Paige nearly broke the single season strikeout record, whiffing 160 batters. In '28, Satch racked up 182 Ks and broke the record, which had been held by Milwaukee's Marvin Parkinson since 1921. And, in 1929, he was even more devastating, racking up 218 strikeouts. Paige is only 23, and still has a lot to learn about pitching; his control is erratic, and he gives up a lot of home runs. Still, he's won 21 and 20 games in the past two seasons, and he is poised to become one of the game's biggest and most entertaining stars.

Next, I'll post a series of charts and tables with information about career leaders, award winners, etc.

[Big Six]

This chart summarizes the results of postseason play from 1924-1929:

YEAR  WS WINNER       WS LOSER      DS LOSER        DS LOSER
1924  San Francisco   Los Angeles   Cleveland       Philadelphia
1925  Detroit         Seattle       San Francisco   Pittsburgh 
1926  Baltimore       Pittsburgh    Sacramento      Detroit
1927  Oakland         Detroit       Philadelphia    Los Angeles
1928  Baltimore       Pittsburgh    San Diego       New York (A)
1929  Baltimore       Cleveland     Pittsburgh      Oakland

• No wild card team has won the World Series since the 1920 Padres.
• Only one wild card made the Series between 1924-1929: the '29 Indians.

[Big Six]

Here are the single season award winners from 1924-1929:

YEAR  OUTSTANDING BATTER    OUTSTANDING PITCHER    ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
1924  Jim Bottomley (WAS)   Jim Jessup (CLE)       Freddy Leach (SF)
1925  Jim Bottomley (WAS)   Colton Blanton (SF)    Lou Gehrig (PIT}
1926  Mule Suttles (WAS)    Rudy Johnson (DET)     Lloyd Waner (CIN)
1927  Lou Gehrig (PIT)      Ken Grewar (LA)        Chuck Klein (POR)
1928  Rick Mar (BAL)        Hector Orozoco (CIN)   Dale Alexander (CIN)
1929  Al Simmons (NYY)      Mike Crawford (BAL)    Bernie James (NYG)

• Bottomley was the first "real" major leaguer to win the OBA.
• "Sunny Jim" is also the only player to win the OBA twice.
• No "real" pitcher has won the OPA.
• Crawford and Orozoco are the only pitcher to win two OPAs.
• No fictional player has won the ROY since 1920.
• Bernie James was real, but he only made 260 plate appearances in the "real" big leagues.

Here are the statistics for the award-winning batters of each season:

PLAYER           BA/OBP/SLG     HR  RBI  VORP
Bottomley '24   .347/.396/.541  19  108   70.2
Bottomley '25   .356/.401/.622  32  126   89.1
Suttles '26     .384/.421/.688  45  145  107.0
Gehrig '27      .338/.406/.571  32  116   68.9
Mar '28         .383/.458/.607  11   77  108.8
Simmons '29     .376/.431/.717  37  133  109.0
Leach '24       .339/.371/.469   9   62   37.8
Gehrig '25      .349/.424/.548  26  126   64.2
Waner '26       .398/.424/.479   2   38   38.5
Klein '27       .413/.442/.673  22   77   63.6
Alexander '28   .372/.411/.573  12   58   34.7
James '29       .316/.373/.472  13   72   33.0

• The last three OBA winners have had monster years.
• Waner, Klein, and Alexander each put up those numbers in half a season; they each came straight to the Show the year they were drafted and won the ROY for a half-season's work.

And here are the statistics for each season's award-winning pitcher:

PITCHER        W-L   ERA    IP     K   VORP
Jessup '24    24-5   2.41  272.1  135  74.4
Blanton '25   21-7   2.88  275.0   97  68.0
Johnson '26   19-5   2.42  257.0  136  77.9
Grewar '27    22-8   2.35  275.1   90  84.4
Orozoco '28   21-11  3.15  291.2  138  68.2
Crawford '29  21-11  2.80  276.2  112  83.5

• Johnson also earned a save in 1925.

[Big Six]

Here are the career leaders in several important offensive categories after the first ten years of this dynasty. Batters needed at least 2000 career at bats to qualify for the leaderboards in the rate statistics.

BATTING AVERAGE
Mike Dickey        .364
Paul Waner         .361
Mark Chappell      .357
Tim Stephens       .350
Arturo Martinez    .349
Ken Rich           .349
Babe Herman        .348
Pat O'Hartagan     .348
Jordan Schneider   .346
Heinie Manush      .344

ON BASE PERCENTAGE
Howard Mooney      .449
Christopher Harris .441
Paul Waner         .438
Robert Wallace     .428
Mitsuo Nakada      .428

SLUGGING AVERAGE
Mule Suttles       .590
Al Simmons         .569
Lou Gehrig         .561
Joe Hauser         .557
Babe Herman        .553

OPS
Mule Suttles       .972
Lou Gehrig         .969
Paul Waner         .968
Al Simmons         .956
Joe Hauser         .950

HITS
Mike Dickey        2295
Owen Hall          2087
Ken Rich           2012
Joe Bazeley        1938
Jigger Statz       1922

RUNS
Frank Jenkins      1088
Fred Hare          1068
Jigger Statz       1064
Howard Mooney      1052
Maxime Beaumont    1041

HOME RUNS
Joe Hauser          261
Mule Suttles        230
Lou Gehrig          163
Ike Boone           138
Al Simmons          123

RBI
Joe Hauser         1096
Mike Dickey         968
Owen Hall           948
Ike Boone           943
Jay Green           919

STOLEN BASES
Frank Jenkins       562
Gabriel Morales     467
Jose Carlos         444
Shawn Martin        403
Rick Mar            386

VORP
Rick Mar           599.7
Mike Dickey        593.0
Howard Mooney      559.0
Jigger Statz       541.5
Christopher Harris 559.0

• Mike Dickey has toiled in relative obscurity in Brooklyn, but he's had a great career. He's 33 now, and he's a very good bet for 3000 career hits.
  
• Owen Hall (Braves) and Ken Rich (Indians) are both original members of their respective teams, and both are in their late 30s.
  
• Joe Bazeley, a first baseman, is an original Seattle Rainier who, like Dickey, has played very well for a mediocre team. He's only 31, so 3000 hits isn't a long shot for him, either.
  
• Mule Suttles has had a great career in this dynasty. I hooked the Mule up with some good ratings when I created him, but on paper, he's no better than other HoF outfielders of his era.
  
• Jigger Statz, the PCL star, has had a very good career, too. He's 32; can he get another 1000-plus hits and reach the 3000 milestone?
  
• Ox Eckhardt, another PCL guy, has 1836 hits at age 27. He hit .370 for his professional career, mostly in the "real" PCL.
  
• Every time I've done a historical or semi-historical league, Joe Hauser is a stud. He made the Hall of Fame in my Pat O'Farrell world.

[Big Six]

Here are the career leaders in several important pitching categories after the first ten years of this dynasty. Pitches needed at least 1500 career innings pitched to qualify for the leaderboards in the rate statistics.

EARNED RUN AVERAGE
Mike Crawford       2.80
Jim Jessup          3.13
Bernardo Piniella   3.18
Rudy Johnson        3.28
Hector Orozoco      3.30
Nestor Ornelas      3.30
Colton Blanton      3.33
Emilio Romano       3.39
Sonny Green         3.44
Joe Collier         3.47  

WINS
Hector Orozoco       192
Colton Blanton       178
Mike Crawford        171
Stu Hannah           167
Jim Jessup           164
Marvin Parkinson     160
Rudy Johnson         157
Roberto Reyes        155
Ken Grewar           154

STRIKEOUTS
Marvin Parkinson    1186
Hector Orozoco      1179
Rob Browne          1110
Rudy Johnson        1099
Mike Chase          1085

SHUTOUTS
Mike Crawford         30
Mario Garcia          23
Marvin Parkinson      21
Joe Collier           18
Stu Hannah            18

SAVES
Alex Carey           151
Will Willis          125
Randy Lynch          120
Andres Ramirez       120
Stephen Turner       115

WHIP
Bernardo Piniella   1.17
Mike Crawford       1.18
Rudy Johnson        1.19
Jim Jessup          1.23
Nestor Ornelas      1.25

VORP
Mike Crawford      665.9
Hector Orozoco     607.5
Rudy Johnson       600.6
Marvin Parkinson   588.9
Eugene Wise        540.6

• "Real" pitchers haven't fared nearly as well as "real" hitters in this world. Lefty Grove just missed the ERA list; he's currently in 11th place with a 3.49.
  
• Stu Hannah is one name you won't recognize, even if you regularly read this thread. He's pitched for the Yankees since 1920, a consistent 15-20 game winner for teams that haven't always been very competitive.
  
• You might also need an introduction to the Braves' long-time ace, Marvin Parkinson. Like Hannah, he's been a steady, effective pitcher for so-so teams for a decade. His ratings indicate that, at age 36, he's losing his stuff, so enjoy him while you can.
  
• The winningest "real" pitcher is Frank Shellenback, a PCL star who has 126 wins in ten seasons with the Hollywood Stars. In this dynasty, he's a durable journeyman, not an ace.
  
• Shellenback did enjoy one moment of real glory on June 21, 1925, when he became the first "real" pitcher to throw a no-hitter. There have been seven no-hit games pitched in this dynasty. Mike Crawford is the only other well-known twirler with one to his credit.
  
• Sloppy Thurston, of all people, is the only other "real" pitcher with 100 career wins so far.
  
• Lefty Grove (621) and Satchel Paige (595) are 46th and 50th, respectively, on the career strikeout list. Satchel, in particular, will move up very quickly, since he's so young; Grove is already 29, but he'll be in the top ten before long, I'm thinking.

[Big Six]

Here are the single season record holders in a number of batting and pitching categories:

Batting Average   Mitsuo Nakada         .404  1920
OBP               Mitsuo Nakada         .484  1920
SLG               Al Simmons            .717  1929
OPS               Al Simmons           1.148  1929
VORP              Al Simmons           109.0  1929
Hits              Mike Dickey            258  1929
Runs              Lou Gehrig             150  1929
Total Bases       Mule Suttles           401  1926        
Doubles           Owen Hall               67  1920
Triples           Cool Papa Bell          40  1928
Home Runs         Joe Hauser              46  1928            
RBI               Lou Gehrig             156  1929
Stolen Bases      Gabriel Morales         90  1923
Walks             Christopher Harris     136  1926
Hitting Streak    Ike Boone               43  1927

ERA               Randy Lynch           1.78  1923
Wins              Mike Crawford           25  1921
Winning Pct.      Mike Crawford         .833  1921
Saves             Sergio Gomes            24  1920
Games             Jake Miller             94  1929
Complete Games    Frank Shellenback       32  1922
Shutouts          Mike Crawford            7  1921
Innings Pitched   Roberto Reyes        321.0  1923
Strikeouts        Satchel Paige          213  1929
VORP              Nestor Ornelas       101.8  1923
WHIP              Nestor Ornelas        1.03  1927

• You read that right: Cool Papa Bell legged out 40 triples in one year. He had 32 another year. That's what happens when you give a guy great speed and a healthy dose of gap power, too.
  
• Cool Papa's best single season stolen base total is 73. He's still young and fast, so he might break Morales' record.
  
• Mike Dickey has the three highest single season hits totals: 258, 250, 244.
  
• Dickey hit .4038 in 1929, just .0004 lower than Nakada's record. Tim Stephens is the only other man to bat .400; he hit .402 in 1920. Jay Green, an outfielder, hit .399 for the 1929 Red Sox.

[Big Six]

January 1, 1930

The new year brings more than a new decade; it also brings big changes to the world of Major League Baseball.

Tired of the clumsy three-division alignment that made an All-Star Game impossible and made a wild card necessary, the league office announced a complete realignment that will take effect for the 1930 season.

Major League Baseball will be divided into two leagues, each containing two six-team divisions. The division winners will meet in a seven-game League Championship Series; league champions will play a best-of-seven World Series, as before.

The National League will contain the following divisions and teams:

Northern Division
Boston Red Sox
Brooklyn Dodgers
New York Yankees
New York Giants
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates

Mid-Eastern Division
Baltimore Orioles
Cincinnati Reds
Cleveland Indians
Detroit Tigers
Milwaukee Braves
Washington Senators

The American League will be structured like this:

Continental Division
Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox
Kansas City Athletics
Portland Beavers
St. Louis Cardinals
Seattle Rainiers

Pacific Division
Hollywood Stars
Los Angeles Angels
Oakland Oaks
Sacramento Solons
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Seals

There will be no interleague play.

The "traditional" American, National, and Pacific Coast Leagues will be no more, but I think the new alignment will be even more fun in some ways. For one thing, no team will suffer through the agony of a seventh- or eighth-place finish. Most teams will face their bitterest rivals within their division, which should make the pennant races even more exciting.

)And, if we decide we don't like this alignment, we can always change it back.)

[NYY #23]

I like the new alignment, although it is a cruel twist of fate that Gehrig and the Pirates will now be in the same division.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

I like the new alignment, although it is a cruel twist of fate that Gehrig and the Pirates will now be in the same division.

The Northern Division will be lots of fun. I wonder who a Yankees fan like yourself will love to hate most: the Giants, the Dodgers, or the Red Sox?

Furthermore, in this universe, the Phillies and Pirates have had the most success among the teams in the new Northern Division...as you'll all see when I post the composite standings in a few minutes.

Glad you like the new arrangement, NYY #23.