[Big Six]

June 19, 1935

Yankee Stadium is the site of today's All-Star game. Here are the rosters for the American and National League All-Star teams:

AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STARS

SP  Ray Brown           CHW  10-3, 2.43, 76 K
SP  Pat Caraway         POR  10-3, 2.71
SP  Hal Schumacher      SEA  7-4, 3.33
SP  Palmer Foley        SF   9-7, 3.36
SP  Spades Wood         HOL  8-3, 2.86
SP  Bob Brown           SEA  9-5, 3.85, 73 K  
RP  Brandon Watts       OAK  7-2, 3.03, 3 SV
RP  Ultse Spitsbaard    HOL  3-1, 1.25, 9 SV
RP  Alynn Stout         KC   2-1, 2.08, 8 SV
RP  Lance Thompson      SEA  2-1, 2.62, 10 SV
RP  Luis Rodriguez      CHC  4-2, 4.00, 5 SV
RP  Bernardo Gutierrez  POR  3-4, 3.11, 6 SV

C   Mickey Cochrane     STL  .376-8-56
C   Josh Gibson         POR  .329-12-51
1B  Jimmie Foxx         KC   .317-18-50
1B  Del Bissonette      LA   .343-11-46
1B  Mike Christensen    POR  .399-3-28
2B  Judy Johnson        SEA  .319-2-31
3B  Joe Stripp          SAC  .367-2-45
3B  Ed Morgan           CHC  .331-10-51
SS  Ed Montague         LA   .337-2-39
SS  Bill Knickerbocker  OAK  .372-7-56
LF  Wally Berger        STL  .309-12-58
LF  Len Koenecke        SAC  .351-8-60
CF  Earl Averill        STL  .410-9-51
CF  Chuck Klein         POR  .311-13-47
CF  Cool Papa Bell      SD   .306-2-31
RF  George Watkins      KC   .351-7-44


NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL-STARS

SP  Satchel Paige       BOS  12-1, 2.31, 97 K
SP  Al Hollingsworth    NYG  9-3, 2.41
SP  Tommy Bridges       PHI  9-5, 3.09, 108 K
SP  Brian Whaley        NYY  10-4, 3.18
SP  Mike Crawford       BAL  11-6, 3.32, 68 K
SP  Whitey Wilshere     PHI  8-3, 2.77
RP  Pat Richardson      DET  6-1, 3.54, 6 SV
RP  Steve Swetonic      CIN  6-2, 3.76, 8 SV
RP  John Shea           BAL  5-3, 4.01, 4 SV
RP  Milt Shoffner       NYY  1-0, 3.09, 9 SV
RP  Wilcy Moore         MIL  3-4, 3.55, 5 SV
RP  Ed Heusser          PHI  2-5, 4.80, 11 SV

C   Bill Dickey         BKN  .310-9-42
C   Bob McBryde         WAS  .344-2-23
1B  Buck Leonard        NYY  .341-21-65
1B  Jim Bottomley       WAS  .356-8-63
2B  Charlie Gehringer   WAS  .351-2-38
2B  Tony Lazzeri        PIT  .320-9-54
2B  Joe Jones           BOS  .322-2-37
3B  Larry Bettencourt   BKN  .314-5-29
SS  Frank Reed          BOS  .344-3-32
LF  Joe Medwick         BKN  .336-16-72
LF  Jo-Jo Moore         MIL  .366-5-39
LF  Mule Suttles        WAS  .359-16-71
LF  Buzz Boyle          BOS  .327-9-40
CF  Jo-Jo White         WAS  .361-2-30
RF  Mel Ott             BKN  .300-22-58
RF  Bob Fothergill      WAS  .382-3-49

The National League will have to make do without the services of Pittsburgh 1B Lou Gehrig (.307-14-58), Detroit OF Paul Waner (.330-2-31) and OF Al Simmons of the hometown Yankees (.366-9-51). Injured American League stars include Seattle 1B Joe Bazeley (.340-0-38) and Hollywood 2B Billy Herman (.363-3-34). Only Waner, who has a broken foot, is injured seriously; all these other stars will be back on the field within two weeks.

[Big Six]

November 1, 1935

NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS

NORTHERN        W   L    PCT  GB
New York Y      89  65  .578  --
Boston          83  71  .539   6
Brooklyn        81  73  .526   8
Pittsburgh      77  77  .500  12
Philadelphia    69  85  .448  20
New York G      66  88  .429  23

MID-EAST        W   L    PCT  GB
Washington      99  55  .643  --
Cincinnati      79  75  .513  20
Baltimore       76  78  .494  23
Detroit         69  85  .448  30
Cleveland       68  86  .442  31
Milwaukee       68  86  .442  31


AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS

CONTINENTAL     W   L    PCT  GB
Portland        97  57  .630  --
Chicago         96  58  .623   1
Seattle         85  69  .552  12
Chicago C       73  81  .474  24
St. Louis       73  81  .474  24
Kansas City     58  96  .377  39

PACIFIC
Hollywood       86  68  .558  --
Oakland         84  70  .545   2
San Francisco   74  80  .481  12
Sacramento      69  85  .448  17
San Diego       68  86  .442  18
Los Angeles     61  93  .396  25

The emergence of several bright rookie stars and three dandy pennant races made the summer of '35 an exciting one for baseball fans.

The National League Northern Division, usually the scene of a fierce race, was close until August, when the New York Yankees pulled away from the Red Sox and Dodgers and won their third straight division title.

The Red Sox, with NL Outstanding Pitcher Satchel Paige enjoying perhaps his best season ever (21-9, 2.25, 221 K, 42 BB), took the lead for three days in early July before the Yankees got hot and overtook them. Satch fired a no-hitter against Pittsburgh on September 10.

The Dodgers led both leagues in home runs, with sluggers like Mel Ott, Zeke Bonura, and Joe Medwick taking opposing pitchers deep on a regular basis; their pitching staff wasn't quite good enough to keep them in the race.

The Yankees, on the other hand, possessed the stingiest staff in the National League. Bill Swift and Brian Whaley won 18 and 20 games respectively, with George Earnshaw, Milt Gaston, and reliever Milt Shoffner (21 saves) also providing high-quality work.

The Yankees' offense suffered from the frequent absence of Al Simmons, who was limited to 92 games by a variety of injuries. "Bucketfoot Al" hit .370-14-73 with 39 doubles when he was healthy enough to play. If Al had been healthy, his teammate Buck Leonard (.344-40-123) might not have won the NL Outstanding Hitter award, his third in a row.

The Washington Senators won 99 games and took the NL Mid-East crown by 20 games. As usual, the Capital Punishers scored runs by the truckload. Seven of their eight regular position players finished the season with VORPs over 40. This time, the Senators' pitchers were almost as good as their hitters. Six Nats hurlers won at least 12 games, including Dizzy Dean, who seems to have overcome the arm problems that plagued him as a youngster, and journeyman Mike Haley, who went 12-3 in 25 starts.

Both American League races remained close all summer. In the Pacific Division. the Hollywood Stars held off the Oakland Oaks and grabbed their first playoff berth. For the first time, veteran stars like Carl Hubbell, Joe Hauser, and Ultse Spitsbaard would have a chance to show their stuff in postseason play.

The Stars faced the defending World Series champion Portland Beavers, who faced down a tough challenge from the Chicago White Sox. The Beavers overcame the loss of first baseman Mike Christiansen, who tore a thigh muscle on July 31. He was hitting .368 at the time. However, Chuck Klein continued to hit with his usual ferocity, catcher Josh Gibson took a large step toward realizing his immense potential, and rookie Roy Weatherly (.312-14-59) was among the league's most productive players after his arrival in the June draft.

Four Beavers pitchers won 15 games or more, with Paul Baker and Pat Caraway each topping 20. Baker (22-10, 2.98) was named the AL's Outstanding Pitcher. With 30 saves between them, relievers Jud McLaughlin and Bernardo Gutierrez closed out win after win.

The efforts of Ox Eckhardt, Arky Vaughan, Ray Brown, and Gabriel de Klerk weren't quite enough to allow the White Sox to track the Beavers down. Eckhardt knocked in a career high 109 runs, Vaughan hit .358 and drove in 108 more, and Brown and de Klerk combined for 37 wins.

The ALCS was one of the most eventful postseason series in history. In Game One, Portland starter Caraway swatted two home runs and beat the White Sox, 5-1. In Game Two, Portland fans grimaced along with Klein, who dislocated his shoulder; Chuck was lost for the remainder of the postseason, but his full recovery seems almost certain. However, even without their star and leader, the Beavers defeated the Stars in six games, setting up a World Series rematch with the Yankees.

The New Yorkers prevailed this time, beating Portland 4 games to 2. Bill Swift threw a three-hit shutout in the deciding game, and Buck Leonard hit an even .400. It was the Yankees' second World Championship in three years.

Elsewhere, St. Louis outfielder Earl Averill failed in his bid to hit .400, finishing at .384. However, his performance--which also included 24 homers, 70 extra-base hits, an OBP of .462, 111 RBI, and 136 runs scored--earned him the AL Outstanding Hitter Award. Klein, who had won the previous five AL OHAs, finished second.

Washington catcher Bob McBryde (.342-4-64, 99 runs) won the NL Rookie of the Year Award, narrowly edging Detroit's Johnny Mize, who hammered 22 homers in half a season.

The American League's best rookie was Sacramento's wunderkind, Joe DiMaggio, who was every bit as good as advertised. Joe hit .318-13-62 in 77 games after joining the Solons as the #1 pick in the June draft.

And, a beloved veteran star enjoyed a day in the spotlight on July 8, when Pittsburgh's Lou Gehrig hit the 400th home run of his career. Cleveland righthander Chris Bradley allowed the historic homer, which was the Pirates' only bright moment in a 9-2 loss to the Tribe. Some thought Gehrig, 32, was beginning to slow down, but his .327-43-129 line seems to indicate otherwise. Gehrig now has 422 career home runs, trailing only Joe Hauser (429) and all-time leader Mule Suttles (461) in that category.

[NYY #23]

Good news all around with this update, at least for me. Its nice to see some Yankee success after having so many rough years. 2 out of 3 isn't bad. Be interesting to see how long they can keep it up.

It's nice to see Gehrig hit his 400th, and Joltin' Joe coming out strong. Hopefully he has a long and successful career in Sacramento.

I must confess I've been anxiously awaiting an update the past few days. Glad to see one tonight.

[ifspuds]

Well, nuts. Losing Chuck Klein is rough -- the Yankees dodged one there! Glad to hear he should be okay, though. Two pennants in a row... Portland fans are going to start getting complacent, but I don't think we mind.

[William Foster]

Kansas City has been absolutely awful throughout. Come the 50's I'd imagine they'd be considering relocation although its hard to say where considering the PCL was added. Miami, Atlanta or Denver maybe. Haha the Miami A's..

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

Good news all around with this update, at least for me. Its nice to see some Yankee success after having so many rough years. 2 out of 3 isn't bad. Be interesting to see how long they can keep it up.

It's nice to see Gehrig hit his 400th, and Joltin' Joe coming out strong. Hopefully he has a long and successful career in Sacramento.

I must confess I've been anxiously awaiting an update the past few days. Glad to see one tonight.

It's a good time to be a Yankees fan. The Yankees showed a lot of grit by winning a tough divisional battle with Al Simmons basically missing half a season. He seems to have recovered fully, and his skills remain intact.

The Yankees are still a fairly young team, with the exception of a couple of their pitchers and their third baseman. Simmons will be 33 when the 1936 season starts, and he still has lots left in his tank. Buck Leonard and Brian Whaley will be 28; Bill Swift will be 27; they're in their primes. Rudy York and Frank Crosetti are even younger, and look like they'll be very good.

I was on a short family vacation last week, so that's why I wasn't posting for a while.

Originally Posted by ifspuds

Well, nuts. Losing Chuck Klein is rough -- the Yankees dodged one there! Glad to hear he should be okay, though. Two pennants in a row... Portland fans are going to start getting complacent, but I don't think we mind.

Both the Beavers and the Yankees had to play the Series without one key player. Simmons hurt his knee on August 26 and completely missed the postseason.

The Beavers have certainly established themselves as one of the elite teams in the major leagues, at least over the past few years. They enter every season as one of a handful of teams with a realistic chance to win the World Series. I'd put the Yankees, the Senators, the White Sox, and the Oaks in that category right now.

For a while, the Beavers had rotten luck with their draft picks, but recently, guys like Josh Gibson, Ray Dandridge, and Roy Weatherly have developed into the kinds of players the team hoped they'd become. More importantly, they became good while guys like Klein and Pat Caraway were still stars. And the addition of players like Paul Baker and Mike Christensen--whom nobody expected to be as good as they've been--has been the final piece of the puzzle.

Originally Posted by William Foster

Kansas City has been absolutely awful throughout. Come the 50's I'd imagine they'd be considering relocation although its hard to say where considering the PCL was added. Miami, Atlanta or Denver maybe. Haha the Miami A's..

The A's have endured some lousy seasons, that's for sure. They haven't won 80 games in a season since 1922 (!), and won 54, 59, and 58 games over hte last three years. They are one of four teams who have never made the playoffs; the Cardinals, the Braves, and the Giants are the others. Only one team--the Braves--have won fewer games in their history than the A's.

I'm still shaking my head over KC's decision to draft Russ Bauers instead of Bob Feller. To be fair, Bauers did pitch well for York (A) last year: 10-3, 2.08 in 14 starts. Still, BA ranks him no better than fifth among the A's top prospects, and he's not considered among the top 100 prospects in the game. You'd like to do better than that when you have the #2 pick in the entire draft.

In 1935, the Athletics drew fewer fans to their home games than all but three teams: the Giants, the Cardinals, and the Indians. Just over 1.4 million fans came out to Municipal Stadium to see the A's (Portland, incidentally, had the best attendance, just over 3.3 million).

There are a few good players wearing Athletics green right now, however. Jimmie Foxx, who tied Wally Berger for the American League in home runs with 34, is one of the game's top sluggers. Buzz Arlett drove in 128 runs, second only to Berger. Buzz can do exactly one thing--hit the ball--but he does that very, very well. Gene Schott, a former #1 overall pick, looks like a keeper, too. If the A's can steal a page from the Beavers' playbook and start making their early draft picks count on a more consistent basis, they could, like the Beavs, turn things around.

As far as relocating them goes, I'll have to wait and see about that.

Thanks for the comments, everybody. I really enjoy it when people stop by and post in my threads.

[Big Six]

January 1, 1936

Happy New Year, everyone. Here's the annual list of the best players and prospects in major league baseball:

PLAYER                 TEAM  AGE  POS   LY   AVG  HR  RBI
 1  Josh Gibson         POR   23   C    17  .330  32  121      
 2  Buck Leonard        NYY   28   1B    1  .344  40  123
 3  Lou Gehrig          PIT   32   1B    2  .327  43  129
 4  Earl Averill        STL   33   CF    7  .384  24  111
 5  Charlie Gehringer   WAS   32   2B    9  .342   7   92
 6  Harlond Clift       DET   23   3B   NR  .308  21   86
 7  Jimmie Foxx         KC    28   1B    5  .310  34   96
 8  Chuck Klein         POR   31   RF    3  .353  31  121
 9  Al Simmons          NYY   33   CF    4  .370  14   73
10  Arky Vaughan        CWS   23   SS   10  .356  11  108
11  Johnny Mize         DET   22   1B   NR  .315  21   73
12  Stan Campbell       CHC   25   2B   NR  .368   9   69
13  Joe DiMaggio        SAC   21   CF   NR  .318  13   62
14  Willie Wells        WAS   27   SS   16  .343  16   92
15  Mule Suttles        WAS   34   LF   13  .347  33  147
16  Jim Bottomley       WAS   35   1B    8  .340  21  130
17  Joe Medwick         BKN   24   LF   NR  .361  23  126
18  Buzz Boyle          BOS   27   LF   11  .317   9   78
19  Wally Berger        STL   30   LF   12  .312  34  134
20  Cool Papa Bell      SD    32   CF    6  .314   4   71

• This list shuffled itself quite a bit over the past year.
  
• Gibson shot to the top spot, probably because he provides first-class production while playing a key defensive position.
  
• Injuries knocked Klein and Simmons down a few notches. Now that they're thirtysomethings, can they bounce all the way back?
  
• Gibson, Clift, Mize, Vaughan, DiMaggio, and Medwick represent a new wave of great young talent that should delight fans for years to come.
  
• Cool Papa took a big dive in the rankings, despite stealing 91 bases to lead both leagues. That's a career high in thefts for the San Diego speedster.
  
• Among the missing were such stars as Mel Ott of the Dodgers (.304-40-130), NL batting champion Jo-Jo Moore of the Braves (.377-15-83), Moore's teammate Hank Greenberg (.349-29-117, 42 doubles, 14 triples), and the A's Buzz Arlett (.305-22-128).
  
• Stan Campbell is a fictional player whose talent took a spike and propelled him clear to the Show. The Cubs seemed to benefit greatly from this phenomenon, as you'll see as you look at the list of the game's best mound artists:

PITCHER                TEAM  AGE   LW  W-L    ERA    K
 1  Tommy Bridges       PHI   29    1  13-13  3.55  211
 2  Carl Hubbell        HOL   32    4  16-13  3.82  114
 3  Quincy Dorst        CHC   36   NR  12-7   3.02  108
 4  Satchel Paige       BOS   29    1  21-9   2.25  221
 5  Whit Wyatt          SF    28    7  15-8   2.58  103
 6  Dizzy Dean          WAS   25   16  17-13  3.82  225
 7  Ed Brandt           BOS   30   10  11-15  3.90  148
 8  Johnny Allen        SEA   31   NR  17-12  3.35  169
 9  Bill Swift          NYY   27    6  18-14  2.95   87
10  Ray Brown           CWS   27    5  19-9   2.92  179
11  Stephen Jennings    CHC   24   NR  15-7   3.37  108
12  Gene Schott         KC    22   NR  14-15  3.70   92
13  Mike Crawford       BAL   39    9  18-16  2.90  126
14  Brian Whaley        NYY   27   NR  20-8   2.54  133
15  Dutch Leonard       SD    26   NR  11-15  3.10   64
16  Fred Barnes         SAC   27   NR  12-11  3.45  125
17  Paul Baker          POR   27   13  22-10  2.98  140
18  Ralph Birkofer      NYG   27   NR  10-17  3.34  132
19  Gabriel de Klerk    CWS   27   19  18-10  4.39   87
20  Ricardo Morales     SEA   29   12  17-11  3.71  107

• Satchel Paige had one of the two best seasons of his career, and lost three spots on the list. I can't figure out how that happened.
  
• Quincy Dorst materialized out of nowhere on May 17, 1935, when he signed with the Cubs. The only major leaguer to hail from the lovely Dutch city of Dronten, Dorst made his debut at age 36 and rocked the American League for the remainder of the season.
  
• Dorst, his teammate Jennings, Crawford, Baker, de Klerk, and Morales are all fictional players.
  
• Crawford enters the 1936 season with 274 career victories, most all-time. Eugene Wise, who retired at the end of the '35 season, is second, with 256.
  
• I'm pulling for Iron Mike to reach 300. If he doesn't make it, there's nobody out there with a chance to do so anytime soon. Paige, who has 167 career victories at age 29, looks like he has the best chance to win 300. Everyone else on the leaderboard is either retired or has a long way to go, with not much time to get there.

PROSPECT               TEAM  AGE  POS
 1  Joe DiMaggio        SAC   21   CF
 2  Johnny Mize         DET   22   1B
 3  Ty Lewis            CHW   21   2B
 4  Jesus Lopez         SAC   24   SS
 5  Chris McPhee        POR   24   CF
 6  Hal Trosky          CHC   23   1B
 7  Buddy Lewis         SD    19   3B
 8  Bob Feller          NYG   17   P
 9  Willard Brown       CHC   20   LF
10  Jeff Heath          BOS   20   RF

• DiMaggio and Mize went straight to the Show after the last draft, which would often disqualify them from this list. Any list of the game's best prospects without them, however, would look like a joke.
  
• Ty Lewis and Lopez are freshly generated fictional guys who will make their professional debuts in 1936. Lewis looks like he'll hit for a high average and draw lots of walks, and he has great speed. He's an absolutely terrible fielder, however. I think Jesus seems to be even more promising; he does everything Ty does, but better, and he can field.
  
• It appears that McPhee spent the entire '35 season with the Beavers and got into exactly one game. He has no minor league statistics for 1935. He pinch-hit twice during the postseason. Nevertheless, he developed his skills. I guess hanging around a pennant-winning team paid off for Chris.
  
• Trosky dominated AAA ball with Nashville (.336-23-121, 1.004 OPS) and went 8-18 for the Cubs last September. If I ran the Cubs, I'd trade Gus Suhr (.285-9-82) and give Hal the first base job.
  
• Buddy Lewis hit .314 in 118 AB with San Diego at age 18. The Padres appear ready to see what he can do on a full-time basis in 1936. His ability to play several positions makes him a very useful player.
  
• Feller threw 99 innings for Shreveport (AA), allowing 65 hits, strikinng out 86 men, and pitching to a 1.45 ERA. Apparently, however, the Sports couldn't catch the ball if it was handed to them. Bob allowed so many unearned runs that he managed to lose five of his eleven starts. The Giants will probably promote him to Jersey City (AAA) while he tries to develop some control.
  
• Brown, yet another of a large group of good young Cubs, hit .267 with seven homers at three minor league levels in 1935. He projects as a five-tool talent and a clubhouse leader.

[NYY #23]

How many wins does Iron Mike need to get to 300?

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

How many wins does Iron Mike need to get to 300?

Oops...I should have mentioned that, shouldn't I?

"Iron Mike" Crawford ended the 1935 season with 274 career wins. I gave him the nickname because he's been incredibly durable throughout his career. Even now, in his late thirties, he's always among the league leaders in innings pitched.

With any luck, he'll have enough left to pitch for two more years, which might be enough to put him over 300.

[NYY #23]

Originally Posted by Big Six

Oops...I should have mentioned that, shouldn't I?

"Iron Mike" Crawford ended the 1935 season with 274 career wins. I gave him the nickname because he's been incredibly durable throughout his career. Even now, in his late thirties, he's always among the league leaders in innings pitched.

With any luck, he'll have enough left to pitch for two more years, which might be enough to put him over 300.

Should be close it looks like, but it would be nice to see him hit it. I'm a sucker for those "magical" numbers.

Your coming up on one of my favorite eras, so it should be really fun to see how it all pans out. DiMaggio, Mize, and coming soon Ted Williams and Stan Musial. I'm looking forward to it.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

Should be close it looks like, but it would be nice to see him hit it. I'm a sucker for those "magical" numbers.

Your coming up on one of my favorite eras, so it should be really fun to see how it all pans out. DiMaggio, Mize, and coming soon Ted Williams and Stan Musial. I'm looking forward to it.

Crawford will have a good shot, because (1) he's still the #1 starter for the Orioles and (2) his skills have remained almost completely intact. In his prime, Mike's Stuff-Movement-Control line was 4-19-17. He opens the 1936 season at 4-18-17, which is where he has been since 1932.

I don't use recalc, so there's always a chance that a real-life star will fall well short of his actual performance. DiMaggio and Mize are certainly off to good starts, however. Teddy Ballgame will appear in the June 1938 draft class, and Stan the Man will arrive in June 1940. Both will debut at age nineteen.

[Big Six]

January 1, 1936

Before I forgot, I wanted to announce the retirement of two stars from the dynasty's earliest years.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Eugene Wise wore the Pale Hose for 16 seasons. He retired at the end of the 1935 season with a career record of 256-205 and a lifetime ERA of 3.05. Wise's victory total is second all-time, trailing only that of Baltimore ace Mike Crawford. Eugene went out in style, going 20-7 with a 3.09 ERA in his final season.

First baseman Mike Dickey was the last player chosen in the first round of the inaugural draft in 1920. He spent the best years of his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and was traded to the Cleveland Indians in 1933. Dickey retired with a lifetime average of .354, and is the all-time leader in games, at-bats, hits (3413), doubles (665), and total bases (4,674). He ranks fourth in RBI (1449) and fifth in runs scored (1546).

The three players with lifetime averages higher than Dickey's are Chuck Klein (.366), Jo-Jo White (.362), and Ken Rich (.355). Klein and White both have a lot of baseball left to play, so it's too early to tell what might happen to their lifetime averages. White, in particular, is a work in progress; he has about 2500 career at-bats. Rich, how with the White Sox, is still swinging at age 43.

[Big Six]

June 24, 1936

NATIONAL LEAGUE STANDINGS

NORTHERN        W   L    PCT  GB
Boston          49  24  .671  --
Pittsburgh      42  31  .575   7
Brooklyn        40  33  .548   9
Philadelphia    38  35  .521  11
New York G      30  43  .411  19
New York Y      27  46  .370  22

MID-EAST        W   L    PCT  GB
Washington      42  31  .575  --
Detroit         39  34  .534   3
Cleveland       37  36  .507   5
Baltimore       35  38  .479   7
Milwaukee       35  38  .479   7
Cincinnati      24  49  .329  18


AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS

CONTINENTAL     W   L    PCT  GB
Portland        48  25  .658  --
Seattle         43  30  .589   5
Chicago C       37  36  .507  11
Chicago W       34  39  .466  14
Kansas City     30  43  .411  18
St. Louis       29  44  .397  19

PACIFIC         W   L    PCT  GB
Oakland         45  28  .616  --
San Francisco   38  35  .521   7
San Diego       36  37  .493   9
Los Angeles     35  38  .479  10
Sacramento      33  40  .452  12
Hollywood       30  43  .411  15

You couldn't blame New York Yankees fans if they wanted to start the 1936 season all over again. At the All-Star break in 1935, the Yankees led the Northern Division with a 43-30 record. A year later, they find themselves farther from the lead than any other team in either league.

The Yankees have scored the fewest runs in the National League and have allowed the ninth most. Buck Leonard (.330-12-42) is still hitting with his usual gusto, but Al Simmons (.289-10-42) is on his way to his worst season ever. Did Simmons' injuries have a greater effect on his ability than we expected?

Pitchers Bill Swift and Brian Whaley have a combined record of 8-17, and Swift's 5.36 ERA is almost twice as high as his 1935 mark. It might be too late for the Yankees to salvage this season, so forgive Yankees rooters if they're already saying "wait 'till next year."

Meanwhile, Boston Red Sox fans are celebrating their team's early success. Possessors of the best record in the majors, the Sox feature the booming bats of 3B Pinky Higgins (.297-7-60), LF Buzz Boyle (.341) and 1B Joel Hopper (.313-7-56 at age 38). Ed Brandt, whose 14 wins lead the majors, and Satchel Paige are headlining the Boston staff once again, and young Robert Hampton has come from nowhere to give the Sox a third superb starter.

Mid-East leader Washington is, as usual, thumping the ball; they lead both leagues in most important offensive categories. Mule Suttles has hit 16 homers so far this year, running his career total to 477. Jim Bottomley (.375-14-68) is demonstrating that he's still got thunder in his bat at age 36. Sophomore catcher Bob McBryde carries a .401 batting average into the break.

The Nats' sluggers naturally steal much of the limelight, but their pitching staff, led by Dizzy Dean and Tommy Thomas, is also very solid. Grizzled vet Frank Shellenback has reinvented himself as a steady closer.

The Portland Beavers, defending AL kingpins, seem to be picking up where they left off in 1935. Roy Weatherly, Josh Gibson, Chuck Klein, and Ray Dandridge are all batting .346 or better. Gibson and Klein have combined for 30 homers at the break, while Weatherly and Klein have 109 RBI between them.

Pat Caraway, stung by his absence from the list of the league's 20 best pitchers, is out to prove he belongs in that fraternity (12-1, 2-44). Paul Baker and Syl Johnson each have eight wins.

And look who's back on top in the Pacific Division: the old reliable Oakland Oaks. As usual. the Oaks are depending heavily on their starting rotation. Ad Liska, Ed Walsh, and young southpaw Skip Campbell are three of the AL's top starters, and Ken Smith is among the game's top relievers.

Chicago White Sox fans aren't used to seeing their boys so far from the top of the standings, but they've had plenty of interesting events to cheer about nonetheless.

In April, the Sox swept a wild three-game set from the L.A. Angels by a combined score of 46-16. On April 23, Oscar Eckhardt went 3-4 with a homer and four RBI to key an 18-1 romp.

The next day, the Sox unloaded 25 hits and beat the Angels 18-7. The 3-4-5 batters in the Chicago order--Arky Vaughan, Eckhardt, and catcher Gus Mancuso--went 15-19, each man contributing five safeties. The Angels manager left poor Hal Smith on the mound until the eighth inning; by then he had thrown 169 pitches, surrendered 20 hits, and allowed 16 earned runs. The White Sox' 10-8 victory on the 25th seemed almost merciful by comparison.

On June 1, Oscar Eckhardt became the third man in history to accumulate 3000 career hits. He ripped an RBI single off Oakland's Zack Corrigan in a 6-1 victory over the Oaks, before 41,716 cheering fans at Comiskey Park.

At age 34, Eckhardt is the youngest player to reach the 3000-hit milestone. On his historic day, the Ox claimed a lifetime average of .323 with 193 home runs and 1485 RBI, and he's among the all-time leaders in two-base hits with 551.

It's possible that two more White Sox might make their 3000th hit this year, too. Ken Rich, the oldest player in history at age 44, has 2971 safeties in his career, but since he's only racked up 10 hits so far in 1936, he'll have to turn up his productivity a notch. Second baseman Wilton Schmitt, the Chisox' first selection in the inaugural draft back in 1920, might have a better shot at reaching his milestone than Rich. Schmitty, a .308 hitter this year, has 87 hits so far. If he equals that performance in the second half, he'll finish the season with a career total of 3001.

And, after spending much of his career in Yankee pinstripes, outfielder Jigger Statz might make history in Cincinnati scarlet. Statz, who came to the Queen City in 1932, needs 34 hits to reach the 3000 barrier.

On June 15, the annual rookie draft was held, and the Kansas City Athletics held the first pick. This year, they took the player everyone expected them to choose: Russian righthander Victor Starffin. The Angels and Giants, drafting second and third, each took "old" rookie pitchers; the Angels selected 29-year-old Spud Chandler, while the Giants chose 32-year-old Jim Turner.

Outfielder/first baseman Tommy Henrich was the first position player drafted. He went to the Cardinals at #11. Brooklyn claimed outfielder Frankie Kelleher with the 13th pick, while Boston grabbed 2B Bobby Doerr one spot later. The Oaks chose third sacker Ken Keltner, while the Yankees added Vince DiMaggio to their outfield corps.

Even if none of the division races tighten up, the pursuit of individual heroics ought to keep baseball fans interested during the summer months to come.

[NYY #23]

Just one word to say about 1936 - ouch

Nice to see one DiMaggio in pinstripes though.

Eckhardt is a nice story. For me it is nice to learn a little bit more about the Western League guys. You have to love a guy who is loyal to his dog too.

At least we've got some good milestones coming up soon, great stuff as usual.

[William Foster]

The Oaks dynasty keeps on pluggin' . Any of the other teams in the Pacific positioned to catch them for good in the next few years?

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by NYY #23

Just one word to say about 1936 - ouch

Nice to see one DiMaggio in pinstripes though.

Eckhardt is a nice story. For me it is nice to learn a little bit more about the Western League guys. You have to love a guy who is loyal to his dog too.

At least we've got some good milestones coming up soon, great stuff as usual.

I often have to tweak the fielding ratings for players I know to have been great glovemen, but I didn't need to touch Vince DiMaggio's ratings. He imported as a tremendous defensive player, with outstanding range and a rifle arm. He'll be great in either center or right, and will be a perennial Gold Glove candidate. Offensively, he projects as a .275 hitter with good power.

I've had fun with Eckhardt, Statz, and some of the other career minor leaguers. I figured since the PCL teams got a chance at the majors, some of their stars should, too.

I think I did a decent job creating the Ox. For some reason he hasn't run much in my universe, and he's hit with more power. The "real" Ox never hit more than 12 home runs in a season; in this world, he's surpassed that figure five times, with a career high of 20 in three different seasons. The story about the dog is great, isn't it?

Originally Posted by William Foster

The Oaks dynasty keeps on pluggin' . Any of the other teams in the Pacific positioned to catch them for good in the next few years?

That's a tough question, WF. Hollywood stole the Oaks' crown for a year, but they've slid all the way to last place this year. The Stars have stopped hitting. Joe Hauser (.236-2-12) looks like he could be all through at age 37. Billy Herman's average is in the .250s. They're getting no production out of their outfielders at all.

Right now, the San Francisco Seals have the best shot at taking the Oaks down. Their core players--outfielders Carlos Chavez, Frank Demaree, and Ival Goodman, 3B Bill Werber, pitchers Palmer Foley and Whit Wyatt--are in their prime. They have a great veteran leader in C Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe. The Seals' minor league system contains promising sluggers like OF Bill Nicholson and 1B Luke Easter, the team's first-round pick in the June draft, and Johnny Rigney has some promise as a pitcher. The key for the Seals will lie in how quickly the youngsters develop. If at least one of their fence-bashing kids grows up before the current lineup ages, I think they'll overtake the Oaks. I'd also think about trading an outfielder for some pitching help if I ran the club.

Sacramento has the best young talent in the division. Joe DiMaggio is already one of the best players in the game, they have two good young infielders in Cecil Travis and Jesus Lopez, and it looks like 22-year-old Hugh Mulcahy will develop into a solid major league pitcher. If all these youngsters stay in Sacramento, the Solons could be decent in a few years.


San Diego has Cool Papa Bell and teenage sensation Buddy Lewis, but the rest of their lineup is distinctly mediocre. Lefthander Cliff Melton has three wins since joining the team after the June draft; his ratings indicate he has the potential to be a good one. Still, I think the Padres have too many holes to seriously challenge the Oaks right now, and Cool Papa's not getting any younger.

Los Angeles has struggled for a while now. The Angels last had a winning record in 1929, and made their last playoff appearance in 1927. Ed Montague is an All-Star shortstop, and Del Bissonette has had a fine career after breaking in at age 27. However, Montague is all bat, no glove, and Bissonette is 36 years old. Their first round pick in June, Spud Chandler, stepped right in as the team's #1 starter, but since Spud's nearly 30, the Angels needed him to do just that.

Honestly, the biggest reason why the Oaks are still riding high is the fact that the other teams in their division are so mediocre. Oakland's offense is among the worst in the league--only Art Scharein and Luke Appling are hitting well, and the team has absolutely no power. Lou Gehrig has hit as many home runs (22) as the entire Oaks team this year. Oakland's pitching staff is outstanding, with four solid starters, and that's what's keeping them in first place.

The Team Power Rankings place Oakland a close third, behind Boston and Portland. I'd tend to agree with that assessment. I don't think the Oaks would win the NL Northern or AL Continental divisions on a regular basis. Their pitching might neutralize the Capital Punishers' hitting enough to give them an edge over Washington in the NL Mid-Eastern, but I'm not sure about that.

Thanks for the comments, guys.

[Big Six]

June 24, 1936

There are always plenty of stars to be seen in Hollywood, and today the biggest stars of the major leagues will be at Gilmore Field for the All-Star Game.

Here's the roster for the visiting National League All-Star team:

NATIONAL LEAGUE ALL-STARS

SP  Tommy Bridges       PHI  13-4, 2.37, 113 K
SP  Ed Brandt           BOS  14-2, 3.07, 75 K
SP  Del Ellis           DET  10-2, 2.39
SP  Satchel Paige       BOS  9-5, 2.90, 118 K
SP  Robert Hampton      BOS  9-4, 3.71
SP  Rusty Chandler      PHI  10-5, 3.94
RP  Bob Lewis           CLE  3-5, 3.05, 11 SV
RP  Pat Richardson      DET  4-4, 2.64, 6 SV
RP  Roy Parmeleee       BOS  2-0, 2.35, 6 SV
RP  Herb Bradley        PIT  2-0, 1.38, 3 SV
RP  Clay Bryant         MIL  5-2, 4.46, 3 SV
RP  Mike MacMoran       BRO  3-3, 4.56, 6 SV

C   Bob McBryde         WAS  .401-6-38
C   Henry Harris        CIN  .317-2-37
1B  Lou Gehrig          PIT  .345-22-58
1B  Buck Leonard        NYY  .330-12-42
1B  Hank Greenberg      MIL  .370-18-56
1B  Jim Bottomley       WAS  .375-14-68
2B  Charlie Gehringer   WAS  .324-5-52
2B  Tony Lazzeri        PIT  .323-12-38
3B  Harlond Clift       DET  .332-13-61
SS  Frank Crosetti      NYY  .305-7-38
LF  Joe Medwick         BRO  .362-10-52
LF  Augie Galan         CLE  .353-7-57
LF  Len Koenecke        PHI  .330-9-48
CF  Jo-Jo White         WAS  .336-1-34
CF  Pete Fox            BRO  .333-9-46
RF  Victor Reed         PHI  .343-1-40

Injured:
SP  Dizzy Dean          WAS  9-7, 3.56, 109 K
1B  Johnny Mize         DET  .330-11-36
LF  Paul Waner          DET  .333-4-38

And, the home team, the American League All-Stars:

AMERICAN LEAGUE ALL-STARS

SP  Pat Caraway         POR  12-1, 2.44
SP  Skip Campbell       OAK  9-5, 2.81
SP  Syl Johnson         POR  8-1, 3.56
SP  Ed Walsh            OAK  7-4, 2.45
SP  Quincy Dorst        CHC  7-3, 2.92
SP  Gene Schott         KC   9-4, 3.54
RP  Lance Thompson      SEA  5-3, 3.11, 12 SV
RP  Lorenzo Garcia      SAC  5-0, 1.82, 9 SV
RP  Ken Smith           OAK  4-0, 4.36, 11 SV
RP  Jaime Soto          CHW  6-5, 4.15, 6 SV
RP  Belve Bean          LA   3-2, 3.67, 7 SV
RP  Brandon Watts       OAK  6-4, 3.31, 4 SV

C   Josh Gibson         POR  .368-17-41
C   Ernie Lombardi      HOL  .331-7-32
1B  Jimmie Foxx         KC   .311-11-48
1B  Del Bissonette      LA   .315-13-53
2B  Judy Johnson        SEA  .380-1-28
2B  Stan Campbell       CHC  .326-2-39
3B  Ed Morgan           CHC  .359-13-58
SS  Arky Vaughan        CHW  .396-10-66
SS  Ed Montague         LA   .313-4-45
LF  Buzz Arlett         KC   .358-14-60
LF  Roy Weatherly       POR  .375-9-55
LF  Carlos Chavez       SF   .354-8-43
CF  Joe DiMaggio        SAC  .367-16-62
CF  Earl Averill        STL  .317-11-38
CF  Frank Demaree       SF   .325-10-59
RF  Chuck Klein         POR  .355-13-54

Injured:
CF  Cool Papa Bell      SD   .367-1-38
3B  Ray Dandridge       POR  .346-0-31

The game doesn't consider injured players for the All-Star team, so I made my own selections. Waner is the only one of the injured guys who is out for more than a few days. The Tigers will have to do without him for five more weeks, but they're used to that by now. Big Poison is, without doubt, the most fragile superstar in the game. He breaks something every season; this time, it's his cheekbone.

[Big Six]

July 6, 1936

I've decided to try something different. Instead of two or three long posts a season, I'm going to post more frequent, shorter updates. I think the pace of the simulation will stay about the same, however.

• The National League Batter of the Month for June was Pittsburgh slugger Lou Gehrig. He hit .376 with a .476 OBP during June, socking 11 homers, driving in 31 runs, and scoring 30 times himself.
  
  
• Over in the AL, the White Sox' Arky Vaughan was on fire all month long. He hit .414 with three homers and 27 RBI, raising his average to .399 for the year. His pursuit of the magical .400 could be one of the big stories of the remainder of the 1936 season.
  
  
• The National League's most dominant pitcher during June was Philadelphia ace Tommy Bridges. "Little T" won all six of his decisions, pitching to a 1.22 ERA and striking out 39 batters in 51 innings.
  
  
• His American League counterpart was Oakland's Skip Campbell. He went 4-1 during June with a 2.30 ERA.
  
  
• Since the Hollywood Stars selected him with the #20 overall pick in the draft last month, RF Goody Rosen has done nothing but rake. He's hitting .435, with three homers and 19 RBI in 18 games.
  
  
• The race in the AL Continental Division might be heating up. The Seattle Rainiers have pulled to within two games of Portland, riding the hot bats of OF Sammy Byrd (.400-4-21 in June) and 2B Judy Johnson (.390 in June). Ace reliever Lance Thompson notched three wins and four saves during the month.

[Big Six]

August 1, 1936

• The first-place Washington Senators received some bad news on July 11, when they learned that all-star shortstop Willie Wells would miss the remainder of the season with a dislocated shoulder. The Nats hope Wells will be ready for the beginning of the 1937 season, but even that isn't a sure bet.
  
  
• Kansas City fans have had little to cheer about for years, but the exploits of slugger Jimmie Foxx have provided them with plenty of thrills. On July 15, Foxx hit a fastball from Portland's Homer Blankenship over the left field fence at Municipal Stadium for the 300th home run of his career. "Double X" is only 28 years old, so there's a good chance he could end his career as the all-time home run king. Sadly, there were only 4,471 fans on hand to watch Foxx's historic homer.
  
  
• The trade market was fairly quiet as the July 31 deadline came and went. The only important deal went down on the 27th, when Oakland traded infielder Luke Appling to the Giants for southpaw Ralph Birkofer. The Oaks' decision to send one of their few productive hitters away in return for another pitcher has puzzled many insiders.
  
  
• The league Batters of the Month for July were the same sluggers who earned the prizes in June. Pittsburgh's Lou Gehrig hit .377 with 10 homers and 24 RBI, scoring 37 runs. Gehrig now has a .358-35-92 line for the year, and he's scored 121 runs in 109 games. Could we be seeing the best season of Lou's distinguished career, one in which some all-time records fall before his booming bat?
  
  
• Arky Vaughan of the White Sox ripped 48 hits in 110 July at-bats, good for a .436 average that raised his season mark to .409. Although the Sox trail the division-leading Beavers by 13 games, Arky can't be blamed for that. He's driven in 93 runs, most in the American League and two fewer than Washington's Jim Bottomley, the MLB leader.
  
  
• The New York Yankees are finally getting the kind of pitching from Bill Swift that they're accustomed to. Swift was at his best in July, going 6-0 with a 1.67 ERA and winning the NL Pitcher of the Month award.
  
  
• Jesse Cooke is a 29-year-old rookie righthander who signed with the Hollywood Stars on May 17. Since then, he's gone 10-5 with a 2.91 ERA and struck out 78 batters. In July, he won five of six decisions, punched out 34 hitters in 49 innings, and recorded a 1.46 ERA. He's the reigning American League Pitcher of the Month.
  
  
• So much for the race in the American League Continental Division. The Portland Beavers reeled off 14 wins in 15 games during late July and opened up a six-game lead over the Seattle Rainiers.

[Big Six]

August 16, 1936

Some outstanding individual feats and an intriguing waiver deal have kept baseball fans interested during the first two weeks of August.

• On August 5, Hollywood righthander Elden Auker pitched a no-hitter against Kansas City. The Stars have been slowly climbing back into contention, and Auker (11-4 on the season) is a big reason why.
  
  
• Cincinnati's slugging first baseman Dale Alexander returned to the lineup in late July, after missing nearly a year with a badly broken ankle. He's wasted no time demonstrating he's as dangerous a hitter as ever. In his first 16 games, he batted .367 and drove in 15 runs, and on August 6, he hammered three home runs as the Reds won a 14-10 slugfest from the Senators.
  
  
• Jim Bottomley has been one of the linchpins of the formidable Washington "Capital Punishers" lineup for years. On August 10, the 36-year-old veteran hit the 300th home run of his major league career to spark a 4-1 win over the Milwaukee Braves. Schoolboy Rowe was "Sunny Jim's" victim. Bottomley has a career total of 2426 hits and, interestingly, has both driven in and scored exactly 1365 runs.
  
  
• Chicago's Arky Vaughan continues to keep his average north of .400; it stood at .406 at the beginning of today's play.
  
  
• Today, the Oakland Oaks announced they had traded righthanded starter Ed Walsh to the Baltimore Orioles for first baseman Monk Sherlock. Since the July 31 deadline has come and gone, both players had to clear waivers before the deal could be consummated. Walsh was among the American League leaders with a 2.99 ERA, but he has won only one game since the All-Star break. Sherlock is a career .304 hitter with line-drive power whom the Oaks believe will fit well into their offense.