MLB History Replay: 1901 - today

[Boozie1580]

I'm going to post the results of my replay through the history of MLB, starting in 1901. I'm trying to make everything as historically accurate as possible; the main difference is that the rookies will go into the amateur draft. Results of the 1901 season to follow in the next post.

[Boozie1580]

Pittsburgh sweeps Baltimore to cap off dominant season

To finish off a year that may wind up being considered one of the most dominant in Major League history, the Pittsburgh Pirates (100-40) swept an excellent Baltimore Orioles team (92-48) in four games to claim the World Series title. After leading Major League Baseball in both runs scored and runs against, the Pirates never gave Baltimore a chance. The 1-2 punch of Rube Waddell and Jesse Tannehill, the top two pitchers in MLB by ERA, led the pitching staff to allow a ridiculous 2.00 earned runs per game. Meanwhile, despite a down year from star Honus Wagner, LF Fred Clarke and CF Ginger Beaumont both put up MVP-caliber seasons to set the pace for the league's best offense.

AL Standings and Leaders:



NL Standings and Leaders:

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AL MVP: John McGraw (3B/SS) - Baltimore Orioles

140 G / 519 AB / 174 H / 31 2B / 17 3B / 1 HR
87 RBI / 141 R / 129 BB / 25 K / 62 SB
.335 AVG / .486 OBP / .466 SLG / 171 OPS+

McGraw split his time between 3rd base (99 games) and shortstop (41 games), playing excellent defense at both. He led the majors in OBP, OPS, walks, and stolen bases.

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AL Outstanding Pitcher / AL Rookie of the Year: Stan Yerkes (SP) - Baltimore Orioles

35 GS / 29 W / 4 L
309.2 IP / 293 H / 65 ER / 5 HR / 57 BB / 118 K
1.13 WHIP / 1.89 ERA / 178 ERA+

In his first year in the majors, Yerkes was the AL's best pitcher and took down both the Outstanding Pitcher and the Rookie of the Year awards. He led the league in innings pitched and wins, and threw 4 complete game shutouts.

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1901 NL MVP: Ginger Beaumont (CF) - Pittsburgh Pirates

140 G / 547 AB / 206 H / 17 2B / 1 3B / 9 HR
106 RBI / 99 R / 56 BB / 36 K / 25 SB
.377 AVG / .432 OBP / .461 SLG / .893 OPS / 170 OPS+

The 25-year old Beaumont could not have been better in 1901. He led the league in hits, RBI, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while playing an above-average centerfield. Beaumont had a record 32-game hitting streak over the months of July and August

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1901 NL Outstanding Pitcher: Rube Waddell (SP) - Pittsburgh Pirates

35 GS / 27 W / 8 L
319.1 IP / 242 H / 51 ER / 3 HR / 53 BB / 232 K
0.92 WHIP / 1.44 ERA / 201 ERA+

This one was easy to call. Waddell led the league in nearly every meaningful category: wins, ERA, strikeouts, WHIP, and innings pitched.

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1901 NL ROY: Doc White (SP) - Philadelphia Phillies

35 GS / 23 W / 11 L
2.76 ERA / 1.18 WHIP / 306.1 IP / 58 BB / 170 K

White was one of the bright spots in a mediocre season for the Phillies. At only 22, Philadelphia is hoping he can take the next step and become a true ace in 1902. He'll need to for them to have any chance of competing with Pittsburgh.

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Cleveland selects SP Addie Joss with top pick



After finishing a horrific 47-93 in 1901, the Cleveland Blues have a new name and a new ace. Cleveland, now called the Bronchos, selected starting pitcher Addie Joss with the top pick of the 1901 draft. Scouts say the 21-year old Joss is a workhorse who has the potential to be among the MLB leaders in innings pitched right away.

Top 5 picks:

1) Cleveland - SP Addie Joss
2) Chicago (NL) - SP Bob Ewing*
3) Detroit - SP Ham Iburg
4) Philadelphia (AL) - SP Alex Pearson
5) New York (NL) - SP Chappie McFarland

*Ewing failed to sign with Chicago and will be in the 1902 draft class. The Orphans will receive a first round pick in 1902.

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World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over Boston Americans

With the best pitching staff and lineup in the NL, and Honus Wagner due to bounce back from an underwhelming 1901, Pittsburgh is simply too good to pick against. Boston finished 3 games back of Baltimore in the American League last season. Their top two starters of Cy Young and Ted Lewis are the best 1-2 punch in the AL, and it would be nearly impossible for Baltimore's Stan Yerkes to replicate the season he had in 1901 (29-4, 1.89 ERA). Look for Boston to edge out the Orioles this time around.

AL MVP: 2B Nap Lajoie, Philadelphia Athletics
Lajoie led the majors with a .382 batting average last season and made a case for the 1901 MVP. At 27, he is at the prime of his career and could threaten to break .400.

AL Outstanding Pitcher: Cy Young, Boston Americans
At 35, Young has not yet shown any signs of slowing down. After having to read about Baltimore in the World Series last year, he'll have a little extra motivation to come up with one more huge year before his age catches up to him.

NL MVP: 1B Ed Delahanty, Philadelphia Phillies
Delahanty put up MVP-caliber numbers last season with a .326/.389/.497 slash line and a league-leading 13 home runs. He's no spring chicken at 34, but like Young, he hasn't shown his age yet either.

NL Outstanding Pitcher: Rube Waddell, Pittsburgh Pirates
After the way he pitched last year, it would be tough to pick anyone else. Waddell is far and away the best strikeout pitcher in the world, and at 25 he could still be getting better.

[Boozie1580]

The story of the season so far on July 1st is the disappointing year in Pittsburgh. The Pirates are sitting in 5th place in the National League because of two things: offense and luck. Pittsburgh has allowed the fewest runs in the majors, but their offense is has scored the 2nd fewest. Reigning MVP Ginger Beaumont is having a terrible season (.266/.317/.314), and other than Honus Wagner (.336) and Fred Clarke (.334), no one else in the lineup is hitting either. That said, the Pirates still are +30 in runs, are 7-20 in 1-run games and 1-10 in extra inning games. If their luck turns around, Philadelphia's lead could evaporate quickly.

In the AL, Boston is holding on despite their #2 starter, Ted Lewis, out for the season with an elbow injury. Cy Young has been excellent (1.92 ERA). The Orioles have completely fallen apart after last year's Outstanding Pitcher winner Stan Yerkes was lost for the season with a torn UCL. They've allowed the most runs in MLB and are 11.5 games back.

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Young leads Boston past Philadelphia to World Championship

In the American League, the Boston Americans never gave up their midseason lead, and took the pennant by three games over the St. Louis Browns. Meanwhile, the NL was much more dramatic. As expected, Pittsburgh rallied and actually led the pennant race with a few weeks left in the season. Led by last season's Rookie of the Year, Doc White, the Phillies battled back and ended up sweeping Brooklyn in the last series of the year, forcing Pittsburgh to beat Cincinnati in game 140. They fell just short, losing 4-3.

In the World Series, Cy Young outdueled White twice, providing half of the wins in a 4-1 series victory for Boston.

Final standings:

[Boozie1580]

1902 AL MVP / Rookie of the Year - Patsy Dougherty (LF, age 25) - Philadelphia Athletics

138 G / 579 AB / 227 H / 28 2B / 15 3B / 6 HR
93 RBI / 111 R / 44 BB / 28 K / 24 SB
.392 AVG / .434 OBP / .523 SLG / .958 OPS

After a rookie took home the Outstanding Pitcher award in the American League last year, a rookie takes home the MVP in 1902. Dougherty turned out to be a steal, drafted by the A's in the second round. Stepping right into the heart of the Philadelphia lineup, he flirted with .400 and ran away with the award.



1902 AL Outstanding Pitcher - Ned Garvin (SP, age 28) - St. Louis Browns

35 GS / 24 W / 7 L
294.0 IP / 230 H / 62 ER / 5 HR / 90 BB / 137 K
1.09 WHIP / 1.90 ERA

After a solid but unspectacular year in 1901, Garvin decreased his ERA by nearly a full run in 1902. He was the main reason St. Louis threatened Boston for the pennant in their first season since moving from Milwaukee.


Bold = led league

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1902 NL MVP - Emmet Heidrick (CF, age 26) - St. Louis Cardinals

138 G / 582 AB / 210 H / 30 2B / 16 3B / 8 HR
79 RBI / 106 R / 38 BB / 49 K / 32 SB
.361 AVG / .397 OBP / .509 SLG / .906 OPS

Heidrich is a true 5 tool player. The Cardinals believe he could be the best player in the league if he learned to take a few more walks. He also took home a Gold Glove award to go along with his MVP.



1902 NL Outstanding Pitcher - Deacon Philippe (SP, age 30) - Pittsburgh Pirates

34 GS / 25 W / 7 L
304.0 IP / 258 H / 51 ER / 0 HR / 34 BB / 107 K
0.96 WHIP / 1.51 ERA

In 1901, Phillippe missed the final 6 months of the season with bone chips in his elbow, and watched as his team won the World Series with 2 of his teammates (Rube Waddell and Jesse Tannehill) finishing 1-2 for the Outstanding Pitcher award. In 1902, he came back in a big way, upstaging Waddell and Tannehill and completely running away with the award.



1902 NL Rookie of the Year - George Mullin (SP, age 22) - Cincinnati Reds

34 GS / 15 W / 16 L
291.2 IP / 283 H / 78 ER / 1 HR / 83 BB / 111 K
1.25 WHIP / 2.41 ERA

Mullin was the 6th overall pick in the 1901 draft by the Reds.

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Bender leads off 1902 draft, Baltimore relocates to the Big Apple



The Chicago White Sox chose SP Chief Bender with the first overall pick in the 1902 draft. The 18-year old Bender is reported to have a four-pitch repertoire including a fastball that can hit up to 94 mph on the gun. The next four picks were P Mordecai Brown to the Beaneaters, P Jake Weimer to the newly-renamed Chicago Cubs, SP Red Ames to the Giants, and last year's #2 pick P Bob Ewing to Brooklyn.

In other news, after a very disappointing 1902 season the Baltimore Orioles have moved to New York City to become the New York Highlanders.

[Boozie1580]

World Series: Pittsburgh Pirates over St. Louis Browns
Despite losing out on the pennant to Philadelphia last season, the Pirates still have the best pitching staff in baseball and one of the best lineups. They should have some extra motivation this time around. Meanwhile, the Browns finished only 3 games back of Boston in 1902, and with Boston's pitching staff beginning to age, they should be able to overtake the Americans this time around.

AL MVP: LF Patsy Dougherty - Philadelphia Athletics
Dougherty had an incredible year in 1902 as a rookie, and there's no reason to think he won't keep it going this year as he gets closer to his prime

AL Outstanding Pitcher: Ned Garvin - St. Louis Browns
Garvin was a late bloomer, taking a major step forward at age 29 last year. After leading the league in strikeouts and ERA, he's a safe pick for 1903.

NL MVP: RF Sam Crawford - Cincinnati Reds
Crawford has been one of the best pure hitters in baseball the past few years, leading the league in extra base hits the past two seasons. This could be the year that his skills are rewarded with some hardware.

NL Outstanding Pitcher: Doc White - Philadelphia Phillies
Just like Crawford, White was terrific in '01 and '02, but in each year someone else was better. Two losses in the World Series should give him a little extra motivation for 1903, and at 24 he's just now entering his prime.