The Deadball Years - PS4 interactive season recaps

[BYU 14]

The 1900 Baseball Season ended and with it brought the end of Baseball as the nation knew it. The National League game was frowned upon by many of regal upbringing as a lewd spectacle for the unwashed masses. Ban Johnson set out to change that renaming the Western League the American League and invading several National League strongholds, Johnson declared his new league on equal footing and promised a kinder, gentler brand of Baseball that women and children could attend without fear of physical violence or colorful language.

The Brooklyn Superbas had won the NL Pennant in 1900 behind the tireless arm of Joe McGinnity (24-12, 3.08) and the capable hitting of Wee Wille Keeler 356-4-114 and Joe Kelley .313-5-106. Other stars in the established league included League MVP Honus Wagner of Pittsburgh .369-6-100, rookie of the year Christy Matthewson of the Giants 18-5, 2.42 and the Phillies slugger Nap Lajoie .321-8-124.

The old guard was now about to be challenged and a war on the diamonds of America was set to begin, with superiority to be decided in a clash of League winners at seasons end. With these new developments came new opportunities and among those who sought to take advantage were 5 strapping lads with a talent and a dream.

Cy Crooks, a gangly pitcher of 19 who had so dominated his town league in Utah that scouts sometimes came 2 and 3 at a time to watch his work.

Mathurin Hawkins, a 20 year old Irish immigrant with a knack for stealing bases and a love of the tools of ignorance making him a sought after prospect at Catcher.

Path Twelve, a mysterious Centerfielder who at 21 years of age boasted a remarkable eye at the plate and the potential to develop into a dangerous batsman.

Finn O'Connell, another fiesty Irish lad by way of Five Points who at a mere 20years of age was reputed to have a wicked array of pitches that kept seasoned minor leaguers on their heels. Was he now ready for a shot at the big time?

Finally there was Stubs Corchoran, a 21 year old RF from Massachusetts, who earned his name for his lumbering gait and while not blessed with speed the youngster had a knack for putting the sphere in play and was thought by many to be a sure .300 hitter.

As the 1901 season approaches their journey begins.

[BYU 14]

The Draft comes and goes as all NL teams overlook our youngsters, as do the AL teams as they raid National League rosters in the expansion draft. In the end Birds of a Feather flock together as all 5 become Baltimore Orioles being signed in the weeks leading up to spring training.

Pre-Season Outlook

Cy Crooks - The teenager will be handed the ball as the Orioles #1 starter and with a lineup of castoffs and n'er do wells behind him it could be a disasterous season for the rookie, to the tune of 20+ losses.

Finn O'Connell - The fiesty O'Connell fares only slightly better than Crooks as he is penciled in as the #3 starter in the rotation, which as least means he does not have to face the other teams ace every time out.

Stubs Corchoran - Stubs will platoon with veteran Jimmy Ryan in RF getting the bulk of the starts against right-handed pitching. Only CF Steve Brodie is projected as a better hitter at this point for the O's.

Mathurin Hawkins - In an ode to Frank Chance Hawkins is asked to start at 1B for the 1901 season as Baltimore goes with Bob Wood behind the plate. Hawkins will bat 5th in the order.

Path Twelve - Twelve starts out backing up the aforementioned Steve Brodie in the Orioles lineup and will be groomed to take his job as Brodie is 33 years old on opening day.

Overall it is not ideal for our fab five as Baltimore is horrible even by AL standards as the new league can not match up talent wise with their established counterparts at the moment.

[BYU 14]

Season in review
It was hitting in the NL and pitching in the AL, with Milwaukee’s dynamic duo of Pete Dowling and Bill Reidy single handedly carrying the Brewers to the pennant with 60 wins between them. Tully Sparks added 22 wins and topped both in innings pitched with 396.0. Baltimore with a lineup of pups and trial horses surprised all by leading early and eventually finishing third with 5 notable rookies all contributing.

In the NL the Mighty Phillies rode the bats of Elmer Flick (.341) and Big Ed Delahanty (.334) to the NL pennant, before disposing of the pesky upstarts from the AL in the first World Series. Bill Duggleby and Al Orth bore the brunt of the mound work for the World Champions going 25-12 and 20-10 respectively. The Pirates fell just short and with Honus Wagner (.362, 56 SB) and Ginger Beaumont (.337, 45 SB) setting the table, Deacon Phillippe (24-10, 3.79) and the eccentric Rube Waddell (20-15, 243 K) make this a formidable 9 in the future.

Notable Achievements
• Cy Crooks was selected as an All-Star reserve receiving 555,815 votes. Crooks also held right-handers to a paltry .193 batting average for the season
• Finn O’Connell was stingy in the clutch as opponents hit just .161 for the year with runners in scoring position, allowing him to place second in the AL in ERA.
• Mathurin Hawkins had a spectacular season leading the AL in doubles (43), RBI (100) winning the Silver Slugger award for Catchers and being elected as an All-Star reserve with 597,794 votes. He also hit .358 with runners in scoring position.
• Stubs Corchoran hit .338 at home for the season and was elected to the All-Star team as a starter with 695,675 votes.
• Despite limited time, Path Twelve hit .364 with runners in scoring position and .385 at home.


Transactions
• None

Injuries
• Cy Crooks suffered a minor Knee injury on June 29th, but did not go on the DL
• Finn O’Connell had a rough season suffering a rotator cuff injury July 18th, a hamstring injury August 15th and again on August 23rd which put him on the 15 day disable list.



Set to debut in 1902
Ulysses A. Spear - 2B 24 years old (Mayor McCheese)
Rob Neilsen - SP 20 years old (Coffee Warlord)
Jace Hunter - 3B 23 years old (Travis)
Al Mighty - SS 19 years old (thealmighty)
Deacon 'Palm Tree' Palmer - 1B 23 years old (ntndeacon)

[BYU 14]

For some reason the Orioles love our players as they sign 4 more prior to 1902, with the a sole rogue (Ulysses A Spear) going to the newly relocated Milwaukee squad to become a St Louis Brown.

1902 Outlook

Cy Crooks - Baltimore debut 1901: Now a 20 year old veteran Crooks will again anchor the Oriole staff as after a surprising 20 win rookie campaign. This year he will have help in the rotation and a much stronger squad behind him and we look for a 18 to 20 season.

Finn O'Connell - Baltimore debut 1901: O'Connell drops to #4 starter behind newly signed rookie Frad Glade, but if he avoids the injury problems of 1901 he should post another solid season as his velocity is said to have improved. Look for 12-15 wins and a sub 2.30 ERA.

Stubs Corchoran - Baltimore debut 1901: Stubs worked hard in the off season and enters 1902 as the starting RF for Baltimoreand will bat 3rd. Though his lack of speed hurts, he should still hit over .290 and drive in 80+ runs.

Mathurin Hawkins - Baltimore debut 1901: Hawkins finished last season as Catcher after starting at 1B and finds himself back at 1B as the starter coming out of spring training. The reigning AL RBI king will bat 5th or 6th in the order and is legitimate threat to again hit .300 and steal 30 bases, though he is not expected to drive in 100 runs again.

Path Twelve - Baltimore debut 1901: Twelve again finds himself behind not only Steve Brodie, but Jimmy Ryan on the CF depth chart. He did not develop as expected over the off season, though he will still be a valuable pinch hitter and spot starter.

Rob Neilsen - Baltimore debut 1902: The promising lefty with a blazing fastball that some say rivals Noodles Hahn will begin his rookie year in the Baltimore Bullpen, but will be sure to get a shot to start if anyone falters or gets hurt on the pitching deep Orioles.

Al Mighty - Baltimore debut 1902: With Baltimore loaded with young talent the 19 yr old rookie will start the year in triple A, which will give him a chance to get some quality playing time. Already a better hitter than starter Frank Scheibeck, Mighty will see time in the bigs by seasons end.

Deacon Palmer - Baltimore debut 1902: 'Palm Tree' begins the year behind Hawkins at 1B but appears to be the next in line if Mathurin moves back to Catcher. Palmer is a powerfully built player who can drive the ball a country mile, but does not always make solid contact.

Jace Hunter - Baltimore debut 1902: Hunter steps right in as the Orioles starting third sacker, though veteran Bill Hallman will push him for playing time. If Hunter gets off to a good start look for him to nail the job down for good as he has a great amount of potential.

Ulysses A Spear - St Louis (A) debut 1902: 36 year old Tom Daly starts the season as the Browns second baseman, but at 24 Spear is definitely looked at as the future at the position. Spear is speedy and while not possessing much power at all, should turn out to be a good #2 hitter or even a leadoff man down the road who has good range and a solid arm.

[Suicane75]

Now boys, let us not lollygag out of the gate. Why, with our spry young legs we should have more zip than a cold phosphate. I contend we will win this League and the ensuing series of the world. Let us Show those National Leaguers what this new generation of player is made of.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

Now boys, let us not lollygag out of the gate. Why, with our spry young legs we should have more zip than a cold phosphate. I contend we will win this League and the ensuing series of the world. Let us Show those National Leaguers what this new generation of player is made of.

Might this be a precursor of impending greatness??

[Suicane75]

While I'm not much for the boast or the rattle of a mans fist I see no evidence to suggest that this team cannot compete with the senior circuit and certainly not with our fellow American League squads. I'm quite sure that the passage of time will shine on my statements made here tonight and they will be remembered in the positive by future generations of fan and ball player alike when discussing this great Orioles ball club.

[BYU 14]

Season in review
Despite a big year for individual honors the defending world champion Phillies were unable to hold off the well balanced Pittsburgh nine in the NL, falling to 4th as the Pirates led by SS Honus Wagner (.333-4-87) and the fleet footed Ginger Beaumont (.345-2-72) in CF put the pennant in the bag with a strong stretch run that also boasted of five pitchers in double figure wins led by Rube Waddell (20-9, 3.11) and Jesse Tannehill (19-11, 3.40). The Cubs rebounded from a 6th place finish in 1901 to make it close led by Ned Garvin (22-11, 3.06) and the fiery play of Frank Chance (.298-2-59) at 1B and young 3B Bill Bradley (.328-0-91)

The AL race was a scintillating affair between Boston, Baltimore and Cleveland that required a one game playoff to decide the pennant winner. Baltimore forced the playoff beating Boston 5-1 on the last day of the season, but the Americans won an anti-climatic playoff game, coming back from a 2-0 1st inning hole to route the Orioles 10-2 as RF Charlie Hemphill went 3 for 5 and drove in 3 runs. George Winter (21-13, 2.09) won the playoff and led a pitching staff that also included Nick Altrock (19-10, 2.01). Hemphill (.343-7-71) set the table for the Bostonians, while Hobe Ferris (.280-7-97) cleaned it up. The Orioles showed that they are a force to be reckoned with in the future as rumors swirl of a move to New York, with AL MVP Stubs Corchoran (.379-6.92) leading a potent offense that also featured Steve Brodie (.304) and Mathurin Hawkins (.313). Rookie Rob Neilsen (14-3) had the league’s best ERA and Cy Crooks (21-8, 2.42) established himself as staff ace.

The World Series was never in doubt as the NL backed up its boasts of superiority routing Boston ace George Winter on 2 days rest in game one 7-2, then completing the sweep by pasting the Americans 15-1, 12-3 and 5-2 as George Winter lost his 2nd series game to Deacon Phillippe who topped off an injury plague year (11-8, 3.23) of only 22 starts with the trophy clinching win.

Notable Achievements
• Cy Crooks held opponents to a .183 average on the season.
• Finn O’Connell had a strong first half earning a spot as an All-Star reserve with 553,272 votes, but finished the season as a reliever.
• Mathurin Hawkins was selected to the All-Star team for a 2nd straight season as a reserve with 566,679 votes.
• Stubs Corchoran was the man of the year in 1902 winning the AL MVP, the AL batting title (.379) and leading the league in hits (220), Ops (.949) and OBP (.438) while being elected to start his 2nd straight All-Star game garnering 691,528 votes.
• Rookie Rob Neilsen led the AL in ERA at 1.62
• Rookie Jace Hunter started all 140 games at 3B for Baltimore.


Transactions
• Stubs Corchoran filed for free agency October 31st. (Baltimore will fight to keep him)
• Rob Neilsen signed a 4 year extension with Baltimore at $151 per year on October 31st.
• Jace Hunter filed for free agency October 31st. (Likely to resign with the O’s)
• Al Mighty called up from the minors by Baltimore on May 28th and filed for free agency on October 31st.
• 1B Deacon Palmer signed a 4 year extension with Baltimore at $79 per year on October 31st.

Injuries
• Cy Crooks suffered a moderate Hamstring injury on April 29th going on the 15 day DL
• Rob Neilsen spent 2 stints on the 15 day DL injuring his shoulder on June 8th and again on August 20th.

Set to debut in 1903
None

[BYU 14]

The Politics of early 20th century Baseball are in full effect as our 3 free agents sit unsigned after refusing deals from Baltimore and with opening day around the corner may be locked out for the upcoming season if no teams are will to take them on. It would be a travesty for the 1902 AL MVP to spend 1903 on his farm. Speaking of the Orioles, they moved to New York as expected and changed their name to the Highlanders, in homage to their rickety new home at Hilltop Park.

1903 Outlook

Cy Crooks – New York (A) debut 1901: 21 years old and coming off two 20 win seasons Crooks finds himself as the #2 starter out of spring training behind 27 year old rookie Barney Wolfe. He may thrive even more in this spot and should again be a potential 20 game winner if healthy all season.

Finn O'Connell – New York (A) debut 1901: Plagued by injuries and inconsistency his first 2 seasons, O’Connell struggled with his control all spring and will have a short lease as the #3 starter for the Highlanders.

Stubs Corchoran – Free Agent debut 1901: Coming off of a phenomenal season, Corchoran finds himself unemployed as his bid to squeeze more money out of his 1902 laurels appears to be backfiring as opening day arrives and he has no team.

Mathurin Hawkins - New York (A) debut 1901: Hawkins is slotted to start behind the plate from day 1 this season and with 2 straight .300+ campaigns under his belt looks primed to be the offensive leader of the Highlanders with Corchorans departure.

Path Twelve - New York (A) debut 1901: Twelve is the biggest winner in the Corchoran debacle as the void in RF opens up the opportunity for him to start. The 23 year old had a solid spring and will look to rebound from a horrid ’02 campaign that saw him hit just .186 in limited duty.

Rob Neilsen - New York (A) debut 1902: The reigning AL ERA champ is the #4 starter for the Highlanders to start the year, but will move up to #3 if O’Connell can’t harness his control. His Fastball was like a comet during the spring according to one opposing player.

Al Mighty – Free Agent debut 1902: From the minors, to starting SS to sitting on his porch. A poor move to try and squeeze more money from the team by the youngster, who will hopefully not be blackballed.

Deacon Palmer - New York (A) debut 1902: No question about the power of the husky Palmer, but his inconsistency making contact will see him start as the backup to 38 yr old Bob Wood at 1B as the season starts, though his playing time will surely increase.

Jace Hunter – Free Agent debut 1902: Another of ‘frozen’ three, Hunter ponders his future as he waits for a telegram from anyone with a spot at the hot corner.

Ulysses A Spear - St Louis (A) debut 1902: Tom Daly is gone, but now Bill Friel sits in front of Spear at 2B for the Browns, though it is likely Spear will see the field more often than he did in 1902, as his speed and defense can help the Browns as his bat catches up.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

While I'm not much for the boast or the rattle of a mans fist I see no evidence to suggest that this team cannot compete with the senior circuit and certainly not with our fellow American League squads. I'm quite sure that the passage of time will shine on my statements made here tonight and they will be remembered in the positive by future generations of fan and ball player alike when discussing this great Orioles ball club.

Get it right and stop talking like a damn politician. We're gonna simply plow through those god damn National Leaguers like we did 'back in '98 against them damn Spaniards.

Oh yeah. Ain't none of you gonna hit me, ever.

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Get it right and stop talking like a damn politician. We're gonna simply plow through those god damn National Leaguers like we did 'back in '98 against them damn Spaniards.

Oh yeah. Ain't none of you gonna hit me, ever.

Since John McGraw is the teams manager, Rob will surely endear himself with quotes like this

[ntndeacon]

This Wood boy needs to get out of the Tree's way! He is over the hill and the Tree is primed for a great coming out season. We could even hit over 10 homers if given the chance!

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Get it right and stop talking like a damn politician. We're gonna simply plow through those god damn National Leaguers like we did 'back in '98 against them damn Spaniards.

Oh yeah. Ain't none of you gonna hit me, ever.

On the basis that this squad pays me my deserved wage then I could not agree with your statement any more. However being as I am currently free to sign with any team in these major leagues I can only hope that you keep your arm healthy enough so as I can support your outings from the same dugout, or bat against you if I am the opposition.

[BYU 14]

Looks like a little grudge building and after being blackballed for 1903 Stubs will have plenty of frustration to take out, I would want him back as a Highlander Rob

[BYU 14]

Season in review
A change in nicknames and the most powerful offense in the league brought the Chicago Cubs their first pennant of the 20th century as the hit .293 as a team led by Roger Bresnahan (.331-4-97), Bill Bradley (.318-6-104) and Frank Chance (.317-0-47,136 runs and 83 SB). Rookie Jake Weimer (26-5, 2.98) took advantage of this support to win both the Cy Young and Rookie Pitcher of the year awards, while Nixey Callahan chipped in 22 wins of his own. NL MVP Honus Wagner (.359-5-93), Ginger Beaumont (.338-7-86) and three 16+ game winners (Waddell, Chesbro and Phillippe) kept the Pirates close, but the Cubs won their final 10 games to widen the gap to 4 by seasons end.

The newly relocated New York Highlanders limped home with just enough to hold off Boston, despite the year long holdout of reigning AL MVP Stubs Corchorane. Taking advantage of his absence, Path Twelve stepped into his spikes as the starting RF and put together an MVP and Rookie of the year season at .336-1-75, with 87 runs scored. Veteran Steve Brodie (.312-0-56) chipped in as well and the emergence of Barney Wolfe (21-10, 2.25) offset a down year by Cy Crooks, while Rob Neilsen and Finn O’Connell contributed 16 and 14 wins respectively. Boston rode Fred Clarke (.341-0-66) and George Winter (21-13, 2.12) but newly acquired Noodles Hahn (17-15, 2.61) was inconsistent and lost some big games down the stretch.

The World Series started in promising fashion as the Cubs took the first game 5-4 at home with 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th, after the Highlanders plated 2 in the top half to take the lead. From there on out it was all windy city as the NL Champions won 9-0, 8-2 and 6-2 to give the senior circuit their second straight sweep in the fall classic.

Notable Achievements
• Cy Crooks only redeeming factor to a frustrating season was holding opponents to a .196 average in August.
• Finn O’Connell was death to right handed batters holding them to a .185 batting average for the season and posting a WHIP of 1.08.
• Mathurin Hawkins was again selected to the All-Star team as a reserve with 608,083 votes as well as winning the Silver Slugger award for Catchers. Hawkins also finished 2nd in the AL with 94 RBI.
• Path Twelve may make Stubs Corchoran the original Wally Pipp as he led the AL in hits (185) walks (83) and OPB (.421) en route to winning both the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards. He also started in CF for the AL in the All-Star game garnering 715,730 votes, won the CF Silver Slugger award and added a Gold Glove for good measure.
• Ulysses A Spear was an impressive 5 for 10 with runners in scoring position as a pinch hitter.


Transactions
• Mathurin Hawkins signed a 2 year extension with New York at $150 per season.
• Finn O’Connell signed a 4 year extension with New York at $152 per season.

Injuries
• Cy Crooks was again as fragile as a glass vase landing on the 15 day DL on May 8th due to an arm injury and being hampered later in the season by a hamstring pull (July 22nd) and a rotator cuff strain (August 18th)
• Finn O’Connell also wore down at season’s end, being slowed by a Hamstring pull on August 14th and Rotator Cuff trouble on September 12th.
• Rob Neilsen suffered a minor arm injury on August 20th.


It will be interesting to see if our three outcasts return to Baseball’s good graces and without a doubt a message was sent to the players in both leagues that you are never too good to be locked out if you don’t play the proverbial ‘ball’ as Stubs Corchoran found out in the most painful of ways.

Set to debut in 1904
None

Would love to get a couple more guys in for 1905, if you are interested post a player in the sign up thread.

[path12]

I'd just like to thank Stubs for holding out.

[Travis]

Come on Hunter, get back in gear. Way too early to be pulling this crap.

[BYU 14]

The good news is all 3 holdouts signed for 1904.

Jace Hunter will ply his trade under Connie Mack for the Athletics signing a 3 year $234 per season deal.

Stubs Corchoran will join a loaded Pirate squad after signing a 1 year deal for the princely sum of $1,182 for the seaon.

Al Mighty signed a 1 year deal for $284 with the Washington Senators.

Stubs joining a lineup that features Honus Wagner, Ginger Beaumont and Tommy Leach, with Rube Waddell, Jack Chesbro and Deacon Phillippe on the hill.....Pittsburgh may be tough to beat.

[Coffee Warlord]

If this Stubs character gets a thousand dollars a year, I damn well better be seeing twice that. Fans come to see my arm. Even Teddy Roosevelt said he'd never seen anything like it.

[Suicane75]

I would certainly at this time like to announce my appreciation to Mr. McKnight, the fine owner of the Pittsburgh squad of which I am about to join. I have no doubt that the club in New York are of lesser talent on the field and of lesser character in the front office.

While my dream of playing baseball is immense, my beliefs in the proper way to treat a man are just as great and I can say without hesitation that the owners of that club have spent a year trying to gain my services for far less than what was deserved.

At this time I simply desire to look forward to the coming season and cannot wait to play alongside a great ballplayer such as Mr. Wagner.

[BYU 14]

Our prodigal trio has returned and will once again be plying their trade in the Majors and for the first time one of our lads will be toiling for a National League Nine.

1904 Outlook

Cy Crooks – New York (A) debut 1901: Injuries plagued Crooks in 1903 and contributed to a subpar season. There are some that are beginning to question his durability, but at 22 he still has time prove his mettle and will again begin the season as the Highlanders #1 Starter.

Finn O'Connell – New York (A) debut 1901: Coming off his best season O’Connell was stingy with the hits, but still has control issues that and he continues to have a walk to strikeout ration of over 3-1 for his career. O’Connell will be the Highlanders #4 starter and could be special if he harnesses his control.

Stubs Corchoran – Pittsburgh debut 1901: In the end Corchoran was a big winner in his 1903 holdout as he landed as the starting RF for the Pittsburgh Pirates and will bat anywhere between 4th and 6th in a loaded lineup that is sure to send chills through even the league’s most stalwart hurlers. Stubs played semi-pro ball while out and was said to have been hitting ropes in spring training.

Mathurin Hawkins - New York (A) debut 1901: Hawkins is now firmly entrenched as the Highlanders regular Catcher and will bat either 3rd or 4th in the lineup. A career .300 hitter Hawkins, has also gained a reputation for a rocket arm and has been named in All-Star in each of his first three seasons. He will be the lynchpin of the Highlanders attack this season.

Path Twelve - New York (A) debut 1901: Path took full advantage of his opportunity in 1903 winning league MVP honors and rookie of the year and will begin the season as the starting CF for the Highlanders and will bat either 2nd or 3rd in the order. While it is not expected that he will repeat his success of 1903 he still creates a formidable 1-2m punch with Hawkins in the New York lineup.

Rob Neilsen - New York (A) debut 1902: Despite winning 16 games in his second season Neilsen finds himself in the bullpen as the suddenly pitching rich Highlanders boast 6 potential starters. Neilsen will likely get his share of starts as the season goes on as his velocity is good.

Al Mighty – Washington debut 1902: Many questioned the choice of Mighty to hold out and it may indeed prove costly, despite the fact that he is back in the big leagues. The Senators have an All-Star SS in 24 year old Joe Tinker and Washington may not be big enough for both of them, while Mighty would have surely been starting had he remained a Highlander.

Deacon Palmer - New York (A) debut 1902: Palmer continues to be hurt by his reputation as a big swinger with little finesse and he will start 1904 as the backup at 1B to Red Kleinow, who seems to fit John McGraw’s template of a small ball player. Palmer has a great eye and will need to cut down his swing to play more.

Jace Hunter – Philadelphia (A) debut 1902: Hunter is signed by a mediocre Philadelphia squad whose biggest plus is being managed by the tall tactician Connie Mack. Hunter will start at 3B for the Athletics and bat either 4th or 5th behind veteran slugger Socks Seybold in a decent enough lineup that will need help from an average pitching staff.

Ulysses A Spear - St Louis (A) debut 1902: 1904 is shaping up as a breakthrough year for Spear who is one of only 3 middle infielders on the Browns major league roster. Spears will start at both 2B and SS depending on the pitching matchup and is slated to hit 4th in a Browns lineup that will likely hit fewer homeruns than any team in the big leagues.

1905 Debuts
O’olish ‘The Dublin Kid’ Amaneh – SP 23 years old (Jabez54)

Kangee ‘Chief’ Twinfeather – LF 19 years old (PointGuard)

J.G ‘Wrathchild’ Rothschild – SS 21 years old (Wrathchild)

Buckaroo ‘Buck’ Banzai – SS 21 years old (reflections)

[BYU 14]

Season in review
The NL pennant race was a thrilling affair with Chicago, Philly and Pittsburgh battling to the wire. The Cubs took their second straight pennant despite no regulars hitting over .300, though Frank Chance (.297, 60 SB), Bill Bradley (.294) and SS Freddy Parent (.291) were all solid. Pitching was much the same as a balanced staff saw 6 hurler win in double figures led by Jake Weimer (18-15, 2.42) and Buttons Briggs (17-16, 3.96). The Phillies were certainly more formidable on paper led by Nap Lajoie (.385-7-135), Elmer Flick (.307-6-84, 40 SB) and Doc White (22-15, 2.81) but in the end they did not have the depth of the Cubbies. Pittsburgh got great seasons from Honus Wagner and Stubs Corchoran who both hit .357 and Ginger Beaumont (.307) but were hurt by a down year from Deacon Phillippe (12-13, 2.98) though they did boast two 20 game winners in Rube Waddell and Jack Chesbro.

The AL was all New York all season long as the Highlanders cruised to a 23 game advantage over 2nd place Detroit, winning a record 106 games in the process. Path Twelve (.358-1-84) and Mathurin Hawkins (.316-1-85) swung big sticks, but it was pitching that carried the New York Nine with a team Era of 1.96, led by Cy Crooks (25-13, 2.33), Barney Wolfe (24-5, 1.38) and the versatile Finn O’Connell (15-3, 1.33, 5 saves)

The World Series was met with a great deal of excitement as the public thought New York would be sure to bring the American League their first World Championship, especially after the Highlanders took game one 6-4 and followed a 3-1 Cubs win with an 8-2 rout on game three to take a 2-1 lead. But from there the Cubs balance carried the day again as they took hard fought 6-4 and 5-3 wins at home and then captured their second World Championship with a 4-3 thriller at Hilltop Park in game 7.

Notable Achievements
• Cy Crooks recorded a career high 25 wins
• Finn O’Connell despite only starting 13 games appeared in 40 and led the league in both ERA and saves. Lefties hit just .161 against Finn as he recorded a WHIP of just 0.97.
• Rob Neilsen tied his career high with 16 wins.
• Mathurin Hawkins piled up the accolades winning the AL MVP, the Silver Slugger Award for catchers, was elected to the All-Star team as a starter with 602,590 votes and led the league in hits (201) RBI (85) Runs (119) and Doubles (52)
• Path Twelve had another huge year as well winning the AL batting title (.358) the Silver Slugger for CF and was also elected as an All-Star starter in CF with 669,375 votes. He also led the AL in OPB (.443), Slugging PCT (.474) and OPS (.917)
• Ulysses A Spear despite a poor overall season at the plate, Spear did pick it up in August hitting .304.
• Stubs Corchoran is elected as an All-Star starter his first year back receiving 648,925 votes and hits .382 with runners in scoring position.
• Al Mighty wins the 1904 AL Silver Slugger award for SS
• Jace Hunter is elected as the starting All-Star 3B and wins the AL Silver Slugger award at 3B. He also hits a handy .330 with runners in scoring position for the year.


Transactions
• Rookie J.G Rothschild signs a 1 year deal with Cleveland at $25
• Rookies Buck Banzai (1 year $13) O’olish Amaneh (1 year $13) and Kangee Twinfeather (1 year $13) all sign with the St Louis Browns.
• Ulysses A Spear resigns with the Browns for 1 year at $135.
• Path Twelve jumps ship in New York and also joins the Browns on a 1 year deal worth $935
• Stubs Corchoran angered at the Pirates offer, hold out and is released, signing with Cleveland for a mere $42 for 1 year, in a move certainly meant to spite the Pirates. Stubs is becoming quite the thorn to management.

Injuries
• Cy Crooks sustained a minor knee injury May 10th, but only missed 2 starts
• Path Twelve suffered a Biceps injury that landed him on the 15 day DL April 29th.
• Stubs Corchoran hurt his knee May 30th but only missed 2 games.
• Al Mighty sustained a minor leg injury on July 26th, missing no time due to the injury.


A big year for many of our players in 1904, with Hawkins and Twelve each hauling in enough hardware to require an extension to their fireplace mantles.

Set to debut in 1905
O’olish ‘The Dublin Kid’ Amaneh – SP 23 years old (Jabez54)

Kangee ‘Chief’ Twinfeather – LF 19 years old (PointGuard)

J.G ‘Wrathchild’ Rothschild – SS 21 years old (Wrathchild)

Buckaroo ‘Buck’ Banzai – SS 21 years old (reflections)

[BYU 14]

Four new rookies join the ranks for 1905 and there is more movement, though St Louis and New York carry over half of our players between them.

1905 Outlook

Cy Crooks – New York (A) debut 1901: Coming off his best season yet Crooks will once again anchor the Highlanders rotation as the #1 starter.

Finn O'Connell – New York (A) debut 1901: The reigning AL ERA champ moves back into the starting rotation full time and will hold down the #3 spot behind Barney Wolfe.

Stubs Corchoran – Cleveland debut 1901: Our resident mercenary will bat 3rd and anchor the Nap’s offense as the starting RF as he prepares to play for his third major league team since his debut.

Mathurin Hawkins - New York (A) debut 1901:One of the league’s top Catchers Hawkins will again hold down the fort behind the dish and bat 4th.

Path Twelve – St Louis (A) debut 1901: In a shocking move, Twelve jumps to the Browns after 4 seasons in New York and is being touted as the clubs savior. He will start in CF and bat between 4th and 6th.

Rob Neilsen - New York (A) debut 1902: Mr. consistency will round out the Highlander rotation at #4 and will look to add his usual 14-16 wins.

Al Mighty – Philadelphia (A) debut 1902: Mighty is as restless as Stubs Corchoran as he joins his third big league team and will team with Johnny Evers to form the A’s double play combo while batting 6th.

Deacon Palmer - New York (A) debut 1902:Palmer is again stuck behind Red Kleinow at 1B and seems to be a permanent figure on the bench under John McGraw’s style of play.

Jace Hunter – Philadelphia (A) debut 1902: Hunter continues to improve and the 26yr old will once again hold down the hot corner for Connie Mack and company, hitting in either the 2nd or 3rd spot.

Ulysses A Spear - St Louis (A) debut 1902: The speedster is relegated to a backup role as Bill Friel returns to St Louis after a 1 year stint with the Cubs as it appears management has lost faith in Spear.

O’olish Amaneh – St Louis (A) debut 1905: With the Browns rotation set, Amaneh will start the season in the minors where he will have a chance to develop and work on his velocity.

Kangee ‘Chief’ Twinfeather – St Louis (A) debut 1905: A powerfully built player, though still raw at just 19, Chief will be asked to start in LF for the Browns, batting 3rd vs LH pitching and 5th vs RH pitching.

J.G Rothschild – Cleveland (A) debut 1905: With no other pure SS on the roster, Rothschild will be handed the starting job for the Naps and asked to hit ahead of Corchoran in the 2 hole.

Buck Banzai – St Louis (A) debut 1905: Another fortunate landing for one of our rookies as he will start at SS for the Browns who are thin at the position, Banzai will bat either 2nd (LH) or 7th (RH) and brings a rocket arm to the Browns middle infield.

1906 Debuts

Lou Mazzilli – 23 yr old SP (Sweet)
Lou grew up in Sicily on his foster family's vineyard knowing nothing of Baseball, not even knowing the word existed. But he did know he wanted a better life far away from his slave driven foster parents. Thru the years growing up, just to make himself feel a bit better, he’d take a couple of bushel’s of grapes and one by one, throw them at the cackle’s that flew around the vineyard. He’d gotten pretty good hitting them from over 20 some odd feet away. Not too shabby considering the size of the little buggers. Over time he was hitting the wasps and bees off the vines at close to the same distance. His aim (I like to call it control) was something to be seen. Unfortunately his foster dad Luigi, didn’t appreciate the talent and shipped him off to his cousin in the land of opportunity

[Coffee Warlord]

Care if we add a second?

[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Care if we add a second?

Absolutely not, I can get him in for 1906.

BTW, Neilsen reached a milestone in 1905

[Suicane75]

I believe that when a man says he would play this game for nothing, why he ought mean it. I'll take but a dollar to show my former employers the error of their ways if necessary.

[BYU 14]

Season in review
Another tight race in the NL with dark horse Brooklyn edging out Philadelphia, by clinching the pennant on the 2nd to last day of the season. The Superbas were led by rookie Ed Reulbach (18-11, 2.42) and journeyman Oscar Jones who turned in a career season at 21-16, 3.19. Offensively only Homer Smoot (.308-0-54) hit above .300, but Jimmy Sheckard (.298) did chip in 7 hr’s and 77 RBI. The Phillies had a far superior lineup, but lost Nap Lajoie (.325-6-78) heading into the final week and was a crushing blow, despite the contributions of Elmer Flick (.314-3-82) and CF John Titus (.308-3-70) Pitching was thin for the Phillies with veteran Cy Young (18-9, 2.36) bouncing back after an injury filled 1904 and starting 1905 in minors.

No runaway for the Highlanders in the AL, as they chased the Athletics all season long and could never draw more than a game or two ahead as Philadelphia rode bats of Jace Hunter (.306-2-69) and Socks Seybold (.293-4-89), but it was A’s pitching that truly shined as Weldon Henley (26-7, 1.97), Ned Garvin (21-3, 1.33) and Jay Hughes (19-15, 2.15) formed a formidable Trifecta. New York could have used a another good year from their ace Cy Crooks, but he sunk to 18-18, 2.08 leaving the heavy lifting to the resurgent Finn O’Connell (26-13, 1.28) who returned from the bullpen with a vengeance and first time 20 game winner Rob Neilsen (20-10, 2.02). Rookie Otis Clymer paced the offense at .304-1-61 for the crew from Hilltop Park.

Despite once again having a superior record, the AL was rudely brushed aside in the world series as the mighty A’s managed just 2 runs total being swept by Brooklyn 4-0, 2-1, 4-1 and 4-0 with Oscar Jones and veteran Joe McGinnity recoding the shutouts as the NL wins the fall classic for the 5th straight time.

Notable Achievements
• Finn O’Connell was the best pitcher in the AL winning the Cy Young award, making the All-Star team with 674,210 votes and leading the Jr. circuit in ERA at 1.28 for the second straight year. Held opponents to a .197 BA for the season.
• Rob Neilsen recorded a career high 20 wins and held opponents to a .144 BA in September.
• Mathurin Hawkins despite an off year (.277) by his standards still made the All-Star team as a starter with 682,470 votes, won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards for Catchers and led the AL in doubles (50)
• Path Twelve had an impressive first year in St Louis being named the starting CF in the All-Star game with 689,103 votes while winning the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards for CF, and leading the AL in walks (92)
• Rookie Kangee ‘Chief’ Twinfeather led the AL in home runs with 7
• Stubs Corchoran once again proves he can hit in any city winning the AL MVP award and batting title (.364), while also leading the league in OPB (.439), Slugging pct (.493), OPS (0.932) and hits (216). He also earned his 4th trip to the All-Star game starting in RF with 740,070 votes. He also hit .370 of better in every month but July (.286)
• Jace Hunter was elected as the AL’s starting 3B in the All-Star game receiving 619,545 votes
• Al Mighty won his second straight Silver Slugger award at SS


Transactions
• O’olish Amaneh signs a 4 year extension with St Louis at $76 per year
• Kangee Twinfeather signs a 3 year extension with St Louis at $121 per year
• Al Mighty signs a 4 year extension with Philadelphia (A) at $975 per year
• J.G Rothschild signs a 4 year extension with Cleveland at $221 per year
• Mathurin Hawkins signs a 3 extension with New York (A) at $326 per year
• Stubs Corchoran has found a home signing a 4 year extension with Cleveland at $1578 per year
• Cy Crooks is released by New York and signs a 3 year deal with Chicago (N) at $1602 per year
• Ulysses Spear signs a 1 year contract with Cleveland at $239 per year
• Path Twelve signs a 1 year deal with St Louis (N) at $1,134 per year
• Buck Banzai signs a 1 year deal with St Louis (N) at $457 per year
• Rookie Wallace Bryant signs a 1 year deal with Boston (A) at $14 per year
• Rookie Lou Mazzilli signs a 1 year deal with Chicago (N) at $13 per year
• Rookie Johnny Williams signs a 1 year deal with St Louis (N) at $13 per year
• Rookie Eric Flamebeard signs a 1 year deal with Detroit at $15 per year.

Injuries
• Finn O’Connell sustained a very minor arm injury on April 25th, but did not miss a start.
• J.G Rothschild suffered a very serious bicep injury, landing on the 60 day DL on September 3rd.
• Jace Hunter sustained a very minor quadriceps injury on August 19th, but still played in all 154 games.


A break out year for O’ Connell and Stubs was just being Stubs, tearing up the AL, then shocking the world by deciding to stay in Cleveland. The Highlanders did not have the money to resign Crooks and let him go, with the Cubs happy to swoop in and add him to the fold.