History of Major League Baseball - a "what if" scenario - ootp7 -- take #whocares

[doncoryell]

American League Outstanding Batter Award
Elmer Flick, Philadelphia (A)
137 g, 540 ab, 94 r, 179 h, 33 2b, 10 3b, 4 hr, 67 rbi, 59 bb, 29 k, 54 sb, .331 avg, .399 obp, .452 slg

National League Outstanding Batter Award
Fred Clarke, Pittsburgh
136 g, 558 ab, 105 r, 193 h, 37 2b, 20 3b, 2 hr, 85 rbi, 52 bb, 51 k, 72 sb, .346 avg, .407 obp, .495 slg

American League Outstanding Pitcher Award
Frank Kitson, St.Louis (A)
24-10, 0 sv, 2.04 era, 35 g, 35 gs, 317.2 ip, 273 ha, 96 r, 72 er, 36 bb, 145 k, 0.97 whip, .232 oavg

National League Outstanding Pitcher Award
Noodles Hahn, Cincinnati
28-6, 0 sv, 2.12 era, 35 g, 35 gs, 326.2 ip, 274 ha, 112 r, 77 er, 61 bb, 161 k, 1.03 whip, .229 oavg

American League Rookie of the Year Award
Doc Gessler, Baltimore
111 g, 369 ab, 65 r, 128 h, 27 2b, 14 3b, 1 hr, 64 rbi, 28 bb, 22 k, 8 sb, .347 avg, .420 obp, .504 slg

National League Rookie of the Year Award
Otto Hess, Brooklyn
21-12, 0 sv, 2.43 era, 34 g, 34 gs, 307.2 ip, 301 h, 121 r, 83 er, 84 bb, 134 k, 1.25 whip, .258 oavg



Major League Records Set or Tied
Batting
Hits: 211 - Ginger Beaumont, Pittsburgh
Triples: 20 - Fred Clarke, Pittsburgh
Hitting Streak: 32 - Ken Elberfeld, Chicago (A)

Pitching
Earned Run Average: 1.95 - Eddie Plank, Philadelphia (A)
Wins: 28 - Noodles Hahn, Cincinnati
Losses: 26 - Bob Wicker, St.Louis (N)
Saves: 4 - Frank Morrissey, Boston (A)
Bases on Balls: 135 - Bob Wicker, St.Louis (N)
Strikeouts: 216 - Rube Waddell, Philadelphia (A)


American League Records Set or Tied
Batting
Triples: 19 - Buck Freeman, Boston (A)
Hitting Streak: 32 - Ken Elberfeld, Chicago (A)

Pitching
Earned Run Average: 1.95 - Eddie Plank, Philadelphia (A)
Saves: 4 - Frank Morrissey, Boston (A)
Strikeouts: 216 - Rube Waddell, Philadelphia (A)


National League Records Set or Tied
Batting
Hits: 211 - Ginger Beaumont, Pittsburgh
Triples: 20 - Fred Clarke, Pittsburgh
Stolen Bases: 72 - Fred Clarke, Pittsburgh

Pitching
Wins: 28 - Noodles Hahn, Cincinnati
Losses: 26 - Bob Wicker, St.Louis (N)
Bases on Balls: 135 - Bob Wicker, St.Louis (N)



Milestones
07/04 - Hugh Duffy collects hit number 2000
08/11 - Red Donahue hurls no-hitter. This is the first no-no thrown this season and the third thrown in history.
08/16 - Joe Kelley drives in 1000th run



Trades
06/18 - Washington gets ss Sammy Strang (25 yrs old, .294-0-43-43), New York gets lf Ed Delahanty (34 yrs old, .327-1-58-21) and lf George Hildebrand (23 yrs old, .000-0-0-0)
06/23 - Detroit gets cf Herm McFarland (32 yrs old, .290-2-73-32), Chicago (A) gets c Sport McAllister (27 yrs old, .284-2-50-15) and 2b Ed Hughes (20 yrs old, .000-0-0-0)
07/04 - Boston (A) gets 1b Charlie Carr (25 yrs old, .241-0-29-2), Philadelphia (A) gets c Lou Criger (30 yrs old, .204-0-31-7)
07/26 - Cincinnati gets p Dale Gear (30 yrs old, 5-10, 2 sv, 3.22 era, 128.2 ip, 23 k), Washington gets lf John Dobbs (27 yrs old, .266-0-51-5) and 3b Emil Haberer (24 yrs old, .000-0-0-0)
07/27 - Washington gets p Bill Hoffer (31 yrs old, 16-12, 3.40 era, 246.1 ip, 71 k). Philadelphia (A) gets cf John Farrell (25 yrs old, .284-2-39-7) and 3b Emil Haberer (24 yrs old, .000-0-0-0)
07/27 - Philadelphia (A) gets p Bill Reidy (28 yrs old, 16-13, 2.78 era, 268.2 ip, 43 k), St.Louis (A) gets 3b Lave Cross (36 yrs old, .299-2-56-9)
07/27 - St.Louis (A) gets p Case Patten (26 yrs old, 9-11, 1 sv, 2.77 era, 204.2 ip, 79 k), Washington gets lf Hugh Duffy (35 yrs old, .272-0-40-25)
07/30 - St.Louis (A) gets p Jack Taylor (28 yrs old, 18-16, 2.51 era, 311.2 ip, 72 k), Chicago (N) gets 3b Bill Friel (26 yrs old, .254-3-33-9)
10/04 - Detroit gets p Mike O'Neill (25 yrs old, 10-9, 3.00 era, 159.0 ip, 39 k) and rf Lou Schiappacasse (20 yrs old, .000-0-0-0), St.Louis (N) gets 1b Davey Crockett (26 yrs old, .213-1-22-8)



Free Agency
Major Free Agents
Jack Doyle, 1b
Dan McGann, 1b
Honus Wagner, 3b
John McGraw, 3b
Bill Dahlen, ss
Ed Delahanty, lf
Billy Hamilton, cf
Chick Stahl, cf
Sam Dungan, rf
Cy Seymour, rf

[doncoryell]

Announcements
Boston (A) - Announced that they were going to change their nickname. They will now be known as the Boston Pilgrims.
Chicago (N) - Announced that they were going to change their nickname. They will now be known as the Chicago Cubs.
American League - Announced that the franchise formerly in Baltimore will be placed in New York. This makes New York the fifth city in which there will be direct competition between the leagues. The others are Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and St.Louis. They will be known as the New York Highlanders and will be playing their home games in Hilltop Park.



Free Agency
Here are the major free agents and where they are headed.

Jack Doyle, 1b - Signed a 1-year, $3,960 contract with Philadelphia (N)
Dan McGann, 1b - Signed a 2-year, $32,670 contract with New York (N)
Honus Wagner, 3b - Signed a 5-year, $279,450 contract with St.Louis (N)
John McGraw, 3b - Signed a 5-year, $280,220 contract with New York (N)
Bill Dahlen, ss - Signed a 3-year, $14,580 contract with Pittsburgh
Ed Delahanty, lf - Signed a 2-year, $115,580 contract with Chicago (A)
Billy Hamilton, cf - Signed a 3-year, $85,890 contract with Pittsburgh
Chick Stahl, cf - Signed a 6-year, $317,940 contract with Boston (A)
Sam Dungon, rf - Signed a 2-year, $24,200 contract with Washington
Cy Seymour, c - Signed a 2-year, $42,140 contract with Cleveland



Winter Trades
10/08 - Cincinnati gets ss Danny Shea (25 yrs old, .194-0-5-7), Cleveland gets rf Ducky Holmes (33 yrs old, .288-3-22-12)
10/08 - Chicago (N) gets 1b Frank Foutz (25 yrs old, .340-0-10-1) and c Tacks Latimer (24 yrs old, .228-0-36-1), New York (A) gets lf George Browne (26 yrs old, .275-1-42-15)
10/16 - Cincinnati gets p Steve Yerkes (27 yrs old, 17-16, 2.98 era, 296.1, 95) and 3b Ed Hilley (23 yrs old, .195-0-36-0)
10/16 - St.Louis (N) gets p Sam Leever (30 yrs old, 14-15, 3.52 era, 276.1, 95), Boston (A) gets 1b Art Nichols (31 yrs old, .254-1-38-23) and 3b John Walsh (23 yrs old, .000-0-0-0)
11/06 - New York (N) gets p Wiley Piatt (28 yrs old, 12-21, 2.88 era, 299.2 ip, 121 k) and 3b Hunter Hill (23 yrs old, .300-0-8-0)
11/06 - Brooklyn gets p Frank Morrissey (26 yrs old, 4-4, 4 sv, 2.95 era, 61.0 ip, 21 k), Boston (A) gets c Hughie Hearne (29 yrs old, .212-0-3-0)
11/15 - New York (A) gets p Jake Weiner (29 yrs old, 13-19, 3.08 era, 283.0 ip, 143 k), St.Louis (N) gets 1b Burt Hart (32 yrs old, .305-0-37-19)
11/23 - Boston (N) gets p Bill Reidy (29 yrs old, 16-13, 2.78 era, 268.2 ip, 43 k), Philadelphia (A) gets c Pat Moran (26 yrs old, .000-0-0-0)
11/23 - Chicago (A) gets p Joe McGinnity (31 yrs old, 18-5, 2.67 era, 202.1 ip, 66 k), New York (N) gets 2b Roy Brashear (27 yrs old, .225-0-10-3)
11/30 - St.Louis (A) gets p Vic Willis (26 yrs old, 11-14, 2.62 era, 234.0 ip, 102 k), Boston (N) gets 3b Lave Cross (36 yrs old, .299-2-56-9)
11/30 - Pittsburgh gets p Norwood Gibson (25 yrs old, 0-0, 0.0 ip), and c Emil Haberer (24 yrs old, .000-0-0-0), Philadelphia (A) gets cf Ginger Beaumont (26 yrs old, .361-5-73-42)
12/22 - Washington gets p Dummy Taylor (27 yrs old, 6-3, 1 sv, 3.22 era, 44.2 ip, 15 k), Brooklyn gets ss Lee DeMontreville (27 yrs old, .215-0-10-3)



Retirements

cf Frank Genins, age 36 - 4 seasons. His best season was in 1901 when he batted .256 with 0 homers, 55 rbi and 16 sb in 123 games.
.236 avg, 3 hr, 93 rbi, 203 h, 46 2b, 2 3b, 116 r, 46 sb

3b Bill Hallman, age 35 - 11 seasons. His best season was in 1896 when he batted .320 with 2 homers, 83 rbi and 16 sb in 120 games.
.284 avg, 14 hr, 575 rbi, 1193 h, 168 2b, 51 3b, 689 r, 153 sb

cf Hugh Duffy, age 36 - 13 seasons. His best season was in 1894 when he batted .440 with 18 homers, 145 rbi and 48 sb in 125 games.
.324 avg, 93 hr, 1167 rbi, 2051 h, 295 2b, 95 3b, 1306 r, 447 sb



First-Year Player Draft

Team              Round One             Round Two             Round Three          Round Four             Round Five
St.Louis (N)      Ed Walsh,p            Claude Elliott,p      Howie Camnitz,p      Gus Dundon,2b          Bob Hall,lf
Cleveland         Ralph Caldwell,p      Ernie Groth,p         John Barthold,p      Claude Berry,c         Sam Woodruff,3b
Washington        Doc Reisling,p        Cy Ferry,p            Bugs Raymond,p       Izzy Hoffman,cf        Bill Byers,c
Chicago (N)       Hooks Wiltse,p        Tom Barry,p           Bob Unglaub,3b       Harry McChesney,rf     Tom Doran,c
Boston (N)        Beany Jacobson,p      Miller Huggins,2b     Spike Shannon,lf     Johnny Lush,1b         Bill Schwartz,1b
Detroit           Frank Smith,p         Joe Koukalik,p        Claude Rossman,1b    John Brackenridge,p    Bill Lauterborn,2b
Boston (A)        Chick Robitaille,p    Harry Lumley,rf       Emil Batch,3b        Lou Bruce,lf           Simmy Murch,2b
Chicago (A)       Charlie Jaeger,p      Fred Applewise,p      George Stovall,1b    Doc Marshall,c         Andy Sullivan,ss
Brooklyn          Elmer Strickett,p     Jack Hickey,p         Jimmy Archer,c       Rip Cannell,cf         Harry Ostdiek,c
New York (N)      Frank Corridon,p      Jim McGinley,p        Joe Stewart,p        Bill O'Neill,cf        Harry Cassady,rf
Philadelphia (N)  Bull Durham,p         Ed McNichol,p         Tom Dougherty,p      Red Kleinow,c          Mike Donovan,ss
Philadelphia (A)  Sherry Magee,lf       Fred Odwell,lf        Joe Cassity,ss       Pete Noonan,c          Jesse Purnell,3b
Cincinnati        Mike Lynch,p          Frank Schulte,rf      Tom Needham,c        Mike McCormick,3b      Tom Stankard,3b
New York (A)      Tom Fisher,p          Art Devlin,3b         Charley O'Leary,ss   Rube Vinson,lf         Jack White,lf
Pittsburgh        Walter Clarkson,p     Moose McCormick,cf    Rabbit Nill,2b       Jim Mullin,2b          Jack Rafter,c
St.Louis (A)      Del Mason,p           Admiral Schlei, c     Gabby Street,c       She Donahue,ss         Tom Stanton,c   



Team              Round Six             Round Seven           Round Eight          Round Nine             Round Ten
St.Louis (N)      Deacon Van Buren,lf
Cleveland         Orth Collins,sp
Washington        Gene McAuliffe,c
Chicago (N)       Kid O'Hara,rf
Boston (N)        Charlie Swindells,c
Detroit           Bull Smith,lf
Boston (A)        Art Bader,lf
Chicago (A)       Charlie Loudenslager,2b
Brooklyn          Butch Rementer, c
New York (N)      Bill Carney,rf
Philadelphia (N)  Peaches O'Neill,c
Philadelphia (N)  Harry Vahrenhorst,1b

[doncoryell]

Another raid by some AL teams:

New York Highlanders signed Willie Keeler from Brooklyn, Jack Chesbro from Pittsburgh and Jesse Tannehill from New York Giants.

Detroit Tigers signed Sam Crawford from Cincinnati and Bill Donovan from Brooklyn.


The latest raids have resulted in the National League's Executive Committee to ask for a meeting with American League President Ban Johnson.


Peace At Last!

After a failed attempt to get AL President Ban Johnson to merge the American League into the National League, a National Agreement has been signed by all parties.

1) Both leagues will recognize each other as equals and both leagues will also recognize and honor all contracts. There will be no more player raids.

2) All players that have jumped to the American League will stay with their new clubs.

3) The American League can move the Baltimore franchise to New York as long as the American League pledges to not place a team in Pittsburgh.


Although the Giants were disgruntled about having an AL team in New York, plus the Superbas disliking the fact that the players that left could stay where they are, the National League reluctantly reached a consensus and this "peace treaty" was signed, ending the war between the leagues.

[doncoryell]

Well folks, the raidings have stopped and peace is at hand under the new National Agreement between the two, now equal, leagues. The players and managers can now concentrate on the field and the owners can start concetrating where it matters most to them, the turnstiles.

In the National League, the Boston Beaneaters held a 3-game lead then built their lead to seven games heading into September and it stayed that way as they headed into the final ten games of the season. It took them awhile but with five games to go, they clinched the NL title, staving off the threat by New York. Boston was led by the best pitching staff in the lead as they had a team ERA of a minuscule 1.88. The mound corps had three 20-game winners, Bill Dineen, Bill Reidy and Chief Bender, who won the pitcher's triple crown by leading the league in wins (26), ERA (1.73) and strikeouts (216). The Giants finished second, nine games back, thanks to the hitting of Roger Bresnahan, who led the league in runs scored with 95. St.Louis bounced back strong enough to finish in fifth after feeling the effects of several raids during the previous three years.

In the American League, Cleveland and Detroit were in a dogfight until the Tigers caught fire in July and coasted easily to the AL title, eventually winning by 17 games. Detroit was led at the plate by the hitting of Jimmy Barrett and Sam Crawford, who they had signed in the preseason after raiding the Cincinnati Reds. On the mound the Tigers were lead by Wild Bill Donovan, who they also grabbed in the last player raid of the senior loop, and rookie Red Ames, who finished first in wins and ERA plus finished second in strikeouts on his way to winning the league's Rookie of the Year award.

With ten games to go, the owners of the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Beaneaters had a gentleman's agreement to have the teams face each other after the end of the regular season in a nine-game series. This agreement sets up the first World Series and the first inter-league championship series since the 1890 matchup between the National League and the American Association champs.

A large crowd assembled in Detroit to watch the first game of the series, won by the Tigers by a score of 1-0 behind the pitching of Red Ames. Ed Siever went the distance scattering 13 hits and leading Detroit to an 8-6 victory in game two. The series shifted to Boston for games 3-5 but it was more of the same. Wild Bill Donovan bested Bill Dineen in game three, winning 4-1 then Mike O'Neill and Red Ames pitched Detroit to victory the next two games, 2-1 and 5-2 respectively, as the Tigers swept the series in five games to win the first world's championship.

American League     W   L   PCT  GB     National League     W   L   PCT  GB
Detroit            94  46  .671  --     Boston             93  47  .664  --
Cleveland          77  63  .550  17     New York           84  56  .600   9
St.Louis           76  64  .543  18     Cincinnati         76  64  .543  17
Philadelphia       71  69  .507  23     Brooklyn           67  73  .479  26
Washington         65  75  .464  29     St.Louis           63  77  .450  30
New York           61  79  .436  33     Chicago            61  79  .436  32
Chicago            59  81  .421  35     Philadelphia       58  82  .414  35
Boston             57  83  .407  37     Pittsburgh         58  82  .414  35



Batting AVG           AVG               Batting AVG           AVG
J.Barrett, DET       .344               P.Dougherty, SLN     .327
E.Delahanty, CHA     .328               J.Beckley, CIN       .323
G.Beaumont, PHA      .326               F.Tenney, BSN        .322

Homeruns               HR               Homeruns               HR
B.Freeman, BOS         13               C.Hickman, PIT         11
E.Delahanty, CHA       10               T.Needham, CIN          9
B.Keister, NYA          8               T.McCreery, BRO         6

Runs Batted In        RBI               Runs Batted In        RBI
B.Keister, NYA         86               C.Hickman, PIT         82
S.Crawford, DET        83               J.Beckley, CIN         81
E.Beck, CLE            75               P.Dougherty, SLN       81

Runs Scored            RS               Runs Scored            RS
J.Barrett, DET         92               R.Bresnahan, NY1       95
E.Flick, PHA           79               H.Bay, CIN             93
D.Holmes, CLE          77               P.Donovan, SLN         91

Stolen Bases           SB               Stolen Bases           SB
J.Barrett, DET         56               H.Bay, CIN             64
S.Mertes, DET          56               J.McGraw, NY1          60
M.Donlin, NYA          49               B.Hamilton, PIT        50

Earned Run Average    ERA               Earned Run Average    ERA
R.Ames, DET          1.37               C.Bender, BSN        1.73
E.Moore, CLE         1.51               B.Reidy, BSN         1.85
B.Donovan, DET       1.53               B.Dineen, BSN        1.92

Wins                    W               Wins                    W
B.Donovan, DET         26               C.Bender, BSN          24
R.Ames, DET            24               B.Dineen, BSN          24
R.Waddell, PHA         24               B.Reidy, BSN           23

Saves                  SV               Saves                  SV
R.Patterson, CHA        5               D.McJames, BSN          6
C.Griffith, NYA         4               D.Newton, CIN           2
R.Caldwell, CLE         3               G.Prentiss, PIT         2

Strikeouts             SO               Strikeouts             SO
R.Waddell, PHA        315               C.Bender, BSN         216
R.Ames, DET           299               D.White, PHI          167
V.Willis, SLA         181               B.Dineen, BSN         162



1903 World Series

Game #1
Boston (N)        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 4 2
Detroit           0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 - 1 8 1
B.Jacobson and J.Kling. R.Ames and C.Dexter.
WP - R.Ames (1-0)
LP - B.Jacobson (0-1)
HR - none


Game #2
Boston (N)        3 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 - 6 13 1
Detroit           0 2 4 0 0 2 0 0 x - 8 10 3
C.Bender and J.Kling. E.Siever and C.Dexter.
WP - E.Siever (1-0)
LP - C.Bender (0-1)
HR - none


Game #3
Detroit           0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 4 12 1
Boston (N)        0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 - 1  5 1
B.Donovan and C.Dexter. B.Dineen and J.Kling.
WP - B.Donovan (1-0)
LP - B.Dineen (0-1)
HR - none


Game #4
Detroit           0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 - 2 10 3
Boston (N)        0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 - 1  3 1
M.O'Neill and C.Dexter. B.Reidy and J.Kling.
WP - M.O'Neill (1-0)
LP - B.Reidy (0-1)
HR - none


Game #5
Detroit           0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 - 5 12 1
Boston (N)        0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 - 2  7 0
R.Ames and C.Dexter. B.Jacobson and J.Kling.
WP - R.Ames (2-0)
LP - B.Jacobson (0-2)
HR - none

[doncoryell]

American League Outstanding Batter Award
Nap Lajoie, Philadelphia (A)
119 g, 488 ab, 71 r, 155 h, 38 2b, 11 3b, 6 hr, 63 rbi, 29 bb, 57 k, 24 sb, .318 avg, .357 obp, .477 slg

National League Outstanding Batter Award
Honus Wagner, St.Louis (N)
137 g, 534 ab, 88 r, 168 h, 31 2b, 22 3b, 4 hr, 74 rbi, 48 bb, 63 k, 45 sb, .315 avg, .379 obp, .478 slg

American League Outstanding Pitcher Award
Red Ames, Detroit
24-9, 0 sv, 1.37 era, 37 g, 37 gs, 335.0 ip, 228 ha, 91 r, 51 er, 110 bb, 299 k, 1.01 whip, .196 oavg

National League Outstanding Pitcher Award
Chief Bender, Boston (N)
24-8, 0 sv, 1.73 era, 32 g, 32 gs, 290.2 ip, 208 ha, 73 r, 56 er, 64 bb, 216 k, 0.94 whip, .202 oavg

American League Rookie of the Year Award
Red Ames, Detroit
24-9, 0 sv, 1.37 era, 37 g, 37 gs, 335.0 ip, 228 ha, 91 r, 51 er, 110 bb, 299 k, 1.01 whip, .196 oavg

National League Rookie of the Year Award
Chief Bender, Boston (N)
24-8, 0 sv, 1.73 era, 32 g, 32 gs, 290.2 ip, 208 ha, 73 r, 56 er, 64 bb, 216 k, 0.94 whip, .202 oavg



Major League Records Set or Tied
Batting
Triples: 22 - Honus Wagner, St.Louis (N)
Home Runs: 13 - Buck Freeman, Boston (A)
Strikeouts: 87 - Billy Lush, Boston (N)
Hitting Streak: 33 - Bill Keister, New York (A)

Pitching
ERA: 1.37 - Red Ames, Detroit
Saves: 6 - Doc McJames, Boston (N)
Strikeouts: 315 - Rube Waddell, Philadelphia (A)


American League Records Set or Tied
Batting
Home Runs: 13 - Buck Freeman, Boston (A)
Strikeouts: 85 - Freddy Parent, Boston (A)
Hitting Streak: 33 - Bill Keister, New York (A)

Pitching
ERA: 1.37 - Red Ames, Detroit
Wins: 26 - Bill Donovan, Detroit
Losses: 24 - Jack Chesbro, New York (A)
Saves: 5 - Roy Patterson, Chicago (A)
Strikeouts: 315 - Rube Waddell, Philadelphia (A)


National League Records Set or Tied
Batting
Triples: 22 - Honus Wagner, St.Louis (N)
Strikeouts: 87 - Billy Lush, Boston (N)

Pitching
ERA: 1.73 - Chief Bender, Boston (N)
Save: 6 - Doc McJames, Boston (N)
Strikeouts: 216 - Chief Bender, Boston (N)



Milestones
05/18 - Bill Coughlin goes 6-6!
06/22 - Hughie Jennings scores 1000th run
07/25 - Chick Stahl hits cycle. This is the first time this season that the cycle has been hit and the first time in history.
07/31 - Willie Keeler gets hit number 2000.
08/09 - Ed Delahanty reaches 2500 hits.
08/12 - Patsy Donovan gets 2000th hit.



Trades
06/07 - Pittsburgh gets 1b Davey Crockett (27 yrs old, .303-0-27-7), St.Louis (N) gets cf Tommy Dowd (34 yrs old, .214-1-38-27)
06/17 - St.Louis (N) gets 2b Billy Clingman (33 yrs old, .294-0-45-24), Cleveland gets 2b Otto Krueger (26 yrs old, .210-0-29-13) and lf Rube Ward (23 yrs old, .000-0-0-0)
07/04 - Cincinnati gets p Tully Sparks (28 yrs old, 11-8, 3.98 era, 151.1 ip, 50 k), Chicago (A) gets c Heinie Peitz (32 yrs old, .219-2-40-7)
07/06 - Chicago (A) gets p Bob Ewing (29 yrs old, 11-12, 3.19 era, 206.0 ip, 96 k), Washington gets 3b Ernie Courtney (27 yrs old, .263-0-23-3)
07/24 - New York (A) gets c Ed McFarland (28 yrs old, .219-1-15-2), Chicago (N) gets rf Willie Keeler (31 yrs old, .269-5-45-40)



Free Agency

Here is a list of the major free agents this offseason.

Clark Griffith, sp
Buck Freeman, 1b
Jake Beckley, 1b
Frank Shugart, 1b
Harry Davis, 1b
Nixey Callahan, 2b
Harry Steinfeldt, 3b
Tommy Leach, 3b
Fred Clarke, lf
Billy Lush, cf
Willie Keeler, rf

[doncoryell]

Announcements
MLB - Announced that the number of games played during the regular season is being increased from 140 to 154.



Free Agency

Here is where the major free agents are heading.

Clark Griffith, sp - Signed a 2-year, $46,640 contract with New York (A)
Buck Freeman, 1b - Signed a 4-year, $104,320 contract with Boston (A)
Jake Beckley, 1b - Signed a 3-year, $157,000 contract with Cincinnati
Frank Shugart, 1b - Signed a 1-year, $4,470 contract with Chicago (A)
Harry Davis, 1b - Signed a 6-year, $333,600 contract with Philadelphia (A)
Nixey Callahan, 2b - Signed a 1-year, $4,230 contract with Chicago (A)
Harry Steinfeldt, 3b - Signed a 4-year, $190,690 contract with Cleveland
Tommy Leach, 3b - Signed a 2-year, $12,960 contract with Pittsburgh
Fred Clarke, lf - Unsigned - rehabbing a major injury
Billy Lush, cf - Signed a 7-year, $206,920 contract with Boston (N)
Willie Keeler, rf - Signed a 5-year, $153,830 contract with St.Louis (A)



Winter Trades
10/09 - St.Louis (N) gets cf Fielder Jones (32 yrs old, .313-1-25-2) and c Gabby Street (21 yrs old, .000-0-0-0), St.Louis (A) gets 2b Danny Murphy (27 yrs old, .280-4-59-20)
10/09 - Washington gets 1b John Ganzel (29 yrs old, .229-1-18-4), New York (N) gets c Harry Bemis (28 yrs old, .237-0-32-2)
10/31 - Chicago (A) gets 3b Germany Schaefer (26 yrs old, .000-0-0-0), Chicago (N) gets rf Frank Isbell (28 yrs old, .243-0-10-2)
11/11 - Detroit gets p Farmer Burns (30 yrs old, 0-0, 0.0 ip), St.Louis (N) gets 3b Joe Yeager (28 yrs old, .324-0-9-0)
11/20 - Detroit gets p Tully Sparks (28 yrs old, 10-7, 3.99 era, 137.2 ip, 45 k), Cincinnati gets lf Herm McFarland (33 yrs old, .282-1-52-23)
11/20 - New York (A) gets p Bill Donovan (27 yrs old, 26-7, 1.53 era, 306.1 ip, 170 k), Detroit gets c Ed McFarland (29 yrs old, .227-1-10-2)
11/23 - Cincinnati gets p Alex Pearson (25 yrs old, 18-11, 2.38 era, 275.2 ip, 114 k), Brooklyn gets 2b George Magoon (28 yrs old, .277-0-5-0) and 3b Tom Stankard (21 yrs old, .000-0-0-0)
11/27 - Chicago (N) gets p Alex Hardy (25 yrs old, 13-17, 3.20 era, 258.2 ip, 131 k), Pittsburgh gets 2b Cupid Childs (36 yrs old, .235-3-39-21)
02/06 - St.Louis (A) gets p George Winter (25 yrs old, 10-14, 2.72 era, 218.0 ip, 68 k) and c Larry McLean (22 yrs old, .000-0-0-0), Boston (A) gets lf Jesse Burkett (35 yrs old, .333-0-4-1)
02/14 - Philadelphia (N) gets p Ham Iburg (25 yrs old, 5-15, 3.14 era, 166.1 ip, 72 k), Chicago (N) gets ss Jack Dunn (31 yrs old, .200-0-9-1)



Retirements

ss Lew Carr, age 31 - 2 seasons
.000 avg, 0 hr, 0 rbi, 0 h, 0 2b, 0 3b, 0 r, 0 sb

lf Ed Delahanty, age 36 - 15 seasons - Inducted to Hall of Fame. His best season was in 1895 when he batted .404 with 11 homers, 106 rbi and 46 sb in 116 games.
.343 avg, 96 hr, 1378 rbi, 2542 h, 508 2b, 175 3b, 1497 r, 483 sb

lf Ben Harrison, age 33 - 2 seasons
.163 avg, 1 hr, 9 rbi, 8 h, 1 2b, 0 3b, 1 r, 0 sb

3b Fred Hartman, age 35 - 7 seasons. His best season was in 1897 when he batted .306 with 2 homers, 67 rbi and 18 sb in 124 games.
.285 avg, 8 hr, 248 rbi, 539 h, 59 2b, 35 3b, 260 r, 81 sb

3b Eddie Hickey, age 31 - 2 seasons
.250 avg, 0 hr, 1 rbi, 2 h, 0 2b, 0 3b, 0 r, 0 sb

ss Joe Quinn, age 39 - 17 seasons. His best season was in 1895 when he batted .311 with 2 homers, 74 rbi and 22 sb in 134 games.
.261 avg, 24 hr, 773 rbi, 1706 h, 212 2b, 65 3b, 788 r, 252 sb

c Wilbert Robinson, age 40 - 12 seasons. His best season was in 1894 when he batted .353 with 1 homer, 98 rbi and 12 sb in 109 games.
.295 avg, 9 hr, 493 rbi, 923 h, 141 2b, 29 3b, 400 r, 84 sb

ss Frank Scheibeck, age 38 - 7 seasons. His best season was in 1894 when he batted .272 with 1 homer, 27 rbi and 18 sb in 80 games.
.252 avg, 1 hr, 68 rbi, 166 h, 15 2b, 10 3b, 116 r, 30 sb

sp Kid Carsay, age 33 - 10 seasons. His best season was in 1892 when he compiled a 19-16 record with 1 save, a 3.12 era and 76 k in 317.2 innings.
102-102, 6 sv, 4.91 era, 1826.0 ip, 646 bb, 317 k

3b Lave Cross, age 37 - 12 seasons. His best season was in 1894 when he batted .386 with 7 homers, 125 rbi and 21 sb in 119 games.
.295 avg, 37 hr, 867 rbi, 1637 h, 248 2b, 77 3b, 885 r, 192 sb

sp Bill Hart, age 38 - 7 seasons. His best season was in 1892 when he compiled a 9-12 record with 1 save, a 3.28 era and 65 k in 195.0 innings.
53-102, 4 sv, 4.86 era, 1363.2 ip, 631 bb, 341 k

ss Herman Long, age 37 - 14 seasons. His best season was in 1894 when he batted .324 with 12 homers, 79 rbi and 24 in 104 games.
.285 avg, 88 hr, 910 rbi, 1803 h, 284 2b, 85 3b, 1253 r, 412 sb

sp Amos Rusie, age 32 - 11 seasons. Inducted to Hall of Fame. His best season was in 1897 when he compiled a 28-10 record with a 2.54 era and 135 k in 322.1 innings.
245-173, 5 sv, 3.04 era, 3760.1 ip, 1702 bb, 1928 k

sp Crazy Schmit, age 38 - 6 seasons. His best season was in 1901 when he compiled a 6-8 record with 2 saves, a 4.77 era and 25 k in 145.1 innings.
13-42, 2 sv, 5.34 era, 495.2 ip, 233 bb, 117 k

mr Archie Stimmel, age 30 - 3 seasons. His best season was in 1902 when he compiled a 1-1 record with a 3.60 era and 4 k in 5 innings.
2-2, 0 sv, 5.33 era, 25.1 ip, 7 bb, 7 k

sp Gus Weyhing, age 37 - 10 seasons. His best season was in 1892 when he compiled a 32-21 record with 3 saves, a 2.66 era and 202 k in 469.2 innings.
123-132, 4 sv, 4.49 era, 2225.0 ip, 767 bb, 675 k



First-Year Player Draft

Team              Round One             Round Two             Round Three          Round Four             Round Five
Boston (A)        Orval Overall,p       Ed Kinsella,p         Hank Olmsted,p       Mickey Doolan,ss       Buck Washer,p
Pittsburgh        Irv Young,p           Harry Hardy,p         Charlie Jackson,p    Ollie Johns,p          Art Goodwin,p
Philadelphia (N)  Jim Buchanan,p        Bill Hogg,p           Frank LaPorte,3b     Ed Hahn,rf             Ike Rockenfield,2b
Chicago (A)       **** Harley,p         Rick Adams,p          Bris Lord,cf         Bob Ganley,rf          George Moore,p
Chicago (N)       Joe Harris,p          Lefty Leifield,p      John Hummel,2b       Moxie Manuel,p         Ernie Baker,p
New York (A)      Jake Thielman,p       Big Jeff Pfeffer,p    John Knight,3b       Eddie Grant,3b         Walt Justis,p
St.Louis (N)      Billy Campbell,p      Harry McIntire,p      Louis Leroy,p        George Gibson,c        Jack Himes,cf
Washington        John Eubank,p         Ed Barry,p            Otis Clymer,rf       Ben Koehler,cf         Frank Delahanty,lf
Brooklyn          Jimmy Dygert,p        Buster Brown,p        Mike Mowrey,3b       Wilbur Good,p          Phil Lewis,ss
Philadelphia (A)  Ty Cobb,rf            Hal Chase,1b          Del Howard,lf        Jap Barbeau,3b         Frank Owens,c
St.Louis (A)      Hi West,p             Al Bridwell,ss        Otto Knabe,2b        Nig Clarke,c           Art Hoelskoetter,2b
Cincinnati        Charlie Chech,p       Frosty Thomas,p       Eddie Cicotte,p      Branch Rickey,c        Rube DeGroff,cf
Cleveland         Rip Vowinkel,p        Bill Hinchman,lf      John Halla,p         Denny Sullivan,cf      Tubby Spencer,c
New York (N)      King Brady,p          Frank Hershey,p       George Disch,p       Andy Bruckmiller,p     Chris Lindsay,1b
Boston (N)        Ed Reulbach,p         Rube Oldring,cf       Myron Grimshaw,1b    Charlie Starr,2b       Homer Hillebrand,1b
Detroit           Harry Ables,p         Joseph Myers,p        Gene Ford,p          Charlie Malay,2b       Howard Wakefield,c



Team              Round Six             Round Seven           Round Eight          Round Nine             Round Ten
Boston (A)        John Godwin,3b        Shag Shaughnessy,rf   Ad Yale,1b
Pittsburgh        Allie Strobel,2b      John Sullivan,c       Charlie Fallon,1b
Philadelphia (N)  Cliff Blankenship,1b  Bill McCarthy,c
Chicago (A)       Bud Sharpe,rf         Red Munson,c
Chicago (N)       Bill Clancy,1b        Fred Curtis,1b
New York (A)      Punch Knoll,rf        Offa Neal,3b
St.Louis (N)      Harry Barton,c        Pop Rising,rf
Washington        Johnny Siegle,rf      Dave Murphy,ss
Brooklyn          Nick Kahl,2b          Steamer Flanagan,cf
Philadelphia (A)  Hub Hart,c            Emil Leber,3b
St.Louis (A)      Charlie ARmbruster,c  Phil Cooney,3b
Cincinnati        Hughie Tate,lf        Charlie Gibson,c
Cleveland         Gerry Shea,c          Joe McCarthy,c
New York (N)      Jim Wallace,rf        Ed MacGamwell,1b
Boston (N)        Claude Rothgeb,rf     Moonlight Graham,rf
Detroit           Jim Cockman,3b        Art McGovern,c

[doncoryell]

Hall of Fame Class of 1903

Ed Delahanty, Left Fielder -- Inducted 1903

AVG     G     AB     R     H     HR     RBI     SB     SLG
.343  1824   7420   1497  2542   96    1378    483    .497

Amos Rusie, Pitcher -- Inducted 1903

ERA    W      L       PCT      G         IP       SO       BB      SV
3.04  245    173     .586     464     3760.1     1928     1702      5

[doncoryell]

Single Season Records (post 1900)

Major League Single Season Records (post 1900)

Hitting
Batting Average: .396  Ollie Pickering, Cleveland 1901
Hits: 211  Bill Bradley, Cleveland 1901/Ginger Beaumont, Pittsburgh 1902
Doubles: 49  Ed Delahanty, Philadelphia (N) 1901
Triples: 22  Honus Wagner, St.Louis (N) 1903
Homeruns: 13  Sam Crawford, Cincinnati 1901/Buck Freeman, Boston (A) 1903
RBI: 119  Socks Seybold, Philadelphia (A) 1901
Runs: 117  Nap Lajoie, Philadelphia (A) 1901
Walks: 133  Billy Hamilton, Boston (N) 1901
Strikeouts: 87  Billy Lush, Boston (N) 1903
Stolen Bases: 81  Chick Stahl, Boston (A) 1901
Hitting Streak: 33  Bill Keister, New York (A) 1903


Pitching
Earned Run Average: 1.37  Red Ames, Detroit 1903
Wins: 28  Noodles Hahn, Cincinnati 1902
Losses: 26  Bob Wicker, St.Louis (N) 1902
Saves: 6  Doc McJames, Boston (N) 1903
Bases on Balls: 135  Bob Wicker, St.Louis (N) 1902
Strikeouts: 315  Rube Waddell, Philadelphia 1903

 



American League Single Season Records

Hitting
Batting Average: .396  Ollie Pickering, Cleveland 1901
Hits: 211  Bill Bradley, Cleveland 1901
Doubles: 48  Jack McCarthy, Cleveland 1901
Triples: 19  Buck Freeman, Boston (A) 1902
Homeruns: 13  Buck Freeman, Boston (A) 1903
RBI: 119  Socks Seybold, Philadelphia (A) 1901
Runs: 117  Nap Lajoie, Philadelphia (A) 1901 
Walks: 119  John McGraw, Baltimore 1901
Strikeouts: 85  Freddy Parent, Boston (A) 1903
Stolen Bases: 81  Chick Stahl, Boston (A) 1901
Hitting Streak: 33  Bill Keister, New York (A) 1903




Pitching
Earned Run Average: 1.37  Red Ames, Detroit 1903
Wins: 26  Bill Donovan, Detroit 1903
Losses: 24  Jack Chesbro, New York (A) 1903
Saves: 5  Roy Patterson, Chicago (A) 1903
Bases on Balls: 124  Bill Hoffer, Cleveland 1901
Strikeouts: 315  Rube Waddell, Philadelphia 1903



National League Single Season Records

Hitting
Batting Average: .369  Willie Keeler, Brooklyn 1901
Hits: 211  Ginger Beaumont, Pittsburgh 1902
Doubles: 49  Ed Delahanty, Philadelphia (N) 1901
Triples: 22  Honus Wagner, St.Louis (N) 1903
Homeruns: 13  Sam Crawford, Cincinnati 1901
RBI: 106  Charley Hickman, New York 1901
Runs: 113  Roy Thomas, Philadelphia (N) 1901
Walks: 133  Billy Hamilton, Boston (N) 1901
Strikeouts: 87  Billy Lush, Boston (N) 1903
Stolen Bases: 72 Fred Clarke, Pittsburgh 1902
Hitting Streak: xx



Pitching
Earned Run Average: 1.73  Chief Bender, Boston (N) 1903
Wins: 28  Noodles Hahn, Cincinnati 1902
Losses: 26  Bob Wicker, St.Louis (N) 1902
Saves: 6  Doc McJames, Boston (N) 1903
Bases on Balls: 135  Bob Wicker, St.Louis (N) 1902
Strikeouts: 216  Chief Bender, Boston (N) 1903

Career Lists

Career Batting Average           Career Hits
(min 477 PA)
No  Player              AVG      No  Player              HITS
 1  W.KEELER           .3656      1  C.Anson             3022
 2  Z.HARVEY           .3558      2  E.Delahanty         2542
 3  J.BURKETT          .3552      3  R.Connor            2535
 4  G.Hall             .3445      4  J.BECKLEY           2384
 5  D.Brouthers        .3427      5  J.BURKETT           2340
 6  E.Delahanty        .3426      6  B.HAMILTON          2245
 7  N.LAJOIE           .3406      7  G.VAN HALTREN       2228
 8  J.Stenzel          .3386      8  J.O'Rourke          2131
 9  B.HAMILTON         .3382      9  J.Ryan              2073
10  C.Anson            .3330     10  W.KEELER            2055
11  S.Thompson         .3313     11  H.Duffy             2051
12  O.PICKERING        .3311     12  P.DONOVAN           2046
13  F.CLARKE           .3305     13  D.Brouthers         1974
14  B.Lange            .3302     14  S.Thompson          1972
15  H.WAGNER           .3295     15  J.Glasscock         1968
16  E.FLICK            .3294     16  G.DAVIS             1951
17  J.KELLEY           .3286     17  J.Ward              1916  
18  C.McVey            .3278     18  S.BRODIE            1901
19  J.MCGRAW           .3276     19  J.KELLEY            1869
20  C.STAHL            .3269     20  M.Tiernan           1834
21  M.DONLIN           .3267     21  P.Hines             1823
22  H.Duffy            .3238     22  C.CHILDS            1815
23  G.BEAUMONT         .3232     23  H.Long              1803	
24  D.GESSLER          .3231     24  E.McKean            1765
25  D.Higham           .3227     25  J.Quinn             1706

Career Homeruns                  Career RBIs
No  Player               HR      No  Player               RBI
 1  S.Thompson          127       1  C.Anson             1879
 2  R.Connor            124       2  E.Delahanty         1378
 3  M.Tiernan           106       3  R.Connor            1323
 4  D.Brouthers         100       4  S.Thompson          1296
 5  J.Ryan               99       5  J.BECKLEY           1293
 6  C.Anson              97       6  H.Duffy             1167
 7  E.Delahanty          96       7  G.DAVIS             1120
 8  H.Duffy              93       8  D.Brouthers         1090
 9  F.Pfeffer            89       9  J.KELLEY            1058
10  H.Long               88      10  E.McKean            1002
11  J.BECKLEY            76      11  S.BRODIE             950
12  J.Clements           74      12  F.Pfeffer            939
12  J.Denny              74      13  J.Ryan               914
14  B.DAHLEN             68      14  H.Long               910
15  B.Lowe               67      15  G.VAN HALTREN        906
16  B.Joyce              66      16  J.O'Rourke           895
17  J.BURKETT            65      17  B.Nash               887
17  G.DAVIS              65      18  L.Cross              867
19  J.KELLEY             64      19  H.JENNINGS           861
20  B.Ewing              63      20  M.Tiernan            851
20  K.Kelly              63      21  B.DAHLEN             846
22  N.Williamson         62      22  J.BURKETT            845
23  B.FREEMAN            61      23  J.DOYLE              842
24  E.McKean             58      24  B.Lowe               833
24  G.VAN HALTREN        58      25  K.Kelly              827



Career Stolen Bases
No  Player               SB
 1  B.HAMILTON          864
 2  J.MCGRAW            561
 3  D.HOY               499
 4  E.Delahanty         483
 5  J.Ward              477
 6  G.VAN HALTREN       474
 7  P.DONOVAN           469
 8  G.DAVIS             463
 9  W.KEELER            457
10  H.Duffy             447
11  J.DOYLE             445
12  T.Brown             442
13  J.KELLEY            437
14  M.Tiernan           428
15  H.Long              412
16  B.Lange             399
17  B.DAHLEN            389
18  W.Wilmot            381
19  T.DOWD              372
19  J.Glasscock         372
21  F.CLARKE            371
22  J.Ryan              369
23  J.BURKETT           368
24  F.Pfeffer           355
25  H.JENNINGS          349



Career Wins                      Career Saves
No  Player             WINS      No  Player            SAVES
 1  P.Galvin            361       1  K.NICHOLS            19
 2  T.Keefe             342       2  D.MCJAMES            11  
 3  C.YOUNG             335       3  N.CUPPY              10
 4  J.Clarkson          327       3  B.KENNEDY            10
 5  K.NICHOLS           318       5  J.Taylor              9
 6  C.Radbourn          310       6  P.HAWLEY              8
 7  M.Welsh             309       6  E.HIGH                8
 8  A****sie             245       6  J.MCPHERSON           8  
 9  J.McCormick         244       6  W.MERCER              8
10  J.Whitney           189       6  T.Mullane             8
11  C.Buffinton         185       6  C.YOUNG               8
12  B.Hutchison         182      12  K.GLEASON             6
13  C.GRIFFITH          181      12  B.KARNS               6  
13  B.KENNEDY           181      12  J.Manning             6
15  T.Bond              180      15  J.Clarkson            5
16  L.Corcoran          177      15  F.Dwyer               5
16  P.HAWLEY            177      15  D.Esper               5
18  N.CUPPY             165      15  C.GRIFFITH            5
19  J.Ward              164      15  R.PATTERSON           5
20  T.Breitenstein      161      15  A****sie               5
21  F.Killen            157      15  J.TANNEHILL           5
22  F.Dwyer             154      22  N.CALLAHAN            4
23  C.Getzein           145      22  P.DOWLING             4
24  J.Meekin            143      22  C.Fergusun            4
25  B.HOFFER            139      22  F.FOREMAN             4



Career Strikeouts                Career ERA (min. 154 IP)
No  Player               SO      No  Player              ERA
 1  T.Keefe            2533       1  R.AMES            1.406
 2  J.Clarkson         2015       2  C.BENDER          1.734
 3  A****sie            1928       3  A.Spalding        1.784
 4  M.Welsh            1850       4  J.Devlin          1.890
 5  C.Radbourn         1830       5  S.Weaver          1.950
 6  P.Galvin           1799       6  W.White           2.026
 7  C.YOUNG            1632       7  R.WADDELL         2.043
 8  K.NICHOLS          1565       8  J.Ward            2.102
 8  J.Whitney          1565       9  T.Bond            2.137
10  J.McCormick        1543      10  D.WHITE           2.189
11  C.Buffinton        1453      11  C.SHIELDS         2.219
12  B.Hutchison        1229      12  C.MCFARLAND       2.232
13  L.Corcoran         1103      13  J.Flynn           2.241
14  C.Getzein          1070      14  J.Ewing           2.272
15  J.Ward              920      15  H.FELIX           2.341
16  T.Breitenstein      881      16  L.Corcoran        2.355
17  R.WADDELL           880      17  A.PEARSON         2.383
18  S.Wiedman           873      18  G.Bradley         2.386
19  P.HAWLEY            862      19  E.SIEVER          2.396
20  M.Baldwin           775      20  T.Larkin          2.435
21  V.WILLIS            770      21  B.Vinton          2.467
22  J.Meekin            756      22  J.McCormick       2.477
23  N.HAHN              748      23  O.HESS            2.481
23  B.KENNEDY           748      24  F.Hankinson       2.482
25  K.GLEASON           744      25  F.Bradley         2.492

CAP denotes active players