A World Without The Yankees (1901-????)

I'm sure that most of you are familiar with the history of baseball and how the teams moved around and eventually became what they are today, but I'm also sure that some of you are not, so I'm going to give a brief background here.

We start first with the Milwaukee Brewers. You might ask yourself; what do the Brewers have to do with the Yankees, well it's slightly complicated, and they really don't have anything to do directly with the Yankees, but it is pretty interesting. The Brewers began playing baseball in 1901. This ironically is the same year that the Baltimore Orioles began playing baseball.

In 1902, Milwaukee moved to St. Louis to become the Browns and Baltimore stayed put and kept with the name of the Orioles. At this point in history there were no Yankees, and the world was good and sane. :)

The Orioles played out the 1902 season before they too moved. They went north to New York and became known as the Highlanders. Still there were no Yankees, and the world was still good.

Finally in 1913 the Highlanders became the Yankees and the world began to crumble. The Yankees now existed and we were lost in a world that had no Orioles :(

Never fear. In 1954 the Browns moved to Baltimore and took on the name of the Orioles. This once again brought the world in to balance, well as much of a balance as there could be with the Yankees around.

So with all that said it boils down to this;

Milwaukee Brewers = Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles = New York Yankees
New York Yankees = NOTHING

This dynasty will never include the Yankees as a franchise. I plan to take over the 1901 Baltimore Orioles and will block their move to New York, effectively eliminating the Yankees from baseball history.

I like the idea, mainly because I hate the Yankees. All I have to say is...GO O's!

You've definitely piqued my curiosity. Although, I know you're still going to build a dominant team! :D

Good luck!

I love the idea. I like not only th elack of the Yankees, but also seeing a dynasty actually start in 1901. Look forward to more.

Awesome!!! This could be the greatest dynasty of all time...besides mine...

Thanks for the encouragement guys. I am going to set some ground rules now and hope to have them posted before the end of the day. I am going to try to simulate the reserver clause up to 1975 as well. Trading will become a much bigger factor and I am trying to come up with some good story lines and things that I can work in to the dynasty. I figure that I will need to do that for people to really get in to something like this. I'm even thinking of turning off peaks to make it that much more difficult on me.

Definately set up some ground rules for # of trades you can make, free agents, and cuff your self on drafting.

I posted this poll in the General Discussion forum regarding some ideas I had for drafting.

http://sportsmogul.com/vbulletin2/sh...d.php?t=181324

You can take a look at it and take some ideas or give some ideas.

Ground Rules

League Settings (different from default)

• Injury frequency -30%
• Injury severity -30%
• Medical staff effect -30%
• Promotion to MLB +90%
• Promotion to AAA +90%
• Promotion to AA +90%
• Promotion to A +90%
• Contract renewals +100%
• Mimic historical drafts -100%

What I am trying to do here is make everything as even and fair as I can for the first part of the dynasty. As I'm sure all of you are aware, free agency didn't pop up until 1975. The reserve clause was still in effect until then. I am going to try to emulate that as best I can. I won't be able to stop player movement all together, but it should be pretty close.

League Editor (different from default)

• Women Enter Baseball - 0 (off)
• Cash (all teams) - 9300
• Hide Peak Ratings - ON

Game Options (different from default)

• Equalize Cities - ON
• Finance and Computer GMs - COACH
• Play By Play - COACH (never used)
• Amateur Draft - HISTORICAL (only)

Special Conditions

At the beginning of the 1974 season (whenever we get there) the equalize cities option will be turned off. Contract renewals at that point will be set to +70 and will decline 10% every year after until we have reached back down to the default settings. This should help simulate the start of free agency without letting it boom right out of the gates. I realized that only two players became free agents in 1975, but that is when it officially started and I am going to give all the players that option if they so choose. I am thinking of using CatKnight's city data at that point, but I'm not sure if it will mess up historical sims or if it is solely for the use of current sims.

GM Restrictions

• Trades proposed must be through trade block
• I can accept trades proposed from other teams but may not edit them except to balance cash
• I may not trade players for only cash
• No free agents will be signed until after the 1974 season
• I will not use PBP mode at all during this dynasty
• I may not offer trades that are more than 3 players for 1
• There will be no limit to the amount of trades I can make

Hopefully this will give me the desired effect. I am hoping to have a balanced and competitive league up until 1975 and beyond. The reserver clause was still in effect and players could not move teams unless owners decided to cut them or they traded them. Trades did occur but not that often. This is one thing that will be different in this dynasty than in real life. I have not modified the trade frequency setting and I actually hope to see players moving around teams in trades rather than free agency. I have never played with these settings that I am using right now, so this should be very interesting to say the least.

Query. Do you plan on alter the simulation settings at all to mirror the deadball period? Because when I started my sim in 1919 I was on pace to shatter offensive records. The numbers were rivalling what teams do today, and I think that takes some of the fun out. Just was curious if you were going to test sim a few seasons to see what the stats wound up looking like first, or just planning on leaving everything the way it is?

I normally haven't had problems when I start in 1901. I am going to run a test or two just to see what happens. I don't want stuff to be all crazy early on.

Baltimore, MD. April 1st 1901

http://cbl-baseball.com/mogul/Orioles1901.gif

The year is 1901. This is the beginning of the modern era of baseball. Our professional teams are now split in to two leagues, the National League and the American League. Competition is fierce and fans are rabid. It is no longer good enough to play the game, now you must play to win.

The city of Baltimore has flourished and become a booming town of industry, art and socialization. This year they get their chance to have their own professional baseball team. The people of the city clamored and screamed to get a team in to the area, and they got their wish. They didn’t just get one however, they got two. The Washington Senators moved in just down the road into Washington DC.

Owner James Barr was well aware of the other team in Washington. He knew that he must ensure that the team was a winning team or he was likely to lose fans and loyalty to the Senators. It was vital that the team have the right manager, one that could motivate and ensure a winning season in the city of Baltimore. Third baseman John McGraw was just that man. John would lead the Orioles in to the 1901 season as a player and a manager.

The next thing that was needed was a ball park. Construction on Oriole Park had begun two years prior in 1899. The want for a team was strong even then, and they knew that if they could erect a park they would certainly have a better chance at landing the team. The park was revolutionary for its time. It featured concession stands, cushioned seats and over hangs to help keep patrons cool during the hot summer days.

http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/al/...e01stadium.jpg

The Baltimore Orioles are ready to begin their hopefully long history, starting right now.

McGraw’s Shenanigans

It didn’t take long for player/manager John McGraw to make his presence known. He was known for being an excellent ball player, but no one really knew what to make of him as a manager. Black players were not allowed to play in the “major” leagues. They had their own league to play in and most were happy with that. McGraw, although a racist in the truest sense of the word, didn’t care about that. All he cared about was winning games.

When he saw Charlie Grant pitch for the Columbia Giants, a Negro team in Chicago, he knew that he was the real deal. He also knew the rules of Major League Baseball. This presented a problem. How could he get Grant into the league and on to the Orioles’ roster? He concocted an idea, a very bad one, but an idea nonetheless. McGraw told the league that Grant was a Cherokee Indian. Chief Tokahama, as he was calling him, had been living on a reservation when McGraw discovered him. Everything looked like it was going to work, at least for a while. McGraw hadn’t thought about the fact that there were two teams based out of Chicago and surely someone from there had seen Grant play, or heard about him at the very least. White Sox owner Charles Comiskey found out that Grant played for the Negro team and quickly informed the league. While no official sanction was imposed, McGraw was red flagged by the league and told that any roster management would be closely watched from here on out.

That sounds like it should be a song, McGraws shenanigans

Now that you mention it, that would make a pretty good pub song I'm sure.

http://www.hickoksports.com/images/mcgraw_john.jpg

Interview with John McGraw

Bob Foley (BF): First off let me start by thanking you for taking the time to speak with me prior to the first game of the 1901 baseball season. It truly is an honor.

John McGraw (JM): The pleasure is all yours I'm sure.

BF: You have caused quite a stir around Baltimore in recent days. Your attempt to bring an black man in to the game of baseball was foiled and exposed for a farce. What comments do you have about that?

JM: It would have been a **** of a thing if it had worked. I do know that. Anything to get the advantage. It's all about winning games, not how you play the game. I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for that **** Charles Comiskey.

BF: So are you saying that you don't care about sportsmanship?

JM: I care about winning games. If you can do that and be nice and friendly with everyone then so be it. If you can't then I'm not going to lose any sleep at night about it.

BF: Are you at all concerned about the pressure of being both the starting third baseman and the coach?

JM: Coaching a ball club isn't all that hard. I mean you don't have to be a genius to do this stuff. You put the best players that you got on the field and if they play like dung then you pull 'em and put someone else in there that wants to give it a go.

BF: I think that there is much more to this game than simply that.

JM: You ever played pro ball?

BF: Well no I have not.

JM: Then you don't know what there is to this game at all then. When you have played 10 years of pro ball then you come back and tell me how to run my team, until then I'm god when it comes to making baseball decisions, you got that?

BF: Yes, sir.

JM: You got any more questions?

BF: What are the expectations for this team this year?

JM: To win the league. Isn't that what everyone's expectations are?

BF: Well I'm sure that not every team thinks that they can honestly win the league every year.

JM: Well what's the point of playing if you don't think that?

BF: Point taken.

JM: We take the field to win every game. We won't be happy with any loss. We know that it is going to happen but that doesn't mean that we have to like it. We aren't going to get used to losing. We are going to hate it and we are going to do everything in our power not to let it happen. When it does we will figure out why and fix it. It's that simple. We plan to win every game.

BF: I can't wait to see how that turns out.

JM: I'm sure you can't. I got a game to go to, so if you don't mind I'll be seeing you later.

BF: Absolutely.

McGraw Squashes Early Trade

Before the Orioles had even played their first game of the 1901 season McGraw was already turning down trade offers.

The Superbas were eager to get their hands on IF Jimmy Williams and who wouldn't be. They offered two decent players in return but McGraw was having none of this deal. He had the following to say;

"Did they check out our roster at all? The last thing that we need is a first baseman. We got so many now that we don't know what to do with them. Most of them can't even get time during the season. Some times I think that I might be the only one that pays attention to anything that is going on."

The wily veteran never ceases to entertain with his choice of words.





.

To answer your question 'my' city data shouldn't mess with a historical sim, especially since you're equalizing for 75 years. Historical sims use the same city data as modern sims.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jcbarr

JM: It would have been a **** of a thing if it had worked. I do know that. Anything to get the advantage. It's all about winning games, not how you play the game. I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for that **** Charles Comiskey.

---

Why does that make me think of Scooby-Doo? :D

Great start, I'm very intrigued. Keep up the good work!

Because that is exactly what I was going for...:)

April 16, 1901

Record - 7-2
Standing - First Place 2 game lead
Injuries - None

Orioles Control First Place

The Baltimore Orioles are the real deal this season. They have jumped out to a two game lead in the American League. We are only 9 games in to the season, but at 7-2 the Orioles are looking very strong. The Orioles are the second best hitting team based on average and also hold the second best team ERA in the league. Early on in the season John McGraw looks his managerial skills are up to the task. He also looks as if he could be the team MVP when all is said and done.

The one through 5 hitters are all putting up solid numbers. First through four are all hitting over .400 at this point early in the season and Mike Donlin has three home runs through 9 games. If he keeps this up he will be breaking the all time home run record before the half way point in the season.

The Orioles began the month by taking 2 of 3 from the Washington Senators. This was a big series in order to gain and even retain the fans from the local area. The Orioles scored 17 runs in the three games and appeared to have the clearly dominant team.

They followed that up with a sweep of the Blues and then headed out to Milwaukee to take on the Brewers. The Orioles may have a 7-2 record on the season but they also have the dubious pleasure of being the only team to lose to the Brewers so far this year.

Donlin Out For Almost a Month
April 17th, 1901

Donlin Goes Down In Win

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...n_Baseball.jpg

Following an 8-6 victory over the Boston Americans it was reported that OF star Mike Donlin would be out for 26 days or more with a chipped knee. This is a big hit for the Orioles as they lose probably their best offensive player on the team. Donlin was off to one of the best starts that baseball had ever seen. He was hitting .422 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI through 10 games and was on pace to shatter almost any offensive record that you could dream of.

Birdie Cree will take over in RF for the duration of Donlin's injury. Cree is a less than desirable replacement for such a talented player. Cree will be moved down to the number eight spot in the batting order and won't be counted on to produce much offense.

McGraw's Comments

"Donlin will be missed. You never want to lose a bat like that in your lineup. Cree ain't all that good but what are you supposed to do when that is the best that you got? We was pretty much expecting something like this to happen. He's had a history of getting hurt. We figured we would ride him as long as we could and deal with it when it happened. We were hoping that it would take longer than 10 games."

Howell Injured In Ruckus
April 18th, 1901

Bovey Beans McGinnity

http://www.cbl-baseball.com/mogul/howell.jpg

Americans pitcher Dallas Bovey beaned Joe McGinnity in yesterdays game. This was the second day in a row that an incident such as this had happened. The game before Mike Donlin was also hit by a pitch that "got away" from an American's pitcher. The game was out of hand by the 5th inning as the Orioles had a commanding lead 7 to 1. McGinnity came to the plate with runners on first and second with a 6 run lead. On the first pitch he attempted to bunt. This wasn't taken well by the Americans who were not pleased with the Orioles attempts to score even more runs.

On the next pitch Bovey beaned McGinnity square in the back. The stadium was quiet for a moment and all thought it was simply going to blow over. Then just as things were though to be under control the Orioles bench cleared and the field turn in to a bar brawl.

Pitcher Harry Howell was the only one to come away with any serious injury. He chipped his knee cap "on Bovey's chin" as he put it.

Howell's Comments

They hit Donlin yesterday and then they hit McGinnity. That **** just isn't right. You don't play the game that way. We want to win, and if you think that 6 runs is enough then you must not have much confidence in your team. I'm sure they were frustrated after the *** kicking that we gave them the day before, but that ain't no excuse to try and hurt someone.

Everyone was kind of shocked that he did it with such purpose. Everyone out there knew he meant it. We all just stood and watched and when John (McGraw) said "get 'em", we did just that.

McGraw's Comments

I told you before that I'm not out there to make friends. You hit one of my guys and we can chalk that up to an accident, but then you hit my pitcher square in the back. We all knew what that was about.

Yeah, I told my boys to get 'em. I don't see nothing wrong with that. We have to defend our guys. We don't want the whole league to think they can throw at us and nothing is going to happen.

Well what happened to Howell is unfortunate, but I don't think he has any problem with the way that I handled things. The league might, and we will have to just wait and see on that one.

Baltimore, MD
April 30th, 1901

Record: 14-7
Standing: First (2 game lead)
Injuries: Mike Donlin (13 days), Harry Howell (14 days)

Baltimore Still Holds First

The Orioles remain in first place despite being without Donlin and Howell. They maintain the second best team batting average in the league and now have the best team ERA in the American League. Philadelphia and Boston sit tied for second place. Philly has won three in a row while Boston has been struggling and have lost two in a row.

The Orioles swept the last series with the Americans and then proceeded to take two of three from the Brewers at home. They then dropped two of three to the Americans and bounced back to take two of three from the cross town rivals, the Senators.

Next on the agenda is the Cleveland Blues. The Orioles swept the only other series that they have played against them this year and are optimistic going in to this series as well.

Orioles Streak The Wrong Way
May 7th, 1901

Baltimore Drops To 5th Place

After a great start to the season the Orioles have really taken a step back to start the month of May. After ending April in first place, everything was looking bright in Baltimore. McGraw was playing well and he was winning games. His stock was climbing fast. Then came the injuries. Donlin went down, and then Howell went down from a brawl that has been a black eye for the Orioles ever since.

The Orioles haven't won a game in May. They have lost their last seven in a row and have dropped from first place in the American League all the way down to fifth. They are only one game above .500 right now and I think it is safe to say that McGraw's stock has plummeted substantially. He may be in risk of losing his managerial position if things don't turn around rather quickly.

The team ERA has ballooned to over 5 runs per game now, which is a drastic change from the 3.89 that it was at the end of April. The worst showing came on May 2nd when they were embarrassed by the Cleveland Blues. Cleveland put up 21 runs to the Orioles' 3. Baltimore then followed that up with three straight losses to the now first place Detroit Tigers.

McGraw's Comments

**** right I'm pissed off about things. We haven't been playing baseball. I don't know what we have been doing out there, but I sure as **** don't call it baseball. They should be thinking about removing me, I'm fine with that. When a team like this goes on a losing streak of seven games, some times you just have to make a change. I know that I'm doing what I can to turn this thing around, but whatever they do is fine with me. We have to win and if that means that I can't be the manager anymore then I'm fine with that.

Never really seen an O's dynasty around, this is awesome.

From 1st to 5th in 7 days? Ouch.

Hopefully, the American League stays bunched enough for you to get off the schnide and back on the right track.

Any prospects we ought to keep our eyes open for?

Well, you know I'm likin' this... :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PotatoOfCouch13

From 1st to 5th in 7 days? Ouch.

Hopefully, the American League stays bunched enough for you to get off the schnide and back on the right track.

Any prospects we ought to keep our eyes open for?

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As of right now the only real prospect I have is a guy by the name of Roger Bresnahan. He has some real potential I think :)

Baltimore, MD
June 1st, 1901

Record: 26-22
Standing: 4th place (2 games back)
Injuries: C Roger Bresnahan (17 days)

Orioles Somewhat Right The Ship

From 14-13 to 26-22. It might not have been amazing but it has put them back on the right track so to speak. For now John McGraw's job as a manager might be safe. The Orioles still boast the best hitting team in the American League, the second best pitching staff and are the leaders in defensive average at this point in the season. Key injuries really limited them earlier and with a weak bench there wasn't much that they could do to offset the loss of players like Mike Donlin and Harry Howell. McGraw did the best that he could to motivate them and it seems to have worked slightly. Donlin has come back and is hitting over .300 and playing a flawless right field. 21 year old catcher Roger Bresnahan was getting some playing time in CF and was making the most of it. In 17 games he was hitting over .400. Roger however is now on the DL with a torn rotator cuff and should be out another two weeks. The pitching staff has been solid with a team ERA of just 4.33.

Comments from Uncle Robbie (Wilbert Robinson)

Anyone who thinks that McGraw should not be managing this team is off his rocker. There is no better man for this job. He can't help the fact that we played like little girls for a stretch. He's righted this ship and we are back on the right track. Baseball is a tough game and is to be played by tough men. If a little 6 game losing streak is going to bother anyone on this team then I think they might be in the wrong line of work.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...eball_Card.JPG

.281, 1 HR, 7 SB, 27 R, 23 RBI

Baltimore, MD
June 5th, 1901

Baltimore Creeps Up Standings

Baltimore has quietly crept to within striking distance of first place Detroit. They currently sit only one game behind the American League leaders. With a record of 13-7 in their last 20 games, the Orioles certainly look to be playing quality ball. The hitting has never stopped and the pitching has apparently figured out what they were doing wrong.

Robinson Injured Duck Pin Bowling?

Duck Pin bowling? Never heard of it? Well it has become quite the popular bar game. Wilbert Robinson and manager John McGraw developed the idea last year and it has been catching on quite quickly. Rumor has it that starting catcher Wilbert Robinson has been injured during a game of duck pin with John McGraw, played at the bar the two of them own in downtown Baltimore. At current time this is nothing more than rumor, but with the way that these fellas like to drink and play games, we all know how likely this one is. Robinson is reportedly only out 2 games with this unspecified injury.

Amateur Draft

The first ever MLB amateur draft was held earlier today. The Baltimore Orioles received the first overall pick in the draft based on team order alphabetically. With that pick the Orioles drafted pitcher Art Fromme. Others drafted by the Baltimore club included;

SP Russ Ford
CF Bill O'Hara
RF Chief Wilson
P Hub Knolls
SS Joe Cassidy

The cream of the crop appears to be Fromme and Ford. Both already have MLB quality pitches but they each have some things that need to be worked on. Both pitchers lack the amount of control desired to be a quality starting pitcher in the league, but both of them have good movement on their pitches and get the ball to the plate in a hurry. Fromme might want to develop a third pitch and Ford's third could still use some attention. Both of these guys should be very effective pitchers for the Orioles for many years. Fromme appears to be almost ready for the majors and could see some time later in the year. If he doesn't then I would certainly expect him to get a chance to crack the rotation in 1902.

O'Hara and Wilson should get some action in the next year or two as well. Currently CF and LF could be open if things work out for them. Steve Brodie has been playing extremely well and if that keeps up it will be hard for either one of them to get playing time in CF. LF is somewhat weak at the current time and with the way that Mike Donlin goes down with injury both of them could see some significant playing time in the next few years.

http://cbl-baseball.com/mogul/ArtFromme.jpghttp://cbl-baseball.com/mogul/RussFord.jpghttp://cbl-baseball.com/mogul/ChiefWilson.jpghttp://cbl-baseball.com/mogul/BillOhara.jpg
(Left to right, Art Fromme, Russ Ford, Chief Wilson, Bill O'Hara)

Baltimore, MD
July 1st, 1901

Record: 41-32
Standing: Second Place (5.5 games back)
Injuries: None

Orioles Best Statistically But Second Overall

Just three days before Independence Day the Orioles sit five and a half games back of the Detroit Tigers. It seems that no matter how well the Orioles seem to play the Tigers just keep on winning. During the month of June they climbed to within two games of the lead before falling back down to five again before the close of the month. The Boston Americans seem to have the Orioles' number as they have yet to lose a series to Baltimore this month. Just when it looks as if the division lead may be within their grasps, the Americans come calling and everything goes right down the crapper. Baltimore maintains the highest team batting average and the lowest team ERA but still cannot find their way to the top of the standings.

Brodie Leads the Way

http://cbl-baseball.com/mogul/brodie.jpg

CF Steve Brodie, who some thought might be on his way out, has been the offensive leader for the Orioles this season. Currently he leads the team in batting average at .388 and runs scored with 62. Brodie isn't a flashy player but he is gritty. He has great speed which makes him dangerous on the base paths and he has a knack for gunning down runners from the outfield.

McGraw's Comments

I don't know what to tell you. We have done everything that we can to get to shoe **** Tigers and it just seems like they always win. No matter how bad they play they always win. Right now it seems as if our scouting department is coming up a little short at times (+-8). That is something that we are certainly going to have to devote some more time and money to in the coming months and seasons if we are going to compete for the division title.



.

Detroit, MI
July 9th, 1901

Baltimore Only Three Games Back

The Orioles find themselves only three games back of the Detroit Tigers in the American League race. At 47-33 the Orioles have rolled off 5 straight wins to pull even closer to the Tigers. Pitcher Jack Dunn has really stepped up his game as he has lowered his team leading ERA to 2.97. The offense continues to be good as they are hitting over .300 as a team. Mike Donlin leads the way with 6 home runs and player/manager John McGraw has added 22 stolen bases. This series with the Tigers is huge. Baltimore hopes to come away only one game back and if they can manage the sweep they will leave Detroit tied for the lead in the American league. The season is winding down and if the O's can grab a few wins here it will really help their case.

McGraw's Thoughts on the Tigers

The Tigers are a tough squad for sure, but we can and have beat them. They have been playing over their heads. We are easily more talented than them and I hope that we can come out and show that in this three game series. We have the better offense and the better pitching staff. They might be slightly better than us in the bullpen, but hopefully that won't come down to be the deciding factor.

George Davis is a great player, but you can't sit back and try to stop just one guy. We have to concentrate on the whole team. One guy cannot beat us. If he hits three home runs against us and no one is on base then that is only three runs scored, that's the way I look at things like that.

Detroit, MI
July 27th 1901

Orioles Head Back to Bennett Park

http://www.giftbasketsfrommichigan.c...ld_1901_sm.jpg

The Orioles head back to Bennett Park for another three game series with the Tigers. Currently the Orioles sit only one and a half games back of the lead and hope to leave Detroit with it. Steve Brodie still leads the team with his .370 batting average which has been good enough for fourth in the entire league at the moment. Mike Donlin is third in home runs with 8, Jack Dunn is second in the league with a 2.99 ERA and Cy Seymour and Joe McGinnity are among the league leaders in wins as well. Unfortunately Jack Dunn is still out with a mild shoulder separation stemming from a collision at home plate suffered some two weeks ago when he was trying to score on a single by Brodie. All the odds makers are currently calling the Tigers the underdog despite the fact that they are in first place. Statistically speaking the Orioles are better in every category.

Game One

In game one Joe McGinnity pitched one heck of a ball game as he shut out the Tigers and only allowed three hits over 9 innings. He struck out 4 and only threw 112 pitches the whole game. It is always nice to get an efficient game like that out of your rotation. The fact that the Baltimore bullpen isn't all that strong didn't even matter in this one. Leadoff man Bill Kiester went three for five with a home run, drove in one and scored twice during the game.

Baltimore 6, Detroit 0

Game Two

Baltimore outlasted the Tigers in a thriller in game two. Heading in to the top of the ninth the O's found themselves down one run. They scored three to seal the victory and Bobby Keefe came in to pitch the ninth to pick up his 8th save this year. Cy Seymour got knocked around a little bit as he gave up 8 runs in 5 innings. Bill Keister was once again the hero as he drove in four runs including the game winning double that scored three in the top of the ninth. This win over the Tigers put the Orioles in first place by half a game.

Baltimore 12, Detroit 10

Game Three

Tigers score 4 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to take the victory and first place after game three of the series. Joe Lake came in to pitch the 8th and promptly game up a double to George Davis, a walk to Kip Selbach, a single to Collins that scored a run, another single to McAllister that scored another run, and finally a triple to Arndt that scored the final two runs. The game showed just how weak the bullpen is and that it will be a problem if the O's make it to the post season. McGraw may want to think about picking up some help.

Detroit 7, Baltimore 3

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jcbarr

McGraw may want to think about picking up some help.

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Foreshadowing? :D I wonder who McGraw is going to get...

Baltimore, MD
August 1st, 1901

Record: 60-43
Standing: Second (.5 games back)
Injuries: 2B Bill Keister (4 games)

Orioles Only A Half Game Back

After a 19-11 record in the month of July the Orioles are within .5 games from the Detroit Tigers. Baltimore will start of August with series against the Senators, White Sox and Athletics before meeting up with the Tigers again on the 13th. The bull pen has been the one major weakness for the club. On offense they are as solid as any team in baseball and the starting rotation is also one of the best in the league. They don't have one guy in the pen that they can count on at this point, and that has been hurting them in some close games. Many feel that it is about time to make a change, but up to this point manager John McGraw has done nothing to remedy the situation. With the trade deadline passing just yesterday, it doesn't seem like anything is going to get done about it at all.

McGraw's Comments

Sure I feel like we are good enough to win this thing. I don't know who I was supposed to trade. Can you show me some guy on the team that we can afford to lose for a pitcher. The guys in the pen are just going to have to step it up and find a way to get it done. It's as simple as that.

I wouldn't say that I have been surprised by how good Brodie has played. We all knew that he was a heck of a ball player. I mean just go back and look what he did in the past, he some great seasons.

Code:

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1901 Batting            Team    G  AVG    AB    H  2B  3B  HR  BB    K  SB  CS    R  RBI  SLG  OBP
Keister, Bill            BLA  99  .324  454  147  19  8  5  31  29  19  6  81  82  .434  .372
Williams, Jimmy          BLA  102  .251  419  105  25  7  3  40  44    6  1  71  57  .365  .321
Jordan, Slats            BLA  100  .246  410  101  17  2  6  51  44    3  1  50  76  .341  .333
Snodgrass, Chappie        BLA  102  .276  402  111  29  2  3  40  35    3  2  59  64  .381  .338
Robinson, Wilbert        BLA  97  .258  357  92  13  2  2  28  33  12  6  53  37  .322  .316
McGraw, John              BLA  89  .316  354  112  10  1  0  65  30  27  8  77  46  .350  .431
Brodie, Steve            BLA  80  .363  350  127  15  4  4  28  28  16  3  74  49  .463  .422
Donlin, Mike              BLA  78  .339  322  109  15  4  8  32  28  16  1  58  73  .484  .403
Cree, Birdie              BLA  31  .252  103  26  5  2  0  10  18    1  1  12  10  .340  .330
LaPorte, Frank            BLA  25  .284    95  27  6  1  0  12    5    2  0  12  10  .368  .370
McGinnity, Joe            BLA  29  .213    80  17  1  0  0    7    9    0  0    8    5  .225  .273
Seymour, Cy              BLA  28  .351    77  27  3  0  1  13    6    3  2  21  12  .429  .451
Dunn, Jack                BLA  23  .301    73  22  2  1  1    6  10    0  0  10    7  .397  .354
Bresnahan, Roger          BLA  16  .407    54  22  5  0  0    8    3    0  0    9    8  .500  .492
Hart, Burt                BLA  52  .395    43  17  3  0  1    9    3    1  0    9  12  .535  .500
Howell, Harry            BLA  15  .325    40  13  2  0  0    3    2    0  0    2    5  .375  .356
Latimer, Tacks            BLA  22  .321    28    9  1  0  0    0    3    1  0    3    4  .357  .321
Foutz, Frank              BLA  25  .364    22    8  2  0  0    9    1    0  0    6    9  .455  .563
Roach, Roxey              BLA  37  .462    13    6  3  0  0    4    2    0  0    6    4  .692  .588
Nops, Jerry              BLA    7  .333    12    4  1  0  0    3    2    0  0    1    3  .417  .438
Clarkson, Walter          BLA    6  .125    8    1  0  0  0    0    0    0  0    2    0  .125  .125
Hogg, Bill                BLA    9  .000    4    0  0  0  0    0    0    0  0    0    0  .000  .000
Burns, C.B.              BLA    3  .333    3    1  0  0  0    0    1    0  0    1    1  .333  .333
Lake, Joe                BLA  23  .500    2    1  0  0  0    0    0    0  0    0    0  .500  .500
Yerkes, Stan              BLA  10  .500    2    1  0  0  0    2    0    0  0    1    0  .500  .750
Doyle, Slow Joe          BLA    9 1.000    1    1  0  0  0    0    0    0  0    0    0 1.000 1.000

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Code:

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1901 Pitching            Team    IP  ERA    G  GS  W  L  SV    K  BB  R/9
McGinnity, Joe            BLA  229.0  3.46  29  29  13  11  0  84  73 11.83
Seymour, Cy              BLA  205.0  5.14  28  28  13  10  0  131  99 13.52
Dunn, Jack                BLA  195.2  2.99  23  23  11  6  0  42  42  9.80
Howell, Harry            BLA  125.1  3.73  15  15  11  2  0  56  37 11.70
Nops, Jerry              BLA  41.0  4.61    7  5  2  1  0  12  16  9.88
Lake, Joe                BLA  31.1  3.16  23  0  5  3  1  15  14 12.64
Clarkson, Walter          BLA  22.1  5.64    6  2  1  1  0  10  12 16.52
Keefe, Bobby              BLA  20.1  7.08  19  0  2  7  8  10  14 16.82
Yerkes, Stan              BLA  19.2  4.12  10  0  1  0  0    6    6 14.64
Hogg, Bill                BLA  14.1 10.05    9  0  0  2  0    5  18 20.09
Doyle, Slow Joe          BLA  10.1  5.23    9  0  0  0  0    3    3 15.68

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September 1st, 1901
Chicago, IL

Eight Games to go, Three Games Back

The Orioles made no movement at the trade deadline and manager John McGraw has come under some fire for that move. Despite going 9-11 in their last 20 they have somehow managed to stay close enough to make a run in the last part of the season. Only 8 games remain and they are the most important ones of the Orioles' very short history. As it stands the Tigers are in first place followed by both the Americans and the Orioles at three games behind. The Orioles head to Chicago for quick two game series and then they come back home for three against Boston, and then head to Detroit for the final three game series with the Tigers. With 8 games left in the season the Orioles have a chance to not only keep Boston from winning the league, but they can determine their own fate on that matter as well.

Record: 73-59
Standing: Third (3.0 Games Back)
Injuries: OF Steve Brodie (5 games), 3B John McGraw (4 games), OF Choppie Snodgrass (5 games)

McGraw's Plans

Easy, win the **** league. That is what we set out to do this year and anything else is going to be a failure in my book. We got one heck of a squad and there is no excuse if we can't pull this thing off. We can send Boston home crying in their gloves and then we can go out to Detroit and take the league ourselves. If you ask me there ain't no better way to end a season.

October 4th, 1901

Season Ends In Disappointment

The 1901 season ended with the Orioles finishing just one game behind the Detroit Tigers. Coach John McGraw has been criticized for not making any moves during the season to improve the team. The bullpen was horrible for the O's and McGraw had several chances to make a trade to strengthen it. Some however feel that this just wasn't the year for the O's. The general feeling in Baltimore is good and they have nothing but respect for the man that not only coaches the team but is the starting third baseman and possibly the best player on the team.

Next year should prove to be a good year for the squad as the rookies will have some time to develop and mature in to stars. It is quite possible that we may not only see Art Fromme in the rotation but Russ Ford could see some significant playing time as well.

McGraw's Reaction

I don't even want to talk about this right now. 1901 was a failure if you ask me. We had every chance to win this thing and we just didn't do it. We finished out the year against the Tigers and we couldn't play well enough to get there. We had our shot and we blew it. Next year should be better, heck it WILL be better. We have the team, we just have to put everything together and make this thing work.

Next Up: Offseason

The Detroit Tigers were beaten in the 1901 World Series by the Pirates, and pretty handily at that. The Pirates look like the team to beat over the next few years and the Orioles have some work to do if they want to compete with them. It's not known at this point as to what kind of changes are going to happen on the team. The one thing that we do know is that John McGraw will be back as the coach. The people of Baltimore absolutely love his attitude and his general hatred for losing.

Contract Renewals

Harry Howell

Harry pitched well for the Orioles and of course they were going to keep him. They couldn't afford to lose him to an in league rival so they inked him to a new 4 year deal. With the reserver clause in effect the length of the contract didn't really matter but it makes the players feel like they have some control over things.

Cy Semour

Another pitcher that had to be retained. He was a big part of the rotation and a must sign. He is still rather young and it was well worth the money to keep him around.

Bill Keister

Bill was the starting second baseman and the leadoff hitter for the Orioles this past year. He did a great job at setting the tone and getting on base. Without him the offense would have had trouble scoring runs, so resigning him was really no question at all.

Jerry Nops

Jerry didn't see a whole lot of playing time but when he was on the mound he was very good. It's always nice to have some insurance for the big guns in your rotation and that is exactly what Nops gives the O's.

Crazy Schmit

Crazy, well he is just plain crazy. McGraw and him had some personality conflicts and his play just wasn't at the level that was expected from him. With Fromme and Ford coming up the ranks it was needed to make some room in the staff for the two of them and Schmit was the one standing it the way it seemed. Once Schmit was let go he promptly retired at the age of 35. He stated; "All I wanted to do was play close to home, and if I can't do that then I'm not worried about playing at all." These statements were made apparently after the Washington Senators told Schmit that they were not interested in signing him for the 1902 season.

Wilbert Robinson

The old man decided to call it quits after the 1901 season. At the tender age of 38 years old he came to the conclusion that he just wasn't in the shape to play baseball any longer. Robinson has decided to put all of his efforts in to the tavern that he and Coach/Player John McGraw own in downtown Baltimore. It still remains to be seen how McGraw will take this decision and how it will impact his play and managerial style during the 1902 season.

1901 Standings, Stats and Awards

Code:

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AMERICAN LEAGUE (1901)

                        W  L  PCT    GB  AVG    HR    SB  ERA
 Detroit              79  61  .564    --  .284    39    81  4.37
 Baltimore            78  62  .557  1.0  .293    46  143  3.92
 Boston                75  65  .536  4.0  .272    34  157  4.34
 Philadelphia          74  66  .529  5.0  .293    38  143  4.70
 Washington            74  66  .529  5.0  .294    29  131  4.13
 Milwaukee            64  76  .457  15.0  .278    48  165  4.31
 Chicago              58  82  .414  21.0  .270    48  184  4.79
 Cleveland            58  82  .414  21.0  .275    30    82  5.13


NATIONAL LEAGUE (1901)

                        W  L  PCT    GB  AVG    HR    SB  ERA
 Pittsburgh            91  49  .650    --  .302    40  176  4.08
 Boston                76  64  .543  15.0  .281    26    99  4.67
 Philadelphia          73  67  .521  18.0  .287    34  187  4.28
 St. Louis            69  71  .493  22.0  .287    29  156  4.40
 Brooklyn              68  72  .486  23.0  .286    54  193  5.12
 Cincinnati            67  73  .479  24.0  .296    37  171  4.71
 Chicago              67  73  .479  24.0  .290    35  188  5.13
 New York              49  91  .350  42.0  .279    50  126  5.23

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Code:

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AMERICAN LEAGUE (1901)

Cy Young                  Win Mercer (WSH)
Player of the Year:      Mike Donlin (BLA)
Rookie Of The Year:      Lou Bruce (PHA)

Gold Glove (P):          Laurence MacGoun (DET)
Gold Glove (C):          Farmer Steelman (PHA)
Gold Glove (1B):          Frank Isbell (CHW)
Gold Glove (2B):          Hobe Ferris (CHW)
Gold Glove (3B):          Wid Conroy (MLA)
Gold Glove (SS):          Champ Osteen (WSH)
Gold Glove (LF):          Orth Collins (WSH)
Gold Glove (CF):          Chick Stahl (BOS)
Gold Glove (RF):          Lou Bruce (PHA)

NATIONAL LEAGUE (1901)

Cy Young                  Jesse Tannehill (PIT)
Player of the Year:      Honus Wagner (PIT)
Rookie Of The Year:      Frank Schulte (CHC)

Gold Glove (P):          Vic Willis (BSN)
Gold Glove (C):          Ed McFarland (PHI)
Gold Glove (1B):          Ed Delahanty (PHI)
Gold Glove (2B):          Claude Ritchey (PIT)
Gold Glove (3B):          Charlie Hickman (NYG)
Gold Glove (SS):          Bobby Wallace (STL)
Gold Glove (LF):          Honus Wagner (PIT)
Gold Glove (CF):          Willie Keeler (BRO)
Gold Glove (RF):          Roy Thomas (PHI)

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Code:

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1901 Pitching            Team    IP  ERA    G  GS  W  L  SV    K  BB  R/9
McGinnity, Joe            BLA  299.0  3.46  38  38  16  14  0  109  92 11.89
Seymour, Cy              BLA  281.2  4.67  38  38  17  15  0  175  135 12.88
Dunn, Jack                BLA  262.1  3.12  31  31  15  10  0  54  56 10.19
Howell, Harry            BLA  195.0  3.46  24  24  16  6  0  82  52 11.35
Nops, Jerry              BLA  50.0  4.32  11  6  2  2  0  14  17 10.80
Lake, Joe                BLA  48.0  3.19  36  0  7  4  3  22  22 12.56
Yerkes, Stan              BLA  26.2  4.73  12  0  1  0  0    9  11 15.53
Keefe, Bobby              BLA  26.0  6.92  25  0  2  8  13  11  17 15.58
Clarkson, Walter          BLA  24.1  5.55    8  2  1  1  0  11  12 15.90
Hogg, Bill                BLA  14.2  9.82  10  0  0  2  0    5  18 19.64
Doyle, Slow Joe          BLA  13.1  5.40  12  0  0  0  0    4    4 14.85

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Code:

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1901 Batting            Team    G  AVG    AB    H  2B  3B  HR  BB    K  SB  CS    R  RBI  SLG  OBP
Keister, Bill            BLA  133  .316  605  191  28  14  6  36  48  26  8  99  97  .438  .359
Williams, Jimmy          BLA  139  .263  558  147  34  10  3  55  56    9  4  90  75  .376  .333
Jordan, Slats            BLA  137  .251  557  140  26  2  7  68  65    3  1  63  101  .343  .335
Snodgrass, Chappie        BLA  134  .259  532  138  36  2  6  48  46    7  2  70  81  .368  .319
Brodie, Steve            BLA  112  .368  489  180  23  6  4  36  31  21  5  103  64  .464  .425
Donlin, Mike              BLA  115  .341  469  160  23  9  12  51  44  24  3  89  101  .505  .408
McGraw, John              BLA  111  .315  445  140  12  1  0  72  35  29  10  96  59  .346  .417
LaPorte, Frank            BLA  41  .270  152  41  7  2  0  16    9    3  0  20  13  .342  .341
McGinnity, Joe            BLA  38  .193  109  21  1  0  0    7  14    0  0  10    7  .202  .239
Seymour, Cy              BLA  38  .346  107  37  4  0  2  15    7    4  3  26  14  .439  .435
Cree, Birdie              BLA  31  .252  103  26  5  2  0  10  18    1  1  12  10  .340  .330
Dunn, Jack                BLA  31  .283    92  26  2  2  1    8  13    0  0  12    9  .380  .340
Bresnahan, Roger          BLA  22  .406    69  28  6  0  0  10    3    0  0  11  10  .493  .494
Howell, Harry            BLA  24  .262    65  17  2  0  0    5    6    0  0    5    6  .292  .306
Hart, Burt                BLA  71  .390    59  23  5  0  1  12    4    1  0  11  17  .525  .493
Foutz, Frank              BLA  32  .290    31    9  2  0  0  10    3    0  0    6    9  .355  .476
Latimer, Tacks            BLA  25  .300    30    9  1  0  0    0    3    1  0    3    4  .333  .300
Roach, Roxey              BLA  53  .407    27  11  4  0  0    5    4    1  0    9    5  .556  .500
Bell, Rudy                BLA    4  .333    15    5  0  0  1    1    2    0  0    3    2  .533  .353
Nops, Jerry              BLA  11  .400    15    6  1  0  0    3    2    0  0    1    3  .467  .474
Rohe, George              BLA    3  .333    9    3  0  0  0    0    0    0  0    2    0  .333  .333
Clarkson, Walter          BLA    8  .125    8    1  0  0  0    0    0    0  0    2    0  .125  .125
Burns, C.B.              BLA    4  .250    4    1  0  0  0    0    1    0  0    1    1  .250  .250
Hogg, Bill                BLA  10  .000    4    0  0  0  0    0    0    0  0    0    0  .000  .000
Yerkes, Stan              BLA  12  .250    4    1  0  0  0    2    0    0  0    1    0  .250  .500
Curtis, Fred              BLA    3  .667    3    2  1  0  0    0    0    0  0    1    0 1.000  .667
Lake, Joe                BLA  36  .500    2    1  0  0  0    0    0    0  0    0    0  .500  .500
Courtney, Ernie          BLA    1  .000    1    0  0  0  0    0    0    0  0    0    0  .000  .000
Doyle, Slow Joe          BLA  12 1.000    1    1  0  0  0    0    0    0  0    0    0 1.000 1.000

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April 1st, 1902
Baltimore, MD

The Pressue is on Mike

http://alfonsopark.hp.infoseek.co.jp/mikedonlin.jpg

Mike Donlin was chosen as the American League MVP for 1901. Mike only played in 115 games in 1901 but he still managed to lead the team in home runs with 12 and RBI with 101. Donlin batted .341 and had an OPS of over .900 which is very impressive for any player in the league no matter what the circumstance. The pressure will be on Donlin not only to play up to the level that he did last year, but to also stay healthy. A lot of fans are blaming the month long injury last year for the reason that the O's finished a mere one game behind the Tigers when all was said and done. Coach McGraw refuses to use that as an excuse, but I doubt anyone can argue that it didn't play in to the equation just a little bit. Donlin will once again find himself as the starting CF and hit in the clean up spot for the O's.

Fromme and Ford Stay in AAA

Despite pressure being put on McGraw by not only the fans but ownership as well, Art Fromme and Russ Ford will start the 1902 season in AAA. They made some improvements but overall it is felt that they still need a season or two more before they are ready to contribute at the major league level. These things have to be played carefully as you would hate to rush them to the pros only to have them falter and get set back another year because of it.

McGraw's Outlook

Mike's a big boy, I'm sure that he can handle the pressure. He is a world class athlete and he won't have any issues putting up numbers. That has never been a question about him. The biggest concern is if he can actually make it out on to the field for the whole season.

Art and Russ just ain't ready. I don't care what ownership or the fans say. I ain't gonna bring them up just so they can fail and go back down. Do you know what that could do to a kid?

Wilbert calling quits wasn't my idea. I thought he could still play, but we got Roger and he should be able to step in and carry the load. It don't bother me none. At least I know I got someone competent running my bar when I ain't around.

This year we are going to be more aggressive with our scouting and we hired some better medical guys. Hopefully coming up off the money is going to help us get what we need. We need good information on the guys that we are playing and we need to be able to get our guys patched up and back out on to the field as soon as when can when they get banged. Overall I think we got a better team than we did last year. We should have won the whole **** thing last year, and we should again this year. Like I have said in the past, if we don't them I'm gonna be one pissed of guy.

Team Changes

Milwaukee Brewers - St. Louis Browns
Chicago Orphans - Chicago Cubs
Boston Americans - Boston Somersets
Cleveland Blues - Cleveland Broncos


.

Sports Writers Projections

American League

Baltimore Orioles (85-55)
Philadelphia Athletics (71-69)
St. Louis Browns (70-70)
Boston Somersets (69-71)
Chicago White Sox (69-71)
Detroit Tigers (66-74)
Washington Senators (66-74)
Cleveland Broncos (64-76)

Hopes are high in Baltimore but I don't think that anyone can honestly pick them to win the league by 14 games. That is just an insane amount to pick. They most certainly have the talent to win the league, but that margin will never happen. Detroit is also a lot better than than the writers are giving them credit for. I think this comes from the fact that the personalities on that team might not be the friendliest in town.

National League

Pittsburgh Pirates (88-52)
New York Giants (71-69)
Boston Beaneaters (70-70)
St. Louis Cardinals (70-70)
Brooklyn Superbas (68-72)
Chicago Cubs (67-73)
Philadelphia Phillies (67-73)
Cincinnati Reds (60-80)

The Pirates are no doubt the favorites again this year, and probably for many years to come. Their team is just too strong and I don't think anyone is going to give them a run for their money this year. Just like over in the American League the rest of the teams are pretty much lumped together with no clear second place or even last place.