Evolution 1931
| East | Central | West |
| Cuyahoga Falls Collusion | Philadelphia Athletics | New York Highlanders |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | Washington Expos | St. Louis Bruisers |
| New York Giants | Detroit Tigers | Toronto Crown Royals |
| Beach City Dukes | Boston Red Sox | Pittsburgh Pisces |
April
EAST:
The Dodgers slap the competition around to the tune of an 18-8 record. That the Brooklyn franchise has taken an early lead is no surprise. That they’re 2nd in the league in scoring to the Cuyahoga Falls Collusion. Yes, you heard me – the Collusion. 175 runs for the Collusions surely means victory! But you can see where I’m going with this. As previously mentioned, they’re behind the Dodgers in the division. Their big name pitching staff has plain stunk like the dumpage in the Cuyahoga. Grove has had moderate success (4-2, 3.40) but the warm and fuzzies stop there. King Carl Hubbell and Lefty Gomez are staring up at 5.10 and 5.63 ERAs and wondering where it all went wrong. The Dukes and Giants round out the competition with identical 8-18 records, but the Dukes run differential points to a further slide.
CENTRAL:
Nobody say anything. Just don’t even acknowledge it. Pretend it’s just not happening… oh hell, screw it. THE TIGERS ARE IN FIRST PLACE!
Wow. Some notes just can’t be contained. For the first time in franchise history, the Detroit Tigers franchise has finished a month at the top of their division. Can their success continue? A cursory examination of the contributors to their 16-7 start tends to suggest that nobody actually knows how they’re winning. They’re 4th in runs scored, but perhaps more surprisingly, 3rd in runs allowed. Rube Walberg (3-1, 2.79 ERA) and Vic Sorrell (5-0, 4.35) are putting up wins, but the kitties’ main cause of success may lie with two bullpen studs with sub-2.00 ERAs: Hank McDonald and Jack Ogden. The latter is tied for second in the league with 6 saves. In a league that normally punishes relievers, the success of Detroit’s bullpen has likely been its reason for early contention.
In other divisional notes, the Red Sox have allowed 186 runs and stumbled out to a league worst 7-16 record. It doesn’t take a statistician to know how the Red Sox need to turn that around. The up is down, left is right story continues when you notice that the Expos are wallowing in 3rd behind the Athletics. Take a snapshot EBL owners:
WEST:
The West… well, the West is an odd bird so far in 1931. The renamed New York Highlanders, mired in an ownership battle and recovering from an identity crisis aren’t scoring and aren’t being scored upon (really at all with a league best 2.58 ERA), but have a one game advantage over the slugging Pisces and Bruisers. The Toronto franchise has the distinction of being the best last place team in the EBL. Can the Highlanders hang on for the long run or will their dearth of offense, doom them in the end? If there’s anything that this era has proved it’s that good hitting can indeed dominate good pitching (see the Red Sox and Dodgers for proof). I have nothing else interesting to say on this subject. Mostly because I need to get back to work.
HITTER OF THE MONTH
Jimmie Foxx, Brooklyn Dodgers: .421/.471/.906, 11 HR, 23 R, 46 RBI!!
Due to Jimmie Foxx’s astonishing 46 RBI month, I’m not even going to name runners up. It’s all about Jimmie Foxx, people. It’s time to wake up and smell what the Foxx is clubbing.
PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Paul Derringer, New York Highlanders: 3-1, 1.35 ERA, 40 IP, 25 H, 2 CG)
Honourable Mention
Bill Walker, Pittsburgh Pisces
Wes Ferrell, Brooklyn Dodgers
Heine Meine, Toronto Crown Royals
Watty Clark, St. Louis Bruisers
