Evolution 1929

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1929 Recap

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League batting leaders
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World Series:

Expos defeat Dodgers

World Series Recap

MVP Award

Lou Gehrig wins his second MVP award with another great season for an otherwise disappointing Red Sox team.

Name, Team: Stats 2B/3B/HR Runs RBI

Lou Gehrig, Red Sox: 371/489/688 53/15/36 160 154

Rogers Hornsby, Bandits: 375/471/602 39/10/26 150 119
Jimmie Foxx, Dodgers: 354/484/575 21/11/25 132 122
Heinie Manush, Bandits: 411/460/556 50/12/5 117 121
Lefty O'Doul, Giants: 359/420/586 22/4/33 118 156
Mickey Cochrane, Expos: 320/396/479 49/9/5 96 96
Charlie Gehringer, Pisces: 367/434/595 38/30/13 137 115
Babe Ruth, Red Sox: 266/495/691 24/7/39 113 141

Cy Young Award

Ray Kremer wins his first Cy Young award on the way to leading the Washington Expos to their second World Series title. The Collusion had three different pitchers receive votes which makes one wonder what happened to the rest of the team.

Name, Team: W-L ERA IP R/9 Qst% Opponent rate stats

Ray "Flash-in-the-Pan" Kremer, Expos: 25-5 3.03 232 11.8 .690 262/318/368

Carl Hubbell, Collusion: 15-9 3.34 288 12.3 .658 280/324/385
Jesse Petty, Collusion: 14-6 3.08 199 10.3 .680 227/284/333
Lefty Grove, Collusion: 19-14 3.72 276 14.4 .514 304/363/409
Pete Alexander, Redlegs: 14-1 2.30 153 10.3 .765 244/282/336

First Team All-Star Team

C-Mickey Cochrane, Expos, unanimous vote, (third selection)
1B-Lou Gehrig, Red Sox, unanimous vote, ( third selection)
2B-Rogers Hornsby, Bandits (third selection)
3B-Joe Sewell, Expos, (third selection): 316/381/435, only 10 errors
SS-Travis Jackson, Pisces, unanimous vote, (second selection): 312/375/489, 55 XBH, 102 runs, 112 RBI
OF-Taylor Douthit, Dodgers: 340/406/478, 66 XBH, 134 runs, 98 RBI, VG defense in CF
OF-Paul Waner, Redlegs, (third selection): 337/419/572, 93 XBH, 166 runs, 103 RBI
OF-Babe Ruth, Red Sox, (third selection)
P-Red Kremer, Expos (second selection)
P-Carl Hubbell, Collusion (second selection)
P-Jesse Petty, Collusion
P-Lefty Grove, Collusion, (third selection)

Second Team All-Stars

C-Bill Dickey, Bandits: 338/373/515, 48 XBH, 70 runs, 100 RBI
1B-Jimmie Foxx, Dodgers
2B-Charlie Gehringer, Pisces
3B-Pie Traynor, Pisces, (third selection): 337/378/427, 34 XBH, 95 runs, 71 RBI
SS-Red Kress, Giants: 327/386/477, 58 XBH, 75 runs, 87 RBI
OF-Heinie Manush, Bandits, (second selection): 411/460/556, 67 XBH, 117 runs, 121 RBI
OF-Lefty O'Doul, Giants: 359/420/586, 33 HR, 118 runs, 156 RBI
OF-Al Simmons, Giants: 340/362/610, 39 2B, 44 HR, 111 runs, 132 RBI
P-Pat Malone, Redlegs: 16-8, 3.82, 233 IP, 247/330/363
P-Pete Alexander, Redlegs (second selection)
P-Dazzy Vance, Knicks (second selection): 15-11, 3.72, 227 IP, 274/319/390
P-Ben Cantwell, Tigers: 8-7, 2.83, 156 IP, 234/302/344 opponents batting line

New Records

August

The big news in August was the Knickerbockers getting red hot and going 22-7 to vault into first place in the Western Division setting up an exciting four team race for the division title. None of the teams has been consistent enough to play .500 but each has managed to put together at least one very good month. Whoever manages to do so in September will find themselves in the playoffs. At this point the Knicks have to be the favourite as they appear to be the only team with enough pitching to match up down the stretch.

How much of a prize a playoff position will be however is an open question. The winner of the four team race in the West faces the unenviable task of facing either the powerful Expos or Red Sox teams. In any other division in any other league the Red Sox would be a first place team riding high after a 18-10 month. Unfortunately for the Red Sox 18-10 meant they lost four games to the league leading Expos who posted a 22-6 mark. Still its unclear that the Expos are that much a superior team. Since June 1 st when the Expos made their big in season trade acquiring Joe Sewell, Jim Botttomley and Alex Metzler the two top teams have identical 60-24 records. The Expos advantage in the standings stems from results in April and May before both teams made the moves that have transformed them into elite teams. Should they meet in the world series it may be a confrontation for the ages.

Before that can happen the wildcard team will have to face the winner of the Eastern Division. The Collusion enter the month of September with a sizeable lead but some usage problems with the starting rotation. Still barring a precipitous collapse they should be able to win their second straight division title. There could be some real drama in the race for the first pick overall (probably Bill Dickey) between the Redlegs and the Bandits.

In the awards races a monster summer by the Babe has brought him front and center for the MVP. It will be interesting to see how the voters choose to value the difference between Ruth and Gehrig. The Cy Young is too close to call at this point with a number of good candidates. Whomever puts up the numbers in September will likely walk away with the award.

A number of records will surely fall in the second season of the league. Lou Gehrig has already broken George Burns record for doubles in a season. Dazzy Vance has broken his own record for strikeouts in a season but only leads Lefty Grove by one. That record will go back and forth until the finish. This season has also seen Earle Combs tie his own record with a 31 game hit streak. On the team level the Expos are a good bet to set records for wins (98), runs scored (968) and runs allowed (697), while the Mud Hens will certainly break the record for losses (98) and runs allowed (976). Interestingly enough the Knicks could break the record for fewest runs scored (702) while still making the playoffs.

June

The month of June saw dramatic reversals in the Eastern and Western divisions as both the Redlegs and Pisces put up impressive months to take first place in their respective divisions. The Redlegs went 20-9 for the month and scored an amazing 242 runs in those 29 games to take a two game lead over the Collusion. The Redlegs aren't that good on offense but they picked the right time to get hot as both the Collusion and the Dodgers came back to earth in June. The Giants continue to hover around .500 but when other teams are scoring 8.3 runs a game that's just not good enough.

In the West the first place Bruisers suffered through a cataclysmic 4-22 month and now find themselves tied for last place trailing the Pisces by. Everything went wrong for the Bruisers led by the implosion of a pitching staff that posted a 8.30 ERA for the month. The beneficiary of this collapse is the Pisces who got hot at the right time and posted a 17-9 record. Still no team in the division is playing over .500 and with no good teams, all of the teams have a legitimate chance. This may be the most exciting race to watch as managers try and squeeze every victory out of their undermanned and unbalanced squads.

In the Central the Expos rode the momentum of their blockbuster deal with the Mud Hens (and Jim Bottomley's massive bat) to a 21-8 record in June. With this trade the Expos are the class of the league and should cruise to the playoffs. Hot on their heels, however, are the defending champion Red Sox who realized the dividends of acquiring reigning MVP Lou Gehrig, who hit an amazing .491 for the month, with a 20-9 record. The Red Sox only trail the Expos by six games and will surely do their best to make up the difference. The loser of that battle is a good bet to take the wildcard once again. It's been a disappointing season so far for the preseason favourite Bandits. They've been solid with the fourth best run differential in the league but their won-loss record is slightly more pedestrian and they find themselves mired in third place looking up at the playoffs. There is too much talent on this team for anyone to be satisfied with their performance so far. Look for them to make a big push in the second half of the season.

It was a month for the hitters as 6 different players hit over .400 for the month. Heinie Manush wasn't one of them but he did have a 29 game hitting streak, the second best in the history of the league. The MVP race is shaping up to be a great one as both Lou Gehrig and Jim Bottomley are putting up monster seasons. Throw in that they were both traded in mid-season and who knows with whom the voters will go. The best pitcher this season has been Charlie Root, but unless he wins some more games it looks like Dolly Gray or Lefty Grove are the leading candidates.

Player of the Month

Lou Gehrig (3), Red Sox, 491/597 /728 19 XBH, 32 runs, 27 RBI

Honourable Mention

Paul Waner, Redlegs, 429/520/675, 22 XBH, 39 runs , 23 RBI
Jim Bottomley (3), Expos, 374/492/710, 13 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 31 runs, 30 RBI
Al Simmons, Giants, 375/ 405/ 775 , 10 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR , 24 XBH , 21 runs, 42 RBI
Pie Traynor, Pisces, 448/475/664, 18 XBH, 26 runs, 30 RBI
Earle Combs (2), Expos, 419/490/574, 13 XBH, 33 runs, 36 RBI
Joe Judge, Giants, 421/488/617, 13 XBH, 21 run, 13 RBI
Del Bissonette (2), Dodgers, 371/402/647, 9 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 21 runs, 30 HR
Heinie Manush (2), Bandits, 385/427/598, 15 XBH, 24 runs, 11 RBI
Hack Wilson, Redlegs, 400/472/564, 16 XBH, 26 runs, 25 RBI

Pitcher of the Month

Guy Bush, Pisces, 4-0, 1.29 ERA, 4 GS, CG, SHO, 35 IP, 1.00 Qst%

Honourable Mention

Charlie Root (2), Giants, 4-0, 1.74, 6 GS, 2 CG, 47 IP, .833 Qst%
Hank Johnson, Redlegs, 3-0, 1 SV, 1.76, 4 GS, CG, SHO, 41 IP.75 Qst%
Ownie Carroll, Expos, 3-0, 1 SV, 1.78, 4 GS, CG, 35 IP, .75 QSt%
Dolly Gray (3), Red Sox, 6-2, 2.89, 8 GS, 2 CG, SHO, 65 IP, .625 Qst %
Waite Hoyt, Redlegs, 5-3, 2.77, 8 GS, 2 CG, SHO, 55 IP, .750 Qst%
Burleigh Grimes, Giants, 3-3, 2.63, 6 GS, 4 CG, SHO, 48 IP, .667Qst%
General Crowder, Expos, 4-1, 1 SV, 6 GS, 48 IP, 1.00 Qst%

May

The big story heading into the month of May was the blockbuster trade that sent MVP Lou Gehrig from the Knickerbockers to the defending champion Red Sox. This united the two best hitters in the league in a devastating one-two punch but at the expense of a great deal of the Red Sox depth. After one month the results of the trade have been mixed. While Gehrig and Ruth have certainly mashed the Red Sox' pitching has faltered and they finished with only a 14-13 record for the month, certainly a disappointment to management. The Knicks, on the other hand, rebounded from a horrible 6-18 start to go 14-13 and get right back in the race in a weak Western division. This could turn out to be quite a trade for the Knicks, especially if the Red Sox fail to make the playoffs and the first round pick that was traded turns into the first pick overall.

Elsewhere the Eastern division is shaping up for a great season long race as all four teams played over .500 for the month. The Collusion have the best record in the league despite a negative run differential. A 16-3 record in one run games will do that for you. The Dodgers are right behind them despite a run differential that is no better than the Redlegs and the Giants. A late month sweep by the Redlegs of the powerful Bandits put them right in the hunt as we head into the summer months. This division will certainly go down to the wire and with the wildcard likely to come from the Central division it will be no holds barred the rest of the way.

In the Central the Expos posted a league best 17-10 record to take over first place while the Bandits and Red Sox faltered some. While all three teams have the potential for dominating offenses and defenses it is the Expos that have come to play averaging a league best 6 r/g while only allowing under four. The Bandits haven't scored as many runs as expected. The offense while posting outstanding performances by its stars is weighed down by Pinky Whitney and Hod Ford who seem incapable of getting on base at an acceptable clip. The Red Sox, on the other hand, are scoring plenty of runs but are being dragged down by a 4.86 team ERA and Ted Lyons' disaster of a season (7.87 ERA). Look for both the Bandits and the Red Sox to play better in the summer months. Finally the Mud Hens came down to earth with a 7-20 record while playing the three powerhouse teams of the division. The Mud Hens finished in the first division last season but may have to do something dramatic to build for the future.

Finally the teams of the West continue to struggle without any standout team. The Bruisers and the Knicks posted the best months with 14 and 13 records leaving the Bruisers with a six game lead over the Pisces. If the Pisces or the Knicks can get hot they should be able to make up some ground as the Bruisers enter June with an injury depleted lineup. In any other division it may be over for the Pilgrims. Even so they'll have to make a move soon if the franchise wants to return to respectability.

Old pitchers continue to do well as 37 year old lefty spitballer Clarence Mitchell helped lead the Expos to a stellar month with a 5-0 record and an ERA under one. The only problem is that it's unlikely the old body will be able to maintain this amount of work. On the offensive side of the battle Heinie Manush of the Bandits used 51 hits and a .440 average to score 37 runs in the month. Manush who has already had a 19 game hit streak this season carries a 16 gamer into the month of June. Taylor Douthit of the Dodgers holds the longest hit streak of the season. He is at 22 games and counting. The Evolution record is 31 games set by Earle Combs last season.

Player of the Month

Heinie Manush Bandits, 440/463/707, 51 hits, 37 runs, 14 RBI, 13 2B, 35 RC

Honourable Mention

Jim Bottomley (2), Mud Hens, 380/466/740, 25 runs, 22 RBI, 10 2B, 6 HR, 35 RC
Babe Ruth (2), Red Sox, 304/484/641, 22 runs, 24 RBI, 10 HR, 30 RC
Lou Gehrig (2) , Red Sox, 375, 457, 607, 26 runs, 19 RBI, 12 2B, 30 RC
Jimmie Foxx, Dodgers, 404/485/629, 19 runs, 25 RBI, 27 RC
Del Bissonette, Pigrims, 295/383/648, 21 runs, 21 RBI, 8 HR, 26 RC
Earle Combs, Expos, 342/421/547, 25 runs, 16 RBI, 11 2B, 5 3B, 26 RC
Lloyd Waner, Bruisers, 368/400/535, 18 runs, 26 RBI, 25 RC

Pitcher of the Month

Clarence Mitchell (1), Expos, 5-0, 0.78, 9 G, 4 GS, 4 QS, CG, SHO, 39 IP

Honourable Mention

Carl Hubbell, Collusion, 4-0, 4/5 SV, 0.62. 10 G/2GS, 2 CG, 2 QS, 29 IP
Bump Hadley, Knicks, 4-0, 1.90, 5 GS, 3 CG, 4 QS, 43 IP
Art Delaney, Knicks, 1-2, 1.77, 6 GS, CG, 3 QS, SHO, 36 IP
Sherriff Blake, Giants, 3-1, 1 SV, 1.52, 4 GS, 2 CG, 3 QS, SHO, 30 IP
Ray Benge, Dodgers, 3-0, 2.06, 4 GS, CG, 3 QS, 35 IP
Lefty Grove (2), Collusion, 4-0, 2.21, 5 GS, 4 CG, 4 QS, 41 IP
Slim Harriss, Bruisers, 3-1, 2.30, 6 GS, 3 CG, 5 QS, 47 IP
Dolly Gray (2) , Red Sox, 4-2, 2.38, 7 GS, 3 CG, 5 QS, 53 IP

April

The season got off to a rousing start highlighted by a spectacular first month for the defending champs and the beginning of very competitive races in the East and West divisions.

The defending champion Expos, coming off a banner year in 1928, continued their winning ways with an 18-5 record in April to explode to an eight game lead over their arch-rivals, the Red Sox of Boston. Their start can be attributed to a pitching staff that is sporting an ERA of 3.29, one and a half runs lower than a league average. Highlighting this effort are Ray Kremer, the 1927 ERA champ reaquired in the offseason, who has posted a 6-0 record and a 3.24 ERA, and Red Lucas, the 27 Cy Young award winner, who has contributed a 4-1 mark and a 2.39 ERA. The offense, which has been mediocre on the whole, is lead by slugger Jim Bottomley (400/471/833), currently pacing the league in home runs, extra base hits and RBI. This team isn't this good, they've been helped by an 8-1 record in one run games, but these games are in the bank and an 8 game lead is a nice cushion to have.

The other teams in the Central all had disappointing Aprils as they each struggled against teams in the other divisions. Considering the injury to Babe Ruth the Red Sox can't be too disappointed with a 10-13 record. This team will go only as far as Ruth and Gehrig will take them. The most disappointing team so far are the Bandits. Picked to win the division for the second year in a row they have stumbled out of the gate with an 8-15 mark. This team is much better than this however, a notion supported by the fact that despite being 7 games under .500 they were outscored by only 10 runs. This team is a sure bet to improve but starting ten games in the whole is quite a deficit to make up. Finally the cellar dwelling Tigers have started the season with a 6-17 record. It's difficult to say whether this meets expectations or not.

The beneficiaries, or perhaps the cause, of the struggling Central division teams is the Western Division. The Knicks and the Pilgrims are tied for first place with 15-9 records. What is surprising about these early results is how they've occurred. The Knicks were supposed to have good pitching but they managed to score a healthy number of runs in April. The performance of early season favorites the Pilgrims doesn't surprise anyone. In third place is the Pittsburg squad. They received good offensive performances in April but have to be a little disappointed with the pitching. Touted to be among the league best in the preseason they've struggled early with a 5.28 team ERA. Expect this to improve and a tight, three way race to emerge. The Bruisers find themselves in last place as predicted. However the team has played well and sport a positive run differential. If they continue to be competitive the Western Division could see another exciting four team race except this time a record of much better than .500 will be necessary to take the division title.

Finally, the Western division is also setting up for an exciting season. Preseason co-favourites the Dodgers and Giants didn't disappoint while the Redlegs are playing solid .500 ball. With three good teams in the division two time defending division champion, Cuyahoga Falls have really struggled winning only one more game than the Tigers. The torch is almost certainly going to be passed this season and it will be interesting to see what kind of moves owner/general manager Jay Patrick comes up with in the rebuilding process.

Hitter of the Month

Last season's MVP runner-up Jim Bottomley kept up his fantastic play with a torrid April winning his second hitter of the month award. In 23 games Bottomley put up a 400/471/833 line with 8 HR's, 20 extra base hits and 32 RBI, leading the league in all three categories. Among the honourable mentions are two players, Manush and Fonseca, hitting at, or over, .500. Yikes!

Honourable Mention

Heinie Manush, Bandits, 500/559/656, 45 hits, 11 XBH, 20 runs, 14 RBI
Mule Haas, Knicks, 426/476/670, 15 XBH, 18 runs, 27 RBI
Joe Judge, Giants, 391/477/555, 14 XBH, 24 runs, 18 RBI
Lew Fonseca, Pilgrims, 523/569/769, 12 XBH, 17 runs, 17 RBI
Bill Terry, Bandits, 440/467/600, 10 XBH, 18 runs, 14 RBI
Jimmie Foxx, Dodgers, 386/557/511, 6 XBH, 31 runs, 17 RBI

Pitcher of the Month

In these days of high scoring offenses good pitching performances are hard to come by. Which makes 42 year old Pete Alexander's April performance simply amazing. In 34 innings the old man only allowed two runs on the way to a 4-0 record. That my friends is great pitching. The scuttlebutt is that ol' Pete has put down the bottle in an effort to take one last kick at the can. At 42 years old he probably won't be able to keep it up all season but the Redlegs will take it as long as it lasts.

Honourable Mention

Red Lucas, Expos, 4-1, 2.39, 53 IP, 10.3 runners/9
Ray Kremer, Expos, 6-0, 3.25, 44 IP, 10.6
Tommy Thomas, Bandits, 4-2, 2.36, 46 IP, 12.0
Watty Clark, Bruisers, 2-3, 2.89, 47 IP, 12.3

May

The extreme competitiveness of the 29 season continued in May. Not a single team played over .600 or under .400 ball. The Boston Pilgrims made the biggest push with a 16-11 record to move into first place in the West with a two game lead over the Knicks. Coming off a season in which every team in the West finished under .500 the tide sure has changed as this season every team is over .500. The Bruisers and the Pisces are 5 games back with 26-25 records. Of the two look for the Pisces, led by newly acquired Harry Heilmann, to make the biggest push. They've outscored their opponents by over 50 runs. If they can score those runs a little more consistently they should be in good shape the rest of the way.

In the East the NY Giants continued their strong play with the best record for the second consecutive month. They are now 29-21 and have a three game lead over the Dodgers and a four game lead over the Redlegs. The Redlegs, led by the ageless Pete Alexander, sport the best pitching staff in the league. Will they be able to stay in the race once he runs out of innings?

In the Central the Expos suffered through a mediocre 13-14 month. However the Bandits, despite a solid record of 15-12, were only able to cut two games from the Expos lead. They need at least one really big month if they want to catch the division champs.

In terms of player performances two teams that don't have that much to cheer about this season saw amazing hitting performances. The incomparable Lou Gehrig hit 402/531/804 while scoring 34 runs and driving in another 32. This performance, however, was topped by the one put up by Chuck Klein of the Tigers. He hit 443/508/868, 24 extra base hits, scored 27 runs and drove in another 27. Unfortunately for their teams despite these performances the Red Sox and Tigers were only able to win eleven games. It just goes to show that baseball is a team game.

Hitter of the Month

In terms of player performances two teams that don't have that much to cheer about this season saw amazing hitting performances. The incomparable Lou Gehrig hit 402/531/804 while scoring 34 runs and driving in another 32. This performance, however, was topped by the one put up by Chuck Klein of the Tigers. He hit 443/508/868, 24 extra base hits, scored 27 runs and drove in another 27. Unfortunately for their teams despite these performances the Red Sox and Tigers were only able to win eleven games. It just goes to show that baseball is a team game.

Chuck Klein, Tigers, 443/508/868, 11 2B, 5 3B, 8 HR, 27 runs, 27 RBI

Honourable Mention

Lou Gehrig, Knicks, 402/531/804, 21 XBH, 34 runs, 32 RBI
Bill Terry, Bandits, 466/492/647, 16 XBH, 28 runs, 22 RBI
Johnny Frederick, 400/459/627, 17 XBH, 26 runs, 27 RBI

MVP Race

Gehrig has already won one MVP award and if he keeps this up he could win himself a second no matter where his team ends up.

Gehrig, 380/502/738, 12 2B, 5 3B, 15 HR, 32 XBH, 56 runs, 53 RBI

Honourable Mention

Terry, 454/480/625, 26 XBH, 46 runs, 36 RBI
Klein, 386/450/685, 14 2B, 6 3B, 11 HR, 31 XBH, 44 runs, 44 RBI
Bottomley, Expos, 362/433/761, 14 2B, 5 3B, 16 HR, 35 XBH, 38 runs, 52 RBI
Tony Lazzeri, Giants, 376/445/584, 22 XBH, 48 runs, 44 RBI
Lew Fonseca, Pilgrims, 419/452/618, 26 XBH, 43 runs, 34 RBI
Heinie Manush, Bandits, 444/491/581, 19 XBH, 41 runs, 42 RBI

Pitcher of the Month

Alexander wins pitcher of the month for the second time in a row.

Pete Alexander, Redlegs, 3-0, 2.19, 37 IP, 9.7 R/9

Honourable Mention

Waite Hoyt, Redlegs, 2-3, 1.67, 38 IP, 10.8 R/9
Ray Kolp, Bandits, 4-0, 1.67, 32 IP, 12.8 R/9
Ray Kremer, Expos, 3-2, 2.12, 34 IP, 10.6 R/9
Ben Cantwell, Tigers, 2-2, 2.40, 45 IP, 10.4
Jack Russell, Pisces, 3-2, 2.20, 41 IP, 10.5 R/9

Cy Young Race

He won't win because he won't pitch enough innings but for now let's give him his due with a first place nod.

Alexander, Redlegs, 7-0, 1.39, 71 IP, .857 QSt% 9.9 R/9 0.4 HR/9

Kremer, Expos, 9-2, 2.76, 78 IP, 1.00 Qst, 10.6, 0.3
Lucas, Expos, 6-3, 3.17, 97 IP, .75 Qst, 11.5, 0.7
Russell, Pisces, 6-2, 2.84, 73 IP, .667 Qst, 11.1/0.6
Kolp, Bandits, 5-2, 2.80, 61 IP, .75 Qst, 12.2/0.6

June

The month of June saw the leaders gain some separation from the pack for the first time this season. The Brooklyn Dodgers who rode 200 runs from their offense on the way to an 18-11 record posted the best record for the month. This places them in the lead for the wildcard yet still trailing the Giants by two games in the East. The Giants put together another solid month led by 11 HR's by Al Simmons (383/403/692 for the month) and a surprising hot streak by youngster Red Kress (407/464/593 for the month) to lead the East for the third consecutive month. The Redlegs, led by the incomparable Pete Alexander, continue to play competitive baseball with a 14-15 record.for June. This leaves the two time defending division champion Cuyahoga Falls to languish in the basement with their sights fixed firmly towards the future.

In the central the Beaver Falls Bandits finally put together the kind of month we've been expecting from them all season winning 17 out of 29 games. Unfortunately for them they were unable to make up any ground as the Expos matched them win for win. The injury plagued Red Sox squad managed their first over .500 month despite Babe Ruth's second injury of the year and numerous other small injuries. Finally the Tigers remain in the basement gamely competing despite a roster that can't match up with the others in the league.

In the West the Pilgrims have taken control of the division largely by default as the other competitors faltered some. The Pilgrims 14-12 record was the best in the division as the Knicks dropped four games with a disappointing10-16 record. Bad luck seems to be the name of the game for the Pisces. Recently acquired Harry Heilmann didn't disappoint (366/400/688) and Pie Traynor hit over .400 (435/495/663) but the Pisces problem isn't scoring runs it's the distribution of those runs. They put up another sub .500 record despite outscoring their opponents. For the season the Pisces are a game under .500 even though they have the third best run differential in the entire league. The Bruisers continue to play .500 ball and will have to put together a great month or two to get back in the race.

Hitter of the Month

The Rajah, Rogers Hornsby, finally put up the kind of month that Bandits fans have been waited for since he was their first pick in the inaugural draft. He created an unbelievable 55 runs in the month to vault into middle of the MVP race. The 55 runs is the most ever in a single month (according to my ever fallible memory). How does one create so many runs you ask? You do it by hitting over .500 for an entire month with power. That's 526/590/802 with 15 doubles, a triple, and 5 homeruns.

Honourable Mention

George Grantham, Dodgers, 354/504/727, 19 XBH, 8 HR, 30 runs, 26 RBI
Jimmie Foxx (2), Dodgers, 374/471/635, 13 XBH, 7 HR, 26 runs, 31 RBI
Lou Gehrig (2) , Red Sox, 389/485/628, 20 XBH, 28 runs, 24 RBI
Babe Ruth, Red Sox, 459/570/770, 12 XBH, 5 HR, only 21 games
Riggs Stephenson, Pilgrims, 431/504/627, 10 XBH, 23 runs, 24 RBI
Pie Traynor, Pisces, 435/495/663, 14 XBH, 18 runs, 18 RBI

MVP Race

Once again Lou Gehrig is having the best season among hitters. The difference is that this year he's playing for a team that is out of contention and with a lot of good candidates voters will have to consider what exactly is the meaning of "value."

Name Team Rate Stats 2B/3B/HR Runs RBI

Lou Gehrig Red Sox 383/496/697 27/8/17 82 76
Rogers Hornsby Bandits 395/489/608 22/3/12 78 55
Jim Bottomley Expos 355/426/703 19/9/22 62 85
Jimmie Foxx Dodgers 355/495/575 12/6/13 75 62
George Grantham Dodgers 343/468/646 24/4/15 71 49
Paul Waner Redlegs 345/420/559 28/8/9 80 54
Bill Terry Bandits 395/489/608 22/3/12 78 55

Pitcher of the Month

King Carl Hubbell put up the best numbers this month with a sparkling 1.65 ERA over 44 IP. For the year Hubbell is 7-4 with a 3.15 ERA giving Collusion fans something to cheer about in an otherwise lost season.

Honourable Mention

Name Team W-L ERA IP R/9 Qst%
Les Sweetland Red Sox 2-3 2.09 39 10.2 .667
Dazzy Vance Knicks 1-3 2.47 40 11.7 .800
Red Faber Giants 4-1 2.43 37 13.9 .800
Red Lucas (2) Expos 5-2 3.31 49 11.6 .800
Syl Johnson Redlegs 3-0 2.77 39 12.2 .800
Ben Cantwell(2)Tigers 2-2 2.36 50 12.0 .662
Jesse Petty Collusion 1-2 3.32 43 11.2 .833

Cy Young Race

Pete Alexander is still the top candidate with a perfect record and an ERA bordering on the historic. When he runs out of innings it's shaping up as a contest between the Expos twin aces Ray Kremer and the1927 Cy Young award winner Red Lucas.

Name Team W-L ERA IP R/9 Qst%
P. Alexander Redlegs 10-0 1.88 96 10.1 .800
Ray Kremer Expos 15-3 3.18 130 12.3 .750
Red Lucas Expos 11-5 3.21 146 11.6 .765
Carl Hubbell Collusion 7-4 3.15 143 12.3 .684
Ben Cantwell Tigers 5-7 3.14 120 11.7 .563
Syl Johnson Redlegs 7-3 3.42 103 12.2 .571

July

The month of July set the stage for an exciting pennant race as both the East and West divisions enter August in a dead heat though the path they took was quite different. The Eastern division showed their top to bottom strength as every team finished with a record above .500. Topping the division for the month was the Dodgers who rode their league leading offense, topped by Jimmie Foxx (364/469/561), Taylor Douthit (398/450/525), and a breakthrough month by rookie Joe Cronin (355/434/551) to a 16-11 record. Everything is not rosy for the Dodgers however as they continue to allow almost as many runs as they score and face the final two months of the season with significant usage issues. The Dodgers strong month brought them into a tie with the Giants who, at 14-13, managed to lose only two games. However, the Giants, loses of their last five games against the Red Sox, will have to find a way to reverse the skid or the powerful Dodgers lineup will run away with things. Also enjoying strong months were the Collusion and the Redlegs. The Redlegs, with a 15-12, month put themselves back into wildcard contention. Their problem is that they'll have to make up the rest of the difference without the services of Pete Alexander (13-1, 2.26) for the rest of the season. While the Collusion actually tied the Dodgers for best record in the division they are still playing for pride the rest of the way.

It is in the Western Division that dramatic gains were made. The Knicks took advantage of a subpar month by the Pilgrims (12-16) with an excellent 18-10 record of their own in order to make up six games in the standings. They are doing it with good defense, solid pitching, and a balanced offense led by Kiki Cuyler (354/443/531). If the Knicks manage to keep this up it will be a testament to hard work and the commitment to winning that the franchise has always demonstrated. On the other side of the coin is the favoured Pilgrims who appear to be coughing up what had looked to be a comfortable lead. The blame in this case can be attributed directly at the offense which scored the fewest runs in July, fewer even than the moribund offenses fielded by Detroit and Cuyahoga Falls. Other than Riggs Stephenson (385/442/606) the entire team has fallen into a deep slump. In a league that hits .300 as a whole, Mel Ott's 252/369/447 line for the month just isn't cutting it for a star player. Failing to take advantage of the Pilgrims slide was co-preseason favourite Pittsburg which, despite the pickup of Harry Heilmann and an awesome July from player-of-the-month Charlie Gehringer (456/519/789), continues to hover around .500. At six games back it's not too late for the Pisces but they to go on a big winning streak soon. As for the Bruisers, they put up a good fight but a 7-21 month effectively ends their hopes for this season.

For a while it looked like the Bandits were going to climb back into the Central division race. After winning the first three games against the Expos in their series they had pulled to within two games of the lead. But, then Ray Kremer solidified his Cy Young credentials by shutting the door in the fourth game, followed by another good performance from Red Lucas and before you knew it the lead was back to four games. A couple of bad series later, including defeats in a row to the Collusion to end the month, and the lead was back up to nine games. It's hard to believe that a team with two players hitting over .400 for the season (Terry and Manush) and a third player named Rogers Hornsby, has to settle for the wildcard chase at this point in the season. Even there, at five games back,if the Bandits are going to make a move it had better be soon. The Expos continue to have the best record in the league on the backs of their starting pitching which is pretty easily the best in the league. This is a good thing because, the offense, while solid, is nothing spectacular. At this point the Red Sox and the Tigers are just playing out the string hoping to win enough games to improve their draft positions for next season.

Player of the Month

The player of the month this season is the Mechanical Man Charlie Gehringer. Gehringer put up an outstanding 456/519/789 line with 10 doubles, 8 triples, and four homeruns while scoring 35 runs and driving in 20 from the secondbase position. It was far and away the best performance of the month and vaults him into the outside of MVP consideration

Honourable Mention

Name Team Rate Stats 2B/3B/HR Runs RBI
Earle Combs Expos 452/512/617 9/5/0 23 13
Lou Gehrig Red Sox 374/477/710 8/2/8 22 24
Heinie Manush Bandits 476/526/705 15/5/0 19 24

MVP Race

Once again Lou Gehrig is the leading contender for the MVP. In three seasons of EBL baseball there is little doubt whom the best player has been. After Gehrig there is a host of players which pretty much indistinguishable statistics. Perhaps someone will emerge from the pack to challenge the Iron Horse.

Name Team Rate Stats 2B/3B/HR Runs RBI
Lou Gehrig Red Sox 381/491/700 35/10/25 104 100
Rogers Hornsby Bandits 381/479/597 30/4/16 107 76
Jimmie Foxx Dodgers 358/488/571 16/7/18 97 85
Paul Waner Redlegs 347/424/570 41/10/13 114 71
Charlie Gehringer Pisces 367/431/603 25/20/10 90 81
Jim Bottomley Expos 346/421/642 27/10/24 84 105

Pitcher of the Month

Ray Kremer put a stranglehold on the Cy Young award with a spectacular month of July. Kremer started six games in the month, completing five of them on the way to a 6-0 record and a 1.87 ERA.

Honourable Mention

Name Team W-L ERA IP R/9 Qst%
Ben Cantwell Tigers 3-0 1.87 34 9.6 .75
Ray Kolp Bandits 4-1 2.84 38 10.4 1.00
Bob Smith Pilgrim 3-1 2.98 42 11.1 .8
Jesse Petty Collusion 3-2 3.12 35 8.3 .75
Dazzy Vance Knicks 3-1 2.98 45 12.1 .6

Cy Young Award Race

Ray Kremer is the leading candidate and it would take a serious push and/or collapse for this to change

Name Team W-L ERA IP R/9 Qst%
Ray Kremer Expos 21-3 2.80 183
Pete AlexanderRedlegs 13-1 2.26 136
Carl Hubbell Collusion 11-6 3.15 200
Ben Cantwell Tigers 8-7 2.86 154
Red Lucas Expos 15-8 3.54 196

September Week 1

Red Sox @ Pilgrims

Pilgrims drop four of six to lose ground to the Knicks. The Pilgrims need to sweep the Tigers next week to give themselves a shot down the stretch.

Bandits @ Bruisers

Bandits take four of six to move within six games of the Expos. It's a stretch but the Bandits are at least within striking distance of the Central division title.

Knicks @ Tigers

Knicks and Tigers split a six game series. The Knicks miss out on a chance to put a hammerlock on the division. Still with a five game lead they are strong favourites to make their third consecutive playoff appearance

Pisces @ Expos

Pisces take four of six from the Expos. They've made up some ground but they've still got a long road to a wildcard spot. Next week's matchup with the Bandits is make or break for both teams.

Giants @ Redlegs

Redlegs take three of five to move within two games of the Eastern division and a tie with the Dodgers for the wildcard spot. It could have been worse for the Giants as both their victories came with their last at-bat.

Dodgers @ Collusion

Dodgers drop three of five to the Collusion to lose ground in the Eastern division. The Eastern division is going to be a dogfight down to the end. Next week's matchup between the Giants and the Dodgers will go a long ways towards settling things.

Player of the Week

Harry Heilmann, Pisces, 15/25, two 2B, HR, 7 runs, 9 RBI (324/385/505 for the year)

September Week 2

Featured Match-up
Dodgers @ Giants

The Dodgers and Giants faced off in a series that would likely determine the division title. In game one Joe Grabowksi went the distance holding the powerful Dodgers offense to only four runs on the way to a 5-4 victory for the Giants. The great pitching continued as Charlie Root (11-9) was even better as he pitched a complete game allowing only two runs and five hits as the Giants won again 4-2. Bob Fothergill's four hits paced the offense. Game three went to extra innings before rookie Larry French became a late September hero, pitching two innings of scoreless relief and driving home the winning run. With their backs against the wall the Dodgers offense, buoyed by a six run eighth inning, finally scored some runs as they won an exciting 11-10 game. The Dodgers closed out the series with another one run victory winning 5-4 on the back of Fat Freddie Fitzsimmons (10-11) complete game. Still with the series victory the Giants magic number is down to nine as the Dodgers fall three games back of the Giants and one game out of the wildcard.

Bandits @ Pisces

Pisces take four of six at home. Both teams are five games out of the wildcard, and with four teams to pass, probably need a miracle at this point. Heinie Manush went 12/25 to raise his batting average to .405 one point behind Lou Gehrig's record.

Knicks @ Red Sox

Series Split. The Knicks have a four game lead over the Pilgrims in the West. The close out the season at home vs. the Pilgrims so the Knicks would like to clinch the division this week at home vs. the Bruisers. Their magic number is seven.

Redlegs @ Collusion

The Redlegs take three of five on the road to move into the wildcard lead. The Redlegs have been under the radar for most of the season but they may have gotten hot at just the right time. The key victory was in game five as the Redlegs, facing a pitching shortage down the stretch, won 6-5 despite being forced to use Art 6.80 ERA Nehf on the mound. Nehf gave them seven solid innings on the way to the victory. Paul Waner scored four runs in the series and needs to score nine in the next two weeks to break Lou Gehrig's record for runs in a season.

Pilgrims @ Tigers

Pilgrims take four of six to stay in the hunt for the wildcard. The Pilgrims are only two games back of the Redlegs however you have to think they wish they could have done better against the basement dwelling Tigers. They lost the last game of the series on a 10th inning walk off three run HR by Marty McManus.

Bruisers @ Expos

The Expos' magic number is down to two as they took five of six from the Bruisers at home. The Expos look to celebrate their third straight playoff appearance next week.

Player of the Week

Babe Ruth, Red Sox, 13/25, 3 2B, 5 HR (34), 10 runs (100), 13 RBI (128)

Notable Pitching Performances

INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Root W 11-9 9.0 5 2 2 2 4 128 78 4.38 (Giants)
Kremer W 25-5 8.0 8 0 0 0 5 104 73 3.03 (Expos)

September Week 3

Featured Matchup
Redlegs @ Dodgers

The Dodgers entered this series one game back of the Redlegs for the wildcard. One five game sweep later and the Dodgers are virtually assured a playoff spot and are only two games back of the Giants for the Eastern Division pennant. The Dodgers carried by a league best offense all season long swept this pivotal series on the backs of a pitching staff that allowed only 14 runs all series. The Dodgers, having won seven games in a row, need to take two of five in the season finale against the Collusion to clinch a playoff spot. The Redlegs, on the other hand, will go down to the wire in a four team race for Wally Berger.

Pilgrims @ Pisces

Pisces take four of five to give them a 12-5 record in September and a shot at the first round pick. Unfortunately for them the strong finish isn't enough to get them in the playoffs and they traded that pick (if I remember correctly) to the Collusion for Harry Heilmann. The Pilgrims, contenders all season, with a 7-10 record in September haven't finished strong enough to reach the playoffs. However they finish on the road against the Knicks who, having already clinched the division, will likely be setting up their rotation for the playoffs. Perhaps that will be enough of an edge to slip into the #1 slot

Collusion @ Giants

The Giants take four of five to clinch their first ever playoff spot. With the division title still on the line team management will have to decide whether to go for broke in the final series or rest up for the playoffs. As for the Collusion this marks their first season out of the playoffs but with two first round picks in next season's draft they are poised for a quick turn around

Red Sox @ Expos

The Expos didn't play well but they did enough to clinch their third straight playoff appearance. Like the Collusion this marks the first season the Red Sox have missed out on the playoffs. However with Ruth and Gehrig on the roster you know they will score runs. If they can acquire some pitching a quick return is likely.

Tigers @ Bandits

The Bandits sweep five to launch themselves into the running for Wally Berger. With the Expos planning on keeping their starting pitchers action to a minimum in the final series they are the presumptive favorite to land the top pick. Heinie Manush sits at .406 entering the final series of the season.

Bruisers @ Knicks

The Knicks win three of five to clinch their third straight playoff appearance. For the second year in a row they weren't favoured entering the season but the leagues best defense carried them to the title.

Player of the Week

Chuck Klein, Tigers, 10/18, 2 2B (39), 5 HR (34), 7 runs (110), 5 RBI (119)

Notable Pitching Performances

INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Jones W 8-6 9.0 7 1 1 2 1 121 71 3.99 (Pisces)
Rixey W 10-8 9.0 4 2 2 2 2 96 60 4.73 (Dodgers)
Frankhouse W 7-11 9.0 6 2 0 3 4 120 79 5.87 (Knicks)
Grimes W 13-10 9.0 7 1 0 1 2 110 69 4.34 (Giants)