Legends of Cooperstown News-December, 2001

� The Boston Americans, despite a slow start by Babe� Ruth, lead the LOC American League at the end of set 1, by 1 game over 3 teams. Oscar Charleston's hot start (.371, 19 RBI) has lifted Tim Daniel's team ahead of Rochester, Cleveland and Washington. Boston's Moe Drabowsky also leads the AL with 5 saves.

� Rochester has been led thus far by the hot bat of Al Simmons, who leads the AL in HR with 8, in RBI with 27 and he's 6th in the league with a .326 average. The New York Yankee's Edd Roush leads the league with a .380 batting average, just ahead of Missouri's Ty Cobb who is at .376. Both Roush and Cobb are riding 10 game hitting streaks, while Oscar Charleston has a current 14 game streak, a season high in the AL.

� Missouri's Bullet Joe Rogan and Rochester's Carl Hubbell lead the AL in wins with 5, and Washington's Don Drysdale leads in ERA with a sparkling 1.02. Newark's Dizzy Dean has led a charge by the Eagles of late, leading the AL with 12 appearances and 9 GF.

� Cool Papa Bell, the 2nd player chosen in the Hall of Fame draft, has led a hot start by his Kansas City Monarchs. Bell leads the league in Triples with 6 and stolen bases with 10, just ahead of several of his teammates. Buck Ewing has 8 steals, while Frankie Frisch and Pop Lloyd are tied with St. Louis's Tris Speaker and Nap Lajoie and Kentucky's Eddie Collins who all have 6.

� KC is tied atop the LOC NL with Mountaintop with 15-9 records, 2 games ahead of Kentucky and Brooklyn. New York's Curt Flood and Trolley Dodger Rogers Hornsby top the majors with .396 batting averages, while Giant teammate Josh Gibson leads the majors with 12 HR and 30 RBI.

�Kentucky's Ed Walsh leads the NL in wins with 5, while teammate Webster McDonald tops the league with 6 saves. Perfecto hurler Tommy John leads the NL with a 1.93 ERA, just ahead of Brooklyn's Eddie Plank who is at 2.10.

� Wallbanger Johnny Evers has fashioned a 14 game hitting streak through the 1st set, tied for longest in the majors. Mike Schmidt, Ted Williams and Harmon Killebrew have combined for 21 HR and 61 RBI

� Willie McCovey unanimously won the 1959 Rookie of the Year award despite playing in only 52 games, recording a .354 batting average, 13 HR, and 38 RBI for the San Francisco Giants.

� Cincinnati's Johnny Bench is the youngest man to ever win a Most Valuable Player award. He was just 22 when he won the award in 1970. He was also the first catcher to ever win a Rookie of the Year award when he won in 1968.

� Ichiro Suzuki of Seattle won the AL Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awards in 2001. The last player to accomplish that feat was Boston's Fred Lynn, who took home those awards in 1975.

� Future Triple Crown winner George Sisler did something unusual in his first big league game. On August 29, 1915,he pitched his St. Louis Browns past Washington and his idol Walter Johnson.

�� Hugh Duffy holds the all-time record for highest batting average in a single season, .440 for the Boston Beaneaters in 1894. Rogers Hornsby holds the modern record, .424 for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1924.

Everyone is well into the second set except for a few teams. All managers should be out shortly and everyone's patience and understanding for any delays is much appreciated by everyone. The 3rd set begins right after the holidays, so try and finish up soon. Stats and standings have been added to the web-page, but since I've been busy at work and doing Christmas shopping, I haven't had as much time to update it as I would like. It should be updated in the next few days and there will be some new features as well.