Baseball Historian

The new league's original franchises included focusing on placing franchises in three National League cities - Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia - a daring move to meet the competition head-on. The other five teams included Cleveland, Washington, Detroit, Baltimore and Milwaukee. Within a year, St. Louis replaced Milwaukee and a year after that, New York replaced Baltimore. With St. Louis and New York also being NL cities, the new league was determined to spend heavily to sign star players of the National League to quickly establish credibility.

And sign they did! The $2,400-a-year salary cap that was in effect in the NL made it easy for players to pick one league over the other.

Among some of the All-Star, big-name players were pitchers Cy Young and Joe 'Iron Man' McGinnity and infielders John McGraw, Jimmy Collins and Napoleon Lajoie. Ban Johnson, Connie Mack and Charles Comiskey simply ignored the reserve clause in the National League's players contracts.

The temptation of some heavy cash made it easy for the new league to reach many lesser, common players to pack their suitcases and move on to greener pastures.

But, hold everything! - 'this is war' cried the NL owners. With the National League's rosters being depleted rapidly by wholesale attacks of the new league, and with the American League operating in 'their cities,' the skirmish of war moved to the states' courts.

No player in the history of the American League ever reached 'Naps' .422. Despite the 100 years that have now passed, not even the bruising hitting of legends Ty Cobb, "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, George Sisler, Babe Ruth nor Ted Williams could break Lajoie's record. And by historical records Napoleon Lajoie "was as graceful and smooth with his glove work as he was fearsome at bat." baseballhistorian.com Archives - Research Dept.

note: this page has moved to: http://www.baseballhistorian.com/american_heroes.cfm?hero=584

This meant that when Cleveland played in Philadelphia, Lajoie could not play in the game. But, it also meant that baseball's top hitter remained in the American League.

However, the courts in the other states ruled against the reserve clause, and thus so, ruled in favor of the legitimacy of the new contracts. Following the favorable rulings by the state courts, the American League started signing the best players of the National League - "after all, money talks". Not only did the AL have 'Nap' Lajoie's bat, but now they signed hitting stars Ed Delahanty, Sam Crawford, Wee Willie Keeler and Jesse 'the Crab' Burkett, star shortstop Bobby Wallace and ace pitchers Jack Chesbro, 'Wild Bill' Donovan and Cy Young. Baseballhistorian.com - Archives

Twenty years after he retired Cy Young said, "I just maneuvered the ball around home plate. I was able to move the ball in-and-out, up-and-down, but always over the plate." baseballhistorian.com - Archives - Baseball History

The top stars of Comiskey's White Stockings were pitchers Clark Griffin and Roy Patterson and position players Sam Mertes, Dummy Hoy, Frank Isbell and team captain Fielder Jones.

Although the Tigers finished in 3rd place in the league's first season by posting a 74-61 record; they ended in the second division 4 of the following 5 years. However, when Ty Cobb joined the Tigers in 1907 and as a rookie led the league in batting, hits, slugging percentage and stolen bases the team won or were in a pennant battle almost every year from then on.

Going 79-57 in their inaugural season the Pilgrims battled with the Chicago White Sox all season and ended in 2nd place, only four games out. By 1907 the team changed its name to the Red Sox and were so popular that songs were written about their early baseball battles ("Boston Americans March") and ("Red Sox Speed Boys").

In fact - in the first two decades of the 1900s, the Red Sox won six pennants and five world championships. In their 1903 World Title the team was led by a six-man pitching staff - Cy Young was 28-9, Tom Hughes 20-7, Bill Dinneen 21-13, Norwood Gibson 13-9, George Winter 9-8, and Nick Altrock 0-1. In this era teams carried only 20 players per/team. The Red Sox main position players were Jimmy Collins, Lou Criger, Patsy Dougherty, Hobe Ferris, Buck Freeman, Candy LaChance, Jack O'Brien, Freddy Parent and Chick Stahl. Others on the 1903 champion squad included Duke Farrell, Harry Gleason, Alex Smith, George Stone and Jake Stahl. Baseballhistorian.com - Archives

In the American League's inaugural game on April 26, 1901, Freeman is listed at first base and hit fifth in the batting order. John Buck Freeman career: 1126 Games, 4208 at bats - .293 BA, 199 Ds, 131 Ts, 82 Hrs, 713 RBIs and 92 stolen bases. Listed in an old Pilgrims/Red Sox program as 5'9" and weighting 169 pounds.

Fielder Jones, the team's star outfielder from 1901-1908, signed with the White Sox for "big money" after playing with the Brooklyn club of the NL for five seasons. Jones, an intense will-to-win player, batted .311 and drove in 65 runs. Sam Mertes hit 5 homers along with 98 RBIs, leading the White Sox in both departments.

The White Sox jumped off to an early lead in the first month of the pennant chase but the Red Sox had a strong month of May and the two clubs battled all summer until the White Sox finally pulled away in the final three weeks of the season. The White Sox ended at 83-53, .610, (136 game schedule - 154 games came in 1904) were first in the league with a 2.98 ERA, stole 280 bases despite batting only .276, 5th in the AL.

A two-time twenty game winner, the durable Callahan was one of the first National League players signed by Charles Comiskey and helped the White Sox win the first AL pennant in 1901 by posting a 15-8 record with a brilliant 2.42 ERA. And he played 15 other games in the OF-IF, and batted .331 for the year. In 1902, he pitched the first no-hitter in American League history and gathered a 16-14 W-L record.

In 1903, the 28-year-old Callahan became the White Sox player- manager replacing Clark Griffin. Nixey pitched only 3-games that year - but hit .292 in 118 games, 102 of them at third base. He stayed with the White Sox until 1905, left the majors for over six years, to organize the then-famous Logan Square semi-pro team of Chicago. In 1911, at the age of 37, Nixey returned to the White Sox hit .281 in 120 games and stole 45 bases.

The next season he became player-manager again and led the club to a 78-74 finish (4th place). He stayed with the club for two more seasons. Nixey Callahan's career pitching record 99-73, 3.39 ERA, started 177 games, completed 169 of them! Batting record .273 BA in 3295 at bats, 135 Ds, 46 Ts, 11 Hrs, 186 stolen bases, 442 runs, 394 RBIs. baseballhistorian.com - Archives

The next season, Patterson was 19-14, 3.06 ERA and then 15-15 in 1903.

However, from then-on he was nagged by arm problems and pitched mostly part-time. Roy Patterson's career 81-73, 2.75 ERA, .297 opponents on-base-pct - pitched 1365 innings in 184 pitching appearances. 152 GS, 119 GC baseballhistorian.com - archives - Chicago White Sox Baseball History

The next year, 1902, the team changed it's name to the 'Bronchos' and acquired several big name players through trades and purchases, including star second baseman Nap Lajoie and pitcher Bill Berhard. The team finished over .500 ball, 69-67, only 14 games out of first.

La Chance, a fan pleasing, well-known star was paid 50% more than the $2,400 yearly salary ceiling that was in place in the NL before 1900 and "simply jumped at the chance to make the additional salary." After one season in Cleveland, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox, and from then on his' batting tailed-off to around .250 for the next four years. Candy La Chance career: .280 Batting Ave. in 1263 games, 1377 hits, 322 extra base hits, 678 Runs, 690 RBIs, 192 stolen bases. Brooklyn (NL) 1893-98; Baltimore (NL) 1899; Cleveland (AL) 1901; Boston (AL) 1902-05

In 1901, his rookie season, Moore won 16, lost 14, 2.90 ERA and then - 17-17, 2.95 ERA, - 19-19, 1.74 ERA, - 12-11, 2.25 ERA, 15-15, 2.64 ERA despite Cleveland finishing way under .500 almost every season. In that 5-year period, Earl Moore completed 134 games of the 145 he started - as a fact in 1903, he started 27 games and finished every single game.

From then on - arm injuries occurred and he was able to pitch only 29 innings in 1906, and 19 innings in '07. So, he was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, one of the worst teams in the NL and only pitched 26 innings in 1908.

Then, almost like a miracle - after exercising and strengthening his arm muscles, he posted resounding totals of 18-12, 2.10 ERA in 1909, - 22-15, 2.58 ERA in 283 innings in 1910, fell to 15-19 in 308 innings in 1911, - 9-14, 3.31 ERA in '12. Note: no matter his W-L record and his ERA was always among the major league leaders.

Earl Moore's career record: 162-154, .513 pct, 2.78 ERA, 388 Games, 326 GS, 230 GC, pitched in 2776 innings, with 34 shutouts. Cleveland Indians 1901-1907; Philadelphia Phillies 1908-1913; Buffalo (Federal League) 1914. baseballhistorian.com - American League - Archives

Nap Lajoie, Philadelphia Athletics .422 ..... Mike Dolin, Baltimore Orioles .340 ..... Buck Freeman, Boston Americans .339 ..... Topsy Hartsel, Chicago White Sox .335 ..... Socks Seybold, Athletics .334 ..... Jimmy Collins, Boston .332 ..... John Anderson, Milwaukee Brewers .330 ..... Lave Cross, Athletics .328 ..... Bill Keister, Baltimore .328 ..... Sam Dugan, White Sox .320

One of the original eight AL teams in 1901 was the Milwaukee Brewers.

Outfielder John Anderson, the club's best hitter was lured away from Brooklyn of the NL "with promise of a big raise". But, due to lack of fan interest and poor performance, a 48-89, .350 pct, last in the AL, the team ran into financial duress and was replaced by the St. Louis Browns a year later.

Old Baseball History:

Although, records of the 1901 Milwaukee Brewers are sketchy, this much can be safely noted: The workhorse of the pitching staff was Bill Reidy, who pitched only a few games in the NL in both 1898 and 1900. Reidy, however, hurled 301 innings, going 16-20, 4.21 ERA. And pitcher Bert Husting, signed away from Pittsburgh of the NL. Husting won 10 lost 15, 4.27 ERA. The team's leading batter was slugger John Anderson. Already well-known in baseball circles, in 1901, he hit .330, lashed out 46 doubles - (2nd highest in the league), cranked out 8 homers - (4th in the league), and his 99 RBIs were 3rd highest - (in a 136 game schedule) (in 1904 the schedule went to 154 games, where it remained until it was changed to 162 games in 1961). Baseballhistorian.com - Archives - The History of Baseball

Home Run Leaders: Nap Lajoie, Philadelphia Athletics 16 ..... Buck Freeman, Boston Americans 12 ..... Mike Grady, Washington Senators 9 ..... John Anderson, Milwaukee Brewers 8 ..... Socks Seybold, Athletics 8 ..... Harry Davis, Athletics 8

Doubles: Nap Lajoie, Athletics 48 ..... John Anderson, Brewers 46 ..... Jimmy Collins, Boston 42 ..... John Farrell, Washington 32

Triples: Jimmy Williams, Baltimore Orioles 21 ..... Bill Keister, Orioles 21 ..... Sam Mertrs, Chicago White Sox 17

Runs Scored: Nap Lajoie, Athletics 145 ..... Fielder Jones, White Sox 120 ..... Jimmy Williams, Orioles 113 ..... Dummy Hoy, White Sox 112 ..... Topsy Hartsel, White Sox 111 ..... Jimmy Barrett, Detroit Tigers 110

RBIs: Nap Lajoie, Athletics 125 ..... Buck Freeman, Boston 114 ..... John Anderson, Milwaukee 99 ..... Sam Mertes, White Sox 98 ..... Jimmy Williams, Baltimore 96 ..... Jimmy Collins, Boston 94

Before and during the 1902 season, the National League launched attacks against the Orioles by re-signing many of their former players and Baltimore collapsed to 50-88, 34 games behind the first place Philadelphia Athletics. Fan interest fell off and then AL president Ban Johnson decided the new league needed a team in New York, so after the 1902 season the club moved to N.Y. and became the Highlanders, later the Yankees. Baltimore was left without a major league team for over 50 years, until the St. Louis Browns transfered there in 1954. Baseballhistorian.com - Archives

Baltimore unable to field a competive team fell to last place in the standings and Ban Johnson got-even with McGraw and Freedman by moving Baltimore to New York City; for head-to-head competition with the New York Giants.

Baltimore Orioles 1901-1902, New York Giants 1902-08, Cardinals 1909-12, Cubs 1900, 1913-15, Washington Senators

During the course of his brilliant 17-year career, the muscular, 5ft 9 inches, 200 lbs, Roger Bresnahan was acknowledged as baseball's top catcher. He was a confident, hard playing team leader noted for his strong throwing arm, compelling defense and ability to stand muster behind home plate.

In his first full season in 1901, Bresnahan hit .268 for the Baltimore Orioles and was considered manager John McGraw's right-hand man while catching for the New York Giants in the early 1900s. Roger Bresnahan hit .279 lifetime with 315 extra base hits. ========================================================

Baseball Historian

In 1945 Roger Bresnahan was the first catcher to be elected to the 'Hall of Fame'.

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