DMB World Series Year in Review-1910

February 12, 2011

DMB World Series Year in Review-1910

Filed under: 1910 — Kevin Graham @ 12:38 pm
Tags: haleys comet, hanna-barbera, nap lajoie, ty cobb

1910 saw 2 non existent pennant races as Connie Mack’s Philadelphia A’s easily handled the 2nd place NY Highlanders by 14.5 games. The defending AL champion Tigers were 3rd, 18 games out.

In the NL the Cubs won their 4th pennant in 5 years winning 104 games and easily besting the NY Giants by 13 games. The 530 games won by the Cubs over that 5 year span is a major league record that may never be approached again.

During the season baseball introduced a new livelier baseball, which was used intermittently throughout the season. It was used for the entire World Series. The ball had a new cork center inside the rubber core and was used for the entire 1911 season. Average runs per game went from 7 to 9 from 1909 to 1912, and the league average went from .244 to .269 over the same period.

The season started out auspiciously enough when then President Wm. Howard Taft was asked to throw out a ceremonial 1st ball by Washington Senators manager Jimmy McAleer. Taft tossed the ball to Walter Johnson who then proceeded to toss a 1 hit 3-0 shutout against the pennant winning A’s. Things obviously got better for the A’s while the Senators finished 36.5 games out with a 66-85 record, good for 7th.

The season ended on a low note that actually took 70 years to resolve. Before the season the Chalmers Automobile Co. announced that it would give the winner of the batting title a brand new car. On the last day of the season Ty Cobb was hitting .385 and leading Nap Lajoie by a comfortable margin in the batting title. Cobb sat out the final 2 games, as he usually did to preserve his lead, while Lajoie was playing a doubleheader against the St Louis Browns. Lajoie was well respected by the players, while Cobb was considered a dickhead.(My words not theirs). Lajoie miraculously went 8-8 in the doubleheader. St Louis manager Jack O’Connor ordered his 3rd baseman to play deep, allowing Lajoie to easily bunt his way on base. 6 bunt hits later and some questionable score keeping, Lajoie ended up hitting .384, still 1 point behind Cobb. O’Connor was fired for his actions, Cobb got his batting title and both players received a car from Chalmers. Case closed????? Not so much.

In 1981 someone from The Sporting News found an error in Ty Cobb’s stats. He had been credited twice for the same 2 hit game, setting his actual average at .383, now 1 point behind Lajoie. A committee set up by the Commissioner was put together to study the problem, and they voted unanimously not to change the outcome…….pussies.

Baseball Reference and Retrosheet have the corrected stats, as it should be. Despite the duplicity of manager O’Connor, Lajoie won on the correct stats and should be credited with the batting title. My trusty 1996 Macmillan Baseball Encyclopedia has Cobb listed as the winner with a .385 average. (Personal aside: My baseball encyclopedia was purchased 12 years ago for $12. It’s huge, completely beat to crap because of its frequent use, and it sits prominently on my bookshelf)

The Philadelphia A’s went on to beat the Cubs in 5 games in the 1910 World Series. More on that later.

Other Stuff:

Before the start of the season both leagues officially adopted a 154 game schedule.

Both leagues agreed to ban syndicate baseball. An owner can only have a financial interest in just 1 ML team.

Catcher Johnny Kling returned to the Cubs after taking time off to win the World Pocket Billiards title.

Ed Walsh would win the ERA title. His 1.27 ERA helped him fashion a 18-20 record. He is the only ERA winner to have a losing record with 20 losses.

The A’s Jack Coombs would put together 53 consecutive scoreless innings, on his way to a league leading 31 wins for the A’s.

4/20- Addie Joss(Naps) tosses his 2nd career no hitter. 1-0 vs the White Sox.

5/12- Chief Bender(A’s) no hits the Naps 4-0. Only a 4th inning walk prevents this from being a perfect game.

7/19- Cy Young wins his 500th game

7/25- Joe Jackson is traded to Cleveland

1910 Final Standings

NL

Team Name                        G    W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Chicago Cubs                   154  104   50    0  .675     -   712  499
New York Giants                155   91   63    1  .591  13.0   715  567
Pittsburgh Pirates             154   86   67    1  .562  17.5   655  576
Philadelphia Phillies          157   78   75    4  .510  25.5   674  639
Cincinnati Reds                156   75   79    2  .487  29.0   620  684
Brooklyn Superbas              156   64   90    2  .416  40.0   497  623
St. Louis Cardinals            153   63   90    0  .412  40.5   639  718
Boston Doves                   157   53  100    4  .346  50.5   495  701

AL

Team Name                        G    W    L    T   PCT    GB    RS   RA
Philadelphia Athletics         155  102   48    5  .680     -   674  442
New York Highlanders           156   88   63    5  .583  14.5   626  557
Detroit Tigers                 155   86   68    1  .558  18.0   679  584
Boston Red Sox                 158   81   72    5  .529  22.5   641  564
Cleveland Naps                 161   71   81    9  .467  32.0   548  657
Chicago White Sox              156   68   85    3  .444  35.5   457  479
Washington Senators            157   66   85    6  .437  36.5   501  551
St. Louis Browns               158   47  107    4  .305  57.0   451  743

BORN:

1/3-Frenchy Bordagaray

1/11-Schoolboy Rowe

1/16-Dizzy Dean

9/21-Elden Auker

9/24-Dixie Walker

DIED:

2/15-Bug Holliday

12/13-Dan McGann

Also born on 7/14, William Hanna, the 1st part of the Hanna-Barbera duo that brought us The Flinstones, Scooby-Doo, Tom and Jerry, and the Jetsons.

In April Comet Haley makes an appearance in the night sky. Haley has been recorded as far back as at least 240BCE, and pops in the neighborhood approximately every 75-76 years. The last time was in 1986, the worst showing ever of the illustrious comet. It’s next visit will be in 2061. I don’t think I’ll be around to see that one.

1910 was the 1st opportunity to photograph Haley’s comet.