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| Decade: The Turn of the Last Century (1900-1909) |
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1910's Decade Page |
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| Team Decade Pages (Average Win Shares /
Points per year in decade): |
Top Team Builders In Decade: |
| AMERICAN LEAGUE: |
NATIONAL LEAGUE: |
1 - Fred Clarke (Manager), Barney Dreyfuss (Owner) -
Pirates |
| Philadelphia A's - 113 |
Pittsburgh Pirates - 127 |
2 - Frank Chance (Manger),
James Hart (Owner), Charles Murphy (Owner) - Cubs |
| Chicago White Sox - 113 |
Chicago Cubs - 119 |
3 - John McGraw (Manager) -
Giants |
| Boston Red Sox - 105 |
New York Giants - 111 |
4 - Connie Mack (Manager) - A's |
| Cleveland Indians - 104 |
Philadelphia Phillies - 97 |
5 - William Yawkey (Owner), Hughie Jennings
(Manager) - Detroit |
| Detroit Tigers - 104 |
Cincinnati Reds - 96 |
6 - Charles Commiskey (Owner)
- White Sox |
| New York Highlanders (Yankees) - 97 |
Brooklyn Bridegrooms
(Dodgers) - 90 |
7 - William J Shettsline
(Business Manager) - Phillies |
| St. Louis Browns - 91 |
Boston Doves (Braves) - 81 |
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| Washington Senators - 73 |
St. Louis Cardinals - 79 |
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| Decade Highlights |
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| □ Modern Major
League Baseball began in 1900 with the abolishment of syndicate baseball in
the National League and the establishment of the American League, which
started operation in 1901. |
| □ Syndicate baseball, which was the ability
for a single person to own multiple clubs in the league, was ruining the game
as owners would stack one team they owned with players at the |
| expense of the other
teams they owned. |
| □ Ban Johnson, commissioner of the minor
league Western League, moved a number of franchises to the newly formed
American League. Initially three of those franchises were placed in |
| cities in direct
competition with the National League: Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston.
Within two years, two more franchises were moved into direct competition,
Milwaukee to St. Louis and |
| Baltimore to New
York. |
| □ The five
teams in direct competition mercilessly raided their National League
counterparts of players. The strategy worked as fans allegiances followed
their favorite players across town |
| to the new American
League teams. |
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| □ By 1903,
with owners in both leagues hemorrhaging money, the leagues came to an
agreement not to raid each other's players and to play a World Series at the
end of the season. |
| The Rule V draft was also established so
that wealthy teams could not hoard players. If not on a forty man roster,
five year or more minor leaguers were eligible to be drafted. |
| □ The first
World Series was 1903 between the AL Boston Americans and the NL Pittsburgh
Pirates |
| □ The 1904
World Series was cancelled because the New York Giants refused to play.
Giants owner John T. Brush and manager
John McGraw lived by the feud. |
| □ Luckily, the
Giants didn't win any more pennants for a while, and the World Series
continued unabated from 1905 on save for the 1994 strike season. |
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| □ There were
other leagues around at the time that played a high level of ball and had a
large number of major league quality players who, for one reason or another,
decided not to play in the |
| two major leagues. The best of these leagues
were what would eventually become the three AAA minor leagues: The Pacific
Coast League, The International League and the American Association. |
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| □ This was the Dead Ball Era. They used one
baseball for the whole game which deteriorated as the game wore on. There was
nothing in the way of power hitting. Speed, defense and |
| manufacturing runs
ruled the day. It was also a rugged game and flashing spikes, brushback
pitches, knocking the ball out of opponents mitts, etc. were part and parcel
of how things were done. |
| Pitchers were iron men. Catchers only played
half the time and didn't have great protective equipment. Gloves were woeful
little flat pieces of leather with fingers. Pitchers could scuff the ball |
| or spit on it to
make it move. |
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| □ The game was dominated by the latest group
of immigrants into the country, the Irish in this case. |
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| □ The leagues were concentrated on the east
coast due to travel time restrictions. Road trips were made by train. Day
baseball only, no lights. Working class folks couldn't make it to the games |
| during the week.
There was no radio or TV, you had to go to the games in person or read about
them in the paper. There were public displays of scores gotten from tickers
or phone calls. |
| Stadiums were made out of wood. Mostly, it
was horse and buggy days. |
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| □ The best National League teams were: the
Pittsburg Pirates, led by owner Barney Dreyfuss and manager Fred Clarke; the
Chicago Cubs, led by owner Charles Murphy and bankrolled by |
| Charles Taft, the
President's brother; and the New York Giants. |
| □ The best American League teams were the
Boston Americans, initially when they had a bunch of players raided from the
Boston National League club; the Detroit Tigers who were owned |
| by William Yawkey,
future Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey's uncle; the Chicago White Sox, owned by
Charles Commiskey; the Philadelphia
A's, managed by Connie Mack; and the Cleveland |
| Indians, owned by
Charles Somers. |
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| Top Players In Decade Pages (Win Shares /
Points and WAR (in parentheses) for Decade ): |
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| All Positions - Top 50 |
Top Starting Pitchers |
Top Catchers |
Top Outfielders |
| 1 - Honus Wagner Pirates (85.82) - 192 |
2 - Cy Young Boston (77.36)
- 167 |
38 - Roger Bresnahan Giants (29.53) - 82 |
8 - Cy Seymour Giants (31.71) - 122 |
| 2 - Cy Young Boston (77.36) - 167 |
3 - Christy Mathewson Giants (68.55) - 150 |
Johnny Kling Cubs (20.28) - 65 |
11 - Ginger Beaumont Pirates (26.15)- 113 |
| 3 - Christy Mathewson Giants (68.55) - 150 |
4 - Jack Chesbro Highlanders (41.5) - 138 |
Billy Sullivan Chicago (5.66) - 40 |
12 - Fred Clarke Pirates (41.34) - 112 |
| 4 - Jack Chesbro Highlanders (41.5) - 138 |
5 - Iron Man Joe McGinnity
Giants (51.74) - 132 |
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13 - Sam Crawford Detroit (44.92) - 112 |
| 5 - Iron Man Joe McGinnity Giants (51.74) - 132 |
7 - Vic Willis Braves (52.42) - 123 |
Top First Basemen |
14 - Roy Thomas Phillies (35.85) - 112 |
| 6 - Nap Lajoie Cleveland (69.45)- 126 |
9 - Rube Waddell A's (58.91) - 121 |
21 - Frank Chance Cubs (40.57) - 103 |
15 - Fielder Jones Chicago (34.16) - 109 |
| 7 - Vic Willis Braves (52.42) - 123 |
10 - Eddie Plank A's (56.88) - 119 |
24 - Harry Davis A's (33.85) - 101 |
17 - Elmer Flick Cleveland (43.96)- 105 |
| 8 - Cy Seymour Giants (31.71) - 122 |
16 - Jack Powell Browns (31.12) - 106 |
32 - Fred Tenney Braves (30.18) - 92 |
19 - Jimmy Sheckard Brooklyn (33.57) - 104 |
| 9 - Rube Waddell A's (58.91) - 121 |
18 - Addie Joss Cleveland (44.11) - 104 |
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29 - Tommy Leach Pirates (34.08) - 97 |
| 10 - Eddie Plank A's (56.88) - 119 |
22 - George Mullin Detroit (25.65) - 102 |
Top Second Basemen |
41 - Ty Cobb Detroit (25.57) - 74 |
| 11 - Ginger Beaumont Pirates (26.15)- 113 |
23 - Doc White Chicago (34.5) - 101 |
6 - Nap Lajoie Cleveland (69.45)- 126 |
42 - Sherry Magee
Phillies (27.23) - 74 |
| 12 - Fred Clarke Pirates (41.34) - 112 |
27 - Deacon Phillippe Pirates
(28.46) - 98 |
46- Jimmy Williams
Highlanders (25.56) - 71 |
43 - Wee Willie Keeler
Highlanders (22.7) - 73 |
| 13 - Sam Crawford Detroit (44.92) - 112 |
28 - Wild Bill Donovan
Detroit (36.55) - 97 |
Johnny Evers Cubs (25.76) - 65 |
44 - Topsy Hartsel A's (30.24) - 72 |
| 14 - Roy Thomas Phillies (35.85) - 112 |
30 - Three Fingers Brown Cubs
(40.75) - 94 |
Frank Isbell Chicago (15.57)
- 57 |
45 - Socks Seybold A's (24.69) - 72 |
| 15 - Fielder Jones Chicago (34.16) - 109 |
31 - Sam Leever Pirates (32.61) - 92 |
Claude Ritchey Pirates (30.82) - 56 |
50 - Patsy Daugherty Chicago (15.94) - 69 |
| 16 - Jack Powell Browns (31.12) - 106 |
34 - Jesse Tannehill Pirates (25.66) - 87 |
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Jimmy Slagle Cubs (14.8) - 66 |
| 17 - Elmer Flick Cleveland (43.96)- 105 |
35 - Bill Dineen Boston (35.97) - 86 |
Top Shortstops |
Art Devlin Giants (30.14) - 63 |
| 18 - Addie Joss Cleveland (44.11) - 104 |
36 - Jack Taylor Cubs (27.53) - 85 |
1 - Honus Wagner Pirates (85.82) - 192 |
Mike Donlin Giants (26.56) - 63 |
| 19 - Jimmy Sheckard Brooklyn (33.57) - 104 |
39 - Al Orth Highlanders (30.84) - 82 |
25 - Bill Dahlen Brooklyn (36.96) - 99 |
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| 20 - Bobby Wallace Browns (49.68) - 104 |
47 - Togie Pittinger Braves (20.08) - 71 |
26 - Joe Tinker Cubs (33.58) - 98 |
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| 21 - Frank Chance Cubs (40.57) - 103 |
48 -Noodles Hahn Reds (37.76) - 70 |
33 - George Davis Chicago (41.84) - 88 |
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| 22 - George Mullin Detroit (25.65) - 102 |
Chief Bender A's (21.41)
- 62 |
37 - Freddy Parent Boston (35.76) - 83 |
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| 23 - Doc White Chicago (34.5) - 101 |
Lefty Leifeld Pirates (9.85)
- 61 |
40 - Kid Elberfeld
Highlanders (26.99) - 80 |
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| 24 - Harry Davis A's (33.85) - 101 |
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| 25 - Bill Dahlen Brooklyn (36.96) - 99 |
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Top Third Basemen |
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| 26 - Joe Tinker Cubs (33.58) - 98 |
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20 - Bobby Wallace Browns (49.68) - 104 |
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| 27 - Deacon Phillippe Pirates (28.46) - 98 |
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49 - Bill Bradley Cleveland (38.02) - 70 |
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| 28 - Wild Bill Donovan Detroit (36.55) - 97 |
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Harry Steinfeldt Cubs (27.57) - 64 |
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| 29 - Tommy Leach Pirates (34.08) - 97 |
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Jimmy Collins Boston (33.43) - 50 |
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| 30 - Three Fingers Brown Cubs (40.75) - 94 |
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| 31 - Sam Leever Pirates (32.61) - 92 |
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| 32 - Fred Tenney Braves (30.18) - 92 |
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| 33 - George Davis Chicago (41.84) - 88 |
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| 34 - Jesse Tannehill Pirates (25.66) - 87 |
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| 35 - Bill Dineen Boston (35.97) - 86 |
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| 36 - Jack Taylor Cubs (27.53) - 85 |
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| 37 - Freddy Parent Boston (35.76) - 83 |
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| 38 - Roger Bresnahan Giants (29.53) - 82 |
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| 39 - Al Orth Highlanders (30.84) - 82 |
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| 40 - Kid Elberfeld Highlanders (26.99) - 80 |
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| 41 - Ty Cobb Detroit
(25.57) - 74 |
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| 42 - Sherry Magee Phillies (27.23) - 74 |
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| 43 - Wee Willie Keeler Highlanders (22.7) - 73 |
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| 44 - Topsy Hartsel A's (30.24) - 72 |
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| 45 - Socks Seybold A's (24.69) - 72 |
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| 46- Jimmy Williams Highlanders (25.56) - 71 |
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| 47 - Togie Pittinger Braves (20.08) - 71 |
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| 48 -Noodles Hahn Reds (37.76) - 70 |
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| 49 - Bill Bradley Cleveland (38.02) - 70 |
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| 50 - Patsy Daugherty Chicago (15.94) - 69 |
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