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| Decade: The World War I Years (1910-1919) |
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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 - John McGraw (Manager) -
Giants |
| Boston Red Sox - 116 |
New York Giants - 120 |
2 - John Taylor (Owner),
Joseph Lannin (Owner) - Red Sox |
| Chicago White Sox - 107 |
Chicago Cubs - 111 |
3 - Connie Mack (Manager, Owner) - A's |
| Detroit Tigers - 106 |
Philadelphia Phillies - 103 |
4 - James Gaffney (Owner), George Stallings
(Manager) - Braves |
| Washington Senators - 101 |
Pittsburgh Pirates - 99 |
5 - Charles Commiskey (Owner)
- White Sox |
| Cleveland Indians - 100 |
Cincinnati Reds - 96 |
6 - Garry Herrman (Owner) -
Reds |
| Philadelphia A's - 95 |
Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers) - 94 |
7 - Wilbert Robinson (Manager) - Brooklyn |
| New York Highlanders (Yankees) - 95 |
Boston Braves - 90 |
8 - Frank Chance (Manager) -
Cubs |
| St. Louis Browns - 80 |
St. Louis Cardinals - 88 |
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| Decade Highlights |
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| □ Major League
baseball had gained tremendous popularity over the first decade of the
century. Economic times were good. Baseball owners called themselves Moguls. |
| It was time for the moguls to invest in
their product and that manifested itself in a frenzy of ballpark building.
The old ballparks were wooden structures that would |
| occasionally burn
down. They also had a limited capacity due to strength of material and
occasionally a grandstand would collapse. |
| The technology used
for the new skyscrapers of the era could be borrowed to build sturdy less
costly ballparks with large crowd capacities, concrete and steel. |
| Now that there were
big crowds for ballgames to be accomodated, concrete and steel ballparks were
needed. These stadiums were built remarkably quickly back in those days. |
| They were also well
built and a couple (Fenway and Wrigley) are still in use today. The others
lasted well into mid century and beyond. |
| □ The first concrete and steel stadium was
Philadelphia's Shibe Park, opened in April 1909. Owners Ben Shibe and Connie
Mack. |
| □ Pittsburg Forbes Field June 1909. Owner
Barney Dreyfuss |
| □ St. Louis Sportsman's Park 1909. Owner
Robert Hedges |
| □ Chicago Commiskey Park 1910. Owner Charles
Commiskey |
| □ Cleveland
League Park 1910. Owner Charles Somers |
| □ New York
Polo Grounds 1911. Owner John T. Brush |
| □ Washington Griffith Stadium 1911. Owner
Clark Griffith |
| □ Detroit Navin Field 1912. Owner Frank Navin |
| □ Cincinnati Redland Field 1912. Owner Gary
Herrmann |
| □ Boston Fenway Park 1912. Owner John I.
Taylor |
| □ Brooklyn Ebbets Field 1913. Owners Charles
Ebbets and Edward McKeever |
| □ Chicago Weeghman Field 1914, Owner Charles
Weeghman Chicago Whales Federal League |
| □ Boston Braves Field 1915. Owner James
Gaffney |
| □ New York Yankee Stadium 1923. Owner Jacob
Ruppert |
| □ St. Louis Robison Field 1893. Helene Britton (in the nineteen teens).
Wood, not concrete and steel. |
| □ Philadelphia Baker Bowl 1895. Owner William
Baker (in the nineteen teens). Brick and Steel, not concrete and steel. Had
structural issues and collapses. |
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| □ In the
National League, this decade had the most parity of any in it's history.
Seven of the Eight teams won pennants during the decade. The only team not to
was the St. Louis Cardinals. |
| It was a
transitional decade for the powers. The Giants were raided heavily by the
rival Federal League of 1914-1915. The successful team of the late oughts and
early teens got old. |
| The Pirates got old
and it seemed that owner Barney Dreyfuss and manager Fred Clarke got
complacent by mid decade. The Cubs owner Charles Murphy was an unpopular guy
who seemed |
| to feud with
everybody and cashed out mid decade. The issues of the big three allowed
others like the Braves (1914), Phillies (1915), Brooklyn (1916) and Reds
(1919) to win titles. |
| Note that the
powerful Pirates technically did not win a title in this decade, they had won
in 1909. |
| □ In the
American League, the A's were the top team during the first half of the
decade until owner/manager Connie Mack went off his head and dismantled the
team. After that it was |
| the Red Sox and the
White Sox who dominated. Both had picked up players from the A's fire
sale. |
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| □ The backdrop
to the decade was the emergence of the Federal League in 1914 and 1915 which,
altho' lasting only two years, had huge repercussions for the major
leagues. |
| Player salaries
skyrocketed those two years and the top major league teams were raided of
stars. There was a huge backlash at these stars and their salaries once the
Federal League |
| folded by major
league owners. The owners slashed player salaries which caused a great amount
of friction between the players and owners and unhappiness amongst the
players. |
| This return to the
rule of the players by the Reserve Clause disgruntled a lot of players and
opened the door for gambling scandals. |
| The new found power
of the players during the two Federal League years also had a great impact on
several owners. Most notably, Connie Mack of the A's dismantled his
championship team. |
| |
| □ World War I
caused abbreviated seasons and player maladies due to exposure to nerve gas.
The Spanish Flu, surprisingly in the light of Covid-19, did not have a major impact. |
| |
| □ The Dead
Ball Era continued. The game was played in the Teens pretty much the way it
had been played in the Oughts. |
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| □ There was still no air travel or TV or
radio and no fields with lights. Things were pretty much the same as the
Oughts on these fronts, as well. |
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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 20 Starting Pitchers |
Top 3 Catchers |
Top Outfielders |
| 1 - Walter Johnson Washington (108.5) - 206 |
1 - Walter Johnson Washington
(108.5) - 206 |
Ray Schalk Chicago (19.02) - 59 |
2 - Ty Cobb Detroit (84.29)- 201 |
| 2 - Ty Cobb Detroit (84.29)- 201 |
4 - Grover Cleveland
Alexander Phils (69.0) - 147 |
Wally Schang Boston (20.6) - 55 |
3 - Tris Speaker Boston (76.49) - 199 |
| 3 - Tris Speaker Boston (76.49) - 199 |
7 - Eddie Cicotte Chicago (48.08) - 108 |
Chief Meyers Brooklyn (22.01) - 53 |
6 - Clyde Milan Washington (33.73) - 125 |
| 4 - Grover Cleveland
Alexander Phils (69.0) - 147 |
8 - Hippo Vaughn Cubs (43.34) - 108 |
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10 - Harry Hooper Boston (32.71) - 105 |
| 5 - Eddie Collins A's (73.51) - 146 |
21 - Slim Sallee Giants (33.89) - 90 |
Top First Basemen |
11 - Dode Paskert Phillies (21.33) - 105 |
| 6 - Clyde Milan Washington (33.73) - 125 |
24 - Dick Rudolph Braves (23.4) - 83 |
19 - Fred Merkle Giants (20.27) - 91 |
13 - Zach Wheat Brooklyn (32.01) - 102 |
| 7 - Eddie Cicotte Chicago (48.08) - 108 |
27 - Babe Adams Pirates (32.85) - 81 |
22 - Jake Daubert Brooklyn (29.03) - 87 |
14 - Shoeless Joe Jackson
Indians (55.2)- 100 |
| 8 - Hippo Vaughn Cubs (43.34) - 108 |
28 - Hooks Dauss Detroit (20.19) - 81 |
23 - Ed Konetchy Cards (32.03) - 84 |
15 - Max Carey Pirates (28.31) - 96 |
| 9 - Artie Fletcher Giants (41.84) - 106 |
29 - Rube Marquard Giants (28.14) - 80 |
40 - Chick Gandil Chicago (19.42) - 70 |
16 - Sherry Magee Phillies (32.03) - 93 |
| 10 - Harry Hooper Boston (32.71) - 105 |
30 - Christy Mathewson Giants
(29.19)- 79 |
41 - Fred Luderus Phillies (19.85) - 70 |
17 - George Burns Giants (28.79) - 91 |
| 11 - Dode Paskert Phillies (21.33) - 105 |
32 - Jack Coombs A's (16.17) - 77 |
Stuffy McInnis A's (29.99) - 66 |
25 - Bobby Veach Detroit (30.36) - 83 |
| 12 - Home Run Baker A's (53.32) - 102 |
36 - Larry Cheney Cubs (17.08) - 73 |
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34 - Gavvy Cravath Phillies (30.7) - 74 |
| 13 - Zach Wheat Brooklyn (32.01) - 102 |
39 - Jeff Tesreau Giants (21.66) - 70 |
Top Second Basemen |
35 - Burt Shotton Browns (23.98)- 74 |
| 14 - Shoeless Joe Jackson
Indians (55.2)- 100 |
42 - Ray Caldwell Yankees (29.75) - 69 |
5 - Eddie Collins A's (73.51) - 146 |
37 - Duffy Lewis Boston (23.08) - 73 |
| 15 - Max Carey Pirates (28.31) - 96 |
44 - Lefty Tyler Braves (19.56) - 68 |
50 - Larry Doyle Giants (36.1)- 66 |
43 - Fred Snodgrass Giants (15.3) - 68 |
| 16 - Sherry Magee Phillies (32.03) - 93 |
45 - Wilbur Cooper Pirates (24.79) - 67 |
Del Pratt Browns (31.25) - 66 |
48 - Amos Strunk A's (25.64) - 67 |
| 17 - George Burns Giants (28.79) - 91 |
46 - Dutch Leonard Boston (30.45) - 67 |
Nap Lajoie Cleveland (24.57) - 57 |
49 - Tilly Walker Browns (16.8) - 67 |
| 18 - Donie Bush Detroit (30.8) - 91 |
47 - Eddie Plank A's (31.29) - 67 |
Rogers Hornsby Cards (26.51) - 43 |
Sam Crawford Detroit (29.95) - 63 |
| 19 - Fred Merkle Giants (20.27) - 91 |
Nap Rucker Brooklyn (30.2) - 66 |
|
Benny Kauff Giants (28.03) - 41 |
| 20 - Heinie Zimmerman Giants (33.97) - 90 |
Jeff Pfeffer Brooklyn (29.18) - 65 |
Top Shortstops |
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| 21 - Slim Sallee Giants (33.89) - 90 |
Bill Doak Cards (13.98) - 63 |
9 - Artie Fletcher Giants (41.84) - 106 |
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| 22 - Jake Daubert Brooklyn (29.03) - 87 |
Smokey Joe Wood Boston (26.85) -
60 |
18 - Donie Bush Detroit (30.8) - 91 |
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| 23 - Ed Konetchy Cards (32.03) - 84 |
Ed Walsh Chicago (34.73) - 57 |
31 - Honus Wagner Pirates (34.33) - 78 |
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| 24 - Dick Rudolph Braves (23.4) - 83 |
Stan Coveleski Cleveland (26.96) - 57 |
33 - Ray Chapman Cleveland (25.27) - 74 |
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| 25 - Bobby Veach Detroit (30.36) - 83 |
Babe Ruth Boston (20.67) - 57 |
38 - Rabbit Maranville Braves
(24.42) - 72 |
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| 26 - Larry Gardner Boston (37.62)- 82 |
Russell Ford New York (32.35) - 54 |
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| 27 - Babe Adams Pirates (32.85) - 81 |
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Top Third Basemen |
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| 28 - Hooks Dauss Detroit (20.19) - 81 |
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12 - Home Run Baker A's (53.32) - 102 |
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| 29 - Rube Marquard Giants (28.14) - 80 |
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20 - Heinie Zimmerman Giants (33.97) - 90 |
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| 30 - Christy Mathewson Giants (29.19)- 79 |
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26 - Larry Gardner Boston (37.62)- 82 |
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| 31 - Honus Wagner Pirates (34.33) - 78 |
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Heinie Groh Reds (34.02) - 65 |
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| 32 - Jack Coombs A's
(16.17) - 77 |
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Buck Herzog Giants (27.59) - 58 |
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| 33 - Ray Chapman Cleveland (25.27) - 74 |
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| 34 - Gavvy Cravath Phillies (30.7) - 74 |
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| 35 - Burt Shotton Browns (23.98)- 74 |
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| 36 - Larry Cheney Cubs (17.08) - 73 |
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| 37 - Duffy Lewis Boston (23.08) - 73 |
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| 38 - Rabbit Maranville Braves (24.42) - 72 |
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| 39 - Jeff Tesreau Giants (21.66) - 70 |
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| 40 - Chick Gandil Chicago (19.42) - 70 |
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| 41 - Fred Luderus Phillies (19.85) - 70 |
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| 42 - Ray Caldwell Yankees (29.75) - 69 |
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| 43 - Fred Snodgrass Giants (15.3) - 68 |
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| 44 - Lefty Tyler Braves (19.56) - 68 |
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| 45 - Wilbur Cooper Pirates (24.79) - 67 |
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| 46 - Dutch Leonard Boston (30.45) - 67 |
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| 47 - Eddie Plank A's (31.29) - 67 |
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| 48 - Amos Strunk A's (25.64) - 67 |
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| 49 - Tilly Walker Browns (16.8) - 67 |
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| 50 - Larry Doyle Giants (36.1)- 66 |
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