Brooklyn Robins - First World War Years (1910-1919)

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1910

Decade

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Titles: NL Champs 1916 lost to Red Sox in World Series

Top Robins Players of the Decade

BallPark: Washington Park III (1910-1912)

Pitchers:

Ebbets Field (1913-1919)

Nap Rucker (30.2) - 66

Jeff Pfeffer (29.55) - 65

Team Name: Trolley Dodgers (1911-1913)

Rube Marquard (11.01) - 28

Robins (1914-1919)

Jack Coombs (3.43) - 26

Sherry Smith (6.84) - 26

Owner: Charles Ebbets, Henry Medicus 1910-1911

Burleigh Grimes (3.85) - 24

Charles Ebbets, Edward McKeever 1912-1919

Larry Cheney (6.69) - 23

Pat Ragan (5.63) - 23

General Manager: None

Leon Cadore (10.86) - 19

Cy Barger (3.99) - 19

Managers: Bill Dahlen 1910-1913

George Bell (4.51) - 17

Wilbert Robinson 1914-1919

Elmer Knetzer (2.21) - 14

Wheezer Dell (3.95) - 11

Hall of Famers:

Ed Reulbach (5.81) - 9

Wilbert Robinson

Rube Marquard

Catchers:

Burleigh Grimes

Otto Miller (0.89) - 14

Casey Stengel

Lew McCarty (2.5) - 10

Zach Wheat

Chief Meyers (1.81) - 4

MVP:

First Basemen:

Jake Daubert (1913)

Jake Daubert (27.34) - 81

No Hitters:

Second Basemen:

None

George Cutshaw (9.34) - 34

Notable Events:

ShortStop:

Ivy Olson (4.04) - 21

1910 - Brooklyn, due to lack of funds, was one of the worst teams in the

NL in the Oughts. This trend will continue in the Teens.

Third Base:

Red Smith (8.98) - 27

1910 - Star first baseman Jake Daubert, 26, is drafted from Atlanta in the

Mike Mowrey (3.45) - 8

Rule 5 draft. He, outfielder Hy Myers and Hall of Fame outfielder Zach

Wheat form a nice nucleus in the middle of Brooklyn's lineup for much

Outfield:

of the decade.

Zach Wheat (32.01) - 102

Hy Myers (4.97) - 41

1912 - Second baseman George Cutshaw, 25, is drafted from Oakland

Casey Stengel (10.78) - 36

in the Rule 5 draft.

Jimmy Johnston (4.79) - 27

John Hummel (6.42) - 14

1912 - Outfielder Casey Stengel, 21, is drafted from Aurora in the

Jack Dalton (2.48) - 13

Rule 5 draft.

Notable Events:

1912 - Twenty five year old righthander, Jeff Pfeffer, is purchased

from the Browns

1916 - The Robins win the pennant. It was a brief period in National

League history when up was down, dark was light.

1912 - Charles Ebbets buys out Henry Medicus and now owns the club.

The three clubs that had dominated the league throughout the

Ebbets then sells half of his shares in the club to Edward McKeever

first fourteen years of the century where all down. The Cubs owner

in order to finance a new concrete and steel ballpark. Ebbets had

Charles Murphy lost interest in winning and sold the club.

already acquired the land where the new ballpark would be located.

The Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss, along with his manager Fred Clarke,

Ebbets designed the park himself as it married his two passions

got exhausted and complacent. The Giants, who had relied on Hall of

of architecture and baseball.

Famer Christy Mathewson dominating the opposition and winning

Construction of Ebbets Field began in March 1912.

twenty five games a year suddenly saw his arm fall off (figuratively,

of course). This gave perennial doormats like the Braves (1914),

1913 - Ebbets field opens. The most beloved ball park in baseball

Phillies (1915) and Dodgers (1916) a chance to win titles. The Reds

history (sorry Red Sox, Cub and Yankee fans). You still have to

also managed a title in 1919. Also, the Federal League was raiding

cringe when you think about it being torn down forty four years later.

players and, understandably, they weren't raiding the cellar dwellers.

Ballparks went up quick in those days - it only took a year to build.

Plus, there was the rule 5 draft that allowed teams to draft players

not on the 35 man roster. There were a lot of good pickings back then

1913 - Jake Daubert wins Chalmers Award (MVP) with .350 batting avg.

until the protected roster size got bumped up to forty.

1914 - It took a few years, but without Ned Hanlon around, there

1916 - The Brooklyn starting lineup is pretty much the same as it

wasn't much reason to call the team Superbas anymore

was for most of the decade. It was a solid group led by Hall fo Fame

(it was the name of a Ned Hanlon sponsored Broadway Play).

outfielder Zach Wheat, star outfielder Hy Myers, second baseman

The team was renamed the Trolley Dodgers in 1911, but the name

George Cutshaw, outfielder Casey Stengel and star first baseman

didn't stick. However. the name Robins did stick in 1914.

Jake Daubert. To that were added excellent utility man Jimmy Johnston,

The club was named after Uncle Robby, manager Wilbert Robinson,

catcher Chief Meyers who still had some gas left in the tank at age 35

when he took over as manager of the club. They were the Robins

and infielder Mike Mowrey who jumped back to the NL from the Federal

until he quit managing the team in 1931.

League. The big difference for the 1916 Robins was their pitching.

Twenty eight year old righthander Jeff Pfeffer had already established

1915 - Shortstop Ivey Olson, 29, is selected off of waivers from the Reds

himself as the ace of the staff and was one of the top pitchers in the game.

Larry Cheney (Cubs), Rube Marquard (Giants) and Jack Coombs (A's)

1915 - Righthander Leon Cadore, 23, is selected in the Rule 5 draft

were all former aces for top clubs who rose back up from the scrap

from Wilkes-Barre.

heap to reinvigorate their careers with Brooklyn. Rounding out the staff

was young home grown lefty Sherry Smith.

1915 - Lefthander Sherry Smith, 24, is acquired from Newark.

He had a mediocre minor league career up to that point,

1917 - Brooklyn drops twenty four games in the standings and finishes

but blossomed with the Robins.

seventh. The hitting and pitching declined pretty much equally

scoring half a run less a game and giving up half a run more a game.

1915 - Jack Coombs, 32, former star righthander is picked up after

Pfeffer was the biggest culprit on the mound. Daubert was the

being released by the A's. He resurrects his career with Brooklyn

biggest culprit at the plate.

The Robins would not recover for the rest of the decade.

1915 - After eleven consecutive losing seasons, Brooklyn finishes over .500.

1918 - In a huge trade with the Pirates, Brooklyn picks up a couple

1916 - The Robins pick up two former Giant stars from off the scrap

of twenty four year old righthanders, Al Mamaux and Burleigh

heap. Catcher Chief Meyers, 35, and left hander Rube Marquard, 29.

Grimes (future Hall of Famer) for George Cutshaw and Casey Stengel.

Both are solid contributors to the 1916 pennant run with Marquard

resurrecting his Hall of Fame career in Brooklyn.

1919 - In a deal that helps both clubs, Brooklyn sends thirty five year

old first baseman Jake Daubert to the Reds in exchange for outfielder

1916 - Charles Murphy, embattled owner of the Cubs, deals former

Tommy Griffith, 29. The aging Daubert helps the Reds win the pennant

ace righthander Larry Cheney, 30, to Brooklyn. Cheney is a main

while Griffith, in his prime, is a productive member of the Robins

contributor to the 1916 pennant run.

lineup for several seasons.

1916 - Utility man Jimmy Johnston, 26, is picked up as a free agent.

He had previously played briefly with both Chicago clubs.