This is...not a good defensive infield.

C/Manager: Jim Essian
1B: Ryan Garko
2B: Bill Madlock
3B: Edgar Martinez
SS: Royce Clayton
LF: George Jackson
CF: Bobby Reis
RF: Ted Gullic

SP: David Cone
SP: Greg Swindell
SP: Jeff Suppan
SP: Garrett Stephenson
SP: J.D. Martin
RP: Scott Proctor

When Larry Lajoie leaves the game baseball will lose the greatest batsman that ever lived. There is no room for argument about Larry’s honor.

Even if you say that Cobb wasn't there on career bulk yet, there's an exact contemporary of Lajoie who won 3 more batting titles than he did, not to mention substantial advantages in other black ink categories. (Plus steals and positional versatility and defense.)

Birthday league update:
* January 5 leads the way at 13-3, with January 14 (11-5) and January 23 (10-5) close behind.
* Pete Runnels leads the league with a .489 batting average.
* Paul Ratliff (January 23, real-life career SLG: .374) and Wayne Gross (January 14) are tied for the league lead with 5 homers.
* Otis Nixon (January 9) has stolen 16 bases in 15 games.
* Dontrelle Willis (January 12): 3 starts, 3 complete games, 27 innings, 3 runs.
* Jack Neagle (January 2) leads the league in games pitched, runs allowed, earned runs allowed, home runs allowed, and walks allowed.

Box scores, leaders, standings, and stats here.

Honus gets no respect.

Today also marks 25,000 days since Bill Nicholson received a bases-loaded intentional walk

Most RBat, career, thru 1912.

Dan, Cap, Honus and Roger say hi.

Absurdly small point: Since it's a 28-team league, why not have four even divisions instead of three uneven ones? Otherwise, it's awesome.

Do the raw stats exist? Is there a way I can pour this into my OOTP game?

Yeah, that's a good point, RMc. I didn't really give it much thought because I didn't intend for there to be divisions to begin with...it's a limitation of the software that I had planned to ignore.

I set up the schedule so that everybody plays everybody roughly the same number of times, regardless of division.

Re: raw stats, does this work?

Jeff Suppan in front of that infield...well, that's about equivalent to the 2007 Brewers, so never mind.

Does Wagner being in the NL vs LaJoie in the AL boost LaJoie at all?

Does Wagner being in the NL vs LaJoie in the AL boost LaJoie at all?

It was a Washington paper being quoted.

Does Wagner being in the NL vs LaJoie in the AL boost LaJoie at all?

Just the opposite, I think. The NL was an established major league (the only one, really) in 1901.

Just the opposite, I think. The NL was an established major league (the only one, really) in 1901.

My impression is that the AL caught up relatively quickly, thanks to much better scouting in the South. But it was very clearly weaker in 1901, and 1901 is Lajoie's best year.

Pujols is dooming his team with another weak start, I see. The Jan. 16 Teetotalers are in last place while Pujols hits .250 with only 3 extra base hits, all doubles.