Baseball: The World's Game (OOTP 22 Fictional World)

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In 1924, Ottawa had the best record in the National Association with their second-ever playoff berth (1909) and first League title. The Elks went 102-60 atop the Eastern League and had 23-year old righty pitcher Logan Gauvin get Pitcher of the Year at 21-5 with a 2.57 ERA. Hartford took the second place playoff spot at 97-65. Defending World Series champ Baltimore was sixth at 83-79 and wouldn’t see another playoff berth for a decade.


Kansas City made their fourth straight playoff berth by winning the Midwest League at 96-66. 1922 NA champ Cleveland bounced back from a 75-win 1923 by finishing second at 94-68. St. Louis tied for third with Elijah Cashman getting his third straight MVP for the Cardinals.


The League champs advanced in the first round as the Cougars swept the Huskies and the Elks survived in five games against the Cobras. In the NACS, Ottawa defeated Kansas City in six games for the Elks’ first ever Association Title and the first by a Canadian team since 1915.


In the American Association, San Francisco earned a seventh consecutive playoff berth, leading the AA and winning the Western League at 103-59. The Gold Rush led the AA in runs scored and runs allowed and had an MVP season from outfielder Joseph Finch, who posted a league-best 1.015 OPS. Oakland took second at 95-67, getting their first-ever playoff berth. B.J. “Bane” Herrick won Pitcher of the Year with 11.3 WAR, 296.2 innings, 279 strikeouts and an AA best 3.00 ERA. He was two wins shy of a Triple Crown.


In the Southern League, Nashville and San Antonio tied for first at 90-72 with the Knights holding the tiebreaker. It was Nashville’s first playoff berth and only the second for the Oilers. This leaves New Orleans, Oklahoma City, and San Diego as the only American Association teams not to make a playoff appearance after the first 24 years. Houston’s hope for a fifth straight berth was thwarted, taking third at 85-77. Miami saw a 54 home run season from Chris Barnett.


Both first round series went five games and went to the Western League with San Fran edging San Antonio and Oakland upsetting Nashville. In a Bay-Area AACS, the Gold Rush topped the Owls in five games for their second-ever Association title. In the World Series, Ottawa defeated San Francisco in six games for their first overall title and the second-ever by a Canadian team. 22-year old first baseman Robert Ross was WS MVP and had 21 hits, 16 RBI, and 6 homers in 17 postseason games.


Other notes: Montreal’s D.J. Lapointe tossed the fifth MLB Perfect Game on 8/5, striking out 11 against Detroit. Corey Patrizio and Archie Meredith became the 9^th and 10^th players to 1500 career RBI and both also got to 2500 career hits. Newton Persaud became the third pitcher to 250 career wins.

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Four players were elected into the MLB 1925 Hall of Fame Class, all on their first ballot. Jason Salvage and Will Miller both were above the 90% mark, while Eric Barter got in at 74% and Kyle Borchelt just made it at 67.9%. Three second-ballot guys were above the 50% mark. No one made the CABA class, but Brian Kendall at 61% in his first try is expected to make the cut soon.



Jason Salvage – 98.7% - Centerfielder – Phoenix Firebirds

Jason Salvage was perhaps the first major baseball star of the draft era. The 5’9’’, 200 pound left handed outfielder was a highly touted prospect as a tremendous all-around hitter and a very good fielder. Born in Cincinnati, Salvage played college baseball at Purdue and was the 1902 NCAA Player of the Year. That earned him the #2 overall draft selection in the 1902 draft, picked by the Phoenix Firebirds.

Salvage split time in right and center before becoming the full-time centerfielder for most of his 20s. His third season at age 23 was his breakout year and the first of three straight MVP seasons from 1905 to 1907. These years turned the struggling Firebirds into an American Association contender, making it to the AA final five times between 1905 to 1910. In 1907, the Firebirds won the World Series and Salvage was the MVP, forever cementing his spot in the history books. That postseason, he had eight homers, 21 hits, and 15 runs in 14 games.

Phoenix’s run ended and so did Salvage’s time there, getting traded for four players to Houston before the 1913 deadline. The Hornets were ousted in the AA final by Memphis and Salvage decided to test free agency. That winter, he signed a five-year, $26,500 deal with Denver. He made two more AACS appearances during his run with the Dragons. He moved to right field and was no longer a stud, but still a solid starter during his run with Denver. After dealing with injuries in his last year with the Dragons, he became a free agent in 1918 and played one partial year at age 37 with Jacksonville. Followed that, he played two seasons for Costa Rica before retiring.

Among the accolades, three MVPs, eight Silver Sluggers, and eight all-star appearances, plus 26 home runs in 80 playoff games. Salvage finished with 2167 MLB hits, 1497 runs, 559 homers, 1588 RBI, 1444 walks, and a career WAR of 99.1. Well-deserved as a member of the Hall of Fame.




Will Miller – 94.6% - Third Baseman – Houston Hornets

Will Miller was a 5’8’’, 165 right handed infielder who was drafted in the second round of the inaugural MLB draft in 1901 by Milwaukee. Miller was one of the only guys taken in the first draft that early who was a prospect and not a somewhat seasoned pro. He played second base in his early seasons, but became fully entrenched as a solid third baseman for the majority of his run.

In 1904, his fourth season, Miller posted a 9.5 WAR season and won the MVP, helping the Mustangs to the World Series title. Miller won his second MVP the following the year. In 1906, he missed most of the year with a fractured wrist and a torn back muscle, but bounced back in 1907, his final year with Milwaukee.

Miller signed a one-year deal with St. Louis and was second in MVP voting. The following year, he signed the big deal, eight years, $36,080 with Houston, who had just won their first World Series.. Miller’s third and final MVP was in 1909 with the Hornets. In 1910, 1911, and 1912, Houston won the World Series with Miller a huge piece of the dynasty. Miller was the World Series MVP in 1910.

Out of nowhere in 1915, Miller struggled immensely. But he bounced back at age 36 to lead the AA in WAR for the fourth time in his career. His Houston contract ended, and he would then play his final three seasons with the New York Yankees before retiring.

Miller was a 10-time Silver Slugger winner and 11-time all star, finishing with 106.9 career WAR, the first hitter to crack 100+ WAR for his career. Miller added 2776 hits, 1708 runs scored, 445 home runs, 1621 RBI, 1212 walks, and a triple slash of .292/.381/.505. A four-time champ and a key player in the history for both Milwaukee and Houston; Miller was an easy HOF choice.



Eric Barter – 74.0% - Starting Pitcher – New York Yankees

Eric Barter was a stock right handed pitcher at 5’5’’, 200 pounds from North Vancouver, British Columbia. Barter had four pitches, led by an impressive sinker that topped out in the mid to upper 90s. Very much a ground ball pitcher and not a strikeout guy, but he was a reliable starter and innings eater.

He was picked at age 25 in the inaugural draft by Boston in the sixth round and posted his career best single-season WAR in 1902 at 9.4 Late in his third year with the Red Sox, he was traded to Philadelphia for prospects. He didn’t stay with the Phillies and in the offseason, began his signature run with the New York Yankees on a 7-year, $23,620 deal. In 1905, he was part of the World Series champion squad and the next year, won his only Pitcher of the Year.

When his contract with New York ended, he signed a five-year deal with Detroit. After three seasons, the Tigers sold him to Tijuana for the 1913 season. There, he suffered a torn UCL at age 37. This ended his career as a starter, but he would bounce around baseball as a reliever until retiring at age 43. He had brief stints with Calgary and Houston in MLB and in CABA with Puerto Rico, Ecatepec, Hermosillo, and Santo Domigno.

Barter was just short of 200 career MLB wins, finishing 199-104 with a 2.64 ERA with almost 3000 innings pitched. He had 286 quality starts in 387 tries and a MLB war of 82.0. Rarely considered dominant or flashy, but one of the most reliable pitchers of the early 1900s.




Kyle Borchelt – 67.9% - Starting Pitcher – Hartford Huskies

Kyle Borchelt was a 5’9’’, 170 pound right handed pitcher from Orrington, Maine. After a strong college career at the University of Minnesota, Borchelt was the 9^th overall draft pick by the Hartford Huskies in the 1903 draft. He had five pitches, highlighted by a fastball that could top 100 mph. He was also an ironman and almost never missed a start.

Borchelt spent his 20s as a solid starter for the Huskies. At age 30, he tested free agency and signed a six-year deal with Houston for the 1913 season, getting to pitch in two American Association Championship Series but missing the dynasty run. After six years with the Hornets, Borchelt played one last season at age 36 with Las Vegas.

Borchelt finished with a 249-191 record, 3.27 ERA, 3105 strikeouts, 4039.2 innings, and a 103.0 WAR. He almost quietly put up great numbers as a consistent #1 or #2 pitcher for 16 years, earning his spot in the HOF.

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Defending World Series champion Ottawa made the playoffs again in the National Association, but came a game short of another Eastern League title. Toronto at 97-65 beat them by one game, giving the Timberwolves their first postseason appearance since 1904. Hartford was three games short of back-to-back postseason berths.

In the Midwest, Cleveland took the top spot at 94-68 for their third playoff appearance in four years and second league title. St. Louis took second with 90 wins for their first playoff berth since 1915 and the first career berth for perennial MVP candidate Elijah Cashman. Cashman won his fourth straight MVP. Washington’s Dylan D’Ippolito was Pitcher of the Year at age 23. In addition to earning it as a pitcher, he also hit 32 home runs as a two-way player in the outfield. D’Ippolito posted 3.4 offensive WAR along with 9.1 pitching.

Both NA first round series went the five-game distance with Toronto surviving St. Louis at home and Ottawa upsetting the Cobras in Cleveland. While the Timberwolves beat out the Elks in the regular season, Ottawa swept them in the National Association final, giving the Elks back-to-back World Series appearances.



After missing the postseason the prior season, Houston bounced back to win the Southern League title in 1925 at 101-61. Last year's SL champ Nashville qualified as the second place finisher at 89-73 with only Oklahoma City also finishing above .500. Alas, the Outlaws remain one of three American Association teams yet to qualify for the postseason in MLB's first 25 seasons.

Denver snapped an eight-year playoff drought and Los Angeles ended an 11-year one in the Western League. The Dragons and Angels both finished 98-64 with Denver taking the tiebreaker for the League title. Five other teams finished with 90 wins in the WL with nine teams total at 86 wins or more; Oakland was the closest to making it but were two games out. Defending AA champ San Francisco finished with 90 wins, snapping their postseason streak at seven years.

Calgary's B.J. Scott was the AA MVP as the second baseman won the batting title (.365) and was the WARlord at 9.1. He pulled this off in his rookie season with the Cheetahs as well. Elijah Campbell of Vancouver was the Pitcher of the Year with a 2.25 ERA, 44 points better than second place. He also had the best hits per nine and strikeouts per nine in the AA.

In the first round, Denver swept Nashville and Los Angeles swept Houston, setting up an all Western League final. Despite tying in the regular season, the AACS was no contest as the Dragons swept the Angels, sending Denver to its first World Series.



The Dragons would then defeat Ottawa in six games, denying the Elks back-to-back titles and bringing the first title to the Rocky Mountains. In his only season with Denver, 38-year old outfielder Jordi Linares picked up World Series MVP honors.





Other notes: Christopher Ross of Cincinnati became the first MLB hitter to 600 career home runs. Houston’s Newton Persaud became the first to 4000 career strikeouts.

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Yokohama again in 1925 had the best record in Japan, easily winning the North Division at 110-52. 1923 EAB champ Osaka won the South in a route 101-61, 16 games ahead of last year's division champ Kitakyushu.

Orange Sox ace Zeshin Saito was a dominant Pitcher of the Year, picking up the Triple Crown at 25-6, 1.46 ERA, and 345 strikeouts for a blistering 11.1 WAR. Despite a 74-win season, Fukoka's Kota Takeda shined as MVP, tying for the league lead in home runs (46) and doubles (33) while knocking in 126 RBI.

The Japan League Championship Series pitted the 1923 champ Osaka versus the 1924 champ Yokohama. The Orange Sox got the better of the Yellow Jackets, winning the series in six games.




Last year's EAB champ Pyongyang took second in the Korea League North Division thanks to a 108-54 season by Hamhung, 13 games ahead of the Pythons. The Heat had Pitcher of the Year Chikara Ohkubo, who tossed the Triple Crown himself on a 24-8, 2.03 ERA, 338 strikeout season for 12.1 WAR.

Gwangju won back-to-back South Division titles with a Korea-best 116-46 record, holding off a solid 105-57 mark from Daegu. The Grays were led by an MVP season for right fielder Timofei Vasnetsov, who had a EAB best 127 RBI. Gwangju had three of the top five hitters in Korea by WAR though. Incheon's Fomio Chikafuji socked 57 home runs, two off the EAB record.

In the KLCS, the Grays used their loaded lineup to defeat the Heat in six games for Gwangju's first Korea League title. They would not get the EAB title though as Osaka prevailed in six games, giving the Orange Sox two East Asian Championships in three years. Journeyman shortstop Tenri Murayama earned series MVP.

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Guadalajara was back atop the Mexican South Division in 1925 at 105-57 as Mexico City fell off to around .500. For the Hellhounds, it gives them six division titles in seven years. In the North, Chihuahua won back-to-back divisions on their sixth in seven years. The Warriors at 92-70 beat out Monterrey by two games.

For the fourth time, Guadalajara and Chihuahua met for the Mexican League title. For the first time, the series went all seven games with the Hellhounds taking the crown for the third time.



Also getting a sixth playoff spot in seven years was Honduras, claiming another Continental Division title at 100-62. In the Island Division, Puerto Rico grabbed only their second division title along with the 1914 campaign. The Pelicans finished with 93 wins, two better than 1923 CABA champ Santiago. Last year's division champ Jamaica dropped to just below .500.

Puerto Rico won the Caribbean Championship in six games over Honduras for the Pelicans' second Caribbean title. They also easily claimed their first overall CABA title, as they swept Guadalajara for the championship.





Other notes: Santiago pitcher Ulices Montero became the first pitcher to 4500+ career strikeouts. His teammate Esaie Cherenfant became the third to reach 200+ wins. Havana’s Diomar Glas became the first CABA hitter to 500 career home runs.

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Two pitchers were inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame 1926 class. Starter Willie Hodo and closer Jim Klattenburger made the cut, with starter George Lacey and first baseman Chad Tepp both getting above 60%.

Four players were dropped from the ballot after their 10^th try. George Cull finished at 51.6% with his highest finish at 59.7% on his eighth try. The third baseman was a two-time MVP with Tampa and suffered from starting his MLB career at age 1901, lacking the counting stats. Mario Salazar peaked at 58.4% on his sixth try, another former MVP. The former Detroit and Calgary first baseman lost some counting stats by playing his last five years in Puerto Rico. Chris Bychyk also was a former MVP who started in his 30s, but never got above 26.7% of the vote. Cubs pitcher Lowell Dunphy hit a high of 32.4%.

In CABA voting, Alex Hinojosa got 85% of the vote to become the second Hall of Famer. Brian Kendall on his second try got 62.1%, close to the 2/3s threshold.



Willie “Oz” Hodo – Starting Pitcher – Chicago Cubs – 91.9%

Willie Hodo was a 5’9’’, 200 left handed pitcher with dual American and Mexican citizenship, born November 12, 1879 in Chicago. Hodo attended Akron, where he quickly drew the attention of scouts ahead of the first rookie draft in 1901. Hodo threw in the 96-98 miles per hour range with a solid fastball, cutter, and a changeup. Not always flashy, Hodo had excellent control and was rated 9/10 for control in his later seasons.


He was a first round pick, 32^nd overall by Nashville. He was a partial starter in his rookie year, then became a regular respectable starter with the Knights over seven years.

Hodo’s biggest notoriety came when he returned home to Chicago, signing a seven-year, $22,120 free agent contract starting in 1909 with the Cubs. His first year was rocky, but the next five were solid with two seasons over 7.0
WAR, accumulating 34.4 WAR with the Cubs.

Hodo declined the final year of his Cubs contract and signed a three-year, $13,740 deal with St. Louis. His Cardinals debut at age 35 was his best season and only Pitcher of the Year, leading the National Association in wins (21), strikeouts (240), and innings pitched (278). His one postseason start was a rough one and despite a great career, he only had a chance to make two postseason appearances in his career.

After his Cardinals contract ended, Hodo signed for two seasons with Houston; unfortunately missing their playoff window. He did collect his 250^th win with the Hornets; the first MLB pitcher to get there. His final year in 1920 was as a reliever for Toronto, but at that point, it was time to call it quits. But with the Timberwolves, he reached 3500 career strikeouts, the second pitcher to reach that mark.

Hodo almost never missed a start over his 19-year career, finishing 267-216 with a 3.47 ERA, 3503 strikeouts, 361 quality starts in 577, and 95.2 WAR. Other pitchers would later top his accolades, but he was one of the first reliable aces and certainly deserving of the Hall of Fame.



Jim Klattenburger – Closer – Ottawa Elks – 67.8%


Jim Klattenburger was the first relief pitcher to earn MLB Hall of Fame honors. The 5’11’’, 170 pound right handed arm was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Klattenburger came to the United States to play college ball at Ohio State and then returned to Canada when Ottawa picked him in the second round, the 91^st overall pick, in the 1904 draft.

Klattenburger only threw two pitches, but had a 100 MPH cutter along with a nice curveball. The cutter made him dominant, taking over the closer role for the Elks by his second season. His fourth and fifth seasons, he posted ERAs of 1.25 and 1.21, both worth over 4 WAR. His 1909 season had 104 strikeouts over 89.1 innings, earning him his lone Reliever of the Year award. He finished second in 1908 voting and third in 1911 and 1913.

Unfortunately for Klattenburger, he only once got to play in the postseason with the Elks. In the 1913 offseason, he was traded to Houston, where he spent the next three seasons. His also missed the Hornets dynasty, only getting to see the postseason in his first year there.

At age 33, he signed for three years with Baltimore in 1917 and was the closer for two. Towards the end of 1918, shoulder inflammation put him on the shelf for nine months. He came back to record his 400^th save on May 6, 1919; the first player to reach the mark and one of only four to do it in the 21^st Century.

One week later, Klattenburger suffered a partially torn UCL, ending his season and run with the Orioles. That offseason, Montreal signed him to a one-year deal, but the Maples cut him before the season. In April 1920, the Elks brought him back, but it was clear at age 36 that his time was done, retiring that offseason with the Elks.

Due to the way relievers are used, some felt they weren’t important enough to be Hall of Fame choices; thus Klattenburger barely getting the threshold (67.8%), albeit in his first year. But with 401 saves, 483 shutdowns, and 1184 strikeouts over 1098.1 innings with a 2.85 ERA, he was one of the first notable closers and someone worth honoring.



Alex “Bubba” Hinojosa – Second Baseman/Shortstop – Puebla Pumas – 85.0%

Alex Hinojosa was a 5’11’’ 170 pound switch hitting middle infielder from Tepatitlan, a town 70 kilometers east of Guadalajara in Mexico. When CABA was formed, Hinojosa was already 28-years old, but well respected in the Mexican baseball world. Prior to the debut 1911 CABA season, he signed an eight-year, $17,720 contract with Puebla; a huge deal for the fledging association.

Called a “sparkplug” by those who played with him, Hinojosa was known as an excellent power hitter and solid fielder. He’d strike out a lot, but provided excellent power, the ability to draw walks, and solid baserunning. Puebla’s investment immediately paid off as the 28-year old Hinojosa in his debut led Mexico in runs (105), home runs (47), and WAR (13.1). The 13.1 WAR would be one of only 10 seasons in CABA history to get above 13. The Pumas would win four division titles in his time and win the Mexican League title in 1915.

In a decade with the Pumas, “Bubba” won five MVPs; 1911, 15, 17, 18, and 19. Although he played some shortstop most years, he was primarily a second baseman, winning eight Silver Sluggers and a gold glove at the position. He led the league in homers five times, WAR five times, RBI three times, and runs thrice. He became the first CABA player to 300 career home runs.

After winning the MVP at age 36, he fell off hard in his last year with Puebla and didn’t re-sign after the 1920 season. At age 38, Hinojosa went north to America and signed a three-year deal with San Diego, where he played two seasons before retiring

Having started his career late, he doesn’t have the all-time leaderboard numbers of some of the other CABA greats. But five MVPs in a decade is one of the most impressive runs one can have and Hinojosa deserves recognition as one of the first star sluggers of the Mexican League.

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Yokohama claimed a third straight North Division title in 1926, this time finishing 101-65 with both the most runs scored and fewest allowed in the Japan League. Seo-Yul Park picked up his second Pitcher of the Year for the Yellow Jackets. Saitma was second at 89-73 and had the MVP in first baseman Moon-Hwan Lee. In the South Division, Fukuoka went from 74 wins the prior year to 92-70, taking the title for the first time. Kitakyushu was second four games back and defending EAB champ Osaka took third at 85-77. Yokohama would defeat Fukuoka 4-1 in the JLCS, sending the Yellow Jackets to their second EAB final in three years.



In the Korea League, Hamhung set a record with a 122-40, winning the North Division by 14 games despite a 108-54 season from Pyongyang. Three of the top pitchers by ERA and WAR pitched for the Heat, although the Phytons' Ching-Wei Kuo earned his second Pitcher of the Year. The South Division went to defending Korean champ Gwangju for the third straight season, their 106-56 mark was 31 games ahead of second place. Slugger Ji-Hoo Kim won MVP for the Grays. He had won MVP in 1924 in Japan with Saitama, then played 1925 with Pyongyang before signing with Gwangju in 1926

In a KLCS rematch, Gwangju defeated Hamhung again, this time in seven games, giving them back-to-back Korean titles. The Grays would again be thwarted in the East Asian Championship, as Yokohama claimed the overall title in five.

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Guadalajara kept their stranglehold on the Mexican League's South Division with their seventh title in eight years. At 113-49, they matched their franchise record 1919 campaign. Centerfielder Victor Valenzuela picked up his third career MVP and Adrian De La Rosa grabbed back-to-back Pitcher of the Year Awards.

Chihuahua again won the North, their sixth title in seven, but it was more competitive. At 88-74, they finished five better than Monterrey and seven over Juarez. Thus it was the Warriors and Hellhounds in the Mexican League final for the fifth time in seven years. Guadaljara was the heavy favorite, but Chihuahua stunned them in seven games for the Warriors' second Mexican League title.



The Caribbean League pennant races came down to the wire. Defending CABA champ Puerto Rico claimed the Island Division for back-to-back years, their 90-72 finish was one game better than Haiti, three over Santo Domingo, and five over Jamaica. Haiti shortstop Jonny Lucero was the MVP with 10.6 WAR and the best wRC+ at 172.

The Continental Division was also decided by one game in a two-team race. Honduras (91-71) fended off Salvador (90-72), giving the Horsemen their seventh division title in eight seasons. Ace Pedro Becerra won his second straight Pitcher of the Year, tossing the Triple Crown on 20-7, 1.99 ERA, and 358 strikeouts. Becerra became the sixth pitcher to achieve the feat.

The LCS rematch this time went to the Horsemen, defeating the Pelicans in a seven-game thriller. The CABA Championship would also go the distance with Honduras defeating Chihuahua for their first CABA title in five appearances. It's also only the second overall title won by a Continental Division team, joining Salvador's 1915. American Owen Richardson in his first CABA season at age 34 won the series MVP.