In “Hardball Retrospective: Evaluating Scouting and Development Outcomes for the Modern-Era Franchises”, I placed every ballplayer in the modern era (from 1901-present) on their original team. Consequently, Giancarlo Stanton is listed on the Marlins roster for the duration of his career while the Mets declare Ken Singleton and the Expos / Nationals claim Tim Raines. I calculated revised standings for every season based entirely on the performance of each team’s “original” players. I discuss every team’s “original” players and seasons at length along with organizational performance with respect to the Amateur Draft (or First-Year Player Draft), amateur free agent signings and other methods of player acquisition.  Season standings, WAR and Win Shares totals for the “original” teams are compared against the “actual” team results to assess each franchise’s scouting, development and general management skills.

Expanding on my research for the book, the following series of articles will reveal the finest single-season rosters for every Major League organization based on overall rankings in OWAR and OWS along with the general managers and scouting directors that constructed the teams. “Hardball Retrospective” is available in digital format on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, GooglePlay, iTunes and KoboBooks. The paperback edition is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and CreateSpace. Supplemental Statistics, Charts and Graphs along with a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com.

Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony LaRussa Baseball) contributed the foreword for Hardball Retrospective. The foreword and preview of my book are accessible here.

Terminology

OWAR – Wins Above Replacement for players on “original” teams

OWS – Win Shares for players on “original” teams

OPW% – Pythagorean Won-Loss record for the “original” teams

Assessment

The 1939 New York Yankees          OWAR: 60.8     OWS: 345     OPW%: .607

Based on the revised standings the “Original” 1939 Yankees registered 94 victories and outlasted the Indians to secure the pennant by a 7-game margin. New York paced the American League in OWS and OWAR. GM Ed Barrow acquired all of the ballplayers on the 1939 Yankees roster.

“Joltin’” Joe DiMaggio claimed his first batting title and the 1939 American League MVP Award. “The Yankee Clipper” produced a .381 BA with 30 four-baggers, 126 ribbies and 108 runs scored. Red Rolfe (.329/14/80) topped the leader boards with 213 safeties, 139 aces and 46 two-base knocks. Fellow third-sacker Billy Werber registered 115 runs scored and drilled 35 doubles. Bill Dickey belted 24 round-trippers and tallied 105 RBI along with a .302 BA. George “Twinkletoes” Selkirk (.306/21/101) posted career-bests in homers, runs scored (103) and bases on balls (103). Joe Gordon smashed 28 long balls and drove in 111 baserunners during his sophomore season. Charlie “King Kong” Keller supplied a .334 BA in his inaugural campaign.

Lou Gehrig is listed as the top ballplayer in the All-Time First Baseman rankings according to Bill James in “The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract.” Teammates listed in the “NBJHBA” top 100 rankings include DiMaggio (5^th-CF), Dickey (7^th-C), Gordon (16^th-2B), Keller (17^th-LF), Tony Lazzeri (19^th-2B), Dixie Walker (30^th-RF), Rolfe (44^th-3B), Ben Chapman (55^th-CF), Frankie Crosetti (67^th-SS), Lefty Gomez (67^th-P), Werber (78^th-3B) and Lyn Lary (80^th-SS).

LINEUP	POS	WAR	WS
Red Rolfe	3B	6.59	29.64
Joe Gordon	2B	7.1	24.83
Joe DiMaggio	CF	8.71	34.04
Bill Dickey	C	5.82	27.2
George Selkirk	LF	5.58	25.02
Charlie Keller	RF	5.49	21.47
George McQuinn	1B	3.11	18.15
Frankie Crosetti	SS	1.58	16.52
BENCH	POS	WAR	WS
Billy Werber	3B	5.15	25.15
Pinky May	3B	2.51	12.54
Buddy Hassett	1B	1.91	13.83
Ben Chapman	CF	1.23	18.88
Willard Hershberger	C	1.09	6.93
Dixie Walker	LF	0.99	10.84
Tony Lazzeri	2B	0.7	3.94
Joe Glenn	C	0.6	5.05
Buddy Rosar	C	0.35	3.4
Ernie Koy	LF	0.31	13.53
Les Powers	1B	0.09	1.67
Arndt Jorgens	C	0.01	0.02
Chris Hartje	C	0	0.23
Joe Gallagher	RF	-0.01	5.64
Len Gabrielson	1B	-0.06	0.07
Lyn Lary	SS	-0.08	2.55
Leo Durocher	SS	-0.29	10.99
Lou Gehrig	1B	-0.4	0.08
Don Heffner	SS	-0.77	4.2
Myril Hoag	RF	-1.23	6.73

Lefty Gomez (12-8, 3.41) earned his seventh All-Star nomination. Atley Donald furnished a 13-3 mark with a 3.71 ERA. Marius Russo contributed an 8-3 record with a 2.41 ERA and a 1.095 WHIP in his freshman year.

ROTATION	POS	WAR	WS
Lefty Gomez	SP	3.34	14.06
Marius Russo	SP	3.16	11.54
Johnny Allen	SP	1.69	9.48
Atley Donald	SP	1.54	10.46
BULLPEN	POS	WAR	WS
Vito Tamulis	SP	1.21	8.9
Hank Johnson	RP	0.48	2.88
Spud Chandler	RP	0.32	2.32
Jim Tobin	SP	0.26	6.64
Marv Breuer	RP	-0.06	0
Johnny Murphy	RP	-0.07	6.51
Russ Van Atta	SP	-0.4	0
Johnny Niggeling	SP	-0.8	0.1
Johnny Broaca	RP	-1.07	1.26

 

The “Original” 1939 New York Yankees roster

NAME	POS	WAR	WS	General Manager	Scouting Director
Joe DiMaggio	CF	8.71	34.04	Ed Barrow
Joe Gordon	2B	7.1	24.83	Ed Barrow
Red Rolfe	3B	6.59	29.64	Ed Barrow
Bill Dickey	C	5.82	27.2	Ed Barrow
George Selkirk	LF	5.58	25.02	Ed Barrow
Charlie Keller	RF	5.49	21.47	Ed Barrow
Billy Werber	3B	5.15	25.15	Ed Barrow
Lefty Gomez	SP	3.34	14.06	Ed Barrow
Marius Russo	SP	3.16	11.54	Ed Barrow
George McQuinn	1B	3.11	18.15	Ed Barrow
Pinky May	3B	2.51	12.54	Ed Barrow
Buddy Hassett	1B	1.91	13.83	Ed Barrow
Johnny Allen	SP	1.69	9.48	Ed Barrow
Frankie Crosetti	SS	1.58	16.52	Ed Barrow
Atley Donald	SP	1.54	10.46	Ed Barrow
Ben Chapman	CF	1.23	18.88	Ed Barrow
Vito Tamulis	SP	1.21	8.9	Ed Barrow
Willard Hershberger	C	1.09	6.93	Ed Barrow
Dixie Walker	LF	0.99	10.84	Ed Barrow
Tony Lazzeri	2B	0.7	3.94	Ed Barrow
Joe Glenn	C	0.6	5.05	Ed Barrow
Hank Johnson	RP	0.48	2.88	Ed Barrow
Buddy Rosar	C	0.35	3.4	Ed Barrow
Spud Chandler	RP	0.32	2.32	Ed Barrow
Ernie Koy	LF	0.31	13.53	Ed Barrow
Jim Tobin	SP	0.26	6.64	Ed Barrow
Les Powers	1B	0.09	1.67	Ed Barrow
Arndt Jorgens	C	0.01	0.02	Ed Barrow
Chris Hartje	C	0	0.23	Ed Barrow
Joe Gallagher	RF	-0.01	5.64	Ed Barrow
Len Gabrielson	1B	-0.06	0.07	Ed Barrow
Marv Breuer	RP	-0.06	0	Ed Barrow
Johnny Murphy	RP	-0.07	6.51	Ed Barrow
Lyn Lary	SS	-0.08	2.55	Ed Barrow
Leo Durocher	SS	-0.29	10.99	Ed Barrow
Lou Gehrig	1B	-0.4	0.08	Ed Barrow
Russ Van Atta	SP	-0.4	0	Ed Barrow
Don Heffner	SS	-0.77	4.2	Ed Barrow
Johnny Niggeling	SP	-0.8	0.1	Ed Barrow
Johnny Broaca	RP	-1.07	1.26	Ed Barrow
Myril Hoag	RF	-1.23	6.73	Ed Barrow

 

Honorable Mention

The “Original” 1932 Yankees            OWAR: 52.6     OWS: 336     OPW%: .588

The Philadelphia Athletics ended the season in a virtual tie with the Bronx Bombers. The A’s edged the Yankees by a few percentage points to take the pennant while New York led the Junior Circuit in OWAR and OWS. Lou Gehrig pummeled opposition hurlers, belting 42 doubles and 34 round-trippers. “The Iron Horse” registered 138 tallies, 208 base knocks and 151 ribbies along with a .349 BA. Lefty O’Doul (.368/21/90) collected his second batting title and topped the 200-hit mark for the third time in four campaigns. Tony “Poosh ‘Em Up” Lazzeri supplied a .300 BA with 15 dingers and 113 RBI. Earle Combs aka “The Kentucky Colonel” scored 143 runs and posted a .321 BA as the Yankees’ primary leadoff hitter. Ben Chapman rapped 41 doubles, swiped a League-leading 38 bases and topped the century mark in runs scored (101) and RBI (107).  Bill Dickey (.310/15/84) and Kiddo Davis (.309/5/57) bolstered the prolific lineup. Lefty Gomez (24-7, 4.21) anchored the starting rotation and finished fifth in the 1932 A.L. MVP balloting in spite of his high ERA and walk totals. Johnny Allen fashioned a 17-4 record with a 3.70 ERA in his rookie year.

On Deck

The “Original” 1906 Cubs

References and Resources

Baseball America – Executive Database

Baseball-Reference

James, Bill. The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. New York, NY.: The Free Press, 2001. Print.

James, Bill, with Jim Henzler. Win Shares. Morton Grove, Ill.: STATS, 2002. Print.

Retrosheet – Transactions Database

Seamheads – Baseball Gauge

Sean Lahman Baseball Archive