Hardball Retrospective – The “Original” 1948 Cleveland Indians by DerekBain July 4, 2015 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. Therefore, Mark Grace is listed on the Cubs roster for the duration of his career while the Dodgers declare Frank “Hondo” Howard and the Diamondbacks claim Dan Uggla. 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. Additional information and a discussion forum are offered at TuataraSoftware.com. Don Daglow (Intellivision World Series Major League Baseball, Earl Weaver Baseball, Tony La Russa 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 1948 Cleveland Indians OWAR: 57.9 OWS: 291 OPW%: .606 GM C.C. Slapnicka acquired 52.5% (21/40) of the ballplayers on the 1948 Indians roster. Based on the revised standings the “Original” 1948 Indians outpaced the Red Sox, taking the American League pennant by eight games. Lou Boudreau set personal-bests with a .355 batting average, 199 base hits, 18 dingers and 106 ribbies. “Old Shufflefoot” earned the 1948 American League MVP award and made his seventh All-Star appearance. Tommy “Old Reliable” Henrich (.308/25/100) topped the circuit with 138 runs scored and 14 triples. Ken Keltner posted career-highs in home runs (31), RBI (119) and runs (91). Larry Doby contributed a .308 BA with 83 tallies in his first full season. Jeff Heath swatted 20 big-flies and hit .319 for the Tribe while Dale Mitchell supplied a .336 BA with 204 base knocks and 30 two-baggers. Five-time All-Star backstop Jim “Shanty” Hegan clubbed 21 doubles and 14 taters. Larry Doby placed 11th among center fielders according to Bill James in “The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract.” Thirteen teammates join him in the top 100 rankings including Lou Boudreau (12th-SS), Bob Feller (12th-P), Al Rosen (14th-3B), Sherm Lollar (31st-C), Tommy Henrich (34th-RF), Ken Keltner (35th-3B), Jeff Heath (44th-LF), Jim Hegan (44th-C), Bob Lemon (48th-P), Ray Boone (69th-3B), Eddie Robinson (86th-1B), Phil Masi (93th-C) and Dale Mitchell (95th-LF). LINEUP POS WAR WS Lou Boudreau SS 9.79 34.4 Ken Keltner 3B 6.34 24.93 Tommy Henrich 1B/RF 5.76 28.94 Larry Doby CF 3.34 18.28 Jeff Heath RF/LF 3.25 20.16 Dale Mitchell LF 2.97 20.43 Jim Hegan C 1.7 17.08 Jack Conway 2B 0.13 1.4 BENCH POS WAR WS Eddie Robinson 1B -0.3 9.18 Dick Kokos RF 0.63 7.03 Phil Masi C 0.46 9.73 Mike McCormick LF 0.4 10.59 Hank Edwards RF 0.36 4.46 Joe Tipton C 0.32 2.97 Pat Seerey RF 0.25 9.75 Cliff Mapes LF 0.18 2.1 Ray Boone SS 0.07 0.28 Al Rosen 3B -0.05 0.02 Ray Murray – -0.06 0 Pete Milne CF -0.19 0.07 Sherm Lollar C -0.38 0.4 Johnny Blatnik LF -0.47 8.46 Ralph Weigel C -0.5 1.25 Bob Lemon (20-14, 2.82) paced the Junior Circuit with 293.2 innings pitched, 20 complete games, 10 shutouts and a 1.226 WHIP. Johnny “Bear Tracks” Schmitz earned his second All-Star nod with a record of 18-13 along with a 2.64 ERA while Joe “Burrhead” Dobson (16-10, 3.56) made his lone appearance in the Mid-Summer Classic. Allie Reynolds (16-7, 3.77) battled control problems as he yielded over 100 walks eight times in his first nine seasons. Bob Feller (19-15, 3.56) led the League in strikeouts. ROTATION POS WAR WS Bob Lemon SP 7.06 25.52 Johnny Schmitz SP 3.99 22.37 Joe Dobson SP 3.68 19.36 Allie Reynolds SP 3.46 15.58 BULLPEN POS WAR WS Steve Gromek SW 1.48 9.66 Mike Garcia RP 0.1 0.26 Ernest Groth RP -0.05 0 Hal White RP -0.67 0.77 Bob Feller SP 2.38 16.44 Sheldon Jones SP 2.33 14.58 Satchel Paige SP 1.72 6.79 Denny Galehouse SP 1.49 9.68 Red Embree SP 0.68 4.61 Doyle Lade SP 0.21 4.56 Thornton Lee SP -0.26 0.84 Ray Poat SP -0.89 5.92 Bryan Stephens SP -1.25 1.84 The “Original” 1948 Cleveland Indians roster NAME POS WAR WS General Manager Scouting Director Lou Boudreau SS 9.79 34.4 C.C. Slapnicka Bob Lemon SP 7.06 25.52 C.C. Slapnicka Ken Keltner 3B 6.34 24.93 C.C. Slapnicka Tommy Henrich RF 5.76 28.94 Billy Evans Johnny Schmitz SP 3.99 22.37 C.C. Slapnicka Joe Dobson SP 3.68 19.36 C.C. Slapnicka Allie Reynolds SP 3.46 15.58 C.C. Slapnicka Larry Doby CF 3.34 18.28 Bill Veeck Jeff Heath LF 3.25 20.16 C.C. Slapnicka Dale Mitchell LF 2.97 20.43 Roger Peckinpaugh Bob Feller SP 2.38 16.44 C.C. Slapnicka Sheldon Jones SP 2.33 14.58 C.C. Slapnicka Satchel Paige SP 1.72 6.79 Bill Veeck Jim Hegan C 1.7 17.08 C.C. Slapnicka Denny Galehouse SP 1.49 9.68 Billy Evans Steve Gromek SW 1.48 9.66 C.C. Slapnicka Red Embree SP 0.68 4.61 C.C. Slapnicka Dick Kokos RF 0.63 7.03 Roger Peckinpaugh Phil Masi C 0.46 9.73 C.C. Slapnicka Mike McCormick LF 0.4 10.59 C.C. Slapnicka Hank Edwards RF 0.36 4.46 C.C. Slapnicka Joe Tipton C 0.32 2.97 C.C. Slapnicka Pat Seerey RF 0.25 9.75 Roger Peckinpaugh Doyle Lade SP 0.21 4.56 C.C. Slapnicka Cliff Mapes LF 0.18 2.1 C.C. Slapnicka Jack Conway 2B 0.13 1.4 C.C. Slapnicka Mike Garcia RP 0.1 0.26 Roger Peckinpaugh Ray Boone SS 0.07 0.28 Roger Peckinpaugh Al Rosen 3B -0.05 0.02 Roger Peckinpaugh Ernest Groth RP -0.05 0 Bill Veeck Ray Murray – -0.06 0 Roger Peckinpaugh Pete Milne CF -0.19 0.07 Roger Peckinpaugh Thornton Lee SP -0.26 0.84 Billy Evans Eddie Robinson 1B -0.3 9.18 Roger Peckinpaugh Sherm Lollar C -0.38 0.4 Roger Peckinpaugh Johnny Blatnik LF -0.47 8.46 C.C. Slapnicka Ralph Weigel C -0.5 1.25 Roger Peckinpaugh Hal White RP -0.67 0.77 C.C. Slapnicka Ray Poat SP -0.89 5.92 Roger Peckinpaugh Bryan Stephens SP -1.25 1.84 Bill Veeck Honorable Mention The “Original” 1999 Indians OWAR: 55.5 OWS: 298 OPW%: .555 The Tribe outdistanced the Royals and White Sox by eight games en route to claiming the 1999 American League pennant. Manny Ramirez (.333/44/165) secured his lone RBI title and finished third in the MVP balloting. Brian S. Giles slammed a career-best 39 circuit clouts, knocked in 115 baserunners and registered 109 tallies while batting .315. Jim Thome topped the leader boards with 127 bases on balls and slugged 33 four-ply swats. Albert Belle walloped 37 round-trippers and plated 117 baserunners. Sean Casey aka “The Mayor” achieved All-Star status with a .332 BA, 42 doubles, 25 home runs and 99 ribbies. Bartolo Colon fashioned a record of 18-5 with a 3.95 ERA. On Deck The “Original” 1946 Tigers 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