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 11^th 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 (12^th-SS), Bob Feller (12^th-P), Al Rosen (14^th-3B), Sherm Lollar (31^st-C), Tommy Henrich (34^th-RF), Ken Keltner (35^th-3B), Jeff Heath (44^th-LF), Jim Hegan (44^th-C), Bob Lemon (48^th-P), Ray Boone (69^th-3B), Eddie Robinson (86^th-1B), Phil Masi (93th-C) and Dale Mitchell (95^th-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

We hoped you liked reading Hardball Retrospective – The “Original” 1948 Cleveland Indians by DerekBain!

Please support FanGraphs by becoming a member. We publish thousands of articles a year, host multiple podcasts, and have an ever growing database of baseball stats.

FanGraphs does not have a paywall. With your membership, we can continue to offer the content you've come to rely on and add to our unique baseball coverage.

Support FanGraphs