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. 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 teams with the biggest single-season difference in the WAR and Win Shares for the “Original” vs. “Actual” rosters for every Major League organization. “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

AWAR – Wins Above Replacement for players on “actual” teams

AWS – Win Shares for players on “actual” teams

APW% – Pythagorean Won-Loss record for the “actual” teams

Assessment

The 1919 Philadelphia Athletics

OWAR: 33.3     OWS: 224     OPW%: .381     (53-87)

AWAR: 9.0       AWS: 107     APW%: .257   (36-104)

WARdiff: 24.3                        WSdiff: 116.4  

The “Original” 1919 Athletics outperformed the “Actual” squad by 17 victories with a staggering WSdiff of 116.4. The “Actuals” were reduced to a shadow of their former dynasty due to a variety of factors, primarily financial. The “Originals” featured second-sacker Eddie Collins (.319/4/80), the League-leader with 33 stolen bases. “Shoeless Joe” Jackson supplied a .351 BA with 31 doubles, 14 triples and 96 ribbies in his penultimate season. Their counterparts, Whitey Witt (.267/0/33) and Merlin Kopp (.226/1/12) were barely adequate. In addition to left field and second base, the “Originals” surpassed the “Actuals” at catcher and third base. Wally Schang furnished a .306 BA and pilfered 15 bags while Steve O’Neill contributed a .289 BA with 35 doubles. Home Run Baker (.293/10/83) bested Fred Thomas (.212/2/23) at the hot corner.

Eddie Collins placed runner-up to Joe Morgan in the All-Time Second Basemen rankings according to Bill James in “The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract.” “Original” Athletics teammates listed in the “NBJHBA” top 100 rankings include Baker (5^th-3B), Jackson (6^th-LF), Wally Schang (20^th-C), Jimmie Dykes (52^nd-3B), Steve O’Neill (54^th-C), Stan Coveleski (58^th-P), Stuffy McInnis (68^th-1B), Charlie Grimm (85^th-1B), Joe Dugan (88^th-3B), Jack Barry (90^th-SS), Bob Shawkey (95^th-P) and Amos Strunk (100^th-CF). George H. Burns (79^th-1B) and Terry Turner (92^nd-SS) round out the roster for the “Actuals”.

  Original 1919 Athletics                                                       Actual 1919 Athletics 

STARTING LINEUP	POS	OWAR	OWS	STARTING LINEUP	POS	OWAR	OWS
Joe Jackson	LF	3.37	30.69	Merlin Kopp	LF	0.59	3.19
Amos Strunk	CF	-1.59	5.71	Tillie Walker	CF	0.87	9.67
Eddie Murphy	RF	0.69	3.38	Braggo Roth	RF	0.64	7.11
Stuffy McInnis	1B	1.07	12.03	George H. Burns	1B	1.56	11.67
Eddie Collins	2B	4.1	27.48	Whitey Witt	2B	-0.35	7.01
Joe Dugan	SS	-1.51	6.12	Joe Dugan	SS	-1.51	6.12
Home Run Baker	3B	1.57	19.36	Fred Thomas	3B	-3.09	3.74
Wally Schang	C	4.41	18.95	Cy Perkins	C	0.96	8.98
BENCH	POS	OWAR	OWS	BENCH	POS	AWAR	AWS
Morrie Rath	2B	4.18	21.36	Wickey McAvoy	C	-0.77	2.93
Steve O’Neill	C	2.02	16.7	Red Shannon	2B	-0.23	2.69
Cy Perkins	C	0.96	8.98	Dick Burrus	1B	-1.09	1.53
Val Picinich	C	0.79	7.27	Ivy Griffin	1B	-0.04	1.26
Whitey Witt	2B	-0.35	7.01	Al Wingo	LF	-0.08	1.17
Rube Bressler	LF	-0.08	5.96	Amos Strunk	RF	-1.35	1.02
Wickey McAvoy	C	-0.77	2.93	Terry Turner	SS	-1.06	0.95
Charlie Grimm	1B	0.27	1.81	Chick Galloway	SS	-0.93	0.63
Jack Barry	2B	0.03	1.68	Lena Styles	C	0.02	0.54
Dick Burrus	1B	-1.09	1.53	Jimmie Dykes	2B	-0.28	0.36
Fred Lear	1B	-0.05	1.48	Frank Welch	CF	-0.31	0.22
Ivy Griffin	1B	-0.04	1.26	Art Ewoldt	3B	-0.24	0.19
Al Wingo	LF	-0.08	1.17	Roy Grover	2B	-0.4	0.17
Lew Malone	3B	-0.82	1.01	Johnny Walker	C	-0.11	0.12
Dave Shean	2B	-1.25	0.88	Snooks Dowd	2B	-0.18	0.06
Chick Galloway	SS	-0.93	0.63	Charlie High	RF	-0.46	0.04
Lena Styles	C	0.02	0.54	Lew Groh	3B	-0.06	0.01
Claude Davidson	3B	0.08	0.41	Bob Allen	CF	-0.25	0.01
Jimmie Dykes	2B	-0.28	0.36
Roy Grover	2B	-1.16	0.32
Frank Welch	CF	-0.31	0.22
Gene Bailey	RF	0.02	0.2
Art Ewoldt	3B	-0.24	0.19
Johnny Walker	C	-0.11	0.12
Charlie High	RF	-0.46	0.04
Lew Groh	3B	-0.06	0.01
Bob Allen	CF	-0.25	0.01
Lee King	LF/SS	-0.01	0

Stan Coveleski averaged 23 victories per season over a four-year stretch (1918-1921). “Covey” delivered a 24-12 mark with a 2.61 ERA for the “Originals” staff. Bob Shawkey fashioned a 2.72 ERA and a 1.186 WHIP to complement his 20-11 record. Herb Pennock aka “The Squire of Kennett Square” added 16 wins with a 2.71 ERA. The “Actuals” countered with Walt Kinney (9-15, 3.64), Jing Johnson (9-15, 3.61), Rollie Naylor (5-18, 3.34) and Scott Perry (4-17, 3.58).

  Original 1919 Athletics                                                       Actual 1919 Athletics

ROTATION	POS	OWAR	OWS	ROTATION	POS	AWAR	AWS
Stan Coveleski	SP	6.29	27.45	Walt Kinney	SP	1.03	9.04
Bob Shawkey	SP	3.87	23.43	Jing Johnson	SP	0.79	7.49
Herb Pennock	SP	2.91	15.28	Rollie Naylor	SP	0.38	7.16
Elmer Myers	SP	0.6	7.68	Scott Perry	SP	0.96	6.52
BULLPEN	POS	OWAR	OWS	BULLPEN	POS	AWAR	AWS
Jing Johnson	SP	0.79	7.49	Tom Rogers	SP	-0.65	3.07
Dana Fillingim	SP	-0.06	7.35	Bob Geary	SW	-0.26	0.77
Rollie Naylor	SP	0.38	7.16	Jimmy Zinn	SP	-0.35	0.43
Tom Zachary	SP	0.15	2.78	Charlie Eckert	SP	-0.03	0.4
Bob Geary	SW	-0.26	0.77	Walter Anderson	RP	-0.28	0.4
Jimmy Zinn	SP	-0.35	0.43	William Pierson	SP	0.14	0.38
Charlie Eckert	SP	-0.03	0.4	Socks Seibold	SW	-0.94	0.28
Walter Anderson	RP	-0.28	0.4	Dave Keefe	SP	0.1	0.28
William Pierson	SP	0.14	0.38	Willie Adams	RP	0.03	0.18
Socks Seibold	SW	-0.94	0.28	Win Noyes	SP	-0.72	0.08
Dave Keefe	SP	0.1	0.28	Pat Martin	SP	-0.18	0.06
Bullet Joe Bush	SP	-0.03	0.24	Ray Roberts	SP	-0.53	0.03
Pat Martin	SP	-0.18	0.06	Bob Hasty	SP	-0.28	0.02
Ray Roberts	SP	-0.53	0.03	Dan Boone	SP	-0.54	0
Bob Hasty	SP	-0.28	0.02	Bill Grevell	SP	-1.19	0
Dan Boone	SP	-0.54	0	Mike Kircher	RP	-0.36	0
Dave Danforth	RP	-2.18	0	Harry Thompson	RP	-0.28	0
Bill Grevell	SP	-1.19	0	Mule Watson	SP	-0.33	0
Mike Kircher	RP	-0.36	0	Lefty York	SP	-0.86	0
Mule Watson	SP	-0.33	0
Harry Weaver	SP	-0.49	0
Lefty York	SP	-0.86	0

Notable Transactions

Shoeless Joe Jackson

July 30, 1910: the Philadelphia Athletics sent Shoeless Joe Jackson to the Cleveland Naps to complete an earlier deal made on July 23, 1910. July 23, 1910: The Philadelphia Athletics sent a player to be named later and Morrie Rath to the Cleveland Naps for Bris Lord.

August 21, 1915: Traded by the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago White Sox for a player to be named later, Ed Klepfer, Braggo Roth and $31,500. The Chicago White Sox sent Larry Chappell (February 14, 1916) to the Cleveland Indians to complete the trade.

Eddie Collins

December 8, 1914: Purchased by the Chicago White Sox from the Philadelphia Athletics for $50,000.

Home Run Baker

February 15, 1916: Purchased by the New York Yankees from the Philadelphia Athletics for $37,500.

Wally Schang

December 14, 1917: Traded by the Philadelphia Athletics with Bullet Joe Bush and Amos Strunk to the Boston Red Sox for Vean Gregg, Merlin Kopp, Pinch Thomas and $60,000.

Morrie Rath

July 23, 1910: Traded by the Philadelphia Athletics with a player to be named later to the Cleveland Naps for Bris Lord. The Philadelphia Athletics sent Shoeless Joe Jackson (July 30, 1910) to the Cleveland Naps to complete the trade.

September 1, 1911: Drafted by the Chicago White Sox from Baltimore (Eastern) in the 1911 rule 5 draft.

August 23, 1913: Purchased by Kansas City (American Association) from the Chicago White Sox.

September 20, 1917: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds from Salt Lake City (PCL) in the 1917 rule 5 draft.

Steve O’Neill

August 20, 1911: Purchased by the Cleveland Naps from the Philadelphia Athletics.

Stan Coveleski

December, 1912: Purchased by Spokane (Northwestern) from the Philadelphia Athletics.

November 27, 1915: Sent from Portland (PCL) to the Cleveland Indians in an unknown transaction.

Bob Shawkey

June 28, 1915: Purchased by the New York Yankees from the Philadelphia Athletics for $3,000.

Herb Pennock

June 6, 1915: Selected off waivers by the Boston Red Sox from the Philadelphia Athletics.

 

Honorable Mention

The 1998 Oakland Athletics 

OWAR: 41.6     OWS: 306     OPW%: .510     (83-79)

AWAR: 28.7     AWS: 222     APW%: .457   (74-88)

WARdiff: 12.9                        WSdiff: 84.8  

Mark McGwire launched 70 four-baggers and drove in 147 runs for the “Original” 1998 Athletics. “Big Mac” placed runner-up in the MVP balloting while his protégé Jason Giambi (.295/27/110) completed his third season for the “Actuals”. Scott Brosius (.300/19/98) socked 34 two-base hits and earned his lone All-Star invitation as he outclassed Mike Blowers, who batted .237 with 11 dingers in his solitary campaign for the green-and-gold crew. Darren Lewis posted career-bests in runs scored (95) and RBI (63), a significant upgrade over “Actuals” center fielder Ryan Christenson (.257/5/40). Rickey Henderson, a member of the “Original” and “Actual” A’s roster in ’98, notched the American League stolen base title for the twelfth time in his career. “The Man of Steal” tallied 101 runs scored and a League-leading 118 bases on balls.

On Deck

What Might Have Been – The “Original” 1905 Beaneaters

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

The information used here was obtained free of charge from and is copyrighted by Retrosheet. Interested parties may contact Retrosheet at “www.retrosheet.org”.

Seamheads – Baseball Gauge

Sean Lahman Baseball Archive