1911 Washington Nationals
Source: http://coffeyvillewhirlwind.wordpress.com/2007/02/page/2/
1911 Washington Nationals
Manager: Jimmy McAleer 11th Season (2nd with Washington 130-175-6)
64 W 90 L 624 RS 765 RA 7th AL 38.5 GB (Philadelphia 101-50-1)
4.06 RPG (AL = 4.61) 3.52 ERA (AL = 3.34)
.656 DER (8th AL)
Franchise (1901-1911) 610-1008-36
1911 Uniforms from baseballhallffame.org
The roster remained pretty consistent for the third year in a row, and that was reflected again in the results. The main problem for the team again was a lack of offense, but the non-Walter Johnson members of the pitching staff fell off from the previous year, making 1911 another miserable year for the franchise.
The bright spots for the Nationals remained the same as well. Walter Johnson was the star, putting up another great season. Clyde Milan was the leader of the offense, while George McBride continued to dazzle with his defense.
Roster/Stats
Bold = Player new to Washington in 1911
C Gabby Street .222/.279/.264 0 HR 0.1 BFW 4 WS 29 FRAR 2.4 WARP3
In his final season with the Nats, the 28-year-old veteran shared time with two second-year players: Eddie Ainsmith and John Henry. That duo will share catching duties for most of the decade ahead.
1B Germany Schaefer .334/.412/.398 0 HR 1.8 BFW 19 WS 19 FRAR 5.8 WARP3
A well known character of the game, Schaefer came to Washington in the 1909 Jim Delahanty trade. He was a veteran of several Detroit’s pennant-winning teams of the 1900’s, but wasn’t known much for his bat. 1911 was easily his best season at the plate, but it was also his only year as a regular for Washington. He would basically fill a utility role for the rest of his career.
2B Bill Cunningham .190/.239/.278 3 HR -3.4 BFW 2 WS -2 FRAR -2.0 WARP3 Cunningham had some success in 21 games as a rookie in 1910. His 1911 season can be described as anything but a success. Kid Elberfield was the backup, and a superior hitter (.272/.405/.339 0 HR 2.2 BFW 17 WS). One might assume that Cunningham was good defensively, but the numbers indicate that Elberfield was more sure-handed and probably better at turning the double play. It isn’t clear why Cunningham played so much (the fact that Elberfield was 36 years old may be a clue, and Elberfield also backed up a 34-year-old at third base); but he was clearly the worst hitter on the worst hitting team in the American League. Cunningham will play eight more games in his major league career after 1911.
SS George McBride .235/.312/.269 0 HR 1.2 BFW 11 WS 42 FRAR 3.7 WARP3
Despite poor numbers at the plate, McBride recieved a vote for MVP in 1911, indicating how respected he was for his defense. He played every single game for Washington, all at shortstop.
3B Wid Conroy .232/.282/.304 2 HR -0.9 BFW 5 WS 9 FRAR 0.2 WARP3
Conroy’s final major league season.
LF Tilly Walker .278/.311/.334 2 HR -1.6 BFW 6 WS 1 FRAR 0.2 WARP3
Walker, a 23-year-old rookie, would only play part time in the Washington outfield in 1912. He became one of the league’s best power hitters when he moved on from Washington, playing for four different AL teams over his 14-year career. From 1914-1922, he was among the lead home run leaders each year, tying Babe Ruth for the league lead in 1918. Walker spent his last six seasons with Philadlephia, where, in his final season (a year after he hit 37 home runs), he was essentially benched by Connie Mack due to Mack’s belief that the home run was a fad.
CF Clyde Milan .315/.395/.394 3 HR 1.8 BFW 27 WS 16 FRAR 6.3 WARP3
This is the season that Milan established himself as one of the top center fielders in baseball. He played in every game and had his best offensive season to date. Milan also broke out as a baserunner, finishing second in AL stolen bases with 58. He continued to show outstanding range in center, and totaled 33 assists by the end of the season. Milan also gained some respect around the league, finishing 9th in MVP voting. The best news for the Nats: at 24 years of age he had a long career ahead of him.
RF Doc Gessler .282/.406/.373 4 HR 0.4 BFW 18 WS -1 FRAR 3.4 WARP3
Gessler’s 4 home runs and 78 RBI in his final season were enough to lead the team.
P Walter Johnson 25-13 1.90 ERA 1.12 WHIP 5.4 PW 31 WS 10.0 WARP3
Johnson, now a superstar, actually held out for a contract at the beginning of the 1911 season. It didn’t last long, as he signed a 3-year deal worth $7,000 a year around opening day. The hold out did mean that Johnson missed the opening day start for Washington. The next time that would happen isn’t until 1922. Other notable events in 1911 include Johnson’s first career over-the-fence home run surrendered on April 28, an appearance in for the AL All-Stars in a benefit game for Addie Joss’s family, and a 14 strikeout performance in a All-Star exhibition against the Lincoln Giants from the Negro Leagues. Johnson finished 2nd in AL ERA, and led the league in complete games (36) and shutouts (6); including an 11 inning gem over the White Sox on August 4.
1911 Washington Nationals
Manager: Jimmy McAleer 11th Season (2nd with Washington 130-175-6)
64 W 90 L 624 RS 765 RA 7th AL 38.5 GB (Philadelphia 101-50-1)
4.06 RPG (AL = 4.61) 3.52 ERA (AL = 3.34)
.656 DER (8th AL)
Franchise (1901-1911) 610-1008-36
1911 Uniforms from baseballhallffame.org
The roster remained pretty consistent for the third year in a row, and that was reflected again in the results. The main problem for the team again was a lack of offense, but the non-Walter Johnson members of the pitching staff fell off from the previous year, making 1911 another miserable year for the franchise.
The bright spots for the Nationals remained the same as well. Walter Johnson was the star, putting up another great season. Clyde Milan was the leader of the offense, while George McBride continued to dazzle with his defense.
Roster/Stats
Bold = Player new to Washington in 1911
C Gabby Street .222/.279/.264 0 HR 0.1 BFW 4 WS 29 FRAR 2.4 WARP3
In his final season with the Nats, the 28-year-old veteran shared time with two second-year players: Eddie Ainsmith and John Henry. That duo will share catching duties for most of the decade ahead.
1B Germany Schaefer .334/.412/.398 0 HR 1.8 BFW 19 WS 19 FRAR 5.8 WARP3
A well known character of the game, Schaefer came to Washington in the 1909 Jim Delahanty trade. He was a veteran of several Detroit’s pennant-winning teams of the 1900’s, but wasn’t known much for his bat. 1911 was easily his best season at the plate, but it was also his only year as a regular for Washington. He would basically fill a utility role for the rest of his career.
2B Bill Cunningham .190/.239/.278 3 HR -3.4 BFW 2 WS -2 FRAR -2.0 WARP3 Cunningham had some success in 21 games as a rookie in 1910. His 1911 season can be described as anything but a success. Kid Elberfield was the backup, and a superior hitter (.272/.405/.339 0 HR 2.2 BFW 17 WS). One might assume that Cunningham was good defensively, but the numbers indicate that Elberfield was more sure-handed and probably better at turning the double play. It isn’t clear why Cunningham played so much (the fact that Elberfield was 36 years old may be a clue, and Elberfield also backed up a 34-year-old at third base); but he was clearly the worst hitter on the worst hitting team in the American League. Cunningham will play eight more games in his major league career after 1911.
SS George McBride .235/.312/.269 0 HR 1.2 BFW 11 WS 42 FRAR 3.7 WARP3
Despite poor numbers at the plate, McBride recieved a vote for MVP in 1911, indicating how respected he was for his defense. He played every single game for Washington, all at shortstop.
3B Wid Conroy .232/.282/.304 2 HR -0.9 BFW 5 WS 9 FRAR 0.2 WARP3
Conroy’s final major league season.
LF Tilly Walker .278/.311/.334 2 HR -1.6 BFW 6 WS 1 FRAR 0.2 WARP3
Walker, a 23-year-old rookie, would only play part time in the Washington outfield in 1912. He became one of the league’s best power hitters when he moved on from Washington, playing for four different AL teams over his 14-year career. From 1914-1922, he was among the lead home run leaders each year, tying Babe Ruth for the league lead in 1918. Walker spent his last six seasons with Philadlephia, where, in his final season (a year after he hit 37 home runs), he was essentially benched by Connie Mack due to Mack’s belief that the home run was a fad.
CF Clyde Milan .315/.395/.394 3 HR 1.8 BFW 27 WS 16 FRAR 6.3 WARP3
This is the season that Milan established himself as one of the top center fielders in baseball. He played in every game and had his best offensive season to date. Milan also broke out as a baserunner, finishing second in AL stolen bases with 58. He continued to show outstanding range in center, and totaled 33 assists by the end of the season. Milan also gained some respect around the league, finishing 9th in MVP voting. The best news for the Nats: at 24 years of age he had a long career ahead of him.
RF Doc Gessler .282/.406/.373 4 HR 0.4 BFW 18 WS -1 FRAR 3.4 WARP3
Gessler’s 4 home runs and 78 RBI in his final season were enough to lead the team.
P Walter Johnson 25-13 1.90 ERA 1.12 WHIP 5.4 PW 31 WS 10.0 WARP3
Johnson, now a superstar, actually held out for a contract at the beginning of the 1911 season. It didn’t last long, as he signed a 3-year deal worth $7,000 a year around opening day. The hold out did mean that Johnson missed the opening day start for Washington. The next time that would happen isn’t until 1922. Other notable events in 1911 include Johnson’s first career over-the-fence home run surrendered on April 28, an appearance in for the AL All-Stars in a benefit game for Addie Joss’s family, and a 14 strikeout performance in a All-Star exhibition against the Lincoln Giants from the Negro Leagues. Johnson finished 2nd in AL ERA, and led the league in complete games (36) and shutouts (6); including an 11 inning gem over the White Sox on August 4.
The Reach Official American League Guide - 1912
THE SEVENTH PLACE WASHINGTON TEAM
The Washington team was another team which failed to realize the promise of the previous season in 1911. This team—which has been a tail-ender four times and has never yet finished in the first division throughout its membership in the American League—made a record and finish in the 1910 season in the first year of Jimmy McAleer's regime which justified hope of something better than seventh place in 1911. Late in the 1910 season the pitchers developed fast, and Johnson, Walker, Gray, Groom and Reisling did splendid work, the first named especially distinguishing himself by creating a fine record for a season's strike-outs, and this, too, despite the fact that during Street's long disability he had practically no catcher competent to handle his delivery, thus losing him a number of games that should have gone to his victory record. Next to the pitching corps, the biggest factor in such success as the team achieved was due to the excellent infield work of Elberfeld, McBride, and, in the later stages, the recruit Cunningham. Misfortune, however, attended the Washington team from the very start of the 1911 season. The Star pitcher, Walter Johnson, was ill when the race started, and fully two months elapsed ere he recovered his real form ; pitcher Reisling retired ; none of the young pitchers made good ; pitcher Tom Hughes failed to perform up to expectations and his Minneapolis 1910 form ; and so Groom and Walker had to carry the pitching burden until Johnson's recovery. This misfortune was supplemented with an accident to catcher Street, a broken finger relegating him to the bench for many weeks. The infield was broken up from the start and made the subject of season-long experimenting owing to the complete failure of first baseman Somerlot, and the season-long lack of condition of second baseman Cunningham. The outfield was never quite up to standard, owing to batting mediocrity, Milan's improvement being counterbalanced by the failure of Gessler, Conroy and C. Walker to reach the same standard. Redeeming features of the season were the surprising development of Herman Schaefer as a first baseman ; the discovery of pitchers Cashion and Becker ; the acquisition of two promising players in third baseman R. Morgan and outfielder Long ; the second base play of Elberfeld, and the splendid pitching of Johnson, Groom and Walker. Taken as a whole, the Washington team's chief defect, even when strengthened, was in batting.
THE SEVENTH PLACE WASHINGTON TEAM
The Washington team was another team which failed to realize the promise of the previous season in 1911. This team—which has been a tail-ender four times and has never yet finished in the first division throughout its membership in the American League—made a record and finish in the 1910 season in the first year of Jimmy McAleer's regime which justified hope of something better than seventh place in 1911. Late in the 1910 season the pitchers developed fast, and Johnson, Walker, Gray, Groom and Reisling did splendid work, the first named especially distinguishing himself by creating a fine record for a season's strike-outs, and this, too, despite the fact that during Street's long disability he had practically no catcher competent to handle his delivery, thus losing him a number of games that should have gone to his victory record. Next to the pitching corps, the biggest factor in such success as the team achieved was due to the excellent infield work of Elberfeld, McBride, and, in the later stages, the recruit Cunningham. Misfortune, however, attended the Washington team from the very start of the 1911 season. The Star pitcher, Walter Johnson, was ill when the race started, and fully two months elapsed ere he recovered his real form ; pitcher Reisling retired ; none of the young pitchers made good ; pitcher Tom Hughes failed to perform up to expectations and his Minneapolis 1910 form ; and so Groom and Walker had to carry the pitching burden until Johnson's recovery. This misfortune was supplemented with an accident to catcher Street, a broken finger relegating him to the bench for many weeks. The infield was broken up from the start and made the subject of season-long experimenting owing to the complete failure of first baseman Somerlot, and the season-long lack of condition of second baseman Cunningham. The outfield was never quite up to standard, owing to batting mediocrity, Milan's improvement being counterbalanced by the failure of Gessler, Conroy and C. Walker to reach the same standard. Redeeming features of the season were the surprising development of Herman Schaefer as a first baseman ; the discovery of pitchers Cashion and Becker ; the acquisition of two promising players in third baseman R. Morgan and outfielder Long ; the second base play of Elberfeld, and the splendid pitching of Johnson, Groom and Walker. Taken as a whole, the Washington team's chief defect, even when strengthened, was in batting.