It's July 12, 1920, and the All-Star Game is tomorrow (in both game time and, probably, in real time). time for a recap!
First, for the All-Star Game, which will be held in Brooklyn's Ebbets Field. As a reminder, the 1917 game was held at Shibe Park, the 1918 game at Allston Grounds, and the 1919 thriller was held at Comiskey Park.
The voters picked three Yankees to start the game, which is fewer than the last few years and also might not fit the amazing first half they've had (about which, more below). Stan Coveleski's election is not only the first time a KC Packer is in the starting lineup but the first time a KC Packer has even made the team.
The team of 20 is actually shorthanded since both Sisler and Walter Johnson are injured. So I expect several players to play the entire game. It's also too bad that I can't intervene to add replacements for the injured players--the Spiders are the only AL team without a rep, and Joe Jackson would have been a fine replacement for Sisler. Besides the three starting Yankees, three more are on the roster.
Here are the NL starters. Lu Blue is the first Baltimore Oriole to be elected as an All-Star starter, you'd think he'd be happier about it. Between Coveleski, Hollocher, Youngs, and Blue, 4 players from the ex-Fed expansion teams were elected this year, after zero from any previous year.
Here's the rest of the NL roster. Some very questionable choices among the pitching staff, but I suppose Buffalo may have stuffed the ballot boxes.
Looking at the batting leaders right now, it's clear that while Ruth would almost certainly be the biggest star in baseball, he would not be doing things as uniquely has he did in real life. He set the home run record in 1919 with 29 home runs, but Torriente wasn't so far behind at 25. Indeed, Torriente's number was the third-highest in a season. Torriente is actually on pace to hit 37 this season to Ruth's 36. Both would easily break Ruth's current record though both would also be well off Ruth's actual mark of 54. Santop and Charleston are also on pace to top 20 home runs this season.
Turning to the pitching, things seem more or less typical? I've got less of a good feel for this. ERAs are up a quarter of a run in both leagues since 1919 and nearly a half a run since 1917. The counting stats are more or less what you'd expect for a half-season, save the complete games, which are rather high.
Turning to the team stats and the standings, and admittedly I've buried the lede here, the Yankees have been absolutely obliterating the competition. They've won 8 in a row and have had completely unrelated 12-0 and 12-1 stretches. The algorithm thought they'd be unsuccessfully duking it out with Boston but other than a slightly rough patch in May it's really been all Yankees. They are tops in basically every important batting category (last in stolen bases, LOL) and are getting better pitching than I suppose the algorithm expected. The Yankees are scoring 6 runs a game (7 in July) and allowing 4. They've got a very good chance to set the AL record for wins (112 by the 1915 White Sox) and a not-awful chance at a crazy 120-win season. I'll see if I can put a report card in a separate post, but it's hard to fault basically anyone.
The Yankees phenomenal success has obscured a very good first half by the Cardinals. They have a comfortable 7-game lead over the Phillies and Pirates, and just like the 1919 World Series was a rematch of 1917, it's looking like 1920 will be a rematch of 1918. Going back to the expansion teams, it also looks like there's a decent chance that 1920 will be the first year any of them finish the season at .500 or better. Right now Baltimore is one game over .500 and the Packers are 4 games under.
I'll spend just a moment or two on the minors. I've been following the AAA leagues more than the AA, and the leagues with Yankees farm teams more than those without. So I've got a decent idea of the ebb and flow of the International League pennant race, and not as good a sense for the others. I also confess not to have been following the individual stats terribly closely even on the Maple Leafs. And, of course, since the best players on a team tend to move up it's less clear how best to appreciate these races.
The Angels have been leading the PCL more or less all season, though both Vancouver and San Francisco (Red Sox) have never let them get too far ahead. The International League had a very chaotic first month or so--Louisville had a Yankees-like stretch before falling hard. Scranton led for a while, now it's Columbus' turn. Indianapolis just won 11 in a row. Toronto has been hanging out 3-4 games back most of the season, though they did have a period in first place. I haven't messed with them much since the Yankees really don't have room for their best players anyhow. Bullet Rogan moved up when Bill Terry had a long injury, but Dobie Moore and (recently) Alan Russell went down. Lefty O'Doul was getting into a groove before going down for the rest of the season with a broken kneecap. Goose Goslin might replicate Terry's Triple Crown achievement.
I suppose I've paid the least attention to the Western League, but it's been Des Moines and Omaha battling it out all season from what I do remember. Wichita, last year's champion, has been sputtering all year. On the other hand, the 1919 Southern League champions, Birmingham, are doing well. They've been at or near the lead all season in a volatile league. New Orleans have flirted with .500 but never gotten there. Their pitching has been pretty good, but basically any of their hitters worth anything are up in Toronto.
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