Federal League Future Forward 1920 versus 2008

 With a radical departure from my home life, I decided to resurrect an old reliable and inexpensive hobby: my Federal League, using Dice Baseball.  I decided against following up on any of the prior years I had (1995-2008), simply because I had lost all the data for 2009-2016 (2016 was partial).

The inaugural 1920 season would be my starting point.  With the exception of the introduction of the Save statistic decades earlier, I played out the games with aggressive baserunning and stealing, more of a pre-disposition to reliance on starting pitching  and mop-up long relievers, and expecting the statistical deadball era similar to the 1970's (the Federal League all-time home run record of 14 converted to roughly 45 in a 162-game season.)

I believe my eldest daughter, who started her Freshman year of high school this September, was the size of a walnut when I closed shop of the partial 2016 season (I always did years ahead of time), so what impact would a 20's style season have on the records from the 21st Century?

Thankfully, there was a statistical impact, but not as much as there could be.  

In the year 2008....

The Federal League was healthy and super-competitive 88 years in the future.  Four teams in the hunt for the pennant up until the final series of the season.  The Philadelphia Athletics caught the Boston Clippers on the last day of the season and forced a one-game tie-breaker.  Normally there would be doom and gloom in Boston, but in 2003 they had broken a their pennant curse of at least 33 years, so fans were hopeful.  The Clippers did not let the home crowd down, beating Philadelphia 5-2 ! 

Highlights on the Standings sheet included a 18 1/3 inning game, a 10 strikeout performance, and Atlantic City Gulls pitcher Time Weston throwing a no-hitter! 

Falling back to 1920, we didn't have a no-hitter, 18 inning game, and a single 10 K game.   Even the hitting streaks (14 vs 13) and on-base streaks (19 vs 19) were pretty close.   

Pitching

While there was a reliance on starters and longer relief outings, most teams inevitably kept five relief pitchers, and as rotations suffered under injury, even six at times.   Games pitched were fewer in 1920, although the league leader would get a mention in 2008. 

Innings Pitched:  There's some 75 years of history to be written, but John Cattanch's massive 93.1 innings would hold until Steve Murray of the Athletics 93.2 in 1999!  However each of the top 5 in 1920 would easily make top 3 in 2008.

Wins:  Jack Lewis and Thomas Weitlich's 8 wins were impressive in '20, but that record probably will/has been reached from time to time.  In fact, in 2008, Brad Royanbowski of Boston finally breaks the record, going 9-2, but winning his 9th game in the one-game playoff.   Purists may be calling for an asterisk...

Losses: Despite Jake Frost striking out 10 in one game, he did tie the modern record of seven losses.  We'll see how futility is measured in the past.

Hits/Run/Earned Runs:  No one in 2008 even recorded 30 runs, earned or otherwise.  And Pop Bender's 39 in 1920 shatters the modern record by two.  

Games Started:  Both years had a leader with 12, and a host of pitchers with 11.  In another "asterisk" moment, Murray in '99 also started 13 games. 

Shutouts:   Three pitchers in 2008 would lead the league in 1920, with Royanbowski tying the record of 4. 

Base on Balls:  Cattanach came very close to the modern record, and all top 5 in 1920 would lead the league in 2008.  

Strikeouts:   Remaley's 51 and a record, may be the standing as 50 has been reached in modern time, but never any over that.

Saves:  For a new stat, in wasn't used extensively, but in the end, the top five leaders in 2008 had 55 saves combined, while the top five in 1920 had 50!  

ERA:  Low ERA was consistent in both years, with Nick Evans sub-1.00 being an occasional occurance in modern times. 

Hitting:

Games:  With consistent, but random substitution rules in effect, both year's leaders are identical!   Two leaders at 48 and three tied with 46 for each year! Murnane, NEW 48;  Lutcher, PRO 48;  Reeder, PRO 46; Slattery, NEW 46;  Kleber, BAL 46. 

Runs:  Klopf's 27 ties the modern record.  

Hits:   Higher hit totals in 1920.  The top two would lead in 2008 and the other three could each hold 2nd. 

Doubles:  Ben Taylor's 16 ties the modern record.

Triples:   Modern records have 9 triples as the record, although most years are four or five.

Home Runs:   1920 -  Seven hitters with nine or ten homers   2008 - Five hitters ranging from 7 to 11. 

RBIs:  Comparable, with a modern record of 33 occurring at some point. 

Stolen Bases:/Caught Stealing:   Comparable top numbers in the category, but 2008 had runners with 3 steals/caught stealing make the top 5.  We'll see how long the aggressive baserunning lasts into the 20's.

Base of Balls/Strikeouts:  Comparable.

Batting Average (125 at-bats):   Through the All-Star Break the 1920 season was set to eviscerate hitting records, with multiple batters above .330.  Then the second half of the season happened and it took an agressive final series to bolster batting averages back to the usual levels.    B.Taylor, PIT .320;  Klopf, NYK  .311;  Freeman, PIT .302;  Whitehead, PHI .298 

SLG%:  Speaking of eviscerating, Ben Taylor's .707 in 1920 destroys the modern record of .620, and is 150 points higher than what a normal league leader hits.  

TEAM STATS - Nothing outrageous showed up in the team highs and lows, except ERA.  The Boston Clippers tied the modern record of 3.20 for highest team ERA ever, which seems insane, but given their catastrophic nine-game decline to end the season, and fellow eight game losing streak, begins to put things into focus.