Back on the Upswing

Ever since I started my pre-NHL Strat-O-Matic hockey league, I've wondered if I should just abandon the baseball version and focus entirely on hockey. That first baseball season was a magical run (the charismatic King Kelly absolutely owned the league!), but Seasons 2 and 3 were rather humdrum affairs that provided few memorable moments. In Season 4, things started to get interesting again, with George Davis's home run heroics and Mickey Welch's mind-bogglingly dominant pitching. Season 5, however, is shaping up to be an all-time great. This league is back on the upswing!

Where do we stand after three games played for each team?

• Blue Legs: They're in third place at 1-2, but with six homers in three games, they're smacking dingers at a record-setting pace. The best single-season total for a team is 12, set last year by the Canaries over 21 regular-season games. Star second baseman Nap Lajoie has two of the Legs' six homers, and he's looking like an early MVP candidate.
• Canaries: At 0-3, with a -17 run differential, the defending champs are experiencing a serious hangover. They have yet to commit an error in the field, which is just about the only positive thing I can say at this point.
• Haymakers: This perennial powerhouse has jumped out to a 3-0 mark and +17 run differential. Once again, their pitching leads the way; Cy Young and Mickey Welch have pitched every inning thus far.
• Resolutes: The expansion team is 2-1 and in second place. Slugging left fielder Fred Clarke is tied for the league lead with two homers, but the real story here is the Lazarus-like return of John Clarkson to the upper echelon of moundsmen. He's pitched complete-game shutouts in both of his starts to date, meaning that he's working on a league-record 18-inning scoreless streak that he'll put on the line against the Haymakers in his next appearance.