A Creighton Cup Series without the Haymakers? Here we are in Season 6, and for the first time ever, the league's most storied franchise will not be competing for the title. Instead, we have the first-place Resolutes and the second-place Blue Legs vying for the championship. It's been a fun and interesting season, and I fully expect a great series ahead! Let's see how the teams match up.
Offense
- Blue Legs: This deep, balanced lineup scored at a league-high rate of 4.29 runs per game. Slugging first baseman Dan Brouthers had a great (but injury-marred) season and could be a difference-maker in this series. He's flanked in the batting order by fellow stars Nap Lajoie and King Kelly.
- Resolutes: At 3.21 runs per game, the Resolutes not only had the worst offense in the league this year, it was among the lowest scoring rates in league history. On a not-unrelated note, the Resolutes hit a league-low four home runs as a team; Brouthers alone had three for the Legs. Fred Clarke is the most likely Resolute to put up big offensive numbers, but I'm also keeping an eye on super-sub Jim O'Rourke, who's been swinging a hot bat this year in limited playing time.
- Advantage: Blue Legs
Defense
- Blue Legs: The Legs have never been known as a great defensive team, but somehow they managed to rank as the second-best on defense after the sure-handed Canaries. Hughie Jennings ranked as the league's top defensive shortstop this season, and catcher King Kelly turned in an uncharacteristically strong performance.
- Resolutes: Technically, the Resolutes were right behind the Blue Legs as the third-best defensive team, but the gap between the two was significant. Their problems were entirely in the infield, as their three everyday outfielders (Pete Hill, Fred Clarke, and Elmer Flick) all played flawlessly.
- Advantage: Blue Legs
Pitching
- Blue Legs: The team allowed 3.88 runs per game, which is a so-so mark for this league. It would have been a lot worse without Old Hoss Radbourn, who went 7-2 with a league-best 2.42 ERA. Radbourn is a true ace, and he's backed up by a solid #2 in Pud Galvin, himself a former Playoff MVP winner.
- Resolutes: The 3.08 runs per game that the Resolutes allowed this year is the second-best full-season total in league history. Credit goes to starters John Clarkson and Christy Mathewson, who are both adept at flummoxing opposing batters with the sharp movement on their pitches. Sophomore reliever Clark Griffith and veteran closer Joe McGinnity round out a top-notch staff.
- Advantage: Resolutes
Prediction
Although the Resolutes will be without injured first baseman Jake Beckley for the first game, the Legs will miss out on the offensive and defensive contributions of captain and star second baseman Nap Lajoie. Lajoie's absence in Game 1 will hurt the Legs, but I still consider them heavy favorites in this series. They may have finished in second place, but they had the league's best run differential (+10) and their actual winning percentage (.542) was right in line with their expected winning percentage (.551) based on runs scored and allowed. The Resolutes, on the other hand, sported an eye-catching .625 actual winning percentage, but the expected was only .520. That's more than a hundred points lower! The data suggests that the first-place Resolutes were extremely lucky during the regular season. Maybe their luck will hold, but in this best-of-five series, my money is on the Blue Legs to win, three games to one.
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