Birds Taking Flight

The Canaries are the feel-good story of the year in Season 9 of my historical baseball league. They've gone from worst to first with a vengeance, improving from last year's .292 winning percentage to a league-leading .625. That's a huge jump! I can't say I'm entirely surprised, however, because bad luck contributed a lot to that ugly .292 figure; their Pythagorean winning percentage was much higher, at .464. Even so, vaulting over the rest of the league to secure first place was a major feat for a team that hadn't had a winning record since claiming their only title way back in Season 4. With the league's best runs scored per game (4.46) and runs allowed per game (3.29), and a run differential that was third-highest in league history (+28), the Canaries are a clear favorite to win the championship. 

Standing in their way are the second-place Haymakers, the New York Yankees of this league, who overtook a fading Resolutes squad to reach the title series for the seventh time in nine seasons. The Haymakers' second-half surge was the product of great pitching from Cy Young and Mickey Welch, but their championship hopes took a hit when catcher Roger Bresnahan was injured in the regular-season finale. Without their star backstop for at least the first game of this best-of-five series, the Haymakers will be at a disadvantage offensively and defensively. My prediction is a Canaries triumph in four games.