Baseball DIY

Stick with me, folks. For my own edification, I'm attempting to do something like a year-in-review for every National League and American League season from 1901 on. Why start with 1901? Because that's when (a) the American League became a major league and (b) the National League started counting foul balls as strikes, pretty much bringing the game up to its current rules and regulations. The "Big sticks" group will cover each team's two best hitters, provided that they have hitters who either hit for an >800 OPS or >.400 slugging percentage (if I'm too lazy to add a player's on-base and slugging percentages that day). I won't list batting averages, because I prefer OPS; it tells you more about a player's abilities. "Live arms" will list each team's best pitcher (in my opinion) based on shutouts (though this may change as I get closer to recent years), strikeouts/walks, and ERA. As always, feel free to add anything I've missed.

Standings
1. Philadelphia (83-53)...Most runs (775)
2. St. Louis (78-58...the Browns were created when Milwaukee, last place in 1901, moved to StL...they benefited from a lot of Cardinals jumping ship over to their side)
3. Boston (77-60)...Best ERA (3.02)
4. Chicago (74-60)
5. Cleveland (69-67)
6. Washington (61-75)...Worst ERA (4.36)
7. Detroit (52-83)...Fewest runs (566)
8. Baltimore (50-88)

Leaders
Hits: Charley Hickman-Bos/Cle (193)
2B: Ed Delahanty-Was; Harry Davis-Phi (43)
3B: Jimmy Williams-Bal (21)
HR: Socks Seybold-Phi (16...more than Chicago hit as a team; the AL record until Babe Ruth's 29 in 1919)
OPS: Ed Delahanty-Was (1043)
SB: Topsy Hartsel-Phi (47)
Pitcher wins: Cy Young-Bos (32)
Pitcher K's: Rube Waddell-Phi (210)
Pitcher ERA: Ed Siever-Det (1.91)

Big sticks
Phi: Socks Seybold-OF (881 OPS, 27 2B, 11 3B, 16 HR); Harry Davis-1B (.443 slug, 43, 7, 6)
StL: Charlie Hemphill-OF (.447, 14, 11, 6); Jesse Burkett-OF (.418, 29, 9, 5)
Bos: Buck Freeman-OF (.504, 37, 20, 11); Jimmy Collins-3B (.459, 21, 10, 6)
Chi: George Davis-SS (.402, 27, 7, 3)
Cle: Charley Hickman-1B (926, 31, 10, 8); Nap Lajoie-2B (.555, 34, 5, 7)
Was: Ed Delahanty-OF (1043, 41, 15, 10); Jimmy Ryan-OF (.446, 32, 6, 6)
Det: Nope.
Bal: Jimmy Williams-2B (861, 27, 21, 8); Kip Selbach (.427, 27, 9, 3)

Live arms
Phi: Rube Waddell (3 SHO, 210 K/64 BB, 2.05 ERA)
StL: Jack Powell (3, 137/93, 3.21)
Bos: Cy Young (3, 160/53, 2.15)
Chi: Wiley Piatt (2, 96, 66, 3.51)
Cle:Addie Joss (5, 106/72, 2.78)
Was: Nope.
Det: Ed Siever (4, 36/32, 1.91)
Bal: Nope.

Notes

• Milwaukee moves to St. Louis to become the Browns.
• As part of his ongoing war with AL president Ban Johnson, Baltimore's John McGraw sells the club to John Brush, Chairman of the NL Executive Committee; the best Orioles are released for NL consumption; as part of the NL/AL peace agreement later that winter, the Baltimore franchise moves to New York to become the Highlanders/Hilltoppers/Yankees.
• Four cities have both AL and NL teams; the AL draws better in each city.