RECORD: 62-58 (.516)
PLACE: 2nd
Summary
A down year for the Men in Maroon, the Rifles wandered through a frustrating spring and early summer behind a weak arsenal of bats and the devastating injury of rookie sensation Scud “Sweetheart” Scranton. Richmond managed the best ERA in the Eastern League, but allowed the third-most hits due to a truly abysmal defense. They gave up the most errors in the league and failed to produce runs at the rate of their primary rivals, Brooklyn and Philadelphia. Second only to Brooklyn in runs allowed, no blame can be assigned to a sterling pitching staff. Richmond must invest in contact hitting and commit to defense up the middle or continue to watch Philadelphia eclipse them every August.
OFFENSE
Richmond has a complicated problem with their offense. They compete in Batting Average and On-Base-Percentage with Philadelphia, but Philly continues to manage an edge in productivity. This is indicative of a lack of slugging compared to the Brewers and accounts for Philly’s significant lead in RBIs. However, the Richmond offense is upper-tier for the LBL, despite the onset of Deadball. Avoid K, a longtime priority of Richmond, will likely continue to see a rise in value as the high-stuff pitchers continue to shift the dynamic of the league. Only Brooklyn struck out less than Richmond in 1906.
DEFENSE
Long-neglected at Libby Hill, the lack of a premium infield and Center Fielder is the most identifiable cause for Richmond woes in 1906. They committed the most errors in the LBL with the second-lowest fielding percentage. While the Scranton injury likely lost Richmond a good 4 or 5 games alone, there is need for improvement across most positions.
PLAYER REVIEW
CATCHERS
Celestin Robley: “The Machine” continues his mechanical march down the Richmond line. Robley is a quippy, hard-hitting Catcher who dominates most of the all-time offensive leaderboards for a backstop in the LBL. Known to jaw both from the dugout and behind the plate, Robley is the perpetual annoyance of batters in the Eastern League. A good backstop with a middling arm, Robley returned to full-time after a down year in 1905. He led a weak offensive year in Richmond with 47 RBIs, batting .243 and accumulating 3.7 WAR, coming in at #4 in Catcher WAR.
Josh Holmes: Josh Holmes, once a yearly competitor with Robley for Catcher duties, declined significantly this year as he turned 38. He started just 22 games as the backup for Robley. A quiet teammate who never rocks the boat, Holmes is an original 95’er who has lost most of his arm and has likely seen his last pitch at Libby Hill. His retirement or demotion is expected this offseason as AAA prospect William Seymour seems ready for LBL backup duties.
INFIELDERS
1B Leonard Turner: A superior bat and colorful personality, Turner is an energetic and popular Rifle with superior speed on the basepaths. Discovered in 1904 and signed for just $700, Turner completed another commendable season at the plate. Despite his speed, he was thrown out more than he stole this year. He is often seen motivating the dugout by banging his bat on the handrails and sprinting to and from the bag between each inning.
1B Elgin Gibbs: Another excellent batter who spent most of the year in AAA, Gibbs is a 29-year-old lefty who likely deserves a platoon spot but is blocked by Turner. An intelligent and generally unpleasant player, Gibbs dominated AAA pitchers and earned a callup in July. Not known to have many friends on the train rides.
2B Ralph Bennett: A staple of Richmond at this point, Bennett enjoyed another productive season in his first year at Second Base. He hit the rare deadball-era Grand Slam against Baltimore on July 18th and led the EL in doubles. His weakening arm is a concern for a franchise already woefully behind in defense. Showing some signs of age, Bennett is still among the top hitters in the LBL, He comes from a long line of professional ballplayers and represents the core of Richmond offense.
SS Scud Scranton: A surefire Greenhorn Cup was robbed by a devastating July injury to the $25,000 rookie, who demonstrated incredible prowess both behind the plate and at Shortstop. Accumulating over 6 WAR in his 80 games, Scranton still finished 3rd in SS WAR in the EL (#2 if you count Caesar Scott for WL after his trade to Cleveland). 32 years old, Scranton is already a popular and respected teammate in the Richmond clubhouse. Reporters had a field day in June when Scranton delayed a game against Baltimore to assist a particularly visceral Clippers fan who suffered a heart attack while lambasting Scranton from the stands. This earned the rookie the nickname “Sweetheart” Scranton, both for his noble actions on behalf of a chirping rooter and for his frequent and numerous girlfriends. It’s unknown if this is a term of endearment or source of humor from his teammates. Perhaps both. Hopefully Sweetheart can rebound from the dislocated shoulder and return to rejuvenate a struggling Richmond batting order.
SS John Noden: Stepping up from utility duties after the Scranton injury, Noden posted a pleasantly surprising .297 AVG, 21 RBIs and 21 walks. However, he perpetually struggled on defense, committing the most errors per game for qualified EL shortstops with the lowest defensive efficiency. He is unlikely to return to the position as the franchise looks to improve their defense up the middle. A Virginia native, Noden was released by the Chicago Doves last year after his narcissistic and controversial love affair with the press resulted in Front Office outrage. He continued this behavior in Richmond, routinely noting his own offensive abilities while lambasting his teammates, including a critique of Ralph Bennett. He was fined $150 by skipper John Barrows for the slight and is said to ride in his own train car.
SS Morton Burton: A third-string solution called up for utility duties after the Scranton injury, Burton was dazed by LBL pitching in his 22 plate appearances. A superior defender, Burton is a likeable and polite teammate who has been bouncing around the league since 1898. He was part of the historic Kensington Jones trade in 1903 and was released just two weeks later. Despite only six games started in a Richmond uniform, Burton is popular among Richmond fans for his community outreach. He is regularly seen at the secondary schools in the city and received a commendation from the Mayor of Richmond for his work with the Young Boys of Richmond Baseball Legion.
3B Ryan Evans: Another ‘95er with a good glove, Evans spent his first year at full time at Third Base after Mat Dace’s retirement last year. Evans had a surprisingly productive season at the plate, managing 38 RBIs with a .253 AVG. He walked a commendable 44 times—due largely to his #8 spot in the order. Many are speculating his own retirement announcement following the Legacy Cup, where many hope he will pursue a coaching role in the organization.
OUTFIELDERS
LF Eric Carter: Yet another ‘95er on the Richmond lineup, Carter split outfield duties this year and posted an acceptable .273 AVG with 17 RBIs. Long beyond his prime, Carter is a superior glove in Left Field and consistently in the upper end of defensive efficiency. He is one of few LBL players who has worn a uniform in every Division. He is a fickle and hotheaded player who argued more than once with Manager John Barrows this season.
CF Robbie Salmon: One of the most memorable Center Fielders in the LBL, Salmon continues his decline despite an acceptable offensive season. His legs aren’t what they used to be, and he doubled his errors from last year in the worst defensive season of his career. At 36, the consensus among the newspapers is that the venerated athlete is not long for the roster. Still, he is an incredibly baseball-smart ballplayer who is respected across the league. He still covers the basepaths better than most, and was one of the few Richmond players with a stolen base percentage above 50%.
RF Erwin Collins: A backup outfielder who saw 30 games this season, Collins has a strong bat but never sees the ball well. At 33, he joins the contingent of Richmond players who are likely to either see their pink slip or a train ticket to Wilmington. He was fined multiple times by the team captain Matthew Holiday for lateness or sluggardly behavior during games.
RF Frederic Hedley: The 1905 Golden Bat saw frustrating regression this season. A pensive and quiet teammate, Hedley bled outs every time he tried to steal and likely should have been reeled in by management sooner. His limited range in Right Field resulted in lower efficiency than you’d like to see in the outfield, but he still shows promise at the plate and most believe the lukewarm season was a fluke.
RF Clarence Parker: Sharing duties with Hedley and Carter, the 4th Outfielder is a darling of the crowd and beloved by his teammates. Like many, he saw a drastic decrease in batting average this season and contributed to a range-starved outfield despite his young age. Like Hedley, his free reign to steal at will was costly.
PITCHERS
SP Matthew Holiday: The LBL’s most revered pitcher posted 7.3 WAR in his tenth LBL season, #4 in the LBL. At 35, there’s speculation that the good times cannot last forever, but his movement and control remain strong. He earned his 200th win on April 30th, the third pitcher to do so in the LBL and behind on Philly’s Danny Edgerton in all-time wins. He is well-ahead of teammate Ivy Maw in all-time WAR at 83.67.
SP Ivy Maw: Old Iron Horse lost some edge on his velocity this season but still posted 5.5 WAR with a 2.54 ERA. At 37, most wonder when Maw will get the call to the bullpen. He saw a $1500 reduction in arbitration salary after last season, with a significant increase in earned runs. The old Richmond hero is still rolling along and elicits heartfelt cheers at each start.
SP Chester Jacks: The 28 year-old rookie is a focus of good news for the organization, earning a 1.93 ERA and 6.1 WAR. Another finesse pitcher, like Maw, Jacks earned a longtime place in the Richmond rotation in his debut season. Contemplative and intense, like Maw, “Jellybean” Jacks is usually the first Rifle to the ballpark.
SP William Kynaston: Willie K rebounded from a truly awful first half, where he was eventually removed from starter duties after his ERA ballooned over 4.00 in his first four starts. He came back to the rotation in late June and rebounded with a vengeance, winning four starts straight and bringing his final ERA down to 2.03. At 31, most speculate it was simply an off-start for the Kid and that he will be back in the 3 slot next season. Like teammate Morton Burton, the Texas native is known for his philanthropy and volunteers regularly at the local American Legion post.
MR Albert Willis: Willis has yet to find his place in Richmond. There was much rejoice after his 1904 season, seen as the long-awaited lefty solution to a perpetually RHP rotation. He was not awarded a starting spot this year after struggling in his starts last season. Despite a respectable 2.11 ERA, he allows far too many hits for a lefty, representing the failed synergy of finesse pitchers in Richmond who are quickly becoming a liability in a young, high-velocity world. Despite his demotion to relief, he doesn’t complain and is second only to rookie Chester Jacks in his devotion to the game.
CL Price Thompson: The only Richmond pitcher who can be given any nod for velocity, Thompson represents the second half of the all-lefty bullpen and posted 1.67 ERA in 32 innings of work. He joined Richmond after he was released from the Beavers last year despite a commendable performance in relief. He will likely assume Willis’s duties as the full-time reliever next season.
CONCLUSION:
1906 was not a disaster. Still above .500 (thanks to some late-season heroics), Richmond remains a competitive team with a solid pitching corps and some promising bats. The season is a warning flare for an organization that has ignored the heralds of the deadball era too long. Richmond, a team built on avoiding strikeouts, high contact, and top-tier finesse pitching, must make bold decisions this offseason; rise to meet the challenge of more balls in play or accept their decline.