It was a cold and windy Sunday in October 1907. Clouds hovered over the Philadelphian roofs, and the rain kicked in just as the mass ended. People left the church and immediately sinned by mumbling curses about the weather. Pitsch didn’t care. The walk to the German Corner Pub would be brief. Once a month, he tried to attend the traditional Frühschoppen. After mass, the German-speaking community would gather for a few beers before returning to their angry wives.
When the Philadelphia Brewers missed the ticket for the postseason, the attitude towards the baseball club became as unpleasant as the weather. The champions from 1904 and 1905 and the runner-ups from 1906 suddenly became losers and disappointments. Some demanded that the club leadership resign or Sir Downing take entirely over the club. However, the general manager knew that this was just temporary. A few more months and the crowd would show more excitement than anger.
As he entered the German Corner, Pitsch noticed roughly two dozen patrons who ensured the well-being of the innkeeper. Luckily, the latter already expected some more guests and worked the tap with German efficiency. While waiting for his beer, he noticed the Germantown Gazette‘s morning issue on a table near him. The Gazette became increasingly critical of the Brewers. Why didn’t Pitsch sign a top-tier shortstop? Where is our Batkin? Poor trades!
Little did they know. Managing a baseball club isn’t a Kaisermanöver. Not every plan works out, and you don’t win every season. In 1907, nothing worked out.
Before the season
The big pre-season goal was to replace George Singleton, who joined the Brewers in 1902 as a talented long-term solution. Instead, he blocked a large chunk of the payroll, became defensively unreliable, had a subpar bat, and increasingly became a disturbance in the clubhouse. Wallace Green received an offer from the Brewers but waited a few weeks until the Cleveland Athletics offered him a generous signing bonus. The alternate, Charles Greenhall, signed for significantly less.
May 27, 1907
The Brewers had a good start and won most of their series in April. However, the club lost momentum just a month later while the Richmond Rifles improved. On May 27, 1907, the Rifles finally caught up after trailing the Brewers for over a year, passing them in wins with a 26-20 record. For the rest of the season, Troy Bujak’s team stayed mostly even and won only 35 of their 73 games.
The Defense
Pitsch saw a weak offense as one of the reasons for losing the Legacy Cup in 1906. So the club gambled and shifted the focus to the bat. Instead of a steady Singleton/Gilling middle infield, Greenhall/Bankhead occurred more often. Bujak also trusted Moriarty Stapleton for too long. The age might become an increasing factor for him. From 1896-1904, his batting average never dropped below .266. Since 1905, he never topped .251.
The Future
Stapleton’s subpar offense couldn’t compensate for his below-average defense, leading to Paul Butler’s promotion to the majors. After two brief stints in 1905 and 1906, he played 68 games last season. He put up respectable numbers (.288/.336, 24 RBI) and demonstrated a more reliable defensive option. A second call-up was Milan Featherstone, who had the honor of giving Leo McKenzie time to recover from a day-to-day injury properly. The 22-year-old started 14 of 42 games and left a mark: .364/.408. Finally, Winfield Clark completed the rejuvenation process. After Stephen Millington showed a shocking decline in numbers, the 21-year-old had to pack his bags in Langhorn, where he ended his stay with a 20-2, 1.95 ERA season, and hike to Boeselager Stadium. Despite a slim repertoire, Clark’s pitches are fast with a high level of control.
The three prospects show that the Brewers might not have top-ten talents but can bring up young players who can compete. It’s just a matter of months until the likes of Joseph Vennard, Elvin Outhwaite, or Timothy Richardson relieve some washed-up veteran.
The Past
When the young kids entered the locker room, others had to clear their space. Moriarty Stapleton, Stephen Millington, Rusty Hall, and Lionel Lyon played in 1906 but ended up in Langhorn for the whole or part of the 1907 season. Although the players won many titles, the manager couldn’t let merit be the reason to set the lineup. Especially Stapleton and Lyon will need to find new ballclubs. Two players called it a career at the end of the season.
Danny Edgerton (Retired #20)
In April 1907, Danny Edgerton announced his retirement at the end of the season. It didn’t come as a surprise at his age, but the veteran was still a feared pitcher, and finding someone to fill his shoes would be challenging.
He finished his 13th season with an 11-18 record and a 2.23 ERA.
Career statistics: 230-159, 415 GS, 2.66 ERA.
1898 EL MVP
1899, 1902 EL Pitcher of the Year
5x LBL Champion
Rusty Hall (Retired #14)
At the end of the season, Rusty Hall notified the management that he won’t be coming back in 1908. From 1895 until 1905, Hall and McKenzie were the reason why the Brewers were the most explosive offense in the LBL. However, 1906 did something to him. Maybe it was the season-ending injury of his longtime friend and teammate, Leo McKenzie. As a result, his batting average dropped from .283 in 1905 to .186. Pitsch sent him to Langhorn to refocus, but even after returning, he didn’t perform as he used to. In 1907, at age 39, he only had 91 plate appearances in the LBL.
Career statistics: 1091 G, 4206 AB, .315/.368, 4 HR, 678 RBI, 1323 H
1896, 1898, 1899 EL Grande Snagger at CF
1905 EL Grande Snagger at RF
1895, 1898, 1901 EL Golden Bat at CF
5x LBL Champion
The Telegram
Luckily, nobody waited for Pitsch at his apartment near Fairhill Square. Did he have five beers or maybe six? Pitsch shrugged and returned to his problems. The general manager waged his options to avoid another year without playoffs. Richmond would be a tough nut to crack. The reigning champions carefully formed a sensational team in the past years. The Brewers may have to take on a similar approach.
“Martin,” a familiar voice abrupted his thoughts. “I knew I would find you here.” Pitsch looked up and saw Karl Boeselager. “Walt is ordering us some beers, and he will open the backroom for us. First, we will play some Skat and then talk about this Cleveland telegram. It’s a trade proposal.”