HI Folks! It has been awhile but it is Harry Musgrave back once again to shed some light on 1909 St. Louis Reds. They had a surprisingly good season last year, one in which they finished with the second best record in the Western League but a quite a distance behind Cleveland. If it had been this year, the Reds would have made their first postseason appearance in a long, long time, because the LBL has adopted a new rule this season that the top two teams in the league go to the playoffs regardless of division.
This year the critics aren’t too high on the Reds chances (to say the least), but then again they weren’t last season either – here is what the lineup should look like.
Catcher
James Bell wasn’t phenomenal behind the plate last season but he finally gave the team some stability at the catching spot. Something the Reds had lacked for a long time. Bell played well defensively and hit .239 on the year. That was 30 points above his career average. He threw out 90 runners at a clip of 38.2 percent, which was a few percentage points below his career average. Bell will retain the starting role this season and I would expect similar numbers from the 28 year old. Paul Bett remains the back-up. Bett is a little more polished offensively and a little less so defensively than Bell.
Top prospect Edward Cook hit .325 in AA last season and will be making the jump to triple A this year.
First base
After making 36 errors at 3b last season, Emerson West will try his luck on the other side of the diamond this season. West hit .297 with a league leading 61 RBI last season, so the Reds really want to keep his bat in the lineup somehow. At 35 years old is West finally hitting is prime – and how long will in last?
Second base
The West shift to first caused a shuffle in the infield which left an opening at 2nd base. The Reds brought in 23 year old John Shelton from Twin Cities to help in the infield. Shelton is light hitting but he should be solid defensively. Many are dubious that Shelton will last the season as the starter – he is probably better suited as a back-up or a defensive replacement. Currently second looks like a weak spot for the Reds.
Third base
John Keyte moves from 2nd base to 3rd base a position where his mediocre range but cannon of an arm should suit him better. Keyte made 31 errors at 2nd last year and will be hoping for some better results at the hot corner. Keyte hit .240 with 35 RBI last season.
Shortstop
Eugenio Carne had an extremely disappointing season last year. He set the bar high in 1907 when won the MVP award and Grande Snagger award in the Western League. He was nowhere close to either of those last season. He hit .225 last season and made 32 errors. That means West, Carne and Keyte all had over 30 errors each last year and combined for 99 in total. Could the Reds look to bring in a shortstop and move Carne back to 2b where he had all of his previous success? Either way the Reds will need more from him this season.
Leftfield
The outfield is where the offense comes from and Salvator Spencer should definitely part of the team’s offensive success. Spencer will move for 1b to LF this year so we will see how that plays out. Spencer won the greenhorn cup last season hitting .287 with an on base percentage of .353. He will be counted on heavily this year to help carry the offensive load.
Centerfield
Not only did George Cook win the Grande Snagger in CF last season, he also hit .282 and lead the WL with 28 doubles. He and Golden Reeves were undoubtedly the Reds 2 best players. Cook will be relied upon once again this season to come up with the big hits.
Right Field
Mr. Consistency Golden Reeves will be in the Reds outfield for his 7th season. When it is all said and done Reeves will probably lead the Reds all-time in most offensive stats. Last season Reeves led the WL with a batting average off .300. He also led the league in hits (145) and runs (65). For the 3rd straight season he had over 40 RBI. Another big season is expected (and needed) from Reeves this year.
Outfielders Joel Leonard (.279) and Lewis Nowell (.265) should also see their fare share of playing time.
Pitching
Gone is longtime starter WIlliam Barrow, but three familiar faces will man the rotation. Can they pitch well enough to keep the the Reds in the hunt?
Kury Kelsey was the team’s big acquisition last season and he did nothing but disappoint. Kelsey was 12-9 with a 2.50 ERA and he spent time on the injured list as well. HIs numbers were higher than his career averages across the board. Did the Reds buy high on Kelsey and are now paying the price? Or will Kelsey rebound this season?
Charles Mason is back for his 8th season with the team. He has a career record of 113-112 with a 2.62 ERA, so the Reds know what they are getting with Mason. Last season was probably his best as he had a career low ERA of 2.03, if he can replicate that it would be huge the the Reds.
Murl Webb is back for his 9th season with the Reds and his numbers are strikingly similar to Mason. Career 115-102 with a 2.65 ERA. He has struggled with control and if he falters early on I could see the Reds moving on from him, but I am not sure they have an adequate replacement in the system.
Rookie Reliever Jeffrey Broome had a great season for the Reds last year. He was 8-2 with a 0.96 ERA and 7 saves in almost 80 innings pitched. I would expect Broome to get almost 100 innings this year, especially with the inconsistency of the starters. He was a big part of the Red’s success last year and he will be important again this year.
It is tough to figure out how this Reds team will do. Can they catch lightning in a bottle and finish 2nd again? With the improvement of the team’s within their division, I am going to guess that they will be slightly below .500, missing out on the playoffs once again.