“I’m not even sure what happened,” Leo McKenzie told the Boeselager brothers. “We were celebrating the victory, and then they were there.”

“Who was there?” Karl Boeselager asked the team captain. “We need to know if we ever ask the league for investigations.”

Along with Leo McKenzie, Karl, and Walther Boeselager, Martin Pitsch, the GM of the Philadelphia Brewers, manager Troy Bujak, and outfielder Arnold Hill sat in the poorly lit backroom of the Brewers organization’s favorite drinking location.

The German Corner Pub became a hotspot for cheering but also for sadness. 1911 wasn’t any different. The only difference was that the Philadelphia Baseball Club felt robbed of an unexpected postseason appearance. 

After the Brewers won against Brooklyn on July 17, McKenzie and a group of teammates went to the German Corner Pub. The pub is well-known among locals who sometimes hope to chat with players or staff of their favorite ballclub. It’s also the location of many fierce rounds of Skat, a German card game—the favorite game of the two owners and the general manager who grew up in the countries that, after they emigrated, formed the German Empire in 1871. That night, only a few players entered the pub. 

“We just got our beers, and then we saw someone peeking through the door and yelling, They’re here!” Leo McKenzie explained. “A minute later, we noticed that they were the PTS.” 

“The Temperance Society?” Karl Boeselager raised his eyebrows. “I haven’t heard from them since the incident in 1902.”

“In Chicago, our temperance societies are mostly made of women. And when there are men, they don’t yell lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine. I found that quite odd,” commented Arnold Hill. 

The men chuckled briefly at Hill’s observation but then became serious again. 

“I’m not sure you know what happened in 1902, Arnold. The Philadelphia Temperance Society radicalized itself and organized an attack on the Christmas market. A lot of people died. Later, the police found out that among the dead were quite a lot of dead from the Richmond and New York area,” the Brewers general manager recapped the bloodshed. 

McKenzie continued, “Henk, the innkeeper, told us to get out through the storage. Before I could leave the barroom, a stool hit me.”

Two days later, a strained shoulder forced Leo McKenzie to sit out the rest of the season. This began Philadelphia’s free fall to third place in the Eastern League, and Arnold Hill’s fractured rib accelerated the descent.

Against all odds

The OSA predicted Philadelphia would clearly miss the postseason, and the Whales announced a slaughter, but the Brewers’ bats’ resurgence surprised many. Even themselves, as the postseason wasn’t among the serious season goals.

Milan Featherstone joined the list of key players with 87 RBI, which meant a new RBI record in the 120-game era. The first baseman also hit two home runs and stole 42 bases, with a .329 batting average and a .375 on-base percentage. His solid performance earned him two Batter of the Month awards and the Eastern League’s Golden Bat and Grand Snagger at 1B. 

Although he is 15 years older than Featherstone, Leo McKenzie once again showed how important he is to the Philadelphia Brewers Baseball Club. Due to his injury, the right-fielder played in only 91 games but put up sensational numbers. His 84 walks were just five shy of tying his personal record, and a whopping 98 stolen bases broke his career-high 92 SB. A .325/.481 season was his best year since his severe injury in 1906, earning him the EL Golden Bat at RF. His importance is also the club’s weakness. The absence of the undisputed captain made the team collapse.

A few veterans resided in the shadows of Featherstone and McKenzie. Often overlooked, they added a lot to the Philadelphia offense, too:

• Caesar Scott: The 39-year-old shortstop may have had his best season. Gizmo is well known for his stellar glove, but 1912 was also a good year for him with the bat. In his short LBL career, he never collected more home runs (6) and RBIs (64). His .263 batting average was similar to his previous career-high (.265). Defensively, he also set personal records with 69 double-plays and 147 put-outs. 
• Ray Faulkner: Faulkner wasn’t as explosive as in 1910 but quietly produced 57 runs. In 1910, Faulkner had to cover centerfield despite being primarily a left fielder. 
• Arnold Hill: In his fourth season as a Brewer and his second season as a left-field regular, Hill excelled as a hitter. His career highs in hits (106), RBI (45), and leading the Eastern League in doubles (25) cemented his spot in the lineup. However, the Philadelphia outfield was significantly weakened when McKenzie and Hill landed on the injury list.

The Brooklyn Whales’ pitching staff dominated the Eastern League, but the Philadelphia Brewers’ pitching ranked second. Bujak and Pitsch gambled when they decided to start the season without Stephen Millington. Millington refused to be sent down to AAA, so the club heavy-heartedly released him with one win shy of 250. 

Instead, Troy Duerden got the call. Duerden started 41 games in AAA from 1909-1910. The #11 prospect had a decent rookie season with a 15-14 record and a 3.22 ERA. In April, June, and July, he won the Eastern League Rookie of the Month award and received the Eastern League Greenhorn Cup. 

Winfield Clark led the rotation and accomplished a 19-11 record with a 2.97 ERA. Although he is only one year older than Duerden, the righty from Richfield, MN, finished his fourth full season with Philadelphia. Among his four shutouts were two against the Whales and one against Richmond. 

Many expected Lambert Holmes to leave Boeselager Stadium instead of Stephen Millington. Both players’ performances plummeted in 1910, but Holmes, now 40 years old, saved his spot in the rotation because he is a lefty. Holmes struggled throughout 1911. Many hits and walks made his starts too exciting, yet he managed to escape most jams and finished his final of twelve seasons with a 3.07 ERA and an unfortunate 9-14 record. 

Philadelphia’s #4 starter in 1911 was Reinhold Rogers, who joined the organization in mid-1907. When he joined the Brewers, he failed to make a good impression by losing six of his nine starts, but he is the longest-serving member of the rotation—despite Clark starting two more games. A solid 16-12 record and a 3.07 ERA ranked him second among the club’s starting pitchers. 

Stephen Millington’s story with the Brewers was still ongoing, though. After he failed to find a new club, Millington signed a minor league deal and pitched for the Langhorn Goats. It was his second time with the AAA team after eleven starts in 1907. Back then, Millington struggled and made room for 20-year-old Winfield Clark. At the end of the 1911 season, when it was all said and done, Lambert Holmes was released, and Henry Avrill failed to surprise; Millington had two chances to win his 250th game. His 250th win was a 4-hit shutout against the Baltimore Clippers. 

1912 Outlook

Karl looked at McKenzie, then at his brother. “What do you think?”

Walther just shook his head. “I’m not a lawyer, but I doubt this will turn into anything. We know that there is foul play, but we can’t prove it. We couldn’t even prove that Twin City mugged the courier in 1906. If we start pointing fingers at Richmond and Brooklyn, they point at the PTS or even us. For now, we should strengthen our ties with the community and make sure the PTS doesn’t grow stronger.”

“Let’s focus on this season,” Martin Pitsch interrupted. “The team did a great job last year, but I have doubts we can significantly improve our roster.”

“What about Averill?” asked Karl Boeselager. With Holmes gone and Stephen injured, he is the logical choice.”

After the club released Lambert Holmes, he joined the Cleveland AAA affiliate. The Brewers kept Millington and wanted to let him go through Spring Training. Kirby Hocking, the club’s scout, praised Millington for working hard in the offseason, but an injury sidelined him for up to three months, slashing the prospect of using him as a back-of-the-rotation starter. It leaves the Brewers with 23-year-old Harley Averill, who they picked in the first round of the 1910 draft. A year later, he pitched in Langhorn and finished the season with a 23-9 record and a 2.01 ERA. In a desperate attempt to bolster the pitching staff, Averill replaced Holmes in late 1910, which failed sensationally. 

Troy Bujak shook his head. “I’d rather see him one more year in Langhorn. Or at least a few more months. Duerden was a gamble which somewhat succeeded, but we can’t expect the same to work again.” 

“We signed Rollie Watson to bridge the gap until Stephen is back, or we call up Henry,” Pitsch said. 

“Are we going to see Johnson and Anderson?” Karl meant Daniel Johnson and Harry Anderson, two promising outfield prospects who joined as second and first-round picks last season.

“Too soon,” Bujak stopped Karl again. “They just started in AAA. They need more time. They need to play and not sit on the bench.”

Karl took a deep breath. Both players had a great Spring Training and looked ready for the major leagues, but his manager was right. There was no need to rush it. 

“Okay, let’s shorten this. Martin, quickly go through the roster.”

“Winfield Clark, Troy Duerden, Reinhold Rogers, and Rollie Watson will start the first few weeks. We’ll have an eye on Rogers and Watson. Reinhold had a horrible preparation. Depending on how the team or the rotation is doing, we’ll evaluate the situation once Millington is ready to return. As a last resort, there’s always Henry Averill. Arthur Haddow is our only reliever.”

Pitsch nipped on his beer. “Moving on to our hitters. I know that Sir Patrick wants to see something happening behind the plate. We called up Chester Walker, who had a much better Spring Training than Charles Ayscue. I don’t know how well Charles will take it, but Chester will start. Milan Featherstone will start at first base. This will likely not change. 

Arthur Anderson will not start at second base. Salvador Pallister will take his spot. Pallister has a better glove, meaning Anderson can be more of a utility guy. Cletus Stanbridge continues on third, but Paul Butler will compete with him. We’ll have Caesar Scott on short, with Anderson as the primary backup.

“You two,” Pitsch pointed at Leo McKenzie and Arnold Hill while holding his beer. “You will begin in the outfield along with Ray Faulkner. We called up Howard Roebuck, who can play all outfield positions, and we have John Walshaw as another backup. We might terminate his contract, though. We have six outfielders in AAA. One is ready to move up from AA, and we should make some room.”

“Any players coming in?” Walther inquired. 

“We need to think about someone who can slowly replace Caesar. It’s a demanding position, and should he get injured or decide to retire, we have no player of his caliber. Unless we can somehow get our hands on a top draft pick or sacrifice someone in a trade, we’ll have to live with this vulnerability.”

“If I understand this correctly, we’re not competing for the postseason?”

“Correct, Walther. The reporters will ask me tomorrow before the season opener what our goals are, and I was planning on telling them that we’re trying to annoy Brooklyn and Richmond and not mentioning the postseason at all,” said Troy Bujak.

“Our last postseason appearance was in 1906,” Walther said, slightly annoyed. “We never wanted to intervene in the roster building, but if we miss another postseason run, we might change our stance. Let’s get it done.”

The Boeselager brothers got up and left.