Key injuries hurt Boston in 1912
The Boston Banshees are not going to be content with simply reaching the playoffs. “The Whales are a juggernaut that are stacked at all 8 field positions, and have two ace pitchers…they are borderline impossible to beat in a series”, said GM Michael Carroll at a presser today. “We needed more depth. Injuries definitely hurt us a lot in 1912”. Last season’s starting centerfielder Elden Davis was hurt 5 different times in 1912, and missed nearly 3 months of the season, plus nearly all of Spring Training. The 25 year old is showing to be more fragile than initially expected, and doesn’t appear to be able to handle the stress of being an every day starter. Starting shortstop Asley Trudgeon missed a little over 2 months of the season due to an oblique strain and a fractured foot. Second baseman Beryl Lovegrove missed over a month with a hip strain. Team Ace starting pitcher Albert Winnall missed the entire back of the season plus playoffs, and is still currently out until at least May of 1913.
Another Concern is the aging pitching staff. Pierce Adney (33), Albert Winnall (31), and Leroy Burlton (36) carried a heavy load last year. Winnall was injured in July of 1912, and was initially thought to be out for 12 months, however he’s improving quickly and it appears they are now targeting a May return for the team’s ace starting pitcher. “When Albert went down it was brutal on us. Every series we played was like a playoff series after that, trying to organize matchups like righty/lefty and home/away splits…stuff like that” stated Carroll. “We were trying to get just enough pitching to allow our offense and defense to win games for us”.
Boston Trade away 1st and 2nd Round Picks… Again
In order to create more depth, for the 2nd year in a row the Banshees have traded away their 1st and 2nd round selections for depth at key positions. Last year, Boston acquired Albert Winnall and Pierce Adney (both from Twin Cities) with the picks. This year it’s SP Hipolito King (St Louis Beavers), and CF Hyman Rickward (Cleveland Athletics) who will be changing uniforms. “We feel like we’re in our ‘win now’ window”, stated Manager Thomas Dickey. “We have to go out right now and get the players that we feel can help us win the last game of the season”. King will slide into the #2 spot to start the season until Winnall returns, and Rickward will be the new starting centerfielder.
Boston Likely to Use More of a Platoon to Keep the Outfield Fresh
Mitigation of injuries and creating depth has been the Banshees chief goal of the off-season. The acquisition of Rickward as the new starting centerfielder will allow Boston to use Elden Davis to rest everyone. We spoke with Boston trainer Jules Brotherton about the role a heavy workload can play on injuries, “Injuries are most likely to happen when players are tired. Muscles, tendons, and joints will get inflamed and injuries will become more common. Playing on tired legs and throwing with tired arms can cause cramps, pulls, or worse…tears”. Davis is relatively proficient at every OF position, he hits well, and runs well… so expect to see Wearmouth, McCallister, and Rickward to get a little extra rest here and there (especially in situations where Boston is a heavy favorite) to keep them fresher as we reach the dog days of the season.
Projected Line Up
Here is how Boston projects to start the season:
- CF Rickward
- RF Wearmouth
- LF McCallister
- 1B Dingwall
- 3B Cox
- C Dixon
- 2B Shelton
- *Pitcher Spot*
- SS Trudgeon
Utility Players: OF Elden Davis, OF Rod Holden, IF Vern Chennells, IF Beryl Lovegrove, C Charles Rogers
Projected Rotation and Bullpen
Here is how the Boston projects to start the season:
- SP Pierce Adney
- SP Hipolito King
- SP Leroy Burlton (SP Albert Winnall in June)
Bullpen:
- CL Merrill Marsham
- MR Verner Pomfret
- MR Price Thompson
- Emergency SP Leopold Polk