Overview of the 1906 Brooklyn Whales
The 1906 Whales were a team hoping to professionalize. Rooters for the Whales had gladly cheered on the band of weirdos and misfits that characterized the team’s success in the early part of the decade. However, now under League ownership, word was that Madigan’s Hall had been hoping Brooklyn would make moves towards a more professional outfit (although, the success of Madigan’s Hall mandate was questionable). The Whales were also transitioning towards the end of the careers of some of their older veterans and towards a new wave of more youthful ballplayers. Lastly, the Whales were entering a new period of relative stability with the 1902 Legacy Cup scandal now far enough in the past that the roster no longer felt totally in flux as new, full-time starters had been identified over the ensuing three seasons.
GM/Manager Marques Williams brought in former Whale, third baseman Joe Cherry, to help instill discipline and coach up players expected to play a role as leaders of the next generation of Whales. To make room for Cherry, Williams traded away an exceptional third baseman, John Keyte, who refused to embrace his role in this broader transition. The message to the remaining Whales was clear: subscribe to Williams’ edicts or new employment will be found for you.
Cherry’s acquisition was well-timed—a red hot Boston team jumped out to an early lead in the Ivy Division and, when the Whales finally overcome the Banshees for the Division lead, the Banshees stayed nipping at their heels the rest of the way. Cherry’s presence and leadership, sorely missing in 1903, helped the Whales avoid a repeat of the Whales’ infamous previous late season collapse.
The story on the field was a familiar one for a team playing under Williams’ tutelage—the Whales were good on offense, good on defense, and exceptional on the mound. The strong emphasis of the Whales on pitching-and-defense was best exemplified by the breakouts of 25 year old southpaw Walter Fain and 27 year old infielder Clovis Juby, and the promotion of 22 year old shortstop Charlie Taylor (and the attendant reshuffling of the infield to make room for his glove).
The rotation of Chick Benney, Jackie Priest, Lefty Fain and Clifford Wollett ranks among the game’s best. The Whales finished third in the Legacy Baseball League (second in the Eastern League) in earned run average and allowed the second fewest runs of any team. The Whales pitchers struck out many of their adversaries (third in strikeouts) and limited free passes (second in walks).
With Witheycombe playing second base, Taylor playing shortstop and Juby playing third base, the Whales possess what is likely the finest defensive infield in the Legacy Baseball League. The trade-off to the emphasis on fielding is that the Whales have become more of a patient, slap hitter team (rather than a real slugging threat) with an emphasis on patience and avoiding strikeouts. The Whales finished just about league average in extra base hits (but were particularly paltry at producing doubles, finishing with the second fewest in the LBL). They did, however, finish second in triples. The Whales offensive philosophy resulted in a team that finished first in hits, batting average, on-base percentage and walks. They also finished second in runs, and with the third fewest strikeouts and third in slugging.
The Whales finished, for the third year in a row, second in the Eastern League to the Philadelphia Brewers. They coughed up the Eastern League Cup to the Brewers in a 2-1 Game 5 after an uncharacteristic error from Tinker Tailor in Game 2 and a poor relief performance from Jackie Priest in Game 3. Signs are pointing up, though, and the local rooters are hopeful that the Whales can get the Philadelphia-sized monkey of their back in 1907.
Catchers
An experienced catcher duo—each player has been on the roster since 1901 which is a tenure shorter than only Whales’ veteran Chick Benney—continues to provide stability to the Whales’ roster and helped guide the Whales’ excellent pitching staff through a longer 1906 season. Deacon Dunkley continued his maturation as a ballplayer and was less prone to the up-and-down emotional and performance volatility that had been a hallmark of his career to date. No changes are anticipated among this group in 1907.
Deacon Dunkley had a typically excellent offensive season for a catcher in-line with his career averages. The backstop, completing his sixth season with the Whales, has proven to be a consistent presence in the middle of Brooklyn’s lineup—typically batting third against righthanded pitchers and fifth against lefthanded pitchers. Dunkley remains prone to taking extreme measures to end slumps—measures that have proven to be off-putting to teammates in the past. But, he has been doing it long enough that it’s mostly just become an accepted practice in Brooklyn. Accordingly, Dunkley has finally started to fit in much better among his teammates. Dunkley has always been a catcher that calls a game by feel more than any advanced study of opponents, but, after six years partnering with the more cerebral Noah Forbes, Dunkley has slowly started to incorporate some advanced scouting into his approach to game calling to great effect—his work in that area received high marks from both the Brooklyn pitching staff and from pitching coach Nate Ford. Dunkley finished the year with a slash line of .273/.315/.343 (117 wRC+) and as one of the unquestioned better players on the Whales team. Further, as of the conclusion of 1906, Dunkley has the second highest Wins Above Replacement total for a catcher in LBL history (behind only Richmond’s Celestin Robley).
Noah Forbes continued to provide a calming presence behind the plate. More calm and collected than his fellow backstop, Forbes’ positive habits have continued to rub off on his younger teammate. Compulsive to a fault, Forbes can remember every pitch thrown to each opposing hitter during his career, which Forbes has always used to generate an edge in preparation for upcoming opponents. Despite having his worst season with the bat since his rookie year, the DC-native still had a positive impact on the team more broadly through extra work with the pitching staff, mentoring Dunkley on how to call a better game behind the plate. Forbes remains an adequate backup catcher for the Whales.
First Basemen
First base proved to be a bit of a problem spot for Brooklyn in 1906. The position had primarily been addressed by a platoon of left handed Adam Rodenbaugh, acquired by trade from Pittsburgh in 1904, and right handed hitters Creighton Lucas, acquired by trade from the St. Louis Reds in 1903, and Emerson West. The three had previously laudably covered over a gaping wound on the roster since star first baseman Audie Blennerhasset received a lifetime ban from baseball for his part in attempting to fix the 1902 Legacy Cup. Ultimately, Williams attempted to stabilize the position late in the season by moving Ignatius Strawson over from second base and sending Rodenbaugh and Lucas to the bench. West, for his part, got demoted to the Whales’ Reserve League squad in Jersey City.
Adam Rodenbaugh has mostly underwhelmed during his time in Brooklyn and 1906 was no different. The imposing lefthanded first baseman has the look of an imposing hitter, but the reality has never quite matched the expectation. Rodenbaugh, traded three times in his career, has made a habit of disappointing coaching staffs. No stranger to changing teams, Rodenbaugh mostly keeps to himself and keeps his teammates at a distance. In 1906, Rodenbaugh hit an uneven .264/.321/.317 and, finally fed up with the lack of performance, Williams ultimately relegated Rodenbaugh to a bench role towards the tail-end of 1906. Rodenbaugh may return in 1907 as a situational pinch hitter, but his hold on a roster spot is not on good footing at the outset of the 1907 off-season.
Creighton Lucas has finally begun to taper off at the age of 39. After an electric 1905 that saw Lucas bat .362/.445/.436, Lucas could only manage a more pedestrian .240/.327/.271 in 1906. Spending more time than ever with the Whales’ training staff, Lucas never could get his body to cooperate with him. The veteran righthander’s late career renaissance in Brooklyn (he hit .309/.388/.379 over 4 years) will be fondly remembered by Whales’ rooters in Brooklyn. However, it would not be a surprise if the extremely popular Lucas did not return to Brooklyn in 1907. It would not be overly surprising, however, if the 12 year veteran—whose dedication to the craft of hitting allowed him to unlock a new performance level at the age of 36—returned to the LBL in the future as a hitting coach.
Emerson West hit like he usually does and his demotion was not a reflection on his overall performance. The issue with West has always been his temper. He just loves to fight. His temper has always made him a beloved teammate—West, alongside partner-in-crime Giles Harrison, is always the first one out of the dugout after any provocations and always comes in high when sliding on the basepaths. But, his temper has also tended to get him in trouble off of the field where violence is less tolerated. This time, his temper caused a bit of an uncomfortable situation after West sent a couple of locals—one of whom was the son of a local police captain—to the hospital during a bar fight. As a result, GM/manager Williams sent him across the river to Jersey City until tensions with the local police dissipated. West has always served a useful purpose for the Whales as a bench bat that hits lefthanded pitchers capably and that can adequately play first and third base. With the 39 year old Creighton Lucas nearing the twilight of his career, West has a decent chance to reclaim his bench role to Brooklyn for the 1907 season.
Infielders
Led by an offensive outburst by 27 year old MVP candidate Clovis Juby, the infield was a strength for the Whales in 1906. The group is characterized by positional flexibility with each player (outside of de facto infield coach Joe Cherry) able to play multiple positions. Cherry was brought in to help the younger players develop a winning edge and strong defensive fundamentals. Any objective review of the season would conclude that effort was a success and this group is poised to serve as the strongpoint of the Whales’ teams of future seasons. Accordingly, rumors have already started swirling that Cherry may be retained as a bench coach on Williams’ staff in the future.
Ignatius Strawson was acquired from the New York Bakers prior to the 1903 season and his star power has been every big as bit as the wad of chew characteristically packed into his lip. Following the lifetime bans of seven Whales, Strawson has been the Whales’ best batter and the owner of the swing that every neighborhood boy tries to imitate. The two-time silver slugger winner at second base had another banner year at the plate, batting .302/.331/.380, and he continues to be a capable defensive second baseman, too. Despite his undisputed star status, the grace with which he accepted the move from his primary position to first base served as an excellent example for the younger players. For Strawson, winning has always come first. He had already been shifting over to first base, as a defensive replacement, late in ball games for the last several seasons. So, the transition came easily for him. And, if the respected Williams felt that the move to first gave him the best shot at securing his first Legacy Cup, he was OK to make the move.
Leander Witheycombe joined Brooklyn from independent ball as the prized acquisition of the 1906 off-season. In exchange for a staggering signing bonus, Brooklyn purchased a capable shortstop with a good hit tool who hit righthanded pitchers well and lefthanded pitchers even better. The 1906 season for Witheycombe was about learning new positions. With Clovis Juby entrenched at shortstop and Ignatius Strawson entrenched at second base to start the year, Williams asked Witheycombe to play third base for the first time in his career. The experiment went OK, but left much to be desired. With Charlie Taylor taking over shortstop—sliding Juby to third base—Witheycombe was tasked with learning another new position to close out the season at second base. It’s at second base, a more natural position for Witheycombe, that Leander is likely to start the 1906 season. Witheycombe hit well for an infielder in his debut—particularly given the strain of learning two new positions—with a slash line of .262/.343/.313 (118 wRC+) with plenty of room for growth in year 2.
Clovis Juby looks like a ballplayer. All frenetic energy and excitability, the player affectionately referred to as “Kid” by teammates plays with an unbridled joy for the game of baseball. The 1906 season served as a breakout performance for the young infielder, posting a career best batting line of .298/.352/.382 (138 wRC+) while knocking 9 triples and stealing 13 bases. He led the Eastern League in wins above replacement on the back of his offensive breakout and usual sterling glovework. Blessed with exceptional range, Juby has nevertheless always had difficulty making plays to his right at shortstop. Tired of seeing his star shortstop boot grounders, Williams opted to move Juby to third base towards the end of 1906 where he can better use his stellar range and cannon arm without worrying about having to make plays to his right.
Tinker Taylor got the call to the big leagues in late June after batting .275/.375/.351 for the Whales’ affiliate, the Jersey City Chicks. Called “Tinker” for his ever evolving swing, Taylor struggled to hit once he joined Brooklyn. He hit .197/.281/.263 over 45 games and 175 plate appearances. Nevertheless, Taylor dazzled with the glove as expected. During his 45 games, he put up a 15.33 Zone Rating, the fourth highest total for a major league shortstop in the majors despite only appearing in about a third of the games. He only committed three errors during the regular season and, game-losing error in Game 2 of the Eastern League Cup aside, is about as sure-handed a shortstop as they come. If Taylor ever figures out his swing, he could be a potential MVP candidate with how impressive the glove is.
Joe Cherry was brought in to play a part, to stabilize the infield, and to teach a team on the cusp how to win. A father figure to Taylor, Juby and Witheycombe, Cherry worked long hours regarding defensive fundamentals with the young trio. He also regularly hosted the trio and Ignatius Strawson on Sundays after church over coffee and Mrs. Cherry’s famous apple pie. Cherry had been away from the game of baseball for the better part of five years and hit like it. He batted .188/.312/.219. But, so sterling was his glove—even at age 39—that he was still a value-add for the Whales. He posted 0.3 WAR over 31 games in primarily a bench role.
Outfielders
A flawed group of flawed players, the Whales utilize a lot of platoons in the outfield. Van Winstanley and Hyman Rickward platoon in centerfield while Giles Harrison and Junius Brembridge platoon in the corner. The big stories in the Whales’ outfield this year were Rickward’s dominant offensive year and Brembridge’s successful acquisition from Philadelphia. The group has some work to do in 1907—there were a number of underperformances (e.g., Harrison and Winstanley)—but that’s to be expected from such a flawed collection of players. This group is the definition of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. Nevertheless, it seems a near certainty that Williams will be looking to upgrade one of the outfield spots now that the infield is all but settled.
Bugs Thompson is one of the most naturally gifted outfielders in the Legacy Baseball League. He’s capable of feats of daring and athleticism that other ballplayers cannot quite pull off. A natural lead-off man—competitive in every aspect of his life and the two-time Brooklyn Whales clubhouse darts champion—Thompson has a pathological need to come in first. This prodigious appetite also lends itself to excesses off-the-field. A prolific drinker and womanizer, Bugs is frequently his own worst enemy as soon as the ninth inning ends. Driven to score every time he gets on base, Thompson tied for the league-lead in runs scored in 1906 with 69. He also stole 38 bases while slashing .254/.337/.333
Giles Harrison is the biggest smack talker in the Eastern League. Harrison takes pride in his ability to antagonize opposing teams and their fans. So successful is his schtick that Williams had to limit the number of games Harrison played at the Boston Yards to ensure that the Whales were able to get out of the famously hostile park alive. Lucky for the cocky Harrison, whose mouth tends to get him in a lot of trouble, the southpaw also loves to fight. And, according to his own accounting, he wins more than he loses. Forming a feared duo with teammate Emerson West, Harrison has been known to start a brawl with opposing teams over trivial offenses. Harrison started in left field against righties and hit OK, though not as well as he has in the past. His batting line of .221/.295/.313 were all career lows and his starting days may be behind him.
Van Winstanley had a bit of a down year at the plate after leading the Eastern League in homeruns in 1905. The rest of Winstanley’s slash line was broadly in line with the previous year (.241/.334/.327 vs .238/.320/.378), but it’s an open question of whether the vain centerfielder selling out for power and chasing his previous output caused him to slump a bit. Similarly, for the second consecutive year, every Brooklyn woman’s favorite ballplayer saw his defensive performance suffer. He’s gone from 13.79 ZR in 1904 to 8.76 in 1905 to -1.96 in 1906. The platoon centerfielder is primarily rostered for his glove. So, if he cannot turn it around in 1907, the curiously single center fielder might find himself on the trade block in short order.
Hyman Rickward is the pride of the Orthodox community in Brooklyn. Sitting on Saturdays per his contract, Rickward was nevertheless the best hitter on the Whales in 1906. He led the team in batting average and on base percentage while finishing in third in slugging. He also finished second on the team in stolen bases with 26. His slash line of .314/.385/.372 was good for a wRC+ of 150. A deeply serious man off the field, Rickward has started to lighten up in the clubhouse over his three seasons in professional ball. Indeed, Rickward was responsible for the practical joke that remained the talk of the Whales’ clubhouse throughout 1906, though the ballplayers were scant with details to outsiders. But, Deacon Dunkley seemed particularly upset when asked for details.
Junius Brembridge came over in a trade from Philadelphia before the season. The outfielder had fallen out of favor among the Brewers, but immediately slotted into the Whales’ roster as platoon outfielder and defensive replacement. In addition to impressing teammates with his deep commitment to calisthenics, the new acquisition hit well in his Brooklyn debut. Primarily used against lefthanded pitching, the former Brewer hit .212/.301/.339 against southpaws (115 wRC+) and played solid defense in right and center field. Already making plans with the other Whales’ outfielders to get together for off-season workouts, Brembridge’s commitment to physical fitness has undoubtedly had a positive impact on his teammates.
Pitchers
The pitching remained the strength of the Whales in 1906. At or near the top of the leaderboards in almost every pitching statistic, this Whales’ rotation remains one of the most intimidating groups assembled in the LBL. Unlikely to see any changes for 1907, the rotation will return to hopefully post another banner year next season. The story of the season was the emergence of Lefty Fain as one of the best pitchers in the LBL. As Benney, Priest and Wollett march deeper into their 30s, Fain will be called on to anchor the rotation as the others start their inevitable (but hopefully gradual) decline.
Chick Benney added another great year to an already standout career. At 33 years old, many had begun to question whether the star pitcher might be losing some of his natural ability. Instead, the young-looking Chick, in his seventh professional season, tapped into the Fountain of Youth and topped 6 wins above replacement for the fifth time. Benney also finished fourth in the Eastern League in WHIP (1.01) behind teammates Lefty Fain and Cliff Wollett. Benney has always been difficult to hit, and he continued that trend in 1906 by striking out 12.1% of batters that he faced (down slightly from his career average of 12.7) while only walking 3.39% of batters faced (career average 4.15%). The Brooklyn legend and fan favorite has anchored a rotation feared by the Eastern League and loved by Brooklyn fans since 1900. He is likely to do so for the foreseeable future.
Jackie Priest is perhaps the most superstitious player in the LBL. Priest went all of 1906 without washing his socks before the team’s attendant managed to clean them before the Eastern League Cup. Perhaps, like Samson losing his locks, that laundry snafu may account for his poor performance in the Eastern League Cup. Over 6.2 innings, he walked five and gave up four hits while only striking out two. He blew Game 3 in relief. The former 35 year old rookie pitched in line with his rookie year. He went 18-15 with 139 strikeouts and only 52 walks. He finished with a 2.14 ERA and a 1.92 FIP (fifth in the LBL). Further, Priest finished sixth among pitchers in the LBL in wins above replacement (6.8).
Lefty Fain broke out in a big way in 1906. The 24 year old southpaw started 36 games and struck out 193 batters (fifth) while only walking 60 (eighth). Lefty put his team in a position to win more often than any other pitcher in the LBL, with 33 quality starts (fifth) and 26 wins (first) in all with 6 shutouts. He also lead the Eastern League in WHIP (0.98), and the whole LBL in FIP (1.83) and wins above replacement (8.08). He finished second in ERA (1.49). Liked and respected by his teammates, the unusual southpaw figures to be a mainstay in the Brooklyn rotation going forward. In the Eastern League Cup, the presumptive Pitcher of the Year started 3 games and, over 22 innings, was knocked around for 17 hits and allowed an uncharacteristic 7 walks while striking out 9. Nevertheless, his ERA for the series was 0.82, and he went 1-1.
Cliff Wollett served as the Whales’ number four starter in 1906 with the emergence of Lefty Fain. He primarily did what he always did and induced a lot of weak contact while limiting baserunners (0.99 WHIP). Wollett, the owner of a very unorthodox righthanded delivery that keeps hitters off-balance managed to go 16-9 with a 2.44 ERA. Wollett also got the call to start in the Eastern League Cup where he was dazzline. Over 12.1 innings, Wollet limited the fearsome Brewers’ lineup to 6 hits and no walks while striking out 9. He went 1-0.
Lucian Clark was voted team captain for the third consecutive season. Beloved by teammates for his outsized personality and fierce loyalty to his teammates—rookie Charlie Taylor lived with Clark throughout the 1906 season to help the youngster get acclimated to the big leagues—the reliever had a career year. Clark appeared in 14 games, securing 3 saves and striking out 16 while walking only 5. His ERA was a miniscule 0.36. Clark will also live in infamy in Legacy Baseball history. Based on his exploits on the mound, starting in 1907, pitchers will no longer be able to smoke cigarettes while pitching.
A Brief Assessment of the 1906 Jersey City Chicks
The team performed well for a squad that was so young (second youngest in the RBAL). During the early part of the season, the Birdeye Hershey’s Chicks rode the dazzling glovework of Tinker Taylor to first place. After his promotion to Brookly, his replacement, George Shore, played adequately in his absence, but the Chicks’ performance nevertheless waned a bit as the summer dragged on. Miles Gray also performed well, playing third base most days and showing excellent on-base skills (.408 OBP).
Other good batters for the Chicks included Giovanni Luttrell, a switch-hitter who played strong defense at second base and showed some pop at the plate, Elroy Soame, who played good defense in centerfield and put himself in consideration for a reserve outfielder role in the future, and Elwyn Adams, who is a steady defender in the corner outfield with a promising bat.
The Chicks had a glut of young first base and corner outfield options—lefthanded Bailey, Dixon, Maw, Alvey and righthanded Clarke, Adair, Dixon and Goulder. So, Williams and Hershey will continue to work with these young bats and hope to graduate a few within the next several years to fortify the current weak spots of the Whales’ roster.
The pitching was the strength of the Chicks’ roster, which should come as no surprise given Hershey’s pitching background. Flea Cooper, Rooster Bradley and Jimmie Ablewhite all performed well as starters and could make the majors soon—either as Whales or after a trade to another team. Former first round pick Pierre Walker also pitched well, but will need to continue to work on his control if he is going to succeed at the next level. In relief, Ivory Pearce was impressive and Edward Goater was dominant (12-1 with 2 saves over 109 innings pitched)
The Outlook for 1907
At catcher, Dunkley will remain the starter as he continues what could end up a Hall of Fame career in Brooklyn. Forbes will remain his backup.
The infield is likely settled with each of Strawson, Witheycombe, Taylor and Juby entrenched at their respective positions. Despite the positional versatility of Strawson (1B/2B), Witheycombe (2B/SS/2B) and Juby (SS/3B), the Whales are likely to call up 25-year old super utility Miles Gray after a compelling year in Jersey City.
The outfield will likely remain an amalgamation of spare parts and platoons. Center field will, in all likelihood, continue to be a platoon of lefthanded Winstanley and righthanded Rickward. Winstanley had a rough year defensively in centerfield, but his long track record there has earned him some patience from the coaching staff. Thompson has brought a big bat and some speed to the corner outfield and will likely continue to play everyday and bat leadoff. Giles Harrison and Junius Brembridge will continue to platoon, barring an unforeseen development.
The bench will likely consist of Noah Forbes, Emerson West, the outfielders who are on the wrong side of the platoon, and Miles Gray, who can play each of second base, shortstop, third base and the corner outfield spots with excellent defense. In a pinch, Gray can probably play centerfield, too.
The priority for the off-season will be trying to find a lefthanded slugger that can play left field. Doing so would allow Giles Harrison to move to the bench as a lefthanded backup first baseman, backup left fielder and pinch hitter and allow Williams to part ways with Adam Rodenbaugh.
The pitching staff remained exemplary in 1906 and, barring unforeseen developments or opportunities, will likely remain unchanged for Opening Day.
So, in summation, joining the team for Opening Day will be Miles Gray, Emerson West (assuming the heat with the Law has died down) and, ideally, a lefthanded power hitter. Leaving the team will be Joe Cherry, Creighton Lucas, and potentially Adam Rodenbaugh. Williams will continue to assess the pitchers in Jersey City and will likely add Flea Cooper, Rooster Bradley or southpaw Jimmie Ablewhite to the roster at some point during the course of the season. Giovanni Luttrell and Elwyn Adams will get long looks, too, but are likely to spend another season in Jersey City.