It was a bitter Fourth of July in Philadelphia. The Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in the hometown of the Philadelphia Brewers precisely 125 years ago, and the Brewers wanted to deliver a title on such an anniversary.
The Boeselager brothers, Karl and Walt, sat down with their General Manager, Martin Pitsch. The brothers picked a backroom at the German Corner Pub, not far away from their stadium, as the location for their discussion. Usually, patrons would use the room for card games. Although the last card game happened a week ago, the smell of tobacco was still very present.
“I don’t think I need to say that the past season was disappointing,” Walt said while putting down three glasses of Boeselager beer. “Even the Englishman telegraphed his discontent.”
The other participants of the meeting nodded in agreement.
“I traveled a lot this year,” Karl said while shuffling cards. A round of Skat would be perfect for the three Germans. “And I missed almost everything unless it was in the newspaper. So why won’t you tell me about the season?”
The general manager picked up his ten cards. Oh, an authentic German deck! No jacks, queens, kings, but Buben, Damen und Könige. After thoroughly examining possible games he could play with his hand, he shook his head and gave him a summary.
A season summary
Just like his hand, the potential was there for another playoff run. A round of Grand brings in the most points, but a lost game would weigh even more. If it’s not a perfect hand, it could end in a catastrophe if the trumps are uneven.
He counted the possible points. If both have one trump each, and if they have all suits, then it’s a win. But the outcome was different.
With only a few top free agents, the Brewers, who had the lowest budget of all LBL teams, decided not to go all-in. Instead, their top signing was Alfred Gilling, who became the regular starter on second base. The general manager had to fill holes in the depth chart with players from the reserve roster.
It was a risk. As it turned out, it was a poorly calculated risk. Until May, things looked even. The Richmond Rifles led the division at the end of April with 32 wins and 22 losses. The Brewers trailed by only two wins, and the Clippers were .500 with 27 wins.
Philadelphia had a rough March. After the devastating sweep against the Rifles, the Brewers looked at an 11-12 record. But the comeback reminded the nation of the 1900 rally that brought them into the postseason. Until the end of April, the Brewers won 19 games and only lost eleven.
Something happened in May. In the first 18 days of the month, the team stumbled around with a 9-8 record, but then came the break. With six games behind, there was a lot of pressure. But instead of producing a series of wins, the Brewers lost nine games in the following two weeks and only won four. Taking the series from the Rifles in early June breathed in new hope, but the difference was too much. Two more wins against the Baltimore Clippers, but the Ronnie Arrington’s men gave up and lost seven out of the last ten games of the season.
The Pitching Staff
Danny Edgerton, Stephen Millington, and Lambert Holmes formed the three-men rotation. It is well-known that the Brewers pursued Charles Stewkley in the previous off-season to have an extra option, but they lost the bidding to the Bakers. Although Edgerton and Millington have comparable statistics, the big difference was the number of runs. Millington received 46 more runs than Edgerton. Once again, Millington ended up with a losing record. For Arrington, it was frustrating as in April, Millington showed his true talents. He won eight games, only lost one, and allowed an average of 2.87 runs per nine innings in ten games.
When the Brewers felt that his slump was irreparable, they began to inquire about the services of other pitchers. But, in the end, Millington stayed because he is still a fan favorite.
The Offense
Philadelphia remains the batting powerhouse of the Eastern League with 496 runs, a batting average of .290, and a .345 on-base percentage. In the LBL, the Twin City Empire and the Cleveland Athletics of the Western League are the only teams who can beat these numbers.
The two top performers are Leo McKenzie and Rusty Hall. Both earned the Golden Bat trophies for their respective positions. Hall’s batting average was at .350, and he brought in 70 runs. In the first 50 games, Hall’s BA was .393. Unfortunately, in the 41 games that followed, this average dropped to .298.
Leo McKenzie earned a more important aside his Golden Bat: the EL Most Valuable Player. Despite a streaky season, he ended up with a .357 BA. Even more impressive was that in 434 plate appearances, McKenzie got on base 199 times (121 hits, 78 base-on-balls). The most remarkable performance was the whole month of April. McKenzie was unstoppable, with a .480 BA and an on-base percentage of .585.
The Defense
Philadelphia keeps struggling with its defense. It is the worst defense in the whole Eastern League but packed with hard-hitting bats. So Arrington’s dilemma is between a potent offense or an average defense.
A perfect example is the outfield. The two best hitters reside in the outfield. Rusty Hall and Leo McKenzie produce runs that are vital for the Brewers. Yet, they both are sub-par with their gloves.
While Gilling improved second base, the shortstop position remains a vulnerable spot in the defensive net. As a result, many expect Nelson to move to the bench once another shortstop has been signed this offseason.
But there is also good news. Lionel Lyon won the only defensive award and became the EL’s Grand Snagger on 1B.
New Guys
Alfred Gilling and Frank Stilgoe were the two significant additions of the season. Gilling became the highest-paid player of the Brewers but wasn’t able to fully justify the annual $9,999. Instead, the fans and the other players enjoy the presence of Gilling, which immediately made him a popular figure. The Brewers hired him as a much-needed quality second baseman. He led the LBL in double plays (54) and assists (318) but also shared second place in most errors with Richmond’s Ezra Fisher (41).
Stilgoe, too, improved the clubhouse morale. Although he was new to the team, he immediately became the team captain.
What to expect?
Pitsch was considering a sell-out when it was nearly impossible to make it to the playoffs. But the offers were scarce. The offseason is promising, though. New players flooding the market give Philadelphia a reasonable chance to improve crucial positions.
The first addition has been signed already: 26-year-old Junius Brembridge, who can cover all positions in the outfield.
The End of a Night
“That was a good round, Martin,” chuckled Karl. “We should do this more often.”
How could I have lost this one? It was an easy hand, but the cards were not in my favor like so often. The general manager lost the final round, playing a hand that looked like a sure win.
Walt grabbed the empty glasses but knocked one over, which rolled off the table and shattered in pieces. While they played cards, they had five more rounds. “Verdammt nochmal,” he cursed. A sigh followed by a moment of silence. “You need to fix the team. The nobleman is losing patience. The budget increase was our doing.”
“Is he threatening to bail?” asked the general manager. Karl followed with a prompt response. “No, no. I think he enjoys mocking the Americans too much. The anthem and the Scotch Egg stand next to the Homeplate Bar amuse him. We told him that it only generates profit because Philadelphians love throwing the eggs at the away team’s dugout. But he wants to cut the budget. Or let’s say his part of the budget.”
“I’ll get to work then.” Martin Pitsch grabbed his hat and turned around, just to step into the shards on the ground.