Commemorating the 1920 Brooklyn Robins: Early Season Trends Not Lost On Uncle Robbie

From the desk of: FINGERPRINTS OF THE BUMS

100th Anniversary

BROOKLYN ROBINS
1920 National League Champions

Brooklyn Arrives at Fork in the Road.  After Strong Start Do Robins Go Way of 1916 Champions or Veer Off Road Like Last Year's Robins?

Now in his seventh year managing Brooklyn, Wilbert Robinson is fit to be tied, for first place that is.  The Robins 24-15 start is eerily reminiscent of their open to the 1916 season.  And we all know what happened that year.  Four years ago at this time the Robins lead the National League standings by 1.5 games over the second place New York Giants.  But after capturing the pennant in 1916 Brooklyn opens the 1917 season with a 14-20 record, and in 1918 they open with a 13-26 record.  Last season the Robins get off to a respectable 20-15 start but inevitably fade below par and for a third straight season finish in the second division.  No one recalls this more readily that Wilbert.  For the moment his team is presently tied for first place with the defending world champion Cincinnati Reds.  At no point through the team's first forty games have they ever fallen more than two games out of first.  But Wilbert understands well the long road ahead.  What happens next is anybody's guess.

If the Robins continue pitching effectively Uncle Robbie seems confident success will find its way to Brooklyn.  Mind you the Robins pitching staff which has failed to feature a 20-game winner since Jeff Pfeffer won 25 games in 1916 returns this season virtually unchanged from last.  Burleigh Grimes at 26-years old is the baby of the bunch.  He is off to an outstanding start with a 6-2 record and 1.33 earned run average.  On the other side of the spectrum is Jeff Pfeffer whom only recently snapped a personal five game losing streak.  He is so far  2-5 with a representative 2.25 earned run average.  Leon Cadore is 4-3 and owns a fine 1.45 earned run average.  Al Mamaux is answering the call with a 4-1 record and a brilliant 1.15 ERA through 47 innings pitched.  The elder member of Brooklyn's core group Rube Marquard limited last season by a broken leg to just eight games is still trying to find his old self with a 2-1 record and 4.28 ERA through 37 innings pitched.  The good news is despite baseball's ban on the spitball effective this season, Marquard and a handful of select pitchers are allowed to continue utilizing the pitch.

Trading Casey Stengel prior to the 1918 season clears the way for Hi Myers becoming a starter.  For the moment he continues bearing the offensive load while Zack Wheat and Ed Konetchy remain out with injuries.  Last year Myers leads the circuit in triples, slugging average, and runs batted in.  This season the now 31-year old center fielder is batting .306 with 16 extra base hits including two home runs and a team leading 22 runs batted in.  Both Zack Wheat and Big Ed Konetchy are expected back next week perhaps against St. Louis.

EARLY SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

• 4/14/1920 - Brooklyn Robins Rout Phillies in Season Opener at Ebbets Field
• 4/24/1920 - Burleigh Grimes Hurls Robins Over Phillies 
• 4/26/1920 - Rube Marquard Turns Tables on Giants
• 5/1/1920 - Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves Play in Major League Record 26-Inning Marathon
• 5/13/1920 - Brooklyn Robins Have No Answer for Grover Cleveland Alexander
• 5/15/1920 - Brooklyn Robins Take Second Straight From Cardinals at Robison Field

• Friday, May 21, 1920 - Brooklyn Whitewashes Defending Champions at Redland Field
• Wednesday, May 26, 1920 - Robins Claim Key Series Victory at Pittsburgh
• Monday, May 31, 1920 - Brooklyn Robins Sweep Rival Giants in Twin Bill at Ebbets
• Tuesday, June 1, 1920 - Robins Forge First Place Tie With Reds
• Thursday, June 3, 1920 - Brooklyn Robins Whitewash Phillies at Baker Bowl
• Friday, June 4, 1920 - Brooklyn Reclaims Share of First Place

Next: New York Giants vs Brooklyn Robins at Ebbets Field

* Join me this season as I commemorate the Brooklyn Robins 1920 National League championship.  I am recapping each regular season game in real time with of course a little touch of poetic license.