Giants Checking In:
Tom Baker, Nursery, Texas
Clyde Castleman, Donelson, Tennessee
Ken Chase, Oneonta, New York
Mort Cooper, Atherton, Missouri
Tom Hafey, Berkeley, California
Bill Lohrman, Brooklyn, New York
Hal Luby, Blackfoot, Idaho
Red Lynn, Kenney, Texas
Buster Maynard, Henderson, North Carolina
Johnny Mize, Demorest, Georgia
Ken O’Dea, Lima, New York
Manny Salvo, Sacramento, California
Giants Checking Out:
Jack Boyle, Cincinnati, Ohio
Elmer Cleveland, Zimmerman, Pennsylvania
Roscoe Miller, Corydon, Indiana
Hal O’Hagan, Newark, New Jersey
Dan Shannon, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Record: 101-51, 1st in the National League, 12.5 games ahead of Philadelphia
Runs Scored: 684, 3rd in the National League
Runs Allowed: 515, 1st in the National League
Pythagorean Record: 95-57, (684 runs scored, 515 runs allowed) 1st in the National League
Postseason: Lost World Series, 4-1, to Philadelphia Athletics
General Manager: John McGraw
Manager: John McGraw (12th season, 1082-648, .625, through 1913)
Ballpark: Polo Grounds V Attendance: 630,000 (1st in the National League)
Park Factors: Batting – 103, Pitching – 100 (Over 100 favors batters, under 100 favors pitchers)
Days in First Place: 102, last on October 4
Best Month: July, 25-6, .806
Worst Month: May,12-12, .500
Largest Margin of Victory: beat Philadelphia, 10-0, July 1 at the Baker Bowl
beat Chicago, 14-4, July 11 at the Polo Grounds
beat Philadelphia, 13-3, October 3 at the Polo Grounds
Largest Margin of Defeat: lost to Boston, 8-0, April 10 at the Polo Grounds
lost to St. Louis, 8-0, May 20 at the Polo Grounds
lost to Pittsburgh, 9-1, August 6 at Forbes Field
lost to Pittsburgh, 8-0, September 13 at Forbes Field
lost to Boston, 8-0, September 30 at South End Grounds
Longest Winning Streak: 14, June 26 to July 9
Longest Losing Streak: 5, April 30 to May 5
Longest Game: 14 innings, May 19, beat Pittsburgh, 3-2
14 innings, May 29, beat Philadelphia, 7-6
14 innings, September 1, beat Boston, 2-1
Loved to Face: Cincinnati, 17-5, .773
Hated to Face: Boston, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, 14-8 against each, .636 (yes, the Giants dominated all)
Most Home Runs: Larry Doyle, 5; Tillie Shafer, 5
Highest OBP: John “Chief” Meyers, .387
Highest OPS+: John “Chief” Meyers, 127
Most Stolen Bases: George Burns, 40
Highest Position Player WAR: Art Fletcher, 4.6
Most Innings Pitched: Christy Mathewson, 306
Most Strikeouts by a Pitcher: Rube Marquard, 151
Best Starter ERA+: Christy Mathewson, 152
Best Reliever ERA+: Hooks Wiltse, 202
Highest Pitcher WAR: Christy Mathewson,6.9
Complete Games: 82
Shutouts: 11
Hall of Famers: Christy Mathewson, Rube Marquard and, of course, John McGraw.
Career Best Seasons: Tillie Shafer, Al Demaree
Career Worst Season: Jim Thorpe
Rookies of Note: Rube Schauer, Ferdie Schupp, Jim Thorpe
Say Hello To: Art Fromme, Eddie Grant, Rube Schauer, Ferdie Schupp, Jim Thorpe
Say Goodbye To: Red Ames, Doc Crandall, Josh Devore, Buck Herzog (for a few years, at any rate), Heinie Groh (he’d be back, too)
Playing Time:
Youngsters (25 or under): 2,690 PAs (45.9%); 416.2 IP (29.3%) OF John Merritt, 18, is youngest
Prime (26-29): 2,403 PAs (41.0%); 600 IP (42.2%)
Past-Prime (30-33): 768 PAs (13.1%) 405.1 IP (28.5%) P Hooks Wiltse, 33, is oldest
Old Timers (34+): 0 PAs (0%) 0 IP (0%)
Nicknames:
Chief (John Meyers)
Bonehead (Fred Merkle)
Laughing Larry (Larry Doyle)
Red (John Murray)
Snow (Fred Snodgrass)
Tillie (Arthur Shafer)
Moose (Harry McCormick)
Harvard Eddie (Eddie Grant)
Big Six (Christy Mathewson)
Rube (Richard Marquard)
Hooks (George Wiltse)
Key Transaction: Signed Jim Thorpe as an amateur free agent in February.
Top Prospect: Charles Victor “Victory” Faust, though not a prospect, was the Giants’ good-luck charm throughout the 1911-13 seasons. See the essay at www.
Interesting Fact: A hardy bunch, Giant batters were struck by 63 pitched balls, 19 more than the runner-up St. Louis Cardinals.
Unis:
What Went Right: From June 26 to July 23, the Giants won 14 of 17, all but wrapping up the pennant. Pitching and speed (296 stolen bases) made what was otherwise an ordinary ball club (the hitters had a 99 OPS+) into a pennant-winner for the third year in a row. The hitters, in addition to their speed, had an important skill going for them. For the tenth season in a row, the Giants led the National League in on-base percentage (.338). (They would do so again in 1914 to make it eleven straight.)
What Went Wrong: The Philadelphia Phillies led the league for nearly half the season, and at one point McGraw remarked contemptuously, “If a team like the Phillies can win a pennant in the National League, then the league is a joke.” Clearly worried though, and in an effort to bolster his pitching, McGraw made one of his poorest trades. He exchanged outfielder Josh Devore, pitcher Red Ames, and utility infielder Henry “Heinie” Groh for Cincinnati pitcher Art Fromme. By doing so, he gave up 52.2 in future WAR for the 0 they would receive from Fromme over three seasons before his retirement. In fact, McGraw would spend years trying to get Groh back the Reds until he succeeded in doing so after the 1921 season.