1950 Season Update: July 31, 1950

I've reached Aug. 1 in my 1950 APBA baseball replay in a season has been slow for me to play. I began this on March 7, 2014, exactly 11 months ago today and I'm only 65 percent finished. Before, in a 154-game season with eight American League and eight National League teams, it would take me less than a year to complete.

I don't know if it's life butting in, changes in my work hours, being more tired at night, not as enthused by the season, other ventures or some different excuse, but the game has remained at a slower pace.

But I've reached Aug. 1. It's a time when the seeming endless games of spring and summer begin culminating and there's that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Games take on more importance now with two-thirds of the season over.

All that said, here's a look at the season so far. The Yankees, led by the tandem of Joe DiMaggio and Johnny Mize, have taken over first place and are seemingly in the driver's seat for the rest of the season. Joltin' Joe has 30 home runs to lead the league and hit 11 in the month of July. Mize clouted 25 of his own. Ed Lopat leads all pitcher with a 16-2 record. Hitting and pitching will carry the Yankees, I'm sure.

Boston, Detroit and Cleveland are in a dogfight for second place, The three teams switch places after each three-game series. It'll be interesting to see how they play out. Early Wynn, like Lopat, is 16-2 on the mound and Art Houtteman is 15-3 on the mound for the Tigers.

Here are the standings for the league:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

                  W    L    GB

New York  68    31       -

Boston       61    40      8

Detroit       58    39      9

Cleveland   59   43    10.5

Washington 43  57    25.5

Philadelphia 39  62   30

St. Louis      37   63   31.5

Chicago       36   66   33.5

The National League continues to be a close race and , like I said, the games take on more importance this late in the season. The Cardinals, which actually took over first place just before the All-Star break, have gone 9-9 since the three-day stoppage, including losing two of three games twice to the Giants and going 3-3 against the Dodgers.

Philadelphia remains the most frustrating team to play. In the real 1950 season, the Phillies won the division. In this replay, they are happy to have moved from seventh to sixth place by half a game. Cincinnati's team is one-dimensional. Ted Kluszeski hits two home runs a game, but the Reds typically lose, 9-4 or 7-5. They stunned the league winning five games in a row, but three of those contests were against the hapless Phillies.

Kluszewski and Hank Sauer lead the National League with 29 home runs each and Ralph Kiner has 28 for Pittsburgh.

Here are the National League standings through July 31, 1950:

NATIONAL LEAGUE

                 W      L     GB

Boston      58     40      -

New York 58     43    1.5

St. Louis    54    43    3.5

Brooklyn   54    44     4

Pittsburgh  51    46    6.5

Philadelphia 46 58    15

Chicago      42   55   15.5

Cincinnati  32   66    26

There are still 436 games left to play. If I pick up the pace, I can complete this replay by late May, perhaps. I will try; there are other seasons waiting. I may have slowed because this season is similar to the 1942 campaign I competed last. Both seasons had dominating Yankee's teams and no Minnesota Twins teams. I know the Washington Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961, but it's not the same thing. I'm ready to roll some games for the Twins soon.

Maybe since I've reached the tipping point of the season, the time when games take on a bit more importance, I can roll more games and get fully back into the one.