A Tale of Two Cities

Teams in two cities are making impacts during the first month of my 1947 APBA baseball replay.  Boston and Philadelphia, two of the five cities then that featured teams in both leagues, are pretty much book-ending the standings so far.

The Boston Red Sox, fueled by Ted Williams’ amazing start (.429 8HR 20 RBIs), Tex Hughson’s 4-0 month on the mound and Robert Klinger’s three saves, have given the team the lead in the American League. The Sox are also serving notice to New York that the Yankees might not win the League by 12 games as they did in the real season.

Boston is now 14-6 for the year, 1.5 games ahead of both the Yankees and Detroit Tigers. Their National League counterpart, the Boston Braves are also challenging the lead with a 15-8 record. That’s good enough for second place behind the surprising St. Louis Cardinals’ 15-5 record so far. In the real 1947 season,  the Cards were 6-14 after 20 games and ended up in second place by season’s end.

The Braves had a seven-game winning streak in my replay and, after losing two to the Cardinals in their last series, they beat St. Louis, 6-2, in a quick game I was able to get in after stumbling home from work late last night.

The bats are carrying Boston. The Braves have only hit six home runs, with Robert Elliott’s two leading the team.  Pitching is the Braves’ forte, with Warren Spahn going 4-0 and Johnny Sain at 3-2 by the end of May 5. Outfielder Thomas Holmes leads Boston with 17 RBIs so far.

The Braves’ decent start is not that much of a surprise. Remember, a year later, the real 1948 Braves went to the World Series with the mantra “Spahn and Sain, and pray for rain.”The Red Sox finished third in the actual 1947 season, but if they continue to play like they have so far in this APBA replay, it should be a good American League race.

On the other end of the standings, the other city – Philadelphia is mired down, although the Phillies have had a sudden surge, moving out of last place by winning six of their last seven games after starting off losing seven of their first 11.

How the Phillies are doing it is a mystery. Catcher Andy Seminick has 20 RBis and five home runs, including a grand slam, but the rest of the team has been hit and miss. The team is similar somewhat to the 2011 Cardinals with various player stepping up at needed times. That’s by no means saying I think the Phillies will challenge for the League title. Schoolboy Rowe is 4-1 on the mound so far. It’ll take more the Rowe and Seminick to pace the Phils.

There’s no question the Philadelphia As are a struggling team. Ace Philip Marchildon is 1-4, Richard Fowler is 1-3 and Joe Coleman has yet to win a game in three decisions. Sam Chapman leads the As with two home runs and Barney McCosky has nine RBIs.

Two cities. Two directions. Meanwhile, a third city, New York, may have something to say as well. The Yankees are, well, they’re they Yankees. And the Giants are lurking behind Boston in the National League hoping to make some noise as well.