So what did baseball fans have to talk about around the hot stove 100 years ago?
Maybe they talked about a memorable 1911 World Series in which the Philadelphia Athletics repeated as champions by defeating the New York Giants four games to two. If so, they were sure to talk about Philadelphia third baseman Frank Baker’s clutch home runs off of Giants aces Rube Marquard and Christy Mathewson in games two and three. ‘Home Run’ Baker he would be known from then on.
Afterwards, they would throw another log into the hot stove and discuss whether A’s manager Connie Mack or the Giants John McGraw was the best in baseball. Mack had won his second world’s championship and McGraw had one. Those who weren’t for either could toss their hat into the ring for Chicago Cubs player/manager Frank Chance with his four pennants and two world’s championships.
The Chalmers Automobile Company of Detroit had awarded the first Most Valuable Player Awards in the American and National Leagues in 1911. Detroit Tigers center fielder Ty Cobb won it in the American after leading the league in just about every offensive statistical category. Chicago Cubs outfielder Frank Schulte won it in the National. Those around the hot stove probably had no problem with Cobb’s selection, but some may have thought Mathewson deserved it in the National over Schulte.
Those against Mathewson would say that he had a good year, but Philadelphia Phillies rookie Grover Cleveland Alexander had been better. He had pitched four shutouts in the month of September which helped him lead the NL with 28 victories. In the American League Jack Coombs of the A’s had matched him with 28 of his own.
Alexander and Coombs were the present and future. Denton True ‘Cy’ Young sat in front of his hot stove and knew that he was the past. The 44 year old had just completed his 22nd season with the Boston Rustlers and knew that it was time to retire. He went to spring training in 1912, but returned home before the season started.
Maybe someone mentioned a young outfielder that they had seen play by the name of Casey Stengel. He would make his major league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1912.
Then someone else checked the hot stove and said that they had seen a 15 year old kid who played catcher left handed and pitched for the St. Mary’s Industrial School in Baltimore, Maryland. This kid, George Ruth, could play and was worth keeping an eye on.
The conversation might end by debating whether the A’s would become the first team to win three straight World Series or could McGraw’s Giants get their revenge? Chicago fans would say that if anyone could stop the A’s it was their beloved Cubs.
Just as it is today, there was so much to talk about around the hot stove 100 years ago.