MLB Showdown Obsession

 Before there was the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup, NBA Finals or even the World Cup, there was the World Series. Heck, the World Series predates even the creation of any of the other major sports leagues in America. The National League was long established by the turn of the century as an alternative league was starting up in 1901. There were some finalizing to happen in the next couple season, but by 1903 the "modern era" of baseball had begun. In this inaugural of baseball as we know it, the Boston Americans were the perfect representatives of the American League. Their name was literally to distinguish themselves from the NL Boston team (the Beaneaters, who would go on to eventually be known as the Atlanta Braves). Player-Manager Jimmy Collins and the Americans coasted to the AL pennant with a 91-47 record, with the 2nd place Philadelphia Athletics 14.5 games back and the last place Washington Senators 47.5 games out. From the National League, the Pittsburgh Pirates emerge...

 For 1962, the HoF rules were changed to helped ensure there would be new entries. The BBWAA failed to vote anyone new in for both 1958 and 1960, so they planned another run-off election in the event of a 3rd straight failure. Thankfully, they got their act together and managed to vote in not one, but two players on the first try. Meanwhile, the Veterans Committee met and added two entries of their own to swell the 1962 class to four men. Also inducted: Bill McKechnie (Manager - Cincinnati Reds / Pittsburgh Pirates / St. Louis Cardinals / Boston Braves / Boston Bees)

1937 tends to get lost in the shuffle of the vast library of Yankees titles, but it turned out to be a pivotal year. After their title in '36, the Yankees were sitting on 5 titles in all, tying them with the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Athletics for the most in baseball. As for supremacy of just New York City, they were also stuck in a tie, with them having split with the Giants with 2 titles each. By time the dust settled in the 1937 World Series, the Yankees broke all those ties. First order of business was for Joe McCarthy and the Yankees to take care of the competition in the American League. With a near identical record from the previous season, the 102-52 Yankees had no problem leaving the rest of the league in the rearview, finishing 13 games ahead of 2nd place Detroit while the Browns were 56 long games in last place. The New York Giants met them for a rematch of the previous years series. Everything was on the line, with not only the tie breaking series against the Yan...

 The BBWAA voters in 1960 pitched another shutout, and by the nature of the rules there were no other players available for enshrinement. It was the Veterans Committee's turn in 1961 and they stepped up with two men. After back-to-back failures to vote in new players, the rules would be tweaked the following season to ensure there would be someone to get the call for the hall.

 Jeeze, it's not even a year since I did the 100 post special . Shows just how much I've ramped things up on this project. It started as something I would do when a certain theme struck my fancy, and now here I am hitting one or two posts a week, usually pretty ambitious in their scope. The 30-in-30 special helped swell the count with 30 entire team sets (definitely not quick to do) in a month...and my ongoing Hall of Fame spotlights (some years are very easy with one or two cards needed). I'd sure like to continue my perfect game series, but I lack proper logos! I can't imagine things will change and we'll be looking at the 300 milestone within another year since I've got lots of plans in my head. But for right now, let's call upon the Bot for some mostly uncommon players to be represented, as I crack open my autograph book from my youth and honor some more of the men who graced me with their signature... Graig Nettles was another one of those paid appeara...