Portland Beavers

80-78, fifth in the ACL
April: 11-10. May: 17-12. June: 12-15. July: 9-16.
August: 17-11. September: 14-13. October: 2-3.

First season: 107-47, World Series champs

NOTES
The Beavers, defending Century League champs, were in it, at least mathematically, until the end. They were eliminated last week, and finished eight games back. A poor July really hurt their chances.

Beaver statistics

What went right?
Walter Johnson again won the ACL Cy Young Award, leading the loop in wins with 21, ERA at 2.53, and strikeouts with 257. One of the major conclusions from two Century League seasons is that Johnson is the best pitcher ever. Ty Cobb won the batting title, hitting .377, just 40 points better than the second place finisher. He also led the league in hits and on-base percentage, and was fifth in slugging; he hit 23 home runs. Cobb finished third in the MVP voting.

What went wrong?
First and foremost, they lost three big arms on their pitching staff when Chief Bender, Ed Walsh, and Ed Plank went away to Bainbridge Island when an expansion team from the 19-aughts was formed there. That was 48 wins out the door: Bender went 17-7 in Portland last season, Walsh 15-8, and Plank 16-9. Portland also lost Napoleon Lajoie and Sam Crawford to expansion. Crawford had a good year in BI, though he could never get much playing time in Portland. Lajoie hit .386 for the Beavers but had an off year for the Lumberjacks.

Jennings' biggest claim to fame is three pennants as manager of the Tigers.