2005 MLB Replay
September Highlights
American League
The Cleveland Indians won 99 games to lead the American League and
easily outdistance Chicago for the Central Division title. The
Tribe finished strong, going 20-8 for September behind an outstanding
performance by Pitcher of the Month Scott Elarton.
The surprising Elarton went 4-1 with a 1.32 ERA down the stretch
to finish the season at 15-10. Boston ran away with the East, finishing
11 games ahead of second-place New York. The Red Sox season was
highlighted by AL RBI leader Manny Ramirez (168) and batting champion Johnny Damon (.356). The BoSox nearly pulled off a team Triple Crown, but David Ortiz narrowly lost the home run title to Alex Rodriguez, 53-52.
Oakland captured the AL West, finishing 96-66 thanks to excellent pitching. The A's staff was led by Dan Haren, the AL's only 20-game winner. Huston Street
led the majors with 41 saves. The Los Angeles Angels outdueled
Chicago for the Wild Card spot with a strong finish. September
Player of the Month Chone Figgins paced the Halos, batting .402 and scoring 28 runs for the month. Figgins led the AL with 73 steals for the year.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Chone Figgins |
Scott Elarton |
Pat Burrell |
Jeff Weaver |
| AL Player of the Month |
AL Pitcher of the Month |
NL Player of the Month |
NL Pitcher of the Month |
National League
The Los Angeles Dodgers came down to the final weekend of the season,
barely slipping past San Diego for the NL West title. The Dodgers
and Padres entered the last weekend series in Petco Park in a dead
heat, but the visiting Dodgers took the Friday and Saturday games to
clinch the division. Jeff Weaver pitched a gem in the clincher, and earned Pitcher of the Month honors with a sizzling 6-0 record and a 2.36 ERA.
The St. Louis Cardinals won 100 games to lead the majors and finish 3
games ahead of Houston for the Central Division crown. The Cards
accomplished the feat without a league leader in any major category.
Houston took the Wild Card spot, featuring a dominant season from
Roger Clemens. Clemens
led the majors in both wins (22) and ERA (1.28). Philadelphia captured
the NL East in comfortable fashion, behind Billy Wagner's
league-leading 36 saves. Pat Burrell captured the Player of the Month award, batting .368 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI. Burrell narrowly beat out Atlanta's Andruw Jones (138-136) to win the RBI title. Jones led the NL with 49 home runs, followed closely by Derrek Lee (48) and Burrell (46).
The batting title was decided on the final day of the season! The crown went to Ken Griffey Jr., who edged Brian Giles
by .000003! Griffey ended the season on the DL, but had enough
plate appearances to qualify for the title, finishing at .340952 to
Giles' .340949.
August Highlights
American League
The Oakland A's continue to dominate the American League,
sitting at an MLB-best 85-47 record through August. Pitching is the story
for the A's, as their third different hurler captured Pitcher of the Month
honors. Dan Haren went 6-0 for August with a 1.89 ERA to join Rich Harden
and Huston Street among the Oakland award-winners. Haren is tied for the
AL lead with 16 wins and has authored a league-best three shutouts. He
stands at 16-7 overall with a fine 3.63 ERA. Street's 35 saves are also
tops in the AL. The A's are a comfortable 13.5 games ahead of the
second-place Los Angeles Angels.
The Cleveland Indians have opened up a 5.5-game lead in the
Central, on the strength of a 9-1 run to end the month. Johnny Peralta and
Travis Hafner are among the AL batting leaders. Peralta paced the Tribe
during August, batting .409 with 7 HR and 31 RBI. His numbers were
impressive, but it was Johnny Damon who captured Player of the Month honors.
Damon set the table for the Red Sox, batting .411 and recording a .464 OBP while
scoring 34 runs. The Sox have amassed an 11.5-game lead in the East,
running well ahead of the second-place Yankees.
The only close race involves the AL Wild Card. Chiacgo
leads Los Angeles by 1.5 games, as only 5 AL teams sport records above the .500
mark. Mark Buehrle paced Chicago for August, going 6-0 with a 2.42 ERA.
Another No-Hitter!
Felix Hernandez, the brilliant young Mariners' hurler, tossed a
no-hitter against the mighty New York Yankees on August 31. The box score
can be viewed at: http://www.davelittle.blogspot.com/
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Johnny Damon |
Dan Haren |
Brian Giles |
Jorge Sosa |
Tim Hudson |
| AL Player of the Month |
AL Pitcher of the Month |
NL Player of the Month |
NL Co-Pitcher of the Month |
NL Co-Pitcher of the Month |
National League
The month of August belonged to the Atlanta Braves! The
Braves stormed back into the pennant race with a 23-5 record for the month.
Jorge Sosa and Tim Hudson combined for an 8-1 record and a 1.73
ERA to share the Pitcher of the Month award. Andruw Jones
contributed 13 home runs and 23 RBI. Atlanta streaked to within 1 game of
NL East-leading Philadelphia. The Braves are within 1.5 games of Houston
in the Wild Card race.
Brian Giles captured the honors of Player of the Month.
Giles tore through August, batting .436 and putting up a .530 OBP, scoring 22
runs. Giles is riding a 19-game hit streak, sitting atop the league with a
.477 OBP, and third in the batting race at .346. The Padres are chasing
the Los Angeles Dodgers for the NL West lead, currently trailing by 3.5 games.
St. Louis continues to lead the NL Central by 5 games over
Houston. The Astros currently hold a 1.5 game lead over Atlanta and
Milwaukee in the Wild Card race. Roger Clemens is dominating the
NL, coasting toward a Cy Young Award with a record of 17-1 and a microscopic
1.31 ERA.
July Highlights
American League
The Cleveland Indians were the story of the American League in
July, tearing through the month with a 21-7 record. The Tribe propelled
themselves to the top of the AL Central, opening a 2.5 game lead over the
Chicago White Sox. Pitching was the story for Cleveland, led by AL Pitcher
of the Month C.C. Sabathia, who went 6-0 with a 2.55 ERA. The
Indians as a team recorded a 2.96 ERA for the month. Bob Wickman
also had a spectacular month, recording 7 saves and allowing no earned runs in
his eight appearances. The White Sox hit a tailspin, finishing 9-17 for
the month, currently 2 games back in the wild card race and 2.5 games out of the
division lead.
The Oakland A's sport the league's best record at 62-42 after a
solid 16-10 month. Rich Harden leads the league with a 1.64 ERA,
while Huston Street has a league-high 25 saves. Hot-hitting
Vladimir Guerrero is keeping the Los Angeles Angels in the race. Vlad
batted .396 in July and scored 22 runs. The Angels sit four games behind
Oakland in the West, and currently lead the wild card race. Chone
Figgins stole 21 bases in July, and leads the league with 48 total steals.
Out east, the Boston Red Sox enjoy a five-game lead over
Toronto. Jason Varitek picked up Player of the Month honors after
batting .347 with 7 home runs and 26 RBI. David Ortiz leads the AL
with 32 home runs and Manny Ramirez has a league-best 111 RBI through
July.
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Jason Varitek |
C. C. Sabathia |
Tony Clark |
Aaron Harang |
| AL Player of the Month |
AL Pitcher of the Month |
NL Player of the Month |
NL Pitcher of the Month |
National League
Tony Clark was the National League's big story for July, tearing up the
league with a .474 average, 16 home runs and 29 RBI. Despite the
lackluster performance of the D-Backs (12-15 in July, 48-59 overall), Clark was
far and away the league's dominant performer. Clark finished the month
with a major league-leading 35 home runs.
The pennant races are hot in the NL East and Central. The Florida
Marlins hold a one-game edge in the East over the charging Philadelphia Phillies.
The Marlins continue to ride the arm of Dontrelle Willis, who carries a
league-leading 14 wins, and the bat of All-Star MVP Miguel Cabrera. The
Central race features three teams within 3 games of first place! The St.
Louis Cardinals sit atop the division, followed closely by the Houston Astros
(2.5 GB) and the Milwaukee Brewers (3 GB). The Brewers posted a
league-best 19-9 mark for July thanks to strong performances by Carlos Lee
(.360/12/29) and Derrick Turnbow (8 saves, 0.68 ERA). Milwaukee's Brady
Clark now leads the league with a .349 batting average.
The Los Angeles Dodgers hold a comfortable 7-game lead in the West after a
solid 16-11 performance in July. Jeff Kent paced LA with a fine .323
month, contributing 9 home runs, 20 RBI, and 23 runs scored.
The Pitcher of the Month award went to Cincinnati's Aaron Harang in a close
race. Harang went 5-0 for July, posting a 3.33 ERA and keeping his
undermanned Redlegs above .500 through this late point in the season.
Harang stands at 13-2 overall, with a 3.02 ERA for the year. His 13 wins
place him second in the NL behind Willis (14-4, 2.61).
June Highlights
American League
The AL West was the league's most exciting division in June with a
tight pennant race and star power. The Oakland A's lead the
division by a scant 1.5 games, keeping ahead of the charging Los
Angeles Angels. Huston Street led the A's to a 15-12 mark in
June, picking up 6 saves and allowing NO earned runs all month in 14.2
innings pitched. Street's performance earned him the Pitcher of
the Month Award. Angels RF Vladimir Guerrero garnered the Player of
the Month accolades, hitting .365 with 11 homers and 30 RBI. Vlad
capped his spectacular month with a 3-homer night in Fenway Park,
leading the Halos to a 10-3 win over Bronson Arroyo and the Red Sox.
The BoSox continue to lead the AL East, holding the AL's best record at
47-30. David Ortiz continues to lead the way after a solid June
(.339/11 HR/25 RBI). Boston holds a 6-game lead over the surging
Toronto Blue Jays, who finished 18-9 in June with a team ERA of 2.96.
Miguel Batista picked up 6 saves in June with an impressive 0.61
ERA. But look out behind, the Yankees are surging! The
Bronx Bombers picked up the pace in June, finishing 17-10, but still
last in the division. Mariano Rivera put up 9 saves in June and
delivered an ERA of 0.50, while Hideki Matsui led the offense with
.340/ 11 HR/ 22 RBI.
The Chicago White Sox are running away with the Central, leading by 8.5
games over Minnesota and Cleveland. The Twins posted the league's
best record in June (18-8), but remain below .500. Los Angeles
holds a 3-game lead over Toronto in the wild card race, as only five
teams in the AL are over the .500 mark.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Vladimir Guerrero |
Huston Street |
Carlos Delgado |
Roger Clemens |
Roy Oswalt |
| AL Player of the Month |
AL Pitcher of the Month |
NL Player of the Month |
NL Co-Pitcher of the Month |
NL Co-Pitcher of the Month |
National League
The NL Central race is the talk of the league as the St. Louis
Cardinals and the Houston Astros are neck-and-neck! Both teams
finished June with identical records of 49-29. Houston has
featured dominating pitching behind the red-hot duo of Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt.
Oswalt finished June with a record of 6-0 and an ERA of 0.78,
while Clemens went 5-0 with an ERA of 0.68! Oswalt and Clemens
share the honor of NL Pitcher of the Month. The Cardinals counter
with a big offense behind Albert Pujols (.376/ 6 HR/ 16 RBI/ 31 runs scored), and Jim Edmonds (.297/10/23). Edmonds hit five of his June homers in a two-game stretch against the overmatched Cincinnati Reds.
The Florida Marlins also finished June at 49-29 behind several outstanding individual performances. Carlos Delgado
earned Player of the Month honors, hitting .396 in June with a .483
OBP. Delgado cracked 9 homers and 25 RBI for the month while
scoring 23 runs. Josh Beckett picked up 4 wins in June with no losses and a 1.06 ERA, and closer Todd Jones
recorded 6 saves and an ERA of 0.69 for the month. Florida sits a
mere 2.5 games ahead of the charging Philadelphia Phillies, who posted
a league-best 19-8 mark for June. Jon Lieber (5-0, 0.59) and Bobby Abreu (.380) led the Phillies' surge.
Out west, the Los Angeles Dodgers hold a 7.5-game lead over the San Diego Padres. San Francisco's Moises Alou
was the division's most productive player in June, batting .366 for the
month. Alou leads the NL with a .356 average, three points ahead
of Cincinnati's Ken Griffey Jr. in the batting race.
May Highlights
American League
The month of May belonged to the Oakland A's and the Chicago White Sox.
Both teams put up 20 wins in May, to hold the lead in their
respective divisions. Oakland finished a league-best 20-7 for the
month to capture a slim 1-game lead over Los Angeles. Rich Harden
was dominant for the A's, winning all three of his starts with a 0.39
ERA. Harden pitched 23.1 innings, allowing only a single run on
15 hits, while striking out 27 and walking only four. The
performance was enough to earn him Pitcher of the Month honors.
The White Sox went 20-9 in May behind the dominance of Jon Garland.
Garland went 5-0 for the month with a 1.67 ERA, powering the
ChiSox to a 3.5 game lead over Cleveland. The East lead continues
to belong to Boston, with a comfortable 4.5-game margin over the
surprising Devil Rays. Tampa Bay's Julio Lugo earned Player of the Month honors, hitting .390 for May with 23 runs scored and 8 steals. Manny Ramirez
is lighting it up for the Sox, putting up a .333 average for May with 8
homers and 35 RBI. But the big story in the AL continues to be
the ineptitude of the New York Yankees. The Bronx Bombers
continue to struggle, finishing 12-15 for May and remaining in the AL
East basement, 12.5 games back of their Boston rivals.
National League
The St. Louis Cardinals rolled through May with a 23-6 mark, but remain
in a dogfight atop the NL Central. Albert Pujols took Player of
the Month honors for the Redbirds on the strength of a .325 average, 8
home runs and 30 RBI. Pujols scored 27 runs for the month. Jason
Isringhausen picked up 8 saves and recorded an ERA of 1.08 for the
month. The Cardinals hold a slim 1.5-game lead over Houston
and a 3-game edge over Milwaukee.
The
Florida Marlins hold a 3.5 game lead in the NL East. The Marlins
pulled ahead of Philadelphia on the strength of an 18-9 month, led by A.J. Burnett (3-0, 2.27) and Todd Jones (1-0, 0.61, 8 saves in May). But Pitcher of the Month honors went to Los Angeles' Brad Penny. Penny won 5 games in May, compiling a fine 2.15 ERA in propelling the Dodgers to a 7.5-game lead in the NL West.
No-Hitter
San Diego's Adam Eaton
authored the first no-hitter of the season! Eaton dazzled the
Arizona Diamondbacks on May 24, allowing only two walks in his
106-pitch masterpiece. The box score can be viewed at:
http://www.davelittle.blogspot.com/
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Julio Lugo |
Rich Harden |
Albert Pujols |
Brad Penny |
| AL Player of the Month |
AL Pitcher of the Month |
NL Player of the Month |
NL Pitcher of the Month |
April Highlights
American League
The
Boston Red Sox posted the best record in the AL for April at 15-9.
The Sox were led by the potent bat of Manny Ramirez, who
earned
AL Player of the Month honors on the strength of a .360 average with 7
home runs and 24 RBI. The Sox hold a 1.5-game lead over
Toronto.
The other big story in the East is the hapless start of the
Yankees, dead last at 8-16.
The Central Division is upside down
after April, with the surprising Kansas City Royals at the top of the
heap with the Twins and Tigers close behind. Two Detroit
hurlers
shared the AL Pitcher of the Month award: Jason Johnson and Kyle
Farnsworth. Johnson posted a 4-0 record and a
2.65 ERA for the
month, while Farnsworth hurled 11 innings of scoreless relief and
picked up 6 saves. The Los Angeles Angels, with Vladimir Guerrero
and Juan Rivera
among the AL home run leaders, sit atop the West.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Manny
Ramirez |
Jason
Johnson |
Kyle
Farnsworth |
Andruw
Jones |
Brandon
Backe |
| AL
Player of the Month |
AL
Co-Pitcher
of the Month |
AL
Co-Pitcher
of the Month |
NL
Player of the Month |
NL
Pitcher of the Month |
National League
The
Houston Astros jumped out to the league's best record in April behind
the arms of Brandon Backe
(3-0, 1.31) and Roger
Clemens (2-0, 1.99).
Backe picked up NL Pitcher of the Month honors for his
efforts as
the Astros overtook the red-hot Chicago Cubs for the Central Division
lead. The Atlanta Braves lead the East at 15-9 behind the big
bat
of Andruw Jones.
Jones leads the NL with 12 home runs and 29 RBI,
good enough to merit the distinction of Player of the Month.
The
NL West lead is held by the Los Angeles Dodgers at 14-9. The
Dodgers stand second in the NL in batting average, home runs, and runs
scored. Olmedo
Saenz (.366, 8 HR, 18 RBI), Jeff Kent (.354 / 4
/
16), and Oscar Robles
(19 runs scored) pace the potent LA attack.
To
Statistics Page |
All-Star Game |
To League Blog |