The Philadelphia Athletics won the pennant, barely edging out the White Sox. They then lost in the World Series to the Giants... no, they were humiliated in the World Series by the Giants, shut out four times in five games. It was the first of eight times that manager/owner Connie Mack would lead the Athletics into the World Series. Though they lost this series, they would win five others under Mack's guidance.

         The American League lacked a strong MVP candidate this year; no one really stands out from the rest. The best hitter in the league was Elmer Flick of Cleveland. Flick, however, missed 20 games, didn't produce a lot of runs, and played for a lousy team.
        Harry Davis was the top power hitter in the league; he led the AL in home runs four straight years, and twice led in RBI. He played 22 years in total, many of them as a bit player, but in his prime he was a dangerous hitter. This year, Davis led the AL in lots of good stuff, like runs scored, RBI, doubles and home runs. He also played for the Athletics, and was probably their best player. He wasn't as good as Flick, but he was durable, and produced a lot of runs.
        Sam Crawford is kind of in the middle. He was durable, he played better than Davis, and his team was okay. These three players could probably be sorted in any order, but I guess I'll take Davis first. He was an impressive power hitter, and his team won.
     Topsy Hartsel also played for the Athletics. He played for 14 years, and made his living drawing walks. Hartsel was an interesting player this year; you could argue that he was better than Davis, but I think I would rather have the guy with the extra base hits than the guy with the walks. Had Hartsel hit for a better average, or had a bit more power, I would have considered him for the MVP.
         Some of you may already be surprised to see that Charlie "Piano Legs" Hickman played at second base. Previously, I have mentioned that Hickman made 86 errors in one year as a third baseman, then made 40 errors a year at first base. This year, some crazy manager decided to try Charlie at second base; he made 38 errors in only 85 games. Fortunately, Charlie never let his defense interfere with his hitting.
        I can't say I'm very excited about this group of players. The best one was probably George Davis, and it wasn't even one of his best seasons. Davis was 35 years old, and was nearing the end of an epic careeer; he was still a good defensive player, and his team (the White Sox) almost won the pennant. I'll give him a vote.