Absolutely, this is enough to build a strong 1913 recap. I can work from this.
1913 FABL Season Recap
The 1913 FABL season belonged, in the end, to Montreal, though the Saints made their supporters sweat through every last inning of October before claiming the crown.
The Montreal Saints finished atop the Federal League at 96-58, ten games clear of the St. Louis Pioneers, and did it the old-fashioned way: run prevention, pitching depth, and just enough offense to make opponents miserable. Montreal allowed only 459 runs, the best mark in the Federal League, and rode a staff led by Dick Dean, Gene Bailey, and Frank Mulrooney all the way to the World’s Championship Series.
Across the aisle, the Cleveland Grays captured the Union League flag at 95-59, holding off a late challenge from the Boston Beacons and New York Stars. Cleveland’s advantage was also built on pitching and defense, with the Grays allowing a league-best 522 runs. They were not the flashiest club in the circuit, but they were ruthlessly efficient, which in 1913 baseball is basically a war crime with cleats.
The pennant races were not especially close at the top, but both leagues had deep second-tier fights. In the Federal League, St. Louis, Chicago, and Washington all finished above .500, with St. Louis closing to within two games of Montreal before fading in the final weeks. In the Union League, Boston went 86-68, New York 85-69, and Baltimore 78-76, giving the league a compact upper class behind Cleveland.
At the bottom, the Cincinnati Monarchs endured a rough 59-95 campaign in the Federal League, while the Chicago Blues finished last in the Union League at 62-92, just behind the Detroit Lancers.
Federal League
Montreal’s pennant was powered by one of the league’s best pitching groups. Dick Dean was the standout, going 31-10 with a brilliant 1.61 ERA, 330.2 innings, and a league-best type of dominance that does not need much decoration. He also added 10 saves, because apparently sleep was optional.
Dean was joined by Gene Bailey, who threw 368.1 innings with a 2.39 ERA, and Frank Mulrooney, who became critical once the postseason began. Montreal also received a huge offensive season from veteran center fielder John Morgan, who hit .274/.368/.381, stole 38 bases, and posted 8.9 WAR.
The Saints had plenty of help around him. Bill Jessee hit .309 with 20 triples, Bill Greenham added steady all-around production at third base, and the lineup did enough to support a staff that did most of the heavy lifting.
The St. Louis Pioneers finished second at 86-68, led by a terrific year from Paul Showalter, who hit .295, scored 100 runs, stole 51 bases, and produced 8.9 WAR. St. Louis also had Dick Josephs, the Federal League batting champion at .313, and James Schlader, who drove in 78 runs.
The Chicago Chiefs, still a power in the Federal League, finished third at 84-70. Larry Wurth gave them 352.1 innings and 20 wins, while the offense had enough punch to stay relevant. But Montreal was simply too complete.
Union League
The Union League season was defined by Cleveland’s narrow but firm grip on the top spot. The Grays went 95-59, nine games ahead of Boston, and built their championship run around a pitching staff that kept games tight and opponents frustrated.
But the individual star of the Union League was clearly Walter Wells of the New York Stars. Wells hit an absurd .357/.420/.563, with 15 home runs, 86 RBI, 92 runs scored, and a .983 OPS. He led the league in batting average, home runs, OPS, and authored the kind of season that makes sportswriters reach for adjectives and then spill ink all over themselves.
New York also had Joe Allman, who topped the WAR chart at 9.2, while hitting .294 with 21 triples, 97 runs, 34 stolen bases, and elite all-around value. The Stars finished third at 85-69, but Wells and Allman gave them two of the league’s signature stars.
Boston’s sophomore season as the Beacons was a success, even without a pennant. They finished 86-68, led by catcher Jake Toler, who hit .304/.410/.493 with 11 home runs and 9.0 WAR. Toler’s combination of bat, position, and durability made him one of the most valuable players in baseball.
The Baltimore Cannons stayed respectable at 78-76, helped by Charlie Dyer, who produced 8.4 WAR, while Toronto’s Doc Coughlin had a major year, batting .319 with 102 RBI for a Beavers club that finished under .500.
Pitching Leaders
The season’s pitching leaderboards were packed with huge workloads, which remains one of the most gloriously terrifying things about Deadball Era baseball.
Top pitching WAR seasons included:
| Player | Team | W-L | IP | ERA | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amos Brantley | Toronto | 17-22 | 374.2 | 2.88 | 11.9 |
| Al Clark | Boston | 21-15 | 320.0 | 2.67 | 9.5 |
| Jack Pette | NY (F) | 21-18 | 331.0 | 2.53 | 9.1 |
| Jon Matthews | Toronto | 18-21 | 314.2 | 2.46 | 8.5 |
| Gene Bailey | Montreal | 20-15 | 368.1 | 2.39 | 7.6 |
| Dick Dean | Montreal | 31-10 | 330.2 | 1.61 | 6.4 |
The most eye-catching record belonged to Dick Dean, whose 31 wins and 1.61 ERA made him the ace of the pennant-winning Saints. But the WAR leaderboard loved Amos Brantley of Toronto, who threw 374.2 innings and produced 11.9 WAR despite a losing record. That is the sort of season that screams, “Look beyond wins and losses, you cowards.”
Batting Leaders
The offensive leaderboard had two very different headliners: Walter Wells, who was the best hitter in baseball, and Joe Allman, who may have been the most valuable all-around player.
Top batting WAR seasons included:
| Player | Team | Pos | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS+ | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Allman | NY (U) | CF | .294 | .380 | .435 | 127 | 9.2 |
| Jake Toler | Boston | C | .304 | .410 | .493 | 159 | 9.0 |
| John Morgan | Montreal | CF | .274 | .368 | .381 | 122 | 8.9 |
| Paul Showalter | St. Louis | CF | .295 | .377 | .387 | 124 | 8.9 |
| James Schlader | St. Louis | SS | .298 | .377 | .404 | 128 | 8.5 |
| Charlie Dyer | Baltimore | CF | .290 | .350 | .415 | 129 | 8.4 |
| Walter Wells | NY (U) | SS | .357 | .420 | .563 | 173 | 7.7 |
Wells’ line is ridiculous for 1913. Fifteen home runs in this offensive environment is thunderous, and pairing it with a .357 average makes it one of the great individual batting seasons of the era.
World’s Championship Series
Montreal Saints defeat Cleveland Grays, 4 games to 3
The WCS opened as a tight, low-scoring duel between two run-prevention clubs, then exploded into a seven-game test of depth and nerve.
Montreal took Game 1, 3-1, behind Dick Dean, but Cleveland immediately answered with a 1-0 victory in Game 2 behind Earl Sutter. The Saints grabbed Game 3, 8-2, with Frank Mulrooney earning the win, only for Cleveland to even the series in Game 4 with a 2-1 victory.
Then came the turn. Cleveland battered Montreal in Game 5, winning 9-5 and moving within one victory of the championship. The Grays had the Saints on the ropes.
Montreal responded by detonating in Game 6, winning 14-2 behind Mulrooney. That forced Game 7, where Dick Dean delivered the championship performance Montreal needed, beating Cleveland 5-1 to clinch the series.
Dean finished the series 2-1 with a 1.35 ERA over 26.2 innings, while Mulrooney went 2-0 with a 1.02 ERA in 17.2 innings. Cleveland fought hard, but Montreal’s frontline arms ultimately carried the day.
The official Series MVP was Steve Daniel, and deservedly so. Daniel hit .444, reached base at a .531 clip, slugged .778, and drove in eight runs. In a series dominated by pitching narratives, Daniel was the bat that kept tilting the board back toward Montreal.
Final Word
The 1913 season was a triumph of pitching, defense, and depth. Montreal was not merely the best team in the Federal League, it proved itself the best club in baseball by surviving a Cleveland team built in the same hard-nosed image.
The Saints had the ace, the depth, the timely bats, and when the championship reached a seventh game, they had Dick Dean. That was the difference.
1913 belonged to Montreal.