| Founder and Managing Editor, Mike Lynch's most | | | | ascend to the AL Crown rather than fade from the |
| recent book is It Ain't So: A Might Have Been History | | | | race. |
| of the White Sox in 1919 and Beyond. It is published | | | | In the chapter on 1921 was an AL Leaders board |
| by McFarland, and was released in November of | | | | showing where the most famous of the players |
| 2009. | | | | caught up in the scandal, Shoeless Joe Jackson, |
| Mike took a completely unique approach to writing | | | | would have ranked amongst his peers of the day. It |
| about the Chicago White Sox team of 1919. After | | | | is a powerful representation to see his name listed |
| first pitching the concept to his publisher and getting | | | | among all-time historically significant players... raising |
| some push back, he pitched another book which | | | | the question of course of "what might have been?" |
| turned out to be Harry Frazee, Ban Johnson and the | | | | According to Mike's simulations, the career that |
| Feud That Nearly Destroyed the American League. | | | | baseball missed out on from Joe Jackson might have |
| Once McFarland saw what Mike could accomplish, | | | | included 3457 hits, 630 doubles, 278 triples, over 1500 |
| they let him revisit his concept for examining what | | | | RBI, 1700 runs scored, and a batting average of.351. |
| might have happened if the Black Sox scandal had | | | | We will never know how close to realistic these |
| never taken place. | | | | numbers are, but it sure is interesting to contemplate. |
| Out of the Park Baseball provided the computational | | | | A significant challenge for Mike in the statistical |
| muscle, while Mike allowed the players who were | | | | analysis was what to do with the players who |
| banned from baseball in 1920, to continue on in their | | | | actually got their shot in place of the Eight Men Out. |
| careers. Mike chronicled the impact that this would | | | | These are players who went on to have careers and |
| have had on the American League races, as well as | | | | accumulate stats that needed to be dealt with when |
| some World Series Championships. He played the | | | | running simulations. Should they stay on the bench for |
| 1919 World Series, completed the 1920 season, and | | | | the White Sox? Should they find jobs with other |
| then reset all of the American League teams each | | | | teams and impact those statistics? There is a great |
| season to play a "might have been" version of the | | | | ripple effect that would have been nearly impossible |
| White Sox. This simulation and writing process took | | | | to fully explore. Some of these players ended up |
| Mike about 10 years to complete. | | | | eventually moving the banished players out of the |
| In Mike's version of the 1919 World Series, the Reds | | | | lineup in the simulations. |
| still end up winning the series however the final game | | | | This was a very strong team heading into the |
| went to extra innings in a zero - zero tie, and after | | | | decade of the 20's, but this was also the time when |
| scoring in the tenth they snuffed a White Sox rally | | | | the Yankees started to build a great legacy that |
| with a 1 - 2 - 3 double play. | | | | would have derailed the White Sox no matter. The |
| In our record books, the White Sox players are | | | | simulations do not elevate the team to any additional |
| indicted on fixing charges and are not allowed to | | | | Championships and only two World Series |
| finish the 1920 season, even though they are in a | | | | appearances early in the decade. |
| close pennant race with the Cleveland Indians. It is | | | | It is a fun read and can be found wherever great |
| the Indians who eventually go on to win the World | | | | books are sold. |
| Series. In Mike's version of 1920, the White Sox | | | | |