1952 Fantasy Astrology Recap
View the 1952 FABL Lineups Here!
When looking at the 1952 Leo Lions roster, I was struck by a thought, almost a sort of catchphrase. I actually wish that I had thought of it when I was first describing this project: “It’s not about having the BEST players; it’s about having the best MIX of players.” In fact, this catchphrase applies to any type of fantasy roster building – maybe any type of roster building in general. And it basically echoes the age-old sentiment Depth over Star Power.
Don’t get me wrong, Pee Wee Reese (1,847 / 12.4) was a good hitter, and rookie closer Hoyt Wilhelm (2,099 / 29.6) and third baseman George Kell (1,260 / 11.1) join him in the Hall of Fame… although the latter is so cuspy that he might actually be a Virgo. But it’s the unsung heroes, like former Negro League first baseman Luke Easter (1,651 / 13.0) for Cleveland. And the (ironically-named) Whitey Lockman (1,704 /11.1), who barely outscored Easter in fantasy points. And Cincinnati ace Ken Raffensberger (2,099 / 55.2), who leads a deep staff with eight eligible starters over 1,000 points.
For the other positive division, Libra takes the crown thanks to two 3,000-point scorers who both pitched in Philadelphia. Robin Roberts (3,554 / 91.1) of the Phillies was the best pitcher in baseball in the early-to-mid 50’s, but Athletics ace Bobby Shantz (3,031 / 91.8) won the AL MVP award. (Remember, the Cy Young Award wouldn’t be invented until 1956.) Libra also had a 21-year-old Mickey Mantle (2,131 / 15.0) in center field and two solid relief pitchers. However, the fact that Al Brazle (1,655 / 36.0) and Johnny Sain (1,341 / 38.3) also racked up a significant number of starts, and their lack of suitable alternates, led to a disputed title between Libra and Aquarius.
The Water Bearers did have a more accomplished star hitter in Jackie Robinson (2,210 / 14.8), in his last year as a full-time second baseman, which pushes Red Schoendienst (1,829 / 12.0) to DH. The pitching staff was solid too, with Yankees ace Allie Reynolds (2,790 / 79.7) and the real-life Rookies of the Year in both leagues: Brooklyn closer Joe Black (2,175 / 38.8) and A’s starter Harry Byrd (1,508 / 40.8). But it was lack of depth that got Aquarius down: those three pitchers were the only ones who eclipsed 1,000 points on the season, and they didn’t even have five primary starting pitchers.
The leaders in the Negative Polarity were more clear-cut, with Scorpio winning the Water Division and Taurus taking Earth. Outfielders Stan Musial (2,445 / 15.9) and Ralph Kiner (2,068 / 13.9), plus third baseman Bobby Thomson (2,128 / 13.9) led the Stingers offense. Then there’s Mike Garcia (2,804 / 61.0), one third of a dominant Cleveland pitching staff, as the ace. Meanwhile, Taurus rode the familiar combination of Yogi Berra (2,041 / 14.4) and Warren Spahn (2,484 / 62.1), although the Bulls rotation had two more NL All-Stars in Sal Maglie (1,956 / 55.9) and Curt Simmons (1,913 / 68.3), the latter of whom started the midsummer classic for the senior circuit.
Rounding out the major award winners, another Cleveland hurler takes home the (anachronistic) NP Cy Young Award, as Bob Lemon (3,088 / 73.5) was the staff ace for Virgo. Sagittarius center fielder Larry Doby (2,268 / 16.2) won the Positive MVP, opposite Musial. However, Doby himself was outscored by two Pisces sluggers: Al Rosen (2,340 / 15.8) and Hank Sauer (2,280 / 15.1), the latter of whom won the NL MVP in real-life. Satchel Paige (1,518 / 33.0) of the Cancer Crabs was the Negative Pole’s best reliever, and it seems dumb to penalize such an iconic player because of a mere six starts on the season. And sticking with the Crabs, center fielder Jim Rivera (1,403 / 9.4) was the NP’s top rookie (although he was behind the top FIVE positive first-years) in a season he split between the St. Louis Browns and the Chicago White Sox.