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June 1, 1878 Report
The early results are a pretty big surprise:
Chicago White Stockings 11-2
Providence Grays 5-4
Milwaukee Cream Citys 6-7
Boston Red Caps 4-5
Cincinnati Reds 6-8
Indianapolis Blues 4-10
Why the sudden turnaround for Chicago? Well, they've finally got some guys performing more like they did in 1876:
1B Joe Start: .378 in 1876, .300 in 1877, currently .353
2B Black Jack Burdock: .315 in 1876, .275 in 1877, currently .314
LF Andy Leonard: .333 in 1876, .283 in 1877, currently .389
Also, star pitcher Al Spalding has been sensational - in 6 starts, he's gone 6-0 with a 2.00 ERA.
Around the league, offensive totals are beginning to fall, as the league moves into the pitchers' era of the 1880s. Here are the current league leaders:
Batting - Joe Doyle, Providence Grays, .486
Home Runs - 6 tied with 1 each
Runs Batted In - Elmer White, Chicago White Stockings, 13
Runs Scored - Andy Leonard, Chicago White Stockings, 14
Hits - Tim Murnane, Milwaukee Cream Citys, 24
Doubles - John Bass, Boston Red Caps, 5
Triples - 3 tied with 2 each
Stolen Bases - Dickie Flowers, Indianapolis Blues, 5
Wins - Al Spalding, Chicago White Stockings, 6
ERA - Pidgey Morgan, Boston Red Caps, 0.77
Strikeouts - J. O'Neill, Indianapolis Blues, 25
Opponent Average - Joe Borden, Milwaukee Cream Citys, .179
Will Chicago be able to continue its dominance and win its first-ever title, or will expected contenders Boston and Cincinnati get it together and make a run? I don't know, as this gets things up to date with the league as of today.
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