[Eckstein 4 Prez]

CLEVELAND BLUES (new team)

For their first season, Cleveland has a mixture of untested rookies (Kennedy, Creamer, Glasscock, Stockwell) and solid veterans (Foran, Bechtel, Waterman). Given the state of the rest of the National League (other than Chicago and Boston), .500 does not seem out of the question for this team.

16 C Doc Kennedy (rookie) - He seems to be a promising young catcher.
26 1B Jim Foran (0-35-.276-6 with Milwaukee; lifetime .335 hitter) - It seems like he's been around forever, but in reality he's only 30 years old and could still have many good years in front of him.
23 2B George Creamer (2 for 6 with Milwaukee in 1878 as rookie) - He's a very good infielder, so if he can actually hit reasonably well he could have a long career.
49 SS Jack Glasscock (rookie) - Another slick-fielding infielder who just needs to hit well enough to get by.
9 3B Fred Waterman (0-27-.268-8 with Boston; lifetime .332 hitter) - He had a down year in 1878, so Boston cut him loose and he signed a four-year deal with Cleveland that will keep him here until he is 37 years old. There is some concern about how much he's got left.
44 LF Abner Dalrymple (0-23-.303-1 with Milwaukee as rookie) - This outstanding young player should help build Cleveland's credibility quickly.
7 CF Len Stockwell (rookie) - This 19-year-old is not expected to be very good, but they don't have a lot of options in center field.
6 RF George Bechtel (1-43-.238-5 with Cincinnati/Indianapolis; lifetime .288 hitter) - After an unsettled 1878 which saw him spend time with two different teams, he signed a four-year deal with a player option that should keep him in Ohio for a long time. One of the more consistent corner outfielders in the game.
51 P Jim McCormick (2-1, 2.78 with Indianapolis as rookie) - On the strength of a few good games in Indianapolis, this 22-year-old has been handed the starting job.