1876 Season
History
The New National League was a tightly run, well organized insitution that offered the public honest baseball for a change. The early years were still marred by several franchise turnovers, but the seeds were falling in place.
The Chicago White Sox, who many thought had all but bought the pennant, did just that. Finishing the season with a 52-14 record, 6 games ahead of the St. Louis and Hartford clubs. Ross Barnes, formerly of Boston would lead most major offensive catagories.
Joel Zoss & John S. Bowman in
The National League – A History: It was in 1876, the very year when Americans were observing their centennial as a nation, that a small group of men formed the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs. Few Americans were aware of it, fewer still would have believed that it would ever observe its own centennial, and it would have been a rash individual who dared to predict that this National League would become a major institution in American life, one that comanded the attention of presidents and congresses and the loyalties of millions of Americans.”
From Baseballlibrary.com
February 2 – Chicago President William Hulbert organizes a meeting in New York to establish a new league. To win support of four former National Association clubs, Hulbert proposes that Morgan Bulkeley of Hartford be president and Nick Young of Washington be secretary. The National League is officially organized.
February 12 – Al Spalding, pitching star of the National Association, moves his home in Rockford, IL, whis his brother J. Walter Spalding to Chicago to “open a large emporium where they will sell all kinds of baseball goods.” This will be the start of the Spalding sporting goods enterprise.
March 19 – The Boston Herald reports on the first practice of the Red Caps under the direction of George Wright. The team has been weakened considerably by the loss to the White Stockings of Spalding, Mcvey, Barnes, and White.
April 8 – After 4 seasons with the Philadelphia Athletics, Adrian “Cap” Anson reports to Chicago to play 3B.
Retirements
No major news
Major Player Signings (Not a full listing)
Cap Anson with Chicago
Ross Barnes with Chicago
Jim Devlin with Louisville
Cherokee Fisher with Cincinnati
Mike Mcgeary with St. Louis
Cal Mcvey with Chicago
Levi Meyerle with Philadelphia
Tricky Nichols with Boston
Al Spalding with Chicago
Deacon White with Chicago
George Zettlein with Philadelphia
July 18 – In his second start for Chicago, Al Spalding pitches a 2-hitter against his former Boston team. It would be the first of three shutouts Spalding would pitch that week.
Davy Force released by New York, signs with Philadelphia
July 26 – George Bechtel released by New York, signs with Louisville
July 27 – Against Cincinnati, and for the second time in his career, Lip Pike has six hits in a game.
August 10 – Louisville rightfielder, George Bechtel, who was suspended for a week for “crookedness in the last Louisville-New York game,” gets in deeper trouble when pitcher Jim Devlin shows his manager a telegram from Bechtel saying, “We can win $100 if you lose the game today.”
Augst 13 – Flip Lafferty of the Athletics pitches the first no-hitter in National League history against the league leading St. Louis Brown Stockings.
August 22 – Nealy Phelps released by New York, signs with Philadelphia
September 8 – Flip Lafferty flirts with his second no-hitter of the season, but it is broken up by Louisville’s Johnny Ryan when he singles with one out in the eighth.
September 11 – President GW Thompson of the Athletics informs Chicago president William Hulbert that the Athletics can’t afford to make their final western trip. He suggests that Chicago and St. Louis (the big drawing clubs) play additional games in Philadelphia and take a larger portion of the receipts. Hulbert turns down the offer and Philadelphia seals it’s own fate regarding play in the next season.
September 17 – Dick Higham’s hitting streak ends at 31 games.
September 20 – Ross Barnes has 6 hits in an extra inning game against Cincinnati, bringing his total for the season up to 105, a league record.
September 23 – Fred Andrus of Chicago sets a rookie record for hits with 91.
September 26 - Led by the pitching of second-year star, George Bradley, the St. Louis Brown Stockings clinch the first National League pennant over the Chicago White Stockings. Their .672 average is the lowest ever for a first place team.
December 10 – After a 5-day league meeting in Cleveland, these results are announced: the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Mutuals are expelled by unanimous vote; a uniform and lively baseball is agreed upon; the playing rules for 1877 are modified, and William Hulbert is elected NL president.
National Association Rookie of the Year:
- Foghorn Bradley (Boston Red Caps)
15-5 with a 1.29 ERA, 3 ShO, 21 GS, 188.1 IP, 12 K, 5 BB
National Association Pitcher of the Year:
- George Bradley (St.Louis Brown Stockings)
42-21 with a 2.26 ERA, 8 ShO, 64 GS, 584.1 IP, 68 K, 36 BB
National Association Most Valuable Player:
- Ross Barnes (Chicago White Stockings)
.414 in 278 AB, 2 HR, 55 RBI
1873 Final Standings
National Association
W L Pct. GB
St. Louis 43 21 .672 *
Chicago 41 23 .641 2
Boston 40 24 .625 3
Philadelphia 34 30 .531 9
Hartford 29 35 .453 14
Cincinnati 27 37 .422 16
New York 26 38 .406 17
Louisville 16 48 .250 27
LEAGUE LEADERS
BATTING AVERAGE
R.Barnes CHC .414
L.Pike STL .399
L.Meyerle ATH .392
HOMERUNS
C.Gould CIN 3
T.York HAR 3
9 players 2
RBI's
R.Barnes CHC 55
T.York HAR 50
P.Hines CHC 48
RUNS
C.Mcvey CHC 59
R.Barnes CHC 56
C.Anson CHC 47
STOLEN BASES
N.Cuthbert STL 14
D.Mack STL 13
A.Leonard BSN 12
ERA
F.Bradley BSN 1.29
T.Larkin NYU 1.71
C.Cummings HAR 1.89
WINS
G.Bradley STL 42-21
A.Spalding CHC 41-23
D.Williams CIN 16-19
STRIKEOUTS
A.Spalding BOS 82
G.Bradley STL 68
T.Larkin NYU 45
LEAGUE TOTALS
AB 100000
H 33448
2B 5794
3B 1980
HR 9903
BB 587092
K 10101
Adj.Real Adj.Sim
AB 100000 100000 1.000
H 26529 26771 1.009
2B 3146 3147 1.000
3B 900 946 1.051
HR 199 193 0.970
BB 1670 1621 0.971
K 2927 2776 0.948
[ 05-19-2002, 09:47 AM: Message edited by: Vyper ]