[swampdragon]

When I try to upload it, I get an "invalid file" message. I've got an 1871 semi-as-played schedule with more off days. Create an 1871 historical game. Be sure to turn off the draft and import rookies to original teams. Check "Enable Interleague Play." Uncheck "Initial Draft". That will give you the real players for the Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Chicago teams. Then you create the Fort Wayne team and move the others (I did Baltimore to Washington, Brooklyn to Troy, St. Louis to Rockford, and Cincinnati to New York. That shouldn't matter.) Next you clear the original schedule and input the as-played schedule (manually, ugh.). Then you go into the free agency pool and assign the players to the five teams that don't have any, using your handy encyclopedia. You're good to go.

It is apparently impossible to save a working quickstart with an odd number of teams. It will save, but will crash when you try to load it. I don't know what happens if I try to advance an odd number of teams into the next season, but if it's a problem, I'll have to contract Fort Wayne and then add the new teams in the preseason and do another schedule by hand for 1872. And so forth.

When you're trying to input these schedules by hand, Spring Training is the enemy, because the date is fixed before you change the schedule. Turn it off when you create the game. They didn't hold spring training in the 1870s anyway.

Edit: I retained the two subleague setup. I believe the game is more stable when you don't add and delete subleagues.