1873 Preview
Baltimore Canaries
Last Season: 22-36 (11th)
Key Players:
SP Jack Wheeler, CF John Gano, 3B Frank Stuart, LF John Retherford
Outlook:
Baltimore signed Wheeler away from the Washington Nationals, who are no longer in the league. He pitched for Rockford in 1871, and really has very little experience to go on. The Canaries do have some other options that could take over as the team’s starter if Wheeler can’t cut it, but none of them have shown to be able to either. On offense, young center fielder Gano is a guy the team thinks can eventually become a great hitter. Stuart and Retherford will need his help if the team’s to improve on last season’s poor showing.
Projected Finish: 6th
Baltimore Marylands
Key Players
SP Jack Due, CF Joe Bonetti, 2B Jack Van Houten, LF Jim Smith
Outlook:
The Marylands picked up some key hitters from teams that folded last season, so the offense is looking fairly good. The problem will be pitching. Due is slated as the team’s starter, but doesn’t have any track record of success to go on. The Marylands spent a lot of money on the offense, and if Due fails, there’s no one else that the team has that can be counted on to keep opponents from scoring.
Projected Finish: 7th
Boston Red Stockings
Last Season: 28-20 (2nd)
Best Finish: 1872 (2nd)
Key Players:
SP Will Svoboda, CF Fred Mannion, LF Joe Arthur, 2B Jim Gray
Outlook:
Svoboda returns as the team’s starter after a superb season in which he went 10-6 with a 2.76 ERA. He is a bit older at 35, so he’ll need to show that he can still fool the younger hitters. Mannion’s been an excellent hitter for the Red Stockings over the past two seasons, and Arthur picked up his offense in 1872 after a bit of a disappointing 1871. Gray was a bit of a surprise last year as he hit much better than 1871, and the three will be a tough middle of the order for opposing pitchers.
Projected Finish: 3rd
Brooklyn Atlantics
Last Season: 18-19 (6th)
Key Players
SP Charlie Champ, CF Bob Polansky, LF Bob Brose, C Mike Stanley
Outlook:
The Atlantics made a splash by spending a fair amount of money on Charlie Champ, the pitcher with the lowest ERA in the league last season. Champ’s two seasons with Cleveland have placed him among the best pitchers in the league, and the Atlantics are fortunate to have him. The team wasn’t done with Champ, though, as they signed Polansky, Brose, and Stanley to anchor the offense. The team is expecting that the money they’ve spent on these players will give them a shot at finally taking down the Athletics.
Projected Finish: 2nd
Elizabeth Resolutes
Key Players
SP Bill Phillips, 1B Billy Horace, 3B George Gower
Outlook:
Starter Bill Phillips is someone the team is really taking a gamble on. He’s got no track record of success, but the difficulty in finding starting pitching has forced the team to try something, and Phillips is it. Horace is a solid offensive player, but Gower and company aren’t the greatest supporting cast.
Projected Finish: 8th
New York Mutuals
Last Season: 28-28 (5th)
Best Finish: 1871 (3rd)
Key Players
SP Mike Burge, RF John Nero, CF Tom Hedgepeth
Outlook:
New York continued to struggle with pitching in 1872, and for 1873 they’ll turn to former Cleveland pitcher Mike Burge. Burge didn’t pitch well for Cleveland in the limited opportunities he got behind Charlie Champ, but the Mutuals haven’t had success with any of their own guys, so they might as well give Burge a shot. Nero and Hedgepeth are both star hitters, but they need more hitters around them in order for the team to really contend.
Projected Finish: 5th
Philadelphia Athletics
Last Season: 37-10 (1st)
Championships: 1871, 1872
Key Players
SP Joe Dimond, 2B George Barkley, LF Joe Holleran, C Charlie Harvard, SS Bill Heim
Outlook:
Dimond has proven beyond any doubt that he’s the best pitcher in the league, and until someone else proves otherwise, his presence alone has to make the Athletics one of the favorites for the championship. He’s got plenty of support on offense. Holleran was chosen as the league’s best hitter last year, but Barkley, Harvard, and Heim are all very accomplished hitters, too.
Projected Finish: 1st
Philadelphia White Stockings
Key Players
SP Al Newbold, C Josh Croyle, 3B Harry Spina
Outlook:
Newbold pitched for the nationals last season and was 4-2 with a 3.42 ERA in his 9 starts. Those are decent stats for a short period of time, and it’s not entirely certain whether he can keep that up or not, but he should be no worse than league average. Croyle and Spina will lead an offense that isn’t too strong on star power but does have good depth. If things break right, the White Stockings will surprise a lot of teams, but if they don’t, they’ll have a long season.
Projected Finish: 4th
Washington Blue Legs
Key Players
SP Frank Salley, LF Frank Mitchell, RF Dave Hasse
Outlook:
Salley hasn’t done much in his time in the NA, and he’ll have to prove himself if the Blue Legs will get anywhere. Mitchell and Hasse lead a lackluster collection of hitters that don’t inspire confidence.
Projected Finish: 9th
1873 Projected Standings
1. Philadelphia Athletics
2. Brooklyn Atlantics
3. Boston Red Stockings
4. Philadelphia White Stockings
5. New York Mutuals
6. Baltimore Canaries
7. Baltimore Marylands
8. Elizabeth Resolutes
9. Washington Blue Legs