The Completely Fictional History of Baseball

[ifspuds]

Way to go Mutton!

[legendsport]

December 10, 1876 - Grand Central Hotel, New York City:

"Gentlemen, we've got a few items of business to deal with, so let's get started." Ben Harrell - as usual - took charge of the other seven National League magnates.

Harrell had called the meeting for one main reason and several smaller ones. He decided to get the main reason out of the way first.

"First item of business: the failure of Mutual and Athletic to complete their league schedule," he glared at Mutual owner Gordon Vandergrift, who looked smug.

Harrell took a deep breath. "I move for the expulsion of both clubs from the league," he said and watched seven mouths fall open in shock.

Vandergrift shot to his feet. "You can't do that! Do you really think your league can survive without clubs in the nation's two most populous cities!?!"

Harrell smirked. "Well, it won't be any easier, certainly. But yes, I do believe the league can survive without you."

Vandergrift spluttered and glared, but no words emerged from his mouth.

Harrell looked at Philadelphia's Dalton Smith, who sat in quiet amazement, then spoke to the other six men in the room. "Gents, shall we vote? Obviously Mr. Vandergrift and Mr. Smith will be excluded from the vote."

The result? Both Mutual and Athletic were expelled by unanimous vote.

"You'll regret this Harrell," Vandergrift snarled as he and Smith left the room.

Harrell sighed and continued. "We need a league president, gentlemen. I move we vote one of our number as such."

Another vote, another unsurprising result. Benjamin Harrell was named President of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs.

Harrell, now cloaked in legitimacy, got down to brass tacks. "I'd like to see us liven up the ball a bit," he paused and scanned the faces in the room, "and make sure we all use the same balls."

Unsurprisingly, Harrell again got his wish. He had one item left on his personal agenda.

"As you all know, the Canadian and New York State Associations were both successful last season, and there are approximately ten to fifteen other professional clubs operating outside the aegis of our organization."

He paused and lit a cigar, then continued, "What I'd like to do is see if we can't bring some of these clubs into the family, so to speak."

He could see he had their interest. He plowed on, "My suggestion is the creation of an alliance of clubs, outside the League, but with a close relationship to the league. Clubs would pay a nominal fee of $10 to join the Alliance. We would guarantee not to raid their rosters and they would be eligible - contigent upon league rules - for future inclusion in the league itself."

Several heads were nodding. He knew he had them.

In the end, Harrell got everything he wanted. Mutual and Athletic were out, showing the clubs that the league was all-powerful and that failure to adheer to the rules would have consequences. He was president, he got an agreement on the new ball, and the League Alliance idea was approved. Harrell believed the Alliance would keep the professionals close tied to the National League, and would prevent - he hoped - the rise of a rival circuit to compete against the League itself.

Ben Harrell left left the hotel a very happy man.

[legendsport]

The Base Ball Intelligencer, Troy, NY, April 15, 1877:

SHRUNKEN LEAGUE TO EMBARK ON SOPHOMORE SEASON

After the surprising dismissal of fully 25% of the National League's membership, and with those clubs representing the nation's largest cities, the League finds itself shrunken to six clubs as it prepares to begin its sophomore campaign. The remaining clubs - Red Stocking (Boston), White Stocking (Chicago), Brown Stocking (St. Louis), Red Leg (Cincinnati), Gray (Louisville) and the champion of last season, Dark Blue (Hartford), enter the 1877 championship season fully cognizant of the penalty should they violate the League's constitution.

With few players moving this winter, those six clubs enter 1877 with rosters mainly intact, which would lead one to believe that Hartford's Dark Blues will again be the club to beat. A keen eye would discern that Boston and Chicago will compete strongly and Louisville is also possessed of talented ball players. Only Cincinnati and perhaps St. Louis are not likely to be in the championship chase this year.

WILL FINANCIAL WOES FLATTEN THE CHAMPS?

It's come to light that the high cost of operating the club which won the World's Title last season has put the Dark Blue Club in dire financial straits. With a much smaller potential clientele than either Boston or Chicago, Hartford's income has a difficult time meeting the expenditures of the club's payroll. Whether or not the club can survive remains to be seen, but for now, the talent remains and therefore the Dark Blues will field a very strong nine.

LEAGUE "ALLIANCE" SWELLS RANK OF PRO CLUBS

The so-called League Alliance of professional clubs has put several clubs - by some count 13 of them - under the aegis of a working agreement with the National League. The brainchild of magnate Ben Harrell, the Alliance consists of professional clubs which are outside the League itself, but with guarantees from the league of non-inteference with player contracts. Unspoken, but assumed, is that the Alliance is a training ground for potential future members of the League itself. Should a club prove successful - and more importantly, loyal to League desires - that club will be at the top of any potential list of new members for the League itself. That, and the $10 entry fee, make it a worthy endeavor for many smaller outfits.

[legendsport]

The Base Ball Intelligencer, Troy, NY, July 3, 1877:

LOUISVILLE TOP IN VICTORIES

The Gray Club of Louisville has more victories than any other National League club this season, a surprising result for a team most felt was not capable of competing with the top clubs in the League. The Grays have won 13 of 22 contests thus far, two more than either last year's champion Dark Blue club of Hartford and the similarly surprising Brown Stocking Club of St. Louis. There have been some rumors of shady dealings by some of the Louisville club's membership and League President Benjamin Harrell has promised an investigation.

BENJAMIN HARRELL

The standings of the Clubs as of July 1, 1877:

Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Louisville Grays		13	9	.591	-	12-10	1	9-3	4-6	1-0	4-2	W2	5-5
Hartford Dark Blues		11	9	.550	1.0	11-9	0	7-3	4-6	0-0	3-4	W1	6-4
St. Louis Brown Stockings	11	10	.524	1.5	10-11	1	3-6	8-4	0-0	2-1	L1	4-6
Chicago White Stockings		10	12	.455	3.0	11-11	-1	5-7	5-5	0-0	4-3	W1	5-5
Cincinnati Reds			9	8	.529	1.5	9-8	0	5-4	4-4	0-1	0-1	L1	5-5
Boston Red Stockings		7	13	.350	5.0	8-12	-1	3-6	4-7	0-0	2-4	L2	4-6

WITHERS SHOWS OLD FORM

Red Stocking stlawart Rit Withers may be a salty veteran of 38 summers, but he is playing like a mere slip of a lad of half that age. Withers has tortured League hurlers this spring and early summer to the tune of a .477 batting average. With Rube Pitman out of the game due to a serious shoulder injury, even Withers' outstanding efforts have not been enough to lift the Red Stocking club to victory - so far the once dominant Bostonians are last in victories, with a mere seven in twenty contests.

RIT WITHERS

[legendsport]

The Base Ball Intelligencer, Troy, NY, July 3, 1877:

EVICTED FROM LEAGUE, ATHLETIC SUCCESSFUL IN LEAGUE ALLIANCE

After being evicted from the National League by the unanimous vote of the other clubs, the Athletic Club of Philadelphia requested - and received - permission to compete in the League Alliance, retaining ties to the League itself and a guarantee that none of Athletic's erstwhile partners would raid the Athletic's players. Now, through their first thirteen Alliance contests, Athletic has won eleven and lost only two, confirming the fact that they are good enough to compete in the League itself. The reason for their expulsion was simple enough: a failure to complete the league schedule. But shouldn't a club this talented be granted a second chance? Perhaps that's what their participation in the League Alliance is all about.

BOB SINGER, PITCHER, PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS

League Alliance
Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Memphis Red Stockings		14	12	.538	3.5	11-15	3	8-5	6-7	0-0	6-1	W4	6-4
Philadelphia Athletics		11	2	.846	-	11-2	0	6-0	5-2	0-0	1-1	W1	8-2
St. Paul Red Caps		11	8	.579	3.0	11-8	0	8-1	3-7	0-2	2-3	W2	5-5
Chicago Fairbanks		10	9	.526	4.0	10-9	0	6-2	4-7	1-1	3-5	L1	7-3
Brooklyn Chelseas		9	7	.563	3.5	9-7	0	6-2	3-5	2-0	4-1	L3	5-5
Indianapolis Hoosiers		7	7	.500	4.5	9-5	-2	5-5	2-2	0-0	1-3	W1	5-5
Minneapolis Blue Stockings	7	15	.318	8.5	7-15	0	6-6	1-9	1-1	2-2	W2	4-6
Milwaukee Grays			5	13	.278	8.5	7-11	-2	2-6	3-7	0-0	2-5	L11	0-10
Janesville Volunteers		1	2	.333	5.0	1-2	0	0-1	1-1	0-0	0-0	W1	1-2

TECUMSEH PERFECT THUS FAR

Though the club has only played seven contests, the Tecumseh club of London (Ontario) is undefeated and the leading contender for the championship of the freshly re-christened International Association (the former Canadian Association which added a pair of clubs in the United States). Fritz Tozier, a native of New York City who has decided to ply his trade (that would be right field) for the Tecumseh club north of the border, is having a tremendous campaign thus far, and drawing the eye of the magnates of the Nat'l League. Thus far, Tozier is hitting .545 to lead the IA, and the former National Association player hit .492 for the Tecumsehs last season. A return to the States is surely in his immediate future.

FRITZ TOZIER

International Association
Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
London Tecumsehs		7	0	1.000	-	5-2	2	3-0	4-0	1-0	1-0	W7	7-0
Guelph Maple Leafs		7	6	.538	3.0	9-4	-2	4-3	3-3	0-0	2-2	L2	6-4
Pittsburgh Alleghenys		5	3	.625	2.5	3-5	2	3-1	2-2	0-0	1-0	L1	5-3
Columbus Buckeyes		4	6	.400	4.5	6-4	-2	2-3	2-3	0-1	1-2	W1	4-6

POFFENBERGER HAS BISON STAMPEDING

The New York State Association, some of whom's members participate in the League Alliance, are playing within their fraternity as well and in those contests, the Bison Club of Buffalo rules the roost. Led by the many syllabled Victor Poffenberger, who is hitting .369, Buffalo has won thirteen contests thus far, to stand atop the NYSA board.

VICTOR POFFENBERGER

New York State Association
Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Buffalo Bisons			13	4	.765	-	12-5	1	8-1	5-3	0-0	4-1	W3	8-2
Syracuse Stars			12	5	.706	1.0	13-4	-1	7-2	5-3	2-0	2-1	W4	6-4
Binghamton Crickets		11	6	.647	2.0	10-7	1	6-2	5-4	1-0	2-1	L1	8-2
Rochester Flour Citys		12	12	.500	4.5	13-11	-1	7-5	5-7	0-0	1-5	L2	5-5
Auburn Franklins		5	12	.294	8.0	7-10	-2	3-6	2-6	0-1	1-3	W1	3-7

LADIES MEN WOWING THE CLAM CHOWDER SET

In the newly formed New England Association, two clubs stand apart. One is the Rhode Islands of Providence, a superior club angling for admittance to the National League. The other is the so-called Ladies Men of Lowell. These denizens of small-town Massachusetts are the surprise co-leaders of the NEA. How attractive they are to the fairer sex may be debatable, but they are certainly a strong group of base ballers. With nary a household name among them, the future of the Ladies' Men is somewhat clouded, but their present is certainly rosy.

GEORGE PEARSON, LEFT FIELDER, LOWELL

New England Association
Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Lowell Ladies Men		10	7	.588	-	7-10	3	6-2	4-5	0-0	6-2	L1	6-4
Providence Rhode Islands	10	7	.588	-	9-8	1	7-2	3-5	2-0	6-2	W1	6-4
Fall River Cascades		8	9	.471	2.0	10-7	-2	4-5	4-4	0-0	0-2	L3	3-7
Lynn Live Oaks			6	19	.240	8.0	5-20	1	4-8	2-11	0-2	2-7	W1	3-7
Manchester Reds			5	19	.208	8.5	5-19	0	3-8	2-11	1-3	4-5	L1	1-9

[CatKnight]

It's interesting looking at all these leagues and associations I've never heard of. Are we seeing the ancestors of the minor leagues?

[legendsport]

Originally Posted by CatKnight

It's interesting looking at all these leagues and associations I've never heard of. Are we seeing the ancestors of the minor leagues?

Yes, although none of those initial leagues considered themselves minor, and were in some cases almost as good as the NL itself, they are the forerunners of minor league baseball.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Base Ball Intelligencer, Troy, NY, October 31, 1877:

WHITE STOCKING CLUB CLAIMS WORLD'S CHAMPIONSHIP

Benjamin Harrell finally achieved his dream - a World's Championship for his Chicago White Stockings. Given the lengths to which Harrell had gone - after raiding several excellent players from other teams, he went and formed his own league, then convinced his former Nat'l Association mates to sign on - it must surely be gratifying for Harrell. The White Stockings were simply superb in the second half of the championship season, and finished with four more victories than last year's titlists, the Dark Blues of Hartford. With John Young emerging as the team's surprise hitting star (clubbing a .380 batting average to edge Clifford Campbell's .367) and the stellar pitching of Carey Horsey who stepped in to fill the very large shoes of Walker Rhoades when the latter went down with an injury, the White Stockings were the most complete club in the professional ranks.

JOHN YOUNG

Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Chicago White Stockings		36	24	.600	-	34-26	2	18-11	18-13	2-1	14-5	W4	6-4
Hartford Dark Blues		32	28	.533	4.0	32-28	0	20-9	12-19	1-2	11-10	L1	6-4
Louisville Grays		29	32	.475	7.5	31-30	-2	19-11	10-21	4-1	9-12	L3	4-6
Cincinnati Reds			28	30	.483	7.0	27-31	1	16-14	12-16	0-2	10-7	W1	6-4
St. Louis Brown Stockings	28	32	.467	8.0	30-30	-2	13-17	15-15	0-3	3-13	L1	3-7
Boston Red Stockings		27	34	.443	9.5	27-34	0	15-17	12-17	2-0	11-11	W1	4-6

HARTFORD FALTERS LATE, BUT HEBRON IS TOP HURLER

Although his financially strapped club struggled in the latter stages of the season, Hartford Dark Blue pitcher "Cannonball" Hebron was named the National League's best pitcher for the 1877 season. Hebron earned the acclaim by posting a 2.35 ERA over 386 innings and had a personal ledger of 24 wins and 20 losses - which would have been more heavily slanted towards wins had his club been able to continue paying it's top batsmen.

CANNONBALL HEBRON

YOUNG EDGES MATE FOR BAT AWARD

In addition to leading his club to the world's title, Chicago's John Young also copped the top bat honor for the 1877 National League season, barely edging out defending bat champ and team mate, Clifford Campbell. Young outhit Campbell .380 to .367 but was behind Campbell in most other offensive categories, leading some to speculate that Harry Chadwick - who dispenses the awards - simply wanted to give it to someone OTHER than Clifford Campbell, who has already won it twice.

IS THE FUTURE DARK FOR THE HARTFORD CLUB?

With severe financial problems, it is being bruited about that the Hartford Dark Blue club has played its final National League contest. Club manager Dean Faircloth disputes this claim, saying "The Dark Blue will be back in 1878, I guarantee it." Faircloth's guarantees aside, if Hartford does return, how many of its players will remain with a team that can not afford to pay their salaries?

DEAN FAIRCLOTH

[legendsport]

The Base Ball Intelligencer, Troy, NY, November 10, 1877:

ST. PAUL CLUB CAPTURE 'ALLIANCE' CROWN

The Red Cap club of St. Paul, Minnesota racked up forty-one victories in League Alliance play this season, to stake claim to the Alliance crown. The Red Caps victory tally was eleven more than the next-best total, which belonged to the Chelseas of Brooklyn. Athletic, the former National League club, played a mere twenty-three games in the Alliance, but won 17 of them. It's unclear whither the Philadelphia club will go from here as it is unlikely that the club will gain readmittance to the fraternity of National League clubs. For their part, the Red Caps are also unlikely to enter the League itself next season - and it is entirely possible that no one will - though they are satisfied with the championship of the League Alliance. The Red Caps were led by Rick Barney, the erstwhile Hartford chucker who left for a more secure financial situation following the Dark Blues' 1876 title. Barney was 31-7 for St. Paul with a miniscule 1.37 earned run average, demonstrating for any doubters that he has not lost the skill that made him a top-level hurler in the National League.

RICK BARNEY

League Alliance Standings

Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
St. Paul Red Caps		41	19	.683	-	38-22	3	25-5	16-14	2-5	12-6	L1	6-4
Brooklyn Chelseas		30	25	.545	8.5	31-24	-1	16-13	14-12	5-0	9-5	L3	4-6
Chicago Fairbanks		29	24	.547	8.5	28-25	1	21-10	8-14	3-3	10-10	W2	8-2
Memphis Red Stockings		27	30	.474	12.5	23-34	4	14-13	13-17	1-1	14-5	L1	4-6
Indianapolis Hoosiers		18	21	.462	12.5	24-15	-6	9-9	9-12	0-1	1-7	W1	2-8
Philadelphia Athletics		17	6	.739	5.5	18-5	-1	7-1	10-5	0-0	3-3	L1	6-4
Milwaukee Grays			17	35	.327	20.0	19-33	-2	8-19	9-16	1-1	5-12	W2	6-4
Minneapolis Blue Stockings	17	36	.321	20.5	20-33	-3	9-19	8-17	1-2	2-7	W1	3-7
Janesville Volunteers		3	3	.500	11.0	4-2	-1	0-1	3-2	0-0	0-1	L1	3-3

TOP BAT FOR NON-LEAGUE PLAY GOES TO MEMPHIS MASTER

The top Bat award for play in non-National League contests for 1877 - a brand-new accolade from Harry Chadwick - goes to Elliot Sayers of the Memphis Red Stocking Club. Though Memphis managed to win just 27 of their 57 contests this year, Sayers was a consistent and dangerous force in their batting rotation. For the season he hit .306 with 18 two-baggers, a trio of three-baggers and scored 33 runs.

ELLIOT SAYERS

CUBAN HURLER IS TOP MAN IN NON-LEAGUE ACTION

Cavetano Blanco, who earned his daily bread chucking in the National Association before that organization fell apart with the formation of the National League, continues to prove himself a top-notch spinner of the sphere. Blanco plies his trade these days here in New York, for the Star Club of Syracuse. He earned Chadwick's nod as the best non-league hurler with another outstanding campaign with a 38-10 ledger and stingy 2.10 ERA. The Stars were the 2nd-best club in the New York State Association, finishing with 37 victories, second to the Flour City club of Rochester, which garnered 42 wins.

CAVETANO BLANCO

Team			W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Rochester Flour Citys	42	25	.627	5.5	40-27	2	22-12	20-13	3-1	7-7	L2	8-2
Syracuse Stars		39	11	.780	-	38-12	1	19-6	20-5	3-0	8-2	W2	9-1
Buffalo Bisons		38	12	.760	1.0	35-15	3	19-6	19-6	0-2	8-6	W6	7-3
Binghamton Crickets	26	24	.520	13.0	26-24	0	12-13	14-11	2-4	5-4	W4	6-4
Auburn Franklins	15	35	.300	24.0	15-35	0	9-16	6-19	2-4	8-11	L6	2-8

GUELPH TOPS THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION

The Maple Leaf Club of Guelph, Ontario won sixteen contests this year (losing nine) to lay claim to the championship of the International Association. Guelph was led by the play of the outstanding Alamazoo Pons, who continues to shine north of the border. This season Pons batted .374 in 115 times at the plate and clubbed 11 doubles and 5 triples.

ALAMAZOO PONS

Team			W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Guelph Maple Leafs	16	9	.640	-	16-9	0	8-4	8-5	0-0	3-3	L2	6-4
London Tecumsehs	12	8	.600	1.5	11-9	1	5-4	7-4	1-1	1-3	W2	6-4
Columbus Buckeyes	11	13	.458	4.5	11-13	0	5-7	6-6	0-2	6-4	W4	4-6
Pittsburgh Alleghenys	7	16	.304	8.0	8-15	-1	4-7	3-9	0-0	1-2	L8	4-6

CASCADE 'BLOOMS' TO NEW ENGLAND ASSOCIATION TITLE

Bret Bloom of the Cascade Club of Fall River, Mass. led his team to the best win total in the NEA this year. A long-time member of the famed Red Stocking club who spent the last two seasons with Athletic, Bloom returned to New England with Fall River and recorded a .365 average for the Cascades. Fall River won 26 games in a tight New England race, just one more than Providence - a club that is expected (hoping?) to jump to the National League next season. Fall River? Too small for the League.

Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Fall River Cascades		26	24	.520	-	28-22	-2	14-11	12-13	1-0	5-4	W1	4-6
Providence Rhode Islands	25	25	.500	1.0	24-26	1	17-8	8-17	5-1	9-8	L1	5-5
Manchester Reds			23	44	.343	11.5	23-44	0	13-22	10-22	3-5	10-15	L1	7-3
Lowell Ladies Men		22	28	.440	4.0	19-31	3	10-15	12-13	0-0	10-5	L2	2-8
Lynn Live Oaks			16	44	.267	15.0	16-44	0	11-19	5-25	2-2	6-13	W1	3-7

[legendsport]

Events were spiraling out of control - again - so Ben Harrell was forced to again do things he didn't want to do. First the Hartford Dark Blues, who had played half their 1877 home schedule in Brooklyn, could not escape the red ink they were bathing in and had to fold. The Brown Stockings of St. Louis, despite the presence of one of the league's best young stars in Fred 'Mutton' Morton, did likewise in late November.

Suddenly, the League was down to four members. And then the lightning bolt struck. Louisville's owner, Gerald Phillips, revealed that he had discovered that four members of his club had made deals with gamblers and actively "thrown" games during the championship season. Phillips informed Harrell that he would suspend the players. Harrell agreed - and went one better - expelling the players from the National League. The term of sentence: life. The so-called "Louisville Four" - Orrin Ratley, Orland Pankovits, Yo-Yo Lattimer and David Trivett were banned for life. They protested: loudly, publically and frequently, but to no avail. Harrell's ban would stick.

The signal was strong and clear - there could be no doubt about the legitimacy of League contests. The moment the paying customers began to have even one iota of doubt as to whether the games were "on the level" was the moment they stopped paying their hard-earned 50 cents admission. And with all the teams except his own Chicago club losing money on a yearly basis, that was something that could never be countenanced.

The final blow of the disastrous end of the year 1877 came when Phillips informed Harrell that the Louisville club, now bereft of four of its best players, would no longer be able to operate. And then there were three (clubs, that is)...

So what to do? Granted the League Alliance clubs were slavering for admittance to the League, but what of their quality - both morally and athletically?

In the end, Harrell and the remaining pair of owners - both newcomers, Cincinnati's Jonah Usher and Boston's Uriah Kittridge, elected to elevate three formerly "minor" clubs to the League: the Cream City Club of Milwaukee, the Grays of Providence, and the Blues of Indianapolis. The new trio, all representing fairly small cities, were at least clean. Whether they could compete with Chicago or Boston (with Kittridge greedily snapping up the leavings of Louisville and St. Louis - Morton among them), would remain to be seen. Few thought they could, but they could pay the $100 entrance fee, and all promised to complete their schedules and obey all League rules and regulations.

THE "LOUISVILLE FOUR" (l. to r. Ratley, Pankovits, Lattimer, Trivett)
|||

[canadiancreed]

Hmm....didn't thikn the Louisville Losers would show up this early

[legendsport]

Originally Posted by canadiancreed

Hmm....didn't thikn the Louisville Losers would show up this early

Yep, three players - Jim Devlin, Al Nichols and George Hall were banned for gambling after the 1877 season. I made it four and chose the players somewhat randomly.

[legendsport]

The Base Ball Intelligencer, Troy, NY, April 27, 1878:

KITTRIDGE: 'RED STOCKINGS WILL REIGN IN SEVENTY-EIGHT'

Uriah Kittridge is an old-time New Englander and has one firm belief - that anything he touches will turn to gold. A textile magnate, Kittridge has bought the Boston Baseball Club and promises to return them to their glory days. To that end, he was in a spending mood when three former League teams folded up following the '77 campaign. First order of business: the acquisition of Fred Morton, erstwhile centerfielder extraordinaire of the Brown Stocking club. Morton was paid handsomely to put his name on a Boston contract and began a series of signings which should put the Boston club in position to challenge Chicago for League supremacy. Also heading to Beantown were catcher Earl Walker (he'll man the first base in Boston), keystone turned shortstop Mike Feldbush and keytone-to-stay Ethan Marcello. All these players should contribute to the future success of Boston. Mr. Kittridge is "banking" on it, in more ways than one.

FRED 'MUTTON' MORTON

PITMAN RETURNS TO ROOTS
One of the reasons Uriah Kittridge signed Mike Feldbush was to fill the very large shortstop cleats left vacant by Rube Pitman when the latter departed Boston to return to the site of his professional debut, Cincinnati. The Red Legs, under new management, drew Pitman with a promise of managerial responsibility and by a pledge to return the Red Legs to the glory achieved by that first of the professional clubs, the Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869. Pitman was the key member of that club, and will be the key member of this one as well, even if the new edition can not hope to achieve the lofty heights of the original. The British-born Pitman, whose speech still sounds as though he should be sipping tea with Queen Vicky, will manage the club - the first time he has ever taken on the responsibility. As long as he can put himself out there at shortstop every game, the Red Legs will have a fighting chance at victory.

RUBE PITMAN

WHITE STOCKINGS NOT READY TO LAY DOWN FOR BOSTON
The Chicago White Stockings, champions of the world, are not about to be caught napping by the vastly improved Boston club. Mr. Harrell pledges that his club will again rise to the top of the League and he has the players to back that boast up. With the core group of Clifford Campbell, Walker Rhoades, Klu Dolce and John Young on board and rising stars in keystone Jim McGregor and backstop Zane Guenther, it would be a foolish man who would bet against Chicago. Not that you would be betting, it being illegal and all...

KLU DOLCE

NEW LEAGUE CLUBS LOOKING FOR RESPECT
With three new clubs joining the ranks of the fast crowd in the big League, it's no surprise that most of the noise is being made about that other three - Boston, Chicago and Cincinnati. Not so fast, say the backers of Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Providence. These three clubs are all veterans of professional play, though they have yet to test their mettle against the leviathan clubs of Boston and Chicago. Of the three, it would appear that Providence is best suited to success in the league. The play in New England being of somewhat higher quality is one reason - another is the acquistion of veteran first baseman (and former Louisville star) Greg Dixon and second sacker Clement Reynolds (formerly of St. Louis) to anchor the lineup. These two are proven players who will provide a nucleus around which the younger Gray players can rally.

CLEMENT REYNOLDS

ALLIANCE IS NO MORE, NOW INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION IS LONE CHALLENGER TO 'THE LEAGUE'
The one-year experiment known as the League Alliance is no more. Realizing that their entrance fee bought them very little, the former members of the Alliance declined unanimously the chance to give the League further greenbacks. With both the tenuous New York and New England Associations no more, this leaves the International Association - now swollen to thirteen member clubs - to stand alone against the League. Though Mr. Harrell has pledged the League will not pilfer talent from the Association, one must wonder how long that will hold up. The Association boasts several talented clubs, such as the Stars of Syracuse, Lowell Ladies Men, Buffalo Bisons and Tecumseh of London, Ontario. There are also a fair amount of talented players on those rosters, with only the very thin coffers of the League's membership preventing full-scale raids on Association rosters. Nevertheless, should the going get tough, expect to see such Association stars as Syracuse's Blanco and Villanueva, or up-and-comers like Hornellsville's Mark Madsen or London's Mahan O'Faolan signed to a League contract.

MAHAN O'FAOLAN

[legendsport]

The Base Ball Intelligencer, Troy, NY, August 3, 1878:

RED LEGS SUCCEEDING UNDER PITMAN
The return of 35-year-old prodigal son Rube Pitman to the Queen City has energized the formerly moribund Cincinnati Red Legs. Pitman, acting as manager as well as star shortstop, is leading the club to heights few would have dared to imagine. The Red Legs have the League's best record, sitting atop the table with 26 victories. Even the fact that they're tied with the surprising Indianapolis club can not dampen the spirits of the cranks following the Red Legs this season. Pitman's .381 average signals that he is fully recovered from the shoulder injury which kept him off the diamond in 1877, and as a manager he has uncovered a hidden gem in left-fielder Henry Cuomo, an immigrant with a thick Italian accent and a steady bat, whose .398 average is the best on the club. With fine pitching being twirled by Will Miereles it appears that the Red Legs do have enough to claim the World's Championship this season.

STANDINGS

Team			W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Cincinnati Red Legs	26	15	.634	-	23-18	3	12-7	14-8	2-2	7-5	W5	6-4
Indianapolis Blues	26	17	.605	1.0	24-19	2	12-7	14-10	4-0	9-5	W2	6-4
Boston Red Stockings	21	15	.583	2.5	21-15	0	11-9	10-6	2-2	6-3	W2	4-6
Providence Grays	16	18	.471	6.5	16-18	0	6-13	10-5	1-1	6-3	L2	6-4
Chicago White Stockings	17	24	.415	9.0	20-21	-3	11-14	6-10	1-5	6-11	L2	4-6
Milwaukee Cream Citys	12	29	.293	14.0	12-29	0	5-11	7-18	2-2	2-9	L2	4-6

INDIANAPOLIS SURPRISE TO ALL EXCEPT THE CLUB ITSELF
The strong showing of the Indianapolis club has been the season's biggest surprise - but not to the club's consitituents, who claim to have seen it coming all along. Indy is tied atop the standing table at 26 wins, though some speculate that their fortunes will take a dip once they hit the rails for some away contests in such distant provinces as, say, Boston. Claud Mackinson's .388 average leads the club and he claims that "We're no fluke." Time will tell if Claud is correct.

CLAUD MACKINSON

MYSTERIOUS 'SLUMP' PLAGUES BOSTONIANS
The much-heralded Boston nine has been mediocre at best thus far, showing stretches of brilliance as well as stretches of severe ineptitude. The pitcher, courtesy of 'Bloop' Biron has been excellent, so the blame must be laid at the feet of the batsmen, though their failings are not immediately evident. Witness these averages: Mahoney - .371, Morton - .356, Withers - .344, Feldbush - .329. Those four are carrying their weight, it is upon the other four members of the starting nine, especially the .269 average of right fielder John Kreuzer which is holding this club back. Should the bats catch up with the spinning whippets coming off Biron's magical left hand, the Red Stockings will rise to their predicted heights.

MIKE FELDBUSH

DISGUSTED HARRELL'S PLEDGE: BIG CHANGES IN THE SECOND CITY
With his Chicago White Stockings limping through their schedule, Benjamin Harrell has pledged to the club's rooting interests that he will make big changes this winter to return the club to prominence. Asked about this promise, Harrell sniped that "no one, and I mean no one, is untouchable. Campbell or Rhoades could very easily find themselves shipped off to Milwaukee if they don't shape up."

INTERNATIONAL POWERS TO LEAGUE: WE'RE READY
The very strong showing in the season's first months by the Buffalo and Syracuse clubs of the International Association seems to indicate that this pair of powers is ready to step forward and contest their base ball against the best the National League can offer. Buffalo has won 25 of 31 contests, many in lopsided fashion, and 20-year-old Bob Holub is hitting a robust .453 thus far. Syracuse has been a strong club for three seasons running and boasts the dynamic Cuban duo of Cavetano Blanco (generally acclaimed the best pitcher outside the League) and Arturo Villanueva. Frank Coolbaugh has a .372 average for the Stars and the skill to play in the League is apparent on both clubs.

FRANK COOLBAUGH

STANDINGS

Team			W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Buffalo Bisons		25	6	.806	-	21-10	4	14-1	11-5	3-0	5-2	L1	7-3
Syracuse Stars		20	10	.667	4.5	21-9	-1	10-5	10-5	0-1	2-4	W7	9-1
Hornellsville Club	17	13	.567	7.5	16-14	1	10-5	7-8	1-0	3-4	W1	6-4
Binghamton Crickets	16	14	.533	8.5	16-14	0	9-6	7-8	0-0	2-3	W1	4-6
London Tecumsehs	16	14	.533	8.5	19-11	-3	8-7	8-7	0-0	2-6	W1	6-4
Lowell Ladies Men	16	14	.533	8.5	13-17	3	6-9	10-5	2-0	1-2	W1	5-5
Springfield Club	16	14	.533	8.5	17-13	-1	5-10	11-4	1-2	3-2	W1	4-6
Lynn Live Oaks		15	16	.484	10.0	15-16	0	8-7	7-9	0-1	4-4	L3	2-8
Rochester Flour Citys	15	16	.484	10.0	16-15	-1	9-7	6-9	1-1	6-4	L1	5-5
Utica Franklins		15	16	.484	10.0	16-15	-1	7-8	8-8	0-0	7-3	L2	5-5
New Haven Cascades	11	20	.355	14.0	12-19	-1	7-9	4-11	0-1	2-3	L1	4-6
Manchester Reds		9	22	.290	16.0	8-23	1	4-12	5-10	0-1	5-5	L1	4-6
Pittsburgh Alleghenys	7	23	.233	17.5	8-22	-1	2-13	5-10	0-1	3-3	W1	5-5

[legendsport]

The Base Ball Intelligencer, Troy, NY, October 3, 1878:

INDIANAPOLIS COPS CHAMPIONSHIP
The surprise club of 1878 turned out to be the lightly regarded Indianapolis Blues. The favorites of Hoosiers everywhere, the Blues reeled off 47 victories this season, easily surpassing the totals of not only the Cincinnati Red Legs, but also the vaunted Boston Red Stockings. With outstanding efforts from chucker Clifford Langton (a new star on the rise?) and batsmen such as Claud Mackinson, whose .406 average was the League's best, the Blues proved too tough a foe for the other five League contenders. The biggest disappointment belonged to the White Stockings of Chicago - the former power of the League, Chicago could barely fashion a respectable finish to their 1878 campaign, winning fewer than half their contests and accruing more victories than only one other club, the lowly Milwaukees. For their part, the Red Legs tailed off in the dog days of summer, finishing second to Indianapolis, with Boston third, Providence fourth and the aforementioned Chicago and Milwaukee nines rounding out the standings table.

STANDINGS

Team			W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Indianapolis Blues	42	21	.667	-	38-25	4	20-8	22-13	4-1	12-6	W2	9-1
Cincinnati Red Legs	37	24	.607	4.0	34-27	3	21-13	16-11	3-3	11-9	L1	6-4
Boston Red Stockings	33	27	.550	7.5	35-25	-2	14-16	19-11	3-3	6-7	W1	5-5
Providence Grays	28	34	.452	13.5	28-34	0	14-18	14-16	2-1	10-7	L1	3-7
Chicago White Stockings	26	35	.426	15.0	29-32	-3	16-19	10-16	1-5	9-13	W1	5-5
Milwaukee Cream Citys	18	43	.295	23.0	19-42	-1	7-18	11-25	3-3	6-12	L1	2-8

MIRELES NAMED TOP PITCHER FOR 1878
One of the signal successes for freshman manager Rube Pitman was his retainment of pitcher Will Mireles for the Cincinnati club when other, more famous chuckers were available. Mireles repaid Pitman's trust by fashioning the top pitching performance in the League for 1878. In 61 contests, Mireles compiled a record of 34-23 with a 2.56 earned run average in over 500 innings of pitching for Pitman's Red Legs.

WILL MIRELES

YOUNG WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE BAT AWARD
There were not many reasons to rejoice around Chicago's Lake Front Park this season, but the play of outfielder John Young was certainly one of them. The 28-year-old Young earned a second-straight Top Bat Award by wielding his club with ferocious effect. Young had 100 hits in 253 at-bats, which is a .395 batting average. He added 13 doubles, 3 triples and one circuit clout, and scored 53 runs for the White Stockings. Says Benjamin Harrell, team owner and manager - "If I had four more like him, we'd lose nary a game."

JOHN YOUNG

FINANCIAL WOES CONTINUE TO HAUNT THE LEAGUE
With players' contracted salaries rising each season as the League's magnates vie with one another to procure the upper echelon of talent, the club's finances continue to suffer. Even with a 50 cent-per-head admission charge, the six Clubs continue to lose money each season. Initial reports indicate that only Chicago among the so-called Silver Six managed to turn a profit in 1878. Even the champion Blues, who won fully two-thirds of their contests, lost money this season. "This situation can not continue," moans Uriah Kittridge, owner-operator of the Boston club. "The League will cease to be a viable venture for anyone unless we can find a way to slow the dramatic rise of player salaries." Kittridge, whose deep pockets enabled him to remake the Boston lineup this past winter, knows all too well how expensive a business base ball has become.

URIAH KITTRIDGE

BISON STAMPEDE TO INT'L TITLE
All summer long the Bison Club of Buffalo, New York simply wore out the opposition. Easily the best club outside the environs of the National League, the Buffalo nine won 36 of their 46 contests, with a victorious ledger against every club except the Allegheny club of Pittsburgh which managed to win two of three matches with Buffalo despite winning just 12 of 46 matches all season. The second-best club was the Star club of Syracuse, considered to have the most talented roster of players in the Int'l Association, Syracuse won 32 contests this year. Both Springfield and Hornellsville were strong as well, but unlike Buffalo and Syracuse, the latter pair have virtually no hope of moving into the National League should the premier loop add to its membership for 1879.

STANDINGS

Team			W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Buffalo Bisons		36	10	.783	-	31-15	5	20-3	16-7	6-0	10-5	L1	8-2
Syracuse Stars		32	14	.696	4.0	31-15	1	17-6	15-8	1-1	6-4	L1	7-3
Springfield Club	27	19	.587	9.0	27-19	0	11-12	16-7	1-3	5-5	W4	6-4
Hornellsville Club	25	21	.543	11.0	24-22	1	15-8	10-13	1-3	5-8	L2	4-6
Lowell Ladies Men	25	21	.543	11.0	23-23	2	11-12	14-9	2-0	4-4	L2	6-4
Binghamton Crickets	24	22	.522	12.0	23-23	1	12-11	12-11	0-1	5-3	W1	6-4
London Tecumsehs	24	22	.522	12.0	28-18	-4	12-12	12-10	0-2	5-10	W2	5-5
Utica Franklins		23	24	.489	13.5	23-24	0	11-12	12-12	1-0	10-4	W1	6-4
Lynn Live Oaks		21	25	.457	15.0	21-25	0	12-11	9-14	2-3	6-7	W2	5-5
Rochester Flour Citys	21	25	.457	15.0	23-23	-2	13-10	8-15	2-1	8-8	W1	3-7
New Haven Cascades	18	29	.383	18.5	20-27	-2	10-13	8-16	1-1	2-7	W2	5-5
Manchester Reds		12	34	.261	24.0	11-35	1	6-17	6-17	1-3	6-7	L3	3-7
Pittsburgh Alleghenys	12	34	.261	24.0	12-34	0	4-19	8-15	1-1	4-4	L5	2-8

PONS IS INT'L BAT CHAMP
Alamazoo Pons, after spending two seasons north of the border with the Maple Leaf club of Guelph, Ontario, returned to the United States in 1878 to play with the Springfield (Mass) club. And just as he did in 1876 with Guelph, Pons put together a tremendous season and earned the Top Bat Award for the International Association. His .406 batting average was fourth-best in the Int'l, but he added seven doubles, three triples and three four-baggers as well. Another great season for the 29-year-old Pons.

ALAMAZOO PONS

HUNT OF UTICA IS THE TOPS IN THE BOX
The Top Pitcher Award for the 1878 International Association season went to Utica hurler Todd Hunt. In pitching for one of the weaker clubs in the Int'l, Hunt put up a very solid earned run average of 2.38, though his club's weakness among the batsmen saw his ledger stand at just 23-24 in 47 games pitched. Hunt's effervescent performance likely will mean a telegraph from one of the League clubs this winter.

TODD HUNT