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

[legendsport]

The Base Ball Intelligencer, Troy, NY, February 21, 1879

SHORT WINTER SEASON A SUCCESS IN CUBA
That the sport of base ball should become a fixture on the island of Cuba is no surprise. After all, the weather on the island is ideal for sporting endeavors - balmy to hot year-round. Though the natives of Cuba grow restless under the continued yoke of distant Spain, the political waves did not upset plans for the first organized base ball loop on the island. With just three clubs, playing just a four-game slate, the endeavor was small, but exciting for the islands inhabitants. It drew the very visible presence of two players who have made names for themselves here in the United States - Cavetano Blanco and Arturo Villanueva. Both returned home to lead their teams - surprisingly they played on opposing teams, the first time they've done so. Blanco was pitcher and manager for the Havana club, while Villanueva played shortstop and managed the Almendares club. Blanco was superb (3-1, 1.00 ERA), Villanueva was not (.211 average), and the Habana Rojos (Reds) won three of their four games to claim the Cuban championship.

[legendsport]

CLIFFORD 'SCOT' CAMPBELL

Like his club, the Chicago White Stockings, Campbell had a season that was a disappointment in large part due to the high standard he and the club had set for themselves. Campbell's batting average dropped to a more pedestrian .319 from the .367 he averaged in 1877. More alarming is the dropoff in doubles, triples and home runs, which all declined from his usual ranking among league leaders. Like the White Stockings, Campbell will hope to bounce back to his expected stellar play in 1879.

Career Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1871 Chicago - NA	21	27	110	34	7	0	1	13	20	8	2	1	17	10	2	.309	.364	.400	.764	10.4
1872 Middletown - NA	22	17	73	14	0	1	0	4	6	3	0	0	0	6	4	.192	.224	.219	.443	-4.5
1873 Philadelphia - NA	23	52	202	60	6	0	2	23	37	31	0	1	8	24	10	.297	.389	.356	.745	14.9
1874 Philadelphia - NA	24	55	239	93	17	8	0	35	36	13	0	5	14	32	16	.389	.412	.527	.940	34.6
1875 Philadelphia - NA	25	70	287	107	16	9	6	52	68	23	3	5	9	44	20	.373	.418	.554	.972	44.2
1876 Chicago - MLB	26	66	310	126	17	14	6	67	87	16	3	7	6	44	11	.406	.432	.610	1.041	52.6
1877 Chicago - MLB	27	60	270	99	17	6	3	42	58	2	0	5	1	35	23	.367	.365	.507	.872	22.4
1878 Chicago - MLB	28	61	270	86	9	2	2	34	45	2	0	5	1	38	21	.319	.318	.389	.707	11.8
Total NA	5 yrs.		221	911	308	46	18	9	127	167	78	5	12	48	116	52	.338	.389	.458	.846	99.6
Total MLB	3 yrs.		187	850	311	43	22	11	143	190	20	3	17	8	117	55	.366	.375	.507	.882	86.9

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1871 Chicago - ML	SS	25	25	46	73	22	132	13	.902	222.0	4.82				
1871 Chicago - ML	3B	1	1	0	2	0	2	0	1.000	9.0	2.00				
1872 Middletown - ML	3B	11	11	10	27	1	42	5	.881	86.0	3.87				
1872 Middletown - ML	SS	6	6	12	27	6	44	5	.886	54.0	6.50				
1873 Philadelphia - ML	3B	52	52	51	121	10	190	18	.905	467.0	3.31				
1873 Philadelphia - ML	SS	1	0	2	1	0	3	0	1.000	7.0	3.86				
1874 Philadelphia - ML	3B	55	55	59	132	7	219	28	.872	489.2	3.51				
1875 Philadelphia - ML	3B	67	67	55	175	11	270	40	.852	591.2	3.50				
1875 Philadelphia - ML	SS	3	3	3	5	1	8	0	1.000	27.0	2.67				
1876 Chicago - ML	3B	49	49	28	170	9	249	51	.795	436.0	4.09				
1876 Chicago - ML	SS	17	17	31	66	10	108	11	.898	144.0	6.06				
1877 Chicago - ML	3B	60	60	48	204	10	306	54	.824	531.1	4.27				
1878 Chicago - ML	3B	61	61	49	225	9	330	56	.830	544.1	4.53

WALKER 'BOOK' RHOADES

Just as he did in 1877, Rhoades suffered through what would be considered for him a mediocre campaign. But whereas in 1877 much of the drop-off could be attributed to an injury, this time around, he was perfectly sound in body throughout the campaign, but still failed to rise above his peers as he had done in seasons past and was a large reason why the Chicago club failed to live up to expectations.

Career Pitching Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	HA	R	ER	HR	BB	K	CG	SHO	WHIP	BABIP	VORP
1872 Cleveland - NA	21	22	22	9	10	0	2.50	191.0	222	101	53	1	12	9	18	0	1.23	.286	30.5
1873 Philadelphia - NA	22	45	45	27	15	0	1.73	396.0	355	139	76	0	34	173	40	6	0.98	.266	94.3
1874 Philadelphia - NA	23	58	58	29	28	0	2.50	496.0	528	228	138	3	44	189	52	4	1.15	.297	88.0
1875 Boston - NA	24	67	67	49	16	0	2.22	566.1	541	273	140	7	41	234	55	8	1.03	.269	116.2
1876 Chicago - MLB	25	61	61	34	20	0	3.09	493.0	611	388	169	7	57	130	38	0	1.35	.298	97.6
1877 Chicago - MLB	26	31	31	18	13	0	2.52	275.1	300	162	77	2	23	10	31	0	1.17	.265	37.7
1878 Chicago - MLB	27	53	53	24	29	0	2.68	477.1	552	287	142	1	28	31	53	1	1.22	.281	56.6
Total NA	4 yrs.		192	192	114	69	0	2.22	1649.1	1646	741	407	11	131	605	165	18	1.08	.279	329.0
Total MLB	3 yrs.		145	145	76	62	0	2.80	1245.2	1463	837	388	10	108	171	122	1	1.26	.284	191.9

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1872 Cleveland - ML	P	22	22	15	52	3	75	8	.893	191.0	3.16				
1873 Philadelphia - ML	P	45	45	27	114	3	160	19	.881	396.0	3.20				
1874 Philadelphia - ML	P	58	58	30	136	6	189	23	.878	496.0	3.01				
1875 Boston - ML	P	67	67	40	156	2	232	36	.845	566.1	3.11				
1876 Chicago - ML	P	61	61	36	100	6	172	36	.791	493.0	2.48				
1877 Chicago - ML	P	31	31	17	84	5	126	25	.802	275.1	3.30				
1878 Chicago - ML	P	53	53	31	124	3	194	39	.799	477.1	2.92

CAVETANO BLANCO

Blanco was among the best in the business once again in 1878, posting a very stingy ERA of 1.89 for the Syracuse Stars. But more importantly for Blanco was his return to his native Cuba, where a new league to play a winter season formed and he led his club, Habana, to the league title with 3 wins in 4 contests.

Career Pitching Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	HA	R	ER	HR	BB	K	CG	SHO	WHIP	BABIP	VORP
1872 Troy - NA	22	25	25	9	16	0	2.98	217.2	278	140	72	3	14	39	24	1	1.34	.310	23.8
1873 Philadelphia - NA	23	50	50	35	15	0	1.95	458.0	375	157	99	4	76	340	50	11	0.98	.281	95.0
1874 Philadelphia - NA	24	52	52	25	24	0	3.71	451.1	505	256	186	7	141	192	48	2	1.43	.317	16.9
1875 Philadelphia - NA	25	55	55	30	24	0	2.37	460.1	439	232	121	7	148	270	43	3	1.28	.290	88.0
Total NA		4 yrs.	182	182	99	79	0	2.71	1587.1	1597	785	478	21	379	841	165	17	1.24	.300	223.8

Career Minor League Pitching Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	HA	R	ER	HR	BB	K	CG	SHO	WHIP	BABIP	VORP
1876 Syracuse - AAA	26	37	37	30	7	0	2.13	329.1	289	140	78	7	52	191	35	3	1.04	.256	92.8
1877 Syracuse - AAA	27	50	50	38	10	0	2.10	436.2	341	187	102	8	85	262	48	4	0.98	.238	93.9
1878 Syracuse - AAA	28	27	23	20	6	0	1.89	219.0	206	100	46	4	28	118	23	4	1.07	.268	50.1
1878 Habana - AAA	28	4	4	3	1	0	1.00	36.0	24	14	4	1	2	7	4	0	0.72	.173	8.8
Total NYSA			37	37	30	7	0	2.13	329.1	289	140	78	7	52	191	35	3	1.04	.256	92.8
Total IA			77	73	58	16	0	2.03	655.2	547	287	148	12	113	380	71	8	1.01	.249	144.0

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1872 Troy - ML	P	25	25	12	56	1	80	12	.850	217.2	2.81				
1873 Philadelphia - ML	P	50	50	19	100	6	140	21	.850	458.0	2.34				
1874 Philadelphia - ML	P	52	52	31	105	0	156	20	.872	451.1	2.71				
1875 Philadelphia - ML	P	55	55	26	113	3	157	18	.885	460.1	2.72				
1878 Syracuse - AAA	P	27	23	9	47	2	72	16	.778	219.0	2.30	
1878 Habana - AAA	P	4	4	1	3	0	7	3	.571	36.0	1.00

ARTURO VILLANUEVA

Villanueva bounced back from his subpar effort in 1877 with a more level and consistent standard of play in 1878. His average rose from .262 to .308, which is a good sign for a player still known more for defensive prowess. Like his friend and countryman Cavetano Blanco, the 28-year-old Villanueva played in the Cuban Winter League, though he managed and played for Almendares and was mediocre in his four contests.

Career Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1872 Troy - NA	22	25	98	27	4	0	0	13	12	2	1	2	0	2	3	.276	.291	.316	.608	-1.1
1873 Philadelphia - NA	23	52	209	51	10	8	0	10	32	8	9	2	9	4	1	.244	.298	.368	.667	8.0
1874 Philadelphia - NA	24	55	231	66	10	9	0	21	47	17	6	0	13	6	10	.286	.350	.407	.757	11.4
1875 Philadelphia - NA	25	70	309	84	15	7	1	24	59	14	3	2	6	17	12	.272	.308	.375	.683	5.5
Total NA		4 yrs.	202	847	228	39	24	1	68	150	41	19	6	28	29	26	.269	.315	.375	.691	23.7

Career Minor League Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1876 Syracuse - AAA	26	38	161	55	6	5	4	35	38	13	4	6	2	11	2	.342	.391	.516	.907	17.2
1877 Syracuse - AAA	27	50	202	53	4	5	1	35	49	19	8	7	1	7	3	.262	.339	.347	.686	8.8
1878 Syracuse - AAA	28	46	201	62	10	4	2	30	50	13	4	1	6	7	12	.308	.361	.428	.789	12.3
1878 Almendares - AAA	28	4	19	4	2	0	0	3	2	0	0	0	1	1	2	.211	.211	.316	.526	-0.9
Total NYSA			38	161	55	6	5	4	35	38	13	4	6	2	11	2	.342	.391	.516	.907	17.2
Total IA			96	403	115	14	9	3	65	99	32	12	8	7	14	15	.285	.349	.387	.737	21.1

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1872 Troy - ML	SS	25	25	36	84	9	130	10	.923	222.1	4.86				
1873 Philadelphia - ML	SS	52	52	69	152	21	234	13	.944	469.0	4.24				
1874 Philadelphia - ML	SS	55	55	85	187	23	287	15	.948	488.2	5.01				
1875 Philadelphia - ML	SS	67	67	93	235	36	356	28	.921	591.2	4.99				
1875 Philadelphia - ML	3B	3	3	1	9	1	12	2	.833	27.0	3.33				
1877 Syracuse - AAA	SS	50	50	70	185	33	273	18	.934	445.1	5.15	
1878 Syracuse - AAA	SS	46	46	66	126	21	215	23	.893	409.0	4.22				
1878 Almendares - AAA	SS	4	4	12	13	5	26	1	.962	36.0	6.25

MIKE 'HITMAN' FELDBUSH

The up-and-down career of Mike Feldbush took a definite up-swing in 1878. The same player who has been overlooked and left out in the cold several times during his career became the starting shortstop for the Boston Red Stockings when the incumbent, Rube Pitman, left the club to return to Cincinnati. Feldbush is no Pitman, but he proved himself to be a solid player in 1878, hitting .298 in an everyday role and playing with surprising efficiency afield at a new position. After years of "wandering in the wilderness" it seems that the Hitman has finally found a home.

Career Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1873 Baltimore - NA	19	64	156	38	4	2	2	22	16	6	2	2	8	2	4	.244	.277	.333	.610	-0.5
1878 Boston - MLB	24	60	265	79	6	2	4	32	58	23	4	2	0	10	6	.298	.361	.381	.742	8.3
Total NA	1 yrs.		64	156	38	4	2	2	22	16	6	2	2	8	2	4	.244	.277	.333	.610	-0.5
Total MLB	1 yrs.		60	265	79	6	2	4	32	58	23	4	2	0	10	6	.298	.361	.381	.742	8.3

Career Minor League Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1876 Kingston - AAA	22	10	30	10	3	0	0	8	9	10	0	1	0	0	0	.333	.488	.433	.921	3.7
Total 		CA		10	30	10	3	0	0	8	9	10	0	1	0	0	0	.333	.488	.433	.921	3.7

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1873 Baltimore - ML	2B	17	14	52	52	10	109	5	.954	124.0	7.55				
1873 Baltimore - ML	3B	8	6	5	20	2	31	6	.806	51.2	4.35				
1873 Baltimore - ML	P	1	0	0	1	0	2	1	.500	3.1	2.70				
1873 Baltimore - ML	2B	17	14	52	52	10	109	5	.954	124.0	7.55				
1873 Baltimore - ML	3B	8	6	5	20	2	31	6	.806	51.2	4.35				
1873 Baltimore - ML	P	1	0	0	1	0	2	1	.500	3.1	2.70				
1876 Kingston - AAA	2B	9	8	31	20	3	53	2	.962	76.0	6.04
1878 Boston - ML	SS	60	60	130	201	41	373	42	.887	526.2	5.66

JOHN MAHONEY

Mahoney is developing a reputation around the National League - as a hard-nosed player who can be counted upon to deliver on a daily basis. Spectacular he may not be, but Mahoney put up another .300-plus batting average (.346 this time) and scored 51 runs, driving in 54 while taking his swings in the heart of one of the League's best lineups. And he's proving adept at third base as well, a bonus for a player known mainly for his work with the bat.

Career Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1873 Baltimore - NA	18	37	125	41	4	1	0	11	17	6	3	0	16	0	0	.328	.373	.376	.749	8.8
1874 Baltimore - NA	19	47	199	64	8	2	1	40	30	13	2	1	14	0	0	.322	.367	.397	.764	10.5
1875 Boston - NA	20	82	317	78	16	4	1	55	54	50	2	8	18	2	8	.246	.345	.331	.676	-5.8
1876 Boston - MLB	21	70	280	96	32	5	2	69	49	34	3	7	14	1	0	.343	.410	.514	.925	28.1
1877 Boston - MLB	22	61	249	82	21	4	2	41	27	14	2	4	2	3	1	.329	.364	.470	.834	19.6
1878 Boston - MLB	23	60	263	91	17	2	2	54	51	13	2	2	1	2	2	.346	.379	.449	.827	22.7
Total NA	3 yrs.		166	641	183	28	7	2	106	101	69	7	9	48	2	8	.285	.357	.360	.717	13.5
Total MLB	3 yrs.		191	792	269	70	11	6	164	127	61	7	13	17	6	3	.340	.386	.479	.865	70.4

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1873 Baltimore - ML	3B	27	27	13	83	5	109	13	.881	222.0	3.89				
1873 Baltimore - ML	SS	4	2	9	7	3	18	2	.889	28.0	5.14				
1873 Baltimore - ML	1B	6	4	50	3	6	56	3	.946	36.0	13.25				
1873 Baltimore - ML	P	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	4.2	0.00				
1874 Baltimore - ML	3B	47	47	37	142	8	201	22	.891	419.1	3.84				
1875 Boston - ML	3B	82	82	60	233	9	340	47	.862	730.0	3.61				
1876 Boston - ML	3B	70	70	60	212	11	318	46	.855	610.1	4.01				
1877 Boston - ML	3B	61	61	54	158	5	262	50	.809	534.0	3.57				
1878 Boston - ML	3B	60	60	43	152	9	230	35	.848	535.2	3.28				
1878 Boston - ML	SS	2	0	2	2	1	4	0	1.000	6.0	6.00

JIM MCGREGOR

The Canadian born Jim McGregor showed continued improvement in 1878. Though his average did not rise (and in fact fell to .291 from .302 in 1877), he both scored and drove in more runs this season - and saw his home run total rise to a league-best nine, walked more and even managed to swipe a few bases along the way, all for a club which was a big disappointment in the standings.

Career Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1874 Chicago - NA	17	10	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000	.000	-0.7
1875 Chicago - NA	18	26	20	5	2	0	0	7	4	2	0	2	4	0	0	.250	.292	.350	.642	-0.0
1877 Chicago - MLB	20	60	232	70	12	0	2	32	27	7	0	2	1	2	2	.302	.320	.379	.699	7.6
1878 Chicago - MLB	21	61	244	71	4	1	9	50	41	11	1	8	2	5	3	.291	.314	.426	.741	9.4
Total NA	2 yrs.		36	22	5	2	0	0	8	4	2	0	3	4	0	0	.227	.259	.318	.577	-0.7
Total MLB	2 yrs.		121	476	141	16	1	11	82	68	18	1	10	3	7	5	.296	.317	.403	.720	17.0

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1874 Chicago - ML	3B	4	0	1	2	0	3	0	1.000	4.0	6.75				
1874 Chicago - ML	1B	4	0	1	1	1	2	0	1.000	6.0	3.00				
1874 Chicago - ML	CF	1	0	0	0	0	2	2	.000	1.2	0.00				
1874 Chicago - ML	2B	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	1.000	1.1	6.75				
1875 Chicago - ML	2B	11	1	3	4	0	7	0	1.000	23.1	2.70				
1875 Chicago - ML	SS	3	0	2	1	0	3	0	1.000	6.2	4.05				
1875 Chicago - ML	3B	4	0	1	2	0	3	0	1.000	4.2	5.79				
1875 Chicago - ML	1B	2	2	11	1	0	12	0	1.000	15.0	7.20				
1877 Chicago - ML	SS	50	49	85	196	27	312	31	.901	428.1	5.90				
1877 Chicago - ML	2B	10	10	38	33	4	74	3	.959	89.0	7.18				
1878 Chicago - ML	2B	61	61	205	259	46	493	29	.941	545.1	7.66

FRED MORTON

The crown jewel in the prize acquistions of Boston's Uriah Kittridge over the winter, Morton did not disappoint in his first season in New England. His average rose to .345 (from .322) and he showed improved power in his swing, setting a new career high for home runs, and seeing his number of triples rise after a big drop in 1877.

Career Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1875 St. Louis - NA	19	19	76	23	4	2	0	3	10	7	0	0	11	9	3	.303	.361	.408	.769	5.4
1876 St. Louis - MLB	20	64	290	114	20	18	3	64	78	17	1	6	13	31	11	.393	.420	.617	1.038	48.6
1877 St. Louis - MLB	21	60	261	84	13	7	2	24	45	11	0	0	4	18	21	.322	.349	.448	.798	11.6
1878 Boston - MLB	22	60	281	97	16	9	6	47	62	6	0	0	2	30	26	.345	.359	.530	.889	19.8
Total NA	1 yrs.		19	76	23	4	2	0	3	10	7	0	0	11	9	3	.303	.361	.408	.769	5.4
Total MLB	3 yrs.		184	832	295	49	34	11	135	185	34	1	6	19	79	58	.355	.378	.535	.913	80.0

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1875 St. Louis - ML	LF	19	19	49	2	0	55	4	.927	169.0	2.72				
1876 St. Louis - ML	CF	64	64	211	5	1	222	6	.973	566.1	3.43				
1877 St. Louis - ML	CF	60	60	249	7	1	267	11	.959	531.1	4.34				
1878 Boston - ML	CF	60	60	173	2	1	181	6	.967	539.2	2.92

MAHON O'FAOLAN

Mickey O'Faolan is beginning to show signs of the maturation of a formidable set of skills. Playing every contest for Tecumseh of London, O'Faolan hit a flat .300 average - a vast improvement over his .205 mark in 1877, and though his extra-base hit power still lags, he did record his first career three-bagger as well as his first pair of round trippers. His arm shows continued promise behind the plate as well, as he threw out 44% of would-be base thieves.

Career Minor League Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1876 London - AAA	17	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.500	.000	.500	0.1
1877 London - AAA	18	20	78	16	2	0	0	14	13	11	0	3	4	2	0	.205	.293	.231	.524	0.6
1878 London - AAA	19	46	200	60	2	1	2	30	35	5	0	6	7	6	4	.300	.308	.350	.658	5.1
Total IA			2	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.500	.000	.500	0.1
Total IA			66	278	76	4	1	2	44	48	16	0	9	11	8	4	.273	.304	.317	.620	5.6

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1876 London - AAA	P	2	0	0	2	0	3	1	.667	3.2	4.91				
1877 London - AAA	C	20	20	70	12	2	86	4	.953	180.0	4.10	2	18	7	38.9
1878 London - AAA	C	46	46	156	39	1	220	25	.886	409.1	4.29	3	63	28	44.4

FRANK MCGRATH

'Fancy Frank' showed some consistency in 1878 - always a good sign in a young player (he's just 21), following up a .346 season with one in which he recorded a .348 average. His other numbers did dip, however, offensive levels league-wide in the IA were down, so this shouldn't be a cause for concern.

Career Minor League Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1876 Syracuse - AAA	19	38	182	57	6	3	2	40	32	8	1	2	15	11	4	.313	.342	.412	.754	10.4
1877 Syracuse - AAA	20	50	234	81	10	4	1	34	52	12	2	2	15	15	2	.346	.380	.436	.816	25.0
1878 Syracuse - AAA	21	46	204	71	9	2	1	35	34	7	3	2	6	11	10	.348	.375	.426	.801	12.4
Total NYSA			38	182	57	6	3	2	40	32	8	1	2	15	11	4	.313	.342	.412	.754	10.4
Total IA			96	438	152	19	6	2	69	86	19	5	4	21	26	12	.347	.378	.432	.809	37.4

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1877 Syracuse - AAA	CF	50	50	137	3	0	148	8	.946	445.1	2.83				
1878 Syracuse - AAA	CF	46	46	175	3	2	189	11	.942	413.0	3.88

SOLOMON CUFFEY

Cuffey's one-man crusade against racial injustice continued in 1878, when he turned in another solid, workman-like season. He was particularly impressive behind the plate, where his strong arm made itself felt on frequent occasions. His average also rose to a tidy .333 this year, showing that the bat is also coming around. His presence continues to be a controversy in many places however, and one wonders how long he can remain a part of organized base ball when so many oppose his very presence.

Career Minor League Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1876 Auburn - AAA	19	39	163	41	2	1	5	26	30	18	0	0	9	0	2	.252	.326	.368	.694	6.1
1877 Auburn - AAA	20	50	200	55	6	0	1	23	26	22	1	1	12	0	1	.275	.348	.320	.668	8.0
1878 Utica - AAA	21	47	186	62	6	1	5	32	32	19	1	3	6	0	1	.333	.392	.457	.849	16.5
Total NYSA			39	163	41	2	1	5	26	30	18	0	0	9	0	2	.252	.326	.368	.694	6.1
Total IA			97	386	117	12	1	6	55	58	41	2	4	18	0	2	.303	.370	.386	.756	24.4

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1877 Auburn - AAA	C	50	50	201	25	3	239	13	.946	443.2	4.58	6	22	9	40.9

MARK MADSEN

Big Mark Madsen moved on to little Hornellsville in 1878 after the Brooklyn Chelsea club folded up. Madsen was consistent in 1878, with his ERA showing a slight improvement, though opponents did fare better against him at the plate. Still, he is young and still learning to harness his raw power, so he should continue to improve.

Career Minor League Pitching Stats
Year/Team/League		Age	G	GS	W	L	SV	ERA	IP	HA	R	ER	HR	BB	K	CG	SHO	WHIP	BABIP	VORP
1877 Brooklyn - AAA		20	55	55	30	25	0	2.36	483.2	409	233	127	7	85	288	52	3	1.02	.247	94.6
1878 Hornellsville - AAA	21	34	34	20	14	0	2.32	307.0	304	178	79	1	19	175	34	4	1.05	.275	58.9
Total IA				89	89	50	39	0	2.34	790.2	713	411	206	8	104	463	86	7	1.03	.259	153.5

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League		POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1877 Brooklyn - AAA		P	55	55	25	95	4	146	26	.822	483.2	2.23	
1878 Hornellsville - AAA	P	34	34	19	71	2	110	20	.818	307.0	2.64

TITUS KELLEY

Young Titus Kelley showed marked improvement at the bat in 1878, raising his average to .258 from the paltry .225 he recorded in his first pro season a year ago. There is still vast room for improvement - luckily his fielding skill will keep him in the lineup while he refines his batting skill.

Career Minor League Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1877 Manchester - AAA	20	67	275	62	11	10	1	32	45	24	2	4	23	15	6	.225	.289	.349	.638	6.4
1878 Manchester - AAA	21	46	186	48	9	2	1	29	27	13	1	4	13	13	6	.258	.304	.344	.648	6.0
Total IA			113	461	110	20	12	2	61	72	37	3	8	36	28	12	.239	.295	.347	.642	12.4

Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%
1877 Manchester - AAA	SS	67	67	106	177	35	351	68	.806	573.1	4.44				
1878 Manchester - AAA	SS	46	46	82	144	36	261	35	.866	404.0	5.03

WILLIAM HILL

The youngest player on the best club in the International Association, young William Hill proved himself ready to play professionally in 1878. His batting average was a solid, if unspectacular .273 and he showed good speed and was considered to generally be a 'smart' player. With age should come improvement, and that is promising considering Hill's debut.

Career Minor League Batting Stats
Year/Team/League	Age	G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	R	BB	HP	SF	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	VORP
1878 Buffalo - AAA	19	36	154	42	1	2	0	17	30	13	1	5	11	14	1	.273	.324	.305	.629	7.6
Total IA			36	154	42	1	2	0	17	30	13	1	5	11	14	1	.273	.324	.305	.629	7.6

[/b]Career Fielding Stats
Year/Team/League	POS	G	GS	PO	A	DP	TC	E	PCT	INN	RANGE	PB	RSTA	RTO	RTO%[/b]
1878 Buffalo - AAA	SS	36	34	56	118	12	191	17	.911	314.2	4.98

[legendsport]

The Base Ball Intelligencer, Troy, NY, April 14, 1879:

PROFESSIONAL BASE BALL IS BACK IN TROY!
The city of Troy is back in the business of base ball. The Trojan Club of Troy, New York is one of the four new members of the National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs. Three of the quartet come out of the state of New York - Troy being joined by two of the better teams from the International Association: Buffalo and Syracuse. These additions to the League bring the total number of member clubs to eight. Two of the franchises, the much-maligned entry from Milwaukee and, surprisingly the 1878 championship club from Indianapolis. Both have folded due to financial problems, though the Milwaukee club was conclusively proved to have not been talented enough to keep up with the top League clubs. Where the Troy club will fit in remains to be seen, though it is unlikely that this former amateur club (bolstered by a few veteran professionals) will be ready to compete with the Boston-Chicago-Cincinnati axis of power. The fortunes of the Troy club will rest largely upon the arm of Renew "Iron Man" Jones, their pitcher and best player. Jones is certainly good enough to pitch in the League - the question is whether his mates are good enough to hit in the league...

RENEW JONES

ARE BISONS TOUGH ENOUGH FOR LEAGUE PLAY?
The Buffalo Bison club made light work of the majority of their International Association opposition a season ago. Now they have been accepted into the National League, where the competition is fiercer. Can the team hold together? The bigger question in the mind of the team's owner, Mr. Phillip Standish, is whether the population of Buffalo can afford the league-mandated admission price of 50 cents. Standish tried, unsuccesfully and with the assistance of his opposite number from Syracuse, to get the League to waive this rule. The club itself is solid, and should hold up against League competition. The pitcher, Bob Wilson, is proven and the Bison feature one of the most promising youngsters in the game in shortstop William Hill. Both will need to perform at a high level for the Bison to keep up with their new competition.

WILLIAM HILL

CUBANS RETURN TO BOLSTER SYRACUSE'S ENTRY IN LEAGUE PLAY
After spending a winter in the warmth of their home island of Cuba - and playing in the brand-new Cuban League - Cavetano Blanco and Arturo Villanueva have returned to Syracuse to take their spots in the starting nine for the Stars. Their presence certainly bolsters the Syracuse club as it prepares to move into the National League. Both are proven performers at the professional level and with other Star players such as third-sacker Frank Coolbaugh and outfielders Frank McGrath and Grant Conley, Syracuse should be a competitive club.

CAVETANO BLANCO

NEW CLUB IN CLEVELAND FACES DAUNTING TASK
The Cleveland club - the Blues - will face a daunting task upon its jump to the top level of base ball professionalism. It certainly helps that the club signed the pitcher of the former champion Indianapolis club, Clifford Langton, to bolster their squad. They also tendered contracts to several other League veterans, though the best of the bunch may be a non-league veteran in former Ladies Man (of Lowell, Mass): Horatio Smith. Called the "Duke of the Wabash" Smith is a flashy and talented player who will be the anchor for the Blues' lineup.

HORATIO SMITH

PITMAN RETURNS TO LEAD RED LEGS
Rube Pitman was so disappointed with the placing of his Cincinnati Red Leg club last season that he openly discussed retiring from the game to go into the Sporting Goods business with his brother. But, as winter turned to spring, there was Pitman, back with his club, boiling off the winter doldrums in preparation for another campaign on the diamond. The club is largely unchanged - Pitman, outfielder Emil Tsamis and pitcher Will Mireles remain the trio to watch in Cincinnati - which indicates that the Red Legs may once again come up short in League competition.

EMIL TSAMIS

PROVIDENCE QUIETLY LOOKS FOR SUCCESS
In all the furor which annually surrounds the "big boys" of the National League - that'd be Boston and Chicago for the uninitiated - the overlooked Providence club may prove to be the best of the bunch. The Grays are a talented team - probably as talented as either Boston or Chicago and added a second baseman in Claud Mackinson, who hit for .406 last year for the Indianapolis club. Could be an interesting season in Rhode Island...

CLAUD MACKINSON

WITHERS IS BIGGEST QUESTION IN BOSTON
Rit Withers has been a staple of base ball for the last two decades, going back to his days with the original Cincinnati Red Stockings. Now 40 years of age, the question has become: for how much longer can Withers continue to produce? Provided the answer isn't that he can no longer produce, the Boston Red Stockings again look like the League's best club. Still anchored by the young talents of Fred Morton, John Mahoney and Mike Feldbush, Boston has plenty of proven talent. If Withers can eke one more good summer out of his aging body, this could be the year Boston resumes the mantle of the World's champions.

RIT WITHERS

HARRELL'S WHITE STOCKINGS READY FOR RENEWAL
With Ben Harrell's now-famous tirade still echoing around Lake Front Park after his team's disappointing campaign in 1878, the team (and League) President went out and made some changes, notably acquiring shortstop-star-to-be Titus Kelley and shipping Klu Dolce off after signing a better right fielder in Canadian Fred Cadoneau, formerly of Rochester. With a starting lineup that shapes up as Walker Rhoades (P), Zane Guenther (C), Ken Swacina (1B), Jim McGregor (2B), Clifford Campbell (3B), Titus Kelley (SS), John Young (LF), Mark Hewitt (CF) and Fred Cadoneau (RF), the White Stockings have accumulated the greatest assemblage of base ball talent the world has ever known. Whether that will translate to success afield remains to be seen as there are some strong personalities at play on this club, Harrell's notwithstanding.

THE 1879 CHICAGO WHITE STOCKINGS (l. to r. Rhoades, Guenther, Swacina, McGregor, Campbell, Kelley, Young, Hewitt, Cadoneau)
|||||||||

NON-LEAGUE PRO LANDSCAPE GROWS CLUTTERED
With the success of the National League, more and more so-called competitors are popping up around the country. The International Association, dating back to its time as the Canadian Association, has always been one of the best - but with the loss of both of its Canadian clubs, the Association dropped the "Inter" and is now known simply as the National Association. Boasting ten member clubs, it is the most talented of the circuits outside the League itself. Other entries include the newly formed Northwest League, which refused offers of affiliation from both the League and National Association. With four clubs centered in Iowa, Nebraska and Illinois, this midwestern loop will most likely serve as a venue for those dreamers who wish for a professional career to garner a glance from the League. And in far-off California, a four-club circuit playing exclusively in San Francisco and calling itself the "California League of Professional Base Ball Clubs" has set up shop, playing solely on Sundays. Though these clubs will most likely not leave a lasting impression on the history of our beloved pastime, the players therein may move on to greater things after proving themselves in these base ball wildernesses.

[legendsport]

The Base Ball Intelligencer, Troy, NY, July 16, 1879:

IS 'BALANCE' THE STORY OF THE LEAGUE?
An unimagineable situation has arisen in the National League this season - balance. With nearly half the season having been played, none of the eight clubs has shown dominance over their competition. Currently the Cincinnati and Providence clubs share the top billing with twenty victories apiece and the newly added Cleveland and Syracuse clubs having piled up nineteen victories apiece. Even the club with the fewest victories thus far, our own Trojan Club, has fourteen victories and plenty of time to make up the difference.

AARON LEWIS OF CLEVELAND

STANDINGS

Team			W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Cincinnati Red Legs	20	15	.571	-	19-16	1	11-9	9-6	2-1	5-6	L2	6-4
Providence Grays	20	16	.556	.5	21-15	-1	11-7	9-9	1-1	5-6	L1	4-6
Cleveland Blues		19	16	.543	1.0	18-17	1	10-7	9-9	2-2	7-5	W1	7-3
Syracuse Stars		19	17	.528	1.5	18-18	1	10-6	9-11	1-3	10-7	W1	5-5
Boston Red Stockings	18	18	.500	2.5	17-19	1	5-10	13-8	1-0	7-4	W2	4-6
Buffalo Bisons		16	19	.457	4.0	17-18	-1	8-12	8-7	3-1	4-4	L1	3-7
Chicago White Stockings	16	20	.444	4.5	17-19	-1	10-11	6-9	0-1	6-8	L1	5-5
Troy Trojans		14	21	.400	6.0	15-20	-1	7-8	7-13	1-2	5-9	W1	5-5

RECORD DAY FOR MORTON
Fred Morton has already established himself as one of the best players in the country, so it was no surprise when he collected six safeties in a game against Cincinnati. What made the performance extra special was that Mutton managed to vary his safeties to record a "cycle" - at least one of each type of hit - single, double, triple and home run. And as if that wasn't enough, he twice recorded the toughest of the variety with two three-baggers and two four-baggers. A day to remember for Mutton Morton.

FRED MORTON

"DEAD ARM" TO SIDELINE LANGTON
The fortunes of the Cleveland Blues could have taken a severe downturn when their best asset - pitcher Clifford Langton's right arm - went dead, putting the player out of the game for the foreseeable future. Thus far this season, Langton had won 15 of 24 starts and posted a 1.68 earned run average - easily the best in the League. With Langton gone, the pitching chores will fall upon 23-year-old Kelly St. Jean, an unproven hurler who in his first few appearances seemed promising enough - though it's unlikely he will prove as crafty as Langton.

CLIFFORD LANGTON

YOUNG IRISHMAN'S PRESENCE A PROBLEM FOR VETERAN BACKSTOP
Rumors from around our hometown Trojans club are that the presence of young Mahan O'Faolan, a talented 20-year-old Irish-born catcher/pitcher has irked the veteran backstop Charlie Ramsdell to the point where the latter player has requested a release from his Troy contract. This comes not as a result of O'Faolan's personality - he is a genial young man (a fondness for whiskey is an unsubstantiated rumor) and well-liked by his team mates - but arises due to the fact that O'Faolan is playing well, and more frequently of late, than Ramsdell. O'Faolan's average is a lofty .418 and Ramsdell is requesting that the Irishman be used as a pitcher instead of a catcher. With Iron Man Jones playing well, it's unlikely that request will be met, and club officials have indicated that Ramsdell's contract will not be voided. After this season, he will be free to move on, but for now he is stuck with the Trojans - and they're stuck with his sour attitude.

MAHAN O'FAOLAN

ROCHESTER, UTICA TOP THE NA
The Rochester and Utica clubs are the best of the current National Association crop - at least through the first half of the season. With fifteen wins in twenty-two games, Springfield has just three fewer victories than Rochester, who have won 18 of their 24 games thus far. None of the other clubs have shown much, with the newly revived National Club of Washington looking particularly dismal thus far.

Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Rochester Flour Citys		18	6	.750	-	18-6	0	11-2	7-4	1-0	6-4	W6	8-2
Utica Franklins			15	7	.682	2.0	13-9	2	7-5	8-2	3-0	5-1	W1	6-4
Springfield Club		12	6	.667	3.0	12-6	0	8-2	4-4	2-1	2-1	L1	7-3
Albany Blues			14	10	.583	4.0	14-10	0	6-6	8-4	1-1	3-2	W2	6-4
Manchester Reds			6	6	.500	6.0	7-5	-1	3-2	3-4	0-1	0-2	L1	5-5
Capital City Club of Albany	3	4	.429	6.5	4-3	-1	3-3	0-1	0-0	1-2	W1	3-4
Holyoke Browns			3	8	.273	8.5	4-7	-1	1-4	2-4	0-0	0-1	L4	3-7
New Bedford Whites		5	10	.333	8.5	6-9	-1	4-4	1-6	0-1	2-2	W2	4-6
Worcester Ruby Legs		7	15	.318	10.0	8-14	-1	3-8	4-7	0-2	2-3	L3	3-7
National Club of Washington	4	15	.211	11.5	4-15	0	0-5	4-10	0-1	1-4	L2	2-8

OMAHA HAS OTHER NORTHWEST CLUBS SEEING GREEN
The Omaha Green Stockings are the top club in the Northwest League, having won eight of their eleven contests in the first half of this inaugural season for the new midwestern-based loop. With the loop's best hitter in Paul Young (he has an incredible .543 average in 46 at-bats), Omaha seems to be the team to beat this year.

Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Omaha Green Stockings		8	3	.727	-	8-3	0	4-2	4-1	0-1	1-2	W2	7-3
Dubuque Red Stockings		5	6	.455	3.0	5-6	0	1-4	4-2	0-0	1-1	L1	4-6
Davenport Brown Stockings	5	7	.417	3.5	3-9	2	2-4	3-3	1-0	2-1	L1	5-5
Rockford White Stockings	4	6	.400	3.5	5-5	-1	0-5	4-1	0-0	1-1	L1	4-6

HAVERLY CLUB CLASS OF CALIFORNIA LOOP
It's early and they may only play on Sundays, but the Haverly Club has thus far proven itself to be the best of the quartet of Pacific Coast ballclubs that play in San Francisco.

Team			W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Haverly Club		4	2	.667	-	5-1	-1	3-0	1-2	1-1	1-2	L1	4-2
Athletic Club		3	3	.500	1.0	3-3	0	2-1	1-2	0-1	1-2	W2	3-3
California Club		2	3	.400	1.5	1-4	1	2-0	0-3	1-0	2-0	L3	2-3
Pioneer Club		2	3	.400	1.5	2-3	0	1-2	1-1	0-0	0-0	L1	2-3

[legendsport]

The Base Ball Intelligencer, Troy, NY, November 3, 1879:

CLEVELAND, PROVIDENCE SHARE TITLE CLAIM
The Providence Grays and Cleveland Blues each finished their National League schedules with 47 victories, causing the first "shared" championship in league history. Cleveland has a slightly better claim to the title, as they achieved their 47 victories in fewer contests. This situation has caused league President Benjamin Harrell to admit that the League will be considering a "percentage based manner" of adjudging the championship.

STANDINGS

Team			W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Cleveland Blues		47	35	.573	-	41-41	6	27-15	20-20	2-4	15-10	W1	5-5
Providence Grays	47	38	.553	1.5	46-39	1	24-18	23-20	3-2	12-11	L1	4-6
Cincinnati Red Legs	45	36	.556	1.5	45-36	0	19-18	26-18	6-3	11-17	L1	5-5
Boston Red Stockings	41	43	.488	7.0	41-43	0	18-24	23-19	3-1	12-10	W1	7-3
Chicago White Stockings	38	45	.458	9.5	42-41	-4	20-23	18-22	1-2	11-15	L2	4-6
Syracuse Stars		37	34	.521	4.5	37-34	0	18-16	19-18	2-6	16-10	L4	3-7
Troy Trojans		34	43	.442	10.5	36-41	-2	19-22	15-21	2-3	13-13	L1	5-5
Buffalo Bisons		32	47	.405	13.5	35-44	-3	14-26	18-21	5-3	9-13	W2	3-7

TROUBLED SYRACUSE CLUB FAILS TO COMPLETE SCHEDULE
Though the talent on the club was sufficient for 37 vicrtories in 71 games, the Star club of Syracuse could not afford to pay those talented players with the result that the team was forced to fold with 13 games left on their National League schedule. This failure to fulfill their schedule will cause their removal from the League, but a larger issue was that the resulting "hole" in the schedule caused the split-championships of Cleveland and Providence. Though Harrell admits this is something that can not be foreseen, there are murmurs from around the League that the 50-cent admission price may have been a prime cause as few in Syracuse were willing to part with that much money for a game ticket. Harrell will say only that it "will be discussed" during the League's winter conference.

GRANT CONLEY, SYRACUSE OUTFIELDER

PREMIER BAT AWARD GOES TO MORTON
Fred "Mutton" Morton's .314 batting average, 20 doubles and 12 triples were enough for him to earn the nod as the top batsman in the National League. Though Morton is the first to admit that the failure of his club to achieve its championship goal dampens his spirits, he is pleased to receive the award. At age 23, Morton should have more of these awards in his future.

FRED MORTON

CINCINNATI'S WILL MIRELES IS TOP PITCHER
For the second straight season, Red Leg pitcher Will Mireles has been named the National League's Top Pitcher. Mireles was outstanding once again for Rube Pitman's Cincinnati club, with a 43-29 ledger and a superb 1.83 earned run average. Mireles almost single-handedly kept his club in the pennant chase. Pitman acknowledges that Mireles is "one in a million" and some now see him - and not Chicago's legendary Walker Rhoades - as the League's most durable and dependable pitcher.

WILL MIRELES

ROCHESTER IS NA CHAMPION
The Flour City club of Rochester is the National Association champion for 1879. Winners of 36 of the 55 contests they competed in, the Rochester Club finished with three more victories than the Springfield club, which won 33 of 46 games. The national capital continued to suffer from its string of poor base ball clubs as the latest incarnation of the National Club of Washington City were horrid, managing to win just five of 21.

STANDINGS

Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Last10
Rochester Flour Citys		36	19	.655	1.5	36-19	0	20-9	16-10	2-2	12-8	8-2
Springfield Club		33	13	.717	-	33-13	0	21-5	12-8	4-1	10-4	8-2
Albany Blues			25	30	.455	12.5	28-27	-3	12-15	13-15	2-1	5-10	2-8
Manchester Reds			19	18	.514	9.5	19-18	0	12-6	7-12	2-2	6-6	5-5
Worcester Ruby Legs		16	31	.340	17.5	18-29	-2	7-15	9-16	0-4	4-8	4-6
Utica Franklins			15	9	.625	7.0	12-12	3	7-5	8-4	3-0	5-1	4-6
New Bedford Whites		10	13	.435	11.5	9-14	1	7-4	3-9	1-1	4-2	7-3
Holyoke Browns			10	19	.345	14.5	12-17	-2	4-10	6-9	0-2	2-6	3-7
National Club of Washington	5	16	.238	15.5	4-17	1	1-6	4-10	0-1	2-4	3-7
Capital City Club of Albany	3	4	.429	10.5	4-3	-1	3-3	0-1	0-0	1-2	3-4

OMAHA, ROCKFORD SHARE NORTHWEST TITLE
In the first season of the Northwest League, the loop finished its championship schedule with a flat-footed tie atop the standings table. Both Omaha and Rockford finished their campaigns with 15 victories, though Rockford played two fewer contests than Omaha. Rockford was also the most impressive, leading the loop in hitting with a team average of .297 and finishing just behind Omaha's 1.98 team ERA with a mark of 2.03 for the season. Rockford also possessed the loop's best batsman in the aptly-named Bob Clubb, who swatted for an average of .319 this season.

BOB CLUBB

STANDINGS

Team				W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Rockford White Stockings	15	6	.714	-	15-6	0	7-3	8-3	2-2	4-4	W9	9-1
Omaha Green Stockings		15	8	.652	1.0	13-10	2	6-6	9-2	1-2	9-3	W2	6-4
Dubuque Red Stockings		8	15	.348	8.0	10-13	-2	3-8	5-7	3-1	4-8	L2	2-8
Davenport Brown Stockings	7	16	.304	9.0	7-16	0	3-9	4-7	1-2	2-4	L4	3-7

HAVERLY BEST IN CALIFORNIA LOOP
The twelve-game schedule of the California Professional League has been completed and the Haverly club finished with nine victories against three defeats, just one better than the Athletic club, to claim the loop's championship.

STANDINGS

Team		W	L	PCT	GB	Pyt.Rec	Diff	Home	Away	XInn	1Run	Streak	Last10
Haverly Club	9	3	.750	-	10-2	-1	5-1	4-2	1-1	2-2	W4	8-2
Pioneer Club	8	4	.667	1.0	8-4	0	3-3	5-1	0-0	2-0	W1	8-2
California Club	4	8	.333	5.0	2-10	2	3-3	1-5	2-0	4-1	L1	2-8
Athletic Club	3	9	.250	6.0	4-8	-1	2-4	1-5	0-2	1-6	L6	2-8

[ifspuds]

Fred Morton is rapidly laying claim to being my best created player ever. Now he just needs to get on a winning team!

This is still a really enjoyable read, legendsport. Moves quickly, easy to read, and some interesting interludes to break up the numbers.