1876: A New League Begins

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

In case anyone's been reading along, I wanted to pass the word along that this league may be delayed for a while. I backed up as I always do, then started 1878 - and none of the teams would sign any players. I reverted to my backup copy, gave all the teams a ton of cash - and again they wouldn't sign anyone.

So until I can figure out how to fix this problem, the league is stuck. Sorry.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Originally Posted by Eckstein 4 Prez

In case anyone's been reading along, I wanted to pass the word along that this league may be delayed for a while. I backed up as I always do, then started 1878 - and none of the teams would sign any players. I reverted to my backup copy, gave all the teams a ton of cash - and again they wouldn't sign anyone.

So until I can figure out how to fix this problem, the league is stuck. Sorry.

Well, I decided to just use a workaround. I used a random number generator to sign all the free agents who weren't signing. Each of them has been given a one-year contract with a random team, and I figure there might be either a workaround or a solution by the end of 1878. So that means...


THE 1878 SEASON BEGINS

As the National League begins its third season, the league is in some serious trouble. A good pennant race salvaged some legitimacy for William Hulbert's enterprise, but the Chicago White Stockings have still won both pennants, and in both years the top two challengers have disbanded following the season. It appears this could be a short-lived enterprise for financial reasons.

In addition, there were some unsavory rumors swirling around the Chicago club, which came from way ahead to nearly lose the 1877 pennant to Louisville. The central character in the rumors was outfielder George Hall, who was a star with the Athletic club of Philadelphia but failed to catch on with any team in 1877. Supposedly he was a major go-between for the gamblers who were in contact with Chicago.

As a result, Hall has been banned for life from participation in the National League, and gamblers are no longer permitted near National League grounds. It remains to be seen how firmly this will be enforced, but at least this provides the league with a modicum of legitimacy.

As for the action on the field, Harry Wright, frustrated by his inability to win a championship or be a strong contender in the new National League, has put out the call for all the top players. He has publicly stated that he wants a team in Boston to rival his Red Stockings club from 1869-70. Since that club was unbeatable, it seems unlikely he can repeat this, but he has determined to do all in his power to bring the flag back to Boston in 1878.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

TEAM-BY-TEAM PROFILES - 1878 BEADLE BASE BALL PLAYER

BOSTON RED CAPS (26-34 in 1877)

Harry Wright has assembled what he calls his "Team of Stars." In Anson, Barnes, McVey, Waterman and Shaffer, he has five players with a legitimate history of stardom. The former three have all won MVH Awards, and they finished 1-2-3 in the voting last season. This could be the squad to finally knock off the mighty White Stockings.

8 C Cal McVey (3-46-.375-9) - McVey was their star in 1877, and should be one of the better players this year as well.
5 1B Cap Anson (0-26-.375-8 with Hartford) - Anson, who has never won a championship, was the first big-name player to heed Wright's call to Boston. He should add some legitimacy to the title run in Beantown.
11 2B Ross Barnes (1-37-.390-8 with Louisville) - The reigning MVH returns to Boston, where his professional career began. With McVey, Anson, and Barnes, Boston has the top three finishers in the 1877 MVH voting.
50 SS John Morrill (2-38-.294-2) - This homegrown young player did well last year at third base. The only concern is that his fielding at short might be weak.
9 3B Fred Waterman (0-28-.325-11 with Hartford) - Another star who decided to join the "anyone but Chicago" push.
37 LF Mike Dorgan (1-22-.266-4 with St. Louis) - He was one of the promising young hitters of 1877, and will now get to start on Harry Wright's team of stars.
14 CF Count Sensenderfer (0-18-.262-4) - He had a pretty mediocre year in 1877, but was still better than George Wright, for whom he was traded.
26 RF Orator Shaffer (0-8-.286-1 with Hartford) - He is one of the better outfielders in base ball, but was injured for much of 1877.
44 P Foghorn Bradley (19-25, 2.79; lifetime 44-56) - For the first time, he will have a strong team playing behind him. He has been one of the NL's better young pitchers.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

CHICAGO WHITE STOCKINGS (38-21 in 1877)

To defend their back-to-back titles, Chicago will use essentially the same players that won the pennant in 1877. Ordinarily, this would make them the clear favorites, but with Harry Wright's "Team of Stars" to contend with, it could be a real uphill battle for the White Stockings.

30 C "Orator Jim" O'Rourke (0-37-.322-1) - Last season was not his best year, but O'Rourke is still without question of the best hitters in base ball.
33 1B Joe "Old Reliable" Start (1-33-.347-3) - He had a big year in 1877, but at 35 years old he is probably due to start slowing down.
41 2B Tom Carey (0-46-.335-0) - This slick-fielding second baseman had a career year at the plate in 1877, and simply hopes to maintain something close to that level this season.
17 SS John Bass (1-33-.273-0) - Bass is consistently a reasonably good hitter, but no star. Seems a poor choice to start over the young Tom Barlow.
27 3B Levi Meyerle (1-32-.368-5) - He has had two MVH-quality seasons in a row after having become a good but not great player in Philadelphia.
35 LF Al Thake (0-18-.304-3) - Did a good job last year when healthy, but missed almost half the season due to injury.
11 CF Paul Hines (0-36-.305-2) - He is one of the NL's most talented young outfielders.
34 RF Charlie Eden (0-29-.259-0) - As a rookie, Eden started strong and then tailed off sharply. They are hoping his first-half performance is his true ability level.
13 P J. O'Neill (34-17, 2.73; lifetime 73-47) - He has been one of the unsung heroes of Chicago's rise, and will continue to be their primary pitcher.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

CINCINNATI REDS (21-36 in 1877)

After a last-place finish in 1877, they are looking for some signs of improvement. They have added a handful of good players, but no gamebreakers - look for this club to improve slightly this season, but a winning record would be a major accomplishment.

8 C Dick Higham (0-19-.320-0) - He had a good first year in Cincinnati, and looks to be a solid contributor here for the foreseeable future.
12 1B Clipper Flynn (0-24-.290-4 with St. Louis; lifetime .311 hitter) - 1877 was probably the least productive season of his career, and it still would represent a significant upgrade for this club.
13 2B Bob "Magnet" Addy (0-22-.257-3) - This solid veteran is a very good infielder, although he had a down year at the plate last season with the Reds.
17 SS King Kelly (rookie) - This native of Troy, New York is supposedly one of the league's more promising young players. He is probably a better catcher and outfielder than he is at short, but this is where they need him.
34 3B Steve Bellan (1-36-.287-3 with Louisville; lifetime .288 hitter) - This fiery Cuban is no star, but he is a good fielder and has a reputation as a determined, scrappy player.
19 LF Steve King (0-6-.292-1) - This aging star was Cincinnati's big signing of 1877. He lasted all of six games before being lost for the season with an injury. They hope he regains his old form this season.
18 CF Jack Remsen (.206 hitter in 1876; lifetime .246 hitter) - They simply do not have any good answers in center field at this point, so Remsen will be used as a starter while they figure things out.
6 RF George Bechtel (0-34-.298-6) - He was a gamble that paid off for Cincinnati in 1877, as he was one of their best hitters. He is expected to be a big part of their attack in 1878 as well.
3 P Bobby Mitchell (20-28, 2.54) - He was Rookie of the Year in 1877, and has the talent to keep this club competitive this year if their hitting is strong enough.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

INDIANAPOLIS BLUES (new team)

For the most part, the Blues have stocked their team with the starters from last year's western teams, St. Louis and Louisville. While they do have a number of solid big leaguers, their only legitimate star is Andy Leonard, so they seem unlikely to finish in the first division.

14 C Frank Selman (1-25-.316-2 with St. Louis; lifetime .295 hitter) - He has been around so long that it's hard to believe he's only 25 years old. One of the better hitters for St. Louis, and he'll be expected to be one of the better ones here, too.
30 1B John Donnelly (0-6-.275-0 with Louisville; lifetime .274 hitter) - He is the type of adequate player you'd love to have as a backup, but who isn't really cut out to be a starter.
20 2B Andy Leonard (0-40-.374-5 with Louisville; lifetime .335 hitter) - He should end up being the star of this club.
23 SS "Long Jim" Holdsworth (0-27-.310-5 with Hartford; lifetime .301 hitter) - Got his first everyday starting job with Hartford last season and made the most of it. He should be a solid starter for Indy.
10 3B Ezra Sutton (0-15-.214-0 with St. Louis; lifetime .233 hitter) - A good-field, no-hit infielder. Probably should not be a big league starter.
9 LF Fred Treacey (0-20-.233-6 with Louisville; lifetime .281 hitter) - He looks like another great glove man who doesn't hit enough to be a starter.
19 CF Art Allison (0-34-.292-5 with Louisville; lifetime .295 hitter) - A solid hitter and a very good center fielder.
21 RF Steve Brady (0-19-.249-3 with Louisville; lifetime .262 hitter) - He has never lived up to the promise of his Rookie of the Year season in 1874.
45 P Pud Galvin (14-27, 3.14 with St. Louis; lifetime 39-95) - He is a far better pitcher than his woeful career record would suggest.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

MILWAUKEE GRAYS (new team)

Normally new teams do not fare too well, but this one might be an exception. They have several established stars on their roster, and could even finish as high as third in the standings if everything goes their way.

21 C Charlie Bennett (rookie) - He is said to be a good fielding catcher and an adequate hitter.
25 1B Jim Foran (0-29-.300-4 with Boston; lifetime .343 hitter) - He had an off-year last season, and still batted .300. A former MVH and one of the prime players in base ball.
27 2B Lip Pike (0-39-.323-10 with Hartford; lifetime .324 hitter) - He and Foran give the Milwaukee club a solid base for building a winner.
2 SS George Wright (1-20-.226-8 with St. Louis; lifetime .282 hitter) - His older brother Harry traded him away at the start of the 1877 season, and seems to have known George was about to slip drastically in production. Will he now be able to return to form this season?
9 3B Jimmy Hallinan (0-20-.298-1 with Boston; lifetime .298 hitter) - Not the world's greatest fielder at third, but he is a solid hitter.
44 LF Abner Dalrymple (rookie) - This 20-year-old is being heralded as the next Steve King.
40 CF "Hartford Jack" Farrell (0-9-.208-1 with Hartford; lifetime .214 hitter) - This 22-year-old has never started in professional base ball before, so they are hoping he will end up being "Milwaukee Jack."
30 RF Gat Stires (0-16-.304-1 with Hartford; lifetime .275 hitter) - An adequate outfielder, but nothing more.
15 P Dick McBride (0-0 with Louisville in 1877; lifetime 130-58) - This 33-year-old brings his impressive past to Milwaukee to try to lead the team into the pennant race.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

PROVIDENCE GRAYS (new team)

This is probably the least well-put-together of the new teams. Providence is mostly made up of players who have struggled to get playing time with other teams. This does not appear to be a recipe for much success.

31 C John Clapp (0-25-.289-3 with Boston; lifetime .301 hitter) - He is a very solid hitter, but hasn't been a full-time catcher in four years. It will be interesting to see whether he can defend the position adequately.
27 1B Tim Murnane (5 for 15 with St. Louis in 1877; lifetime .285 hitter) - He's already gone from being a budding star to being washed up to being potentially rehabilitated, so it's hard to remember that he's only 25 years old.
79 2B Bill Harbidge (0-20-.237-1 with Hartford; lifetime .248 hitter) - A good defensive catcher and versatile player, but not particularly good at playing second base or at hitting.
38 SS John Richmond (0-8-.180-0 with Louisville; lifetime .217 hitter) - He is still young enough to improve and possibly grow into the job, but hopes are not high in Providence.
11 3B Fred Warner (3 for 8 with St. Louis in 1877; lifetime .277 hitter) - Another substitute player who is getting his chance in 1878.
28 LF Charley Jones (1-30-.260-1 with St. Louis; lifetime .286 hitter) - He isn't the budding superstar he appeared to be at the start of his career, but he is a solid contributor.
22 CF Frank McCarton (0-36-.371-0 with St. Louis; lifetime .359 hitter) - He has become one of the best players in base ball, and just might be the best hitter who is not currently employed by Harry Wright.
6 RF John Glenn (0-24-.291-0 with Hartford; lifetime .302 hitter) - He stepped in for Hartford when Orator Shaffer went down with injury, and did quite well. His reward is this starting job in Providence.
2 P John Montgomery Ward (rookie) - This young man just turned 18, and is being handed the starting job. He is said to be both talented and smart, but will likely be sorely tested this season.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Predicted order of finish:

Boston Red Caps
Chicago White Stockings
Milwaukee Grays
Cincinnati Reds
Indianapolis Blues
Providence Grays

[swampdragon]

Speaking of banned players, did Devlin just never amount to anything in your league?

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Originally Posted by swampdragon

Speaking of banned players, did Devlin just never amount to anything in your league?

Well, my league has a greater surplus of pitchers than of hitters, and since he was a starter I just never changed him over to being a pitcher. (Conversely, if John Montgomery Ward loses his starting pitching job soon I may convert him to a position player early. It's really hard to keep track of all these pitcher/position player shifts in the 19th century. One of these days maybe I'll make a master list of who's supposed to be converted and in what year.)

Anyway, Devlin became the starting 3B/RF for the Philadelphia Whites in 1873. It was a hitter's year and he batted only .222, so he seemed headed for the scrap heap (and conversion to a pitcher), but he got the starting third base job again in 1874 and this time hit a respectable .280 (although he was always an abominable fielder at third). The Philly Whites brought in Levi Meyerle to play third in the 1874-75 offseason, so he was squeezed out of his position, but the team moved him to first base - where he was an immediate and total disaster, batting a mere .242.

When the Whites disbanded, he managed to catch on with Hulbert's Chicago White Stockings just as they were ascending to prominence. At first, he was a bench player, but injuries quickly moved him up to a starter at 1B-RF. He batted .327 and was a major contributor in their 1876 pennant win.

However, when Chicago upgraded yet again for the 1877 season, he was the odd man out and again became their first man in off the bench. Although he batted only .233 in their 1877 pennant win, he filled in capably, logging ten or more games at first, third and in right field.

As 1878 opens, he is again the first man off the bench at all three positions for Chicago. While he seems unlikely to get a ton of playing time barring injury to one of the top players, he got 116 at-bats in 1877 as a backup, and it would not be too surprising if he did the same this season.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 5, 1878 - Sunday Base Ball Report

Boston Red Caps 2-0
Chicago White Stockings 2-0
Cincinnati Reds 2-1
Milwaukee Grays 1-2
Indianapolis Blues 0-2
Providence Grays 0-2

The two title contenders began strongly, as expected. Chicago thrashed Indianapolis 19-1 in their opener, and then beat them again on Saturday, 7-4. Harry Wright's Team of Stars similarly dominated Providence by final scores of 16-2 and 4-1. The teams meet for the first time in Boston starting on May 28.

The current league leaders:

Batting Average - .667, Charlie Eden, Chicago White Stockings
On-Base Percentage - .667, Charlie Eden, Chicago White Stockings
Slugging Percentage - .889, Charlie Eden, Chicago White Stockings
OPS - 1.556, Charlie Eden, Chicago White Stockings
Hits - 6, Abner Dalrymple, Milwaukee and Charlie Eden, Chicago
Doubles - 2, Abner Dalrymple, Milwaukee Grays
Triples - 1, 3 players tied
Home Runs - 0
Extra Base Hits - 2, Abner Dalrymple, Milwaukee Grays
Total Bases - 8, Abner Dalymple, Milwaukee and Charlie Eden, Chicago
Runs Batted In - 3, 6 players tied
Runs Scored - 4, 4 players tied
Stolen Bases - 1, George Bechtel, Cincinnati and Al Thake, Chicago
Walks - 2, Bob Addy, Cincinnati and George Bechtel, Cincinnati
Strikeouts - 4, Orator Shaffer, Boston Red Caps
RC/27 - 48.00, Charlie Eden, Chicago White Stockings
ISO - .250, Count Sensenderfer, Boston Red Caps
VORP (Batting) - 3.4, Charlie Eden, Chicago White Stockings

Earned Run Average - 0.00, J. O'Neill, Chicago White Stockings
Wins - 2, Foghorn Bradley, Boston and J. O'Neill, Chicago
Losses - 2, 3 players tied
Saves - 0
Innings Pitched - 25 2/3, Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati Reds
Shutouts - 1, Dick McBride, Milwaukee Grays
Walks - 8, Dick McBride, Milwaukee Grays
Strikeouts - 15, John Montgomery Ward, Providence Grays
H/9IP - 6.00, Foghorn Bradley, Boston and J. O'Neill, Chicago
HR/9IP - 0.00, all players tied
BB/9IP - 0.00, J. O'Neill, Chicago and George Zettlein, Providence
K/9IP - 10.38, John Montgomery Ward, Providence Grays
K/BB Ratio - cannot be computed for players with 0 walks
Opp. Avg. - .171, J. O'Neill, Chicago White Stockings
WHIP - 0.67, J. O'Neill, Chicago White Stockings
VORP (Pitching) - 6.0, J. O'Neill, Chicago White Stockings

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 12, 1878 - Sunday Base Ball Report

Chicago White Stockings 4-2
Cincinnati Reds 4-2
Boston Red Caps 3-1
Milwaukee Grays 2-4
Indianapolis Blues 2-4
Providence Grays 1-3

It appears the two teams favored to contend for the 1878 title may have a little company, at least for the early going. Thanks to strong early performances by George Bechtel, Steve Bellan and Bobby Mitchell, the Cincinnati Reds are holding their own, and took two out of three from the defending champs last week (and nearly swept the surprised Chicagoans).

The current league leaders:

Batting Average - .458, John Bass, Chicago White Stockings
On-Base Percentage - .458, John Bass, Chicago White Stockings
Slugging Percentage - .583, John Bass, Chicago and George Bechtel, Cincinnati
OPS - 1.042, John Bass, Chicago White Stockings
Hits - 11, John Bass, Chicago White Stockings
Doubles - 3, Paul Hines, Chicago White Stockings
Triples - 1, 10 players tied
Home Runs - 1, George Bechtel, Cincinnati and Charlie Bennett, Milwaukee
Extra Base Hits - 4, George Bechtel, Cincinnati Reds
Total Bases - 14, John Bass, Chicago and George Bechtel, Cincinnati
Runs Batted In - 7, Ezra Sutton, Indianapolis Blues
Runs Scored - 9, Steve King, Cincinnati Reds
Stolen Bases - 2, Steve Bellan, Cincinnati Reds
Walks - 3, Mike Dorgan, Boston Red Caps
Strikeouts - 8, George Wright, Milwaukee Grays
RC/27 - 11.25, John Bass, Chicago White Stockings
ISO - .292, George Bechtel, Cincinnati Reds
VORP (Batting) - 3.8, John Bass, Chicago White Stockings

Earned Run Average - 0.79, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps
Wins - 4, J. O'Neill, Chicago White Stockings
Losses - 4, Pud Galvin, Indianapolis and Dick McBride, Milwaukee
Saves - 0
Innings Pitched - 52 2/3, Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati Reds
Shutouts - 2, Dick McBride, Milwaukee Grays
Walks - 9, Dick McBride, Milwaukee Grays
Strikeouts - 36, Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati Reds
H/9IP - 6.62, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps
HR/9IP - 0.00, 6 players tied
BB/9IP - 0.19, Pud Galvin, Indianapolis Blues
K/9IP - 8.31, John Montgomery Ward, Providence Grays
K/BB Ratio - 26.00, Pud Galvin, Indianapolis Blues
Opp. Avg. - .195, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps
WHIP - 0.76, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps
VORP (Pitching) - 10.7, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 19, 1878 - Sunday Base Ball Report

Cincinnati Reds 7-2
Boston Red Caps 5-1
Chicago White Stockings 5-3
Indianapolis Blues 3-5
Milwaukee Grays 2-7
Providence Grays 1-5

And Cincinnati continues to play well. Somehow, their bizarre combination of hitters is doing enough to get the job done, especially when backed by the excellent pitching of Bobby Mitchell. Of course, six of their nine games so far have been against Milwaukee. This week will provide a good test, as they do battle with the Chicago club in Chicago. Meanwhile, Boston has quietly won five of six against Providence, and still has two more games against them before venturing out to play other teams.

The current league leaders:

Batting Average - .483, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
On-Base Percentage - .500, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
Slugging Percentage - .552, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
OPS - 1.052, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
Hits - 14, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
Doubles - 4, George Bechtel, Cincinnati Reds
Triples - 2, Paul Hines, Chicago White Stockings
Home Runs - 1, 3 players tied
Extra Base Hits - 6, George Bechtel, Cincinnati Reds
Total Bases - 19, George Bechtel, Cincinnati Reds
Runs Batted In - 10, George Bechtel, Cincinnati Reds
Runs Scored - 12, Steve King, Cincinnati Reds
Stolen Bases - 3, Steve Bellan, Cincinnati Reds
Walks - 5, Steve Bellan, Cincinnati Reds
Strikeouts - 12, George Wright, Milwaukee Grays
RC/27 - 14.39, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
ISO - .237, George Bechtel, Cincinnati Reds
VORP (Batting) - 4.6, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps

Earned Run Average - 0.87, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps
Wins - 5, 3 players tied
Losses - 6, Dick McBride, Milwaukee Grays
Saves - 0
Innings Pitched - 77 2/3, Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati Reds
Shutouts - 2, Dick McBride, Milwaukee Grays
Walks - 15, Dick McBride, Milwaukee Grays
Strikeouts - 53, Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati Reds
H/9IP - 6.40, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps
HR/9IP - 0.00, 3 players tied
BB/9IP - 0.14, Pud Galvin, Indianapolis Blues
K/9IP - 7.34, John Montgomery Ward, Providence Grays
K/BB Ratio - 32.00, Pud Galvin, Indianapolis Blues
Opp. Avg. - .187, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps
WHIP - 0.75, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps
VORP (Pitching) - 15.8, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps

[swampdragon]

Are you going to two man rotations in 1879?

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Originally Posted by swampdragon

Are you going to two man rotations in 1879?

Yeah, I think so. I'd been torn about when to do this, but seven of the eight teams used two pitchers in 1879, even though it wasn't actually in a rotation.

Also, it will keep the pitchers' numbers from getting completely insane.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 26, 1878 - Sunday Base Ball Report

Cincinnati Reds 9-3
Boston Red Caps 7-1
Chicago White Stockings 6-6
Indianapolis Blues 5-7
Milwaukee Grays 4-8
Providence Grays 1-7

While it remains an open question how Boston will do when they finally face a real major league team (they start this week by hosting Chicago), Cincinnati has shown that it intends to make a run for the National League crown. The Queen City club is now 4-2 against Chicago this season. Surprisingly, the White Stockings are having trouble so far, and really need to do well against Harry Wright's club this week.

The current league leaders:

Batting Average - .462, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
On-Base Percentage - .475, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
Slugging Percentage - .513, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
OPS - .988, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
Hits - 18, Jimmy Hallinan, Milwaukee and Cal McVey, Boston
Doubles - 5, 3 players tied
Triples - 2, Clipper Flynn, Cincinnati and Paul Hines, Chicago
Home Runs - 1, 3 players tied
Extra Base Hits - 7, George Bechtel, Cincinnati and Paul Hines, Chicago
Total Bases - 26, Paul Hines, Chicago White Stockings
Runs Batted In - 14, Ezra Sutton, Indianapolis Blues
Runs Scored - 12, Steve King, Cincinnati Reds
Stolen Bases - 3, Steve Bellan, Cincinnati and Al Thake, Chicago
Walks - 6, Steve Bellan, Cincinnati Reds
Strikeouts - 13, George Wright, Milwaukee Grays
RC/27 - 11.06, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
ISO - .204, George Bechtel, Cincinnati Reds
VORP (Batting) - 5.0, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps

Earned Run Average - 1.57, J. O'Neill, Chicago White Stockings
Wins - 7, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps
Losses - 7, Dick McBride, Milwaukee and John Montgomery Ward, Providence
Saves - 1, Asa Brainard, Chicago White Stockings
Innings Pitched - 96, Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati Reds
Shutouts - 2, Dick McBride, Milwaukee Grays
Walks - 15, Dick McBride, Milwaukee Grays
Strikeouts - 59, Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati Reds
H/9IP - 6.00, Dory Dean, Cincinnati Reds
HR/9IP - 0.00, 5 players tied
BB/9IP - 0.00, Dory Dean, Cincinnati Reds
K/9IP - 6.91, John Montgomery Ward, Providence Grays
K/BB Ratio - cannot be computed for players with zero walks
Opp. Avg. - .174, Dory Dean, Cincinnati Reds
WHIP - 0.67, Dory Dean, Cincinnati Reds
VORP (Pitching) - 19.3, J. O'Neill, Chicago White Stockings

[swampdragon]

What error rating are you using on the config file? I'm about to get back in.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Originally Posted by swampdragon

What error rating are you using on the config file? I'm about to get back in.

Oh boy. This gets complicated.

Every year, I redo the error rating. I find that the SS/3B error rates get completely ludicrous if you use anything over a 6.000 error rate, so I start with that. By the mid-to-late 1870s, though, the error rates started to fall.

As you might know (I've posted about it here before, but not in a while), I use a spreadsheet to manually recalculate all the league totals each season. In simple terms, it looks at my fictional league results from one year and matches them to the actual MLB results from the next. So, if my league hits .250 in one year, and the next year the actual MLB batting average was .275, I need to set the league totals to increase the hits by 10%. (As an aside, this has grown more sophisticated with time; I now have the extra-base hits affected by the changes I'm making in the overall batting average for added realism, and I've learned that in order to get a proper doubles:triples ratio for the deadball era you have to do it through park effects.)

Anyway, I have set up a similar system for errors. After each season, I calculate the errors per team per game and compare it to the next season's (actual) errors per team per game and adjust the rate accordingly. Using this system, in 1878 I have an error rate of 4.692.

Sorry about the incredibly long answer to your short question.

Edit: also, I'm not changing the error rating on the config file, just on the in-game screen. You can do it either way, but of course you shouldn't do both or you'll have way, way too many errors.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 2, 1878 - Sunday Base Ball Report

Cincinnati Reds 10-5
Chicago White Stockings 8-6
Boston Red Caps 7-3
Indianapolis Blues 7-8
Milwaukee Grays 5-9
Providence Grays 2-8

It is starting to look like it could be another excellent pennant race this season, which may mitigate the constantly-changing roster of teams. Cincinnati looked good against Chicago, but just dropped two of three against Indianapolis. Boston played their first two games against a team other than Providence, and dropped them both to Chicago. Chicago would seem to be the favorites, but they are 2-4 against Cincinnati. It will be interesting to see how things develop from here.

The current league leaders:

Batting Average - .413, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
On-Base Percentage - .438, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
Slugging Percentage - .468, Joe Start, Chicago White Stockings
OPS - .894, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
Hits - 22, Clipper Flynn, Cincinnati Reds
Doubles - 5, 4 players tied
Triples - 2, 5 players tied
Home Runs - 1, 3 players tied
Extra Base Hits - 7, George Bechtel, Cincinnati and Paul Hines, Chicago
Total Bases - 29, Clipper Flynn, Cincinnati Reds
Runs Batted In - 17, George Bechtel, Cincinnati Reds
Runs Scored - 15, King Kelly, Cincinnati Reds
Stolen Bases - 4, Al Thake, Chicago White Stockings
Walks - 6, Steve Bellan, Cincinnati Reds
Strikeouts - 17, George Wright, Milwaukee Grays
RC/27 - 8.47, Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps
ISO - .159, George Bechtel, Cincinnati Reds
VORP (Batting) - 6.8, Clipper Flynn, Cincinnati Reds

Earned Run Average - 1.73, J. O'Neill, Chicago White Stockings
Wins - 8, J. O'Neill, Chicago White Stockings
Losses - 8, John Montgomery Ward, Providence Grays
Saves - 1, Asa Brainard, Chicago White Stockings
Innings Pitched - 108 2/3, Pud Galvin, Indianapolis Blues
Shutouts - 2, Dick McBride, Milwaukee Grays
Walks - 15, Dick McBride, Milwaukee Grays
Strikeouts - 59, Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati and John Montgomery Ward, Providence
H/9IP - 7.88, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps
HR/9IP - 0.00, 6 players tied
BB/9IP - 0.30, Dory Dean, Cincinnati Reds
K/9IP - 7.31, John Montgomery Ward, Providence Grays
K/BB Ratio - 13.00, Dory Dean, Cincinnati Reds
Opp. Avg. - .214, J. O'Neill, Chicago White Stockings
WHIP - 0.92, Foghorn Bradley, Boston Red Caps
VORP (Pitching) - 23.3, J. O'Neill, Chicago White Stockings