[LFC1892]

Excellent, my guy stayed put for a season! Won a GG as well, so good times in St Louis!

[legendsport]

FINAL STANDINGS:

National League
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Providence       80  32 .714    --  .309  2.66 
Detroit          62  50 .554    18  .260  3.22 
Cleveland        61  51 .545    19  .264  3.09 
Buffalo          59  51 .536    20  .252  3.11 
Chicago          51  60 .459  28.5  .211  2.91 
Boston           50  61 .450  29.5  .244  3.46 
Philadelphia (N) 50  62 .446    30  .235  3.16 
New York (N)     33  79 .295    47  .255  4.22 

American Association
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
New York (A)     76  31 .710    --  .271  2.38 
Brooklyn (A)     71  33 .683    --  .270  2.64 
Indianapolis     60  47 .561  12.5  .263  2.60 
Richmond         57  47 .548    14  .259  3.32 
Toledo           54  49 .524  16.5  .231  3.36 
Cincinnati       53  56 .486    24  .287  4.26 
St. Louis (A)    49  58 .458    27  .264  3.88 
Baltimore        46  60 .434  29.5  .264  3.63 
Philadelphia (A) 44  63 .411    32  .252  3.50 
Pittsburgh       44  64 .407  32.5  .244  3.93 
Louisville       44  64 .407  32.5  .258  3.60 
Columbus         41  67 .380  35.5  .225  3.73 

Union Association
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Milwaukee (U)    53  42 .558    --  .229  1.87 
Washington (U)   58  48 .547    .5  .228  2.22 
St. Paul (U)     51  45 .531   2.5  .235  2.60 
Baltimore (U)    54  49 .524     3  .242  2.38 
St. Louis (U)    56  53 .514     4  .238  2.31 
Kansas City (U)  51  53 .490   6.5  .221  2.82 
Cincinnati (U)   48  52 .480   7.5  .205  2.29 
Boston (U)       38  67 .362    20  .202  3.08

RECAP:
1884 was a wild and strange ride for everyone involved in the base ball world. The roots for the convulsion were several years old. Seems a St. Louis businessman by the name of Uriah Kessel had decided back in 1881 or so that he would like to get into the National League. The magnates at the time - and since - had naturally refused. Their "club" (the NL) was exclusive and no jumped-up real estate man with a shady background was welcome, thank you very much. In 1882 (and '83) the American Association's owners had said the same thing - and they even put a club in St. Louis.

Well, Kessel had not made a fortune in real estate speculation by being timid or by taking "No" for an answer. So he decided that if the boys wouldn't let him join their leagues, he'd start his own. He called it the Union Association and it set the base ball world on its ear in 1884.

Kessel started a team he dubbed the St. Louis Maroons, build a brand-new ballpark for it and started assembling like minded men for an eight-team circuit. The starting lineup for the UA included clubs in current of former NL and AA cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, Boston, and Cincinnati. His eighth club landed in Altoona, PA, a rail hub about fifty miles east of Pittsburgh. Then the UA said it wouldn't recognize the reserve clause and started raiding NL and AA rosters.

The League and Association, who had been waging their own war for a couple of years decided to band together to fight the Unions. Well, really the National League's shrewd operators convinced the Association to take on the Unions head to head by adding four new clubs. The League would remain at eight. The AA added clubs in Brooklyn, Washington, Indianapolis and Toledo. The Association also made news when the Pittsburgh club announced it had signed Bill Bartholomew, a former slave and the first African-American to play major league baseball.

When the season began, it was a mess - for almost everyone. The National League had lost several players to the Unions, but rode out the storm in fine fettle, having convinced the AA to shoulder the main burden of the war with the Unions. The American Association struggled. The Columbus club found it couldn't really compete in what was becoming a "big city" league and limped to a last place finish. The new Washington club couldn't stick it out in head to head competition with the Union Association and relocated to Richmond, finishing with a respectable 57 wins. Brooklyn was an unmitigated success, winning 71 games and establishing itself as a club to be reckoned with. Gate receipts were down everywhere, but especially in Toledo and Indianapolis who lost money despite having good teams.

The Union Association fared the worst. Altoona couldn't support a club and it was quickly shifted to Kansas City. Philadelphia couldn't support three clubs and the Union entry was shifted to nearby Wilmington in August and then Milwaukee in September and finished with the UA's best winning percentage. Chicago ended up playing half its games in Pittsburgh before shifting to St. Paul late in the season. St. Louis had the most success at the gate, though not on the field.

When the dust settled, it was clear that the world was not ready for three base ball leagues. The Union Association died quickly - and mercifully. Seven of its clubs disappeared as a footnote in base ball history. The eighth - St. Louis - was absorbed by the National League. This betrayal of the AA, which had a club in St. Louis already, was perpetrated by the NL despite their truce when Cleveland could no longer be supported and was disbanded at season's end.

Providence and the New York Mets were again the champs of the NL and AA respectively and the Union "pennant" went to either Milwaukee (best win percentage) or Washington (most wins), depending on who you asked. The American Association folded four clubs to get back down to eight at year's end. Indianapolis, Toledo and Richmond were gone as one-year wonders and Columbus also clocked out, unable to compete with the bigger cities. Brooklyn stayed on, a good team that was likely to be competing with New York for years to come. Or at least that's how it looked as 1884 drew to a merciful close.

LEADERS:
TOP 5 in BATTING AVG :
.349 Victor Anderson(DTN)
.348 Barry Pounds(NY4)
.344 Paddy McKeehan(PRO)
.344 Charlie Keffer(PRO)
.343 Buster Brown(CN2)

TOP 5 in HOMERUNS :
11 Norm Woods( BR3)
8 Rick Morrison(CL2)
8 Tommy Bernard(PRO)
8 Tim Aston( BR3)
8 Dave Hedgepeth( TL1)

TOP 5 in RBI :
99 Jack McKinley(PRO)
93 Garret Nevins(SL4)
91 Jack Cogburn(PRO)
89 Tommy Bernard(PRO)
84 Norm Woods( BR3)

TOP 5 in ERA :
1.74 Eli Money( PHU WIL MLU)
1.99 Bob Blue( WSU)
2.04 Woody Norris( PHU WIL MLU)
2.05 Paul Wayman( SLU)
2.10 Floyd Birdsong( BLU)

TOP 5 in WINS :
50 Jim Durr(PRO)
42 Dan Buckner(NY4)
40 Bulldog Ayers( BR3)
34 Tom Bauman( NY4)
34 Paul Trail(DTN)

AWARDS:
Batter of the Year:
Tommy Bernard, Providence Grays, .340 average, 7 doubles, 12 triples, 8 homers, 89 RBI, 94 runs
Pitcher of the Year:
Jim Durr, Providence Grays, 50-17 record, 2.75 ERA, 603 innings, 323 strikeouts

CREATED PLAYER NOTES:
John "The Mighty" Casey, at 24 and in his eighth season, had the best season of his career with a .298 average, 32 doubles, 8 triples and 3 homers for the Grays.

Tommy Bernard developed into a star in 1884, winning the Batter of the Year for his .340 average with 7 doubles, 12 triples and 8 homers.

Black Jack McKinley nearly became the first hitter to top 100 RBIs as he finished with 99 in a season in which he hit .307 with 19 doubles, 5 triples and 1 home run for the Providence juggernaut.

Shane Day continued his steady improvement. The St. Louis (A) catcher hit .311 with 18 doubles, 10 triples and a home run.

Wild Willy Williamson remained the workhorse pitcher of the Baltimore Orioles, but again finished with a losing record at 25-34 with a 3.34 earned run average.

The growing pains continued for Virgil Pendergrass. The Philadelphia Quaker outfielder improved somewhat, hitting .218, but showed that he still had some improving to do.

Ajax McFadden was the lone shining point for the Cleveland club which struggled to make it through the 1884 campaign and gave up the ghost in the end. McFadden hit .292 with 9 doubles, 12 triples and 3 homers and also stole 18 bases. He was expected to be highly sought after by the remaining clubs in the consolidation after 1884.

Cincinnati's Otto Bentz was a part-time player in 1884 as he continues to mature. He did hit .328 in 53 games, and showed good speed with 5 doubles, 8 triples and a home run. His play in the field was also solid once again.

Bill Bartholomew burst onto the scene in 1884 with a great debut. He hit .336 with 19 doubles and 19 triples (third in all of base ball). The sad part is that the color of his skin may keep him from returning in 1885. With the contraction from 28 clubs back down to 16, jobs will be scarce and with prejudice high, it's likely Bartholomew will be out of a job.

[rocknfire7]

Wild Willy Williamson remained the workhorse pitcher of the Baltimore Orioles, but again finished with a losing record at 25-34 with a 3.34 earned run average.

228 walks.... YOWZA!!
They don't call him Wild for nuthin'

[legendsport]

FINAL STANDINGS:

National League Standings :
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Providence       67  43 .609    --  .279  3.72 
Detroit          63  45 .583     3  .266  3.10 
New York (N)     64  48 .571     4  .253  3.13 
Philadelphia (N) 57  53 .518    10  .271  4.08 
Chicago          57  55 .509    11  .258  3.52 
Buffalo          51  61 .455    17  .258  4.12 
Boston           49  63 .438    19  .249  4.14 
St. Louis (N)    34  74 .315    32  .227  4.66 

American Association
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Brooklyn (A)     72  40 .643    --  .237  2.32 
Cincinnati       70  42 .625     2  .257  2.61 
Pittsburgh       68  43 .613   3.5  .230  2.13 
St. Louis (A)    60  52 .536    12  .263  3.04 
Philadelphia (A) 52  60 .464    20  .238  2.82 
Baltimore        48  61 .440  22.5  .214  3.37 
Louisville       44  68 .393    28  .240  3.50 
New York (A)     30  78 .278    40  .224  4.00

RECAP:
The shape of base ball in 1885 was molded in large part by the Union Association's failed attempt to become the third major league a year earlier. The magnates ruling the National League and American Association learned that the reserve system must be maintained, that three leagues were too many (but two worked if they cooperated with each other), and that top players must be satisfied, but the majority of the players can be ruled with an iron fist.

Over-hand pitching was now allowed, and the effects began to be felt. Where pitchers were piling up high numbers of starts and innings, now the limitations of the human arm began to be felt. Several teams were using three starters and the remainder were likely heading that way.

But the largest fallout was the players themselves. Where did the Union players go? Who owned their reserve rights? Eventually, things settled out, of course. The good players found jobs of course. Many players found themselves left out after what had been 28 major league teams became 16 once again.

The leagues themselves changed too, Cleveland was gone from the National League, replaced by the former Union Association club in St. Louis. The American Association contracted from 12 to 8 teams, with only Brooklyn remaining of the four new teams added in 1884. Interestingly, Brooklyn won the 1885 American Association, so their presence was certainly warranted.

The Providence Grays won the NL pennant in what proved to be the club's swan song. Financial difficulties resulting from the 1884 war and increased salaries to their players forced the club to fold after the season. But the Grays went out on top, winning three pennants and finishing second three other times in an eight-year stint in the League. Buffalo, in a similar financial state, also gave up the ghost after the season, leaving behind a less illustrious history.


LEADERS:
TOP 5 in BATTING AVG :
.350 Tom Ewart(BFN)
.343 Jasper Kent(LS2)
.339 Otto Bentz(CN2)
.336 Carpetbagger Jenkins( PHI)
.332 Israel Thompson(BSN)

TOP 5 in HOMERUNS :
13 Alexander Faulk(PRO)
12 Ron Lynn(BR3)
6 John Casey(BSN)
6 Walker Weaver(BSN)
6 John Heyward(LS2)

TOP 5 in RBI :
95 Jack Cogburn(PRO)
88 Jack McKinley(PRO)
86 Ron Moore(DTN)
84 Tom Ewart(BFN)
82 Rick Morrison( DTN)

TOP 5 in ERA :
1.97 Preston Applegate( PT1)
2.13 Luke Johnson( PT1)
2.26 Thomas Goss (CN2)
2.28 Stretch North (BR3)
2.35 Bulldog Ayers (BR3)

TOP 5 in WINS :
43 Thomas Goss( CN2)
38 Paul Trail(DTN)
38 Bulldog Ayers(BR3)
38 Jonathan Montgomery(SL4)
36 Jim Durr(PRO)

AWARDS:
Batter of the Year:
Tom "The Erie Eel" Ewart, Buffalo Bisons, .350 average, 20 doubles, 22 triples, 4 home runs, 84 RBI

Pitcher of the Year:
Thomas "The Winter Goose" Goss, Cincinnati Red Stockings, 43-19 record, 2.26 ERA, 558 innings, 360 strikeouts

CREATED PLAYER NOTES:
John "The Mighty" Casey established career highs with 12 triples and 6 home runs and finished with a .265 average, 32 doubles, and 74 RBI for Boston.

Tommy Bernard came back to earth in 1885 following his Batter of the Year season in '84. His average was .269 with 7 doubles, 3 triples and 5 homers, but he still drove in 72 and scored 103 runs for the champion Providece club.

Black Jack McKinley continued to be a master of consistently strong production. He hit .292 with 23 doubles, 7 triples and 2 home runs, scoring 93 runs and driving in 88.

Shane Day drove in 57 runs, hitting .289 with 16 doubles and 10 triples with no home runs.

Wild Willy Williamson may have lived up to his nickname, walking 228 batters in 1885, but that figure is somewhat misleading as walks were up all over baseball, and his total ranked 8th overall in 1885. The Baltimore hurler finished 27-37 with a 3.74 ERA.

Virgil Pendergrass turned it around in his third season as a professional. He hit .270, adding 52 points to his 1884 average, driving in 69 runs (up from 49) and recording 13 doubles, 8 triples and 3 home runs.

Ajax McFadden found himself without a job when the Cleveland club folded after 1884. That didn't last long as "The Scholar" landed in Chicago with the White Stockings. He hit .314 in the Windy City, with 16 doubles, 16 triples and 2 home runs and posted career highs with 83 runs and 57 driven in.

Cincinnati's Otto Bentz had a great year in 1885. "Tiny" hit .339 with 18 doubles, 8 triples and 1 home run. He stole 25 bases, scored 72 runs and drove in 77. He also played a very solid season at shortstop, though he was not the Gold Glove winner (that went to the great Napoleon Crane, his 6th GG).

His solid 1884 season was probably the biggest reason, but Bill Bartholomew was surprisingly not out of a job due to his skin color in 1885. Bartholomew was back with Pittsburgh of the AA and hit .273 with 15 doubles and 7 triples. With his stats respectable, but down from his past performance, and with grumblings from players on other clubs, 1885 may prove to be Bartholomew's last at the game's top level.

William "Meat" Poole joined the New York Giants in 1885, appearing in 89 games at third base and hitting .239 with 6 doubles and 5 triples (no HRs). At just 21, Poole has plenty of time to improve and has shown good talent.

[legendsport]

FINAL STANDINGS:

National League Standings :
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Chicago          83  41 .669    --  .291  3.18 
Washington       63  53 .543    16  .218  3.15 
Detroit          65  58 .528  17.5  .256  3.20 
Philadelphia (N) 60  54 .526    18  .282  3.23 
New York (N)     61  58 .513  19.5  .258  3.21 
Boston           55  62 .470  24.5  .270  3.37 
St. Louis (N)    47  74 .388  34.5  .231  3.15 
Kansas City (N)  42  76 .356    38  .244  4.12 

American Association
St. Louis (A)    93  46 .669    --  .276  2.89 
Cincinnati       82  56 .594  10.5  .287  3.01 
Philadelphia (A) 75  60 .556    16  .248  2.62 
Brooklyn (A)     74  63 .540    18  .261  3.62 
Pittsburgh       61  76 .445    31  .247  3.02 
Baltimore        58  73 .443    31  .233  3.15 
Louisville       51  85 .375  40.5  .245  4.02 
New York (A)     50  85 .370    41  .233  3.70

RECAP:
The fold of two of the National League's clubs after the 1885 season had a dramatic effect on the 1886 standings. The Chicago White Stockings, already bolstered by the additions of catcher Two Gun Patrick and outfielder Ajax McFadden when Cleveland folded after 1884, added the 1885 Batter of the Year, outfielder Tom Ewart, when Buffalo called it quits and then finished off by adding second baseman Alexander Faulk when Providence also dropped out of the League.

The "re-stocked" White Stockings finished 1886 with an 83-41 record, finishing 16 games ahead of the second-place Washington club. "The Erie Eel" - Ewart - hit .307 with 28 doubles, 15 triples and four home runs, driving in 90 runs. Faulk also drove in 90 runs, hitting .318 with 30 doubles, 8 triples and a league-leading 10 homers. McFadden also hit .318, recording 23 doubles and 17 triples. Shortstop Hick Rogers, who had been with the club since 1876, hit .358 to lead the league in hitting. The pitching was solid too, with youngster Asa Wideman joining Bill Silvers in winning 34 games.

Over in the American Association, the St. Louis Browns dominated all competition, winning 93 games and losing just 46, to overwhelm a talented Cincinnati club which won 82 games of its own, but still finished a distant second. The Browns' big addition was former Providence star "Black Jack" McKinley (.303), who piled up a record 116 RBIs in a lineup with veteran player-manager Garret Nevins (.353) and Batter of the Year Jackrabbit Hoppe (.327). The Browns scored a league-best 801 runs and the pitching posted the second-best ERA in the league with a 2.89 mark with 30-year-old newcomer Ryan Sebastian going 43-16 with a 3.08 ERA to win Rookie of the Year honors.

The White Stockings and Browns played a first-to-four-wins postseason exhibition. The stakes were a winner-take-all prize money and the claim to be the "World's Champion." The first three games were in Chicago, with the White Stockings taking two of three. The Browns won three straight in St. Louis, though, stunning the base ball world with an extra-inning win in the sixth game. Stunning because the National League was still seen as the top base ball circuit and for the American Association's champion to top the mighty White Stockings was a shock.

LEADERS:
TOP 5 in BATTING AVG :
.358 Hick Rogers(CHN)
.353 Garret Nevins(SL4)
.352 Brian Brownfield(CN2)
.339 Charlie Shanafelt(NY1)
.334 Carpetbagger Jenkins(PHI)

TOP 5 in HOMERUNS :
10 Alexander Faulk( CHN)
10 Hugh Brigand(PT1)
9 Harlon Akins(PH4)
9 John Eaton(SL5)
7 John Heyward(LS2)

TOP 5 in RBI :
116 Jack McKinley( SL4)
101 Lane Parker(SL4)
99 Otto Bentz(CN2)
98 Brian Brownfield(CN2)
94 Tommy Colquitt( CN2)

TOP 5 in ERA :
2.13 Kyle Fast( DTN)
2.19 Joe Philpott(PH4)
2.26 Randy Lumley( BL2)
2.33 Thomas Goss(CN2)
2.37 Jim Durr (PHI)

TOP 5 in WINS :
43 Ryan Sebastian( SL4)
35 Jonathan Montgomery(SL4)
35 Bulldog Ayers(BR3)
35 Harry Bogle( PH4)
34 Bill Silvers(CHN)

TOP 5 in SAVES :
3 John Maxwell( WS8)
2 Louis Nadler(PHI)
2 Devin Kroeger( KCN SL5)
1 Leo Showalter(PT1)
1 Bob Spencer(CN2)

CREATED PLAYER NOTES:
John "The Mighty" Casey hit .272 with 32 doubles, 6 triples and 3 home runs for Boston.

Tommy Bernard moved to Boston for the 1886 season after the Providence club folded and had a solid year for the Beaneaters, hitting .306.

Black Jack McKinley joined the St. Louis Browns and set a new record for runs batted in with 116 to go along with a .303 average, 21 doubles, 3 triples and 5 home runs.

Shane Day had a productive, if unspectacular season for the champion Browns, overshadowed by some of his more famous team mates, but contributing solid play behind the plate and a .262 average with 63 RBI.

Wild Willy Williamson posted a 22-32 record with a 3.63 ERA for Baltimore.

Virgil Pendergrass hit .264 for the NL Philadelphia Quakers.

Ajax McFadden was in the middle of the White Stockings' powerful quartet, hitting .318 with 23 doubles and 17 triples, scoring 98 runs.

Otto Bentz continued to improve by leaps and bounds for Cincinnati, hitting .321 and establishing career highs with 99 RBI, 95 runs and 30 stolen bases. He also remained the best defensive short stop not named Napoleon Crane in the game.

Bill Bartholomew did not play in 1886 and his future remained doubtful.

William "Meat" Poole showed improvement in 1886, raising his average to .270 from .237, although the Giants as a team dropped from third-place to fifth.

Right fielder Marty Flika joined the Pittsburgh Alleghenies and had a decent debut, hitting .269 with 15 doubles and 7 triples, while stealing 34 bases, good for fifth overall.

[ifspuds]

Way to go Black Jack! He's putting together a nice career.

[LFC1892]

Woohoo, championship!!

[Left-handed Badger]

Well, at least Bartholomew got an extra year than expected.

[legendsport]

FINAL STANDINGS:

National League
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Chicago          72  51 .585    --  .327  4.45 
Pittsburgh       67  57 .540   5.5  .313  4.46 
New York (N)     61  62 .496    11  .316  4.57 
Philadelphia (N) 60  63 .488    12  .332  5.51 
Washington       59  63 .484  12.5  .284  5.06 
Boston           58  65 .472    14  .318  5.02 
Indianapolis     59  67 .468  14.5  .312  5.08 
Detroit          58  66 .468  14.5  .317  4.56 

American Association
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Brooklyn (A)     78  56 .582    --  .343  4.77 
Cincinnati       76  58 .567     2  .348  4.90 
St. Louis (A)    73  61 .545     5  .323  4.59 
Baltimore        67  68 .496  11.5  .312  4.80 
Philadelphia (A) 66  67 .496  11.5  .317  5.04 
Cleveland        61  70 .466  15.5  .288  4.90 
Louisville       57  77 .425    21  .307  5.67 
New York (A)     56  77 .421  21.5  .324  5.38

RECAP:
The magnates decided to tinker with the rules in 1887 and as a result, offense shot through the roof. Needless to say, batsmen loved this, but pitchers? Not so much. For the first time in several seasons, the .400 barrier was broken, and not just by one or two players, but by multiple players in both leagues.

The pennant races weren't impacted much by the rules changes. The National League's 1886 champion Chicago club repeated while the Association's champion was the Brooklyn club, but defending-champ St. Louis wasn't far behind (five games back).

One club made history by jumping leagues as the Association's Pittsburgh club, one of the more talented in the loop, crossed over to join the National League, a somewhat mercenary move that caused some pundits to begin to refer to the Allegheny club as "Pirates." Whatever the club was called, the Pittsburghers showed they belonged in the National League, finishing second to the White Stockings.

Replacing the Alleghenies (who themselves replaced the St. Louis Maroons, thereby erasing the last vestige of the Union Association from the major league scene) in the Association was a new club in Cleveland. The Clevelanders were not much of a success on the field, finishing in sixth place.

And a somewhat shocking turn of events took place at the end of the season in New York. The once-mighty New York Metropolitans of the Association, who came from the ranks of independent teams, had been owned by promoter Henry Danson, who owned the Polo Grounds. Danson eventually purchased the National League's New York club, renamed them the Giants and shifted the best of his Metropolitans' players to the Giants, leaving a much-reduced shell of a club he then sold off and refused to allow to play in the Polo Grounds. Banished to Staten Island's St. George Cricket Grounds, and lacking talent, the Mets finished last in 1887 and folded at season's end.


AWARDS:
TOP 5 in BATTING AVG :
.428 Carpetbagger Jenkins(PHI)
.421 Two Gun Patrick(CHN)
.419 Otto Bentz(CN2)
.410 Brian Brownfield(CN2)
.410 Buster Brown(CN2)

TOP 5 in HOMERUNS :
19 Lane Parker(SL4)
19 Alexander Faulk(CHN)
15 Tom Ewart(CHN)
14 Tommy Bernard(BSN)
11 Dasher Gilliam(NY4)

TOP 5 in RBI :
150 Norm Woods(BR3)
133 Otto Bentz(CN2)
127 Brian Brownfield(CN2)
125 Clement Sant(BR3)
125 George Wade(LS2)

TOP 5 in ERA :
3.31 Harry Bogle (PH4)
4.09 Bill Silvers (CHN)
4.10 John Wiggins (BR3)
4.11 Dan Buckner (NY1)
4.15 Paul Trail (DTN)

TOP 5 in WINS :
33 Thomas Goss(CN2)
32 John Wiggins(BR3)
28 Eli Money(LS2)
27 Stretch North(BR3)
27 Bill Silvers(CHN)


CREATED PLAYER NOTES:
Note: I will no longer write-up capsules for each guy (there are just too many). Instead, I will note the player, his team, basic stats (AVG-HR-RBI for hitters and W-L, ERA for pitchers) and a link to his Catobase page.

John "The Mighty" Casey (BSN) - .278-3-64

Tommy Bernard (BSN) - .352-14-95

Black Jack McKinley (SL4) - .322-2-109

Shane Day (SL4) - .395-2-89

Wild Willy Williamson (IN3) - 23-22, 4.18

Virgil Pendergrass (PHI) - .323-2-104

Ajax McFadden (CHN) - .332-3-59

Otto Bentz (CN2) - .419-4-133

Bill Bartholomew - RETIRED

William "Meat" Poole (NY1) - .360-3-77

Marty Flika (PIT) - .358-1-104

Bob Cranberry (CL3) - .182-0-5

[rocknfire7]

Wild Willy Williamson

Is that a winning record I see??

Interesting notes:
1886
K's = 242
BB's = 194
IP= 475.67

1887
K's = 44
BB's = 99
IP = 400.67

44 k's in 400 Innings? The new rules threw Willy a curveball...

[legendsport]

Originally Posted by rocknfire7

Wild Willy Williamson

Is that a winning record I see??

Interesting notes:
1886
K's = 242
BB's = 194
IP= 475.67

1887
K's = 44
BB's = 99
IP = 400.67

44 k's in 400 Innings? The new rules threw Willy a curveball...

That's what happens when they make a rule saying "four strikes for an out"

[Left-handed Badger]

Doesnt look like Casey will ever be the superstar of the legendary poem. Though he has put up a solid (if not so spectacular career). And if I saw right, he is currently 2nd in career doubles. And did I see right? A Gold Glove in '87?

[Left-handed Badger]

Originally Posted by rocknfire7

Wild Willy Williamson

Is that a winning record I see??

Interesting notes:
1886
K's = 242
BB's = 194
IP= 475.67

1887
K's = 44
BB's = 99
IP = 400.67

44 k's in 400 Innings? The new rules threw Willy a curveball...

I'm betting Willy cant wait to go back to 3 strikes.

[legendsport]

FINAL STANDINGS:

National League
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Detroit          68  56 .548    --  .249  2.80 
Pittsburgh       66  56 .541     1  .267  3.36 
New York (N)     66  58 .532     2  .263  2.87 
Chicago          65  58 .528   2.5  .256  2.80 
Boston           65  58 .528   2.5  .262  2.86 
Washington       63  63 .500     6  .218  3.16 
Philadelphia (N) 56  67 .455  11.5  .261  3.34 
Indianapolis     45  78 .366  22.5  .240  3.31 

American Association
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Cincinnati       76  60 .559    --  .277  2.90 
Cleveland        74  60 .552     1  .237  2.46 
Brooklyn (A)     72  62 .537     3  .259  2.64 
Louisville       67  64 .511   6.5  .250  2.85 
Baltimore        64  70 .478    11  .249  2.43 
St. Louis (A)    63  71 .470    12  .238  3.08 
Kansas City (A)  60  74 .448    15  .211  2.85 
Philadelphia (A) 59  74 .444  15.5  .239  3.19

RECAP:

The 1888 season unfolded as one of the most exciting in history, with both the National League and American Association pennant races being close, and with the batting coming back to normal levels as the leagues abandoned the "four-strike" rule and returned to the three-strikes-and-yer-out philosophy.

Carpetbagger Jenkins of the Philadelphia Quakers emerged as one of the game's top hitters, recording a league-best .352 batting average while Paul Trail continued to make his case as one of the best pitchers of all-time, recording a tidy 1.69 earned run average for eventual NL pennant-winner Detroit.

The NL race - won by Detroit - was the closest in league history as no fewer than half the teams in the circuit were within three games of the Wolverines and even sixth-place Washington was just six back. The Wolverine club, in dire financial straits as ticket sales could not keep up with the salary demands of the top-level players assembled by owner and manager Rich Deem.

Deem, a former star player himself, understood his players' financial needs and was perhaps too generous in salary negotiations, often going above the levels negotiated in back-room deals among the NL's magnates. In the end, this doomed the Detroit club, which shut down following their championship season, leaving such stars as Paul Trail, Victor Anderson and Will Wessell without a home (though that situation was quickly remedied in all three cases).

The runners-up - for the second consecutive season - were the former AA powerhouse from Pittsburgh. New York was right there, with 66 victories in third place, and Chicago and Boston were also within three games of the top spot.

The race in the American Association was also a close one, though not to the extent it was in the National League. The AA champion Cincinnati Red Stockings held off challenges from a surprisingly strong Cleveland club as well as the ever-powerful Brooklynites. In the end, the Red Stockings' potent pitching duo of Thomas "Winter Goose" Goss and Fred Jones, coupled with the hitting prowess of the ever-improving young short stop Otto Bentz, put the Queen City nine just one game ahead of their in-state rivals from Cleveland.

At the end of the season, the Detroit club sank under the weight of its red-ink, leaving the business reputation of Rich Deem in tatters. Deem, announced he would turn his attention exclusively to the sporting goods firm he had started with his brother, a company which was promptly awarded a contract by the NL to provide base balls to the league.

The Cleveland club, having established itself as an Association power, promptly jumped to the National League. The resulting opening in the American Association was awarded to another Ohio city as the state capital of Columbus was awarded a spot, with the club being nicknamed the Solons. Rumors of defection by the AA's Cincinnati and Brooklyn clubs turned out to be just that, rumors, as both clubs remained in the Association as the 1889 drew near.


LEADERS:
TOP 5 in BATTING AVG :
.352 Carpetbagger Jenkins(PHI)
.332 Buster Brown(CN2)
.327 Jim Cahoon(PIT)
.327 Jim Dean(BL2)
.326 Karl Quinlan(NY1)

TOP 5 in HOMERUNS :
15 Norm Schmitt(WS8)
15 Alexander Faulk(CHN)
12 John Babbitt(BR3 KC2)
11 Tom Ewart(CHN)
10 Lane Parker( WS8)

TOP 5 in RBI :
95 Alexander Faulk(CHN)
78 Hugh Brigand(PIT)
77 Brian Brownfield(CN2)
77 Garrett Huffman(CN2)
77 Jim Kiefer(NY1)

TOP 5 in ERA :
1.69 Paul Trail(DTN)
2.00 Kyle Fast( CL3)
2.11 Dan Buckner(NY1)
2.16 Bill Silvers(CHN)
2.18 Randy Lumley(BL2)

TOP 5 in WINS :
30 Ryan Sebastian(SL4)
29 John Wiggins(BR3)
28 Kyle Fast( CL3)
28 John Ford(WS8)
28 Dean Jardine(CL3)

CREATED PLAYERS:

John "The Mighty" Casey (Boston) - .247-4-43

Tommy Bernard (Boston) - .259-10-59

Black Jack McKinley (St. Louis) - .279-1-44

Shane Day (St. Louis) - .271-3-75

Wild Willy Williamson (Indianapolis) - 27-21, 2.63

Virgil Pendergrass (Phila. NL) - .233-2-56

Ajax McFadden (Chicago) - .280-3-48

Otto Bentz (Cincinnati) - .278-3-74

William "Meat" Poole (New York) - .271-2-53

Marty Flika (Pittsburgh) - .315-2-65

Bob Cranberry (Cleveland) - .267-0-4

[legendsport]

FINAL STANDINGS:

National League
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
New York (N)     79  47 .627    --  .287  2.73 
Philadelphia (N) 72  55 .567   7.5  .300  3.41 
Chicago          72  60 .545    10  .278  3.68 
Boston           68  60 .531    12  .276  3.73 
Washington       59  65 .476    19  .250  3.51 
Cleveland        62  71 .466  20.5  .261  4.36 
Indianapolis     56  78 .418    27  .237  4.00 
Pittsburgh       50  82 .379    32  .260  4.27 

American Association
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
St. Louis (A)    90  44 .672    --  .277  2.81 
Brooklyn (A)     81  54 .600   9.5  .284  3.44 
Philadelphia (A) 77  56 .579  12.5  .270  3.22 
Cincinnati       76  63 .547  16.5  .288  3.62 
Louisville       72  66 .522    20  .272  3.94 
Baltimore        56  79 .415  34.5  .277  4.37 
Columbus         55  82 .401  36.5  .241  4.51 
Kansas City (A)  37 100 .270  54.5  .216  4.43

RECAP:
The 1889 saw ominous signs begin developing. The players, tired of being treated as chattel of the owners had formed a "union" of sorts called the Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players. The President of the Brotherhood was the star player/manager of the Brooklyn club, the aptly-named Bulldog Ayers.

Ayers, who had been a star pitcher before suffering a "dead-arm" and moving to first base (though he still pitched on occasion), while on a tour promoted by former player and owner Rich Deem (who now ran a successful sporting goods business) approached several club owners to state his case. The players wished for a relaxation of the reserve rule - not a complete abandonment, but rather a reduction in the numbers. They also wanted a "fair rate" for their services, rather than the scale that had been unilaterally imposed by the National League in 1887, and then copied by the Association in 1889. All of these were rejected out of hand.

Ayers reported this to the other members of the Brotherhood and it was decided that although it would be too late to take action in 1889, something drastic would be done for 1890. In the meantime, the Brotherhood's constituency went back to work for their clubs, and laid in wait for the end of the season.

On the field, the 1889 season saw the New York Giants pluck the plum of the disbanded Detroit Wolverine championship clubs, signing pitcher Paul "Dusty" Trail. The 32-year-old two-time Pitcher of the Year promptly gave the Giants the ace they needed, racking up a 35-12 record and 2.54 ERA to lead the New Yorkers to the first pennant in club history (and win his third POTY award). Another key addition to the Giants was former Metropolitan star Dasher Gilliam. The outfielder, who barnstormed during the 1888 season, drove in 94 runs for the Giants and played a solid right field.

Also making a strong showing in 1889 was the Philadelphia Quaker club. Once the doormats of the NL, and a club which finished 7th in 1888, Napoleon Crane's charges showed great improvement to finish second. Carpetbagger Jenkins was a big reason, as he led the league in hitting with a .407 mark, the only player to eclipse that magic barrier in 1889. The club as a whole hit .300 for the season, the best mark in either league and enough of a boost to offset somewhat pedestrian pitching and defense.

The Chicago White Stockings had tailored their West Side Park to favor men who could hit the ball a long way, and led by Alexander Faulk's record total of 29, clubbed 82 home runs, eclipsing the record of 72 they had set back in 1887. Faulk became the first player to amass 100 circuit clouts in his career, finishing the season with 102, making him both the single-season and career home run leader.

In the American Association, the St. Louis Browns returned to the top spot after a disappointing 6th-place finish in 1888. The Browns boasted a powerful lineup with a trio of 100-plus RBI men in the middle in Shane Day (111), Black Jack McKinley (110) and Matthew McManus (102), a strong-armed third baseman and sometimes pitcher. The Browns scored 867 runs, easily the best total in base ball.

Brooklyn finished second, with the brooding Bulldog Ayers making sixteen pitching appearances, but playing the majority of the time in the field at first base as his arm was simply no longer up to a regular turn in the pitcher's box. The Athletics finished third, with an anemic offense bolstered by the third best pitching in base ball. It was frequently said in the City of Brotherly Love that if one could combine the Athletics' pitching with the lineup of the Quakers' no one would beat that Philadelphia nine.

LEADERS:
TOP 5 in BATTING AVG :
.407 Carpetbagger Jenkins(PHI)
.366 Harry Ransom(BSN)
.358 Charlie Shanafelt(NY1)
.356 Peter Bruner( BR3)
.355 Jim Cahoon(PIT)

TOP 5 in HOMERUNS :
29 Alexander Faulk(CHN)
22 Lane Parker(WS8)
17 Tom Ewart(CHN)
11 Hugh Brigand(PIT)
11 Ted Hudson(NY1)

TOP 5 in RBI :
114 Alexander Faulk(CHN)
111 Shane Day(SL4)
110 Jack McKinley(SL4)
109 Brian Brownfield(CN2)
107 Jack Cogburn(PHI)

TOP 5 in ERA :
2.30 Ronald Mason(LS2)
2.47 Ryan Sebastian(SL4)
2.51 Piggy Irving(PH4)
2.54 Paul Trail(NY1)
2.68 George Tharp(BR3)

TOP 5 in WINS :
35 Paul Trail(NY1)
32 Fred Jones(CN2)
32 Bill Silvers(CHN)
31 Ryan Sebastian(SL4)
28 Ronald Mason(LS2)

CREATED PLAYERS:

John "The Mighty" Casey (Cleveland) - .309-6-100

Tommy Bernard (Boston) - .266-9-47

Black Jack McKinley (St. Louis) - .320-2-110

Shane Day (St. Louis) - .324-4-111

Wild Willy Williamson (Indianapolis) - 27-21, 3.22

Virgil Pendergrass (Phila. NL) - .277-3-71

Ajax McFadden (Chicago) - .290-4-56

Otto Bentz (Cincinnati) - .331-0-99

William "Meat" Poole (New York) - .336-6-74

Marty Flika (Pittsburgh) - .334-7-87

Bob Cranberry (Cleveland) - .284-2-59

[LFC1892]

Congrats on making the RBI leaderboard with me Blackjack. Great times in StL.

[Left-handed Badger]

Dang, Casey sure likes Cleveland.

[legendsport]

FINAL STANDINGS:

National League
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Brooklyn (N)     83  46 .643    --  .270  2.56 
Cincinnati       83  49 .629   1.5  .295  2.54 
Philadelphia (N) 71  61 .538  13.5  .258  2.88 
New York (N)     61  69 .469  22.5  .246  2.91 
Chicago          64  73 .467    23  .243  2.93 
Cleveland        61  71 .462  23.5  .237  3.28 
Pittsburgh       55  81 .404  31.5  .228  3.12 
Boston           52  80 .394  32.5  .233  2.79 

American Association
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Philadelphia (A) 91  40 .695    --  .271  2.21 
St. Louis (A)    88  47 .652     5  .277  2.30 
Baltimore        18  16 .529  24.5  .272  2.63 
Rochester (A)    65  61 .516  23.5  .251  2.80 
Columbus         67  67 .500  25.5  .251  3.03 
Toledo (A)       56  75 .427    35  .237  3.03 
Louisville       55  75 .423  35.5  .240  3.00 
Syracuse (A)     52  74 .413  36.5  .256  3.12 
Brooklyn (A)     31  68 .313    44  .241  4.32 

Players League
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Brooklyn (P)     79  51 .608    --  .281  2.90 
Boston (P)       73  56 .566   5.5  .276  2.91 
Buffalo (P)      70  61 .534   9.5  .247  3.14 
Philadelphia (P) 65  61 .516    12  .258  3.02 
Cleveland (P)    62  67 .481  16.5  .249  2.94 
New York (P)     61  68 .473  17.5  .253  3.21 
Pittsburgh (P)   56  67 .455  19.5  .238  3.06 
Chicago (P)      50  85 .370  31.5  .245  3.47

RECAP:
The Brotherhood of Professional Base Ball Players took on the base ball magnates in 1890, with chaotic results. Tired of being treated as mere chattel by the owners, the Brotherhood had formed in 1886 with an eye towards getting better treatment and freedom from the hated reserve clause. After a big brush off from the magnates during a tour of Europe prior to the 1889 season, Brotherhood President John "Bulldog" Ayers called a meeting at which it was decided that the Brotherhood would launch its own base ball circuit for the 1890 season. That circuit would be dubbed the "Players League" and it would nearly succeed in its mission of freeing the players from the total control exerted by National League (and to a somewhat lesser extent American Association) owners.

With over 100 players deserting their League and Association clubs, the older circuits were left with castoffs, has-beens and never-would-bes as they sought to field clubs for the 1890 season. For its part, the Brotherhood's league featured the top players and therefore, a better calibre of play when the season opened.

Among the stars who deserted to the Players League were such luminaries as Bulldog Ayers, Shane Day, Black Jack McKinley, Alexander Faulk, Carpetbagger Jenkins and Jim Cahoon. The vast majority of the defectors came from National League clubs, though Ayers led a group of Association players into the Players loop.

The gutted NL and AA clubs patched together rosters and played to dwindling crowds who weren't fooled by the lower level of play. The Players League, while struggling at the gate as well (too much base ball was flooding the market), did better in the cities where they went head-to-head with the League and/or Association, especially in New York, where the PL put up a ballpark (dubbed Brotherhood Park) directly adjacent to the Polo Grounds and then outdrew and outperformed its NL counterpart despite finishing with a nearly identical record (neither was in the pennant race).

The much weakened National League was ruled by the newly-transplanted (from the AA) Brooklyn Bridegrooms, while the Association was won by the Philadelphia Athletics, surprisingly strong in a city which featured a club in all three professional loops. The Players League pennant went to the Brooklyn club, sponsored by the Wonder Bakery of Brooklyn and dubbed Ayers' Wonders after manager/player Bulldog Ayers.

When the dust settled, the Brotherhood's leadership met with National League magnates. A victory was pulled from defeat when the NL men hoodwinked the players into believing that their losses were not as severe as they were in fact. The NL had taken a beating and the players were on the verge of victory. The subterfuge worked however, and Ayers agreed to fold the Players League.

The real loser was the American Association. The AA had seen two more of its clubs (Brooklyn and Cincinnati) desert to the NL prior to the 1890 season and was becoming an increasingly second-tier market circuit, with its new teams in Toledo, Rochester and Syracuse - all of which had failed in earlier big league attempts, and all of which folded after the 1890 season.

As 1891 approached, there were big decisions to be made. Where would the now-recovered players ply their trades in '91? What would the AA do to field a competitive league? And would the fans return to the ballparks after a disastrous internecine war?


LEADERS:
TOP 5 in BATTING AVG :
.386 Carpetbagger Jenkins( BSP)
.358 Jim Cahoon( BRP)
.356 Buster Brown(CIN)
.343 Tommy Colquitt(CIN)
.343 Peter Bruner(BRO)

TOP 5 in HOMERUNS :
11 Alexander Faulk( BRP)
11 John Babbitt( RC2)
9 Gavin Renwick(PIT)
9 Will Wessels( BSP)
9 Peter Bruner(BRO)

TOP 5 in RBI :
105 Alexander Faulk( BRP)
97 Jim Cahoon( BRP)
94 Brian Brownfield(CIN)
92 Jackrabbit Hoppe(SL4)
88 Turkey Carver(CIN)

TOP 5 in ERA :
1.48 Piggy Irving(PH4)
1.89 Mark Thelen(CHN)
1.97 Paul Trail(BRP)
2.05 Jonathan Montgomery(SL4)
2.05 Thomas Goss(CIN)

TOP 5 in WINS :
36 Jonathan Montgomery(SL4)
29 Harry Bogle(PH4)
28 Paul Trail( BRP)
28 Roger Arceneaux(PIT)
27 Randy Sergent(PHI)


CREATED PLAYERS:
John "The Mighty" Casey (Columbus) - .294-7-77

Tommy Bernard (Chicago - PL) - .211-7-78

Black Jack McKinley (New York - PL) - .301-1-76

Shane Day (Chicago - PL) - .290-0-65

Wild Willy Williamson (Brooklyn - PL) - 21-15, 2.96

Virgil Pendergrass (Phila. NL) - .251-6-71

Ajax McFadden (Chicago - NL) - .317-2-59

Otto Bentz (Cincinnati) - .332-4-65

William "Meat" Poole (Chicago - PL) - .288-5-57

Marty Flika (Cleveland - PL) - .256-3-65

Bob Cranberry (Pittsburgh - PL) - .243-1-55

Bruno Barbella (Louisville) - .226-0-36

[legendsport]

National League
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
Brooklyn (N)     98  42 .700    --  .302  2.77 
Cincinnati       77  63 .550    21  .271  3.36 
Chicago          69  71 .493    29  .240  3.60 
New York (N)     69  71 .493    29  .252  3.28 
Cleveland        64  76 .457    34  .259  3.56 
Philadelphia (N) 63  77 .450    35  .237  3.31 
Boston           60  80 .429    38  .271  3.21 
Pittsburgh       60  80 .429    38  .235  3.47 

American Association
Name              W  L   PCT    GB   AVG  ERA
St. Louis (A)    77  63 .550    --  .255  2.95 
Baltimore        76  64 .543     1  .265  2.93 
Washington (A)   73  67 .521     4  .265  3.50 
Louisville       72  68 .514     5  .254  3.36 
Boston (A)       72  68 .514     5  .254  3.07 
Philadelphia (A) 68  72 .486     9  .255  3.32 
Cincinnati (A)   64  76 .457    13  .264  3.36 
Columbus         58  82 .414    19  .238  3.49

RECAP
The fallout of the dissolution of the Players League during the winter of 1890-91 lay over the 1891 season. The National League emerged far stronger than it had been before the 1890 season, with the Player's Brotherhood broken and the American Association vastly weakened in the reshuffling after the PL disappeared.

Most of the PL's players ended up with the National League clubs in their former PL cities. There were exceptions to this, but the overall effect was that even the fomer AA players from the Players League ended up in the National League as the 1891 season dawned. Much weakened, the AA struggled on, with most of its clubs in financial difficulty in what turned out to be the final season for the American Association.

The class of base ball in 1891 was the Brooklyn club of the National League. The Brooklynites, bolstered by the addition of the Ayers' Wonders stars of the PL, won 70% of their games and easily captured the NL pennant. With a lineup featuring Charlie Shanafelt (.376), Clement Sant (.358) and George Christian (.341), the Brooklyn lineup was the League's most potent group. The pitching wasn't halfbad either with Paul Trail and Wild Willy Williamson both posting 30-win seasons.

The Association's final season ironically featured one of the best pennant races in AA history. Eventual winner St. Louis was impressive enough to garner and invitation to join the NL for 1892 (which was accepted) and three of the other four contenders also jumped to the NL after the season. Washington, Louisville and Baltimore all finished strong and gained entry to the NL. Of the AA's top five teams, only the Association's Boston entry - the lone Players' League team to survive (nearly) intact - was not accepted into the National League for 1892. The Beaneaters didn't need - or want - a competitor in their own city.

So as 1891 ended, the National League was left as a twelve-club monopoly, an arrangement which would remain in place through the end of the 19th century.

LEADERS
TOP 5 in BATTING AVG :
.376 Charlie Shanafelt (BRO)
.375 Carpetbagger Jenkins (BSN)
.358 Clement Sant (BRO)
.341 George Christian (BRO)
.340 Jeffrey McMillen (WS9)

TOP 5 in HOMERUNS :
15 William Poole (CHN)
12 Lane Parker (PHI)
11 Hugh Brigand (PIT)
11 Cap White (CHN)
11 Norm Schmitt (BSP)

TOP 5 in RBI :
123 Alexander Faulk (BRO)
117 Clement Sant (BRO)
105 George Christian (BRO)
100 George Wade (CIN)
99 Jeffrey McMillen (WS9)

TOP 5 in ERA :
2.04 Paul Trail (BRO)
2.26 Ronald Mason (LS2)
2.36 Bill Silvers (CHN)
2.52 Thomas Goss (CIN)
2.62 Beans Miller (WS9)

TOP 5 in WINS :
31 Ronald Mason (LS2)
30 Paul Trail (BRO)
30 William Williamson (BRO)
25 Bill Silvers (CHN)
25 Thomas Goss (CIN)

[legendsport]

Well, it's been four months, but if anyone's still interested, The Baseball Chronicle is kicking back off - in online league mode. I will post updates here in the dynasty thread and folks are still welcome to create players for the league in the 'Get Chronicled' player-creation thread.

A preseason 1892 update will be coming shortly...