[Big Six]

Offices of the Canton Watchmakers Base Ball Club
August 24, 1898

Manager Gil Cross extended his hand and smiled. “Good to have you here, Charlie.”

Charlie Callahan shook hands with his manager. “It’s good to be here.”

1898 had been a rough year for Cross and the Watchmakers. They had finished second in their division in ’97. This year, they wallowed in fifth or last place all summer long. Cross was likely to lose his job, but while he had it, he wanted to do right for his bosses. They wanted to see some of the club’s young talent, so players like Callahan had been summoned to Canton to finish the season in the Buckeye League.

Callahan had been up the year before, but had pitched only three times. This year, he was told, it would be quite different.

“We’re going to let you work every three days like you did in Canal Dover,” explained Cross. “Even if the hitters rough you up a little bit, we are going to stick with you, unless you show signs of losing your nerve.”

Charlie’s face reddened. “I’m not going to lose my nerve,” he snapped back.

Cross smiled. He hoped Charlie would respond like that to the suggestion he might be yellow. “I don’t think you will, either. That’s why we are giving you this chance.

The manager patted Charlie’s right arm gently. “Now go get that arm of yours some rest. You’ll pitch in two days. I’d work you tomorrow, but I figured you might want to let some of the Canal Dover folks know you’ll be pitching so they can come up and see you.”


“Thanks, Mr. Cross.”

“Call me Gil, or Skip. That’s the way it is up here. You’ll need to get used to that. I have a feeling you won’t be going back to Canal Dover, at least not to pitch.”

“Is that so?”

“Kid, the only reason you stayed down there this long is because we wanted you boys to have a chance to win your league. We wanted you around a winning ball club, because we think something sticks with a man when he plays for a winner.” Cross smiled again. He liked Charlie, and hoped he’d get a chance to manage him next year, too.

“I know Canal Dover’s your home, so I don’t mean to make you mad, but you belong up here.”

[Jamee999]

Big Six dynasties make me happy

[Let's Play Two]

Big Six,

I read through this dynasty the other day and really enjoyed it. Then I followed the link to your Pat O'Farrell story. It's taken several sittings to get through it, but I have to say it's one of the best pieces of baseball writing I've read, anywhere, in a long time.

Then I followed the other links, too. You're going to cost me my job.

Seriously, keep up the good work. I'll be rooting for Charlie and the Watchmakers.

[Tyke]

Welcome to the club, LPT

[Big Six]

Thanks for the comments! I'm glad you're enjoying this story, too. I will be back with an update soon; it's the busiest part of my school year, so I haven't had much time lately.

Please feel free to comment anytime.

[Big Six]

Charlie enjoyed an outstanding season as the ace of the 1898 Township League champion Canal Dover nine. Here are Charlie's 1898 statistics:

               G  GS   W   L  SV   ERA   IP     H    R  ER  HR  BB   K   CG  ShO  WHIP  BABIP  VORP
Canal Dover   32  32  20   9   0  1.81  293.2  246  72  59   1  36  167  26   4   0.96   .269  56.1

Charlie was among the league leaders in several categories. He tied for fourth in wins, and his .690 winning percentage and 26 complete games placed him fifth. He allowed opposing hitters a .258 OBP, ranked fourth

His crackling fastball and tricky "drop" enabled him to lead the league in strikeouts, and his 5.1 K/IP and 4.64 K/BB ratios were also tops.

Had the Millers not had so many talented pitchers, Charlie would easily have ranked higher in many of the "counting stats." However, there were four good arms on the Canal Dover staff, all of whom deserved spots in the rotation.

Still only eighteen and ranked as the Buckeye League's best prospect, Charlie could be poised for an outstanding career.

[Big Six]

Canal Dover, Ohio
August 27, 1898

The western sky was beginning to turn pink as the young couple walked slowly down Wooster Avenue.

"You can't be late for the train, Charlie." Kate Black gently scolded the young man on whose arm she was strolling, smiling sweetly up at him.

"Mr. Cross knows I'm here, remember? And I'm not pitching tomorrow, so who cares if I'm back late?" Charlie grinned mischievously from under the brim of his straw boater.

Gil Cross had given the Watchmakers' newest twirler permission to take the train down to Dover to fetch some of his belongings. Charlie needed more than the contents of the single bag he'd packed when he was called up to Canton, because he was going to be spending the remainder of the season with the "big club."

Naturally, Charlie wanted to spend as much time as he could with "his girl," as Kate was now known to everybody around town. Carefree evenings like this one would be rare now, and they wanted to enjoy every minute they had.

"You can't make Mr. Cross angry, Charlie. He didn't have to let you leave the team to come home, after all."

"I won't make him angry," Charlie replied. "If he didn't get angry at me after the way I pitched yesterday, he won't get angry about much."

Charlie had taken his licks in his 1898 Canton debut, allowing seven runs and twelve hits in six innings before he left the game for a pinch hitter. His control, which had been impeccable during the Township League season, seemed to abandon him against the faster company he faced now.

Kate's eyes softened, and she patted his arm with her gloved fingers. "You just had some bad luck; that's all. It had been a week since you pitched last. You aren't used to waiting that long between games."

Charlie nodded. "You're right. I didn't have a very good 'feel' for my pitches. And batters in the Buckeye League don't swing at the bad ones the way they do in Canal Dover."

The couple strolled along in companionable silence for a few minutes. Then Charlie, in a voice barely above a whisper, asked the question that had been on his mind all afternoon and evening long.

"Have you decided about school yet, Kate?"

She nodded slightly, and turned her face up toward his. "I have. Charlie, I'm afraid if I don't go to Mount Holyoke, I'll spend my whole life wondering what it would have been like...what I would have learned."

Charlie smiled. Kate had given him exactly the answer he'd expected.

"I know, Kate. You need to get away from Canal Dover for a while, just like I am. Maybe I'm only in Canton, but it's still not Canal Dover."

Kate smiled again, and her whole body seemed to relax a bit more now. She'd told him about Mount Holyoke, and he seemed genuinely happy for her. "You know, I'll be home for Christmas vacation, and the term will end in June. And I'll have time to write you lots of letters, I promise."

"I'll write you, too. Maybe I'll go back and finish school myself. A college girl shouldn't go around with a fellow who doesn't even have a high school diploma." Charlie smiled sheepishly; he'd made it to eleventh grade before the ball fields beckoned him and now, with Kate going off to Mount Holyoke, he felt a bit self-conscious about his lack of further educational achievements.

"Don't be silly. Go back to school for you, not for me," Kate said.

"I'll need something to do while you're gone. I might as well spend the time bettering myself."

"And I'll be back home before you know it." Kate smiled even more endearingly than usual.

"By the time I'm home next spring, you'll have won ten games."

[Big Six]

232 22nd Street, Northwest
Canton, Ohio

Mr. Frank Crowder
844 Park Street
Columbus, Ohio

September 19, 1898

Dear Cousin Frank,

I am sorry for taking so long to reply to your letter. I confess that I was waiting for better news to share with you, but as the season ended without any such news arising, I figured I better go ahead and write to you anyway.

I had a rough go of it with the Cantons this year. Perhaps my arm was tired, because I have never pitched so much in fast competition as I did this year. By my count I worked about 360 innings this year. I should be able to handle that much work, but for some reason I didn't pitch very well the last few weeks.

We only won two of the nine games I started after I came up to Canton, and we lost two of the last three I pitched for Canal Dover. It seemed like everything I threw up there got hit hard, and it seemed like every ball the other fellows hit found its way between the fielders.

Another of the pitchers, Tony Mendez, was giving me advice about how to pitch to certain hitters. His advice was good, but when I tried to put the ball where he suggested, I either missed the strike zone or threw the ball right over the middle of the plate. I suppose I have a lot to learn before I will be an effective pitcher at this level!

I will be going back home to Canal Dover in about a week. I have been invited to go fishing with Nick Hancock and Will Copeland, two of the fellows I played with this year. Then I plan to enroll in the Canal Dover High School again, if you can believe it!

Hopefully my Ma will be willing to come back home, now that my Pa has decided to stop playing ball. He batted .314 this year and he hit 23 doubles in 89 games, so he was still playing very well. I suppose he's giving up base ball for my Ma's sake. I know he misses her very much.

I hope you will be able to come up to Canal Dover sometime this winter. It seems like it has been a long time since we saw you.

Your cousin,
Charlie

[Big Six]

Here are Charlie's stats for his September stint with the Watchmakers:

1898 TEAM   G  GS   W   L  Sv   ERA    IP    H    R    ER  HR   BB   K   CG  ShO   ERA  BABIP  VORP
Canton      9   9   2   7   0  4.20   75.0   80   39   35   0   21   30   8   0   1.35   .320  -0.9

Granted, the team playing behind him was a nondescript bunch of tailenders, but Charlie didn't do much to make the situation better.

That BABIP was pretty nasty, so some of his difficulty might have been plain old bad luck.

Still, before we come down too hard on him, we have to remember that Charlie was barely eighteen. He demonstrated this year that he could dominate Township League hitters. Perhaps one day he'll do the same agains the tougher competition in the Buckeye circuit.

[Big Six]

Brigham Hall
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mr. Charles Callahan
Rural Route 2
Canal Dover, Ohio

November 11, 1898

Dear Charlie,

As I write to you, there are about four inches of snow on the ground! The campus is truly beautiful in winter, just as it was in fall. Three of the girls and I went sliding earlier this morning, and we laughed like children. I suppose we still are children, in some ways.

I can't tell you how proud I am of you for going back to school! You're right; Mr. Hawkes can be tough, but you will do just fine. Chemistry is never easy, I suppose. I know you are disappointed about not playing football this fall, but I think you made the correct decision. After all, if you were to get hurt, your base ball career might be over before it really began.

I love getting so many letters from you, Charlie. Please never worry that you don't have much to write about. Even the details you think are silly to me are fun to read, because they remind me of home. I love it here, but I miss home, too, and I cannot wait to get back home for Christmas!

That will be here before you know it, and we will be able to do all the things we have been dreaming of: sleigh rides, singing Christmas carols, bonfires, seeing all our friends again.

Please write to me again soon, Charlie. I will probably start another letter to you as soon as I mail this one.

Fondly, I remain,

Yours,
Kate

[muted79]

I just finished reading the pat o'farrell story a week ago, and it was fantastic to put it mildly and this has the beginnings of heading that way. I too especially love the way you write in the style of that era.

Have you read the novel "A Painted House" by John Grisham? While fiction and of a slightly different era (about a very young fan of the 1950's Cardinals, it seems like the kind of noval you'd enjoy, and is based around a town very much like what I imagine Charlie Callahan living in.

[Big Six]

Thanks for your kind words, muted79. I'm glad you enjoyed the Pat O'Farrell story. If I end up having half as much fun with Charlie Callahan's tale as I did with the O'Farrell saga, it will have been time very well spent.

I think it's fun to try to capture the feel of the era I'm writing about. It's challenging sometimes; I end up spending a lot of time researching the slang of an era, or finding the name of a song one of my characters might have enjoyed. Sometimes I feel like I'm doing everything BUT playing OOTP.

The fact that I'm an American history teacher makes it easier, I suppose, and it certainly makes it more enjoyable.

Thanks again, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

[Jamee999]

I love the way you write Big Six, it brings the characters to life so well - in my mind Pat O'Farrell is one of the greatest players of all-time, it's so easy to forget that his personality is just you writing, and not based on a real person - and that's what the great dynasties (and great stories of any format) are based around - great characters - some dynasties on here play more OOTP than your dynasties do - describe more games, transactions, and talk about their farm systems more than you do with your dynasties - but you bring to life the characters - Pat, "Rough" Bill, Emily, Elizabeth, Mike, Charlie - just to name a few, and that's what we read for, and it's stories like yours and Tib's (which I was ecstatic to see make a comeback recently) (and I'm sure others) which keep me coming back to OOTP Forums, because just game logs of OOTP aren't that interesting to me - I can play OOTP myself (and I do!), but it's the characters, relationships, teams and dynamics that a great, highly-skilled author (such as yourself and Tib) can create, that make me want to read and return.

The fact I've just written a 203-word sentence doesn't bode well for any dynasties I may write (), but I just wanted to show some appreciation for the work and brilliance you bring to this forum.

[Big Six]

Thanks very much, Jamee. I've discovered that the dynasties I enjoy the most are the ones in which I can develop the people behind the stats, so to speak. I realize that kind of dynasty is not for everyone, because some people want the OOTP results to come a lot more quickly than I usually move. Pat O'Farrell played for the Red Sox for over 20 years, but it took me three years or so to play out that many seasons in OOTP because I wrote so much "other stuff."

One of the best things about this dynasty forum is the fact that the writers here use so many different styles. Some of us try more than one thing; I also enjoy league-based stories like the Keystone League report. A story like this one, however, will always be my "signature" format, I suppose.

To be mentioned along with Tib, who in my opinion is a legend, is really a compliment. Thanks again. I hope Charlie, Kate, and the rest of the Buckeye League cast will one day be as memorable and enduring as the O'Farrell clan seems to be.

P.S. I've actually had to remind myself that Pat O'Farrell really didn't lead the Red Sox to a kazillion pennants once upon a time, and that Roy Hitt didn't win 300 games in real life.

P.P.S. There will actually be TWO updates tonight, and both will actually deal mostly with on-the-field action!

[Big Six]

Canton Advocate, April 12, 1899

WATCHMAKERS VOW TO IMPROVE THIS YEAR
New Manager Will Lead Canton Nine

CANTON--After the disappointments that greeted them on a regular basis during the 1898 season, the players and supporters of the Canton Watchmakers base ball club enter the '99 campaign looking hard for any sign of a reversal of fortune. A new manager and several new players will hopefully bring a renewed vigor to the club, which finished in last place afer a promising second-place finish in 1897.

The Watchmakers brass hired as manager Ryan Brock, who headed the Sandusky nine for the past two seasons. Brock led the Sailors to the playoffs in his first season, but the team slumped badly in '98. Canton boss Henry Blair believes that a change will do Brock good, and that he will have the Watchmakers playing winning ball very soon.

Manager Brock will have at least one new man in his pitching rotation, and perhaps two. Brock believes that young Charlie Callahan is ready for the faster competition of the Buckeye League , despite being handled roughly in a September audition. Many think the decision to trade veteran pitcher Pete Roche to Lima was made because the club has so much faith in Callahan's ability.

Hefty Tony Mendez might be thirty-seven years old, but his arm seems to have some life left. Mendez won 18 games last year, second to Roche's 19. His spot in the rotation seems safe as long as his skills do not begin to fade. That might not be the case for Jamie Torres, who will be pushed hard by Nick Hancock, who like Callahan did fine work for the Canal Dover club that won the Township League last year. Brian Gilmore and Lou Riley will be the relief men.

The Canton pitchers will work to one of the league's finest catchers, big Ted Cobb. A switch hitter, Cobb batted over .300 in both '97 and '98 and is also a fine defensive player.

The Watchmakers will open the season with new men starting on the left side of the infield. Doug Dougherty, who knocked home 60 runs last year and charmed the Canton rooters after coming over in a trade with Middletown, will play first base. The second sacker will be Joseph Schmidt, whom Canton acquired from Lima in exchange for Roche. Schmidt, a tall, lanky fellow, batted a glossy .408 as a reserve last season.

Shortstop David Reese is a light hitter, but his glove work is just fine. The star of the infield is third baseman Joshua Spesinger, who hits hard, fields with the agility of a big cat, and is the special favorite of the bleacherites. Spesinger, aged 27, should be in the prime of his career and is a fixture in the "clean up" spot in the Canton order.

Rich Dunham, whi can play every infield position, and young George Hairston, who might boast the most raw power of any Canton batsman, are the infield reserves.

Ed Hood, a fleet "lead off" hitter, plays right field; he hopes to turn around a trend that saw his batting average drop nearly thirty points last year. Another flyhawk, Jose Villa, mans the center garden. Both Hood and Villa are switch hitters, and both are adept base thieves.

Veteran Tyson Freeland will also try to bounce back from a dismal '98 season. Will he regain the lightning his bat possessed in '97, when he batted .323, or were his difficulties last year a sign that he can no longer catch up with the hard shoots of the league's best twirlers? David Erwin will be on hand in case any of the outfielders falter, and Jack Holland, who is also the reserve catcher, is also available for duty.

The Canton management is also excited about a fresh crop of recruits being raised on the Canal Dover farm. Third sacker Colin O'Holohan, catcher Tim Farrell, second baseman Mal McCullum, and shortstop Chad Gordon are all being marked as future stars. One list ranks Farrell, McCullum, and Gordon among the twelve best hitting prospects in the League, while Callahan tops their list of young pitchers of promise.

Canton rooters know their base ball, and won't be satisfied with another tail-end finish. Manager Brock should have the men on hand to improve upon last year's record, and he says his players will take the fight to every other team in the league.

"I can guarantee you a team that Canton can support with pride," Brock said. "They will fight hard every time they take the field."

[Big Six]

As he begins the 1899 season, Charlie Callahan continues to develop his skills. His Stuff rating now stands at 9; his Movement at 18; his Control at 14.

Charlie's Stuff appears to have reached its potential already. He still has room for growth in Movement (talent = 20) and, like many young pitchers, could improve his Control (talent = 19).

Since Charlie won't celebrate his nineteenth birthday until June 11, 1899, it's easy to see why he's considered the #1 prospect in the Buckeye League.

[Big Six]

Canton Advocate, May 16, 1899

WATCHMAKERS TAKE FIRST PLACE FROM NEWARK WITH 6-1 WIN
Hancock Sharp As He Wins Fourth Game Against No Losses

NEWARK--If a ball game in May can truly be called crucial, the contest that was played yesterday in Newark could qualify as easily as any. A large crowd at the Newark grounds watched the Canton Watchmakers behind strapping righthander Nick Hancock, defeat the home club by the score of 6 to 1. Their victory pushed the Watchmakers past the home club into first place in the Eastern Division of the Buckeye League.

The Watchmakers appear to have put the hard times of last season behind them. They are playing with much more pep than they did before; they are batting .291 and the fielding is coming around.

However, it is the team's pitchers who have made the biggest difference. The team's newest recruits have proven themselves worthy so far. Hancock, who has won all four of his starts, has been superb, and so has Charlie Callahan, who will work to-day as the Cantons return home to play Findlay.

Callahan, the precocious youth from Canal Dover who will celebrate his nineteenth birthday next month, has become the special darling of the bleacher crowd. He has won five times against a single loss, and he pitched well in the game he did not win. It required a shut-out performance by Chillicothe's Frank King to vanquish him, as Callahan allowed the Infants a single run...

[Big Six]

232 22nd Street, Northwest
Canton, Ohio

Miss Catherine Black
Brigham Hall
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts

June 11, 1899

Dearest Kate,

I have only a very few minutes before I have to leave for the train station, but I wanted to write you a few short lines first.

Do you remember the day last summer when you told me I would win ten games before you came home from school? To-day I pitched against Hamilton and we won, 3 to 1. In case you have not been counting (and you have been busy, so I will forgive you if you have lost track) that makes ten occasions on which I have been lucky enough to be in the box when my teammates win the game for me.

I wish you could be home sooner than next Wednesday, but I hope to present you with a couple more wins by that time.

Fondly I remain,

Yours,
Charlie

************************************************** ********

Charlie Callahan leads the Watchmakers with a 10-3 record. His 2.61 ERA is the best among the team's starters.

Only one Buckeye League pitcher has thrown more innings than Charlie's 145, and he's tied for second in the league in victories. Fremont ace Todd Williams already has 13 wins.

Charlie leads the league in strikeouts with 53, but he's also among the league leaders in walks (34). In short, he's a lot like many young pitchers with big arms who need to find a way to harness their power.

With a 28-20 record, Canton trails Newark by a single game in the Eastern Division race.

[Big Six]

Canton Advocate, July 2, 1899

EIGHT CANTON PLAYERS WILL PLAY IN ALL-STAR GAME
Eastern Division Leaders Well-Represented
Proceeds From Game Will Be Donated To Charity

LIMA—Given their place atop the Eastern Division standings, one would expect the Canton club to place several players on the divisional all-star roster.

Even so, the presence of eight Watchmakers on the list of those selected to play in to-day’s contest must put a smile on the face of any Cantonian who is mad for the national game.

Two Canton players are expected to be in the Eastern division starting lineup. Manager Jason Bush of the Middletown club said that catcher Ted Cobb will bat second in his order, while Joshua Spesinger will bat fifth and play third base.

Rugged Cobb boasts a batting average of .309, and has proven to be especially durable behind the plate. He has knocked in 26 runs this year.

Spesinger’s 36 runs batted in rank second in the League, and he matches Cobb’s .309 batting mark. Joshua has also hit 19 two-baggers, five triples, and one home run.

A half-dozen other Watchmakers will be available for duty. They include outfielders Ed Hood and David Erwin, first baseman Doug Dougherty, and pitchers Charlie Callahan, Lou Riley, and Brian Gilmore.

Hood is batting .323, has scored 29 runs, and has driven in 24 more.

Erwin, whose outstanding play has earned him more regular duty this year, boasts a .355 average.

Dougherty is batting .308, and has cracked 18 doubles.

When it came time to pick his starting pitcher, Bush faced a difficult choice between a grizzled veteran and a “youngster” less than half his age. The manager chose the veteran, Bill Foster of Sandusky, over Canton’s Charlie Callahan, despite the fact that Callahan leads all Eastern twirlers with 14 victories.

“I understand why Mr. Bush picked Foster,” said Callahan. “He has been a strong pitcher in this league since the beginning. This is my first year in the league.” Nevertheless, Callahan’s All-Star credentials are strong. He has worked more innings (191) and struck out more batsmen (74) than any Buckeye League pitcher this season…

[Big Six]

July 2, 1899

Charlie Callahan didn't appear in the All-Star Game, which the Eastern Division won 3-2.

Ted Cobb went 1-2 with a double and scored one of the Eastern Division's runs. Joshua Spesinger went 0-2 with a walk and stole a base.

Ed Hood entered the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning, and went 0-2. Doug Dougherty walked in his only plate appearance, and started a 3-6-3 double play that snuffed out a Western Division rally in the eighth. David Erwin flied out as a pinch hitter in the ninth.

Brian Gilmore worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning, while Lou Riley retired the only two batters he faced in the seventh.