The National Pastime

[Mel Ott]

November 10, 1891

BALL HARMONY

Caucus of League and Association Magnates

The Plan of a Twelve Club Circuit, Embracing Six in the East and Six in the West, Discussed and Favorably Received.

To-morrow's convention of the national league will see the opening movement made toward a restoration of peace among the warring factions of the professional organizations, and it will be in the form of the reconstruction of the national league on the basis of a circuit of twelve clubs of the league and the association, six to represent the Eastern branch of the new league and six to represent the Western. The former, to be referred to as the Atlantic Division, will embrace the clubs of Boston, New-York, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, and the latter, to be referred to as the Western Division, the clubs of Chicago, Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Cleveland, St. Louis, and Louisville, all the other clubs of the association joining the reorganized Western association. This plan of compromise emanated from Mr. Prince of Boston, and it has received the sanction of Messers. Von der Ahe, Vanderhorst, Scanlon, and the Wagner brothers of the association, who are all in New-York to-day ready to meet in conference with the league magnates at the Fifth Avenue hotel, and the probability is that the important deal and settlement of the existing difficulties between the two organizations will be consummated before Saturday night.

To-morrow the national league will hold its annual convention, award the championship for 1891, elect officers, and then appoint a special committee of conference to meet Messts. Prince, Wagner, and Von der Aheof the association, all of whom have their money invested in base ball, and then will begin the business of the organization of the national league on the twelve club basis.

[Mel Ott]

January 2, 1892

A NEW DAWN IN BROOKLYN

Ownership and Management Change at the Atlantic Club

To-day the Atlantic Base Ball Club of Brooklyn, part of the new twelve club national league, declared a change in both the ownership of the club, until now held by Mr. Charles Byrne, and the club's field management, until now under the able direction of Mr. John M. Ward, which the club feels is sure to result in a superior result in championship games in the upcoming summer. The club announced that Mr. Ward has, from Mr. Byrne, acquired a controlling stake in the Atlantic Club's financial operations, to which he will bring his unquestioned base ball acumen to bear in the acquisition of top players. The burdens of this new role being too great for Mr. Ward to continue in his accustomed role as field manager, the Brooklyns have persuaded Mr. Melvin Ott, late of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to assume field management duties during the upcoming campaign. Mr. Ott is unknown to the league, but has some experience in the game, having managed for a time the Bison Club of Des Moines, Iowa, and the club is confident that the fine style and keen management of that club is adequate preparation for managing the Brooklyn club in the 1892 league pennant race.

[Mel Ott]

March, 1892

NATIONAL LEAGUE PREVIEW

Division Play to Create Two Pennant Races, With Championship Series to Follow

Reach's Official Base Ball Guide Gives You a Preview of the 1892 Races in the Atlantic and Western Divisions



With the advent of the unification of the national league and the association, twelve clubs will compete for supremacy on the base ball diamond this summer, with the clubs arranged in a way that the league magnates believe will spark excitement among the sport's devoted cranks in both the eastern cities and the metropolises of the west, to culminate in a series between the top clubs in each region, the victor to be awarded the "Temple Cup" advanced by William Temple of the Pittsburg Club. With peace in the league, it is hoped that stability has also been achieved in the composition of the league; the players, who no longer will be tempted to abandon their clubs for richer pastures with another circuit, and the quality of whose play can only be augmented by the presence of the scratch players from both the league and the association, and the absence of those whose skills are no longer sufficient to compete against such fine base ballists; and the scheduled games, which the national league, now arranged on a more profitable basis, will be in a position to enforce strictly against clubs who may be tempted to forsake their home towns. In this last goal, the league believes it has hit upon an elegant and effective solution to a problem sometimes supposed to exist in league play, wherein those clubs who cannot compete against the best opponents fail to draw sufficient spectators to continue their endeavors. That solution is the arrangement of the league into divisions; a split-season schedule, though proposed and argued forcefully by some among the league's captains, was ultimately dismissed in its favor, for the club owners see clearly the advantage to be gained by cultivating regional rivalries and by assuring all clubs that however poorly they fair upon the field, they can finish no worse than sixth place within their division.

Herewith, a brief outline of to-day's national league, arranged in the order in which the most expert and knowledgable men in the sport expect the clubs to finish:



The Chesapeake Base Ball Club of Baltimore

The Chesapeakes are widely considered the top club in the Atlantic Division of the league, combining top batsmen at several positions with some fine young pitchers who should be able to hold opposing nines at bay. The Baltimores feature third baseman Armand Donizetti, a burly young man equally capable of addressing the ball from either side of home plate; second baseman Edmondo Crapazano, a powerful batter and no embarrassment in the field; and pitcher George Meyer, one of the league's most promising young twirlers.



The Hibernian Base Ball Club of Boston

The Bostons are a little weaker in the box than the Charm City nine, with a pitching staff led by Marshall Lowe, an intimidating hurler who knows all the tricks of his trade in keeping batters off-balance, but lacking supporting pitchers of equivalent caliber. At bat, the Hibernian Club can boast of Gavan Schenk, perhaps the finest all-around outfielder in the league, and of second baseman Wayne Brown, who is as fine a fielder as can be found in the league to-day, and who is an accomplished batsman into the bargain.



The Atlantic Base Ball Club of Brooklyn

The City of Churches welcomes a new field manager for the 1892 campaign, a Mr. Melvin Ott, whose obscure accomplishments with a ball club in Des Moines, Iowa, seem a poor preparation for the pressures of managing a club like the Brooklyn nine, whose cranks are both impatient and reputedly amongst the most vociferous in the league to-day, particularly with a base ball eminence of Mr. John Ward's stature lurking in the background. Nonetheless, Mr. Ott's first go-around in the league begins with some players of fine quality, such as Jonathan Denton, among the best league catchers behind the plate and well-schooled as a hitter as well; and hirsute center fielder Doug Estabrook, whose extravagant beard seems not to interfere with his fielding or his remarkable alacrity on the basepaths. The Atlantic Club's top player, of course, is pitcher Tom Lander, the very mention of whose name sends shivers into opposing batters and whose array of drop-balls, inshoots, and fast pitches befuddle those not already quaking in fear when they stand in against him.



The Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York

The Knickerbocker Club is not so well found in players, and will have a hard job competing with their neighbors in Brooklyn, let alone the powerful Cheasapeakes. The New-Yorks are not without some resources, however, as both Bruce Strickland, their accomplished left fielder, and second baseman Matt Townsend are both widely acknowledged by those who follow base ball closely as being players that would be welcome on any professional club. Their fellows are not so highly regarded, however, and while pitcher George Conegliano is no Lander, there are several young twirlers who may provide the Knickerbockers with evidence of their developing skill during the season.



The Athletic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia

The Athletic Club is of very uneven quality, featuring two of the game's finest practicioners in shortstop Alexis Scacceri (known as "Grinder" among the cranks; this is popularly supposed to be from his affection for the cheese-steak sandwiches beloved by Philadelphians) and right fielder Donald Phelan. Whether their example will inspire their team mates to higher glory is the question of the hour in the City of Brotherly Love. In the box, the Philadelphias feature native son Dave Nystrom, known to cranks across the nation as "the Phoenix" after his exploits last season, when he pitched both halves of a double header for a barnstorming club, losing in the first game 17-0 and then shutting the same team out in the second game. Philadelphians can only hope the latter, rather than the former performance, is most indicative of his true abilities.



The National Base Ball Club of Washington, D.C.

The National Base Ball Club may aspire to be the epitome of the sport, but they do not appear to be well positioned to make good on that endeavor in the upcoming base ball campaign. Catcher Dave Malave is the peer of any backstop currently playing in the league, and left fielder Mark Withers is a fearsome batter and a fleet runner, but too few of the other men on the club are scratch players equal to the challenge of beating back the Baltimores. The club's pitching is good, but perhaps the most remarkable hurler on the Nationals is Yuri Curtis, whom the club has indicated will be used solely in relief of the starting pitchers when they have begun to tire, or show by their performance that they are no longer capable of facing down league batters. This bizarre experiment may hold the key to the club's fortunes in championship play, if this ploy results in more fit pitchers in the late months of the campaign.

[Mel Ott]

The Chicago Base Ball Club

In the West, there is little doubt among the keenest observers of the sport that the Chicagos are the club to beat. The White Caps feature what is probably the most intimidating line-up of batters in the league, headed by first baseman Greg Hubbard and second baseman Mike Hancock, each of them fearsome batsmen with wicked dispositions toward their unfortunate opponents, although there is no weak spot in the Chicagos attack, and opposing pitchers "ease up" on the rest of the club at their peril. The weak point of the club is probably its pitching, where only Penn Boehm truly belongs among the league's first rank of boxmen.



The Cincinnati Base Ball Club

The Red Caps may not be quite the club that the Chicagos are, but they have left no stone unturned in their efforts to attain supremacy among the clubs of the West. An example of their wide-ranging efforts may be seen regularly playing center field for the club; young Pedro Trujillo is of Mexican extraction, but the land of his birth has proven no obstacle to his mastery of our National game. Behind the plate for Cincinnati, California's Edison Hawk plies his trade with remarkable skill, possessing an uncanny ability to catch even balls that miss their mark widely, and swinging his bat with dexterity that is the envy of many a man playing a less-demanding position. Like the National Club, the Cincinnatis have elected to experiment with a man solely to pitch in relief of the man who starts the game (in this case, his name is Jeffrey Kuntz), and we can only note with dismay that this wild innovation appears to be catching on amongst the men who assemble the clubs. It cannot be doubted that today's pitchers throw the ball harder than ever, but it must be reckoned a mark against the practice that throwing so hard seems to make a man unfit to finish the game he started.



The Olympic Base Ball Club of Cleveland

In the Forest City, we find no such aberrant experiments with the way the game is played. The Clevelands have a starter, Norris Charles, who is fully the equal of any man in the game to-day, and who does not require the services of another player to complete nine innings of work. He is joined by an outstanding first baseman, Max Fruhwirth, who can clout the ball as far as any and has an uncanny knack for finding the weak spot in other clubs' defenses. Brent Rice plays shortstop for the Olympics, but should the need arise he can, with equal skill, field any other spot on the infield, and is a cracker-jack hitter to boot.



The Derby Ball Club of Louisville

The Louisville nine are not among the elite clubs in the league, but they are not without some impressive individual base ballists, such as Jim Foster, the club's shortstop, whose competitive fire is so great that the Louisville cranks refer to him as "Stormy" Foster; after a loss he has been known to pick fights with team mates whom he does not believe have given their finest efforts, which must surely inspire them not to incur his wrath. One among them who will rarely be the target of Foster's ire is Ryan Garner, who plays third base with uncommon skill even when his batting is not up to scratch; another is pitcher Fintan Dalgarno, a bearish presence in the box whose fast ball is all the more intimidating due to his reputation as being a bit touched; opposing batsmen can never be sure, when Dalgarno releases the ball, exactly where he intends it to end its flight.



The Allegheny Base Ball Club of Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgs are, like the White Caps, unusually well stocked with hitters, and equivalently poorly found in pitching talent, with Henry Linton the only sure boxman on the club, although it should not be ignored by the public that the Allegheny Club has real talent among its young twirlers who may become very effective with a bit of experience facing talented league batters. Some of that experience might fruitfully come by way of facing their own club's hitters in practice sessions, for few clubs can match the hitting prowess of catcher Chet Walsh, first baseman Johnny Murphy, or left fielder Bob Barton.



The Occidental Base Ball Club of St. Louis

Sadly for Saint Louisians, the club that is farthest west and farthest south is also likely to be farthest from the top of the standings in the Western Division when the championship season is complete. Talented players like third baseman Jon Stewart and shortstop Blaine Sosa may have their best hope for appearing in the Temple Cup series result from a trade to a more fortunate club, for the Occidentals do not seem to be likely to make an appearance themselves following this season. The pitching on the club is fair, with Renzo Mattarese the top man, but fair pitching will not be enough against clubs such as the White Caps or the Alleghenies, whose batsmen may well argue over which is the best ever yet assembled on a single nine.

[Mel Ott]

April 14, 1892

OPENING DAY DUEL ENDS IN DEFEAT

New-Yorks Defeat Atlantics, 2-0, as Brooklyns Squander Chances

Above, George Conegliano of the Knickerbockers, Who Outpitched Lander

Many of the nearly seven thousand in attendance at to-day's opening game of the baseball championship season must have expected a close, well-pitched game, but few of the Brooklyn cranks could have expected the display of inept hitting in the pinch that the home nine displayed in the contest against the visiting Knickerbockers.

With Tom Lander in the box, any team must consider itself to have an advantage over its opponents, and in truth Mr. Lander's performance against the New-York batsmen should have been enough to win the day. The Atlantics were given every chance to take the match, twice (in the second and third innings) getting two men on the bases with one or no men out, and racked up seven hits altogether without managing to send even a single runner across the plate. Eventual winning pitcher George Conegliano (above) assisted the Atlantics, issuing two walks and not recording a single out on strikes in his nine innings of play.

Despite these advantages, the home team was shut out. Some must suspect the deficiencies of the on-field management, for in both cases when the Atlantics were able to get men on base, their manager neglected to advance them with the bunt, and the result was that the runners did not advance at all. The Knickerbocker manager, by contrast, showed no reluctance to use this time-honored tactic to place his team at its best advantage. When, in an uncharacteristic display of wildness, Mr. Lander hit Knickerbocker catcher Florian Sardini with a pitch, his fellows sacrificed themselves twice to put Mr. Sardini on third - whence he scored, on second baseman Matt Townsend's timely single past a diving Dave Kahle. This display of teamwork and timely hitting in the pinch must leave an impression with the Brooklyn nine, who were given many more opportunities to seize the game, and failed to do so.

Nonetheless, one member of the Atlantic club must be singled out for high praise for his fielding. Right fielder Manoel Pottier, surely the only native of Brazil to play our National game professionally, made several displays of rare grace and skill in the field, and would doubtless be hailed as the game's savior for these daring examples of athletic prowess had the home team batted as well as Mr. Pottier fields his position.

[Mel Ott]

April 20, 1892

BROOKLYNS SHUT-OUT BY NATIONALS

Kisslinger Untouchable in Familiar Tale of Missed Opportunities

Above, the Washingtons' Gotthold Kisslinger, Who Was Not Scored Upon

The Atlantic Club has embarked upon its first trip this season to play the other clubs at their home fields, but Atlantics cranks may be forgiven for believing that the team still resides in Brooklyn. Certainly, the Atlantics batsmen appear to have left their bats at home; they were able to muster only four hits in total against the Washingtons' Gotthold Kisslinger, a pitcher whose accomplishments to date have not recommended him as among the game's elite boxmen. Tom Lander, the cracker-jack pitcher of the Brooklyn side, again pitched well enough that against most opponents, he would have carried away the victory; yet his fellows could not bring any runners across home plate.

The National Club struck early, plating its first run after Washington center fielder Malcolm DeVaughn doubled with one out and scored on a single by left fielder Mark Withers. An uneventful second inning was followed by a third inning in which the Washingtons seemed to have Mr. Lander's pitching solved - three consecutive batsmen singled against the formidable Brooklyn hurler, with one, second baseman Hans Schummer, scoring. Lander was flawless thereafter, regaining his command and befuddling the Nationals' line-up.

However, on this day Mr. Kisslinger was every bit Mr. Lander's equal in the box, and the Brooklyn nine could not match their opponents' skill with the bat. In the fourth and the fifth innings, the Atlantics got batters as far as third base, but were unable to take advantage of the position; eerily reminiscent of the Opening Day contest against the Kinickerbocker Club, in which the Brooklyns were likewise ineffective at bat. In the end, the Washingtons and Mr. Kisslinger were able to make the early two-run advantage stand up, winning the contest 2-0. The Atlantics have won only once in six games this season, and further play in this vein will bring increased pressure on the untried Mr. Ott

[Powderguy]

Nice concept, I love old time dynasties. Good luck, I'll be following.

[Mel Ott]

Originally Posted by Powderguy

Nice concept, I love old time dynasties. Good luck, I'll be following.

Glad you like it, Powderguy. Thanks for reading!

[Mel Ott]

April 26, 1892

FOSTER IS WEEK'S TOP MAN

"Stormy" Foster Wins Award, But Is Injured In Play

Above, Jim "Stormy" Foster, of the Louisville Club

In a moment turned bittersweet by mishaps on the field of play, Jim Foster, shortstop of the Louisville Club, was named the national league's top player for the first week of the season, due to the high quality of his performance at-bat, where he has recorded an impressive .408 batting average while driving in 10 runs and is responsible for two "home runs" on his own account. Mr. Foster, known around the league as "Stormy" due to his competitive fire, has not committed an error in the field thus far in the championship season, despite fielding one of the most challenging positions for any base ball player to handle.

Alas! Shortly after the award was announced to the sizable congregation of nearly 3000 fans at the Derbies' contest against the Alleghenies in Pittsburgh, the recipient of the honor was injured in an unfortunate play at second base. Mr. Foster clouted a two-base hit against the Alleghenies' Henry Linton in the visitor's half of the ninth inning, but twisted his knee as he slid safely into the base. Although he was not removed from the field of play at the time, he was unable to field his position in the home half of the inning, and while the Louisville nine brought home a 7-5 victory over their hosts, it was a grim parade back to the hotel following the game, as the severity of Mr. Foster's injury became generally known. The resilient and fiery 37-year-old is expected to miss two weeks of play. He will be replaced in the interim by one Tom Nunnery, a reserve who has seen sparing action thus far in the young season and who, while unknown to cranks outside the Louisville area, can be reasonably supposed not to be the same caliber of player as the man in whose stead he will be playing.

The Derbies are currently in second place in the Western Division, one-and-a-half games behind the surprising Olympic Club of Cleveland.

[Mel Ott]

April 26, 1892

ATLANTICS PREVAIL IN EXTRA INNINGS

Lander, Mick Overcome Hibernians, 5-2, in Fourteen Innings

Above, Tom Lander, Whose 11 Innings of Work Permitted Brooklyn to Prevail

What has been to date a difficult season for the Brooklyns may have entered a new phase to-day, as the pitching staff, considered by many to be the club's chief strength, finally demonstrated the skills in the box that led so many to have great hopes for the 1892 season of championship games, and the club's batsmen were able to take advantage of an opponent's staff at a critical moment.

The contest began in a fashion that of late has become all too familiar to Brooklyn's fanatical cranks, as their favored nine were able in the early going to get men on the bases, but were unable to advance them around the bags. When Brooklyn's cracker-jack twirler Tom Lander permitted the home team to score in the bottom of the fourth inning (Boston center fielder Carroll Furey doubling to left-center, then scoring on second baseman Wayne Brown's single through the box), one could hear the few Brooklyn supporters in the crowd of nearly 3,000 groan in dismay; with the team's recent performances foremost in their thoughts, who could blame them for concluding that any runs scored by the Bostons would be enough to carry away the contest?

And yet the Brooklyn nine were not so easily overcome, scoring two runs and seizing the lead in the visitors' half of the seventh inning on the strength of a doube by reserve catcher Eric Walz, a ringing single to left by third-sacker Kellagh Steere, and yet two more safeties by Mr. Lander, assisting his own cause, and reserve infielder Tyler Brogan. The Atlantic Club has thus far this year been utterly incapable of stringing together several hits, and this unaccustomed display plated two runs and seized the lead for Mr. Lander, who had not recorded a victory despite pitching well in his previous starts.

Alas! This was not the day for Mr. Lander to record a victory, for the Bostons' prodigious left fielder Clint Bogard (called "Moose" by the local cranks, in recognition of his enormous frame) led off the home half of the ninth inning, and Messers. Furey and Brown, Mr. Lander's tormentors in the fourth inning, sacrificed themselves, by bunt and by deep fly ball, to allow Mr. Bogard to score and even the teams at the end of nine full innings.

Mr. Lander was equal to the task, however, and for two more innings kept the Bostons off of the basepaths. When, in the top of the twelfth inning, Mr. Lander reached base, Mr. Ott removed him in favor of a pinch-runner, reserve outfielder Bob Colton. Mr. Colton was unable to score, however, and reserve pitcher Lou Mick (a dapper dresser known as "The Alabama Dandy" to the Brooklyn cranks) threw in relief of Mr. Lander.

Mr. Mick proved every bit as fine a twirler as his predecessor in the box, and no Hibernian batter reached base in the next two innings. However, neither did any on the Atlantic side, and the crowd grew impatient as the tension mounted: would either team score again before night fell?

In the top of the fourteenth inning, the Brooklyns did, scoring three times as the Bostons' relief pitcher (Joe Gutshall) threw himself into a pinch and was unable to extract himself from the predicament. First, Mr. Steere reached on an error by Mr. Bogard in left field. The Atlantics, again grouping their hits in a way that has largely eluded them this season, followed with three singles, which combined with savvy and fleet baserunning, allowed the visitors to take a 5-2 lead, which The Alabama Dandy then preserved by inducing fly outs from Messers. Furey, Brown, and Gavan Schenk.

Nonetheless, despite the heroics of the fourteenth inning, the man of the hour was Mr. Lander, who may be rounding into form as the season progresses. His eleven innings are the most by a Brooklyn pitcher this season, and after the game he seemed none the worse for the experience. Surely without his fortitude and skill, the Atlantic Club would be one loss further away from division-leading New-York.

[Mel Ott]

May 1, 1892

LEAGUE RECOGNIZES TOP PLAYERS

Fruhwirth, Conegliano, Priebke Honored for Performances

To-day, the national league announced that it has honored three players for their performances in the field during the young season. Each have demonstrated exceptional skill and talent in the service of their clubs' cause during championship play, to-wit:



Above, Max Fruhwirth, of Cleveland's Olympic Club

Many fine batsmen have displayed their prowess at the plate in this season's contests, but none have delivered so many blows at such critical moments to the decision as Max Fruwirth, first baseman of the Olympic Base Ball Club of Cleveland. Thus far, Mr. Fruhwirth has swatted opposing pitching at a .403 average, driving in 13 runs and scoring 11 himself. Most notably, among his 25 hits were two circuit clouts, a demonstration of power that few men playing to-day can match. For his prodigious feats at-bat, the league has named him Batter of the Month for April.



Above, New-York's George Conegliano

The Knickerbocker Club's George Conegliano has been the decisive factor in the New-Yorks' early success in the Atlantic division, in which they are tied with the Boston club for most wins, with ten victories achieved by each. Mr. Conegliano is responsible for five of them, having lost but one of his six starts, in which he has delivered a 2.05 ERA against all opponents. His finest efforts were against the Brooklyn club, which he faced twice in four days to begin the season, without allowing the Atlantic club a single run in either contest. For these remarkable displays of skill in the box, the league has named Mr. Conegliano Pitcher of the Month.



Above, young Meinhard Priebke, of the Derby Club of Louisville

The final award announced by the league office, Rookie of the Month for April, was given to Meinhard Priebke, center fielder for the Louisville Club, who despite his youth (just 20 years old this past October) has demonstrated through the quality of his play that he belongs among the very top men in the league. For the Derbies, he has batted .469 in championship games, with a home run to his credit.

[bailey]

Enjoy the 19th century writing style. It's an interesting era that I got my first introduction to by playing in The Baseball Chronicle. Go Louisville!

[Mel Ott]

Originally Posted by bailey

Enjoy the 19th century writing style. It's an interesting era that I got my first introduction to by playing in The Baseball Chronicle. Go Louisville!

Glad you're enjoying it, bailey. Louisville is in good shape so far, leading the Western Division as of May 1.

[Mel Ott]

May 1, 1892

LOUISVILLES, BOSTONS AHEAD IN EARLY LEAGUE RESULTS

Standings in Championship Games, Tabulated for the Reader

Atlantic Division

Club                        Wins  Losses  Games Behind Leader

Boston Hibernians . . . . . 10     5      Nil.
New-York Knickerbockers . . 10     6      1/2
Washington Nationals . . . . 8     7      2
Philadelphia Athletics . . . 8     8      2 1/2
Brooklyn Atlantics . . . . . 7    10      4
Baltimore Chesapeakes. . . . 5    12      6


Western Division

Club                        Wins  Losses  Games Behind Leader

Louisville Derbies. . . . . 11     5      Nil.
Cleveland Olympics. . . . . 11     6      1/2
Cincinnati Red Caps. . . . . 8     7      2 1/2
Chicago White Caps . . . . . 7    10      4 1/2
St. Louis Occidentals. . . . 6     9      4 1/2
Pittsburgh Alleghenies . . . 5    11      6

In each division of the national league, clubs begin to declare themselves fit for the season-long competition to determine the World's Champion, or else to show that they must drastically improve during the remainder of the schedule if they hope to participate in this year's inaugural Temple Cup competition. In the Atlantic Division, whilst the Knickerbocker Club started strong, of late the talented Boston nine have overtaken them in the league standings, having defeated the New-Yorks in the late month's final contests by scores of 7-3 and 7-4. Of the remainder of the division, the most notable clubs are at the bottom of the heap, as Baltimore's Chesapeakes have fallen in five straight contests and do not bear any strong resemblance to the powerhouse envisioned before the season began; and the Atlantics of Brooklyn, who began the season in lackadaisical fashion, but have lately begun to show their quality, taking their last five matches to rise above Baltimore in the standings.

In the Western Division, the Louisville club has reeled off six victories in a row following an unlikely drubbing in each of three matches at the hands of the Occidental Club, giving the Derbies a tenuous hold on the top spot in the West ahead of the surprisingly tough Olympics of Cleveland. Pittsburgh's woeful record to this point may be attributed largely to an unfortunate stretch of seven games against the top clubs, against neither of whom were the Alleghenies able to secure a victory. They, and the rest of the division, look forward to the upcoming contests against the other division, in which they will have an opportunity to measure themselves against the top teams of the East - and the worst.

[Mel Ott]

May 2, 1892

CLINE NAMED TOP PLAYER

Ronan Cline of the Knickerbocker Club Wins Weekly Award

Above, Ronan Cline, of the New York Club

Following a week in which the Knickerbockers' remarkable right fielder posted a .443 average at-bat, Ronan Cline was awarded the national league's honor as top player among all the championship clubs. Mr. Cline is batting at a .338 clip for the season, having driven in fifteen runs, three of them through the prodigious feat of sending the ball completely out of play. Nor is Mr. Cline content to allow the pitcher to defeat himself; he has not taken a walk this season, but instead has earned every one of his excusrions onto the base-paths. Mr. Cline's outstanding performance is a significant factor in his team's performance to date, which finds them a half-game in front of the Bostons in the Atlantic Division standings.

[Mel Ott]

May 3, 1892

BROOKLYNS, RED CAPS SWAP RESERVES

Infielders Brogan, Gilley Exchanged in Deal

Above, Mike Gilley (left), new addition to Brooklyn and Tyler Brogan (right), now of Cincinnati

On an off-day for the Brooklyn nine, the club nonetheless was active, responding favorably to an offer by the Cincinnati club to exchange reserve infielders Tyler Brogan, who has played in 14 of the Atlantics' contests this season, for his Queen City counterpart, Mike Gilley, who has appeared 12 times for the Red Caps. John M. Ward, who completed the transaction for Brooklyn, stated his belief that the younger and more athletic Mr. Gilley would enhance the club's play in the field, and would be well worth the increased salary that the club would be required to pay Mr. Gilley under the terms of his current contract. Mr. Gilley batted a respectable .286 in his limited time with the Red Caps, whilst Mr. Brogan batted a more pedestrian .255, although to his credit Mr. Brogan did hit the very first home run for the Atlantics under the new 12-team system.

Mr. Brogan, who could not be reached to-day for comment, is known to have clashed with Mr. Ott of the Brooklyn club over his role on the team, and while inquiries to those parties received no publishable response, the move is seen by many as a vote of confidence in Mr. Ott, whose Atlantics have now won six consecutive games and will play to-morrow against the Olympic Club of Cleveland, as the Western Division teams make their first expedition to the Eastern cities this week.

[Mel Ott]

May 3, 1892

ATLANTICS OVERCOME CLEVELANDS IN FINAL FRAME

Steere's Home Run Wins Game For Atlantics

Above, Kellagh Steere, Whose Home Run in the Ninth Inning Continued Club's Win Streak

In a contest that was without debate the most thrilling exhibition of base ball seen in the City of Churches this year, the home nine prevailed, 3-1, over the spirited Olympic Club of Cleveland. Although special note must be made of Tom Lander, who permitted the visitors to score just once in their innings, the true hero of Brooklyn's cranks to-day must be third baseman Kellagh Steere, whose mighty clout over the left-field fence ended the match and sent the three thousand in attendance home in good cheer.

In fairness to the visiting Olympics, the game was well-pitched from the start, with neither team able to advance a runner past first base despite the use of every strategem in the field-manager's arsenal, as Cleveland's Norris Charles (called "Duck" by his home-town cranks for his unusual gait whilst strolling about the diamond) matched Mr. Lander pitch for pitch.

In the home half of the fifth inning, the home nine finally gained the advantage, as with two men out Dave Kahle, Enda Fenimore, and Eric Walz strung together three hits, putting Mr. Kahle across the plate for the game's first run. The advantage to the Brooklyns was short-lived, however; in the visitor's half of the seventh inning Olympics batsman Max Fruhwirth singled, and advanced to second when Mr. Kahle misplayed a ground ball hit by center fielder Bill Powell. Mr. Fruhwirth made the most of the opportunity, scoring from second base on a single to right field by short stop Larry Nye. Although the run was not charged to Mr. Lander's account due to Mr. Kahle's regrettable miscue, the game was again all even at one run apiece.

The eighth inning passed uneventfully, with neither team able to mount a serious challenge to the opponent's twirler. With lengthening shadows beginning to creep across the outfield, the Atlantics resolved not to risk the chance of a tie contest. In their half of the ninth inning left fielder Danny Woods, the first batsman of the inning, sent Mr. Charles' third offering past the outstretched glove of Mr. Powell, and took second base without a throw from the fleet center fielder. Mr. Steere, who said later that he was "anxious not to miss supper" hit Mr. Charles' very first pitch into the crowd past the left-field wall. It was his first circuit clout of the season, and the Brooklyns hope there may be more to follow. This one, at a minimum, has extended the Atlantics' consecutive wins to seven in a row, and placed the club into a near-tie with the Philadelphias for the fourth spot in the Eastern Division. The Clevelands, for their part, remain in second place in the Western.

[Mel Ott]

May 2, 1892

LOUISVILLES GARNER HONORED

Derbies Third Baseman "Garners" Weekly Award

Above, Ryan Garner, of the Louisville Club

After a week in which the Derbies Ryan Garner batted 12-for-21, with three doubles and a home-run, the hard-hitting third baseman secured his first Player of the Week award. Mr. Garner has hit for a .429 average so far this season, scoring 13 runs himself and sending 18 of his fellow Louivilles home as well. In addition to his prowess with a bat in his hand, Mr. Garner is an accomplished fielder and a fleet-footed man on the basepaths, and this award is likely to be only the first of many such honors that will be granted to a player of his uncommon skill and talent.