The Parallel Universe of Baseball

[mjj55409]

February 27, 1889

Some of the members of the New-York Baseball Club started on a Southern trip yesterday for the purpose of training for the opening of the season. After receiving instructions from President Day they took the 5 P.M. train on the Erie Road. Manager Mutrie was in charge of the men. After playing in New Orleans the team will start on a trip through Texas, playing at Galveston, Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth. Games will also be played in Montgomery, Jacksonville, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Memphis, Atlanta, and Nashville. The trip will occupy about five weeks, and the men will return here in time to open the season in this vicinity.

[mjj55409]

April 17, 1889

Pittsburgh had an easy time with the League pennant last season and then was surprised by the Athletics in losing the World's Championship series. St Louis and Cincinnati are looking to get back into the Association pennant race.

   Player             Age Team            LY   Pos Last Season (avg-runs-rbi) 
 1 Pip King           28  Pittsburgh       1   LF  .338-112-94
 2 Elias Rice         27  Pittsburgh       6   3B  .323-91-96
 3 Augustus Hutchinson28  Louisville       3   2B  .302-76-67
 4 Newton Teller      24  Washington       8   CF  .293-93-79
 5 Mansfield Casler   28  Quakers          2   LF  .282-64-70
 6 Ruben Merchant     28  Chicago         NR   1B  .310-89-95
 7 Johan Buford       23  Indianpolis      9   2B  .267-93-67
 8 Fred George        23  St Louis        19   2B  .305-69-48
 9 Edwin Phelan       23  Chicago         NR   LF  .272-75-42
10 Leslie Boger       27  Indianapolis     5   CF  .301-90-96
11 Columbus Custer    23  Brooklyn        20   3B  .262-54-52
12 Agustus Finnegan   27  St Louis        12    C  .268-47-47
13 Mortimer Timm      29  Louisville      11   LF  .266-65-67
14 Emerson O’Donnell  25  Pittsburgh      NR   2B  .278-94-49
15 Hardy Arnold       27  Brooklyn        NR   1B  .286-86-92
16 Johnnie Ervin      28  Louisville      NR   1B  .318-70-70
17 Owen Dubose        29  Pittsburgh      16   1B  .247-81-102
18 Arch Ray           23  Indianapolis    NR   CF  .264-76-70
19 Dooley Pfeifer     28  Cleveland        7   2B  .292-63-63
20 Karl Bolin         23  Washington      14   LF  .307-66-71

   Player             Age Team            LY  Last Season 
 1 Maurice Mathers    30  Pittsburgh       1  34-18, 1.57, 469.1
 2 Arthur Book        32  St Louis         2  28-23, 1.33, 468.2
 3 Tookie Klotz       26  Cincinnati       5  32-19, 1.51, 447.1
 4 Morris Newby       28  Pittsburgh       3  37-13, 1.76, 454
 5 Victor Searles     25  Cincinnati       4  15-24, 2.18, 354.1
 6 Rubin Harr         36  Chicago          9  32-19, 2.00, 453.2
 7 Coot Hass          33  Chicago          6  27-24, 2.07, 456.2
 8 Laurence Dabry     25  Quakers         NR  30-21, 1.53, 457.2
 9 Aleck McHenry      43  Columbus        10  26-27, 1.78, 500.2
10 Phillip Behrens    28  Athletics       NR  30-23, 1.98, 476.2

[mjj55409]

Pittsburgh has survived an early charge by the surprising Washington and Cleveland clubs, but at the height of the summer they appear ready to coast to the pennant. The bat of Newton Teller (.374-7-39) is keeping Washington close. Pittsburgh pitcher Morris Newby has a torn back muscle and is unlikely to pitch again this season. Outside of the Louisville and Kansas City clubs, the Association race is wide open. Andrew How (.408-3-43) of the Athletics is wielding the heavy bat in the Association.

[mjj55409]

It's September, and Pittsburgh has another League pennant in hand. In the Association, the lead of the Browns also seems insurmountable. Baltimore slugger Eppa Horan (.279-21-81) is looking to surpass his 22 round-trippers of last season. With Morris Newby out with a balky back all summer, Pittsburgh pitchers Maurice Mathers and Adolph Darnall are pacing the League with 27 wins each.

[mjj55409]

A number of offensive records were set this season. The Athletics's Andrew How (.364 average), Cleveland's Ross Bradfield (148 runs), Baltimore's Eppa Horan (24 four-base hits), Cleveland's Randolph Arrington (132 runs batted in), and Pittsburgh's Elias Rice (148 walks).


Ross Bradfield .334-16-108, 148 runs, 16 sb

[mjj55409]

Averages Compiled
October 1889

Hits
Ross Bradfield (Cleveland).........200
Spoons Sinclair (Athletics)........198
Patsy Burg (Washington)............185
Grant Friend (Chicago).............185
Pip King (Pittsburgh)..............185

Avg
Andrew How (Athletics).............364
Edward Romero (Quakers)............352
Ezra Partridge (Cleveland).........335
Ruben Merchant (Chicago)...........335
Ross Bradfield (Cleveland).........334

Runs
Ross Bradfield (Cleveland).........148
Francis Kessler (Cleveland)........135
Leslie Boger (Indianapolis)........128
Gabby Doolittle (Chicago)..........128
Adrian Riddle (Cleveland)..........125

Runs Batted In
Rudolph Arrington (Cleveland)......132
Patsy Burg (Washington)............116
Adrian Riddle (Cleveland)..........116
Elias Rice (Pittsburgh))...........112
Hardy Arnold (Brooklyn)............110

Total Bases
Spoons Sinclair (Athletics)........283
Ross Bradfield (Cleveland).........280
Leslie Boger (Indianapolis)........260
Grant Friend (Chicago).............252
Pip King (Pittsburgh)..............250
Adrian Riddle (Cleveland)..........250

Stolen Bases
Spoons Sinclair (Athletics).........66
Adrian Riddle (Cleveland)...........64
Leslie Boger (Indianapolis).........61
Sherm Whitlock (New York)...........55

Home Runs
Eppa Horan (Baltimore)..............24
Noah Rucker (Kansas City)...........20
Ross Bradfield (Cleveland)..........15
Emil Boggs (Boston).................15
Hermon Pond (St Louis)..............14

ERA
Laurence Dabry (Quakers)......1.97
Arthur Book (St Louis)........2.03
Luke Hurst (St Louis).........2.03
Major Martin (Athletics)......2.09
Maurice Mathers (Pittsburgh)..2.13

Strikeouts
Tookie Klotz (Cincinnati).....281
Maurice Mathers (Pittsburgh)..262
Arthur Book (St Louis)........255
Dewitt Frank (Brooklyn).......242
Jonathan Mount (Louisville)...238

Wins
Arthur Book (St Louis).........36
Major Martin (Athletics).......35
Adolph Darnall (Pittsburgh)....34
Coot Hass (Chicago)............32
Rooster Linton (Baltimore).....32
Maurice Mathers (Pittsburgh)...32

[mjj55409]

October 14, 1889

When Pittsburgh won the opening game of the series by a score of 6 to 0, all expected an easy week for the Alleghenys. But what happened was similar to 1888, and perhaps even worse. The boys from St Louis won four straight games from the Pittsburghs, with young pitcher Luke Hurst winning 2 of them.


Luke Hurst

[fhomess]

Hurst looks like a bit of a thug.

[mjj55409]

Originally Posted by fhomess

Hurst looks like a bit of a thug.

I know. You'd think he'd be a little bit happier having just won the Championship.

[mjj55409]

Brooklyn and Cincinnati Leave the Association
November 15, 1889

Brooklyn and Cincinnati having grown tired of the workings of the American Association, yesterday made a formal application to join the League. They were admitted, and next year the organization will be composed of ten clubs--five in the East and a like number in the West.

Just what step the American Association men will take is hard to determine. The threat to join hands with the Brotherhood is a silly one. In that event the League men would declare war and take all the first-class players in their ranks.

[mjj55409]

The Suit to Test the Reserve Rule's Legality
January 10, 1890

The suit of the National League against Archibald Fields, the short stop of the Brooklyn Club, was called before Judge O'Brien, in Supreme Court, Chambers, yesterday. There was a big attendance of men interested in the national game, but the Brotherhood seemed to have the larger number of followers.

Judge O'Brien decided to grant an adjournment of one week. The Brotherhood men are opposed to these adjournments. It appears that the financial backers of the players organization are opposed to putting up their money until the Fields case is settled.

[mjj55409]

The Association to Place a Team at Ridgewood Park

There was a meeting of members of the American Association in the Astor House yesterday, and it was decided to select Brooklyn as the eighth city in the organization. This will make the circuit as follows: St Louis, Columbus, Louisville, Toledo, Rochester, Syracuse, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn. It is an excellent circuit, and good judges say that the coming season is bound to be a prosperous one. Sunday baseball can be played in all the cities, and as that is a source of great revenue to the American Association, the stockholders of the different nines are happy.

Mr. Whitaker, of the Athletics, says that he thinks Brooklyn is a 25-cent town. With two clubs--League and Brotherhood--charging 50 cents each, he feels confident that the organization will get the patronage.

[mjj55409]

April 17, 1890

Pittsburgh has Newby returning from a back injury, but they still appear to be the club to beat in the League. St Louis and the Athletics should do battle in the Association. Meanwhile, the players' union found some financial backers and started the Players League, which has siphoned some talent from both the National League and the Association.

   Player             Age Team            LY   Pos Last Season 
 1 Pip King           29  Pittsburgh       1   LF  .318-4-91
 2 Newton Teller      25  Rochester        4   LF  .344-13-71
 3 Columbus Custer    24  Brooklyn        11   3B  .329-8-60
 4 Elias Rice         28  Pittsburgh       2   3B  .289-14-112
 5 Ruben Merchant     29  Chicago          6   SS  .335-5-85
 6 Ernest Merchant    27  St Louis        NR   1B  .322-11-64
 7 Augustus Hutchinson29  Louisville       3   2B  .294-2-74
 8 Pleasant Dade      21  St Louis        NR   1B  .269-0-16
 9 Arch Ray           24  Pittsburgh      18   CF  .314-4-82
10 Andrew How         26  Athletics       NR   1B  .364-12-90
11 Sherm Whitlock     26  New York        NR   SS  .313-5-64
12 Mansfield Casler   29  Quakers          5   RF  .288-8-81
13 Mortimer Timm      30  Louisville      13   LF  .275-9-79
14 Karl Bolin         24  Brooklyn        20   LF  .310-2-40
15 Agustus Finnegan   28  St Louis        12    C  .298-11-60
16 Randolph Arrington 26  Cleveland       NR   1B  .312-9-132
17 Ezra Partridge     30  Cleveland       NR   SS  .335-1-49
18 Horatio Lovitt     26  Chicago         NR   1B  .363-3-41
19 Leslie Boger       28  Quakers         10   CF  .296-10-95
20 Emil Boggs         25  Boston          NR   1B  .291-15-79

   Player             Age Team            LY  Last Season 
 1 Thomas Brown       24  Cincinnati      NR  Amateur
 2 Arthur Book        33  St Louis         2  36-18, 2.03, 492.1
 3 Maurice Mathers    31  Pittsburgh       1  32-18, 2.13, 461
 4 Laurence Dabry     26  Quakers          8  26-22, 1.97, 438
 5 Tookie Klotz       27  Cincinnati       3  30-25, 2.39, 490.1
 6 Victor Searles     26  Cincinnati       5  29-19, 2.28, 445.1
 7 Morris Newby       29  Pittsburgh       4  8-3, 2.86, 104
 8 Rubin Harr         37  Chicago          6  21-26, 2.48, 424
 9 Nat Geer           24  Columbus        NR  9-9, 2.40, 154
10 Jonathan Mount     25  Louisville      NR  21-34, 2.53, 480.2

[ashantewarrier]

Any updates?

[ashantewarrier]

bump.

I like this thread and want to keep it near the top.

[mjj55409]

Sorry for the dearth of posts. I haven't had much time to sim the past few weeks. Look for an update this weekend.

[mjj55409]

Pittsburgh used a 21-5 record in May to open a commanding lead in the League. Pittsburgh hurler Morris Newby, after losing his only April start, won 9 League games in May against 2 losses. Arthur Book is having another fine season pacing the Association leading Browns (13-2 1.07).


Arthur Book




Meanwhile the Philadelphia club is pacing the Players League. Archibald Fields has hit 4 HR for his Brooklyn club, but is only batting for a .230 average.


Archibald Fields

[mjj55409]

Tater Shipley spent the last two seasons as a part-time starting pitcher for the Baltimore club. He jumped at the chance to join Brooklyn's entry in the Players' League. He is thus far having a very fine season (17-7, 3.74 ERA). But today his season got a whole lot better as he has completed professional baseball's first perfect game, defeating the Chicago club six to nothing. It was also Shipley's second consecutive shutout. And in the game prior to that, he gave up only one run, that tally coming in the 11th inning. All in all a pretty fine month for Mr. Shipley.


Tater Shipley

[mjj55409]

Not much drama in this season's pennant chases. Pittsburgh and St. Louis have the championships in hand. Pip King (.360-2-92) is leading the way for Pittsburgh. For St Louis, Arthur Book's (32-9, 1.73 ERA) dominating season continues. The record for pitching wins in a season is 42 by Peeps Christie back in 1884. Books has a shot at topping that.


Pip King




In the Players' League, Philadelphia continues its run at the top. Pitcher Turk Rowley (28-8, 2.71 ERA) is leading the way for the Athletics. Rowley is just the type of player the Players' League targeted. He languished on the Giants' "reserved" player roster for the past two seasons, never appearing in a league game. He is making the most of his new opportunity.


Turk Rowley

[mjj55409]

A crashed hard drive ultimately led to this dynasty's demise. I'm picking it up again here: The Parallel History of Baseball, Redux