The American Baseball League

[NYY #23]

1871 - A New Beginning

A little background -

I've been wanting to do a replay of baseball ever since I did my Home Run dynasty, but want to move along at a fairly quick place. I got bogged down a little bit when I did The Players League, although that was a lot of fun, it lost all of its luster during the version change from ten to eleven because of problems importing players. I'm going to do something a little bit different and start off with fictional players.

It's kind of fun to see players develop where you don't have any expectations whatsoever, although I like seeing the familiar names. I've always enjoyed playing with recalc off, because of the surprises it can create. Many of those players from leagues of the past still stick out to me. From Tuck Turner dominating the Players League for so many years, to Liu Rodriguez who came out of nowhere in my Home Run dynasty to hit 442 career home runs instead of the one he did in real life. Or Slick Castleman winning 335 games in his career, which were 299 more than he did in real life. Or Ed Morgan and his 3000 career hits.

They all hold a special place in my memory for one reason or another, so I thought it would be fun to start out with fictional players, and each year pick a group of real life players and import them in. They'll be a mix of real life stars, the stars of my league's past, or players I just like for one reason or another. I'm not going to follow everyone, because I figure if they do something worth noticing I'll cover it in the course of things.

I'm going to try and set a limit to no more than 20 per draft, although some may have more, and some may have much less. We'll start 1871 with 20 players, but 1872 will have zero players. 1871 the players will import into the inaugural draft, but from here on out they will go into the amateur draft.

If you'd like to see a player added, either real, or would like to create a fictional player please let me know and I'll add them to a future draft.

I won't be using real teams, but I'll be recycling some team names from the past. I'll be introducing the teams of the American Baseball League next.

[NYY #23]

There will be no fancy back story on how the league was created. Let's just say that in the beginning of baseball things were just a little bit more organized than they really were, and the first professional league was formed. There were two leagues, the Eastern League and the Western League. Each league consists of two divisions of four teams each, and the winner of each division will face off in a League Championship Series, where the winners advance to the World Series.

The American Baseball League will consist of the following teams:
EL North:
Syracuse Stars
Buffalo Bisons
Brooklyn Wonders
Boston Americans

EL South:
Washington Capitals
Pittsburgh Rebels
Philadelphia Keystone
Baltimore Terrapins

WL North:
Detroit Wolverines
Cleveland Trolleys
Cincinnati Cardinals
Chicago Pirates

WL South:
St. Louis Browns
Minnesota Millers
Milwaukee Broncos
Kansas City Blues

We'll begin with a 63 game schedule, and automatic evolution of the league will be enabled, controlling expansion, team relocation, and team nicknames. I'll keep an eye on it and roll back anything that is too unusual for the era. For now that is the only things that can change, but eventually I may enable more options.

Financials are enabled, but there will be no free agency, or arbitration yet. I like the overall numbers, and if there is a team in financial jeopardy we'll act on that, if they aren't moved by themselves. Injuries and trades are set to low. Everything else is pretty much set to the default settings. Settings will be adjusted from year to year, so statistics should be pretty era realistic. I won't be taking control of any team, but I'll be following along at a league wide level.

I'll post the players that will import in each draft class, but here is the group that will get us started:
Cap Anson
Jim O'Rourke
Deacon White
Paul Hines
Joe Start
Ezra Sutton
Al Spalding
Candy Cummings
Ross Barnes
Tom York
Pete Gillespie
Candy Nelson
George Wright
Cal McVey
Jack Remsen
Lip Pike
Harry Wright
Charlie Pabor
Levi Meyerle
George Zettlein

[NYY #23]

I thought in lieu of a team by team preview for the team's in the ABL, I'd instead take a look at a couple of players in the league. No games have been played yet, so I don't have anything to work with other than ratings. Without further adieu, here is a look at a couple of the expected stars of the American Baseball League:

Joe Cox
Catcher - Pittsburgh Rebels


The 28 year old from Augusta, Georgia has wanted to do just one thing in life, play baseball. The owner of the Pittsburgh Rebels, John Forbes, looked far and wide for players who can help the Rebels become the best team in the league, and when he saw Cox at a tryout in Georgia he knew that he found a special player. "The way he hit the ball all over the field," Forbes said, "he just made it look easy." Cox is a hitter who is hard to fool. He hits the ball to all fields, and will get on base a lot. Not only is Cox a gifted hitter, but scouts feel he is the complete package defensively. "He's a natural behind the plate,' one scout said, "either with the bat, or handling a pitcher. He's got a cannon arm that team's won't be able to run on.

Cox hopes to make the most of this opportunity as one of the first professional baseball players, and to prove that he belongs.

Chris 'Farmer' Price
Pitcher - Baltimore Terrapins


When the Terrapins made their first pick of the inaugural draft they got exactly who they wanted, a 27 year old pitcher from a small little town in Oklahoma named Chris Price, who likes to go by the name of 'Farmer'. "I grew up on a farm, " Price explained, "and I like to do two things in life, work on the farm and throw a baseball." Farmer is one of the hardest working members of the team, always the first to arrive at the ballpark, and last to leave. "He's a hard working kid," one scout said, "and his teammates really look up to him. He's quiet, but lead's by example."

Many feel that Price is the best pitcher in the league, and given the chance he'll make sure people remember his name for a long time.

[NYY #23]

Standings


World Series
The Brooklyn Wonders defeated the Detroit Wolverines 4 games to 2 to capture the first American Baseball League championship. CF Ryan Rasco led the Wonders offense by driving in 10 runs and posting a .327 batting average. Jason Luther was on the mound for the series finale, pitching a shutout to lead the Wonders to a 2-0 victory.

League Leaders
JD Worm:


Batting Average: JD Worm - BRK .391
OBP: JD Worm - BRK .393
Hits: Brian Cherry - BRK 104
RBI: Rich Fultz - BAL 37
Runs: Tony Wherry - BAL 41
SB: Steve Caputo - KC 22
ERA: Kevin Post - WAS 1.35
Wins: Kevin Snyder - CHI 19
K's: Chris Price - BAL 22

Chris Thomas of Chicago hit safely in 28 straight games

Eastern League Awards
Outstanding Hitter:
Caleb MacIntosh - BRK (.383/.385/.506, 0 HR, 32 RBI, 30.2 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Jason Watson - WAS (14-4, 2 SV, 2.75 ERA, 186.2 IP, 8 K, 25.3 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Caleb MacIntosh - BRK (.383/.385/.506, 0 HR, 32 RBI, 30.2 VORP)

Western League Awards
Kevin Snyder:


Outstanding Hitter:
Josh Tidaback - MIL (.359/.376/.474, 0 HR, 17 RBI, 23.9 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Kevin Snyder - CHI (19-8, 2.03 ERA, 257.2 IP, 19 K, 54.6 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Kevin Snyder - CHI (19-8, 2.03 ERA, 257.2 IP, 19 K, 54.6 VORP)

Notes
• 40 year old pitcher Chris Ferrand retired from baseball. Ferrand spent last season pitching for the Minnesota Millers and went 1-3 with a 3.11 ERA in 46 1/3 IP
• 39 year old catcher Matt Modin retired. Modin spend last season with the Cleveland Trolleys and hit .283 with 19 RBI

[NYY #23]

24 year old Johnny Shafer of the Syracuse Stars was named the top prospect in baseball. In his first season with the Stars Shafer was 8-11 with a 3.26 ERA in 165 2/3 IP.

A look at the remaining top 10 prospects:
2) SP - Evan Kyle, 18, Boston Americans
3) SP - Kevin Snyder, 25, Chicago Pirates
4) SS - Caleb MacIntosh, 23, Brooklyn Wonders
5) MR - Trent Silverman, 22, St Louis Browns
6) SP - John Walsh, 19, Milwaukee Broncos
7) SP - Jin-guo Xiu, 25, Pittsburgh Rebels
8) MR - Isiah Scott, 22, Milwaukee Broncos
9) SP - Dan Lorincz, 25, St Louis Browns
10) SP - Mark Boltz, 25, Pittsburgh Rebels

For the 1872 amateur draft we'll be importing just two players into the draft. Al Thake, who was the first active player to die in professional baseball, and Elmer White who died in real life in the 1871 offseason. They'll each get a chance to make a mark they never had a chance to in real life.

[NYY #23]

Standings


World Series
The Philadelphia Keystones captured their first World Series by defeating the Detroit Wolverines 4 games to 1. The Keystones had no trouble in the Eastern League Championship Series, knocking off the Milwaukee Broncos 4-0. The Keystones won the EL South by 10 games.

League Leaders
Andrew Lockwood:


One look at the league leaders and it is hard to miss the name Andrew Lockwood, the 31 year old left fielder with the Minnesota Millers. Lockwood capture the batting title, Outstanding Hitter Award, and led most offensive categories.

Batting Average:
Andrew Lockwood - MIN .392
Ross Barnes - CIN .369
Jim Amundson - Mil .349

OBP:
Andrew Lockwood - MIN .412
Ross Barnes - CIN .397
Ryan Rasco - BRK .377

Hits:
Andrew Lockwood - MIN 113
Ross Barnes - CIN 100
Rod Wiggins - BAL 99

RBI:
Andrew Lockwood - MIN 60
Joel Munson - STL 59
Tom Neal - MIN 56

Runs:
Andrew Lockwood - MIN 78
Rod Wiggins - BAL 70
George Wright - KC 69

SB:
Travis Beveridge - KC 35
Rod Wiggins - BAL 35
Devin Woods - PHI 34

ERA:
Geoff Johnson - SYR 1.38
Johnny Shafer - SYR 1.46
Mark Fenci - PHI 1.61

Wins:
Kevin Snyder - CHI 18
Art Peebles - PHI 17
Evan Gardner - BUF 15

K's:
Kevin Snyder - CHI 29
Evan Gardner - BUF 27
Johnny Shafer - SYR 25

Eastern League Awards
Outstanding Hitter:
Scott Martin - WAS (.338/.347/.470, 3 HR, 52 RBI, 20.9 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Art Peebles - PHI (17-11, 1.82 ERA, 238 IP, 13 K, 34.6 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Terry Rich - PHI (.321/.326/.376, 0 HR, 24 RBI, 13.1 VORP)

Western League Awards
Kevin Snyder:


Kevin Snyder, a 26 year old pitcher with the Chicago Pirates became the first pitcher to win back to back Outstanding Pitcher awards when he won his second straight. The Oklahoma native has now won more games (37) than any other pitcher in the American Baseball League.

Outstanding Hitter:
Andrew Lockwood - MIN (.392/.412/.493, 1 HR, 60 RBI, 31.3 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Kevin Snyder - CHI (18-12, 1.97 ERA, 233.1 IP, 29 K, 36.7 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Mike McCormick - CIN (9-10, 1.84 ERA, 176.0 IP, 18 K, 30.0 VORP)

Notes
• John McCain of the Pittsburgh Rebels hit safely in 28 consecutive games
• 1B Tyrell Everett retired from baseball after two season with the Philadelphia Keystones.
• Ross Barnes of the Cincinnati Cardinals became the first player to collect 6 hits in a game when he had 6 hits in 7 at bats in a game against Detroit
• Marcus Myles of the Chicago Pirates was the first player in the ABL to hit for the cycle in a game against the Kansas City Blues.

[NYY #23]

Art Tabolt


The Buffalo Bisons select starting pitcher Art Tabolt with the number one overall pick in the amateur draft last year, and Tabolt made his debut on the top 10 prospects list as the 3rd rated prospect in the ABL.

Tabolt was born in San Ramon, California and was 5-2 with a 2.77 ERA since being drafted.

A look at the remaining top 10 prospects:
1) SP - Johnny Shafer, 25, Syracuse Stars
2) SP - Evan Kyle, 19, Boston Americans
3) SP - Art Tabolt, 22, Buffalo Bisons
4) MR - Isiah Scott, 23, Milwaukee Broncos
5) SP - Quinten McCallister, 18, Boston Americans
6) SP - Kevin Grossman, 18, Philadelphia Keystone
7) SP - Matt Klimek, 19, Kansas City Blues
8) SP - Morgan Duff, 20, Cleveland Trolleys
9) SP - Trent Silverman, 23, St Louis Browns
10) SP - Justin Cox, 22, Syracuse Stars

For the 1873 amateur draft I'll be adding a quartet of players:
Blondie Purcell
Charley Radbourn
Will White
Charlie Bennett

[NYY #23]

Standings



World Series
The St Louis Browns became the first Western League team to capture a World Series title by knocking off the Buffalo Bisons 4 games to 1. The Browns are the third different team to win a World Series in the first three years.

League Leaders
Batting Average:
Josh Tidaback - MIL .412
Mike Starling - DET .399
Tim Douville - DET .395

OBP:
Tim Douville - DET .425
Josh Tidaback - MIL .416
Andrew Lockwood - MIN .413

Hits:
Josh Tidaback - MIL 129
Andrew Lockwood - MIN 116
Danny Manzanares - BAL 114

RBI:
Joel Munson - STL 70
TJ Lanphear - PIT 67
TJ Siler - BUF 66

Runs:
Levi Meyerle - SYR 80
Mike Leck - WAS 77
Justin Higgs - CLE 76

SB:
Eric Davis - PHI 39
Travis Beveridge - KC 36
Chris Furnari - DET 35

ERA:
Dave Clark - PHI 1.00
Geoff Johnson - SYR 1.50
Bryan Kelly - MIN 1.70

Wins:
Evan Gardner - BUF 23
Trent Silverman - STL 18
Kevin Snyder - CHI 18

K's:
Evan Gardner - BUF 27
Chris Price - BAL 24
Jose Rodriguez - BOS 24

Eastern League Awards
Outstanding Hitter:
Levi Meyerle - SYR (.360/.363/.508, 6 HR, 60 RBI, 22.6 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Evan Gardner - BUF (23-9, 2.07 ERA, 287.0 IP, 27 K, 44.8 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Dave Meyer - BAL (.329/.345/.473, 1 HR, 52 RBI, 17.4 VORP)

Western League Awards
Outstanding Hitter:
Andrew Lockwood - MIN (.395/.413/.548, 2 HR, 59 RBI, 33.3 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Kevin Snyder - CHI (18-7, 1.84 ERA, 225.1 IP, 12 K, 43.6 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Tim Douville - DET (.395/.425/.492, 0 HR, 40 RBI, 16.8 VORP)

Notes
• Joe Cox of the Pittsburgh Rebels became the second player to hit for the cycle
• Andrew Lockwood of the Minnesota Millers hit safely in 43 consecutive games
• Pete Washburn - PIT, Jamie Skrivanek- BAL, and Corey Koon - SYR each collected six hits in a game

[NYY #23]

A look at the remaining top 10 prospects:
1) SP - Kevin Grossman, 19, Philadelphia Keystone
2) SP - Mark Griffin, 18, Boston Americans
3) MR - Isiah Scott, 24, Milwaukee Broncos
4) SP - Vince Davis, 22, Minnesota Millers
5) SP - Quinten McCallister, 19, Boston Americans
6) SP - Evan Kyle, 20, Boston Americans
7) SP - Art Tabolt, 23, Buffalo Bisons
8) SP - Justin Cox, 23, Syracuse Stars
9) SP - Eric Hudspeth, 18, Cleveland Trolleys
10) SP - Bubba LaRosa, 20, Pittsburgh Rebels

For the 1874 amateur draft I'll be adding five players:
Hardy Richardson
John Morrill
Hick Carpenter
Tommy Bond
Denny Driscoll

[NYY #23]

Standings


World Series
The third time's the charm for the Detroit Wolverines, as they knocked off the Brooklyn Wonders 4 games to none to capture their first World Series. The Detroit-Brooklyn World Series was a rematch of the first World Series in 1871. The Wolverines had been to two previous World Series, but lost both times. This is the fourth different champion in four World Series.

Profile
Travis Beveridge


26 year old Travis Beveridge of the Kansas City Blues is the all-time stolen base leaders with 130 stolen bases, but this season Beveridge came into his own as an all around player, capturing the Outstanding Hitter Award in the Western League. Beveridge led the league in batting average, on base percentage, hits, and stolen bases.

The speedy first baseman from Hartford, Connecticut has also led the league in stolen bases the past three seasons and is the career leader for most offensive categories for the Kansas City Blues.

League Leaders
Batting Average:
Travis Beveridge - KC .372
Joe Cox - PIT .371
Mike Starling - DET .360

OBP:
Travis Beveridge - KC .391
Joe Cox - PIT .386
Justin Higgs - CLE .377

Hits:
Travis Beveridge - KC 109
Justin Higgs - CLE 105
Adam Pettet - MIL 105

RBI:
Jim Amundson - MIL 65
Travis Beveridge - KC 63
Joe Sjostedt - WAS 57

Runs:
Justin Higgs - CLE 79
Bill McCormick - WAS 79
Josh Tidaback - MIL 76

SB:
Travis Beveridge - KC 42
Ross Barnes - CIN 36
Justin Higgs - CLE 35

ERA:
Ricky Gibeau - WAS 0.66
Andy Gill - PHI 1.14
Tim Massey - WAS 1.19

Wins:
Trent Silverman - STL 17
Dave Docter - DET 16
Andy Gill - PHI 16

K's:
Chris Price - BAL 33
Johnny Shafer - SYR 30
Jin-guo Xiu - PIT 30

Eastern League Awards
Outstanding Hitter:
Bill McCormick - WAS (.323/.345/.389, 0 HR, 37 RBI, 16.8 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Andy Gill - PHI (16-14, 1.14 ERA, 267.2 IP, 20 K, 52.8 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Pedro Pichardo - SYR (.280/.289/.319, 0 HR, 35 RBI, 2.6 VORP)

Western League Awards
Outstanding Hitter:
Travis Beveridge - KC (.372/.391/.471, 3 HR, 63 RBI, 32.3 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Trent Silverman - STL (17-9, 1.94 ERA, 213.1 IP, 22 K, 21.9 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Phil Harper - DET (.313/.313/.360, 0 HR, 40 RBI, 12.2 VORP)

Notes
• Joel Munsen of the St Louis Browns hit for the cycle in a game against the Milwaukee Broncos

[NYY #23]

I wanted to take a look at the season records that were broke during the 1874 season, and I'll update any records that are broken following each season.

Season Batting Records Set
SB: Travis Beveridge - KC 42
K's: Josh Barrett - KC 29

Season Pitching Records Set
ERA: Ricky Gibeau - WAS 0.66
K's: Chris Price - BAL 33
K's/9 IP: Maurice Brenton - KC 1.41
Opp Avg: Tim Massey - WAS .228
Opp OBP: Tim Massey - WAS .233
Opp SLG: Tim Massey - WAS .276
Opp OPS: Tim Massey - WAS .509

For Hall of Fame inductions I have instituted a 5 year waiting period. I've slightly modified the default standards for automatic induction as follows:
Minimum Hits - 3000
Minimum Home Runs - 500
Minimum Average - .300
Hits Minimum for Average Above - 2500
Minimum VORP - 700
Minimum Wins - 300
Minimum Saves - 500
Maximum ERA - 4.00
Minimum Wins for ERA above - 250

I'll review players that have played 10 years that don't meet the minimum requirements at some point. It's early, and nobody is close to any of the counting stats, but let's take a look at the career VORP leaders at this point.

Batter Career VORP
1. Andrew Lockwood - 103.53
2. Josh Tidaback - 74.71
3. Caleb MacIntosh - 71.19
4. Travis Beveridge - 70.83
5. Ross Barnes - 70.74
6. Eric Davis - 66.26
7. Joe Cox - 64.28
8. Rich Fultz - 62.71
9. Levi Meyerle - 62.10
10. Adam Schumate - 59.48

Pitcher Career VORP
1. Kevin Snyder - 167.65
2. Evan Gardner - 140.98
3. Jason Watson - 121.50
4. Johnny Shafer - 118.53
5. Dave Docter - 112.72
6. Tim Massey - 86.54
7. Art Peebles - 84.54
8. Brian Morrow - 82.62
9. Chris Price - 81.63
10. Trent Silverman - 80.95

[NYY #23]

A look at the remaining top 10 prospects:

1) SP - Sean Wise, 22, Boston Americans
2) SP - Kevin Grossman, 20, Philadelphia Keystone
3) SP - Mark Griffin, 19, Boston Americans
4) SP - Matt Klimek, 21, Kansas City Blues
5) SP - Jon Yuenger, 18, Milwaukee Broncos
6) MR - Charley Radbourn, 20, Cincinnati Cardinals
7) SP - Eric Hudspeth, 19, Cleveland Trolleys
8) SP - Tommy Bond, 19, Cleveland Trolleys
9) SP - Quinten McCallister, 20, Boston Americans
10) SP - Vince Davis, 23, Minnesota Millers

For the 1875 amateur draft I'll be adding the following players:
Harry Stovey
Dave Foutz
Guy Hecker
Pud Galvin
Pete Hotaling
Bill McClellan
Jack Rowe
Pop Smith

[NYY #23]

Standings


World Series
Another year, another champion. For the fifth straight year a different champion was crowned, this time with the Washington Capitals knocking off the Minnesota Millers in 7 games to win the World Series. For the first time both the World Series and each of the League Championship Series went to 7 games.

Profile
Caleb MacIntosh


With five years completed in the American Baseball League, no player in the Eastern League has won one of the major awards more than once until this year, when Caleb MacIntosh, shortstop for the Brooklyn Wonders won his second Hitter of the Year award. The 26 year old was the first winner of both the Hitter of the Year and Rookie of the Year awards, and added a second Hitter of the Year award this year.

MacIntosh was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1848, and since coming to Brooklyn has developed into one of the best hitters in the league. MacIntosh has been known to excel under pressure, hitting .375 in the postseason during the Wonder's World Championship run, and hitting .410 in the 1874 postseason.

League Leaders
Batting Average:
Brian Snell - CLE .322
Levi Meyerle - SYR .310
Gabe Gambale - CIN .307

OBP:
Caleb MacIntoch - BRK .348
Brian Snell - CLE .335
Travis Beveridge - KC .329

Hits:
Ben Briggs - BRK 88
Justin Higgs - CLE 88
Levi Meyerle - SYR 88

RBI:
Josh Carter - MIL 52
Brian Cherry - BRK 46
Jamie Skrivanek - BAL 45

Runs:
Justin Higgs - CLE 63
Ben Briggs - BRK 60
Adam Pettet - MIL 58

SB:
Colby Lineberry - KC 36
Travis Beveridge - KC 28
Justin Higgs - CLE 27

ERA:
Geoff Johnson - SYR 0.51
Eric Krieger - STL 1.00
Tyler Shropshire - PIT 1.14

Wins:
Nate Johnson - MIN 20
Evan Gardner - BUF 19
Jamie Sadler - BUF 18

K's:
Bob Lahr - CLE 35
Chris Price - BAL 35
Kevin Snyder - CHI 31

Eastern League Awards
Outstanding Hitter:
Caleb MacIntosh - BRK (.307/.348/.405, 1 HR, 32 RBI, 14.7 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Jamie Sadler - BUF (18-8, 1.24 ERA, 253.1 IP, 30 K, 41.2 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
John Broyles - BRK (.429/.462/.612, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 8.4 VORP)

Western League Awards
Outstanding Hitter:
Travis Beveridge - KC (.299/.329/.396, 1 HR, 32 RBI, 18.1 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Nate Johnson - MIN (20-5, 1.64 ERA, 241.2 IP, 29 K, 30.4 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Derrick Hammond - CIN (9-6, 1.99 ERA, 153.2 IP, 12 K, 13.1 VORP)

Notes
• Evan Gardner of the Buffalo Bisons pitched the first no-hitter of the American Baseball League in a victory over the Brooklyn Wonders
• 41 year old John McCain became the oldest player to collect 6 hits in a game against the Boston Americans

[NYY #23]

1875 brought new pitching records, but in a down year for offense, no offensive records were set.

Season Batting Records Set
None

Season Pitching Records Set
ERA: Geoff Johnson - SYR 0.51
IP: Evan Gardner - BUF 290
HRA: Kevin Snyder - CHI 7
K's: Chris Price - BAL 35
K's/9 IP: Miguel Castillo - CLE 2.18
Opp Avg: Jamie Sadler - BUF .218
Opp OBP: Geoff Johnson - SYR .233
Opp SLG: Geoff Johnson - SYR .250
Opp OPS: Geoff Johnson - SYR .483

Let's take a look at the leaders in both career hits and career wins. As a reminder, for automatic induction into the Hall of Fame 3000 hits are required and for wins 300 is required.

Career Hits
1. Josh Tidaback - 481
2. Caleb MacIntosh - 471
3. Levi Meyerle - 466
4. Andrew Lockwood - 463
5. Travis Beveridge - 458
6. Brian Cherry - 452
7. Danny Manzanares - 443
8. Adam Pettet - 443
9. Eric Davis - 436
10. Bill McCormick - 436

Career Wins
1. Kevin Snyder - 82
2. Evan Gardner - 79
3. Chris Price - 65
4. Jason Watson - 61
5. Jamie Sadler - 59
6. Bob Lahr - 58
7. Brian Morrow - 58
8. Trent Silverman - 58
9. Jose Rodriguez - 54
10. Dave Docter - 53

[NYY #23]

A look at the remaining top 10 prospects:
1) SP - Kevin Grossman, 21, Philadelphia Keystone
2) SP - Mark Griffin, 20, Boston Americans
3) SP - Sean Wise, 23, Boston Americans
4) SP - Ben Sorrentino, 21, Buffalo Bisons
5) MR - Charley Radbourn, 21, Cincinnati Cardinals
6) SP - Quinten McCallister, 21, Boston Americans
7) SP - Tommy Bond, 20, Cleveland Trolleys
8) SP - Matt Klimek, 22, Kansas City Blues
9) SP - Jon Yuenger, 19, Milwaukee Broncos
10) SP - Evan Kyle, 22, Boston Americans

For the 1876 amateur draft I'll be adding 14 players to the draft class:
Roger Connor
King Kelly
Jack Glasscock
Ned Williamson
Ned Hanlon
Tom Burns
Abner Dalrymple
Joe Hornung
Sam Wise
George Gore
Tim Keefe
Bill Phillips
Bill Greenwood
Tom Poorman

[NYY #23]

Standings


World Series
The Kansas City Blues won the World Series, defeating the Buffalo Bisons 4 games to 1 to capture their first World Series. The Bisons were appearing in their second World Series, and have lost both times.

Profile
Jose Rodriguez


In six years the Boston Americans have lost more games (220) than any other team. In fact, the Americans have never had a winning season, the only team in the league to never have a winning season.

In each of those six years, the Americans have relied on Jose Rodriguez as their best pitcher. With 101 career losses, no pitcher has ever lost more games. Rodriguez has a 63-101 career record, but is definitely a victim of the team he plays for. Rodriguez has been among the league leaders in games started, strikeouts, quality starts, and shutouts. Rodriguez's ERA has decreased each year he has been in the league, while the number of losses continue to climb.

League Leaders
Batting Average:
Phil Harper - DET .375
Chris Furnari - DET .345
Nate Paquette - KC .341

OBP:
Phil Harper - DET .378
Travis Beveridge - KC .370
Chris Furnari - DET .361

Hits:
Chris Furnari - DET 97
Travis Beveridge - KC 96
Danny Manzanares - BAL 96

RBI:
Jared Simons - SYR 53
Nate Paquette - KC 49
Chris Furnari - DET 46

Runs:
Travis Beveridge - KC 66
Lip Pike - CLE 59
Chris Furnari - DET 56

SB:
Colby Lineberry - KC 43
Travis Beveridge - KC 34
Josh Robbins - DET 29

ERA:
Joe Dunbar - KC 0.79
Jin-guo Xiu - PIT 0.91
Chris Price - BAL 1.03

Wins:
Bob Lahr - CLE 21
Jamie Sadler - BUF 19
Chris Price - BAL 18

K's:
Trent Silverman - STL 47
Jose Rodriguez - BOS 46
Chris Price - BAL 45

Eastern League Awards
Outstanding Hitter:
Levi Meyerle - SYR (.309/.324/.389, 2 HR, 33 RBI, 15.1 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Jamie Sadler - BUF (19-9, 1.11 ERA, 259.1 IP, 31 K, 48.4 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Jonathan Murphy - SYR (.326/.339/.361, 0 HR, 38 RBI, 11.8 VORP)

Western League Awards
Outstanding Hitter:
Travis Beveridge - KC (.338/.370/.415, 1 HR, 42 RBI, 19.6 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Bob Lahr - CLE (21-13, 1.41 ERA, 275.0 IP, 43 K, 43.6 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Matt Gallant - CHI (11-11, 2.35 ERA, 188.0 IP, 17 K, 10.4 VORP)

Notes
• Jin-guo Xiu of the Pittsburgh Rebels pitched the second no hitter of the American Baseball League
• Travis Beveridge won his third straight Hitter of the Year award

[NYY #23]

Season Batting Records Set
G: Travis Beveridge - KC 64
SB: Colby Lineberry - KC 43

Season Pitching Records Set
L: George Zettlein - MIN 24
K's: Trent Silverman - STL 47
BB: Marc Monroe - BAL 37
VORP: Jin-guo Xiu - PIT 58.4
WHIP: Joe Dunbar - KC 0.86
Opp Avg: Joe Dunbar - KC .204
Opp OBP: Joe Dunbar - KC .203
Opp SLG: Joe Dunbar - KC .247
Opp OPS: Joe Dunbar - KC .450

It's real early to be looking at career records, I admit, but I figure I'll continue the trend and look at a one or two per year. This year let's look at the stolen base leaders.

Career Stolen Bases
1. Travis Beveridge - 192
2. Colby Lineberry - 151
3. Roger Brower - 142
4. Josh Robbins - 137
5. Pete Washburn - 137
6. Ross Barnes - 135
7. Scott Wheeler - 131
8. George Wright - 131
9. Eric Davis - 129
10. Bill McCormick - 122

[NYY #23]

A look at the remaining top 10 prospects:
1) SP - Mark Griffin, 21, Boston Americans
2) SP - Kevin Grossman, 22, Philadelphia Keystone
3) SP - Sean Wise, 24, Boston Americans
4) MR - Tommy Bond, 20, Cleveland Trolleys
5) SP - Murilo Nabais, 20, Chicago Pirates
6) SP - Ben Sorrentino, 22, Buffalo Bisons
7) SP - Evan Kyle, 23, Boston Americans
8) SP - Eric Hudspeth, 21, Cleveland Trolleys
9) MR - Charley Radbourn, 22, Cincinnati Cardinals
10) SP - Dan Maurer, 22, Washington Capitals

For the 1877 amateur draft I'll be adding 12 players to the draft class:
Dan Brouthers
John Ward
Charlie Comiskey
Tip O'Neill
John Reilly
George Wood
Bud Fowler
Pop Corkhill
Joe Mulvey
Benjamin Boyd
Bill Kuehne
Hugh Nicol

[NYY #23]

Standings


World Series
The Kansas City Blues won more regular season games (46) than any other team in history, and captured their second straight World Series, becoming the first team to win 2 championships. The Blues defeated the Brooklyn Wonders 4 games to 2.

Profiles
Chris Furnari - Detroit Wolverines


The seventh overall pick in the inaugural draft, a now 31 year old centerfielder has wrapped up his seventh season with the Detroit Wolverines. Furnari has made steady progress since being drafted and named the #29 prospect in the ABL. Furnari was named Outstanding Hitter of the Year for 1877 after hitting .396 with a 197 OPS+. In 27 career postseason games Furnari is a career .350 postseason hitter, and has driven in 14 runs in the playoffs.

A native of New York city, Furnari has become one of the most popular players in the league for his exciting play in centerfield and his smart play on the field.

Josh Barrett - Kansas City Blues


Another native New Yorker, Barrett and Furnari can best be described as friendly rivals. "Chris was best friends with my older brother Pete, so I've always looked up to him like a brother," Barrett said, "we spend time together in the offseason, and he has been a big help getting me ready to play professional baseball. Of course, the Blues knocked his team out of the playoffs two years in a row, so maybe he should start taking my advice to heart."

The 23 year old catcher has just four seasons under his belt as a starter, but the improvements he has made in his game correspond to the Blue's success. Many would say the Blues top offensive force would be Travis Beveridge, or even George Wright, but nobody would take the honor of the Blues except Josh Barrett.

In four years as starter Barrett has improved from hitting .239 to hitting .362 in 1877. His OPS has climbed from .531 to .835 during the same time. What Barrett is most proud of is his work with the pitching staff, and the pitchers have responded well to Barrett. While most teams had two or even three pitchers make starts last year, the Blues needed five different pitchers to start games due to injuries. None of the starters missed a beat with Joe Dunbar (17-6, 1.53), Ernie Ranker (11-2, 1.47), Connor Williamson (10-5, 1.34), Dave Bank (3-0, 1.50), and Jack McDorman (5-5, 2.22) all having success.

League Leaders
Batting Average:
Chris Furnari - DET .396
Jonathan Murphy - SYR .362
Josh Barrett - KC .362
Ashton Roberts - PIT .360
Marty Johns - BRK .350

OBP:
Chris Furnari - DET .412
Jonathan Murphy - SYR .384
Zachary Schrieber - CIN .373
Travis Beveridge - KC .372
Marty Johns - BRK .367

Hits:
Chris Furnari - DET 111
Levi Meyerle - SYR 98
Jason Cline - BOS 95
Ashton Roberts - PIT 95
Marty Johns - BRK 93

RBI:
Marty Johns - BRK 62
Shawn Gould - BOS 56
Tony Andrade - CHI 55
Chris Furnari - DET 54
Josh Barrett - KC 51

Runs:
Brian Cherry - BRK 62
Caleb MacIntosh - BRK 59
Colby Lineberry - KC 58
Josh Barrett - KC 57
Roger Brower - CHI 57

SB:
Colby Lineberry - KC 39
Justin Higgs - CLE 26
Eddie Burrows - DET 23
Roger Brower - CHI 21
Chris Furnari - DET 21

ERA:
Matt Borden - CIN 1.17
Chris Gilmore - STL 1.17
Jeremy Pierce - PIT 1.33
Connor Williamson - KC 1.34
Jordan Cozzolino - BAL 1.38

Wins:
Joe Dunbar - KC 17
Nate Johnson - MIN 17
Johnny Shafer - SYR 17
Neal LaFitte - BRK 16
Jin-guo Xiu - PIT 15

K's:
Chris Price - BAL 85
Jason Watson - WAS 84
Johhny Shafer - SYR 75
Nate Johnson - MIN 66
Josh Walsh - WAS 61

Eastern League Awards
Outstanding Hitter:
Marty Johns - BRK (.350/.367/.508, 2 HR, 62 RBI, 25.1 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Johnny Shafer - SYR (17-10, 1.76 ERA, 250.0 IP, 75 K, 38.4 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Robby McBride - WAS (6-3, 1.78 ERA, 76.0 IP, 28 K, 10.9 VORP)

Western League Awards
Outstanding Hitter:
Chris Furnari - DET (.396/.412/.507, 1 HR, 52 RBI, 30.0 VORP)

Outstanding Pitcher:
Jon Dunbar - KC (17-6, 1.53 ERA, 199.2 IP, 39 K, 29.9 VORP)

Rookie of the Year:
Josn Walsh - MIL (10-10, 2.22 ERA, 174.1 IP, 61 K, 17.0 VORP)

Notes
• 43 year old John McCain retired from baseball and the Pittsburgh Rebels following the 1877 season. For his career McCain hit .334 and drove in 160 RBI. McCain was a 2 time All-Star.

[NYY #23]

Season Batting Records Set
3B: Cody Albano - BOS 13
BB: Travis Beveridge - KC 18
K's: Andy Andreasen - BUF 57

Season Pitching Records Set
K's: Chris Price - BAL 85
K's/9: Chris Price - BAL 3.45

This year we'll take a look at the career runs scored leaders.

Career Runs
1. Travis Beveridge - 383
2. Levi Meyerle - 377
3. Mike Leck - 374
4. Brian Cherry - 371
5. Tony Andrade - 368
6. Danny Manzanares - 360
7. Ross Barnes - 359
8. Roger Brower - 359
9. Bill McCormick - 356
10. Pete Washburn - 351