Results from my Baseball History League

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

September 1, 1876 Report

Boston Red Caps 36-16
New York Mutuals 28-19
Chicago White Stockings 31-23
Hartford Dark Blues 25-23
Philadelphia Athletics 24-27
St. Louis Brown Stockings 23-29
Cincinnati Reds 22-30
Louisville Grays 16-38

League Leaders:

Batting - Holly Hollingshead, Chicago White Stockings, .392
Home Runs - Holly Hollingshead, Chicago and Ezra Sutton, Philadelphia, 2 each
Runs Batted In - Elmer White, Chicago White Stockings, 49
Runs Scored - "Black Jack" Burdock, Chicago White Stockings, 50
Hits - Holly Hollingshead, Chicago White Stockings, 85
Doubles - John Bass, Hartford Dark Blues, 26
Triples - Lip Pike, Hartford Dark Blues, 9
Stolen Bases - Dickie Flowers, New York Mutuals, 21

Wins - 3 tied with 13
ERA - Hugh Campbell, Boston Red Caps, 2.06
Strikeouts - Al Pratt, Chicago White Stockings, 29
Opponent Average - Lon Knight, Philadelphia Athetics, .244

At this point, Boston has its fifth consecutive title all but sewn up and the only battles are for the individual awards. On that note, Boston's shortstop George Wright became the first base ball player ever to reach 500 hits for his career on August 26th against the New York Mutuals. With nine other players between 400 and 500 hits, Wright probably will not remain alone atop this plateau for long; however, it is nonetheless a monumental achievement and he will be the new avatar for a while in recognition of this achievement.

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by Eckstein 4 Prez

Boston's shortstop George Wright became the first base ball player ever to reach 500 hits for his career

he will be the new avatar for a while in recognition of this achievement.

Hadn't seen that pic of GW before. Here's the one I've been using for ages.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

September 23, 1876 Report

Boston Red Caps 42-19
New York Mutuals 34-21
Hartford Dark Blues 30-26
Chicago White Stockings 33-30
Cincinnati Reds 28-32
Philadelphia Athletics 27-32
St. Louis Brown Stockings 26-34
Louisville Grays 18-44

League Leaders:

Batting - Holly Hollingshead, Chicago White Stockings, .398
Home Runs - 5 players tied with 2 each
Runs Batted In - Elmer White, Chicago White Stockings, 52
Runs Scored - "Black Jack" Burdock, Chicago White Stockings, 55
Hits - Charlie Gould, Boston Red Caps, 102
Doubles - John Bass, Hartford Dark Blues, 29
Triples - Lip Pike, Hartford Dark Blues, 10
Stolen Bases - Lip Pike, Hartford Dark Blues, 25

Wins - Frank Buttery, Boston Red Caps, 16
ERA - Dale Williams, Cincinnati Reds, 2.49
Strikeouts - Al Pratt, Chicago White Stockings, 32
Opponent Average - Lon Knight, Philadelphia Athetics, .249

Some big news today, and it's rather shocking. The first career-ending injury in league history struck yesterday, and it hit one of the game's best players. Cal McVey of the Boston Red Caps is one of the only six-time All-Stars, and at age 26 looked to have at least a decade more to build his legacy for a possible Hall of Fame bid. However, it is not to be - his career is over as of today, as he suffered a career-ending injury while running the bases.

McVey retires at the top of his game, as he is unquestioned as the best catcher in professional base ball. As of today, he is 5th all-time in hits with 481, tied (with many other players) for 3rd in home runs with 6, 2nd in RBIs with 252, 5th in doubles with 73, and 4th in runs scored with 259. Although McVey was having his best season in 1876, his career was remarkable for its consistency: his batting averages as a professional have been .326, .308, .336, .339, .330 and .367. Although his career has really been too short for him to ever receive much Hall of Fame consideration, he certainly has the credentials - it is unfortunate that this young man's career has been ended in its prime.

Interestingly, the real life McVey also left the professional game at an early age, although he did last until the end of the 1879 season. This was despite a .346 career average (my McVey had a .335 average for his career), and only one season below the .300 mark. I couldn't find much biographical information on McVey online, although many sites refer to him as one of the stars of the 1870s. That he was, both in reality and in my replay - and in neither one would his bright career make it to the 1880s.

Of course, we'll have McVey as the new avatar to celebrate his fine six-year run as the game's best catcher.

[darkhorse]

Originally Posted by Eckstein 4 Prez

I couldn't find much biographical information on McVey online

I was confident McVey's career had received a write-up at sabr.org, but that did not prove to be the case. Still, this is a great place to read up on ancient baseball history.

http://bioproj.sabr.org/bioproj.cfm?a=l&m=59

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

October 4, 1876

It was a meaningless late-season game in St. Louis. The Red Caps had already clinched their fifth straight league championship, and the Brown Stockings were mired hopelessly in the second division.

Unsurprisingly, Boston jumped right out to a quick lead in the top of the first, as George Wright of the Red Caps drilled a two-out triple down the right field line that scored Ross Barnes and Orator Jim O'Rourke. That was all either pitcher allowed in the first three innings, as both starters Al Spalding of Boston and Tricky Nichols of St. Louis generally kept the other side in check.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Brown Stockings were able to get a run of their own going, as a walk and three singles led to St. Louis tying the game at 2. However, this deadlock did not last long, as Boston's 38-year-old catcher Dave Birdsall led off the fifth with a double and was singled home by Harry Schafer to give Boston a 3-2 lead.

Again, St. Louis was able to answer, as a two-out, one-on double by Andy Leonard in the bottom of the fifth made it a 3-3 game. In the top of the sixth, Boston's first two hitters, Barnes and O'Rourke, got back-to-back singles but ended up being stranded when George Wright, Joe Simmons and Eddie Booth were retired in order.

The next couple of innings passed without incident, then Boston loaded the bases in the top of the eighth with only one out and the dangerous Joe Simmons at the plate. However, St. Louis was again saved as Simmons hit a hard grounder right at second baseman Jimmy Wood, who was able to complete the 4-6-3 double play. In the bottom half of the same inning, Boston's Ross Barnes committed two errors, but Spalding got Harry Deane to ground into an inning-ending double play before any runs could score.

In the top of the ninth, it was Boston's turn to benefit from poor defense. Pinch-hitter Juice Latham and Birdsall both reached on errors to lead off the inning. The next batter, pinch hitter Herm Doscher, hit a grounder that was an attempted 6-4-3 double play, but Doscher beat the throw at first. Suddenly, the Red Caps had runners at first and third with one out. For the next batter, Harry Schafer, the Brown Stockings pulled the infield in. This strategy worked perfectly as Schafer hit a grounder right to shortstop Rit Harrison, who looked the runners back then threw to first for the out. After Charlie Gould was induced to ground out, the game remained tied at 3.

After the Brown Stockings didn't really threaten in the bottom of the ninth, the game went into extra innings. In both the tenth and eleventh innings, the Brown Stockings went down 1-2-3 while the Red Caps stranded runners in scoring position. Both teams went down in order in the twelfth. It was starting to look like the teams could be in for a long haul.

In the top of the thirteenth, Joe Simmons of Boston managed to single and steal second, but he was again stranded as backup catcher Doug Allison flied out to end the inning. St. Louis also got a runner into scoring position in the thirteenth, as Charlie Waitt led off the inning with a single, then advanced on a grounder to first. However, neither George Seward nor Harry Deane could advance Waitt, and he too was stranded for the inning-ending play.

The 14th, 15th and 16th innings were all pretty uneventful. Each team managed only one baserunner for the three innings, and both of those runners were immediately erased by double plays. The game was now approaching the longest game in professional base ball history. No one could remember what the longest game on record was, but it was known that no game had eveer gone past the 18th inning - which represented two full games. Now this meaningless little Boston-St. Louis matchup was poised to make history.

In the top of the 17th, Sam Jackson led off for Boston as a pinch-hitter for pitcher Pidgey Morgan. Jackson hit a grounder to second baseman Jimmy Wood, but Wood's throw went over the head of first baseman Herman Dehlman and Jackson wound up on second base when the dust settled. It looked as though St. Louis would again escape the inning when Schafer then struck out swinging and Charlie Gould grounded out, but this time Chick Fulmer (who entered the game in the 8th inning after Ross Barnes was pulled for a pinch runner) knocked a base hit to center to score Jackson and give Boston a 4-3 lead. Although St. Louis got Orator Jim O'Rourke out to end the inning, the damage was done. St. Louis would have to score in the bottom of the 17th.

First up for the Brown Stockings was shortstop Rit Harrison. He hit a harmless fly to left for the first out. Next was right fielder John Kenney, who grounded to third. The final hope for St. Louis was third baseman Joe Battin, who drilled a Charles Witherow pitch into the left-center gap for a double. Since St. Louis' bench had already been cleared, the next hitter was pitcher Bill Parks. Against all odds, Parks too knocked a base hit into the outfield, which scored Battin from second to tie the game at 4. Then first baseman Herman Dehlman singled, and suddenly St. Louis was on the verge of winning the game. Any hit by catcher Tom Barlow would finally, mercifully end the game. Yet again the baseball gods refused to let things end, as Barlow flied to center to end the 17th inning with the game still tied.

Now it truly seemed that the game would last forever. The 18th, 19th and 20th innings passed, and neither team even got a runner into scoring position. Boston threatened in the top of the 21st, as Levi Meyerle led off with a double and then was bunted over to third, but a pop out and a ground out ended that threat. In the top of the 22nd, Charlie Gould started the inning with a single and then was bunted to second, only to have star hitter Orator Jim O'Rourke line into an unassisted double play at second base. Boston again got a runner into scoring position in the top of the 23rd with an error and a ground out to advance the runner, but again could not bring the man home. In each of these three innings, St. Louis could manage nothing in the way of offense. The teams had played over 2 1/2 full games, and still were not done.

In the 24th inning, both teams went down in order and the game seemed, in the words of one observer, "like it might just last till Doomsday." Finally, a rally came together in the top of the 25th. Boston got a one-out double from O'Rourke, and George Wright was intentionally walked. The next hitter, Joe Simmons, hit a fielder's choice to third and the Brown Stockings took the out at second base. With the winning run only 90 feet away, Levi Meyerle stepped up to the plate. Finally, the dwindling crowd figured the game had to end.... but it was not to be. Meyerle hit a feeble grounder back to the mound, and the game continued tied at 4. In the bottom half of the inning, St. Louis too got a runner on second with one out after a single and a sacrifice bunt, but they too failed to get the runner home and the eternal game marched on.

The 26th inning was another in which both teams went down in order, thus assuring that at least three full games were to be played between the clubs. In the top of the 27th, Boston got a walk, a single and an error on left fielder George Seward, but got no runs out of it thanks to a double play that erased the first runner. In the bottom of the inning, Rit Harrison got a one-out single that was misplayed by center fielder Joe Simmons, thus giving St. Louis a runner on second with one out. They too failed to capitalize, as Kenney and Battin were retired in order.

In the 28th inning, both Boston and St. Louis were yet again retired in order. Although Boston got a leadoff single in the 29th from Schafer, the next three hitters failed to advance him, and St. Louis could manage nothing in the bottom half of the inning.

The 30th inning started with a walk to George Wright, then Joe Simmons flied to center. Then Levi Meyerle singled, advancing Wright to third. This would have been cause for celebration, but Boston had already stranded runners in scoring position eight times since the game had entered extra innings. However, this time was finally to be different. Meyerle stole second, and Barlow's throw sailed into the outfield, scoring George Wright. Then Doug Allison singled Meyerle home, and shortly after Harry Schafer doubled to knock in Allison. Boston had finally put some runs on the board, and led 7-4.

The bottom of the 30th was something of an anti-climax, as exhausted hitters Rit Harrison, John Kenney and Joe Battin all grounded out to finally end the game.

The statistics for the game were nothing short of overwhelming. Each team had used every player they had available for the game. Boston had 25 hits in 111 at-bats, while St. Louis went 14 for 102. Boston's leadoff man Harry Schafer set a record that may never be broken with 14 at-bats in the game, yet three of his teammates were right behind him with 13. Some sort of futility record was set by Harry Deane of St. Louis, who went an anemic 0 for 12 for the game.

(Note: I was actually just trying to get to the end of the season tonight, but when I saw this game I knew I had to write something up about it. In all of the OOTP games I've played and simmed, I've never seen a game go above 24 innings. Also, the 1870s conditions are actually not very conducive to long games because of the high number of singles and errors - games above 11 innings are very, very rare. In fact, I just looked over the entire 1876 season so far, and I've had a grand total of 17 other extra-inning games. Of these, 9 were decided in the 10th inning, 4 made it to the 11th, 2 to the 12th, and there were one 13-inning and one 14-inning contest. In view of this, I think this game is truly something amazing - it's truly almost as anomalous as an unassisted triple play.)

Edit: since I don't have photos of most of the pitchers who ate up all those innings, I'm going to change my avatar to Orator Jim O'Rourke, who was the leader in hits for the game with 4.

[goroyals]

Wow. What was the time on that game?

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Originally Posted by goroyals

Wow. What was the time on that game?

9 hours, 46 minutes.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Final 1876 standings:

Boston Red Stockings 48-22 (champion)
New York Mutuals 35-21
Hartford Dark Blues 37-31
Chicago White Stockings 33-33
Cincinnati Reds 30-35
Philadelphia Athletics 27-32
St. Louis Brown Stockings 28-36
Louisville Grays 19-47

After being deadlocked for much of the season, Boston and Chicago headed in opposite directions, as Boston cruised to their fifth straight title, while Chicago didn't even finish with a winning record. The champions so far:

1871 Cleveland Forest Citys
1872 Boston Red Stockings
1873 Boston Red Stockings
1874 Boston Red Stockings
1875 Boston Red Stockings
1876 Boston Red Stockings

For the 1877 season, two longtime professional clubs will be disbanded, as a controversy developed late in the season when Philadelphia and New York refused to make a second money-losing trip to play the western teams as they were scheduled to do. In a postseason meeting, NL President William Hulbert decided to make an example of the two teams and ban them from the National League. So, next season the NL will have just six teams - Chicago, Hartford, Boston, Cincinnati, St. Louis and Louisville. The players on the two teams will all have their contracts cancelled, making them free to sign with any team they wish.

In addition, many players have reached the end of their contracts with their current teams and will be "free agents" this offseason. With free agency now a part of the National League, juggernauts like Boston are expected to be more difficult to maintain. In fact, since Boston is due to lose the most players this offseason, don't be surprised to see them take a nosedive in the standings.

The league leaders in a few categories:

Batting:

Holly Hollingshead, Chicago White Stockings - .402
"Old Reliable" Joe Start, New York Mutuals - .378
Tim Murnane, Cincinnati Reds - .373
Deacon White, St. Louis Brown Stockings - .362
Charlie Gould, Boston Red Caps - .358

Hits:

Charlie Gould, Boston Red Caps - 114
George Wright, Boston Red Caps - 107
Tim Murnane, Cincinnati Reds - 106
Holly Hollingshead, Chicago White Stockings - 105
Ross Barnes, Boston Red Caps - 100

Doubles:

John Bass, Hartford Dark Blues - 34
Jimmy Wood, St. Louis Brown Stockings - 22
George Wright, Boston Red Caps - 21
Ross Barnes, Boston Red Caps - 20
5 players tied with 18

Triples:

Lip Pike, Hartford Dark Blues - 12
Ross Barnes, Boston Red Caps - 10
Paul Hines, Louisville Grays - 7
Frank Selman, Cincinnati Reds - 7
5 players tied with 6

Home Runs:

George Fields, Chicago White Stockings - 2
Scott Hastings, Philadelphia Athletics - 2
Holly Hollingshead, Chicago White Stockings - 2
Gat Stires, Louisville Grays - 2
Ezra Sutton, Philadelphia Athletics - 2

Runs Batted In:

Ross Barnes, Boston Red Caps - 52
Elmer White, Chicago White Stockings - 52
Tim Murnane, Cincinnati Reds - 51
Frank Selman, Cincinnati Reds - 49
2 tied with 46

Runs Scored:

"Black Jack" Burdock, Chicago White Stockings - 56
George Wright, Boston Red Caps - 55
Lip Pike, Hartford Dark Blues - 53
Ross Barnes, Boston Red Caps - 52
"Orator Jim" O'Rourke, Boston Red Caps - 52

Stolen Bases:

Lip Pike, Hartford Dark Blues - 31 (of 43)
Dickie Flowers, New York Mutuals - 24 (of 33)
Ezra Sutton, Philadelphia Athletics - 17 (of 22)
Mike McGeary, Louisville Grays - 16 (of 17)
Fred Waterman, Hartford Dark Blues - 16 (of 25)

OPS:

Holly Hollingshead, Chicago White Stockings - .921
Joe Start, New York Mutuals - .842
Ross Barnes, Boston Red Caps - .841
Frank Selman, Cincinnati Reds - .838
Deacon White, St. Louis Brown Stockings - .828

ERA:

Dale Williams, Cincinnati Reds - 2.49
Frank Buttery, Boston Red Caps - 2.56
Al Pratt, Chicago White Stockings - 2.73
Lon Knight, Philadelphia Athletics - 2.84
John "Lefty" McMullin, Hartford Dark Blues - 2.91

Wins-Losses:

Frank Buttery, Boston Red Caps - 17-9
John "Lefty" McMullin, Hartford Dark Blues - 17-9
Mike Golden, Hartford Dark Blues - 15-9
Asa Brainard, New York Mutuals - 14-7
Al Pratt, Chicago White Stockings - 14-10

Opponent Average:

Lon Knight, Philadelphia Athletics - .249
Al Pratt, Chicago White Stockings - .258
Dale Williams, Cincinnati Reds - .263
Bobby Mathews, Philadelphia Athletics - .268
Frank Buttery, Boston Red Caps - .268

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Thanks to the Win Shares system, we now have the awards for the best player at each position. The winners for 1876 are:

1B Charlie Gould, Boston Red Caps
2B Ross Barnes, Boston Red Caps
SS George Wright, Boston Red Caps
3B Cap Anson, New York Mutuals
LF John Glenn, Hartford Dark Blues
CF Holly Hollingshead, Chicago White Stockings
RF Orator Shaffer, Hartford Dark Blues
C Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps

In his final season, McVey joined George Wright as the only two players to win the award for four consecutive seasons. The winners so far, by position:

First Base

1871 - Joe Start, New York Mutuals
1872 - Joe Start, New York Mutuals
1873 - Charlie Gould, Boston Red Stockings
1874 - Joe Start, New York Mutuals
1875 - Charlie Gould, Boston Red Stockings
1876 - Charlie Gould, Boston Red Caps

Second Base

1871 - Bob Ferguson, New York Mutuals
1872 - Jimmy Wood, Baltimore Canaries
1873 - Jimmy Wood, Baltimore Canaries
1874 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings
1875 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings
1876 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Caps

Shortstop

1871 - Dickey Pearce, New York Mutuals
1872 - John Radcliff, Philadelphia Athletics
1873 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings
1874 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings
1875 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings
1876 - George Wright, Boston Red Caps

Third Base

1871 - Ezra Sutton, Philadelphia Athletics
1872 - Cap Anson, New York Mutuals
1873 - Fred Waterman, Baltimore Canaries
1874 - Cap Anson, New York Mutuals
1875 - Mike McGeary, Philadelphia Whites
1876 - Cap Anson, New York Mutuals

Left Field

1871 - Charlie Pabor, Cleveland Forest Citys
1872 - Steve King, Troy Haymakers
1873 - Jim O'Rourke, Boston Red Stockings
1874 - Jim O'Rourke, Boston Red Stockings
1875 - Jim O'Rourke, Boston Red Stockings
1876 - John Glenn, Hartford Dark Blues

Center Field

1871 - Lip Pike, Troy Haymakers
1872 - Harry Wright, Boston Red Stockings
1873 - Lip Pike, Washington Blue Legs
1874 - Candy Nelson, Brooklyn Atlantics
1875 - George Hall, New York Mutuals
1876 - Holly Hollingshead, Chicago White Stockings

Right Field

1871 - Al Reach, Philadelphia Athletics
1872 - Al Reach, Philadelphia Athletics
1873 - Deacon White, Baltimore Canaries
1874 - Dick Higham, New York Mutuals
1875 - Dick Higham, New York Mutuals
1876 - Orator Shaffer, Hartford Dark Blues

Catcher

1871 - Charlie Hodes, New York Mutuals
1872 - Charlie Hodes, New York Mutuals
1873 - Cal McVey, Boston Red Stockings
1874 - Cal McVey, Boston Red Stockings
1875 - Cal McVey, Boston Red Stockings
1876 - Cal McVey, Boston Red Caps

To honor McVey one last time, I'll switch my avatar to him until things get rolling and we have some 1877 achievements to celebrate.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

1877 Preview:

BOSTON RED CAPS: Although the uniforms are the same, the team is completely different, as “Orator Jim” O’Rourke is the only everyday player returning as a starter for 1877. The “new look” Red Caps should be a contender, as they signed some good players (including nearly the entire starting roster from 1876 second-place finishers New York), but they won’t be cruising to the championship this year.

1B – Charlie Hautz (1-41-.318-1 for 1 SB with St. Louis, lifetime .323 hitter)/Joe Simmons (0-45-.295-4 for 5 SB)
2B – Bill Craver (0-19-.240-9 for 9 SB with New York, lifetime .309 hitter)
SS – John Bass (1-36-.315-0 for 0 SB with Hartford, lifetime .297 hitter)
3B – Cap Anson (1-42-.339-4 for 6 SB with New York, lifetime .326 hitter)
LF – George Hall (0-39-.350-0 for 0 SB with New York, lifetime .366 hitter)
CF – “Orator Jim” O’Rourke (1-46-.281-7 for 12 SB)
RF – Dick Higham (0-31-.312-1 for 5 SB with New York, lifetime .316 hitter)
C – Charlie Hodes (0-34-.326-0 for 0 SB with New York, lifetime .302 hitter)

P – Frank Buttery (17-9, 2.56, lifetime 65-30)
P – Hugh Campbell (2-3, 1.92, lifetime 19-21)
P – Jim Britt (2-1, 2.06 with New York, lifetime 39-70)

CHICAGO WHITE STOCKINGS: This could finally be the breakthrough year for the White Socks. Their standout players Hollingshead, Clapp, Burdock and Sager are back for 1877, and they added several new stars, such as Charlie Gould, Davy Force, Al Spalding and Candy Cummings. Look for them to battle for the top spot in the National League all season.

1B – Charlie Gould (0-44-.358-10 for 11 SB with Boston, lifetime .331 hitter)
2B – “Black Jack” Burdock (0-40-.315-11 for 13 SB)
SS – Pony Sager (1-36-.276-13 for 22 SB)
3B – Davy Force (0-13-.287-2 for 5 SB with St. Louis, lifetime .312 hitter)
LF – Tom Foley (batted .436 as New York substitute; lifetime .300 hitter)
CF – Holly Hollingshead (2-39-.402-0 for 2 SB)
RF – Elmer White (1-52-.279-1 for 2 SB)
C – John Clapp (0-38-.345-0 for 0 SB)

P – Al Spalding (13-4, 3.26 with Boston, lifetime 84-53)
P – Candy Cummings (9-9, 3.01 with New York, lifetime 41-41)
P – “Uncle Al” Pratt (14-10, 2.73, lifetime 72-67)

CINCINNATI REDS: In its second year, this team has made some great strides. With Murnane and Ferguson plus the imported double play combination from Boston, they have what might be the best infield ever assembled. However, they still have big holes in the outfield, so look for them to finish around the middle of the pack unless all four infielders have career years.

1B – Tim Murnane (0-51-.373-6 for 9 SB)
2B – Ross Barnes (0-52-.345-7 for 8 SB with Boston, lifetime .344 hitter)
SS – George Wright (1-46-.320-8 for 11 SB with Boston, lifetime .334 hitter)
3B – Bob “Death to Flying Things” Ferguson (1-45-.339-0 for 1 SB)
LF – Tom York (in New York organization in 1875, lifetime .235 hitter)/Steve King (0-17-.384-0 for 0 SB with Philadelphia, lifetime .315 hitter)
CF – George Bird (1-45-.306-0 for 0 SB with Philadelphia, lifetime .313 hitter)
RF – George Heubel (0-30-.271-1 for 1 SB with Philadelphia, lifetime .313 hitter)
C – Scott Hastings (2-31-.258-9 for 10 SB with Philadelphia, lifetime .298 hitter)

P – Lon Knight (4-5, 2.84 with Philadelphia, lifetime 6-6)
P – Cherokee Fisher (10-3, 2.94 with Boston, lifetime 81-38)
P – Rynie Wolters (7-1, 3.27 with New York, lifetime 68-57)

HARTFORD DARK BLUES: Surprisingly, this up-and-coming team did not aggressively sign many of the newly freed players, leading some observers to question their long-term financial stability. Whatever the reason, this team was a solid but not overpowering team last season, and since they didn’t improve much, they look to finish somewhere below the .500 mark this season.

1B – Clipper Flynn (0-39-.325-3 for 4 SB)
2B – Candy Nelson (0-36-.310-11 for 14 SB)/Joe Kernan (0-10-.312-0 for 0 SB with Philadelphia as rookie)
SS – Steve Bellan (6 for 28 as reserve, lifetime .273 hitter)/Nelson
3B – Ed Pinkham (1-42-.248-8 for 18 SB)
LF – John Glenn (0-36-.322-0 for 0 SB)
CF – Lip Pike (1-41-.309-31 for 43 SB)
RF – Orator Shaffer (1-35-.327-6 for 7 SB)
C – Bill Harbidge (0-7-.234-0 for 0 SB)/Fred Waterman (1-36-.277-16 for 25 SB)

P – Mike Golden (15-9, 3.04, lifetime 20-17)
P – John “Lefty” McMullen (17-9, 2.91, lifetime 80-71)
P – Asa Brainard (14-7, 3.03 with New York, lifetime 67-47)

LOUISVILLE GRAYS: They’ve got some decent hitting, especially with the additions of Radcliff, Sutton and Thake, but their pitching is still the league’s worst and they will probably still struggle this season. If they are going to finish outside the cellar this season the hitters will have to get them there.

1B – Jim Foran (0-36-.282-0 for 1 SB)
2B – Mike McGeary (0-32-.271-16 for 17 SB)
SS – John Radcliff (0-23-.308-14 for 14 SB with Philadelphia, lifetime .322 hitter)
3B – Ezra Sutton (2-35-.317-17 for 22 SB with Philadephia, lifetime .332 hitter)
LF – Al Thake (0-41-.293-1 for 2 SB with New York, lifetime .315 hitter)
CF – Paul Hines (0-25-.290-4 for 6 SB)
RF – Gat Stires (2-38-.260-3 for 9 SB)
C – Pop Snyder (0-10-.265-4 for 5 SB)

P – J. O’Neill (5-15, 3.00 as rookie)
P – NFN O’Rourke (6-16, 3.54, lifetime 11-24)
P – Martin Malone (6-11, 5.27, lifetime 12-14)

ST. LOUIS BROWN STOCKINGS: They’ve improved a little with the addition of veterans Joe Start and Dick McBride, but probably not by enough to be considered a real contender this season. Look for them to finish around the middle of the pack.

1B – Joe “Old Reliable” Start (0-43-.378-3 for 6 SB with New York, lifetime .353 hitter)
2B – Jimmy Wood (1-42-.309-7 for 13 SB)
SS – Dickie Flowers (0-30-.270-24 for 33 SB with New York, lifetime .309 hitter)
3B – “Long Jim” Holdsworth (0-25-.311-0 for 0 SB)/Chick Fulmer (0-7-.286-0 for 0 SB with Boston, lifetime .289 hitter)
LF – Andy Leonard (0-37-.333-11 for 14 SB)
CF – Dave Eggler (0-7-.346-1 for 1 SB with New York, lifetime .278 hitter)
RF – Deacon White (1-38-.362-1 for 1 SB)
C – Rit Harrison (0-29-.297-0 for 1 SB)

P – Dick McBride (10-14, 3.54 with Philadelphia, lifetime 80-54)
P – Tricky Nichols (12-12, 3.31, lifetime 24-28)
P – Len Lovett (6-11, 4.70, lifetime 11-18)

OPENING DAY ODDS TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIP:

Chicago – 4 to 3
Boston – 5 to 2
Cincinnati – 5 to 1
Hartford – 10 to 1
St. Louis – 10 to 1
Louisville – 20 to 1

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 1, 1877 Report

Louisville Grays 8-2
St. Louis Brown Stockings 7-3
Hartford Dark Blues 3-4
Boston Red Caps 3-5
Chicago White Stockings 4-7
Cincinnati Reds 3-7

League Leaders:

Batting - Orator Shaffer, Hartford Dark Blues, .419
Home Runs - Deacon White, St. Louis Brown Stockings, 1
Runs Batted In - Paul Hines, Louisville Grays, 13
Runs Scored - George Wright, Cincinnati Reds, 13
Hits - Mike McGeary, Louisville Grays, 20
Doubles - Pop Snyder, Louisville Grays, 6
Triples - 3 tied with 3 each
Stolen Bases - John Radcliff, Louisville Grays, 5

Wins - J. O'Neill, Louisville Grays, 5
ERA - Len Lovett, St. Louis Brown Stockings, 1.59
Strikeouts - Lon Knight, Cincinnati Reds, 12
Opponent Average - Len Lovett, St. Louis Brown Stockings, .221

Well, the standings at this point are a bit of a shock. The three teams expected to contend are in the bottom three spots, while expected doormats St. Louis and Louisville battle for the top spots. Each of the two surprise contenders is doing it differently - Louisville has given up nearly six runs per game, but because they're scoring 7.7 per, it's hardly mattered. Mike McGeary (.417) has led the way so far, but Paul Hines (.405), Pop Snyder (.395), Jim Foran (.341) and Ezra Sutton (.314) have also made significant contributions. Meanwhile, St. Louis, with Dick McBride, Tricky Nichols and Len Lovett, have the league's best pitching staff by a wide margin. As both strikeouts and walks are up modestly this season, the pitchers are beginning to matter more and St. Louis is poised to take advantage of this trend. It remains to be seen whether any of the expected powers can rise to compete with these Cinderellas.

In recognition of Louisville's hot start, Mike McGeary will be the new avatar. McGeary, always one of the league's best third baseman, agreed to switch to second base this offseason when the team acquired star third sacker Ezra Sutton. Obviously, the move hasn't hurt him any, as he's gone 20 for 48 as the leadoff man and second baseman and has 12 runs scored on the season.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 15, 1877 Report

Louisville Grays 11-5
St. Louis Brown Stockings 8-7
Hartford Dark Blues 5-6
Chicago White Stockings 7-9
Cincinnati Reds 7-9
Boston Red Caps 5-7

League Leaders:

Batting - Orator Shaffer, Hartford Dark Blues, .469
Home Runs - 3 tied with 1 each
Runs Batted In - Jim Foran, Louisville and Paul Hines, Louisville, 18 each
Runs Scored - Al Thake, Louisville Grays, 18
Hits - Paul Hines, Louisville Grays, 29
Doubles - Paul Hines, Louisville and Pop Snyder, Louisville, 7 each
Triples - "Orator Jim" O'Rourke, Boston Red Caps, 5
Stolen Bases - Lip Pike, Hartford and John Radcliff, Louisville, 6 each

Wins - J. O'Neill, Louisville Grays, 7
ERA - Len Lovett, St. Louis Brown Stockings, 1.59
Strikeouts - J. O'Neill, Louisville Grays, 16
Opponent Average - J. O'Neill, Louisville Grays, .212

Louisville's hitting continues to top the league, as it looks like the surprising Grays might be for real. While the rest of the National League has languished in mediocrity to this point, Louisville is flying high, with excellent hitting contributions from their entire starting eight, and a great pitching performance from O'Neill, whose seven wins are within one of the next-closest team. While many people do expect to see Louisville return to the pack at some point this season, it isn't going to happen if their hitters can keep up their lofty start.

[rem]

Originally Posted by Eckstein 4 Prez

October 4, 1876

Wow!

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Originally Posted by remangiii

Wow!

Yeah, that game was pretty trippy. I've never seen anything like it in any leagues that I've run - and like I said in that post, I actually have fewer extra-inning games than in modern leagues right now.

(I wonder if I'll ever have any games that run that long if I go through the really dead deadball years of 1905-10. Or if I'll make it that long.)

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

July 1, 1877 Report

Louisville Grays 14-8
Hartford Dark Blues 11-8
St. Louis Brown Stockings 12-9
Boston Red Caps 8-11
Cincinnati Reds 7-10
Chicago White Stockings 8-14

League Leaders:

Batting - Orator Shaffer, Hartford Dark Blues, .452
Home Runs - 4 tied with 1 each
Runs Batted In - Jim Foran, Louisville Grays, 25
Runs Scored - Al Thake, Louisville Grays, 23
Hits - Orator Shaffer, Hartford Dark Blues, 38
Doubles - John Bass, Boston and Ed Pinkham, Hartford, 9 each
Triples - "Orator Jim" O'Rourke, Boston Red Caps, 7
Stolen Bases - Lip Pike, Hartford Dark Blues, 9

Wins - J. O'Neill, Louisville Grays, 8
ERA - Tricky Nichols, St. Louis Brown Stockings, 2.08
Strikeouts - J. O'Neill, Louisville Grays, 20
Opponent Average - Len Lovett, St. Louis Brown Stockings, .222

Although Louisville retains its lead, they just lost back-to-back games to the Red Caps, making the race a good deal closer. Meanwhile, I was wondering why Chicago was having such a disappointing year, and looked up some of their players. In doing so, I found this weird statistic: every single position player on the team has a lower batting average than in 1876. All of them. I guess even a team expected to contend would have a tough time overcoming that. Perhaps the biggest shocker is 1876 hero Holly Hollingshead, who seems to be trying to prove that he was a one-year wonder. This season, he is batting .204 in the number 3 spot in the order, with 5 runs batted in in 93 at-bats.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

July 15, 1877 Report

Louisville Grays 18-9
St. Louis Brown Stockings 15-12
Hartford Dark Blues 14-12
Cincinnati Reds 10-13
Chicago White Stockings 11-16
Boston Red Caps 10-16

League Leaders:

Batting - Orator Shaffer, Hartford Dark Blues, .429
Home Runs - 5 tied with 1 each
Runs Batted In - Jim Foran, Louisville Grays, 28
Runs Scored - Al Thake, Louisville Grays, 28
Hits - Orator Shaffer, Hartford Dark Blues, 48
Doubles - John Bass, Boston Red Caps, 12
Triples - "Orator Jim" O'Rourke, Boston Red Caps, 8
Stolen Bases - Lip Pike, Hartford Dark Blues, 13

Wins - J. O'Neill, Louisville Grays, 10
ERA - Len Lovett, St. Louis Brown Stockings, 1.54
Strikeouts - J. O'Neill, Louisville and Tricky Nichols, St. Louis, 25
Opponent Average - Len Lovett, St. Louis Brown Stockings, .224

Louisville continues to dominate the rest of the league as we near the halfway point of the season. Probably the most notable event of the past couple weeks was a season-ending injury (with a talent hit) to Boston's superstar shortstop John Bass. The Red Caps have seemingly gone overnight from being the powerhouse of the National League to being one of the most snakebit franchises, as starting second baseman Bill Craver has also struggled with injuries this season (and of course the Red Caps lost most of their starters to free agency this offseason).

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

August 1, 1877 Report

Louisville Grays 20-13
St. Louis Brown Stockings 18-15
Hartford Dark Blues 19-16
Cincinnati Reds 14-14
Boston Red Caps 15-20
Chicago White Stockings 12-20

League Leaders:

Batting - George Heubel, Cincinnati Reds, .388
Home Runs - 8 tied with 1 each
Runs Batted In - Jim Foran, Louisville and Lip Pike, Hartford, 31 each
Runs Scored - Mike McGeary, Louisville Grays, 33
Hits - Orator Shaffer, Hartford and George Hall, Boston, 57 each
Doubles - John Bass, Boston Red Caps, 12
Triples - "Orator Jim" O'Rourke, Boston Red Caps, 9
Stolen Bases - Lip Pike, Hartford Dark Blues, 16

Wins - J. O'Neill, Louisville Grays, 11
ERA - Tricky Nichols, St. Louis Brown Stockings, 2.34
Strikeouts - Tricky Nichols, St. Louis Brown Stockings, 31
Opponent Average - Asa Brainard, Hartford Dark Blues, .233

Well, Louisville has started to slip (and there are whispers that gambling interests may be involved in this slip), but it's unclear whether any of the other teams are going to be able to pick up any of the slack. St. Louis has been struggling lately, Hartford is probably playing over their heads as it is, Boston is injury-prone and Cincinnati just can't seem to get started.

I'm going to go back to switching my avatar to the best recent player, and so for the first time George Heubel is going to get that honor. Heubel was a solid but unspectacular player with Philadelphia during the Association days, and has blossomed into an excellent hitter this year with Cincinnati, surging past the slumping Orator Shaffer to take the batting lead with a .388 average.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

August 15, 1877 Report

Cincinnati Reds 19-16
Hartford Dark Blues 21-18
Louisville Grays 21-19
St. Louis Brown Stockings 21-19
Boston Red Caps 17-22
Chicago White Stockings 17-22

League Leaders:

Batting - Bill Harbidge, Hartford Dark Blues, .381
Home Runs - 9 tied with 1 each
Runs Batted In - Jim Foran, Louisville Grays, 39
Runs Scored - Mike McGeary, Louisville Grays, 39
Hits - Dickie Flowers, St. Louis Brown Stockings, 68
Doubles - Ed Pinkham, Hartford Dark Blues, 13
Triples - "Orator Jim" O'Rourke, Boston and Lip Pike, Hartford, 9 each
Stolen Bases - Lip Pike, Hartford Dark Blues, 20

Wins - J. O'Neill, Louisville Grays, 11
ERA - Jim Britt, Boston Red Caps, 2.48
Strikeouts - Tricky Nichols, St. Louis Brown Stockings, 35
Opponent Average - Asa Brainard, Hartford Dark Blues, .242

Well, the 1877 season has turned into a toss-up, as the top four teams are all within one half-game of one another. All four teams appear flawed, but the smart money says that the race will come down to a dogfight between Cincinnati and St. Louis.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

All-Time Hit Leaders as of August 15, 1877

1. 569 - Charlie Gould*, Boston Red Stockings-Boston Red Caps-Chicago White Stockings
2. 568 - George Wright*, Boston Red Stockings-Boston Red Caps-Cincinnati Reds
3. 564 - Ross Barnes*, Boston Red Stockings-Boston Red Caps-Cincinnati Reds
4. 556 - Joe Start*, New York Mutuals-St. Louis Brown Stockings
5. 507 - George Hall*, Washington Olympics-New York Mutuals-Boston Red Caps
6. 493 - Cap Anson*, Rockford Forest Citys-New York Mutuals-Boston Red Caps
7. 492 - John Radcliff*, Philadelphia Athletics-Louisville Grays
8. 486 - Dick Higham*, New York Mutuals-Boston Red Caps
8. 486 - "Orator Jim" O'Rourke*, Middletown Mansfields-Boston Red Stockings-Boston Red Caps
10. 481 - Cal McVey, Boston Red Stockings-Boston Red Caps
11. 452 - Ezra Sutton*, Cleveland Forest Citys-Philadelphia Athletics-Louisville Grays
12. 444 - Lip Pike*, Troy Haymakers-Washington Blue Legs-Hartford Dark Blues
13. 440 - Jimmy Wood*, Chicago White Stockings-Baltimore Canaries-New Haven Elm Citys-St. Louis Brown Stockings
14. 439 - George Bird*, Rockford Forest Citys-Philadelphia Athletics-Cincinnati Reds
15. 436 - Andy Leonard*, Washington Olympics-Philadelphia Whites-St. Louis Brown Stockings
15. 436 - Clipper Flynn*, Troy Haymakers-Philadelphia Whites-Hartford Dark Blues
17. 430 - Mike McGeary*, Troy Haymakers-Baltimore Marylands-Philadelphia Whites-Louisville Grays
18. 429 - Dickie Flowers*, Troy Haymakers-Baltimore Marylands-New York Mutuals-St. Louis Brown Stockings
18. 429 - Pony Sager*, Rockford Forest Citys-Brooklyn Eckfords-Washington Blue Legs-Chicago White Stockings
20. 403 - John Glenn*, Washington Olympics-Philadelphia Whites-Hartford Dark Blues
21. 402 - Jim Foran*, Fort Wayne Kekiongas-Brooklyn Atlantics-Louisville Grays
22. 395 - Bill Craver*, Troy Haymakers-Washington Blue Legs-Philadelphia Whites-New York Mutuals-Boston Red Caps
23. 394 - Fred Waterman*, Washington Olympics-Baltimore Canaries-Hartford Dark Blues
24. 387 - George Heubel*, Philadelphia Athletics-Cincinnati Reds
24. 387 - Harry Schafer*, Boston Red Stockings-Boston Red Caps-Chicago White Stockings

In recognition of Charlie Gould's excellent career (so far), I'll switch over to him as the avatar for a while.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

September 1, 1877 Report

Cincinnati Reds 26-17
St. Louis Brown Stockings 24-20
Louisville Grays 25-22
Hartford Dark Blues 21-25
Boston Red Caps 21-26
Chicago White Stockings 18-25

League Leaders:

Batting - Tim Murnane, Cincinnati Reds, .375
Home Runs - 10 tied with 1 each
Runs Batted In - Jim Foran, Louisville Grays, 42
Runs Scored - "Orator Jim" O'Rourke, Boston Red Caps, 41
Hits - George Hall, Boston and "Orator Jim" O'Rourke, Boston, 73 each
Doubles - Ed Pinkham, Hartford Dark Blues, 14
Triples - "Orator Jim" O'Rourke, Boston and Lip Pike, Hartford, 10 each
Stolen Bases - Lip Pike, Hartford Dark Blues, 21

Wins - J. O'Neill, Louisville Grays, 14
ERA - Jim Britt, Boston Red Caps, 2.44
Strikeouts - J. O'Neill, Louisville Grays, 47
Opponent Average - J. O'Neill, Louisville Grays, .233

Thanks to a 12-2 run in August, Cincinnati has moved into first place and seems poised to take the 1877 championship. If they are able to do so, it will be an amazing sixth consecutive title for middle infielders George Wright and Ross Barnes, who were also an integral part of Boston's 1872-76 championship teams. So, I'll switch the avatar over to Ross Barnes to commemorate these guys' run for a sixth straight title.