[Powderguy]

With three teams having left the Association in Fort Wayne, Rockford, and Chicago. Chicago has departed because of a devastating fire which has destroyed their stadium. Fort Wayne and Rockford have left because of financial troubles. In their place, the National Association will welcome 5 new teams. They will be the Atlantics of Brooklyn, the Mansfields of Middletown, the Eckfords of Brooklyn, the Nationals of Washington, and the Canaries of Baltimore.

Baltimore Canaries: A new entry team that will struggle to compete with the elites of the Association. They did grab young pitcher Bobby Mathews along with Dick Higham and Denny Mack.

C: Dick Higham (.281, 22 RBI with NY Mutuals last yr)
1B: Denny Mack (.320, 18 RBI with Rockford last yr)
2B: Tom Carey (.235, 8 RBI with Fort Wayne last yr)
3B: Bob Ferguson (3-11 with NY Mutuals last yr)
SS: Ed Duffy (.315, 18 RBI with Chicago last yr)
LF: Harry Berthrong (.243, 5 RBI with Olympics last yr)
CF: Joe McDermott (5-14, 5 RBI with Fort Wayne last yr)
RF: Pete Donnelly (6-24, 2 RBI with Fort Wayne last yr)

SP: Bobby Mathews (6W-13L, 2.39 ERA)

Boston Red Stockings: They not only kept the core nucleus of last years championship winning team but also add National Association MVP Jimmy Wood to an already stacked lineup. With Wood's arrival in Boston, Ross Barnes will shift to SS meaning George Wright will have to play at 1B, a position he has very limited experience at in his career. Also, they sign a excellent backup catcher in Doug Allison from the Olympics of Washington.

C: Cal McVey (.358, 20 RBI, 15 SB)
1B: George Wright (.242, 14 RBI, 15 SB)
2B: Jimmy Wood (.386, 18 RBI, 16 SB with Chicago last yr)
3B: John Radcliff (.289, 22 RBI with Philadelphia last yr)
SS: Ross Barnes (.375/.418/.493, 19 RBI)
LF: Frank Barrows (0-2 last yr)
CF: Harry Wright (.375, 1 HR & 19 RBI, 13 SB)
RF: George Heubel (.245, 14 RBI with Philadelphia last yr)

SP: Al Spalding (22W-9L, 3.29 ERA)

Brooklyn Atlantics: Another new entry to the Association will struggle mightily to compete. Basically, this team is a bunch of rookies.

C: Denny Clare (rookie)
1B: Charlie Gould (.193, 12 RBI with Boston last yr)
2B: Jim Hall (rookie)
3B: Jack Burdock (rookie)
SS: Tom Barlow (rookie)
LF: Al Thake (rookie)
CF: Jack Remsen (rookie)
RF: Herb Worth (rookie)

SP: Jim Britt (rookie) At 16, Can he handle the challenge of facing big time hitters?

Brooklyn Eckfords: Basically, this team has limited experience in baseball.

C: Joe Bestick (rookie)
1B: Bill Allison (rookie)
2B: John Hatfield (.287, 14 RBI with Mutuals last yr)
3B: Jim Clinton (rookie)
SS: Jim Snyder (rookie)
LF: Count Gedney (rookie)
CF: Candy Nelson (rookie)
RF: Dick Hunt (rookie)

SP: Martin Malone (rookie)

Cleveland Forest City: Whoa, maybe this is finally a team that can actually compete with that juggernaut known as Boston. They add Lip Pike who spent last season with Troy and LF Ned Cuthbert from the Athletics. They already have Ezra Sutton who can swing the bat with the best of them.

C: Dave Birdsall (.277, 11 RBI with Boston last yr)
1B: Everett Mills (.258, 21 RBI with Olympics last yr)
2B: Lip Pike (.339/.352/.500, 17 RBI with Troy last yr)
3B: Ezra Sutton (.272, 26 RBI, .690 OPS)
SS: John McMullin (.202, 6 RBI with Troy last yr, was a pitcher whole yr)
LF: Ned Cuthbert (2-16, 4 RBI with Athletics last yr)
CF: Joe Battin (didnt appear in a game last yr with CLE)
RF: Gat Stires (.254, 9 RBI with Rockford last yr)

SP: Al Pratt (17W-12L, 2.49 ERA)

Middletown Mansfields: If you thought the Eckford club were BAD, look at the Mansfields team.

C: John Clapp (rookie)
1B: Jim O'Rourke (rookie)
2B: Eddie Booth (rookie)
3B: George Fields (rookie)
SS: Ham Allen (rookie)
LF: Jim Tipper (rookie)
CF: Frank McCarton (rookie)
RF: Frank Buttery (rookie)

SP: Cy Bentley (rookie)

New York Mutuals: With newcomer Candy Cummings joining the team, Rynie Wolters will be tested for his job as the starting pitcher. This team just doesn't have enough pieces to make a push this year.

C: Fergy Malone (.313, 11 RBI with Athletics last yr)
1B: Nat Hicks (rookie)
2B: Bob Addy (.246, 15 RBI with Rockford last yr)
3B: Frank Selman (.241, 15 RBI with Fort Wayne last yr)
SS: Bill Craver (.310, 12 RBI with Troy last yr)
LF: Art Allison (.351, 17 RBI with Cleveland last yr)
CF: Dave Eggler (.285, 21 RBI with Mutuals last yr)
RF: Bill Boyd (rookie)

SP: Candy Cummings (rookie)
SP: Rynie Wolters (16W-17L, 2.81 ERA)

Philadelphia Athletics: If your looking for a team to push Boston for the National Association crown, this Athletics club of Philadelphia could quite possibly do just that.

C: Bill Lennon (.221, 8 RBI with Fort Wayne last yr)
1B: Clipper Flynn (.286, 26 RBI with Troy last yr)
2B: Wes Fisler (.346, 19 RBI, .510 SLG)
3B: Levi Meyerle (.357, 18 RBI, .460 SLG)
SS: Jimmy Hallinan (.206, 3 RBI with Fort Wayne last yr)
LF: George Bechtel (.355, 15 RBI, 6 SB)
CF: Count Sensenderfer (.325, 8 RBI)
RF: John Glenn (.275, 23 RBI with Olympics last yr)

SP: Dick McBride (10W-17L, 2.51 ERA)

Troy Haymakers: Big spenders in the offseason were the Haymakers of Troy.

C: Scott Hastings (.270, 29 RBI for Rockford last yr)
1B:Cap Anson (.345, 14 RBI for Rockford last yr)
2B: Fred Waterman (.323, 12 RBI for Olympics last yr)
3B: Steve Bellan (.365, 25 RBI)
SS: Francis Abercrombie (1-2 last yr)
LF: Steve King (.350, 17 RBI)
CF: Fred Treacey (.339, 30 RBI for Chicago last yr)
RF: Harry Schafer (.238, 13 RBI for Boston last yr)

Washington Olympics: A couple holdovers are still with the club, but basically these are all new players.

C: Deacon White (.211, 13 RBI with Cleveland last yr)
1B: Bub McAtee (.192, 16 RBI with Chicago last yr)
2B: Tommy Beals (.212, 10 RBI)
3B: Henry Burroughs (6-22, 4 RBI)
SS: Andy Leonard (.369, 23 RBI, 9 SB)
LF: Al Barker (0-3 last yr)
CF: George Hall (.305, 24 RBI)
RF: Joe Simmons (.267, 5 RBI for Chicago last yr)

SP: Asa Brainard (15W-11L, 3.24 ERA)
SP: Bill Stearns (2W-2L, 3.40 ERA)

Washington Nationals:A few good players but no enough talent to threaten any team.

C: Charlie Mills (.313, 19 RBI for Mutuals last yr)
1B: Joe Start (.331, 23 RBI for Mutuals last yr)
2B: Al Reach (.329, 13 RBI for Athletics last yr)
3B: Gene Kimball (.303, 12 RBI for Cleveland last yr)
SS: Davy Force (12-29, 12 RBI for Olympics last yr)
LF: Charlie Pabor (.371, 16 RBI for Cleveland last yr)
CF: Tom York (.248, 17 RBI for Troy last yr)
RF: Bill Yeatman (rookie)

SP: Seem Studley (rookie)