[Nick Soulis]

BASEBALL MONTHLY

August 1876

After Crazy Season; Anson Back To Basics

"I didnt expect it to be this tough"

Those were the words of Chicago skipper Cap Anson who has had a season of extreme highs and lows as his team limps through the last month of the season with an 18-30 record.

Anson under great pressure, though widely considered one of the best talents of the league, started off in the worse possible way and effected his team's slump early in the season. But now as August rolls around and Anson and his team play better baseball, "Pops" is back to his old self and swinging his sweet bat as expected.

Anson also in the mean time changed his own position, starting his season at first base instead of his customary third base. As the season wore on however he was back at the hot corner. All of this can not be more proof of how morale effects a player's personal performance. Here is a break down of Anson's stats from month to month:

ANSON'S STATS

April...............(.222, 1 RBI)
May.................(.214, 2 RBI)
June................(.293, 3 RBI)
July.................(.375, 4 RBI)
August.............(.432, 7 RBI)

The team had a 5-5 record for the month of August and on another bright spot rookie center fielder Mike Dorgan for the second month in a row was awarded rookie of the month. Dorgan is proving to be a star in the making in Chicago.

St. Louis and Cincinnati appear on collision course
With a month left in the season it appears that the St. Louis Browns and the Cincinnati Reds are set to make it to the post season. The Reds lead the eastern league with 31 wins and a 4 game lead over Boston. The Browns lead Cleveland by 6 games.
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West Standings
	W	L	PCT	GB
St. Louis Brown Stockings	30	18	.625	-
Cleveland Blues	24	24	.500	6.0
Baltimore Orioles	22	26	.458	8.0
Philadelphia Athletics	20	28	.417	10.0

East Standings
	W	L	PCT	GB
Cincinnati Reds	31	17	.646	-
Boston Red Caps	27	21	.563	4.0
Brooklyn Atlantics	20	28	.417	11.0
Chicago White Stockings	18	30	.375	13.0

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League Tidbits

• Just when St. Louis was getting hot for winning the pennant, Jack Remsen their center fielder badly sprained an ankle and now will miss 6 weeks. It will be a major challange if he is to make it back by the World Series.
• Catcher Tom Barlow of the Brooklyn Atlantics will miss the rest of the season with elbow tendanitis.
• With pitching up in the league, not a single player is near a .400 average going into the last month of the season.