BASEBALL MONTHLY
August 1891
Colts Defenseless
The Chicago Colts went 13-15 in the month of August and looked to close out their season with some posotive results especially from some of their young talents like Nig Cuppy and Billy Earle. Still Chicago who expects to win every year looks back now for reasons that might explain another losing season.
The answer for many who have watched this team play is obvious; the Colts are the worse defensive team in the league by a large margin. Chicago has commited 516 errors in their 136 games this season, that is 151 more errors then the team with the best defense, the New York Giants. To add to this Chicago is last in the league in assists (1709) and ZR rating (-19.2). Ecky Stearns and Hardy Richardson are considered among the poorest fielders around. Numerous games have been blown because of a lack or ability to field the ball even on the most routine of plays.
"Its just something we never have emphasized in the past and now I think we are paying for it" said Cap Anson when asked about the defenisve struggles. "Years ago no one was really playing solid defense so it all evened out, now you have to play well with the glove to win."
Chicago is scouting hard to improve in the area but the slickest of fielders are not easy to come by. In other team news Charlie Geggus continues to have an impressive season and the hurler leads the league in most pitching catagories. Geggus has a chance to have one of the winningest seasons of all time as he has recorded 31 wins already. He also leads the league in innings pitched (424), strike outs (339) and VORP (103.2).
World Series Almost set
Never have we seen pennant races so one sided then what we have seen in 1891. Both the Boston Beaneaters and the Louisville Colonels are on a collision course to the World Series.
Each team is leading their league by over ten games and have an equal magic number of 9. The Beaneaters havent been to the championship game since 1879 while the Colonels go back after being there as losers in 1888.
Both teams are already preparing for the matchup as train rides and motel rooms are already booked in both areas for early October.
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League Notes Legendary Ross Barnes wants out of Baltimore as the all time great hitter has gotten no action this season with only 13 Major League atbats. At 41 Barnes may be seeing the end of his stellar career.
Dan Brouthers of Brooklyn and Marty Sullivan of the White Sox are in a great battle for this season's batting title. As of the 1st of the month both batters had identical .323 batting averages. Sullivan has never won a title while Dan Brouthers owns the honor having won it a record seven times.
Cy Young has cracked the Cincinnati Reds starting rotation again. Young and the Reds share the worst record in the game with a .378 winnig percentage. Juan Avila is all but done as manager of this team.
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