BASEBALL MONTHLY
August 1895
Five Straight Pennants For Mighty Boston
Confidence in a mighty force in all aspects of performance and the best at what they do seem to have the most of it. At the same time doubt can be an anchor that brings performance down especially when when challange seems almost impossible.
Such is the explanation on the Chicago Colts fruitless quest to try and overcome the Boston Beaneaters for the 1895 pennant. The Colts had the fight in them down the stretch and cut the lead to 3 games before they ran out of steam and Boston closed the door. The Beaneaters took seven of eight games down the stretch and simply would not give in their lead.
The Beaneaters had an unbelievable offensive season scoring a unthinkable 1021 runs for the season, the most off all time. Leading the way were two players, Bill Joyce and Ed Delahanty.
Joyce had a star studded season setting records of his own, the leadoff first baseman shattered the runs scored record of Denny Lyons crossing the plate a head spinning 167 times! Known as "scrappy Bill", Joyce is the kind of player Boston loves as he seems to refuse to let his team lose. On the other hand everyone knows how good Ed Delahanty is but his season was one for the ages as well.
Ed Delahanty
Big Ed in his prime hit a new record of .441. Delahanty had an onbase percentage over .500, the 27 year old was on base all season long. It was a year that Boston could not lean on their pitching as much even though their pitching still ranked among the top in the game as Bill Sweeney won over 20 games for the 8th straight season.
The Cleveland Spiders now try to do what they could not last season. The Spiders came out of the Western League again and in a repeat of last season's Worlds Series will try and pull the upset it seems no one outside of Cleveland believes they can do. To make matters worse for the underdog Spiders will be the absense of leader Elmer Smith who is out for the season with a hip injury. Mike Tiernan and others will really have to step up their game if the Spiders are to win their first championship.
The Colts enter another season of uncertainty and self confidence seeking.
|
| Catchers | | # | B | Player | Pos | G | AB | H | HR | RBI | R | BB | K | .AVG | OBP | SLG | | 38 | L | Klondike Douglass | C | 39 | 157 | 45 | 1 | 38 | 29 | 24 | 12 | .287 | .381 | .376 |
|
|
|
----------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Season ending Notes
Willie Keeler didnt win a batting title this season which is news in itself, Keeler however didnt have a quiet season batting .412 and set an all time record in singles with 181.
Boston of course loves to win and the most feared and succesfull team in the game spent the money to keep winning by signing two of their stars. Pitcher Bob Black signed for a lucrative five year contract while Hugh Duffy also signed for five years. Both players are said to make over 7000 dollars for their service.