[joefromchicago]

1879-80 OFF-SEASON

AWARDS

Empire League
Hitter: Michael Cluett, London (.342, 1 HR, 33 RBI, 51 R)
Pitcher: George Templeman, Salford (29-16, 1.57 ERA, 395 IP, 166 K)
Manager: Quincy Culver, Salford (59-39, 1st place)
Rookie: Jacob Negus, Newcastle (20-22, 2.02 ERA, 370 IP)

Dominion Association
Hitter: Connor "Plumber" Ayling, Manchester (.349, 4 HR, 78 RBI, 13 3B, .501 SLG)
Pitcher: Danny O'Friel, Leeds (29-15, 1.63 ERA, 382 IP, 114 K, .238 OAVG)
Manager: Harold Howard, Sheffield (55-43, 2nd place)
Rookie: Andrew "Mac" Wareing, Glasgow (16-27, 2.42 ERA, 378.2 IP, 137 K)

The award voters continued their infatuation with rookie pitchers who have losing records.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Michael Cluett put together a 37-game hitting streak, two short of the major league record set by Newcastle's Cian McDermott in 1873. Islington's Tobias Purcell became the first player to hit thirty doubles in a season. His thirtieth double came in the last game of the year against Manchester.

ALLIANCE NEWS

In an effort to speed up the games and restore some of the balance between hitter and pitcher, the Base Ball Commission, at the Alliance's annual meeting in Brighton, decided that, starting in 1880, it would take only eight balls for a walk instead of the current nine.

Liverpool made history when they signed free agent outfielder Kevin Cann to a one-year contract worth $4,600. It was the first contract to an unproven rookie in excess of $4,000. London signed third baseman Vic Canning to a contract that will pay him $3,379 for each of the next two years, with an option for a third at Canning's discretion.

WESTMINSTER NEWS

It wasn't first place, but second place sounded a lot better to the Westminster faithful than eighth. So what went right? In general, the players acquired in recent trades proved key to the Peers' success. Jeffrey "Dutch" Dugles, obtained from Salford after last season, hit .320, second only to Cluett, and Curran "Ash Cat" Nethicott, who came over from London in the middle of the 1877 campaign, was not far behind with a .311 average. The front office was also not afraid to cut long-time players who were no longer performing up to major league standards. Douglas Blanchard, for many years the team's shortstop, was sent down to the minors after starting the season hitting .167. His replacement, Fionnbar O'Kinneally, was not as adept at fielding the position, but his .285 average atoned for many of his defensive sins. When Carl Summerfield, a fixture at second base since 1870, refused a similar assignment, he was shipped off to Salford for speedy center fielder Gerald Cairns. Finally, the decision to replace John Clymo as the primary starting pitcher with Marmaduke Kirkman proved to be at least a moderate success, which gave some glint of hope that the Peers had finally found a primary starter for the future.

Westminster followers were still celebrating the conclusion of a successful season when the news arrived that team owner George Kirkup had sold the Peers to Ambrose Redlaw, described in the press as a "lenient and generous" character -- quite a change from the economizing ways of the previous regime. The details of the sale were not released, but it is hoped that Redlaw, the owner of a local distilling concern, has the assets to spend in pursuit of a pennant for the Peerage.

As the preseason got underway, the Peers pulled off what may turn out to be a major deal. They sent promising outfielder Patrick Nisbet to Manchester, along with journeyman infielder Bevis Samways, for minor leaguers Antonio Vanelli and George Dunstone. It is said that Vanelli, the pride of Milan, has all the tools to be a star shortstop in the BA. Time will tell.