Cincinnati Steamers
Last season: 68-94, 8th place
Championships: 3 (1860, 1864, 1865)
First place finishes: 2 (1864, 1866)
Playoff appearances: 2 (1860, 1862-66)
Cincinnati was the class of the ABA for the first part of the decade but has fallen on hard times lately.
SP Myron Tallon is the main reason why: he's been the second-best pitcher in the game for the past decade (we'll get to the best pitcher later). He won the 1866 and 1868 Best Pitcher Awards, sporting a 2.99 ERA exactly in each of those years. Tallon is 37 years old, and the rest of the Steamers roster is not very impressive.
That could change soon. Cincy has by far the best crop of upcoming young talent, with the #1, #2, and #6 prospects in the game.
SS Frank Patton will make his debut this year, and the only prospect ranked higher than him is fellow shortstop, 20-year old
Jumbo King. Patton will probably move to third base when King is ready to crack the lineup. Meanwhile,
SP Ed Wood has yet to pitch in the ABA, but Steamer fans are already predicting that he'll be the heir apparent to Tallon.