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LBL_Brendan · 06-18-2021, 12:53 AM

After a topsy-turvy 1897 season that saw a number of perennial powerhouses falter, the Legacy Baseball League has returned to business as usual, to an extent.

The story in the Eastern League is an absolute return to normalcy -- Providence and Philadelphia sit atop the Ivy and Liberty Divisions, respectively, and shocking Legacy Cup finalist Brooklyn and Richmond are in their familiar places at the bottom of their Divisions.

In the Western League, the defending champions Detroit Giants are pacing the Great Lakes Division and hoping for a repeat Cup victory. The Cleveland Athletics continue to take advantage of an abysmal Division and look to yet again coast into the postseason.

In the Ivy Division, Providence is enjoying a four game lead over the second place Boston Banshees despite being slightly outplayed by both Boston and the third place New York Kings so far. Whether they can hold onto their lead or are due for a late season collapse will be worth watching in the Northeast.

In the Liberty Division, the Philadelphia squad has been playing with their hair on fire all year. Clearly furious at missing the '97 postseason and the chance for a third straight Cup victory, Philadelphia has made clear they do not intend to sit at home come playoff time again. The second place New York Bakers are hanging tough in the Division, and are only 2 games back from the Division lead, but it's going to be tough to wrestle the Division away from a clearly reinvigorated Brewers' team again.

In the Great Lakes Division, the defending champions are showing that their Cup victory was no fluke as they are in the midst of another fine season. The Twin City Empire are also in good form this year and, at only two games back, could unseat the champs.

Another year, another easy Cleveland Division title. The fans in St. Louis have not had much to root for since the Reds' made the '95 Cup and are surely fed up with the state of play in their hometown.

State of the Eastern League - 1898

Three teams playing comparable ball and one team drowning. The Ivy Division is nearly anyone's for the taking. The homestretch of the season should prove exciting.

Carried by dominant starting pitching, the Angels' bottom tier offense will need to hope that the trio of Griffith - Sutton - Weber hold up over the last part of the season. With the 27 year old lefty, Sutton, taking his game to a new level this year, the Angels are hoping to reclaim the Division after a second place finish in '97.

The Boston squad continues to struggle on the road, but have built a solid offensive squad relative to their competition in the offensively poor Eastern League. 32 year old 1B Steve Moss, who joined the Banshees midway through the 1897 season from Cleveland, is having a career year and is a big part of why the Banshees are within striking distance of the Angels. With an improved pitching performance down the stretch, the Banshees could easily punch their first postseason ticket.

The story of the Kings' season is the emergence of 20 year old wunderkind RHP Eduardo Chell, who the Kings' saw playing ball in the independent leagues and signed before he could get onto the mound for a second inning. The hardest throwing SP (and the second hardest thrower overall) in the LBL, the Kings' organization is thrilled that Chell will have veteran ace RHP Aaron Fusca to help mentor him to greatness. If 1898 turns out to not be the Kings' year, the future is undeniably bright for the New Yorkers.

In a startling Legacy Cup hangover, the team in Brooklyn has returned to their more familiar state of incompetence. Regression has hit the previously overachieving Whales hard in 1898 and Father Time has come for 31 year old C Artemis Wool, who is having a recording breaking year of futility at the plate. Striking out in nearly half of his plate appearances, Wool may set an unbreakable record for strikeouts this season.

The Brewers are back, but the Bakers aren't going anywhere after their surprise Liberty Division title in 1897.

A dominant offense that far outpaces any other in the LBL, no pitching staff has an answer for the heart of the lineup: 3B Stapleton, LF McKenzie, CF Hall and 1B Harmon. The Brewers clearly missed 24 year old ace RHP Stephen Millington in 1897 after he tore his labrum early in this season, but he seems to have fully recovered and is back to his dominant form in 1898.

Ace LHP Swifty Michaels is maybe starting to feel the effects of throwing 70 complete games over the previous three seasons, but the veteran workhorse is still leading a formidable, albeit aging rotation, that helped secure the Division in 1897. Golden Bat winner CF Robbie Salmon isn't having quite as dominant of a season at bat, but is still putting up a well-above average year with the stick to complement his plus defense.

When he's healthy, 28 year old 1B Phil Winters is one of the best pure hitters in the LBL. Unfortunately for Baltimore, Winters suffered a nasty concussion and will miss the bulk of the season. Unable to put up much offense without Winters' anchoring the lineup, 1898 is looking like a lost season for the Clippers.

After setting a new Eastern League homerun record in 1897 with 10, SS Eric Abercrombie is having difficulty matching his previous offensive excellence. Despite the characteristically rough going in 1898 for the Rifles, there is reason for optimism. 25 year old 2B Ezra Fisher and 27 year old CF Mariano Paddon are having strong rookie years and all-world pitcher RHP Ivy Maw remains one of, if not THE, the best pitchers in the league.

06-18-2021, 12:53 AM	#19
LBL_Brendan Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Apr 2021 Posts: 245	May 1898 Update and State of the Eastern League After a topsy-turvy 1897 season that saw a number of perennial powerhouses falter, the Legacy Baseball League has returned to business as usual, to an extent. The story in the Eastern League is an absolute return to normalcy -- Providence and Philadelphia sit atop the Ivy and Liberty Divisions, respectively, and shocking Legacy Cup finalist Brooklyn and Richmond are in their familiar places at the bottom of their Divisions. In the Western League, the defending champions Detroit Giants are pacing the Great Lakes Division and hoping for a repeat Cup victory. The Cleveland Athletics continue to take advantage of an abysmal Division and look to yet again coast into the postseason. In the Ivy Division, Providence is enjoying a four game lead over the second place Boston Banshees despite being slightly outplayed by both Boston and the third place New York Kings so far. Whether they can hold onto their lead or are due for a late season collapse will be worth watching in the Northeast. In the Liberty Division, the Philadelphia squad has been playing with their hair on fire all year. Clearly furious at missing the '97 postseason and the chance for a third straight Cup victory, Philadelphia has made clear they do not intend to sit at home come playoff time again. The second place New York Bakers are hanging tough in the Division, and are only 2 games back from the Division lead, but it's going to be tough to wrestle the Division away from a clearly reinvigorated Brewers' team again. In the Great Lakes Division, the defending champions are showing that their Cup victory was no fluke as they are in the midst of another fine season. The Twin City Empire are also in good form this year and, at only two games back, could unseat the champs. Another year, another easy Cleveland Division title. The fans in St. Louis have not had much to root for since the Reds' made the '95 Cup and are surely fed up with the state of play in their hometown. State of the Eastern League - 1898 Three teams playing comparable ball and one team drowning. The Ivy Division is nearly anyone's for the taking. The homestretch of the season should prove exciting. Carried by dominant starting pitching, the Angels' bottom tier offense will need to hope that the trio of Griffith - Sutton - Weber hold up over the last part of the season. With the 27 year old lefty, Sutton, taking his game to a new level this year, the Angels are hoping to reclaim the Division after a second place finish in '97. The Boston squad continues to struggle on the road, but have built a solid offensive squad relative to their competition in the offensively poor Eastern League. 32 year old 1B Steve Moss, who joined the Banshees midway through the 1897 season from Cleveland, is having a career year and is a big part of why the Banshees are within striking distance of the Angels. With an improved pitching performance down the stretch, the Banshees could easily punch their first postseason ticket. The story of the Kings' season is the emergence of 20 year old wunderkind RHP Eduardo Chell, who the Kings' saw playing ball in the independent leagues and signed before he could get onto the mound for a second inning. The hardest throwing SP (and the second hardest thrower overall) in the LBL, the Kings' organization is thrilled that Chell will have veteran ace RHP Aaron Fusca to help mentor him to greatness. If 1898 turns out to not be the Kings' year, the future is undeniably bright for the New Yorkers. In a startling Legacy Cup hangover, the team in Brooklyn has returned to their more familiar state of incompetence. Regression has hit the previously overachieving Whales hard in 1898 and Father Time has come for 31 year old C Artemis Wool, who is having a recording breaking year of futility at the plate. Striking out in nearly half of his plate appearances, Wool may set an unbreakable record for strikeouts this season. The Brewers are back, but the Bakers aren't going anywhere after their surprise Liberty Division title in 1897. A dominant offense that far outpaces any other in the LBL, no pitching staff has an answer for the heart of the lineup: 3B Stapleton, LF McKenzie, CF Hall and 1B Harmon. The Brewers clearly missed 24 year old ace RHP Stephen Millington in 1897 after he tore his labrum early in this season, but he seems to have fully recovered and is back to his dominant form in 1898. Ace LHP Swifty Michaels is maybe starting to feel the effects of throwing 70 complete games over the previous three seasons, but the veteran workhorse is still leading a formidable, albeit aging rotation, that helped secure the Division in 1897. Golden Bat winner CF Robbie Salmon isn't having quite as dominant of a season at bat, but is still putting up a well-above average year with the stick to complement his plus defense. When he's healthy, 28 year old 1B Phil Winters is one of the best pure hitters in the LBL. Unfortunately for Baltimore, Winters suffered a nasty concussion and will miss the bulk of the season. Unable to put up much offense without Winters' anchoring the lineup, 1898 is looking like a lost season for the Clippers. After setting a new Eastern League homerun record in 1897 with 10, SS Eric Abercrombie is having difficulty matching his previous offensive excellence. Despite the characteristically rough going in 1898 for the Rifles, there is reason for optimism. 25 year old 2B Ezra Fisher and 27 year old CF Mariano Paddon are having strong rookie years and all-world pitcher RHP Ivy Maw remains one of, if not THE, the best pitchers in the league. Last edited by LBL_Brendan; 06-18-2021 at 01:27 AM.