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TEN YEARS OF BASE BALL
THE N.B.B.O. CELEBRATES A FULL DECADE OF EXISTENCE

NEW YORK CITY (Jan. 23, 1867) – Today marks ten years since the foundation of the National Base Ball Organization, and to mark the momentous anniversary there was a grand banquet at the St. Nicholas Hotel in New York City. In attendance were the commissioner, club ex-ecutives, front office members, player representatives, and other special guests.

Also present were the four players who have taken part in all eight All-Star Games…

• Willie Davis
• Edward Huntley
• Samuel Kessler
• Anthony Mascherino

…other players who have been nominated for Team of the Year five times…

• Konrad Jensen
• John McGowan

…and the eight players other than Huntley who have played all 700 games since the foundation of the competition:

• William Casilli
• Lawrence Craig
• Albert Gore
• William Johnson
• Albert Jones
• Thomas Maloney
• Leroy Weld
• John Williams

The honorees were presented with gifts such as high-end watches and well-tailored suits, and they were hailed as a group of men who embodied the spirit of the evolving sport.

It was a day of handshakes and pats on the back and speeches and toasts to a decade of organized base ball. At the onset of the NBBO nobody was confident that the organization would last, but after ten years of competition median attendance has risen from around 1,275 fans per game to roughly 2,000. Teams are stable; reportedly only 7/48 lost money last year and none lost more than $1,000. The talent coming into the N.B.B.O. from the independent realm keeps getting better, a testa-ment to the growing popularity of the sport. The stars of both leagues are becoming household names across the Northeast.

The sport of base ball has established itself as a legitimate pastime, and it is here to stay.

NBBO RECORDS

SINGLE SEASON BATTING LEADERS

Batting Average: .430 by Cormack Alexander (KC) in 1864
On-Base Percentage: .486 by Arvi Hämäläinen (NIA) in 1862
Slugging Percentage: .595 by Royal Altman (ALL) in 1866
On-Base + Slugging: 1.038 by Arvi Hämäläinen (NIA) in 1862

Games Played: 70 by more than 100 players, most recently in 1866
At-Bats: 346 by Obelix Tsiaris (FC) in 1864
Runs: 106 by Anderson MacGyver (STJ) in 1859
Hits: 138 by Cormack Alexander (KC) in 1864
Singles: 116 by Joseph Bentley (NIA) in 1857
Doubles: 35 by Jerald Peterson (SotO) in 1866
Triples: 16 by Raleigh Altstadt (MB) in 1863
Home Runs: 8 by Doc Matheson (SPO) in 1863
Total Bases: 185 by Royal Altman (ALL) in 1866
Runs Batted In: 90 by Carson Law (SYR) in 1864
Stolen Bases: 76 by Konrad Jensen (STJ) in 1866
Bases on Balls: 59 by Konrad Jensen (STJ) in 1866
Strikeouts: 67 by Henry Goodale (CAN) in 1866

Wins Above Replacement: 5.79 by Anthony Mascherino (GM) in 1861
Win Probability Added: 6.08 by Walter Dudley (PJ) in 1864


SINGLE SEASON PITCHING LEADERS

Earned Run Average (200 IP): 2.24 by Jim Creighton (EXC) in 1865

Wins: 30 by John Anderson (SCR) in 1857
Losses: 29 by John Roberts (OLY) in 1864
Win % (200 IP): .950 by Paul Goehring (STJ) in 1859 (19-1)
Win % (10 Decisions): 1.000 by Walter Stegall (SHA) in 1863 (16-0)
Games Pitched: 47 by Harry Nilsson (GOT) in 1859
Games Started: 37 by five pitchers, most recently in 1865
Complete Games: 30 by Grover Wright (KC) in 1861
Shutouts: 4 by four pitchers, most recently in 1861
Innings: 329.0 by Grover Wright (KC) in 1861
Hits Allowed: 453 by Lemuel Zimmerman (CAN) in 1864
Bases on Balls: 100 by Henry Enfield (SCR) in 1859
Strikeouts: 146 by Jim Creighton (EXC) in 1866

Bases on Balls per 9 IP (200 IP): 0.23 by Jim Creighton (EXC) in 1865
Hits allowed per 9 IP (200 IP): 8.18 by John McGowan (KNI) in 1865
Strikeouts per 9 IP (200 IP): 4.43 by Jim Creighton (EXC) in 1866
Walks + Hits / IP (200 IP): 0.97 by John McGowan (KNI) in 1865
Opponents’ Average (200 IP): .230 by Earl Quinn (SYR) in 1866
Opponents’ On-Base (200 IP): .248 by Peadar Daly (KNI) in 1865
Opponents’ Slugging (200 IP): .289 by Earl Quinn (SYR) in 1866
Opponents’ OPS (200 IP): .537 by Earl Quinn (SYR) in 1866

Wins Above Replacement: 9.13 by Jim Creighton (EXC) in 1865
Runs Allowed per 9 IP WAR: 12.5 by Jim Creighton (EXC) in 1863


CAREER BATTING LEADERS

Batting Average (1,000 PA): .370 by Willie Davis (SUS 1858-64, AME ‘65-66)
On-Base Percentage (1,000 PA): .443 by Konrad Jensen (STJ 1857-66)
Slugging Percentage (1,000 PA): .507 by Willie Davis
On-Base + Slugging (1,000 PA): .942 by Konrad Jensen

Games Played: 700 by nine different players
At-Bats: 3,208 by Arthur Waltrip (AME 1857-64, ALL ‘65-66)
Runs: 836 by William Johnson (STJ 1857-66)
Hits: 1,122 by Arthur Waltrip
Singles: 888 by Arthur Waltrip
Doubles: 235 by William Johnson
Triples: 73 by Samuel Kessler (SotO 1857-64, ALL ‘65-66)
Home Runs: 20 by Paul Kronenberg (SPO 1860-66)
Total Bases: 1,448 by Willie Davis
Runs Batted In: 560 by Jerald Peterson (KC 1857-64, SotO ‘65-66)
Stolen Bases: 507 by Walter Williams (SHA 1858-66)
Bases on Balls: 335 by Konrad Jensen

Wins Above Replacement: 42.60 by Anthony Mascherino (GM 1857-65, SHA ‘66)
Win Probability Added: 36.84 by Willie Davis


CAREER PITCHING LEADERS

Earned Run Average (1,000 IP): 3.05 by John McGowan (STJ 1857-63, KNI ‘64-66)

Wins: 215 by John McGowan
Losses: 163 by Albert Grimble (OCE 1857-63, QS ‘64-65, MET ‘66)
Win % (1,000 IP): .710 by John McGowan (215-88)
Games Pitched: 379 by Carl Bancroft (UTI 1857-62, EMP ‘63-66)
Games Started: 352 by Joe Cunningham (1857-64 SHA, ‘65-66 SUS)
Complete Games: 218 by John McGowan
Shutouts: 12 by John McGowan
Innings: 2,868.0 by Joe Cunningham
Hits Allowed: 3,549 by Bernard Schmidt (NIA 1857-64, NIA ‘65, SotO ‘66)
Bases on Balls: 525 by Joe Cunningham
Strikeouts: 616 by Jim Creighton (EXC 1860-66)

Bases on Balls per 9 IP (1,000 IP): 0.96 by Jim Creighton
Hits allowed per 9 IP (1,000 IP): 10.12 by Charlie Mitchell (EMP 1858-62, Soto ’63-65)
Strikeouts per 9 IP (1,000 IP): 2.65 by Jim Creighton
Walks + Hits / IP (1,000 IP): 1.16 by Jim Creighton
Opponents’ Average (1,000 IP): .259 by Jim Creighton
Opponents’ On-Base (1,000 IP): .284 by Jim Creighton
Opponents’ Slugging (1,000 IP): .339 by Charlie Mitchell
Opponents’ OPS (1,000 IP): .624 by Jim Creighton

Wins Above Replacement: 50.68 by Bernard Schmidt
Runs Allowed per 9 IP WAR: 67.6 by John McGowan


TEAM RECORDS (BATTING & MISC)

Best Record: 57-13 by Knickerbocker 1865
Best Attendance: 104,222 (2,979 P/G) by Knickerbocker in 1865

Most Runs Scored: 645 (9.2 R/G) by Kings County in 1864
Highest Average: .340 by Niagara in 1862
Highest On-Base: .377 by Niagara in 1862
Highest Slugging: .434 by Flour City in 1863
Most Hits: 938 (13.4 H/G) by Niagara in 1862
Most Doubles: 177 by Alleghany in 1866
Most Triples: 57 by Orange in 1866
Most Home Runs: 29 by Sportsman’s in 1863
Most Bases on Balls: 204 (2.9 BB/G) by St. John’s in 1866
Fewest Strikeouts: 28 by Reading in 1864
Most Stolen Bases: 249 (3.6 SB/G) by St. John’s in 1866


TEAM RECORDS (PITCHING)

Fewest Runs Allowed: 317 (4.5 R/G) by Knickerbocker in 1865
Lowest Earned Run Average: 2.35 by Knickerbocker in 1865
Fewest Hits Allowed: 587 (8.4 HA/G) by Knickerbocker in 1865
Fewest Bases on Balls: 42 (0.6 BB/G) by Knickerbocker in 1866
Most Strikeouts: 190 (2.7 K/G) by Excelsior in 1865
Lowest Walks + Hits / IP: 1.00 by Knickerbocker in 1865