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AMERICAN BASEBALL MAY RECAP

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (May 31, 1878) – It is the last night of May. All of the competitive baseball for the month has been completed, and here is how each of the four competitions look:

A.P.B.L. STANDINGS

COLONIAL – Shamrock has been buoyed by a 9-0 away record, so don’t expect them to continue their current pace for much longer. St. John’s had a five-game losing streak (May 14-18) that sullied an otherwise fine opening month. Pt. Jersey has been a HUGE surprise, winning games by manufacturing runs (R: 5th, AVG: 11th, OPS: 12th). Niagara had a good debut month from Norman and excellent pitching from Mukai, and they look like contenders. Alleghany is playing great defense as always, but the bottom half of their lineup has struggled. Mass. Bay went WWWW to end the month, with the trio of Berg, Fisher, & Stoffers batting extremely well. Newark has seen fine pitching from Ratican and brilliance from Valentine, but the N.B.B.O. holdovers in their lineup have struggled. Flour City has the league’s second-worst fielding, and combined with a mediocre offense it means wins have been few and far between.

METROPOLITAN – Knick looks fantastic thanks to the league’s best Defensive Efficiency and pitching that’s allowing 1.4 Runs/Game fewer than any other team. Kings Co. finally has a contender, one that has been led by Koonce’s .421 AVG. So far, American has been able to overcome the loss of Prince due to Busby & Burke both batting .395+. Gotham has been inconsistent, usually looking great in wins and terrible in losses, but P.C.B.L. import Krueger has done okay as their new #1. Excelsior has issues – offense has regressed from the end of last year and Creighton had the worst month of his career (5-7, 4.66). Quaker St. has been a team in which half of their regulars have looked good and the other half have struggled. Orange looks miserable, with three regulars (Chaffin, Cobb, Crosby) batting below .200 and two (Dudley, Reed) batting below .215. Tiger has REALLY struggled, but due to scheduling quirks they’ve only played 3/22 games at home.

A.P.B.L. MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
William Busby (1B, AME) – .395, .997 OPS, 21 R, 34 H, 7 XBH, 1 HR, 26 RBI, 16 BB, 0 SB, 1.5 WPA, 1.4 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Bertram Landreth (KNI) – 9-1, 1.89 ERA, 34 K, 90.2 IP, 7 CG, 3.4 K/9, 6.8 K/BB, 1.18 WHIP, 1.6 WAR, 2.0 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
William Norman (1B, NIA) – .344, .759 OPS, 22 R, 33 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 23 RBI, 3 BB, 1 SB, 1.5 WPA, 0.7 WAR

Two players had higher averages than Busby – Garfield Koonce (KC) with .421 & William Trowbridge (ALL) with .400 – but Busby’s extra-base power, his ridiculous sixteen walks in 22 games, and his league-high .997 OPS, earned him B.o.t.M. Another player with a B.o.t.M. shout: Rudolph Decker (StJ), who hit .381 with 28 RBI and 19 Stolen Bases.

Landreth was the only nine-Win P in May and he and an ERA under 2.00, so P.o.t.M. is his. Teammate Robert Goodman was 8-3 with a 2.70 ERA. The two other P’s with a chance at P.o.t.M. were Kings Co’s Willie Gray (8-3, 2.46, 37 K, 1.7 WAR) and Niagara’s Tomoharu Mukai (8-2, 2.46 ERA, 26 K, 1.9 WAR).

Charles Aplin (RF, QS) had a higher AVG & OPS, but Norman’s work for 14-8 Niagara earned him G.o.t.M. as he was the only Greenhorn with 20+ RBI. Aplin hit very well (.356 AVG, .826 OPS, 10 XBH) but only drove in nine runs from the #3 spot in the QS lineup. Benjamin Crisp (3B, GOT) led all Greenhorn batsmen in WAR at 0.7. Paul Krueger (GOT) was the best Greenhorn P (4-4, 2.76, 16 K, 1.0 WAR).

A.P.B.L. STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .421 by Garfield Koonce (1B, Kings Co.)
OPS: .997 by William Busby (1B, American)
Home Runs: 3 by Royal Altman (1B, Gotham)
Runs Batted In: 32 by Fred Bartholomew (LF, Kings Co.)
Runs: 30 by Babe Johnson (2B, Gotham)
Stolen Bases: 21 by Konrad Jensen (1B, St. John’s)
Batsman WPA: 2.1 by Royal Altman
Batsman WAR: 1.7 by Anthony Mascherino (2B, Knick)

Wins: 9 by Bertram Landreth (Knick)
ERA (50+ IP): 1.59 by Thomas Smith (St. John’s)
Strikeouts: 49 by Jim Creighton (Excelsior)
Complete Games: 10 by Tomoharu Mukai (Niagara)
WHIP (50+ IP): 1.07 by John Ratican (Newark)
Pitcher WAR: 2.2 by Jim Creighton
Pitcher rWAR: 4.1 by Tomoharu Mukai

N.B.B.O. REGIONAL LEADERS

BROOKLYN: Atlantic, Bedford, & Nassau Co. at 11-7 (Cont’l 1 GB; Empire 2 GB; Star 3 GB; Eckford 4 GB)
NEW YORK CITY: N.Y.A.C. at 13-5 (Union 2 GB; Baltic & Metro 4 GB; Harlem & Hilltop 5 GB)
UPSTATE N.Y.: Minuteman at 12-6 (Columbia 1 GB; Frontier & Syracuse 2 GB, Eagle & Victory 4 GB, Utica 5 GB)
COASTAL: National at 14-4 (Maryland 2 GB; P.B.C.C. & Trenton Utd. 4 GB)
INLAND: Susquehanna at 15-3 (Lancastra 2 GB; Merrimack 5 GB)
NEW ENGLAND: Portland & S.o.t.O. at 12-6 (SAL 1.5 GB; CAN 2.5 GB; OCE & QUI 4 GB; GM 5 GB)


BROOKLYN – At least for the start of the season, some unusual contenders have joined Atlantic at the top of Brooklyn in Bedford & Nassau Co. Anything to break up the Atlantic-Eckford duopoly. Speaking of Eckford, perennial All-Stars Isaac Kelly & Louis Murray both hit below .300 as they went 7-11.

NEW YORK CITY – N.Y.A.C. went 13-5 in spite of the #20 offense in the N.Y.L. Why? Charles Rhodes had a 1.58 ERA over 97 innings and George Cerven had a 1.44 ERA over 62.2 innings. If their offense wakes up then the pennant race is over.

UPSTATE N.Y. – Columbia, 20-50 last year, had an excellent May to position themselves between Minuteman & Syracuse, who are both in the top three due to quality pitching. Favorites Utica went 7-11 due to sputtering offense.

COASTAL – Favorites National are hammering the opposition, but Maryland is right behind and Trenton Utd. remains competitive. No surprise: Philadelphia B.C.C. is the best of the new teams.

INLAND – Susquehanna is already threatening to run away with the pennant after a 15-3 May, but Lancastra and their N.B.B.O.-best +94 Run Differential are trying to keep up. Newcomers Squirrel Hill are 7-11 and looking competitive.

NEW ENGLAND – Portland, S.o.t.O., and Salem are, as was expected, the top three. All three teams have a batsman hitting .400+ and all three are playing good defense. The top seven are five games apart, so things can easily change.

N.B.B.O. MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMEN OF THE MONTH
NYL: Declan Thomson (LF, HAR) – .402, 1.029 OPS, 25 R, 33 H, 6 2B, 5 3B, 20 RBI, 4 BB, 6 SB, 0.9 WPA, 1.0 WAR
NEL: Joseph Jurski (1B, SUS) – .452, 1.077 OPS, 25 R, 38 H, 2 2B, 4 3B, 24 RBI, 6 BB, 3 SB, 1.6 WPA, 1.4 WAR

PITCHERS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Charles Rhodes (NYAC) – 7-3, 1.58 ERA, 47 K, 97.0 IP, 10 CG, 7.8 K/BB, 0.96 WHIP, 3.4 WAR, 4.1 rWAR
NEL: Ben Lauppe (NAT) – 8-2, 1.85 ERA, 35 K, 97.1 IP, 9 CG, 1.5 K/BB, 1.20 WHIP, 1.6 WAR, 3.4 rWAR

GREENHORNS OF THE MONTH
NYL: George Spatz (LF, EMP) – .416, .986 OPS, 19 R, 37 H, 7 2B, 3 3B, 15 RBI, 4 BB, 4 SB, 2.0 WPA, 1.2 WAR
NEL: Everton Pickett (P, PBCC) – 6-3, 2.18 ERA, 15 K, 91.0 IP, 7 CG, 1.4 K/BB, 1.25 WHIP, 1.6 WAR, 1.6 rWAR

N.B.B.O. STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .507 by Lucas Maxwell (2B, Susquehanna)
OPS: 1.141 by Lucas Maxwell
Home Runs: 3 by Felix Charles (RF, Scranton)
Runs Batted In: 31 by Frederick Pike (2B, P.B.C.C.)
Runs: 36 by Frank Tucker (LF, Minuteman)
Stolen Bases: 20 by Manuel Romeiras (CF, N.Y.A.C.)
Batsman WPA: 2.4 by Ben Gagliardi (SS, Atlantic)
Batsman WAR: 1.5 by Peter Jones (SS, S.o.t.O.)

Wins: 9 by John Faulkner (Lancastra) & William Hawk (Susquehanna)
ERA (50+ IP): 1.44 by George Cerven (N.Y.A.C.)
Strikeouts: 47 by Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.)
Complete Games: 10 by Charles Rhodes
WHIP (50+ IP): 0.96 by George Cerven & Charles Rhodes
Pitcher WAR: 3.4 by Charles Rhodes
Pitcher rWAR: 4.1 by Charles Rhodes

COASTAL CONFERENCE

LEADER: Olympic at 16-2 (Essex Co. 4 GB; Sportsman’s 6 GB; Highlander 7.5 GB)

Olympic has finally found their level, and they’re thriving at it with a +100 Run Differential over just eighteen games. Sportsman’s hasn’t fared as well, but at least their future is looking up. Essex has been by far the best of the six teams new to league baseball thanks to the batting of 1B James Baker and the pitching of Clarence Kessler.

C.C. MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Noah Skiles (2B, OLY) – .417, 1.038 OPS, 28 R, 35 H, 8 2B, 2 3B, 28 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SB, 2.3 WPA, 1.1 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Clarence Kessler (ESX) – 7-1, 0.90 ERA, 17 K, 79.2 IP, 7 CG, 2.4 K/BB, 0.97 WHIP, 1.6 WAR, 3.9 rWAR

C.C. STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .417 by Noah Skiles (2B, Olympic)
OPS: 1.038 by Noah Skiles
Home Runs: 1 by many different batsmen
Runs Batted In: 28 by James Holt (C, Olympic) & Noah Skiles
Runs: 36 by Charles Darling (CF, Olympic) & Everton Pauline (LF, Olympic)
Stolen Bases: 19 by Everton Pauline
Batsman WPA: 2.3 by Noah Skiles
Batsman WAR: 1.1 by Noah Skiles

Wins: 8 by Howard McCrath (Olympic)
ERA (50+ IP): 0.90 by Clarence Kessler (Essex Co.)
Complete Games: 7 by four different pitchers
Strikeouts: 36 by Howard McGrath
WHIP (50+ IP): 0.97 by Clarence Kessler
Pitcher WAR: 2.0 by Carl Bancroft (Olympic)
Pitcher rWAR: 4.1 by Walt Harper (Sportsman’s)

P.C.B.L. LEADERS

EAST: Frankford at 13-5 (Queen Village 1 GB; Pt. Richmond & Sons of Ben 2 GB; Keyston & Minerva 5 GB)
WEST: Merion & Overbrook at 11-7 (Germantown, Penn, & Schuylkill 1 GB; Bartram & Independence 3 GB)

EAST – Last year’s top two are back top the standings after the first month, but with the positions reversed. Instead of leading thanks to their perennially high-powered offense, Frankford is in 1st thanks to the league’s best pitching while it’s Q.V. who has the league’s best offense. Pt. Richmond & Sons of Ben have both shown powerful lineups.

WEST – Indeed the West has become a scramble after the departure of Philadelphia B.C.C. Merion’s start is a surprise – their new 23 y/o 1B is batting .400 – while Overbrook’s isn’t. Germantown is right behind the top two with a #3 offense, while Penn & Schuylkill have excelled in the field. Newcomers Bartram have started admirably.

P.C.B.L. MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Edward Smith (CF, GER) – .341, .904 OPS, 25 R, 31 H, 13 XBH, 1 HR, 23 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB, 1.2 WPA, 1.0 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Graham Gross (QV) – 7-2, 2.01 ERA, 15 K, 89.2 IP, 6 CG, 2.1 K/BB, 1.29 WHIP, 1.3 WAR, 2.2 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Henry Yoder (LF, SoB) – .346, .856 OPS, 22 R, 27 H, 2 2B, 3 3B, 12 RBI, 7 BB, 16 SB, 1.0 WPA, 0.8 WAR

P.C.B.L. STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .388 by William Pupillo (SS, Mercantile)
OPS: .920 by Benjamin Warnock (1B, Mercantile)
Home Runs: 2 by Sam Brown (LF, Mercantile) & William Kniffen (1B, Merion)
Runs Batted In: 25 by Edward Long (LF, Queen Village)
Runs: 27 by Alphonse Nelson (CF, Queen Village)
Stolen Bases: 16 by Henry Yoder (LF, Sons of Ben)
Batsman WPA: 2.4 by Jonathan Bagwell (1B, Germantown)
Batsman WAR: 1.1 by William Holcomb (SS, Queen Village) & Benjamin Warnock

Wins: 7 by three different pitchers
ERA (50+ IP): 1.72 by Charlie Greiner (Frankford)
Complete Games: 8 by Bud Forster (Minerva)
Strikeouts: 40 by Oliver Greene (Frankford)
WHIP (50+ IP): 1.04 by Jasper Austin (Schuylkill)
Pitcher WAR: 2.3 by Oliver Greene
Pitcher rWAR: 2.8 by Robert Nygren (Overbrook)