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Eckstein 4 Prez · 02-19-2016, 10:21 AM

Chadwick Sports Newsletter

April 1872

Professional Base Ball Season Preview

Following the season-long battle between Boston and Mutual in 1871, there were some changes to the Association in the 1871-72 offseason. First of all, the third place Chicago club announced that they would be unable to compete in 1872, primarily because their city lay in ruins following the Great Fire of October 1871. Their top players would be free to sign with other clubs. In addition, two of the smaller cities from 1871, Fort Wayne and Rockford, dropped out of the Association for 1872, as it was apparent they did not have the resources to compete with America’s largest cities in an all-professional competition.

That left six of the clubs from 1871 – Boston, Mutual, Athletic, Cleveland, Olympic and Troy. Five new clubs joined the fray for the 1872 season. Two were top clubs from Brooklyn – Atlantic and Eckford. Atlantic in particular had a successful history, and indeed they were probably the best team in the east in the late 1860s and in 1870. However, there were some doubts about how they would fare in the Association, as many of their top players had left the club in 1871 when they declined to join the new organization. Eckford’s future looked even more doubtful, as they lacked the powerful pedigree of the Atlantic club.

There was also a new team following the questionable Cleveland/Fort Wayne model of luring out of town talent to a small city – the Mansfield club of Middletown, Connecticut. It seemed truly unlikely they would bring in enough top players to compete with leading organizations. Meanwhile, the Lord Baltimore club from Maryland seemed likely to have more success, as they added mostly top established players and seemed to have the resources to compete with even Boston and Mutual.

Finally, there was the National club from the nation’s capital. During the amateur era, National was a top club, mostly because they were able to use the U.S. Treasury Department to give patronage jobs to good players. With open professionalism the new byword of the day, it seemed less likely they would be able to compete.

A snapshot of the clubs and their chances for success in 1872:

Boston – Last year’s winners are mostly intact, with right fielder Fraley Rogers as the only newcomer to the starting nine. They should be similar to the 1871 club.

Mutual – Death to Flying Things moved to Atlantic, and Mutual had newcomers at catcher, third base and in right field. Perhaps they will be slightly less competitive this season.

Athletic – They may have some defensive problems this season, as they have some hitters but not enough experienced infielders. Expect them to lose many high-scoring affairs.

Forest City – The Clevelands have most of their players returning, and should be competitive if they have the resources to keep going throughout the season – there are rumors this might not be the case.

Olympic – Their roster is also similar to 1871’s, and thus they should have similar results. Expect them to be a team toward the middle of the standings.

Troy – They were already a weak club in 1871, and some of their best players departed in the offseason. They look like one of the weakest clubs in the Association.

Lord Baltimore – They spared no expense bringing in top players, including Chick Fulmer, Lip Pike, Everett Mills and Fred Treacey. Likely to challenge Boston and Mutual for supremacy.

Atlantic – Though they lost some key players by not joining the Association in 1871, they have several top men this year, including Bob Ferguson and John Bass. They should be competitive in 1872.

Eckford – They failed to sign any top players, but got several second-tier hitters from various 1871 clubs and expect to be at least adequate as a result.

Mansfield – They are a young team with few if any top stars. Could surprise and win a few games, but it is more likely they will fall as other smaller cities did in 1871.

National – It is unlikely that the second-best team in the nation’s capital will be able to do much in the Association.

The official Chadwick predictions for the Association this season: Boston first, Lord Baltimore second, Mutual third.

02-19-2016, 10:21 AM	#3
Eckstein 4 Prez Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: The OC Posts: 6,347	Chadwick Sports Newsletter April 1872 Professional Base Ball Season Preview Following the season-long battle between Boston and Mutual in 1871, there were some changes to the Association in the 1871-72 offseason. First of all, the third place Chicago club announced that they would be unable to compete in 1872, primarily because their city lay in ruins following the Great Fire of October 1871. Their top players would be free to sign with other clubs. In addition, two of the smaller cities from 1871, Fort Wayne and Rockford, dropped out of the Association for 1872, as it was apparent they did not have the resources to compete with America’s largest cities in an all-professional competition. That left six of the clubs from 1871 – Boston, Mutual, Athletic, Cleveland, Olympic and Troy. Five new clubs joined the fray for the 1872 season. Two were top clubs from Brooklyn – Atlantic and Eckford. Atlantic in particular had a successful history, and indeed they were probably the best team in the east in the late 1860s and in 1870. However, there were some doubts about how they would fare in the Association, as many of their top players had left the club in 1871 when they declined to join the new organization. Eckford’s future looked even more doubtful, as they lacked the powerful pedigree of the Atlantic club. There was also a new team following the questionable Cleveland/Fort Wayne model of luring out of town talent to a small city – the Mansfield club of Middletown, Connecticut. It seemed truly unlikely they would bring in enough top players to compete with leading organizations. Meanwhile, the Lord Baltimore club from Maryland seemed likely to have more success, as they added mostly top established players and seemed to have the resources to compete with even Boston and Mutual. Finally, there was the National club from the nation’s capital. During the amateur era, National was a top club, mostly because they were able to use the U.S. Treasury Department to give patronage jobs to good players. With open professionalism the new byword of the day, it seemed less likely they would be able to compete. A snapshot of the clubs and their chances for success in 1872: Boston – Last year’s winners are mostly intact, with right fielder Fraley Rogers as the only newcomer to the starting nine. They should be similar to the 1871 club. Mutual – Death to Flying Things moved to Atlantic, and Mutual had newcomers at catcher, third base and in right field. Perhaps they will be slightly less competitive this season. Athletic – They may have some defensive problems this season, as they have some hitters but not enough experienced infielders. Expect them to lose many high-scoring affairs. Forest City – The Clevelands have most of their players returning, and should be competitive if they have the resources to keep going throughout the season – there are rumors this might not be the case. Olympic – Their roster is also similar to 1871’s, and thus they should have similar results. Expect them to be a team toward the middle of the standings. Troy – They were already a weak club in 1871, and some of their best players departed in the offseason. They look like one of the weakest clubs in the Association. Lord Baltimore – They spared no expense bringing in top players, including Chick Fulmer, Lip Pike, Everett Mills and Fred Treacey. Likely to challenge Boston and Mutual for supremacy. Atlantic – Though they lost some key players by not joining the Association in 1871, they have several top men this year, including Bob Ferguson and John Bass. They should be competitive in 1872. Eckford – They failed to sign any top players, but got several second-tier hitters from various 1871 clubs and expect to be at least adequate as a result. Mansfield – They are a young team with few if any top stars. Could surprise and win a few games, but it is more likely they will fall as other smaller cities did in 1871. National – It is unlikely that the second-best team in the nation’s capital will be able to do much in the Association. The official Chadwick predictions for the Association this season: Boston first, Lord Baltimore second, Mutual third. __________________ Looking for an insomnia cure? Check out my dynasty thread, The Dawn of American Professional Base Ball, 1871.