THE CHRONICLE
July 1972
Edition 2.8
Anson Dedicates Season To Chicago
Rebuilding City Still Feels Like Home
Cap Anson in short order has become the biggest revelation in the league and the most feared man with a bat. It is something special when all the hype and anticipation comes out exactly like everyone had hoped, and in this case even more so.
The Middletown Mansfields of course are not from Middletown. The former famous Chicago White Stockings had to up and leave their home city due to the devastating and tragic fire that the city suffered last year. In the mean time the team has left their personal lives behind them including family to continue to play the game.
Anson has lead this team to a league best 24-9 record to set them up for the pennant in the National League. Anson is hitting an astounding .519 for the season getting 151 hits in 291 at bats. It really seems like he is impossible to stop. The proud 20 year old in the mist of this season did have a message for the fans back home who can only read about the success of their team.
"This season is for them" says the star, "we hope we can bring them some joy knowing how well we are playing and that we will be home again to play in their presence.
The best estimates is that the club will not be able to return to Illinois for at least two years as the building of a ballfield has been delayed for more pressing needs.
In the meantime, Cap Anson just keeps on hitting.
Davy Force And Brooklyn Claiming Territory
New York Native Leads Historic Club
The Brooklyn Athletic Club has been known for its baseball talents for some time. Now the club has made its way to the big stage and even though the division is controlled by the flying Middletown club, the Atlantics as they are known have made great progress on and off the field.
Brooklyn has a 17-19 record which is good enough for third in the division and is not all that bad for an expansion club. In fact Brooklyn has a better record then the defending pennant winners, the New York Mutuals. The Mutuals have been their natural rivals for some time now, and to be ahead of them in the standings means alot.
The club has the newest park in the league with the Capatoline Grounds and the club keeps gaining in popularity. Manager Bill Lennon has done well with the roster but in truth every popular club needs a super star. New York native third baseman Davy Force has filled that role and then some. Force has one of the best gloves in the league and this season he is hitting .464 with 28 RBI and seven steals. Force is the local kid who has done well for himself at the age of 23 and came into his own after hitting only .284 last season.
"I can look up and see my family at everygame" says Force, "I mean who doesnt want to play well in front of their mom?"
The future does seem to be bright for the Atlantics and Force. Many in the media now are giving more space to the Brooklyn club then they are for New York. Both clubs are just about even when one looks at the attendance numbers and the teams have split their four games thus far this season evenly.