[Powderguy]

When the Washington Olympics were crowned Association champions at the conclusion of last year, nobody knew what to think. I mean, really, a team that went 6-3 just won the league. “Absolute disaster”, “What a travesty”, and “My heart has been ripped out”, those were some of the quotes from players around the league. The upper management in the Association declared something like this would never happen again. Onto the upcoming season which sees a lot of turnover. Six clubs, the Eckfords, Nationals, Olympics, Haymakers, Mansfields, and Forest Citys, didn’t have the adequate resources to continue playing competitively. Four new clubs will step into their place. They will be the Baltimore Marylands, Elizabeth Resolutes, Philadelphia Whites, and Washington Blue Legs. This will leave the league with nine teams for the upcoming season.

Below I will be listing the projected starting lineup order for each team and doing a little preview of each club’s predicted fortunes.

Baltimore Canaries: Coming off an initial season that saw the club go 28-28, the Canaries have to think they have as good a chance as anyone else especially after last year’s disaster atop the standings. Jimmy Wood was way better than anyone could have imagined as he slugged 71 RBI and pitcher Asa Brainard was acquired from the Nationals after they folded. But, Wood has skipped town to go play for Philly.

LF: Al Thake (.291, 38 R, 26 RBI with BRA)
RF: George Heubel (.276, 62 R, 3 HR, 58 RBI, 13 SB)
3B: Levi Meyerle (.339, 52 R, 55 RBI)
C: Fred Waterman (.323, 31 RBI with BRA)
CF: Bob Ferguson (10 for 33 in 26 career games, never played CF)
2B: Harry Berthrong (.205, 58 R, 4 HR, 53 RBI, 17 SB)
1B: Charlie Bierman (.247, 12 RBI with CFC)
SS: Gene Kimball (.300, 9 RBI with CFC)

SP: Asa Brainard (43 GS, 27W-10L, 2.88 ERA with OLY & BLC)

Baltimore Marylands: A newbie to the Association, nothing to discuss here.

3B: Mike Brannock (.254, 39 RBI with TRO & ECK)
2B: Tom Carey (3 for 11 with ECK)
LF: Paul Hines (.109, 8 RBI with NAT & PHA)
CF: Art Allison (.290, 2 HR, 18 RBI with CFC)
SS: Chick Fulmer (.350, 21 RBI with MID, NAT, & BOS)
C: Frank Selman (.230, 3 HR, 35 RBI with PHA & CFC)
RF: Joe Eland (rookie)
1B: Bill French (rookie)

SP: Joe McDoolan (rookie)
P: Martin Malone (29 GS, 9W-16L, 3.65 ERA with ECK)

Boston Red Stockings: For a team that averaged 12 runs per game, you have to be disappointed with a 26-21 record. This is largely due in part to pitcher Cy Bentley, shoddy fielding, and giving up 9.5 runs per game. So, to cure the issues they bring in Al Pratt and bring back fan favorite Al Spalding who spent the 1871 campaign there. They also reeled in catcher Deacon White, who appears to have pushed Cal McVey out of the starting job.

SS: George Wright (.287, 65 R, 50 RBI, 28 SB)
LF: Ned Cuthbert (.294, 37 RBI with PHA)
1B: Cap Anson (.325, 67 R, 7 3B, 3 HR, 61 RBI with TRO & BOS)
C: Deacon White (.348, 2 HR, 34 RBI with CFC, OLY, & BRA)
RF: Clipper Flynn (.284, 69 RBI with TRO & BOS last yr)
3B: Harry Schafer (.324, 26 RBI with NYU)
CF: Tom Foley (.246, 38 RBI with BRA & CFC)
2B: Eddie Booth (.321, 2 HR, 39 RBI with MID & BOS)
SP: Al Pratt (27 GS, 14W-11L, 2.76 ERA with CFC & NYU)

P: Al Spalding (30 GS, 9W-19L, 4.73 ERA with BRA)

Brooklyn Atlantics: After finishing as the doormat of the league at 12-25, things have to go up for the Atlantics. 17 year old pitcher Jim Britt takes back control of the starting job. They added Everett Mills and Fred Treacey for some pop in the lineup, but it remains to be seen if things will actually change for the better.

C: Tom Barlow (.242, 3 RBI)
RF: John Glenn (.258, 27 RBI)
1B: Everett Mills (.310, 27 RBI with ECK)
LF: Fred Treacey (.257, 61 R, 4 HR, 48 RBI with BOS)
2B: Bob Addy (.311, 2 HR, 37 RBI with MID, NAT & NYU)
CF: Candy Nelson (.259, 18 RBI with ECK)
SS: Jimmy Hallinan (.280, 2 HR, 31 RBI with ECK)
3B: John Radcliff (.233, 28 RBI)

SP: Jim Britt (28 G, 3W-6L, 2 SV, 3.37 ERA)
P: Dick McBride (33 G, 15W-13L, 3.93 ERA with MID & BOS)

Elizabeth Resolutes: I like the thinking New Jersey, hey let’s bring a team here. But, it appears doomed as all the players are backups on other rosters. Cy Bentley will take the mound for this squad.

RF: Henry Austin (rookie)
3B: Alexander Nevin (rookie)
C: John Clapp (.309, 26 RBI with MID & BOS)
2B: Charlie Smith (.281, 2 HR, 35 RBI with TRO & ECK)
CF: John Farrow (rookie)
1B: Michael Campbell (rookie)
RF: Oliver Brown (rookie)
SS: Favel Wordsworth (rookie)
SP: Cy Bentley (46 GS, 23W-14L, 3.52 ERA with BOS)

New York Mutuals: Now we have the favorites to win the title, the Mutuals are STACKED up and down the lineup. They improved their by bringing in Lip Pike and MVP George Hall re-upped for another year.

1B: Joe Start (.314, 35 RBI)
SS: Jim Holdsworth (.314, 24 RBI with CFC)
CF: George Hall (.417, 58 R, 85 H, 11 3B, 5 HR, 68 RBI with OLY, TRO & NYU)
2B: Lip Pike (.309, 56 R, 2 HR, 52 RBI with PHA)
LF: Jim Foran (.285, 2 HR, 56 RBI)
RF: Bill Kelly (.342, 35 RBI with MID, NAT & NYU)
C: Nat Hicks (.309, 55 RBI)
3B: Bill Boyd (.345, 22 RBI)

SP: George Zettlein (42 GS, 16W-23L, 3.12 ERA with TRO & NYU)
P: Rynie Wolters (40 G, 16W-8L, 2 SV, 2.47 ERA)

Philadelphia Athletics: Considering the club played the first 6 weeks or so without an actual pitcher on their roster, their record of 21-24 is very respectable. That was due to Bobby Mathews coming in to save their team from total embarrassment. He will be the lone man this year and if the team can produce some offense, maybe the A’s can become champions. The club was ecstatic when they signed Jimmy Wood as he will bolster the lineup.

LF: Andy Leonard (.327, 62 R, 40 RBI, 23 SB)
3B: Jim Clinton (.279, 16 RBI with ECK)
2B: Jimmy Wood (.298, 63 R, 5 HR, 71 RBI with BLC)
C: Dick Higham (.354, 56 R, 59 RBI)
RF: Tommy Beals (.299, 15 RBI with ECK)
CF: Count Sensenderfer (.330, 50 RBI)
SS: Ed Duffy (.259, 31 RBI with NAT, MID & BLC)
1B: Denny Mack (.320, 54 RBI)

SP: Bobby Mathews (41 GS, 24W-11L, 3.21 ERA with NAT & PHA)

Philadelphia Whites: Not sure what kind of financial backing the Whites received, but they went out and rocked the news headlines with some big name signings. With names like O’Rourke, Barnes, Sutton, Force, and York all coming to the metropolitan city for the inaugural year, they could capture the title.

LF: Tom York (.360, 19 RBI with ECK)
C: Bill Craver (.300, 43 RBI with OLY & BLC)
2B: Ross Barnes (.372, 68 R, 60 RBI, 17 SB with BOS)
3B: Ezra Sutton (.286, 2 HR, 45 RBI with OLY, TRO & NYU)
1B: Jim O’Rourke (.321, 44 RBI with MID & NYU)
SS: Davy Force (.382, 18 RBI with OLY & BOS)
CF: Charlie Hodes (.256, 21 with ECK)
RF: Ned Connor (.244, 2 HR, 37 RBI with CFC, TRO & BRA)

SP: Bill Stearns (16 G, 6W-3L, 3.29 ERA with CFC & NYU)

Washington Blue Legs: After watching two clubs in the same season from the DC area fold, another one will give it a go. No clue why, going to be a long year.

3B: Ralph Ham (.267, 21 RBI with MID, NAT & BLC)
SS: Jim Snyder (0 for 1 in 5 games for ECK)
RF: Gat Stires (.317, 50 R, 37 RBI with PHA)
LF: Ed Mincher (7 for 15, 8 RBI with ECK)
CF: Steve Bellan (.286, 32 RBI with MID)
C: Pop Snyder (rookie)
1B: Marty Swandell (1 for 3 in 7 games for ECK)
2B: Charlie Sweasy (appeared in 2 G for BRA)
SP: John Greason (rookie)


Projected Finish
1. Boston Red Stockings
2. New York Mutuals
3. Philadelphia Whites
4. Baltimore Canaries
5. Brooklyn Atlantics
6. Philadelphia Athletics
7. Elizabeth Resolutes
8. Washington Blue Legs
9. Baltimore Marylands