American Baseball Monthly

[OmahaReynolds]

In the wake of a few abandoned threads I have started, I'm taking another stab at a dynasty. I'll be running a fictional league, loosely based on the MLB but with fictional teams and players. The cities are real, and the numbers should be true to the era. The league will start in 1871 and will evolve and expand over the years, hopefully growing in depth and complexity.

To keep things simple, I won't be reliving the turbulence of the 19th century. Teams will be stable and won't be folding from the league left and right as in real baseball history. I've tried this with fictional leagues and it means more details. For me, more details means more things I'll end up unhappy with, and I'll more than likely give up and start over. It'll evolve along lines similar to OOTP's standard historical mode.

The structure in 1871:

United States Baseball Association:

Continental League:
Chicago Crows
Cincinnati Squires
Louisville Blues
St. Louis Colonels

United League:
Baltimore Barons
Boston Brahmins
New York Kings
Philadelphia Classics

The 1871 season is 36 games. The 1st place teams from each league will face off in the 7 game U.S. Series in mid-September.

There is also no inaugural draft, and there will be no amateur drafts, at least not in the 19th century. Teams have whoever they have when the game starts up, and free agents are generated at the end of each season, making a sort of "free for all" draft.

I'll be covering the league via the fictional American Baseball Monthly publication.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy and I will do my best to see this one through, I've already been playing a bit and I'm having a blast with this setup.

[OmahaReynolds]

United League Edition - April 1871

League Standings

Philadelphia Leads Pack After Opening Month;
Youngster Fred Hannah Impresses
by Toppes Bagelle

PHILADELPHIA - The Classics have made their mark at the top of the United League going into May behind the work of the young right hander Fred Hannah, a new face from the the distant town of Yuma, Colorado. Hannah made his way East in 1869 when the poor level of competition in the backwaters of Southern Colorado led him to seek greener pastures - and Philly couldn't be happier with his decision.

Hannah went 4-1 in April, with 6 K's and 5 walks, posting a 1.93 ERA. His team gladly perches on the roof of the United League.

Surprises also came from the last minute March signing of first baseman Jim McCloud, who might be moving up from his number eight spot in the lineup after starting the season off with a .414 average and 7 RBI.

With the Classics batting at a .306 clip as a team, and with the batch of incredible talent they have on the roster, it would be a shock not to see them in the top half of the standings throughout the 1871 campaign.

The Boston Brahmins and the Long Ball
by Hex Bambino

BOSTON - Home runs are seen as a rarity in this game, something that will happen a few times in a summer, something that the casual spectator could easily miss and never catch a glimpse of. The boys from Boston have been hitting them over the fence without effort, managing 5 four-baggers as a team going into May.

Dingers aren't all the Boston club has going for them. The Brahmins lead the UL in almost every category, with the offense led by 29 year old 3B Joe Buchanan (.500/.516/.733, 1 HR, 9 RBI) and 27 year old hurler Alan Karr (4-1, 0.71, 7 K).

The Classics look to have a long fight toward September with the offense-heavy Brahmins.

Sather Gets Demoted In New York Pitching Shakeup
by Wookie Milson

NEW YORK - The Kings have gotten off to a rough start in their first season in the professional league. Nobody knows this better than Archie Sather, the elite pitcher who was know in New York's semi-pro days as the "Texas Twirler." Sather's been moved into the pitching reserves after a 2-4 performance in April that had the opposition batting .330. The problem with the pitching only tells half the story of the New York King's lackluster start to the season.

New York has scored 37 runs collectively, almost a dozen under the league average of 48 and a quarter. So the Kings have a two-headed demon to face: they must get their pitching under control, and they need to learn to hit as a team. It's not as if they are lacking good hitters, Alan Snell made headlines with his 5-hit masterpiece against Baltimore on April 29.

Truly, this team has at least a handful of promising hitters. If only the pieces would fall into place, but like they say, it's still early.

A Bad Start In Baltimore
by Shuck Bywater

BALTIMORE - Barons fans have a few things to worry about if the first month of the season is any indicator of the future. The poor Baltimore club has allowed 60 runs and 84 hits, while only scoring 38 times and batting at a measly .254 clip. Perhaps the reason for the enormous amount of runs scored against this team is the 42 errors they've managed to pile up in the field, which would be believable, if Philadelphia didn't have them beat with 42.

Their story is similar to New York's. The Barons starter going into the season was Earl Lanning, who ended up with a 1-3 record and an opponent's average of .295. Which would be great if the team could manage more than one hit every four at-bats.

There is some hope for Baltimore. Wesley Jackson just might be the best offensive second baseman in baseball, and he's starting off the 1871 campaign on a roll, with 11 hits in his 29 at-bats so far over six games. Illinois native Stephen LeGault has put forth some good numbers too, hitting in the 8th spot.

If these guys want to go anywhere, they'd better start hitting, and get their pitching in order. 1-5 in going into May could turn into 3-8 going into June pretty easily.

[OmahaReynolds]

Continental League Edition - April 1871

League Standings

Blues Lose Joplin, Manage To Stay On Top For Now
by Slug Sanders

LOUISVILLE - A torn bicep has sidelined the popular Jim Joplin, who handed over the pitching task to Lucas Harper. Fans aren't worried yet, the Blues are in first place, but the season is only beginning and nobody knows for sure if Harper will be able to command the ball in the way Joplin has a reputation for.

As a starter, Harper has gone one and one, with three-inning meltdown in St. Louis that had him give up 10 runs, four of the earned. He redeemed himself in Cincinnati with a full nine inning stretch.

Tim Kent, who just might be the most expensive catcher in baseball, proved he's worth nearly $500 with a .400 average in the first month of the season.

Kamp On Fire In CL, Leads Batters
by Les Paul

ST. LOUIS - The Colonels have a lot to be excited about. They have who appears to be the best hitter in the Continental League in Don Kamp. Perhaps it's best not to get too excited yet, after all, there are six games down, thirty more to go here in the season. Kamp has flown under the radar so to speak, nobody had ever really heard of him, and today he's the talk of everybody in St. Louis with a pulse.

While the experts say things like "I don't see much upside," and "He might be nothing more than a platoon player," the good people of St. Louis look as if they are ready to put the center fielder in the Mayor's office.

Kamp is hitting for a .484 average, with 2 doubles, 3 triples and 13 RBI.

Even Steven In Chicago
by Al Dillinger

CHICAGO - Nope, nothing to report here. We're 3 and 3 and batting .222. We've managed to strike out one, single batter in the month of April. We are... hopelessly mediocre.

What Happened To Cincinnati?
by Fitz Harper

CINCINNATI - General Manager Randy Spencer appears to have a target over his head in Cincinnati, after his club went winless the first month of the season. After all of club owner Aaron Williams' taunts about how the Squires were going to be champions in the inaugural season, it seems things don't always go as planned. Mr. Williams definitely wasn't planning for 0-6, and Spencer has quite a climb to fulfil front office expectations. Who are the culprits behind this stagnant club?

Pitcher Wesley Meehan could have been an easy scapegoat, but seeing as he's now out for at least six weeks with a strained oblique there must be another donkey to pin the tail on. After all, replacement pitcher Ron Peterson is allowing batters the same .300 plus batting average.

The Squires are leading the CL in errors and have without a doubt shown the worst defensive performance of the four clubs. Maybe it's the offense as well. When your #5 hitting performance is a whopping .190, you've got problems.

The Cincinnati club is a mess and it would be a miracle to see them hit .500 this year.

[OmahaReynolds]

Continental League Edition - May 1871

League Standings

Louisville Holds On To First
by Slug Sanders

LOUISVILLE - Lucas Harper was center stage in Louisville after taking over starting pitching duties from an injured Jim Joplin, still out for six weeks. Harry Thompson, who has last pitched in an April game against the Cincinnati Squires, has been called upon to take the starting job from Harper, in a move that has many fans scratching their heads. Harper has displayed good pitching mechanics, winning 6 and losing 3 decisions while holding the opposition to a .277 average.

Jim Joplin & Tim Kent

Tim Kent has managed to continually shock the baseball world with his .400+ hitting abilities. Kent is .404/.417/.526 for the season so far, and while he may not be the best defensive catcher, he is holding up behind the plate with a 89% defensive effiency.

Crows Make The Most Out Of Mediocrity
by Al Dillinger

CHICAGO - With the worst offense in the CL, and a pitching staff that can't seem to decide who there starter is, Chicago has managed to amazingly stay in second place, but just barely, with an even-Steven .500 record. Whether this is a display of the Crows ability to make the most of their limited tools, or just a testament to the huge talent disparity in the Continental League remains to be seen.

Valentine Plumb

The one bright spot on the Chicago roster is the infielder, 3B Valentine Plumb. At $155, Plumb is a steal, hitting .360 with two triples. The Crows have seen fit to keep Valentine in the #7 spot, while the top six are collectively batting around .220. The exception to this being CF Coy Faulk, hitting leadoff, and at the age of 24 hitting an impressive .344 with a .574 slugging percentage.

St. Louis Offense Won't Make Up For Shoddy D
by Les Paul

ST. LOUIS - The number one offense in the league has been carrying the entire burden of the Colonels' 1871 campaign, and it's beginning to buckle under the weight. 105 runs scored and 109 runs allowed - both highs in the Continental League, are keeping the club slightly under an even record. Their fielding efforts have also led the league in errors, with a staggering 96 in 13 games. Their biggest offender - Frank Davis, in the crucial shortstop position, with 17 errors.

CF Don Kamp is still amazing fans and players with a .373 average, 17 RBI and 10 stolen bases, having only been caught stealing twice. The 22 year old looks to have a long and exciting career if he keeps these numbers up.

Squires Cleaning The Basement, Looking For Ladder
by Fitz Harper

CINCINNATI - After a winless month of April, the Squires has nowhere else to go but up. They've managed a 4-3 May, which is good for a club that started off a hopeless campaign. Whether they can continue to improve and work their way past St. Louis and Chicago remains to be seen, but there are 23 games left in the season and anything is possible.

The young CF Jered Moorman has given the fans something to cheer for, batting .373 and slugging a strong .542.

But with few upsides to the club, and a crippling start to the season, perhaps the best that Cincinnati can do is consolidate and prepare for a better run next yer.

[OmahaReynolds]

United League Edition - May 1871

League Standings


Philadelphia Unstoppable Behind Hannah
by Toppes Bagelle


PHILADELPHIA - The Classics continue their assault on the United League thanks to the masterful pitching of young arm Fred Hannah. He's gone 9-2 in the first two months of the season and has shown no signs of letting up. He's averaging 1.19 walks and hits per inning, and holding batters to a .253 average. Good work for a 22-year old that nobody in the East has ever heard of.

Fred Hannah

3B Lou Walters and CF Desmond Lewis lead a decent Philadelphia offense that has managed to collectively hit for .277 so far this season. Walters has been hitting in the 3 hole, putting up good numbers (.306/.323/.468) and Lewis is on clean-up duty for the Classics, hitting a nice .340.


The question with Philadelphia is, with such a great starting pitcher, why they keep so many relief pitchers on their 15-man roster. With only a backup catcher available to pinch-hit or sub, it might be worth their while to send some of those unused relievers to the reserves.




The Bats Are Still Alive In Boston
by Hex Bambino


BOSTON - With a team batting average of .306, it may be a bit of a wonder why these guys are still floating around the .500 mark. Bad luck with errors, perhaps. Too many runners left in scoring position might be the reason. They are still performing very well, and securing the lead isn't out of the question at all.

Joe Buchanan

Joe Buchanan is still hitting well, with a .373 average, and Dave Smith (.377, 8 SB) has made his way off the DL back to the leadoff spot in the lineup. Alan Karr is still pitching wonderfully for the Brahmins and is currently leading the league in strikeouts. Overall, these guys are an extremely solid team and it would be wise to keep an eye on them.




Barons, Meet Barron
by Shuck Bywater


BALTIMORE - Being called up to lead the club as the starting pitcher at the end of April, Mike Barron has done quite well, helping the Barons move up in the world after a slow 1-5 start in April. He's managed a 3-3 season since getting the promotion, striking out 3.

Mike Barron

New York, New York... Snell's Big Apple Slump
by Wookie Milson


NEW YORK - Many of the hopes of Kings fans were placed on 1B Alan Snell, and hopes have been dashed for the time being. Snell has slumped his way to a .228 average, hitting for .133 in the entire month of May.


The Kings are trailing in nearly every batting category so far, and the team that was seen as the United League favorites going into the season have proven thus far that predictions are just like feet, we all have two, and they almost always stink.