(Another) potted history of American baseball, 1870

[Archelirion]

In a parallel universe not too dissimilar from our own...


the National League was established in 1870, not 1871, and featured a roster of entirely different teams and players. The early days were marked much in the same way as ours – rapid expansion, trial-and-error as far as the league goes, and constant errors on behalf of the players.


In the beginning, there were 8 teams:


Baltimore Athletics - Baltimore Ballpark – 2,100
Boston Clippers - Clippers Ballpark – 1,600
Brooklyn Reds - Adams Field – 1,900
Chicago Lions - Field of the Lions – 2,400
Cincinnati Gray Stockings - Cincinnati Plain – 2,200
New York Prudentials - Prudential Grounds – 1,800
Philadelphia Union - Philadelphia Grounds – 2,200
St. Louis Black Caps - Black Caps Ballpark - 2,200


Each team only played 28 games in 1870, but all had a very real shot of making baseball history. Over time, the league grew, rules changed, players developed… but I can’t talk too much about that just yet :3


I hope you’ll join me for (yet another) rewriting of American baseball history, told in year-by-year almanac reports like everyone’s favourite resource – Wikipedia.

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A few housekeeping notes for the initial set-up. Any changes I make to the league will be recorded in future posts, but I figure I should elucidate any glaring differences 'from the off' as it were:

- Initially, there is no amateur draft, or a Rule 5. I have plans to implement both at different stages in the future, but I figured it'd be best to play it 'like it used to be' to begin with - which I think makes sense

- as mentioned earlier, the first couple of seasons are 28 games long. This number will grow! I have expansions ready up until 2005, so it should keep me busy for a bit

- maybe at some point I will get logos for the teams and sort them out, but for the time being it's not high on the priority list. That, and I'm awful at picture editing (which is probably the bigger reason).

- I've set playing style to be as per 1873, and financials as per 1871 (with some minor tweaking as I didn't like the look of a looming minus sign...). I think I've got it set so it automatically updates that each year, so hopefully I don't end up with egg on my face there!

- there ARE a few more international players than there would have been at the time of it being held (although I could just pull the FANTASY WORLD card, I feel I should probably address this). Hopefully this will level out as time goes on, but there may be a few more Dominican MVPs or something prior to 1900. If I can, I'll try and write in any glaring nationality quirks, but I suspect it's not that important in the long run.

- I hope people enjoying reading it! If anybody ever reckons I could do something better or simply wants to know a bit more about X player, let me know! I'll only be too happy to oblige

[Archelirion]

1870

Baltimore Athletics: Above Average, Very Good, 63. 14,700, $10.8k budget, $4.684k payroll
Boston Clippers: Average, Good, 55, 13,244, $9.8k budget, $4.14k payroll
Brooklyn Reds: Above Average, Very Good, 74, 16,702, $12k budget, $5.098k payroll
Chicago Lions: Above Average, Good, 65, $11k budget, $4.966k payroll
Cincinnati Gray Stockings: Above Average, Very Good, 54, 13,062, $8.6k budget, $4.742k payroll
New York Prudentials: Big, Good, 78, 17,430, $13k budget, $6.052k payroll
Philadelphia Union: Average, Good, 48, 11,970, $9k, $4.376k payroll
St. Louis Black Caps: Very Big, Extreme, 80, 17,794, $13k, $6.796k payroll

A short, 28-game season taking place solely over the month of June, the inaugural National League was nevertheless fascinating to watch unfold. It was the New York Prudentials who eventually took the title, going 9-1 in their last 10 games to break away enough from a first half which had been fantastically even; on the 15th June (the halfway point), all 8 sides were separated by two games, with Philadelphia on top with an 8-6, and the Baltimore Athletics in last on a 6-8. The rest, astoundingly, were all on 7-7.

"It’s tighter than a rivet on a New Orleans steamer right now." – Frank Bellamy, Philadelphia Union manager, 15th June 1870.

The Brooklyn Reds will be wondering what could’ve been, as on the 26th June, their 11th innings 8-7 defeat to Baltimore at home spelled the end of a lead that stretched for nearly a third of the (admittedly short) season, allowing a poor-starting Prudentials to wreak havoc on the competition and eventually, themselves.

”I still look back at that now, 42 years on. Baseball’s a game of winning and losing but… to win something for the first ever time is an opportunity you only get once. And we lost that, forever.” – Pat Puffer, centre-fielder with the Brooklyn Reds during the 1870 season, 5th October 1912.

Champions – New York Prudential, 18-10 (0.643)

Final standings



Statistical leaders

Batting average
Richard McAllister (Philadelphia Union) – 0.398

Home runs
Richard McAllister (Philadelphia Union) – 2 (88 at-bats)
Ben DeNoon (Cincinnati Gray Stockings) – 2 (123 at-bats)
Gary Dugan (Boston Clippers) – 2 (127 at-bats)

RBI
Mike Sharp (Baltimore Athletics) – 25 (119 at-bats)
Juan Mendez (Boston Clippers) – 25 (136 at-bats)

Slugging percentage
Marty Lopez (St. Louis Black Caps) – 0.529

Wins (pitching)
Keith Galvin (New York Prudentials) – 14

ERA
Mario Avila (Chicago Lions) – 2.10

OBA
Clay Shields (Brooklyn Reds) – 0.251

Strikeouts
Keith Galvin (New York Prudentials) - 23


Timeline

31st March 1870: Dan Hartman, a 27-year-old second baseman from around Fort Lauderdale, Florida, becomes the first ever player signed by a National League side (after the original charter was signed), after joining the New York Prudentials on a pay-per-play contract.

1st June 1870: The first games in National League history played out today, all four games ending with the winning side claiming more than 10 runs: the Baltimore Athletics beat Philadelphia Union 11 to 4, St. Louis 10 to Boston’s 2, Brooklyn’s 15 to Cincinnati’s 7, and Chicago’s 10 to New York’s 6. Despite ultimately losing, Cincinnati’s Ben DeNoon becomes the first ever player to hit a home run, and the first double play was also witnessed, as St. Louis’ Andy Perdomo and Eric Porter found themselves played out by Boston’s Oscar Martinez, Gary Dugan and Pedro Sahagun.



8th June 1870: St. Louis catcher Seth O’Brien becomes the first ever player to hit 5 balls in a game, going 5-for-5 in a spectacular 17-16 win over the Boston Clippers. The game was particularly noteworthy for both its number of errors (25 between the two sides) and Boston’s ‘Phooey in St. Louis’ – after going into the 9th 10-16 to the home side, the Clippers managed a heroic 6 runs in the upper 9th, only for O’Brien to score what would be the winning run immediately afterwards.

9th June 1870: Gui-fei Si, a Chinese immigrant (from modern-day Taiwan) playing for the Brooklyn Reds, becomes the first pitcher to deliver a shutout in National League history, walking none and seeing only 4 hits. Brooklyn beat the St. Louis Black Caps 4-0.

10th June 1870: New York Prudential beat Philadelphia Union 5-4 at home, requiring a run from shortstop Billy Gentle in the 10th innings to win. This becomes the first ever National League game which runs into additional innings.

21st June 1870: The Boston Clippers beat the Cincinnati Gray Stockings 22-8 at home, Cameron Douglas scoring 4 runs on the day. The 14 run difference proves to be the largest winning difference of the season.

29th June 1870: Leonardo Zamaripa hits 20 games in a row for the St. Louis Black Caps, a record that will reach 21 and the end of the season. Amazingly, Chicago Lions’ Juan Lopez becomes the second person to achieve the feat only a day later, in Chicago’s 15-6 defeat to Philadelphia Union.

30th June 1870: New York Prudential are crowned the inaugural winners of the National League – despite losing their last game to St. Louis 10-9 in a stunning finale, they win 9 of their last 10 games to record an 18-10 record, the only 0.600+ team in 1870. The wooden spoon goes to the Chicago Lions, who finish on a 12-16 along with the Cincinnati Gray Stockings and the St. Louis Black Caps.

10th – 16th July 1870: Awards were given to the season’s highest achievers as follows:

Batting awards by position
P: Chris Salas (Boston), .340/.340/.383 – C: Seth O’Brien (St. Louis), .378/.378/.467 – 1B: Richard McAllister (Philadelphia), .398/.407/.511 – 2B: Leonardo Zamaripa (St. Louis), .360/.360/.470 – 3B: Hector Trevino (Brooklyn), .347/.359/.452 – SS: Pedro Sahagun (Boston), .286/.286/317 – LF: Casey Barnes (Baltimore), .328/.343/.383 – CF: Pat Puffer (Brooklyn), .328/.358/.438 – RF: Marty Lopez (St Louis), .361/.384/.529
In recognition of his batting efforts, the Batting Award was consequently renamed the Richard McAllister Award



Fielding awards by position
P: Jesus Navarro (Philadelphia) – C: Manuel Cantu (Boston) – 1B Antonio Zamora (Brooklyn) – 2B Jeremy Van der Kamp (Brooklyn) – 3B Rich Wood (Philadelphia) – SS Alex Ticas (Chicago) – LF Chris Braden (Boston) – CF Alex Estrada (New York) – RF Marty Lopez (St. Louis)
In recognition of his fielding efforts, the Fielding Award was consequently renamed the Antonio Zamora Award



Manager of the Year
Mark Silver (New York Prudentials, 18-10)
In recognition of his managerial success, the Manager of the Year Award was consequently renamed the Mark Silver Award

Best Pitcher
Omar Roque (St. Louis Black Caps, 9 games, 2 saves, 5-1 record, 0.68 ERA)
In recognition of his pitching success, the Best Pitcher Award was consequently renamed the Omar Roque Award
EDITOR’S NOTE: Omar Roque was signed on a 1-year, $100 contract with the New York Prudentials on the 2nd July 1870, which is why is card shows as such.



Most Valuable Player
Hector Trevino (Brooklyn Reds) – 0.347 AVG, 43 hits, 5 doubles, 4 triples and 22 RBIs

[Archelirion]

Major transfers

Editor’s note: this is for transfers towards the end of 1870, as I forgot those in the last post! Oops!

3^rd July 1870: An interesting trade between the Philadelphia Union and the St. Louis Black Caps saw former St Louis starter Jaylen Landing go to the Union, in return for second baseman Chris Bryan. What makes it interesting is that Landing is a very good pitcher but nudging 40, while Bryan has some degree of potential, but at the much fresher age of 18.

2^nd August 1870: The Brooklyn Reds sign Antonio Zamora- and Richard McAllister Award-winning RF Marty Lopez on a free signing, after being released from the St. Louis Black Caps at the end of the season. His contract drops from $600 a year to $420 to join the Reds.

28^th August 1870: In an amusing turn of events, the Chicago Lions sign Antonio Zamora Award winner Alex Ticas, after having released him only a month earlier. One of the few players to have to-date recorded a Grand Slam, Ticas is now slated to stay with the Lions on a 5 year contract, worth $1,030.

”I admit I was pretty gutted to have been dropped by the Lions, so imagine my shock when I got approached by the very man that let me go! Still, I believe in this team and I believe in this league, so I’m only too happy to rejoin!” – Alex Ticas, 30^th August 1870.

28^th August 1870: The New York Prudentials sign FA reliever Sam Larsen, who was released by the Black Caps. While Sam has no particular talent to speak of, he does come with a handy 1.1 WAR from last season.

3^rd November 1870: With a mighty 1.7 WAR, the St. Louis Black Caps sign starting pitcher Matt Buell, who was released from the Chicago Lions back in July. It is reputed that the 30-year-old has signed a 6 year contract.

[Archelirion]

1871

Baltimore Athletics: Above Average market size, Very Good fan loyalty, fan interest: 74 // 15,832 attendance (1,132 up on 1870 estimate), $8,000 budget, $3,992 payroll – 4th overall in 1870
Boston Clippers: Average market size, Good fan loyalty, fan interest: 65 // 13,931 attendance (687 up on 1870 estimate), $6,500 budget, $3,861 payroll – 5th overall in 1870
Brooklyn Reds: Above Average market size, Very Good fan loyalty, fan interest: 100 // 19,870 attendance (3,168 up on 1870 estimate), $10,000 budget, $4,662 payroll – 2nd overall in 1870
Chicago Lions: Above Average market size, Good fan loyalty, fan interest: 90 // 17,088 attendance, $9,000 budget, $4,778 payroll – 8th overall in 1870
Cincinnati Gray Stockings: Above Average market size, Very Good fan loyalty, fan interest: 64 // 14,275 attendance (1,213 up on 1870 estimate), $6,500 budget, $2,930 payroll – 6th overall in 1870
New York Prudentials: Big market size, Good fan loyalty, fan interest: 86 // 19,966 attendance (2,536 up on 1870 estimate), $13,000 budget, $7,146 payroll – 1st overall in 1870
Philadelphia Union: Average market size, Good fan loyalty, fan interest: 64 // 14,569 attendance (2,599 up on 1870 estimate), $7,000 budget, $4,169 payroll – 3rd overall in 1870
St. Louis Black Caps: HUGE market size, EXTREME fan loyalty, fan interest: 87 // 18,533 attendance (739 up on 1870 estimate), $9,000 budget, $4,609 payroll – 7th overall in 1870


Champions – Brooklyn Reds, 20-8 (0.714)

Final standings



Statistical leaders

Runs
Jose Flores (New York Prudentials) – 26

Batting average
Jose Flores (New York Prudentials) – 0.351

Home runs
Grant Cowan (Baltimore Athletics) – 1 (78 at-bats)
Rich Wood (Philadelphia Union) – 1 (111 at-bats)
Billy Tymon (St. Louis Black Caps) – 1 (114 at-bats)
Alex Estrada (New York Prudentials) – 1 (123 at-bats)

RBI
Aubrey Miller (Philadelphia Union) – 20 (109 at-bats)
Jose Lozada (New York Prudentials) – 20 (116 at-bats)
Hector Trevino (Brooklyn Reds) – 20 (117 at-bats)

Slugging percentage
Jose Flores (New York Prudentials) – 0.468

Wins (pitching)
Keith Galvin (New York Prudentials) – 16

ERA
Napoleon Bobbio (Brooklyn Reds) – 0.98

OBA
Greg Lengyel (Baltimore Athletics) – 0.196

Strikeouts
Keith Galvin (New York Prudentials) - 31


Timeline

1st June 1871: The National League opens with not one, but two games decided in the bottom of the 9th – the New York Prudentials claimed one to claim a 6-5 home win against a resurgent Baltimore Athletics side, while the Brooklyn Reds took their first win of the season, also 6-5, in the 9th after losing an early 5-0 score line to the Boston Clippers.

2nd June 1871: Keith Galvin of the New York Prudentials records the first shutout of 1871, in a 6-hitter, 5-0 victory over the Boston Clippers at Clippers Ballpark.



8th June 1871: Billy Tymon scores the first homerun of the NL season, in a 6-5 defeat for the St. Louis Black Caps against the New York Prudentials. The league will only see 3 more home runs scored for the entire season.



11th June 1871: The New York Prudentials beat Philadelphia Union 7-1 at Philadelphia Grounds, to go 10-1 up after 11 games; nevertheless, they are trailed by one game by the Brooklyn Reds, who themselves a 5-3 away victory against St. Louis. Meanwhile, after going 6-0 up after 2 innings the Chicago Lions thump the Boston Clippers 14-1 at home, despite Boston’s Justin Anderson claiming a 1.99 ERA from 114 pitches.

18th June 1871: An on-pitch argument breaks out between Boston manager Eric Petersen and Baltimore manager Dale Brow, following Athletics pitcher Steve Berry’s celebrations at chalking up an 8-0 shutout. It takes the umpire and several players 6 minutes to defuse.

19th June 1871: 1870 Richard McAllister Award winner Pat Puffer fractures his thumb after falling awkwardly at home, and consequently misses the climax of the season for the Brooklyn Reds. At this point, the Reds lead the NL with a 14-4 record, ahead of New York’s 13-5 and Cincinnati’s 10-8.

22nd June 1871: After shutting the Cincinnati Gray Stockings out 4-0, with a 5-hitter, Philadelphia Union pitcher Jaylen Landing becomes the first, and eventually only, pitcher to record three shutouts in 1871.

24th June 1871: Marking the nadir of a 4-game losing run for the New York Prudentials, the Boston Clippers reverse their own 14-1 result against Chicago earlier in the month, winning the 4th game on the trot for the Massachusetts team.

25th June 1871: A spectacular 6-run lower 4th wins the St. Louis Black Caps their 7th win of the season, in an 8-2 home victory against the Chicago Lions. It is their first in over a week, but will also be their last of the season. The Chicago Lions also let 0.310 batting average 2B Tony Bloodgood go to the Brooklyn Reds today, in return for hotly-rated youngsters 3B Justin Price (19) and 2B Carlos Encinas (22). Also thrown into the deal are RF Sergio Vasquez, CF Dennis Evans (both 19) and C Antonio Munoz (18).



30th June 1871: The 1871 finale is one that will undoubtedly go down in history as one of baseball’s craziest moments; game 28 of the season left the Brooklyn Reds, 19-8 and with a 6-4 record in 10, knowing that a win against 3rd-placed Baltimore would see them win the title they so narrowly missed out on in 1870. The New York Prudentials, on 18-9 but with the same 6-4 record, needed a victory against 7th-placed Chicago to stand a chance. New York managed a messy 5-3 victory against Chicago (which saw the Lions dominate hits 14 to 4), and it looked like it may be enough – at the start of the 9th, the Athletics were 4-3 up. However, after an equaliser in the 9th and a triple in the 10th from Marty Lopez, Brooklyn were starting to celebrate – only for Baltimore shortstop Jason Tate to draw up again. However, a triple from Australian LF Charles Richards went well on the way to giving the Reds a whopping 5 runs in the 11th, to which Baltimore had no reply.

”It was just one of those times were you have to stand up and be counted. It was only my 3rd not-single hit in the year, but it just felt like it was now or never. The ball fell right and I just swung at it – feels good to win it after last year!” – Charles Richards, 30th June 1871.

Awards

Antonio Zamora Award (best fielders by position)
P: Mario Avila (Chicago) // C: Mitch McWilliams (Brooklyn) // 1B: Ricky Anguiano (Cincinnati) // 2B: Gabe Barnes (Cincinnati) // 3B: Rich Wood (Philadelphia) // SS: Scott Wroten (New York) // LF: Billy Gentle (New York) // CF: Alex Estrada (New York) // RF: Marty Lopez (Brooklyn)




Best Reliever Award
Greg Jacobs (St. Louis Black Caps, 1.08 ERA, 16.2 IP, 2K, 2 walks)
The Best Reliever Award will henceforth be named the Greg Jacobs award. As Omar Roque had one both Best Reliever and Best Pitcher last year it was not named in 1870.




Richard McAllister Award (best batters by position)
P: Matt Buell (St. Louis), .311/.311/.311 – C: Justin Smith (St. Louis), .286/.308/.460 – 1B: Eli Cortez (Boston), .397/.397/.462 – 2B: Liam Benbow (Boston), .254/.260/.357 – 3B: Hector Trevino (Brooklyn), .291/.300/.325 – SS: Stu Dallas (Philadelphia), .336/.345/.391 – LF Casey Barnes (Baltimore), .270/.309/.381 – CF: Juan Mendez (Boston), .266/.272/.444 – RF: Jose Flores (New York), .351/.405/.468



NOTE: Eli Cortez recorded a higher batting average than Jose Flores, but had not participated in the minimum average of 3.1 IP per game required to hold the batting average record.


Best Rookie Award
Liam Benbow (Boston Clippers, 0.254 AVG, 32 H, 11 RBI, 22 runs)
The Best Rookie Award will henceforth be named the Liam Benbow Award.



Mark Silver Award (best manager)
Chris Pyle (Brooklyn Reds, 20-8)

Omar Roque Award (best pitcher)
Chris Prestenbach (Brooklyn Reds, 3 IP, 2K, ERA 0.00)



NOTE: The subsequent uproar among certain factions of the baseballing world that Prestenbach won the Omar Roque Award, and not New York’s Keith Galvin, meant that the National League took the decision to only allow starting pitchers to win the Omar Roque award in future years.

Most Valuable Player
Jose Flores (New York Prudentials, 0.351 AVG, 7 doubles, 3 triples, 13 RBIs)




Notable retirements

RP Bobby Castillo (38) – 13 games, 7 for the Philadelphia Union and 6 for the New York Prudentials. Across 58 IP he finishes with a career ERA of 1.71, with a best of 1.55 in 1871 for New York.

LF Vincent Turcios (41) – 14 games (3 starts), all for the New York Prudentials. His most noticeable contribution was the 0.579 batting average he accrued across the 1870 season.

SS Luis Jimenez (39) – 22 games (15 starts), all for the Baltimore Athletics. Recorded a respectable career average of 0.284, and scored 10 runs, 15 RBIs, and 2 doubles for the Athletics.


Notable transactions

SS Jason Tate (1.0 WAR) – now at the St. Louis Black Caps, after having been released by the Baltimore Athletics at the end of the season. Not a proficient batter (recording a 0.182 AVG in 1871), Tate brings solid fielding ability to the Black Caps.

1B Eli Cortez (1.1 WAR) – released from the Boston Clippers after refusing to sign a contract, the 28 year old Dominican joins the Brooklyn Reds on a 3 year contract worth $720. An 1871 Richard McAllister Award winner, Cortez is a proven batsman that should make the Reds only more dangerous.

1B Antonio Zamora (1.0 WAR) – the namesake of the National League’s fielding trophy, Zamora was surprisingly released by the Brooklyn Reds at the end of the 1871 season. The 29-year-old is now on a 1-year contract at Philadelphia Union, purported to be worth $190.

SP Gui-Fei Si (1.5 WAR) – with poor stuff but always seeming to perform better than his ability suggests (a career record of 22-13, WHIP of 1.07 and 28 Ks doesn’t just happen), the Reds nevertheless felt that his position was untenable at the end of the season. Gui-Fei Si currently sits as an FA.

2B Andy Wyatt (1.0 WAR) – Andy Wyatt comes to the Chicago Lions as part of a deal with the New York Prudentials; the infield specialist leaves the Big Apple for the Windy City, in return for 0.333 AVG catcher Tony Sepulveda and #14 prospect, SS Luis Saldana.

SP Jaylen Landing (1.3 WAR) – the only man to have found three shutouts in 1871, at the age of 41 keeping Jaylen Landing on at the Philadelphia Union was deemed too much of a risk by the management. Despite finishing on a 1.47 ERA, he finds himself still an FA.

1B Ben DeNoon (0.4 WAR) – despite scoring 28 runs over the past two years, DeNoon finds himself moving to club number three in the offseason, signing a 1-year contract for $80 at the Baltimore Athletics. The scorer of the first ever home run in NL history has struggled to cement his position at a team, and will be hoping that, at the age of 33, it’s not too late to make an impression.

[Archelirion]

Originally sent on 26th November, 1871.

AMENDMENT


RE: Season length

To whom it may concern,

Following the success of the first two National League seasons, the American Federation of Baseball has decided to trial a longer, 42-game schedule for 1872, instead of the currently-used 28. This will mean each team will play each other 6 times instead of 4, and will end the season in the middle of July, instead of the end of June. In addition, series lengths shall be raised to two games. Any reservations to this amendment must reach the American Federation of Baseball (address in letterhead) by the 31st Day of December, 1871.


Signed,






Theodore Carver Glencombe, chairman of the American Federation of Baseball.

[Archelirion]

Champions - Brooklyn Reds, 28-14 (0.667)

Final standings


Statistical leaders

Runs
Juan Mendez (Boston Clippers) – 40 (188 at-bats)
Cameron Douglas (Boston Clippers) – 40 (191 at-bats)

Batting average
Steve Scalici (New York Prudentials) – 0.394

Home runs
Brian Glock (Philadelphia Union) – 3 (123 at-bats)
Steve Neidert (Brooklyn Reds) – 3 (155 at-bats)
Regis Bollati (Chicago Lions) – 3 (184 at-bats)
Alex Estrada (New York Prudentials) – 3 (191 at-bats)

RBI
Mark Sharp (Cincinnati Gray Stockings) - 41

Slugging percentage
Regis Bollati (Chicago Lions) – 0.500

Wins (pitching)
Keith Galvin (New York Prudentials) – 20

ERA
Bill Arsenault (Brooklyn Reds) – 1.56

OBA
Omar Roque (New York Prudentials) – 0.225

Strikeouts
Keith Galvin (New York Prudentials) - 53

Timeline

6th June 1872: The New York Prudentials become the first ever team to record more than 20 runs in a game, as they beat the St. Louis Black Caps 21-4. The game is notable not only for the score, but that New York only recorded one double (courtesy of Jose Lozado), and the amazing 9 runs scored in the upper 8th.

Also on the 6th, Brooklyn’s Pat Puffer becomes the first ever person in National League history to record 6 hits in a single game. His RBI single in the 11th was enough to help break the deadlock and see the Reds beat Philadelphia Union 7-5.



9th June 1872: The St. Louis Black Caps win their first game of the season, with an 8-2 victory over the Philadelphia Union; they go 1-8 as a consequence. This will be the last game they win until 27th June – at the worst point, they have a 1-21 record.

18th June 1872: 1871’s top rookie Liam Benbow ends his season with an oblique strain – he finishes his sophomore season with 22 runs from 18 games, and a batting average of 0.306.

20th June 1872: Baltimore’s star pitcher Jason Brasher breaks the ‘record’ for most severe injury, out for 4 months with bone chips.

23rd June 1872: The Brooklyn Reds obliterate the St. Louis Black Caps 27-12 at Black Caps Ballpark, setting new records for highest scoring game and most runs by a single side. Impressively, they score 20 runs from the first 4 innings.

30th June 1872: Although theoretically aided by an extended season-length, New York Prudentials first-baseman Jose Lozada breaks the record number of hits in a single season, with 44. He will, however, be beaten to the final-season record by his teammate, Steve Scalici – 65 hits to 64.

6th July 1872: Baltimore left-fielder Casey Barnes matches Pat Puffer’s 6-hitter in a 13-6 victory over the Boston Clippers – he has a hand in 3 runs, including a 2 RBI hit in the 6th.

11th July 1872: The Cincinnati Gray Stockings, having only spent two days off the top spot since the 27th June, lose their third game on the bounce, a 4-6 defeat to the New York Provincials. Two crunch defeats against the Brooklyn Reds on the 12th and 13th June effectively end the Gray Stockings’ chances for a first league title.

14th July 1872: The Brooklyn Reds secure their second consecutive National League title, after beating the Chicago Lions 7-4.

17th July 1872: Perhaps due to overseeing 3 no-win, declining seasons (0.429, 0.250, 0.190), the St. Louis Black Caps’ owner John Young hands the team over to Craig Garrett, who declares ambitions to have a top 2 development team in 4 years and a top 2 National League team in 5.


Records

Antonia Zamora Award (top fielders by position)

P: Jason Herberholz (Brooklyn) // C: Joe Benner (Brooklyn) // 1B: Jose Lozado (New York) // 2B: Phil Menne (Baltimore) // 3B: Daniel Fernandez (Cincinnati) // SS: Daniel Wroten (New York) // LF: Steve Neidert (Brooklyn) // CF: Alex Estrada (New York) // RF: Marty Lopez (Brooklyn)



Greg Jacobs Award (top reliever)

RP Ignacio Dominguez (St. Louis Black Caps) – 2.96 ERA, 48.2 IP, 11 K’s, 1 walk



Richard McAllister Award (top batters by position)

P: Jason Herberholz (Brooklyn), .265 - .263 - .316 // C: Casey Crowe (Philadelphia), .317 - .314 - .442 // 1B: Jose Lozada (New York), .344 - .367 - .425 // 2B: Joe Taylor (Chicago), .320 - .322 - .423 // 3B: Steve Scalici (New York), .394 - .396 - .436 // SS: Manny Ponce (Baltimore), .297 - .326 - .352 // LF: Casey Barnes (Baltimore), .302 - .335 - .412 // CF: Regis Bollati (Chicago), .310 - .323 - .500 // RF: Joe Thompson (Philadelphia), .362 - .390 - .425



Liam Benbow Award (top rookie)
Keith Rubenstein (Brooklyn Reds) – 0.333, 32 hits, 96 ABs, 2 HRs, 15 runs



Mark Silver Award (top manager)
Chris Pyle (Brooklyn Reds) – 28-14

Omar Roque Award (top pitcher)
Keith Galvin (New York Prudentials) – 20-14, 2.23 ERA, 286.2 IP, 53 Ks, 0.242 OBA



Most Valuable Player
Jose Lozada (New York Prudentials) – 0.344 AVG, 0.367 OBP, 64 hits, 9 doubles, 2 home runs, 6 walks




Major transactions

SS Manny Ponce (1.3 WAR) – despite being the recipient of a Richard McAllister Award at shortstop this season, the Baltimore Athletics didn’t opt to keep the 31-year-old native of Miami at the club, releasing him at the end of the season. As of the end of the 1872, he remains on a free, after a 0.297 batting season.

SS Mike Clark (0.0 WAR) – The likely reason for Ponce’s release, Baltimore’s acquisition of Mike Clark from independent leagues could see the diminutive Indianan marking himself as one of the NL’s great shortstops. The 3-year contract shows Athletics’ intention to keep him on for a while – watch this space.

3B Ferri Ploeger (0.5 WAR) – in a high-profile, high-stakes trade with the Baltimore Athletics, the 27-year-old Curaçao-born third-baseman went to the Brooklyn Reds, in a year-long contract worth $84. In return, the Maryland side receive catcher Felix Mendoza (who should become their no. 1 for 1873), and #15 prospect SS Nick Foster – who the Athletics will doubtlessly hope can come into the side as a long-term replacement for Mike Clark.

1B Ben DeNoon (1.0 WAR) – with a career WAR of 1.9 (over three years) and having scored more doubles/triples than any other 1B, DeNoon seems to be destined to have one of those careers that deserved more recognition than he will likely ultimately get. Despite his 2nd 1.0+ WAR season in 3, DeNoon once more finds himself released, this time from the Baltimore Athletics. As of the end of 1872, he remains a FA, raising questions of the talented Californian’s future.

SS Lorenzo Martinez (0.8 WAR) – A talented shortstop, the Venezuelan finds himself transferred from the Boston Clippers to the New York Prudentials. The question hanging over, however, is who got the better deal – New York had to give up #25 prospect 2B J. J. Knapp, as well as talented reliever Kai-Shek Shuo to land Martinez. Nevertheless, it should be noted that New York will likely feel good about losing Shuo, as every game he finished this season, the Prudentials lost by a sizeable margin.

RF Gabe Ocasio (1.0 WAR) – Gabe Ocasio has had a peculiar post-season. Released by the Boston Clippers on the 9th August, the Dominican became engaged in discussions with Philadelphia, eventually signing a $62, 1-year contract with the Union on 13th September. Without having even played for them, however, Philadelphia signed bullpen reliever Alex Balbuena and promising shortstop Rob Lustgraaf from Boston… and guess who was the payment? That’s right, Ocasio. So Gabe Ocasio remains at Boston for 1873 after all.

C Steven Gunderson (0.8 WAR) – Along with sweetener SS Willie Hernandes, the Cincinnati Gray Stockings let Steven Gunderson go after a solid 17-run season to the Brooklyn Reds, in exchange for 1872’s top rookie Keith Rubenstein. Rubenstein, who recorded a 0.333 AVG this season, is said to be a little disappointed with the move, but hopes to prove the Reds wrong for letting him go.

C Joe Benner (0.7 WAR) – Winning the Antonio Zamora award in 1872 (and therefore making him arguably the best catcher in the NL) was not enough for the Brooklyn Reds to keep him on into 1873 – however, the Floridian moves to a Cincinnati side only too happy to keep him on for a year, while trying to realise their ambitions as a growing side.

SS Stu Dallas (1.3 WAR) – Stu Dallas’ 3-year stint at Philadelphia will likely be remembered fondly by Union fans – a former Richard McAllister Award winner and MVP nominee, his 2.7 combined WAR and 59 runs for the team meant he has been, until the end, a great player. His move to Chicago then is controversial, as the Lions relinquish decent prospect SS Tyler Davis and iffy catcher Nelson Sarabia in exchange. It’s early days, but I can’t help but feel Chicago came off better.

SS Seth Mayberry (0.0 WAR) – another hugely talented independent, Mayberry joins Cincinnati as Jack Vidak (see below) leaves. In games played in his native Kansas, observers have remarked on his frightening basestealing abilities, as well as his infield prowess – he is equally as competent a 2nd and 3rd baser.

SS Zack Vidak (1.1 WAR) – at almost 35 it’s likely that Cincinnati are injecting fresher blood in by replacing Vidak with Mayberry, but it’s undoubted that they are losing a still talented, versatile player in Zack Vidak. A 0.315 AVG ends his 1872 season, and while he remains an FA at the end of the year, it’d be surprising if this was the end of Vidak’s career.

RP Manny Lopez (0.0 WAR) – the first of – get this – four tantalising free signings by the New York Prudentials, Manny Lopez (a local of New York) joins from the independents as a hugely talented reliever. While not really a master of any one pitch, 22-year-old Lopez’s control is reputed to be very impressive.

RP Daniel Hatcher (0.6 WAR) – number two great signing Daniel Hatcher joins the New York Prudentials after three seasons of service at the Philadelphia Union; the owner of a solid sinker, Hatcher will be hoping to impress New York to give him more than a year-long contract. He comes in as their number one reliever, so that’s not a bad start.



LF Adam Chatham (0.0 WAR) – number three is Adam Chatham, an independent from Montana. An unimpressive batter, Chatham’s biggest asset – and boy is it an asset – is his ludicrously good outfield arm. If he can keep the errors down, Chatham is set to frustrate a lot of batters on the left.

C Manny Martinez (0.0 WAR) – signing number 4 (and ANOTHER independent), Manny Martinez joins the Prudentials as their number-two catcher, behind John Carroll. New York are spoilt for choice now; while Martinez is a solid if unspectacular catcher, his gap-hitting has been reported as ‘mesmerising.’

SS Scott Wroten (1.8 WAR) – in arguably the relinquishing of the season, New York released 2-time best-shortstop-of-the-year Scott Wroten on a free at the end, following an impressive 1.8 WAR record and 0.350 AVG. Philadelphia Union snapped him up with glee, however, and Wroten is now on a 2-year, $292 contract with the Pennsylvania mid-tablers.



C Bobby Florance (0.0 WAR) – one of two key signings for the St. Louis Black Caps this year, 27-year-old West Virginian Bobby Florance boasts modest batting ability, decent catching ability, a solid infield arm and excellent strike avoidance. Not much to get overly excited about, but he’s being hailed as a possible great of 1873, so watch this space.

SP Khaldun Bin Mus’ad (0.0 WAR) – originally from a tiny village in Israel, Khaldun came over to America as a youngster. Now 27, St. Louis’ offering of a 7-year contract to an independent is a signal – this guy looks GOOD. In fact, some are saying he looks as good as Keith Galvin – and with that movement, control, stamina and holding ability, there might be something in that.




Recently retired
C Seth O’Brien – an 1870 Richard McAllister Award winner, O’Brien’s 0.351 career average is nothing to be sniffed at, even if it was only over two seasons. At the age of 40, however, everyone saw this coming.

END OF SEASON TEAM DIAGNOSTICS

Baltimore Athletics: Above average market size, Very Good fan loyalty, 76 fan interest (up 2, 1191 average attendance.
Boston Clippers: Average market size, Good fan loyalty, 61 fan interest (down 4, 1048 average attendance.
Brooklyn Reds: Above Average market size, Very Good fan loyalty, 100 fan interest (no change, 1730 average attendance.
Chicago Lions: Above Average market size, Good fan loyalty, 84 fan interest (down 6), 1485 average attendance.
Cincinnati Gray Jackets: Above Average market size, Very Good fan loyalty, 79 fan interest (up 15), 1321 average attendance.
New York Prudentials: Big market size, Good fan loyalty, 85 fan interest (down 1), 1560 average attendance.
Philadelphia Union: Average market size, Above Average fan loyalty, 62 fan interest (down 2), 1039 average attendance.
St. Louis Black Caps: HUGE market size, EXTREME fan loyalty, 86 fan interest (down 1), 1163 average attendance.

[Archelirion]

Champions – Philadelphia Union, 26-16 (0.619)




Statistical records

Most runs (team): New York Prudentials – 272 runs

Least conceded runs (team): Brooklyn Reds – 194 runs






Summary

The 1873 National League saw the trophy move outside of New York for the first time, as Philadelphia Union rose to a shock 26-16 title, over the 25-17 New York Prudentials and the 23-19 Brooklyn Reds.

Early stages of the National League pointed towards an incredibly close season. On the 14th June, after the first 2 weeks, New York topped the table with an 8-5 record – Boston, Baltimore, Brooklyn, Chicago and Philadelphia all trailed by a mere game, with Boston also having a game in hand over the Prudentials. Perhaps fittingly, New York recording the most brutal thumping of the fortnight, recording a 2-game beating of rivals Brooklyn, and then following up with a 23-4 job over the Baltimore Athletics – a game which saw a 5-hitter from Jose Flores, 4 runs from Steve Scalici, and 5 doubles hit between the two sides to boot. However, most other top sides also hit big results – Boston beat Chicago 10-2 on the 10th, Brooklyn thrashed St. Louis 13-3 on the 9th, Chicago recorded a shock 12-5 result over New York on the 14th, and Philadelphia also got a 10-2 result, this time against Cincinnati. The St. Louis Black Caps once more had a slow start to the season, but their 5-8 form meant they were at least not in last. That accolade which went to Cincinnati during the first two weeks, who after a stunning 1872 campaign only found 3-9 – including 5 results which they lost by a single point.

By the end of June, however, the Brooklyn Reds had hit a streak of form, winning 10 games from 13 between the 15th and the 28th of the month; all bar one of those wins saw the Reds concede 3 or less runs (and the other, they conceded 4), and Jason Herberholz managed 2 shutouts on two consecutive days (the 19th and the 20th). With Brooklyn in the lead, Philadelphia Union had also enjoyed a strong end to the month, and found themselves in 2nd, only 1 game behind the Reds. With a game in hand, the Boston Clippers were only half a game behind Union, but after a strong Week 3 (winning 5 from 7) the New York Prudentials had a horrid end, only managing 2 wins (against Philadelphia and Chicago) in the final 8. Cincinnati hauled themselves up to 6th despite a terrible Week 3 (2 from 7), only sustaining one defeat (a 3-4 final-innings game against Philadelphia) from their final 8 games of the season, and St. Louis once more wound up holding onto 7th. After a respectable first half of the month, however, the Chicago Lions only won 3 games from the final 15 – including a 7-0 shutout defeat to New York, a dreadful 11-5 lead being thrown in the 13-12 defeat to Philadelphia, and a 14-2 walloping to the Cincinnati Gray Stockings.

By the penultimate week’s end, four teams had a winning record – Philadelphia Union (21-14), Brooklyn Reds, New York Prudentials (both 20-15) and the Boston Clippers (18-17). Philadelphia had continued to be strong with another 5-from-7 week, and used this to their advantage over the Brooklyn Reds, who managed a disappointing 3 during the same period (including 2 defeats against the Chicago Lions). New York’s week was much the same as Philadelphia, a costly 5-12 defeat to Brooklyn their only real low point; despite a solid start to July, Boston greatly worsened their chances of National League glory with only 3 wins from 8, speculated to be partially down to star hitter Cameron Douglas sustaining a thumb injury. Baltimore continued their slide from a promising start with a losing 3-4 week, and subsequently were met at 17-18 by an ascendant Cincinnati who won 5 games from 8 (including a 13-2 demolition of Boston and a 12-5 victory against St. Louis, which saw them score 9 runs in the final 2 innings). In a moment of all-too-familiar misery, fans of St. Louis saw their team drop down to 8th following only one win in 7 (5 of which saw them concede more than 10 runs); consequentially, a winning week from Chicago was enough too see the Illinois team move up to 7th.

As with all good seasons the title came down to the wire, between Philadelphia Union and the New York Prudentials. New York had managed a solid 4 wins in 6, including 2 wins against Philadelphia – these were, however, surrounded by an 11-0 embarrassment by Cincinnati and a defeat to Chicago (mentioned below); Philadelphia too had managed 4 wins in 6, winning all bar the 2 games to the Prudentials. Philadelphia felt good about their chances, knowing a final win against St. Louis would be enough to take it – New York needed a win to have a chance, but were going against last-placed Chicago.

It’s the final day of the National League, and the Philadelphia Union have just managed to prise the National League trophy away from the New York area for the first time! The New York Prudentials knew that they needed to beat the Chicago Lions, who have disappointed this season, and managed to get the job done pretty early, despite a late renaissance from the Illinois side – they finished that 7-5. Philadelphia found themselves 4-4 with St. Louis at the start of the 5th, but found an extra gear in the next two innings to ultimately do enough to stave off St. Louis’ late surge – it ended 8-6, and with the trophy going to Pennsylvania!

For the other teams: Brooklyn finished the self-destruction job off that they started in the previous week, recording only 3 wins from their final 7 – including a shocking 18-7 defeat to the St. Louis Black Caps (where 9 errors were recorded along the way). Despite a winning record, a 3-15 defeat to New York and an 11th-innings 9-8 loss to Baltimore in their very last game meant that the Boston Clippers finished in 4th, only one game off of 3rd place. After their dreadful start to the season, the Cincinnati Gray Stockings managed to just about break even on 21-21, following a respectable 4-3 final week in which all three defeats were (to their credit) against the top 3 sides. The Baltimore Athletics, conversely, threw away their solid start to end the season in a disappointing 6th place; only 2 wins in the final 7 games leaves them with a less-than-impressive 19-23, exactly the same scoreline as last year.

Despite not finishing the year with a winning record (far from it), Craig Garrett’s first season as St. Louis owner saw a massive improvement from 1872’s 0.190 record – and compared to their penultimate week, their last week saw some cracking results, including a 15-0 obliteration of the Chicago Lions and the aforementioned 18-7 result over title contenders Brooklyn Reds. Alas, Chicago’s 15-0 result wasn’t the end of the Lions’ woes – subsequent defeats to Boston, Cincinnati and a final defeat against New York meant that they only managed a singular win (an admittedly heroic turn-around from 7-0 down in the 7th) during the final week of 1873.


Awards

Antonio Zamora Award (best fielders by position)
P: Khaldun bin Mus’ad (St. Louis) // C: Joe Benner (Cincinnati) // 1B: Ben DeNoon (St. Louis) // 2B: Liam Benbow (Boston) // 3B: Rich Wood (Philadelphia) // SS: Ramon Delgado (Boston) // LF: Jamie Boriack (Cincinnati) // CF: Regis Bollati (Chicago) // RF: Marty Lopez (Brooklyn)



Greg Jacobs Award (best reliever)
No winner

Richard McAllister Award (best batters by position)
P: Keith Galvin (New York) .258, .277, .320 // C: Nelson Sarabia (Philadelphia) .337, .351, .467 // 1B: Alex Briseno (Chicago) .280, .320, .396 // 2B: Liam Benbow (Boston) .313, .317, .472 // 3B: Cameron Douglas (Boston) .389, .398, .444 // SS: Josh Lendzion (St. Louis) .345, .355, .473 // LF: Pat Puffer (Brooklyn) .324, .351, .483 // CF: Alex Estrada (New York) .333, .341, .425 // RF: Marty Lopez (Brooklyn) .323, .345, .455



Liam Benbow Award (best rookie)
SS Mike Clark (Baltimore Athletics) – 0.308 AVG, 56 hits, 182 at-bats, 28 RBIs, 24 runs, 3 walks, 0.314 OPB



2nd placed: Makhmud Jamarauli (Brooklyn Reds - .315/.333/.396) -- 3rd placed: Manny Martinez (New York Prudentials - .297/.331/.359)

Mark Silver Award (best manager)
Mark Silver (New York Prudentials) – 25-17

Omar Roque Award (best pitcher)
Keith Galvin (New York Prudentials) – 19-13, 2.21 ERA, 85 K’s, 281.1 IP



2nd placed: Jason Herberholz (Brooklyn Reds - 11-4, 39 K's, 1.30 ERA) -- 3rd placed: Khaldun bin Mus'ad (St. Louis Black Caps - 16-23, 62 K's, 3.13 ERA)

Most Valuable Player
2B Liam Benbow (Boston Clippers) – 0.313 AVG, 0.317 OBP, 61 hits, 6 doubles, 11 triples, 1 HR, 27 RBIs, 45 runs



2nd placed: Cameron Douglas (Boston Clippers) -- 3rd placed: Pat Puffer (Brooklyn Reds)


End-of-season Team Diagnostics

Baltimore Athletics (19-23, 6th) – Above Average market size, Very Good fan loyalty, 80 fan interest (up 4), 1403 av. attendance (up 212)
Boston Clippers (22-20, 4th) – Average market size, Good fan loyalty, 58 fan interest (down 3), 1181 av. attendance (up 133)
Brooklyn Reds (23-19, 3rd) – Above Average market size, Great fan loyalty, 95 fan interest (down 5), 1715 av. attendance (down 15)
Chicago Lions (15-27, 8th) – Above Average market size, Good fan loyalty, 80 fan interest (down 4), 1439 av. attendance (down 46)
Cincinnati Gray Stockings (21-21, 5th) – Above Average market size, Very Good fan loyalty, 76 fan interest (down 3), 1341 av. attendance (up 20)
New York Prudentials (25-17, 2nd) – Big market size, Good fan loyalty, 85 fan interest (no change), 1621 av. attendance (up 61)
Philadelphia Union (26-16, 1st) – Average market size, Above Average fan loyalty, 61 fan interest (down 1), 1269 av. attendance (up 230)
St. Louis Black Caps (17-25, 7th) – HUGE market size, EXTREME fan loyalty, 85 fan interest (down 1), 1451 av. attendance (up 288)

Transactions (sorted by WAR gained)

New York Prudentials: 1.2 WAR
In their march towards making it to the top once more, GM Steve Swift has made some killer signings for the Prudentials this postseason. Effectively rejuvenating their relieving roster comes Chris Prestenbach and Joe Barnett (both released from Brooklyn), along with intriguing independent Kevin Ohm (65/65). 2B Ethan Tole (again, from Brooklyn) joins after an impressive .320/.325/.376 season, and a short-term contract has been given to 27-year-old Fernando Machado (75/75), coming from a non-NL-affiliated team. Finally, their acquisition of Rich Wood on a free may raise some eyebrows at 36, but a 1.9 WAR and 3 fielding awards don’t lie. The Prudentials have additionally managed to avoid a big talent bleed, the only major loss being 32-year-old reliever Omar Roque (60/60).

Baltimore Athletics: 0.8 WAR
Despite claiming runner-up in the WAR-gained tables, Baltimore’s postseason transactions have looked counterproductive to say the least. Their biggest signing, RF Gabe Ocasio, comes from an admittedly excellent season with the Boston Clippers (earning a WAR of 1.3) after the Massachusetts team released him – despite seemingly improving season-upon-season, some still doubt whether Ocasio has what it takes to ‘make it’. The Athletics have lost 2B Marcantonio Squillari (50/60) in a trade which sees them gain 2B Jordan Gonzalez (25/25) and CF Dave Campbell (40/40), and additionally have released highly-rated CF Justin Keane on a free, who despite only clawing a 0.269 AVG in 1873 still leaves with a 1.1 WAR.

Brooklyn Reds: 0.5 WAR
After having a busy postseason, the Reds will likely be happy with their transactions, geared towards making them a Top 2 side again; their signings of C Joe Benner (WAR 1.2) and perpetual journeyman 1B Ben DeNoon (WAR 1.2) illustrate this handily. They’ve also signed RP Daniel Hatcher (70/70) in a deal with the St. Louis Black Caps (which saw them lose highly-rated 1B Rodolfo Rodriguez 25/65), and sacrificed 1.0 WAR 2B Ethan Tole to gain 22-year-old promising shortstop Ben Golden (25/65). Finally, their sourcing of 29-year-old independent 2B Josh Wiese (80/80) has ‘good job’ stamped all over – he is signed through until 1879. They have, however, lost a substantial portion of their old guard relieving core – Joe Barnett (70/70, now at New York), Napoleon Bobbio (70/70) and Chris Prestenbach (70/70, also at New York) leave the club, along with two-time Richard McAllister Award and 1870 MVP 3B Hector Trevino (who now plies his trade at Philadelphia).

Chicago Lions: -0.1 WAR
Far and away the least active team in the post-season transfer market, the Chicago Lions only signed three and released four from their ranks. With all bar one of the seven involved being over the age of 30 (the other, 1B Nate Tilley, being 29), the Chicago management seem to be struggling to entice new blood to the team; coming dead last in 1873 and with no real players of note joining, the Lions will likely be in for a tough year next year.

Boston Clippers: -0.4 WAR
Despite bringing in 8 players over the postseason, the Clippers have only really made two of note: the free-signing of Omar Roque, released from the Prudentials at the end of the season, and relieving prospect Carlos Ortiz (30/60), hoping to make his entrance to the NL next year. Releasing RF Gabe Ocasio (1.3 WAR) on a .341/.344/.403 has raised questions, but the relinquishing of 1B Gary Dugan (70/75) and LF Ricardo Valencia (70/70, -0.2 WAR) has met with cautious nods from pundits, who generally agree that the players have largely failed to match up to expectations in their careers.

St. Louis Black Caps: -0.7 WAR
The signings of 21-year-old 3B Aaron Trice (25/65) and 1B Rodolfo Gonzalez (also 25/65) seem to point to a degree of long-term team-building for the Black Caps, who appear to have a long game developing (perhaps as a consequence of their recent struggles). Ohioan shortstop Tucker Carnevale (75/80) comes with a great deal of interest, but many are seeing the signing of Gary Dugan as a make-or-break for both player and club. With only two major casualties – Ben DeNoon’s 4th failed extension and the short-lived acquisition of Daniel Hatcher – some are saying that next year will be the year that the Black Caps finally break their bogey. Others, however, believe the damage to already have been done.

Philadelphia Union: -1.9 WAR
Despite their -1.9 WAR not looking all that pretty, it’s worth remembering that the whole 1.9 comes from the releasing of 3B Rich Wood, who despite being a 3-time Antonio Zamora Award winner, at the age of 36 poses a slight risk for his longevity. Additionally, Philadelphia will be over the moon to get the aforementioned Hector Trevino in their ranks, after being released from Brooklyn. Their signing of Marcantonio Squillari from Baltimore is also interesting, but much focus has been placed on the Dominican independent SP, 22-year-old Angel Perez (50/70), and their Venezuelan acquisition, LF Amdre Alfes (70/75). Rich Wood aside, their outgoings are less intriguing than the WAR might suggest, although their trading of C Casey Crowe to Cincinnati could be viewed as a mistake.

Cincinnati Gray Stockings: -2.2 WAR
Perhaps harmed by a poor 1873 showing after 1872’s shock runner-up season, Cincinnati has waved goodbye to no less than 15 players this postseason – a list including 21-year-old starlet 3B Aaron Trice, 2-time Antonio Zamora Award winner C Joe Benner (1.2 WAR), and solid second-base (and 1871 Antonio Zamora Award winner) 2B Gabe Barnes. They have, however, landed Canadian catcher Casey Crowe (as above, arguably the best batting catcher in the competition), and they welcome back 35-year-old SS Zack Vidak, who they (arguably wrongly) released in 1872.

[Archelirion]

Champions – Boston Clippers, 26-16 (0.619)




Statistical records

Most runs (team): Chicago Lions – 276 runs

Least conceded runs (team): Boston Clippers – 196 runs






Summary

A disastrous start for the Brooklyn Reds and the New York Prudentials suffering their first losing season went a long way to more last-day drama in the National League. With both the Boston Clippers and the Philadelphia Union on 25-16 as Game 42 came around, it was ultimately Boston that was able to come through, earning the team’s first ever National League title in the process.

Despite losing their first game (a 3-8 home defeat to Baltimore), Philadelphia Union looked like the strongest team in the competition’s first 2 weeks – sitting pretty at the top of the National League with a 9-4 record, after results like a 12-4/10-3 series against Chicago, 11-2 against the New York Prudentials on the 7th and an 18-8 smashing over badly underperforming Brooklyn (who by the 14th June were dead last, with a 4-9 form hanging over them). The Baltimore Athletics started exceptionally strongly as well, being only a game behind the Union at the 2 week mark – distinguished by low scoring games (including 2 shutouts), the Maryland side had much to thank SP Jason Brasher for, as his ERA of 1.62 was at the time, comfortably the league’s lowest for starting pitchers. A slow-starting Chicago, New York and Boston had managed to creep into the winning record ranks (with 7-6 each), leaving Cincinnati and St. Louis on 5-8.

On the 15th June, Baltimore had a season-defining moment, and not for the better; Jason Brasher came off in a substantial amount of pain in the 6th innings of the Athletics’ 6-1 defeat to Brooklyn, reports later confirming he’d torn his UCL (the injury was so severe that, when interviewed in August, Brasher was unsure whether he’d be fit for the 1875 season either). The ‘Brasher Effect’ became acutely apparent to Baltimore fans, as by the end of June they had slipped to 12-16, into joint 5th-7th with the Chicago Lions and the New York Prudentials. Philadelphia sat precariously at the top on 19-9, but after losing a 2-game series to the Boston Clippers (5-10 and 3-7, both at home), Boston had worked their way up to being within a point of Philadelphia, effectively replacing Baltimore as main title rivals. Fortunately for Brooklyn fans, after their dreadful start the team in red had started to perform as expected, clawing their way up to 14-14, and, importantly, a 10-5 record for June’s second half – interestingly, after last year’s mad scorelines, Brooklyn failed to score or concede more than 10 runs in any one game during this period. Despite a poor Week 4 (only 2 games won out of 6), Cincinnati had managed to match Brooklyn’s 14-14 record, while St. Louis failed to surprise, remaining on the bottom with 11-17. Gary Dugan, after having a solid 0.337 AVG was traded by St. Louis to the Boston Clippers, finally managing to show his true ability after two highly disappointing years.

Only being one game off the triumvirate of Chicago, New York and Baltimore at the end of June, by the start of the NL’s last week St. Louis found themselves three games adrift on 13-22 – despite this, their 11-7 against Cincinnati and 10-6 against Brooklyn meant that what they did win looked remarkably comfortable for the Missouri team. At the same point, Boston had crept above Philadelphia to claim first place, with the two sides on 23 and 22 wins respectively. Boston had enjoyed a fantastic first week (outside of two pathetic 0-2 and 0-1 losses to Brooklyn), scoring 45 and conceding 26; Philadelphia’s was far more problematic as they only just stumbled to a 3-4 showing, but nevertheless the two sides looked to have made the National League a two-horse race. Brooklyn and New York trailed behind the sides with 17-18 records each, and these were followed up (again, a mere point in it) by the Baltimore Athletics (still just-about holding on), the Chicago Lions and the Cincinnati Gray Stockings. The league was once more rocked by a pitcher injury on the 7th, however, when Jason Herberholz only played an inning in Brooklyn’s 3-0 defeat to New York before badly tearing his shoulder.

Hearing the news hardly came as a shock – I knew what I’d done. But being told I’d be unable to play baseball for a year, and therefore I’d miss nearly all the 1875 season too – that’s what hurt. I cried a lot that evening. – Jason ‘Maverick’ Herberholz, 29th March 1876

Day 42 of the National League came around, and things were even tighter than last year – Boston and Philadelphia found themselves on level peggings (at 25-16) going into the last game. The Clippers had made things harder for themselves than they needed to, as despite their season they’d only managed 4 wins from their previous 10 games – including a series defeat to the Chicago Lions and a 3-7 thumping against the side they needed to beat, the New York Prudentials. The Philadelphia Union had done a little better, but 5-5 was still far from excellent – nevertheless, they had to beat the Brooklyn Reds, who they’d at least squeaked past in the bottom 9th the day before (the game played out to be an epic 5-4).

I remember how it felt when the telegram came through, that Philadelphia had fallen 4-7 to the Brooklyn Reds. Absolute, absolute elation. We’d beaten New York 8-4, but obviously, we didn’t know what had happened until the message came through – it turned from the most nervous moment of my life, to the second best moment of my life. After marrying my wife, of course. – Cameron Douglas, speaking in 1924.

The New York Prudentials, as it happened, had slipped to their first ever losing record, finishing the season on a 20-22 – Keith Galvin put this down to ‘that blasted Monday’, which saw them lose 5-13 and then 9-10 (losing from 9-5 at the top of the 8th) against the Cincinnati Gray Stockings. The Baltimore Athletics crashed and burned in their final week, only managing a singular win (3-0 against the St. Louis Black Caps) and having a particularly painful closing-day 8-0 shutout imposed on them by Cincinnati. Conversely, after their poor start, the Brooklyn Reds had managed to secure 3rd after all, with a 6-1 final week in which they scored 57 and only shipped 39; similarly, the Chicago Lions bounced up to their first ever top-half finish, finding their best ever form with only 2 losses from 11. Alas, despite spirited performances from C Bobby Florance and SS Tucker Carnevale, it was to be wooden spoon #3 for the St. Louis Black Caps – still yet to finish above 7th in 5 seasons.


Awards
Antonio Zamora Award (best fielders by position)
P: Angel Perez (Philadelphia) // C: Nelson Sarabia (Philadelphia) // 1B: Rich Rosamilia (Boston) // 2B: Eddie Butcher (New York) // 3B: Alex Ticas (Chicago) // SS: Ramon Delgado (Boston) // LF: Pat Puffer (Brooklyn) // CF: Juan Mendez (Boston) // RF: Marty Lopez (Brooklyn)



Richard McAllister Award (best batters by position)
P: Mario Avila (Chicago) .256, .270, .291 // C: Bobby Florance (St. Louis) .379, .375, .414 // 1B: Gary Dugan (Boston) .355, .377, .465 // 2B: Josh Wiese (Brooklyn) .337, .379, .429 // 3B: Dana Meszaros (Cincinnati) .337, .345, .448 // SS: Tucker Carnevale (St. Louis) .301, .314, .361 // LF: Casey Barnes (Baltimore) .326, .363, .461 // CF: Justin Keane (Baltimore) .258, .300, .390 // RF: Marty Lopez (Brooklyn) .303, .316, .415



Liam Benbow Award (best rookie)
2B Josh Wiese (Brooklyn Reds) – 0.337 AVG, 55 hits, 24 RBIs, 30 runs



2nd placed: Dana Meszaros (Cincinnati Gray Stockings - .337/.345/.448) – 3rd placed: Trevor Johnson (Cincinnati Gray Stockings - .333/.346/.404)

Mark Silver Award (best manager)
Eric Petersen (Boston Clippers) – 26-16

Omar Roque Award (best pitcher)
Omar Roque (Boston Clippers) – 22-14, 2.21 ERA, 75 K’s, 313.2 IP



2nd placed: Jason Herberholz (Brooklyn Reds – 12-11, 82 K’s, 1.96 ERA) – 3rd placed: Keith Galvin (New York Prudentials – 17-14, 95 K’s, 3.07 ERA)

Most Valuable Player
2B Casey Barnes (Baltimore Athletics) – 0.326 AVG, 0.363 OBP, 58 hits, 4 doubles, 7 triples, 2 HR, 16 RBIs, 28 runs



2nd placed: Josh Wiese (Brooklyn Reds) – 3rd placed: Marty Lopez (Brooklyn Reds)


End-of-season Team Diagnostics

Baltimore Athletics (17-25, 7th) – Above Average market size, Very Good fan loyalty, 81 fan interest (up 1), 1407 av. attendance (up 4)
Boston Clippers (26-16, 1st) – Average market size, Above Average fan loyalty (was Good), 60 fan interest (up 2), 1221 av. attendance (up 40)
Brooklyn Reds (23-19, 3rd) – Above Average market size, Great fan loyalty, 95 fan interest (no change), 1657 av. attendance (down 58)
Chicago Lions (22-20, 4th) – Above Average market size, Good fan loyalty, 79 fan interest (down 1), 1412 av. attendance (down 27)
Cincinnati Gray Stockings (20-22, 5th) – Above Average market size, Very Good fan loyalty, 74 fan interest (down 2), 1339 av. attendance (down 2)
New York Prudentials (20-22, 6th) – Big market size, Good fan loyalty, 83 fan interest (down 2), 1472 av. attendance (down 149)
Philadelphia Union (25-17, 2nd) – Average market size, Above Average fan loyalty, 61 fan interest (no change), 1240 av. attendance (down 29)
St. Louis Black Caps (15-27, 8th) – HUGE market size, EXTREME fan loyalty, 85 fan interest (no change), 1349 av. attendance (down 202)


Transactions (sorted by WAR gained)

Cincinnati Gray Stockings: 0.5 WAR
Easily the biggest story of the Gray Stockings’ postseason is one of raised eyebrows, as promising 19-year-old reliever Juan Flores (25/65) was shipped out (along with 32-year-old SP Ryan Elkins) to Philadelphia, in exchange for 0.6 WAR SS Justin Amann. While on the back of a solid .303/.370/.394 season, pundits are confused as to why such a deal was made.

Brooklyn Reds: 0.4 WAR
In the never-ending saga of Daniel Hatcher’s career, after a measly 9 innings pitched the Reds called an end to his tenure with the New York side. (see Chicago) Nothing else really happened.

New York Prudentials: 0.0 WAR
New York formed one half of what was comfortably the biggest deal of the postseason, as they gained 30-year-old CF Aubrey Miller (75/75) from Philadelphia Union. He came at a sizable cost, however, and the Prudentials had to forfeit both highly-thought-of 1B Nathan Vidaurri (only 19, 25/75) and top-10 reliever Napoleon Bobbio to gain his signature. A negative for the Prudentials was, in a move speculated to be financial, they were unable to keep hold of 1872 MVP Jose Lozada, who left on a free before joining, perhaps awfully for New York, Philadelphia.

St. Louis Black Caps: -0.2 WAR
In one of only two high-profile independent signings this season, the Black Caps took a chance on New Jersey left-fielder Melvin Gonzalez (75/75), who they have signed on until 1877. Very quick and, crucially, good at avoiding strikes, they will doubtless be hoping that Gonzalez can help pick themselves away from the final two finally. With no other major in- or out-goings this year, St. Louis will be hoping this is enough.

Baltimore Athletics: -0.2 WAR
The sole story from the Athletics’ postseason comes from the lack of extension given to top-rated centre-fielder Justin Keane; Keane, who won the Richard McAllister Award for batting this season, had spent 5 years at the club, but despite 1874 being his first award-winning year was deemed, apparently, unwanted for Baltimore’s future. It remains to be seen whether they resign him or whether someone else picks him up first.

Philadelphia Union: -0.6 WAR
Forming the other half of the New York story is obviously the Philadelphia Union, who have deemed the signings of Napoleon Bobbio and Nathan Vidaurri to be well-worth the cost of Aubrey Miller. On top of the additional signing of Lozada which was mentioned earlier, Union have also taken a chance on the second of two independent stories this season, with Calgary third-baseman Tom Cahill (70/70). Philadelphia are reputed to be happy with their business, and look forward to challenging again in 1875.

Chicago Lions: -1.1 WAR
As suggested by the pointer earlier, RP Daniel Hatcher (70/70) joined the Chicago Lions on a two-year(!) contract, worth $370 a year.

I think I laughed a bit when the contract came through – not out of derision, but out of joy! After my three years in Philadelphia came to an end, this is the first ounce of stability I’ve gotten! – Daniel Hatcher, 17th September 1874

In keeping with the decidedly unremarkable postseason, the only outgoing of note for the Lions is 32-year-old Australian LF Charles Richards who, despite gaining a 1.0 WAR with a .340/.371/.464 by the end of the 1874 season, found himself on the slow boat out of Chicago. He remains unemployed as of the 31st December.

Boston Clippers: -4.6 WAR
In a move that one can only speculate was orchestrated by the famously tricky Omar Roque, almost all of the Boston Clippers’ 4.6 lost WAR (at 4.3) came from the 2-time pitching award namesake’s release. Aside from his shock leaving, however, the Clippers will be simultaneously relieved and disappointed that this is the only major shakeup to have occurred in their postseason. Roque is currently unemployed.