Diamond Republic

[Darknight Smith]

Thought some of you might be interested in the league I’ve been working on for some time. (Warning: this is a pretty lengthy post...)

I wanted to redo the history of baseball, starting in 1871, with all the years normalized to modern baseball, so everybody’s on an equal footing, stats-wise. No deadball era, no homer-happy nineties—everything would be calibrated to a brand of baseball like the NL of the early-to-mid 1980s, with league averages around .255-.260, league e.r.a.’s around 4.25 or so, an average of maybe 110 homers a team. There wouldn’t be any park effects, either, so it would be easy to judge players team to team and era to era.

The problem with starting a modern-style league in 1871 is, as everybody knows, the shortage of pitchers. There are just one or two pitchers per team. Unless you’re willing to put up with fictional players mixed in with real ones, you’ve got a problem, at least until the American Association and Union Association come along in the 1880s.

In part, you can help this by giving everybody a start at the same age, so that players who in real life debuted, say, in their late twenties can get in a fuller career (Guy Hecker, for example). Also, players like Pud Galvin, who left the National League in the early, unstable years to play in other leagues that were nearly as good (in his case, the International Association in the late 1870s), would get their full careers. And OOTP will likely keep around early retirees like Al Spalding and Candy Cummings for several more seasons than they actually played.

That still doesn’t nearly solve the problem. The first thing I looked at to fill out 1871 rosters were managers and umpires who never played in the majors. It seemed not too much of a stretch to pretend, in this alternate universe, that all these guys were former players. Using the manager and umpire lists in David Nemec’s 19th-century encyclopedia, I was able to add a few players to the 1871 league. Since there are no birthdates listed there for umpires (and many of the managers), I assumed that their playing careers would have started ten years before their umpiring or managing careers did. I also made them all pitchers, mostly relievers (leaving the real-life pitchers as the league’s starters).

There still weren’t enough players. I was beginning to think I’d just have to fill out the league with fictionals when I discovered a book that changed everything: Marshall Wright’s The National Association of Base Ball Players, 1857-1870, a book about the national amateur league that ruled baseball before the professional National Association. For early baseball buffs, this is an astonishing resource: a year by year listing of every pre-major league team’s roster and results, with player statistics (!) when available.

The statistics are crude, mostly runs and outs, with hits getting listed later in the 1860s, and total bases and batting average appearing toward the end. But you can form a crude idea of who was better than whom. You can get an idea of the early careers of players like Joe Start, Al Reach, Dick McBride, George Wright, and other big stars of the 1860s and 70s. Best of all, though, are the names—hundreds of them. No birthdates or other biographical info, but you can follow anybody’s baseball career, from their beginnings with a minor amateur team to the big time (Brooklyn Atlantics, Cincinnati Red Stockings, Philadelphia Athletics).

So, problem solved. Here were more than enough players to fill out 1871 rosters, including the minors. So many, in fact, that it began to seem like you could start a league before 1871.

Which became a tantalizing prospect…you could put those early players—Start, Reach, etc.—on an equal footing with their successors. Going even further, I scoured every baseball history book I could find for nineteenth-century names—anybody who had anything to do with baseball, from organizers and club presidents to promoters, umpires, and managers—and gave them all playing careers. Whenever possible, I use real birthdates and attributes to give shape to these people. For example, Alex Cartwright, one of baseball’s “inventors,” was in fact a pretty big guy (6-4, 200 pounds—huge for his time) who played first base on those early Knickerbocker teams. So he becomes a power-hitting first baseman. Dr. Daniel Adams, also of the Knicks, invented the position of shortstop and batted lefthanded, while serving as one of the early leaders and organizers. And so on. I don’t have details like that for everybody, but I use them when I can.

Combining Wright’s book with all my other sources, I was able to find enough people to populate a league starting in 1839, the year of baseball’s mythical invention by Abner Doubleday. It’s still a stretch. It has to start as a four-team league, and half the 200 original players are fictional. But at this point, even the real people are “fictional” as baseball players, so I figured it wasn’t that big a deal. I’ve made also sure, in editing the players, to make the fictional players bad enough that they wouldn’t have much impact on history. In the first few amateur, there will still be some fictionals, but they will gradually diminish. From 1845 on, I will have all real, historical people drafted.

The Diamond Republic, then, will start with baseball’s mythical, legendary, or “prehistoric” figures (Doubleday, Cartwright, Adams), then gradually turn historical as real players and statistics come into the record. It will be an ideal version of what might have been. I want the league to represent the whole baseball world—its spread from New York to the rest of the country and beyond. Negro League players will be included of course, as well as Latin American and eventually Japanese players. If I can, I’ll try to give a fair shake to career minor league stars like Buzz Arlett, Tony Freitas, Ox Eckhardt, Perry Werden. Franchises will spread according to the historical spread of professional baseball (not just the majors, but the high minors and foreign leagues), so that the West Coast, for example, will get major league representation long before it did in real life. Ignoring technological and political reality, franchises will probably get extended to Cuba, Mexico, even Japan.

[Darknight Smith]

The initial setup

All eras will play under the same conditions (a moderate lively-ball environment). Schedules will always be kept between 154 and 162 games. I’ll start with four teams in a single league playing a 156-game schedule. Sounds monotonous—each team plays every other team 52 times—but there were Pacific Coast League schedules in the early 1900s that were even worse. No DH ever. Injuries and computer trades enabled. All teams will be run by computer—it’s a hands off, god’s eye, J. Henry Waugh kind of league. Full minors, with a 7-round amateur draft.

The major league will be called, to start with, the Gentlemen’s League, to reflect the social standing (or aspirations) of the kind of men who played baseball in its infancy.

Teams will have nicknames partly drawn from history and partly made up (though with an eye to historical accuracy).

The Original Four are:

--Philadelphia Quakers
In real life: the Philadelphia Olympics townball team was founded in 1832.
--Brooklyn Bachelors
IRL: the “Jolly Young Bachelors” was an early baseball club that later became the Brooklyn Excelsiors.
--New York Knickerbockers
IRL: the first “real” baseball club, founded around 1842.
--New York Mutuals
IRL: New York’s most important team in the 1860s and 70s.

Young men were playing something like baseball in New York City as early as the 1820s, so it seemed fair to give New York two teams to start with.

Expansion will be scheduled to coincide with the historical spread of baseball:

1860: Washington Patriots, Baltimore Atlantics
IRL: the first tour by a team outside the New York City area, by the Brooklyn Excelsiors.

Also in 1860, the single major league’s name will be changed to the National Association, to reflect the game’s wider geographical reach.

1866: Chicago Excelsiors, Cincinnati Outlaws
IRL: baseball comes to the west; Harry Wright comes to Cincinnati.

1871: Boston Clippers, Philadelphia Keystones
IRL: the NA founded, baseball’s first major league.

In 1876, the league will split in two (tricky but doable), the National League and the American Association. The first World’s Series will be played between the pennant winners. The League will take the N.Y. Knicks, the Philly Quakers, Washington, Chicago, Boston, and an expansion team in Cleveland (the Spiders), while the Association will take the N.Y. Mutuals, Brooklyn, Baltimore, Cincinnati, the Philly Keystones, and an expansion team in St. Louis (the Saints).
IRL: National League founded in 1876; first minor leagues founded in 1877; Cuban League founded in 1878

1882: Buffalo Blue Stockings, Detroit Continentals (NL), Louisville Colonels, Pittsburgh/Homestead Grays (AA).
IRL: American Association founded.

1901: San Francisco Gold Sox, Toronto Maple Leafs (AA), Kansas City Pioneers, Havana Lions (NL).
IRL: American League founded in 1901; Cuban League integrated in 1900; minor American Association, PCL founded around this time.

There will be an expansion in 1914 (cities t.b.d., but candidates include Milwaukee, New Orleans, Montreal, Newark, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Indianapolis), and the leagues will be broken into two divisions apiece. Further expansions will take place in 1920 and 1937, bringing the total to 32 teams. After that (if I get that far), I’m not sure.
IRL: 1914, Federal League; 1920, Negro National League; 1936, Japanese league; 1937 Mexican League and Dominican League; 1938 Puerto Rican Winter League.

Teams will also move (one of the Philly teams will probably move at some point, for example).

[Darknight Smith]

1839

(I’ll do a brief write-up of each season. Nothing systematic, just highlights, stuff I think’s interesting. This first one is a lot longer than they’ll usually be.)

In the late 1820s, several clubs sprang up in New York City devoted to a new version of townball, called “base ball.” It was based on a diamond-shaped playing field (instead of a quadrangle or other shapes), with foul territory, three outs to an inning, and other rules innovations. It caught on and quickly spread across the river to Brooklyn and into New Jersey, reaching Philadelphia by 1832. So popular did this pastime prove that clubs started charging admission, building their own playing grounds, and even paying players. The game changed and developed rapidly, and by the end of the decade had reached essentially its modern form.

In the winter of 1838/39, representatives of the two best-known clubs, the Mutuals of New York and the Quakers of Philadelphia, agreed to a season-long competition to determine the national champion. Other clubs and their supporters protested vigorously against being left out; and finally, after much wrangling, two fairly new clubs, the Bachelors of Brooklyn and the Knickerbockers of New York, were admitted to the tournament.

Except that it wasn’t going to be a tournament, exactly; the founding fathers rashly planned an entire season of matches, 156 to be exact, each club playing each other club 52 times. The club with the highest total of wins at the end of the schedule would be awarded a “whip pennant” to represent the championship of what was to be called the Gentlemen’s League of Base Ball Clubs.

Lesser clubs were aligned with the major clubs, and three levels of “minor” leagues were organized to accompany the major league. The whole structure was christened the Diamond Republic, to reflect the founders’ hope that this new game would become the preeminent national pastime.

Much skepticism greeted this outlandish new venture; almost everybody believed that even base ball fanatics, or “fans,” would grow tired of such a grueling schedule, and many predicted that, with so many games to play, the eventual winner of the “pennant race” would build up such a lead that there wouldn’t be any drama to the season’s final weeks. It didn’t help that Opening Day was scheduled for April Fools’ Day.

Smart money was on the two established clubs, the Mutuals and Quakers, who were already old rivals. They met in Philadelphia’s Franklin Field for the first game in the history of the Diamond Republic, with the two greatest pitchers in the game, Quinton Corwine and Addison Gardiner, on the mound. The game remained scoreless for seven innings, until Philadelphia manager Enoch Burdick removed Gardiner for a pinch-hitter. The Mutes then struck for four runs in the top of the eighth, and Corwine hung on to complete a 4-to-1 victory.

It turned out to be a topsy-turvy season, full of reversals and surprises. Until mid-season, every team seemed to have a chance. Then the undermanned Knicks started to fall from contention, leaving a three-team race. The Mutuals took over the lead in July, only to lose it to a hot streak by the surprising Brooklyn Bachelors in August and early September. On September 10, the Bachelors stood at 78-66, four games ahead of the Mutuals’ 74-70, with twelve games to play.

The Mutuals, led by their 21-year-old number two starter, John Stebbins, rose up to challenge the Bachelors one last time. They reeled off nine wins in their next ten games, drawing within one game of Brooklyn with two to play. On September 24, in the next-to-last game of the season, the Mutes went into Brooklyn’s Capitoline Grounds and beat them, 6-to-1, behind their ace Corwine. The two were tied at 84-71, but to everyone’s frustration, the final game did not pit the rivals against each other. Instead, Brooklyn traveled to Philadelphia, where they would have to face the tough Addison Gardiner, already the winner of 20 games, while the Mutuals hosted the last-place Knicks.

As Stebbins warmed up for the game’s start, news arrived that Brooklyn had fallen, 4-to-1. Stebbins, confident to the point of arrogance, then took care of the Knicks, 7-to-1, for his fifth straight win and the first championship of the Diamond Republic.

At the pennant presentation, the league also passed out individual awards. The Most Valuable Player trophy went to Quinton Corwine, who finished with more wins than any other pitcher (25, against only seven losses), and also struck out the most batters (224) and allowed the fewest “earned runs” per nine innings (2.16). This feat became known as the Triple Crown of pitching. The league also picked an “All-Star team” of the best players at each position (along with the best four starting pitchers, and the best reliever). The champion Mutuals, unsurprisingly, placed the highest number of players on the team with five, including Corwine, Stebbins (16-9, 3.34), first baseman Abe Tucker (who hit .335 with 22 home runs and 97 runs batted in), third baseman Edgar Delafield (.274, 24, 101), and left fielder James Lee (.315, 94 runs scored, a league-leading 67 steals). Also gracing the champions’ roster was a 20-year-old center fielder named Abner Doubleday, who spent most of the season on the bench but won a part-time job down the stretch. He turned in a fine average of .327, with four homers and 28 r.b.i., and was roundly declared “a most promising young man.”

Four Brooklynites were so honored: catcher Potter Palmer (.297, 10, 78, with 99 walks); second baseman Duncan Curry (.315, 103 runs, 42 steals); shortstop Daniel “Doc” Adams (.330, 14,101, 87 walks); and pitcher Thomas Bagot (24-10, 3.21).

The proud Quakers, though humbled by a third-place finish, could point to veteran right fielder Tom Kempshall, who led the league with 31 home runs, and pitcher Gardiner, who finished 21-9 with a 2.60 e.r.a. The Knicks, meanwhile, stumbled to a 64-92 record, prompting the embarrassed resignation of their quiet manager, Edwin Stevens; but they could boast of the most exciting young player in the league, 23-year-old switch-hitting center fielder Nathaniel McNames, who won the first batting title with a .338 average, hit 16 home runs, and stole 44 bases.

[TwinsFan86]

Very cool. I really like the idea.

[Darknight Smith]

1840

The top player taken in the first amateur draft by the sad-sack New York Knickerbockers was a hulking, bearded, 20-year-old first baseman named Alexander Cartwright. His enthusiasm, say scouts, is infectious, and he’s got tremendous potential as a power hitter.

The defending champion Mutuals lost a couple of key players to free agency, as first baseman Abe Tucker went to Philadelphia and left fielder James Lee absconded to the cross-town Knicks.

Demoralized, the Mutuals stumbled out of the gate and never really recovered, finishing last with a 72-84 record despite their 1-2 pitching punch (Corwin and Stebbins). The other three teams were all still in it through the middle of September, when the Quakers began to fall back. Going into the last day of the season, the Knicks trailed Brooklyn by a single game. Brooklyn lost in a four-hit shutout by the Mutuals’ Stebbins, but the Knicks also lost 3-to-1 to the Quakers, who thus played last-day spoiler for the second season in a row.

Nobody was quite sure how manager Robin Carver brought home the pennant for the Bachelors, as they didn’t feature many stars outside shortstop Doc Adams (.317). The Knicks were led by an All-Star outfield, including the league MVP, Nathaniel McNames, who hit .361 with 16 homers and 50 steals. Quinton Corwine (24-8, 2.12) took home his second Outstanding Pitcher Award.

On May 3, John Stebbins had a no-hitter going into the ninth, but Mutuals' manager Thurlow Weed inexplicably pulled him. On July 16, his teammate Jonathan Thornton tossed the first complete-game no-hitter in Republic history (and within two weeks he was traded to the Knicks).

Meanwhile, the Mutuals’ youngster Abner Doubleday won the regular job in center field, batting .263 with 9 homers and 64 r.b.i. The Knicks’ number one draft pick, Cartwright, hit .275 with 13 homers in Class B ball.
Note: I’m calling the three minor league levels A, B, and C, instead of AAA, AA, and A.

ALL-STAR TEAM
c Potter Palmer, BKN
1b Abe Tucker, PHI .290, 23, 80; 97 walks
2b Adam Karn, NYM .279, 17, 66
ss Daniel Adams, BKN .317, 99 walks
3b Edgar Delafield, NYM .309, 21, 82
lf James Lee, NYK .309, 15, 86; 16 triples, 64 steals
cf Nathaniel NcNames, NYK .361, 16, 91; 15 triples
rf George Rogers, NYK .332, 21, 111
sp Quinton Corwine, NYM
sp John Stebbins, NYM 19-8, 2.64
sp Hunter Edelson*, PHI 17-9, 3.06
sp Corliss Wadleigh, BKN 18-12, 3.31
rp Walter Peak, BKN 35 saves, 2.31 e.r.a.

Note: I indicate fictional players—that is, those whose names don’t come from baseball history, but get generated by the game—with asterisks after their last names.

[woody5254]

Great start. I will be interested in following this as far as you take it. Good luck.

[Dagrims]

This is an excellent idea and one I'm interested in following. Quick question though: are you planning to keep using OOTP5, or switch to OOTP6? It seems as though there will be significant differences.

[Darknight Smith]

Glad you guys are interested.

About OOTP6: I'll probably wait and experiment with it before switching over, since I know OOTP5 pretty well.

[Tyke]

Really interesting idea. I'll be following it - keep up the good work!

[Darknight Smith]

1841

		W	L 	GB	R	OR
Brooklyn        99	57	__	774	602
Philadelphia	76	80	23	748	698
N.Y. Knicks	72	84	27	743	792
N.Y. Mutuals	65	91	34	707	880

This time it wasn’t close. Brooklyn rode a great four-man rotation to complete domination of the league, locking up the pennant in late August. The Bachelors had lost the great shortstop Doc Adams to Philadelphia via free agency, but picked up the league’s best pitcher, Quinton Corwine, who fled the Mutuals’ sinking ship. Corliss Wadleigh, lefty Charles Peverelly, and James Stiles* rounded out the rotation, while outfielders Willie Tucker (96 runs, 51 steals) and “the Vans”—Peter Van Nostrand and John Van Horn—provided the offensive punch, along with second baseman Duncan Curry.

The year’s most gripping suspense came first in Knick centerfielder Natty McNames’s run at the .400 mark, and second in his contest for M.V.P. with two other deserving candidates.

First, the try for .400: much of the season the swift switch-hitter stayed well above the mark, and with three games to go stood at exactly .400. He batted, in order, 1-for-4 (putting him at .399); 1-for-4 again (.398); and, at 227 for 570, he needed probably three hits in the last game (or 2-for-2) to crack .400. In his first at bat he cracked a home run, and upped his average a point (.399). But in his last five plate appearances in an 11-inning game, he went 0-for-4 (with a walk), to finish the season at 228 for 575, .397.

McNames then went on to barely lose the M.V.P. award to the Bachelors' Corwine (25-6, 1.85) in a close, controversial vote, with Adams (.335, 27,102) finishing a distant third.

MUTUALS SINK DEEPER INTO CELLAR

The 1839 champs-turned-chumps deserve a closer look. First, with the number overall pick in the draft, they bypassed the hottest prospects, outfielders Lewis Shallcross and Lew Wadsworth, to choose pitcher Charles English. Then in early May they inexplicably traded English to Philadelphia for veteran shortstop Sam Gregory*--whom they proceeded to bench in favor of one William Rau*, who hit .205.

In early September, their remaining ace, John Stebbins (Corwine having left via free agency), had cruised through eight innings of no-hit ball when, in a bizarre replay of an incident the previous year, manager Thurlow Weed emerged to pull him out of the game. Stebbins and Weed had words before the young pitcher stormed from the field. Rumor had it the hotheaded Stebbins had challenged Weed to a duel, which led to Stebbins being briefly tagged with the nickname “Burr” by derisive fans. In any case, Reuben Martin finished up what became the first collaborative no-hitter in the Republic’s history.

A week later, on September 11, Stebbins’s teammate Felix Vreeland* also took a no-hitter into the ninth inning. For Vreeland, who would finish the year at 6-24 (with the ominous e.r.a. of 6.66), this was a rare good day, made even sweeter by the fact that he was whitewashing the mighty Bachelors (who had already clinched the pennant).

In the bottom of the ninth, Brooklyn’s first batter was called out on strikes, the third strike being an obvious bad call. With two out, shortstop Sam Gregory (remember him?) bobbled a grounder, the runner reaching first. With no balls and two strikes on him, pinch hitter George Connolly* belted Vreeland’s next offering into the right field bleachers, and the Mutuals lost, 2-to-1.


Alex Cartwright spent most of the year in the majors as a backup with the Knicks, hitting .259 with three home runs and 19 r.b.i.

Abner Doubleday was one of the Mutuals’ few bright spots. He made considerable progress, hitting .292 with 14 home runs and a league-leading 40 doubles.

ALL STARS

c Frank Queen, Phi. .304, 25 stolen bases
1b Abe Tucker, Phi. .284, 22, 103
2b Duncan Curry, Bkn .313, 23, 106; 100 runs
ss Daniel Adams, Phi. .335, 27, 102; 86 walks
3b Edgar Delafield, NYM .237, 13, 79
lf James Lee, NYK .308, 13, 85; 49 steals
cf Nathaniel McNames, NYK .397, 19, 104; 19 triples, 57 steals
rf Tom Kempshall, NYM .292, 26, 86; 95 walks
sp Quinton Corwine, Bkn. 25-6, 1.85
sp John Stebbins, NYM 17-9, 2.15
sp Corliss Wadleigh, Bkn. 19-8, 3.18
sp Addison Gardiner, Phi. 15-14, 2.83
rp Edwin Frook, NYK 8-7, 2.54, 35 saves

[Darknight Smith]

1842

               W   L   GB   R    OR
Philadelphia   90  66  --  768  673
Brooklyn       87  69   3  738  619
Mutuals        70  86  20  703  714
Knicks         65  91  25  655  858

The Brooklyn Bachelors, who had won the pennant by 23 games the previous year, had seemingly sewn up the league for the foreseeable future when they picked up the best player in base ball, centerfielder Nathaniel McNames. Living up to expectations, they ran away from the pack and led by as many as 10 games in July. But from then on their magic mysteriously deserted them. By late August the Quakers had caught up, and they took the pennant going away.

The amazing Quinton Corwine continued his domination of GL hitters, going 24-8 with a miniscule 1.74 e.r.a. But this time he narrowly lost the M.V.P. vote, to Philadelphia first baseman Abe Tucker, who won the first “Triple Crown” of batting—leading the league in average (.346), home runs (33), and runs batted in (131). Doc Adams (.317, 18, 97) and Andrew McBride (.282, 14, 95) provided more offensive punch for the Quakers, while Addison Gardiner won 24 games, soft-tossing lefty Isaac Van Alstine contributed 18, and closer James Piper shut down opposing batters with a 1.40 e.r.a.

Abner Doubleday took a step backward this year, batting .282 with nine home runs. Alex Cartwright still couldn’t dislodge the aging John Williams (.281, 12, 59) from the Knicks’ first base job, but he contributed a .329 average and nine homers as a backup/pinch-hitter.

For the first time, the Republic honored the “Rookie of the Year,” or best first-year player at the major league level (previous seasons hadn’t featured any newcomers of note). The winner was Knicks’ right-hander Tom Fitzgerald (17-11, 4.90).

ALL STARS

c  Frank Queen, Phi.        .256, 3, 41
1b Abe Tucker, Phi.         .346, 33, 131
2b Duncan Curry, Bkn.       .293, 21, 74; 13 triples
ss Daniel Adams, Phi.       .317, 18, 97; 101 walks
3b Fred Whittlesey, Bkn.    .272, 16, 75
lf Henry Taylor, NYM        .284, 20, 83
cf Nathaniel McNames, Bkn.  .341, 16, 96; 17 triples, 54 steals
rf Peter Van Nostrand, Bkn. .300, 18, 98
sp Quinton Corwine, Bkn.     24-8, 1.74
sp Charles Peverelly, NYM    21-12, 2.55
sp John Stebbins, NYM        20-7, 2.59
sp Addison Gardiner, Phi.    24-13, 3.27
rp James Piper, Phi.         9-1, 1.40, 33 saves

[Darknight Smith]

1843

               W   L   GB   R    OR
Philadelphia   93  63  --  823  662
Brooklyn       86  70   7  732  692
Mutuals        79  77  14  693  630
Knicks         54 102  39  602 866

The Quakers won their second straight championship over the favored Bachelors, despite Quinton Corwine’s fifth straight Outstanding Pitcher Award and another fantastic season for Natty McNames. It was M.V.P. Doc Adams and his .377 average that sparked Philly, along with great seasons by George Rogers and James Piper. Gold Glove centerfielder J.P. Mumford (.241, 10, 59) was the best of a weak rookie class. The real credit, though, went to second-year manager Silas Williams, who squeezed the most out of a team that was not necessarily the most talented (although they did end up with the most All Stars).

Abner Doubleday, at age 24, seemed to be in a holding pattern (.269, 10, 62), while 23-year-old Alex Cartwright garnered 275 at bats, which he used to hit .327 with nine homers—but the Knicks still gave most of the playing time to John Williams (.272, 10, 44). The fans at Manhattan Field were getting restless, and frequently hissed Williams as he trotted to his position. It didn’t help that the team compiled the worst record so far in the Republic’s short history, becoming the first club to lose over 100 games—though, to be fair, the trouble really lay with the starting pitching:

Jonathan Thornton 11-25, 5.96
William Van Cott 10-19, 4.12
Tom Fitzgerald 11-18, 4.87
John Clancy, 7-19, 5.98


ALL STARS

c Almon Burch, NYK .286, 19, 75
1b Henry Crittenden, Bkn. .334, 20, 105; Gold Glove
2b J.B. Jones, Phi. .292, 82 runs; Gold Glove
ss Daniel Adams, Phi. .377, 17, 74; 85 walks, 112 runs
3b Edgar Delafield, NYK .264, 17, 85
lf Andrew McBride, Phi. .262, 22, 92
cf Nathaniel McNames, Bkn. .369, 25, 92; 112 runs, 49 steals
rf George Rogers, Phi. .318, 24, 125; Gold Glove
sp Quinton Corwine, Bkn. 25-6, 2.45
sp John Stebbins, NYM 20-12, 2.53
sp Neil McTaggart, Phi. 22-14, 3.50
sp Charles Peverelly, NYM 14-13, 2.48
rp Robert Benjamin*, Bkn. 6-1, 1.86, 40 saves

[Darknight Smith]

1844

               W   L   GB   R    OR
Philadelphia   92  64  --  737  682
Mutuals        86  70   6  814  669
Brooklyn       78  78  14  723  677
Knicks         56 100  36  634  880

Once again the Quakers overachieved, becoming the first team to win three consecutive pennants. In fact, the standings were virtually identical to 1843, except that the Mutuals and Bachelors switched places. The M’s centerfielder Abner Doubleday blossomed, anchoring an All-Star outfield that also featured M.V.P. Tom Kempshall. The Mutuals balanced their potent offense with great pitching from John Stebbins, who matured enough to end Quinton Corwine’s stranglehold on the Outstanding Pitcher Award.

The Quakers, in the meantime, shone only on defense (where they won four Gold Gloves). Their offense and pitching were good, though not great. But they were the best in the league in one-run games (25-17), and they boasted the best bullpen, led by All-Star James Piper.

Brooklyn was rocked by two devastating injuries to its superstar centerfielder, Nathaniel McNames. In mid-June he was dominating the league, batting close to .400 on the way to another MVP performance, when he fell in the outfield trying to make a circus catch and broke his hip. He struggled to get back in the lineup by the end of July—only to pull his Achilles tendon in August and miss the rest of the season.

Alex Cartwright (.274, 14, 52) finally won a starting job midway through the season. His teammate, rightfielder Willie McCutcheon (.247, 14 triples, 52 stolen bases) won the Gold Glove and Rookie of the Year awards. But the Knicks had little else to brag about, as they stayed in triple figures in losses.

For the second year in a row, the Class C league saw some noteworthy batting heroics. Last year, it was Knicks’ farmhand Cletus Stallworth*, who hit .409. This year, it was first baseman Franklin Ayres, who crushed 41 home runs (easily a minor league record) while hitting .363 for the Harlem Libertys, a Mutuals’ affiliate (who nevertheless finished in last place).

ALL STARS

c Frank Queen, Phi. .308, 81 runs, 40 doubles
1b Henry Crittenden, Phi. .316, 17, 102, 91 walks; Gold Glove
2b Duncan Curry, NYK .333, 13, 67
ss Daniel Adams, Phi. .316, 12, 61; 103 walks, 113 runs
3b Archie Quarrier, Bkn. .307, 8, 66
lf Willie Tucker, NYM .282, 14, 76; 44 doubles, 41 steals
cf Abner Doubleday, NYM .325, 10, 75
rf Tom Kempshall, NYM .313, 33, 135
sp John Stebbins, NYM 27-9, 2.55
sp Quinton Corwine, Bkn. 22-12, 2.10
sp Addison Gardiner, Phi. 23-7, 2.63
sp Charles Peverelly, NYM 21-10, 2.74
rp James Piper, Phi. 6-3, 2.63, 43 saves

[Eugene Church]

This is really interesting.

I will follow your league.

Hope you continue to post.

I'm glad you intend to include great career minor leaguers.

[Darknight Smith]

1845

               W   L   GB   R    OR
Brooklyn       98  58  --  772  623
Mutuals        75  81  23  741  757
Philadelphia   72  84  26  744  756
Knicks         67  89  31  697  818

After two years in second place and an off year in ’44, the Bachelors went out and signed the best player in base ball, their former shortstop Doc Adams—and it paid off, as Adams (again!) brought the pennant with him to his new team (and won another MVP Award). Although Nathaniel McNames just wasn’t the same player after last year’s injuries, he was still good—and many of the players around him were great, especially the pitchers. Quinton Corwine (26-5, 2.20) regained his throne as the league’s best pitcher, and second baseman Phillip Weeks (.256, 4, 34) was the Rookie of the Year.

ALL STARS
c Robert Cornell, NYM .310, 56 doubles (Republic record)
1b Abe Tucker, NYM .323, 29, 94; 92 walks
2b Duncan Curry, NYK .300, 20, 84
ss Daniel Adams, Bkn. .355, 25, 108; 89 walks, 113 runs
3b Edgar Delafield, NYK .270, 22, 82
lf Lewis Shallcross, NYK .315, 28, 96
cf Abner Doubleday, NYM .321, 11, 72
rf Peter Van Nostrand, Bkn. .334, 27, 121; 44 doubles
sp Quinton Corwine, Bkn. 26-5, 2.20
sp John Stebbins, NYM 20-5, 2.41
sp Will Faucet, Bkn. 23-7, 2.59; 248 k’s (Republic record)
sp Charles Peverelly, NYM 16-6, 2.92
rp Anthony Maddox, Bkn. 10-3, 3.57, 32 saves

[Darknight Smith]

Just edited the 1843 post, as I had put the wrong runs/opponents' runs figures.

[Darknight Smith]

1846

               W   L   GB   R    OR
Brooklyn      101  55  --  833  595
Mutuals        89  67  12  762  699
Philadelphia   70  86  31  631  726
Knicks         52 104  49  622  828

Several individual records were set this year, for wins by a pitcher (28, by the MVP Quinton Corwine), strikeouts (255, by the Bachelors’ Will Faucet), home runs (39, by the Bachelors’ Ben Brotherson), triples (21, by the Bachelors’ Archie Quarrier), and stolen bases (69, by the Knicks’ William McCutcheon).

There’s a theme developing here. The 1846 Brooklyn Bachelors fielded the best team in the short history of the Diamond Republic, with a record TEN All Stars. Doc Adams, Peter Van Nostrand, and Natty McNames didn’t even have particularly good seasons. Here’s how the Bachelors put their team together:

Shrewd draft picks: As a successful team, Brooklyn did not always have the best picks, but they did make the most of them, garnering Brotherson, first baseman Lew Wadsworth, second baseman Phillip Weeks, lefty Eugene Plunkett (14-11, 4.31), and closer Anthony Maddox through the draft.

Free agency: Brooklyn has been the most aggressive and biggest spender on the market in recent years, picking up the three best players in the league—McNames, Adams, and Corwine—in addition to All-Star catcher Robert Cornell and starting pitcher William Van Cott (13-10, 2.91).

Trades: The Bachelors’ front office was the main culprit in picking other teams’ pockets over the years. Here are the highlights:

1840: Brooklyn gave Philadelphia journeyman relief pitcher William Hutchinson for third baseman Frederick Whittlesey, who made the All-Star team once for Brooklyn, and minor leaguer Archie Quarrier—who would become the best third baseman in the league by the mid-1840s.

1841: Brooklyn traded journeyman infielder William Rau* to the Mutuals for reliever Robert Benjamin*, who would serve as the Bachelors’ closer for three season (making the All-Star team once) and as an effective member of the bullpen for several years thereafter.

1843: Brooklyn traded the 32-year-old James Stiles to the Mutuals for 25-year-old Will Faucet—who promptly became an All-Star and began setting strikeout records, while Stiles struggled with injuries (though he did hang on for several seasons).

THE KNICKS: TEAM OF THE FUTURE?

The New York Knickerbockers, the only club yet to win a pennant, finished last for the fifth straight season in 1846. All those last place finishes, however, have enabled them to build up quite a minor league system:

Class A New York Eagles: 86-47 (first place by 16 games)
Class B Manhattan Actives: 76-57 (first place by 10)
Class C Hoboken Knickerbockers: 82-51 (first place by 15)

And here are the minor league award winners for 1846:

Class A Player of the Year: Stephen Goodwin*, NYK (3b) .293, 9. 85; 55 doubles
Class A Pitcher of the Year: George Beam, NYK 5-2, 1.01, 23 saves
Class B Player of the Year: Charles DeBost, NYK (c) .280, 9, 49
Class B Pitcher of the Year: Charles English, Phi. 12-3, 2.24
Class C Player of the Year: Sam Daugherty, NYK (lf) .331, 24, 93
Class C Pitcher of the Year: Tom Van Cott, NYK 11-8, 2.45, 189 k’s in 173 innings.

Also, Knicks’ outfielder J.W. Davis hit .403 in half a season for the New York Eagles (he spent the rest of the season up with the big club).

ALL STARS

c Robert Cornell, Bkn. .299, 18, 95
1b Lew Wadsworth, Bkn. .328, 14, 71
2b J.B. Jones, Phi. .283, 12, 67; Gold Glove
ss Daniel Adams, Bkn. .272, 17, 80; 95 walks
3b Archie Quarrier, Bkn. .324, 42 doubles, 21 triples
lf Ben Brotherson, Bkn. .291, 39, 104
cf Nathaniel McNames, Bkn. .292, 28, 112
rf Peter Van Nostrand, Bkn. .270, 16, 80
sp Quinton Corwine, Bkn. 28-6, 1.96
sp John Stebbins, NYM 23-12, 2.44
sp Will Faucet, Bkn. 25-7, 3.16, 255 k’s
sp Jeremiah Lukes*, Phi. 18-10, 3.42
rp Anthony Maddox, Bkn. 2-6, 2.18, 38 saves

[Raidergoo]

I'm following West Point grad Abner Doubleday with great interest.

Centerfielder extraordinaire, indeed!

What are you going to do in 1861 about the War of Northern Aggression?

[Darknight Smith]

Doubleday is a fine player, a right-handed hitter and graceful fielder (sort of like Joe DiMaggio, though he hasn't turned out quite as good). You'll be hearing more about him.

As for the Civil War--at first, I thought it could be interesting to simulate the effect it might have had on a league at the time, with certain players drafted, even some getting killed. In this era, you could pay somebody to do your military service for you, so I can imagine that the richer players would do that, but fans would hate them. The draft lottery riots might carry over to the ballparks, and all kinds of mayhem would ensue.

But the whole idea behind this is to imagine a kind of ideal world where everybody gets his chance. So, in this world there will be no Civil War (no World Wars, either). I'll leave the historical justification up to your imagination--but will note that the first real-life black player, one Octavius Catto of Philadelphia, will enter the league in about 1858. Catto was the real-life founder and captain of the Philadelphia Pythians, a black ballclub that was turned down for membership in the amateur National Association in 1867 or 68.

[Darknight Smith]

1847

               W   L   GB   R    OR
Mutuals        90  66  --  694  615
Brooklyn       83  73   7  720  708
Philadelphia   71  85  19  698  704
Knicks         68  88  22  725  810

The Bachelors, despite their successes, still played in rickety Capitoline Grounds to fairly small (though fanatical) crowds—Brooklyn was still not solidly behind this newfangled game. The club’s management had spent about all they could to secure the best players, and now found themselves in debt. So when the contracts of two of their stars—Nathaniel McNames and Will Faucet—were up, the much richer Philadelphia Quakers were able to grab them. Also for salary reasons (and to try to fill the vacancy in centerfield), Brooklyn traded starting pitcher Eugene Plunkett to the Quakers for a journeyman minor leaguer, Lawrence Smith.

The Bachelors were still favored, and fans enjoyed some great performances—notably by leftfielder Ben Brotherson, who broke his own record with 44 home runs, and catcher Lewis Trenchard, who took the job away from the league’s reigning All-Star catcher, Robert Cornell, and won the Rookie of the Year award. But in the end they couldn’t replace McNames and Faucet, and suffered through off years by several other key players.

It wasn’t the Quakers who stepped up to the plate, though; instead the Mutuals, led by John Stebbins and Charles Peverelly, handcuffed opposing hitters and put up enough runs to slip past Brooklyn in August and cruise to the pennant. MVP Stebbins posted monstrous numbers, winning a record 29 games with a league-leading 2.17 e.r.a., while Peverelly complemented him with 22 wins and a 2.29 e.r.a. Abner Doubleday led the offense with his best season yet, hitting .305 with 23 home runs, 44 doubles, 91 walks, and 106 r.b.i.

The Knicks continued to show sky-high potential and down-to-earth results, finishing last again, but for the second straight year winning five of the six minor league player awards, and their affiliates winning two of the three minor league pennants. Top overall draft pick John Price hit .381 for the Class A New York Eagles, while teammate Raymond Faucher* went 20-3, 1.96. The Eagles were generally considered the best minor league team to date, going 94-39 and winning the pennant by 25 games.

Meanwhile, on the big team, Alex Cartwright finally began to live up to his promise with a .287 average, 27 home runs, and an All-Star berth.

ALL STARS
c Lewis Trenchard, Bkn. .281, 28, 78
1b Alex Cartwright, NYK .287, 27, 69
2b Nelson Tappan, NYM .285, 83 walks
ss Daniel Adams, Bkn. .299, 11, 67; 86 walks
3b James Rogers, Phi. .323, 11, 70
lf Ben Brotherson, Bkn. .260, 44, 128
cf Abner Doubleday, NYM .305, 23, 106
rf Peter Van Nostrand, Bkn. .296, 13, 75
sp John Stebbins, NYM 29-9, 2.17
sp Charles Peverelly, NYM 22-8, 2.29
sp Quinton Corwine, Bkn. 19-13, 2.55
sp William Van Cott, Bkn. 16-9, 2.90
rp Anthony Maddox, Bkn. 2-3, 2.82, 39 saves