From Nothing to Everything: The Complete History of the National Baseball Association

[Rocketdawg2016]

I started this fictional league as something for fun to pass the time around four years ago, but it quickly has grown into a complete universe , full of minor leagues, independent leagues, multiple major leagues and much else. I've been off and on with growing the universe over the last couple of iterations of OOTP, but I felt a resurgence in my desire to play the game again as of late. This will be a complete restart of my original save game from OOTP20, which started in 1885 and I got all the way to 2090 before becoming bored with it. I have almost everything laid out how I want it to go, including expansion, league addition, and much else. The early years (pre-NBA baseball) from 1869-1900 won't be extensively covered, but I will provide recaps and such as a way to give the feel of "immersion."

NOTE: There are multiple uses of logos and team names in this save that I have gotten off of the forums over the years, I am in no way claiming them as mine and if you see something of yours I have used, thank you!

Hopefully everybody enjoys!

A Complete Universe: From Ashes to Organization, The National Baseball Association

“On the first day, God created baseball..”

November 26th, 1868 -

Three years and almost six months to the day since Simon B. Buckner signed the unconditional surrender of the Confederacy in the American Civil War, the United States had entered a period of reconstruction. Postwar America provided hopefulness and reform, while beginning to build towards a better future. Throughout the Civil War, while battered and bloody, Union soldiers passed their time by playing what was colloquially known as “baste ball,” or “bat-ball,” as some had named it. While the true origin of the game was unknown, it quickly picked up steam amongst the Union soldiers, likely adapted from an early form game played amongst universities within the Eastern and Northeastern region of the United States. Following the war's end, the game’s popularity had spread far and wide across the Eastern Seaboard, and many amateur “clubs,” the first such clubs for an organized sport, began popping up across much of the New York metropolitan area. These clubs have not been limited to just New York, though, as many other semi-professional clubs have begun to surface in states such as Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and more. With a quickly growing demand for the game, population centers increasing and America looking for its postwar pastime, the first organized leagues for a sport within the United States were formally announced at a public town hall meeting in Worcester, Massachusetts on November 25th, 1868. With many details still expected to be worked out, the announcement was only the first in a series of eye-catching news articles that rippled across the Eastern Seaboard. Reports of ink shortages within New York City and Boston fueled the excitement that many Americans felt when first hearing about “base ball,” as it was dubbed by one New York City stockbroker. The game was coming, the news was real, and the people were hungry.

February 15th, 1869 -

Following a litany of reports covering the hottest of topics such as league name, rules, players, and much else, it has been finalized. The National Organization of Base Ball will begin their inaugural season on April 3rd, a Thursday. It would be formulated as follows:

- Eight teams spread across six states: New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Maryland
- The league will be divided into two leagues of four teams each, the Colonial League, and the Atlantic League
- The two leagues would operate independent of one another, with their own governing bodies, but have oversight from the executive body of the National Organization of Base Ball
- Both leagues would play a 136-game season, starting on the first Thursday of April and ending in mid-August
- A postseason would be hosted between the two leagues, allowing the “winners” (the teams that finish with the most wins in each league) a chance to play one another in a best-of-five series to win the N.O.B.B. governed National Championship

Initial public outrage followed the league after the season length was announced, with many naysayers commenting how 136 games will be impossible to follow along with, while many others lauded the league officials for deciding on a sport that could play throughout the summertime when American citizens are more inclined to pay attention and attend the games. Despite both positive and negative press, the overwhelming opinion of people far and wide along the Eastern Seaboard was that this league would be the driving force for athletics in this country. Here’s a look at what the leagues looked like heading into the inaugural season.


Colonial League
Boston Rebels
Hartford Angels
Manchester Eagles
Providence Fighters

Atlantic League
Baltimore Red Wings
New York Battalion
Philadelphia Watchmen
Washington Senators

February 25th, 1869 -

Spring Training is finally upon us as teams begin their preseason matchups across the league. With fans already in the stands and the expectations at an all time high, nerves were running wild across the board. The first ever base ball season came with a lot of questions and unknowns, but let’s break down some of each team's star players.

Baltimore Red Wings
2B/3B John Bagley (24y/o, West Friendship, MD)
- 64/64 Contact, 51/51 Avoid K’s, 67/68 Power, 99/108 Eye
Bagley was the 1st overall pick of the inaugural draft, highlighted by his defensive prowess within the infield and a keen eye for delegating balls versus strikes. Bagley should be in the conversation for offensive awards by season's end, including a possible MVP title.

Boston Rebels
P Jarrod Barr (22y/o, Minneapolis, MN)
- 103/114 Stuff, 61/62 Movement, 55/62 Control, 100/102 Cutter, 92/94 Slider
Barr was the 10th overall pick of the second round to Boston, and while a curious pick as Boston’s rotation lacks a dominant #1, Barr can be a mid-game plug and play as a reliever, despite profiling more as a closer with his arsenal (curveball, changeup, cutter, slider). He should get a lot of good looks from both lefties and righties, but his command is going to be the biggest factor in his career.

Hartford Angels
LF/CF Mike Bonner (25y/o, Golden Valley, AZ)
- 68/68 Contact, 79/79 Gap Power, 72/76 Eye, 111 Stealing Ability
Trailing John Bagley by two picks, the 3rd overall choice of the inaugural draft’s main ability is going to be his on-base percentage, as he shows tremendous poise at the plate and the ability to crank balls into the gap at all times, while Bonner likely won;t be swinging for the fences, he gives Hartford a sure-fire on-base high percentage player with the ability to play multiple outfield positions. Versatile as they come.

Manchester Eagles
UTIL Isaac Jones (30y/o, Mesquite, TX)
- 70/70 Contact, 72/72 Avoid K’s, 89/89 Gap Power, 74/74 Eye
We have now profiled the top three picks in the inaugural draft, as Jones was the #2 pick to Manchester and will provide veteran experience at a slightly older age than most players in the league. Jones has great plate presence, slightly favored against LHP, but with the ability to mash right handers as well. With a tremendous eye and gap power rating, Jones should be able to hit regularly for the fences for the Eagles, who will likely build their team around the 30 year old.

New York Battalion
LF/RF David Ewing (27y/o, Excelsior Springs, MO)
- 75/75 Contact, 82/82 BABIP, 72/73 Power, 69/71 Eye
Ewing was the last pick of the first round to New York, and he immediately projects to be a force in the NOBB. Ewing’s contact/power combo will work well for a New York team that wants to get out of the gate fast. His plate prowess rivals only that of John Bagley, and the two should firmly be in the race for the MVP by season’s end.

Philadelphia Watchmen
3B Bill Phillips (26y/o, Whitestown, NY)
- 65/65 Contact, 56/56 Gap Power, 79/79 Power, 65/67 Eye
Phillips brings a lot to the table, but mostly that he is an everyday hitter that will contribute at the major league level. His eye popping power numbers should provide Philadelphia some decent offense, while also being sound on the defensive end of the ball. Phillip’s and the rest of the Watchmen infield rank in the top-3 of the league, so watch for a possible Philadelphia run at the pennant in August.

Providence Fighters
2B Josh Truskowski (28y/o, Bonita, LA)
- 77/77 Contact, 73/73 Avoid K’s, 93/93 Gap Power, 69/69 Eye
Truskowski profiles as an excellent hitter on paper, as his ratings in gap power and contact rank in the top-3 of the entire league. Where Josh may have trouble is defensively, so he will need to shore that up in order to become a franchise guy for the Fighters. Regardless, his sheer qualities on the offensive side of the ball make him a threat to opposing pitchers every single game.

Washington Senators
P Dusty Mote 30 (y/o, Oakland Park, FL)
- 71/71 Stuff, 75/75 Control, 80/80 Curveball, 75/75 Changeup
Another pitcher that builds his game on off-speed pitching, Dusty Mote should plug into a solid #2 role with the Senators. With great control and a dominant curveball, expect Mote to see a lot of mid-game work as a possible reliever/closer role, but don’t factor him out as possibly running a spot in the rotation.

April 4th, 1869 -

Opening Day has finally arrived! After all the talk the last two years building this league, we officially get to see it alive. Ballplayers and clubs are preparing for the day's events while hundreds of fans flock to the stands on this first Thursday of April. Let’s play ball!

[Rocketdawg2016]

1869

In the inaugural season of the NOBB, all eight teams were still mathematically in the playoff race by August 1st, with two of the teams in each league heavily fighting for the pennant. It came down to six days left in the regular season in the Atlantic League, as Washington lost out to Baltimore by a mere 8 games, at one point being within 3 games to take the pennant. Baltimore was the first of the two teams to clinch a spot in the National Championship Series, the first ever of its kind seen in sport.

In the Colonial League, the pennant chase came down to the FINAL DAY of the season, as Hartford and Manchester played a 3-game series against one another to close out the year, with Hartford being only one game behind Manchester for the pennant at the start. The teams split the first two games in Manchester, setting up a would be 137th tiebreaker game if Hartford had won, but that ultimately did NOT live up to the hype. The Eagles defeated the Angels 8-2, scoring all 8 of their runs in the final four frames. The Angels went up 1-0 early in the 2nd inning, but the Eagles would not be denied and the Angels didn't have enough firepower to keep up.



This set up the first ever National Championship Series, a best-of-five between the Colonial League pennant winner Manchester Eagles and the Atlantic League pennant winner Baltimore Red Wings
Game 1: Red Wings defeat Eagles, 9-5
Game 2: Eagles defeat Red Wings, 6-2
Game 3: Red Wings defeat Eagles, 7-5
Game 4: Eagles defeat Red Wings, 4-3
Game 5: Eagles defeat Red Wings, 6-1

Despite falling down 1-2, the Eagles rallied for two straight wins to come back and capture the first ever NOBB title. Shortstop Isaac Jones was named the series' Most Valuable Player, the trophy given to the player who outperforms everybody else. For the series, Jones slashed .458 with 11 hits and 4 runs batted in.

Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: Isaac Jones, Manchester Eagles - .304 AVG|101 R|154 H|73 3B|93 RBI|3 HR|
AL Most Valuable Player: Jim DeMiglio, Baltimore Red Wings - .391 AVG|121 R|214 H|40 2B|45 3B|92 RBI|103 SB|3 HR|

CL Pitcher of the Year: Sam Thimm, Providence Fighters - 10-3|5 SV|2.24 ERA|19 K|
AL Pitcher of the Year: Skylar Hayes, Baltimore Red Wings - 57-37|3.46 ERA|51 K|

Isaac Jones had a phenomenal first season in the NOBB, not only did he win MVP of the Colonial League AND MVP of the National Championship Series, he also was the winner of the Golden Batsmen and Defensive Wizard Awards at shortstop. Quite the impressive year for the now-31 year old.

Other notable news from 1869 was out of New York, where pitcher Ray Kanady pitched the first 9-inning no hitter in league history. Coming only two batted balls away from a perfect game, Kanady achieved his feat against the Philadelphia Watchmen on June 16th.

[Rocketdawg2016]

1870

The 1869 off-season came and went, with one sizable transaction changing the landscape of the league in only its second year of operation. The reigning AL MVP, Jim DiMeglio, decided one season in Baltimore was enough, and defected to the Manchester Eagles, the team that had just beaten his now former team in the championship. DiMeglio signed for a record (at the time) $2,528 over the course of eight (eight!) years. DiMeglio would be making roughly $316 a year on his new contract, and the Eagles were the heavy favorites heading into the 1870 season.

The 1870 season was a much less competitive pennant race down the stretch. Both Manchester and the Washington Senators clinched the pennants without much resistance from any team. The Senators clinched 11 games over the second place finisher, Philadelphia, while the Eagles clinched 14 games over the second place team, Providence.

Last season's Atlantic League pennant winner Baltimore floundered to a losing record after losing DiMeglio, the first such for them.

Manchester set a league record with 92 games won in the 1870 season, thanks to the powerhouse duo of Jim DiMeglio and Isaac Jones - that was until Jones broke a bone in his elbow two weeks before the end of the season, prematurely ending his. While the injury was a blow to the team, many journalists still expected Manchester to run away with the National Championship Series, to which they did.



Manchester (92-44) matched up against the Washington Senators (80-56) who had narrowly missed the Atlantic League pennant the year prior. The National Championship Series started off hot, as both teams trded blows in the first two games, but Manchester settled in the final two games, scring seven runs over the two while shutting out Washington in Game 4 to win their second title in as many years. While DiMeglio played exceptional, it was Manchesters pitching this year that really soared them to new heights. Billy Stewart was named National Championship MVP after starting two complete games and allowing zero runs over both. He finished with a 1.50 ERA while allowing just 2.2 hits per game.

Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: Josh Truskowski, Providence Fighters - .357 AVG|72 RBI|176 H|27 2B|16 3B|2 HR|
AL Most Valuable Player: John Bagley, Baltimore Red Wings - .315 AVG|147 H|71 R|23 2B|2 HR|63 RBI|

CL Pitcher of the Year: Billy Stewart, Manchester Eagles - 39-21|35 K|2.30 ERA|
AL Pitcher of the Year: J.J. Darrow, Philadelphia Watchmen - 37-32|33 K|2.34 ERA|

Ray Kanady once again added another 9 inning no hitter to his resume, pitching a shutout in a victory over Philadelphia on May 17th.

[Rocketdawg2016]

1871

In the offseason before the 1871 season, Manchester once again made headlines. Josh Truskowski, the reigning Colonial League MVP, inked a deal with the Eagles for seven years at a clip of $282 per season for a total of $1,864. Many pundits considered this the start of a long dynasty for Manchester, as they had now added two MVP's in back-to-back offseasons.

Despite this addition, Manchester did lose the reigning CL Pitcher of the Year in Billy Stewart, as he found a new home in Philadelphia, boosting up their lackluster pitching corps. On the opposite side in the Atlantic League, the former Pitcher of the Year winner for 1870 ALSO inked a new deal elsewhere. J.J. Darrow decided to take his talents from Philadelphia to Washington, boosting an already elite pitching corps and potentially throwing the Senators in the mix for yet another pennant in the Atlantic League.

The Eagles once again ran away with the Colonial League pennant, clinching on August 12th, the earliest in league history. They clinched with 16 games remaining in the season and were 17 games up on the next best team, Providence.

In the Atlantic League, however, the pennant race was tight as it could be. Three teams were in the mix for the pennant with seven days left in the regular season, those being Philadelphia, Washington, and Baltimore. Unfortunately for Washington, injuries began to mount up late in the year, as they had lost their starting 2nd basemen, left fielder and pitcher. Baltimore closed the gap and overtook both Washington and Philadelphia, clinching the Atlantic League with 5 games to go in the regular season.



The 1871 National Championship Series was a re-match of two years prior, when the Eagles and Red Wings met for the first ever championship. Despite the classic battle of two "rivals," it was the Eagles who manhandled the Red Wings from the jump. Manchester dropped six runs on the Red Wings in the first game and never looked back, sweeping the Atlantic League pennant winners in three games to capture their third straight title. In three seasons of NOBB, Manchester has build a baseball powerhouse, winning three titles with the hopes of more as the years go on. Once again, the Manchester pitching unit dominated, and Josh Reichard won National Championship MVP. Pitching almost 20 innings, 2 strikeouts, a 0.92 earned run average and going 2-0.

Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: Jim Dimeglio, Manchester Eagles - .379 AVG|93 RBI|30 2B|16 3B|
AL most Valuable Player: David Ewing, New York Battalion - .362 AVG|178 H|62 RBI|22 2B|

CL Pitcher of the Year: Evan Burns, Manchester Eagles - 42-21|2.85 ERA|49 K|
AL Pitcher of the Year: John Hillman, Baltimore Red Wings - 31-28|2.92 ERA|44 K|

[Rocketdawg2016]

1872

The off-season before the 1872 season was riddled with many different player movements across the league. Manchester made news ( to the delight of some other teams) by allowing their two best pitchers to walk in free agency. Reigning CL Most Valuable Player Evan Burns left the Eagles and signed a 3-year contract with the Providence Fighters, FINALLY giving them some substance of a pitching staff. National Championship MVP Josh Reichard inked up with Philadelphia in the offseason, leaving the Eagles offense in tact but turning their pitching corps into shambles. Would the Eagles be able to complete the four-peat in 1872?

The 1872 pennant race was nonexistent, as some would say. Manchester (surprise, surprise) easily cruised to yet another Colonial League pennant as they won it by 16 games over Boston. In the Atlantic League, Philadelphia's offseason splurges did benefit them, as they were very clearly the cream of the crop in the AL and won the pennant over Washington by 15 games. Philadelphia was the first team to clinch this year, something no team besides Manchester had done so far. The Watchmen finished 83-53, only 3 games behind the Eagles, which made this National Championship matchup a must watch.



Game 1 of the National Championship Series swung towards the Eagles, as they shut down the high powered Watchmen offense, but Game 2 swung the other way, with Philadelphia blowing out the Eagles by 9 runs and capturing all the momentum. Despite this, Manchester settled in, just as they had done in 1870 against Washington. Nevertheless, Philly did make it competitive. A 7-5 deficit in the bottom of the 9th of Game 4 was almost a 8-7 walk-off winner. but the ball fell juuuuuust short of the left field wall, preserving an Eagles victory and giving Manchester their 4th title in as many years. Center fielder Mike Bonner was named National Championship MVP as he slashed .471 with 8 hits and a single RBI throughout the contest.

Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: Devon Ricks, Manchester Eagles - .347 AVG|155 H|29 2B|12 HR|83 RBI|79 R|
AL most Valuable Player: Bill Phillips, Philadelphia Watchmen - .343 AVG|188 H|29 2B|7 HR|69 RBI|91 R|

CL Pitcher of the Year Award: Mark Cimek, Boston Rebels - 35-35|31 K|2.86 ERA|
AL Pitcher of the Year Award: Billy Stewart, Philadelphia Watchmen - 43-22|46 K|2.24 ERA|

Jarrod Barr of the Boston Rebels pitched a no-hitter versus the Hartford Angels, the 4th such in NOBB history.

Colonial League MVP Devon Ricks not only walked away with that hardware, but he also added a Golden Batsmen Award, largely in-part to winning the hitting triple crown. He led the league in home runs, batting average, and runs batted in during his fantastic 1872 season.

[Rocketdawg2016]

1873

The 1872 off-season was yet again dominated by the Manchester Eagles. While certainly not the spry young team they were four years ago, they just keep signing those who still have something to offer. Four year New York veteran first baseman David Ewing inked a 5-year deal with the Eagles, committing him to the club that has yet to lose the National Championship despite four valiant attempts by Atlantic League teams. Pundits were already calling this team the greatest of all time, but where would they wind up in the history books? Only time will tell the tale.

The pennant chase in 1873 was the closest it has EVER been in both leagues! In the Atlantic League, it came down to the final day of the regular season, and between the 1st place team and 4th place team, it was a mere four (four!) games! Baltimore hung on late to clinch their 3rd AL pennant, beating out Philadelphia and New York by a combined four games (two each).

In the Colonial League, this was the weakest the Manchester Eagles had looked since the inaugural season in 1869. By mid-August the Eagles and Boston were in a dogfight for the pennant, with Boston coming within just two games of overtaking the Eagles. Some late-season magic worked in Manchester's favor, and they clinched the pennant with a week to go, winning out by a slim margin of 8 games, the second fewest since 1869.



The Red Wings got off to a HOT start in the National Championship, winning Game 1 in blowout fashion, 10-1. All eyes were on Manchester's response, and boy did they ever respond. The Eagles won the next three games, clinching the series for the 5th time and denying the Red Wings a chance to win for the first time in franchise history. Pitcher Jose Duarte was named National Championship MVP, going 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA, while striking out 1. The Eagles were on top of the base ball world yet again.

Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: Mike Bonner, Worchester Eagles - .319 AVG|161 H|27 2B|21 3B|1 HR|100 R|28 RBI|
AL Most Valuable Player: John Bagley, Washington Senators - .318|151 H|22 2B|4 HR|43 RBI|

CL Pitcher of the Year: Jose Duarte, Manchester Eagles - 26-17|2.12 ERA|35 K|
AL Pitcher of the Year: Mark Simek, Baltimore Red Wings - 24-16|1.77 ERA|34 K|

Cimek becomes the first player in NOBB history to win the Pitcher of the Year Award for both the Atlantic and Colonial League's. Jose Duarte becomes the third player in league history to win both the National Championship and the league's best hitter/pitcher award in the same season.

Dusty Mote records the 4th 9-inning no-hitter in league history, striking out one while pitching against Providence as a member of Manchester, it's the Eagles first no-hitter in franchise history.

[Rocketdawg2016]

1874

With rumors of league expansion running rampant, coupled with proposed rule changes, the 1873 off-season was a tumultuous one in terms of the league's future. Lots of changes are coming, and shareholders aren't exactly sure whether that will benefit the league. Regardless, there is baseball to be had, so lets jump back in.

By mid-June, majority of fans thought the Colonial League pennant race was already over. Manchester had jumped out to a ASTOUNDING 21-game lead over Boston, and nobody thought they were going to be caught as they went for their record setting sixth championship trophy. However, Manchester proceeded to go on losing streaks of 11 and 13 through late June and late July, and the scorching hot Providence Fighters got within 3 games of the champs. However, much like previous years, Manchester found its footing late enough in the season to secure the pennant for the sixth time!

In the Atlantic League, it was yet again a bloodbath the final three weeks of the year. New York had a stronghold on the pennant for much of July and August but Philadelphia won 9 straight to put themselves in a virtual tie for first place with New York. Baltimore made a late season run but were eventually eliminated in a 2-1 defeat to the eventual pennant champion Battalion. New York won the pennant by a close 5 games over Philadelphia, securing their first pennant in franchise history and the chance to dethrone the five time champs.



New York finished only one game under the Eagles' record, but they certainly did not play like it once the National Championship began. They were throttled in a sweep for the now six time champions! It was the third year in a row a pitcher won the MVP trophy of the series, as J.J. Darrow picked up the honors this time around, tossing 16 innings while not recording a single hit against him.

Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: Mike Bonner, Manchester Eagles - .309 AVG|119 H|31 RBI|87 R|
AL Most Valuable Player: Bill Phillips, Baltimore Red Wings - .330 AVG|160 H|4 HR|61 RBI|65 R|

CL Pitcher of the Year: Jarrod Barr, Manchester Eagles - 20-11|1.56 ERA|32 K|
AL Pitcher of the Year: Chris Shay, New York Battalion - 25-20|2.06 ERA|50 K|

Lots of debate raged in the aftermath of the CL MVP announcement. Mike Bonner, while a talented player, put up objectively worse numbers than four candidates on the MVP list. Many fans thought other players were more deserving than a player that was allegedly "ring chasing."

[Rocketdawg2016]

1875

The 1874 off-season finally answered some long-asked questions about the future of the league. While none of the rumors had substance to them, people still wondered the most outlandish things, even if the league would fold. The NOBB officially announced on October 26th that the league would be expanding and adding four new members, slated to begin play in 1876. The four new teams would be the Pittsburgh Iron Camels, Newport Midshipmen, Brooklyn Barons and the Worcester Pirates. Meanwhile, fans were cautiously optimistic about Manchester finally being defeated, as they had lost three key players to the previous three championship teams and didn't add anyone in the off-season.

By mid-July, both pennant races were incredibly tight, with Manchester and Hartford both TIED at 62-50. Nobody knew what to expect from either team, but it was once again Manchester who prevailed late in the season. In the Atlantic League, New York had grip of the pennant the entire season, and while Philadelphia made a fun late in the year, it wouldn't be enough before New York clinched to confirm a repeat of last years National Championship.



While both teams traded blows Games 1 and 2, it was Manchester who would once again come out victorious, winning their 7th title in team history and STILL denying anybody else a chance at a championship.

Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: Mike Bonner, Manchester Eagles - .337 AVG|27 RBI|23 2B|94 R|119 H|
AL Most Valuable Player: Josh Hull, Philadelphia Watchmen - .368 AVG|138 H|20 2B|37 RBI|70 R|

CL Pitcher of the Year: Jarrod Barr, Manchester Eagles - 26-19|114 K|2.71 ERA|
AL Pitcher of the Year: Dusty Stefany, New York Battalion - 26-18|2.79 ERA|99 K|

Roman Hebert of the Baltimore Red Wings pitched the first no-hitter in two years against the Washington Senators, striking out four. Mike Bonner of the Manchester Eagles achieved 400 career stolen bases on April 9th.

[Rocketdawg2016]

1876

THe 1875 off-season saw the adition of four brand new teams into the NOBB, maxing out the total teams at 12 and providing a chance at a more balanced competition. There was a slight hiccup in the road to adding four new teams, though. In October, when the expansion draft happened, the league actually ran out of viable players to use for the expansion. Protection lists were already submitted and there were no more free agents, so the league came up with the idea to use replacement players for a year while letting all four expansion teams pick first in the following years amateur draft. Needless to say, it was a brazen idea.

The pennant chase in both leagues proved to be ridiculous this year, and Providence leaped out of the gate with a hot start. In the Colonial League, it was a dogfight all season long, but Providence and Manchester kept pace with one another the entire length of it. On August 3rd, both teams moved into a virtual tie for first place. Providence moved into 1st place after Manchester was swept by the Angels, and it was a position they would never give back up. Manchester scratched and clawed their way to within a game numerous times, but the mountain was just high enough. Providence, on the second to last day of the regular season, clinched the Colonial League pennant, becoming the first team other than Manchester to do so in the league. The Eagles' run of seven straught pennants and championships, was over.

On the other side of the pond, the Atlantic League was yet again a scorching hot, three team race the majority of the season. Washington, Philadelphia, and New York each took their jabs at taking control of first place various times throughout the season, but it was New York who, on the VERY LAST GAME, outlasted Philadelphia and clinched the AL pennant by one game. An impressive regular season that say empires fall, and kingdoms rise.

While the race to the pennant was highly competitive, the bottom end of the league was atrocious. The league's idea of using replacement players for a season did NOT pan out, and it is easily distinguishable in the records of the expansion teams. Outside of Brooklyn, who finished a respectable 65-71 in year one, Pittsburgh, Newport and Worcester combined for a 33-375 record in year one. Pittsburgh ALONE finished the year 3-133, the worst statistical season, possibly ever. Many players on the team were not used to the constant conditions of playing, and many walked off the team, leaving Pittsburgh under the roster cap and struggling to find any sort of competitive edge. Surely the league will address this, but a brutal first year for the newcomers.



The 1876 National Championship series was anticipated to be one of the most competitive championships ever. With the Eagles finally out of the picture, it was time for new teams to step up. It was a BATTLE every single game, as each team won twice to force a winner-take-all game 5 in Providence to become the first team in league history not named the Manchester Eagles to win a title. New York did all of their damage in the first couple of frames, holding off a Providence comeback to capture their first ever National Championship in franchise history, the first ever National Championship for the Atlantic League and the first National Championship to not be won by the Manchester Eagles. Fans and players across the league celebrated the victory, and many think this is the turning point for parity in the league, after seven bruising years under Manchester. Pitcher Jacoby Petrosky won National Championship MVP after going 2-0 with 19 innings pitched, four strikeouts and a 0.95 earned run average in his two games.

Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: Jorge Garcia, Providence Fighters - .412 AVG|195 H|99 RBI|161 R|
AL Most Valuable Player: Carson Cowee, Brooklyn Barons - 25-22|205 K|2.31 ERA|

CL Pitcher of the Year: Mark Simek, Providence Fighters - 31-11|1.90 ERA|120 K|
AL Pitcher of the Year: Carson Cowee, Brooklyn Barons - 25-22|205 K|2.31 ERA|

Carson Cowee becomes the first player in NOBB history to win both the Most Valuable Player Award, and the Pitcher of the Year Award, in the same season. A phenomenal season from the Carson and the newcomer Brooklyn Barons.

Joel Miller of the Hartford Angels records the first cycle in NOBB history by going 4-for-7 with one home run and 1 run batted in against Worcester.
Antonio Arangua of the Hartford Angels records the first 130+ runs batted in season with 137 RBI's

While 1876 saw quite the offensive explosion in terms of statistics, historians heavily critique this season as a "sham" because of the way the league handled the player issues with the expansion teams. Whether the fans agree is up for interpretation, but there might be an asterisk next to this season for the foreseeable future.

[Rocketdawg2016]

1877

While the offseason after 1876 was quite tame, there was no shortage of more expansion rumors and amateur leagues firing up elsewhere, striking some fear into fans of the NOBB that there may be competitive leagues within the United States soon. During the off-season the executive board of NOBB approved a decrease in free agent minimum service time, down from six years to five years. This allows players to hit the open market sooner rather than later into their careers.

Following last years electric finish in both leagues was going to be no easy feat. Lots of teams had rebuilt their rosters in light of the offensive explosion we saw (thank you executive board), but a lot of teams questioned how year two for the expansion franchises was going to affect the overall offense of the league.

One year removed from losing out on a chance at eight straight championships, Manchester came in refreshed and hungry for another. Unofortunately for the Eagles and their fans, they would be buried behind three other teams in their league. Hartford, Providence, and Boston all were in a heavy dogfight to finish out the year in the Colonial League, and while Manchester was good enough to finish six games over .500, they simply could not keep up with the powerhouse offenses between Providence and Hartford. It came down to two weeks before the playoffs, but Hartford locked up their first ever Colonial League pennant, and with that, a chance at a National Championship.

The Atlantic League had been a bloodbath the past couple of seasons, and that was no different oncemore as New York, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn (to the surprise of many) were competitive down the stretch. Brooklyn's achilles heel was experience, and their team could not sustain wins in late July, which doomed them in the final 3.5 weeks to the pennant, which left Philly and New York as the two, once again, fighting for a pennant. New York was simply the better team on all cylinders in August, and they wrapped up their 4th Atlantic League pennant in as many seasons.



That set the stage for the 1877 National Championship between the 95-41 Angels and 84-52 Battalion. While on paper this matchup seemed destined to be a blowout in favor of Hartford, New York did not roll over. After going down 0-2, New York rallied for two straight wins, to send us to a winner-take-all Game 5 in Connecticut, the second straight Game 5 in league history. Despite New York rallying, they fell apart in the final game of the season, falling 11-1 to Hartford, who claimed their first ever National Championship in franchise history! Jamie Miller, the kid from South Carolina, won MVP honors as he slashed a whopping .529, scorching the New York pitching staff to nine hits and five RBI's.

Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: Antonio Arangua, Hartford Angels - .311 AVG|30 2B|85 RBI|65 R|
AL Most Valuable Player: Josh Reichard, Washington Senators - 33-12|1.56 ERA|146 K|

CL Pitcher of the Year: Brad Eaton, Hartford Angels - 33-11|190 K|2.14 ERA|
AL Pitcher of the Year: Josh Reichard, Washington Senators - 33-12|1.56 ERA|146 K|

Josh Reichard become the second player in NOBB history to win the Most Valuable Player Award and Pitcher of the Year Award in the same season, and the first time ever having it happen in back-to-back seasons. Chris Van Sickle of the Worcester Pirates hit the second cycle in NOBB history, going for 4-of-6 with one home run and one run batted in against Hartford.

Two more no-hitters were added to the list in 1877, last years AL MVP/POTY Award winner Carson Cowlee pitched a no-hitter on April 15th against the Senators, striking out two batters. The reigning CL POTY also pitched a no hitter on June 7th, striking out five batters.

While the offense certainly quieted down this year after last years executive mistake, one must wonder if offensive will ever have an explosion like that again.

[Rocketdawg2016]

1878

1877 was yet another tumultuous off-season, marked by one of the largest free agent classes in league history. Everybody was deciding to move teams, and with that, shifting the entire landscape of base ball. The off-season was marked by more rule changes as well. The Executive board of the NOBB voted in favor to add another round for the playoffs for the upcoming season and beyond, giving teams with winning records that missed out on the pennant a chance to still make the playoffs. So now, the top team in each league is guaranteed to make the playoffs, and one team will now qualify as a wildcard, which will be the team with the second-most wins each season.

Along with that change on the homeland, the NOBB announced it is becoming a major financial backer of the Cuban Professional League, an international outfit of base ball playing in Cuba in the winter. The league was set up by multiple shareholders within the NOBB corporate structure, and it will begin play in the Fall of 1878, AFTER the NOBB season finishes.

Under the first season with an additional team making the playoffs, the division races (now the substitute for pennant races) got even hotter, with three teams from each league in the mix for both late in the year. On the Colonial League side, Hartford followed up their National Championship campaign with a slightly less strong 1878, but still firmly in the mix for the Colonial League division title. Unfortunately for Hartford, Providence kept steady with them the entire year and eventually leapfrogged them beginning of August, a lead which they would not relinquish. Providence won the first division title in NOBB history at 91-45, but Hartford wasn't out of it yet. The Angels had a four game lead on the next best team, the Newport Midshipmen, only a year removed from a 15-win campaign, Newport turned things around and competed late. Despite falling short in the wildcard race, there are things to look forward to for the Midshipmen. Hartford clinched the wildcard spot in the Colonial League by a comfortable 19-games in front of Newport, which set up the first playoff matchup between the Angels and their quickly growing rival, Providence.

In the Atlantic League, a league that is known for its dogfights throughout the summer in the race the pennant, it did not change even with the addition of a wildcard team. New York comfortably coasted to the Atlantic League division crown by five games, but it was as high as 13 games by mid-August. That means the wildcard bid came down to Philadelphia and Brooklyn. The Barons held a five game lead on the wildcard with two weeks to go, but a major late-season collapse by them allowed the door to open for Philadelphia to claim the final spot. While Brooklyn recovered and forced a tie with two games to go. They would fall in their final two games of the season, clinching the wildcard for Philadelphia.



In the Wildcard Round, as the league was now calling it, both games went the full five, with Providence denying Hartford a chance to repeat as champions for the first time since the Manchester Eagles, and New York comfortably winning Game 5 after Philadelphia rallied rom a 2-0 deficit. That set up the National Championship Series between the Battalion and the Fighters. New York was vying for another championship, appearing in the title game for the 5th time in a row, while Providence was making their second appearance of the last three seasons. The Fighters got out to the early 2-0 series lead, threatening to bury New York in a sweep, but the Battalion rallied well, and forced a critical game 5 in Providence. In classic fashion, the Fighters walked off the Battalion in the botom of the 9th inning of Game 5, securing their second championship in franchise history in what was arguably viewed as an upset.

Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: Joel Miller, Hartford Angels - .287 AVG|135 H|3 HR|65 RBI|68 R|
AL Most Valuable Player: John Bagley, Washington Senators - .341 AVG|4 HR|40 RBI|133 H|55 R|

CL Pitcher of the Year: Brad Eaton, Hartford Angels - 34-13|1.87 ERA|178 K|
AL Pitcher of the Year: Jose Duarte, New York Battalion - 31-12|2.03 ERA|149 K|

In a down season offensively, it was impressive to see anybody hit over .315, let alone a .341 from Bagley, who has become a model of consistency since entering the league 9 seasons ago. On the pitching side of things, Roman Hebert once again pitched another no-hitter, this time against cross-town rival New York whilst playing for Brooklyn. He fanned three in nine innings of work. Manchester Eagles legend Mike Bonner reached 700 career stolen bases on July 11th, cementing himself firmly in the history books as the all time career stolen bases leader, a record which might never be broken.

The Cuban Professional League season starts on October 5th, directly after free agency in the NOBB, so those seasons will be covered the following year recaps from now on.

[Rocketdawg2016]

1879

Cutting to the chase, after one year of four teams in the playoffs instead of one, the league was skyrocketing in popularity, people flocked to games to watch and teams were highly competitive in the late 1870's. In the Colonial League in 1879, Hartford once again got off to a hot start, winning 35 of their first 50 games to kick off the campaign, but Newport also came on strong in 1879, winning 33 of their first 50, and the two teams stayed deadlocked the entire season. While Boston was able to make a late season push, this year it was always going to be Hartford and Newport. The Angels beat out the Midshipmen by a single game to capture the Colonial League division title, and Newport finished with the wildcard to make the playoffs.

In the Atlantic League, the division and wildcard chase was as tight as ever, with the top four teams all separated by just three games! It came down to the last 48 hours of the season, but Philadelphia clinched the division while Pittsburgh clinched the wildcard. A stunning race all the way to the end.

In what is viewed as one of the most competitive playoff series yet, Newport stunned Hartford 3-to-1 to advance to the National Championship. Philadelphia prevailed after an 0-1 start in the wildcard round. They dispatched Pittsburgh to advance to their second National Championship in franchise history.

Philadelphia was beaten up pretty badly during the season, and by the time the championship series rolled around they were missing three starters. That made it much easier for Newport to capture their first title in franchise history, as they easily swept the Watchmen in three games. Only two years removed from losing 121 games in a single season, Newport was now on top of the base ball world with their first National Championship. Midshipmen pitcher Kevin Perry won the MVP honors, finishing 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA, one save and eight strikeouts.

Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: Adam Lamkin, Newport Midshipmen - .329 AVG|7 HR|32 SB|68 RBI|
AL Most Valuable Player: Matt Weber, Pittsburgh Iron Camels - .288 AVG|26 SB|138 H|98 R|67 RBI|

CL Pitcher of the Year: Jayden Terry, Newport Midshipmen - 32-15|2.07 ERA|144 K|
AL Pitcher of the Year: Eddie Rivas, Pittsburgh Iron Camels - 27-20|8 SV|189 K|2.58 ERA|

In the inaugural season of the Cuban Professional League, the Trinidad Steamrollers defeated the San Cristobal Bulldozers in the Super Serie Cubana, 3 games to 2, to capture the first ever trophy in the CPL.

[tm1681]

Did you complete a bunch of seasons ahead of time and are just writing about them now?

Fun read...

[Rocketdawg2016]

Originally Posted by tm1681

Did you complete a bunch of seasons ahead of time and are just writing about them now?

Fun read...

Going season by season currently for the restart. I was originally going to get like 70 years into it then start writing recaps but it'll probably be more fun to run through each season as it happens rather than get the surface level details of it in 60 years.

Appreciate it!

[Rocketdawg2016]

1880

12 years of NOBB baseball have come and gone as we enter the 1880's. A strong 12 years of league play, the game of baseball is thriving in the Eastern United States. With the shift to different teams yearly coming out of the Colonial League and Atlantic League after the long run of Manchester, league popularity has skyrocketed, with rumors of even more expansion being considered, possibly across the Midwest. While the newspapers are scurrying with reports of potential expansion, fans across the East are excited for yet another season of baseball.

In the Colonial League this year, Hartford ran away with the division title, finishing 95-41 and 19 games over the next best team. The Angels were far and away the best team in the league that year, and the obvious playoff favorites going in. In the wildcard race however, it was a tight battle between Newport and Providence to make it in. Down to only three games separating the two teams, Providence lost a crucial 3-game series to Boston, allowing Newport to safely clinch the wildcard despite a valliant late-season effort from the Fighters. The midshipmen would have the honor of playing Hartford yet again in the wildcard round.

In the Atlantic League, New York, Brooklyn and Pittsburgh were the major contenders for the year, but Philadelphia made a late run towards the wildcard round with a 14-4 W/L July to get back into it. Even with a run, Philly finished the year a brutal 7-15 to knock themselves out before the season ended. That left NY, Brooklyn and Pittsburgh to battle it out for the two playoff spots. It became clear within the final two weeks that New York would likely win the division title, leaving Brooklyn and Pittsburgh to battle it out. Lucky for the both of them, they finished the season playing one another, which set up a win-and-in scenario for both teams. Brooklyn and Pittsburgh both sat at 73-60, only needing to win two games to clinch the wildcard. Game 1 went to Brooklyn, Game 2 went to Pittsburgh, which set up the playoff-deciding Game 3 in Brooklyn. In a pitchers duel, both Roman Hebert and Eddie Rivas went toe-to-toe late into the game, but with two outs and Brooklyn's best hitter, Greg Sanders, up to bat, he delivered. In the bottom of the 8th inning, Sanders hit a monster left field home run, putting the Barons up 1-0. Brooklyn would shut the door in the top-half of the 9th, and win. They clinched their first ever playoff appearance in only their 5th season, and earned a chance to play their cross-town rivals in New York.



What better way to start off the 1880's than with the craziest playoffs to-date. In the wildcard round, it really was the wildcards that made the biggest impact. Despite being a major underdog, Newport stunned the 95-win Angels, dispatching them in four games to advance to the National Championship. Hartford only lost 41 games in the regular season, but 14 of those losses came to the Midshipmen, who had their pitching figured out. In the end, its Newport, not Hartford, that ends up advancing, despite everybody thinking the other outcome would happen. On the other side of the bracket, it was Brooklyn who ran away to victory after dispatching their in-state rivals in a clean sweep. 3 games up, 3 games down as New York yet again falls short of the National Championship in what was an inexcusable performance. Brooklyn dropped 19 runs on New York in the first two games and steadily coasted to a Game 3 win after a 6-2 rout. With their cross-town rivals gone, this set up the first ever meeting between two expansion teams in the National Championship. Brooklyn would meet Newport in a matchup of freshly minted teams for the league, and it was the first time these two squads would ever have played one another.

The National Championship of 1880 was the hottest draw of the late summer period, even outselling the New York ballet, which at the time was raking in tens of thousands of viewers a year. Tickets for this game went for a premium, and the ballpark was sold out all FIVE games. Yep, a full series. Game 1 went Brooklyn's way as they opened up a 5-0 lead and built on it, winning in comfortable fashion, 7-1. Game 2 was a different story, however, as Newport held the normally explosive Brooklyn offense in check. A 5-4 victory notched things up. Game 3 swung back to Brooklyn as they took a slim, 1-0 victory into a decisive Game 4. In that game, the Midshipmen came out firing, scoring 7 runs in the first 3 frames and only allowing 3 hits the rest of the game, leading to a resounding 9-2 victory. This set us up for Game 5, winner take all situation as we were back in Brooklyn. Roman Hebert was on the mound for the Barons, and he pitched a gem. Hebert went the full nine frames, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and effectively shutting down the Midshipmen offense. Brooklyn got the scoring started in the 1st inning, and they built up a 5-0 lead by the 8th inning. Despite scoring one run in the final two frames, the hill was too much to climb for Newport. The final out goes to the Barons, who conquer the mountain and win it all in 1880. In fitting fashion, the pitcher that recorded the final out also gets the hardware. Roman Hebert was named MVP of the National Championship. His spectacular 4-0 record was backed up behind 10 strikeouts, a 0.67 ERA and only 4 earned runs over 4 games! A magificent season that saw Brooklyn win their first title and set up hope for their fanbase that this team would be competitive for a long time.



Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: Antonio Arangua, Hartford Angels - .312 AVG|153 H|28 2B|13 3B|4 HR|69 RBI|
AL Most Valuable Player: Greg Sanders, Brooklyn Barons - .340 AVG|155 H|28 2B|12 3B|2 HR|41 RBI|96 R|

CL Pitcher of the Year: Joey Stringer, Hartford Angels - 35-16|194 K|2.41 ERA|
AL Pitcher of the Year: Eddie Rivas, Pittsburgh Iron Camels - 30-20|169 K|2.09 ERA|

Arangua also wrangled in his 6th straight Defensive Wizard Award, finishing the season as the best defender by metrics and analytics.

Cuban Professional League: Santiago de Cuba Panthers sweep the San Cristobal Panthers, 3-0

[Rocketdawg2016]

1881

Ahh, the 1880's. The bustling economies of the various Eastern Seaboard cities, the rapidly expanding Midwest, and of course, baseball. Life was good if you were following the NOBB along, as league popularity continued to skyrocket with each passing season, and now fans had even more things to be excited about...

The Midwest Baseball Association, a collective of about eight semi-professional baseball "teams," as one could call them, announced they would formally become a professional league. Headquarted in the rapidly growing city of Cleveland, Ohio, the newly-minted league would compete technically as an independent to the National Assocation of Base Ball, but players from either league could be signed to each respective league, which, in the early days of the NOBB, was a longstanding policy league executives had set up AGAINST amateur clubs poaching star players from their teams. An 1876 owners meeting changed that rule with the formation of the Cuban Professional League, but even with four years of the CPL running, not many Cuban-born players had cracked into the majors yet. The Midwest Baseball Assocation was surprisingly met with overwhelming praise, as fans across the East and new fans in the West were even clamoring for more teams closer to their respective cities. Expansion was still on the minds of everybody, and the MBA brought the prospects of a Nationwide baseball league into its earliest stages throughout the coming years.

Diving into the Midwest Baseball Association a biiiiit more, league officials, which included the son of one of the founders of the NOBB, brought forth the idea for a Midwest baseball league in talks with senior NOBB officials after the Winter meetings in 1877. Fast forward to 1880, the league was a formality, and news of the league broke headlines across the United States. The league would run seasonally similar to the NOBB. It would start on April 1st every year, with a 112-game season between April and late July, with a postseason played in August. In a similar fashion to the NOBB, the playoffs consisted of a single division winner and one wildcard team from each division, with a wildcard best-of-five game series and a championship series, also a best-of-five. Although initially skeptical, NOBB officials welcomed the new league as an official "partner" league, despite the MBA initially disagreeing to be tied to a parent league. That set the MBA to be classified as an "Independent" league, even though the two leagues were technically working together.

The 1881 season in the NOBB was surprisingly uncompetitive down the stretch for most of the year. In the Colonial League, Hartford bounced back from a couple down years (by their standards, still making the playoffs) to re-claim the division, winning it 10 games over the next best team. In the wildcard race, it was Providence who also made a return to the playoffs. Capturing the wildcard in a safe race between them and Newport, who finished under .500 for the first time since their 65-win campaign just three seasons ago.

The Atlantic League saw little parity this season also, as New York easily coasted to a division title at 82-54. The wildcard race was slightly more competitive down the stretch, as Brooklyn and Philadelphia battled it out, but it was the Watchmen who returned to the playoffs and knocked out the defending champions. The stage was set for the 1881 playoffs, as both of last years National Championship teams missed out on playoff berth, which in the eyes of some allowed for new faces to get their chances in the spotlight.



In the wildcard round of the playoffs, both series were uneventful, as the division winners clearly flexed their muscles and showed exactly why they won the division, both New York and Hartford swept their playoff series 3-0, advancing to the National Championship to face each other for the second time in league history. In 1877, it was Hartford and New York who played a grueling five game series in the title series, and it was once again Hartford who prevailed this year, albeit with a much less competitive New York team. The Angels swept the Battalion in 3 games, capturing their second trophy in franchise history. 3rd basemen Eric Eaton, just 23 years old two weeks earlier, gets the best late birthday present and wins MVP honors for the series. Eaton slashed .417 with 5 hits and 2 runs batted in, including an .833 slugging percentage. A brutal stretch for New York as they advanced to their sixth National Championship in eight seasons, but were yet again dispatched by a Colonial League opponent. Their championship winning 1876 season still stands as the only championship they have won, despite having the second most appearance behind Manchester.



Season Awards
CL Most Valuable Player: CF Stephen Bolm, Boston Rebels - .330 AVG|37 2B|15 3B|7 HR|69 RBI|162 H|
AL Most Valuable Player: 1B Jack Adamitis, New York Battalion - .373 AVG|186 H|32 2B|12 3B|6 HR|97 RBI|

CL Pitcher of the Year: Bobby Stoetzel, Newport Midshipmen - 22-15|1.53 ERA|198 K|347 IP|
AL Pitcher of the Year: Eddie Rivas, Pittsburgh Iron Camels - 28-16|398 IP|184 K|2.56 ERA|

The youth movement in the NOBB is incredibly prevalent, as all of the major award winners are 26 or younger, with three of them being 24. Appears the league will be in good hands as we head toward the 20th Century.

Cuban Professional League: Trinidad Steamrollers defeat the Matanzas Blazers 3-0 (second championship)

In in the inaugural season of the Midwest Baseball Association, it was the Chicago Fire and Louisville Aviators on top of their respective divisions, with the Cleveland Indians and St. Louis Red Stockings capturing the wildcard. Both matchups went the full five games, setting up the first ever Championship between the Red Stockings and Aviators. Much like the wildcard round, the championship also went a full five games, and St. Louis dispatched Louisville to win their first championship in franchise history.

In the first season of competition, the MBA set numerous league records when compared to the NOBB. While many people consider the NOBB an elite level of the game, there were plenty of fans that thought the MBA was a better league in terms of competition. In just one season, the MBA had more home runs hit than in the entire history of the NOBB. The fans loved the electric pacing of the games and the higher levels of scoring. A huge hit for fans of both and certainly a positive as baseball continues its rise across the country.



Red Stockings ace Craig Winkleman won the Pitcher of the Year Award, putting up a 22-15 record and a 1.51 ERA. He struck out 232 batters he faced this season and allowed his opponents to only hit a .193 batting average against him, the best part? He's 19! Craig could possibly be a hot draw in the NOBB if teams are to pursue him, which is now allowed.

On the offensive side of things, it was Akron's 1B Danny Powers that bagged this seasons MVP Award. Powers hit .339 this season, which included a .409 on-base percentage. His 12 home runs, 38 RBI's and 66 runs scored solidified himself as the MVP front runner, and he takes it home in year one.

[Rocketdawg2016]

1882

More expansion in the NOBB was announced as the Buffalo Rams and Richmond Whalers were being added to the Atlantic League, starting competition in 1882.

The Colonial League in 1882 was yet again another season of dominance for the Hartford Angels, who in the eyes of some were becoming the new Manchester Eagles of the early 1870's. Hartford cruised to their fourth straight division title, and their fifth in the last six years, finishing the season 88-48 and securing (what many thought) would be another championship appearance. In the wildcard race, it was Newport who cruised to the playoffs behind the strong performances of their starting rotation,. Their three starters won 72 outright games of their 88 total, and had a 2.10 ERA by seasons end. A name we haven't called in a while, the Manchester Eagles, are starting to look competitive again, after multiple down seasons since their seven straight championships to kick off the league. The Eagles finished 6 games back of Newport and largely looked like a team that could start making runs again within just a few years.

In the Atlantic League, New York ran away with the division by June, holding a 25 game lead at one point. They finished the year 98-38, easily setting their franchise record and tying the league record for wins in a single season, set in 1876 by the Providence Fighters. That meant that the wildcard would come down to Baltimore and Brooklyn. While within three games at one point, it was the Red Rings who clinched the final playoff spot and sent the Barons back home for another season. This was Baltimore's first playoff appearance since their pennant winning 1873 season.



Unlike the previous season of dominance by the division winners, in 1882 it was the year of the wildcard teams. Both Newport and Baltimore upset the heavily favored division winners, each in four games, to advance to the National Championship Series. For the Midshipmen, a year after missing the playoffs, they were back competing for the chance at another championship. Baltimore was the biggest wildcard, finishing 22 games behind New York but advancing to the National Championship for the first time in nine years! In Game 1, Baltimore got off to a hot start, scoring the games first 5 runs and eventually winning 6-2 to jump out to a 1-0 series lead, but would be Newport who had the last laugh. The Midshipmen won the final three games, closing out the series with a convincing 5-2 victory that gave them their second National Championship in franchise history.



A year removed from winning Pitcher of the Year, Midshipmen ace Bobby Stoetzel was named the series' Most Valuable Player, as he went 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA. Bobby pitched two compete games and struck out nine batters through those two games. More hardware for the 25 year old who was quickly becoming a NOBB star.

Colonial League pitcher Joey Stringer of the Hartford Angels won 1882's Pitcher of the Year Award, crafting a 33-14 W/L record and a 1.87 ERA. Stringer set the league record for strikeouts, with 319 and also only allowed a .203 batting average against him. Stringer's W/L, innings pitched and strikeouts paced the entire Colonial League, earning him the triple crown. A year after an injury derailed his season, Stringer comes back and captures some solid hardware.

New York Battalion pitcher Bret Weimer won the Atlantic League's Pitcher of the Year Award, finishing 32-10 with a 2.30 ERA. His 230 strikeouts and 394 innings pitched paced the entire Atlantic League.

Shortstop Mike Gomez of the Newport Midshipmen won the Colonial League Most Valuable Player after a great year in the infield. Gomez slashed .308/.346/.452 with 148 hits, 71 RBI's and 5 home runs. In his first year away from Boston, Gomez completely turns a new stone and wins his first MVP Award.

In the Atlantic League, Jake Watkins of the New York Battalion captures this years Most Valuable Player Award. At just 20 years old, not only is Jake the youngest MVP recipient in league history, he also is already a superstar. Watkins slashed .373/.400/.585 with 193 hits, 114 runs, 92 RBI's and 6 home runs. Jake's AVG/OBP/SLG percentages were all rookie records, SMASHING the previous recordholders from the early 1870's. In addition to his MVP hardware, Jake was also crowned Newcomer of the Year in the Atlantic League. While New York's postseason struggles mount, they now have a pair of award winners in 1882, perhaps a sign of better things to come.

The first 15+ strikeout game in NOBB history also happened in 1882. Jayden Terry of Newport pitched a 17 strikeout game against Manchester on May 27th. Terry had just one batted ball in 12 innings of work.

The first no-hitter in four years also happened in 1882, ALSO at the same game on May 27th. The pitcher for Manchester, Andy Cornett, pitched a 12-inning shutout victory with 5 strikeouts.

In the Midwest Baseball Association, in-state rivals Akron and Cleveland matched up in the postseason, being two of three teams from the North Division to get in, the other being Chicago. In the South Division, it was Cincinnati who won it, and Des Moines missed out on a playoff berth, finishing one game behind Cleveland in the wildcard race.



Akron came out on top over their in-state rivals, dispatching Cleveland in four games to advance to the Championship Series, while Chicago defeated South winner Cincinnati 5-4 in Game 5. In the Championship, Akron made quick work of Chicago, downing them in four games to capture their first trophy in franchise history.

In the same tune as last year, Craig Winkleman wins the Midwest Baseball Association Pitcher of the Year trophy. Despite slightly decreased numbers from last season, Binkleman was still the crop ahead of the rest of the pack, finishing 20-18 with a 2.04 ERA, good enough for second across the entire league. His 176 strikeouts and 7.5 WAR paced the entire league in 1882.

The MBA Most Valuable Player Award went to the 19 year old Chad Ortiz of the Cleveland Indians. Ortiz slashed .365/.412/.593 and a highly impressive 1.005 OPS! He finished second in the league in batting average, second in stolen bases (52), and first in batter WAR (10.8), while gathering 147 hits, 35 doubles, 27 triples, 1 home run and 46 RBI's. Ortiz also won his first Golden Glove Award as the league's best defenseman at left field.

Cuban Professional League: Matanzas Blazers defeat the Playa Manguana Jungle Cats 3 games to 1

[Rocketdawg2016]

1883

The 1883 regular season saw the Hartford Angels set the league record for wins in a single season, becoming the first team ever to record a 100-win season, as they finished the season 100-36, easily beating out second place Manchester, who made the playoffs for the first time since their record setting 7th championship in a row. While Hartford easily won the division, the wildcard was an absolute dogfight. Newport and Manchester paced one another the entire season, and it came down Newport losing a buy-in game 4-5 to the last-place team in the league, Providence (45-91). Manchester clinches it on the third-to-last day of the regular season, securing their appearance in the expanded playoffs for the first time.

On the other side of the river, it was a two team race the entire season, with New York and Baltimore in firm contention for the division title. Third place Philadelphia never stood a legitimate chance to make the playoffs, and were eliminated from postseason contention by August 1st. It came down to the last week of the season, but New York slowly saw their magic number dwindle down, and Baltimore couldn't recover the ground they lost, allowing New York to clinch their 4th straight division title. Baltimore, despite not winning the division, clinched the wildcard the following day, and the two secured another heavyweight bout in the playoffs.



Despite Manchester making the wildcard for the first time in their team history, it really wasn't a competitive series. Hartford was far and away the better team and they proved it with a quick 4-game series to advance to the National Championship. Baltimore, meanwhile, took advantage of a partially injured New York rotation, and sorched them for 23 runs over 3 games as they swept the defending Atlantic League division winners to advance to their second straight National Championship appearance, hoping for a better series than last years loss against Newport. In a grueling 5 game series, Hartford captured their third championship in team history, with a 7-3 Game 5 victory to seal it.



Angels pitcher Everett Kimbrell was absolutely surgical the entire 1883 postseason, capturing both Wildcard Series and National Championship Series MVP. Kimbrell went 3-1 in the series, finishing with a 0.96 ERA with 21 strikeouts.

Atlantic League pitcher Lorenzo Hernandez of the Baltimore Red Wings won Pitcher of the Year honors, finished 34-12 with a 1.87 ERA. He struck out 255 batters with a whopping 12.8 WAR. After being traded to Baltimore before the season started, Hernandez earns his first ever hardware in the form of a major Pitcher of the Year Award, and it comes after winning the triple crown.

Colonial League pitcher Joey Stringer goes back to back in 1882 and 1883 and wins another Pitcher of the Year Award. This year Stringer improves on his previous season numbers, finishing 37-11, with a 1.51 ERA. His 223 strikeouts paced the Colonial League.

Left fielder Zack Grogan of the Baltimore Red Wings won the Atlantic League's Most Valuable Player Award in 1883. Grogan slashed .351/.377/.450 and had 55 stolen bases and 2 home runs. The youngster from Massachusetts gets his first MVP Award after a dominant season at the plate for the Red Wings, even in his first season away from Newport.

Colonial League shortstop Raul Robles of the Hartford Angels may only be 23, but he looks like a well respected veteran with the way he plays. The 1883 Most Valuable Player Award winner, Robles slashed .306/.364/.481 with 3 home runs and 68 stolen bases. Robles also won the 1883 Golden Batmen and Defensive Wizard Awards in 1883, taking home three different trophies in just one season. If Hartford can hang on to Robles, their team will be dangerous for years to come!

Over in the Midwest Association, Akron and St. Louis won their divisions, and it was Chicago and Cleveland once again clinching the two wildcard spots to send three teams from the North Division into the postseason.



Akron met their in-state rivals for the second straight year, once again defeating them in 5 games to advance to the Championship Series. St. Louis beat down Chicago in a 3-game sweep to advance to the Championship Series. In the title series, it was Akron who made quick work of St. Louis in another 3-game sweep and the Climbers go back-to-back as National Champions.

Craig Winkleman is starting to become a household name across the country, and he wins his third straight Pitcher of the Year Award in the MBA. Smashing his career win total, Winkleman finished the year 27-10 with a 1.75 ERA, striking out 175 batters and accumulating a 9.3 WAR. He paced the entire league in wins, ERA, innings pitched, strikeouts, WHIP and opponent average! A phenomenal season from the just-21 year old.

Chad Ortiz also goes back-to-back for the Most Valuable Player Award in 1883, slashing .345/.390/.566 with 54 stolen bases and 2 home runs. Ortiz paced the entire MBA in on-base percentage, WAR, runs, total bases, doubles, triples and stolen bases.

Cuban Professional League: Havana Legends defeat the Trinidad Steamrollers in a 3-game sweep.

[Rocketdawg2016]

1884

1884, the year of relocation. Nobody could've envisioned that Worcester would leave the state, but even in a potential move I don't think anybody expected them to move across the country. The Worcester Pirates, plagued by bad baseball and consistent turnover in the front office, made the big decision to relocate to Phoenix, Arizona for the 1884 season. League executives approved the move by a very slim margin, only allowing it to pass in a 8-5 vote. The move was met with sketicism by many fans, pondering why move all the way across the country rather than to a closer Atlantic city and switch conferences, among other things. Regardless, the newly minted Phoenix Barracudas were expected to compete, as new ownership shored the final things up with the move before the 1884 season. Outside of relocation, the 1883 offseason was mirred in more controversy down in Cuba. A civil war broke out in July of 1883, prematurely ending the CPL's season. This civil war is still actively ongoing, and CPL operations are suspended until further notice. With no baseball activity in sight, executives in the NOBB are worried about the league's future, as two years off is expected to be a huge detriment financially.

Despite all the ongoing things across the world, there was still baseball to be played in the United States. The 1884 season brought a flurry of excitement as Hartford was the favorite to defend their title from last season. The Angels proved yet again why they were the best team in baseball, finishing with 95 wins and an easy division title in the Colonial League. Even in the race for the wildcard, it was not competitive down the stretch, as Newport firmly plants their feet in July and never let go of control. That meant the Midshipmen and the Angels would meet in the playoffs again, adding yet another playoff battle to their longstanding rivalry.

The Atlantic League division race was the most intense it had been in years. FOUR teams with 80 or more wins, and between the division winner and 4th place finisher, it was decided by a mere eight games! New York's three headed monster of SS Mike Gomez, 2B Javier Mendoza and CF Jake Watkins, led the way the entire year for the Battalion. Mendoza became the first Cuban-born player in league history to hit .350 with 10+ home runs and 100 RBI's, while Watkins played himself into another possible MVP trophy on his shelf the entire year. Despite this, the talent below them in the conference was also good, and while New York won the division with 88 wins, it was still a battle between Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Baltimore. Philadelphia got the competitive edge, drawing the conference's worst team which secured them a wildcard berth in a 3-0 series sweep. Brooklyn and Baltimore's best efforts fall short of a playof appeareance, and despite 83 and 80 wins, respectfully, they will head home for the year.



Hartford and Newport's playoff matchup was hyped up to be one of the best playoff series' we had seen in league history, but Newport fell flat on their face to start the series and never recovered. They lost Games 1 and 2 and miraculously walked it off in Game 3 before getting blown out in Game 4 to secure back to back National Championship appearances for the Hartford Angels. New York, in classic Battalion fashion, get swept out of the wildcard round in what was a rout by Philadelphia. Their average margin of victory was 6.2 runs, the highest in league history. This meant that the Angels and Watchmen would meet for the National Championship Series



The 1884 National Championship Series was quite simply a showing for Hartford to flex their elite lineup against an inferior opponent. They went up 2-0 on two great hitting performances, lost a close game in Game 3 and closed it out Game 4 with a resounding 6-3 victory. Hartford becames the first back-to-back champion since the seven straight championships won by the Manchester Eagles, and the Angels have now won three of the last four National Championships. Joel Rinke, historically a role player with the Angels, rose to the forefront and hit a scorching hot .474 with 13 hits and 6 RBI's to capture the National Championship Series MVP. A one year rental in Baltimore, Rinke really came on strong in 1884 and rewards himself with one of the best awards a player can receive.

Bobby Stoezel was back in the news, this time winning the Pitcher of the Year Award in the Colonial League. He finished 1884 32-13, posting a 1.73 ERA in 420 innings pitched. He also finished the year with 261 strikeouts, good enough for second across the conference.

Lorenzo Hernandez goes back-to-back in 1883 and 1884 and wins another Pitcher of the Year Award. Hernandez finished the year 35-13 with a 1.50 ERA that included 415 innings pitched and 246 strikeouts, all numbers that paced the entire conference. His triple crown season comes just one year removed from his PREVIOUS triple crown season in which he set all the same marks. Hernande has identified himself as a big time NOBB star and will look to cash in when his contract comes due.

Raul Robles, the mans name wwe have called a lot in the past two seasons, comes up with another MVP caliber season and wins it in 1884 in the Colonial League. Robles posted .331/.426/.475 with 80 stolen bases. Despite even missing some of the year due to injury, he came back in a huge way to help Hartford win another title. With free agency looming for him after this season, it will be quite the question to see if he stays in Hartford or looks for the money elsewhere.

Jake Watkins, a name that circulated as a possible MVP player to watch, delivers and wins his second Most Valuable Player trophy in the Atlantic League. Watkins finished .371/.423/.625 in a remarkable hitting season that also included two home runs, 10 stolen bases, 124 runs and 9.9 WAR. Watkins, just 23, has put together quite possible a hall of fame career in just a couple of seasons, and it will be exciting to see where things shake out for him down the line.



1884 in the Midwest Baseball Association was a much better season defensively than the couple years prior. Lots of teams really focused on pitching this season and it showed in some deflated offensive statistics across the board. This year was the first that each division had two teams make it. In the North, it was Akron (surprise, surprise) who clinched their 3rd straight division title, while it was Cleveland who clinched their 3rd straight wildcard berth. In the South, Louisville won their first divison title since the inaugural season, and St. Louis gets in for the second straight year, this time as a wildcard team. After three straight seasons of playoff berths, Chicago's wheels really fell off this season, as they slipped to a league worst 39-73 after just winning 63 games the year prior. The playoffs were set, with Louisville and St. Louis matching up in division rivals from the South, while Akron and Cleveland meet for the inter-state rivalry oncemore.



Louisville would go on to defeat St. Louis in 4 games, winning 3-1 and advancing to their first Championship Series since 1881. Akron, despite being favored, is downed by Cleveland in a 3-game sweep, setting up a match between the Indians and Aviators. In the Championship Series, its Cleveland, not Louisville, like many projected, who wins their first title in franchise history.

Do I even need to write out who won Pitcher of the Year in the MBA (technically, yes I do). Craig Winkleman, the Red Stockings ace known across the country, wins his 4th straight, finishing the year 20-17 with a 2.66 ERA and 332 innings pitched. Winkleman paced the MBA in strikeouts and WHIP, finishing another dominant year across the Midwest.

2B Jesse Thomason of the Akron Climbers wins 1884's Most Valuable Player Award. He bat .308/.371/.513 with seven home runs and 46 stolen bases in what many people viewed as highway robbery of the other candidate for MVP. John Kostoff of the Louisville Aviators went .355/.410/.632 with 14 home runs, 136 hits, 55 RBI's and seven stolen bases. Two great seasons, but did Kostoff deserve to win it over Thomason?

Cuban Professional League: Did not play due to ongoing conflict across the country