The Big Bang: A Larger Baseball Universe Starting From Nothing in 1857

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GENTILUCCI 3RD THIS YEAR WITH 40-GAME HIT STREAK
’76 1ST SEASON EVER WITH TRIO OF STREAKS; GENTILUCCI 2ND WITH TWO 40-GAME RUNS

PORTLAND, MAINE (Aug. 3, 1876) - Quinnipiac B.C. fell out playoff contention yesterday, but their team still have something to play for thanks to the efforts of 1B William Gentilucci.

On Thursday, Quinnipiac played the second game of their series at Portland, who is still in the New England pennant hunt, and lost 5-4 on a walkoff Single by 3B Jonathan Weaver. However, since Quinnipiac was playing for pride the result came secondary to the batting outcomes of 1B William Gentilucci, who entered the contest with a 39-game Hitting Streak.

Gentilucci’s first turn with the bat ended with a flyball out to Left Field, his second ended with a line-drive out to the Shortstop, and his third ended with a ground-ball out to the Second Baseman. In the top of the 7th Gentilucci came to bat fourth time and hit a two-run Double to the outfield gap, bringing his Hitting Streak to the historic 40-game milestone. Gentilucci would then begin the top of the 9th with a Single.

In reaching forty games, Gentilucci became the third player this season with a Hitting Streak of 40+ games:

• #1: 45 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1875-76 (ended May 20)
• #2: 43 games by William Sudduth (Merrimack) during 1875-76 (ended May 27)
• #3: 40 games by William Gentilucci (Quinnipiac) during 1876 (ongoing)

A trio of 40-game Hitting Streaks in one season is an N.B.B.O. first. Previously, 1876 had shared honors with 1869 & 1874 as the only seasons in N.B.B.O. history during which two players had Hitting Streaks reach 40+ games.

Gentilucci’s streak is the eleventh in N.B.B.O. history to reach the forty-game mark, and he also becomes the second player in N.B.B.O. history with a pair of forty-game Hitting Streaks during the course of his career, joining Ned Morganti:

• #1: 67 games by Peter Huff (Union) during 1871 (ended Aug. 5)
• #2: 49 games by Remi Scrovegni (Frontier) during 1874 (ended Aug. 5)
• #3: 45 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1875-76 (ended May 20, 1876)
• #4: 43 games by William Sudduth (Merrimack) during 1875-76 (ended May 27, 1876)
• #5: 42 games by William Gentilucci (Nassau Co.) during 1870 (ended July 20)
• #6: 42 games by Cormack Alexander (K.C. & Q.S.) during 1867-68 (ended May 22, 1868)
• #7: 41 games by Franklin Petty (Lake Erie) during 1869 (ended July 7)
• #8: 41 games by William McQuaid (Flour City) during 1862-63 (ended June 28, 1863)
• #9: 40 games by Henry Nabors (Victory during 1868-69 (ended May 22, 1869)
• #10: 40 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1873-74 (ended June 17, 1874)
• #11: 40 games by William Gentilucci (Quinnipiac) during 1876 (ongoing)

Gentilucci still has three more games to hit safely if he wants to surpass his career-best Hitting Streak of 42 games, which he achieved while playing for Nassau County during his .400 season of 1870 (AVG: .401; N.Y.L. Team of the Year at LF).

Milestones set aside, the win kept Portland five games behind New England leaders Sons of the Ocean with eight games remaining. They finish the season against Cantabrigians (33-29), while S.o.t.O. plays at Salem (28-34).

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BALTIC VETERAN HARRY HITS FOR CYCLE
FOURTH-YEAR CATCHER COMPLETES NBBO’S SECOND CYCLE OF 1876 IN DOUBLE-DIGIT VICTORY

NEW YORK CITY (Aug. 5, 1876) - Baltic entered Saturday’s game at Mutual knowing they needed a win to retain the faintest hopes of forcing their way into a playoff for the New York City pennant, and they responded brilliantly:

Mutual exited the opening inning ahead 2-1, but after the Baltic was in total control, scoring fifteen of the game’s last sixteen runs. The biggest moment of Baltic’s afternoon was a two-run Inside the Park Home Run by C Clive Harry in the top of the 7th inning, which was part of a historic afternoon for the fourth-year player:

• T2: 1-run Double to CF off G. Kendle
• T4: Fly Out to 3B (1 out)
• T5: Fly Out to RF (2 out)
• T7: 2-RUN HOME RUN (ItP) to CF off G. Kendle (R)
• T8: 1-run Single past 3B off M. Riis (R)
• T9: 1-run Triple to RCF off H. Kerstens
• TOTAL: 4/6 (CYCLE, 10 TB), 2 R, 5 RBI, 1/2 RTO

The Cycle by Harry was the second in the N.B.B.O. this season, with the other one completed by Salem 3B Hoyt Woodford on May 18th at Cantabrigians (4/4, 3 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB). What makes Harry’s Cycle particularly impressive was that the final was that the Single, Triple, & Home Run all came during the final third of the game.

Harry, an All-Star last year whose bat work has dipped just a bit in 1876, is batting .292 (.663 OPS) with ten Extra-Base Hits (6 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR) and 35 Runs Batted in six games left to play.

The win, combined with Union’s 7-5 home loss to N.Y.A.C., means Baltic is five games out of 1st place in New York City with six games remaining. Mutual is eliminated from playoff contention.

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GENTILUCCI’S STREAK STOPPED AT 42 GAMES
STREAK TIES CAREER HIGH SET DURING 1870 WITH NASSAU CO.

PORTLAND, MAINE (Aug. 6, 1876) - Quinnipiac lost 10-7 at Portland in the final game of the two teams’ series on Sunday, but for Quinnipiac the more important news was the Hitting Streak of 1B William Gentilucci ended after 42 games.

Gentilucci had five chances with the bat, but the best he could was reach base via Error in the top of the 1st and again during his final trip to the plate during the top of the 8th.

For Gentilucci, he now has two 42-game Hitting Streaks to his name: one in 1870 and the one that ended today.

The updated list of forty-game Hitting Streaks in N.B.B.O. history
:

• #1: 67 games by Peter Huff (Union) during 1871 (ended Aug. 5)
• #2: 49 games by Remi Scrovegni (Frontier) during 1874 (ended Aug. 5)
• #3: 45 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1875-76 (ended May 20, 1876)
• #4: 43 games by William Sudduth (Merrimack) during 1875-76 (ended May 27, 1876)
• #5: 42 games by William Gentilucci (Quinnipiac) during 1876 (ended August 6)
• #6: 42 games by William Gentilucci (Nassau Co.) during 1870 (ended July 20)
• #7: 42 games by Cormack Alexander (K.C. & Q.S.) during 1867-68 (ended May 22, 1868)
• #8: 41 games by Franklin Petty (Lake Erie) during 1869 (ended July 7)
• #9: 41 games by William McQuaid (Flour City) during 1862-63 (ended June 28, 1863)
• #10: 40 games by Henry Nabors (Victory during 1868-69 (ended May 22, 1869)
• #11: 40 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1873-74 (ended June 17, 1874)

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BENSON FIRST IN PCBL WITH 30-WIN SEASON
PBCC GREENHORN CONTINUES SPECTACULAR DEBUT SEASON BY PASSING MAJOR MILESTONE

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 6, 1876) - Yet again Philadelphia B.C.C. needed to win at Independence to make sure they stayed at least a game in front of Frankford for #1 overall in the P.C.B.L., and the result on Sunday was another big victory:

This game was over by the middle of the 2nd inning. P.B.C.C. came to bat in the 1st and scored twice on a Home Run by CF Robert Chase, and in the 2nd they came to bat and hit Independence with a ten-run rally in which half the runs were scored on Errors or Wild Pitches. The aftermath: a 12-0 lead, and the win virtually guaranteed.

A trio of P.B.C.C. players had three hits each…

• PBCC #1 Robert Chase (CF): 3/7 (HR, 6 TB), 3 R, 3 RBI
• PBCC #3 Charles Hunt (3B): 3/5 (all 1B), 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
• PBCC #8 Haywood Dennis (C): 3/6 (all 1B), 3 R, 0 RBI

…but the talk of the afternoon was P.B.C.C.’s incredible Greenhorn, Robert Benson:

• TOTAL: CG WIN (30-9, 1.69 ERA), 8 HA, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

Benson wasn’t at his absolute best, but in victory he became the first Pitcher in P.C.B.L. history with 30+ Wins in a single season and remains atop the list of three this season who have bested teammate Arthur Lipscomb’s previous single season Win record of 25, set last year.

With one week left to play in the season, Benson is 30-9 (#1) with a 1.69 ERA (#1) and 93 Strikeouts (#1), meaning that he is extremely likely to win Pitcher of the Year, Greenhorn of the Year, AND the Pitching Triple Crown. Benson’s season has been so dominant that it could very well overshadow Joseph Evans becoming the first .400 hitter in league history.

P.B.C.C.’s thirteen-run win made sure they held on to the P.C.B.L.’s best record and Home Field Advantage for the Liberty Bell Classic. However, Frankford Arsenal 13-10 at home to Minerva on Sunday, and as a result P.B.C.C. now has a two-game lead for #1 overall with five games left to play.

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AMERICAN SCORES TEN ON CREIGHTON; BURKE THE STAR
LIKELY BotY HAS BEST PERFORMANCE OF SEASON AS TEAM PUNISHES APBL’S BEST PITCHER

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 10, 1876) - American B.C. is having another strong finish to the season, and their performance against Excelsior at Glenwood Field on Thursday was yet more evidence of that:

Visiting Excelsior scored three times over their first two turns with the bat, and while that would usually be a recipe for success since Jim Creighton had the ball American was in top form and it didn’t matter that they were facing the sport’s most decorated Pitcher.

American responded to Excelsior’s early runs by scoring ten runs on Creighton over the first four innings – three in the 1st, a pair in the 2nd, one in the 3rd, and four during the 4th – to take an extremely surprising 10-3 lead that would become an eight-run margin of victory.

Likely Batsman of the Year winner James Burke was a big factor in American’s early barrage against Creighton, and he had a fantastic afternoon:

• B1: 1-run Single to CF off J. Creighton (R)
• B2: 1-run Infield Single to SS off J. Creighton (SB)
• B4: 2-run Double to RCF off J. Creighton (R)
• B5: Fly Out to RF (2 out)
• B7: Leadoff Single past SS off E. Seabold (SB, R)
• B8: 1-run Single to LCF off E. Seabold (R)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2B, 6 TB), 4 R, 5 RBI, 2 SB, 100 GMSC

It was Burke’s best performance of the season, and even though he’s unlikely to hit .400 Burke has a higher OPS than he did last year (.953 vs .950), more Triples (16 vs 13), more Stolen Bases (86 vs 77), and is equal in WAR (5.8) with nine games left to play. Burke is considered a lock to win his third Batsman of the Year trophy in four years.

The win kept American seven games clear atop the Metropolitan Conference standings with nine games left to play. They finish the season with series against the conference’s bottom three – Kings Co., Orange, & Gotham – so another appearance in the Founders’ Cup is all but assured.

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TWO FIVE-HIT STARS IN THE APBL ON SATURDAY
DICKERSON & KASSABIAN BOTH HAVE HANDFUL OF HITS TO POWER THEIR TEAMS TO VICTORY

ROCHESTER & MANHATTAN, N.Y. (Aug. 12, 1876) - There was plenty of excitement across the A.P.B.L. on Saturday, with half of the league’s twelve teams scoring at least ten runs and a pair of batsmen collecting five Hits each.

The first five-hit outing occurred in Upstate New York, where Shamrock beat Flour City by the score of 17-13. The two teams combined to total 31 Hits, but only two players had more than two: Flour City 1B Samuel Kessler with three (3/5, 1 R, 3 RBI) and Shamrock 3B Bill Dickerson with five:

• T1: Single past 2B off J. Goodman (SB)
• T3: 1-run Single past 1B off J. Goodman
• T5: 1-run Single to RF off J. Goodman (R)
• T6: 1-run Single past 2B off J. Goodman
• T8: Reached via Error by 2B G. LaPierre (R)
• T9: 1-run Triple to RCF off D. Gibson (R)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (3B, 7 TB), 3 R, 4 RBI, SB, 85 GMSC

Dickerson’s 5/6 performance raised his Average to .330 (.759 OPS), with 39 Runs Batted In, 53 Stolen Bases, and 3.6 WAR with seven games remaining in the 1876 season. This was Dickerson’s first A.P.B.L. season in which he didn’t make the All-Star Game, but he’s still been outstanding for a struggling Shamrock outfit.

The other five-hit performance happened at the Upper Manhattan Grounds, where American – far from struggling – beat their hosts Orange by the score of 17-10, with a six-run rally during the top of the 9th putting a seal on the victory. Franklin Petty (3/6, 2 R, 2 SB) and James Burke (2/6, 4 R, 2 RBI, SB) were their usually-excellent selves, but this time Player of the Game went to Greenhorn LF George Kassabian:

• T1: 1-run Single to LF off G. Sturgis (R)
• T3: Triple to RF off G. Sturgis (R)
• T4: 1-run Double to LF off G. Sturgis
• T6: Ground Out to 1B (2 out)
• T7: 2-run Double past 3B off S. Kelly
• T9: 1-run Single past 2B off P. Caldwell (R)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2 2B, 3B, 9 TB), 3 R, 5 RBI, SB, 92 GMSC

It was the best game of Kassabian’s debut season, and he exited Saturday afternoon with a .318 Average (.725 OPS), eighteen Extra-Base Hits (14 2B, 4 3B), 69 Runs Batted In, and 1.3 WAR on the season.

The result in Rochester left Flour City five games behind upstate rivals Niagara for the Colonial Conference lead with seven games remaining, while Shamrock has long since been eliminated.

The win by American saw them move to seven games clear of Knickerbocker in the Metropolitan Conference lead with seven games remaining. One more win or one more Knick loss, and American has another pennant.

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DUFFY GRABS SIX HITS & RBI EACH AT EAGLE
SYRACUSE LEADOFF MAN HAS GAME OF THE SEASON IN SIXTEEN-RUN VICTORY

ELMIRA, N.Y. (Aug. 12, 1876) - Five-time Upstate New York champions Syracuse are about to complete consecutive under-500 seasons for the first time, so they decided to take out some of their frustration at Eagle on Saturday:

The visitors decided that there would be ZERO doubt about this one, with a nine-run rally in the 1st followed by five more runs in the 2nd to give Syracuse a 14-0 lead after an inning and a half that would stretch to 17-0 before Eagle was able to cross home plate in the bottom of the 6th.

Ironically, Syracuse leadoff hitter Lon Duffy went down via fly ball ahead of the nine-run rally in the 1st, but that didn’t stop him from having an absolutely fantastic afternoon at the Fair Street Grounds in Elmira:

• T1: Fly Out to RF (1 out)
• T1: 1-run Single past 2B off J. Darby (R)
• T2: 1-run Double past 3B off P. Kjellsson (R)
• T4: Leadoff Single to LF off P. Kjellsson (R)
• T5: 2-run Single to RCF off P. Kjellsson
• T8: Leadoff Double to RF off L. Porcatello (R)
• T9: 2-run Triple to LF off L. Porcatello
• TOTAL: 6/7 (2 2B, 3B, 10 TB), 4 R, 6 RBI, 114 GMSC

Going by Game Score, Duffy’s afternoon at Eagle on the penultimate day of play was the performance of the season. It raised his Average from .312 to .325, OPS from .716 to .750, Run total to 70, RBI total to 57, and his WAR to 2.3.

The best Syracuse can finish is 34-36 if they win again at Eagle on the season’s final day, meaning that they will finish under .500 in consecutive seasons for the first time, and the third time overall. Given the chaotic nature of Upstate New York, Syracuse should be back at the top before long.

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TWO .400 HITTERS & A TRIPLE CROWN WINNER IN PCBL
EVANS, NORMAN, & BENSON FINISH THE SEASON BY MAKING PCBL HISTORY

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 14, 1876) - The P.C.B.L. season came to an end yesterday, and with it there was history made as not only did the two most dominant teams in league history finish their seasons but the league saw its first two .400 hitters and its first Triple Crown winners as well.

Joseph Evans’, whose Batting Average had been over .400 every day since the beginning of July, saw his average slip to .399 during Frankford Arsenal’s second-to-last game. For Evans to climb back over .400, he was going to need to hit .500 or better in 3+ At Bats against Sons of Ben in the season finale. The result:

• TOTAL: 4/6 (2B, 5 TB), 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB

Evans had done what was required and more, finishing the season with a .404 Batting Average and a full batting line of .404/.444/.584 for a 1.028 OPS, a P.C.B.L. record. Evans had also finished the season leading the P.C.B.L. in Doubles, On-Base, Slugging, Triples, Extra-Base Hits, Win Prob. Added, and Batsman WAR.

Notice that it wasn’t said that Evans won the P.C.B.L. Batting Title. Incredibly, he was beaten out by the second of the first two players in league history to hit over .400 over a full season: Merion 1B William Norman, who also broke the league record for Hits in a season with 139.

Norman entered the final game of the season with a six-point lead over Evans at .405, and he played well against Mercantile even though Merion ended the season with a loss at home:

• TOTAL: 3/6 (2B, 4 TB), 2 R, 3 RBI

The final-day output meant Norman finished with an average of .406, making him and not Evans the 1876 P.C.B.L. Batting Champion and new record holder for highest Batting Average in a P.C.B.L. season. Don’t expect much disappointment from Evans, however, as he’s likely to be unanimously voted P.C.B.L. Batsman of the Year for the fourth time in a row once the offseason begins.

Philadelphia B.C.C. had a history maker of their own, and one whose debut season was so spectacular that it may have overshadowed the work of both Evans and Norman.

Robert Benson was both the P.C.B.L.’s Pitcher of the Month & Greenhorn of the Month for June & July, and for good reason. His June was astounding: a 12-1 record with a 1.57 ERA over 113 innings of work. Benson then followed an 8-5 July (2.17 ERA) by earning the Win in each of his six August outings. In the process, Benson became the first P.C.B.L. Pitcher to win 30 games in a season on August 6th, and by season’s end he was far and away the league’s most dominant pitcher:

• 33-9, 1.84 ERA, 103 K, 362.1 IP, 34 CG, 2.5 K/9, 8.6 HA/9, .229 O-AVG, .251 O-OBP, 6.4 WAR, 10.9 rWAR

That Sons of Ben star Paul Krueger had a superior WAR (7.5) didn’t matter much. Benson led the P.C.B.L. in the three key pitching statistics – Wins, Earned Run Average, and Strikeouts – making him the first Triple Crown winner in P.C.B.L. history. Not only that, but Benson set league records in all three, as well as league records for Innings Pitched, Complete Games, Hits Allowed/9, Opponents’ Average, Opponents’ On-Base, Opponents’ BABIP (.240), & RA/9 WAR.

Put simply, Robert Benson had the most dominant debut season any of the three competitions has ever seen. He is going to win both Pitcher of the Year and Greenhorn of the Year. The only question remaining is whether or not he can win Most Valuable Player over sentimental favorite Joseph Evans, who is likely to move to the A.P.B.L. over the winter, and become the first player ever to take three major individual awards in the same year.

In a season dominated by Frankford Arsenal and Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club it’s no surprise that players from both teams made history. For Merion, that their star batsman beat out Joseph Evans for the Batting Title when both men hit over .400 will be a fair consolation prize to end 1876.

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UNIQUE NBBO HISTORY MADE TO END 1876
ATLANTIC MEN ARE 1-3 IN NYL IN AVERAGE; SUSQUEHANNA SETS RECORDS FOR RUNS & DIFFERENTIAL

BROOKLYN, N.Y. & WILKES-BARRE, PENN. (Aug. 14, 1876) - Some unique N.B.B.O. history was made at the team level to end the 1876 season, all of it involving offensive excellence.

Atlantic B.B.C. didn’t quite lead the New York League in Runs, finishing third, but they were the league leaders in Batting Average, On-Base, Slugging, & OPS. As part of that batting proficiency, the Atlantic lineup did something never seen before: they had each of the top three finishers for the N.Y.L. Batting Title:

• #1: .413 by Jackson Wright (N.B.B.O. Batting Champion)
• #2: .391 by Ben Gagliardi (#2 overall)
• #3: .365 by Herb Verrett (#6 overall)

The trio also topped the New York League OPS charts, something never done before:

• #1: .972 by Jackson Wright (N.B.B.O. leader)
• #2: .883 by Herb Verrett (#4 overall)
• #3: .872 by Ben Gagliardi (#5 overall)

It will surprise few to know that, with the stars of the lineup hitting so well, Atlantic finished 46-24 and won the Brooklyn Championship for the first time in five years.

Over in the Northeastern League, Susquehanna B.C. wrapped up the regular portion of their season with a 10-5 loss at Merrimack, but in spite of that the 1874 Tucker-Wheaton Cup champions finished the season with the N.B.B.O.’s #1 overall won-loss mark and two important N.B.B.O. records. While Susquehanna wasn’t able to come close to Quaker State’s 1871 team that went 58-12 for the winningest season in the history of the competition, the Inland champions did set new records for both Runs Scored and Run Differential.

First, Susquehanna finished the season scoring 724 Runs, good for 10.3 Runs per game. That made Susquehanna the second team in N.B.B.O. history to score 700+ Runs in a season, and it broke the record of 701 Runs (10.0 R/G) scored by St. John’s during the 1869 campaign.

The second record Susquehanna broke dealt with how badly they outscored their opposition. While Susquehanna scored those 724 Runs they allowed just 415, good for second in the N.E.L. and fourth overall. That makes for a record-setting Run Differential of +309 (+4.4 R/G), with Susquehanna becoming the first team in any league with a Run Differential of +300 or better. The previous record was held by that 1871 Quaker St. team, which had a +290 (+4.1 R/G) differential.

One individual record of note: George Burroughs’ ERA record lasted all of one year. It took nineteen N.B.B.O. seasons for a Pitcher with 175+ innings to have an Earned Run Average under 2.00, but N.Y.A.C.’s Charles Rhodes made it two in two seasons by bettering Burroughs’ 1.99 from 1875 with a 1.84 ERA over 342.1 innings during 1876, with other marks likely to make him N.Y.L. Pitcher of the Year even though defending P.o.t.Y. William Tighe won six more times (28-11 vs 22-15).

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THE FOURTH LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC
THE TWO MOST DOMINANT TEAMS IN LEAGUE HISTORY REPEAT LAST YEAR’S SERIES

PHILADELPHIA (August 16, 1876) – The third Liberty Bell Classic ended up like the first two: with Frankford Arsenal going down to the best that West Philadelphia had to offer, losing the deciding Game Five in agonizing fashion as Philadelphia B.C.C. put up an six-run rally in the bottom of the 8th to turn a 6-3 Frankford lead into a 9-6 final and P.B.C.C.’s first city championship. This year’s L.B.C. involved the same two teams, but would it go differently?

EAST PHILADELPHIA – Frankford Arsenal had the second-best season in league history, finishing 52-18 with a +241 RD (+3.4 R/G), but it still wasn’t enough for Home Field Advantage in the L.B.C. They were already ahead of the rest of the East by ten games on July 1st, and in the end finished sixteen games ahead of second-place Keystone.

FRANKFORD ARSENAL’S KEY PLAYERS

• Joseph Evans (CF): .404, 1.028 OPS, 101 R, 133 H, 23 2B, 18 3B, 79 RBI, 24 BB, 18 SB, 192 TB, 8.1 WPA, 6.0 WAR
• Jonathan Toppin (2B): .341, .877 OPS, 103 R, 120 H, 22 2B, 17 3B, 0 HR, 70 RBI, 10 BB, 33 SB, 5.1 WPA, 4.7 WAR
• Joseph Lawson (P): 29-9, 2.02 ERA, 63 K, 347.0 IP, 28 CG, 0 SHO, 2.2 K/BB, 1.21 WHIP, 4.5 WAR, 2.9 rWAR

WEST PHILADELPHIA – Philadelphia B.C.C. (55-15, +255 RD) had a 29-6 opening half to the season, and from there it was just a matter of counting the days until the start of the L.B.C. Not that they slouched during August – P.B.C.C. won their final ten games to finish fifteen ahead of main rivals Merion atop the standings at the end of a record-setting season.

PHILADELPHIA BASEBALL & CRICKET CLUB’S KEY PLAYERS

• Frederick Pike (2B): .386, .953 OPS, 84 R, 129 H, 18 2B, 17 3B, 1 HR, 82 RBI, 5 BB, 36 SB, 5.0 WPA, 4.7 WAR
• Moody Steiger (SS): .241, .566 OPS, 73 R, 75 H, 6 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 42 RBI, 18 SB, +33.6 ZR, 2.0 WPA, 2.7 WAR
• Robert Benson (P): 33-9, 1.84 ERA, 103 K, 362.1 IP, 34 GC, 1 SHO, 2.9 K/BB, 1.05 WHIP, 6.4 WAR, 10.9 rWAR

The teams that had far and away the best seasons in P.C.B.L. history would be taking part in a repeat of last year’s Liberty Bell Classic. Defending champs P.B.C.C. would be favorites by virtue of their ten-game winning run to end the season, but could Frankford finally lift the cup on their fourth try?

WRITERS POOL PREDICTION

L.B.C. FINAL: #1 Philadelphia B.C.C. (10-0 L10, 31-4 Home) over #2 Frankford Arsenal

• Series projected to go five games

L.B.C. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Robert Benson (P, P.B.C.C.)

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TWC XX: ONE GENERATION OF CHAMPIONS

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (August 16, 1876) – The twentieth edition of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup was going to offer the fans something different. While there were familiar faces and defending champions Trenton United were present, Trenton was the only team from last year’s field making an appearance in this year’s tournament and they wouldn’t be the favorites.

In the New York League, there were three new teams in the playoffs after three straight years with the same trio fighting for supremacy. In the Northeastern League, the defending champions were joined by the 1874 champions and the only team ever to keep St. John’s from taking the New England pennant.

OVERVIEW

BROOKLYN – Atlantic was only 5-5 in August but Continental was 4-6, meaning Atlantic won the Brooklyn Championship by four games, taking their first pennant in five years and third overall (1870-71). 4x defending Brooklyn champs Eckford finished 3rd (41-29, 5 GB). Star, 4th at the end of June & July, finished in the same place (36-34, 10 GB).

ATLANTIC’S KEY PLAYERS

• Jackson Wright (1B): .413, .972 OPS, 70 R, 116 R, 22 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 74 RBI, 12 BB, 5 SB, 3.7 WPA, 3.6 WAR
• Ben Gagliardi (SS): .391, .872 OPS, 75 R, 127 H, 12 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 76 RBI, 22 SB, +11.8 ZR, 5.1 WPA, 4.4 WAR
• Herb Verrett (CF): .365, .883 OPS, 83 R, 119 H, 21 2B, 12 3B, 77 RBI, 9 BB, 4 SB, 164 TB, 4.7 WPA, 2.9 WAR

NEW YORK CITY – Union of Morrisania was only 5-5 in August but second-place Metro faltered, going 4-6 and slipping to third on Run Differential. The result: Union took the N.Y.C. pennant for the second time (1872), finishing first by three games over both Metro & N.Y.A.C. Baltic (36-34, 7 GB) finished fourth.

UNION OF MORRISANIA’S KEY PLAYERS

• William Cruise (SS): .330, .764 OPS, 68 R, 105 H, 12 2B, 7 3B, 43 RBI, 11 BB, 13 SB, +34.1 ZR, 2.9 WPA, 4.0 WAR
• Nick Hardingham (CF): .349, .801 OPS, 64 R, 110 H, 13 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 61 RBI, 10 BB, 13 SB, 3.7 WPA, 2.0 WAR
• Gus Woods (P): 18-8, 2.79 ERA,. 29 K, 219.0 IP, 14 CG, 1 SV, 1.4 K/BB, 1.19 WHIP, 3.7 WAR, 5.6 rWAR

UPSTATE N.Y. – Minuteman was the best team in New York from the midway point on thanks to their 20-2 June. They were 26-9 after seven weeks and finished the season with a 51-19 (+274 RD) record that placed them a dozen games clear of both Victory & Frontier, with 1873 cup champions Utica finishing fourth (15 GB). It was Minuteman’s third pennant (1859, 65).

MINUTEMAN’S KEY PLAYERS

• William Tighe (P): 28-11, 2.44 ERA, 98 K, 350.2 IP, 31 CG, 2 SHO, 2.4 K/BB, 1.19 WHIP, 7.2 WAR, 10.6 rWAR
• Jules Thomas (2B): .345, .826 OPS, 79 R, 106 H, 21 2B, 6 3B, 61 RBI, 10 BB, 19 SB, +16.6 ZR, 3.0 WPA, 3.9 WAR
• Charles Veverka (3B): .302, .725 OPS, 74 R, 97 H, 14 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 71 RBI, 8 BB, +10.1 ZR, 2.6 WPA, 2.1 WAR

COASTAL – Trenton United took over 1st place at the halfway mark and stayed there, repeating as Costal champions and going to the postseason for the fourth time (1858, 61, 75). The rest of the top four was the same as it was to end May, June, & July, with Pt. Jersey finishing second (4 GB), Quaker St. in third (7 GB), and Newark fourth (8 GB).

TRENTON UNITED’S KEY PLAYERS

• Earl Seals (SS): .311, .782 OPS, 73 R, 98 H, 11 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 16 SB, +23.1 ZR, 3.7 WPA, 4.8 WAR
• James Hunsberger (RF): .316, .796 OPS, 73 R, 99 H, 22 2B, 11 3B, 1 HR, 72 RBI, 10 BB, 12 SB, 4.2 WPA, 2.7 WAR
• Thomas Koch (P): 22-6, 2.88 ERA, 36 K, 237.1 IP, 17 CG, 4 SHO, 1.7 K/BB, 1.14 WHIP, 2.9 WAR, 4.5 rWAR

INLAND – Susquehanna was too strong for the pair of worthy contenders who were keeping chase: Merrimack (44-26) & Lancaster (42-28). In the end, they finished #1 overall (52-18) with a new record for Run Differential (+309) thanks to a lineup that set the single-season record for Runs (724; 10.3 R/G). It’s Susquehanna's fourth playoff appearance in five years and fifth overall.

SUSQUEHANNA’S KEY PLAYERS

• Stephen Barley (SS): .346, .848 OPS, 81 R, 112 H, 18 2B, 11 3B, 89 RBI, 15 BB, 22 SB, +26.7 ZR, 3.0 WPA, 4.9 WAR
• John Schultz (CF): .343, .803 OPS, 97 R, 123 H, 11 2B, 11 3B, 0 HR, 58 RBI, 10 BB, 44 SB, 3.6 WPA, 3.5 WAR
• Joseph Jurski (1B): .329, .791 OPS, 84 R, 96 H, 19 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 78 RBI, 15 BB, 8 SB, 2.9 WPA, 2.3 WAR

NEW ENGLAND – Sons of the Ocean had the lead by the end of June and held it thereon, fending off a valiant challenge from 4x N.E. champs Portland (3 GB) to go to the playoffs for the first time since their other appearance, their famous 1865 season in which they became the first and only team to take New England from St. John’s. Defending N.E. champs Cantabrigians were 3rd (35-35, 10 GB).

SONS OF THE OCEAN’S KEY PLAYERS

• Jesse Craig (1B): .387, .422 OBP, .888 OPS, 74 R, 122 H, 14 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 68 RBI, 19 BB, 5.3 WPA, 4.0 WAR
• Peter Jones (SS): .323, .752 OPS, 55 R, 91 H, 3 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 50 RBI, 27 SB, +28.2 ZR, 1.9 WPA, 4.5 WAR
• Peter Huff (LF): .326, .841 OPS, 76 R, 103 H, 20 2B, 11 3B, 2 HR, 52 RBI, 18 BB, 8 SB, 1.6 WPA, 2.7 WAR

WRITERS POOL PREDICTIONS

N.Y.L. SEMIFINAL: 46-24 Atlantic (25-10 Home) over 43-27 Union (+28 RD, 37-33 Pyth. W-L)
N.E.L. SEMIFINAL: 46-24 Trenton Utd. (+202 RD, 47-23 Pyth. W-L) over 45-25 S.o.t.O. (+111 RD)

N.Y.L. FINAL: 51-19 Minuteman (27-8 Home, 8-2 L10) over Atlantic (6-8 1Run)
N.E.L. FINAL: 52-18 Susquehanna (28-7 Home, 51-19 Pyth W-L) over Trenton Utd. (6-7 1Run)

T.W.C. FINAL: Minuteman (8-2 L10, 24-11 Away) over Susquehanna (11-9 vs #2-3 in Inland)

• N.E.L. has Home Field Advantage
• Series projected to go five games

T.W.C. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: William Tighe (P, Minuteman)

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GROVES TORCHES ST. JOHN’S WITH FIVE HITS
SHAMROCK 2B ALSO DRIVES IN FIVE RUNS AS BOSTONIANS SPOIL HOSTS’ PLAYOFF RUN

PROVIDENCE (Aug. 16, 1876) - Shamrock entered Wednesday with the worst record in the A.P.B.L., but they sure didn’t look like it as they put a dent in St. Johns’ playoff chances with a six-run win at Olneyville Field:

Shamrock took the lead with a pair of scores in the opening inning and never trailed, putting the win away with a seven-run rally during the top of the 6th in which 2B Harold Groves provided the key hit: a two-run Single with two out.

It was the best performance of the season for Groves:

• T1: Leadoff double to RF off H. Burns (R)
• T2: Fly Out to 2B (3 out)
• T5: 1-run Single past 2B off H. Burns
• T6: 2-run Single past SS off H. Burns (R)
• T7: 1-run Single to RF off W. Hoffmann (R)
• T9: 1-run Single past 2B off W. Hoffmann
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2B, 6 TB), 3 R, 5 RBI, 92 GMSC

Groves isn’t quite having the season he was as an All-Star in 1874 or 1875, but he is batting .288 (.675 OPS) with 51 RBI and 2.8 WAR through 86/90 games.

The loss was a big blow to St. John’s. Thanks to wins by both Massachusetts Bay & Niagara on Wednesday, St. John’s fell to third place in the Colonial Championship, two games behind leaders Niagara and one behind Mass. Bay with four games left to play. After the series-ender against Shamrock, St. John’s ends the season with three games at Alleghany.

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KESSLER METES OUT SIX HITS AT MASS. BAY
FLOUR CITY LEGEND HAS LEAGUE’S 2ND SIX-HIT GAME OF 1876 DURING EASY WIN IN BOSTON

BOSTON (Aug. 19, 1876) - Flour City and Massachusetts Bay are playing the final series of the year for pride at Oceanside Park, and Flour City took the second game with dominant work after the opening innings:

It was 1-0 to Mass. Bay after three innings but Flour City scored in every inning after that, starting with three runs in the fourth and only stopping after a dozen runs to exit 12-4 winners.

One man had six of the visitors’ fourteen hits, and it was legendary batsman Samuel Kessler:

• T1: Single to CF off T. Ricks (SB)
• T4: Leadoff Single past 1B off T. Ricks (R)
• T5: 1-run Double to CF off T. Ricks
• T7: Leadoff Double to RF off T. Ricks (R)
• T8: 1-run Single past 3B off T. Ricks
• T9: 1-run Single to LCF off P. Dittmer
• TOTAL: 6/6 (2 2B, 8 TB), 2 R, 3 RBI, SB, 83 GMSC

The 6/6 day by Kessler was the second six-hit performance in the A.P.B.L. this season, with the other coming from Mass. Bay 3B Albert Stoffers on June 3rd (6/6, 2B, 5 R, 3 RBI), part of another series between Mass. Bay & Flour City in Boston.

With one game left to play in his twentieth season, Kessler is batting .321 (.731 OPS) with 23 Extra-Base Hits (18 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR), 82 Runs Batted In, and 2.1 WAR. All indications are that he’ll be back with Flour City, his fourth team, for season #21 next year.

Flour City is 46-43, good for fourth place in the Colonial Conference with one game left. Mass. Bay is 47-42, one game ahead. If Flour City wins at Mass. Bay tomorrow, then Flour City will finish third in the Colonial via the Head-to-Head Tiebreaker.

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FOUNDERS’ CUP VI MATCHUP IS SET
AMERICAN BACK FOR 4TH TIME IN FIVE YEARS; NIAGARA GOES FOR 1ST TITLE AT ANY LEVEL

BUFFALO & PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 21, 1876) – The APBL season is over, with the matchup for the sixth edition of the Founders’ Cup set after the Colonial Conference was decided on the season’s final day.

COLONIAL: Incredibly, it’s Niagara (51-39, +52 RD) who’s going to the A.P.B.L. final in a worst-to-first dream of a season. Not that it was easy. Ahead of St. John’s by one game going into the final day of the season, St. John’s hammered Alleghany 17-1 and that meant Niagara had to win at Shamrock to avoid a one-game playoff that would have been played at St. John’s due to head-to-head record. Behind 8-4 after the 7th, Niagara scored eight times over the final two innings to take the Colonial Conference pennant in most dramatic fashion. Niagara’s strength: their #2 ranked group of fielders.


KEY PLAYERS:

• Clyde Hudspeth (2B) – .316, .726 OPS, 74 R, 120 H, 14 2B, 8 3B, 62 RBI, 22 SB, +16.6 ZR, 3.3 WPA, 3.3 WAR
• Reginald Roper (RF) – .302, .692 OPS, 79 R, 127 H, 10 2B, 10 3B, 86 RBI, 9 BB, 10 SB, 4.2 WPA, 1.9 WAR
• Will Schumacher (SS) – .280, .657 OPS, 63 R, 97 H, 12 2B, 5 3B, 46 RBI, 19 SB, +19.0 ZR, 1.9 WPA, 2.8 WAR
• Jack Smith (P) – 25-15, 3.29 ERA, 49 K, 375.1 IP, 23 CG, 2 SHO, 1.5 K/BB, 1.28 WHIP, 4.7 WAR, 7.2 rWAR

METROPOLITAN: American (57-33, +188 RD) led the conference from the end of May on, and they’re back in the Founders’ Cup for the fourth time in five years because of…what else…what is indisputably the league’s best group of batsmen. Powered by Burke, Boyce, Busby, Pretty, Prince, and the Greenhorn Kassabian this team once again bulldozed the opposition. Add in two All-Star pitchers and this is a dynasty feared by everybody.

KEY PLAYERS:

• James Burke (CF) – .387, .936 OPS, 120 R, 165 H, 39 XBH, 80 RBI, 20 BB, 90 SB, 222 TB, 5.3 WPA, 6.0 WAR
• Peter Boyce (2B) – .323, .740 OPS, 86 R, 133 H, 21 2B, 6 3B, 95 RBI, 32 SB, +10.3 ZR, 4.7 WPA, 3.1 WAR
• Martin Prince (SS) – .322, .786 OPS, 86 R, 119 H, 26 XBH, 74 RBI, 17 BB, 33 SB, +27.1 ZR, 3.1 WPA, 4.9 WAR
• Simeon DiStefano (P) – 29-17, 2.54 ERA, 28 K, 392.2 IP, 30 CG, 10.1 HA/9, 1.23 WHIP, 3.9 WAR. 11.3 rWAR

The Founders’ Cup is a best-of-seven series with the following schedule:

• Aug. 21: GAME 1 – Niagara at American
• Aug. 22: GAME 2 – Niagara at American
• Aug. 23: day off
• Aug. 24: GAME 3 – American at Niagara
• Aug. 25: GAME 4 – American at Niagara
• Aug. 26: GAME 5 – American at Niagara (if necessary)
• Aug. 27: day off
• Aug. 28: GAME 6 – Niagara at American (if necessary)
• Aug. 29: GAME 7 – Niagara at American (if necessary)

The Writers Pool sees American as solid favorites given their championship experience and Niagara's weak record for a conference champion.

• American (32-13 Home) will defeat Niagara (48-42 Pyth. W-L)
• The series will go six games

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THE LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC

GAME ONE (Willow Grove Cricket Grounds): FRA 14-10 PBCC
P.o.t.G. CF Joseh Evans (FRA) 4/5 (all 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 3 SB

P.B.C.C. had the best season in league history thanks to its pitching & defense, and both fell flat in Game One. Stunningly, Benson allowed a season high of 14 Hits & 9 ER over 6 2/3 innings while the defense committed 10 Errors. Evans was outstanding, RF James Howard hit a Home Run in the 4th, and Frankford never relinquished the lead after they went ahead 5-3 in the top of the 2nd.

GAME TWO (Willow Grove Cricket Grounds): FRA 7-12 PBCC
P.o.t.G. C Harrison Hearst (PBCC) 3/5 (2 2B, 4 TB), 2 R, 1 RBI

P.B.C.C. again didn’t have great pitching or defense but they were good enough, and their offense delivered as the home side evened the series. The key innings were the 2nd & 3rd, during which P.B.C.C. scored nine runs on a bunch of Singles & Errors to take total control of the contest. Later, LF Walter Kirby hit a two-run Home Run during the 5th inning to put the hosts ahead 12-1. The P.B.C.C. win overshadowed a 5/5 day (2 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI) by Frankford 2B Jonathan Toppin.

GAME THREE (Frankford Park): PBCC 8-9 FRA
P.o.t.G. 2B Frederick Pike (PBCC) 3/5 (3B, 5 TB), 3 R, 2 RBI, SB
NOTABLE: CF Robert Chase (PBCC) 4/5 (all 1B), 2 R, 1 RBI, SB

This game looked like a P.B.C.C. win for most of eight innings. The visitors had a 6-4 lead halfway through the contest, and a two-run Single by sub LF Henry Griffin in T6 gave P.B.C.C. an 8-4 lead that looked sure to stand. However, in B7 a Single by RF James Howard and Double by Joseph Evans cut the deficit to two, and after a scoreless 8th Frankford came to bat in the 9th and stole the win when a run-scoring Error and a run-scoring Wild Pitch were followed by a run-scoring Single from 2B Jonathan Toppin that plated sub LF William Walker to give Frankford the 2-1 series lead.

GAME FOUR (Frankford Park): PBCC 5-9 FRA
P.o.t.G. 2B Jonathan Toppin (FRA) 3/5 (2 2B, 5 TB), 2 R, 2 RBI, SB

This time, it was Frankford’s turn to win the Liberty Bell Classic with a late rally. After the teams took turns scoring over the first four innings it was 5-4 to Frankford. In the top of the 7th PH Henry Griffin hit a one-run Single to tie the game, and both teams went scoreless during their next time at bat. Frankford then responded with the best inning in team history, considering the circumstances.

PH George Estes began B8 by hitting an easy fly ball to RF for the first out. He was followed by William Walker, another PH, who hit a Double. Then, 3B James Montouro grabbed a bat and hit an Inside the Park Home Run with the first pitch he saw from Arthur Lipscomb to give Frankford a 7-5 lead. C Roger Thomas kept the rally going with a Double and, after P Charlie Greiner struck out, he was driven in by a Double from Toppin to make it 8-5. RF James Howard sent Toppin around with a Single to make it 9-5, and the outcome was now in Frankford’s hands. P.B.C.C. sent batsmen to second & third in the top of the 9th, but with two out 3B Charles Hunt hit into a Fielder’s Choice and the series was over.

On their fourth try, Frankford Arsenal had won the city championship they’d been desperately hoping for, a fitting outcome given that it was almost certainly Joseph Evans’ last game in a Frankford uniform. For Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club, which just had the best regular season in league history, it was the most bitter of defeats.

LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
2B Jonathan Toppin (FRA) – .550 (11/20), 8 RBI, 5 R, 5 2B, 1 BB, 1 RBI, , 0.8 WPA, 0.5 WAR, 1x PotG

Joseph Evans had an excellent series (8/18, 6 RBI, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 BB, 4 SB), but Toppin was truly outstanding in the L.B.C. and he played a key part in the Game Four rally that won the series. It marked the end of the best of Toppin’s three seasons in Philadelphia, one in which he’d improved from a quality 2B to a brilliant one. SS Burton Hyde also played performed very well (7/16, 2 RBI, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 3B).

The best P.B.C.C. player was, surprisingly, 1B Jerald Schneider (6/16, 6 RBI, 5 R, 1 2B, 1 BB). Record-shattering pitcher Robert Benson struggled significantly (0-0, 10.67 ERA, 2 K, 14.1 IP, 25 HA, 1.95 WHIP, -0.2 WAR), which absolutely nobody saw coming. Had Benson pitched even moderately below the mighty standard he set during the season, odds are P.B.C.C. would have pulled out a series victory in five games.

LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC SUMMARY

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THE TUCKER-WHEATON CUP PLAYOFFS

NEW YORK LEAGUE SEMIFINALS

• GAME 1: UNI 3-12 ATL – P Olaf Sorensen (ATL) CG, 5 HA, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 2/2, 1 R, 2 RBI
• GAME 2: UNI 5-8 ATL – 1B Jackson Wright (ATL) 2/4 (both 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI
• GAME 3: ATL 7-8 UNI – 1B Edward Severson (UNI) 3/4 (all 1B), 1 R, 1 RBI
• GAME 4: ATL 6-7 UNI – 1B Edward Severson (UNI) 2/5 (2B, 3 TB), 2 R, 2 RBI
• GAME 5: UNI 17-9 ATL (10) – 1B Edward Severson (UNI) 4/7 (all 1B), 2 R, 3 RBI, DEF DP
• SERIES MVP: 1B Edward Severson (UNI) – 9/25, 6 RBI, 5 R, 1 2B, 2x PotG

Atlantic opened the series with a comprehensive 12-3 home win, during which they scored 10/12 runs over the first five innings and had an easy time of it from there. Game Two was closer, with Atlantic responding to a Grand Slam by, of all people, Union P Gus Woods, that tied the game 5-5 with three runs in B7 to give the game its 8-5 final and Atlantic a 2-0 lead.

Their season on the line, Union came through in Game Three. Two runs in the 2nd, three in the 4th, and three more in the 7th saw the N.B.B.O.’s best team in one-run games (11-2) win 8-7 and extend their season by at least a day. Union then repeated the trick, beating Union 7-6 the next thanks to three runs in B7, and somehow it was back to the Capitoline Grounds for Game Five.

In Game Five the N.B.B.O.’s “Cardiac Kids” pulled off the 0-2 comeback, and they did so in the most typical Union fashion. Faced with a 7-0 deficit after three innings, Union then reeled off nine straight runs to take a 9-7 lead in T8. Atlantic tied the game 9-9 thanks to a pair of Errors, and after a scoreless 9th the series was decided in extra innings. That didn’t take long – Union sent eight men around the bases in T10, and they were through to the N.Y.L.C.S.

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE SEMIFINALS

• GAME 1: SotO 5-10 TU – 2B James Lanagan (TU) 2/5 (both 1B), 2 R, 3 RBI, SB
• GAME 2: SotO 4-1 TU – P William Berg (SotO) CG, 8 HA, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/4, 1 R
• GAME 3: TU 9-1 SotO – SS Earl Seals (TU) 2/5 (both 1B), 1 R, 3 RBI, DEF DP
• GAME 4: TU 13-14 SotO – SS Peter Jones (SotO) 2/2 (3B, 4 TB), 2 R, 3 RBI, DEF DP
• GAME 5: SotO 7-10 TU – 3B Jelmar Keereweer (TU) 2/3 (both 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
• SERIES MVP: 2B James Lanagan (TU) – 10/25, 8 RBI, 9 R, 1 2B, 5 SB, 1x PotG

The series opened in exciting fashion. Tied 5-5, Trenton came to the plate in B8 and plated five to take a 10-5 win to start their title defense. The next day they were flummoxed by veteran S.o.t.O. P William Berg, and the visitors needed just five Hits to even the series.

Trenton got even in New Bedford, holding S.o.t.O. one Run on six Hits in a Game Three rout to take back the upper hand and put the hosts’ backs to the wall. Game Four was a classic. It looked like Trenton had their tickets to the N.E.L.C.S. punched thanks to a 13-9 lead after T9, but with their last chance at bat S.o.t.O. scored five times on a series of Bases on Balls, Hits, & Errors to force a winner-take-all contest in New Jersey.

The defending champs, back at home, had the run of Game Five. Ten runs over the first five innings saw them ahead 10-5, and S.o.t.O. was able to offer little in the way of attack during the latter half of the contest as Trenton’s top-ranked defense held firm, and they were through to the next round.

NEW YORK LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

• GAME 1: UNI 1-12 MIN – P William Tighe (MIN) CG, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• GAME 2: UNI 2-7 MIN – P Raymond Cross (MIN) CG, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2/3 (both 1B), 1 RBI
• GAME 3: MIN 12-13 UNI – SS William Cruise (UNI) 4/5 (2B, 3B, 7 TB), 2 R, 3 RBI, BB
• GAME 4: MIN 8-11 UNI – 3B William Harris (UNI) 2/5 (both 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI, SAC FLY
• GAME 5: UNI 8-9 MIN (11) – 1B Edward Severson (UNI) 4/6 (all 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI
• SERIES MVP: 1B Paul LaGuerre (MIN) – 9/25, 4 RBI, 7 R, 2 2B

It was an easy opening two games at home for Minuteman, with early leads in both that were never challenged. In the opener they were ahead 6-0 after the 4th, and with William Tighe delivering the ball that was easily enough for the victory even though the hosts piled on runs late. In Game Two Minuteman was ahead 4-0 by the end of the 4th, and the best Union could do was a lone run and six base hits before a consolation run crossed the plate in the 9th.

In N.Y.C., yet again the Union magic hit in their must-win Game Three. Down 12-2 after the end of the 5th, Union scored half a dozen times in the 6th and thrice more in the 7th to make it 12-11, seemingly in the blink of an eye. Then, in B9 Cruise hit a Single that tied the game and he was followed by 1B Ed Severson with a Single that won it. The next day, Union came back from 0-2 to tie their series again. A 6-5 game to Minuteman after two innings in the Morrisania Grounds, Union scored once in the 3rd & 6th and then four times in the 7th to take an 11-6 lead, and the series was going back to Albany.

And then, the magic ran out in Game Five. Behind 7-6 going into the 9th inning of what was a fantastic game, Union managed more late heroics, tying the game on a Sacrifice Fly. After Minuteman went down 1-2-3 in B9 to force extra innings, Union took the lead in T10 on a Single by C Cale Jones. Unfortunately, they gave the lead up in B10 when Minuteman CF John Kinder hit a one-run Double with two out and two strikes against him. Union went down 1-2-3 in T11, and of all things a two-base Throwing Error by the Union CF that occurred when Minuteman LF Frank Tucker tried to advance from first on a fly ball allowed in the winning run.

A Union season filled with close and hard-fought victories had ended in excruciating fashion. Meanwhile, Minuteman was off to the cup final.

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

• GAME 1: TU 6-5 SUS – SS Earl Seals (TU) 2/5 (2B, 3 TB), 2 R, 2 RBI, SB, 2 DEF DP
• GAME 2: TU 8-11 SUS – C Oliver Lysiak (SUS) 2/4 (both 1B), 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
• GAME 3: SUS 7-6 TU – CF John Schultz (SUS) 2/4 (HR, 5 TB), 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
• GAME 4: SUS 2-1 TU (11) – P William Hawk (SUS) CG (11.0 IP), 4 HA, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• SERIES MVP: 3B Frank Carter (SUS) – 7/12, 3 RBI, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 SB

In Wilkes-Barre, the opener was an exciting game decided in the 9th. Trenton, facing a 4-3 deficit, came to bat in and scored three times on three separate run-scoring base hits to take a 6-4 lead. Susquehanna scored once to make it 6-5 and had a man on second with one out, but a Double Play by the Trenton defense ended the late attempt at a rally to force extras. Game Two was in Susquehanna’s control. The hosts were ahead 6-2 by the end of the 3rd, and as soon as it looked like the visitors might make a comeback when they pulled to within 8-6 in the 8th Susquehanna put up three runs, and that was that. The series was even going to New Jersey.

In New Jersey, Schultz was the hero of Game Three. Behind 6-3 in T7 the Susquehanna CF hit a two-run homer to make it a one-run game, and then in T9 he drew a Base on Balls that started the two-run rally that won the game and put the visitors up 2-1. In Game Four, Trenton’s title defense came to an end in a classic Pitcher’s Duel. Run-scoring Singles by Susquehanna in the 7th and Trenton in the 8th made for a 1-1 tie and Extra Innings. In T11 Susquehanna scored via Error, and the brilliant Hawk set the hosts down in order in B11. Susquehanna had won 2-1, and they were back in the final for the second time in three years.

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP XX FINAL

It was time for the final of Tucker-Wheaton Cup XX.

On paper it was a perfect matchup, one pitting the team that allowed the fewest Runs in the N.B.B.O. – Minuteman (5.2 RA/G) – against the team that sent more men across home plate than any other in the twenty-year history of the competition – Susquehanna (10.3 R/G). Obviously, one side would have to give way.

Ahead of the start of the playoffs the favorite was Minuteman even if they faced #1 Susquehanna, the reasons being the Upstate champion’s Away record and the fact that Susquehanna’s 52-18 record came largely from beating up on the lower ranks of the Inland Championship. However, Minuteman needed five games to beat the underdog #3 seed in the N.Y.L.C.S. while Susquehanna dispatched defending cup winners Trenton Utd. in a four-game N.E.L.C.S. It really could go either way.

GAME ONE (River View Field in Wilkes-Barre, Penn.): MIN 12-23 SUS
P.o.t.G. 3B Frank Carter (SUS) 4/5 (2B, 5 TB), 5 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB
NOTABLE: LF Walter Braden (SUS) 4/6 (2B, 5 TB), 3 R, 1 RBI

In Game One, it was the offense that won out.

This was one of the wildest games in T.W.C. history. With three runs in the 2nd and seven more in the 3rd, Susquehanna jumped out to a 10-5 lead. After the 4th & 5th went by scoreless, the hosts piled on thirteen more runs during their final three times at bat to make quite the statement, one that said they would never be outscored.

Susquehanna had four players with 3+ Hits: Carter, Braden, P Frank Cyphert (3/4, 2 R, 4 RBI), & RF Karl Valentine (3/6, 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI). Minuteman P William Tighe had his worst outing of the season in the loss (2.2 IP, 10 HA, 7 ER).

GAME TWO (River View Field in Wilkes-Barre, Penn.): MIN 5-8 SUS
P.o.t.G. SS Stephen Barley (SUS) 2/5 (2B, 3 TB), 2 R, 2 RBI, DEF DP

Game Two was far closer to a normal contest, but it was over early.

Susquehanna responded to a Minuteman run in T1 by sending four across the plate via three Singles and a Sacrifice fly. In the 2nd Susquehanna would score three more times, the key moment a one-run Double by Barley, to take a 7-1 lead. That would be enough for the win because Minuteman plated two runs in both the 4th & 5th but went scoreless after.

GAME THREE (Corning Field in Albany, N.Y.): SUS 5-8 MIN
P.o.t.G. 2B Jules Thomas (MIN) 3/4 (2B, 4 TB), 3 R, 1 RBI, SB

Game Three was another 8-5 affair, but this one went Minuteman’s way to keep the series going.

Minuteman opened the scoring in B1 on a Single by LF Frank Tucker, but Susquehanna quickly took a 5-1 lead with a pair of runs in the 2nd and three more in the 3rd. After a scoreless 4th, the Minuteman comeback began in the 5th when P William Tighe hit a one-run Single to make it a 5-2 game. By the end of the 6th it was 5-4 thanks to a Wild Pitch and a Single by Ralph Carlson, and Minuteman took the lead for good in B7 when 1B Paul LaGuerre followed Thomas’ game-tying Single with another run-scoring Single that made it 6-5 to the hosts. Tucker followed with a third one-run Single, and Minuteman scored a run in B8 to give the game its final score.

GAME FOUR Corning Field in Albany, N.Y.): SUS 2-21 MIN
P.o.t.G. 1B Paul LaGuerre (MIN) 4/6 (2 2B, 3B, 8 TB), 5 R, 6 RBI, 101 GMSC
NOTABLE: LF Frank Tucker (MIN) 5/6 (2B, 6 TB), 4 R, 5 RBI, 99 GMSC

And the series was even at 2-2 after Minuteman proved that they too could pile on the runs.

Minuteman returned a Susquehanna run during T1 with a pair of scores in B1, thanks to a Single by Tucker and a Wild Pitch. The next three innings were scoreless, but Minuteman added three runs in the 5th, the last two scoring on a Double by LaGuerre, to make it a 5-1 game. They then added four runs in the 7th to make it 9-1, and in the 8th they applied the coup de grâce: a twelve-run rally in which LaGuerre provided the exclamation point with a bases-loaded Triple.

Minuteman had forced the series back to Wilkes-Barre with a nineteen-run win, and they would no doubt have loads of confidence for Game Five.

GAME FIVE (River View Field in Wilkes-Barre, Penn..): MIN 10-3 SUS
P.o.t.G. 2B Jules Thomas (MIN) 3/5 (3B, 5 TB), 2 R, 2 RBI, DEF DP
NOTABLE: SS Hugh Mercer (MIN) 2/5 (HR, 5 TB), 2 R, 1 RBI, DEF DP

It was Minuteman who seized the day in Game Five.

After scoring via Ground Out in T1, a Fielder’s Choice and a Double by C Jonathan Rue sent two men across the plate to give Minuteman a 3-0 lead after T2. The teams then traded runs in the 3rd inning, and that’s when Minuteman struck the killing blow: a five-run 4th in which the scoring started with a two-run Double by CF John Kinder and finished with run-scoring Singles by Thomas & LF Frank Tucker. Mercer applied the finish in T5, leading off the inning by hitting the first pitch he saw for an Inside the Park Home Run over the head of Susquehanna LF Lemuel Marquardt.

Well-aware of Susquehanna’s run scoring proficiency, Minuteman couldn’t relax even though they had a 10-1 lead. However, William Tighe had the ball and he kept the record-setting hosts from scoring through the end of the 8th. A nine-run lead going into the final inning was plenty safe, and after Susquehanna scored a pair of consolation runs Minuteman lifted the cup for the first time.

Minuteman’s triumph marked the second cup victory in four years for Upstate New York. It was a most deserved championship for Minuteman, who was the best team in the New York League from the midway point on and beat the #1 team in the N.B.B.O. in the cup final, coming back from 2-0 down to win it.

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
LF Frank Tucker (MIN) – 10 G, .429 (21/49), 17 RBI, 10 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 SB, 0.7 WPA, 0.6 WAR

Jules Thomas may have won P.o.t.G. twice in the cup final, but Tucker’s amazing 15/26 batting with a dozen RBI couldn’t be ignored. He had multiple hits in all five games of the final, and he was a factor in every game including the two losses.

As mentioned, Thomas was excellent during the playoffs…

2B Jules Thoms (MIN) – 10 G, .408 (20/49), 9 RBI, 15 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 BB, 3 SB, 0.6 WPA, 0.5 WAR

…and Paul LaGuerre was also very good:

1B Paul LaGuerre (MIN) – 10 G, .388 (19/49), 14 RBI, 16 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 BB, 0.6 WPA, 0.6 WAR

Tucker, Thomas, & LaGuerre were Minuteman’s three best batsmen during the 1876 season, with Tucker & Thomas making the All-Star Game, and all three did exactly what Minuteman needed them to do during the playoffs.

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP FINAL SUMMARY

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FOUNDERS’ CUP VI: NIAGARA VERSUS GOLIATH

BUFFALO & PHILADELPHIA (August 1876) – Last year’s Founders’ Cup was a bit of a surprise. American was expected to handily beat their Colonial Conference opposition, Alleghany, who ended the season in terrible form. Instead, the series was another seven-game classic that featured a No-Hitter in Game Five and a ninth-inning rally to force Game Seven. American did come out on top, but it was a much closer series than expected.

Founders’ Cup VI again featured American B.C., who was looking to win the A.P.B.L. title for the fourth time in five years, a run of championships no team has ever done. The opposition: Niagara B.B.C. who managed to vault itself from last place in the Colonial Conference in 1875 to first place in 1876, clinching a most unlikely pennant on the season’s final day.

Niagara had an extremely difficult road to the Founders’ Cup. Part of a three-way for the Colonial Conference lead on July 20th, they took a two-game lead by the end of the month and it would grow to three for only one day (Aug. 11). Going into the final day they were one game ahead of St. John’s and were able to match a St. John’s rout of Alleghany with a four-run win at Shamrock to complete an incredible worst-to-first season and make the playoffs for the first time since they were part of the N.B.B.O. in 1868.

American’s road to the Founders’ Cup was easier than it was last year. There was no 14-1 August surge by a contender that they had to defend against. Instead, the three-time champions were able to keep second-place Knickerbocker 5+ games behind them for the final two and a half weeks, taking the Metropolitan pennant with a week to spare.

Niagara made it to the Founders’ Cup with pitching and defense. Their pitching duo of Tomoharu Mukai & Jack Smith ranked 3rd in combined ERA, while their fielders, led by Clyde Hudspeth & William Schumacher, ranked 2nd out of the league’s sixteen teams in Efficiency & Zone Rating.

American made the Founders’ Cup the same way they always had: terrifying offense that could never be held in check.

American was the favorite going in. Would they take their fourth title in half a decade? Or would 1876’s surprise team have the biggest surprise of all up their sleeves?

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GAME ONE (Glenwood Field in Philadelphia): NIA 5-6 AME
P.o.t.G: CF James Burke (AME) 2/5 (2B, 3 TB), 1 R, 3 RBI, GW HIT

It looked like Niagara might actually take the opener, and then…

Niagara scored first when CF Charles Barrett hit a one-run Single in T1. However, American didn’t take long to reverse that by scoring via Error & Ground Out during B2 to go ahead 2-1. It would be 3-1 in B3 when Burke hit a one-run Single.

Niagara put up a four-run rally, the key hit a two-run Triple by RF Reginald Roper, to take a 5-3 lead. After that, there was no more scoring through the end of the 8th and it looked like worst-to-first Niagara just might knock off American to open the series. Then, with one out in B9 and two men on RF Franklin Petty hit a one-run Single to make it a 5-4 game and, of course, Burke followed with a two-run Double to win the game and save American some series-opening embarrassment.

GAME TWO (Glenwood Field in Philadelphia): NIA 4-14 AME
P.o.t.G: 3B William Carrigan (AME) 2/5 (both 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI

Game Two was a pounding by American to take a 2-0 series lead.

The hosts came to bat in B1 and scored three times, twice thanks to a Single by LF George Kassabian and once via Ground Out, and they added five more runs in the 3rd, the main moment a two-run Single by RF Franklin Petty, to take a commanding 8-0 lead that was never in any trouble. Niagara scored four runs over the middle innings to cut the deficit in half, but American sent five across the plate in B7 to go back ahead by nine before adding another run in B8.

GAME THREE (Greater N.Y. Sporting Grounds in Buffalo): AME 13-3 NIA
P.o.t.G: CF James Burke (AME) 3/6 (all 1B), 1 R, 3 RBI, 2 SB

Game Three was another American pounding that put the visitors one victory from championship #4.

American scored twice in the 2nd on Singles by LF George Kassabian & C Raynard Steinbach, twice in the 3rd on Singles by Kassabian & 1B William Busby, and two more times in the 4th on a two-run Single by Burke. That put American ahead 6-1, and after Niagara scored twice in the 6th they responded with a seven-run 7th, the big moment a two-run Single by RF Franklin Petty, to make it 13-3 and end the game as a contest. The series was now 3-0 to mighty American.

GAME FOUR (Greater N.Y. Sporting Grounds in Buffalo): AME 8-6 NIA
P.o.t.G: RF Franklin Petty (AME) 2/5 (2B, 3 TB), 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB

Of course it was going to be American. It’s always American.

After a two-run Triple by 3B William Carrigan put the visitors ahead 2-1 in T2, a third run scored via Wild Pitch. With the 3rd & 4th going by scoreless, Niagara scored three times in B5, the big hit a two-run Single by 1B Sweeney Martin, to go ahead 4-3. Single runs by American in the 6th & 7th made it 5-4, but Niagara came right back and took the lead 6-5 in B7 on another two-run Single by Martin. Then…

American came to bat in the 9th and, with men on first & third, Petty hit a one-run Single to tie the game 6-6. The next batsman, CF James Burke, hit another run-scoring Single to give American a 7-6 lead. A Wild Pitch then allowed in another run to make it 8-6 to American, and that was all Simeon DiStefano needed as he set the Niagara men down 1-2-3 in B9, and American had taken the series in a sweep.

For American, it was the fourth time in five years they were crowned the best team in the sport of baseball. There was ABSOLUTELY no more questioning the power of this team from Philadelphia, one that had so clearly conquered a league that was supposed to be a party of equals when the split with the N.B.B.O. happened ahead of the 1871 season.

For Niagara, becoming the victim of the Founders’ Cup’s first sweep was an embarrassing way to finish the season, but in the end nothing could take away from the fact that they made it there by going from last place to first in the Colonial, as well as the fact that they took the pennant by fending off St. John’s on the season’s final day.

FOUNDERS’ CUP MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
CF James Burke (AME) – .381 (8/21), 8 RBI, 3 R, 1 2B, 4 SB, 1.0 WPA, 0.2 WAR, 2x P.o.t.G.

Naturally, in an American sweep of the Founders’ Cup it was James Burke who was their best player. He was the Player of the Game in both the opener and the closer, and while William Carrigan (.389) & Martin Prince (.400) had higher Averages it was Burke who led both teams in Hits, RBI, & Stolen Bases.

As rough as the Founders’ Cup was for Niagara, they did have a few players put in a good word for themselves. Irving Polk (.400), Sweeney Martin (.412), & Arthur Bliss (.429) all hit .400 or better, and Martin had six RBI. The big problem: the rest of the lineup was nonexistent, especially All-Stars Clyde Hudspeth & Reginald Roper, who combined to hit 3/31.

FOUNDERS' CUP SUMMARY

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Dumb question: has one of you been sending this around? In the past two months or so the average views per reply on this thread has gone up by 50% from about 40 views/reply to 60.

Definitely not going to complain!

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1876 PHILADELPHIA CITY BASEBALL LEAGUE REVIEW

1875 PCBL STANDINGS





PER-TEAM STATISTICS

1876: 7.5 R/G, .277, .645 OPS, 775 H, 87 2B, 44 3B, 5 HR, 66 SB, 2.97 ERA, 75 BB, 121 K, 7.6 E/G, .829 FLD%
1875: 7.9 R/G, .276, .645 OPS, 796 H, 93 2B, 40 3B, 11 HR, 53 SB, 2.86 ERA, 68 BB, 56 K, 8.2 E/G, .816 FLD%


LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC:

Frankford Arsenal (1st title) wins series 3-1 over Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club

GAME 1: FRA 14-10 PBCC – CF Joseh Evans (FRA) 4/5 (all 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 3 SB
GAME 2: FRA 7-12 PBCC – C Harrison Hearst (PBCC) 3/5 (2 2B, 4 TB), 2 R, 1 RBI
GAME 3: PBCC 8-9 FRA – 2B Frederick Pike (PBCC) 3/5 (3B, 5 TB), 3 R, 2 RBI, SB
GAME 4: PBCC 5-9 FRA – 2B Jonathan Toppin (FRA) 3/5 (2 2B, 5 TB), 2 R, 2 RBI, SB

LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC MVP: 2B Jonathan Toppin (Frankford)

PHILADELPHIA CITY BASEBALL LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Joseph Evans (CF, age 24) – Frankford Arsenal; 4th career B.o.t.Y.

• .404/.444/.584, 1.028 OPS, 101 R, 133 H, 23 2B, 18 3B, 0 HR, 79 RBI, 24 BB, 18 SB, 192 TB, 8.1 WPA, 6.0 WAR
• Led P.C.B.L. in OBP, SLG, OPS, 2B, 3B, XBH, BB, TB, WPA, & WAR; 4th consecutive B.o.t.Y.
• William Norman (1B, MBCC) 2nd – .406, .954 OPS, 96 R, 139 H, 18 2B, 9 3B, 2 HR, 82 RBI, 12 BB, 6.4 WPA, 4.3 WAR
• Frederick Pike (2B, PBCC) – .386, .953 OPS, 84 R, 129 H, 18 2B, 17 3B, 1 HR, 82 RBI, 36 SB, 5.0 WPA, 4.6 WAR


PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Robert Benson (age 29) – Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club; 1st career P.o.t.Y.

• 33-9, 1.84 ERA, 103 K, 362.1 IP, 34 CG, 1 SHO, 2.6 K/9, 8.6 HA/9, 1.05 WHIP, 6.4 WAR, 10.9 rWAR
• Won Triple Crown; Set records for W, ERA, K, IP, CG, K/9, HA/9, O-AVG, O-OBP, O-BABIP, & rWAR
• Joseph Lawson (FRA) 2nd – 29-9, 2.02 ERA, 63 K, 347.0 IP, 28 CG, 2.2 K/BB, 1.21 WHIP, 4.5 WAR, 2.9 rWAR
• Jonathan Atkins (MBCC) 3rd – 27-16, 2.58 ERA, 62 K, 338.2 IP, 25 CG, 1 SV, 3.3 K/BB, 1.22 WHIP, 5.9 WAR, 2.5 rWAR


MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Joseph Evans (CF, age 24) – Frankford Arsenal; 1st career M.V.P.

• Also won P.C.B.L. Batsman of the Year
• First to win B.o.t.Y. & M.V.P. in the same year; First to lead P.C.B.L. in WPA & Batsman WAR in the same year
• Robert Benson (P, PBCC) 2nd – Philadelphia City Baseball League Pitcher of the Year
• William Norman (1B, MBCC) 3rd – P.C.B.L. Batsman of the Year Runner-up


GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: Robert Benson (P, age 29) – Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club

• Also won P.C.B.L. Pitcher of the Year
• 1st to win P.o.t.Y. & G.o.t.Y. in the same year; Led & set P.C.B.L. records in eleven pitching categories.
• Joseph Lawson (P, FRA) 2nd – P.C.B.L. Pitcher of the Year Runner-up
• Leroy Moore (RF, PBCC) 3rd – .327, .759 OPS, 62 R, 101 H, 10 2B, 9 3B, 71 RBI, 5 BB, 7 SB, 2.9 WPA, 1.6 WAR


PCBL GOLDEN GLOVES

• P: Thomas Bath (PENN) – 32 PO, 59 AST, 1 DP, 12 E, 2.43 RNG, +7.4 ZR, 1.153 EFF
• C: Bruce Nolan (SoB) – 48.8 RTO%, 2.54 C-ERA, 1 PB, 9 E, +4.0 ZR, 0.878 EFF
• 1B: Jonathan Bagwell (GER) – 601 PO, 68 AST, 30 DP, 3357 E, 10.12 RNG, +4.6 ZR, 1.051 EFF
• 2B: Jonathan Auriemma (MIN) – 241 PO, 192 AST, 22 DP, 70 E, 6.63 RNG, +16.3 ZR, 1.159 EFF
• 3B: William Barrows (YORK) – 103 PO, 119 AST, 4 DP, 59 E, 3.41 RNG, +12.2 ZR, 1.210 EFF
• SS: Moody Steiger (PBCC) – 185 PO, 245 AST, 27 DP, 94 E, 6.12 RNG, +33.6 ZR, 1.277 EFF
• LF: Jerald Coleman (IND) – 116 PO, 5 AST, 29 E, 1.84 RNG, +1.9 ARM, +4.6 ZR, 1.069 EFF
• CF: Frank Williams (SoB) – 156 PO, 16 AST, 47 E, 2.49 RNG, +5.4 ARM, +7.4 ZR, 1.077 EFF
• RF: Sig Siemens (GER) – 126 PO, 11 AST, 30 E, 2.00 RNG, +3.4 ARM, +4.1 ZR, 1.031 EFF


PCBL TEAM OF THE YEAR

MISCELLANEOUS

PCBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

• Average: .406 by William Norman (1B, Merion)
• On-Base: .444 by Joseph Evans (CF, Frankford)
• Slugging: .584 by Joseph Evans
• OPS: 1.028 by Joseph Evans
• Home Runs: 3 by Arthur Hall (RF, Sons of Ben)
• Runs Batted In: 82 by William Norman
• Runs: 103 by Jonathan Toppin (2B, Frankford)
• Hits: 139 by William Norman
• Doubles: 23 by Joseph Evans
• Triples: 18 by Joseph Evans
• Extra-Base Hits: 41 by Joseph Evans
• Stolen Bases: 56 by Harrison Comstock (LF, Schuylkill)
• Total Bases: 192 by Joseph Evans
• Bases on Balls: 24 by Joseph Evans
• Zone Rating: +33.6 by Moody Steiger (SS, P.B.C.C.)
• Win Prob. Added: 8.1 by Joseph Evans
• Batsman WAR: 6.0 by Joseph Evans

• Wins: 33 by Robert Benson (P.B.C.C.)
• Losses: 23 by William Jardin (Overbrook)
• ERA (175+ IP): 1.84 by Robert Benson
• Strikeouts: 103 by Robert Benson
• Innings: 362.1 by Robert Benson
• Complete Games: 34 by Robert Benson
• Shutouts: 2 Alexander Brown (Spartan) & Richard Johnson (Penn)
• BB/9 (175+ IP): 0.2 by Harrison Alger (Sons of Ben)
• K/9 (175+ IP): 2.6 by Robert Benson
• K/BB (175+ IP): 7.2 by Arthur Lipscomb (P.B.C.C.)
• WHIP (175+ IP): 1.02 by Arthur Lipscomb
• Pitcher WAR: 7.5 by Paul Krueger (Sons of Ben)
• Pitcher rWAR: 10.9 by Robert Benson

ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS

• May 20: Philadelphia B.C.C. wins 19-0 at Penn.
• May 27: Joseph Sizemore (Spartan) hits for the P.C.B.L.’s 1st Cycle.
• June 1: Jonathan Auriemma (Minerva) has 5 Stolen Bases against Sons of Ben.
• June 3: Leonard Sanders (Minerva) has a Grand Slam & 9 RBI in a ten-inning game vs Sons of Ben.
• June 15: Mercantile’s James Hurt & Benjamin Warnock are both 5/6 at Overbrook.
• June 30: Frankford Arsenal sets an all-leagues record for Runs in a 34-8 win at Yorktown.
• June 30: Francis Brown (Frankford) bats 6/8 at Yorktown, the only six-hit game of the season.
• June 30: Frankford’s Jonathan Evans & William Walker score 6 Runs each at Yorktown.
• July 1: Philadelphia B.C.C.’s 18-game Winning Streak comes to an end.
• July 23: Arthur Morris (Spartan) has 4 Extra-Base Hits (2B, 3 3B) vs Pt. Richmond.
• Aug 11: The 40-game Hitting Streak of Joseph Evans (Frankford) comes to an end.
• Aug 6: Robert Benson (P.B.C.C.) becomes the first P.C.B.L. P with 30+ Wins in a season.
• Aug 14: William Norman (.406) & Joseph Evans (.404) are the first P.C.B.L. batsmen to hit .400 in a season.
• Aug 14: Robert Benson (P.B.C.C.) earns the P.C.B.L.’s first Triple Crown (33-9, 1.84 ERA, 103 K).
• Aug 18: Frankford Arsenal (1st title) wins the L.B.C. in four games over Philadelphia B.C.C.

PERFORMANCES OF THE SEASON BY GAME SCORE

• #1: 125 by Leonard Sanders (C, Minerva) on June 4th vs Sons of Ben (5/6, 2B, GS, 3 R, 9 RBI)
• #2: 110 by William Walker (1B, Frankford) on June 30th at Yorktown (3/5, 6 R, 6 RBI, 2 BB, HBP)
• #3: 108 by Francis Brown (LF, Frankford) on June 30th at Yorktown (6/8, 2 2B, HR, 5 R, 4 RBI)
• #4: 93 by Edward Smith (CF, Germantown) on July 30th vs Mercantile (4/4, 3B, HR, 4 R, 4 RBI)
• #5: 89 by Edward Grady (SS, Minerva) on July 28th vs Yorktown (4/5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 6 RBI)