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| OOTP 26 - Historical & Fictional Simulations Discuss historical and fictional simulations and their results in this forum. |
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06-14-2024, 02:20 PM
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#221 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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KUGLER DRILLS THREE DOUBLES, DRIVES IN SIX! LIGHT-HITTING GRANITE SHORTSTOP HAS BANNER DAY IN BIG WIN MANCHESTER, N.H. (July 20, 1865) – In a battle of two middling New England teams, Granite (29-28) had their way with Quinnipiac (29-28) in an easy seven-run home win on Thursday afternoon:  The home team saw a few notable batting performances on the afternoon, but their star performer by far was light-hitting Harvey Kugler. The second-year SS, who has a career average of .275 and a career O.P.S. of 640 (80 OPS+), did the following at the Kalivas Union Baseball Grounds against Quinnipiac: • B1: 2-run Double to RCF off C. Darnell (scored)It was easily the best batting performance so far in the career of Kugler, who is far better known for his sure hands in the infield. Northeastern League Writers Pool members are calling it the best performance in the N.E.L. this season, and for a day the little middle infielder hit the ball like the giant.
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Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 06-14-2024 at 02:24 PM. |
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06-14-2024, 02:21 PM
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#222 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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Missed this one from earlier in the season...
DAVIDSON TIES N.B.B.O. RECORD WITH 8 R.B.I! GREEN MTN. OUTFIELDER DRIVES IN EIGHT RUNS ON JUST THREE HITS IN BIG WIN MANCHESTER, N.H. (June 15, 1865) – Green Mountain easily won a contest between teams from the neighboring states of New Hampshire & Vermont on Thursday, taking the game by a dozen runs.  Green Mountain leadoff man George Decker was 4/6 with three R.B.I. and a pair of steals, and club legend Anthony Mascherino was 2/5, but the player of the game was #4 batsmen Oscar Davidson, who tied one of the more notable National Base Ball Organization records with his performance at the plate: • T1: Fielder’s Choice at 2B to end inningDavidson is the third player in N.B.B.O. history to drive in eight runs in a single game. Victory’s Joseph Paige was the first to do it on July 2nd of 1857, and Samuel Pezzi of Minuteman did it on July 5th of 1862.
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Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 06-14-2024 at 02:27 PM. |
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06-14-2024, 02:21 PM
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#223 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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CREIGHTON PASSES THE 100-STRIKEOUT BARRIER! SPORT’S MOST DOMINANT PITCHER ADDS MAJOR MILESTONE TO LIST OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS BROOKLYN (July 22, 1865) – Saturday afternoon’s contest in Carroll Park pitted the two teams tied for the Brooklyn Championship lead – Continental & Excelsior – against one another. The occasion demanded big performances and the teams did not disappoint, as the game needed extra innings to decide the winner. The pitching matchup was a classic: Continental’s Grover Wright versus Excelsior’s Jim Creighton – the only two pitchers to win New York League M.V.P. – and the game itself was a classic. Both pitchers went all ten innings, with Wright getting the better of Creighton in Continental’s 3-2 win thanks to Wright himself driving in the game-winning run in the top of the 10th. In a losing effort, Jim Creighton made major history by becoming the first pitcher to strike out 100 batters in a single season, doing so by striking out the very first batter of the game: Continental’s Frank McPherson. Creighton would go on to sit down half a dozen batsmen over his ten innings of work, bringing his total number of strikeouts for the 1865 season to 105 with just over two weeks left to play. It is possible that Creighton will have struck down 120 before the season is done. In addition to Creighton’s strikeout milestone, he has only been responsible for five bases on balls, making for a seemingly impossible K/BB ratio of exactly 21/1, which will break the existing record of roughly 3.3/1 exponentially. He has also surpassed his own Pitching W.A.R. record of 7.4 that he set last season, as he is currently at 7.6 and on a pace for 8.9. This will be the third season in a row that Jim Creighton has set new N.B.B.O. records thanks to his pitching proficiency. The frightening thing is that he is still only 24 years of age and thus hypothetically has 3-4 years of improvement left before he hits his peak. If this is the kind of pitching from Jim Creighton that the world of base ball can expect to see for the next decade or more, one really must wonder how opponents will deal with him. Maybe someone will try to bring an oar to the plate? Or a table leg? What about bunting in every at-bat? Teams may need to adjust the way they play the game just to face him, and that will make Excelsior, or any team that he plays for, automatic contenders every year.
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Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 06-14-2024 at 02:31 PM. |
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06-14-2024, 02:37 PM
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#224 | |
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All Star Reserve
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 908
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Quote:
If you end up wanting to incorporate NeL players, do I have a site for you ... there are a handful of players from earlier eras that we'd like to incorporate, but as you roll into the 1880s, LMK. The earliest player we have is George Hopkins, who would have debuted around 1878. This is the relevant list: https://i9s.org/wp/available-players-chronological/
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Year II of the WBL on the Forums STARTS HERE. Baseball The Way It Never Was https://wbl.dmlco.com/ i9s: Curated, Bespoke MLE's for NeL Players. https://www.i9s.org/ |
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06-15-2024, 02:04 PM
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#225 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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ST. JOHN’S FALLS! N.E. WILL HAVE NEW CHAMPION! STJ WON FIRST EIGHT NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS; DOOMED BY RECENT 11-GAME LOSING STREAK PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 28, 1865) – St. John’s hosted New England leaders Sons of the Ocean for the second of their five-game series on Friday afternoon, and they were expecting to do what they have always done late in the season: beat the New England competition and do so convincingly. However, despite an early lead it was not to be on this day:  The result did the unthinkable: it moved St. John’s under the .500 mark and guaranteed that FOR THE FIRST TIME they would not be the winners of the New England Championship, with the result placing them eight games behind 1st-place Sons of the Ocean with seven games left in the season. S.o.t.O. is currently four games in the clear over Granite & Portland. Players and fans of every other club in New England celebrated the news that hated St. John’s would finally be dethroned, although some were a bit disappointed that it took what will easily be St. Johns’ worst-ever season to see them fall from 1st place instead of an extraordinary team rising up and being their betters. St. John’s was even with S.o.t.O. for top spot at the halfway point with a 22-13 record – not the first time they’ve been in a fierce battle for the New England title after half the season – so how did it all go so wrong here in 1865? Over the first eight years of the N.B.B.O, St. John’s has become known for its almost mythical ability to string together long streaks of wins and dominant performances late in the season and during playoff base ball. Over the second half of one season ahead of a cup triumph, they had a record of 28-7. They have had multiple winning streaks of longer than ten games. During their first two cup triumphs, St. John’s had an easy time sweeping Victory in Tucker-Wheaton Cup I and then beat Knickerbocker 10-2 in a Game Five at the Elysian Fields the next year. In three years of Round Robin cup play St. John’s is 24-7, with their worst showing being a 7-3 2nd-place finish in the first Round Robin edition of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. With St. John’s level with Sons of the Ocean for 1st place and one game ahead of Quinnipiac after seven weeks, many assumed that they would do what they always do: win about two-thirds of their games over the second half of the season, or more, and finish on top of the New England Championship by five games, give or take a couple. That was not what happened. St. John’s was 4-4 in the final eight June games that marked the start of their second half, looking brilliant in a 16-0 win vs Granite but otherwise struggling. St. John’s continued to play just okay base ball to start July, going 4-3 against Granite & Cantabrigians ahead of three incredibly important series against Portland, Green Mountain, and Sons of the Ocean. Then, it happened… Starting with a 7-4 home loss to open their series against Portland, St. John’s LOST ELEVEN GAMES IN A ROW, by far the worst stretch of baseball in club history. They lost all five home games to Portland by multiple runs, then lost four of five games at Green Mountain by multiple runs before a 7-6 loss, and a limp 6-3 home loss to Sons of the Ocean ran the losing streak to an unimaginable eleven straight. This was completely unchartered territory for base ball in Providence. After showing signs of life in an 8-6 win over S.o.t.O. on Thursday, St. John’s took an early 3-1 lead in a must-win game before falling apart and losing 7-3, giving St. John’s an under .500 record, seeing them fall to 6th place, and relegating them to New England pretenders for the first time – three mortal blows all at once. The dethronement of St. John’s has been some time in coming. They lost John McGowan ahead of last season but were still able to outscore everybody else. However, letting Anderson MacGyver leave without bringing in anybody to replace him was the proverbial bridge too far. While MacGyver has been hitting over .330 with 60+ R.B.I. for Mutual his 2B replacement, Walter Warren, has hit .247 (.576 O.P.S.) and has a -0.6 W.A.R. They also brought in a new C & SS, with C Bruce Botchko batting .247 (.570 O.P.S.) and SS Thomas DiMola batting .280 (.613 O.P.S.). Combined, all three positions with new players have produced at below replacement level over the entire season, and because of that it is possible that St. Johns’ offense will score 150 fewer runs (-2.1 R/G) this season than it did last season – the largest season-to-season drop ever. The irony in all of this is that St. Johns’ mighty fall has occurred in the year that the N.B.B.O. is honoring them by having Olneyville Field host the All-Star Game, and the team likely to finally take the New England pennant from them, the Sons of the Ocean, will do so in their first season after seeing superstar 3B Samuel Kessler leave for Alleghany in the Inland Championship. One can expect major changes to the St. John’s roster over the winter, so the rest of New England would be well-served to savor and enjoy the results of this season as while they can.
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Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 06-15-2024 at 05:20 PM. |
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06-15-2024, 02:05 PM
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#226 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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NEW YORK LEAGUE WINS ALL-STAR THRILLER 9-8 1ST A.S.G. IN PROVIDENCE; GAME DECIDED IN 9TH; HUNTLEY EARNS M.V.P. HONORS PROVIDENCE, R.I. (July 31, 1865) – The seventh edition of the National Base Ball Organization All Star Game, the first to be held outside of the Elysian Fields, was a great one that took until the 9th inning to be decided:  The game was held in Providence’s Olneyville Field, home to St. John’s B.C, but due to All-Star Game team rotation the New York League was designated as the home team for this year’s game, and that was why they won the contest 9-8 thanks to a pair of runs in the bottom of the 9th inning. There was more offense in this year’s A.S.G – 17 runs compared to 11 in last year’s edition, and 21 hits compared to 17 in last year’s game in New York City. That is not a surprise, given that St. Johns’ home grounds are more batsman-friendly than the intimidating Elysian Fields. There was plenty of action early, with the score 5-5 after three innings thanks to a steady supply of runs from the N.Y.L. and a five-run outburst by the N.E.L. in the top of the 3rd, with the key hit being a two-run single by Nelson Townsend. The N.Y.L. took the lead in the bottom of the 4th thanks to a throwing error, but the N.E.L. took it back with two runs in the 6th before going up 8-6 on a Walter Dudley single in the 7th. Grover Wright, a famously dominant pitcher but a career .222 batter, singled in a run for the N.Y.L. in the bottom of the 8th to make the score 8-7, and in the bottom of the 9th a single by Leroy Weld evened the score before a one-out sacrifice by Edward Huntley brought in Weld for the winning run. Huntley was named All-Star Game M.V.P. He was only 1/3 with the bat, but his double in the 3rd drove in one of the N.Y.L’s early runs and his sacrifice fly in the 9th brought in the game-winner. It was a fitting end to the month for Huntley, who struggled mightily over the first half of the season but hit .388 (.909 O.P.S.) with 23 R.B.I. for Knickerbocker in July. Attendance in Olneyville Field was 6,246 – a capacity crowd. While that was only about forty percent of the size of the crowds that the Elysian Fields has received when hosting the All-Star Game, it was still much, much larger than the average amount of spectators to view a contest. The N.B.B.O. has not announced where the game will be held next year, but early speculation is that a Northeastern League club will host so that the N.E.L. will be the home side in a N.E.L. venue. |
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06-15-2024, 02:06 PM
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#227 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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TWO STAR PERFORMANCES FOR PORT JERSEY ALL-STAR DONOVAN, MIDSEASON REPLACEMENT STILES AMASS HITS, RUNS, & R.B.I. AT MASS. BAY BOSTON (Aug. 2, 1865) – Port Jersey will not win the Coastal Championship for the third consecutive season. They were eliminated from pennant contention last week, but younger players still want to put in quality performances so the front office does not draw up designs on bringing in new players at their positions. That explains today’s result in Boston:  Port Jersey’s lesser-experienced players were great in the 17-10 victory, and two in particular stole the show: one you might expect to be a headline performer and one who only entered the lineup at midseason. The first star of the day was third-year OF and one-time All-Star Edward Donovan: • T1: 2-run Double to RCF off J. Case (scored)The other star was second-year 1B Henry Stiles, who recently took Alvin Williams’ place in the lineup: • T1: 1-run Single to RCF off J. Case (scored)Donovan became the first player this season to accumulate five runs and five R.B.I. in a single game, something that has been done only a handful of times in N.B.B.O. history, while Stiles’ five run-scoring hits is also a single-game high for the season. Both Donovan & Stiles reaching base six times was also the first time this season a pair of teammates reached base six times each in the same game. It has been a disappointing season for Port Jersey, but it was a memorable day on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. |
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06-15-2024, 02:08 PM
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#228 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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THE 1865 CUP FIELD IS SET! KNICKERBOCKER CLEAR FAVORITES; S.O.T.O. ONLY TEAM MAKING ITS POSTSEASON DEBUT NORTHEAST U.S.A (Aug. 7, 1865) – The ninth season of play in the National Base Ball Organization is in the books, and the field for Tucker Wheaton-Cup IX has been set. The obvious favorites are Knickerbocker B.B.C, fresh off the best season in N.B.B.O. history at 57-13. That does not mean any of the other teams are incapable of lifting the cup. The team with the second-best record, Alleghany, has been a cup finalist. The third-best team, Minuteman, struggled to finish the season but has a superstar pitcher. Excelsior, of course, has Jim Creighton and has been in T.W.C. Round Robin play before. Sons of the Ocean is making their postseason debut, but they have the confidence that comes with being the team that finally supplanted St. John’s as New England champions. Shamrock has the weakest record of the group, but they have won the cup before. Four of the six regional championship leaders at the halfway mark stayed in first place. The two changes were in Upstate New York and the Coastal Championship. BROOKLYN – Excelsior was six games ahead of Bedford & Kings County at midseason, but Continental pulled even in mid-July before Excelsior took three of five games in a pivotal series and led Brooklyn the rest of the way. 15-20 Empire made a mighty charge up the standings over the second half, going 26-9 and moving from 7th to 2nd place (2 G.B.). NEW YORK CITY – Knickerbocker was a record-setting 31-4 and ten games up on the competition after seven weeks, and they were a record-setting 57-13 and sixteen games clear at the end of the season. Harlem had a brilliant 25-10 second half, and thanks to that finished in 2nd place at 41-29. UPSTATE N.Y. – Minuteman was two games behind Niagara halfway through the season, but a 16-19 second half saw the Buffalo-based club fall to 4th place and Minuteman took advantage of the opening to win Upstate by three games over the combination of Flour City & Utica. COASTAL – Midpoint leaders Trenton United led the Coastal Champion at the end of weeks seven, eight, nine, ten eleven, twelve, & thirteen. With ten games to go they were 38-22 and four games clear before an inexplicable 1-9 cliff dive gave four-time champions Shamrock exactly what they needed to charge back into 1st on the season’s penultimate day. Shamrock's 40-30 mark is the worst record for a regional champion, but once again such is the nature of the Coastal Championship. INLAND – Alleghany’s 26-9 first half form fell to 21-14 over the second half, but they were never in any trouble as they won Inland by ten games. The teams in 2nd-7th place were only six games apart. NEW ENGLAND – With Sons of the Ocean & St. John’s both 22-13 at the halfway point, it was presumed that St. John’s would crank out results and win New England. However, a 14-21 second half punctuated with an unfathomable eleven game losing streak caused St. John’s, the only champions New England had ever seen, to finish in 4th place. Sons of the Ocean took control, and they were able to hold off stiff challenges by Granite & Portland to become New England champions. And with that, the Tucker-Wheaton Cup field is set. All six regional championships changed hands from 1864, but only Sons of the Ocean is making its playoff debut. THE 1865 TUCKER-WHEATON CUP FORMAT: Each team plays all others twice, once home and once away, for a total of ten games. The team with the best record wins the cup. A one-game playoff will be held at Washington Park in Brooklyn if there is a tie for 1st place. Head-to-Head record and Run Differential will be used as tiebreakers to determine other positions in the case of identical record. TEAMS: The six entrants to the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, sorted by record & run differential. • Knickerbocker (New York City) – 57-13 (+208 R.D.)SCHEDULE: The tournament is ten days in length • Aug. 9: S.o.t.O. at Minuteman, Knickerbocker at Excelsior, Alleghany at ShamrockThe Writers Pool has been asked their collective opinion of what they expect of this year’s cup competition, and they have the teams in the following order: • #1: Knickerbocker (57-13, 26-9 2nd half, 9-1 last 10, won final 7 games, best record in N.B.B.O. history)
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Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 06-15-2024 at 05:31 PM. |
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06-19-2024, 04:00 PM
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#229 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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T.W.C. IX: KNICKERBOCKER VS THE FIELD NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 9-18, 1864) – Tucker-Wheaton Cup VIII, the first edition of the new format to go to a single-game playoff, would be a tough act to follow. This was especially true given that the headliner of this year’s edition was the record-setting Knickerbocker B.B.C, which not only had the best record in league history at 57-13 but also set another record by finishing the season ten wins better than any other team in the N.B.B.O. None of the six entrants were in last year’s T.W.C, but five of the six had postseason experience. Shamrock was entering the playoffs for the fifth time and won the first Round Robin version of the cup. Alleghany was in its fifth postseason and was runner-up in the final playoff version (1861), losing in five games to Kings County. Knickerbocker was runner-up in the famous 1858 edition of the cup, in which they lost at home in Game Five to St. John’s. Jim Creighton and Excelsior took part just two years ago, and Minuteman was a New York League semi-finalist in 1859. Sons of the Ocean was the only team playing extra base ball for the first time, but that was a given since they were a New England team not named St. John’s. Knickerbocker did enter the cup with that 57-13 record, but that was due to a 31-4 first half. They were “just” 26-9 over the second half, which meant that while Knickerbocker was the clear favorite the competition had a little sliver of hope. Three of the other five teams – Alleghany, Excelsior, & Shamrock – were 7-3 over their final ten games, so they had some good form backing them up as they began the competition. The two teams who had reason to worry were Minuteman & Sons of the Ocean, who were both 5-5 over the final two weeks of the season. Last year’s cup featured offensive juggernauts. Flour City, Kings County, & St. John’s entered as three of the five clubs ever to score 600+ runs in a season, and K.C. had just set a new single-season record with 645 (9.2 R/G). This year’s cup was all about pitching & defense. Knickerbocker had just set the new record for fewest runs allowed with 317 (4.5 R/G) and had the legendary John McGowan pitching for them along with five-star newcomer Peadar Daly. Excelsior, of course, had Jim Creighton, but they also had one-time 23-game winner Harry Nilsson. Minuteman had James Goodman, who had finally figured it all out. Shamrock had All-Star Rainer van der Hout. Alleghany had a pair of 20-game winners: Fred Richards & Willie Hall. S.o.t.O’s Charlie Mitchell had won 23 games with a sub-3 E.R.A. When it came time to play ball, there was one obvious question: Who would win, Knickerbocker, or the field? 1865 TUCKER WHEATON CUP STANDINGS Code:
TEAM W L R RA RD KNICKERBOCKER 7 3 67 35 +32 EXCELSIOR 6 4 54 43 +11 ALLEGHANY 6 4 82 67 +15 S.o.t.O. 6 4 57 65 -8 SHAMROCK 5 5 55 55 0 MINUTEMAN 0 10 39 90 -51 EXC was 3-1 vs ALL & S.o.t.O. ALL was 2-2 vs EXC & S.o.t.O. S.o.t.O. was 1-3 vs ALL & EXC 194 ERA+, 3.14 FIP, 0.6 WPA, 1.0 WAR, 2.4 R9-WAR in 6 GS Knickerbocker did indeed beat the field but it was the closest Tucker-Wheaton Cup to date, with no less than five of six teams in contention until Gameday Ten, when Knickerbocker finally sealed its first cup triumph by crushing Minuteman. For neutral observers who found last year’s cup competition to be the most exciting, this year’s Tucker-Wheaton Cup put that one to shame. Aside from the incredibly unfortunate Minuteman, five teams were 3-2 after Gameday Five and the top five were all within a single win of each other after Gameday Six, Seven, Eight, & Nine. Only two times after Gameday Two was there a sole leader: Sons of the Ocean at 5-2 after Gameday Seven and Knickerbocker at the end of the final day. As expected, Tucker Wheaton Cup IX was a much more defensive affair than its predecessor. The historic offenses on display last year resulted in an average of 8.7 R/G, a full 20% above the N.B.B.O’s regular season average of 7.2. This year’s edition saw the teams average just 5.9 R/G, nearly 15% below the regular season average of 6.9. Every team except Minuteman allowed fewer runs than any of last year’s entrants. Single-game pitching records – regular season included – were broken, and on one day all three Player of the Game winners were pitchers. As they did in the regular season, Knickerbocker defeated the competition with pitching & defense, setting the Round Robin record by allowing 3.5 runs per game. Their team E.R.A. during the competition was also record-setting at 2.04, and they held opponents to three or fewer runs in four of the last five games, including a shutout on Gameday Nine. Excelsior, as one might imagine, was led by Jim Creighton, who struck out an unbelievable 32 batsmen in 40.2 innings of work, including an all-time record nine in a single game. He was also 6/14 with the bat. Excelsior entered the competition with the best offense in the N.Y.L. but were actually fifth out of six in runs, which was ultimately their undoing as they scored a total of seven runs across their four losses. Alleghany was the opposite of Excelsior. Their offense was great, with a cup-leading 82 runs, but what doomed them was their pitching. They lost twice via walk-off runs, the difference between a 6-4 3rd place finish and an 8-2 cup triumph. They were led by first-year star Royal Altman, who put in the best batting performance of any player under the new format. Arran Duffy (18/43, 12 R.B.I.) & Samuel Kessler (17/48, 9 R.B.I.) were also excellent. Sons of the Ocean finished fourth, but they were even with Knickerbocker atop the standings going into the final day. Their pitching & defense was brilliant in their wins, only allowing 20 runs across their six victories. A 17-4 bludgeoning by Alleghany made their final cup product look worse than it really was, and for six innings on Gameday Ten it looked like the playoff debutants just might force their way into a one-game playoff for the cup. Shamrock was a dead-even cup team: five wins, five losses, 55 runs scored, & 55 runs allowed. They were 1-1 against Alleghany, Excelsior, & S.o.t.O. while winning both games against last-place Minuteman and losing both against 1st-place Knickerbocker. Rainer van der Hout (4-1, 2.66 E.R.A, 1.09 W.H.I.P.) was outstanding, but their other pitchers really struggled. Old hand Daragh Adams (9 R.B.I.) was their best batsman. Minuteman suffered a number of close defeats in the first half of the competition, it ripped the confidence out of them, and they then proceeded to be crushed at the end of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. They suffered no less than five one-run losses – three in the first five games – and a pair of two-run losses, and as a result they were mentally drained and ready to go home. The Most Valuable Player of Tucker-Wheaton Cup IX was, not surprisingly, a pitcher: the legendary John McGowan of Knickerbocker. He was 5-0 with an E.R.A. under 2.00, which raised his record in T.W.C. Round Robin play to a simply unimaginable 15-0. His statistical record since the new format began: • 1862 (STJ): 6 GS, 5-0, 2.89 ERA, 53.0 IP, 5 CG, 10 BB, 9 K, 1.30 WHIP, 137 ERA+ 0.7 WAR, 1.4 R9-WAR, Runner-upThe fact that McGowan has now gone 5-0 at the Tucker-Wheaton Cup with two different teams has cemented his status as an undeniable base ball legend. If McGowan had not gone 5-0 yet again, or a couple of results had swung Alleghany’s way and they were lifting the cup instead of Knickerbocker, the M.V.P. award would have gone to Royal Altman. The first-year outfielder showed zero nerves whatsoever, putting in what was the best ten-game performance by a batsman seen in Round Robin play: • .521 AVG (25/48), 1.281 OPS, 9 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 14 R, 11 RBI, 1 BB, 4 SB, 226 WRC+, 257 OPS+, 0.85 WPA, 1.0 WARHe had hits in all ten cup games, multiple hits in seven of them, and 3+ hits six times. He scored four runs on Gameday Eight, and scored multiple runs in five games. It was a historic performance overshadowed by a legendary one. |
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06-19-2024, 04:08 PM
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#230 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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GAMEDAY ONE (August 9th) S.o.t.O. 6-5 MIN – P.o.t.G: Charlie Mitchell (P, S.o.t.O.) – CG, 10 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 K ALL 6-7 SHA (10 Inn.) – P.o.t.G: Royal Altman (LF, ALL) – 3/6, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI KNI 4-2 EXC – P.o.t.G: James Hoyt (RF, KNI) – 3/5, 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB NOTE: Jim Creighton (P, EXC) – set new record with 9 K Sons of the Ocean opened the competition with a victory in Albany in which all of the action came late. It was just 1-1 going into the top of the 8th before S.o.t.O. scored five runs thanks to multiple Minuteman errors. Minuteman responded with two runs in the 8th and two more in the 9th, and they had the tying run on 2nd when a fly ball to left field ended the game. Royal Altman was the player of the game in helping Alleghany climb out from a six-run hole after the 2nd inning at Shamrock, but in the end the hosts walked off winners. Altman scored the tying run in the 9th on a walk with the bases full, but in the bottom of the 10th pinch hitter George Coffman singled in 2B Charles Weiss to win the game for Shamrock. Knickerbocker won their opener with…what else…pitching & defense. They held Excelsior to six hits and committed only two errors while doing just enough against Jim Creighton to come away with the win. Creighton set an N.B.B.O. record – regular season or postseason – with nine strikeouts, but he still could not overcome John McGowan and a fine performance by RF James Hoyt, who finished with three of Knickerbocker’s seven hits. GAMEDAY TWO (August 10th) ALL 5-4 KNI – P.o.t.G: Samuel Kessler (3B, ALL) – 4/5, 2 R, 1 RBI, GW RUN S.o.t.O. 9-5 SHA – P.o.t.G: Daragh Adams (1B, SHA) – 3/5, 3 2B, 2 2B, 2 RBI M.M. 3-4 EXC – P.o.t.G: Jerald Hughes (LF, EXC) – 3/5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB, GW HIT Alleghany got the better of Knickerbocker in a back-and-forth affair. Knickerbocker was up 3-0 after the 3rd, but Alleghany evened the score in the top of the 6th on a throwing error. They took the lead in the top of the 7th, Knickerbocker made it 4-4 in the bottom half, and the 9th inning decided the game. With one out in the top half 2B Arran Duffy sacrificed Samuel Kessler home, and in the bottom half Knickerbocker failed to move the tying run past first base. Daragh Adams took P.o.t.G. honors thanks to his three doubles, but S.o.t.O. had the superior team effort in their four-run victory in Boston. Al Gore, Frank Krillenberger, & Jerald Peterson had two R.B.I. each, while Jesse McCoy pitched the full game and allowed just one Earned Run to leave S.o.t.O. the only 2-0 team in the competition after Gameday Two. Excelsior was behind 3-1 after six innings at home against Minuteman, but runs on an error and a sacrifice in the 7th tied the game before a Jerald Hughes single in the bottom of the 8th gave Excelsior the lead. Harry Nilsson set Minuteman down 1-2-3 in the 9th inning to leave Minuteman the only 0-2 team in the competition after Gameday Two. GAMEDAY THREE (August 11th) KNI 6-4 MIN – P.o.t.G: Edward Huntley (SS, KNI) – 3/5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI ALL 17-4 S.o.t.O. – P.o.t.G: Willie Smith (1B, ALL) – 4/6, 4 2B, 4 R, 2 RBI SHA 14-3 EXC – P.o.t.G: Walter Williams (SHA) – 3/6, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI, SB NOTE: Willie Smith’s set a postseason record with 4 2B Jonthan Goodman bamboozled Knickerbocker over the first seven innings in Albany, allowing just five hits while striking out six batsmen. Everything fell apart in the 8th, with Goodman allowing six hits, the defense committing four errors, and Knickerbocker scoring five runs to take a 5-2 lead. Another run in the 9th was more than enough to ensure victory for visiting Knickerbocker and drop Minuteman to 0-3. Well, S.o.t.O. was 2-0. Alleghany was ahead 4-2 going into the 7th inning, but half a dozen runs in the 7th and seven more in the 9th made absolutely sure there was no way the result would be in doubt. Seven Alleghany players had multiple hits and/or multiple R.B.I, and they were led by 1B Willie Smith’s postseason record of four doubles. Excelsior’s early defense was a disaster against Shamrock. The result: Jim Creighton left after 4.2 innings having allowed nine runs with just two being Earned Runs. SS Frazer Sweeney was the worst culprit, committing four errors during the first half of the contest. Shamrock could have let up and enjoyed an easy victory, but they scored five more runs in the 9th. GAMEDAY FOUR (August 12th) EXC 8-1 ALL – P.o.t.G: Harry Nilsson (P, EXC) – CG, 7 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K S.o.t.O 5-6 KNI – P.o.t.G: James Hoyt (RF, KNI) – 2/4, 2 R, 2 RBI SHA 6-5 MIN (11 Inn.) – P.o.t.G: Walter Williams (CF, SHA) – 1/6, 2 R, 5 SB, GW RUN NOTE: Walter Williams’ set a new postseason record with 5 SB Excelsior’s four-run 6th, thanks in no small part to multiple errors by the hosts, effectively ended the game in Pittsburgh. They were already ahead 2-1, but going ahead 6-1 with Harry Nilsson looking great and the defense excelling meant Alleghany did not have a chance. Knickerbocker scored twice in the 1st to take an early lead against S.o.t.O, but two runs on a Charles Christensen triple evened the score before a wild pitch let S.o.t.O. take the lead in the 3rd. Knickerbocker leveled the score on a sacrifice in the 4th, and they took the game thanks to three runs on a combination of hits, errors, and errant pitches in the 7th. Shamrock at Minuteman was 3-3 after the end of the 6th. Minuteman went ahead in the 7th on a Sullivan Jackson single, and Shamrock made it 4-4 in the 8th on a George Coffman hit. Both teams traded single runs in the 9th, and it was time for extra innings. In the top of the 11th Walter Williams tortured Minuteman, stealing second & third after reaching via error before scoring on another error to give Shamrock the victory, relegating Minuteman to an excruciating 0-4 start. GAMEDAY FIVE (August 13th) KNI 7-8 ALL – P.o.t.G: Arthur Waltrip (CF, ALL) – 2/3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB SHA 4-7 S.o.t.O. – P.o.t.G: Albert Gore (2B, S.o.t.O.) – 3/5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI EXC 17-2 MIN – P.o.t.G: Wesley Leone (3B, EXC) – 3/6, 2 R, 4 RBI In the second meeting between the season’s top two teams, Alleghany won again, and again by a lone run. Three runs in the 3rd and three more in the 4th – the key hit a 2-run Arthur Waltrip double in the 4th – gave Alleghany a commanding 7-2 lead. However, Knickerbocker scored twice in the 5th and three times in the 6th on a combo of hits, errors, & sacrifices to make the score 7-7. Alleghany’s winning run came in the bottom of the 7th, when 1B Willie Smith sacrificed in Arran Duffy. The key inning in Shamrock at S.o.t.O. was the 5th. The score was 2-2 entering the inning before Shamrock scored twice on singles from Charles Weiss & William Gillette to take the lead. S.o.t.O. then scored three times via singles by Albert Gore & Charles Patterson and a throwing error to take a 5-4 lead that they never relinquished. S.o.t.O. scored two more times in the bottom of the 7th to give the contest its final score. Excelsior demolished Minuteman to send them into the pit at 0-5. It was 3-0 after the 3rd and 8-1 after the 6th – the hosts never looked like they had a chance. Jim Creighton struck out eight. Uwe Schneider was 4/5 with a pair of runs. Wesley Leone was 3/6 with two runs & four R.B.I. Frazer Sweeney was 3/5 with three runs. It was brutal. The standings after Gameday Five of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup were as follows: Code:
TEAM W L R RA RD EXCELSIOR 3 2 34 24 +10 ALLEGHANY 3 2 37 30 +7 SHAMROCK 3 2 36 30 +6 KNICKERBOCKER 3 2 27 24 +3 S.o.t.O. 3 2 31 37 -6 MINUTEMAN 0 5 19 39 -20 It might be best to simply not speak about Minuteman, but after three one-run losses and a two-run loss left them 0-4, looking up at everyone else, and devoid of confidence, they hit bottom with the 17-2 loss to Excelsior.
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Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 06-19-2024 at 04:16 PM. |
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06-19-2024, 04:20 PM
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#231 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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GAMEDAY SIX (August 14th) KNI 5-3 SHA – P.o.t.G: Hugh Harris (3B, KNI) – 3/4, 2 R, SB EXC 2-5 S.o.t.O. – P.o.t.G: Charles Patterson (CF, S.o.t.O.) – 3/4, 2 R, 1 RBI, SB ALL 16-7 MIN – P.o.t.G: Samuel Kessler (3B, ALL) – 3/5, 2B, HR, 5 RBI The 4th inning made the difference in Boston. Going to bat up 1-0, Knickerbocker scored three times on a 2-run double by Willie Love and a ground ball out by Wilbert Schrader. The 4-0 lead was more than enough, although Knickerbocker added an insurance run in the 9th when P John McGowan helped himself by singling in CF Curtis Bowman. Harry Nilsson looked in control for much of the contest at Sons of the Ocean. Excelsior scored twice in the first on a double and a sacrifice, and 2-0 was the score going into the 7th as Nilsson and the defense looked to be in great shape. However, S.o.t.O. tied the score on their own double & sacrifice combination in the bottom of the 7th, and the 8th decided the game. In the bottom of the 8th, CF Charles Patterson singled in Jerald Peterson, Harry Lewis singled in Frank Krillenberger & Charles Patterson, and a 2-2 tie became a 5-2 S.o.t.O. win after Excelsior went down meekly in the top of the 9th. Alleghany mauled Minuteman in a game in which the hosts looked like a team whose morale was completely non-existent. It was 5-0 after the 3rd, 6-4 after the 4th, and 14-7 after the 6th. Samuel Kessler was Alleghany’s key player, but a number of his teammates were excellent and Minuteman never made it a true contest. The results of Gameday Six left Alleghany, Knickerbocker, & Sons of the Ocean tied for first at 4-2. GAMEDAY SEVEN (August 15th) KNI 2-5 S.o.t.O. – P.o.t.G: Charlie Mitchell (P. S.o.t.O.) – CG, 7 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 3 K MIN 1-3 SHA – P.o.t.G: Rainer van der Hout (P, SHA) – CG, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K ALL 3-4 EXC – P.o.t.G: Jim Creighton (P, EXC) – CG, 6 H, 3 R/ER, 0 BB, 8 K The result in the Knickerbocker at Sons of the Ocean contest turned in the bottom of the 6th inning. With the visitors up 2-1, S.o.t.O. went up 3-2 on a 2-run single by 2B Albert Gore and then 4-2 on a sacrifice by CF Charles Patterson. An insurance run was added via error in the bottom of the 8th. S.o.t.O. only needed four hits in their victory thanks to an uncharacteristic seven Knickerbocker errors, with three each committed by Hugh Harris & Juriaan Kerstens. Another game, and another lifeless performance by Minuteman. Shamrock scored runs in the bottom of the 5th via error & wild pitch to go up 3-1, and that was all they needed as the visitors could only muster four hits against an excellent performance by Rainer van der Hout and the Shamrock defense. Alleghany at Excelsior was the game of the day. The visitors took the lead in the 1st on a Royal Altman single, with Excelsior evening the score in the 4th on a single by Benjamin Lovette. 1-1 was the score until the 7th, when Excelsior went in front on Jim Creighton’s single. Alleghany tied the game in the 8th on a double by Arthur Waltrip after fending off three straight Creighton deliveries into foul territory, and went back in front on a Samuel Kessler triple. 3-2 was the score in the 9th when Excelsior tied Alleghany with Jerald Hughes’ double, and Archie mask won the game with a sacrifice fly. Gameday Seven was the first time in the Round Robin format that every Player of the Game was a pitcher. The standings were still incredibly tight: Code:
TEAM W L R RA RD S.o.t.O. 5 2 41 41 0 ALLEGHANY 4 3 56 41 +15 EXCELSIOR 4 3 40 32 +8 SHAMROCK 4 3 42 36 +6 KNICKERBOCKER 4 3 34 32 +2 Minuteman (0-7, -31 R.D.) was eliminated from cup contention at the end of Gameday Seven. GAMEDAY EIGHT (August 16th) MIN 9-10 ALL – P.o.t.G: Arran Duffy (2B, ALL) – 4/5, 3 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI SHA 2-11 KNI – P.o.t.G: Edward Huntley (SS, KNI) – 2/3, 3 R, 1 RBI, 2 BB, SB S.o.t.O. 2-7 EXC – Jerald Hughes (LF, EXC) – 1/2, 2B, 1 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB Minuteman continued to have both the worst and most snake-bitten T.W.C. ever, suffering their fourth 1-run loss of the competition and their sixth by 1-2 runs. After taking a 9-8 lead via three-run rally in the 7th inning, Alleghany plated the winning runs in the bottom of the 8th with a Dennis Pruitt run-scoring triple followed by a Clive Stock single that brought in Pruitt to make the score 10-9. Minuteman had the tying run on third with one out in the 9th but could not even the score. Knickerbocker secured the result quickly against Shamrock in their first offensive outburst of the competition. The hosts scored seven times on nine hits over the first two innings, and they coasted on in from there as John McGowan & the defense put in a fine winning effort. Excelsior did all their work to beat Sons of the Ocean in the bottom of the 7th inning. Up until then it was a tight game, with S.o.t.O. having just taken a 2-1 lead via sacrifice by P Jesse McCoy. In the bottom of the 7th, Excelsior scored on a Wesley Leone double, passed ball, Frazer Sweeney single, and Jerald Hughes double with the bases loaded double to turn the 2-1 deficit into a 7-2 lead. S.o.t.O. then went down 1-2-3 in the 8th & 9th. The top five teams were still only one game apart after Gameday Eight: Code:
TEAM W L R RA RD ALLEGHANY 5 3 66 50 +16 EXCELSIOR 5 3 47 34 +13 KNICKERBOCKER 5 3 45 34 +11 S.o.t.O. 5 3 43 48 -5 SHAMROCK 4 4 44 47 -3 GAMEDAY NINE (August 17th) MIN 2-3 S.o.t.O. – P.o.t.G: Frank Krillenberger (1B, S.o.t.O.) – 2/3, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB SHA 5-1 ALL – P.o.t.G: Rainer van der Hout (P, SHA) – CG, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K EXC 0-3 KNI – P.o.t.G: Peadar Daly (P, KNI) – CG SHUTOUT, 5 H, 0 BB, 1 K Minuteman opened scoring at Sons of the Ocean in the top of the 3rd on a wild pitch, with S.o.t.O. taking the lead in the bottom of the 4th on a Frank Krillenberger single followed by a Charles Patterson double. It was 2-1 in the top of the 5th when Minuteman 3B Sullivan Jackson singled in Sam Jones, but S.o.t.O. came back and scored the winning run in the bottom of the 6th when Frank Krillenberger singled in Charles Christensen. It was Minuteman’s fifth 1-run loss of the T.W.C. Shamrock won the game against Alleghany in the 3rd inning. With the score 1-0 to Alleghany, Walter Williams singled in William White before stealing second & third, William Lowe brought in Williams with a triple, and Lowe scored on an error to bring the score to 3-1 in favor of Shamrock. That was more than enough for the visitors as Alleghany could only manage three hits over the entirety of the game thanks to another wonderful performance by Rainer van der Hout. Knickerbocker painted a masterpiece on Gameday Nine. Facing the New York League’s best offense, Knickerbocker held Excelsior without a single run and allowed just five hits, meaning their run on Albert Jones’ triple in the bottom of the 3rd was enough for the win. They added single runs in the 4th & 8th, and P Peadar Daly had a fantastic afternoon. Incredibly, all five teams were still just one game apart after Gameday Nine: Code:
TEAM W L R RA RD KNICKERBOCKER 6 3 48 34 +14 S.o.t.O. 6 3 46 50 -4 ALLEGHANY 5 4 67 55 +12 EXCELSIOR 5 4 47 37 +10 SHAMROCK 5 4 49 48 +1 GAMEDAY TEN (August 18th) MIN 1-19 KNI – P.o.t.G: Hugh Harris (3B, KNI) – 3/6, 2 R, 6 RBI EXC 7-6 SHA – P.o.t.G: Ruby Watson (C, EXC) – 2/5, 2 RBI, GW HIT S.o.t.O 12-15 ALL – P.o.t.G: Arran Duffy (2B, ALL) – 3/5, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI Knickerbocker opened Gameday Ten with the single most important game of base ball the team had taken part in since its infamous home disaster against St. John’s in Game Five of the 1859 Tucker-Wheaton Cup. Knickerbocker exercised the demons in this one, destroying Minuteman and giving the Round Robin competition’s first winless team what amounted to a mercy killing. It was an extraordinary performance by Knickerbocker when they absolutely needed it. Knickerbocker put the game to bed in the bottom of the 4th inning, during which they scored FOURTEEN times on thirteen hits & four errors while no less than twenty men came to bat. They allowed a lone run to Minuteman in the 9th, seemingly out of pity. The victory meant John McGowan had gone 5-0 for the third time in Round Robin play at the T.W.C. The result at the Elysian Fields put Knickerbocker at 7-3, eliminating Alleghany, Excelsior, & Shamrock. The second contest of Gameday Ten no longer mattered after the Knickerbocker victory. It was still an exciting affair, with the two teams trading the lead four times. Most of the action took place late. With the score even 3-3 going into the 8th Excelsior took the lead on an Archie Mask double. In the bottom half Shamrock took control with runs on a sacrifice by CF Walter Williams, a single by 1B Daragh Adams, and a passed ball. Excelsior turned right back around and scored three runs in the top of the 9th on a wild pitch, a throwing error, and finally Ruby Watson’s single to go up 9-8. Jim Creighton then came in to pitch and earned the save with an easy 1-2-3 inning. The finale of Gameday Ten would decide if there would be a one-game playoff. Unfortunately for the Sons of the Ocean, a playoff was not in the cards. S.o.t.O. took an early 6-0 lead, but Alleghany roared back with multiple runs of their own. S.o.t.O. kept up the pressure and took an 11-4 lead going into the bottom of the 5th, but Alleghany would put up unanswered run totals of 2, 2, 5, 2, & 2 over their next five times at bat to turn an 11-4 deficit into a 15-11 lead. S.o.t.O’s hopes were crushed, and that meant that base ball’s second-oldest club, Knickerbocker B.B.C, would lift the cup for the first time.
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Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 06-19-2024 at 04:40 PM. |
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06-19-2024, 05:35 PM
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#232 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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I've made a thread for the NBBO quickstart. It is in the roster/photo/QS forum here: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=356215
I think I'll make another one when the in-game universe gets to 1871 and the first pro league is made. |
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06-21-2024, 01:49 PM
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#233 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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1865 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION REVIEW WRITERS POOL OBSERVATIONS The possibility of this was floated in the season preview, and it turned out to be true: the influx of talented pitchers more than made up for the increase of runs anticipated by the elimination of the Bound Rule. Teams averaged 7.2 R/G last year, and this year they averaged 6.9. There was one unforeseen consequence of the removal of the Bound Rule. Due to the subsequent increase in errors, Batting Average was down roughly ten points across the N.B.B.O. and O.P.S. decreased roughly 20-25 points. Knickerbocker’s season is going to be incredibly hard to top. They won 81% of their games, and they did so in the most resource-heavy regional championship. They then followed that up with a Tucker-Wheaton Cup triumph in which they clinched it on the final day with a 19-1 victory. Along the way, they shattered numerous defensive records. Knickerbocker’s record-setting season did not happen solely because of their pitching staff. Their team defense destroyed records. Their team-wide Zone Rating was a +65.2, with Scranton 2nd in the N.B.B.O. at +31.5. It was by far the best single-season defense a team has ever displayed. The N.Y.L. Batsman of the Year Award was probably the most difficult discussion and vote of any to date. Cormack Alexander led the league with a .375 average, with the previous low for the N.Y.L. leader being Walter Banks’ .392 for Empire in 1860. Different players led the league in Batting Average, On-Base, Slugging, O.P.S, R.B.I, W.P.A, & W.A.R. Alexander seemed the favorite on paper because he led the league in average & hits for the second consecutive year, but both figures were notably lower what they were in 1864. That allowed Anderson MacGyver, who was in the top five in nine offensive categories, to take the honor. Alleghany set a new record with a 23-win improvement over last season, but it could have been more. They finished 47-23 but they were 26-9 during the first half of the season. They were also 6-4 in the Tucker-Wheaton Cup but lost twice to walk-off runs. Maybe next year will be their year. Reams of paper will be spent analyzing St. Johns’ historic collapse – especially the 11-game losing streak they had during July – as their gradual loss of talent finally caught up to them and a typical 22-13 start turned into a 36-34 4th-place finish as they finally gave up the throne in New England. Given the club’s reputation and the resources they have at hand, expect St. John’s to bounce straight back up next season. Sons of the Ocean being the team to take out St. John’s for the New England title was quite the irony. Samuel Kessler left for Alleghany last October, so it was assumed they would be worse off going into the season. However, they replaced Kessler with four-time Kings County All-Star 3B Jerald Peterson and recruited three-time All-Star Albert Gore to play 2B. The results speak for themselves, and they were three innings from forcing a playoff for the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. This was the season James Goodman finally tamed his considerable, but wild, pitching repertoire. His career before 1865 (8 years): 89-124, 4.22 ERA, 1,805.1 IP, 109 CG, 4 SHO, 416 BB (2.1/9), 358 K (1.8/9), 1.55 WHIP, 17.9 WAR, 15.9 R9-WAR. His pitching for Minuteman this season: 24-14, 2.62 ERA, 309.0 IP, 27 CG, 1 SHO, 34 BB (1.0/9), 112 K (3.3/9), 1.12 WHIP, 8.5 WAR, 8.2 R9-WAR. Goodman was 0-5 during the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, but that was absolutely not his fault as the Minuteman batsmen were terrible when he was on the field. His pitching was in line with his work during the season. There were a large number of newcomers that made a positive impact on the field. Batsmen with 1.0 W.A.R. or better: Royal Altman (ALL: 2.9), Frederick Olson (ECK: 2.1), Demy Poortman (ORA: 1.9), Percy Koch (PIO, 1.6), Peter Boyce (AME: 1.6), Roy Vreeken (QUI, 1.6), Ben Weir (OLY: 1.4), Harold Price (F.C: 1.3), Graeme Peel (QUI: 1.2), Arran Duffy (ALL: 1.1), & William Beach (ECK: 1.0). Pitchers with 2.0 W.A.R. or better: Earl Quinn (SYR: 5.5), Peadar Daly (KNI: 5.3), Fred Richards (ALL: 4.8), Gus Woods (NIA: 4.2), William Tighe (STJ: 4.0), Hugh Whiteside (CAN: 3.9), Edwin Tavel (OLY: 3.4), John Arnett (GOT: 3.2), Robert Fertel (MET: 3.1), Lee Ingle (UTI: 3.1), Callum Henry (N.C: 2.5), & Thomas Rice (P.J: 2.3). Even though there were so many great newcomers, the votes for Newcomer of the Year were easy. Peadar Daly’s 28 Wins were third-most in N.B.B.O. history, and Royal Altman led first-year N.E.L. batsmen in ten offensive categories while batting over .500 in the Tucker-Wheaton Cup.
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Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 06-24-2024 at 02:00 AM. |
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06-21-2024, 01:52 PM
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#234 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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NEW YORK LEAGUE STANDINGS Code:
BROOKLYN W L PCT GB R RA RD Excelsior 43 27 .614 -- 543 398 +145 Empire 41 29 .586 2 504 434 +70 Continental 39 31 .557 4 508 479 +29 Kings Co. 37 33 .529 6 496 486 +10 Bedford 35 35 .500 8 465 487 -22 Atlantic 32 38 .457 11 466 490 -24 Nassau Co. 27 43 .386 16 419 529 -110 Eckford 26 44 .371 17 426 524 -98 N. Y. C. W L PCT GB R RA RD Knickerbocker 57 13 .814 -- 525 317 +208 Harlem 41 29 .586 16 457 399 +58 Mutual* 35 35 .500 22 560 566 -6 Gotham 35 35 .500 22 463 491 -28 Metropolitan 34 36 .486 23 451 472 -21 Orange 31 39 .443 26 459 488 -29 Union 30 40 .429 27 487 551 -64 Hilltop 17 53 .243 40 412 530 -118 UPSTATE W L PCT GB R RA RD Minuteman 44 26 .629 -- 558 475 +83 Utica* 41 29 .586 3 519 459 +60 Flour City 41 29 .586 3 544 432 +112 Niagara 39 31 .557 5 487 469 +18 Syracuse* 32 38 .457 12 453 489 -36 Binghamton 32 38 .457 12 494 477 +17 Victory 26 44 .371 18 406 536 -130 Eagle 25 45 .357 19 417 541 -124 *Mutual was 6-4 vs Gotham *Utica was 8-2 vs Flour City *Syracuse was 6-4 vs Binghamton NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS Code:
COASTAL W L PCT GB R RA RD Shamrock 40 30 .571 -- 509 481 +28 Trenton Utd* 39 31 .557 1 454 395 +59 American 39 31 .557 1 517 503 +14 Newark 38 32 .543 2 496 470 +26 Mass. Bay 35 35 .500 5 560 515 +45 Port Jersey 32 38 .457 8 498 544 -46 Quaker St. 31 39 .443 9 426 474 -48 Olympic 26 44 .371 14 444 522 -78 INLAND W L PCT GB R RA RD Alleghany 47 23 .671 -- 558 424 +134 Susquehanna 37 33 .529 10 477 486 -9 Reading 36 34 .514 11 507 453 +45 Sportsman’s 35 35 .500 12 490 478 +12 Lake Erie* 33 37 .471 14 454 452 +2 Scranton 33 37 .471 14 397 467 -70 Merrimack 31 39 .443 16 496 530 -34 Pioneer 28 42 .400 19 428 517 -89 N. ENGLAND W L PCT GB R RA RD S. o. t. O. 42 28 .600 -- 512 394 +118 Granite* 40 30 .571 2 463 425 +38 Portland 40 30 .571 2 463 455 +8 St. John’s 36 34 .514 6 532 452 +80 Green Mtn* 35 35 .500 7 493 462 +31 Quinnipiac 35 35 .500 7 479 536 -57 Cantabrigians 28 42 .400 15 433 534 -101 Oceanic 24 46 .343 18 428 545 -117 *Trenton Utd. was 7-3 vs American *Lake Erie was 5-5 vs Scranton, had better RD *Granite was 7-3 vs Portland *Green Mtn. was 6-4 vs Quinnipiac TUCKER-WHEATON CUP Code:
TEAM W L R RA RD KNICKERBOCKER 7 3 67 35 +32 EXCELSIOR* 6 4 54 43 +11 ALLEGHANY* 6 4 82 67 +15 S.o.t.O.* 6 4 57 65 -8 SHAMROCK 5 5 55 55 0 MINUTEMAN 0 10 39 90 -51 *Excelsior was 3-1 vs ALL & S.o.t.O. *Alleghany was 2-2 vs EXC & S.o.t.O. *S.o.t.O. was 1-3 vs ALL & EXC Most Valuable Player: John McGowan (35 y/o P, Knickerbocker B.B.C.) GAMEDAY 1: S.o.t.O. 6-5 MIN, ALL 6-7 SHA (10 Inn.), KNI 4-2 EXC GAMEDAY 2: ALL 5-4 KNI, S.o.t.O. 9-5 SHA, MIN 3-4 EXC GAMEDAY 3: KNI 6-4 MIN, ALL 17-4 S.o.t.O, SHA 14-3 EXC GAMEDAY 4: EXC 8-1 ALL, S.o.t.O. 5-6 KNI, SHA 6-5 MIN (11 Inn.) GAMEDAY 5: KNI 7-8 ALL, SHA 4-7 S.o.t.O, EXC 17-2 MIN GAMEDAY 6: KNI 5-3 SHA, EXC 2-5 S.o.t.O, ALL 16-7 MIN GAMEDAY 7: KNI 2-5 S.o.t.O, MIN 1-3 SHA, ALL 3-4 EXC GAMEDAY 8: MIN 9-10 ALL, SHA 2-11 KNI, S.o.t.O. 2-7 EXC GAMEDAY 9: MIN 2-3 S.o.t.O, ALL 5-1 SHA, EXC 0-3 KNI GAMEDAY 10: MIN 1-19 KNI, EXC 7-6 SHA, S.o.t.O. 12-15 ALL KNICKERBOCKER: P John McGowan – M.V.P, 5-0, 1.90 ERA, 5 CG, 2 BB, 6 K, 1.04 WHIP, 1.0 WAR, 2.4 R9-WAR EXCELSIOR: P Jim Creighton – 2-3, 2.21 ERA, 1 SV, 4 CG, 0 BB, 32 K, 1.01 WHIP, 1.9 WAR, 1.4 R9-WAR ALLEGHANY: OF Royal Altman – .521 (25/48), 1.281 OPS, 9 2B, 1 3B, 14 R, 11 RBI, 4 SB, 0.85 WPA, 1.0 WAR S.o.t.O: 2B Albert Gore – .382 (13/34), .954 OPS, 4 2B, 1 3B, 7 R, 8 RBI, 6 SB, 0.59 WPA, 0.4 WAR SHAMROCK: P Rainer van der Hout – 4-1, 2.66 ERA, 4 CG, 5 BB, 7 K, 1.09 WHIP, 0.8 WAR, 2.0 R9-WAR MINUTEMAN: P James Goodman – 0-5, 3.07 ERA, 4 CG, 2 BB, 22 K, 1.10 WHIP, 1.5 WAR, 1.0 R9-WAR |
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06-21-2024, 02:00 PM
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#235 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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NEW YORK LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Anderson MacGyver – 31 y/o 2B, Mutual B.B.C. (2nd B.o.t.Y. award) • .326/.370/.468, .839 OPS, 84 R, 103 H, 24 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 65 RBI, 26 BB, 40 SB, 148 TB, 5.5 WPA, 2.6 WARMOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Edward Huntley – 29 y/o SS, Knickerbocker B.B.C. (3rd M.V.P. award) • .311/.364/.402, 75 R, 92 H, 21 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 61 RBI, 28 BB, 33 SB, +27.3 ZR, 33 SB, 119 TB, 4.4 WPA, 3.9 WARNEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Peadar Daly – 30 y/o P, Knickerbocker B.B.C.. • 28-7, 2.31 ERA, 308.1 IP, 28 CG, 1 SHO, 21 BB, 22 K, .232 O-AVG, 1.01 WHIP, 5.3 WAR, 11.5 R9-WARGOLDEN GLOVES P: Grover Wright (CON, 1st) – 2.4 RNG, +5.4 ZR, 1.19 EFF C: Wilbert Schrader (KNI, 1st) – 31.2 RTO%, 2.40 C-ERA, +7.6 ZR 1B: Hawk Petersen (ORA, 1st) – 10.8 RNG, +6.7 ZR, 1.10 EFF 2B: Lonnie Lester (BING, 2nd) – 5.8 RNG, +11.9 ZR, 1.14 EFF 3B: Wesley Leone (EXC, 1st) – 3.5 RNG, +8.8 ZR, 1.09 EFF SS: Edward Huntley (KNI, 7th) – 3.5 RNG, +8.8 ZR, 1.09 EFF OF: Harold Severson (HAR, 1st) – 2.7 RNG, +6.8 ZR, 1.07 EFF CF: Wilson Clark (HAR, 1st) – 3.9 RNG, +7.9 ZR, 1.04 EFF OF: Gus Huber (MET, 1st) – 2.9 RNG, +8.9 ZR, 1.06 EFF TEAM OF THE YEAR P: John McGowan (KNI, 5th) - 27-5, 2.46 ERA, 292.2 IP, 26 CG, 2 SHO, 19 BB, 31 K, 0.97 WHIP, 4.9 WAR, 10.4 R9-WAR C: Marshall Hickson (VIC, 1st) - .344/.369/.453, 35 R, 88 H, 18 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 45 RBI, 9 BB, 2 SB, 116 TB, 2.4 WPA, 1.6 WAR 1B: Cormack Alexander (K.C, 2nd) - .375/.404/.453, 62 R, 116 H, 17 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 68 RBI, 13 BB, 2 SB, 140 TB, 4.5 WPA, 2.2 WAR 2B: Anderson MacGyver (MUT, 4th) - .326/.370/.468, 84 R, 103 H, 24 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 65 RBI, 26 BB, 40 SB, 148 TB, 5.5 WPA, 2.6 WAR 3B: Hugh Harris (KNI, 1st) - .313/.327/.493, 73 R, 92 H, 23 2B, 15 3B, 0 HR, 60 TBI, 9 BB, 32 SB, 145 TB, 2.5 WPA, 2.6 WAR SS: Edward Huntley (KNI, 6th) - .311/.364/.402, 75 R, 92 H, 21 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 61 RBI, 28 BB, 33 SB, 119 TB, +27.3 ZR, 4.4 WPA, 3.9 WAR OF: Luc Billon (GOT, 1st) - .3363/.397/.492, .889 OPS, 69 R, 107 H, 21 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 45 RBI, 13 BB, 7 SB, 145 TB, 3.0 WPA, 2.3 WAR CF: Declan Brice (K.C, 1st) - .342/.364/.449, 64 R, 108 H, 16 2B, 9 3B, 0 HR, 68 RBI, 11 BB, 33 SB, 142 TB, 2.9 WPA, 2.3 WAR OF: Uwe Schneider (EXC, 1st) - .362/.371/.478, 70 R, 115 H, 15 2B, 8 3B, 2 HR, 56 RBI, 6 BB, 34 SB, 152 TB, 3.2 WPA, 2.6 WAR MGR: Marian Craycroft (KNI) - 57-13; Knickerbocker had best record in N.B.B.O. history & won Tucker-Wheaton Cup NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Thomas Maloney 30 y/o OF, Reading Athletic • .388/.438/.500, .938 OPS, 68 R, 114 H, 19 2B, 7 3B, 0 HR, 63 RBI, 28 BB, 30 SB, 147 TB, 3.9 WPA, 3.6 WARMOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Willie Davis – 28 y/o CF, American B.B.C. (2nd M.V.P. award) • .357/.383/.513, 81 R, 112 H, 22 2B, 12 3B, 1 HR, 62 RBI, 15 BB, 28 SB, 161 TB, +10.2 ZR, 5.01 WPA, 3.9 WARNEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Royal Altman – 23 y/o OF, Alleghany B.C. • .346/.377/.474, .851 OPS, 80 R, 108 H, 31 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 77 RBI, 18 BB, 31 SB, 148 TB, 3.3 WPA, 2.9 WARGOLDEN GLOVES P: Walter Johnson (REA, 2nd) – 1.8 RNG, +7.7 ZR, 1.17 EFF C: Robert Hoyland (T.U, 2nd) – 32.6 RTO%, 2.79 C-ERA, +9.2 ZR 1B: Collin Henderson (STJ, 3rd) – 11.3 RNG, +7.8 ZR, 1.09 EFF 2B: Ashley Boyce (SUS, 2nd) – 6.3 RNG, +12.3 ZR, 1.09 EFF 3B: Leopold Pfeiffer (STJ, 1st) – 3.6 RNG, +9.7 ZR, 1.10 EFF SS: Anthony Mascherino (G.M, 9th) – 6.1 RNG, +24.4 ZR, 1.21 EFF OF: Royal Altman (ALL, 1st) – 2.9 RNG, +6.8 ZR, 1.05 EFF CF: Willie Davis (AME, 3rd) – 3.9 RNG, +10.2 ZR, 1.08 EFF OF: Soren Thomsen (PORT, 1st) – 2.6 RNG, +8.4 ZR, 1.11 EFF TEAM OF THE YEAR P: Charlie Mitchell (S.o.t.O, 1st) - 23-10, 2.93 ERA, 282.1 IP, 25 CG, 1 SHO, 55 BB, 49 K, 1.15 WHIP, 3.5 WAR, 8.1 R9-WAR C: Lorenzo Bradford (M.B, 1st) - .328/.375/.388, 56 R, 82 H, 8 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 46 RBI, 20 BB, 0 SB, 97 TB, 1.6 WPA, 1.6 WAR 1B: Roscoe Turner (M.M, 1st) - .365/.374/.488, 56 R, 104 H, 17 2B, 6 3B, 2 HR, 59 RBI, 6 BB, 5 SB, 139 TB, 2.1 WPA, 1.5 WAR 2B: Albert Gore (S.o.t.O, 2nd) - .362/.385/.500, 65 R, 102 H, 20 2B, 8 3B, 1 HR, 77 RBI, 12 BB, 32 SB, 141 TB, 3.7 WPA, 3.1 WAR 3B: Samuel Kessler (ALL, 7th) - .340/.371/.450, 75 R, 108 H, 17 2B, 9 3B, 0 HR, 59 RBI, 17 BB, 18 SB, 143 TB, 4.2 WPA, 2.5 WAR SS: Anthony Mascherino (G.M, 6th) - .312/.345/.422, 69 R, 96 H, 20 2B, 7 3B, 50 RBI, 16 BB, 28 SB, 130 TB, +24.4 ZR, 3.0 WPA, 3.7 WAR OF: Thomas Maloney (REA, 4th) - .388/.438/.500, .938 OPS, 68 R, 114 H, 19 2B, 7 3B, 63 RBI, 28 BB, 30 SB, 147 TB, 3.9 WPA, 3.6 WAR CF: Willie Davis (AME, 5th) - .357/.383/.513, 81 R, 112 H, 22 2B, 12 3B, 1 HR, 62 RBI, 15 BB, 28 SB, 161 TB, 5.01 WPA, 3.9 WAR OF: Konrad Jensen (STJ, 6th) - .332/.445/.419, 89 R, 92 H, 18 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 54 RBI, 59 BB, 74 SB, 116 TB, 3.3 WPA, 3.3 WAR MGR: Harvey Finn (S.o.t.O.) - 42-28; S.o.t.O. became 1st team other than St. John’s to win New England title in 1st season as Manager |
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06-21-2024, 02:03 PM
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#236 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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MISCELLANEOUS NEW YORK LEAGUE LEADERS • Average: .375 by Cormack Alexander (K.C.)NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE LEADERS • Average: .388 by Thomas Maloney (REA) RECORDS • Knickerbocker had the best record in N.B.B.O. history at 57-13ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS • For the first time, no qualifying batsmen hit over .400 for the season. |
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06-24-2024, 04:00 PM
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#237 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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MASCHERINO TRADES MOUNTAINS FOR SHAMROCKS NINE-TIME GOLDEN GLOVE SHORTSTOP ANNOUNCES MOVE TO BOSTON TO JOIN SHAMROCK B.C. BOSTON & BURLINGTON, VER. (Dec. 10, 1865) – Ahead of the 1865 season, stars of the sport started changing clubs in October, only 6-8 weeks after the end of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. It has taken longer after the end of this season, but the first major base ball star has announced a change of allegiance: Anthony Mascherino. Mascherino, who spent the first nine years of the N.B.B.O. with Green Mountain but is somehow only 26 years old, let slip today that, while he is staying in New England next year, he is moving from Vermont to Boston to play for five-time Coastal champions and one-time Tucker-Wheaton Cup champions Shamrock. Mascherino, who broke into the Green Mountain lineup as an 18-year-old, brings a sterling resumé to Shamrock. His career in statistics and achievements for Burlington-based Green Mountain:  • Two-time N.E.L. Most Valuable Player (1860, 63)Mascherino has not been the hands-down most talented player in the Northeastern League over the last two years due to a recession in his batsmanship, but he was still in the top three in the M.V.P. voting after this past season. Mascherino’s move to Boston will give Shamrock the best defensive infield in the Northeastern League and likely the N.B.B.O, regardless of who the team – currently without a clear 1B – has patrolling first base next season. Mascherino’s arrival means William Gillette, an All-Star SS in 1865, will move to second base, where he started his career. Gillette ranks a 75/80 overall at 2B, with 80-rated hands and an 80 in his ability to turn Double Plays. Mascherino will take over shortstop with an 80 grade there; a 75 for range and an 80+ for hands. Their third baseman will be Jerrick “The Cannon” Stoner, who rates an 80+ there because of his Grade 75 hands and his 80+ arm. Their catcher, William White, rates a 70 at the position. Shamrock might not have the brawniest offense on paper as things stand, but with a defense that includes Gillette, Mascherino, Stoner, White, and Golden Glove center fielder Walter Williams, their glovework should be second to none in the Northeastern League in 1866. There is speculation that under-the-table payments were involved in the recruitment of Mascherino, given that he left Green Mountain after St. John’s finally fell from first place in New England, but it has been practically an open secret that he was given in excess of a thousand dollars in cash each of his last two summers in Vermont. If Shamrock is giving him more than that, not only will it raise a lot of eyebrows across what is supposed to be an amateur league but Shamrock would also be risking expulsion from the National Base Ball Organization, as a big club flexing its financial muscles in such a manner would cause a cacophony of outrage from other organizations. The likelier outcome is that Mascherino wanted a new challenge after nearly a decade of extraordinary middle infield performance with Green Mountain.
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Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 06-24-2024 at 11:22 PM. |
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06-24-2024, 04:00 PM
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#238 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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AMERICAN ENTERS ’66 THE TALK OF THE N.B.B.O. LONG-TIME COASTAL STRUGGLERS HAVE SOME OF THE MOST TALENTED PLAYERS IN THE SPORT PHILADELPHIA (Mar. 12, 1866) – Throughout the nine-year history of the National Base Ball Organization, Philadelphia has been the United States’ second-largest city but never had its second-best base ball team. It is well known that cricket remains extremely popular there, and perhaps that is why the city’s two N.B.B.O. teams have combined for zero postseason appearances, one 2nd-place finish, and two seasons with a 40-30 record or better. Last year, the two Philadelphian teams’ records combined for a palindrome: Quaker St. was 31-39 with a 39-31 mark for American. However, American finished the season a single game behind 1st-place Shamrock, the closest they have ever been to the top of the Coastal Championship standings. Ahead of the 1865 season American brought superstar center fielder Willie Davis back to his hometown of Philadelphia after seven extraordinary seasons with Susquehanna B.C. in Wilkes-Barre, and Davis responded by winning the N.E.L. Most Valuable Player award while becoming the first player in league history to finish first in W.P.A. & W.A.R. They also recruited five-star newcomer Peter Boyce, who gave them decent hitting and excellent fielding at second base. The result was an eight-win improvement and that 39-31 record in which they finished one game back of first place. It was the tightest Coastal Championship ever, with the top four teams – Shamrock, American, Trenton Utd, & Newark – finishing within two games of each other. American’s Run Differential was back in the positive after a year in the negative, and while Willie Davis was their only All-Star a number of other batsmen were notable positives on the season and pitcher Edward Lindsey finished the year with a 21-8 record (3.16 E.R.A.). American did not make much in the way of movement over the winter, but they did win the one prize that EVERYBODY was vying for: Werner “the Wolf” Verstegen, an incredibly talented five-star Dutch third baseman seen playing for an independent club all over New York last summer. He did not simply look great playing against a bunch of men who were playing the game in a semi-organized fashion. Verstegen showed off significant talent:  The Writers Pool believes Verstegen will immediately become one of the best batsmen in the entire N.B.B.O. His instincts on the basepaths should make him even more valuable, he projects as a good fielder at third base due to his arm, and he appears to be a model citizen away from the game as well. The addition of Verstegen means that American now has, according to the Writers Pool, the most talented player in the 48-team N.B.B.O. at three positions: Boyce at 2B, Davis at CF, and now Verstegen at 3B. They also have a top-ten SS in Victor Hansen, with Andrew Hampton in the top fifteen at C. American was fourth in the N.E.L. in runs last season (517; 7.4 R/G) and the addition of Verstegen to the batsman corps should move them closer to the top. Given that Peter Boyce’s first year of organized base ball is now behind him, eight runs per game is attainable for this team in 1866. Due to additions perennial Coastal favorites Shamrock have made over the winter the Bostonians will be tipped to finish first again, but the talent American employs at the top end of their roster could easily turn any such prediction on its head. They’ll need to see better work from whomever is chosen to be the team’s second pitcher, but this could finally be America’s year to win the Coastal Championship. |
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06-24-2024, 04:01 PM
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#239 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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ST. JOHN’S RETOOLS FOR A COMEBACK IN ‘66 BASE BALL’S MOST DECORATED CLUB LOST NEW ENGLAND FOR THE FIRST TIME LAST SEASON PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Mar. 16, 1866) – In the first eight years of the New England Championship, the list of New England champions was as follows:
That changed in 1865, when an eleven-game losing streak caused St. John’s to fall from co-leaders after half the season to a fourth-place finish, with their final record of 36-34 being the worst in team history by a full five games. Reaction after the season was immediate, with their 3B Coach retiring, their Batting Coach being fired, and their Pitching Coach, Bench Coach, & 1B Coach deciding to leave the team. Only manager Todd Rogers remains from last year’s coaching staff. Five former N.B.B.O. players have been brought in to take over the various coaching functions, with new Batting Coach James Testo said to be particularly good at his coaching specialty. With the new coaching staff settled, it was time for the front office to work on fixing what went wrong on the field last season. The most obvious issue was the offense, which scored roughly 100 fewer runs than it did in 1864. Changes at C, 2B, & SS left the team with production that was below replacement level at three positions. Their other issue was with the second pitcher role, where Joseph Jefferson struggled and allowed the most home runs in the Northeastern League. St. John’s attempted to recruit a number of big-name targets, most notably four-time All-Star 2B Leslie Arnett and already legendary SS Anthony Mascherino. They missed out on the superstars but were still able to make upgrades to the lineup. First, three-time All-Star C Dag Nielsen was brought in from Reading Athletic, likely to be a significant offensive upgrade over now-backup George Tyburczy. The other notable move for the lineup was the signing of SS Everton Butters from Victory. Butters is below-average with the bat, but is a plus in the field and, most importantly, should fit in extremely well with the St. John’s philosophy of extreme aggression on the basepaths. Butters stole 42 bases last year, and over his four-year career he has been successful on more than eighty percent of his stolen base attempts. The import of Butters allows Thomas DiMola, who struggled as a SS last year, to move to 2B, where he is regarded as a steadier fielder. To fix the pitching situation and bring in someone who will provide better support for William Tighe, the club has recruited three-time All-Star Harold Perry, who was 15-13 with an average E.R.A. for Continental last year. The 32-year-old Perry has a career record of 151-112 and has won 20+ games in a season three times, and the front office figures that if Perry is given a season of support via St. Johns’ typical scoring and defense he should have a fine season in 1866. Arthur Smith, who was 17-13 for Bedford last season, will step in should Perry falter. The offseason moves, though not as earth-shaking as St. Johns hoped they would be, will put the team on better footing going into the 1866 season. They have five lineup members ranked in the top five at their positions according to the Writers Pool: C Dag Nielsen (2nd), 1B Collin Henderson (3rd), LF Nelson Townsend (1st), CF William Johnson (3rd), & RF Konrad Jensen (1st). William Tighe is ranked 9th at pitcher, and Leopold Pfeiffer is on the cusp of the top ten at 3B. Add in the veteran presence at the second pitcher spot and what figures to be the excellent fit of new SS Everton Butters, and there should not be a repeat of last year’s crushing disappointment. The rest of the New England Championship was able to celebrate St. Johns’ downfall last season, but they would be best served to understand that those celebrations may only last for one year.
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Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 06-24-2024 at 11:14 PM. |
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06-27-2024, 03:03 PM
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#240 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Posts: 1,142
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PLAY BALL! THE 1866 N.B.B.O. PREVIEW BIG CLUBS PROJECTED TO TAKE 5/6 REGOINAL CHAMPIONSHIPS; SHAMROCK & ST. JOHN’S TIPPED TO WIN 50+ NORTHEAST U.S.A. (May 2, 1866) – Believe it or not, it is here: the tenth season of organized baseball! The National Base Ball Organization was created on January 23rd, 1857 at the St. Nicholas Hotel in New York City by a group of base ball men who came together to take the sport from informal hobby to organized competition. Since then, the sport has been stabilized, with rules being codified, clubs keeping consistent schedules, and the sport becoming a popular pastime in the Northeastern United States. The 1865 season saw one of the two oldest base ball clubs in existence, Knickerbocker of Manhattan, put together the greatest season in N.B.B.O. history and finally take hold of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup for the first time. At the same time, the sport’s most famed club, St. John’s of Providence, had their first mediocre season and failed to make it to the postseason for the first time. The cup field was dominated by big clubs once again, but Minuteman from the N.Y.L. and Sons of the Ocean from the N.E.L. gave their smaller club brethren someone to look up to during the week and a half of extra base ball. Looking ahead to the upcoming season, big clubs are expected to dominate the competition like never before, with five of the N.B.B.O’s largest clubs expected to win their regional championships and two expected to win more than fifty games. Upstate New York is the only regional championship where big clubs are expected to play second fiddle, but again Upstate is expected to have another season where the competition will be very tight. Owing to both the increase in errors across the N.B.B.O. and the influx of pitching talent, there were no .400 hitters in the N.B.B.O. last season, and none are expected again this season even if it is anticipated that offensive production will increase just a bit in both leagues. The N.B.B.O’s tenth season may be one in which the most powerful clubs are able to do as they please, leaving fans of many of the other clubs asking for redress. Obviously, the season will have to play out to see if this comes true. WRITERS POOL GENERAL OBSERVATIONS These are the teams that the Writers Pool has named the favorites to advance to the Tucker-Wheaton Cup: • BROOKLYN: Excelsior – 45-25, 512 R, 391 R.A. (Atlantic 3 G.B.)All six regional championship favorites have previous postseason experience. Syracuse has the least, having lost in the New York League Semi-finals in 1861 with no other postseason appearances. When asked for other observations about the upcoming season, here were the main talking points offered up by the 48-member N.B.B.O. Writers Pool: • The twenty most talented batsmen in the N.B.B.O: Konrad Jensen (OF, STJ), Nelson Townsend (OF, STJ), Edward Huntley (SS, KNI), Anthony Mascherino (SS, SHA), Royal Altman (OF, ALL), Willie Davis (CF, AME), Peter Boyce (2B, AME), Thomas Maloney (OF, REA), Werner Verstegen* (3B, AME), Samuel Kessler (3B, ALL), Anderson MacGyver (2B, MUT), Franklin Petty (CF, L.E.), Albert Gore (2B, S.o.t.O.), William Johnson (CF, STJ), Henry Nabors* (SS, VIC), Jerald Peterson (3B, S.o.t.O.), Walter Williams (CF, SHA), Arthur Waltrip (CF, ALL), Cormack Alexander (1B, K.C.), Declan Brice (CF, K.C.) – * represents Newcomer |
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