Confederate Baseball Association 1901 -

[meh]

Writers Notes:

1 – As you will begin to learn from reading this dynasty, the content is purely fictional. I have created a ‘world’ (baseball world) whereby the Confederate States of America remained, as the American Civil War ended with neither side a ‘victor’. All that remained of the CSA, were the 11 states that made up the Confederacy; Alabama, Texas, Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, South Carolina & North Carolina. A peace was brokered and the Union and Confederacy would remain in control of their respective territories into the 20th century.

2 – I will try and provide a backdrop as to how the war bought about some change and the events leading upto the formation of the CBA (Confederate Baseball Association), however (and I apologise for this in advance) I am from England and my American Civil War knowledge is not as credible as many others on this board. In this instance I will attempt to touch on the real events of the Civil War (should the need arise) yet will not be offering to indepth a scenario, as my writing could not do justice to the sacrifice each and every soldier made during that war.

3 – I will be writing this based on a overview of the league and the Confederacy. In an attempt to stay original, yet build on fantastic offerings from current board dynastys such as ‘Big Sixs Keystone League’, the layout may appear familiar and to me that is a credit to those writers out there who inspire fantastic reads and other budding dynastys to flourish. Please note that I have no logos, I am not to great with photoshop, so rather than create a mess for the sake of it, there will be no logos to compliment the dynasty at this stage.

Finally, please enjoy (as much as or little as you like) and I welcome all feedback and criticisms on offer.

Lets Play Ball!

[meh]

Background:

May 23rd 1877, after 16 years of bloody conflict, the Union President (Ulysses S. Grant) and Confederate President (Jefferson Davis) signed the Virginia Peace Treaty to end the American Civil War as both sides found mutuality in their governance and had put the citizens of America through a long and cruel bloodshed.

In order to restore pride and power to the America's, this treaty was designed to allow both nations a chance to grow and prosper alongside each other, whilst respecting borders and beliefs. Trade between the states began in earnest and whilst Slavery was still a prominent part of life in the Confederacy, Black citizens played a role in rebuilding the South alongside their white bretherend.

Outside (even alongside) the economic restructuring and growth in the Confederacy, the past-time of Baseball grew to become the states largest and most popular sport. Team propped up in all the states, players from far and wide came to play for the various teams, with minimal pay offerings given to those that entertained the vast crowds who would consume the ramshackle ballparks erected to house the sport.

Through the mid 1880s to the end of the century, baseball was primarily looked on as a 'amateur' sport, whereby a strapping farmhand could make a minimal living belting balls into the sky, captivating the onlooking crowds as he trotted from base to base. It was from these humble, yet bustling beginnings, that businessmen of the region could see an opportunity to make both money and fame for themselves via the game.

Initially through the early years, teams would play in an un-organised fashion, games would be arranged by local teams, yet players could switch lineups from game to game. Eventually a middle-aged Georgian 'Mark Lynch' would form a council for the sport of baseball (this would evolve into the Confederate Baseball Association), for which teams could register themselves and play the game under a organised banner, that saw teams and regions become more distinct and competitive as time grew on.

Amateur championships would evolve, to see who could be state and inter-state champion, and although minimal records were kept, these affairs would be the forerunner to the eventual evolution and formation of the Confederate Baseball Association.

To get us up to speed, in September 1899, the now Confederate Baseball Association tendered its plans to the government to promote and create a professional baseball league. When a decree passed through the congress to grant permission, the next task was to advertise and develop the current teams into businesses who could survive financially alongside each other.

As relief to help the league get onto its feet, the Confederate Government passed a motion to allow tax relief for all teams within the league that a) were charter members and b) would maintain a team in its state/city/town for a minimum of 5 years (should a team disband, a backdated tax claim would be passed through to the owners of said team). This relief came as a big incentive for further interest from money grabbing businessmen to get involved in the game, and although their motives were not initially legit, the dedication they showed to help launch the league, ensured that come 1901 the CBA would begin and baseball would become the working mans dream.

[meh]

League Setup:

With the league ready to open its doors for 1901, the Confederate Baseball Association announced its plans for the league setup and how a champion could be crowned.

The league would be split into 2 divisions, comprising of 12 teams total. The Dixie League, as the it was named after the unofficial state anthem, would house both the Jefferson Division and Lee Division, split into 5 & 7 teams respectively. To decide the Dixie League Champion, each leagues winner would advance to a 7 game series against each other. Finally to compliment this, there was also a Minor League affiliate league setup, the Stephens League, which saw the 12 teams split into 3 divisions of 4 (East, West and Central Divisions). Again the Minor League would host a playoff system to determine a champion, with 4 teams total shooting out for the Stephens Series Crown.

With that in mind agreed to its Charter Members and their Minor League affiliates as follows:

Lee Division:

Atlanta Railwaymen
AAA Affiliate - Columbus Indians (Central)
Ballpark -

Norfolk Navy
AAA Affiliate - Portsmouth Blue Stockings (East)
Ballpark -

Petersburg Siege
AAA Affiliate - Fairfax Rangers (East)
Ballpark -

Richmond Iron
AAA Affiliate - Waynesboro Generals (East)
Ballpark -

Savannah Georgians
AAA Affiliate - Albany Steamboats (Central)
Ballpark -

Wilmington Forts
AAA Affiliate - Greensboro Independents (East)
Ballpark -

Jefferson Division:

Charleston Old Boys
AAA Affiliate - Greenville Mountaineers (Central)
Ballpark -

Louisiana Tigers
AAA Affiliate -New Orleans Irish (West)
Ballpark -

Mobile Baymen
AAA Affiliate - Birmingham Yellows (Central)
Ballpark -

Montgomery Capitals
AAA Affilate - Tallassee Carbines (West)
Ballpark -

Tennessee Volunteers
AAA Affiliate - Memphis Riverrats (West)
Ballpark -

Texas Veterans
AAA Affiliate - Galveston Sluggers (West)
Ballpark -


Dixie League Rules:

After various discussions between the CBA Commissioner Mike Lynch, the CBA Board of Members and the respective team owners, the CBA laid out its rules for the league for which all teams had to adhere too.

Schedule
- 154 games (everyone would play each other 14 times)
- Division Winners to compete in 7 game 'Dixie Series'

Roster
- 25 player maximum, with no roster expansion allowed
- Players must be an American national (either Union or Confederate). Black players are allowed.
- Innagural rosters to be made from league draft involving all franchises
- Trading of players is allowed between teams
- There will be an amateur draft in December for all new players eligible from school/college

Players
- There is no salary cap
- Players can become free agents and leave their team after 1 years service
- There is no arbitration ruling, players have to earn their contract and neither party is obliged to make an offer

Financial
- There is no revenue sharing
- Gate receipts are kept solely by the home team
- There is no compensation for players lost via free agency

*Brackets denote Minor league division alignment*

[canadiancreed]

Parliment? Intresting that the Confeds would adopt a British style government structure.

[meh]

That should offer a basic overlay of where im going with this, so to get the league started, I will breakdown each club (post-draft) before resuming with the monthly reports from the Confederacy and its baseball league.

Lee Division:

Atlanta Railers:
Prediction: 3rd

The Railers come into the innagural season on the back of a solid draft that saw them take Pitcher Lawrence Dugger, with their first pick (2nd overall). Dugger will provide a promising 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation alongside veteran Jermaine Cummings, who relocated from New York to participate in the Dixie League.

Out in the field, another New Yorker 'Scott Edwards' will take the second base slot, adding both contact and speed to the top of the Railer lineup. For their money, Atlanta added to further experienced players to the mix, with first baseman Kevin Allen and center fielder, Bryan Rountree both earning over $20,000 in 1901 and both required to put the numbers on the board.

As for prospects, the Railers failed to make any significant gains in the draft. Edwards is only 22 and touted as one of the top 10 players in the game (let alone prospect) whilst left fielder Ed Hardin (Georgia) looks also set to start in the majors for Atlanta.

Financially the Railers are sound, the have spent wisely but not put themselves in a win or bust situation. The overall outlook of the team is for an average season, so coming in at around .500 will give them a footing to build on for next season.


Norfolk Navy:
Prediction: 1st

The Navy picked 5th in the draft and came up trumps with pitcher Jesse Patterson, who will line up for the Navy as their ace. 31 year old John Kelley was also added during the draft, as the pitcher came down south from colder climes, to etch a career in professional baseball.

What will excite the Norfolk 'folk is the addition of 3 run machines, in CF Robert Frye, RF Sam Lee and SS Jim Turner, all projected as being in the leagues top 15 batters and all have good baggage with them, following successful mecenary careers in the confederacy through the 1890s. Southerners Frye and Turner should also help pull in the crowds to get behind their own boys.

As for the future, well the Navy went for pitching and managed to pick up 3 promising starters who will all start life with the Blue Stockings; 24y/o Justin Bertsch, 24y/o Dan Richard and 24y/o Chet Coley. Should any of these produce the numbers in AAA, you can expect Norfolk to add them to their major league roster to enhance their current crew.

The Navy dont have the biggest of budgets, so the acquasitions of Frye, Lee and Turner has hurt their bottom line. However, should the 3 prove to be a success, then Norfolk could reap the rewards with bigger crowds.


Petersburg Siege:
Prediction: 2nd

Jason Crowley was the cry from the Siege front office, as they took the young pitcher with their first pick in the innaguarl Dixie League draft. Crowley will however take second stage behind 31y/o pitcher Donald McGinn who suprisingly fell to the 4th round in the draft, enabling the Siege to snap up what they believe is the bargain of the season.

The Siege then went a little awry with their drafting and managed to ignore positional players and instead collected 4 further pitching prospects, none more so coveted than 18y/o Gene Hall, who left school to make his way south for the money offered. Hall was joined by Riley Teets, Stan Davey and Terry Latour, as the Siege have potentially the leagues strongest pitching staff.

Petersburg have managed to spend well within their budget, giving them room to pursue trade options should the need arise, though the big money deals given to John Hines, Emory Hobbs and Bob Mitchell suggest that they have gambled on mediocrity to get them runs.


Richmond Iron:
Prediction: 5th

With pitching the theme of the 1st round draft, the Iron didnt disappoint when they took Jude Bradley, as 27 year old pitcher, who offers endurance more than caliber. Another New Yorker made his way into the league, when the Iron took Bob 'Skates' Madigan in the 4th round. Bob or Skates as he is known around these parts, is nicknamed due to his funny walk which sees him glide to the mound.

The problem the Iron have is that they did not put together any plan when approaching the draft. Rumours circulated that the team would actually disband before the season started due to financial irregularities, though a community push to ensure they had league baseball, gave the Iron enough encouragement to give the season a shot.

Richmond have glaring holes in their roster, which are unlikely to be rectified anytime soon. Unfortunately for them, they also have a lack of talent at AAA Waynesboro, with 20y/o pitcher Luther Shaffer the bright hope. It is likely to be an arduos season for the Iron, possibly their first and last in the Dixie League.


Savannah Georgians:
Prediction: 4th

The Georgians also picked a pitcher with their first choice in the draft, however is was the drafting of 31y/o outfielder Phil 'Hotwire' Pearson that caught the leagues eye, as the $29,000 1 year deal given to the popular veteran to drive home the runs.

Savannah chose wisely with their draft, though their theme was to build through the system, as they snapped up 5 of the best prospects on offer. The following names are likely to become common place in the Dixie League as; pitcher Damon Fitzgerald, outfielder Roy McGee, pitcher Bob Riordan, shortstop Bruno Jennings and pitcher Jay Benz all sit in the franchises AAA Albany Steamboat roster.

This selection seriously allowed the Georgians to remain well within their budget, and although unlikely to make a trade or even push for success this year, the Georgians have set themselves up for a intriguing future.


Wilmington Forts:
Prediction: 6th

Poor Wilmington, on all fronts... the Forts have the smallest budget and payroll in the league, and this showed as a indifferent draft leaves the team lop-sided and volatile at best.

The Forts put too much money into the wrong places, as $25,000 went of Virginian outfielder Curt Hegarty and more worringly a $14,000 sum went to a local businessman, as he allowed his employee to become the leagues sole black player, as the Forts took advantage of the lax rule on giving black players the chance to play. Ed McGinley is the name, he has a 1 year contract, though his contract is tied via his master.

Thats all the excitment that the Forts have. A small payroll, a black player, a poor farm system (ranked 10th in the Dixie League) and a budget that could bust at any point, will the fans want to watch McGinley on the field... well it could distract them from all the losing they will go through.

[meh]

Jefferson Division:

Charleston Old Boys:
Prediction: 2nd

The Old Boys were unique during the 1st round of the draft, as they proved to be the only organisation to select a postional player with their first choice. It came in the form of outfielder Jerry Murphy, who is likely to be a tough at-bat for opposing pitchers, though he could be caught shy in the field with mediocre arm strength.

Charleston managed to piece together a roster costing them just shy of $200,000 making them the third highest payroll in the league. They managed to nab the leagues premier catcher in the form of 26y/o Ed Abshire, who along with Murphy collate for $50,000 worth of salary. Another big earner is the 'Neighbor' - Russ Ramsey, as the 35y/o pitcher made a stellar career out of the amateur games pre-CBA. He has a 2 year deal, that sees him head up a talented young staff. Backing him up will be Texan 'lefty' Pat Nelson, who at 26 is entering his prime.

In the minors, the Old Boys can call upon another Texan pitcher Mike Pearce to be the star of the pack, in a somewhat average looking roster at Greenville.


Louisiana Tigers:
Prediction: 4th

Pitcher Mike Miller was the Tigers first pick, but it will be postional players Theron Mathieu (2B) and Ray Spinner (LF) that will shine for a Tigers team that is the 2nd highest payroll in the league.

What Louisiana have done is picked a team for 'now'. This is evident when you can see just 1 Tiger recommended by scouts in the leagues prospect list, that being Bob Self a outfielder ranked 88 / 100.

The Tigers have gambled, but the problem they will face is a gamble based on middling 'vets, who may not have the appetite to fight their way through a tough division. Its not a bust situation for the wealthy franchise, but a rebuild in 1902 may be in order if things dont pan out to well this time around.


Mobile Baymen:
Prediction: 3rd

Mobile have actually managed to knock together a good looking team, as they have some of the leagues best postional players and a workmanlike pitching crew onboard.

Second baseman Phil Hepburn, catcher Judd 'Beast of Burden' Alexander and outfielder Herbert Cole all rank highly in scouts opinions going into the draft. Somehow Mobile were able to select all 3, and then add both Jerry Walker (ranked the leagues top pitcher) and Jon Cole, another in the top 20 pitching ranks.

The Baymen then managed to construct a well-sought after roster of young guns, as pitching prospects; Tyler Wilder and Lowell Hames look set to make the grade, whilst infielder John Lafave adds another piece to a good-looking AAA system in Birmingham.


Montgomery Capitals:
Prediction: 5th

The leagues first ever pick went to the Capitals, who promptly selected Logan Moore, a pitcher from the North, which is likely to alienate the softening fanbase in what is the Confederate Capital.

Their next 2 picks also saw 'outsiders' coming in to play, as pitcher Dan Joy and Shortstop Harlan Miles joined up to start their careers in Monty'. From then on the Capitals turned their attention to youth and managed to pick a good crop of prospects, before slumping to select the dregs of the draft to fill out a cheaply assembled roster.

Moore is probably their only hope of success, whilst the team will need good fan support to sustain a place in the Dixie League.


Tennessee Volunteers:
Prediction: 1st

Tennessee have spent the leagues highest amount on selecting the best on offer, as they topped $210,000 to sign players such as; outfielders Forrest Peterson, Irwin Mikell and pitcher Bill Barr. Alongside Barr in the rotation is the leagues oldest player in 39y/o Royce Culley. Royce was destined to remain a farm worker, after a few injuries left him as a spot player in his towns team during the 1890s, however after being convinced into giving the game one last shot, he activated himself for the draft and wound up on a potential league powerhouse.

What the Volunteers have in experience, they lack in youth. The roster is full of 30 somethings and the AAA system is devoid of any talent. Memphis is a baron wasteland of no-hopers, hoping to get a shot. It may be a 1 year wonder for the Vols' but everyone remembers the first ever Champions.


Texas Veterans:
Prediction: 6th

They may be Veterans but Texas have the best minor league system of the lot. Texas have appeared to chuck in the towel for the opening round, to comeback with a stronger and more stable lineup. They hold the rights to 4 of the top 10 pitching prospects as of draft day.

17y/o Tim Stultz, 18y/o Brady Cooke, 20y/o hometown boy Tyler Murphy and 18y/o Dave Taylor are all headed for the big time, if the scouts have their way. Add to this 19y/o Shortstop Walt Roberts from Kentucky and you have a hell of a lineup playing in Galveston.

As for the majors, it may be a tough stretch, but keep an eye on Bill Dixon, as the outfielder should generate his fair share of runs to keep the Vets ticking by. Last but by no means least.

[meh]

Well that was fun....

Sim to the 4th January and the game crashes every which way but loose

Probably restart as i do have the template saved, but all my previews are rendered useless, given that the players will now rename

Bloomin' OOTP

[CatKnight]

Odd that it should crash. I hope you do continue this.

Some comments:

Canadian's right. Unless in your timeline the Confederates feel an unusual and overwhelming debt to Britain...doubtful if the war lasted sixteen years... they're going to have a Congress. They had one set up during the war.

It's up to you, but I don't think the Confeds are going to let blacks into baseball in 1901. By 1901 it can be argued convincingly that slavery will have finally been abolished, but in real life blacks didn't successfully enter the Major Leagues until 1947 ... with no teams in 'Confederate' territory. If the 'North' was so against integration, a successful Confederacy is going to be even more so.

I'm curious why you have 5 teams in one division and 7 in the other. (I'm wondering if it's irritating the scheduler, and that's why your game crashed.) Wouldn't 6 teams per division answer better?

Good luck with this, and I hope you can get the game to work!

[meh]

Thanks for the input lads, I have restarted the league with some new settings and things seem to be fine

I am working on a new preview - this will just be an edit of the old posts - (salaries seem more inline of what i hoped this time around too)

I will also remove the 'parliament' error

[satchel]

As a Southerner, and someone who studied the Civil War last fall semester, I'm watching this one.

[meh]

Originally Posted by satchel

As a Southerner, and someone who studied the Civil War last fall semester, I'm watching this one.

Thanks for checking in, anything that you pickup on, feel free to chip in it would be appreciated.

*League previews now up*

[satchel]

Originally Posted by meh

*League previews now up*

Good work!

By the way, I just interpreted your use of the word "Parliament" as a synonym for "legislative body."

[satchel]

Good team names too.

[meh]

April 1901:

With peace in the confederacy its baseball that takes the center stage, as the state got ready to open doors on its professional baseball league. After the misery of the Civil War, it was the emergence of baseball as the Confederates national past-time, that helped the people in the South to erase the pain of the 16-year war.

With that in mind, opening day was a special affair. All game's were free viewing to the public for this special occasion, with supplemented ticket prices available for the subsequent games in the opening weekend. All stadiums could have been filled twice over, as the fans crammed into every gap available, to watch what proved to be a great way to start the season.


Opening Day Scores:

Norfolk 5 @ 3 Tennessee
Wilmington 2 @ 3 Richmond
Mobile 4 @ 5 Atlanta
Savannah 8 @ 2 Montgomery
Charleston 9 @ 0 Petersburg
Louisiana 5 @ 1 Texas


Opening Day Memories:

Russ 'The Neighbor' Ramsey, hurls a complete game shutout of the Siege, giving up just 3 hits and striking out 4. The 35 year old from orth Carolina may not have too many years left in him to make his mark in the Dixie League, but this will go down in the record books as the leagues first complete game shutout.

There were no home runs made on opening day.

The leagues first recorded hit was made by Charleston's second baseman Tom Ward, he singled on the first pitch of the game versus Petersburg, off pitcher Donald McGinn.

Texas born shortstop Jim Turner scored the leagues first ever run, crossing the plate in the 1st inning as outfielder Sam Lee knocked up a 'sac-fly' to bring Turner home from 3rd.

Finally, it was Atlanta pitcher Lawrence Dugger that conjoured up the first strikeout in Dixie, as he saw off Mobiles' Christian Taylor in 5 pitches.


The Rest of April:

April proved to be an exicting and gripping opening month to the season, as all the teams had their day to keep the league relatively close for everyone to remain happy that they can be in contention come the end of the season.

In the Lee Division, it is Savannah that head up the early standings. They raced away with a 3 game lead going through the middle of the month, however a 5-5 (last 10) see's them just 1 game ahead of Norfolk, with a 16-11 record. Norfolk themselves have been on a tear, streaking to a 8-2 run of late, and looking like the leagues offensive dynamos with a league best; .292 batting average, .343 on base percentage, 119 runs scored and 275 hits. Fortunately for them it counters their 9th best 3.25 era.

Elsewhere the Forts, Railers and Iron are all hovering around .500, whilst the Siege prop up the standings at 10-16 following an offensive slump that has them in the bottom pile of team stats.

Out in the Jefferson Division the Louisiana Tigers have rode the bat of 24y/o outfielder Ray Spinner, as his league best .372 average and 18 RBI, as his team sit 2 games ahead of a steady division.

Following behind are 3 teams not knowing how to get past each other, as Charleston, Tennessee and Texas have all just burst .500 to go 14-13, but all three have alot of work to do, or they could possibly cancel each other out to hand the title to the steady Tigers.

At the bottom, we see a Montgomery team who can hit and slug for power, but hold the leagues worst pitching staff, with a team 3.58 era and a 1-2 punch that have 2-4 / 2-5 records respectively. The Capitals are 10-17 and take the leagues 'Goose' record for being the worst ballclub in Dixie for the month of April.


April Memories & Notes:
(note I have not included opening again within this roundup)

4th April 1901; Outfielder Christian Branscum of the Charleston Old Boys, cracked a 2 run home run off of Montgomery 'lefty' Mark Jenkins, to produce the leagues first ever home run. The crowd watched the shot sail deep to center, before cheering their boy home in the 7th inning.

16th April 1901; Savannah extend 20 year old shortstop Bryan Dillon's contract by 3 years, earning him a vast $70,000. This make's his contract the biggest in the league and is a sign that the economy within the league is stronger than many had predicted.

26th April 1901; Sad news for all baseball fans, as 'The Neighbor' Russ Ramsey, left the field of play with a dislocated shoulder, after falling on the basepaths, when he doubled to drive in 2 runs as the Old Boys beat Mobile 7-1. Ramsey did collect his 4th win, though it is likely he will not compete for the rest of 1901 and potentially be forced to retire.


Standings:

[meh]

May 1901: (Look away, Look away, Look away, Dixie Land)

The Confederacy remains a stable and prosperous state, with trade now flowing freely with the Commonwealth and the Union. However, the month of May saw an announcement that would shake the Southern States, as former President Jefferson Davis, passed away aged 93 on the 9th May. Davis would always be remembered for leading the Confederacy through the hardships and glory that were bought through the Civil War. His willingness to stand firm against the Union, ensured that the South had its own identity and retained its freedom to govern itself and its borders.

Since Jefferson Davis retired from office in 1878, the Confederacy has run elections every 5 years. With 1901 being the 3rd year of office for current President; Thomas Granville Burch, (Martinsville - Virginia).


Dixie League:

As a mark of respect for the death of Jefferson Davis, the Dixie League closed its doors for a day of mourning on Friday the 10th May. Baseball seemed less important that day, as the Southern States had lost arguably the most prominent figure in their history.

Further respect for the former President was paid during the weekend of games in the league. As all teams witnessed a gun salute and a silence as old Dixie was played out by the various state bands that attended the fields. A solemn moment indeed....

Jefferson Davis 1808-1901

Back to matters on the baseball field and we saw a change in fortunes for the leaders of the respective divisions, as both Savannah and Louisiana slumped to third place, leaving the divisions with new leaders of orfolk and Mobile respectively.

In the Lee Division, the Navy barely brook .500 for the month of May as they went 16-14 but still managed to get a game lead over the Railers, who put up the months best numbers with a 17-13 record. The Navy can attribute their success to the development of their outfield of Richmond, Frye and Lee who have drove in over 80 runs between them.

The Railers meanwhile can point to young Scott Edwards as the star of their revival, as the 22 year old infielder has racked up 30RBIs and 1HR whilst batting .344. His performance has complimented the stellar showing by Keith Allen, who has a league high 43 RBIs. This turnaround for Atlanta has also seen them dabble in the trade market to acquire Chris Ray from Petersburg in an attempt to add more depth to the lineup.

Over in the Jefferson Division, the Baymen have gone 19-11 to race on top of the division, pushing the Tigers out of the way, to tie for the lead with a improving Texas team at 31-26.

Mobile themselves can be pleased with the run generation of Herbert Cole and Phil Hepburn who have 33 and 32 RBIs respectively, as well as seeing star pitcher Jerry Walker turn on a faultless month, to improve to 8-4 with a 2.48ERA. Walker also has the lowest opponent batter average at .237 and the 2nd most K's in the league with 77.

The Veterans were not expected to pull up any trees this year, however a blend of youth and probably the leagues best trade to date has seen them put together an outstanding sequence of peformances to remain very much in contention.

2 days into the regular season, Wilmington contacted the Veterans to offer them Bill Sommers and AAA prospect Johnston Robinson, for the Vets' 30 year old outfielder Bill Alexander. Texas accepted in what was a good business decision, but to their delight, it has turned out to be a steal.

26 year old Bill Sommers has gone on to rack up dream numbers and become the hottest property in Dixie' , he is batting .377, has driven in 22 runs and amassed 10 extra base hits, on route to helping Texas climb the table. Sommers paultry salary of $1,269 for the year, pails in comparison to players who perform alot worse than he has.


May Memories & Notes:

Triple Crown Batting Leaders:
Batting Average - .385 Ray Spinner LOU
Home Runs - 1 9-tied
RBIs - 43 Keith Allen ATL

Triple Crown Pitching Leaders:
ERA - 2.04 Rick Brewster SAV
Wins - 12 Rick Brewster SAV
Strikeouts - 77 Jermaine Cummings ATL

Ed McGinley; The leagues sole Black player has made an impact on his team the Wilmington Forts, as although unpopular with fans outside (and inside his hometown club), McGinley has shown what he can provide to the game of baseball as he sits with a .317Avg, 23RBI and a league high 23 doubles. However McGinleys presence in the league could be soured, as there are calls to remove him due to the disrespect his performances have on opposing white players.

20th May 1901: Wilmington made the headlines again this month, however this time it was the astounding decision to sign outfielder Curt Hegarty to a 4 year extension that will see him earn over $30,000 per year. This deal shows the Forts commitment to fielding a successful team, though with the McGinley debate still raging, Hegarty may have gotten away with a steal of a deal.

Standings:

[satchel]

I'm trying to decide on a favorite team.

[meh]

Originally Posted by satchel

I'm trying to decide on a favorite team.

Thanks for following - are any of the teams local to where you live / have lived?

Let me know if you want any indepth information on any team to help you decide on someone to root for.

[meh]

June 1901:

Ever since the end of the Civil War, 2 states in America remained torn by politics and beliefs. Kentucky and Missouri were always classed during the Civil War as 'Border States', inhabited by strong Unionist and Confederate groups, whilst both allowing slavery.

When the war came to an end, both states remained with the Union, as they had primary military control over the majority of the states. However since the end of the war and the Union's tightening of their control, both Kentucky and Missouri found it harder to continue with their slavery laws. In order to conform with the rest of the Union, both would need to relinquish their rights over slaves and severe political ties with the Confederacy.

As it stands today, the Union see's both states as having 'rebel' elements, Slavery is still part of everyday life in the southern most areas, and Confederate influence seems to be ever more increasing by the day.


Dixie League:

Baseball proved to be very much part of the Confederate way of life, as the Dixie League grew from strength to strength. June saw the third month of the league's existence and so began the reality of playing in a league full of professional players. Teams soon realised that those picks from the innagural draft, now looked a bit shaky when put up against the best the league could offer.

Interestingly the Lee Division became a subword for 'parity'. Following early season efforts from both Norfolk and Savannah to make a footprint on the standings, it was now the revitalised Petersburg Siege team that led the division albeit with a 43-42 record. They somehow managed to manufacture a 2 game lead on the division, as the other 5 teams all subscribed to the sub .500 club, with losing records as June closed.

The Siege could attribute their success to consistent mediocrity. The team do not top any team statistical categories, yet have done enough in each to remain a winning club. The one highlight of their season can be Buck Courson who ties for the home run king lead with 2.

The flipside to the Lee Division, is the stacked Jefferson Division. The 6 teams placed here are lighting up the scoreboards, and infact if you moved 6th place Montgomery over to the Lee Division, they would tie for the lead. The shining light has to be the Louisiana Tigers, who went 20-8 in the month to move to a Dixie best '50-35' on the year and a 3 game lead over the chasing Veterans.

Louisiana can claim a host of accolades, as Joe Barry a 34 year old pitcher has come from no-where to compile 15 wins, whilst Ray Spinner continues to club away at the top of the hitting statistics. As a team, they have the best batting average, the most hits, the most runs scored and are joint 2nd for on base percentage. As for the pitchers they have the best ERA, most shutouts and the best opponent batting average. All in all, it looks like a tough task to stop this juggernaut racing away to glory.


June Memories & Notes:

1st June 1901: Texas hitting machine 'Bill Sommers' hits for the leagues first cycle, as the former Forts outfielder went 5 for 5 against Petersburg with; 2 2B, 1 3B, 1HR & 2RBI.

19th June 1901: Heading towards the leagues best pitcher award, Savannah's Rick Brewster was dealt a cruel blow as he fractured his elbow on the mound in a game vs Atlanta. The injury is likely to leave Brewster sidelined for 12 months, sticking him at 14-4 for the season.

23rd June 1901: Louisiana pitcher Joe Barry hurls his 15th win of the season,as the Tigers continue their impressive form in a 6-1 victory over the Richmond Iron.


Standings:



AAA Standings:

[CatKnight]

Well, I lived in Virginia Beach which is next to Norfolk, so I suppose I'll root for them.

Can you tell me a little about them, and why/how they're doing so well?

[satchel]

Originally Posted by meh

Thanks for following - are any of the teams local to where you live / have lived?

I'm Arkansas born and bred, and except for the two-and-a-half-years that I went to the University of Texas at Austin, I've always lived in The Natural State (in Fort Smith, Little Rock, and Fayetteville).

My first pick for a favorite ConBA team was for somewhere local. We border Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi, so those were my first choices. All four of those states are fierce collegiate athletic rivals of Arkansas; Texas was our archenemy for 40 years, and is still hated; we now annually battle Louisiana State in our football season finale; in December, Mississippi "adopted" our football coach of the past 10 years; and Tennessee is a big modern-day rival. My first tendency was to choose Louisiana, but I think I'm going to favor Mobile for now, although I think the ConBA's appeal to me is an overall thing, and not due to any team.