History Never Repeats: An Alternative Baseball History - Page 6

PhillieFever · 10-18-2009, 12:13 PM

I love the switch to divisional play, it makes for better races come September.Go Quakers!!!

NYY #23 · 10-18-2009, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhillieFever

I love the switch to divisional play, it makes for better races come September.Go Quakers!!!

It do agree with that, especially in years with runaway winners.

As a Philly fan what do you think of the Quakers nickname? Its one of a couple I'm leaning toward changing.

NYY #23 · 10-18-2009, 04:41 PM

One of the biggest problems with starting a "new" league that has free agency is that after x number of years everyone will become a free agent. The 1895-1896 offseason will be the one where just about everyone in the Players League will hit free agency, so this should be an interesting offseason.

We'll be watching closely how things shake out, and it may turn out to be a good thing to distribute the talent a little bit, especially with the Cleveland Trolleys looking pretty unstoppable right now. As the season progresses I think we'll start to see quite a few players signing extensions to remain with their current teams, which should help cut down on the numbers.

The number of teams will be remain the same for the near future, so this should just be a one time adjustment as so many players could potentially hit free agency at the same time. Right now we've got 211 players who are upcoming free agents, ranging from the superstars to the scrubs.

Here are the top ten pitchers and batters who will be free agents for the upcoming season, which hopefully will be dropping throughout the year. There career numbers are in parenthesis -

SP - Jersey Bakely, Cleveland (160-91, 2.76 ERA)
SP - Bert Dorr, Washington (145-111, 2.42 ERA)
SP - George Stovey, Milwaukee (145-101, 2.58 ERA)
SP - Amos Rusie, Syracuse (143-99, 3.36 ERA)
SP - Silver King, Chicago (139-4, 2.53 ERA)
SP - Red Ehret, Cleveland (138-118, 2.64 ERA)
SP - Elton Chamberlain, New York (131-107, 3.49 ERA)
SP - John Sowders, Brooklyn (130-96, 3.23 ERA)
SP - Toad Ramsey, Pittsburgh (128-101, 2.59 ERA)
SP - Clark Griffith, Washington (126-113, 2.91 ERA)

CF - Billy Hamilton, Boston (.327, 11 HR, 389 RBI)
RF - George Treadway, New York (.308, 38 HR, 408 RBI)
1B - Bill Dahlen, Buffalo (.326, 39 HR, 418 RBI)
SS - George Van Haltren, Syracuse (.324, 32 HR, 402 RBI)
CF - Steve Brodie, Milwaukee (.345, 19 HR, 463 RBI)
3B - Bill Joyce, Brooklyn (.287, 41 HR, 440 RBI)
RF - John McGraw, Chicago (.309, 13 HR, 327 RBI)
3B - Denny Lyons, Cincinnati (.309, 38 HR, 409 RBI)
LF - Ed Delahanty, Cleveland (.323, 40 HR, 495 RBI)
RF - Jesse Burkett, Buffalo (.314, 28 HR, 357 RBI)

PhillieFever · 10-18-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NYY #23

It do agree with that, especially in years with runaway winners.

As a Philly fan what do you think of the Quakers nickname? Its one of a couple I'm leaning toward changing.

As for the name,I like it but don't love it.On the one hand it's a nod to the city's Quaker past,but that past is long,long gone.Personally I like the name Blue Jays which the Phillies actually tried to change their name to in the 1940's.

NYY #23 · 10-18-2009, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhillieFever

As for the name,I like it but don't love it.On the one hand it's a nod to the city's Quaker past,but that past is long,long gone.Personally I like the name Blue Jays which the Phillies actually tried to change their name to in the 1940's.

I like that.

I think for the era I'm in now Quakers works well, but at some point I'd like to change them, and I do like the Blue Jays nickname. Thanks for your input!

EMSoccerCoach · 10-18-2009, 05:32 PM

Love the montly update pace, as you well know

First time visiting this thread, but it's another good one from you!

NYY #23 · 10-18-2009, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EMSoccerCoach

Love the montly update pace, as you well know

First time visiting this thread, but it's another good one from you!

Thanks!

Yes, for me I have a harder time really getting into the league when I go quicker than a month at a time. I always feel like I'm missing too much stuff, or I wish I paid closer attention to this. I think this allows you to move pretty quickly, but not miss too many of those cool stories that OOTP creates.

NYY #23 · 10-18-2009, 08:17 PM

Delahanty Batter of the Month for second straight month
June 1, 1895

Ed Delahanty of the Cleveland Trolleys keeps hitting, and for the second straight month won the Western League Batter of the Month honors. 'Big Ed' hit .433 for the month of May, with 1 home run, 21 RBI, and 27 runs scored. For the season he is hitting .397 with 5 home runs, 47 RBI, and 60 runs scored in 52 games. During the month Delahanty passed 1000 hits for his career.

Eastern League Notes
Pink Hawley of the Washington Capitals was named the Pitcher of the Month for May after going 5-2 with a 2.69 ERA. The 22 year old is 6-2 for the season with a 2.63 ERA and joined the Capitals rotation earlier this year after the team released starting pitcher Jack Stivetts.

Bill Dahlen of the Buffalo Bisons was named the Batter of the Month after hitting .345 while driving in 32 runs and scoring another 26.

Jack Clements of the Pittsburgh Rebels led the way with a 6-6 night in a 21-3 route of the Boston Americans. Clements singled four times, and added a double and RBI triple.

The Boston Americans will be bringing back their first baseman Dan Brouthers for another two seasons. The 37 year-old is hitting .392 this season with 6 home runs and 39 RBI.

Second baseman Lou Bierbauer will be back in Brooklyn playing for the Wonders for three more seasons after agreeing to a contract extension. In six seasons with the Wonders, Bierbauer has hit .303 with 29 home runs, 455 RBI, and 460 runs.

The Pittsburgh Rebels will be bringing back second baseman John Houseman for another three years. Houseman is hitting .315 this season.

Western League Notes
Jersey Bakely of the Cleveland Trolleys was named the Western League Pitcher of the Month for May. It was the third time Bakely has won the Pitcher of the Month award, and second straight month a Trolley pitcher won the award. Bakely was 8-0 for the month with a 2.38 ERA. For the year he is 13-1 with a 1.80 ERA, leading the league in both wins and ERA.

The St. Louis Browns announced that Kid Nichols will return for another 3 years, signing an extension. The 25 year old is 8-4 with a 3.40 ERA this year.

Steve Brodie of the Milwaukee Broncos saw his 28 game hitting streak come to an end in a 9-3 loss to the St. Louis Browns after going 0-4 for the night.

Another Bronco, Honus Wagner hit for the cycle in a game against the Minnesota Millers. Wagner is just the fourth player in the history of the Players League to hit for the cycle.

The Cleveland Trolleys don't need anymore help, but they placed young Ned Garvin on their roster and gave him the opportunity to start a couple of games. The Trolley's top pick in the 1893 amateur draft has not disappointed winning 9 of his first 12 starts. In his last two starts Garvin has 1 hit the Kansas City Blues and 4 hit the Minnesota Millers.

Algie McBride of the St. Louis Browns finished the month with a 26 game hitting streak and will look to continue his hitting streak during the month of June.

Bill Hassamaer of the Milwaukee Broncos will be returning to Milwaukee next season after signing a 3 year contract extension. Hassamaer is hitting .328 this season and is one of the teams most popular players. The Broncos also locked up pitcher Bill Wise with a two year extension, second baseman Shorty Fuller for four years, and starting pitcher John Healy for three years.

Hugh Duffy and the Chicago Pirates agree to an extension that will keep Duffy in Chicago for the next five years. Duffy is hitting .357 this year with 8 home runs, 58 RBI and 47 runs scored.

NYY #23 · 10-18-2009, 10:35 PM

Trolleys and Terrapins on top
July 1, 1895

Eastern League Notes
Elmer Smith of the Philadelphia Quakers was named Eastern League Batter of the Month for June. Smith hit .384 with 1 home run, 20 RBIs, and 24 runs scored for the month. For the season he is batting .361 and driven in 55 runs while scoring another 58.

Hank O'Day of the New York Gothams went 6-1 in 7 starts and compiled a 2.90 ERA to win the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month award.

Sol White of the Baltimore Terrapins collected six hits in a 17-9 win against the Boston Americans. White collected five singles, and added a three run home run.

Bill Keister of the Brooklyn Wonders had a 20 game hit streak ended in a 3-1 win against the Newark Bears. Harry Moore of the Boston Americans has the longest streak of the month, but his 28 game hitting streak ended in a game against the Pittsburgh Rebels.

Western League Notes
Hugh Duffy of the Chicago Pirates won the Batter of the Month award for the fourth time in his career. In 27 games in June, Duffy hit .387 with 4 home runs, 23 RBI and 27 runs scored. Last month Duffy and the Pirates agreed to a five year extension, and Duffy continues to produce for the Pirates becoming one of the best players in the league.

Red Ehret was named the Western League Pitcher of the Month after going 6-1 with a 2.63 ERA in 65 innings of work. Ehret also pitched a complete game one hit shutout against the Indianapolis Indians earlier this month.

Algie McBride of the St. Louis Browns saw his 30 game hitting streak end after an 0-4 night against the Minnesota Millers in a 3-0 loss.

The Minnesota Millers selected starting pitcher Rube Waddell as the number one pick in the amateur draft. The Millers wasted no time inserting the 18 year old into their starting rotation, and the youngster has gone 1-2 in his first three starts.

The Indianapolis picked second and drafted starting pitcher Mordecai Brown. The Kansas City Blues selected left fielder Elmer Flick third, and the Detroit Wolverines selected Jim Buchanan fourth.

Upcoming Free Agent Watch
• RF John McGraw will be returning to Chicago after signing a three year extension
• Catcher Jack Doyle resigned with the Philadelphia Quakers for 3 years
• Shortstop Harry Moore will be back with the Boston Americans for another 4 years
• George Treadway and the New York Gothams agreed to a 5 year extension
• 3B Denny Lyons will return to Cincinnati for another 4 seasons
• The Buffalo Bisons will bring back Sy Sutcliffe for another 3 years
• Catcher Tom Cahill signed a three year extension with the Denver Grizzlies
• First baseman Bill Dahlen will be back in Buffalo for another 3 years
• Catcher Lave Cross and the Pittsburgh Rebels agreed to a 5 year extension
• Centerfielder Steve Brodie will be back with the Milwaukee Broncos for another 5 years
• Catcher Buck Ewing and the New York Gothams agreed to a 2 year extension
• Starting pitcher Frank Meinke signed a 5 year extension with the St. Louis Browns
• Pitcher Ben Sanders will be back with the Philadelphia Quakers for 4 more years
• The Grizzlies and John Horan agreed to a 4 year extension
• Center fielder Algie McBride will be back in St. Louis for 4 more years
• 1B Jake Beckley will return to the Pittsburgh Rebels for 2 years
• 2B Cupid Childs and the Syracuse Stars agreed to 4 year extension
• Pitcher Charlie Gagus and the Syracuse Stars agreed to a 2 year extension

Top 10 Free Agent to Be Starting Pitchers
1. Jersey Bakely, Cleveland
2. Bert Dorr, Washington
3. George Stovey, Milwaukee
4. Amos Rusie, Syracuse
5. Silver King, Chicago
6. Red Ehret, Cleveland
7. Elton Chamberlain, New York
8. John Sowders, Brooklyn
9. Toad Ramsey, Pittsburgh
10. Clark Griffith, Washington

Top 10 Free Agent to Be Position Players
1. CF - Billy Hamilton, Boston
2. 3B - Bill Joyce, Brooklyn
3. RF - Jesse Burkett, Buffalo
4. LF - Ed Delahanty, Cleveland
5. CF - Jake Stenzel, Syracuse
6. RF - Mike Tiernan, Baltimore
7. SS - Hughie Jennings, Cleveland
8. 1B - Roger Connor, New York
9. 3B - Walt Preston, Syracuse
10. C - Duke Farrell, Chicago

NYY #23 · 10-19-2009, 06:34 PM

Terrapins take Eastern League lead
August 1, 1895

The Baltimore Terrapins moved in front of the Washington Capitals during the month of July by two games as the race to the postseason heats up. The Terrapins finished the month with a 16-10 record. The Brooklyn Wonders remain four and a half games out, with the Buffalo Bisons five games out.

Eastern League Notes
The Eastern League Pitcher of the Month award went to Bert Dorr of the Washington Capitals. Dorr was 5-1 with a 2.50 ERA. It was the second time Dorr has won a Pitcher of the Month award.

Jesse Burkett of the Buffalo Bisons was named the Eastern League Batter of the Month after hitting .364 with 2 home runs, 14 RBI and 32 runs scored.

Western League Notes
Bill Whitrock of the Chicago Pirates won the Western League Pitcher of the month award after going 6-1 with a 1.78 ERA. For the year Whitrock is 16-7 and is scheduled to become a free agent after the season.

Hughie Jennings of the Cleveland Trolleys won the Western League Batter of the Month after hitting .441 with 1 home run, 36 RBI, and 23 runs scored for the month. It was Jennings third Player of the Month award for his career. Jennings is hitting .358 for the season. Jennings finished the month with a 30 game hitting streak.

Upcoming Free Agent Watch
• 3B Walt Preston will be back with the Syracuse Stars for another five years
• 27 year old Ed Delahanty will be back with the Cleveland Trolleys for another 3 years
• 3B Bill Joyce and the Brooklyn Wonders agreed to a 4 year extension
• Right fielder Mike Tiernan will be returning to Baltimore for another 5 years
• Pitcher Frank Killen re-signed with the Quakers for 3 more years
• Washington brought back pitcher Art Hagan for another 3 years
• Starting pitcher Amos Rusie will return to Syracuse for 3 more years
• Second baseman Bill Niles agreed to a 4 year extension with Cincinnati
• Catcher Frank Connaughton will be back for 5 more years with Cincinnati
• Centerfielder Michael Griffin will be back with the Trolleys for 5 more years

Top Free Agent to Be Starting Pitchers
1. Jersey Bakely, Cleveland
2. Bert Dorr, Washington
3. George Stovey, Milwaukee
4. Silver King, Chicago
5. Red Ehret, Cleveland
6. Elton Chamberlain, New York
7. John Sowders, Brooklyn
8. Toad Ramsey, Pittsburgh
9. Clark Griffith, Washington

Top Free Agent to Be Position Players
1. CF - Billy Hamilton, Boston
2. 3B - Bill Joyce, Brooklyn
3. RF - Jesse Burkett, Buffalo
4. CF - Jake Stenzel, Syracuse
5. SS - Hughie Jennings, Cleveland
6. 1B - Roger Connor, New York
7. C - Duke Farrell, Chicago

NYY #23 · 10-19-2009, 09:52 PM

Trolleys lose Delahanty for the year
September 1, 1895

The Cleveland Trolleys hold a 14 game lead in the Western League, but received some bad news when they found out they will lose their star outfielder Ed Delahanty for the rest of the season after he suffered a broken kneecap. Delahanty was hitting .381 for the season with 193 hits, 98 RBI, and 128 runs scored. The 27 year-old Delahanty has been one of the biggest stars since the Players League formed, and is at the top of most of the offensive leaderboards for his career. Delahanty's 1125 hits and 548 RBI both are second highest of all-time, and his 653 runs scored are the fourth highest total.

Eastern League Notes
Tuck Turner of the Boston Americans was named the Eastern League Batter of the Month after hitting .495 with 4 home runs, 30 RBI, and 23 runs scored. For the season Turner is hitting .435 with 7 home runs, 101 RBI, and 106 runs scored. The 22 year-old Turner is in his fourth season with Boston and has raised his average to .384 for his career. This is Turner's third Batter of the Month award, and he has also won the Batter of the Year award in 1894. During a game against the Brooklyn Wonders Turner saw his 37 game hitting streak snapped after an 0-3 night. It was the longest hitting streak of the year, and fourth longest ever.

Clark Griffith of the Washington Capitals was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month. Griffith was a perfect 6-0 for the month and finished with a 1.68 ERA in 64 1/3 innings. Griffith improved to 25-7 for the year.

Chick Stahl of the New York Giants also had a hitting streak of 33 games stopped during August. Stahl failed to get a hit against the Boston Americans on an 0-3 night. Walt Preston of the Syracuse Stars reached base 25 games in a row before his streak was ended. Jim Donnelly of the Pittsburgh Rebels also saw his 28 game hitting streak come to an end.

Western League Notes
The Milwaukee Broncos have won 9 games in a row, but still find themselves 15 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Trolleys, but have to be encouraged by the play of 21 year old Honus Wagner. Wagner was named the Batter of the Month for August. He hit .389 for the month, with 27 RBI and 26 runs scored, and has quickly established himself as one of the better young hitters in baseball. Wagner was the Broncos first round pick in 1893.

Jersey Bakely of the Trolleys was named the Pitcher of the Month after going 6-0 with a 2.39 ERA in 64 innings. Bakely has improved to 30-4 for the year. It is the fourth time the 31 year old has been named Pitcher of the Month. Bakely is currently unsigned for the 1896 season, and if he remains unsigned will be one of the most coveted free agents during the offseason.

Upcoming Free Agent Watch
• Catcher Thomas Daly of the Denver Grizzlies agreed to a 3 year extension
• The Grizzlies will also bring back pitcher Jim Devlin for another 2 years
• Starting pitcher Sadie McMahon agreed to a 2 year deal that will keep him with the Bisons
• Right fielder Socks Seybold will be back with the Brooklyn Wonders for the next 3 years
• 3B Fred Hartman agreed with a 5 year extension with the Newark Bears
• Catcher Fred Carroll and the Syracuse Stars came to terms on a 4 year extension
• The Stars also agreed to terms with shortstop James Cooney on a 5 year deal
• Hughie Jennnings signed a 3 year extension with the Cleveland Trolleys
• Starting pitcher Toad Ramsey signed a 5 year extension with the Pittsburgh Rebels
• 2B Sol White signed a 4 year extension with the Baltimore Terrapins

Top 10 Free Agent to Be Starting Pitchers
1. Jersey Bakely, Cleveland
2. Clark Griffith, Washington
3. Bill Whitrock, Chicago
4. Emil Geis, Cincinnati
5. George Stovey, Milwaukee
6. Bert Dorr, Washington
7. Will Sawyer, Pittsburgh
8. Bill Vinton, Cincinnati
9. Cy Young, Pittsburgh
10. Stump Wiedman, Syracuse

Top 10 Free Agent to Be Position Players
1. C - Mike Trost, Cleveland
2. LF - Jack McCarthy, St. Louis
3. CF - Billy Hamilton, Boston
4. RF - Biff Sheehan, Pittsburgh
5. 3B - Jimmy Collins, Philadelphia
6. CF - Jake Stenzel, Syracuse
7. 3B - Charlie Irwin, Denver
8. 2B - Reddy Mack, Cleveland
9. 3B - Jim Donnelly, Pittsburgh
10. C - Duke Farrell, Chicago

NYY #23 · 10-20-2009, 06:34 PM

Trolleys and Capitals set for World Series rematch
October 3, 1895

For the second straight year the Cleveland Trolleys will face off against the Washington Capitals in the World Series. The Trolleys knocked off the Capitals last year 4 games to 1 to win their second straight World Championship, and will be going for their third straight title.

Cleveland finished with a 124-38 record and won the Western League by 15 games. The Capitals finished with a 99-63 record, just one game ahead of the Baltimore Terrapins. The Capitals finished strong, with a 19-9 September, and 2-0 October.

Eastern League Notes
Tuck Turner of the Boston Americans won the Eastern League batting title after hitting .423. It is the second straight year that the 22 year old has hit over .400 after hitting .454 last season. Tucker collected 281 hits in 665 at-bats, including 45 doubles, 14 triples, and 7 home runs. Turner had a 25 game hitting streak snapped during September in a game against the Philadelphia Quakers.

'Wee Willie' Keeler of the Buffalo Bisons was named the Eastern League Batter of the Month after hitting .400 with 26 RBI and 20 runs scored. Keeler hit .375 for the season, and in his fifth season in the league is rapidly approaching 1000 career hits, finishing the season with 960. Despite the award, Keeler saw his 20 game hitting streak come to an end in 10-2 win over the Washington Capitals on September 6th.

Another Bison, Al Atkinson was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month after going 6-1 with a 2.84 ERA. Atkinson has returned to form this season with a 20-7 record after missing all but 10 games last year with an arm injury.

Buck Ewing of the New York Gothams hit for the cycle in a game against the Boston Americans. It was the third time a player has hit for the cycle this year, and the sixth time in the history of the Players League. The 36 year old Ewing hit .320 this season.

Ewing wasn't the only player to hit for the cycle this month, as Deacon McGuire of the Newark Bears achieved that feat September 21st in a game against the Philadelphia Quakers.

The Boston Americans finished the year in the basement of the Eastern League, 43 games out of first place and losers of their final 16 games, but announced that they will be bringing back Billy Hamilton for another 4 years. Hamilton hit .310 for the season.

Western League Notes
Bill Hassamaer of the Milwaukee Broncos won the Western League Batter of the Month after hitting .400 with 2 home runs, 27 RBI, and 27 runs scored. Hassamaer raised his average for the season to .353.

Silver King of the Chicago Pirates was 6-0 with a 2.67 ERA for the month of September and was awarded with the Pitcher of the Month award. King is 27-10 for the season with a 3.64 ERA.

Shortstop Hughie Jennings of the Cleveland Trolleys finished the season with a 37 game hitting streak. You may remember Jennings had a 38 game hitting streak that started in September of 1893 and carried over into the 1894 season. Jennings hit .370 for the season and tallied 255 hits.

In other Trolley news, right fielder Cy Seymour pounded out 6 hits in a 19-3 win over the Cincinnati Cardinals. The Trolleys also announced that 25 year old King Bailey will be returning for another 3 years. Bailey pitched primarily out of the bullpen, but his returned coupled with the emergence of Ned Garvin could spell the end of Jersey Bakely's time in Cleveland. Bakely has turned into one of the league's premier pitchers, and with the league's highest payroll the Trolleys may not be able to afford to bring him back.

21 year-old Honus Wagner of the Milwaukee Broncos took home the Western League batting title after hitting .391 in just his second year in the majors. Wagner collected 258 hits with 47 doubles, 23 triples, and 5 home runs.

Jesse Hoffmeister of the Milwaukee Broncos picked up 6 hits in 8 at bats in a 21-12 victory over the Indianapolis Indians.

NYY #23 · 10-20-2009, 10:47 PM

Cleveland wins third straight championship
October 9, 1895

The Cleveland Trolleys dominated the Players League all season and added another World Championship trophy to their shelf as they defeated the Washington Capitals 4 games to 1 in a rematch of the 1894 World Series.

The Trolleys jumped out to a 2 game to none lead behind Jersey Bakely and Red Ehret, who each picked up a win for the Trolleys. The Capitals came back in game 3 to blow out the Trolleys in perhaps Bakely's final game with the Trolleys.

The Trolleys wouldn't be denied though, and came back to win in ten innings in game 4, and closed out the series in game 5 with Ned Garvin on the mound.

The Trolleys played the series without one of their biggest bats, as Ed Delahanty was out due to an injury, and Hughie Jennings struggled for the series with a .227 batting average. Catcher Mike Trost drove in 7 runs and batted .389 for the series, and Reddy Mack hit a remarkable .545 for the Trolleys.

Game 1:
Trolleys 6, Capitals 5
W: Jersey Bakely (1-0)
L : Pink Hawley (0-1)

Game 2:
Trolleys 7, Capitals 4
W: Red Ehret (1-0)
L : Bert Dorr (0-1)
HR - WAS: Billy Lush (1)

Game 3:
Capitals 9, Trolleys 3
W: Pink Hawley (1-1)
L : Jersey Bakely (1-1)
HR - WAS: George Davis (1), Jack O'Brien (1)

Game 4:
Trolleys 9, Capitals 5
W: Red Ehret (2-0)
L : Bert Dorr (0-2)

Game 5:
Trolleys 6, Capitals 4
W: Ned Garvin (1-0)
L : Clark Griffith (0-1)

Players League - World Series Winners
1890 - Pittsburgh Burghers (82-58) defeated the Brooklyn Ward Wonders (90-50) 2 games to 0
1891 - Baltimore Terrapins (91-59) defeated the Columbus Solons (90-61) 4 games to 3
1892 - Buffalo Bisons (86-64) defeated the Chicago Pirates (92-58) 4 games to 1
1893 - Cleveland Infants (94-56) defeated the New York Giants (82-68) 4 games to 1
1894 - Cleveland Trolleys (123-39) defeated the Washington Capitals (96-67) 4 games to 1
1895 - Cleveland Trolleys (124-38) defeated the Washington Capitals (99-63) 4 games to 1

EMSoccerCoach · 10-20-2009, 11:12 PM

Dynasty in Cleveland...that's funny (except to an Indians fan, I suppose!)

NYY #23 · 10-21-2009, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EMSoccerCoach

Dynasty in Cleveland...that's funny (except to an Indians fan, I suppose!)

It is pretty funny. I guess anything is possible. It gets interesting to watch some of the moves they have coming up, and the difference between how teams are running their teams since I'm doing this completely hands off.

I've got a post coming up tonight detailing their dynasty for the first three years, and I should also get to some of their off season moves later tonight. Of course I wasn't hoping for a dynasty this early, but what are you going to do.

NYY #23 · 10-21-2009, 07:01 PM

After winning three straight World Series championships, I thought it was only appropriate to take a closer look at the Cleveland Infants/Trolleys dynasty. The Infants were one of the original Players League teams, and started things off their inaugural season with a 70-70 record and 20 games back. Things went a little downhill in the 1891 season, and the Infants fell to 71-79, again 20 games back.

1892 began their ascent to the top of the Players League, when they finished 85-65 in fourth place. Things really came together in 1893 when the Infants won both the division and the World Series, improving to 94-56. No other team could compete with the Infants in 1894 or 1895 when they finished 123-39 and 124-38 respectively.

While their win totals were a little padded due to four inferior teams joining the league, the Trolleys still had a real good core, and had no trouble in the World Series against the Capitals.

Their 567-348 record gives them both the most wins in the Players League, and the highest winning percentage, .620. The Chicago Pirates come in second with 548 wins and a .599 winning percentage. They sit atop many of the team leaderboards with their three year run:

Wins:
124 - 1895 (1st)
123 - 1894 (2nd)

Winning Percentage:
.765 - 1895 (1st)
.759 - 1894 (2nd)

Attendance:
765,185 - 1895 (1st)
718,145 - 1894 (2nd)
690,469 - 1893 (3rd

Batting Average:
.334 - 1894 (1st)

OBP:
.404 - 1894 (1st)

SLG:
.463 - 1894 (3rd)

Runs:
1341 - 1894 (1st)

Hits:
2044 - 1894 (1st)

3B:
156 - 1893 (3rd)

Walks:
731 - 1894 (3rd)

ERA:
1.95 -1893 (1st)

Runs:
545 - 1893 (3rd)

WHIP:
1.106 - 1893 (3rd)

What makes the Trolleys so special?

Shortstop Hughie Jennings came to Cleveland from the NL in 1892, in what looked like a minor move after hitting .268 in his final year in the NL, and .243 in his first year in the PL. Everything seemed to come together for the future Hall of Famer in 1893, as Jennings hit .342 with 88 RBI and 111 runs scored. In 1894 Jennings raised his average to .403 with 168 RBI and 154 runs scored, which earned him Batter of the Year honors. 1895 saw Jennings hit .370 with 145 RBI and 142 runs scored.

Joining Jennings in the Cleveland lineup was another real life Hall of Famer, 'Big Ed' Delahanty. Delahanty has hit .331, .381, and .381 in each of the championship years, and has driven in over 100 runs each of the three years, while scoring 98, 151, and 128 runs. The 28 year-old Delahanty was an original Infant in the Players League.

Second baseman Reddy Mack was another NL import, hitting .343, .321, and .329 with Cleveland after spending his days on the bench in the NL. Catcher Mike Trost also came over from the NL after they closed their doors, and as did third baseman Frank Genins. The Infants also struck gold in the draft when they drafted right fielder Cy Seymour, whose emergence coincided with the NL imports. Seymour hit .302, 358, and .358 respectively over the past three years.

What would a championship team be without pitching though, and Cleveland had a solid rotation of Jersey Bakely, who was twice named the Pitcher of the Year and has won 109 games over the past three years. Bakely was an original member of the Cleveland organization.

Red Ehret was an NL import who went from 19-28 in the NL to winning 93 games for Cleveland over the past three years. Charlie Hodnett also came over from the NL and was named Pitcher of the Year in 1894 after going 42-10, giving Cleveland three straight Pitchers of the Year.

The Trolleys once again proved that drafting is one of their strengths, picking pitcher Ned Garvin first in 1893, and Garvin won 28 games in 1895, giving Cleveland confidence to allow their ace, Jersey Bakely to walk away as a free agent.

NYY #23 · 10-21-2009, 08:23 PM

Turner captures second straight Batter of the Year award
November 1, 1895

Tuck Turner of the Boston Americans may only be 22 years old, but he has established himself as one of the best hitters in the Players League. For the second straight year Turner was awarded the Eastern League Batter of the Year award after hitting .423 with 116 RBI and 124 runs scored. Turner collected 281 hits, which is the second highest total of all-time, second only to Hughie Jenning's 284 hits in 1894. Turner's 215 singles did set a record for most in a season.

Honus Wagner of the Milwaukee Broncos was named the Western League Batter of the Year after hitting .391 with 5 home runs, 47 doubles, 23 triples, 258 hits, 132 RBI, and 148 runs. Wagner won the Rookie of the Year award last year.

Clark Griffith of the Washington Capitals won the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year after going 31-8 in 40 starts. Griffith pitched 346 1/3 innings and logged a 2.94 ERA.

Over in the Western League, Jersey Bakely of the Cleveland Trolleys was named the Western League Pitcher of the Year for the second time in his career. Bakely went 34-5 with a 2.26 ERA in 366 1/3 innings. The 31 year old Bakely may have pitched his final game in Clevaland, as he is a free agent.

Case Patten of the Baltimore Terrapins was named the Eastern League Rookie of the Year. Patten finished with a 23-11 record and a 3.60 ERA in his first season.

Another hurler was named the Western League Rookie of the Year, Carlton Molesworth of the Milwaukee Broncos. Molesworth was 20-7 for the season and finished with a 3.47 ERA.

Rusty Davis of the Kansas City Blues doubled 51 times, which is the most ever in a season. Teammate John Martin also set a record with 20 home runs in a season.

The gold glove winners were also handed out to the following players:
Eastern League:
Pitcher: Pink Hawley (Washington Capitals)
Catcher: Fred Donovan (Boston Americans)
First Baseman: Ira Davis (Brooklyn Wonders)
Second Baseman: John Houseman (Pittsburgh Rebels)
Third Baseman: Dan Minnehan (Baltimore Terrapins)
Shortstop: Monte Cross (Philadelphia Quakers)
Left Fielder: Elmer Smith (Philadelphia Quakers)
Center Fielder: Pat Hannifan (Newark Bears)
Right Fielder: George Treadway (New York Gothams)

Western League:
Pitcher: Kaiser Wilhelm (Denver Grizzlies)
Catcher: Art Twineham (St. Louis Browns)
First Baseman: Denny O'Neil (Cincinnati Cardinals)
Second Baseman: Otis Stocksdale (Chicago Pirates)
Third Baseman: Harvey Smith (Chicago Pirates)
Shortstop: Tom Murray (Chicago Pirates)
Left Fielder: Pete Wood (Indianapolis Indians)
Center Fielder: Michael Griffin (Cleveland Trolleys)
Right Fielder: William Wilson (Indianapolis Indians)

----------------
Editor's Note - Both Rusty Davis and John Martin were fictional players, and members of the National League's amateur draft in 1891. Neither are rated too highly, but both have found a home in KC for now

NYY #23 · 10-22-2009, 07:13 PM

Offseason Report
April 1, 1896

As the Player League is set to begin another season, let's take a look back and see what transpired during the offseason. The big news of the offseason was the signing of Jersey Bakely by the Washington Capitals. For two straight years the Washington Capitals lost to the Cleveland Trolleys, Bakely's former team, in the World Series. The Capitals went out and added one of the best pitcher's in the league to a four year contract hoping to gain the edge and capture their first World Championship.

Bakely has a 181-95 record with a 2.73 ERA during his career in the Players League. During the last three years Bakely has posted records of 34-13, 41-10, and 34-5 in each of the Trolley's championship seasons. Bakely was named the Pitcher of the Year in the Western League in both 1893 and 1895, and has won the Pitcher of the Month award four separate times.

The Capitals didn't stop their, adding 28 year old centerfielder Jake Stenzel to the fold. Stenzel hit .318 last season for the Syracuse Stars and has hit .327 with 473 runs and 431 RBI during his career. The Capitals also brought back two of their own free agents, starting pitcher Bert Dorr and outfielder George Davis.

The Denver Grizzlies announced a 4 year deal with former Cleveland catcher Mike Trost. Trost is coming off a season in which he hit .313 and drove in 122 runs.

The Cleveland Trolleys countered by bringing back their free agent second baseman Reddy Mack, and adding third baseman Jim Donnelly. Donnelly played last season for the Pittsburgh Rebels and hit .333 with 91 RBI. The Trolleys also took a chance on a former to prospect, signing Cy Young to a one year deal. Young struggled in Pittsburgh with the Rebels, going 54-61 in the last three years, and posted an ERA of 4.57 and 4.46 the last two years.

The Kansas City Blues added 32 game winner George Stovey to their pitching staff. Stovey has won 139 games and lost 86 during his career with the Milwaukee Broncos. The Blues also inked fight fielder Biff Sheehan to a 5 year deal. Sheehan hit .313 last year for the Pittsburgh Rebels.

NYY #23 · 10-22-2009, 11:43 PM

Rebels-Trolleys hold narrow leads
May 1, 1896

In an exciting start to the 1896 season the Eastern League has four teams within one game of each other, as the Pittsburgh Rebels hold a narrow half game lead over the Buffalo Bisons and the Philadelphia Quakers. The Brooklyn Wonders remain just one game behind.

Over in the Western League the Cleveland Trolleys hold a narrow half game lead over the Cincinnati Cardinals with the Chicago Pirates two and a half games out.

Eastern League Notes
35 year old Al Atkinson of the Buffalo Bisons was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month after going 5-1 with a 1.87 ERA in 53 innings pitched.

Fred Carroll of the Syracuse Stars was named Batter of the Month in the Eastern League. Carroll hit .458 with 2 home runs, 24 RBI, and 27 runs scored.

On Opening Day of the 1896 season the Baltimore Terrapins announced the signing of shortstop Monte Cross to a 3 year deal. Cross hit .287 last season for the Philadelphia Quakers.

Charlie Dexter of the Cincinnati Cardinals picked up 6 hits in the Cardinal's 21-3 win over the Indianapolis Indians. Dexter picked up 5 singles and a double, while driving in four runs.

Western League Notes
Ned Garvin of the Cleveland Trolleys was named Western League Pitcher of the Month after going 5-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 55 innings.

John McGraw of the Chicago Pirates was named Batter of the Month after hitting .448 with 1 home run, 22 RBI, and 25 runs scored.

Hughie Jennings of the Cleveland Trolleys finished last season with a 37 game hitting streak, and extended his streak to 42 games before seeing it end in an 0-4 night against the Indianapolis Indians. His 42 game hitting streak is the second longest in the history of the Players League, one game shorter than Hugh Duffy's 43 game hitting streak.

John Doran of the Denver Grizzlies pitched a no-hitter against the Indianapolis Indians. Doran struck out two and walked two in the 5-0 victory.

Honus Wagner of the Milwaukee Broncos saw a 23 game hitting streak end, after hitting safely in the first 6 games of the season this year, and last 17 games of 1895.

Duff Cooley of the St. Louis Browns strained a muscle and is expected to be out seven weeks. Cooley hit .351 last year for the Browns.

Top 10 Prospects
SP - Rube Waddell, Minnesota Millers
SP - Mordecai Brown, Indianapolis Indians
SP - Noodles Hahn, Pittsburgh Rebels
SP - Tully Sparks, Cincinnati Cardinals
SP - Jack Chesbro, Denver Grizzlies
SP - Doc McJames, Newark Bears
SP - Dummy Taylor, Indianapolis Indians
SP - Bill Reidy, Denver Grizzlies
SP - Jim Buchanan, Detroit Wolverines
SP - Eddie Plank, Denver Grizzlies

Johnny Canuck · 10-23-2009, 12:31 AM

Just a quick suggestion - would it be possible to have a post each year (either here or in the blog) on the amateur draft, with the first round & any other 'notables' taken? I'm curious if those expansion teams (including my 'Wolverines') are drafting anybody that will help the imbalance in the Western League.

10-18-2009, 12:13 PM	#101
PhillieFever Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Elk Twp. NJ Posts: 6,763	I love the switch to divisional play, it makes for better races come September.Go Quakers!!! __________________ We're All Wednesday Aren't We? WAWAW

10-18-2009, 04:41 PM	#103
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112	1895 Free Agency One of the biggest problems with starting a "new" league that has free agency is that after x number of years everyone will become a free agent. The 1895-1896 offseason will be the one where just about everyone in the Players League will hit free agency, so this should be an interesting offseason. We'll be watching closely how things shake out, and it may turn out to be a good thing to distribute the talent a little bit, especially with the Cleveland Trolleys looking pretty unstoppable right now. As the season progresses I think we'll start to see quite a few players signing extensions to remain with their current teams, which should help cut down on the numbers. The number of teams will be remain the same for the near future, so this should just be a one time adjustment as so many players could potentially hit free agency at the same time. Right now we've got 211 players who are upcoming free agents, ranging from the superstars to the scrubs. Here are the top ten pitchers and batters who will be free agents for the upcoming season, which hopefully will be dropping throughout the year. There career numbers are in parenthesis - SP - Jersey Bakely, Cleveland (160-91, 2.76 ERA) SP - Bert Dorr, Washington (145-111, 2.42 ERA) SP - George Stovey, Milwaukee (145-101, 2.58 ERA) SP - Amos Rusie, Syracuse (143-99, 3.36 ERA) SP - Silver King, Chicago (139-4, 2.53 ERA) SP - Red Ehret, Cleveland (138-118, 2.64 ERA) SP - Elton Chamberlain, New York (131-107, 3.49 ERA) SP - John Sowders, Brooklyn (130-96, 3.23 ERA) SP - Toad Ramsey, Pittsburgh (128-101, 2.59 ERA) SP - Clark Griffith, Washington (126-113, 2.91 ERA) CF - Billy Hamilton, Boston (.327, 11 HR, 389 RBI) RF - George Treadway, New York (.308, 38 HR, 408 RBI) 1B - Bill Dahlen, Buffalo (.326, 39 HR, 418 RBI) SS - George Van Haltren, Syracuse (.324, 32 HR, 402 RBI) CF - Steve Brodie, Milwaukee (.345, 19 HR, 463 RBI) 3B - Bill Joyce, Brooklyn (.287, 41 HR, 440 RBI) RF - John McGraw, Chicago (.309, 13 HR, 327 RBI) 3B - Denny Lyons, Cincinnati (.309, 38 HR, 409 RBI) LF - Ed Delahanty, Cleveland (.323, 40 HR, 495 RBI) RF - Jesse Burkett, Buffalo (.314, 28 HR, 357 RBI)

10-18-2009, 05:32 PM	#106
EMSoccerCoach Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 2,464	Love the montly update pace, as you well know First time visiting this thread, but it's another good one from you! __________________ The Pastime Baseball League The Pastime Baseball League - 10-Year Recap The Pastime Boxing Association

10-20-2009, 11:12 PM	#114
EMSoccerCoach Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 2,464	Dynasty in Cleveland...that's funny (except to an Indians fan, I suppose!) __________________ The Pastime Baseball League The Pastime Baseball League - 10-Year Recap The Pastime Boxing Association

10-21-2009, 07:01 PM	#116
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112	Cleveland Trolleys - The First Dynasty After winning three straight World Series championships, I thought it was only appropriate to take a closer look at the Cleveland Infants/Trolleys dynasty. The Infants were one of the original Players League teams, and started things off their inaugural season with a 70-70 record and 20 games back. Things went a little downhill in the 1891 season, and the Infants fell to 71-79, again 20 games back. 1892 began their ascent to the top of the Players League, when they finished 85-65 in fourth place. Things really came together in 1893 when the Infants won both the division and the World Series, improving to 94-56. No other team could compete with the Infants in 1894 or 1895 when they finished 123-39 and 124-38 respectively. While their win totals were a little padded due to four inferior teams joining the league, the Trolleys still had a real good core, and had no trouble in the World Series against the Capitals. Their 567-348 record gives them both the most wins in the Players League, and the highest winning percentage, .620. The Chicago Pirates come in second with 548 wins and a .599 winning percentage. They sit atop many of the team leaderboards with their three year run: Wins: 124 - 1895 (1st) 123 - 1894 (2nd) Winning Percentage: .765 - 1895 (1st) .759 - 1894 (2nd) Attendance: 765,185 - 1895 (1st) 718,145 - 1894 (2nd) 690,469 - 1893 (3rd Batting Average: .334 - 1894 (1st) OBP: .404 - 1894 (1st) SLG: .463 - 1894 (3rd) Runs: 1341 - 1894 (1st) Hits: 2044 - 1894 (1st) 3B: 156 - 1893 (3rd) Walks: 731 - 1894 (3rd) ERA: 1.95 -1893 (1st) Runs: 545 - 1893 (3rd) WHIP: 1.106 - 1893 (3rd) What makes the Trolleys so special? Shortstop Hughie Jennings came to Cleveland from the NL in 1892, in what looked like a minor move after hitting .268 in his final year in the NL, and .243 in his first year in the PL. Everything seemed to come together for the future Hall of Famer in 1893, as Jennings hit .342 with 88 RBI and 111 runs scored. In 1894 Jennings raised his average to .403 with 168 RBI and 154 runs scored, which earned him Batter of the Year honors. 1895 saw Jennings hit .370 with 145 RBI and 142 runs scored. Joining Jennings in the Cleveland lineup was another real life Hall of Famer, 'Big Ed' Delahanty. Delahanty has hit .331, .381, and .381 in each of the championship years, and has driven in over 100 runs each of the three years, while scoring 98, 151, and 128 runs. The 28 year-old Delahanty was an original Infant in the Players League. Second baseman Reddy Mack was another NL import, hitting .343, .321, and .329 with Cleveland after spending his days on the bench in the NL. Catcher Mike Trost also came over from the NL after they closed their doors, and as did third baseman Frank Genins. The Infants also struck gold in the draft when they drafted right fielder Cy Seymour, whose emergence coincided with the NL imports. Seymour hit .302, 358, and .358 respectively over the past three years. What would a championship team be without pitching though, and Cleveland had a solid rotation of Jersey Bakely, who was twice named the Pitcher of the Year and has won 109 games over the past three years. Bakely was an original member of the Cleveland organization. Red Ehret was an NL import who went from 19-28 in the NL to winning 93 games for Cleveland over the past three years. Charlie Hodnett also came over from the NL and was named Pitcher of the Year in 1894 after going 42-10, giving Cleveland three straight Pitchers of the Year. The Trolleys once again proved that drafting is one of their strengths, picking pitcher Ned Garvin first in 1893, and Garvin won 28 games in 1895, giving Cleveland confidence to allow their ace, Jersey Bakely to walk away as a free agent.

10-18-2009, 08:17 PM	#108
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112	Delahanty Batter of the Month for second straight month June 1, 1895 Ed Delahanty of the Cleveland Trolleys keeps hitting, and for the second straight month won the Western League Batter of the Month honors. 'Big Ed' hit .433 for the month of May, with 1 home run, 21 RBI, and 27 runs scored. For the season he is hitting .397 with 5 home runs, 47 RBI, and 60 runs scored in 52 games. During the month Delahanty passed 1000 hits for his career. Eastern League Notes Pink Hawley of the Washington Capitals was named the Pitcher of the Month for May after going 5-2 with a 2.69 ERA. The 22 year old is 6-2 for the season with a 2.63 ERA and joined the Capitals rotation earlier this year after the team released starting pitcher Jack Stivetts. Bill Dahlen of the Buffalo Bisons was named the Batter of the Month after hitting .345 while driving in 32 runs and scoring another 26. Jack Clements of the Pittsburgh Rebels led the way with a 6-6 night in a 21-3 route of the Boston Americans. Clements singled four times, and added a double and RBI triple. The Boston Americans will be bringing back their first baseman Dan Brouthers for another two seasons. The 37 year-old is hitting .392 this season with 6 home runs and 39 RBI. Second baseman Lou Bierbauer will be back in Brooklyn playing for the Wonders for three more seasons after agreeing to a contract extension. In six seasons with the Wonders, Bierbauer has hit .303 with 29 home runs, 455 RBI, and 460 runs. The Pittsburgh Rebels will be bringing back second baseman John Houseman for another three years. Houseman is hitting .315 this season. Western League Notes Jersey Bakely of the Cleveland Trolleys was named the Western League Pitcher of the Month for May. It was the third time Bakely has won the Pitcher of the Month award, and second straight month a Trolley pitcher won the award. Bakely was 8-0 for the month with a 2.38 ERA. For the year he is 13-1 with a 1.80 ERA, leading the league in both wins and ERA. The St. Louis Browns announced that Kid Nichols will return for another 3 years, signing an extension. The 25 year old is 8-4 with a 3.40 ERA this year. Steve Brodie of the Milwaukee Broncos saw his 28 game hitting streak come to an end in a 9-3 loss to the St. Louis Browns after going 0-4 for the night. Another Bronco, Honus Wagner hit for the cycle in a game against the Minnesota Millers. Wagner is just the fourth player in the history of the Players League to hit for the cycle. The Cleveland Trolleys don't need anymore help, but they placed young Ned Garvin on their roster and gave him the opportunity to start a couple of games. The Trolley's top pick in the 1893 amateur draft has not disappointed winning 9 of his first 12 starts. In his last two starts Garvin has 1 hit the Kansas City Blues and 4 hit the Minnesota Millers. Algie McBride of the St. Louis Browns finished the month with a 26 game hitting streak and will look to continue his hitting streak during the month of June. Bill Hassamaer of the Milwaukee Broncos will be returning to Milwaukee next season after signing a 3 year contract extension. Hassamaer is hitting .328 this season and is one of the teams most popular players. The Broncos also locked up pitcher Bill Wise with a two year extension, second baseman Shorty Fuller for four years, and starting pitcher John Healy for three years. Hugh Duffy and the Chicago Pirates agree to an extension that will keep Duffy in Chicago for the next five years. Duffy is hitting .357 this year with 8 home runs, 58 RBI and 47 runs scored.

10-18-2009, 10:35 PM	#109
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112	Trolleys and Terrapins on top July 1, 1895 Eastern League Notes Elmer Smith of the Philadelphia Quakers was named Eastern League Batter of the Month for June. Smith hit .384 with 1 home run, 20 RBIs, and 24 runs scored for the month. For the season he is batting .361 and driven in 55 runs while scoring another 58. Hank O'Day of the New York Gothams went 6-1 in 7 starts and compiled a 2.90 ERA to win the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month award. Sol White of the Baltimore Terrapins collected six hits in a 17-9 win against the Boston Americans. White collected five singles, and added a three run home run. Bill Keister of the Brooklyn Wonders had a 20 game hit streak ended in a 3-1 win against the Newark Bears. Harry Moore of the Boston Americans has the longest streak of the month, but his 28 game hitting streak ended in a game against the Pittsburgh Rebels. Western League Notes Hugh Duffy of the Chicago Pirates won the Batter of the Month award for the fourth time in his career. In 27 games in June, Duffy hit .387 with 4 home runs, 23 RBI and 27 runs scored. Last month Duffy and the Pirates agreed to a five year extension, and Duffy continues to produce for the Pirates becoming one of the best players in the league. Red Ehret was named the Western League Pitcher of the Month after going 6-1 with a 2.63 ERA in 65 innings of work. Ehret also pitched a complete game one hit shutout against the Indianapolis Indians earlier this month. Algie McBride of the St. Louis Browns saw his 30 game hitting streak end after an 0-4 night against the Minnesota Millers in a 3-0 loss. The Minnesota Millers selected starting pitcher Rube Waddell as the number one pick in the amateur draft. The Millers wasted no time inserting the 18 year old into their starting rotation, and the youngster has gone 1-2 in his first three starts. The Indianapolis picked second and drafted starting pitcher Mordecai Brown. The Kansas City Blues selected left fielder Elmer Flick third, and the Detroit Wolverines selected Jim Buchanan fourth. Upcoming Free Agent Watch • RF John McGraw will be returning to Chicago after signing a three year extension • Catcher Jack Doyle resigned with the Philadelphia Quakers for 3 years • Shortstop Harry Moore will be back with the Boston Americans for another 4 years • George Treadway and the New York Gothams agreed to a 5 year extension • 3B Denny Lyons will return to Cincinnati for another 4 seasons • The Buffalo Bisons will bring back Sy Sutcliffe for another 3 years • Catcher Tom Cahill signed a three year extension with the Denver Grizzlies • First baseman Bill Dahlen will be back in Buffalo for another 3 years • Catcher Lave Cross and the Pittsburgh Rebels agreed to a 5 year extension • Centerfielder Steve Brodie will be back with the Milwaukee Broncos for another 5 years • Catcher Buck Ewing and the New York Gothams agreed to a 2 year extension • Starting pitcher Frank Meinke signed a 5 year extension with the St. Louis Browns • Pitcher Ben Sanders will be back with the Philadelphia Quakers for 4 more years • The Grizzlies and John Horan agreed to a 4 year extension • Center fielder Algie McBride will be back in St. Louis for 4 more years • 1B Jake Beckley will return to the Pittsburgh Rebels for 2 years • 2B Cupid Childs and the Syracuse Stars agreed to 4 year extension • Pitcher Charlie Gagus and the Syracuse Stars agreed to a 2 year extension Top 10 Free Agent to Be Starting Pitchers 1. Jersey Bakely, Cleveland 2. Bert Dorr, Washington 3. George Stovey, Milwaukee 4. Amos Rusie, Syracuse 5. Silver King, Chicago 6. Red Ehret, Cleveland 7. Elton Chamberlain, New York 8. John Sowders, Brooklyn 9. Toad Ramsey, Pittsburgh 10. Clark Griffith, Washington Top 10 Free Agent to Be Position Players 1. CF - Billy Hamilton, Boston 2. 3B - Bill Joyce, Brooklyn 3. RF - Jesse Burkett, Buffalo 4. LF - Ed Delahanty, Cleveland 5. CF - Jake Stenzel, Syracuse 6. RF - Mike Tiernan, Baltimore 7. SS - Hughie Jennings, Cleveland 8. 1B - Roger Connor, New York 9. 3B - Walt Preston, Syracuse 10. C - Duke Farrell, Chicago

10-19-2009, 06:34 PM	#110
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112	Terrapins take Eastern League lead August 1, 1895 The Baltimore Terrapins moved in front of the Washington Capitals during the month of July by two games as the race to the postseason heats up. The Terrapins finished the month with a 16-10 record. The Brooklyn Wonders remain four and a half games out, with the Buffalo Bisons five games out. Eastern League Notes The Eastern League Pitcher of the Month award went to Bert Dorr of the Washington Capitals. Dorr was 5-1 with a 2.50 ERA. It was the second time Dorr has won a Pitcher of the Month award. Jesse Burkett of the Buffalo Bisons was named the Eastern League Batter of the Month after hitting .364 with 2 home runs, 14 RBI and 32 runs scored. Western League Notes Bill Whitrock of the Chicago Pirates won the Western League Pitcher of the month award after going 6-1 with a 1.78 ERA. For the year Whitrock is 16-7 and is scheduled to become a free agent after the season. Hughie Jennings of the Cleveland Trolleys won the Western League Batter of the Month after hitting .441 with 1 home run, 36 RBI, and 23 runs scored for the month. It was Jennings third Player of the Month award for his career. Jennings is hitting .358 for the season. Jennings finished the month with a 30 game hitting streak. Upcoming Free Agent Watch • 3B Walt Preston will be back with the Syracuse Stars for another five years • 27 year old Ed Delahanty will be back with the Cleveland Trolleys for another 3 years • 3B Bill Joyce and the Brooklyn Wonders agreed to a 4 year extension • Right fielder Mike Tiernan will be returning to Baltimore for another 5 years • Pitcher Frank Killen re-signed with the Quakers for 3 more years • Washington brought back pitcher Art Hagan for another 3 years • Starting pitcher Amos Rusie will return to Syracuse for 3 more years • Second baseman Bill Niles agreed to a 4 year extension with Cincinnati • Catcher Frank Connaughton will be back for 5 more years with Cincinnati • Centerfielder Michael Griffin will be back with the Trolleys for 5 more years Top Free Agent to Be Starting Pitchers 1. Jersey Bakely, Cleveland 2. Bert Dorr, Washington 3. George Stovey, Milwaukee 4. Silver King, Chicago 5. Red Ehret, Cleveland 6. Elton Chamberlain, New York 7. John Sowders, Brooklyn 8. Toad Ramsey, Pittsburgh 9. Clark Griffith, Washington Top Free Agent to Be Position Players 1. CF - Billy Hamilton, Boston 2. 3B - Bill Joyce, Brooklyn 3. RF - Jesse Burkett, Buffalo 4. CF - Jake Stenzel, Syracuse 5. SS - Hughie Jennings, Cleveland 6. 1B - Roger Connor, New York 7. C - Duke Farrell, Chicago

10-19-2009, 09:52 PM	#111
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112	Trolleys lose Delahanty for the year September 1, 1895 The Cleveland Trolleys hold a 14 game lead in the Western League, but received some bad news when they found out they will lose their star outfielder Ed Delahanty for the rest of the season after he suffered a broken kneecap. Delahanty was hitting .381 for the season with 193 hits, 98 RBI, and 128 runs scored. The 27 year-old Delahanty has been one of the biggest stars since the Players League formed, and is at the top of most of the offensive leaderboards for his career. Delahanty's 1125 hits and 548 RBI both are second highest of all-time, and his 653 runs scored are the fourth highest total. Eastern League Notes Tuck Turner of the Boston Americans was named the Eastern League Batter of the Month after hitting .495 with 4 home runs, 30 RBI, and 23 runs scored. For the season Turner is hitting .435 with 7 home runs, 101 RBI, and 106 runs scored. The 22 year-old Turner is in his fourth season with Boston and has raised his average to .384 for his career. This is Turner's third Batter of the Month award, and he has also won the Batter of the Year award in 1894. During a game against the Brooklyn Wonders Turner saw his 37 game hitting streak snapped after an 0-3 night. It was the longest hitting streak of the year, and fourth longest ever. Clark Griffith of the Washington Capitals was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month. Griffith was a perfect 6-0 for the month and finished with a 1.68 ERA in 64 1/3 innings. Griffith improved to 25-7 for the year. Chick Stahl of the New York Giants also had a hitting streak of 33 games stopped during August. Stahl failed to get a hit against the Boston Americans on an 0-3 night. Walt Preston of the Syracuse Stars reached base 25 games in a row before his streak was ended. Jim Donnelly of the Pittsburgh Rebels also saw his 28 game hitting streak come to an end. Western League Notes The Milwaukee Broncos have won 9 games in a row, but still find themselves 15 1/2 games behind the Cleveland Trolleys, but have to be encouraged by the play of 21 year old Honus Wagner. Wagner was named the Batter of the Month for August. He hit .389 for the month, with 27 RBI and 26 runs scored, and has quickly established himself as one of the better young hitters in baseball. Wagner was the Broncos first round pick in 1893. Jersey Bakely of the Trolleys was named the Pitcher of the Month after going 6-0 with a 2.39 ERA in 64 innings. Bakely has improved to 30-4 for the year. It is the fourth time the 31 year old has been named Pitcher of the Month. Bakely is currently unsigned for the 1896 season, and if he remains unsigned will be one of the most coveted free agents during the offseason. Upcoming Free Agent Watch • Catcher Thomas Daly of the Denver Grizzlies agreed to a 3 year extension • The Grizzlies will also bring back pitcher Jim Devlin for another 2 years • Starting pitcher Sadie McMahon agreed to a 2 year deal that will keep him with the Bisons • Right fielder Socks Seybold will be back with the Brooklyn Wonders for the next 3 years • 3B Fred Hartman agreed with a 5 year extension with the Newark Bears • Catcher Fred Carroll and the Syracuse Stars came to terms on a 4 year extension • The Stars also agreed to terms with shortstop James Cooney on a 5 year deal • Hughie Jennnings signed a 3 year extension with the Cleveland Trolleys • Starting pitcher Toad Ramsey signed a 5 year extension with the Pittsburgh Rebels • 2B Sol White signed a 4 year extension with the Baltimore Terrapins Top 10 Free Agent to Be Starting Pitchers 1. Jersey Bakely, Cleveland 2. Clark Griffith, Washington 3. Bill Whitrock, Chicago 4. Emil Geis, Cincinnati 5. George Stovey, Milwaukee 6. Bert Dorr, Washington 7. Will Sawyer, Pittsburgh 8. Bill Vinton, Cincinnati 9. Cy Young, Pittsburgh 10. Stump Wiedman, Syracuse Top 10 Free Agent to Be Position Players 1. C - Mike Trost, Cleveland 2. LF - Jack McCarthy, St. Louis 3. CF - Billy Hamilton, Boston 4. RF - Biff Sheehan, Pittsburgh 5. 3B - Jimmy Collins, Philadelphia 6. CF - Jake Stenzel, Syracuse 7. 3B - Charlie Irwin, Denver 8. 2B - Reddy Mack, Cleveland 9. 3B - Jim Donnelly, Pittsburgh 10. C - Duke Farrell, Chicago

10-20-2009, 06:34 PM	#112
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112	Trolleys and Capitals set for World Series rematch October 3, 1895 For the second straight year the Cleveland Trolleys will face off against the Washington Capitals in the World Series. The Trolleys knocked off the Capitals last year 4 games to 1 to win their second straight World Championship, and will be going for their third straight title. Cleveland finished with a 124-38 record and won the Western League by 15 games. The Capitals finished with a 99-63 record, just one game ahead of the Baltimore Terrapins. The Capitals finished strong, with a 19-9 September, and 2-0 October. Eastern League Notes Tuck Turner of the Boston Americans won the Eastern League batting title after hitting .423. It is the second straight year that the 22 year old has hit over .400 after hitting .454 last season. Tucker collected 281 hits in 665 at-bats, including 45 doubles, 14 triples, and 7 home runs. Turner had a 25 game hitting streak snapped during September in a game against the Philadelphia Quakers. 'Wee Willie' Keeler of the Buffalo Bisons was named the Eastern League Batter of the Month after hitting .400 with 26 RBI and 20 runs scored. Keeler hit .375 for the season, and in his fifth season in the league is rapidly approaching 1000 career hits, finishing the season with 960. Despite the award, Keeler saw his 20 game hitting streak come to an end in 10-2 win over the Washington Capitals on September 6th. Another Bison, Al Atkinson was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month after going 6-1 with a 2.84 ERA. Atkinson has returned to form this season with a 20-7 record after missing all but 10 games last year with an arm injury. Buck Ewing of the New York Gothams hit for the cycle in a game against the Boston Americans. It was the third time a player has hit for the cycle this year, and the sixth time in the history of the Players League. The 36 year old Ewing hit .320 this season. Ewing wasn't the only player to hit for the cycle this month, as Deacon McGuire of the Newark Bears achieved that feat September 21st in a game against the Philadelphia Quakers. The Boston Americans finished the year in the basement of the Eastern League, 43 games out of first place and losers of their final 16 games, but announced that they will be bringing back Billy Hamilton for another 4 years. Hamilton hit .310 for the season. Western League Notes Bill Hassamaer of the Milwaukee Broncos won the Western League Batter of the Month after hitting .400 with 2 home runs, 27 RBI, and 27 runs scored. Hassamaer raised his average for the season to .353. Silver King of the Chicago Pirates was 6-0 with a 2.67 ERA for the month of September and was awarded with the Pitcher of the Month award. King is 27-10 for the season with a 3.64 ERA. Shortstop Hughie Jennings of the Cleveland Trolleys finished the season with a 37 game hitting streak. You may remember Jennings had a 38 game hitting streak that started in September of 1893 and carried over into the 1894 season. Jennings hit .370 for the season and tallied 255 hits. In other Trolley news, right fielder Cy Seymour pounded out 6 hits in a 19-3 win over the Cincinnati Cardinals. The Trolleys also announced that 25 year old King Bailey will be returning for another 3 years. Bailey pitched primarily out of the bullpen, but his returned coupled with the emergence of Ned Garvin could spell the end of Jersey Bakely's time in Cleveland. Bakely has turned into one of the league's premier pitchers, and with the league's highest payroll the Trolleys may not be able to afford to bring him back. 21 year-old Honus Wagner of the Milwaukee Broncos took home the Western League batting title after hitting .391 in just his second year in the majors. Wagner collected 258 hits with 47 doubles, 23 triples, and 5 home runs. Jesse Hoffmeister of the Milwaukee Broncos picked up 6 hits in 8 at bats in a 21-12 victory over the Indianapolis Indians.

10-20-2009, 10:47 PM	#113
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112	Cleveland wins third straight championship October 9, 1895 The Cleveland Trolleys dominated the Players League all season and added another World Championship trophy to their shelf as they defeated the Washington Capitals 4 games to 1 in a rematch of the 1894 World Series. The Trolleys jumped out to a 2 game to none lead behind Jersey Bakely and Red Ehret, who each picked up a win for the Trolleys. The Capitals came back in game 3 to blow out the Trolleys in perhaps Bakely's final game with the Trolleys. The Trolleys wouldn't be denied though, and came back to win in ten innings in game 4, and closed out the series in game 5 with Ned Garvin on the mound. The Trolleys played the series without one of their biggest bats, as Ed Delahanty was out due to an injury, and Hughie Jennings struggled for the series with a .227 batting average. Catcher Mike Trost drove in 7 runs and batted .389 for the series, and Reddy Mack hit a remarkable .545 for the Trolleys. Game 1: Trolleys 6, Capitals 5 W: Jersey Bakely (1-0) L : Pink Hawley (0-1) Game 2: Trolleys 7, Capitals 4 W: Red Ehret (1-0) L : Bert Dorr (0-1) HR - WAS: Billy Lush (1) Game 3: Capitals 9, Trolleys 3 W: Pink Hawley (1-1) L : Jersey Bakely (1-1) HR - WAS: George Davis (1), Jack O'Brien (1) Game 4: Trolleys 9, Capitals 5 W: Red Ehret (2-0) L : Bert Dorr (0-2) Game 5: Trolleys 6, Capitals 4 W: Ned Garvin (1-0) L : Clark Griffith (0-1) Players League - World Series Winners 1890 - Pittsburgh Burghers (82-58) defeated the Brooklyn Ward Wonders (90-50) 2 games to 0 1891 - Baltimore Terrapins (91-59) defeated the Columbus Solons (90-61) 4 games to 3 1892 - Buffalo Bisons (86-64) defeated the Chicago Pirates (92-58) 4 games to 1 1893 - Cleveland Infants (94-56) defeated the New York Giants (82-68) 4 games to 1 1894 - Cleveland Trolleys (123-39) defeated the Washington Capitals (96-67) 4 games to 1 1895 - Cleveland Trolleys (124-38) defeated the Washington Capitals (99-63) 4 games to 1

10-21-2009, 08:23 PM	#117
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112	Turner captures second straight Batter of the Year award November 1, 1895 Tuck Turner of the Boston Americans may only be 22 years old, but he has established himself as one of the best hitters in the Players League. For the second straight year Turner was awarded the Eastern League Batter of the Year award after hitting .423 with 116 RBI and 124 runs scored. Turner collected 281 hits, which is the second highest total of all-time, second only to Hughie Jenning's 284 hits in 1894. Turner's 215 singles did set a record for most in a season. Honus Wagner of the Milwaukee Broncos was named the Western League Batter of the Year after hitting .391 with 5 home runs, 47 doubles, 23 triples, 258 hits, 132 RBI, and 148 runs. Wagner won the Rookie of the Year award last year. Clark Griffith of the Washington Capitals won the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year after going 31-8 in 40 starts. Griffith pitched 346 1/3 innings and logged a 2.94 ERA. Over in the Western League, Jersey Bakely of the Cleveland Trolleys was named the Western League Pitcher of the Year for the second time in his career. Bakely went 34-5 with a 2.26 ERA in 366 1/3 innings. The 31 year old Bakely may have pitched his final game in Clevaland, as he is a free agent. Case Patten of the Baltimore Terrapins was named the Eastern League Rookie of the Year. Patten finished with a 23-11 record and a 3.60 ERA in his first season. Another hurler was named the Western League Rookie of the Year, Carlton Molesworth of the Milwaukee Broncos. Molesworth was 20-7 for the season and finished with a 3.47 ERA. Rusty Davis of the Kansas City Blues doubled 51 times, which is the most ever in a season. Teammate John Martin also set a record with 20 home runs in a season. The gold glove winners were also handed out to the following players: Eastern League: Pitcher: Pink Hawley (Washington Capitals) Catcher: Fred Donovan (Boston Americans) First Baseman: Ira Davis (Brooklyn Wonders) Second Baseman: John Houseman (Pittsburgh Rebels) Third Baseman: Dan Minnehan (Baltimore Terrapins) Shortstop: Monte Cross (Philadelphia Quakers) Left Fielder: Elmer Smith (Philadelphia Quakers) Center Fielder: Pat Hannifan (Newark Bears) Right Fielder: George Treadway (New York Gothams) Western League: Pitcher: Kaiser Wilhelm (Denver Grizzlies) Catcher: Art Twineham (St. Louis Browns) First Baseman: Denny O'Neil (Cincinnati Cardinals) Second Baseman: Otis Stocksdale (Chicago Pirates) Third Baseman: Harvey Smith (Chicago Pirates) Shortstop: Tom Murray (Chicago Pirates) Left Fielder: Pete Wood (Indianapolis Indians) Center Fielder: Michael Griffin (Cleveland Trolleys) Right Fielder: William Wilson (Indianapolis Indians) ---------------- Editor's Note - Both Rusty Davis and John Martin were fictional players, and members of the National League's amateur draft in 1891. Neither are rated too highly, but both have found a home in KC for now

10-22-2009, 07:13 PM	#118
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112	Offseason Report April 1, 1896 As the Player League is set to begin another season, let's take a look back and see what transpired during the offseason. The big news of the offseason was the signing of Jersey Bakely by the Washington Capitals. For two straight years the Washington Capitals lost to the Cleveland Trolleys, Bakely's former team, in the World Series. The Capitals went out and added one of the best pitcher's in the league to a four year contract hoping to gain the edge and capture their first World Championship. Bakely has a 181-95 record with a 2.73 ERA during his career in the Players League. During the last three years Bakely has posted records of 34-13, 41-10, and 34-5 in each of the Trolley's championship seasons. Bakely was named the Pitcher of the Year in the Western League in both 1893 and 1895, and has won the Pitcher of the Month award four separate times. The Capitals didn't stop their, adding 28 year old centerfielder Jake Stenzel to the fold. Stenzel hit .318 last season for the Syracuse Stars and has hit .327 with 473 runs and 431 RBI during his career. The Capitals also brought back two of their own free agents, starting pitcher Bert Dorr and outfielder George Davis. The Denver Grizzlies announced a 4 year deal with former Cleveland catcher Mike Trost. Trost is coming off a season in which he hit .313 and drove in 122 runs. The Cleveland Trolleys countered by bringing back their free agent second baseman Reddy Mack, and adding third baseman Jim Donnelly. Donnelly played last season for the Pittsburgh Rebels and hit .333 with 91 RBI. The Trolleys also took a chance on a former to prospect, signing Cy Young to a one year deal. Young struggled in Pittsburgh with the Rebels, going 54-61 in the last three years, and posted an ERA of 4.57 and 4.46 the last two years. The Kansas City Blues added 32 game winner George Stovey to their pitching staff. Stovey has won 139 games and lost 86 during his career with the Milwaukee Broncos. The Blues also inked fight fielder Biff Sheehan to a 5 year deal. Sheehan hit .313 last year for the Pittsburgh Rebels.

10-22-2009, 11:43 PM	#119
NYY #23 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 13,112	Rebels-Trolleys hold narrow leads May 1, 1896 In an exciting start to the 1896 season the Eastern League has four teams within one game of each other, as the Pittsburgh Rebels hold a narrow half game lead over the Buffalo Bisons and the Philadelphia Quakers. The Brooklyn Wonders remain just one game behind. Over in the Western League the Cleveland Trolleys hold a narrow half game lead over the Cincinnati Cardinals with the Chicago Pirates two and a half games out. Eastern League Notes 35 year old Al Atkinson of the Buffalo Bisons was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Month after going 5-1 with a 1.87 ERA in 53 innings pitched. Fred Carroll of the Syracuse Stars was named Batter of the Month in the Eastern League. Carroll hit .458 with 2 home runs, 24 RBI, and 27 runs scored. On Opening Day of the 1896 season the Baltimore Terrapins announced the signing of shortstop Monte Cross to a 3 year deal. Cross hit .287 last season for the Philadelphia Quakers. Charlie Dexter of the Cincinnati Cardinals picked up 6 hits in the Cardinal's 21-3 win over the Indianapolis Indians. Dexter picked up 5 singles and a double, while driving in four runs. Western League Notes Ned Garvin of the Cleveland Trolleys was named Western League Pitcher of the Month after going 5-1 with a 1.96 ERA in 55 innings. John McGraw of the Chicago Pirates was named Batter of the Month after hitting .448 with 1 home run, 22 RBI, and 25 runs scored. Hughie Jennings of the Cleveland Trolleys finished last season with a 37 game hitting streak, and extended his streak to 42 games before seeing it end in an 0-4 night against the Indianapolis Indians. His 42 game hitting streak is the second longest in the history of the Players League, one game shorter than Hugh Duffy's 43 game hitting streak. John Doran of the Denver Grizzlies pitched a no-hitter against the Indianapolis Indians. Doran struck out two and walked two in the 5-0 victory. Honus Wagner of the Milwaukee Broncos saw a 23 game hitting streak end, after hitting safely in the first 6 games of the season this year, and last 17 games of 1895. Duff Cooley of the St. Louis Browns strained a muscle and is expected to be out seven weeks. Cooley hit .351 last year for the Browns. Top 10 Prospects SP - Rube Waddell, Minnesota Millers SP - Mordecai Brown, Indianapolis Indians SP - Noodles Hahn, Pittsburgh Rebels SP - Tully Sparks, Cincinnati Cardinals SP - Jack Chesbro, Denver Grizzlies SP - Doc McJames, Newark Bears SP - Dummy Taylor, Indianapolis Indians SP - Bill Reidy, Denver Grizzlies SP - Jim Buchanan, Detroit Wolverines SP - Eddie Plank, Denver Grizzlies

10-23-2009, 12:31 AM	#120
Johnny Canuck Minors (Single A) Join Date: May 2006 Location: Brampton, Ontario Posts: 93	Just a quick suggestion - would it be possible to have a post each year (either here or in the blog) on the amateur draft, with the first round & any other 'notables' taken? I'm curious if those expansion teams (including my 'Wolverines') are drafting anybody that will help the imbalance in the Western League.