A Baseball History

[Hankyu Braves]

First of all, I'd like to express my thanks and gratitude to the people behind this wonderful game, to the talented modders who make (re)creating a world so easy and to the posters whose remarkable stories have been an inspiration.

This dynasty (or rather, this narration) takes place in the United States in 1871. Here's the premise of the story:
- During the 1850s and 1860s, two giant railroad conglomerates emerge and compete in the same regions: the Central Pacific Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad. Both are firmly developped in the East (to the point that they sometimes run the same routes) and shared honors in the westward expansion. Competition (some call it a war) is fierce.
- Over the same period, the game of baseball spreads across the country and gains popularity. However, various attemps to establish state-wide or even regional leagues are short-lived.
- Although the Civil War erupted in 1861, it quickly ended in 1862 when Gen. McLellan crossed the Potomac River, therefore lessening its impact on the country, although the war did leave quite a few scars.
- In 1870, Tobias Crampton (fictionnal) chairman of the Central Pacific Railroad and fervent base ball enthusiast, decides to set up a professional baseball league as a promotional vehicle for his company. Within a few months, 12 investors (or groups of investors) agree to run 12 professional ball club in 11 cities of the United States and Canada, served by Central Pacific Lines. The Central Pacific's slogan of the time "The Central Pacific Railroad brings baseball to your city." emphasizes the company's ability to reach cities across the country.
- In 1871, at the start of this dynasty, the Central Pacific Baseball League (or Central League) is born.

Athough (almost) entirely fictionnal, this alternate world will evolve along the lines and patterns of our modern industrialized world. Real life tragedies such as both World Wars will probably happen and have an impact (to be defined) on this baseball world.
Financials and league totals are set for 1871 with yearly adjustments. The league's automatic evolution is limited to more/less batting and pitching and active roster size.

As it stands, I plan to present the world by providing bits and pieces of news, trivia and newspapers headlines. Feel free to ask any question if you're interested (regarding the teams, the players, the managers...). I'd like to keep it as interactive as possible.

My plan is to simulate this world from 1871 to 2012 and then take control of one ballclub as a GM.
I plan to focus mainly on the USA and Japan, but this might change overtime. Currently, I've reached the 1901 season. There's a lot left to cover.

Thank you to those who will follow this.

[Hankyu Braves]

My apologies, it looks like the first pitch will be slightly delayed.
I'm encountering troubles with the image uploading system.

The Central Pacific Baseball League will be back shortly.

While the technical difficulties are getting sorted out, let's have a look at a few bits of trivia found in the 1872 Base Ball Monthly Almanac

- Did you know? The Central Pacific Baseball League Awards are named after steam engines.
- The highest contract in 1871 went to third baseman Joe Covington, then the most famous ball player in the USA. He received 640 US$ for his services from the Louisville Scouts.
- Three teams had a payroll exceeding 6,000 US$ for 1871: The Buffalo Stampede, Louisville Scouts and Detroit Power. All three belong to the Lexington Division.
- The Buffalo Stampede had a league best .670 winning record (71-35).
- Divisions and team trophies are named after famous battles of the War of the Independance at the request of Mr. Crampton, chairman of the Central Pacific Railroad, who had lost a grandfather during the first battle of Saratoga (September 19, 1777).

[Hankyu Braves]

Nevermind my previous questions, I finally understood what to do. Bear with me I'm too old for this

[Hankyu Braves]

The logos will probably look familiar.

Central Pacific Baseball League logo


Here's an overview of the Lexington Division:

Buffalo Stampede



Owner: Jimmy Zunk, founder of the Zunk Mining Company operating several mines on both sides of the border
Manager: Chad May, trophy winning manager with experience in two defunct leagues
Notable players: Shane Reynolds, 29 year old pitcher from Quincy, Ma. & Evan Moriarty, 32 year old third baseman who has dominated the scene in the state of New York for the past four years. He’s a Civil War veteran too.
Stadium: Stampede Stadium

Chicago Black Sox



Owner: Joe Normandin, who heads a group of local investors
Manager: Ben Tanner, a relatively unknown Canadian
Notable players: Blake Amedeo, 27 year old pitcher with great control & Steve Margolis, 27 year old shortstop from Hamilton, NJ with one of the biggest contracts in the league
Stadium: Black Sox Ballpark

Cleveland Railhawks



Owner: Andy Erdmann, owner of the Ohio Banking Corporation
Manager: Steve Duffy, hot-tempered former catcher who’s known to argue almost every call
Notable players: Greg Schultz, a 32 year old one-armed pitcher & Nick Mease, 25 year old left fielder with devastating speed
Stadium: Cleveland Grounds

Detroit Power



Owner: Sean Coxley, nicknamed "Double M", the Michigan Millionaire, who controls most of Detroit’s industrial facilities
Manager: Aaron Draskovich, who once killed an opposing player in a post-match duel
Notable players: J.R. 'Dutch' Van Hout, Rotterdam-born 26 year old pitcher & Adam Spohn, 23 year old first baseman with great talent and work ethic
Stadium: Power Ballpark

Louisville Scouts



Owner: Col. William (Billy) Peck, former army colonel, owner of the biggest ranch in Kentucky
Manager: Roger Poste, son-in-law of Col. Peck
Notable players: Ryan Boyd, 31 year old pitcher who played for the Brooklyn Excelsiors & Joe Covington, 27 year old third baseman, the most famous player in the country. An amateur ball club in Columbus was known as the Columbus Covingtons
Stadium: Scouts Ballpark

Toronto Squirrels



Owner: David Barkley, chairman of the Atlantic Trading & Banking Company
Manager: Paul Amundsen, veteran manager held in high regards, who refused to manage the Detroit Power
Notable players: Jim Bingham, 31 year old pitcher with great leading ability & Joe Mankowski, 30 year old left fielder extremely popular for his crazy on-field antics
Stadium: Squirrels Ballpark

Pre-season predictions project a division title for the Cleveland Railhawks with a 63-43 record.

[Hankyu Braves]

Here's an overview of the Saratoga Division:

Boston Green Sox



Owner: Elijah Joseph, owner of the Cloverleaf Brewery
Manager: Billy Kinnard, a former pitcher who claims to have thrown a no-hitter at some point in the 1850s
Notable players: Caleb Little, a greedy 24 year old pitcher with questionable work ethic & Billy Clark, 19 year old catcher with outstanding natural ability
Stadium: Green Sox Ballpark

Brooklyn Lions



Owner: Brett Berg, newspaper mogul, founder of the New York Herald, and well-known philanthropist
Manager: Tyler Steinkoenig, young Texan who managed the Brooklyn Excelsiors for three years
Notable players: Nick Warren, 29 year old pitcher who pitched drunk more often than not & Mike Nelson, 36 year old veteran left fielder who was the dominant batter in every league in played in
Stadium: Lions Ballpark

New York Americans



Owner: David Holley, former republican NY state governor and senior partner of the Holley Douglas & Co. Insurance Company
Manager: Dave Campbell, a member of the New York Athletic Club and former player of the Newark Eurekas
Notable players: Chris Mattson, "The Zouave", a larger than life 32 year old pitcher who led a company in the 11th New York, the regiment which conquered Richmond in 1862 & Matt England a 26 year old utility infielder with an uncanny ability to put the ball in play
Stadium: Americans Ballpark

Philadelphia Pilgrims



Owner: Matt Collins, wealthiest businessman of Philadelphia and owner of the Collins Mansion, also known as “The New Versailles”
Manager: Tristan Davis, Illinois native who coached the Philadelphia Athletic during the NABBP final season
Notable players: Taylor Koetje, 24 year pitcher with the richest contract of the league at his position & Nick Smith, 27 year old center fielder known as “Flying Nick” for his defensive prowess
Stadium: Ballpark of Philadelphia

Pittsburgh Giants



Owner: Dale Papendick, founder and co-owner of the Allegheny Steel Company
Manager: Brandon Davis, respected manager with over 20 years experience in various leagues in the East as well as in California, where in managed the San Francisco Red Rovers
Notable players: Carl Harding, 28 year old Canadian pitcher who won over 100 games in Canada & Elliot Booth, 25 year old right fielder known for his gambling habits and constant money problems
Stadium: Giants Ballpark

Washington Senators



Owner: Brian Menzel, chairman of the South Atlantic Railroad Company, an affiliate company of the Central Pacific Railroad
Manager: Larry Halpenny, a veteran manager generally viewed as the man behind most pitching innovations in the 1860s
Notable players: Caleb Burrill, 26 year old pitcher nicknamed “The Hired Gun” & Brady Ballard, an extremely popular 29 year old right fielder, perhaps the first example of a player with a cult following
Stadium: Field of the Senators

Pre-season predictions project a division title for the Philadelphia Pilgrims with a 61-45 record.

[Hankyu Braves]

A bit of trivia regarding the individual awards:

- The Majestic Award goes to the best fielders at their respective positions
- The Stanford Medal goes to the best rookie player
- The Huntington Medal goes to the best pitcher
- The Crampton Medal goes to the best batter
- Each medal is made of silver and gold with the name of the recipient engraved
- The Majectic Award is miniature of a baseball player
- These awards are decided after a vote by each umpire at the end of the season
- The Manager of the Year award is decided after a vote by all coaches & managers of the league
- Baseball cards of individual awards winners were issued at the end of november 1871

[Hankyu Braves]

[Hankyu Braves]

Baseball cards of some of the award winning players and manager

Stanford Medal



Huntington Medal



Crampton Medal




Manager of the Year



This (might) conclude(s) the first year. I can get into more details and sub-stories if some of you readers want it.
I hope it's enjoyable so far.
Feel free to make any comment, suggestion and/or question.
It'll help me greatly.

Thanks

[Hankyu Braves]

[Hankyu Braves]

To start the year in style , a two-part look into the 1871 season.



Second part in a few hours.

[Hankyu Braves]

Second part of the team by team review.

[Hankyu Braves]

The 1872 season starts with a bang!
An interview of the president of the Central League.

[Hankyu Braves]

The ink is not yet dry. Hot from the press, the second part.

[Hankyu Braves]

One of the problems with trying to tell the story of baseball's early years is the lack of sources. Material is scarce, quality uneven. It's a researcher's nightmare.
Take the case of The Base Ball Monthly for instance. Hardly famous for its top-notch quality, it remains one of the few available sources. Alas, the magazine's archives were destroyed by a fire in 1893, and there is no complete collection of the publication.
Fortunately, even today, old issues can be found here and there, gathering dust in attics.

[Hankyu Braves]

[Hankyu Braves]

1872 Central Pacific Baseball League mid-season report

[Nick Soulis]

This an amazing start that captures the times. Great work, look forward to seeing how the Black Sox do.

[Hankyu Braves]

Originally Posted by Nick Soulis

This an amazing start that captures the times. Great work, look forward to seeing how the Black Sox do.

Thanks a lot. I'll do my best. So will the Black Sox no doubt.
So far Chicago is... well, Chicago.

[Hankyu Braves]

[Hankyu Braves]

It seems that, true to form, the previous issue of The Base Ball Monthly messed up the league standings.
That Harrington fellow had trouble with numbers!