The Big Bang: A Larger Baseball Universe Starting From Nothing in 1857 - Page 39

tm1681 · 07-21-2025, 09:28 PM

THE 1875 PHILADELPHIA CITY BASEBALL LEAGUE PREVIEW

PHILADELPHIA (May 12, 1875) – It is time to begin the third season of the Philadelphia City Baseball League.

After a surprise in the inaugural season saw Mercantile B.C. take the first Liberty Bell Classic, Merion B.C.C. took the title last year, sweeping aside Frankford Arsenal in three games after winning out in a three-team playoff to decide the champions of the western half of the city.

This year, Frankford is expected to remain East Philadelphia’s only champions while it should be Philadelphia B.C.C.’s turn to take the West Philadelphia pennant for the first time, with their empty trophy case from the first two seasons surprising pretty much everybody.

Joseph Evans remaining in Philadelphia for another season means he probably already has one hand on the Batsman of the Year trophy, while the race for both Pitcher of the Year and Most Valuable Player should see a plethora of players put forth qualified resumés for consideration.

There are some extremely talented Greenhorns entering the league. The Writers Pool thinks Port Richmond’s new #1 Italian-born #1 Biagio Casagrande (5.0*) has the most natural talent of any pitcher in the league, with Schuylkill’s fellow pitching greenhorn Timotheus Memminger (5.0*) not far behind. Keystone has their own new #1 likely to star in Moses “Slappy” Smith (4.5*), and Independence’s Ward Jackson (4.5*) also appears to be a very good pitcher.

No first-year batsmen are expected to set the P.C.B.L. alight, but Port Richmond has a very promising CF in 23-year-old William Detmer (3.0/4.0*), 1B Ciaran Stewart (3.0*) should provide a fine bat for Sons of Ben, 2B William Edmonds (3.0*) is expected to give Merion some Golden Glove defense, and RF Roark Ellison (3.0*) has gone right to the middle of the Independence lineup.

And with that, it’s time to play ball!

PHILADELPHIA CITY BASEBALL LEAGUE PROJECTED FINISH

East Philadelphia
• Favorites: Frankford Arsenal at 42-28 (+115 RD)
• Spartan 1 GB, Sons of Ben 6 GB, three teams 8 GB

West Philadelphia
• Favorites: Philadelphia B.C.C. at 43-27 (+130 RD)
• Germantown 1 GB, Merion 3 GB, Schuylkill 7 GB

Liberty Bell Classic favorites: Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club

EAST PHILDELPHIA – Frankford is favored to wear the crown of East Philadelphia for the third straight year, but once again only just. Their outfield of Brown, Evans, & Howard is the best in the league, and Jonathan Toppin could be even better at 2B with a year in the PCBL behind him. Spartan doesn’t have Frankford’s richness of talent but star RF Joseph Sizemore should lead the team to another high finish, with the rest of the pack 6-12 games behind the projected leaders.

WEST PHILADELPHIA – As in the inaugural season, the three B.C.C. teams are projected to finish 1-2-3 in West Philadelphia with Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club coming out on top. The team has the league’s best C (Harrison Hearst), the best 3B (Charles Hunt), and they added the league’s best defensive player, SS Moody Steiger, over the winter. Germantown’s projected finish of 2nd is based on the idea that two years together will see the team’s collection of talented players – they rank top-five at C, 1B, LF, CF, & RF – create their first season of over .500 baseball. Defending champions Merion have the league’s most talented team, but the pool seems to think that it won’t add up to another 1st-place finish.

PCBL AWARD FAVORITES

Batsman of the Year: Joseph Evans (LF, Frankford) – projected .333/.382/.475, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 16 SB
Pitcher of the Year: Arthur Lipscomb (P.B.C.C.) – projected 26-11, 2.00 ERA, 30 K over 345.2 IP
Most Valuable Player: Frederick Pike (2B, P.B.C.C.) – projected .316/.332/.418, 1 HR, 69 RBI, 25 SB
Greenhorn of the Year: Biagio Casagrande (P, Pt. Richmond) – projected 21-18, 2.75 ERA, 27 K over 323.2 IP

PCBL TEAM OF THE YEAR FAVORITES

P: Arthur Lipscomb (P.B.C.C.), C: Harrison Hearst (P.B.C.C.), 1B: William Norman (Merion), 2B: Herman Stanley (Queen Village), 3B: Charles Hunt (P.B.C.C.), SS: James Hurt (Schuylkill), OF: Joseph Evans (Frankford), OF: Francis Brown (Frankford), OF: Sigmund Siemens (Germantown)

tm1681 · 07-22-2025, 03:11 PM

MASS. BAY RUNS UP THE SCORE AT NIAGARA
BOSTONIANS KEEP NIAGARA OFF THE SCOREBOARD WHILE WINNING BY NINETEEN IN BUFFALO

BUFFALO, N.Y. (May 14, 1875) - Massachusetts Bay and Niagara met for the first time this year, the contest held at the Greater New York Sporting Grounds in Buffalo. Only one team showed up to play, and that team was the visitors:

The opening two innings were even baseball, and after four Mass. Bay had a decent 4-0 lead. However, in the top of the 5th the visitors ripped Niagara apart, scoring eleven runs:

• MB 1B Albert Stoffers: Single to LF
• MB SS Jonathan Richards: Reached via Error by 3B
• MB C Lane Garvin: 1-Run Single to RCF (R: Stoffers)
• MB LF Franklin Skaggs: Ground Out to 1B (1 out; R by Richards)
• MB 2B Warren Perkins: 2-RUN HOME RUN (I-t-P) to LF (R’s by Garvin & Perkins)
• MB P Tom Hauser: Ground Out to SS (2 out)
• MB CF Charles Foster: Single past 2B
• Foster steals 2B
• MB RF Henry Gaul: Reached via Base on Balls
• MB 3B William Trowbridge: 2-run Double past 3B (R’s by Foster & Gaul)
• NIA Pitching Change: Marshall Yarber in for Everton McLean
• MB 1B Albert Stoffers: Reached via Error by 2B
• MB SS Jonathan Richards: 1-run Single past 2B (R by Trowbridge)
• 1-run Throwing Error by NIA CF (R by Stoffers)
• MB C Lane Garvin: 1-run Triple to RF (R by Richards)
• MB LF Franklin Skaggs: 1-run Single past SS (R by Garvin)
• MB 2B Warren Perkins: 1-run Triple to CF (R by Skaggs)
• MB P Tom Hauser: Ground Out to SS (3 out)
• TOTAL: 15 Batsmen, 11 R, 9 H (1 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR), 3 E, 1 BB, 1 SB

By the end of the rally it was 15-0 to Mass. Bay, and the contest was effectively over.

As excellent as the Mass. Bay offense was, their defense had a fine day as well. Tom Hauser pitched a Shutout (4 HA, 0 BB, 1 K), the fielders committed only three Errors, and they turned a pair of Double Plays against the hapless Niagara team.

The leadoff man in the fateful 5th inning, Albert Stoffers, was 2/4 on the day, which raised his average to .522 (24/46) through ten games with a 1.228 OPS, easily the best marks in the A.P.B.L. He has a dozen Runs Batted In.

Mass. Bay C Lane Garvin, who had been struggling, was 5/5 (3B, 3 R, 4 RBI) on the afternoon and in the process raised his early-season Batting Average from .211 to .302 (.674 OPS).

The result left both Massachusetts Bay & Niagara with identical 6-4 records.

tm1681 · 07-22-2025, 03:12 PM

AMERICAN BEATS KINGS CO. WITH LATE BARRAGE
TEN RUNS ACROSS 7TH & 8TH MAKE THE DIFFERENCE; ONE PLAYER FROM EACH TEAM HAS FIVE HITS

PHILADELPHIA (May 14, 1875) - Kings County, off to a pleasant 5-4 start to the season, visited American, also 5-4, to start the two teams’ weekend series on Friday. The result was an all-offense affair:

For a while it looked like visiting Kings County might get the better of 2x champions American, as a two-run Single by 2B Dress van der Leest put them up 8-5 in the top of the 5th. However, American responded with half a dozen runs in B5, and after a single run in the 6th they scored ten times over the 7th & 8th to turn what was a close contest into a ten-run rout.

James Burke was 4/6 with a Triple & three RBI for American, but Player of the Game honors went to Franklin Petty:

• B1: Ground Out to 1B (1 out)
• B2: Fly Out to 2B (2 out)
• B4: Single past 2B off J. Doherty (SB, SB, R)
• B5: 1-run Double to CF off J. Doherty (R)
• B6: Single to RCF off R. Ewing
• B7: 2-run Triple to LCF off R. Ewing (R)
• B8: 2-run Single past SS off H. Tallman
• TOTAL: 5/7 (2B, 3B, 8 TB) 3 R, 5 RBI, 2 SB

The performance left Petty with an average of .365 (.839 OPS) and ten RBI through ten games.

Petty was not the only player to finish the game with five Hits, as Kings Co. 3B Harold McMichael matched him in defeat:

• T2: Leadoff Single to CF off M. Benetti (R)
• T3: 1-run Single past 1B off M. Benetti (R)
• T4: 1-run Single past SS off M. Benetti
• T6: Fly Out to CF (1 out)
• T8: Single to CF off J. Everhart (R)
• T9: 2-run Triple to LCF off J. Everhart
• TOTAL: 5/6 (3B, 7 TB) 3 R, 4 RBI

McMichael’s five-hit day left him with an average of .340 (.801 OPS) with ten RBI through ten games, like Petty.

Through ten games Kings Co. is 5-5 and actually not in last place in the Metropolitan Conference. Incredibly, that honor goes to defending champions Orange, who are currently 1-9. American is 6-4 and tied for 2nd with Gotham, one game behind Excelsior for the Metropolitan lead.

tm1681 · 07-22-2025, 03:12 PM

GROVER WRIGHT GOES 10 INNINGS FOR WIN #300
LEGEND BECOMES 1ST TO DEBUT AFTER INAUGURAL SEASON TO REACH 300 N.B.B.O. WINS

NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (May 15, 1875) - Longtime New England foes Portland B.C. & Sons of the Ocean faced off in Massachusetts, and it took ten innings to find a victor:

After seven innings S.o.t.O. was in control, ahead 6-3 behind eight base hits and seven Portland fielding mistakes. Then, CF Jonathan Ovaska tied the score in T8 with a three-run Triple, and after an inning and half of scoreless baseball it was time for extra innings.

In the top of the 10th Ovaska drove in another run with a Single and he was followed with a two-run Single by SS Louis Beane to put Portland ahead 9-6. Grover Wright, who held S.o.t.O. hitless over the final three innings, had an easy time retiring the home team in B10 and the 4x defending New England champions had the victory.

For Wright, it was his 300th victory in the NBBO, making him the third pitcher to reach the milestone after Rainer van der Hout and Carl Bancroft.

Wright was the most dominant pitcher of the very early years of the N.B.B.O., and it was thought he would remain just that for the entirety of his career after the historic 1861 season that saw him become the first New York League pitcher to earn Most Valuable Player. However, Wright sensationally left Kings County, for whom he had a 93-42 record and 2.89 ERA, for Niagara after winning both M.V.P. and the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, and he’s been merely quite good ever since.

Grover Wright is a 2x time N.B.B.O. champion, 5x All-Star, 2x Team of the Year nominee, and a 3x Golden Glove winner in addition to being the 1861 New York League M.V.P. The Brooklyn native hopes that what is likely to be his final season in competitive baseball will end with his ninth trip to the playoffs and his first cup triumph in fourteen years.

For Wright, win #300 cements his status as one of the sport’s greatest pitchers.

tm1681 · 07-22-2025, 03:13 PM

CANTABRIGIANS SLAUGHTERS SALEM BY 21
HOSTS’ LEAD GREW AS LARGE AS 23; MEN IN MIDDLE OF LINEUP CLUB FOUR HITS EACH

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (May 16, 1875) - Cantabrigians was at home against Salem on Sunday, looking to end the series by taking a second victory. One glance at the box score shows they did that in spectacular fashion:

Cantabrigians started the day off right with six runs in the opening inning, and big rallies in the 3rd & 4th saw them hit the midway point of the game with an 18-3 lead. They weren’t done, as more runs in the 6th, 7th, & 8th would take the lead all the way to 26-3 before Cantabrigians let Salem have a couple of consolation runs in the top of the 9th.

There were a number of great performances from members of the home side…

• CAN #2 William Hill (RF): 3/6 (2B, 4 TB), 3 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB
• CAN #4 Jonathan Crow (2B): 4/7 (all 1B), 3 R, 2 RBI
• CAN #5 Erwijn Groenland (1B): 4/6 (2B, 5 TB), 4 R, 3 RBI, HBP
• CAN #7 Raymond Fortney (SS): 2/5 (both 1B), 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB

…but greenhorn LF Dermott Ainge took Player of the Game honors with a tremendous display:

• B1: Reached via Error by 2B J. Verhaaren (R)
• B2: Fly Out to SS (2 out)
• B3: 2-RUN HOME RUN to LF off R. Dressen (R)
• B4: 2-run Triple to RCF off R. Dressen (R)
• B6: Leadoff Single to RF off H. Castleberry (R)
• B7: 1-run Triple to LCF off H. Castleberry
• B8: Bases Loaded Bases on Balls by H. Castleberry
• TOTAL: 4/6 (2 3B, HR, 11 TB), 4 R, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 104 GMSC

Ainge, a 24-year-old who was in Cantabrigians’ Reserve Roster for three years before he was made their regular LF to start 1875, put up the first 100+ Game Score on the young season, and took his batting record for Week One to a final tally of 7/22 (.318) with four Extra-Base Hits (1 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR) and eleven Runs Batted In. Cantabrigians certainly doesn’t expect Ainge to keep up this level of production for the entire season, but it’s quite the encouraging Week One start by their new man in Left Field.

tm1681 · 07-22-2025, 03:13 PM

AMERICAN HAS TWO FIVE-HIT STARS AT KNICK
BUSBY & PRINCE BOTH FINISH 5/6; PRINCE ADDS SEVEN RBI’S IN BIG WIN AT ELYSIAN FIELDS

MANHATTAN (May 20, 1875) - American needed a win in the final game of their series at Knickerbocker to go above .500, and they were more than up to the task in a ten-run victory at the Elysian Fields:

With the game 1-1 at the start of the 3rd inning, American scored three times and never looked back, adding four more in the top of the 4th to take an 8-2 lead. With two more runs in T6 it was 10-2, and after a Knick run in B6 American scored three more runs during their next time at bat to go ahead 13-3 and seal the win.

American’s two biggest stars, James Burke & Franklin Petty, were collectively okay. Burke hit 2/4 and Petty was 1/6, but that wasn’t a problem as two other members of the American lineup had five hits each.

First up: William Busby, now in his eleventh year as American’s 1B. He was 5/6 with the bat (all Singles), and he didn’t drive in any runs Busby scored four times on the afternoon.

Next up: Martin Prince, American’s third-year SS who took Player of the Game honors with his performance:

• T1: 1-run Single to CF off B. Landreth
• T3: 1-run Single past 2B off B. Landreth
• T4: 3-run Double to RCF off B. Landreth (R)
• T6: 1-run Double to LF off B. Landreth (R)
• T7: 1-run Infield Single off A. Bird
• T9: Fly Out to CF (1 out)
• TOTAL: 5/7 (2 2B, 7 TB), 2 R, 7 RBI, 100 GMSC

The seven Runs Batted In were a career high for the defensive wizard, and Prince’s 100 Game Score was the first triple-digit mark in the A.P.B.L. this season. Pince entered the game batting just .222 (.500 OPS), but left it batting .275 (.629 OPS) with thirteen RBI through American’s first fifteen games.

The final left both teams’ records at 8-7, part of a three-way tie with Gotham for 2nd in the Metropolitan Conference.

tm1681 · 07-23-2025, 05:39 PM

DEADLY TIGER POUNCES ON PORT JERSEY
PHILADELPHIANS BEHIND EARLY BUT DOMINATE AFTER 1ST IN EIGHTEEN-RUN VICTORY

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (May 21, 1875) - At the end of the 1st inning of the game between Tiger S.C. & Pt. Jersey at Hoboken & Oakland Park on Friday the hosts had the lead. After that, it was a mauling by Tiger:

After that opening inning Tiger scored six unanswered runs before Pt. Jersey responded with two in the bottom of the 5th to bring the score to 6-5. After that, Tiger would score the next nineteen runs over the 6th-8th and it was game over.

Three Tiger batsmen had four hits during the game:

• TSC #5 George Moore (RF): 4/7 (all 1B), 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 3 SB
• TSC #6 Jack Dubay (CF): 4/7 (2B, 5 TB), 3 R, 1 RBI
• TSC #9 Ivory Norman (P): 4/6 (all 1B), 3 R, 2 RBI

Norman had a strange afternoon. Tiger’s #2 P was no great shakes with the ball (12 HA, 8 RA, 3 ER, 2 BB) even though he went the distance, but his stellar work with the bat helped prolong multiple rallies.

In addition to the trio of four-hit men, Tiger had one player with five base hits and another with six.

The man with six hits was 3B Herbert Ray, who surprisingly didn’t take Player of the Game honors:

• T1: Fly Out to CF (1 out)
• T2: Line Out to 1B (3 out)
• T4: 1-run Single past 2B off R. van der Hout
• T5: 1-run Single past 2B off R. van der Hout
• T6: 1-run Single past 1B off R. van der Hout (R)
• T7: Single past 2B off E. Wentzel (R)
• T8: Double to LCF off F. Metzger (R)
• T9: Single past 1B off F. Metzger
• TOTAL: 6/8 (2B, 7 TB), 3 R, 3 RBI

Instead, P.o.t.G. went to five-hit man Everton Stephens, Tiger’s regular 1B:

• T2: Leadoff Single to CF off R. van der Hout (R)
• T3: Single to LF off R. van der Hout
• T5: Reached via Error by P R. van der Hout (R)
• T6: Reached via Error by 2B J. Keenan (R)
• T6: Fly Out to CF (3 out)
• T7: 3-run Triple to RCF off E. Wentzel (R)
• T8: 1-run Double to LF off F. Metzger (R)
• T9: 1-run Single past 2B off F. Metzger
• TOTAL: 5/8 (2B, 3B, 8 TB), 5 R, 5 RBI, SB

Ray’s 6/8 afternoon raised his average to .452 (19/42; 3 2B, 1 3B) through eight games, while Stephens’ output took his average to .368 (.833) OPS with nine Runs Batted In.

Tiger is currently 3-5, while Pt. Jersey, embarrassment aside, is 5-3.

tm1681 · 07-23-2025, 05:40 PM

HEARST SHINES AS P.B.C.C. CONTINUES HOT START
CATCHER CLUBS FIVE HITS AS TEAM ROUTS SCHUYLKILL AND IMPROVES TO 10-1

PHILADELPHIA (May 26, 1875) - Philadelphia B.C.C. entered their series at Schuylkill with a 9-1 record and a +65 Run Differential through two weeks of play. The series opener proved to be more of the same for P.B.C.C.:

Schuylkill had a 1-0 lead after two innings, but in the top of the 3rd P.B.C.C. turned on the offense and left their hosts in the dust. Four runs in the 3rd, two in the 4th, and three more in the 5th made it a 9-1 game, and P.B.C.C. continued to pile it on until a pair of scores in the top of the 9th put them ahead 17-3, the game’s final result.

P.B.C.C. had five players with multiple hits during the game. The first four:

• PBCC #1 Robert Chase (CF): 2/6 (2B, 3 TB), 2 R, 2 RBI
• PBCC #2 Henry Griffin (RF): 2/6 (3B, 4 TB), 2 R, 3 RBI
• PBCC #3 Frederick Pike (2B): 3/5 (all 1B), 1 R, 2 RBI, SB
• PBCC #8 Moody Steiger (SS): 4/6 (3B, 6 TB), 3 R, 1 RBI

The other player was C Harrison Hearst, who took home Player of the Game honors:

• T2: Reached via Fielder’s Choice at 2B (2 out)
• T3: Single past SS off T. Memminger
• T5: Leadoff Single past SS off T. Memminger
• T6: Single past SS off T. Memminger
• T7: 3-run Double to LF W. Willingham (R)
• T9: 1-run Single past 2B off W. Winningham (R)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2B, 6 TB), 2 R, 4 RBI

Wednesday’s outburst moved Hearst’s average over .400 to .409 (.913 OPS) with half a dozen Runs Batted In.

The smashing victory made P.B.C.C. 10-1 through eleven games with a massive +79 Run Differential (+7.2 R/G), their only loss being a 2-0 shutout at home to Germantown on Opening Day. Since then, it’s been nothing but brilliance for P.B.C.C.

On the other hand, Schuylkill is 2-9, and last year’s West Philadelphia runners-up already appear to be in trouble.

tm1681 · 07-23-2025, 05:43 PM

OVERBROOK & INDEPENDENCE CONTEST A BAFFLER
WEST PHILADELPHIA TEAMS COMBINE FOR 48 RUNS AS STRANGE FIELDING RULES THE DAY

PHILADELPHIA (May 28, 1875) - Overbrook & Independence are two teams that finished last year around .500 – not great, but not terrible. With that in mind, the game they played this afternoon was downright bizarre:

While there are plenty of fielding mistakes in a normal game of baseball – the average P.C.B.L. team commits eight Errors per game (this is in line with the 8.1 E/G per team in the real life National Association of 1871-74, although E/G went down to 6.8 in 1875) – what unfolded in Mount Moriah Park made those in attendance feel as if the players’ hands had been possessed by evil spirits.

Overbrook’s seventeen Errors were a team record, and Independence’s seemingly impossible TWENTY-SIX ERRORS amounted to a new all-leagues record for fieldwork futility during the course of a single afternoon’s work. The biggest culprit: Independence SS George Selby, who made roughly two mistakes per game at the position last year but managed to commit NINE ERRORS during today’s contest, a full one per inning.

That’s not to say the game was left wanting for fine batsmanship. There were a number of quality performances:

• OVER #3 George Bierlein (2B): 4/7 (2B, 5 TB), 5 R, 2 RBI
• OVER #4 Gareth Webber (1B): 5/7 (2B, 6 RBI), 5 R, 5 RBI
• OVER #5 William Cardigan (CF): 2/7 (GRAND SLAM, 5 TB), 3 R, 7 RBI, 1 BB
• IND #2 Jerald Coleman (LF): 3/7 (2B, 4 TB), 3 R, 2 RBI
• IND #3 Jonathan Turriff (2B): 4/6 (all 1B), 5 R, 2 RBI
• IND #4 Roark Ellison (RF): 3/7 (all 1B), 4 R, 2 RBI
• IND #6 Glenn Payne (3B): 5/7 (2B, 6 TB), 4 R, 4 RBI

It was Webber who took Player of the Game honors even though William Cardigan’s Grand Slam - one of the rarest events in the sport - in the top of the 4th was the game’s biggest hit.

There was even an incredible comeback in this one. After an early flood of scoring saw Independence ahead 15-4 after the 3rd, Overbrook won the next two innings 4-3 each to make it a 21-12 game. After Independence scored twice in the 6th to bring their lead back to eleven all hope looked lost for the visitors, but after a scoreless 7th Overbrook scored a dozen times during the top of the 8th in what was one of the strangest innings in baseball history.

During the top of the 8th Overbrook plated those twelve runs on only four hits. Out in the field, Independence committed ELEVEN ERRORS in just half an inning, another all-leagues record, to fill in the hitting gaps and allow Overbrook batsmen who otherwise would have been retired to keep moving on the basepaths. It was truly some high strangeness at Mt. Moriah.

By the time it was all done Overbrook had erased the deficit and taken a 24-23 lead. They would then add an insurance run in the top of the 9th to go ahead 25-23 and cement in place an unforgettable and bizarre victory.

Will this end up being remembered as the best-played game of 1875? Certainly not, but it will likely go down as the most memorable one.

tm1681 · 07-23-2025, 05:46 PM

JOHNSON GOES FOR THE CYCLE VS NASSAU COUNTY
FORMER GOTHAM REGULAR HITS FOR N.B.B.O.’S FIRST CYCLE IN JUST OVER A YEAR

BROOKLYN (May 30, 1875) - Continental finished their home series against perennial underachievers Nassau County on Sunday in Brooklyn Championship action, and the home team came out on top:

Continental opened the scoring with two runs during the bottom of the 1st, and after Nassau Co. responded with three runs the hosts took the lead right back and surged forth to a seven-run victory over a team that has finished last or second-to-last in Brooklyn no less than a dozen times.

There were two four-hit performers for Continental. First was 3B William Denham, who finished 4/5 (2 3B, 8 TB) with three Runs & RBI each. However, he was overshadowed by the other four-hit man, new RF Edward Johnson:

• B1: SOLO HOME RUN (I-t-P) to RF off E. van den Broek (R)
• B3: Leadoff double to LF off E. van den Broek (R)
• B4: 1-run Triple to RF off E. van den Broek (R)
• B6: Reached via Base on Balls by E. Estes (R)
• B8: Single to CF off E. Estes
• TOTAL: 4/4 (CYCLE, 10 TB), 4 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 OF AST

Johnson hit for the Cycle, doing the hard part, the Home Run, first and the easy part, the Single, last. It was the sixteenth in N.B.B.O. history and the first since Hiram Britton’s for Portland (4/6, 3 R, 4 RBI) on May 16th of last year. There has yet to be a Cycle in either the A.P.B.L. or N.B.B.O.

Johnson, who spent the previous four seasons as the regular CF for Gotham in the A.P.B.L., is off to a fantastic start so far in his first season back in the N.B.B.O., where he played for Kings County in 1869 & 70. Johnson is batting .370 with a .984 OPS and fourteen Runs Batted In through fifteen games, and he is on pace for 5.4 WAR.

As a team Continental has started the season strong, going 10-5 through the first three weeks of play to end up part of a three-way tie atop Brooklyn with Atlantic & Eckford. Nassau Co., on the other hand, is 4-11 and in their familiar position of last place.

tm1681 · 07-23-2025, 05:46 PM

AMERICAN BASEBALL MAY RECAP

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (June 1, 1875) – The opening month of the baseball season is done and dusted, and here is how each of baseball’s three competitions look as the calendar turns over to June.

APBL STANDINGS (24 of 90 games played)

COLONIAL – The conference consists of five teams currently running neck-and-neck with only Flour City struggling, although they had a positive Run Differential and eight one-run losses. Shamrock has been the conference’s best team over the past ten games at 7-3. St. John’s looks extremely frail due to their sub-500 record and conference-worst RD, but three-double digit losses make up most of that -38.

METROPOLITAN – Excelsior, with the league’s best pitching and a top-three defense, won the month. American, with six straight wins and their league-best offense, is right behind. Gotham, Knickerbocker, & Orange are at arm’s length, with Orange making up serious ground after their 1-9 start. Kings Co…well…their 5-5 start seemed like a sign of a much-improved season to come, but they’re 3-11 since then.

APBL MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
James Burke (CF, AME) – .425, 1.025 OPS, 25 R, 48 H, 7 2B, 5 3B, 25 RBI, 4 BB, 16 SB, 1.8 WPA, 1.9 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Jim Creighton (GOT) – 8-3, 2.55 ERA, 102.1 IP, 9 CG, 1 SHO, 35 K, 4.4 K/BB, 1.16 WHIP, 2.5 WAR, 1.9 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Simeon DiStefano (P, MB) – 8-3, 2.35 ERA, 99.2 IP, 7 CG, 9 K, 1.3 K/BB, 0.6 BB/9, 1.14 WHIP, 1.8 WAR, 2.3 rWAR

James Burke hit .538 (1.369 OPS) and racked up nearly a full point of WAR over the last week of May, and that clinched BotM for the legendary outfielder. However, he didn’t lead the league in batting. That honor went to Albert Stoffers (1B, Mass. Bay) who hit .430 but with a lower OPS (.957), fewer Hits (46), fewer RBI (24), and only two Stolen Bases.

It’s PotM award number eight for Creighton, who picked up right from where he left off in 1874 with more astounding pitching for APBL-best Excelsior. There were two other pitchers that won eight games: Mass. Bay’s Tom Hauser, who had a lower ERA (2.50) but nothing close to Creighton’s other numbers, and American’s Simeon DiStefano, who took a different award.

Charles Burton of Knickerbocker had a lower ERA at 2.18 but his record was 6-6, and that is why DiStefano took home GotM for his debut month in the A.P.B.L. DiStefano showed good pitching acumen while letting American’s incredibly rangy outfielders do the job for him, and he was rewarded with an eight-win month that matched PotM Jim Creighton.

APBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .430 by Albert Stoffers (1B, Mass. Bay)
OPS: 1.025 by James Burke (CF, American)
Runs: 36 by Franklin Petty (RF, American)
Home Runs: 3 Bill Lewis (RF, Excelsior) & Troy Oberst (LF, Excelsior)
Runs Batted In: 29 by John Meier (LF, Alleghany)
Stolen Bases: 23 by Franklin Petty
Batsman WPA: 2.6 by Albert Stoffers
Batsman WAR: 1.9 by James Burke

ERA (50+ IP): 2.09 by Jack Doherty (Kings Co.)
Wins: 8 by three different pitchers
Complete Games: 9 by Jim Creighton (Excelsior) & Nicholas Banfield (Excelsior)
Strikeouts: 35 by Jim Creighton
WHIP (50+ IP): 1.14 by Simeon DiStefano (American)
Pitcher WAR: 2.5 by Jim Creighton
Pitcher rWAR: 2.3 by Simeon DiStefano

NBBO REGIONAL LEADERS (15 of 70 games played)

BROOKLYN: Atlantic, Continental, & Eckford at 10-5 (Empire 2 GB)
NEW YORK CITY: Metropolitan at 11-4 (Mutual 0.5 GB, Mercury & Union 3 GB)
UPSTATE NY: Frontier, Utica, & Victory at 10-5 (Minuteman & Syracuse 1 GB)
COASTAL: Quaker State at 14-1 (Pt. Jersey 4 GB, Newark & Trenton Utd. 6 GB)
INLAND: Scranton at 11-4 (Pioneer 1 GB, Lake Erie 2 GB, Merrimack & Susquehanna 3 GB)
NEW ENGLAND: Cantabrigians, Quinnipiac, & Susquehanna at 9-6 (Granite & Oceania 1 GB)

Three of the six regions – Brooklyn, Upstate, & New England – currently have a three-way tie at the top. Those three will eventually sort themselves out, but in the meantime that should mean there will be plenty of exciting baseball ahead for at least half of the competition if not more, since two of the other three regions have numerous teams 3-4 games from 1st.

So much for Quaker State falling to mere contender status this year. Their 14-1 record and +66 Run Differential are both the best in the N.B.B.O. after one month, with the team scoring the 2nd-most runs in the N.E.L. while allowing the fewest runs out of all 48 teams. The only thing keeping them from 15-0? A one-run loss at Olympic on May 20th.

One team to watch, for unfortunate reasons, is Eagle, who just finished the N.B.B.O.’s first ever winless month with a 0-15 May. Their RD of -91 means they are being outscored by six runs per game (5.3 R/G, 11.4 RA/G), and as of right now it looks quite likely that they will have the worst season in N.B.B.O. history.

NBBO MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMEN OF THE MONTH
NYL: William Buschmann (CF, UTI) – .391, .976 OPS, 22 R, 27 H, 6 XBH, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 5 BB, 6 SB, 1.4 WPA, 1.1 WAR
NEL: Gerhardt Berg (1B, QS) – .472, 1.179 OPS, 27 R, 34 H, 4 2B, 5 3B, 18 RBI, 4 BB, 232 OPS+, 1.7 WPA, 1.2 WAR

PITCHERS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Rudolph Fowler (UTI) – 7-2, 2.28 ERA, 79.0 IP, 9 CG, 0 SHO, 5 K, 5.0 K/BB, 1.16 WHIP, 1.3 WAR, 3.2 rWAR
NEL: Ross Gill (QS) – 7-0, 2.60 ERA, 72.2 IP, 6 CG, 1 SHO, 3 K, 3.0 K/BB, 1.18 WHIP, 1.5 WAR, 2.4 rWAR

GREENHORNS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Jacob Wesolowski (P, SYR) – 6-3, 3.00 ERA, 78.0 IP, 8 CG, 0 SHO, 11 K, 2.2 K/BB, 1.27 WHIP, 1.9 WAR, 2.3 rWAR
NEL: Devon Clark (LF, NAT) – .365, .906 OPS, 17 R, 23 H, 5 XBH, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 5 BB, 1 SB, 1.0 WPA, 0.9 WAR

NBBO STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .472 by Gerhardt Berg (1B, Quaker St.)
OPS: 1.179 by Gerhardt Berg
Runs: 27 by Gerhardt Berg
Home Runs: 3 by Lon Duffy (RF, Syracuse)
Runs Batted In: 24 by Ned Morganti (CF, Quaker St.)
Stolen Bases: 12 by three different batsmen
Batsman WPA: 1.7 by Gerhardt Berg
Batsman WAR: 1.2 by four different batsmen

ERA (50+ IP): 1.29 by Frazer Richardson (Metro)
Wins: 7 by four different pitchers
Complete Games: 9 by Rudolph Fowler (Utica)
Strikeouts: 12 by William Clayberg (Scranton)
WHIP (50+ IP): 0.98 by Frazer Richardson
Pitcher WAR: 1.9 by Jacob Wesolowski (Syracuse)
Pitcher rWAR: 3.2 by George Burroughs (Pt. Jersey)

PCBL LEADERS (15 of 70 games played)

EAST: Frankford Arsenal at 11-4 (Minerva 1 GB, Queen Village 3 GB, three teams 4 GB)
WEST: Philadelphia B.C.C. at 13-2 (Independence, Merion, & Penn 4 GB)

EAST – Death, taxes, and Frankford is atop the East Philadelphia standings. They have played extremely well in tough contests, going 4-0 in one-run games while winning both times they’ve gone to extra innings. One surprise is that it’s Minerva (finishes: 7th & 6th) that is right behind them thanks to a top-five offense and the league’s best baserunning. Another is that Queen Village (finishes: 6th & 7th) is alone in 3rd thanks to a marvelous opening three weeks by #1 P Oscar Downs.

WEST – At 13-2 and outscoring opponents by seven runs per game (11.5 R/G, 4.5 RA/G), this was the P.B.C.C. team everyone feared they would see ahead of the inaugural season. Apparently, it just took them a couple of years to get there. Their offense has been unquestionably brilliant, their pitching has been outstanding, and their defense has been the best in the league. The good news for everyone else: there are still eleven weeks of games left, and a lot can change.

PCBL MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
William Norman (1B, MBCC) – .408, .976 OPS, 16 R, 31 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 20 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB, 2.2 WPA, 0.8 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Arthur Lipscomb (PBCC) – 6-2, 2.33 ERA, 76.2 IP, 6 CG, 0 SHO, 7 K, 1.4 K/BB, 1.17 WHIP, 1.2 WAR, 2.4 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Sam Winkler (SS, SPA) – .389, .852 OPS, 15 R, 21 H, 4 2B, 0 3B, 9 RBI, 0 BB, 2 SB, 1.4 WPA, 0.5 WAR

PCBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .412 by Roger Thomas (C, Frankford)
OPS: .976 by William Norman (1B, Merion)
Runs: 26 by Frederick Pike (2B, P.B.C.C.)
Home Runs: 2 by six different batsmen
Runs Batted In: 24 by Walter Kirby (LF, P.B.C.C.)
Stolen Bases: 9 by Timothy Sheehan (SS, Pt. Richmond)
Batsman WPA: 2.2 by William Norman
Batsman WAR: 1.4 by Moody Steiger (SS, P.B.C.C.)

ERA (50+ IP): 1.44 by Oscar Downs (Queen Village)
Wins: 6 by Warren Leonard (P.B.C.C.) & Arthur Lipscomb (P.B.C.C.)
Complete Games: 6 by Warren Leonard & Arthur Lipscomb
Strikeouts: 10 by Otis Brown (Minerva) & Timotheus Memminger (Schuylkill)
WHIP (50+ IP): 1.04 by Oscar Downs
Pitcher WAR: 1.5 by six different pitchers
Pitcher rWAR: 2.5 by Warren Leonard

tm1681 · 07-25-2025, 03:21 PM

VICTORY PUTS COLUMBIA TO THE SWORD IN TROY
BAILEY & TEXIER COMBINE FOR ELEVEN HITS IN HOME SIDE’S 22-RUN WIN

TROY, N.Y. (June 2, 1875) - Victory B.B.C., part of the three-way tie atop Upstate N.Y. at 10-5 began the month of June at home against struggling Columbia, and they started the month off perfectly:

Victory opened the scoring during the bottom of the 1st and never stopped until the end of a three-run rally in the bottom of the 8th that gave them a 27-4 lead. Columbia then scored a consolation run in the 9th to give the game its final score.

Two Victory batsmen had 5+ Runs Batted In:

• VIC #5 Guy LeDoux (LF): 3/6 (2B, 3B, 6 TB), 3 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB
• VIC #8 Art Sauer (2B): 3/7 (2 3B, 7 RBI), 3 R, 6 RBI

However, it was a different pair of batsmen who stole the show for Victory.

First up is Victory 3B Charles Bailey:

• B1: Single to LF off A. Jordan (R)
• B3: Leadoff Single to LCF off A. Jordan (R)
• B4: Single past SS off A. Jordan
• B5: Single to LCF off E. Desmond (R)
• B6: Single past 1B off M. Carlisle
• B7: 1-run Single past SS off M. Carlisle
• B8: Fly Out to CF (2 out)
• TOTAL: 6/7 (all 1B), 3 R, 1 RBI

Bailey may have collected half a dozen Hits, but he was beaten to Player of the Game honors by Victory 1B J.P. Texier:

• B1: 1-run Single to LF off A. Jordan (SB, R)
• B2: Single to LF off A. Jordan (SB, R)
• B3: 2-run Double to RCF off A. Jordan (R)
• B4: Ground Out to 2B (3 out)
• B5: 1-run Single past 2B off E. Desmond (R)
• B6: Ground Out to 2B (3 out)
• B8: Leadoff Single past SS off M. Carlisle (R)
• TOTAL: 5/7 (2B, 6 TB), 5 R, 4 RBI, 2 SB

In addition to the four great performances that Victory received from their batsmen, superstar SS Henry Nabors’ only hit of the day was a two-run Home Run in the bottom of the 3rd that put the team up 10-1.

Victory’s….victory…left them 11-5 and tied with Utica for top spot in Upstate New York. Columbia, who has fallen from 4th to last over their first four seasons in the N.B.B.O., is 4-12 but mercifully unlikely to finish last again thanks to the presence of 0-16 Eagle B.B.C. in the region.

tm1681 · 07-25-2025, 03:22 PM

STANICK HAS GAME OF HIS LIFE VS PIONEER
LAKE ERIE 1B FINISHES WITH SIX HITS, FIVE RUNS, & SEVEN RBI IN 35-RUN THRILLER

ERIE, PENN. (June 3, 1875) - Lake Erie B.C., the first club of Franklin Petty, is off to a decent start this season, entering Thursday slightly above .500 through sixteen games. The team took on 11-5 Pioneer at home in the second game of their series, and the result was a fantastic spectacle for the 1,500 or so in attendance:

Visiting Pioneer set the tone immediately with six runs in the top of the 1st, a rally punctuated with an exclamation point via three-run homer by 1B Charles Ross.

Lake Erie responded with two runs, and after a scoreless 2nd they scored seven times over the 3rd & 4th on numerous Singles & Errors to take a 9-6 lead. After a Pioneer run in the 5th Lake Erie scored three more times to make it a 12-7 game, and after two Pioneer runs in the 6th Lake Erie put up a five-run rally, the key hit being a three-run Double by 1B Fred Stanick, to take a 17-9 lead. Pioneer tried their hardest to mount a comeback after that, but an eight-run deficit was too much to erase and the home side exited the victors.

For Stanick, the man with the key hit of the game for Lake Erie, it was the best day of his 3+ seasons in the N.B.B.O.:

• B1: 1-run Single to CF off C. Stone (R)
• B3: Single past 2B off C. Stone (R)
• B4: 2-run Single to LCF off C. Stone (R)
• B5: 1-run Triple to RF off J. Mullin (R)
• B6: 3-run Double to RCF off J. Mullin (R)
• B8: Leadoff Single to LF off J. Frederick
• TOTAL: 6/6 (2B, 3B, 9 TB), 5 R, 7 RBI, 132 GMSC

Stanick’s 132 Game Score represented the best performance by a batsman in the N.B.B.O. in well over five years, while his six Hits, five Runs, and seven RBI all tied team records. Teammate Herman Kramer had six base hits in a game last season, four other Lake Erie men have scored five times in a single game, and Helmut Werner drove in seven runs in a game against Sportsman’s fifteen years ago.

Fred Stanick is off to an absurd start to 1875. A career .323 hitter (.743 OPS) going into the season, through seventeen games Stanick is batting .471 (32/68; 1.119 OPS) with nine Extra-Base Hits and 25 Runs Batted In, all figures that lead or tie for the lead in the Northeastern League. Will he keep that level of performance for the rest of the season? Almost certainly not, but it’s been an incredible few weeks for the Lake Erie infielder.

Lake Erie is 10-7 and one game behind Pioneer, who is tied with Scranton for 1st place in the Inland Championship at 11-6.

tm1681 · 07-25-2025, 03:22 PM

TWO SIX-HIT GAMES IN REGIONAL COMPETITION
NBBO & PCBL EACH SEE A PLAYER FINISH WITH SIX HITS ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. & PHILADELPHIA, PENN. (June 4, 1875) - On Friday the A.P.B.L. had one star performer, with Eamon Todd putting in the performance of the day by going 4/5 with a pair of Doubles & five Runs Batted In during an 11-3 home win over Niagara. However, he was easily outdone by a batsman in each of the other two competitions.

In the N.B.B.O., Frontier 1B Remi Scrovegni played the hero as his team came back from a 12-4 deficit to win 13-12 at Binghamton in extra innings. In the process, Scrovegni had himself an afternoon to remember thanks to some impeccable bat work during the late innings:

• T1: Single past 2B off H. Giblin (SB)
• T3: Leadoff Double to LCF off H. Giblin (R)
• T4: Single past 2B off H. Giblin
• T6: Fly Out to CF (2 out)
• T8: 1-run Single to RF off H. Giblin (R)
• T9: 3-RUN HOME RUN (I-t-P) to RCF off R. Oliver (R)
• T11: 1-run Single past 2B off R. Oliver
• TOTAL: 6/7 (2B, HR, 10 TB), 3 R, 5 RBI, SB, 105 GMSC, GW HIT

It was Scrovegni’s mad dash around the bases for an Inside-the-Park Home Run that tied the game in the top of the 9th, and it was his Single during the top of the 11th that won the game for Frontier. Scrovegni accomplished the third 100+ Game Score in the N.B.B.O. this season, and in the process raised his Average to .373 (.906 OPS) with two Home Runs and fifteen Runs Batted In through three and a half weeks of play.

The P.C.B.L. had its own six-hit game on Friday, but the contest it occurred in wasn’t the close thriller that Frontier v Binghamton was.

Port Richmond played at home against Sons of Ben in the third game of their Week Four series, and thanks to a ten-run opening inning the hosts walloped S.o.B. by the score of 20-5.

There were two Pt. Richmond batsmen that ended the game with 4+ Hits. The first was CF William Detmer, who finished the game 4/6 (2B, 2 R, 2 RBI). The other was LF Bradley Bowman, who went for six:

• B1: Single to CF off P. Krueger (R)
• B1: 2-RUN HOME RUN to LF off P. Krueger (R)
• B3: Single to LF off P. Krueger (R)
• B4: Reached via Error by RF A. Hall (R)
• B5: 1-run Single to LCF off H. Alger (R)
• B6: 1-run Single to RF off J. Shaw
• B8: Single past SS off J. Shaw
• TOTAL: 6/7 (HR, 9 TB), 5 R, 4 RBI, 112 GMSC

Bowman’s six-hit outing raised his Average to .341 (827 OPS) with a pair of Home Runs and 22 Runs Batted In through eighteen games.

Frontier’s win left them 11-7, 4th place in Upstate New York but just two games behind co-leaders Utica & Victory. Binghamton is one game behind Frontier at 10-8.

Port Richmond’s big win over Sons of Ben brought them back up to .500 at 9-9. They are currently three games behind surprising East Philadelphia leaders Minerva (12-6). Sons of Ben is 7-11 (5 GB).

tm1681 · 07-25-2025, 03:30 PM

MARATHON SCORES 17 IN 9TH TO BEAT BEDFORD
MARATHON’S MARATHON TURN AT BAT TURNS 11-6 DEFICIT INTO 23-11 VICTORY

BROOKLYN (June 10, 1875) - Bedford B.B.C. entered the 9th inning of their home game vs Marathon having just scored two runs to increase their lead to 11-6 before setting up to bring the win home. Then…

The top of the 9th began with Bedford allowing LF Noble Jacobson to reach base thanks to a dropped ball out in Right Field by Claude Owens, and the parade of batsmen didn’t stop until Marathon had scored seventeen times:

• MAR #2 Noble Jacobson (LF): Reached via Error by RF
• MAR #3 Morton Nicholas (3B): Single past SS
• MAR #4 Luther Fairburn (RF): 1-run Single past 2B (R by Jacobson)
• MAR #5 Lanny Haines (2B): Reached via Fielder’s Choice at 2B (1 out)
• MAR #6 Julius Alexander (C): Reached via Fielder’s Choice at 2B (2 out; R by Nichols)
• BED Pitching Change: Edward Young in for Frederick Ross
• MAR #7 Edgar Drury (PH): Reached via Error by 2B
• MAR #8 Jake Johnson (SS): Single past SS
• MAR #9 Gerald Gore (PH): 1-run Single to LCF (R by Alexander)
• MAR #1 Christos Pappas (CF): 2-run Single past 2B (R’s by Drury & Johnson)
• MAR #2 Noble Jacobson (LF): Infield Single to 3B
• MAR #3 Morton Nichols (3B): Reached via 1-run Error by SS (R by Gore)
• MAR #4 Luther Fairburn (RF): Reached via 1-run Error by 3B (R by Pappas)
• MAR #5 Lanny Haines (2B): 1-run Infield Single to SS (R by Jacobson)
• MAR #6 Julius Alexander (C): Reached via 1-run Error by 2B (R by Nichols)
• BED Pitching Change: Declan Davidson for Edward Young
• MAR #7 Edgar Drury (PH): 1-run Single to CF (R by Fairburn)
• 1-run Throwing Error by CF (R by Haines)
• MAR #8 Jake Johnson (SS): Reached via 1-run Error by SS (R by Alexander)
• MAR #9: Gerald Gore (PH): 1-run Single past SS (R by Drury)
• MAR #1 Christos Pappas (CF): 1-run Single to RF (R by Johnson)
• MAR #2 Noble Jacobson (LF): 3-RUN HOME RUN TO LF (R’s by Gore, Pappas, & Jacobson)
• MAR #3 Morton Nichols (3B): Single past SS
• MAR #4 Luther Fairburn (RF): Force Out at 2B (3 out)
• TOTAL: 21 Batsmen, 17 Runs, 12 Hits (1 HR), 7 Errors

What made Marathon’s seventeen-run rally so incredible wasn’t merely the fact that it happened but that the final sixteen runs were scored with two out, as Run #2 scored on a Fielder’s Choice at 2B that brought Marathon down to their final out and fifteen more men crossed the plate after.

By the time all was said and done in the top of the 9th Marathon was ahead 23-11, Bedford was in shock, and a 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th made for a swift end to a game that featured a most memorable comeback.

Marathon’s best batsman was Morton Nichols:

• MAR #3 Morton Nichols (1B/3B): 5/7 (2B, 3B, 8 TB), 5 R, 1 RBI

However, he didn’t take Player of the Game honors because Bedford 1B Neal Cody had a superior day in a losing effort:

• BED #4 Neal Cody (1B): 4/7 (2B, 5 TB), 2 R, 7 RBI

The extraordinary victory brought Marathon back up to .500 at 11-11. They are in a tie with Empire for 4th in Brooklyn and three games behind co-leaders Atlantic & Eckford. Bedford is in 7th place at 9-13 (5 GB).

tm1681 · 07-25-2025, 03:30 PM

DOHERTY’S HITS CARRY ALLEGHANY PAST ST. JOHN’S
3B’S KEY HIT SPURS 8TH INNING RALLY THAT GIVES PITTSBURGH MEN LEAD & VICTORY

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (June 10, 1875) - St. John’s looked to be in the clear after the end of the 5th inning of their home game against Alleghany on Thursday, but a rally by the visiting team in the 8th put them over the top:

In the fateful top of the 8th, Alleghany came to bat behind 10-7 and scored six runs on a combination of Singles, Doubles, and Triples, with the key hit in the inning being a two-run Single by 3B Frank Doherty that tied the game at 10-10 and set Alleghany up for three more run-scoring hits: a Single by SS Gerald Strong, a Triple by RF Ashley Hearns, & another Single by greenhorn LF John Meier. With the score 13-10, substitute P Edgar Bradley entered the game and did admirable work to shut St. John’s down and preserve the victory.

Doherty didn’t just provide the key hit in T8. He was also the Player of the Game:

• T2: Single past 2B off H. Burns (R)
• T3: Reached via Error by CF R. Decker
• T5: 1-run Single past 2B off H. Burns (R)
• T7: Leadoff Single to CF off H. Burns
• T8: 2-run Single to CF off J. Caviness
• T9: Single past 1B off H. Cundiff
• TOTAL: 5/6 (all 1B), 2 R, 3 RBI

Doherty, who hit just .254 (.574 OPS) last year, is currently on pace to have his best season. The 2x Golden Glove winner and 1872 All-Star is currently batting .331 (.773 OPS) with nineteen Runs Batted In and 1.3 WAR through 33 games. If that level of performance continues then a second All-Star nod is very likely.

Alleghany is tied with Mass. Bay atop the Colonial Conference at 19-14. St. John’s is in 5th place but just four games back with a record of 15-18.

tm1681 · 07-25-2025, 03:31 PM

STRACHAN RAPS AMERICAN FOR FIVE HITS IN WIN
GOTHAM SCORES FIVE EARLY RUNS EN ROUTE TO 12-3 WIN AT ST. GEORGE CRICKET GROUNDS

NEW YORK CITY (June 13, 1875) - Gotham B.B.C. needed a win at the end of Week Six to go back to .500, and they got the job done in a lopsided home victory against visiting American:

After a lone run in the bottom of the 1st on a Single by Royal Altman, Gotham added four runs in the bottom of the 2nd through a combination of Singles & Doubles to take a 5-1 lead. From there American could come no closer than 5-3 and the hosts sealed the win with seven runs over the 6th & 7th.

The Player of the Game at the St. George Cricket Grounds was Gotham’s 6x All-Star RF, Clive Strachan:

• B1: Leadoff Triple to LCF off C. Griffith (R)
• B2: 2-run Single to RCF off C. Griffith (R)
• B4: Single past 2B off C. Griffith
• B6: 1-run Single past 3B off C. Griffith (R)
• B7: Double to LCF off L. Townsend (R)
• TOTAL: 5/5 (2B, 3B, 8 TB), 4 R, 3 RBI

It was a much-needed performance by Strachan who entered the contest batting .280 (.635 OPS) when he’s never hit less than .300 in any of his seven full seasons playing for Gotham between the N.B.B.O. & A.P.B.L. The 5/5 moved his Average past .300 to .302 (.693) with seventeen Runs Batted in and two dozen Stolen Bases through 36 games. Strachan still isn’t on pace to have the kind of season he finished with in either 1873 or ’74, but it was a big step in the right direction.

Gotham is currently an even .500, 18-18 and tied with Orange for 3rd place in the Metropolitan Conference. American is alone in 2nd at 21-15. Excelsior, who has the best record in the league, leads the Metro with a 25-11 record.

tm1681 · 07-25-2025, 07:11 PM

FEARS FLIES AS EAGLE SOARS TO WALKOFF WIN
NBBO’S WORST TEAM TRADES 9TH-INNING RALLIES WITH COLUMBIA TO WIN 4TH GAME OF ‘75

EMLIRA, N.Y. (June 17, 1875) - Eagle B.B.C. entered Thursday’s home game against Columbia with a record of 3-23, easily the worst start in N.B.B.O. history. However, for one day they set the futility aside and took a memorable victory:

Through eight innings the thousand people in attendance had witnessed an enjoyable game. After visiting Columbia scored six times in the 4th to take a 9-5 lead Eagle responded with two scores in the 4th, another in the 5th, and two more in the 8th while holding Columbia scoreless to take a 10-9 lead into the final inning. That was when the real excitement started.

Columbia came to bat in T9 and tied the score on a Sacrifice Fly by PH Homer Niedermayer. They then took the lead on a one-run Single by C Allen Tocher before adding three more runs on a two-run Triple by SS Nicholas Cole and a Single by 1B Jonathan Day, taking a 14-10 lead in the process.

Eagle came up bat in B9 and decided that today was not going to be a day in which they would take another tough or embarrassing loss. After a pair of Singles & a Base on Balls to start, SS Jim Fears entered the Batter’s Box after an out and cleared the bases with a Triple, bringing the score to 14-13. The next batsman, LF Frank McCarthy, then singled in Fears to make it a tie game. After a second out and a Single that moved McCarthy to 2B, PH Charles Costello took a bat and hit a Single to RF that drove in McCarthy and won the game for Eagle and their pleasantly surprised supporters.

For Jim Fears the three-run Triple wasn’t the only big hit he had during the game:

• B2: Single past 1B off G. Archer (R)
• B3: 1-run Single to CF off G. Archer (R)
• B4: 1-run Single past 2B off G. Archer
• B6: Swinging Strike Out (2 out)
• B8: 1-run Single past 2B off E. Desmond
• B9: 3-run Triple to LCF off E. Desmond (R)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (3B, 7 RB), 3 R, 6 RBI, 100 GMSC

For the 26-year-old Fears now in his seventh year with Eagle and his second as their regular SS, it was easily the best performance ever by the batsman with a career average of .274 (OPS: .597).

For Eagle, it was a glimmer of hope in a season that already feels over. The team has never been much of a threat in Upstate New York, only finishing over .500 or in the top half of the standings once (1862), but they had never experienced anything close to the 0-15 May that started the season, which was also the N.B.B.O. first winless month (excluding Aug.).

For Columbia, they had done well to turn a 4-12 start into an 11-15 record entering the game, but today’s loss could bring their confidence straight back down to where it was at the end of May.

tm1681 · 07-25-2025, 07:12 PM

PT. JERSEY PROVES THAT ONE RUN CAN BE ENOUGH
NEW JERSEY’S TWO BIGGEST TEAMS PLAY OUT A 1-0 STANDOFF IN NEWARK

NEWARK, N.J. (June 18, 1875) - Port Jersey visited Newark on Friday for a rare contest in which both teams were over .500. The result was also rare, with the game ending in a 1-0 final score:

With two out in the Top of the 1st LF Joe Thatcher singled in Roy Vreeken to give the visitors a 1-0 lead, and what transpired after that was a top-tier pitching & defensive battle in which Pt. Jersey’s lone run stood as good enough to give them the victory at Newark’s Ironbound Park.

A 1-0 final occurs about once every season in the N.B.B.O., and this afternoon's game will likely stand as this year's only 1-0 score.

Both pitchers had their best stuff on the afternoon:

• PJ P George Burroughs: CG SHUTOUT, 8 HA, 0 BB, 2 K
• NEW P John Ratican: CG, 5 HA, 1 RA, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

The Shutout was another achievement mark on a fantastic 1875 to date for Burroughs. He’s currently 12-3 with a 1.79 ERA and 20 Strikeouts, all three figures leading the Northeastern League. Burroughs has 2.6 Pitching WAR and 5.7 rWAR, which also leads the N.E.L.

The afternoon’s work added to what has also been an excellent to start to 1875 for Ratican, a 23-year-old who was once the N.B.B.O.’s #2 overall Reserve Team prospect. He is now 8-5 with a 1.99 ERA and 1.4 WAR (3.5 rWAR) through 117.2 innings of pitching in his first full season as a regular pitcher for Newark, with it looking increasingly likely that the team has a budding Pitcher of the Year contender in their midst.

The result left Pt. Jersey 19-9 and one game behind Quaker St. for the Coastal Championship lead. Newark is 16-12, sitting in 3rd place at four games behind the leaders.

tm1681 · 07-25-2025, 07:13 PM

FRONTIER WINS AT SYRACUSE THANKS TO TROXELL
LF TALLIES 5 HITS & 6 RBI AS TEAM BEATS 5X UPSTATE CHAMPIONS BY EIGHT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (June 18, 1875) - Frontier wanted a win at Syracuse on Friday to stay firmly in the top half of the Upstate New York standings, and two early rallies ensured that they did the needful:

This looked like a finished contest early once Frontier scored four times in T3 to take an 11-3 lead, but Syracuse scored five runs in the 4th to slash the deficit to three (11-8). Fronter responded with fine batting and quality defense over the second half of the game, outscoring Syracuse 6-1 over the final five innings to complete an impressive eight-run victory and send the 5x Upstate New York champions further below .500.

Three Frontier batsmen had three base hits – C Robert Harrelson, 3B William Rockford, & CF George Whaley – but they had one star that clearly outshone the others on Friday, and it was LF Leonard Troxell:

• T1: Reached via Error by SS F. Morrison (SB)
• T2: 2-run Single past 2B off J. Wesolowski (R)
• T3: 2-run Single past 2B off J. Wesolowski (R)
• T5: Single to CF off W. Smythe
• T7: 1-run Single to RCF off W. Smythe (R)
• T8: 1-run Single past 2B off W. Smythe (R)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (all 1B), 4 R, 6 RBI, SB, 106 GMSC

Troxell’s outstanding batting in high-leverage situations resulted in him finishing with a 106 Game Score, the third-highest by a player in any of the three competitions so far this year. An 1871 All-Star for National, Troxell is batting .339 (.850 OPS) with a dozen Extra-Base Hits and seventeen Runs Batted In so far in 1875.

The win put Frontier four games clear in the top half of the Upstate New York standings at 16-12, where they are four games behind leaders Utica. Syracuse, which hasn’t finished under .500 since 1865 when they were 32-38, is 11-17 and nine games behind Utica.