History of Major League Base Ball (revised)

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Mike McGeary is the current career leader in stolen bases in my league, and he's one of the better defensive middle infielders out there. In real life, he had a 12-year professional career from 1871-82 and was one of the better, more consistent players in baseball during those years. Here's what Nemec says about his career:

McGeary began his pro career in 1870 as catcher with the Troy Haymakers and remained in that city the following year when it became a charter member of the National Association. He then returned to Philadelphia and represented his native city for the next four seasons, while moving out from behind the plate and shifting between second base, shortstop and third base. [One observer's] claim that McGeary was the best all-around player of his generation cannot be taken seriously since he was never a strong hitter. Nevertheless, the agility and versatility to play each of the four most important defensive positions was highly valuable during an era when players wore no gloves and steady fielders were in great demand. In addition, Sporting Life editor Francis Richter called McGeary the first player to slide regularly on the base paths, adding that he was "in his day the best runner in the profession, and the Mike Kelly of that period, in point of base ball brains."

So, he was not a great hitter but was seen as incredibly savvy, much as King Kelly would be fifteen years later. He was a career .276 hitter and after playing for Troy and Philadelphia during the NA years he bounced around with a series of NL clubs. Following his baseball career, McGeary seems to have been a big gambler, as there are references in Nemec to his poker playing and time spent at the racetrack. He lived a long life, finally dying at age 82 in Philadelphia.

In my league, McGeary's performance is consistent with his real-life performance. He's a .275 hitter, an outstanding defender and is a great defender at second base. After two years with Troy and four with the Athletics, McGeary joined the 1877 Cincinnati Reds and has been playing second base for them since then. He's off to a very slow start for 1878 - batting only .150 in the team's first nine games and only 3 of 6 in stolen bases. However, he remains a strong defender - he only has one Gold Glove (from 1875), but he's definitely got the reputation of a strong defensive player.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 21, 1878
Cincinnati Reds (6-3) at Chicago White Stockings (4-5)

Providence and Cincinnati have the early edge in this season, and the Reds can move into a tie for first place by won-loss record if they defeat Chicago today. It turned out not to even be close. Cincinnati was ahead 8-0 by the fourth inning and breezed to victory, moving into a tie for first.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 22, 1878
Boston Red Stockings (1-5) at Providence Grays (5-1)

The two New England teams have still only played against one another thus far. Providence and Cincinnati come into the game tied and the Reds are idle today, so the outcome of this case will determine which of the clubs will be in sole possession of first place at day's end.

Boston, trailing by a run in the ninth inning, got two runners on with no one out, but Providence managed to escape without allowing any runs and the Grays moved back into sole possession of first place.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 23, 1878
Cincinnati Reds (7-3) at Chicago White Stockings (4-6)

The Reds have another game in Chicago today and now they have fallen a half-game behind Providence and need another win to keep pace. Chicago is off to a slow start to their championship defense and needs a bounceback win after a terrible loss earlier in the week.

Chicago took a 5-0 lead and very nearly lost it all in the ninth inning, as the first five batters for Cincinnati got base hits in the inning. However, the White Stockings eventually got things under control and Asa Brainard managed to get the win for Chicago.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Sunday, May 26, 1878
Standings and Leaders

Providence Grays 6-2
Cincinnati Reds 7-5
Indianapolis Blues 6-6
Chicago White Stockings 6-6
Milwaukee Cream Citys 5-7
Boston Red Stockings 2-6

The western clubs are heading east beginning this week, as Providence and Boston will finally play clubs other than one another and we will begin to see more about teams' strengths and weaknesses.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

George Hall, Chicago - .520
Steve King, Indianapolis - .432
Bill Craver, Cincinnati - .390
George Wright, Boston - .382
Andy Leonard, Chicago - .375
Tom York, Providence - .375
John Peters, Milwaukee - .360

Runs Scored

Abner Dalrymple, Milwaukee - 14
George Hall, Chicago - 14
Dave Eggler, Indianapolis - 13
Ezra Sutton, Indianapolis - 13
Jim Holdsworth, Cincinnati - 12
John McMullin, Cincinnati - 11
Deacon White, Milwaukee - 11

Runs Batted In

Ezra Sutton, Indianapolis - 11
Jimmy Wood, Milwaukee - 11
John Clapp, Indianapolis - 10
Jim Devlin, Milwaukee - 8
Wes Fisler, Indianapolis - 8
George Hall, Chicago - 8
Lip Pike, Milwaukee - 8

Stolen Bases

John McMullin, Cincinnati - 8
John Clapp, Indianapolis - 6
George Hall, Chicago - 6
Paul Hines, Providence - 6
Andy Leonard, Chicago - 6
Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 5
3 players tied with 4 each

Won-Loss Record

John Montgomery Ward, Providence, 6-2
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati, 5-3
Asa Brainard, Chicago, 4-3
The Only Nolan, Indianapolis, 3-3
Hugh Campbell, Indianapolis, 2-2
Dan Collins, Milwaukee, 2-2
Harry Arundel, Chicago, 2-3

Earned Run Average

John Montgomery Ward, Providence - 2.23
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 2.31
The Only Nolan, Indianapolis - 2.47
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 2.72
Bobby Mathews, Boston - 3.23
Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati - 3.86
Harry Arundel, Chicago - 3.92

Strikeouts

Sam Weaver, Milwaukee - 47
John Montgomery Ward, Providence - 27
Bobby Mathews, Boston - 22
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 22
The Only Nolan, Indianapolis - 19
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 15
Harry Arundel, Chicago - 9

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Rookie pitcher John Montgomery Ward is killing it for the Grays thus far and he's definitely a person worth talking about - he's only 18 years old right now but if his career in my game ends up being anything like his real-life career he'll be one of the more consequential players of the 19th century. Here's how Ward's SABR bio introduces him:

No essay-length biography could possibly do full justice to John Montgomery Ward. His life, both on and off the diamond, was entirely too eventful. His playing career was replete with notable achievements. When he joined the Providence Grays in 1878, an 18-year-old Ward was the National League’s youngest player. During the 1880 season, he hurled the circuit’s second perfect game after having been the NL’s winningest pitcher the season before. When overuse and injury ruined his throwing arm, Ward, an exceptional athlete, transformed himself into a capable everyday player. He shortstopped the New York Giants to consecutive world championships in 1888-1889, and five years later led the Giants to a postseason Temple Cup triumph as player-manager. Nor did Ward abandon baseball after his retirement from playing in 1894. During his later years, he stood as a controversial candidate for the National League presidency; was club president and part-owner of the Boston Braves; and served in the front office of the Brooklyn franchise in the upstart Federal League.

As impressive as these achievements are, they are nonetheless overshadowed by Ward’s contributions to the game as a trailblazer. Intelligent, well educated, and dynamic, Ward organized the first major-league players union in 1885 and was a tireless advocate for players’ rights. He also authored the first popular How-To manual for youngsters wishing to take up the game. But first and foremost, Ward is remembered as the driving force behind the employee-controlled Players League, the audacious but short-lived challenger to the preeminence of the National League and American Association. Apart from all this, he also took an active role in the social and civic life of greater Gotham. At various times, Ward was a high-visibility Broadway bon vivant, a distinguished New York City attorney, a Long Island country squire and community pillar, and a major figure in Northeastern amateur golfing circles. Although there are other worthy contenders for the laurel, John Montgomery Ward may well have been the most accomplished man ever to play major-league baseball. And when it finally came in 1964, his posthumous induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame was both well-deserved and long overdue.

He was born into a comfortably middle-class household about 12 miles from the present-day site of Penn State University. However, he was orphaned at age 14 and was sent to a prep school at Penn State, from which he was expelled prior to graduation. From there:

Now largely on his own, the youngster eked out an existence peddling nursery plants. His sales route took him through the Allegheny Mountains and included a stop in Renovo, Pennsylvania. There, Ward tried to supplement his meager salesman’s wage by pitching for the borough’s semipro team, the Resolutes. The club promised him $15 a month plus board, but ultimately stiffed him on payment. That experience notwithstanding, Ward decided to pursue baseball as his calling. The 1877 season saw him in action for at least five clubs: an independent team in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, followed by League Alliance clubs in Philadelphia (the Athletic and the Philadelphias, aka Phillies), Janesville, Wisconsin, and Buffalo. In most instances, the clubs disbanded shortly after Ward’s arrival. Still, he remained undiscouraged, beginning the 1878 season with yet another League Alliance team: the Binghamton (New York) Crickets. Here, history repeated itself, as the Crickets folded in early July. Little statistical evidence of Ward’s performance survives, but he must have impressed. Days after the Binghamton club went under, 18-year-old Johnny Ward became a major leaguer, signing with the Providence Grays of the National League as a replacement for defecting pitcher Tricky Nichols.

Ward made his major-league debut on July 15, 1878, dropping a 13-9 decision to the Cincinnati Reds in a contest marred by slipshod defense on both sides. One game account stated: “Ward belongs to that class of pitchers who turn their backs to home plate and send in the ball after a quick turn. … His delivery is of questionable legality, his hand moving some distance above the hip in forward motion.” Whether strictly legal or not, right-hander Ward’s sidearm slants were in regular use thereafter. He pitched every one of the 34 games remaining on the Providence schedule, posting a commendable 22-13 record, with a retroactive NL-leading 1.51 ERA in 334 innings pitched, for the third-place (33-27) Grays. Ward’s batting (.196 BA), however, was a different matter and in need of improvement.

Baby-faced and still shy of his full adult stature (officially 5-feet-9/175 pounds, but probably smaller), Ward blossomed in his sophomore campaign. He posted a 47-19 record, pitching a herculean 587 innings. Ward led the National League in victories, winning percentage (.712), and strikeouts (239). He also played capably at third base and in the outfield when occasionally spelled in the box by Bobby Mathews (12-6). And his bat came to life, as well. Hitting from the right side, Ward batted a solid .286, with 41 RBIs in 83 games. With shortstop-manager George Wright supplying leadership and the outfield duo of Paul Hines (.357) and Jim O’Rourke (.348) the offensive punch, Providence (59-25) captured the NL pennant by five games over runner-up Boston. That offseason, Ward remained in town managing a Providence sporting emporium. He returned to the Grays the following season, but Wright and O’Rourke had left the club. Early in the season, now 20-year-old Johnny Ward replaced Mike McGeary as manager, guided the Grays to an 18-13 record, and was then replaced himself by Mike Dorgan. Despite turmoil at the helm, Providence (52-32) made a respectable defense of its league crown, finishing second to a (67-17) Chicago juggernaut.

Key to Providence fortunes was the performance of pitching ace Ward. He posted a 39-24 record, with a sparkling 1.74 ERA in 595 innings pitched. Ward struck out 230 batters and posted a league-leading eight shutouts, as well. A personal highlight had occurred in a rare morning game on June 17. Ward retired all 27 Buffalo batters he faced in a 5-0 victory, registering only the second perfect game in big-league history. But by now the overuse of his young right arm was beginning to take its toll, and Ward would never again approach these kinds of pitching heights.

After a few seasons as a top pitcher, Ward transformed himself into a position player and was a respectable one, playing shortstop and the outfield well enough to be a starter on some of the top clubs of the 1880s. However, his real mark on the game was not as a player.

The larger destiny that awaited Ward was augured by the law degree that he had received from Columbia in May. While he would not practice law for another 10 years, Ward promptly put his legal training to good use. Along with teammates Jim O’Rourke, Tim Keefe, Roger Connor, and Buck Ewing — all, like Ward, sober, intelligent men — and others, he founded the first serious ballplayers union, the Brotherhood of Professional Baseball Players. Over the next five years, Ward would use his keen intellect, legal understanding, and fluid pen to air union grievances about the one-sidedness of the club owner-ballplayer relationship. In time, these were embodied in a magazine article entitled Is the Base-Ball Player a Chattel?, an incisive deconstruction of the Reserve Clause that gained widespread circulation. Growing in public prominence and the subject of much sports-page ink, Ward became, in relatively short order, the most important player in major-league baseball, wielding power and influence over National League stars and journeyman players alike, almost all of whom had become members of the Brotherhood, which Ward led.

Ward burnished his post-baseball resume with another academic degree, a Ph.B. in philosophy awarded by Columbia’s School of Political Science in 1886. But soon thereafter, Ward entered an entirely different venue — the world of celebrity culture, late-19th-century style. The vehicle: his courtship of the renowned stage actress Helen Dauvray. Born Ida Louise Gibson, Dauvray had been entertaining theater audiences since childhood, and was probably several years older than Ward. Small, buxom, ambitious, business-minded, and divorced, Helen was a great baseball fan and the donator of the Dauvray Cup, bestowed on the champion baseball teams of the late 1880s.

Ward almost single-handedly led the formation of the Players' League in 1890, a challenge to the owners and their hated reserve clause. Sadly, he was nearly a century before his time and his challenges to the Players' League all failed.

As an aside, I've decided that since this is a league where prominent early players such as Honus Wagner, Babe Ruth and Nap Lajoie are likely to end up on teams other than the ones where they spent the bulk of their careers, I'm going to kill off the reserve clause and allow free agency much earlier than it happened in reality. I'm thinking I may use Ward's Brotherhood in the late 1880s to do it, since that's when the team movements start to settle down a bit.

Anyway, Ward has just joined my league but he's already made a hell of a mark. Who knows what's next for this guy, who has the talent to be a solid pitcher or a good position player?

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

It's June 1, 1878, which means it's time for a look at the affiliated NWL top performers.

Fort Wayne Railroaders 10-2 (Cincinnati's affiliate)
St. Paul Saints 10-2 (Providence)
Peoria Distillers 9-4 (Chicago)
Minneapolis Millers 6-5 (Boston)
Grand Rapids Woodworkers 5-8 (Indianapolis)
Quincy Ravens 4-7 (Milwaukee)
Terre Haute Hottentots 2-9 (unaffiliated)
Evansville Hoosiers 2-11 (unaffiliated)

The NWL league leaders:

Batting Average

Buttercup Dickerson, Fort Wayne - .462
John Richmond, Terre Haute - .381
Oscar Bielaski, St. Paul - .367
Jack Burdock, St. Paul - .364
Bill Smith, St. Paul - .359
Clipper Flynn, Peoria - .357
Jim Snyder, St. Paul - .354

Runs Scored

Buttercup Dickerson, Fort Wayne - 16
Bill Boyd, Fort Wayne - 15
Tim Murnane, St. Paul - 15
Frank Hankinson, Peoria - 13
John Radcliff, Peoria - 12
Chub Sullivan, Fort Wayne - 12
Tom Barlow, Peoria - 11

Runs Batted In

Jack Burdock, St. Paul - 14
Bill Boyd, Fort Wayne - 13
NFN Quinlan, Evansville - 13
Buttercup Dickerson, Fort Wayne - 12
Fred Treacey, Fort Wayne - 12
5 players tied with 11 each

Stolen Bases

John Dailey, Terre Haute - 5
Herman Dehlman, Grand Rapids - 5
Fred Cone, Minneapolis - 4
Whitey Ritterson, Terre Haute - 4
Alfred Metcalfe, Quincy - 3
Chub Sullivan, Fort Wayne - 3
Ned Williamson, Grand Rapids - 3

Won-Loss Record

Terry Larkin, St. Paul, 3-0
Len Lovett, Peoria, 3-0
Laurie Reis, Peoria, 3-0
Joe Blong, Peoria, 3-1
Joe Borden, Fort Wayne, 3-1
Foghorn Bradley, Minneapolis, 3-1
Dale Williams, Fort Wayne, 3-1

Earned Run Average

Len Lovett, Peoria - 0.42
Laurie Reis, Peoria - 0.68
NFN Edwards, Fort Wayne - 0.77
Tom Healey, Quincy - 1.02
Foghorn Bradley, Minneapolis - 1.06
Ed Stratton, St. Paul - 1.14
Cherokee Fisher, Peoria - 1.35

Strikeouts

Bill Stearns, Terre Haute - 79
Terry Larkin, St. Paul - 45
Jim McCormick, Grand Rapids - 43
Joe Borden, Fort Wayne - 42
Len Lovett, Peoria - 42
Mike Golden, Quincy - 41
Foghorn Bradley, Minneapolis - 40

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 1, 1878
Milwaukee Cream Citys (6-7) at Providence Grays (6-3)

With all the National League clubs bunched closely together in the standings, Providence went into this weekend game against Milwaukee with a half-game lead over Cincinnati, who were hosting the Indianapolis Blues. Providence needed a win in this game if they were to be sure of going into Sunday with the National League lead.

For most of the game it was a battle of pitching and defense and Providence held a narrow lead. However, Milwaukee managed to score the tying run in the ninth inning then exploded for an eight-run 11th inning to get the easy-seeming win. Meanwhile, Cincinnati got a win to pull into first place.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Sunday, June 2, 1878
Standings and Leaders

Cincinnati Reds 9-6
Providence Grays 6-4
Chicago White Stockings 7-7
Milwaukee Cream Citys 7-7
Indianapolis Blues 7-8
Boston Red Stockings 3-7

No team looks to be dominant in the early going as the season approaches the one-quarter mark.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

George Hall, Chicago - .474
Bill Craver, Cincinnati - .412
George Wright, Boston - .410
Andy Leonard, Chicago - .362
Abner Dalrymple, Milwaukee - .357
John Peters, Milwaukee - .357
Tom York, Providence - .325

Runs Scored

Abner Dalrymple, Milwaukee - 17
George Hall, Chicago - 15
Ezra Sutton, Indianapolis - 15
Dave Eggler, Indianapolis - 14
Jim Holdsworth, Cincinnati - 14
3 players tied with 13 each

Runs Batted In

Ezra Sutton, Indianapolis - 13
Jimmy Wood, Milwaukee - 12
John Clapp, Indianapolis - 11
Will Foley, Milwaukee - 10
George Hall, Chicago - 10
Lip Pike, Milwaukee - 10
3 players tied with 9 each

Stolen Bases

John McMullin, Cincinnati - 10
Paul Hines, Providence - 7
John Clapp, Indianapolis - 6
George Hall, Chicago - 6
Andy Leonard, Chicago - 6
Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 6
Charley Jones, Cincinnati - 5

Won-Loss Record

Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati, 6-4
John Montgomery Ward, Providence, 6-4
Asa Brainard, Chicago, 5-4
The Only Nolan, Indianapolis, 4-4
Sam Weaver, Milwaukee, 4-4
Bobby Mathews, Boston, 3-7
3 players tied with 2-2 each

Earned Run Average

Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 2.35
The Only Nolan, Indianapolis - 2.38
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 2.58
Bobby Mathews, Boston - 2.91
John Montgomery Ward, Providence - 3.00
Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati - 3.24
Harry Arundel, Chicago - 3.92

Strikeouts

Sam Weaver, Milwaukee - 62
John Montgomery Ward, Providence - 32
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 27
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 25
Bobby Mathews, Boston - 24
The Only Nolan, Indianapolis - 23
2 players tied with 9 each

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Steve King was mostly a footnote figure in early professional baseball, but he's been somewhat more prominent in my league. SABR doesn't have a bio on him and there's just not much out there. Here's Nemec's entry in its entirety:

The brother of major leaguer Mart King, Steve King was a member of the original Troy Haymakers in 1866, when they were still known as the Unions of Lansingburgh. One story is that the team received its new nickname during a game against the Brooklyn Atlantics on August 9, 1866. The field was muddy and both clubs were slipping and sliding until the Unions removed their cleated baseball shoes and played barefoot to cries of "just look at the haymakers!"

Among the local team's top batsmen from the outset of his career, King was 30 when the Haymakers left the National Association and evidently had no desire at the time to play elsewhere, because his hitting must have made him desirable to other National Association clubs. He died at his home in the Lansingburgh section of Troy in 1895.

Not much there. In my league, he was one of the top hitters with Troy in 1871-72, then signed with the Mutuals for 1873 and played with them until they disbanded after the 1876 season, winning the first National League pennant as a member of the club. He then spent 1877 with Hartford of Brooklyn and in 1878 has moved west for the first time at age 34, and is playing for Indianapolis this season and has a .463 average in his first nine games played.

At the moment he is a lifetime .330 hitter, which is 12th-highest all time. While he's probably on the downswing of his career he's still very much able to contribute on a winning team and looks like he remains one of the better power hitters in the game.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 3, 1878
Milwaukee Cream Citys (7-7) at Providence Grays (6-4)

The Grays, after having lost two straight games against Milwaukee, have fallen out of the National League lead and now trail Cincinnati by a half-game. Cincinnati is idle today, so this is a chance for Providence to move into a tie for first place. Meanwhile, Milwaukee is also a potential contender and they have the best run differential in the league.

As with the last game in this series, this one went into extra innings. In the 12th inning, Everett Mills of Providence, who had four hits in the game, got the winning hit to give Providence a win to pull them back into a tie with Cincinnati.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 4, 1878
Cincinnati Reds (9-6) at Indianapolis Blues (7-8)

Cincinnati and Providence are tied for first place in the National League. The Reds are starting a series at Indianapolis and Providence are hosting Chicago, and of course the entire league is bunched together enough that everyone is still in the running.

The game proved to be a close one. Cincinnati actually got the tying run to third base in the ninth inning and John Bass, the next hitter, hit a long fly ball to right field but Orator Shafer made an excellent catch to win the game for the Blues.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 6, 1878
Chicago White Stockings (9-7) at Providence Grays (7-5)

As of today, five of the six clubs in the National League are within one game of the top, with only Boston lagging behind. The winner of this game will be either tied for the top or in sole possession.

It turned out to be a easy win for Providence - they'd been slumping but managed to pull out a big win over Chicago here.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Sunday, June 9, 1878
Standings and Leaders

Providence Grays 8-5
Cincinnati Reds 10-7
Chicago White Stockings 9-8
Milwaukee Cream Citys 8-9
Indianapolis Blues 8-9
Boston Red Stockings 4-9

This doesn't look like it's going to be a season where we have a dominant team. Instead, everyone (except Boston?) may get their shot at the top spot.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

George Hall, Chicago - .435
Steve King, Indianapolis - .431
Bill Craver, Cincinnati - .429
George Wright, Boston - .420
John Peters, Milwaukee - .400
Frank McCarton, Boston - .367
Lip Pike, Milwaukee - .344

Runs Scored

Abner Dalrymple, Milwaukee - 19
Ezra Sutton, Indianapolis - 18
George Hall, Chicago - 17
Dave Eggler, Indianapolis - 15
Deacon White, Milwaukee - 15
4 players tied with 14 each

Runs Batted In

Will Foley, Milwaukee - 14
Lip Pike, Milwaukee - 14
Jimmy Wood, Milwaukee - 14
Ezra Sutton, Indianapolis - 13
John Clapp, Indianapolis - 12
George Hall, Chicago - 11
Dick Higham, Providence - 11

Stolen Bases

Paul Hines, Providence - 13
John McMullin, Cincinnati - 10
Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 9
Andy Leonard, Chicago - 7
John Clapp, Indianapolis - 6
George Hall, Chicago - 6
Jim O'Rourke, Boston - 6

Won-Loss Record

Asa Brainard, Chicago, 6-4
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati, 6-5
John Montgomery Ward, Providence, 6-5
The Only Nolan, Indianapolis, 5-4
Sam Weaver, Milwaukee, 5-4
Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati, 3-2
Harry Arundel, Chicago, 3-4

Earned Run Average

Jim Britt, Milwaukee - 1.80
The Only Nolan, Indianapolis - 2.33
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 2.44
Al Spalding, Boston - 2.50
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 2.52
Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati - 2.73
John Montgomery Ward, Providence - 2.91

Strikeouts

Sam Weaver, Milwaukee - 68
John Montgomery Ward, Providence - 38
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 29
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 27
Bobby Mathews, Boston - 26
The Only Nolan, Indianapolis - 26
Jim Britt, Milwaukee - 13

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Paul Hines is playing well this season for Providence, and he was part of a pennant-winning club for the first time last season with Chicago. The real Paul Hines was a top player who peaked in 1878-79 with Providence. Here's what I've been able to find online about Hines:

Hines was born in 1852 in Washington, DC and first played infield for the Washington Nationals of the National Association in 1872. His first season was short lived as the 0-11 Nationals disbanded after a 9-1 loss to the Baltimore Canaries on June 26.

In 1873 Hines played for the reorganized Washington team (who changed their name to the Blue Legs), and hit over .300 for the first time. From 1874 through 1877 he played centerfield, his primary position for the rest of his career, for the Chicago White Stockings. During this time Hines would attain his first "first." In 1876 the White Stockings would become the first National League Champions.

He played with Providence for all eight years of the Grays' time in the National League, and was an excellent hitter and a good center fielder for that entire time. He then spent the late 1880s moving from one mediocre club to another but still hitting well. He lasted until the early 1890s and when he retired in 1891, he was third all-time in games played and hits behind only Cap Anson and Jim O'Rourke.

After his retirement, he had a job with the Department of Agriculture but toward the end of his life he fell on hard times, first being arrested as a pickpocket in 1922, then dying deaf and blind at a home for seniors at age 83.

In my league, he's played for the same clubs he did in real life - the Washington Nationals in 1872, then the Blue Legs in 1873, Chicago from 1874-77, and now Providence. However, he's been mostly a below-average hitter - in both real life and my league, he was a .300 hitter in 1873, but he was a poor hitter for Chicago and earned his keep as an excellent defensive center fielder. He's been hitting well so far for Providence this year, so we'll have to wait and see whether this improvement endures.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 13, 1878
Cincinnati Reds (10-7) at Providence Grays (8-5)

The top two teams in the National League are facing off, and the winner of this series should be in first place by week's end. This three-game battle is the first meeting of the clubs on the year so far.

The first game was a closely fought, defensive struggle. Two Providence starters had to leave the game with injuries, and Cincinnati's Cap Anson had a triple and an RBI ground out in the game, as the Reds won a close one.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 14, 1878
Cincinnati Reds (11-7) at Providence Grays (8-6)

Cincinnati now leads Providence by a game and idle Chicago by a half-game. With a win here, Cincinnati would be a game up on everyone, while a loss would put all three teams in a tie for first.

This game was almost single-handedly won by Cincinnati shortstop John Bass. He hit two home runs in the game, an incredibly rare feat, as the Reds widened their lead over the rest of the National League.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 15, 1878
Cincinnati Reds (12-7) at Providence Grays (8-7)

Cincinnati, having already won the series from Providence, now has a chance to open up a real lead, but Chicago is still only one game back and hosts Milwaukee today.

This time it was Providence that won a very close game to get a bit closer in the standings, as light-hitting Bill Hague came up with the winning hit in the bottom of the ninth inning.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Sunday, June 16, 1878
Standings and Leaders

Cincinnati Reds 12-8
Providence Grays 9-7
Chicago White Stockings 11-9
Milwaukee Cream Citys 9-11
Indianapolis Blues 9-11
Boston Red Stockings 6-10

A good week for Cincinnati has put them a game ahead of their closest competitors, Chicago and Providence. This week they will visit last-place Boston - if the Red Stockings are going to be at all competitive this season, a series at home against league-leading Cincinnati would be the time to show it.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

George Hall, Chicago - .422
John Peters, Milwaukee - .412
George Wright, Boston - .403
Frank McCarton, Boston - .377
Bill Craver, Cincinnati - .373
Lip Pike, Milwaukee - .346
Jimmy Wood, Milwaukee - .338

Runs Scored

Abner Dalrymple, Milwaukee - 22
George Hall, Chicago - 22
Ezra Sutton, Indianapolis - 21
Cap Anson, Cincinnati - 18
Dave Eggler, Indianapolis - 18
3 players tied with 17 each

Runs Batted In

Jimmy Wood, Milwaukee - 19
Lip Pike, Milwaukee - 17
John Bass, Cincinnati - 16
John Clapp, Indianapolis - 14
Will Foley, Milwaukee - 14
Ezra Sutton, Indianapolis - 14
4 players tied with 13 each

Stolen Bases

Paul Hines, Providence - 13
John McMullin, Cincinnati - 12
Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 10
Dave Eggler, Indianapolis - 7
Andy Leonard, Chicago - 7
3 players tied with 6 each

Won-Loss Record

Asa Brainard, Chicago, 7-5
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati, 7-5
John Montgomery Ward, Providence, 7-6
Sam Weaver, Milwaukee, 6-4
The Only Nolan, Indianapolis, 5-6
Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati, 4-2
Harry Arundel, Chicago, 4-4

Earned Run Average

Jim McCormick, Indianapolis - 2.16
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 2.31
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 2.69
Bobby Mitchell, Cincinnati - 2.77
John Montgomery Ward, Providence - 2.79
Al Spalding, Boston - 2.96
Jim Britt, Milwaukee - 3.19

Strikeouts

Sam Weaver, Milwaukee - 80
John Montgomery Ward, Providence - 41
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 32
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 31
Bobby Mathews, Boston - 29
The Only Nolan, Indianapolis - 29
Jim Britt, Milwaukee - 19

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Dick McBride was one of the best pitchers of the 1860s and of the National Association era. In my league he spent all of 1877 out of the major leagues but since he's back this year at age 31 it's a good time to talk about this early star pitcher and Civil War veteran.

Here's what Nemec has to say about him:

It is only fitting that Dick McBride began and ended his major league career losing to Al Spalding, for the two vied for recognition as the game's top pitcher throughout the National Association's five-year history, with Spalding performing a cut better in almost every respect.

A skilled cricket player in his youth, in 1861 the acerbic and tempermental McBride joined an embryonic version of the Athletics Base Ball club that won the first National Association pennant. Mainly a shortstop in his early years, he gravitated to the box in the mid-1860s and by 1866 was the Athletics' main pitcher.

Nemec doesn't have this great story that appears to be from a book called Baseball in Blue and Gray:

In 1864, while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, he was allowed to take a 3-day furlough to participate in a series of baseball exhibitions between clubs from Brooklyn and the local Philadelphia clubs. It was during this time that the north's attention had turned to military defense, not baseball, so Brooklyn strategically scheduled these events hoping to take advantage of the situation to get some well sought after wins in "enemy" territory. The presence of McBride didn't do much, as all Philly teams were beaten soundly.

McBride was Philadelphia's main pitcher when they won the National Association pennant in 1871, then remained with the club throughout the Association years. When the National League was formed in 1876, he moved over to Boston, but he was basically washed up as a pitcher and that was the end of his career. He seems to have been one more player who was a top pitcher when the game relied on changing speeds but who could not keep up when the curveball became a necessary part of a pitcher's arsenal.

In my league, McBride stayed with Philadelphia for all six years of their existence, and he mostly pitched well even though they never won any pennants. His overall record with the team was 85-86. When they were expelled from the National League following the 1876 season, he signed with Hartford but failed to make the team and spent 1877 exiled to their Grand Rapids affiliate, where he went 12-12 for a bad team. In the 1877-78 offseason he signed with Milwaukee and has been used as their substitute pitcher so far this season. His record has been 0-3 but given this opportunity to return to the big leagues he is certainly hoping to make the most of it.