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

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DISASTER FOR KNICKERBOCKER! HOYT DONE FOR YEAR!
ALL-STAR OUTFIELDER INJURED KNEE RUNNING AFTER BALL ON SUNDAY

NEW YORK CITY (July 8, 1866) – Defending N.B.B.O. champions Knickerbocker have been dealt a major blow to their title defense after two-time All-Star outfielder James Hoyt severely injured his right knee while running after a ball during the team’s game against Metropolitan on Sunday afternoon.

Hoyt, the 1863 N.Y.L. Batsman of the Year, crumpled to the ground as if he had been shot while trying to get to a Metropolitan ball hit to the outfield gap, and after the contest was over one of his teammates remarked that “it looked like someone had hit his knee with a sledgehammer”. Hoyt was left unable to put weight on the affected leg, and team trainer Ernie Baldwin along with local doctors suspect that Hoyt will not be running any time soon. Suspicion is that he has torn one of the ligaments in his right knee, and if that is indeed the case then Hoyt will have his leg in a cast for some time.

(RANDOM NOTE: in real life, the first surgeries to repair torn knee ligaments were done around the turn of the 20th Century, while the surgical discovery of the various knee ligaments themselves was made in Ancient Rome around the year 170. The knowledge was lost for well over a thousand years after the fall of Rome.)

What makes Hoyt’s injury so troublesome for the Knickerbocker lineup is not simply that he is an extremely skilled player, but also that the team’s primary backup in the outfield, Charles Harrison, is a two-star talent who had never seen any playing time in the N.B.B.O. before this year and has never started a single game. He is regarded as a very good fielder on either side of the outfield, which would mean that he has never seen much game time because he has a very light bat.

Making matters all the more difficult for Knickerbocker is that the injury has come in the midst of a historic winning streak by main rivals Gotham, who are within a few games of matching the 20-game streak that St. John’s reeled off earlier this season. The timing of the two events could well mean that Knickerbocker’s defense of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup is ready to be buried even though there is almost a month left to play in the season.

Knickerbocker is currently five games out of first place in the New York City Championship, but after the developments of this weekend the team has quite the uphill climb ahead of them if they are to win it again.

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GOTHAM TOP OF N.Y.C. AFTER 17 STRAIGHT WINS!
HISTORIC RUN HAS SEEN TEAM’S RECORD GO FROM 18-15 TO 35-15; FROM 3RD PLACE TO 1ST

NEW YORK CITY (July 9, 1866) – When St. John’s announced they had fully recovered from 1865 with a TWENTY-GAME winning streak not long into the new season, it was assumed that would stand as the best run of base ball any team would go for all season. The Gotham Base Ball Club has decided to say something about that with a seventeen-game winning streak of their own, one that has seen Gotham go from third place in New York City to three games clear at the top of the standings.

At the start of Gotham’s streak they were 18-15, three games behind the first-place due of Knickerbocker & Union of Morrisania in the New York City standings. Three and a half weeks later Gotham is 35-15, three games ahead of Union, five ahead of Knickerbocker, and looking like they are going to run away with the New York City pennant.

It did take some serious effort for the Gotham team’s streak to reach seventeen games, as four of their five wins in the most recent series against Harlem were by one or two runs, with Sunday’s 15-14 win occurring thanks to a four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning. It was singles by Martin Elson & Birk Jorgenson that allowed the streak to last another game. The previous day Gotham beat Harlem 9-8 thanks to three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Gotham’s results during their winning streak, which started two games before the season’s halfway point:

• June 16: KNI 6-7 GOT (7 runs in B8) – CF George Berg 1/4, 2B, 2 RBI, GW HIT
• June 17: KNI 4-5 GOT – 2B Leslie Arnett 2/5, 3B, 2 R, 3 SB
• June 20: MUT 1-7 GOT – RF Randolph Mills 3/4, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI
• June 21: MUT 12-16 GOT – LF Luc Billon 3/6, 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI
• June 22: MUT 6-11 GOT – SS Alexander Arnold 4/5, 3 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
• June 23: MUT 4-10 GOT – 1B Jackson Buss 3/4, 3 R, RBI, BB
• June 24: MUT 3-10 GOT – LF Luc Billon 2/5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
• June 27: GOT 10-7 HILL – P Daniel Flynn CG, 7 HA, 4 ER, 2 BB/0 K, 2/5, 2B, R, RBI
• June 28: GOT 7-6 HILL (2 runs in T9) – LF Luc Billon 3/4, 2B, 3B, R, 2 RBI
• June 29: GOT 11-4 HILL – LF Luc Billon 3/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
• June 30: GOT 12-9 HILL – CF George Berg 4/5, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI
• July 1: GOT 5-2 HILL – P Daniel Flynn CG, 4 HA, 2 R/1 ER, 0 BB/0 K
• July 4: HAR 1-3 GOT – P Ralph Dodson CG, 6 HA, 1 R/0 ER, 0 BB/3 K
• July 5: HAR 5-7 GOT – 1B Jackson Buss 3/4, 2 R, RBI
• July 6: HAR 5-8 GOT – CF George Berg 2/4, 2B, R, 3 RBI
• July 7: HAR 8-9 GOT (3 runs in B8) – LF Luc Billon 2/5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, GW HIT
• July 8: HAR 14-15 GOT (4 runs in B9) – RF Randolph Mills 3/6, 2 R, 3 RBI, SB

Gotham has not been as dominant during their winning streak as St. John’s was during their twenty-game streak earlier this year. They have been outscoring opponents by 3.3 runs per game (9.0 R/G, 5.7 RA/G) over their past seventeen outing, while St. John’s outscored opponents by 4.6 runs per game (9.9 R/G, 5.3 RA/G) during their streak. Still, every win counts the same in the standings and Gotham has only needed late comebacks in four of the seventeen wins.

Apparently one historic winning run deserves another, and St. Johns’ month-long period of total domination in New England has been answered by Gotham running riot over the New York City competition.

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TWO BIG PERFORMANCES; GOTHAM STREAK ENDS
KIVIVUORI BLASTS SIX HITS; DAVIS BAGS FIVE HITS & FIVE RUNS; GOTHAM STREAK ENDS AT 17

BROOKLYN & NEWARK, N.J. (July 11, 1866) – The first day of Week Eleven of the N.B.B.O. season saw one batsman in each league put in a sterling performance.

First up was Empire Ilkka Kivivuori, who had six hits in his team’s 20-13 victory at Bedford. The visitors came into the ninth behind 13-12, but an eight-run rally helped along by Kivivuori reaching base twice turned Empire into the runaway victors against the second-best team in Brooklyn.

The other big day came from American’s superstar CF Willie Davis. In a 14-10 win at Newark, Davis had five hits, scored five times, and stole multiple bases to help his team increase its record to 29-22 and stay within a game of cross-town rivals Quaker State for second place in the Coastal Championship.

KIVIVUORI

• T2: Leadoff Bunt Single off R. van der Hout
• T3: Single past 3B off R. van der Hout
• T5: 1-run Single past SS off R. van der Hout (R)
• T6: 1-run Single b/w SS & 3B off R. van der Hout (R)
• T7: Single past SS off W. Morandi
• T9: Reached via Base on Balls by H. Cataldo (R)
• T9: 1-run Single to LCF off W. Garrett
• TOTAL: 6/6 (all singles), 3 R, 3 RBI, BB, 6 TB

DAVIS

• T1: Double past 3B off O. Sherrill (scored)
• T3: Leadoff Single b/w 1B & 2B off O. Sherrill (SB, R)
• T5: Infield Single off O. Sherrill (SB, R)
• T7: Leadoff Single past 2B off O. Sherrill (R)
• T8: Fly Out to CF off H. Garnett
• T9: Triple to CF off H. Garnett (R)
• TOTAL: 5/6, 2B, 3B, 5 R, 5 RBI, 2 SB, 8 TB

The base on balls that Kivivuori drew in the top of the ninth inning at Bedford meant he actually reached base seven times, one of only a handful of times that has ever happened in a nine-inning contest. The performance raised his average to .357 with three home runs and 45 R.B.I.

Davis, who looks like a lock to make yet another All-Star Game, raised his average to .348 with fifty R.B.I. and 27 stolen bases thanks to his five-hit & five-run outburst in Newark.

Elsewhere in base ball, the other notable event of the day was that Gotham’s seventeen-game winning streak came to an end in the first of their five-game series at Metropolitan. The final score was 7-3, with Gotham never really able to make it a contest as the hosts were up 4-0 after the end of the fifth and 7-1 after the end of the seventh.

In spite of the loss, Gotham remains three games clear in the New York City Championship thanks to a 9-8 Union of Morrisania loss at lowly Mutual.

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1866’S STAR PLAYERS NAMED
ST. JOHN’S HAS RECORD FOUR STARTERS; GAME TO BE HELD IN BOSTON’S SOUTH END GROUNDS

NEW YORK CITY (July 16, 1866) - There are three weeks left to play in the National Base Ball Organization season, and that means that it is time to send out the rosters for the annual All-Star Game, which were finalized at N.B.B.O. offices in New York City this morning. Roster rules are the same as they were last year:

Rosters for the upcoming All-Star Game will be thirty men per side again this season:

• Places 1-6 in each team’s roster will go to the best pitchers in each league.
• The remaining 24 roster sports will consist of three players for every other position.

The N.B.B.O. Executive Committee wanted to hold this year’s All-Star Game in a Northeastern League venue since it is the N.E.L’s turn to act as the home team. Since St. Johns’ home of Olneyville Field hosted the event last year, the N.B.B.O.E.C. has chosen the South End Base Ball Grounds in Boston, home to Shamrock B.C, as the host venue for this year’s All-Star Game. The South End Grounds seat 9,513 paying spectators, and it is a notably pitcher-friendly park.

The 1866 All-Star Game will feature 26 first-timers – fourteen from the N.Y.L. and a dozen from the N.E.L. – Four of which are N.B.B.O. newcomers. For the New York League, the most notable debut will be that of Metropolitan’s sixth-year OF Gus Huber, who is among the N.Y.L. leaders in average & O.P.S. For the N.E.L, Peter Boyce of American, who is batting roughly .350 with 2.6 W.A.R. at 2B, will start in his All-Star Game debut.

Given their resurgence this year, it is not surprising that St. John’s has ended up with four of the nine N.E.L. starters: P William Tighe, C Dag Nielsen, 1B Collin Henderson, & OF Konrad Jensen. Alleghany & American both have two starters, meaning that just four N.E.L. teams are represented in their starting lineup. In contrast, the N.Y.L. is more balanced, with seven member clubs being represented in their starting nine.

Rosters for the 1865 All-Star Game, with starters highlighted in red, are as follows:


NEW YORK LEAGUE ROSTERS

P: John Brown (UTI/New) – 17-10, 2.98 ERA, 21 K, 4.3 WAR
P: Jim Creighton (EXC/5th) – 21-5, 3.21 ERA, 108 K, 6.9 WAR
P: Peadar Daly (KNI/2nd) – 18-7, 2.30 ERA, 25 K, 3.7 WAR
P: Daniel Flynn (GOT/New) – 16-8, 3.27 ERA, 16 K, 3.5 WAR
P: James Goodman (MIN/2nd) – 14-13, 2.45 ERA, 79 K, 6.9 WAR
P: Earl Quinn (SYR/1st) – 16-8, 2.57 ERA, 23 K, 4.0 WAR

C: Samuel Blade (EXC/1st) – .330, 8 XBH, 45 RBI, 1.4 WAR
C: Earl Feingold (UTI/1st) – .327, 20 XBH, 44 RBI, 1.0 WAR
C: Matthew Hample (UNI/2nd) – .326, 13 XBH, 26 RBI, 1.1 WAR

1B: Cormack Alexander (K.C./3rd) – .379, 24 XBH, 43 RBI, 2.0 WAR
1B: Hawk Peterson (ORA/3rd) – .370, 25 XBH, 50 RBI, 2.6 WAR
1B: Carmichel Todd (HAR/1st) – .378, 17 XBH, 44 RBI, 2.0 WAR
2B: Leslie Arnett (GOT/5th) – .345, 11 XBH, 29 RBI, 21 SB, 2.3 WAR
2B: Benjamin Lovette (EXC/1st) – .342, 13 XBH, 34 RBI, 1.7 WAR
2B: Anderson MacGyver (MUT/5th) – .354, 21 XBH, 51 RBI, 32 SB, 1.6 WAR
3B: Hugh Harris (KNI/2nd) – .310, 21 XBH, 45 RBI, 33 SB, 1.5 WAR
3B: Dennis Hunt (EMP/2nd) – .324, 26 XBH, 39 RBI, 1.4 WAR
3B: Cecil Walker (NC/1st) – .332, 16 XBH, 41 RBI, 1.3 WAR
SS: Edward Huntley (KNI/8th) – .378, 30 XBH, 41 RBI, 31 SB, 3.7 WAR
SS: Henry Nabors (VIC/New) – .332, 30 XBH, 48 RBI, 20 SB, 2.0 WAR
SS: Harold Price (F.C/1st) – .324, 21 XBH, 46 RBI, 2.1 WAR

OF: Luc Billon (GOT/3rd) – .332, 20 XBH, 48 RBI, 1.8 WAR
OF: Frederick Olson (ECK/1st) – .319, 32 XBH, 44 RBI, 1.6 WAR
OF: Zarek Polakowski (SYR/4th) – .315, 19 XBH, 40 RBI, 36 SB, 2.2 WAR
CF: John Carlton (UNI/4th) – .328, 19 XBH, 49 RBI, 2.0 WAR
CF: Archie Mask (EXC/1st) – .340, 21 XBH, 43 RBI, 1.9 WAR
CF: Obelix Tsiaris (F.C/1st) – .351, 22 XBH, 45 RBI, 20 SB, 2.3 WAR
OF: Gus Huber (MET/1st) – .365, 21 XBH, 49 RBI, 2.2 WAR
OF: Will LaValliere (EMP/2nd) – .336, 20 XBH, 42 RBI, 1.5 WAR
OF: Angus O’Connor (BING/2nd) – .354, 18 XBH, 41 RBI, 1.3 WAR


NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE ROSTERS

P: Charles Darnell (QUI/1st) – 18-8, 2.48 ERA, 44 K, 4.5 WAR
P: Jonathan Jenkins (Q.S/1st) – 16-11, 2.39 ERA, 89 K, 6.5 WAR
P: Fred Richards (ALL/2nd) – 18-8, 3.24 ERA, 21 K, 3.9 WAR
P: Tom Ricks (SHA/New) – 20-6, 2.69 ERA, 34 K, 3.6 WAR
P: Elmer Seabold (SUS/1st) – 18-8, 1.89 ERA, 94 K, 5.7 WAR
P: William Tighe (STJ/1st) – 23-4, 2.33 ERA, 17 K, 4.1 WAR

C: Joe Feuerstein (PORT/6th) – .270, 13 XBH, 28 RBI, 0.8 WAR
C: Dag Nielsen (STJ/4th) – .351, 13 XBH, 41 RBI, 1.4 WAR
C: Lawrence Reynolds (G.M/1st) – .297, 17 XBH, 42 RBI, 1.0 WAR

1B: Collin Henderson (STJ/3rd) – .331, 23 XBH, 69 RBI, 22 SB, 1.6 WAR
1B: Edward Sax (SCR/3rd) – .392, 11 XBH, 46 RBI, 1.7 WAR
1B: Henry Stiles (P.J/1st) – .396, 12 XBH, 44 RBI, 1.5 WAR
2B: Peter Boyce (AME/1st) – .348, 25 XBH, 44 RBI, 2.6 WAR
2B: Arran Duffy (ALL/1st) – .286, 22 XBH, 63 RBI, 1.1 WAR
2B: William Gillette (SHA/2nd) – .312, 10 XBH, 41 RBI, 2.2 WAR
3B: Samuel Kessler (ALL/8th) – .347, 24 XBH, 35 RBI, 21 SB, 2.7 WAR
3B: Jerald Peterson (S.o.t.O/5th) – .320, 31 XBH, 42 RBI, 2.0 WAR
3B: Enda Reed (M.M/3rd) – .340, 25 XBH, 38 RBI, 1.4 WAR
SS: Albert Brock (S.o.t.O/2nd) – .273, 11 XBH, 24 RBI, 35 SB, 1.9 WAR
SS: Theodore Kohlberg (SUS/1st) – .349, 18 XBH, 41 RBI, 35 SB, 2.7 WAR
SS: Anthony Mascherino (SHA/8th) – .333, 25 XBH, 42 RBI, 3.2 WAR

OF: Royal Altman (ALL/2nd) – .410, 33 XBH, 73 RBI, 21 SB, 3.1 WAR
OF: Thomas Maloney (REA/6th) – .371, 28 XBH, 34 RBI, 28 SB, 2.4 WAR
OF: Nelson Townsend (STJ/4th) – .317, 22 XBH, 47 RBI, 46 SB, 2.2 WAR
CF: Willie Davis (AME/8th) – .342, 30 XBH, 52 RBI, 29 SB, 2.4 WAR
CF: Graeme Peel (QUI/1st) – .319, 30 XBH, 29 RBI, 50 SB, 2.5 WAR
CF: Franklin Petty (L.E/1st) – .326, 30 XBH, 60 RBI, 2.5 WAR
OF: Konrad Jensen (STJ/6th) – .407, 27 XBH, 56 RBI, 69 SB, 4.3 WAR
OF: Luther Tatum (SHA/3rd) – .322, 26 XBH, 56 RBI, 1.6 WAR
OF: Soren Thomsen (PORT/2nd) – .326, 19 XBH, 34 RBI, 1.6 WAR


The following players will be making their first All-Star Game appearances:

NEW YORK LEAGUE ALL-STAR DEBUTS

• P: John Brown, Daniel Flynn, Earl Quinn
• C: Samuel Blade & Earl Feingold
• IF: Benjamin Lovette, Henry Nabors, Harold Price, Carmichael Todd, Cecil Walker
• OF: Gus Huber, Archie Mask, Frederick Olson, Obelix Tsiaris
• TOTAL: 14 All-Star Debuts

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE ALL-STAR DEBUTS

• P: Charles Darnell, Jonathan Jenkins, Tom Ricks, Elmer Seabold, William Tighe
• C: Lawrence Reynolds
• IF: Peter Boyce, Arran Duffy, Theodore Kohlberg, Henry Stiles
• OF: Graeme Peel & Franklin Petty
• TOTAL: 14 All-Star Debuts

St. John’s leads all teams with five All-Star selections – P William Tighe, C Dag Nielsen, 1B Collin Henderson, OF Nelson Townsend, & OF Konrad Jensen – and four starters, while Excelsior leads the N.Y.L. with four All-Star selections – P Jim Creighton, C Samuel Blade, 2B Benjamin Lovette, & CF Archie Mask – and two starters.

Just like last year there are 26 players making their All-Star Game debuts. However, the spread of the debuts between the leagues is a bit more even this time. The Northeastern League nearly had six debutant pitchers for the second All-Star Game in a row, but 1865 All-Star Fred Richards was nominated to play again. The most experienced first-time All-Star is Susquehanna’s Theodore Kohlberg, who is in his seventh N.B.B.O. season and his third with Susquehanna. Gus Huber is in his sixth N.B.B.O. season, all with Metropolitan.

There are four newcomers in this year’s All-Star Game: Three are pitchers: John Brown of Utica, Daniel Flynn of Gotham, & Tom Ricks of Shamrock. That leaves one batsman: Victory SS John Nabors.

In two weeks it will be Boston’s turn to host the N.B.B.O. All-Star Game, the eighth edition of the contest. As always, expect an exciting afternoon for fans, a fun afternoon for players, and a wonderful afternoon for charity.

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TWO CLOSE REGIONS WITH TWO WEEKS TO PLAY
NEW YORK CITY HAS FOUR SEPARATED BY 3 GAMES; INLAND HAS TWO TIED FOR LEAD

NEW YORK CITY, PITTSBURGH, & WILKES-BARRE, PENN. (July 23, 1866) – There are two weeks to play in the N.B.B.O. season, and four of the six regional championships are almost decided. Excelsior has an eight-game lead in Brooklyn, Syracuse has a five-game lead in Upstate, Shamrock has a ten-game lead in Coastal, and St. John’s has an eight-game lead in New England.

That leaves two regional championships in which the question of who will win is still very much up in the air: New York City and Inland.

The current New York City standings with ten games left:

BROOKLYN		 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA	 RD
Knickerbocker	        37	23	.617	--	431	361	+70
Gotham			37	23	.617	--	430	384	+46
Union			36	24	.600	1	441	411	+30
Metropolitan	        34	26	.567	3	426	421	 +5
Orange			31	29	.517	6	441	402	+39
Hilltop			25	35	.417	12	356	397	-41
Harlem			21	39	.350	16	377	433	-56
Mutual			19	41	.317	18	404	497	-93

After losing their last three games against Metropolitan and their first four against Orange, Gotham’s lead evaporated and they now find themselves even with Knickerbocker, who went LWLWL in their recent series at third-place Union. Metropolitan won three of five games at Hilltop, and the result of all of this is that New York City will be a four-team sprint to the finish line. Metropolitan obviously has the most ground to make up, but a three-game deficit is not impossible to overcome, especially considering the schedule.

Of the four teams, Metropolitan has the easiest remaining schedule. Their final two series will both be at home, first against Harlem and then against Mutual. Knickerbocker comes next because they play at Mutual this week, but they have a crucial five-game series at home against Gotham to end the season. Union plays at Gotham before ending the season at home against Hilltop. That leaves Gotham, who will play five home games versus Union this week before playing five games in the Elysian Fields at Knickerbocker in the final week of play, by far the toughest remaining schedule of the four teams in play for first. Looking purely from a schedule standpoint, Metropolitan just might be able to make up the deficit.
The current Inland Championship standings with ten games left:

BROOKLYN	 	 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA	  RD
Susquehanna		39	21	.650	--	477	340	+134
Alleghany		39	21	.650	--	512	394	+118
Merrimack		32	28	.533	7	398	449	 -51
Lake Erie		31	29	.517	8	418	425	  -7
Reading			27	33	.450	12	428	501	 -73
Sportsman’s		25	35	.417	14	433	457	 -26
Scranton		25	35	.417	14	378	426	 -48
Pioneer			22	38	.367	17	412	464	 -52

Alleghany & Susquehanna will battle for five games in Susquehanna River View Park in Wilkes-Barre, the winner taking over first place with one week left. After that, Alleghany has five games at home against Reading while Susquehanna has five games at Scranton. The strength of the remaining schedule for the two teams is a push. Susquehanna has the advantage this week, but Alleghany has the advantage next week since they have home advantage and Susquehanna is away, and the two opponents are very close in strength.

Susquehanna being even with Alleghany this late in the year with such a high Run Differential is a MAJOR surprise, but they have been the recipients of outstanding pitching from the 1-2 duo of Elmer Seabold & two-time Shamrock All-Star Joe Cunningham all season long.

With two weeks left there are two regional championships still entirely up for grabs, with six teams that have very valid claims to the pennant. Only two will advance to the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, but it will be a fantastic finish.

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DECKER DECKS S.O.T.O. IN TEN-RUN VICTORY
GREEN Mountain Center fielder HAS 5 HITS, 4 RUNS, 3 R.B.I, & 4 STOLEN BASES

BURLINGTON, VER. (July 26, 1866) – Center fielder George Decker was the man of the hour in Vermont as Green Mountain used two big rallies in the late innings to get the best of the Sons of the Ocean at Thomas Chittenden Field:

Sons of the Ocean was ahead 6-5 after the top of the seventh inning before their hosts scored eleven times on eleven hits over their last two trips to the plate, turning a close contest into a rout. The key man in the late surge was CF George Decker, who drove in and scored runs in both innings, which ended a fine afternoon’s work for the third-year player:

DECKER

B1: Hit by Pitch from B. Schmidt (stole 2B, scored)
B2: Single to RF off B. Schmidt (stole 2B)
B4: 1-run Double past 3B off B. Schmidt (scored)
B6: Single to RCF off B. Schmidt (stole 2B)
B7: 1-run Double past 3B off B. Schmidt (scored)
B8: 1-run Single to CF off R. Frohnapfel (stole 2B)
TOTAL: 5/5, 2 2B, 4 R, 3 RBI, 4 SB, HBP, 7 TB

His performance was one of the better ones by a Northeastern League batsman in 1866. He reached base six times, and four of those six excursions resulted in runs for Green Mountain.

For Sons of the Ocean, the loss dropped their record to 40-22. That would place them in first or close for first in every other regional championship, but since they play in New England it meant they were eliminated from pennant contention and St. John’s had clinched the New England title for the ninth time in the N.B.B.O's ten seasons.

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PIONEER SCORE TEN IN NINTH TO WIN AT LAKE ERIE
EDMONSON’S 2 HITS, 3 R.B.I. IN TOP OF 9TH KEY TO RALLY, CAP FIVE-HIT PERFORMANCE

ERIE, PENN. (July 27, 1866) – Lake Erie was in prime position to defeat Pioneer after eight innings of base ball at the Tenth Street Grounds on Friday, thanks to a 9-6 lead. Instead, visiting Pioneer turned the tables with a massive rally:

It was a 6-6 game going into the bottom of the eighth, when Lake Erie scored a run on an Ake Tyllesen double and two more on a Jari van der Sanden single to go up 9-6 ahead of Pioneer’s last turn to bat. What happened next was spectacular:

• BAT 1: 2B A. Black – Infield Single off B. Mack (scored)
• BAT 2: OF P. Koch – Single to LCF off B. Mack (scored)
• BAT 3: PH M. Joyce – 1-run Double to CF off B. Mack (scored)
• BAT 4: 3B J. Edmonson – 1-run Single to LF off B. Wilhelm (scored)
• BAT 5: PH H. de Traglia – Single to RF off B. Wilhelm (scored)
• BAT 6: SS W. Farrell – Run via Passed Ball, then 1-run Single to LF off B. Wilhelm (scored)
• BAT 7: C M. Darsigov – Fly Out to SS off B. Wilhelm
• BAT 8: PH H. Almasy – Single to LF off B. Wilhelm (scored)
• BAT 9: CF B. Koot – Reached via Fielder’s Choice w/ runner safe at HP (scored)
• BAT 10: A. Black – Single to RF off B. Wilhelm (scored)
• BAT 11: OF P. Koch – 1-run Sac Fly to CF off B. Wilhelm
• BAT 12: PH M. Joyce – 1-run Double to LF off B. Wilhelm (scored)
• BAT 13: 3B J. Edmonson – 2-run Double to LCF off B. Wilhelm
• BAT 14: PH H. de Traglia – Ground Out to SS off A. Brandenburg
• TOTAL: 10 Runs, 10 Hits, 3 Doubles, 2 Errors, 1 Passed Ball

The key figure in the Pioneer rally was 3B John Edmonson, whose single, double, & three R.B.I. in the top of the ninth were the biggest contribution by any Pioneer batsman. That inning of work left him 5/6 on the day with three runs and five R.B.I. He also added another double and a stolen base previously in the contest.

Both teams are out of contention for the Inland Championship, but nobody would have realized that with the effort put on display here, ESPECIALLY that of last-place Pioneer when their backs were to the wall.

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N.Y.L. WINS BIG IN 1866 ALL-STAR GAME
ST. JOHNS’ JENSEN BATS 3/3, BUT FLOUR CITY’S TSIARIS WINS M.V.P.

BOSTON (July 30, 1866) – It was thought that having the South End Grounds in Boston host this year’s All-Star Game would make it a pitcher’s affair, but the end result could not have proved that prediction more incorrect:

The New York League was the big winner here, powering their way past the Northeastern League’s best with an eight-run rally in the top of the sixth inning before displaying excellent pitching & defense from then on.

It was an even & exciting contest early, with the two leagues trading runs back and forth over the first four innings and the N.Y.L. exiting with a 6-5 lead. After a scoreless top of the fifth the N.E.L. came to bat and scored five times via a combination of hits, sacrifices, & errors to take a commanding 10-6 lead.

The big N.Y.L. rally in the top of the sixth occurred in similar fashion. They scored the eight runs on only four hits, as the N.E.L. committed three fielding errors and gave away three bases on balls to greatly aid the New Yorkers, who by the end of their time at bat had a 14-10 lead. The N.E.L. was held scoreless after that, with the N.Y.L. adding two insurance runs on a triple in the eighth inning to secure the result and the bragging rights over the N.E.L.

The game’s Most Valuable Player was one who entered in the fateful top of the sixth: Flour City CF Obelix Tsiaris, who earned two bases on balls in the inning – scoring after both – before hitting a two-run triple in the top of the eighth. He finished the day just 1/1, but with three runs, a pair of R.B.I, a pair of bases on balls, and the game’s lone outfield assist.

The six-run N.Y.L. victory meant that St. John’s superstar Konrad Jensen and Portland’s Soren Thomsen were overshad-owed in defeat. Jensen was 3/3 with an R.B.I. and a stolen base, while Thomsen hit a double & triple to drive in one run for the N.E.L. after entering for Jensen in the bottom of the fifth.

This was the third year in a row that the N.Y.L. has won the All-Star Game and gone home with the right to call itself the more talented league, although this was the first of the three editions that they won by more than one run.

Attendance at the South End Grounds was 9,513, and the skies were clear for a beautiful afternoon of base ball.

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LAKE ERIE BATSMEN SHINE AT SPORTSMAN’S
ECCELINO HAS HR, 5 HITS, & 5 R.B.I; PETTY HAS 5 HITS & 4 RUNS; GRAFF HAS 4 RUNS & 5 R.B.I.

FALL RIVER, MASS. (Aug. 2, 1866) – Lake Erie and Sportsman’s are going through the final week of the season with nothing to play for from a competitive standpoint, but that did not prevent a thrilling game from occurring at Buffington Field:

It was quite the contest in Fall River, with the teams slugging their way to a 14-14 tie through five innings before Lake Erie took the honors thanks to a handful of late runs punctuated by a home run from outfielder Fredo Eccelino.

The middle of the Lake Erie order was spectacular on the afternoon, with their #3-4-5 batsman combining for the following:

• 13/20, 4 Doubles, 2 Triples, 1 Home Run, 12 Runs, 12 Runs Batted In

The batsmen in question: All-Star CF Franklin Petty, 1B Wilbur Graff, & OF Fredo Eccelino, who carried the day for Lake Erie.

PETTY

T1: 1-run Double to CF off C. Carson (scored)
T2: Ground Out to 2B off C. Carson
T4: Single to RF off C. Carson (scored)
T5: 1-run Single past SS off D. Deshaies (scored)
T6: Single past 2B off D. Deshaies
T8: Leadoff Double to RCF off D. Deshaies (scored)
T9: Ground Out to 3B off L. Carpenter
TOTAL: 5/7, 2 2B, 4 R, 2 RBI, 7 TB

GRAFF

T1: 1-run Single past SS off C. Carson (scored)
T2: 1-run Ground Out to 2B off C. Carson
T4: 2-run Triple to LCF off C. Carson (scored)
T5: Reached via Error by SS E. Abrams (scored)
T6: 3rd Out via Fielder’s Choice to 2B
T8: 1-run Triple to LCF off D. Deshaies (scored)
T9: Fly Out to LF off L. Carpenter
TOTAL: 3/7, 2 3B, 4 R, 5 RBI, 7 TB

ECCELINO

T1: 1-run Double to LF off C. Carson (scored)
T2: Reached via Error by SS E. Abrams
T4: 1-run Double to RCF off C. Carson
T5: 1-run Single past 1B off D. Deshaies (scored)
T7: Leadoff Single past SS off D. Deshaies (scored)
T8: 2-run Home Run to LF off L. Carpenter
TOTAL: 5/6, 2 2B, HR, 5 R, 5 RBI, 10 TB, 104 GMSC

The massive afternoon from the Lake Erie trio gave the team something to hang their hats on as they prepare to play the last three games of the season. They look likely to finish third in the Inland Championship but could pass Susquehanna for second if results go their way over the final weekend.

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THE 1866 CUP FIELD IS SET!
DEFENDING CHAMPS KNICKERBOCKER IN; THREE TEAMS REACH CUP FIELD WITH 50-WIN SEASONS

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 6, 1866) – Ten seasons of play in the National Base Ball Organization have now been completed. The tenth season had less parity than ones in years past, with five of the six regional leaders at the halfway point going on to finish in first place, three teams winning fifty or more games, and a fourth team – Syracuse – winning 49. Only one of the six regions was decided by less than five games – New York City – while two were decided by more than ten – Brooklyn & Coastal – and one had a nine-game margin – New England. In 1866, the best teams were completely dominant.

BROOKLYN – Thanks to Bedford’s 17-18 second half and their own 27-8 second half, Excelsior turned its one-game lead in Brooklyn at the halfway mark into an eleven-game gap by the end of the season. Jim Creighton (25-8, 2.85, 146 K) was, as always, brilliant and Clydesdale Jackson (21-9, 3.08) was 11-2 over July & August while receiving quality batting support.

NEW YORK CITY – Metropolitan & Union fell off after the four-way logjam with two weeks left, leaving Gotham & Knickerbocker to play one final series to determine who would take the N.Y.C. pennant. After one game, Gotham & Knickerbocker were tied at 42-24, but wo days and two one-run wins later Knickerbocker officially repeated as the N.Y.C. Champions. Ed Huntley (.358, 56 RBI, 37 SB) led the N.Y.L. in O.P.S. (.939) and Batter W.A.R. (4.3), while John McGowan (22-13, 2.97) used a great second half to join Peadar Daly (22-10, 2.56) in the Twenty-win Club.

UPSTATE N.Y. – Thanks to a 25-10 second half, Syracuse turned a lead of 2.5 games over Utica after Week Seven into a final margin of seven. They moved batters around the bases better than any other team, finishing only 15th in the N.Y.L. in Batting Average but third in Runs Scored. Mario Fusilli’s 5.6 W.P.A. was better than any other N.Y.L. player.

COASTAL – Shamrock was absurd over the second half, going 28-7. That turned a four-game lead into a THIRTEEN game chasm by season’s end. Their duo of first-year pitchers – Tom Ricks (26-7, 2.55) & Thomas Smith (23.8, 2.85) – was fantastic, and their defense, led by Anthony Mascherino (.335, 54 RBI, +18.2 ZR, 4.0 WAR), was the best in the N.B.B.O.

INLAND – Inland was a two-way tie between Alleghany & Susquehanna with two weeks left. However, Alleghany won all five games in the series against Susquehanna in Week Thirteen and that settled the Inland Championship, which Alleghany won by those five games. They were led by the sport’s only .400 batter: outfielder Royal Altman (.405, 86 RBI, 4.2 WAR). They also received All-Star seasons from Samuel Kessler (.342, 47 RBI) and Fred Richards (24-9, 2.99).

NEW ENGLAND – St. John’s was simply too much for everyone else. Even though Sons of the Ocean reeled off a ten-game winning streak in July, Providence’s finest still took the pennant by nine games. They had four All-Star batsmen – 1B Collin Henderson (.321, 81 RBI), OF Konrad Jensen (.395, 64 RBI, 76 SB, 4.9 WAR), C Dag Nielsen (.346, 51 RBI), & OF Nelson Townsend (.238, 68 RBI, 55 SB) – and #1 pitcher William Tighe (26-6, 2.54) was their fifth All-Star.

All six entrants into the Tucker-Wheaton Cup playoffs have been to the playoffs before. Excelsior is in for the third time in four years. Knickerbocker is in for the second year in a row and third time overall. Syracuse is in for the second time – their first since 1861 and first time in the Round Robin era. Shamrock is in for the sixth time. Alleghany is in for the sixth time. St. John’s, the most successful team in the history of the N.B.B.O, is in for the ninth time.

THE 1866 TUCKER-WHEATON CUP

FORMAT: Each team plays all others twice, once home and once away, for a total of ten games. The team with the best record wins the cup. A one-game playoff will be held at Washington Park in Brooklyn if there is a tie for 1st place. Head-to-Head record and Run Differential will be used as tiebreakers to determine other positions in the case of identical record.

TEAMS: The six entrants to the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, sorted by record & run differential.

• St. John’s (N. England) – 54-16 (+223 R.D.)
• Shamrock (Coastal) – 53-17 (+184 R.D.)
• Excelsior (Brooklyn) – 51-19 (+167 R.D.)
• Syracuse (Upstate) – 49-21 (+78 R.D.)
• Alleghany (Inland) – 47-23 (+123 R.D.)
• Knickerbocker (N.Y.C.) – 45-25 (+96 R.D.)

SCHEDULE: The tournament is ten days in length

• Aug. 8: Syracuse at Excelsior, Knickerbocker at Alleghany, St. John’s at Shamrock
• Aug. 9: Alleghany at Excelsior, Syracuse at St. John’s, Knickerbocker at Shamrock
• Aug. 10: Excelsior at Knickerbocker, Syracuse at Shamrock, St. John’s at Alleghany
• Aug. 11: Excelsior at St. John’s, Knickerbocker at Syracuse, Alleghany at Shamrock
• Aug. 12: Excelsior at Alleghany, Shamrock at Knickerbocker, St. John’s at Syracuse

• Aug. 13: Excelsior at Shamrock, Syracuse at Alleghany, Knickerbocker at St. John’s
• Aug. 14: St. John’s at Excelsior, Syracuse at Knickerbocker, Shamrock at Alleghany
• Aug. 15: Shamrock at Excelsior, Alleghany at Syracuse, St. John’s at Knickerbocker
• Aug. 16: Excelsior at Syracuse, Alleghany at Knickerbocker, Shamrock at St. John’s
• Aug. 17: Knickerbocker at Excelsior, Shamrock at Syracuse, Alleghany at St. John’s

The Writers Pool has been asked their collective opinion of what they expect from this year’s cup competition, and they have the teams in the following order:

• #1: Shamrock (53-17, 28-7 2nd half, 8-2 last 10, 1 cup win, #1 defense in N.B.B.O. at 4.9 RA/G)
• #2: St. John’s (54-16, 25-10 2nd half, 7-3 last 10, 4 cup wins, #1 offense in N.B.B.O. at 9.0 R/G)
• #3: Excelsior (51-19, 27-8 2nd half, 7-3 last 10, won final 3 games)
• #4: Alleghany (47-23, 24-11 2nd half, 8-2 last 10)
• #5: Knickerbocker (45-25, 24-11 2nd half, 8-2 last 10, 1 cup win)
• #6:Syracuse (49-21, 25-10 2nd half, 7-3 last 10, Pythagorean record was 40-30)

St. John's enters with the best record, but Shamrock had the best second half in the N.B.B.O. and the better record of the two over the last ten games. Of course, four-time cup winners St. John's could just as easily bring it home again. The Writers Pool views Excelsior as very close behind since Creighton & Jackson pitched so well over the second half of the season. Alleghany & Knickerbocker are seen as good but not quite good enough here, given the strength at the top. Syracuse benefitted from a lot of fortuitous results this season, as evidenced by their sub-100 Run Differential even though they were 49-21, and because of that the Writers Pool thinks the Upstate champions will finish sixth without suffering the same winless fate as Minuteman did last year.

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T.W.C. X: DOMINANT FORCES COLLIDE

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 8-17, 1866) – After base ball fans & pundits thought the drama of Tucker-Wheaton Cup VIII could not be topped, Tucker-Wheaton Cup IX turned out to collectively be the closest one yet. What would the tenth edition of the cup competition bring?

This much was known: the six cup entrants were a group of dominant, seemingly irresistible forces. Three teams – St. John’s (54-16), Shamrock (53-17), & Excelsior (51-19) – won more than fifty games and finished atop their regional cham-pionships by margins of nine, thirteen, and eleven games respectively. Syracuse (49-21) nearly joined the Fifty Win Club and were easily the best in the usually tricky Upstate Championship. Alleghany was “only” 47-23 and finished five games clear atop the Inland Championship. Defending champions Knickerbocker were actually the ones who entered the cup with the worst record, a 45-25 mark with a Run Differential of +96. They were also the only team to win their region by less than five games.

Last year’s cup competition was heavily slanted toward defense and pitching, with teams averaging 5.9 runs per game com-pared to the N.B.B.O. regular season average of 6.9 R/G, and Knickerbocker won the cup while allowing just 35 runs over their ten games. This year six of the top thirteen offensive attacks in the N.B.B.O. were present, including #1 St. John’s (629 R, 9.0 R/G), even if a couple of the parks were considered pitcher-friendly. The N.B.B.O. Batting Champion, R.B.I. leader, O.P.S. leader, Stolen Base leader, Batter W.P.A. leader, and Batter W.A.R. leader were taking part.

Numerous established star batsmen were on display: Ed Huntley (KNI), Zarek Polakowski (SYR), Anthony Mascherino (SHA), Luther Tatum (SHA), Art Waltrip (ALL), Sam Kessler (ALL), Royal Altman (ALL), Nelson Townsend (STJ), & Konrad Jensen (STJ) were among the shining lights present for T.W.C. X, though they were not all of the stars to play.

That’s not to say the teams were mediocre in other areas of the game. Four of the six teams – Excelsior, Knickerbocker, Shamrock, & St. John’s – entered with a pair of 20-win pitchers. Shamrock had the best fielding defense in the N.B.B.O, while Excelsior & Knickerbocker were in the N.Y.L’s top three. All six teams, as evidenced by their records, were plenty ca-pable in all areas of play: technical, physical, & mental – offense, defense, & pitching.

With such an outstanding roster of contenders, who would be the one to knock out the others the hoist the cup?

1866 TUCKER WHEATON CUP STANDINGS

TEAM			W	L	 R	RA	 RD
SHAMROCK		9	1	83	48	+35
ST. JOHN’S		6	4	76	60	+16
KNICKERBOCKER	        5	5	68	63	 +5
EXCELSIOR		4	6	45	54	 -9
SYRACUSE		3	7	61	74	-13
ALLEGHANY		3	7	59	93	-34
SYR 1-1 vs ALL; superior Run Diff.

M.V.P: SS Anthony Mascherino (SHA) – 15/45 (.333), .834 OPS, 4 2B, 1 3B, 16 R, 14 RBI, 2 BB/0 K, 4 SB
3x P.o.t.G, 142 OPS+, 1.0 WPA, 0.4 WAR in 10 Games

In the end, it was not the #1 team – St. John’s – or the defending champion – Knickerbocker – but instead the team that had the best finish to the season – Shamrock and their 28-7 second half – that won out. In finishing with a 9-1 record Shamrock matched the 1863 St. John’s cup winners that went 9-1, and bettered their Run Differential in the process. This was the most dominant cup run in the Round Robin era, with Shamrock winning their final eight games, a cup record.

The difference between a 9-1 Shamrock cup win and yet another St. John’s triumph was extra innings. Shamrock won twice in ten-inning contests – the difference between 9-1 and 7-3. On the other hand, St. John’s lost twice in ten innings, including once at Shamrock – the difference between 6-4 and 8-2. Such was the tiny difference between a championship and a defeat.

Shamrock won the cup with pitching & defense. While they did score more runs than any other team, that was thanks to their two dozen runs over two games against Alleghany. Shamrock had the best defense in the competition, which allowed them to preserve late leads and win games in extra innings. They were led by cup M.V.P. Anthony Mascherino, but OF Dennis Pruitt (.319) cracked six doubles, 3B Jerrick Stoner (.310) drove in a dozen runs, CF Walter Williams (.306) stole eight bases and scored eleven runs, and their pitching duo of Tom Ricks & Thomas Smith went 8-1 with an E.R.A. under 3.00.

St. Johns’ offense was brilliant as always in cup competition. Collin Henderson (.457) had 21 hits and fourteen R.B.I, Kon-rad Jensen (.412) drove in eleven runs with an on-base over .500, Nelson Townsend (.396) and stole eleven bases, and Wil-liam Johnson (.367) scored fifteen runs. It was St. Johns’ pitching that had issues, and it came from an unlikely source: #1 pitcher William Tighe, who was 2-3 with an E.R.A. over 4.00. John Christian also took a loss by allowing a ninth-inning ral-ly.

Knickerbocker started brilliantly. They were the only team to win their first two games, and outscored opponents 26-10 over the two. However, their form fizzled, Knickerbocker lost their next games, and their hopes to repeat as cup champs were dashed. John McGowan was “only” 3-2, but he had a 2.23 E.R.A. over 44.1 innings. Their best batsman was likely N.Y.L. Batsman of the Year Ed Huntley (.341), who scored & drove in eleven runs each while stealing eight bases.

Excelsior’s cup run was simple: they won when Jim Creighton played (4-1) and lost when he did not (0-5). Creighton was in-credible – more on him later – but the main issue for Excelsior was that the bats of their stars absolutely deserted them. All-Star C Sam Blade hit .194 (6/31), All-Star 2B Ben Lovette hit .265 (9/34), and All-Star CF Archie Mask hit .150 (6/40). The result was an offense that scored fourteen fewer runs than any other team in the competition.

Syracuse was projected last by the Writers Pool due to their significant number of close games during the season, so fifth was an okay finish for them. The team looked great in the middle of the competition, winning games 4-6, a stretch including a 14-9 win over defending champs Knickerbocker and a 7-6 win over St. John’s. Outside of that: seven losses, although they were very competitive outside of the Gameday One loss to Excelsior. Henry Neal (.341, 9 RBI, 1.1 WPA) was their #1 play-er.

Alleghany had the talent to contend for the cup, but their pitching let them down terribly. Alleghany’s 93 Runs Allowed were a whopping nineteen more than any other team, with two-time All-Star Fred Richards going 0-5 with a 6.19 E.R.A. over 32 innings (40 RA, 22 ER). Likely N.E.L. Batsman of the Year Royal Altman (.378, 12 RBI) performed well as did Arthur Waltrip (.383, 13 R, 6 SB), but eight-time All-Star Sam Kessler (.222, 6 RBI) struggled and in the end their disastrous pitching was too much to overcome.

Even though there were other players who put up better numbers, the Writers Pool named Shamrock SS Anthony Mascheri-no the Most Valuable Player of the competition. His fourteen RBI tied for the cup lead, his sixteen runs scored led the com-petition, his 1.0 W.P.A. was among the best, and he was easily the best defensive infielder of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup.

If Excelsior had finished second or even third, then the M.V.P. would have been Jim Creighton. His output during the cup was simply absurd:

• 4-1, 1.84 ERA, 44.0 IP, 4 CG, 4 BB/21 K, .209 O-AVG, 0.91 WHIP, 4.3 K/9, 5.2 K/BB, 195 ERA+, 1.6 R9-WAR
• 8/17 (.471), 1.265 OPS, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB/0 K, .554 wOBA, 224 WRC+, 254 OPS+
• 1.0 WPA, 1.4 WAR combined from batting & pitching

Creighton’s four R.B.I. in five games actually tied for the Excelsior lead, and the team had a -16 Run Differential in the five games in which he did not pitch.

St. John’s had two worthy candidates for Tucker-Wheaton Cup M.V.P. First was 1B Collin Henderson:

• 21/46 (.457), .979 OPS, 2 2B, 1 3B, 15 R, 14 RBI, 2 BB/0 K, 5 SB, 180 OPS+, 1.2 WPA, 0.4 WAR

The other was venerable OF Konrad Jensen:

• 14/34 (.412), 1.257 OPS, 6 2B, 2 3B, 11 R, 11 RBI, 13 BB/0 K, 8 SB, 255 OPS+, 1.3 WPA, 0.8 WAR

Henderson led or tied for the cup lead in average, runs, & R.B.I, while Jensen had the competition’s best O.P.S, Batter W.P.A, and Batter W.A.R. thanks to the ridiculous thirteen bases on balls he took in ten games.

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GAMEDAY ONE (August 8th)

SYR 3-10 EXC – P Jim Creighton (EXC) – CG, 6 HA, 1 ER, 1 BB/7 K, 2/4, 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI
STJ 3-4 SHA (10 Inn.) – OF Luther Tatum (SHA) – 3/4, 2B, 3 RBI, GW HIT
KNI 18-7 ALL – 3B Hugh Harris (KNI) – 4/6, 2B, 2 3B, 3 R, 3 RBI, SB

The opening game of Tucker-Wheaton Cup X was close until the 7th inning. Over the first six and a half stanzas sporadic offense had resulted in a 4-2 Excelsior lead, but in the bottom of the 7th Excelsior scored five runs via just about everything: single, passed ball, double, sacrifice, & wild pitch in that order. That made the score 9-2 and the result was Excelsior’s.

It was #1 offense vs #1 defense in Boston, and it was defense that carried the day in St. John’s vs Shamrock. The score was 2-2 after the 1st inning, and after a single run from each side over the next eight it was time for extras. In the bottom of the 10th Shamrock OF Luther Tatum doubled in Dennis Pruitt to cap a 3/4 afternoon and win the game for the hosts.

Knickerbocker wasted no time in opening their cup defense with a positive result, as a dozen runs over their first four times to bat were enough to sink Alleghany. Hugh Harris took P.o.t.G. honors although he was not the only Knick player to go 4/6 with three runs & R.B.I. each. Ed Huntley put up those same figures, but instead of three extra-base hits he stole three bases.

GAMEDAY TWO (August 9th)

ALL 6-3 EXC – 1B Walter Anderson (ALL) – 3/4, 2B, R, RBI
KNI 8-3 SHA – 1B Willie Love (KNI) – 3/4, 4 R, BB, 2 SB
SYR 7-9 STJ – OF Nelson Townsend (STJ) – 2/4, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB

Alleghany made up for the opening day home thrashing with a win at Excelsior. Samuel Kessler’s double in the top of the 7th drove in the team’s 4th run and put them over the top, although part-time 1B Walter Anderson was their best batsman here. Solid pitching from Harry Nilsson (CG, 6 HA, 1 ER) and fine defense (2 E) ensured the victory.

Knickerbocker scored five runs over the final four innings to run away from Shamrock and go to 2-0. As in the first game of the day, the victors were led by an unheralded 1B: Willie Love, who in addition to reaching base four times matched his 61-game regular season total by stealing two bases. Peadar Daly (CG, 7 HA, 1 ER) kept Knickerbocker in comfortably in front in spite of eight fielding errors by the team.

St. John’s moved into the win column thanks to a middle-inning barrage against Syracuse, with eight of their nine runs com-ing from the 3rd-6th. That left the score 9-5, and although Syracuse mounted a 9th-inning rally it was not enough as surprise starter Lee Ingle (3.2 IP in regular season) pitched the entire game while receiving plenty of offensive support.

Knickerbocker was the only 2-0 team after Gameday Two, and Syracuse was the only 0-2 team.

GAMEDAY THREE (August 10th)

EXC 4-2 KNI – P Jim Creighton (EXC) – CG, 9 HA, 2 R/ER, 1 BB/2 K, 2/4, 2B, 1 R
STJ 13-4 ALL – OF Nelson Townsend (STJ) – 3/4, 2B, 3 R, RBI, 3 SB
SYR 8-9 SHA (10 Inn.) – SS Anthony Mascherino (SHA) – 4/5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI

NOTE: P John McGowan (KNI) lost to break postseason streak of 16 consecutive W’s
NOTE: OF Konrad Jensen (STJ) set a new postseason record with 4 BB

Excelsior went to the Elysian Fields and gave Knickerbocker their first loss thanks to another great all-around performance by Jim Creighton. With the game level 2-2 in the 7th, Creighton hit a double that moved C Sam Blade to 3rd with no outs, and three batters later OF Uwe Schneider doubled both players home to give the game its final score. In the process, John McGowan received his first loss in his last seventeen decisions in postseason play.

Alleghany was ahead 2-1 after the end of the 1st but after that it was all St. John’s in Pittsburgh, with a number of St. John’s batsmen having fine days. Aside from Townsend’s output, OF Konrad Jensen walked to first four times and stole two bases, 1B Collin Henderson scored three times, and 3B Leopold Pfeiffer drove in four runs.

Shamrock made it two ten-inning victories in three days with their triumph over Syracuse. Shamrock was ahead 6-5 going into the 9th before a single by SS Henry Neal, a sacrifice fly, and another single by P Earl Quinn put the visitors ahead 9-8. Shamrock evened the score with a Mascherino single, and in the 10th PH George Coffman sacrificed in the winning run.

There were no more undefeated teams after Gameday Three. Syracuse was still winless at 0-3.

GAMEDAY FOUR (August 11th)

EXC 2-3 STJ – CF William Johnson (STJ) – 3/4, R, RBI, SB
ALL 1-12 SHA – 1B Charles Weiss (SHA) – 2/4, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
KNI 9-14 SYR – CF Carson Law (SYR) – 3/4, 2 2B, 4 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB

Excelsior & St. John’s opened Gameday Four with a tight contest in Providence. Runs via singles by Nelson Townsend & Konrad Jensen in the 3rd and a Thomas DiMola sacrifice in the 4th gave the hosts the three runs they needed to get the bet-ter of the Brooklyn champs. Lee Ingle held Excelsior to five hits and the St. John’s defense committed two errors.

Alleghany’s pitching was roughed up once again in a double-digit loss at Shamrock, a game in which the hosts scored seven times in the bottom of the 1st inning and all twelve of their runs over the first three. Everyone in the Shamrock lineup, P included, had hits, and this game was seemingly over minutes after the fans sat in their seats.

Syracuse became the last team to win, and in the process broke the Inland Championship’s fourteen-game losing streak in Tucker-Wheaton Cup play that had gone back to 1864. Three runs in the 2nd, six in the 3rd, and three more in the 6th were enough as they managed to score nine runs off Peadar Daly while the Knickerbocker defense committed a rare ten errors.

GAMEDAY FIVE (August 12th)

SHA 8-2 KNI – P Tom Ricks (SHA) – CG, 4 HA, 0 ER, 0 BB/3 K, 1/4, 2B, 2 RBI
STJ 6-7 SYR (10 Inn.) – OF Nelson Townsend (STJ) – 4/6, 3 R, 4 SB
EXC 8-7 ALL – P Jim Creighton (EXC) – CG, 9 HA, 2 ER, 1 BB/7 K, 1/3, 3B, 1 R, 1 BB

Shamrock was able to do damage against John McGowan & Knickerbocker early in Manhattan, scoring five runs over the 2nd & 3rd. That was more than enough as an excellently-pitched game by Tom Ricks and fine defensive work by his Sham-rock teammates prevented the Knickerbocker attack from doing much of anything.

Syracuse decided it was their turn for a ten-inning home win, becoming the second team to beat St. John’s in extras so far in the cup. Down 7-6 in the 9th CF Carson Law singled in Leslie Rabel to tie the score, and then in the 10th PH Henry Stone singled in Arthur Mays to win the game. The outcome spoiled another fantastic performance by Nelson Townsend.

Excelsior was able to squeak by Alleghany in Pittsburgh thanks to yet another outstanding all-around effort from mighty Jim Creighton, who has been doing everything in the three games he has played. He was aided with two R.B.I.s from 3B Wesley Leone and a 2/5 performance from 1B Dan Henderson with three runs. Alleghany had the tying run on third base with two out when an Arran Duffy fly ball to the first baseman ended the game.

The standings after Gameday Five of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup were as follows:

TEAM			W	L	 R	RA	 RD
SHAMROCK		4	1	36	22	+14
ST. JOHN’S		3	2	34	24	+10
EXCELSIOR		3	2	27	21	 +6
KNICKERBOCKER	        2	3	39	36	 +3
SYRACUSE		2	3	39	43	 -4
ALLEGHANY		1	4	25	54	-29

The distribution of the teams was back to more of the standard of years past, and not last year’s version where there were five 3-2 teams and a winless whipping boy.

Shamrock had the best Run Differential, but they were still on top thanks to a pair of ten-inning home wins. At the same time, a pair of ten-inning losses was separating 3-2 St. John’s from an undefeated start. Excelsior was looking invincible when Jim Creighton pitched and…vincible otherwise. Knickerbocker was fantastic over the first two games before hitting the skids hard over the next three. Syracuse was the polar opposite of Knickerbocker. Alleghany was being walloped.

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GAMEDAY SIX (August 13th)

EXC 1-10 SHA – OF Dennis Pruitt (SHA) – 3/5, 2 2B, 3 R, RBI
SYR 8-6 ALL (10 Inn.) – SS Henry Neal (SYR) – 3/6, 2 2B, R, 3 RBI, GW HIT
KNI 4-7 STJ – CF William Johnson (STJ) – 2/4, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB

Cup leaders Shamrock opened the second half of the competition by having little trouble with Excelsior, who was starting P Clydesdale Jackson and not Jim Creighton. Each of Shamrock’s first seven batsmen had base hits, and each of the first six scored runs. Tom Ricks had an easy time pitching, and the defense committed only one fielding error.

Syracuse won in ten innings for the second day in a row, this time at Alleghany. The visitors were behind 5-1 going into the 8th before a four-run rally was answered by an Alleghany run. With the score 6-5 in the 9th Neal singled in the tying run to force extra innings, and in the 10th he capped off his fine day by doubling in Earl Quinn & Carson Law for the winning runs.

The bottom of the 6th made all the difference in Knickerbocker vs St. John’s. With the score 4-2, the hosts scored runs on a William Johnson single (1), a Konrad Jensen double (2), & a Dag Nielsen single (2) to exit the inning ahead 7-4. That was the end of the scoring, and St. John’s took the honors after an errorless game by their fielders.

The results of Gameday Six left Shamrock alone in first place at 5-1.

GAMEDAY SEVEN (August 14th)

STJ 8-3 EXC – CF William Johnson (STJ) – 3/5, 2 2B, 2 R, SB
SYR 1-3 KNI – P John McGowan (KNI) – CG, 6 HA, 1 ER, 0 BB/1 K
SHA 12-9 ALL – Walter Williams (SHA) – 3/6, 3 R, 3 SB

St. John’s became the first team to get to Jim Creighton, scoring seven runs (4 ER) and getting seven hits against him in their five-run victory. The visitors broke the game open with a pair of runs in the 4th and three more in the 5th, and their key players were Johnson, 1B Collin Henderson (2/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, and OF Konrad Jensen (1/4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB).

The contest in the Elysian Fields between Syracuse & Knickerbocker was all defense. The two teams combined for just four runs, ten hits, and six errors, while Syracuse’s Henry Neal & Zarek Polakowski were the only players with two hits. That meant McGowan was the star of the show, as his steady pitching and fine defense behind him won the game.

Shamrock turned on the offense late in their win at Alleghany. Starting in the top of the 6th with the score tied 4-4, the Bostonians scored twice in the 6th, 7th, 8th, & 9th to overcome yet another bout of poor Alleghany pitching. 3B Jerrick Stoner drove in three runs, OF Dennis Pruitt hit his 6th double in seven games, and SS Anthony Mascherino added a pair of R.B.I. The result dropped Fred Richards to 0-4 in the cup and ended Alleghany’s cup hopes.

The results of Gameday Seven meant Shamrock was still alone in first place at 6-1. Also, Alleghany ended Gameday Seven with a 1-6 record, eliminating them from cup competition.

GAMEDAY EIGHT (August 15th)

ALL 7-4 SYR – 3B Samuel Kessler (ALL) – 2/5, 2B, 2 R, RBI, SB
STJ 11-9 KNI – OF Konrad Jensen (STJ) – 3/4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
SHA 5-3 EXC – SS Anthony Mascherino (SHA) – 2/4, R, RBI, 2 DEF DP

Most of the scoring took place early in the Alleghany vs Syracuse battle. After the end of the 4th inning the score was 5-4 to visiting Alleghany, and after four scoreless innings Alleghany came up in the top of the 9th and added a pair of insurance runs via Kessler double and a fielding error by Syracuse to secure their second win of the competition.

St. John’s got the better of a tough battle against Knickerbocker in the Elysian Fields. Up 7-0 after the top of the 3rd, the hosts answered with four runs to make it 7-4 before St. John’s took two back in the 4th to make it 9-4. Knickerbocker scored three runs over the next two innings to make the score 9-7, but two late insurance runs guaranteed St. John’s the win.

Shamrock did everything they needed to do in order to stay atop the standings in the 1st inning Excelsior, scoring five runs. First came a Dennis Pruitt single, then an Anthony Mascherino single, then a two-run Jerrick Stoner single, and finally a wild pitch to let in run #5. The loss dropped Clydesdale Jackson, who had not pitched badly in the cup, to 0-4.

The results of Gameday Eight eliminated Excelsior, Knickerbocker, & Syracuse.

There were only two teams left in contention for the cup after Gameday Eight:

TEAM			W	L	 R	RA	 RD
SHAMROCK		7	1	63	35	+28
ST. JOHN’S		6	2	60	40	+20

If Shamrock won at St. John’s on Gameday Nine, they would clinch the N.B.B.O. championship.

GAMEDAY NINE (August 16th)

ALL 3-7 KNI – SS Edward Huntley (KNI) – 2/4, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI
EXC 6-4 SYR – P Jim Creighton (EXC) – CG, 5 HA, 0 ER, 1 BB/4 K, 2/4, 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI
SHA 11-8 STJ – CF Walter Williams (SHA) – 3/6, 3B, 3 R, RBI, 2 SB

Knickerbocker had an easy time of it in their win over Alleghany. The hosts scored twice in the bottom of the first and were ahead 7-1 before Alleghany scored a pair of consolation runs in the top of the 9th. Huntley, who had been disappoint-ing since the opening game, redeemed himself somewhat, as did 3B Hugh Harris. John McGowan’s record moved to 3-2.

Jim Crieghton was back to doing everything again at Syracuse, earning his fourth win and fourth P.o.t.G. honor of the com-petition. His two-run single was a part of Excelsior’s six-run rally in the 4th inning that won the game for them, and his pitching, which had been substandard last time out, was back to its normal excellence.

The game all eyes were on was Shamrock at St. John’s. A Shamrock win and the cup would be going to Boston. A St. John’s win and both teams would be 7-2 going into Gameday Ten.

This was to be Shamrock’s day. Even play over the opening innings left the score 3-2 to St. John’s after the end of the 3rd, but Shamrock scored three times in the 4th, once in the 5th, and five times in the 6th opposed to three runs from St. John’s over the same span. That left the score 11-6 in favor of Shamrock going into the late innings, and after two St. John’s runs in the 7th former All-Star P Herman Easley took over and calmly carried the win home for Shamrock, securing their first Tucker-Wheaton Cup triumph in four years.

The top two after Gameday Nine:

TEAM			W	L	 R	RA	 RD
SHAMROCK		8	1	74	43	+31
ST. JOHN’S		6	3	68	51	+17

GAMEDAY TEN (August 17th)

KNI 6-5 EXC – SS Edward Huntley (KNI) – 3/4, 2B, 2 R, RBI
ALL 9-8 STJ – OF Royal Altman (ALL) – 2/4, 2B, R, 2 RBI, BB, SB
SHA 9-5 SYR – SS Anthony Mascherino (SHA) – 3/4, 3B, 3 R, RBI, SB

Everybody was going to be playing at the same time on Gameday Ten, with the idea that if the standings were as tight as last year teams would not be able to track the progress of an earlier game to see if theirs mattered. As it stood, Gameday Ten would be the end of the line for five teams and a party for Shamrock, even if they were playing in Syracuse.

It was not a legendary 19-1 demolition to clinch the cup like it was last year, but for the second year in a row Knickerbock-er ended the cup on good terms, winning at Excelsior thanks to five runs over the course of the 6th & 7th. Huntley put up his second fine performance in a row, and 2B Juriaan Kerstens was also 3/4 with a pair of runs and an R.B.I. Unfortunate-ly for Clydesdale Jackson, he took the loss and finished the competition with a 0-5 record.

Alleghany ended the cup with a surprise, winning 9-8 at St. John’s thanks to a two-run rally in the top of the 9th. In the fateful inning, C Wilbert Schrader singled in SS Ed Brown to tie the score and OF Kieran Bullock followed that with a dou-ble to drive in Schrader and give Alleghany the lead.

Shamrock went to Syracuse and won by four to equal the 1863 St. John’s team with a 9-1 Tucker-Wheaton Cup. They scored four in the top of the 1st and added two more in the 6th before Syracuse could put a run on the scoreboard. From there it was just a matter of finishing the game out, hoisting the cup, and letting the celebrations begin.

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1866 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION REVIEW

WRITERS POOL OBSERVATIONS

Offensive output was up slightly in the 1866 season, with average & OPS up a handful of points in both leagues and runs per game up by 0.1 in both. The N.Y.L. average was 7.1 runs per team per game with the N.E.L. averaging 7.0.

The fact that three teams won 50+ games this past season and a fourth won 49 has concerned N.B.B.O. executives. Teams winning that many games can leave the regional championships functionally decided at the midway point of the season, and it also raises concerns about clubs possibly hoarding talent and giving star players cash under the table to gain their services.

Shamrock came dangerously close to equaling Knickerbocker’s record-setting Runs Allowed total from 1865, and it happened because they had the best defense in N.B.B.O. history. Shamrock took home Golden Gloves at five positions – C, 2B, 3B, SS, & CF – while their team set records for Zone Rating, Fielding Percentage, and fewest Errors over the course of a season.

The St. John’s offense is back on top of the N.B.B.O, and as part of that Konrad Jensen may have to go from “Kid Konrad” to “King Konrad”. He led all N.B.B.O. batsmen in W.P.A. & W.A.R. this past season. He had an O.P.S. over 1.000. He led the N.E.L. in walks & on-base for the sixth time, runs for the third year in a row, and he broke his own record for steals in a season while batting .395. All of that, and he does not turn 28 until next June.

Royal Altman has given Cormack Alexander a run for his money when it comes to the best two-year start from a Newcomer. He set new records for Slugging & Total Bases in 1866, and he did so while leading the N.B.B.O. in O.P.S. & R.B.I. while being the only batsman to hit over .400. This after a debut season in which he led the N.E.L. in doubles & R.B.I. before batting .521 with a 1.281 O.P.S. in cup play. The thought of him improving again for Year Three is frightening.

Syracuse was 49-21 and competitive in the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, but if their front office was wise the team’s roster would be tweaked over the course of the winter. Their Pythagorean Record was only 40-30, with second-place Utica’s also 40-30 and third-place Niagara’s 39-31. Syracuse’s +78 Run Differential was only seven better than those two as well. The reason why Syracuse won 70% of their games was the fact that they were 14-5 (.737) in one-run contests, better than everyone except Shamrock & St. John’s, and were also 6-2 in extra innings. They were lucky this year but might not be so lucky in 1867.

Kings County’s two-year fall from their fifth pennant in six years to last place in Brooklyn has been stunning. They still have plenty of talent but there are major holes in the roster, and just a few issues can be enough to doom a team in Brooklyn. However, they have the most money of any club in Brooklyn and a president that puts the team’s resources to use, so they can bounce back quickly if they improve the left side of the infield and bring in some better pitching.

Peter Boyce followed up his fine debut season with a monstrous second season. He led all second basemen in numerous offensive categories as well as W.P.A. & W.A.R., and at the age of 23 it appears as if Boyce is possibly set to be the best 2B in the sport for the next decade. An American lineup featuring him, Willie Davis, Werner Verstegen, & William Busby has the potential to be devastating if some improvements can be made throughout the rest of the roster.

Port Jersey has had a rough two-year stretch. After winning the Coastal Championship in 1863 & ’64 they have since finished 6th & 7th, even watching Olympic crawl up from last place for the first time since 1858 to best them in the standings. P.J.’s two core stars – Walter Dudley & Edward Donovan – are still there, but the roster around them has seriously degraded.

Mutual has had a long fall from grace. In the first five seasons of the N.B.B.O. their finishes in New York City were 5th, 2nd, 3rd, 1st, & 4th. The last five seasons: 3rd, 5th, 7th, 3rd, & last, with a 20-50 record this season that was the worst in the entire N.B.B.O. They are well-run with good facilities and have one of the stars of the sport in Anderson MacGyver, but the entire organization needs a serious rethink if it wants to be competitive in the years ahead.

There was not much passionate argument about any of the major individual awards this year. It was clear that Ed Huntley was the N.Y.L.’s best batsman, and even though Konrad Jensen had the better overall season Royal Altman’s record-setting campaign for Alleghany could not be ignored when came time to hand out Batsman of the Year in the northeast. Any doubts about Jim Creighton’s value to Excelsior were put to rest with his team’s play during the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, and since Jensen did not get the B.o.t.Y. in the N.E.L. that means he was its Most Valuable Player. John Brown was the only first-year N.Y.L. pitcher to win 20 games and be an All-Star, so Newcomer of the Year was his, and in a similar vein Tom Hicks had to win the N.E.L.’s award since he led the league in wins while pitching for the N.B.B.O. champions.

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NEW YORK LEAGUE STANDINGS

BROOKLYN		 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA	  RD
Excelsior		51	19	.729	--	566	399	 +167
Bedford			40	30	.571	11	521	484	 +37
Eckford			36	34	.514	15	485	490	  -5
Empire			32	38	.457	19	505	523	 -18
Continental*	        31	39	.443	20	525	565	 -40
Atlantic		31	39	.443	20	506	523	 -17
Nassau Co.		30	40	.429	21	477	539	 -62
Kings Co.		29	41	.414	22	469	531	 -62
 
N. Y. C.		 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA	  RD
Knickerbocker	        45	25	.643	--	520	424	 +96
Gotham			43	27	.614	 2	505	438	 +67
Union			41	29	.586	 4	512	476	 +36
Metropolitan	        40	30	.571	 5	507	491	 +16
Orange			36	34	.514	 9	514	476	 +38
Harlem			28	42	.400	17	455	503	 -48
Hilltop			27	43	.386	18	411	480	 -69
Mutual			20	50	.286	25	468	604	 -136

UPSTATE			 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA	  RD
Syracuse		49	21	.700	--	542	464	 +78
Utica			42	28	.600	 7	528	457	 +71
Niagara			39	31	.557	10	595	524	 +71
Flour City		34	36	.486	15	482	489	  -7
Binghamton		33	37	.471	16	473	474	  -1
Minuteman		32	38	.457	17	411	421	 -10
Victory			29	41	.414	20	421	488	 -67
Eagle			22	48	.314	27	462	597	 -135

*Continental was 8-2 vs Atlantic

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

COASTAL			 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA	  RD
Shamrock		53	17	.757	--	529	345	 +184
American		40	30	.571	13	579	483	 +96
Mass. Bay		38	32	.543	15	531	502	 +29
Quaker St.		36	34	.514	17	454	481	 -27
Newark			33	37	.471	20	455	467	 -12
Olympic			28	42	.400	25	386	463	 -77
Port Jersey*	        26	44	.371	27	402	504	 -102
Trenton Utd.	        26	44	.371	27	394	485	 -91
 
INLAND			 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA	  RD
Alleghany		47	23	.671	--	585	462	 +123
Susquehanna		42	28	.600	 5	519	405	 +114
Lake Erie		38	32	.543	 9	506	498	  +8
Merrimack		37	33	.529	10	463	515	 -52
Reading			32	38	.457	15	514	567	 -53
Sportsman’s		31	39	.443	16	500	530	 -30
Scranton		28	42	.400	19	436	483	 -47
Pioneer			25	45	.357	22	481	544	 -63

N. ENGLAND		 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA	  RD
St. John’s		54	16	.771	--	629	406	 +223
S. o. t. O.		45	25	.643	 9	547	448	 +99
Quinnipiac*		35	35	.500	19	508	432	 +76
Granite			35	35	.500	19	459	464	  -5
Oceanic			34	36	.486	20	481	535	 -54
Green Mtn.		30	40	.429	24	475	531	 -56
Portland		27	43	.386	27	442	522	 -80
Cantabrigians	        20	50	.286	34	446	649	 -203

*Port Jersey was 7-3 vs Trenton Utd.; 
*Quinnipiac was 5-5 vs Granite, had superior R.D.

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP

TEAM			W	L	 R	RA	 RD
SHAMROCK		9	1	83	48	+35
ST. JOHN’S		6	4	76	60	+16
KNICKERBOCKER	        5	5	68	63	 +5
EXCELSIOR		4	6	45	54	 -9
SYRACUSE*		3	7	61	74	-13
ALLEGHANY		3	7	59	93	-34

* SYR 1-1 vs ALL, had superior R.D.

Most Valuable Player: Anthony Mascherino (27 y/o SS, Shamrock B.C.)

GAMEDAY 1: SYR 3-10 EXC, STJ 3-4 SHA, KNI 18-7 ALL
GAMEDAY 2: ALL 6-3 EXC, KNI 8-3 SHA, SYR 7-9 STJ
GAMEDAY 3: EXC 4-2 KNI, STJ 13-4 ALL, SYR 8-9 SHA
GAMEDAY 4: EXC 2-3 STJ, ALL 1-12 SHA, KNI 9-14 SYR
GAMEDAY 5: SHA 8-2 KNI, STJ 6-7 SYR, EXC 8-7 ALL
GAMEDAY 6: EXC 1-10 SHA, SYR 8-6 ALL, KNI 4-7 STJ
GAMEDAY 7: STJ 8-3 EXC, SYR 1-3 KNI, SHA 12-9 ALL (ALL eliminated)
GAMEDAY 8: ALL 7-4 SYR, STJ 11-9 KNI, SHA 5-3 EXC (EXC, KNI, SYR eliminated)
GAMEDAY 9: ALL 3-7 KNI, EXC 6-4 SYR, SHA 11-8 STJ (STJ eliminated, SHA champs)
GAMEDAY 10: MIN 1-19 KNI, EXC 7-6 SHA, S.o.t.O. 12-15 ALL

SHAMROCK: SS Anthony Mascherino – .333 (15/45), 834 OPS, 4 2B, 1 3B, 16 R, 14 RBI, 2 BB, 4 SB, 1.0 WPA, 0.4 WAR
ST. JOHN’S: OF Konrad Jensen – .412 (14/34), 1.257 OPS, 6 2B, 2 3B, 11 R, 11 RBI, 13 BB, 8 SB, 1.3 WPA, 0.8 WAR
KNICKERBOCKER: SS Edward Huntley – .341 (14/41), .899 OPS, 1 2B, 3 3B, 13 R, 11 RBI, 3 BB, 8 SB, 0.8 WPA, 0.4 WAR
EXCELSIOR: P Jim Creighton – 4-1, 1.84 ERA, 44.0 IP, 4 BB/21 K, .0.91 WHIP, 471 (8/17), 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 R, 4 RBI, 1.0 WPA, 1.4 WAR
SYRACUSE: SS Henry Neal – .341 (14/41), .784 OPS, 3 2B, 0 3B, 8 R, 9 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB, 1.1 WPA, 0.3 WAR
ALLEGHANY: CF Arthur Waltrip – .383 (18/47), .952 OPS, 5 2B, 1 3B, 12 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB, 6 SB, 0.4 WPA, 0.5 WAR

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NEW YORK LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Edward Huntley – 30 y/o SS, Knickerbocker B.B.C.

• .358/.407/.532, .939 OPS, 77 R, 107 H, 29 2B, 10 3B, 1 HR, 56 RBI, 25 BB, 37 SB, 159 TB, 5.3 WPA, 4.3 WAR
• First SS to lead N.Y.L. in O.P.S.; led N.Y.L. in Batter W.A.R. for the 8th time
• Hawk Peterson (1B, ORA) 2nd – .353/.387/.521, 82 R, 109 H, 20 2B, 13 3B, 2 HR, 62 RBI, 13 BB, 161 TB, 3.0 WPA, 3.1 WAR
• Gus Huber (RF, MET) 3rd – .355/.392/.462, 67 R, 100 H, 23 2B, 7 3B, 0 HR, 59 RBI, 21 BB, 2 SB, 3.1 WPA, 3.0 WAR

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Edward Huntley – Jim Creighton – 25 y/o P, Excelsior B.B.C. (2nd M.V.P. Award)

• 25-8, 2.85 ERA, 296.2 IP, 24 CG, 2 SHO, 146 K, 4.4 K/9, 6.3 K/BB, 1.03 WHIP, 9.0 WAR, 8.3 R9/WAR
• Led N.Y.L. in Pitching W.A.R. for 4th straight season; had .331 AVG, .805 O.P.S., & 0.9 W.A.R. when batting
• Edward Huntley (SS, KNI) 2nd – N.Y.L. Batsman of the Year
• Mario Fusilli (1B, SYR) 3rd – .322/.375/.418, 61 R, 88 H, 17 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 60 RBI, 24 BB, 4 SB, 5.6 WPA, 1.7 WAR

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: John Brown – 28 y/o P, Utica B.B.C.

• 20-14, 3.17 ERA, 289.1 IP, 21 CG, 2 SHO, 27 K, 1.3 K/BB, 1.21 WHIP, 5.6 WAR, 6.1 R9/WAR
• Only N.Y.L. Newcomer w/ 20+ Wins; led first-year N.Y.L. pitchers in W.A.R.
• Henry Nabors (SS, VIC) 2nd – .319/.328/.473, 57 R, 101 H, 26 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 56 RBI, 24 SB, +5.3 ZR, 2.1 WPA, 2.4 WAR
• Daniel Flynn (P, GOT) 3rd – 19-12, 3.12 ERA, 268.0 IP, 23 CG, 1 SHO, 21 K, 0.9 K/BB, 1.23 WHIP, 4.6 WAR, 5.7 R9/WAR

GOLDEN GLOVES

P: Gerald LaCroix (HILL, 1st) – 2.45 RNG, +9.9 ZR, 1.21 EFF
C: Samuel Blade (EXC, 1st) – 43.5 RTO%, 2.91 C-ERA, +6.9 ZR
1B: Hawk Peterson (ORA, 2nd) – 11.46 RNG, +9.0 ZR, 1.13 EFF
2B: Leslie Arnett (GOT, 3rd) – 6.54 RNG, +15.0 ZR, 1.13 EFF
3B: Wesley Leone (EXC, 2nd) – 3.52 RNG, +10.8 ZR, 1.14 EFF
SS: Henry Neal (SYR, New) – 5.42 RNG, +15.5 ZR, 1.13 EFF
OF: Luc Billon (GOT, 1st) – 2.19 RNG, +4.6 ZR, 1.06 EFF
CF: Charles Lamb (ECK, 1st) – 3.76 RNG, +7.1 ZR, 1.07 EFF
OF: Gus Huber (MET, 2nd) – 2.51 RNG, +8.9 ZR, 1.05 EFF

TEAM OF THE YEAR

P: Jim Creighton (EXC, 3rd) - 25-8, 2.85 ERA, 296.2 IP, 24 CG, 2 SHO, 146 K, 4.4 K/9, 6.3 K/BB, 1.03 WHIP, 9.0 WAR, 8.3 R9/WAR
C: Earl Feingold (UTI, 1st) - .308/.329/.406, 52 R, 85 H, 18 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 51 RBI, 11 BB, 9 SB, 112 TB, 2.0 WPA, 0.8 WAR
1B: Hawk Peterson (ORA, 2nd) - .353/.387/.521, 82 R, 109 H, 20 2B, 13 3B, 2 HR, 62 RBI, 13 BB, 13 SB, 161 TB, 3.0 WPA, 3.1 WAR
2B: Leslie Arnett (GOT, 2nd) - .351/.386/.408, 87 R, 112 H, 16 2B, 1 3B, 36 RBI, 14 BB, 26 SB, 130 TB, +15.0 ZR, 2.9 WPA, 3.2 WAR
3B: Hugh Harris (KNI, 2nd) - .307/.324/.464, 66 R, 86 H, 20 2B, 12 3B, 0 HR, 60 RBI, 4 BB, 38 SB, 130 TB, 2.1 WPA, 1.9 WAR
SS: Edward Huntley (KNI, 7th) - .358/.407/.532, .939 OPS, 77 R, 107 H, 29 2B, 10 3B, 1 HR, 56 RBI, 25 BB, 37 SB, 159 TB, 5.3 WPA, 4.3 WAR
OF: Zarek Polakowski (SYR, 2nd) - .317/.367/.399, 89 R, 104 H, 17 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 47 RBI, 22 BB, 41 SB, 131 TB, 4.6 WPA, 2.5 WAR
CF: Obelix Tsiaris (F.C., 1st) - .349/.377/.465, 70 R, 111 H, 22 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 58 RBI, 13 BB, 23 SB, 148 TB, 3.5 WPA, 2.7 WAR
OF: Gus Huber (MET, 1st) - .355/.392/.462, 67 R, 100 H, 23 2B, 7 3B, 0 HR, 59 RBI, 21 BB, 2 SB, 137 TB, 3.1 WPA, 3.0 WAR
MGR: Rufus Plouffe (SYR) - 49-21; Led Syracuse to 17-win improvement & Upstate championship in 2nd season as manager

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Royal Altman – 24 y/o OF, Alleghany B.C.

• .405/.438/.595, 1.033 OPS, 88 R, 126 H, 34 2B, 8 3B, 3 HR, 86 RBI, 14 BB, 30 SB, 185 TB, 4.7 WPA, 4.2 WAR
• Set new N.B.B.O. records for Slugging & Total Bases; also led N.E.L. in AVG, O.P.S., Hits, X.B.H., & R.B.I.
• Konrad Jensen (OF, STJ) 2nd – N.E.L. Most Valuable Player
• Franklin Petty (CF, L.E.) 3rd – .347/.393/.508, 66 R, 105 H, 31 2B, 9 3B, 75 RBI, 29 BB, 19 SB, 154 TB, 5.0 WPA, 3.5 WAR

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Konrad Jensen – 27 y/o OF, St. John’s B.C. (2nd M.V.P. Award)

• .395/.480/.533, 1.012 OPS, 95 R, 115 H, 25 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 64 RBI, 49 BB, 76 SB, 155 TB, 6.0 WPA, 4.9 WAR
• 1st player to lead N.B.B.O. in W.P.A. & W.A.R. in the same season; broke his own record for SB in a season
• Franklin Petty (CF, L.E.) 2nd – N.E.L. Batsman of the Year 3rd Place
• Anthony Mascherino (SS, SHA) 3rd – .335/.390/.453, 67 R, 93 H, 25 2B, 4 3B, 54 RBI, 27 BB, 23 SB, +18.2 ZR, 3.2 WPA, 4.0 WAR

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Tom Ricks – 27 y/o P, Shamrock B.C.

• 26-7, 2.55 ERA, 300.0 IP, 24 CG, 2 SHO, 45 K, 1.4 K/9, 1.5 K/BB, 1.11 WHIP, 4.7 WAR, 10.5 R9/WAR
• Led N.E.L. in Wins in 1st season; #1 Pitcher for N.B.B.O. champs; 4-0 w/ 3.59 ERA in Tucker-Wheaton Cup
• Werner Verstegen (3B, AME) 2nd – .329/.338/.417, 67 R, 109 H, 21 2B, 4 3B, 58 RBI, 5 BB, 28 BB, 2.0 WPA, 1.9 WAR
• Thomas Smith (P, SHA) 3rd – 23-8, 2.85 ERA, 281.0 IP, 22 CG, 2 SHO, 16 K, 0.5 K/9, 1.11 WHIP, 4.0 WAR, 8.5 R9/WAR

GOLDEN GLOVES

P: David Deshaies (SPO, 1st) – 2.67 RNG, +7.8 ZR, 1.38 EFF
C: William White (SHA, 1st) – 35.2 RTO%, 2.68 C-ERA, +11.3 ZR
1B: Collin Henderson (STJ, 4th) – 10.83 RNG, +6.9 ZR, 1.08 EFF
2B: William Gillette (SHA, 1st) – 6.19 RNG, +17.9 ZR, 1.18 EFF
3B: Jerrick Stoner (SHA, 2nd) – 3.51 RNG, +7.0 ZR, 1.08 EFF
SS: Anthony Mascherino (SHA, 10th) – 4.97 RNG, +18.2 ZR, 1.18 RNG
OF: Clifford Goodman (REA, 1st) – 2.59 RNG, +6.5 ZR, 1.07 EFF
CF: Walter Williams (SHA, 3rd) – 3.54 RNG, +8.6 ZR, 1.05 EFF
OF: Martin Craven (GRA, New) – 2.75 RNG, +7.7 ZR, 1.06 EFF

TEAM OF THE YEAR

P: Tom Ricks (SHA, New) - 26-7, 2.55 ERA, 300.0 IP, 24 CG, 2 SHO, 45 K, 1.4 K/9, 1.5 K/BB, 1.11 WHIP, 4.7 WAR, 10.5 R9/WAR
C: Dag Nielsen (STJ, 2nd) - .346/.373/.417, 52 R, 92 H, 17 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 51 RBI, 10 BB, 3 SB, 111 TB, 1.6 WPA, 1.9 WAR
1B: Collin Henderson (STJ, 2nd) - .321/.369/.425, 81 R, 99 H, 22 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 81 RBI, 24 BB, 26 SB, 131 TB, 3.0 WPA, 1.8 WAR
2B: Peter Boyce (AME, 1st) - .359/.368/.485, 92 R, 122 H, 19 2B, 9 3B, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 8 BB, 23 SB, 165 TB, +10.3 ZR, 4.1 WPA, 3.5 WAR
3B: Samuel Kessler (ALL, 8th) - .342/.413/.479, 88 R, 105 H, 27 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 34 BB, 26 SB, 147 TB, 3.8 WPA, 3.3 WAR
SS: Anthony Mascherino (SHA, 7th) - .335/.390/.453, 67 R, 93 H, 25 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 54 RBI, 27 BB, 23 SB, 126 TB, +18.2 ZR, 3.2 WPA, 4.0 WAR
OF: Royal Altman (ALL, 1st) - .405/.438/.595, 1.033 OPS, 88 R, 126 H, 34 2B, 8 3B, 3 HR, 86 RBI, 14 BB, 30 SB, 185 TB, 4.7 WPA, 4.2 WAR
CF: Franklin Petty (L.E., 1st) - .347/.393/.508, 66 R, 105 H, 31 2B, 9 3B, 0 HR, 75 RBI, 29 BB, 19 SB, 154 TB, 5.0 WPA, 3.5 WAR
OF: Konrad Jensen (STJ, 7th) - .395/.480/.533, 95 R, 115 H, 25 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 64 RBI, 49 BB, 76 SB, 155 TB, 6.0 WPA, 4.9 WAR
MGR: Milton Crawford (SHA) - 53-17; Shamrock won Coastal by 13 games & won Tucker-Wheaton Cup with a 9-1 record

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MISCELLANEOUS

NEW YORK LEAGUE LEADERS

• Average: .368 by William Strausbaugh (EMP)
• On-Base: .407 by Edward Huntley (KNI)
• Slugging: .532 by Edward Huntley (KNI)
• O.P.S.: .939 by Edward Huntley (KNI)
• Hits: 113 by William Strausbaugh (EMP)
• Doubles: 32 by Frederick Olson (ECK)
• Triples: 13 by Hawk Peterson (ORA)
• Home Runs: 3 by seven different batsmen
• Runs Batted In: 76 by Ralph Hunt (ORA)
• Runs: 94 by Frank McPherson (CON)
• Stolen Bases: 71 by Mathius Wirtz (MIN)
• Total Bases: 161 by Hawk Paterson (ORA)
• Bases on Balls: 25 by Edward Huntley (KNI)
• Win Prob. Added: 5.6 by Mario Fusilli (SYR)
• Batter W.A.R.: 4.3 by Edward Huntley (KNI)

• Wins: 25 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• Losses: 23 by Charles White (VIC)
• E.R.A.: 2.31 by Frank Childs (ECK)
• Innings: 304.1 by James Goodman (MIN)
• Complete Games: 28 by James Goodman (MIN)
• Shutouts: 2 by eight different pitchers
• Walk Rate: 0.2 BB/9 by Frank Childs (ECK)
• Strikeouts: 146 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• Strikeout Rate: 4.4 K/9 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• K/BB Ratio: 6.3/1 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• W.H.I.P.: 1.03 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• Pitching W.A.R.: 9.0 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• RA/9 W.A.R.: 9.8 by James Goodman (MIN)

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE LEADERS

• Average: .405 by Royal Altman (ALL)
• On-Base: .480 by Konrad Jensen (STJ)
• Slugging: .595 by Royal Altman (ALL)
• O.P.S.: .1.033 by Royal Altman (ALL)
• Hits: 126 by Royal Altman (ALL)
• Doubles: 35 by Jerald Peterson (S.o.t.O.)
• Triples: 11 by Walter Banks (OCE) & Enda Reed (M.M.)
• Home Runs: 5 by Paul Kronenberg (SPO), Alistair McDonnell (CAN), & John Morehouse (P.J.)
• Runs Batted In: 86 by Royal Altman (ALL)
• Runs: 95 by Konrad Jensen (STJ)
• Stolen Bases: 76 by Konrad Jensen (STJ)
• Total Bases: 185 by Royal Altman (ALL)
• Bases on Balls: 49 by Konrad Jensen (STJ)
• Win Prob. Added: 6.0 by Konrad Jensen (STJ)
• Batter W.A.R.: 4.9 by Konrad Jensen (STJ)

• Wins: 26 by Tom Ricks (SHA) & William Tighe (STJ)
• Losses: 27 by Hugh Whiteside (CAN)
• E.R.A.: 2.32 by Elmer Seabold (SUS)
• Innings: 303.1 by Bernard Schmidt (S.o.t.O.)
• Complete Games: 26 by Jonathan Jenkins (Q.S.), Elmer Seabold (SUS), & William Tighe (STJ)
• Shutouts: 3 by William Tighe (STJ)
• Walk Rate: 0.6 BB/9 by Fred Richards (ALL)
• Strikeouts: 122 by Jonathan Jenkins (Q.S.)
• Strikeout Rate: 3.7/9 by Jonathan Jenkins (Q.S.)
• K/BB Ratio: 2.8/1 by Jonathan Jenkins (Q.S.) & Elmer Seabold (SUS)
• W.H.I.P.: 1.02 by William Tighe (STJ)
• Pitching W.A.R.: 7.5 by Jonathan Jenkins (Q.S.)
• RA/9 W.A.R.: 10.5 by Tom Ricks (SHA)

SEASON RECORDS

• St. John’s set a new record with a 20-game Winning Streak, which ended on June 13th.
• Alleghany set a new team record for Doubles in a season with 177.
• St. John’s became the first team to draw 200 Bases on Balls in a season (204).
• St. John’s broke their own record for Stolen Bases in a season with 249.
• Knickerbocker pitchers set a new record for fewest Bases on Balls in a season with 42 (0.6 BB/9).
• Cantabrigians set a new record for Runs Allowed in a season with 649 (9.3 RA/G).
• Shamrock’s defense was the first with under 300 Errors in a season (294).
• Shamrock’s defense was the first with a Fielding % over .900 in a season (.902).
• Shamrock’s defense set a new record for team Zone Rating with a +79.3.
• Cantabrigians’ defense had the worst Zone Rating in N.B.B.O. history with a -77.2
• Royal Altman (ALL) set new records for Slugging (.595) & Total Bases (185) in a season.
• Jerald Peterson (S.o.t.O.) set a new record for Doubles in a season with 35.
• Konrad Jensen (STJ) broke his own record for Stolen Bases in a season with 76.
• Jim Creighton (EXC) broke his own records for Strikeouts (146) and K/9 (4.4) in a season.

ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS

• Royal Altman (ALL) was the only player to bat over .400 on the season (.405).
• Konrad Jensen (STJ) became the 1st batsman to lead the whole N.B.B.O. in W.P.A. (5.97) & W.A.R. (4.9) in the same season.
• May 18: Jim Creighton (EXC) became the 1st pitcher to strike out 500 batters during his career.
• June 7: James Goodman (MIN) became the 2nd pitcher to strike out 500 batters during his career.
• June 7: John McGowan (KNI) became the 1st pitcher to win 200 games during his career.
• June 22: Jonathan German (SUS) became the 4th player with 8 R.B.I. in a game.
• July 7: Quinnipiac set new records for Singles (28), Hits (31), & Baserunners (43) in a game.
• July 25: Walter Williams (SHA) became the first player to steal 500 bases during his career.
• Twelve players joined Arthur Waltrip in the 1,000 Hit Club during the season.
• Three players hit 5 Home Runs on the season, the first players to do so since 1864.
• A record five players finished the season with 75+ Runs Batted In.
• Two players hit for The Cycle: Elton Matthews (M.M.) on May 27th & Johnnie Sands (UTI) on June 9th.
• Four players recorded six-hit games. There was only one six-hit game in 1865.
• For the second season in a row three pitchers won 25+ games.
• There were two One-Hitters. There has not been a No-Hitter since 1862.

• There are nine players who have played all 700 games in N.B.B.O. history.
• William Johnson is the only player with more than 800 Runs at 836 (Konrad Jensen 2nd w/ 749).
• Walter Williams is the only player with more than 500 Stolen Bases at 507 (Konrad Jensen 2nd w/ 482).
• Paul Kronenberg is the only player with 20 career Home Runs (Konrad Jensen 2nd w/ 18).
• Konrad Jensen is the only player with 300 career Walks at 335 (Walter Driscoll 2nd w/ 237).
• Anthony Mascherino is the only batsman with over 40.0 career WAR at 42.6 (Edward Huntley 2nd w/ 37.4)
• John McGowan is the only pitcher with 200 career Wins at 215 (Joe Cunningham 2nd w/ 184).
• Jim Creighton is the only pitcher with 600 career Strikeouts at 616 (James Goodman 2nd w/ 569, Carl Bancroft 3rd w/ 359).
• Bernard Schmidt is the only pitcher with over 50.0 career WAR at 50.7 (Grover Wright 2nd w/ 48.2).

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BEWARE, BEWARE, THE TRENTON TERROR!
NEW JERSEY OUTFIELDER IS THE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER PROSPECT EVER FROM INDEPENDENT BALL

TRENTON, N.J. (Oct. 24, 1866) – The National Base Ball Organization is about two months into its offseason, and the end of October is when its 48 member clubs begin contacting players in the hopes of successfully recruiting them to play in their uniforms next season. Of all the available players the clubs are hoping to bring in over the winter, one player has been the subject of significantly more discussion than all others: an outfielder from Trenton, New Jersey playing independent ball named James Burke.

Burke, who will turn 26 in December, is someone who was regarded as having the talent to be a fine player the N.B.B.O. roughly five years ago, but he comes from a wealthy New Jersey family and had been working as a banker while occasionally playing the “unrefined” sport of base ball around New Jersey during the weekends each summer. However, Burke took a greater interest in the sport over the past couple of years, and as a result he displayed talents that clubs unanimously agree could make him an extraordinary batsman in the N.B.B.O.

Here was the formal report that the Trenton-based member of the Writers Pool filed on him in August, using the newfangled 1-10 Rating Scale:

JAMES BURKE – OF, Independent Ball – 25 y/o, 5’10”, 180 lbs. from Trenton, N.J. (USA/IRL) – 5.0 stars

• BATTING: Contact 10+ (Average 10+, Avoid K 10+), Gap 9, Eye 7
• DEFENSE (OF): Range 8, Error 7, Arm 6
• POSITIONS: LF 7(9), CF 6, RF 7(8)
• OTHER: Speed 10, Stealing 10+ (Agg. 10+, Ability 10+), Baserunning 10+, Bunting 6 (Sac. 6, Hit 6)
• PERSONALITY: High Intelligence & Work Ethic, Adaptable, Wants Money, Disloyal, not a Leader
• NOTES: Has been given the nickname “The Trenton Terror” while traveling around New Jersey playing informal base ball. Simple but devastating swing makes him a line-drive hitter, and I could see him batting .370 to .420 while leading his league in extra-base hits. Somewhat patient, but that doesn’t really matter. Steals and takes extra bases at will; more than his already considerable speed should let him. Fine OF; only complaint is that his range doesn’t match his speed. Physically durable; keeps himself fit. Comes from a rich family, so will want a good-money job while playing organized ball. Could enter the N.B.B.O. and immediately become its best batsman.

It has been reported that Burke wants to play in the N.B.B.O. next year, and his options are limitless. Every club with a reputation wants his services: every club in Brooklyn, everybody in New York City, the three big Upstate clubs, the Bostonians & Philadelphians in the Coastal Championship, Alleghany, St. John’s, and his hometown club: Trenton United. In reality all 48 clubs would be in heaven to have him play for them, but the ones listed are believed to be the candidates.

Speculation is that Trenton Utd. are the initial favorites since Burke and his family are successful bankers there, so playing for them would mean he would not have to exit the lucrative family business. However, it surely would not be much of an issue for any of the major metropolitan clubs to connect him with a cushy financial job as part of securing his services. Also, he could have that well-paying job while taking part in the issue that is quickly becoming a major concern in the sport: under the table cash payments, which any big club would be happy to give him while also being difficult to prove.

Is it premature to anoint James Burke the N.B.B.O.’s newest superstar before he has even played a game? Of course; Werner Verstegen looked like the best third baseman in the competition on paper when he joined American last season, but it took him a while to get going and he did not even make the All-Star Game. That having been said, at the very least Burke should be able to terrorize opposing teams because of his speed and baserunning ability.

If Burke joins one of the northeastern clubs, it would likely mean that Northeastern League clubs will start the 1867 season with nine of the ten best batsmen in the N.B.B.O. while the New York set would retain control of the top tier of pitching talent. Is one league becoming the “batting” league and the other the “pitching” league? The statistics do not show that to be the case now, but if current recruitment trends continue then in a year or two it could well be the case. It will likely come down to which club Burke signs for, and how well he performs.

In any event, the fight is on for the services of James Burke, and it will be a bloody one.

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WHO IS TAKING MONEY? AND HOW MUCH?
AMIDST TOP-HEAVY COMPETITION & RUMORS OF ILLICIT PAYMENTS, N.B.B.O. TO AUDIT CLUBS

NEW YORK CITY (Nov. 10, 1866) – Tuesday morning marked the start of the annual National Base Ball Organization Postseason Meetings, which always take place at the St. Nicholas Hotel in New York City. Located deep within the meeting halls of the thousand-room luxury palace, the commissioner, owners, executives, and player representatives immediately entered into talks about the two topics that weighed heaviest the past season: dominant teams & the status of Amateurism.

During the recently completed 1866 season, a record four teams won seventy percent of their games: St. John’s (54-16, 77%), Shamrock (53-16, 76%), Excelsior (51-19, 73%), & Syracuse (49-21, 70%). A fifth regional champion, Alleghany (47-23), won just over two-thirds of their games, and the “worst” of the six regional champions was defending cup winners Knickerbocker at 45-25. One second-place team, Sons of the Ocean in New England, also went 45-25.

Every one of the six regional championships saw at least one team lose more than forty games, and in two of the six there were three teams that lost more than forty times. Two teams, Cantabrigians & Mutual, lost fifty games. A whopping 34/48 teams finished at least ten games out of first place, with two teams taking first place in their regions by more than ten.

Nowhere could the dominance of the few be felt more than when it was time to hand out the annual awards for the Northeastern League. The individual awards went to players from Alleghany, Shamrock, & St. John’s, Shamrock players took home a record five of the nine Golden Gloves, and seven of the nine Team of the Year nominees plus the Manager came from the ALL/SHA/STJ trio. In a league with two dozen member clubs, the bulk of the awards going to players from just three teams should not happen. Not surprisingly, the award winners were more diverse in the older and more robust N.Y.L.

Never had the N.B.B.O. been this top-heavy, and having so much of the season become effectively meaningless so soon, and for so many clubs, was a major point of concern for just about everybody except officials from the six regional champions. However, how would this issue be addressed? The roster rules of the competition were relatively simple: each club could have eighteen players on its senior roster, a further eighteen “in reserve”, and since the N.B.B.O. was an amateur competition money should theoretically never be a factor in roster changes going inward or outward.

However, over recent years it had become a poorly-kept secret that money had indeed crept into the organized form of base ball. Ever since premier clubs like Knickerbocker & St. John’s started drawing over 2,500 fans per game – far more than the thousand or so during the inaugural season – those clubs have found themselves with an excess of money in the bank. There are also clubs that have rich presidents or rich patrons that can contribute an excess of cash to the club coffers. That money can be used on venues, facilities, and equipment, but a club like Knickerbocker that has been known to run a yearly profit of $5,000 during recent seasons might still have leftover cash after taking care of such things. That leaves one other source to spend money on: the players themselves.

According to N.B.B.O. rules, each player is to be granted a “stipend” for gamedays spent on the senior roster similar to that of a regular laborer to make up for the lack of work. The average laboring man makes about $6 per week, and with the schedule of seventy games equaling somewhere between eleven and twelve weeks of work, the stipend for a season spent on a senior roster is set to $70. That stipend can change over time, but the logic behind the rule remains the same.

What happens when clubs with larger fanbases or rich patronage, and thus more resources, have an excess of money and nowhere to spend it? In a realm of competitive people, that money just might go to supposedly amateur players who can improve a club’s fortunes. There were rumors that the reason why ten-time Golden Glove winner Anthony Mascherino spent nine seasons with Green Mountain, even though he was from elsewhere in New England, was that the club president was giving him $1,000 in cash under the table to keep playing for them after he won his second M.V.P. award. Going back further, there were rumors about just how Niagara was able to convince Grover Wright to join their club after a record-setting season as the #1 pitcher for cup winners Kings County in 1861.

The players were mum and the executives would never tip their hand, but word around the Writers Pool was that indeed there was a lot money exchanging hands under the table in order to secure player services, and such illicit payments could explain the chasms between the top and bottom of the standings in the regional championships this past season.

The clubs did not want to admit to paying players, so they were espousing the gospel of competitive balance. However, the commissioner wanted direct answers on the matter, and he used his privilege to order a full audit of the 48 clubs on the grounds that there was potential corruption afoot. Arguing that illicit payments could mean illicit gambling was also involved, the commissioner was able to secure police assistance. It would take time to speak to those relevant and find the answers, but he was sure a report could be made by the start of the N.B.B.O. Executive Committee Meetings in the spring.

The upcoming winter was going to be a extremely anxious one for everybody in the N.B.B.O.

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THE RICH GET RICHER! BURKE TO SHAMROCK!
MOST SOUGHT-AFTER INDY BALL PLAYER EVER JOINS N.B.B.O. CHAMPS

BOSTON (Dec. 12, 1866) – A little more than six weeks after the race was on to recruit the most widely heralded independent ball player seen since the formation of the National Base Ball Organization, the club to cross the finish line with papers in hand is the Tucker-Wheaton Cup champions: Shamrock B.C.

Burke joins Shamrock after rumors linked him to nearly every major club in the competition:

• Oct. 27: Seen in hometown Trenton talking to Trenton United front office
• Nov. 3: Reportedly in discussions with Mutual
• Nov. 7: Word leaked that he was talking to Continental
• Nov. 8: Linked to Kings County after the departure of 5x All-Star CF Declan Brice
• Nov. 9: Reportedly went over to New York City and spoke to Hilltop
• Nov. 11: Harlem allegedly angling for his services
• Nov. 13: Burke seen speaking to Knickerbocker president Doc Adams
• Nov. 21: Eckford in Brooklyn linked to Burke
• Nov. 24: Alleghany reportedly preparing an offer
• Nov. 28: Flour City in Upstate newest club to be said to talking to Burke
• Nov. 29: Burke reportedly still upstate, talking with Niagara execs in Buffalo
• Nov. 30: Gotham next club linked to Burke recruitment
• Dec. 3: Union of Morrisania telegrams offer to Burke
• Dec. 4: Metropolitan reportedly sends envoys to woo Burke
• Dec. 8: Burke allegedly in discussions with Nassau County
• Dec. 12: Burke officially joins Shamrock

The prospect of James Burke in the Shamrock lineup makes the cup champs absolutely terrifying. Even if they do not add another player over the winter, Shamrock already has top-ten talents – out of 48 teams – at six positions. At the very least, a repeat Coastal pennant looks to be in the cards for next year.

The one question about Burke’s choice of club is this: why did he join a team that plays in the most pitcher-friendly venue in the N.B.B.O.? Burke does bat left-handed, but the South End Grounds are still stingy to southpaws (AVG LHB: .935). He would have been the perfect replacement for Brice in Kings County, and they have one of the most lefty-friendly parks of the 48 (AVG LHB: 1.121).

It already looks as if the other premier clubs in the N.B.B.O. are going to have to raise their level of play and fight to the death if they are to prevent Shamrock from repeating as Tucker-Wheaton Cup champions in 1867.

I thought about putting my thumb on the scale and having him go somewhere else, but based on my plans for the in-game universe this might be the most interesting thing. Shamrock might be the 1st team to break 60 wins next year.