History of Major League Base Ball (revised)

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May 8, 1879
Syracuse Stars (1-3) at Cincinnati Reds (3-1)

The Reds and Bisons are the two teams that have started the season 3-1, and today Cincinnati host Syracuse as they look to take an early lead in their attempt to repeat as National League champions.

It wasn't close. The Reds, a better club in nearly every way, led this one throughout and got an easy victory. Providence's win over Buffalo means Cincinnati now stands along atop the National League.

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May 11, 1879
Standings and Leaders

Cincinnati Reds 5-1
Providence Grays 4-2
Buffalo Bisons 3-3
Chicago White Stockings 3-3
Cleveland Blues 3-3
Troy Trojans 3-3
Boston Red Stockings 2-4
Syracuse Stars 1-5

The Reds have jumped out to an early lead, with Providence in a close second behind the strong pitching of Sam Weaver.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

Levi Meyerle, Chicago - .462
John Hatfield, Providence - .458
Jim O'Rourke, Boston - .455
Holly Hollingshead, Chicago - .440
John McMullin, Cincinnati - .423
Ezra Sutton, Cleveland - .417
George Hall, Chicago - .400

Runs Scored

Bill Harbridge, Chicago - 10
John Bass, Cincinnati - 9
Dan Brouthers, Troy - 7
Andy Leonard, Chicago - 7
John McMullin, Cincinnati - 7
4 players tied with 6 each

Runs Batted In

Holly Hollingshead, Chicago - 8
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 8
Dave Eggler, Buffalo - 7
John Hatfield, Providence - 7
John McMullin, Cincinnati - 7
Jim Holdsworth, Cincinnati - 6
Fraley Rogers, Troy - 5

Stolen Bases

Dave Eggler, Buffalo - 5
Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 5
George Hall, Chicago - 4
Emil Gross, Providence - 3
5 players tied with 2 each

Won-Loss Record

Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati, 3-0
Gid Gardner, Troy, 2-0
John Montgomery Ward, Providence, 2-0
Sam Weaver, Providence, 2-0
Al Spalding, Chicago, 2-1
5 players tied with 1-0

Earned Run Average

Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 0.62
Bobby Mathews, Boston - 1.06
Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland - 1.17
Jack Neagle, Cincinnati - 1.50
Al Spalding, Chicago - 1.67
Harry Salisbury, Troy - 1.95
Gid Gardner, Troy - 2.00

Strikeouts

Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland - 15
Lee Richmond, Boston - 15
Sam Weaver, Providence - 15
Al Spalding, Chicago - 11
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 8
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo - 7
Jack Neagle, Cincinnati - 7

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Holly Hollingshead is off to a strong start this season. In real life, he was a major figure in the DC-area baseball scene for over a decade, so let's see what we know about him.

Nemec is the only source with any real detail, so we'll go to his book:

Holly Hollingshead was an influential figure on the DC baseball scene for a number of years and a sometimes member of the Washington Nationals team in its various incarnations from 1872 until the early 1880s. In 1879 his wife died while he was in his first season as the club's player-manager. Four years later, in November 1883, Hollingshead represented Washington at an early meeting in Baltimore of the newly organized Union Association but then switched allegiance prior to the 1884 season to the DC entry in the American Association, which was the old Moxley club that had reorganized. Hollingshead remained in charge of the last-place AA entry until just prior to its final game, when a minor club official assumed the reins. A few years later Hollingshead abruptly fled Washington after he was caught embezzling money from an employer. He shamefacedly returned after his family made good on the loss and died in 1926 at a Washington nursing home.

He was also centered in Washington in my league, playing for the 1872 version of the Nationals, the 1873 Blue Legs and the 1875 Nationals. In 1874 and 1876-77, he was with the Hartfords and was a solid starter in center field for them. He's been with Chicago since the start of 1878 and has been a decent defensive center fielder during that time, though his hitting has gotten rather mediocre. Overall he's a .285 hitter in my league, and his 288 career hits to date are good enough to rank him 51st overall.

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Sunday, May 18, 1879
Standings and Leaders

Cincinnati Reds 7-2
Providence Grays 6-3
Buffalo Bisons 5-4
Cleveland Blues 4-4
Chicago White Stockings 4-5
Troy Trojans 4-5
Boston Red Stockings 3-6
Syracuse Stars 2-6

The Reds and Grays still have a slight leg up over the rest of the National League and this week they will play their first games against one another of the season.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

Charlie Eden, Cleveland - .429
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - .390
Ed Caskin, Troy - .389
John Hatfield, Providence - .389
Jim O'Rourke, Boston - .382
John McMullin, Cincinnati - .378
Dave Eggler, Buffalo - .368

Runs Scored

Bill Harbridge, Chicago - 12
Dan Brouthers, Troy - 10
John Bass, Cincinnati - 9
Paul Hines, Providence - 9
John McMullin, Cincinnati - 9
4 players tied with 8 each

Runs Batted In

Dave Eggler, Buffalo - 11
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 11
Charlie Eden, Cleveland - 8
John Hatfield, Providence - 8
Holly Hollingshead, Chicago - 8
John McMullin, Cincinnati - 8
Tom York, Providence - 7

Stolen Bases

Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 7
Dave Eggler, Buffalo - 6
George Hall, Chicago - 4
Emil Gross, Providence - 3
Paul Hines, Providence - 3
George Wright, Boston - 3
13 players tied with 2 each

Won-Loss Record

Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati, 4-0
John Montgomery Ward, Providence, 3-0
Sam Weaver, Providence, 3-0
Gid Gardner, Troy, 2-1
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo, 2-2
Al Spalding, Chicago, 2-2
4 players tied with 2-3 each

Earned Run Average

Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland - 1.05
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 1.17
Bobby Mathews, Boston - 1.37
Gid Gardner, Troy - 1.80
Jack Neagle, Cincinnati - 1.93
John Montgomery Ward, Providence - 2.08
Lee Richmond, Boston - 2.21

Strikeouts

Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland - 24
Sam Weaver, Providence - 22
Lee Richmond, Boston - 17
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo - 15
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 15
Al Spalding, Chicago - 13
Jack Neagle, Cincinnati - 10

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

In my universe, Harry Schafer, third baseman for Boston in the National Association era, was out of professional baseball in 1878, but has returned this season with Buffalo and is starting for them at third base. What's his real life story? Let's look at what Nemec has to say:

Harry Schafer was the first major league player to spend a career of eight or more seasons all with the same franchise. Before coming to Boston, he developed his game on Philadelphia's Parade Grounds along with Bill Hague and Tom Miller and first appeared with the local Arctic club in 1867. A strong hitter early in his career - he led the 1870 Athletics club in batting - by the inception of the National Association he was rated only a mediocre hitter but a very accurate thrower, though a trifle slow at getting rid of the ball.

Schafer had several nicknames but was known best to fellow players as "Dexter"

...because he was a serial killer?

...the name of a famous racehorse in the 1870s.

Bummer. Anyway, he was a starter through the 1876 season, but his bat really wasn't any good at that point and he became used less and less, basically spending the entire 1878 season under contract without being played except in exhibition games. He left the team at that point, kicked around the minor leagues for a bit, tried unsuccessfully to collect on a debt from the Boston team owner in the 1880s, then appeared at old-timers' events for decades and eventually lived to the age of 88.

In my league, he's been similar. His real-life career average was .271, in my league it's .261. He batted .284 for the last Boston pennant winners in 1875, then his average dropped to .231 for 1876 and he was hitting .210 when he lost his starting job in 1877. He was released after the season and no team signed him for 1878, but he caught on with Buffalo in this past offseason and somewhat surprisingly has the third base job with the new club. He's hitting .250 so far on the young season and might just manage to extend his career into the new decade.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 20, 1879
Providence Grays (6-3) at Cincinnati Reds (7-2)

The top two clubs in the early going meet for the first time today, and their two unbeaten pitchers - Sam Weaver and Hugh O'Neil - will match up against one another. A win for Cincinnati will mean the Reds have a two-game lead over the rest of the league.

The game ended up being a bit anticlimactic when Providence rookie catcher Emil Gross argued a strike call at home plate in the third inning when the game was scoreless. Gross was ejected from the game and Providence was forced to press pitcher John Montgomery Ward into duty as catcher for the day. Ward allowed ten passed balls in his six innings catching, and Cincinnati scored seven unanswered runs for the easy win.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Sunday, May 25, 1879
Standings and Leaders

Cincinnati Reds 10-2
Buffalo Bisons 8-4
Providence Grays 6-6
Troy Trojans 6-6
Cleveland Blues 5-6
Boston Red Stockings 5-7
Chicago White Stockings 5-7
Syracuse Stars 2-9

Cincinnati swept the Providence Grays this week to open up a solid lead over everyone in the National League except Buffalo. With an 84-game season this year instead of the 60-game one of last season, teams have a bit more time to establish leads (and give them up) and the Reds really look like they mean business this season.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

Jim O'Rourke, Boston - .447
Charlie Eden, Cleveland - .383
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - .373
Ed Caskin, Troy - .367
George Wright, Boston - .353
John Hatfield, Providence - .348
Fred Waterman, Boston - .348

Runs Scored

Dan Brouthers, Troy - 14
Bill Harbridge, Chicago - 14
Everett Mills, Buffalo - 12
John Bass, Cincinnati - 11
Bill Crowley, Buffalo - 11
7 players tied with 10 each

Runs Batted In

Dave Eggler, Buffalo - 13
Charlie Eden, Cleveland - 12
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 12
George Wright, Boston - 10
5 players tied with 9 each

Stolen Bases

Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 9
Dave Eggler, Buffalo - 7
Ross Barnes, Boston - 5
6 players tied with 4 each

Won-Loss Record

Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati, 6-0
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo, 4-2
Harry Salisbury, Troy, 4-3
John Montgomery Ward, Providence, 3-1
Sam Weaver, Providence, 3-2
Asa Brainard, Chicago, 3-4
Lee Richmond, Boston, 3-4

Earned Run Average

Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 0.98
Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland - 1.25
Jack Neagle, Cincinnati - 1.93
Jim McCormick, Cleveland - 2.08
John Montgomery Ward, Providence - 2.10
Gid Gardner, Troy - 2.18
Bobby Mathews, Boston - 2.30

Strikeouts

Sam Weaver, Providence - 32
Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland - 31
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo - 25
Lee Richmond, Boston - 23
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 18
Al Spalding, Chicago - 17
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 15

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Buffalo's rookie pitcher Bill McGunnigle is off to a hot start. In reality, he was a very notable figure in baseball history, though not so much for what he did on the field. Let's see what we've got on him. First, Nemec says that McGunnigle possibly deserves the credit for being the first major league pitcher to scrape the surface of a baseball in order to gain an advantage, based upon an article from 1900. Picking up with the story, from Nemec:

Some of the details in the story are plainly wrong, but the basics are quite possibly true. McGunnigle was a surprisingly effective pitcher in 1879 with Buffalo - ringing up an NL-best .235 OBA and blanking the Clevelands in each of his two starts against them - after posting only a 3-2 record as a pitcher in 1878 and appearing mostly in the outfield. In 1880 McGunnigle started five of Buffalo's first seven games of the season, lost twice to Cleveland, was beaten in his fifth appearance by Chicago and then was released by Buffalo twelve days later on May 25 and never pitched another game in the majors. While the evidence that McGunnigle invented the "thimble ball," a pitch that hitherto has gone unnoted by historians, is scarcely definitive, what facts there are suggest that he clearly had something extra working for him in 1879.

Other than his possible discovery of an imaginative trick pitch, McGunnigle was never an outstanding player.

By the mid-1880s, McGunnigle had built up quite a reputation as a player-manager of prominent non-league clubs, such as Saginaw, Michigan's Northwestern League club, then Brockton and Lowell in the New England League.

According to his SABR bio, by the late 1880s

Gunner’s triumphs gained wider attention. McGunnigle “as a manager, player and general on the field is head and shoulders above anything in the league and excelled by precious few in the country,” said Sporting Life. “In the minds of the baseball public,” the Boston Globe said, McGunnigle’s name “is a household word.” The pennant-winning manager caught the eye of Charley Byrne, president of the Brooklyn team in the American Association, who hired McGunnigle as Brooklyn’s new skipper for a pay of $2,500.

Byrne also was making other moves to strengthen the Brooklyn team, which had been perennial also-rans in the major-league American Association to the champion St. Louis Browns, led by player-manager Charles Comiskey. First Byrne and his partners purchased the entire New York Mets team and kept the best of the players. Then Byrne spent an unheard total of $19,000 to acquire three star players from St. Louis – pitcher “Parisian Bob” Caruthers, outfielder Dave Foutz, and catcher Doc Bushong.

Just before McGunnigle’s first season began in 1888, several of the Brooklyn players married, earning the team a new nickname: the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. The new team and manager made their Brooklyn debut on April 16, 1888, against Cleveland. McGunnigle was no longer a playing manager, and he didn’t wear a uniform. The natty, mustachioed Mac was attired in a dark suit, a bright tie, a shirt with a high white starched collar, a derby hat, and black patent leather shoes with removable spikes, a shoe that he had invented and patented. (Umpires and visiting players, who usually changed into their uniforms at hotels, could remove the spikes and avoid tearing the carpeting.)

Despite the star players, McGunnigle and the team struggled. In August, Mac seethed over press reports that he was merely an empty suit on the bench, and that club president Charley Byrne really ran the team. “I have seen it in print, and I understand that it started in the West, that I am only a figure-head in the Brooklyn Club, and simply carry out Mr. Byrne’s orders. This is false all the way through,” Mac told reporters.

According to Charles Ebbets, who was Brooklyn’s club secretary at the time, McGunnigle “was really the first manager Brooklyn ever had. Prior to that Mr. Byrne had been the actual manager although others had worn the title."

McGunnigle's Brooklyn club won the AA pennant in 1889, his second season as one of the first modern baseball managers - a non-player who was also not a team owner but led the club on and off the field. Brooklyn switched to the National League in 1890 and McGunnigle led them to another pennant in that chaotic Players' League season.

SABR bio again:

Despite his success, McGunnigle became a victim of the fallout from the great baseball war. The Players League died after only one season, but the three-league competition had turned off fans and attendance plummeted. The surviving National League and American Association teams scrambled to woo investors from the former Players clubs. The Brooklyn Bridegrooms took on minority investors from the Players’ Brooklyn team, called Ward’s Wonders after its manager Johnny Ward. But as part of the deal, the Bridegrooms had to agree to make Ward the team’s manager. Bill McGunnigle was let go despite having won two straight pennants.

McGunnigle never spoke publicly about the dismissal, and the Brooklyn Eagle noted only that Mac “left this city with the best wishes of the men who employed him.” In his three years managing Brooklyn, McGunnigle won 267 games and lost 139 for a winning percentage of .658, still the highest in Dodgers franchise history.

McGunnigle had a couple more chances to manage in the major leagues, with lowly Pittsburgh and Louisville. One weird non-baseball note:

Mac returned to the National League in mid-1896 as manager of the last-place Louisville Colonels. During a stop in Washington, D.C., he took his players to the White House, saying he knew President Grover Cleveland. The players assumed it was another of Mac’s practical jokes. At the White House President Cleveland greeted McGunnigle, “Why, Mac, how are you? We haven’t met in years.” The president, who was from Buffalo, explained to the startled players that he had seen McGunnigle play there in the late 1870s.

McGunnigle made worldwide news by asking Cleveland if he planned to run for reelection. For the first time publicly, Cleveland said, “No third term for me. Really, I couldn’t stand it.”

After his one season managing Louisville:

Gunner returned to Brockton, where he opened a pub and poolroom downtown across from city hall. On the night of July 22, 1897, he was returning home with several others in a horse-drawn carrier that was struck by one of Brockton’s new electric trolley cars. Mac was thrown to the street and badly injured. Ironically, the man who once managed a team that became known as the Trolley Dodgers was done in by a trolley car.

McGunnigle never recovered his health and died on March 9, 1899, at the age of 44 at his home at 35 Arch Street. Among friends who attended his funeral were heavyweight boxing champions John L. Sullivan and Jim Corbett.

In the first couple decades of the 20th century he was remembered as one of the top baseball minds of an earlier generation, the way Earl Weaver is remembered today. Furthermore, he has one of the most impressive coaching trees of all time, since Connie Mack was one of his former players. Modernly, Ned Hanlon gets remembered as the progenitor of all managers (he managed John McGraw, Connie Mack and Miller Huggins, and literally every modern MLB manager is part of at least of those three's coaching trees) but it appears that McGunnigle was in his time regarded as Hanlon's peer.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Sunday, June 1, 1879
Standings and Leaders

Cincinnati Reds 12-3
Buffalo Bisons 11-4
Chicago White Stockings 7-8
Cleveland Blues 7-8
Troy Trojans 7-8
Boston Red Stockings 6-9
Providence Grays 6-9
Syracuse Stars 4-11

With a seven-game winning streak going, Buffalo have joined Cincinnati at the top of the National League. The two clubs seem to have a significant edge over the rest of the league, all of whom have a losing record at present.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

Charlie Eden, Cleveland - .412
Jim O'Rourke, Boston - .400
Fred Waterman, Boston - .362
Orator Shafer, Troy - .354
George Wright, Boston - .353
Ed Caskin, Troy - .345
Charley Jones, Cincinnati - .343

Runs Scored

Charlie Eden, Cleveland - 18
Bill Harbridge, Chicago - 17
Bill Crowley, Buffalo - 16
Charley Jones, Cincinnati - 16
Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 16
Everett Mills, Buffalo - 16
Dan Brouthers, Troy - 15

Runs Batted In

Dave Eggler, Buffalo - 15
Charlie Eden, Cleveland - 14
Holly Hollingshead, Chicago - 13
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 13
Everett Mills, Buffalo - 13
Tom Carey, Cleveland - 12
John Hatfield, Providence - 12

Stolen Bases

Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 13
Dave Eggler, Buffalo - 9
Ross Barnes, Boston - 7
Charley Jones, Cincinnati - 7
Bill Crowley, Buffalo - 6
3 players tied with 5 each

Won-Loss Record

Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati, 7-1
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo, 6-2
Harry Salisbury, Troy, 5-4
Asa Brainard, Chicago, 4-5
Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland, 4-5
Lee Richmond, Boston, 4-5
Jim Britt, Cincinnati, 3-0

Earned Run Average

Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 0.85
Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland - 1.19
Jack Neagle, Cincinnati - 1.93
Gid Gardner, Troy - 2.18
Jim Britt, Cincinnati - 2.33
Sam Weaver, Providence - 2.34
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo - 2.37

Strikeouts

Sam Weaver, Providence - 47
Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland - 36
Lee Richmond, Boston - 28
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo - 25
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 24
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 19
Al Spalding, Chicago - 17

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Time for our check-in on the Northwestern League. St. Paul have won the NWL as a New York affiliate, as an unaffiliated club and as a Providence affiliate. Can they make it four pennants in a row?

June 1 standings and leaders

Minneapolis Millers 10-3 (Boston's affiliate)
St. Paul Saints 8-4 (Providence)
Grand Rapids Woodworkers 9-5 (Syracuse)
Peoria Distillers 9-5 (Chicago)
Fort Wayne Railroaders 7-5 (Cincinnati)
Terre Haute Hottentots 7-5 (Troy)
Quincy Ravens 2-12 (Cleveland)
Evansville Hoosiers 0-13 (Buffalo)

League leaders:

Batting Average

Pete Hotaling, Fort Wayne - .456
Chub Sullivan, Fort Wayne - .450
Jack Rowe, St. Paul - .444
Curry Foley, Minneapolis - .439
Doc Bushong, Grand Rapids - .432
George Gore, Peoria - .429
Fred Treacey, Fort Wayne - .419

Runs Scored

Denny Mack, Peoria - 28
Favel Wordsworth, Grand Rapids - 26
Joe Gerhardt, Fort Wayne - 25
Doc Bushong, Grand Rapids - 23
Fred Cone, Minneapolis - 23
4 players tied with 22 each

Runs Batted In

George Gore, Peoria - 28
Bill McClellan, Peoria - 25
Favel Wordsworth, Grand Rapids - 25
Pete Hotaling, Fort Wayne - 22
Henry Luff, Fort Wayne - 22
Charlie Hautz, St. Paul - 21
2 players tied with 20 each

Stolen Bases

Fred Cone, Minneapolis - 9
Denny Mack, Peoria - 9
Bill McClellan, Peoria - 9
Alfred Metcalfe, Quincy - 7
Doc Bushong, Grand Rapids - 6
3 players tied with 5 each

Won-Loss Record

Curry Foley, Minneapolis, 4-0
Joe Borden, Fort Wayne, 3-0
Dory Dean, Grand Rapids, 3-0
Cherokee Fisher, Peoria, 3-0
Dick McBride, Peoria, 3-0
Jim Tyng, Minneapolis, 3-0
2 players tied at 3-1

Earned Run Average

Mike Golden, Quincy - 0.70
Dick McBride, Peoria - 1.59
Tricky Nichols, St. Paul - 1.77
Curry Foley, Minneapolis - 1.82
Harry Arundel, Peoria - 1.86
NFN Edwards, Fort Wayne - 1.86
Terry Larkin, St. Paul - 1.93

Strikeouts

Curry Foley, Minneapolis - 55
Candy Cummings, St. Paul - 50
Mike Golden, Quincy - 48
Bill Stearns, Grand Rapids - 46
Cherokee Fisher, Peoria - 42
John Cassidy, Terre Haute - 41
Harry Arundel, Peoria - 39

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Rookie outfielder Charlie Eden is currently leading the league in hitting in the National League. Let's see what is known about his real-life baseball career. SABR has no bio on him so it looks like Nemec is going to be my only source. There's not a terribly long entry on him, but here's what seems to be known about this pretty-good outfielder:

After playing with independent Indianapolis in 1876, Eden performed for two League Alliance teams the following year before joining Chicago NL in August and finishing the season in right field. But a .218 batting average gave Chicago no incentive to retain him. Eden then went to the independent Cleveland Forest Citys and was part of the core of that team when it joined the National League in 1879. On Opening Day in 1879 Eden stepped to the plate against Providence's John Montgomery Ward as the first Cleveland batter in National League history and ignominiously fanned on three pitches. He otherwise had a fine year, leading the National League in doubles and his team in home runs, total bases, batting average and slugging average. Yet to be found is an explanation for why Eden then disappeared into independent ball until he joined Grand Rapids in 1883. After leading the Northwestern League in hitting with a .359 batting average, he remained with the Michigan team until it disbanded for financial reasons on August 2, 1884, freeing him to sign with Pittsburgh. In the remaining month and a half of the 1884 American Association campaign, Eden was one of the few bright spots on the Alleghenys and a natural choice to be reserved for the following year.

Eden ranked among the early-season AA batting leaders in 1885 but tailed off sharply. Some of the reason for his dip may have been that he played hurt in the last third of the season. In 1891 Pete Browning, in one of his rambling recitations in The Sporting News, said that in 1885 he had walloped a line drive. . . that hit Eden in the leg and put him permanently "out of commission." In all likelihood the blow came in a late July series between Pittsburgh and Louisville, and while Browning exaggerated its effect on Eden in that Eden remained in the lineup, indications are that he was never the same player.

Kind of a maddeningly ambiguous story. Was Eden the 1880s equivalent of Herb Score or Tony Conigliaro? Was he a mostly independent league player who happened to have a couple decent runs in the majors? Hard to tell at this point. His lifetime batting average was .261 in 226 games, which suggests that he wasn't a would-be MVP or anything, but there's at least some evidence that he could have been a more notable player given the health and opportunity.

In my league, he spent 1877-78 in the minor leagues, hitting first .276 then .339 for Peoria, Chicago's minor league team. He then joined the new Cleveland club for 1879 and was immediately made the starting right fielder. His hitting has been great so far, though of course it's a sample of only 15 games. Perhaps he can manage to have the career his real-life self couldn't in my league.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 7, 1879
Buffalo Bisons (12-4) at Boston Red Stockings (6-10)

Buffalo is on an eight-game winning streak and they are only a half-game behind the Cincinnati Reds at the top of the National League. Today they are playing in Boston for the chance to take the league lead while Cincinnati visits Syracuse. The Bostons were the premier team of the Association era but they have consistently underperformed since the formation of the National League. Today Pud Galvin will be the starting pitcher for Buffalo and he will face one of the more venerable players in professional baseball, Bobby Mathews of Boston.

It was a close one but Buffalo continued their winning streak - Boston scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth but needed four. However, Cincinnati also came up with a win so the two-team battle at the top of the league continues.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Sunday, June 8, 1879
Standings and Leaders

Cincinnati Reds 14-4
Buffalo Bisons 13-4
Chicago White Stockings 9-9
Cleveland Blues 8-9
Troy Trojans 8-9
Providence Grays 7-11
Boston Red Stockings 6-11
Syracuse Stars 5-13

Cincinnati and Buffalo continue to be very closely matched at the top of the league and they continue to look a lot better than their rivals in the National League.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

Jim O'Rourke, Boston - .386
Charlie Eden, Cleveland - .377
Jimmy Wood, Syracuse - .356
Fred Waterman, Boston - .353
Ed Caskin, Troy - .348
Orator Shafer, Troy - .345
Ezra Sutton, Cleveland - .342

Runs Scored

Bill Crowley, Buffalo - 21
Bill Harbridge, Chicago - 20
Charlie Eden, Cleveland - 18
Charley Jones, Cincinnati - 18
Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 18
Everett Mills, Buffalo - 18
John Peters, Buffalo - 17

Runs Batted In

Charlie Eden, Cleveland - 16
Dave Eggler, Buffalo - 16
Cap Anson, Cincinnati - 14
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 14
Everett Mills, Buffalo - 14
3 players tied with 13 each

Stolen Bases

Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 14
Dave Eggler, Buffalo - 10
Bill Crowley, Buffalo - 9
Charley Jones, Cincinnati - 9
John McMullin, Cincinnati - 9
Ross Barnes, Boston - 7
6 players tied with 5 each

Won-Loss Record

Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati, 8-1
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo, 7-2
Harry Salisbury, Troy, 5-4
Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland, 5-5
Jim Britt, Cincinnati, 4-0
Pud Galvin, Buffalo, 4-2
Sam Weaver, Providence, 4-4

Earned Run Average

Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 1.42
Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland - 1.61
Jack Neagle, Cincinnati - 1.93
Gid Gardner, Troy - 2.18
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo - 2.33
Sam Weaver, Providence - 2.41
Jim McCormick, Cleveland - 2.48

Strikeouts

Sam Weaver, Providence - 49
Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland - 39
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo - 30
Lee Richmond, Boston - 30
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 25
Al Spalding, Chicago - 22
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 21

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Joe Battin was a good-field, no-hit infielder in real life, carving out a long career in professional baseball despite having a .225 career batting average in the big leagues.

In my league, he's been similar - a poor hitter but excellent defender at third base for mostly losing teams until he joined Cincinnati in 1878 and suddenly found himself on a contender. This season he's been starting for the Reds at third base and has hit .200 on the nose - slightly below his .221 career average.

Here's what Nemec has to say about the real-life Battin:

Along with being a notoriously inept hitter, Battin also bore an unsavory reputation, particularly early in his career. Twice suspected of dumping games - in 1874 with the Athletics and again in 1877 with St. Louis - he never again appeared in the National League after the latter episode, which centered around a 4-3 loss to Chicago on August 24 when a coterie of gamblers afterward named him and teammate Joe Blong as willing accomplices in orchestrating St. Louis's defeat. Though never officially expelled, Battin did not return to the majors until the American Association was formed in 1882 and he was invited to join the Pittsburgh entry.

The light-hitting third baseman learned the game in the late 1860s with the amateur Philadephia Expert club, which also produced Chick Fulmer and Orator Shafer, before joined Cleveland of the National Association at age 19. After appearing in just one game with the Forest Citys, he played with the amateur Roth club of Philadelphia in 1872 and independent Easton, PA the following year. A 3-for-5 day in a one-game test with the 1873 Athletics earned him a contract with the club for 1874. Battin's stay with the A's was brief after Mike McGeary reportedly accused him of throwing a game against New York and the third baseman pulled a knife on his accuser. The two allegedly never spoke again, and Battin headed for St. Louis the following year.

Yikes. So Battin was a pretty unsavory guy, which isn't how I pictured him. OOTP thinks he was 17, not 19, in 1871 and he looks like he could be that young in the most famous photo of him. For some reason he just seemed like a kid to me, not like a tough guy. Maybe it's the fact that he can't hit at all. Anyway, the high point of his career so far in my league is the three Gold Gloves he got at third base during his three years with Hartford from 1875-77. He fields his position very well - almost well enough to justify his place in the lineup in spite of his hitting. He's still only 25 in my league, though I suspect he may have trouble holding a job into the 1880s if his hitting does not improve.

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I'm still playing and just finished the 1879 season....

FINAL 1879
Standings and Leaders

Buffalo Bisons 57-21
Providence Grays 48-36
Boston Red Stockings 46-38
Cincinnati Reds 43-37
Troy Trojans 31-44
Chicago White Stockings 32-47
Cleveland Blues 33-49
Syracuse Stars 26-44

The Bisons ended up with a pretty easy win, thanks to better pitching and defense than the rest of the National League. In a bit of good news, the only club leaving the league in the 1879-80 offseason was Syracuse. They would be replaced by the Ruby Legs of Worcester, Massachusetts.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

Ross Barnes, Boston - .356
Al Spalding, Chicago - .343
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - .343
George Wright, Boston - .338
Dave Eggler, Buffalo - .337
Bill Crowley, Buffalo - .333
Orator Shafer, Troy - .327

Runs Scored

Ross Barnes, Boston - 90
Ed Pinkham, Boston - 87
Bill Crowley, Buffalo - 83
Bill Harbridge, Chicago - 78
Charlie Eden, Cleveland - 76
Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 67
2 players tied with 66 each

Runs Batted In

Jim O'Rourke, Boston - 69
Everett Mills, Buffalo - 63
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 62
George Wright, Boston - 60
John Clapp, Buffalo - 54
Frank McCarton, Boston - 52
Ed Pinkham, Boston - 51

Stolen Bases

Mike McGeary, Cincinnati - 52
Ross Barnes, Boston - 44
John McMullin, Cincinnati - 39
Bill Crowley, Buffalo - 38
Dave Eggler, Buffalo - 31
Paul Hines, Providence - 25
John Morrill, Boston - 25

Won-Loss Record

Sam Weaver, Providence, 27-12
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo, 25-12
Lee Richmond, Boston, 22-19
Pud Galvin, Buffalo, 21-6
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati, 20-18
Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland, 18-22
Al Spalding, Chicago, 15-10

Earned Run Average

Sam Weaver, Providence - 1.71
Hugh O'Neil, Cincinnati - 2.49
Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland - 2.65
Bobby Mathews, Boston - 2.73
Tommy Bond, Providence - 2.74
Lee Richmond, Boston - 2.75
John Montgomery Ward, Providence - 2.79

Strikeouts

Sam Weaver, Providence - 261
Lee Richmond, Boston - 146
Bill McGunnigle, Buffalo - 131
Bobby Mitchell, Cleveland - 127
Bobby Mathews, Boston - 96
Al Spalding, Chicago - 93
Jim Britt, Cincinnati - 92

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All-Time Professional Baseball Pennant Winners

National Association

1871 - New York Mutuals
1872 - Boston Red Stockings
1873 - Boston Red Stockings
1874 - Boston Red Stockings
1875 - Boston Red Stockings (disputed; some sources say Chicago White Stockings)

National League

1876 - New York Mutuals
1877 - Chicago White Stockings
1878 - Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Cream Citys
1879 - Buffalo Bisons

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Batting Champions

1871 - Lip Pike, Troy Haymakers (.477)
1872 - Rynie Wolters, New York Mutuals (.422)
1873 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings (.428)
1874 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings (.379)
1875 - George Hall, Chicago White Stockings (.377)
1876 - Dick Higham, New York Mutuals (.409)
1877 - Lip Pike, St. Louis Brown Stockings (.421)
1878 - George Hall, Chicago White Stockings (.359)
1879 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings (.356)

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Year-by-Year Leaders in Runs Scored

1871 - Lip Pike, Troy Haymakers (47)
1872 - George Hall, Baltimore Canaries (77)
1873 - Fred Cone, Boston Red Stockings (72)
1874 - Frank McCarton, Boston Red Stockings (64)
1875 - Fred Cone, Boston Red Stockings (84)
1876 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings (80)
1877 - George Hall, Chicago White Stockings (69)
1878 - Abner Dalrymple, Milwaukee Cream Citys (63)
1879 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings (90)

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Year-by-Year Leaders in Runs Batted In

1871 - Cal McVey, Boston Red Stockings (40)
1872 - Lip Pike, Baltimore Canaries (70)
1873 - Levi Meyerle, Philadelphia Whites (68)
1874 - Steve King, New York Mutuals (56)
1875 - Cal McVey, Boston Red Stockings (71)
1876 - Cal McVey, Boston Red Stockings (73)
1877 - Levi Meyerle, Chicago White Stockings (55)
1878 - Jim Devlin, Milwaukee Cream Citys (45)
1879 - Jim O'Rourke, Boston Red Stockings (69)

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Year-by-Year Leaders in Stolen Bases

1871 - Dave Eggler, New York Mutuals (19)
1872 - Fred Cone, Boston Red Stockings (17)
1873 - Fred Cone, Boston Red Stockings (20)
1874 - Dave Eggler, New York Mutuals (14)
1875 - Mike McGeary, Philadelphia Athletics (44)
1876 - Mike McGeary, Philadelphia Athletics (52)
1877 - Mike McGeary, Cincinnati Reds (37)
1878 - Mike McGeary, Cincinnati Reds (45)
1879 - Mike McGeary, Cincinnati Reds (52)