MLHR: Major League Historical Replay... what if?

[darnoff]

Originally Posted by Carlton

Matt!

Time Warp Baseball really fell apart after you left, was a good league

Yeah, I really hated to go. Can't believe it's been about 6 years now.

[darnoff]

1878 Rookies


King Kelly, RF, Reds


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CON: 8
GAP: 7
POW: 8
EYE: 7
DEF: 7
SPD: 8


This is just what the doctor ordered for the Reds. Kelly will instantly be an offensive force in the National League, and he will be paired with another slugger in LF Charley Jones (.275, 36 HR, 87 RBI last season). They will be quite a duo. Now if the Reds can upgrade other parts of their offense, they could look forward to a winning season.




Ned Williamson, 3B, Pirates

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CON: 5
GAP: 7
POW: 7
EYE: 9
DEF: 9
SPD: 6


Few people know that Williamson's 27 HR's in 1884 was the major league record for 35 years until broken by Babe Ruth in 1919. That led me to believe that Williamson would be one of the first early sluggers to challenge the 50 HR mark in MLBR, but as it turns out, he only averaged 4 HR's per year in his other 10 full-time seasons. That still equates to a 20-30 HR hitter in MLBR, but still not quite what I initially expected. Also worth mentioning is the fact that Williamson spent his entire career with the Cubs, except for his very first season. And because of that fact, he will play his entire MLBR career with the Pirates. Honestly, I prefer that because we all knoe the Cubs are stacked already.




Charlie Bennett, C, Cardinals

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CON: 5
GAP: 6
POW: 8
EYE: 8
DEF: 4
SPD: 3


A consistent power hitter, Bennett will be an important addition to the Cardinals' lineup as they try to unseat Chicago. This addition will weaken their defense as they move Jim Keenan (.232, 15 HR, 67 RBI) to first base, but it will certainly provide more offense.




Jim McCormick, SP, Pirates

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STUFF: 8
MVMT: 6
CTRL: 5
STAM: 9
DEF: 10


McCormick throws hard and has above-average control. His presence will be key to ace Jim Devlin (20-8, 2.82 ERA) and it will allow the team to move Frank Pearce (10-15, 4.44 ERA) out of the #2 spot in the rotation. Perhaps the Pirates will be able to make a leap forward this season with the addition of McCormick and Williamson above.

[darnoff]

1878 Preseason Predictions


The Cubs are once again preseason favorites, but the field has narrowed a bit. Expect St. Louis to put forth more of a challenge this season with the addition of catcher Charlie Bennett and leftfielder Abner Dalrymple. I think they will make this a close race, despite the predicted numbers shown below.


But the team I will be watching closely is Pittsburgh. They added three new pitchers to the rotation, highlighted by Jim McCormick and The Only Nolan. They also added power hitting Ned Williamson to the lineup, and they made a small upgrade in CF with Russ McKelvy.


The Braves, Dodgers, Phillies and Giants made little or no improvement on last year's teams. Expect all of them to backslide. However, I do not agree that the Phillies will drop to last place. They did overachieve last season, but the Giants are clearly a worse team.


That being said, I expect the Reds to show significant improvements thanks to the addition of RF King Kelly and LF Buttercup Dickerson. I do not expect them to finish close to .500 though. They still have a lot of weaknesses.

                                      W    L     %    GB
Chicago Cubs                        106   56   .654   --
St. Louis Cardinals                  92   70   .568  14.0
Pittsburgh Pirates                   89   73   .549  17.0
Atlanta Braves                       86   76   .531  20.0
Los Angeles Dodgers                  82   80   .506  24.0
Cincinnati Reds                      71   91   .438  35.0
San Francisco Giants                 64   98   .395  42.0
Philadelphia Phillies                59  103   .364  47.0

[darnoff]

Mid-Season Report


There is no surprise that the Cubs find themselves in first place at the halfway point of the season, but it is a much closer race than we saw last season. The Cardinals are right on Chicago's heals, just 1.5 games back. St. Louis leads the league in home runs. Seven of their regular starters have 10 or more home runs, while the other two have 8 or 9. Their pitching staff has the top ERA in the league, but their 2nd worst-ranked defense has cost them several games.


On the other hand, Chicago has the best defense in the league, but their pitching staff has the 2nd worst team ERA. Only ace Al Spalding (12-1, 2.47 ERA) has an ERA below 4.00. Their offense is tops in the league as usual. Ross Barnes is having his best season. He is currently hitting .411 with 14 HR and 53 RBI just half way through the season! His career high in home runs is 15.


As predicted, the Pirates have made a big turnaround and find themselves 5.5-games out of first. Their new additions have made immediate impacts. Ned Williamson leads the club with 15 home runs. Jim McCormick leads the team with a 2.70 ERA and 105 strikeouts.


San Francisco has had a surprising first half, primarily thanks to a strong pitching staff, but Los Angeles has had the opposite results. The Dodgers have plummeted to last place, 18-games behind Chicago. It's no wonder they find themselves in that position considering they have scored the least runs and given up the most runs of any team. One bright spot is rookie shortstop Monte Ward, who is hitting .268 and already has 20 stolen bases. The single season record is just 23 steals.

                                      W    L     %    GB
Chicago Cubs                         50   33   .602   --
St. Louis Cardinals                  49   35   .583   1.5
Pittsburgh Pirates                   44   38   .537   5.5
San Francisco Giants                 41   41   .500   8.5
Cincinnati Reds                      39   44   .470  11.0
Atlanta Braves                       39   44   .470  11.0
Philadelphia Phillies                38   46   .452  12.5
Los Angeles Dodgers                  31   50   .383  18.0

Batting Leaders


AVG
.411, Ross Barnes, CHN
.336, Jim O'Rourke, ATL
.332 Levi Meyerle, PHI


HITS
139, Ross Barnes, CHN
107, King Kelly, CIN
102, George Hall, PHI
102, Tim Murnane, ATL


HR
25, King Kelly, CIN
22, Cap Anson, CHN
21, Jim O'Rourke, ATL


RBI
60, Deacon White, CHN
59, Jim O'Rourke, ATL
59, Lip Pike, STL


BB
57, Tom York, LAD
53, Jack Burdock, LAD
52, Cap Anson, CHN


OPS+
180, Cap Anson, CHN
179, King Kelly, CIN
177, Ross Barnes, CHN


SB
20, Monte Ward, LAD
13, King Kelly, CIN
9, Four tied




Pitching Leaders


ERA
2.47, Al Spalding, CHN
2.65, Cherokee Fisher, CIN
2.70, Jim McCormick, PIT


ERA+
164, Al Spalding, CHN
155, Jim McCormick, PIT
153, Tommy Bond, LAD


WINS
12, George Bradley, STL
12, Al Spalding, CHN
10, Cherokee Fisher, CIN


K's
166, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
131, George Bradley, STL
129, Terry Larkin, SFG


WHIP
0.94, Tommy Bond, LAD
1.00, Al Spalding, CHN
1.02, Fred Goldsmith, SFG


K/BB
5.29, Tommy Bond, LAD
5.21, Al Spalding, CHN
5.03, Fred Goldsmith, SFG


QS%
.747, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
.732, Al Spalding, CHN
.714, Will White, ATL

[darnoff]

One week after I posted the mid-season update, the Cardinals took the division lead from Chicago, thanks in part to a 3-game sweep of the Cubs at St. Louis' Busch Stadium. The Cardinals would not relinquish that lead for the rest of the season, not even for a single day. At one point in August, St. Louis held an 8-game lead.


This turned out to be an exciting and action-packed season. We saw the mighty Cubs finally unseated. Chicago once again had the top offense and defense in the game, but outside of ace Al Spalding (22-4, 2.23 ERA), the pitching rotation cannot hold its weight against the rest of the rotations in the league. Their 3.90 ERA was only 5th best in the NL.


We also saw the emergence of the Pittsburg Pirates and Cincinnati Reds. Both teams added some exciting new talent this past offseason, and it paid off immediately. Pittsburgh added three new starting pitchers and they led the league in ERA (3.44) and runs allowed. There was much fanfare around new third baseman Ned Williamson. He had a fine season (.226, 26 HR, 82 RBI), but another unheralded rookie led the team in homeruns - CF Russ McKelvy, who hit .264 with 27 HR and 70 RBI in just 458 at-bats.


We also saw new records set in areas such as batting average, hits, stolen bases, and strikeouts. Ross Barnes flirted with .400 all season and Fred Goldsmith cracked the 300-K club.


Meanwhile, Cincinnati's King Kelly (.318, 41 HR, 96 RBI) finished 3rd in the Batter of the Year voting in his first season. His veteran teammate Charley Jones also had a fine season (.276, 35 HR, 112 RBI), as did fellow rookie Buttercup Dickerson (.284, 15 HR, 86 RBI).


San Francisco made a surprising turnaround after last season's last place appearance depite having only the 6th best offense, 5th best pitching rotation and 2nd worst defense. They will need to make some changes if they hope to avoid backsliding next year.


The Braves, Dodgers and Phillies were all disappointed in one way or another this season, but none of them made significant additions last winter. That will need to change if they hope to compete with the other top teams in the league next year.

                                      W    L     %    GB
St. Louis Cardinals                  96   66   .593   --
Chicago Cubs                         93   69   .574   3.0
Pittsburgh Pirates                   87   75   .537   9.0
Atlanta Braves                       82   80   .506  14.0
Cincinnati Reds                      81   81   .500  15.0
San Francisco Giants                 74   88   .457  22.0
Los Angeles Dodgers                  69   93   .426  27.0
Philadelphia Phillies                66   96   .407  30.0

Batting Leaders


AVG
.392, Ross Barnes, CHN
.318, King Kelly, CIN
.305, George Hall, PHI


HITS
265, Ross Barnes, CHN
193, George Hall, PHI
192, King Kelly, CIN


HR
43, Jim O'Rourke, ATL
41, King Kelly, CIN
40, Cap Anson, CHN


RBI
118, Cap Anson, CHN
114, Lip Pike, STL
112, Charley Jones, CIN


BB
111, Tom York, LAD
104, Ned WIlliamson, PIT
103, Jack Burdock, LAD


OPS+
185, Ross Barnes, CHN
177, King Kelly, CIN
172, Jim O'Rourke, ATL


SB
47, Monte Ward, LAD
31, King Kelly, CIN
25, Ross Barnes, CHN




Pitching Leaders


ERA
2.23, Al Spalding, CHN
2.56, Jim McCormick, PIT
2.64, Cherokee Fisher, CIN


ERA+
173, Al Spalding, CHN
150, Jim McCormick, PIT
146, Cherokee Fisher, CIN


WINS
22, Al Spalding, CHN
19, George Bradley, STL
17, Three tied


K's
306, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
251, Terry Larkin, SFG
244, Pud Galvin, STL
244, Bobby Mitchell, CIN


WHIP
0.93, Al Spalding, CHN
0.97, Tommy Bond, LAD
1.06, Fred Goldsmith, SFG


K/BB
5.82, Tommy Bond, LAD
5.37, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
5.30, Al Spalding, CHN


QS%
.788, Jim McCormick, PIT
.697, Cherokee Fisher, CIN
.697, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
.697, Terry Larkin, SFG
.697, Al Spalding, CHN
.697, Dale Williams, CIN

[darnoff]

Season Awards


Batter of the Year

Ross Barnes, 2B, Cubs
.392, 265 H, 57 2B, 18 HR, 92 RBI, 115 R, 25 SB
Also won Gold Glove



Pitcher of the Year

Al Spalding, Cubs
22-4, 2.23 ERA, 175 K
(2nd Consecutive Award)



Rookie of the Year

King Kelly, RF, Reds
.318, 41 HR, 96 RBI, 31 SB




Gold Gloves
P - Candy Cummings, LAD
C - Nat Hicks, SFG
1B - Cap Anson, CHN
2B - Ross Barnes, CHN (2nd consecutive)
3B - Harry Schafer, ATL
SS - George Wright, ATL (3rd consecutive)
LF - John Hatfield, SFG (2nd consecutive)
CF - Paul Hines, CHN
RF - Mike Dorgan, STL

[darnoff]

1879 Rookies


Dan Brouthers, 1B, Giants

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CON: 9
GAP: 9
POW: 9
EYE: 8
DEF: 5
SPD: 7


Finally! The Giants sign a marquee player, and they don't get any bigger than Big Dan. Bouthers, pronounced BROO-thers, is a major addition for this offensively-starved team. After back-to-back 101-loss seasons, San Francisco improved to 74-88 last season. However, they hit just .250 as a team and the team leader in Slugging was Jimmy Hallinan at just .450. They already have a solid pitching rotation, so there is no telling just how much of an impact Brouthers' presence will have on this team.


John O'Rourke, CF, Braves

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CON: 8
GAP: 9
POW: 9
EYE: 7
DEF: 5
SPD: 6


Great hitters clearly run in this Bridgeport, Connecticut family as slugger O'Rourke joins his brother Jim in the Braves outfield. This is a big steps for the Braves, who are coming off a frustrating season that saw other teams, such as the Pirates, Cardinals and Reds, make major improvements while Atlanta stood pat. Braves fans are hoping this is a sign of better things to come.


George Gore, CF, Cubs

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CON: 7
GAP: 6
POW: 7
EYE: 8
DEF: 5
SPD: 6


The rich get richer as 'Piano Legs' joins the offense-heavy Cubs. Chicago already has a loaded outfield, so it is unclear who Gore will likely displace.


Hardy Richardson, 2B, Cardinals

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CON: 7
GAP: 6
POW: 8
EYE: 8
DEF: 10
SPD: 6


A nice addition for the league champs. Richardson will likely displace gold glover Joe Battin at second. But the Cardinals shouldn't miss a beat with Richardson's great glove ability. He will be a big offensive upgrade over Battin though.

[darnoff]

1879 Preseason Predictions


If the preseason predictions mean anything, this should be an interesting season. The Cubs have never been picked below 1st place, and they are slotted in 3rd. I will believe that when I see it, but could this be the year their lack of pitching depth finally does them in? Perhaps one day, they will stop adding more hitters and instead give some support to the game's best pitcher, Al Spalding.


The more I look at the Cardinals, the more I believe they really are the best team in the league now. They have hitters with 15+ home run power hitting 7th, and they are loaded with superb defensive players. They even have the best team speed in the league. Add to that possibly the deepest pitching rotation around and it is easy to see why they are predicted to run away with the pennant.


I still believe it is unwise to count out Chicago, but could the Pirates really surpass them in the standings this season? Pittsburgh did improve last year, but I am not sure they are quite at the point yet to surpass the Cubs.


I do not believe the Dodgers have enough to finish ahead of the much-improved Giants or Reds. I expect the middle of the league to be very competitive. The Braves added another slugger in John O'Rourke, and this season they will be the first team to have enough pitching depth to field actual major leaguers in the bullpen. Former starter Foghorn Bradley and rookie Lee Richmond both move to the pen with Richmond becoming the first closer in the league with actual MLB experience.

                                      W    L     %    GB
St. Louis Cardinals                 108   54   .667   --
Pittsburgh Pirates                   90   72   .556  18.0
Chicago Cubs                         87   75   .537  21.0
Atlanta Braves                       79   83   .488  29.0
Los Angeles Dodgers                  76   86   .469  32.0
Cincinnati Reds                      75   87   .463  33.0
San Francisco Giants                 70   92   .432  38.0
Philadelphia Phillies                65   97   .401  43.0

[darnoff]

Mid-Season Report


What an interesting season 1879 has already been. The top story of the first two months was the play of the Atlanta Braves. They went 17-4 in April, and after some struggles in May, they still found themselves in first place on June 4th after taking 2 of 3 games against St. Louis. Then they went 10-13 over the remainder of the month and now find themselves 4.5-games back.


Rookie John O'Rourke thrilled Atlanta fans with 13 home runs in May and 14 in June. He leads the league with a whopping 32 homers at the halfway point! Three players are tied for second with "just" 18 dingers. The single-season record for home runs was set at 46 by Chicago's Cap Anson in the league's inaugural 1876 season.


Not to be overlooked is the fact that fellow Braves rookie Lee Richmond leads the league with 20 saves.


Another big story has been the subpar play of the mighty Cubs. They didn't pull themselves above .500 until June. Their offense has been strong, but not as dominant as usual. But their pitching staff had an awful first two months. However, Al Spalding went 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA in June and Laurie Reis went 3-0 with a 2.14 ERA over that same span. The question is whether or not they can overcome an 8.5-game deficit with so many other teams having good seasons.


And speaking of those teams, this season looks like it could showcase the best pennant race since the league began. The Pirates find themselves in first place at the halfway point of the season thanks to winning 18 of their final 24 games. Jim McCormick only has a 6-4 record, but he leads the league with a 1.87 ERA. He is also third in the league with 131 K's. However, Pittsburgh's lineup ranks 6th with a .245 batting average. Only three of their regular eight starters are hitting over .250.


The defending champion Cardinals got off to a mediocre 10-12 start before going on a 13-game winning streak in May. They have played solid ball since then, led by the #1 offense in the league. Rookie Hardy Richardson leads St. Louis with a .322 average and 56 RBI. He is also second to Mike Dorgan (.310, 18 HR, 53 RBI) with 15 home runs.


And let's not forget Los Angeles. The Dodgers are quietly tied for third, led primarily by the stellar pitching of Candy Cummings (11-3, 1.98 ERA). Tom York leads a middle of the road offense with a .314 average, a .404 OBP, 18 homers and 45 RBI.


The Giants and Reds have had disappointing seasons so far after expectations of possibly a .500 season. Giants rookie Dan Brouthers (.320, 18 HR, 40 RBI) is having a fine debut, but he leads the worst offense in the game with a .223 team average. The Reds have the 2nd worst offense with a .231 average. The difference is that the Reds also have the worst ERA for a starting rotation (3.98) while San Fran's rotation has a 3.87 ERA - not to mention the 3rd best defense behind them.

                                      W    L     %    GB
Pittsburgh Pirates                   48   29   .623   --
St. Louis Cardinals                  46   29   .613   1.0
Atlanta Braves                       43   33   .566   4.5
Los Angeles Dodgers                  44   34   .564   4.5
Chicago Cubs                         40   38   .513   8.5
Philadelphia Phillies                31   46   .403  17.0
San Francisco Giants                 31   47   .397  17.5
Cincinnati Reds                      25   52   .325  23.0

Batting Leaders


AVG
.331, Ross Barnes, CHN
.322, Hardy Richardson, STL
.320, Ezra Sutton, PHI
.320, Dan Brouthers, SFG


HITS
97, Ross Barnes, CHN
95, Levi Meyerle, PHI
93, Hardy Richardson, STL


HR
32, John O'Rourke, ATL
18, Dan Brouthers, SFG
18, Mike Dorgan, STL
18, Tom York, LAD


RBI
68, John O'Rourke, ATL
56, Hardy Richardson, STL
55, Cap Anson, CHN


BB
57, Candy Nelson, PIT
50, Hardy Richardson, STL
48, Jack Burdock, LAD


OPS+
210, John O'Rourke, ATL
183, Dan Brouthers, SFG
181, Mike Dorgan, STL


SB
22, Monte Ward, LAD
17, King Kelly, CIN
15, Ross Barnes, CHN



Pitching Leaders


ERA
1.87, Jim McCormick, PIT
1.98, Candy Cummings, LAD
2.29, Tricky Nichols, ATL


WINS
11, Candy Cummings, LAD
10, Jim Devlin, PIT
10, Tricky Nichols, ATL
10, Al Spalding, CHN


K's
164, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
141, Pud Galvin, STL
131, Jim McCormick, PIT


K/BB
5.31, Cherokee Fisher, CIN
5.17, Candy Cummings, LAD
5.13, Fred Goldsmith, SFG


WHIP
0.84, Jim McCormick, PIT
0.97, Candy Cummings, LAD
0.98, Jim Devlin, PIT


OAVG
.182, Jim McCormick, PIT
.207, Tricky Nichols, ATL
.212, Sam Weaver, STL


QS%
.875, Candy Cummings, LAD
.813, Jim Devlin, PIT
.813, Jim McCormick, PIT
.813, Tricky Nichols, ATL

[darnoff]

This was supposed to be an exciting pennant race, but St. Louis would have none of that. They went 19-7 in July to pull out to a 7-game lead. Just when you thought they couldn't get any better, they went 23-5 in August and never looked back. Seven of the Cardinals' starting eight position players hit 16+ home runs - six of them hit 20+. Rookie 2B Hardy Richardson and RF Mike Dorgan led the way with 37 each. Joe Blong tied the NL record with 22 wins, despite a 3.11 ERA that was "only" fourth best among the team's starting rotation.


Pittsburgh finished second for the first time in club history. Their defense was best in the league and their starting rotation was 2nd best. If they can improve their 5th ranked offense, they know they can improve on their 90-win performance next season.


The Cubs tied Atlanta for 3rd place, their worst finish to date. Their offense had an off year but still finished 2nd in the league. But their pitching staff is still a concern. Al Spalding (22-7, 2.43 ERA) can only carry so much of the load.


As for the Braves, they were very disappointed after such a hot start to the season. Their offense scored runs, as expected. But their pitching staff, thought to be a strength, was only 5th best out of eight teams. Those arms will need to perform better if the team expects to contend for the pennant next season. Oh, and John O'Rourke, after hitting 32 home runs by mid-season, hit just 8 in July and August combined and finished the season with 48. Still, not bad for a rookie!

                                      W    L     %    GB
St. Louis Cardinals                 107   55   .660   --
Pittsburgh Pirates                   90   72   .556  17.0
Chicago Cubs                         88   74   .543  19.0
Atlanta Braves                       88   74   .543  19.0
Los Angeles Dodgers                  83   79   .512  24.0
San Francisco Giants                 69   93   .426  38.0
Cincinnati Reds                      63   99   .389  44.0
Philadelphia Phillies                60  102   .370  47.0

Batting Leaders


AVG
.344, Ross Barnes, CHN
.332, Dan Brouthers, SFG
.329, Hardy Richardson, STL


HITS
215, Ross Barnes, CHN
208, Hardy Richardson, STL
198, Dan Brouthers, SFG


HR
48, John O'Rourke, ATL
43, Dan Brouthers, SFG
37, Mike Dorgan, STL
37, Hardy Richardson, STL


RBI
124, Cap Anson, CHN
119, Hardy Richardson, STL
118, Mike Dorgan, STL
118, Charley Jones, CIN


BB
104, Tom York, LAD
97, Hardy Richardson, STL
89, Jack Burdock, LAD


OPS+
194, Dan Brouthers, SFG
179, John O'Rourke, ATL
175, Hardy Richardson, STL


SB
45, Monte Ward, LAD
28, Ross Barnes, CHN
26, King Kelly, CIN
26, Lip Pike, STL




Pitching Leaders


ERA
2.43, Al Spalding, CHN
2.48, Candy Cummings, LAD
2.52, Jim Devlin, PIT


WINS
22, Joe Blong, STL
22, Candy Cummings, LAD
22, Al Spalding, CHN


K's
328, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
289, Pud Galvin, STL
265, George Bradley, STL


K/BB
6.34, Al Spalding, CHN
5.23, Candy Cummings, LAD
4.88, Tommy Bond, LAD


WHIP
0.89, Al Spalding, CHN
0.98, Jim Devlin, PIT
0.99, Candy Cummings, LAD


OAVG
.204, Bill McGunnigle, STL
.211, Al Spalding, CHN
.212, Four players tied


QS%
.788, Candy Cummings, LAD
.788, Jim Devlin, PIT
.758, Jim McCormick, PIT

[darnoff]

Season Awards


Batter of the Year

Dan Brouthers, 1B, Giants
.332, 43 HR, 95 RBI, 1.059 OPS
(First rookie to win this award)


Pitcher of the Year

Al Spalding, Cubs
22-7, 2.43 ERA, 203 K
(3rd Consecutive Award)



Rookie of the Year

Dan Brouthers, 1B, Giants
.332, 43 HR, 95 RBI, 1.059 OPS




Gold Gloves
P - Jim Devlin, PIT
C - Lew Brown, ATL
1B - Wes Fisler, PHI
2B - Ross Barnes, CHN (3rd consecutive)
3B - Ned Williamson, PIT
SS - George Wright, ATL (4th consecutive)
LF - Jim O'Rourke, ATL
CF - John O'Rourke, ATL
RF - Mike Dorgan, STL (2nd consecutive)

[darnoff]

1880 Rookies

This year's class of rookies includes 5 Hall of Famers!



Buck Ewing, C, Giants

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CON: 7
GAP: 6
POW: 8
EYE: 7
DEF: 10
SPD: 7

Ewing is an all-around talent. He is a fantastic defensive backstop, who can also play 1B, 3B or RF competently. He displays solid 30+ HR power, .300+ batting average ability and a keen eye for the strikezone. He will likely replace Nat Hicks for the Giants who hit just .184 last season.



Roger Connor, 1B, Giants

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CON: 8
GAP: 7
POW: 10
EYE: 7
DEF: 5
SPD: 7

Two years in a row now, the Giants have added the top rookie slugger to their lineup. Last season it was Dan Brouthers who went on to win both Batter and Rookie of the year awards. Unfortunately, both he and Connor are first basemen. It's a nice problem to have, and fortunately Connor also has experience at third base. That means he will make another major upgrade to San Francisco's lineup by unseating defensive standout Herm Doscher (.205, 5 HR, 17 RBI last season).



Harry Stovey, LF, Phillies

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CON: 6
GAP: 8
POW: 8
EYE: 6
DEF: 9
SPD: 8

The Phillies finally land a power bat to compliment a talented top of the lineup that includes Levi Meyerle (.292, 17 HR, 54 RBI), George Hall (.318, 25 HR, 83 RBI) and Ezra Sutton (.289, 26 HR, 111 RBI). In addition to Stovey's power and superb defense, he is stellar on the bases. The team hopes he can steal 40+ bags. Now, if Philly can just add some pitching....



Tim Keefe, SP, Giants

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STUFF: 8
MVMT: 6
CTRL: 5
STAM: 9
DEF: 8


Mickey Welch, SP, Giants

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STUFF: 7
MVMT: 6
CTRL: 5
STAM: 9
DEF: 6

The Giants continue to add to their stable of top notch pitchers. They now have strong starting pitching in each of the 5 slots in their rotation. That rotation now rivals any other stable in the league. These two additions will also allow them to move Harry Salisbury and Pat McManus to the bullpen, giving them just the second closer (and first setup man) with actual MLB experience. Salisbury (10-19, 3.41 ERA in his rookie season) is expected to close.



Old Hoss Radbourn, SP, Cardinals

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STUFF: 7
MVMT: 6
CTRL: 7
STAM: 9
DEF: 9

The Cardinals struck gold with this ace. He will likely move into the #2 slot and give St. Louis perhaps the top pitching staff in the league. He is the most well-rounded pitcher we have seen in a while, with no clear weakness. His addition also puts St. Louis among the ranks of those teams who now have a closer with MLB rexperience. They will move sophomore Bill McGunnigle into that role, and he will be expected to be dominant after an 18-5, 3.90 ERA performance in his debut.

[darnoff]

1880 Preseason Predictions


If the preseason predictions are right, this should be our best pennant race yet, with 5 teams within nine games of each other. The Giants made the biggest move, thanks to no less than four new Hall of Famers on their roster!


The Cardinals, though, are still kings of the hill. They made a fine addition in 3B Arlie Latham, who begins the season batting 8th, but has the ability to steal 50+ bases - not to mention his top-notch defensive ability. St. Louis also added Hall of Fame pitcher Old Hoss Radbourn to an already tough rotation. That gives them the luxury of likely the best closer in the game, in converted starter Bill 'Gunner' McGunnigle.


The Cubs, Pirates and Braves round out the top class of the league. But there is apparently a big disparity between those teams and the Dodgers, Reds and Phillies, who are all expected to lose 90+ games.

                                      W    L     %    GB
St. Louis Cardinals                  97   65   .599   --
San Francisco Giants                 94   68   .580   3.0
Chicago Cubs                         93   69   .574   4.0
Pittsburgh Pirates                   92   70   .568   5.0
Atlanta Braves                       88   74   .543   9.0
Los Angeles Dodgers                  68   94   .420  29.0
Cincinnati Reds                      63   99   .389  34.0
Philadelphia Phillies                54  108   .333  43.0

[darnoff]

Mid-Season Report


Well, the season has not started out like we expected. Only three teams are above .500, and one of them - the defending champion Cardinals - is only 3 games above .500. The Giants and Braves have been unable to get their acts together, and are very disappointed with their first halves. And no one expected the Phillies to do so poorly, with a meager .215 winning percentage.

Several of the highly touted rookie pitchers have been struggling in their first season. St. Louis' Old Hoss Radbourn is just 6-5 with a 5.15 ERA. And San Francisco's Mickey Welch is 6-6 with a 4.35 ERA. Even the Cardinals' new closer Bill McGunnigle is struggling with a 5.46 ERA.

Welch's Giants counterpart Tim Keefe is faring better with a 7-6 record and a team-leading 3.66 ERA. The Giants' other two big additions, third baseman Roger Connor and catcher Buck Ewing, are hitting just .283 and .289 respectively but they have combined for 41 homers and 109 RBI. The Giants have scored the 2nd most runs in the league, but their pitching - once considered their strength - has been a let down so far. Their rotation has only the 5th best team ERA at 4.33.

St. Louis, on the other hand, has the 2nd best team ERA but their offense has scored only the 5th most runs. Several key players have had a down year so far, namely RF Mike Dorgan (.227, 9 HR, 28 RBI), and some believe they will not be able to make up the 13.5-games that they currently trail Chicago.

Those Cubs have scored the most runs in the league and allowed the fewest while having the 2nd best defensive efficiency. That's a sure recipe for success if there ever was one. Cap Anson, who has not won either of the past two Batter of the Year Awards, seems on pace to win his third title with his .342 average, 21 HR and 81 RBI at the half-way point. Al Spalding, the 3-time Pitcher of the Year, is also on pace to win yet another award. He is currently 11-1 with a league best 2.23 ERA.

Despite no real standout performances, the Pirates have the 2nd-best offense so far. Many believe that will not hold up much longer. Their defense is #1 in the league, and their pitching is predictably good, although their rotation should improve as the season wears on. They currently sport just a 4.15 team ERA.

As for Atlanta, their offense is doing their job, led by John O'Rourke's .336 average, 25 HR and 58 RBI. However, the bottom four pitchers in their rotation each have ERA's above 5.00. Only Tricky Nichols (8-5, 3.53 ERA) is doing better. I expect their pitching to get much better, as they had a 3.89 team ERA last season. However, being already 18 games back, it may be too little, too late.

                                      W    L     %    GB
Chicago Cubs                         55   25   .688   --
Pittsburgh Pirates                   52   27   .658   2.5
St. Louis Cardinals                  40   37   .519  13.5
Los Angeles Dodgers                  40   40   .500  15.0
Cincinnati Reds                      39   41   .487  16.0
San Francisco Giants                 37   42   .468  17.5
Atlanta Braves                       36   42   .462  18.0
Philadelphia Phillies                17   62   .215  37.5

Batting Leaders


AVG
.353, Ross Barnes, CHN
.351, Cal McVey, CHN
.347, Dan Brouthers, SFG

HITS
112, Ross Barnes, CHN
111, Cap Anson, CHN
105, Dan Brouthers, SFG

HR
25, John O'Rourke, ATL
24, Dan Brouthers, SFG
22, Roger Connor, SFG

RBI
81, Cap Anson, CHN
62, Dan Brouthers, SFG
58, Ross Barnes, CHN
58, John O'Rourke, ATL

BB
56, Hardy Richardson, STL
53, Tom York, LAD
51, Ned Williamson, PIT

OPS+
197, Dan Brouthers, SFG
186, John O'Rourke, ATL
170, Cap Anson, CHN

SB
23, Monte Ward, LAD
10, Buck Ewing, SFG
10, Harry Stovey, PHI


Pitching Leaders

ERA
2.23, Al Spalding, CHN
2.34, Candy Cummings, LAD
2.62, George Bradley, STL

WINS
12, The Only Nolan, PIT
11, Al Spalding, CHN
10, Laurie Reis, CHN

K's
137, George Bradley, STL
137, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
133, Tommy Bond, LAD

K/BB
7.64, Old Hoss Radbourn, STL
6.52, George Bradley, STL
4.50, Candy Cummings, LAD

WHIP
0.98, Al Spalding, CHN
1.00, Tommy Bond, LAD
1.01, Candy Cummings, LAD

OAVG
.199, The Only Nolan, PIT
.206, Tommy Bond, LAD
.220, Candy Cummings, LAD

QS%
.875, Candy Cummings, LAD
.875, Al Spalding, CHN
.813, George Bradley, STL

[darnoff]

Well, the pennant race proved to be non-existant as the Cubs set a new league record with 111 wins. They scored an incredible 156 more runs than the second highest total - St. Louis. They also allowed the fewest runs, albeit by a much closer margin - 3, over those same Cardinals.

Chicago's offense hit an impressive .289 as a team with an .820 OPS. They also topped the league with a 3.61 team ERA in a season where offense flourished. Ross Barnes won the batting title thanks to a .360 average, along with 234 hits. He has now led the league in hits and batting average for all 5 years it has existed! He also hit a whopping 62 doubles.

Cubs ace Al Spalding was once again named Pitcher of the Year after posting a 24-3 record (his best ever) and 2.30 ERA. This is now his 4th POY Award. While rookie Larry Corcoran (14-11, 4.17 ERA) was expected to make an impact this season, no one expected fellow rookie Charlie Guth to have the season he had. Guth tied for 2nd in the league with 19 wins while posting a 3.47 ERA.

This 111-win season just goes to show how dangerous Chicago can be if they continue to add pitching. For their previous four seasons, the only pitchers on the team with actual major league experience (and hence, decent ratings) were Spalding and Laurie Reis (15-7, 4.26 ERA).

Pittsburgh and St. Louis battled for 2nd place all summer, with the Pirates coming out with a 1-game edge over the two-time defending league champs. While both teams had pennant hopes, no one is more disappointed with this season than the Cardinals.

If you had asked the Giants a year ago, after finishing 69-93, if they would be happy with a 15-game improvement, I am sure they would have unanimously said yes. However, with all the hooplah surrounding their big offseason additions, expectations were even higher. That said, Dan Brouthers won his second straight Batter of the Year Award, and rookie Roger Connor got hot in July, hitting .424 with 14 home runs and 31 RBI. He finished the season with new records in home runs (57) and slugging (.646) en route to the Rookie of the Year Award.

And let's not forget the Phillies, who also set a league record of their own with 119 losses. The previous low was 104 losses by the 1876 Reds. They also set a new low in attendance as fans are getting fed up with their losing ways.

                                      W    L     %    GB
Chicago Cubs                        111   51   .685   --
Pittsburgh Pirates                   94   68   .580  17.0
St. Louis Cardinals                  93   69   .574  18.0
San Francisco Giants                 84   78   .519  27.0
Atlanta Braves                       82   80   .506  29.0
Los Angeles Dodgers                  73   89   .451  38.0
Cincinnati Reds                      68   94   .420  43.0
Philadelphia Phillies                43  119   .265  68.0

Batting Leaders

AVG
.360, Ross Barnes, CHN
.329, Dan Brouthers, SFG
.327, Cal McVey, CHN

HITS
234, Ross Barnes, CHN
199, Dan Brouthers, SFG
196, Cap Anson, CHN

HR
57, Roger Connor, SFG
49, John O'Rourke, ATL
45, Dan Brouthers, SFG

RBI
140, Roger Connor, SFG
128, Cap Anson, CHN
120, Dan Brouthers, SFG

BB
98, Tom York, LAD
96, Dan Brouthers, SFG
95, Hardy Richardson, STL

OPS
1.061, Dan Brouthers, SFG
1.028, Roger Connor, SFG
0.984, Ross Barnes, CHN

SB
33, Monte Ward, LAD
17, Buck Ewing, SFG
17, Ross Barnes, CHN
17, Dan Brouthers, SFG


Pitching Leaders

ERA
2.30, Al Spalding, CHN
2.91, Sam Weaver, STL
2.97, Candy Cummings, LAD

WINS
24, Al Spalding, CHN
19, Four players tied

K's
280, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
257, Tommy Bond, LAD
247, George Bradley, STL

K/BB
5.00, Old Hoss Radbourn, STL
4.33, George Bradley, STL
4.18, Fred Goldsmith, SFG

WHIP
0.97, Al Spalding, CHN
1.03, Dale Williams, CIN
1.04, Candy Cummings, LAD

OAVG
.202, The Only Nolan, PIT
.212, Pud Galvin, STL
.221, Candy Cummings, LAD
.221, Larry Corcoran, CHN

[darnoff]

Season Awards


Batter of the Year

Dan Brouthers, 1B, Giants
.329, 45 HR, 120 RBI, 1.061 OPS
(2nd consecutive award)


Pitcher of the Year

Al Spalding, Cubs
24-3, 2.30 ERA, 151 K
(4th Consecutive Award)


Rookie of the Year

Roger Connor, 3B, Giants
.301, 57 HR, 140 RBI, 1.028 OPS



Gold Gloves
P - Pud Galvin, STL
C - Cal McVey, CHN
1B - Cap Anson, CHN (3rd overall)
2B - Hardy Richardson, STL
3B - Arlie Latham, STL (rookie)
SS - George Wright, ATL (5th consecutive)
LF - Charley Jones, CIN
CF - Ned Hanlon, PIT (rookie)
RF - Orator Shafer, PIT

[darnoff]

With the MLHR now 5 years old, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some key records that have been set up to this point.



Single Season Records

Batting Average
.392, Ross Barnes, CHN, 1878


OPS
1.062, Cap Anson, CHN, 1877


Runs
141, Dan Brouthers, SFG, 1880


Hits
265, Ross Barnes, CHN, 1878


Doubles
62, Ross Barnes, CHN, 1877 and 1880


Triples
13, Tom York, LAD, 1877
13, Jim O'Rourke, ATL, 1877


Home Runs
57, Roger Connor, SFG, 1880


RBI
157, Cap Anson, CHN, 1876


SB
47, Monte Ward, LAD, 1878


Walks
135, Jack Burdock, LAD, 1876


Hitting Streak
42 Games, Monte Ward, LAD, 1880
(only hitting streak longer than 26 games)






ERA
2.23, Al Spalding, CHN, 1878


Wins
24, Al Spalding, CHN, 1880


Losses
25, Flip Lafferty, PHI, 1879


Innings Pitched
267.0, Candy Cummings, LAD, 1876


Strikeouts
328, Fred Goldsmith, SFG, 1879


Walks
132, Harry Arundel, LAD, 1876

[darnoff]

1881 Rookies


After being spolied with so many HOF'ers last season, we find a thinner class this year. However, there were some interesting additions below. There were a few more not mentioned, as well.




Jerry Denny, 3B, Dodgers, Age 22

Click for Real Career Stats


CON: 5
GAP: 6
POW: 8
EYE: 6
DEF: 10
SPD: 4


Denny hits for a low average (around .260) but he has 30+ HR power. That is sorely needed in a Dodgers lineup that hit 22 fewer homers last season than any other team. Denny plays fine defense, which is good considering he will be replacing slick fielding Bob Ferguson. Although, Ferguson may take his leather to another position.



Sam Wise, SS, Reds, Age 24

Click for Real Career Stats


CON: 6
GAP: 6
POW: 6
EYE: 7
DEF: 5
SPD: 6


Here is an interesting example of how players being set for their career with the team they debuted with can impact the league. Wise actually played 709 of his 1175 career games with the Braves franchise, but he debuted with a different franchise. Even though he only played 1 game for the 1881 Detroit Wolverines before moving to the Braves franchise, that's where he will play. In MLHR I have mapped the Wolverines' rookies to the Reds franchise. So, Wise finds himself in Cincinnati. The Reds can certainly use the help. Wise will displace Lou Say, a defensive standout who hit just .214 last season.



Jim Whitney, SP, Braves, Age 24

Click for Real Career Stats


STUFF: 7
MVMT: 6
CTRL: 7
STAM: 9
DEF: 9


The Braves are quickly assembling perhaps the deepest pitching staff in the league. Whitney could quickly become their new ace. His help will be key to getting the Braves closer to pennant contention after 5 straight seasons of finishing in 3rd, 4th or 5th place. Joe Borden really struggled last season (8-15, 5.01 ERA), but the Braves are more likely to keep him in the 5th rotation spot due to his track record and move Jim Tyng (9-20, 4.84 ERA) to the bullpen.



Tony Mullane, SP, Reds, Age 23

Click for Real Career Stats


STUFF: 8
MVMT: 6
CTRL: 6
STAM: 9
DEF: 10


Mullane looks like the top player added to the league this season. Despite losing 90+ games in 4 of their 5 seasons, many think the Reds are closer to contention than you may believe. Perhaps with Mullane's presence, along with fellow rookies Wise (above) and pitcher George Derby, the Reds can finally have their first winning season. With Derby moving to the pen and Mullane bumping another Reds pitcher there as well, Cincinnati will finally have two relief pitchers with major league experience. Perhaps that bullpen help will secure them a few extra victories too.

[darnoff]

1881 Preseason Predictions


After winning 111 games last season, I don't know how the so-called experts could predict the Cubs to finish in 5th place and win just 88 games. I mean, they have Cal McVey, who hit .327 with 24 HR and 103 RBI last season, hitting 7th. Youngsters Larry Corcoran and Charlie Guth helped stabilize their rotation last season, although they still could use some help in that department.


I expect the Cardinals to come out of the gate strong this season after a disappointing 1880. There are a few players with something to prove. I still believe Bill McGunnigle (3-8, 27 Sv, 4.23 ERA) should develop into a top-notch closer, and the team already has a strong rotation.


The addition of Jim Whitney should help Atlanta make a serious run this year, especially when you consider that most of their 1880 rotation had a down year. Their offense is solid (4th highest run total last season), led by the O'Rourke brothers.


I feel that Pittsburgh over-performed somewhat last season, so it will be interesting to see if they can repeat that success this year. As for San Fran, there are still weaknesses, particularly in the lineup, but their 3-4-5 hitters all have .300+ average and 40+ home run potential.


While I don't expect the Phillies to struggle as badly as they did last season, I don't expect them or the Dodgers to avoid another 90-loss season. The Phillies added rookie "Bollicky Bill" Taylor (7-6-5 ratings) to the rotation, and sophomore Harry Stovey should improve on his .235 average from last season (but don't forget he also hit 37 HR with 107 RBI in 1880).


The Reds on the other hand have higher expectations. They've added several key offensive pieces over the past four seasons but have never really made the most of it. This year's additions were shortstop Sam Wise and second baseman Dasher Troy. They also added the top pitcher of the winter, Tony Mullane, to an already capable rotation. I hope that this is the year Cincinnati gets their first winning season, although I predict a finish just below .500, say 78-84.

                                      W    L     %    GB
St. Louis Cardinals                  95   67   .586   --
Atlanta Braves                       91   71   .562   4.0
Pittsburgh Pirates                   89   73   .549   6.0
San Francisco Giants                 89   73   .549   6.0
Chicago Cubs                         88   74   .543   7.0
Cincinnati Reds                      72   90   .444  23.0
Los Angeles Dodgers                  68   94   .420  27.0
Philadelphia Phillies                58  104   .358  37.0

[darnoff]

Mid-Season Report


What's that, the Giants in first place? Is it finally socially acceptable in the Bay Area to call yourself a Giants fan? I believe so, but don't forget that it's the defending-champion Cubs hot on their heels.

Chicago started out with a rough 11-13 April but they've come on strong since then. They've finally climbed to within a half-game of first. Ross Barnes (.380, 10 HR, 45 RBI) is leading the league in hitting as usual and seven of their starting eight already have 9 or more home runs.

The Giants, on the other hand, have a real weakness in the 6-7-8 slots in their lineup. However, the middle of their order is the most deadly in the game with Brouthers, Connor and Ewing combining for 62 home runs and 185 RBI. San Fran also has the best ERA in the league led by Fred Goldsmith (10-4, 2.71 ERA) and Terry Larkin (12-3, 2.42 ERA).

St. Louis was battling the Giants for first place throughout May, but they have struggled in June. Their pitching staff is the cause, with a 3.84 team ERA that ranks just 6th in the league. Bill McGunnigle (14 Sv, 2.48 ERA) has been solid as a closer though.

Cincinnati rookie Sam Wise led the league in RBI and was among the batting leaders at the end of April. He's cooled off a bit since then, but the rest of the Reds lineup has been heating up. They still have scored the fewest runs in the league, but I expect that to improve. They do have King Kelly and Charley Jones batting 3-4 in the lineup after all. Their pitching rotation has a solid 3.54 ERA. Those facts give Reds fans reason to hope that they can continue to improve on an already good season.

                                      W    L     %    GB
San Francisco Giants                 49   30   .620   --
Chicago Cubs                         49   31   .613   0.5
St. Louis Cardinals                  43   38   .531   7.0
Pittsburgh Pirates                   40   39   .506   9.0
Atlanta Braves                       39   41   .487  10.5
Cincinnati Reds                      38   40   .487  10.5
Los Angeles Dodgers                  32   49   .395  18.0
Philadelphia Phillies                29   51   .362  20.5

Batting Leaders

AVG
.380, Ross Barnes, CHN
.335, Bill Crowley, PIT
.319, Buck Ewing, SFG

HITS
122, Ross Barnes, CHN
95, Cap Anson, CHN
95, Dan Brouthers, SFG

HR
32, Harry Stovey, PHI
26, Dan Brouthers, SFG
23, Hardy Richardson, STL

RBI
70, Dan Brouthers, SFG
70, Harry Stovey, PHI
60, Hardy Richardson, STL

BB
55, Hardy Richardson, STL
45, Orator Shafer, PIT
44, Bill Harbridge, LAD

OPS+
199, Dan Brouthers, SFG
186, Roger Connor, SFG
181, Ross Barnes, CHN

SB
23, Monte Ward, LAD
17, Jim O'Rourke, ATL
13, King Kelly, CIN


Pitching Leaders

ERA
1.91, Jim Devlin, PIT
2.42, Terry Larkin, SFG
2.65, Dick McBride, ATL

WINS
12, Terry Larkin, SFG
10, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
10, Dick McBride, ATL

K's
161, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
133, Larry Corcoran, CHN
127, George Bradley, STL

K/BB
6.50, Old Hoss Radbourn, STL
5.55, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
5.20, Candy Cummings, LAD

WHIP
0.89, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
0.96, Jim Devlin, PIT
0.97, Old Hoss Radbourn, STL

OAVG
.184, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
.198, Tim Keefe, SFG
.203, Tricky Nichols, ATL

QS%
.732, Al Spalding, CHN
.729, Jim Devlin, PIT
.729, Charlie Guth, CHN
.729, Tim Keefe, SFG