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

[darnoff]

Well, the improbable has happened. The San Francisco Giants have put it all together and become the third franchise to win the pennant, fending off the mighty Cubs and Cardinals. The Giants led the league with 189 home runs. 132 of those dingers were hit by their famed 3-4-5 hitters, two-time BotY 1B Dan Brouthers (.313, 50 HR, 140 RBI), 3B Roger Connor (.305, 51 HR, 127 RBI) and catcher Buck Ewing (.313, 31 HR, 107 RBI).

Meanwhile, the Giants' pitching staff put together a fine season, posting the 2nd best starters' ERA at 3.48. 25-year-old Terry Larkin (21-5, 2.17 ERA) had a career year, leading the league in ERA and wins. It's hard to believe that at his age, this was already his 6th season. Sophomore Tim Keefe continued to improve, going 17-8 with a 2.86 ERA.

Despite having the #1 league offense yet again, the Cubs couldn't quite catch the Giants. On September 23rd with the Giants' magic number sitting at just 2, the top two teams in the league faced off one last time at AT&T Park. The Giants simply needed to win one game, but Chicago swept them, including two games where Chicago was behind after 7 innings. Unfortunately for Cubs fans, the team won two more versus Philadelphia but when they lost to the Phillies on September 28th, the Giants clinched the division despite losing 5 of 6 games at that point.

In addition to their top-notch offense, Chicago sported the 3rd best starters' ERA (3.54) and the league's 2nd best defense. Perhaps a struggling bullpen was the difference. San Francisco was 13-7 in extra inning games while Chicago was just 7-9.

The Cardinals are scratching their heads after another 3rd place finish despite 90+ victories. They scored the 3rd most runs, allowed the 2nd fewest runs and had the #3 defense in the league, yet they finished 9 games out of first. The heart of their lineup may not stack up with San Fran's, but they still had a very productive season. 2B Hardy Richardson (.280, 39 HR, 96 RBI), SS Jack Rowe (.284, 27 HR, 98 RBI) and catcher Charlie Bennett (.267, 37 HR, 95 RBI) led a lineup where all 8 regulars had double-digit longballs.

The Pirates had the top pitching staff in the league, but they struggled to score runs and that cost them a shot at contention. The team hit .233 and no starter hit better than .269.

Cincinnati also struggled to score runs, which is surprising considering their 3-4-5-6 hitters each had 21 or more home runs, led by Charley Jones' 31 dingers. Despite a deep pitching staff, only rookie Tony Mullane (15-12, 2.81 ERA) and veteran Cherokee Fisher (13-11, 3.06 ERA) stood out. However, the Reds still improved by 14 games over last season and posted their first ever winning season.

The Braves, on the other hand, posted their first ever losing season at 80-82. Centerfielder John O'Rourke (.283, 32 HR, 85 RBI) was the only regular position player to hit over .253. #4 starter Dick McBride had one of his best seasons with a 18-9 record and team-best 3.17 ERA. Closer Lee Richmond (5-10, 25 Sv, 5.55 ERA) struggled with just a .735 save percentage and will need to work hard to keep his job next season.

The one lone bright spot on yet another gloomy season in Philadelphia was the performance of sophomore first baseman Harry Stovey who "quietly" set a new home run record with 58 longballs while batting .273 and driving in 132 runs.

The Dodgers' inability to add significant talent over the past few winters is showing. The team finished last for the first time and set a franchise record for losses. On the positive side, shortstop Monte Ward, after setting a league record with an outstanding 42-game hit streak last season, set another record this season with 57 stolen bases.

                                      W    L     %    GB
San Francisco Giants                 99   63   .611   --
Chicago Cubs                         94   68   .580   5.0
St. Louis Cardinals                  90   72   .556   9.0
Pittsburgh Pirates                   85   77   .525  14.0
Cincinnati Reds                      82   80   .506  17.0
Atlanta Braves                       80   82   .494  19.0
Philadelphia Phillies                61  101   .377  38.0
Los Angeles Dodgers                  57  105   .352  42.0

Batting Leaders


AVG
.361, Ross Barnes, CHN
.313, Buck Ewing, SFG
.313, Dan Brouthers, SFG

HITS
234, Ross Barnes, CHN
195, Dan Brouthers, SFG
193, Cap Anson, CHN

HR
58, Harry Stovey, PHI
51, Roger Connor, SFG
50, Dan Brouthers, SFG

RBI
140, Dan Brouthers, SFG
132, Harry Stovey, PHI
127, Roger Connor, SFG

BB
102, Hardy Richardson, STL
92, Ned Williamson, PIT
88, Bob Addy, CHN

OPS+
198, Dan Brouthers, SFG
188, Roger Connor, SFG
180, Ross Barnes, CHN

SB
57, Monte Ward, LAD
29, King Kelly, CIN
26, Cap Anson, CHN




Pitching Leaders

ERA
2.17, Terry Larkin, SFG
2.21, Jim Devlin, PIT
2.34, Al Spalding, CHN

WINS
21, Terry Larkin, SFG
19, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
18, Dick McBride, ATL

K's
307, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
269, Tim Keefe, SFG
261, Larry Corcoran, CHN

K/BB
5.29, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
4.75, Candy Cummings, LAD
4.50, Old Hoss Radbourn, STL

WHIP
0.94, Al Spalding, CHN
0.96, Jim Devlin, PIT
1.04, Tim Keefe, SFG
1.04, Terry Larkin, SFG

OAVG
.192, Tim Keefe, SFG
.201, Jim Devlin, PIT
.208, Jim McCormick, PIT

QS%
.788, Tony Mullane, CIN
.750, Tim Keefe, SFG
.740, Al Spalding, CHN

[darnoff]

Season Awards


Batter of the Year

Dan Brouthers, 1B, Giants
.313, 50 HR, 140 RBI, 1.012 OPS
(Third consecutive)


Pitcher of the Year

Terry Larkin, Giants
21-5, 2.17 ERA, 241 K


Rookie of the Year

Tony Mullane, SP, Reds
15-12, 2.81 ERA, 243 K


Fireman Award

Bill McGunnigle, Cardinals
4-4, 34 Sv, 2.51 ERA
(First time this has been awarded)



Gold Gloves
P - George Zettlein, PHI
C - Buck Ewing, SFG
1B - Harry Stovey, PHI
2B - Hardy Richardson, STL (2nd consecutive)
3B - Harry Schafer, ATL (2nd overall)
SS - Monte Ward, LAD (snapped George Wright's streak of 5 straight)
LF - Tom York, LAD
CF - John O'Rourke, ATL (2nd overall)
RF - Bob Addy, CHN (2nd overall)

[darnoff]

I thought it would be interesting to compare the 6 seasons of MLHR to MLB. I will also include some of this info going forward in the preseason predictions post.


Let me know if there is anything else you're interested in seeing.


Just a reminder that I am not basing stats on real stats from that season, but rather I am basing them mostly on the 2013 season - primarily because pitching has become dominant again and home runs are back to a level more similar to the 1970's and 1980's.




League Champs


1876
MLHR: Chicago Cubs (105-57, .648)
MLB: Cubs (52-14, .788)


1877
MLHR: Chicago Cubs (105-57, .648)
MLB: Braves (42-18, .700)


1878
MLHR: St. Louis Cardinals (96-66, .593)
MLB: Braves (41-19, .683)


1879
MLHR: St. Louis Cardinals (107-55, .660)
MLB: Dodgers (59-25, .702)


1880
MLHR: Chicago Cubs (111-51, .685)
MLB: Cubs (67-17, .798)


1881
MLHR: San Francisco Giants (99-63, .611)
MLB: Cubs (56-28, .667)




MLB League Leaders vs MLHR Award Winners


1876
MLHR BoY: Cap Anson
MLHR PoY: Tommy Bond


MLB OPS+: Ross Barnes, 235
MLB ERA+: George Bradley, 170


1877
MLHR BoY: Cap Anson
MLHR PoY: Al Spalding


MLB OPS+: Deacon White, 192
MLB ERA+: Jim Devlin, 146


1878
MLHR BoY: Ross Barnes
MLHR PoY: Al Spalding


MLB OPS+: Orator Shafer, 184
MLB ERA+: Monte Ward, 147


1879
MLHR BoY: Dan Brouthers
MLHR PoY: Al Spalding


MLB OPS+: King Kelly, 182
MLB ERA+: Tommy Bond, 129


1880
MLHR BoY: Dan Brouthers
MLHR PoY: Al Spalding


MLB OPS+: George Gore, 185
MLB ERA+: Tim Keefe, 293


1881
MLHR BoY: Dan Brouthers
MLHR PoY: Terry Larkin


MLB OPS+: Cap Anson, 192
MLB ERA+: Stump Wiedman, 161

[darnoff]

1882 Rookies

Bid McPhee, 2B, Reds, Age 23

Click for Real Career Stats

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


Although some of his ratings don't look all that impressive, McPhee is a MLB Hall of Famer, so he deserves to be mentioned. He was reknowned for playing stellar defense while gloveless and was the last second baseman in MLB to play gloveless. That defensive skill, as well as his speed will be his biggest strength in MLBR as well. The question is, can he hit enough and win enough Gold Gloves to one day make our HOF? Dasher Troy was an upgrade at second for the Reds as a rookie last season. He played admirably (.242, 52 RBI) but McPhee is a better hitter, fielder and baserunner so Troy will be relegated to the bench.



Fred Pfeffer, 2B, Giants, Age 22

Click for Real Career Stats

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


One of the finest defensive second basemen of his day, Pfeffer played most of his MLB career with the Cubs. Fortunately for him, he played one MLB season with Troy before moving to the Cubs. Because of that, he will play for the Giants in MLHR. That's good news for Pfeffer - because he does not have to waste away behind Ross Barnes in Chicago - and for the Giants - because they need additional offensive upgrades behind their Big Three. Pfeffer's known for his glove, but he hits for power as well. That is what makes him an intriguing addition to the Giants lineup.



Pete Browning, CF, Pirates, Age 22

Click for Real Career Stats

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


This is certainly what the Pirates were hoping for this offseason - the signing of an impact bat to help improve their floundering offense. Browning will likely slip into left field, nudging Bill Crowley to right field and sending aging Orator Shafer to the bench. Browning should immediately be in the batting title mix, hitting over .300 and batting 3rd in the Pittsburgh lineup.



Charlie Buffinton, SP, Braves, Age 21

Click for Real Career Stats


STUFF: 7
MVMT: 6
CTRL: 6
STAM: 8
DEF: 10


The Braves keep adding pitching to their roster (sounds familiar, yes?) in lieu of any offensive help. Buffinton will make a strong addition to their rotation, and also strengthen their bullpen at the same time as either Joe Borden or Dick McBride move there to open up a rotation spot.



John Clarkson, SP, Phillies, Age 21

Click for Real Career Stats


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


The Dodgers may disagree, but I don't think any team needs some new talent more than the cellar-dwelling Phillies, who finished in last place for three consecutive years from 1878-1880 before L.A. did them a favor and sucked worse last season. The Phillies may have avoided last place in 1881, but they still lost 101 games. The team's biggest weakness was a league-worst pitching staff, so Clarkson's addition will be a big help. He will immediately move to the #1 spot in the rotation. At the time of his MLB retirement, Clarkson was the winningest pitcher in its brief history. He'll have a tough time repeating that until Philly makes improvements in several other key areas.

[darnoff]

1882 Preseason Predictions


The experts predict this will be a two-team race between the Cards and Pirates. That assumes that neither of the past two league champs - the Giants and Cubs - will have a say in that. I find that hard to believe. While the Cardinals have had great seasons the past two years, they have not shown an ability to pull away from the rest of the strong teams in the league. It is difficult to imagine neither the Giants nor the Cubs in the pennant mix come September.


I do expect the Cardinals to lead for much of the season, and it should be primarily a two-team race between St. Louis and San Francisco, with Chicago and Pittsburgh right behind. The heart of the Cubs franchise is starting to age, so they need to leave everything out on the field to capture another pennant before the skills of those key players begin to decline.


The Reds and Braves added some more talent this offseason, but is it enough to get them closer to truly competing for the pennant? Probably not this season, but every little bit helps.

                                      W    L     %    GB
St. Louis Cardinals                  96   66   .593   --
Pittsburgh Pirates                   95   67   .586   1.0
Cincinnati Reds                      84   78   .519  12.0
San Francisco Giants                 84   78   .519  12.0
Chicago Cubs                         82   80   .506  14.0
Atlanta Braves                       81   81   .500  15.0
Los Angeles Dodgers                  71   91   .438  25.0
Philadelphia Phillies                57  105   .352  39.0

MLB results for 1882

Champs: Cubs (55-29, .655)
Batting Title: Dan Brouthers, .368
OPS+: Dan Brouthers, 199
ERA+: Larry Corcoran, 147
Win%: Larry Corcoran, .692

[darnoff]

Mid-Season Report

The Giants surprised some critics by beginning the defense of their first pennant well. I am not one of those critics, as I have felt all along that this was a tough team. Despite the powerful middle of their order, they have some remarkable pitching. This season, some of that pitching talent is coming full circle.

Fred Goldsmith, who holds the MLHR record with 328 strikeouts in 1879, has headed up the Giants pitching rotation since the first game they ever played. He has been a reliable workhorse for the franchise, tallying a 91-83 record, 2.96 career ERA (134 ERA+) and 1927 strikeouts. This season, however, Goldsmith is having the season of his life. He is 14-2 with a 1.84 ERA (208 ERA+!!) and an amazing 180 K's - all three numbers are tops in the league. He also leads the league with 4 shutouts, a .200 opponents batting average, a 0.92 WHIP among many other stats.

Goldsmith's performance, along with that of last season's PotY Terry Larkin (9-2, 2.99 ERA) are the primary reason why I believe no one will catch the Giants this season. They have a solid bottom of the rotation as well, including #5 starter Mickey Welch, who is 8-6 with a 3.38 ERA. The team's offense is #1 in the league. They also lead in home runs (no surprise) but they are also 2nd with a .251 team average and 3rd with a .319 OBP and 3rd in stolen bases.

The Cardinals are the closest team to San Francisco at 8.5-games back. They started slow (3-9) thanks to being swept in the opening series at San Fran. Later in April, they swept the Giants in a 4-game series at home in St. Louis. Over the next two months though, the Cardinals lost 4 of 6 games against the Giants. Overall, their offense is only the 4th best in the league, but their pitching has the best ERA (3.34) and has allowed the 2nd fewest runs. It is somewhat alarming, though, that their defense ranks just 6th.

Rookie Pete Browning is hitting .298 with 13 homers and 36 RBI, but the Pirates offense is ranked just 7th overall. Their pitching staff is ranked 3rd, thanks to four starters with ERA's under 4.00. Jim McCormick leads the way with an 8-4 record and 2.73 ERA. If this team has any hope of contending though, they must do something to jump start that offense.

The Cubs have the 2nd best offense so far, but their pitching has struggled. Laurie Reis is pitching admirably (7-2, 2.56 ERA) but the performance of 4-time PotY Al Spalding has team officials worried. Is the 30-year-old Spalding, 9-8, 3.60 ERA, just having a poor season to his standards, or is his age showing? Spalding has been the league's most dominant pitcher to date, amassing a 130-44 record, 2.50 ERA and 1109 strikeouts over his 6 and a half year career.

The team is also somewhat concerned with second baseman Ross Barnes. After winning every batting title in the league's 6-year history and producing a .360 career batting average, Barnes is hitting just .294 over half the season. He has never hit lower than .344 in any given season, and again, team officials must be wondering if age is finally catching up with this team that has remained largely intact since Opening Day of the inaugural 1876 season.

                                      W    L     %    GB
San Francisco Giants                 53   27   .662   --
St. Louis Cardinals                  45   36   .556   8.5
Pittsburgh Pirates                   42   37   .532  10.5
Chicago Cubs                         40   41   .494  13.5
Atlanta Braves                       40   42   .488  14.0
Los Angeles Dodgers                  36   44   .450  17.0
Cincinnati Reds                      35   46   .432  18.5
Philadelphia Phillies                32   50   .390  22.0

Batting Leaders

AVG
.331 Jack Glasscock, PIT
.327 Buck Ewing, SFG
.305 Tom York, LAD

HITS
98, Ross Barnes, CHN
98, George Hall, PHI
92, King Kelly, CIN

HR
20, Dan Brouthers, SFG
20, Roger Connor, SFG
20, Buck Ewing, SFG
20, Harry Stovey, PHI

RBI
56, Cap Anson, CHN
56, Charley Jones, CIN
55, King Kelly, CIN

BB
51, Pete Browning, PIT
48, Bill Crowley, PIT
48, Hardy Richardson, STL

OPS+
193, Dan Brouthers, SFG
184, Roger Connor, SFG
175, Ross Barnes, CHN

SB
33, Monte Ward, LAD
25, Bid McPhee, CIN
15, Dan Brouthers, SFG
15, King Kelly, CIN


Pitching Leaders

ERA
1.84, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
2.56, Laurie Reis, CHN
2.63, Tommy Bond, LAD

WINS
14, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
10, Sam Weaver, STL
9, Three players tied

K's
180, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
146, Pud Galvin, STL
131, Tommy Bond, LAD

K/BB
7.83, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
5.56, Al Spalding, CHN
5.17, Old Hoss Radbourn, STL

WHIP
0.92, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
1.03, Old Hoss Radbourn, STL
1.05, Candy Cummings, LAD

OAVG
.200, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
.206, George Derby, CIN
.208, Terry Larkin, SFG

QS%
.938, Pud Galvin, STL
.813, George Derby, CIN
.813, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
.813, Laurie Reis, CHN

[darnoff]

Mid-Season Report

I spoke too soon... about no one catching the Giants, that is. No sooner did I write those words than the Giants lost a 3-game series at home versus Pittsburgh. They then dropped 2-of-3 to Atlanta and were swept in a 4-game series at St. Louis. The Cardinals dominated that series by a combined score of 40-19. By mid-July, San Francisco held only a 1.5-game lead on the Cards.

Immediately after the St. Louis series, the Giants got their act together and went 9-4 to finish the month. The Cardinals' series sweep was part of an 8-game winning streak for the Redbirds that ended in an 11-3 loss at Cincinnati. The Cardinals then dropped 2-of-3 at Chicago and then went on to lose 5-of-10 to the Pirates, Phillies and Dodgers.

After that mid-season scare, the Giants lead grew back to 4 games, which is pretty much where it stayed for the remainder of the season. The middle of San Francisco's lineup was not quite as dominant as last season, but Brouthers, Connor and Ewing still combined for 109 home runs and 313 RBI. Pitcher Fred Goldsmith cooled off after a red-hot first half and finished with a 22-7 record and 2.65 ERA. He did, however, finish the season with an impressive 17-strikeout performance against Cincinnati to set a new MLHR record with 338 K's.

Although Hardy Richardson led the Cardinals with "only" 29 home runs, the team still finished first in that category ahead of the swinging Giants and Cubs. They did it with solid performances throughout the lineup. All eight regulars hit 12 or more long balls. The organization has won 90 or more games in each of its seven seasons but unfortunalety they have just two pennants to show for it.

As for the Cubs, they went 48-33 in the second half, but due to a slow start, it was only good enough to finish within 9-games of the Giants. Cap Anson led the league with 40 home runs, just one season after three men hit 50 or more. However, despite the lower totals among league leaders, the league as a whole hit just 79 fewer than last season. For you stat geeks out there, that equated to .027 HR per AB this season compared to .029 last season.

Fans of Cubs second baseman Ross Barnes will be happy to know that he hit .380 in September (and one October game) to pull his batting average above .300. He had been hitting below that mark all season. He finished at .313, the lowest average of his career. That was good enough to finish 3rd in the batting race, but it is the first time in league history that he did not win the batting title (although he did lead with 207 hits).

The honor of breaking that impressive streak went to the unlikely Pirates shortstop Jack Glasscock with a .330 average. Glasscock started the season batting eighth and hit just .225 last season. Although he hit .311 in his rookie season of 1879, Glasscock struggled the two years after before having a career year in 1882. His career average after four up-and-down seasons stands at .276.

One other record worth mentioning is that of Dodgers shortstop and leadoff man Monte Ward. The fleet-footed infielder broke his own record with 62 stolen bases. While that was not enough to keep the Dodgers out of a tie for last place, it is worth mentioning that this was only the second season that no team won or lost 100 games.

                                      W    L     %    GB
San Francisco Giants                 97   65   .599   --
St. Louis Cardinals                  94   68   .580   3.0
Chicago Cubs                         88   74   .543   9.0
Pittsburgh Pirates                   83   79   .512  14.0
Atlanta Braves                       74   88   .457  23.0
Cincinnati Reds                      74   88   .457  23.0
Los Angeles Dodgers                  69   93   .426  28.0
Philadelphia Phillies                69   93   .426  28.0

Batting Leaders

AVG
.330 Jack Glasscock, PIT
.314, Dan Brouthers, SFG
.3132, Ross Barnes, CHN
.3128, Buck Ewing, SFG

HITS
207, Ross Barnes, CHN
200, George Hall, PHI
199, Dan Brouthers, SFG

HR
40, Cap Anson, CHN
38, Dan Brouthers, SFG
36, Roger Connor, SFG

RBI
135, Cap Anson, CHN
111, Buck Ewing, SFG
111, Charley Jones, CIN

BB
99, Bill Crowley, PIT
99, Hardy Richardson, STL
90, Pete Browning, PIT

OPS+
173, Buck Ewing, SFG
167, Dan Brouthers, SFG
160, Roger Connor, SFG

SB
62, Monte Ward, LAD
39, Bid McPhee, CIN
36, Harry Stovey, PHI


Pitching Leaders

ERA
2.50, Jim McCormick, PIT
2.65, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
2.91, Tommy Bond, LAD

WINS
22, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
19, Sam Weaver, STL
18, Four players tied

K's
338, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
277, Pud Galvin, STL
269, Jim McCormick, PIT

K/BB
7.00, Al Spalding, CHN
6.63, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
4.78, Old Hoss Radbourn, STL

WHIP
0.99, Jim McCormick, PIT
1.02, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
1.08, Guy Hecker, PIT

OAVG
.203, Jim McCormick, PIT
.217, Fred Goldsmith, SFG
.225, George Derby, CIN

QS%
.758, Jim McCormick, PIT
.727, Pud Galvin, STL
.697, Jim Devlin, PIT

[darnoff]

Season Awards


Batter of the Year

Buck Ewing, C, Giants
.313, 35 HR, 111 RBI, 173 OPS+


Pitcher of the Year

Fred Goldsmith, Giants
22-7, 2.65 ERA, 338 K's


Rookie of the Year

Pete Browning, LF, Pirates
.293, 22 HR, 72 RBI, .856 OPS


Fireman Award

Bill McGunnigle, Cardinals
3-5, 38 Sv, 3.71 ERA
(2nd Consecutive)



Gold Gloves
P - Jim Whitney, ATL
C - Buck Ewing, SFG (2nd consecutive)
1B - Harry Stovey, PHI (2nd consecutive)
2B - Fred Dunlap, PIT
3B - Ned Williamson, PIT (2nd overall)
SS - Jack Glasscock, PIT
LF - Tom York, LAD (2nd consecutive)
CF - Pete Hotaling, CIN
RF - Buttercup Dickerson, CIN

[darnoff]

1883 Rookies

Dave Orr, 1B, Giants, Age 24

Click for Real Career Stats


CON: 8
GAP: 7
POW: 6
EYE: 6
DEF: 4
SPD: 6


Orr is an interesting player. He had several great seasons in the American Association from 1884-1889. If a player never plays on a NL or AL team, I will not import them into MLHR. But Orr played all of 1 game for the 1883 New York Gothams of the National League. I water down career stats from other leagues like the AA, but Orr's career .342 average in the AA was still tough to water down. He still translated into a fine looking hitter. The problem is, he's a first baseman and the Giants have a glut of talented first sackers already. How Orr will fit in is up in the air. He played 7 of his career 797 games in the outfield, so San Francisco will likely try him out there.



Piggy Ward, RF, Phillies, Age 16

Click for Real Career Stats


CON: 7
GAP: 4
POW: 4
EYE: 10
DEF: 6
SPD: 7


I wanted to mention Ward because he is our first underage rookie. He joins the Phillies at age 16, and will likely be their new leadoff hitter with a great eye for the strike zone. He should take over right field from Wes Fisler, who hit just .246 last season with 9 home runs and 30 RBI.

[Carlton]

In my 1901 replay Piggy Ward is still in the league!

[darnoff]

Originally Posted by Carlton

In my 1901 replay Piggy Ward is still in the league!

I have injuries turned off, so unless the Phillies get a better player at his position down the road, he has a chance of collecting a lot of hits. He could potentially play for 20-24 years!

[darnoff]

1883 Preseason Predictions


The Giants lineup has gotten even stronger with the addition of Dave Orr and Tip O'Neill in the outfield. Orr is a first baseman by trade, but no one can displace Dan Brouthers, so the Giants were forced to move Orr and his bat to right field. Orr is familiar with the position, but he is expected to provide below-average defense.

That tradeoff is worth it to San Francisco as Orr is expected to hit over .300 with 20+ home runs and possibly 20+ stolen bases. O'Neill, a left fielder, may not hit for as high an average, but he has similar power and a better eye for the strikezone. He is also a bit faster on the bases. The two rookies will start the season hitting #1-2 in the lineup ahead of San Fran's powerful trio of Brouthers, Roger Connor and Buck Ewing. The team hopes that the two youngsters will get on base often and score a lot of runs. They are also looking for 40 homeruns and 40 stolen bases between the two of them combined.

The Giants also added John Ewing (7-7-6 ratings) to their starting rotation. There was less written in the local papers about this move, but it is no less important. He will move into the #4 slot in the rotation ahead of Mickey Welch, bumping veteran Bobby Mathews to the pen.

St. Louis is expected to be the Giants' primary challenger this season. They added Ed Cushman (7-6-7 ratings) to their rotation, a move which forced Joe Blong to the bullpen despite a 17-7 record and 4.09 ERA last season. Only time will tell if that was a good move. Their lineup remains intact, but some local beat writers worry about its potential production due to the fact that three of their key bats are over 30. Last season, that same fact seemed to dampen the production of the once-mighty Cubs lineup.

The Pirates are excited about the addition of several new relief pitchers, primarily hard-throwing lefty Will Sawyer (9-6-5 ratings), who will begin the season as their new closer. Their bullpen is not as deep as some other teams, but Pittsburgh took a big step towards improving it this winter. However, everyone knows the Pirates can pitch. It's the offense that will determine whether or not the team can challenge San Francisco for the pennant. 1B Jumbo Latham hit just .230 last season. After spending most of his career batting 2nd or 3rd in the Pirates lineup, the aging veteran was dropped to the #8 hole. He will also be spelled on a regular basis by 26-year-old Bill Phillips, who shows much more power than the slap-hitting Latham.

The Cubs and Braves made no significant changes this winter, which does not bode well for those teams. The Dodgers' only move was the addition of Bob Barr (5-6-7 ratings) to the rotation. That allows the team to move Harry Arundel to the role of closer - leaving the Cubs as the only MLHR team to still not have a pitcher with actual MLB experience in the bullpen.

As for the remaining two teams, the Reds upgraded their pitching staff with Dupee Shaw (7-6-6 ratings) in the rotation and 'Jumping Jack' Jones (6-6-7 ratings) as a rookie closer. The Phillies though mave have made the biggest improvement of the winter. They added Piggy Ward as their new leadoff man, Hardie Henderson (5-7-6 ratings) as their #3 starting pitcher and three new relief pitchers to their bullpen, led by new closer Charlie Hilsey (4-7-7 ratings).





MLB results for 1882

Champs: Braves (Beaneaters) (63-35, .643)

Batting Title: Dan Brouthers, BUF, .374
OPS+: Dan Brouthers, BUF, 187
AB/HR: Buck Ewing, NYG, 37.6
RBI: Dan Brouthers, BUF, 97
Runs: Joe Hornung, BSN, 107

ERA+: Jim McCormick, CLV, 170
Win%: Jim McCormick, CLV, .700
WHIP: Old Hoss Radbourn, PRO, 0.979
K/9: Jim Whitney, BSN, 6.04

[darnoff]

Mid-Season Report

The Pirates got off to a hot start by winning their first 10 games, including a 3-game sweep of the Giants. They lost 3 in a row in late April, but still finished the month 20-6. By the end of the first week of May, the Giants had climbed to within a game of the Pirates, and a week later they were in the lead. But from that point until now, they two teams have battled back in forth with several lead changes. At one point in late May, the Giants had a 4-game lead, but they dropped 5-of-6 to the Pirates in June and are now a half-game behind.

Pittsburgh's offense has surprised everyone and ranks 2nd in runs scored. Their pitching staff, as expected, is their bread and butter though. They lead the league in every key team pitching statistic. As individuals, three of the top four ERA's in the league are from Pirates pitchers and those same pitchers are the top three leaders in wins - Jim McCormick (11-3, 2.69 ERA), The Only Nolan (10-6, 2.77 ERA) and Jim Devlin (10-5, 3.18 ERA).

As for San Francisco, they lead the league in every key team offensive category. They already have five batters with over 10 home runs, led by Roger Connor's 23. Dan Brouthers and Buck Ewing are right behind him with 19 apiece. Their pitching staff has scuffled at times, giving up the 5th most runs in the league.

One other thing these two teams have in common has been successful closers. Pittsburgh rookie Will Sawyer has been lights out. He has a 1-1 record, 17 saves, a 0.64 ERA and 35 K's in 28.1 innings pitched. His San Francisco counterpart Harry Salisbury is 2-4 with 21 saves, a 2.25 ERA and 41 K's in 36 innings. The question now is whether or not Pittsburgh's offense continues its success or San Francisco's pitching improves. If I were a betting man, I would wager on the Giants' staff improving. Whoever wins that battle will likely finish the season on top.

Before we go too far though, let's not forget St. Louis. The Cardinals have the 2nd best pitching staff in the league, but their offense has been uncharacteristically inconsistent this season. They have scored the 3rd fewest runs in the league and CF Lip Pike, their #2 hitter with a career .293 average, is hitting just .236 with only 1 home run. On the other hand, shortstop Jack Rowe, who has never finished a season hitting over .284, is leading the team with a .311 average and 14 home runs. He is the only everyday starter hitting over .300.

Dodgers catcher Emil Gross was leading the batting race for about 6 weeks. He is currently 2nd with his .339 average. He is a big reason why the Dodgers' offense is surprisingly ranked 3rd. I don't expect that to hold up, but their 3rd ranked pitching staff should. The team has only twice had a winning season - the last time being four seasons ago.

Despite some mediocre stats, the Phillies were above .500 for much of the first half of the season. They have come down to earth somewhat lately. There are enough players performing below career levels though that this team may bounce back and finish with their first ever winning season.

In Cincinnati, Charley Jones and King Kelly are both hitting over .300 and have combined for 38 home runs and 117 RBI so far. However, their offense is still ranked last in the league. Their 5th ranked pitching staff isn't much better.

Atlanta and Chicago have performed worse than expected and are battling to stay out of last place. The Cubs' performance is most shocking, as no one expected them to fall so quickly. They're ranked 7th in offense and 8th in pitching so I do not expect them to avoid their first ever losing season.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders

[scott1964]

Originally Posted by Carlton

In my 1901 replay Piggy Ward is still in the league!

Piggy was a stolen base monster until Ty Cobb came along.

[darnoff]

Season Wrap-up

The Pirates quickly lost their slim lead over the Giants in July, but by mid-August they were back in first. That only lasted three weeks though, as San Francisco retook first place by the first of September. A week later, the Giants swept the Pirates in Pittsburgh and the Pirates never quite recovered. Despite an overall 16-11 record in September, Pittsburgh couldn't keep up with the Giants and fell just short of the pennant.

After scoring the 2nd most runs in the first half of the season, Pittsburgh's offense fell apart and finished a whopping 2nd worst in runs scored by season's end. Their pitching staff stood tall, but they could not withstand such an offensive collapse.

The Giants' pitching staff overcame their early season woes and finished with the 2nd best starting rotation ERA in the league. They allowed the 4th most runs in the league though, thanks to a defense that ranked dead last in efficiency. Closer Harry Salisbury set a new record with 43 saves.

The Dodgers surprised everyone by winning 92 games after a 69-93 season last year. Their offense was an unexpected 2nd best in the league thanks to a .262 team average and 119 steals. Their rotation was only 4th in the league, but they were helped by the 2nd best defense.

The Cardinals finished 4th with a winning record despite a last-ranked offense. They did, however, finish 2nd in home runs as four players on the team hit over 20. Their pitching was strong, but not remarkable and now team officials have to return to the drawing board after four straight seasons without a pennant.

The Phillies were disappointed by not posting their first winning record, but they made a lot of progress with solid performances on offense, defense and on the mound. Centerfielder George Hall stood above the rest, hitting .344 to win his first batting title with 26 homers and 113 RBI.

Charley Jones had a career year for Cincinnati with 46 home runs and 134 RBI, leading a resurgent Reds offense that finished tied for 3rd in runs scored. Their pitching staff could not manage similar results and the team recorded another losing season.

As for the Cubs, they not only posted their first ever losing season, but they did so with 101 losses. Ross Barnes finished 4th in the batting race, but most other Cubs stars faltered. None more so than ace Al Spalding who actually led the team with a 4.00 ERA and just 13 victories.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders

[darnoff]

Originally Posted by scott1964

Piggy was a stolen base monster until Ty Cobb came along.

You'll be happy to know then that he put himself in the middle of a heated Rookie of the Year race, hitting .266 with 17 HR, 73 RBI, 32 steals and leading the league with 97 walks.

[darnoff]

Season Awards

This is the first BoY award for Connor, but he is the 5th consecutive Giant to win this award!


Batter of the Year


Pitcher of the Year


Rookie of the Year

The RoY was hotly contested this season with Orr narrowly winning over teammate John Ewing, who also finished 2nd in the Pitcher of the Year voting. Ewing went 18-7 with a 3.16 ERA and 202 K's in 224.2 innings.



Fireman Award



Gold Gloves
P - Guy Hecker, PIT
C - Buck Ewing, SFG (3rd consecutive)
1B - Dan Brouthers, SFG
2B - Jack Farrell, PHI
3B - Jerry Denny, LAD
SS - Jack Glasscock, PIT (2nd consecutive)
LF - Charley Jones, CIN (2nd overall)
CF - John O'Rourke, ATL (3rd overall)
RF - Bill Crowley, PIT

[darnoff]

1884 Rookies

The reason it's been so long since my last update is because this incoming class was very large. There are no superstar Hall of Fame types, but there are several exciting players listed below, and several more that are not listed. I wish I could talk about more of them, but I'm anxious to start the season!

The biggest occurrence of the offseason was the fact that so many new pitchers were added. It only took 9 seasons, but now every team's pitching staff is full of players with actual MLB experience. And most teams have pitchers on their reserve roster for the first time as well.

It's also worth mentioning that we had some of the best baseball names of all time joining the league. Here are the ones who didn't make the list of top rookies below but should be mentioned due to their fantastic names:

Pretzels Getzein
Phenomenal Smith
Peak-a-Boo Veach
Adonis Terry

Now, let's look at some of the many key rookies expected to contribute to the league this season.


Billy Nash, 3B, Age 19, Braves

Nash is a solid all-around ballplayer. He gets on base frequently and has good speed. For those reasons, he will start the season in the leadoff spot for a Braves offense that could use a shot in the arm. His best quality though is superb defense at the hot corner.





Tommy McCarthy, RF, Age 21, Braves

McCarthy also has the ability to get on base at a high rate. He plays good defense and has impressive speed. He starts the season splitting time with aging right fielder Jack Manning (.283, 17 HR, 69 RBI). And for the first time in his career, 32-year-old Jim O'Rourke (.227, 26 HR, 97 RBI) will give up some playing time. Accustomed to starting 157+ games per season, "Orator Jim" will be spelled by McCarthy every 5 days or so. If McCarthy thrives, as he should, the team will have to decide when to make him an everyday outfielder, likely taking over in RF.





Tom Daly, 2B, Age 18, Cubs

Daly has the misfortune of playing behind the great Ross Barnes. He has a good bat, speed and plays solid defense. Unfortunately, he will struggle to find playing time. He is also a good defensive catcher but the team also promoted rookie catcher Sy Sutcliffe (7-5-5-7-5, 5 defense) to play behind veteran Cal McVey (.263, 15 HR, 73 RBI). Most of Daly's work will come at his weakest defensive position, third base, splitting time with Tom Burns (.291, 5 HR, 26 RBI in 220 AB... oh, and 9 defense).





Lady Baldwin, SP, Age 24, Reds

Baldwin gives the Reds three southpaws in the rotation when you add in fellow rookie Dan Casey (6-8-5 ratings). He throws hard and has good control, which should bode well for him and the Reds. He begins his career in the #4 slot in the rotation, but it shouldn't be long before he moves up the ranks.





Jocko Milligan, C, Age 23, Dodgers

Milligan looks like a great addition to the team, but he will be fighting for time with incumbent Emil Gross (.327, 19 HR, 85 RBI), who finished 2nd in last season's batting race. Milligan is significantly better defensively, so he could find more playing time quickly if Gross stumbles. After all, Gross' career average is .271 with a .753 OPS. That is respectable, but those numbers won't be enough to keep Milligan out of the lineup.





Billy O'Brien, 1B, Age 24, Dodgers

This little-known slugger could make a name for himself in MLHR if he can keep his average above .250 and earn playing time. He is a downgrade defensively at either first or third base, but it's hard to ignore the impressive power he wields. Fellow rookie Dave Foutz (6-6-5-7-7 ratings, 7 speed, 9 defense) will get about 75% of the playing time at first initially due to his speed and defense. But if O'Brien hits home runs on a regular basis, he will quickly earn more time.





Oyster Burns, RF, Age 20, Dodgers

Perhaps the best new all-around hitter this offseason, Burns continues the upgrading of LA's offense. He should hit around .300 with 25-35 HR per season and 25+ steals. He will find himself hitting 3rd between Emil Gross and third baseman Jerry Denny (.230, 20 HR, 70 RBI), so expectations will be high. Oh... and he has another of the great baseball names of all time!





Jack Clements, C, Age 20, Phillies

The Phillies get a major upgrade behind the plate with Clements. He has a great bat and adds solid defense to his resume as well. He takes the starting gig away from 23-year-old Jackie Hayes (.233, 18 HR, 65 RBI) and will bat 5th in the Phillies' quickly-improving lineup.





Henry Larkin, 1B, Age 24, Phillies

Larkin will bat right behind Clements in the lineup. Another solid all-around player, Larkin's presence allows the team to move slugger Harry Stovey (.272, 25 HR, 95 RBI, 35 SB... 34 HR in 1882 and a record 58 in 1881) back to his natural left field, stripping a starting job from George Wood (.229, 22 HR, 90 RBI).





Charlie Ferguson, SP, Age 21, Phillies

As if Clements and Larkin weren't enough, the Phillies went out and added Ferguson and Bill Vinton (7-8-6 ratings) to a mediocre starting rotation. This could finally propel the Phillies into the conversation about pennant-contention. Ferguson and Vinton will slide into the #2 and #3 rotation slots ahead of last year's rookie Hardie Henderson (7-13, 3.89 ERA) and veteran George Zettlein (14-12, 3.54 ERA).





Alex McKinnon, 1B, Age 24, Giants

It seems like the last thing the 3-time defending champion Giants needed was yet another first baseman. Three-time Batter of the Year Dan Brouthers (.290, 35 HR, 111 RBI) is the top first baseman in the game. Last season's BoY Roger Connor (.312, 46 HR, 142 RBI) was moved to third base when he debuted in 1880 and last season, rookie Dave Orr (.324, 25 HR, 78 RBI) was moved to right field. All three hitters won Rookie of the Year in their first season. McKinnon won't be quite as lucky because there's just not a spot for him in the lineup. Other than spelling Brouthers at first base about five times this season, he will have to fight for playing time in centerfield, a position he can play, albeit not that well. Fellow rookie Curt Welch ( 5-5-4-7-6 ratings, 9 defense, 8 speed) begins the season as the starting centerfielder thanks to his spectacular defensive ability and great speed.

[darnoff]

1884 Preseason Predictions

The big news this offseason was the influx of a record number of rookies. Many of them are expected to contribute right away. Most of the key rookies were added to up-and-coming teams, such as the Phillies, Dodgers and Pirates. Amazingly, the Dodgers added 5 pitchers and 5 hitters to their roster this season and the Cubs added 7 pitchers! Those additions may propel the Phillies into the pennant race. They should also solidify Pittsburgh and Los Angeles as legitimate contenders. With the Cubs finally addressing their 8-year-long pitching weakness, they may find themselves back in the heat of the pennant race also - especially if their offense bounces back as it should.

Just when you thought the Giants offense couldn't improve, they add two more solid rookies to the bottom of the order. Danny Richardson (5-4-6-7-6 ratings, 8 defense, 6 speed) takes over at second base and Curt Welch (5-5-4-7-6 ratings, 9 defense, 8 speed) is the new centerfielder. Both players are significant defensive upgrades. They also are solid hitters with speed. Depending on how often he gets on base, Welch could be asked to steal regularly.

The Pirates added two new pitchers to their rotation, strengthening their already great staff. Unfortunately, they did nothing to upgrade their offense. That may prevent them from being serious contenders this season.

The Cardinals did little to improve their aging roster. While I believe they will be in the pennant race all season, some say they will struggle to stay above .500.

With so many teams improving this winter, especially those who perenially find themselves with losing records, this could be the tightest race we've ever seen. It is possible that 5 or 6 teams finish the season within 10 games of first, and who knows, perhaps no one will win 90 games this year. If that happens, it is anyone's guess who will wind up on top. Until another team proves otherwise, I will put my money on the Giants repeating for a 4th time.







MLB results for 1884

Champs: Providence Grays (Dodgers), (84-28, .750)

Batting Title: King Kelly, CHC, .354
OPS+: Dan Brouthers, BUF, 190
AB/HR: Ned Williamson, CHC, 15.4
RBI: Cap Anson, CHC, 102
Runs: King Kelly, CHC, 120

ERA+: Old Hoss Radbourn, PRO, 1.38
Win%: Old Hoss Radbourn, PRO, .831
WHIP: Charlie Sweeney, PRO, 0.824
K/9: John Clarkson, CHC, 7.78

[darnoff]

Mid-Season Report

So far, this really has turned out to be a season of parody. There have been four teams in first place and at least three in last. While the disappointing Phillies have held last place for most of the past 2 months, they're only 7.5-games out. The 3-time defending champion Giants actually played most of April in last place before warming up. I say warming because no team has truly been "hot" this season.

The Cardinals and Reds are tied for first place but are only 5 games above .500. The standings sometimes change dramatically from week to week because there are no truly dominant or weak teams this season. For the fans, it's great to see. For the managers, not so much.

To continue with the parody theme, no one player stands out this season as the slam dunk front runner for Batter or Pitcher OTY. St. Louis third baseman Arlie Latham, a career .248 hitter, had a strong June and currently leads the batting race with just a .312 average. Phillies rookie Jack Clements leads the league with 19 home runs thanks to a 9-dinger June but there are 24 players with 10+ long balls on his heels. The pitching leaderboards are similarly mixed with many players clustered together statistically. The interesting thing about both the pitching and batting leaderboards is that so many different players are leading in one category or another.

With teams and players so evenly matched this year, it's anyone's guess who will wind up with the pennant. But it is likely that it will be decided by which team has the most players get hot at the right time, or by who proves to be the best in other key but undervalued areas such as overall defense or the bullpen. So, let's look at who leads in various categories to get an idea of who might have an edge.

Team Leaders

Runs Scored - Giants and Dodgers tied
Batting AVG - Cubs
OBP - Dodgers
Home Runs - Cardinals
Stolen Bases - Giants

Runs Allowed - Pirates
Starters ERA - Pirates
Bullpen ERA - Phillies

Defensive Efficiency - Pirates

It's amazing to see so many different teams here, particularly the Dodgers, Cubs and Phillies, who are below .500. The Pirates clearly have the advantage in defense and pitching (they have the top three ERA's in the league in their rotation!). That may just be enough to separate themselves from the pack, but their 5th ranked offense remains a concern.

The safe money is still on the Giants with a top notch offense, but their 6th ranked pitching staff will need to turn things around. If they do, the fact that their bullpen is ranked 2nd may give them the edge.

The darkhorse would have to be the Dodgers. Their offense has been impressive, and their defense is #2 in the league. Their pitching staff is just 3rd in the league, but a shaky bullpen ranked next to last is the issue. If they can overcome that, we may finally see a pennant flying in Dodger Stadium.


Standings




Batting Leaders





Pitching Leaders