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

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Originally Posted by RMc

Looks great, but why not use real players? Marshall D. Wright's book, The National Association of Base Ball Players, 1857–1870, has a lot of data from the pre-NA era.

Also, are we gonna get a quickstart sometime?

So....in the 1859-60 offseason in my game just now, Excelsior made an Indepdent League "Scouting Discovery" who happened to be a starting pitcher born in New York City.

Given that Jim Creighton was born in New York City, was first "discovered" by the big New York Clubs in 1859 and joined the actual real-life Excelsior club in 1860, I figured "oh what the hell" and turned "random Independent League discovery prospect Edward Hughes from New York City"...





...into Jim Creighton - changed birthdate to the correct one - because it was all just a little bit too serependipitous.

I also did the best recreation of his pitching skills that I could, which means that in game-engine terms he has to be a 99-mph flamethrower, and since by all counts he could put a ridiculous amount of spin on the ball I gave him a couple of breaking balls as well.





I've nerfed him a little bit since I took the screen shot, so he starts with an 80 for stuff, but yeah it was kind of funny how that just happened.

[20_range]

Plus, he died from something relatively similar to what you survived in the 21st century. If you decide to kill him off, just give him that - during a game

[tm1681]

Originally Posted by 20_range

Plus, he died from something relatively similar to what you survived in the 21st century. If you decide to kill him off, just give him that - during a game

I could not imagine the horror of bleeding out from a colonic ulcer during a game....

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1859 NEW YORK LEAGUE REVIEW

NEW YORK LEAGUE SEASON SUMMARY

The 1859 New York League season was not as surprising as the previous one, but there were still plenty of compelling storylines. The New York City Championship was a battle to the end. The Upstate Championship was, as usual, very close. Kings County tried to push an improved roster over the hump and into the Tucker-Wheaton Cup series. James Robertson won his first Batting Title after hitting over .380 for the third season in a row. Of course, that was not all.

The Brooklyn Championship failed to offer as much excitement as it did last year, as Kings County led nearly wire to wire. They were tied for first place with Atlantic at 14-7 to start June, had the lead by the middle of the month, and from there slowly gained momentum until finishing 47-23 and winning Brooklyn by eight games over Atlantic & Eckford of Greenpoint.

The New York City Championship was quite the opposite. Orange was atop the standings for nearly the entire season, but they had to withstand a two-front assault over the last ten games from Knickerbocker (9-1) & Mutual (7-3) and win on the final day to secure the N.Y.C. pennant by a single game over Knickerbocker and three over Mutual.

The Upstate Championship was a close one once again, with 7/8 teams finishing within ten games of first place Minuteman. Eagle, Flour City, & Minuteman were in a three-way tie at 13-8 at the end of May, but by mid-June Minuteman had taken a two-game lead and they were able to keep the Upstate pack at arm’s length for the rest of the season, finishing first by three games over Utica and four over Syracuse.

Orange looked like solid favorites in the New York League Semi-Final against Minuteman, and they played the part excellently after an early slip-up.

• GAME ONE saw Orange take a 7-5 lead going into the final two innings, but star pitcher Rainer van Hout allowed a run in the eighth and three more in the ninth to turn the lead into a 9-7 loss. Minuteman Pinch Hitter Andrew Wallace was the hero of the day, singling in the winning runs.

• GAME TWO was a dominant Orange home victory – a 13-5 win in which they had Minuteman 17-9 and had ten runs by the end of the fifth inning. Superstar Edward Huntley was 3/5 with four RBI and three steals.

• GAME THREE in Albany was more of the same. Orange scored three times in the top of the third – all they needed but they piled on the runs in a 9-2 win. Huntley had three more hits (3/4), scored three runs, and stole two more bases.

• GAME FOUR was the coup-de-grace. The contest started slowly, tied 2-2 after five innings. However, Orange scored four times in the sixth & three times in the seventh, and that was it. Orange’s 9-3 win meant they outscored Minuteman 31-10 over the final three games of the series, and Huntley was the obvious M.V.P. after hitting 11/19.

That meant the New York League Championship Series was New York City vs Brooklyn for the second year in a row, and this year the series went the distance.

• GAME ONE needed ten innings to decide a winner. With two out in the top of the tenth, Paul LeFebvre singled in Doc Matheson to give Orange both the lead and the win by the score of 6-5. Van der Hout pitched all ten innings to earn the win, and the Orange defense did not commit a single error.

• GAME TWO was tight early, but all Kings County late. Tied 1-1 going into the bottom of the sixth, K.C. scored three times to take the lead. Four more runs in the seventh and two in the eight made for a 9-1 win to even the series. Clifford Holmes was good for 163 pitches in the Complete Game win.

• GAME THREE at the Upper Manhattan Base Ball Grounds was a close contest, tied 1-1 after three innings with Orange up 4-3 after sixth. The two teams traded a pair of runs over the seventh and eighth to make the score 6-5 in favor of Orange, and that held for the final result. Orange’s defense, which committed only one error, was the difference in the game.

• GAME FOUR saw Kings County take charge starting in the middle innings. Deciding a 2-1 lead going into the fifth innings wasn’t enough, K.C. scored three times to make it 5-1. After an Orange run in the bottom half K.C. scored three more times in the seventh to go up 8-2, and they coasted to an 8-5 win to force a deciding Game Five at home.

• In GAME FIVE, Orange crushed Kings County once it finally looked like they had a chance. The visitors jumped out to a 5-2 lead after two innings, but over the next five K.C. chipped away and were eventually able to take a 6-5 lead in the seventh inning. Orange then came to bat in the top of the eighth and scored half a dozen times, and they added one more in the ninth to win 12-6 and advance to the Tucker-Wheaton Cup series. Ed Huntley once again took on a starring role, going 4/6 with four RBI.

Orange’s opponent in the T.W.C. was Coastal champions Shamrock. Just as in the N.Y.L. Semi-Final, Orange slipped up late to lose Game One but followed up with three straight wins – the last one in ten innings this time – to become the first team other than St. John’s to lift the Tucker-Wheaton Cup.

There were plenty of good candidates for Batsman of the Year, but ultimately discussion centered on two players: John Francis, the #1 batsman for the best team in the league (Kings Co.) and N.Y.L. Batting Champion James Robertson of Syracuse. Robertson had the batting title, but Francis finished in the top five in half a dozen offensive categories in addition to being sixth in average, so Francis was named B.o.t.Y.

The discussion for Most Valuable Player was a simple one. Orange’s Edward Huntley was the best-hitting middle infielder in the New York League, and on top of that he played defense at a Golden Glove level at shortstop. He then had an incredible postseason in which he hit nearly .500. Huntley was the nearly unanimous choice for M.V.P.

There were three solid candidates for Newcomer of the Year: outfielders Declan Gillespie of Eagle, Anthony Littleton of Niagara, and Doc Matheson of Orange. Littleton hit .367 with 27 extra-base hits, 36 RBI, and 22 steals. That was close to how the other two batted over the course of the season, but what put Littleton over top was his thirty-game hit streak that lasted from the first day of June until July 12th.

Not surprisingly Kings County, who had the best record in the N.Y.L. (47-23) and scored 58 more runs (584) than any other team, led the Team of the Year nominations with three: pitcher Clifford Holmes, third baseman Jerald Peterson, and center fielder John Francis. Syracuse was the other multi-nomination team with two.

Season number three of New York League baseball is in the proverbial books, and the Tucker-Wheaton Cup was back where the fans from the place from which baseball started its spread thought it belonged.

NEW YORK LEAGUE STANDINGS





NEW YORK LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

SEMI-FINALS: #2 Orange B.B.C. defeats #3 Minuteman B.B.C. 3-1

• GAME 1: MIN 9-7 ORA – P.o.t.G: C. Keener (SS, MIN) – 3/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
• GAME 2: MIN 5-13 ORA – P.o.t.G.: E. Huntley (SS, ORA) – 3/5, R, 4 RBI, 3 SB
• GAME 3: ORA 9-2 MIN – P.o.t.G.: E. Huntley (SS, ORA) – 3/4, 2B, 3 R, RBI, BB, 2 SB
• GAME 4: ORA 9-3 MIN – P.o.t.G.: S. Morris (2B, ORA) – 2/4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
• M.V.P.: Edward Huntley (SS, ORA) – 11/19 (.579), 3 2B, 1 3B, 7 R, 8 RBI, 1 BB, 6 SB
• NOTABLE: Orange outscored Minuteman 31-10 over final three games

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP: #2 Orange B.B.C. defeats #1 Kings County 3-2

• GAME 1: ORA 6-5 K.C. (10 inn.) – P.o.t.G.: P-O. Bakken (SS, K.C.) – 3/5, 2B, 3B, 2 R, RBI
• GAME 2: ORA 1-9 K.C. – P.o.t.G.: C. Holmes (P, K.C.) – CG, 10 H, 1 R/ER, 2 K, 162 PIT
• GAME 3: K.C. 5-6 ORA – P.o.t.G.: E. Huntley (SS, ORA) – 2/4, 2 2B, R, RBI
• GAME 4: K.C. 8-5 ORA – P.o.t.G.: J. Peterson (3B, K.C.) – 2/5, R, RBI, SB
• GAME 5: ORA 12-6 K.C. – P.o.t.G: E. Huntley (SS, ORA) – 4/6, 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI,
• M.V.P.: William Lantz (OF, ORA) – 10/24 (.417), 2 2B, 5 R, 2 RBI
• NOTABLE: Orange scored seven runs over 8th & 9th innings to win Game 5

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP: Orange B.B.C. defeats Shamrock B.C. (N.E.L.) 3-1

• Edward Huntley named M.V.P., second time winning series M.V.P. in 1859 postseason

NEW YORK LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: John Francis – 34 y/o CF, Kings County Base Ball Club

• .371/.391/.505, .895 OPS, 77 R, 22 2B, 122 H, 11 3B, 0 HR, 65 RBI, 22 SB, 166 TB, 3.7 WPA, 2.9 WAR
• Led N.Y.L. in 3B, XBH, & TB; 2nd in H, RBI, & OPS; 6th in AVG
• James Robertson (SYR: .394, 125 H, 21 XBH, 45 RBI) 2nd, Chester Ellis (ATL: .359, .921 OPS, 49 RBI, 37 SB) 3rd

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Edward Huntley – 23 y/o SS, Orange Base Ball Club

• .362/.404/.489, .843 OPS, 77 R, 113 H, 13 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 41 RBI, 31 SB, +18.1 ZR (SS), 3.1 WPA, 4.4 WAR
• Hit .492 (31/63) with 8 2B, 1 3B, 18 R, 18 RBI, 7 SB, 1.173 OPS during playoffs (13 games)
• Per Olaf Bakken (K.C.: .323, +15.2 ZR, 4.1 WPA, 3.5 WAR) 2nd, Carl Keener (MIN: .357, +15.9 ZR, 3.5 WPA, 3.9 WAR) 3rd

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Anthony Littleton – 29 y/o CF, Niagara Base Ball Club

• .367/.379/.467, .846 OPS, 84 R, 122 H, 25 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 36 RBI, 22 SB, 1.9 WPA, 2.4 WAR
• Had a 30-game Hitting Streak that ended on July 13th.
• Declan Gillespie (EAG: .361, 16 XBH, 32 RBI, 17 SB) 2nd, Doc Matheson (ORA: .321, 25 2B, 42 RBI, 26 SB) 3rd

GOLDEN GLOVES

P: Clydesdale Jackson (HAR) – 93 TC, 1 DP, 13 E, 2.3 RNG, +7.5 ZR, 1.019 EFF
C: Archibald McLain (N.C.) – 86 PB, 24.7 CS%, 3.09 CERA, +11.7 ZR, 1.056 EFF
1B: William Robbins (BED) – 835 TC, 15 E, +5.8 ZR, 1.113 EFF
2B: Henry Ciccone (MET) – 427 TC, 143 PO, 247 AST, 17 DP, 37 E, 6.0 RNG, +16.7 ZR, 1.124 EFF
3B: Bruce Kruk(ATL) – 215 TC, 32 PO, 157 AST, 3 DP, 26 E, 3.8 RNG, +7.1 ZR, 1.077 EFF
SS: Edward Huntley (ORA) – 376 TC, 104 PO, 232 AST, 24 DP, 5.0 RNG, +18.1 ZR, 1.175 EFF
OF: Van Patterson (EMP) – 227 TC, 2 AST, 0 DP, 29 E, 2.9 RNG, +7.2 ZR, 1.036 EFF
CF: Charlie Rumbaugh (GOT) – 330 TC, 10 AST, 2 DP, 58 E, 4.1 RNG, +8.9 ZR, 1.071 EFF
OF: John Carlton (U.o.M.) – 221 TC, 3 AST, 2 DP, 32 E, 2.9 RNG, +7.3 ZR, 1.068 EFF

TEAM OF THE YEAR

P: Clifford Holmes (K.C.) - 23-8, 3.23, 286.2 IP, 25 CG, 1 SHO, 28 BB, 39 K, 1.25 WHIP, 1.4 K/BB, 5.6 WAR/6.6 R9-WAR
C: Jackson Smith (NIA) - .352/.374/.460, 61 R, 111 H, 21 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 59 RBI, 2 SB, 2.8 WPA, 1.8 WAR
1B: John Bateman (SYR) - .343/.357/.440, 52 R, 95 H, 13 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 47 RBI, 2 SB, 2.6 WPA, 1.5 WAR
2B: Henry Ciccone (MRT) - .354/.375/.429, 58 R, 99 H, 19 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 40 RBI, 30 SB, 1.7 WPA, 3.3 WAR, G.G.
3B: Jerald Peterson (K.C.) - .339/.375/.425, 64 R, 109 H, 23 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 66 RBI, 12 SB, 2.9 WPA, 2.4 WAR
SS: Edawrd Huntley (ORA) - .362/.404/.439, 77 R, 113 H, 4 3B, 1 HR, 41 RBI, 31 SB, 3.1 WPA, 4.4 WAR, G.G./M.V.P.
OF: James Robertson (SYR) - .394/.421/.467, 65 R, 125 H, 19 2B, 2 HR, 45 RBI, 0 SB, 2.9 WPA, 2.1 WAR
CF: John Francis (K.C.) - .371/.391/.505, 77 R, 122 H, 11 3B, 0 HR, 65 RBI, 22 SB, 166 TB, 3.7 WPA, 2.9 WAR, B.o.t.Y.
OF: Chester Ellis (ATL) - .359/.409/.512, .921 OPS, 84 R, 108 H, 17 2B, 10 3B, 3 HR, 49 RBI, 37 SB, 3.4 WPA, 3.3 WAR
MGR: Joe Muller (ORA) - 45-25; Orange B.B.C. upset Kings Co. in the N.Y.L.C.S. & won their first Tucker-Wheaton Cup

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1858 NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE REVIEW

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE SUMMARY

The 1859 Northeastern League Season was heavy on talent thanks to offseason signings, but aside from the Inland Championship it was a little short on drama. In the end, the biggest club in each regional championship finished first and advanced to the playoffs. However, there was a mighty shock in store...

The Coastal Championship was a race confined to Boston, as Massachusetts Bay & Shamrock were clearly the two best teams in the subdivision this season. Shamrock had a one-game lead over their intra-city rivals Mass. Bay at the start of June, and they were able to keep them just far enough away over the rest of the season. June 15th: ahead by one game. June 30th: ahead by two. July 15th: ahead by three. July 30th: ahead by four. That left Shamrock able to withstand a 9-1 Mass. Bay finish and win the Coastal by two games.

The Inland Championship pennant race was incredible. At the start of July there were five teams – Alleghany, Merrimack Mills, Pioneer, Sportsman’s & Susquehanna – within two games of each other & fighting for top spot in the standings. By the middle of the month Sportsman’s opened a four-game lead, and going into the final week their lead was two over Alleghany/Reading & three over Pioneer/Susquehanna. Sportsman’s’ final series was against Alleghany, and they proceeded to lose 4/5 games AT HOME to give Alleghany the Inland Championship on the final day via a one-run loss. Merrimack, Pioneer, Reading Athletic, Sportsman’s, & Susquehanna all finished within four games of first place.

The New England Championship was simple. St. John’s sat alongside Granite at 14-7 to start June and from there they tore New England apart, going 40-9. They won the N.E.C. by fifteen games and set N.B.B.O. records for wins, runs, and run differential.

The Northeastern League Semi-Final between big clubs Alleghany & Shamrock felt like a toss-up, and indeed played out like one.

• GAME ONE was an even battle until late. Shamrock entered their half of the sixth inning with the game tied 2-2 and proceeded to score ten unanswered runs – two in the sixth, four in the seventh, and four in the eighth. Shamrock .400 hitter Thomas Maloney was 4/5 with three runs scored and two driven in.

• GAME TWO was effectively over after two innings. After the teams traded runs in the first Shamrock scored four times in the home half of the second to make it 5-1, and that was the final tally of the contest thanks to solid pitching by Orran McLoughlin and good defensive work behind him.

• GAME THREE was decided in the bottom of the eighth. With Shamrock up 6-4, Joe Blake hit a two-run double to tie the game and Henry Fowler then hit a run-scoring single to give the hosts a 7-6 lead that stood thanks to two weak ground outs and a strikeout in the top of the ninth.

• GAME FOUR was dominated by hosts Alleghany. After scoring thrice in the bottom of the first, they kept periodically tallying runs until it was 8-0 by the end of the seventh inning. Shamrock rallied in the eighth & ninth but it was too late, and Alleghany won 8-4 to force Game Five.

• GAME FIVE was a thriller. Shamrock was up 6-2 halfway through but allowed five runs over the sixth & seventh before clawing back a run to make it 7-7. They allowed another run in the eighth before coming back with two to make in 9-8, but allowed a tying run to Alleghany in the to of the 9th. In the bottom half, Thomas Silke hit a single to center field deep enough to drive in James Keane from second base, and Shamrock won the series with a 10-9 Game Five victory.

The energy Shamrock had to expend led just about everyone to presume that the Bostonians would be ripped to shreds by St. John’s in the N.E.L.C.S., but the actual series proved to be precisely the opposite.

• GAME ONE went extra innings – 4-4 going into the ninth before both teams traded runs to make it 5-5. In the bottom of the eleventh Collin Henderson singled and a poor throw from center field allowed William Johnson to score, giving St. John’s the win. Johnson was 4/4 with three runs and two steals on the afternoon.

• GAME TWO was a Shamrock smash-&-grab. They scored eight times over the first two innings, and that was more than enough in a 12-6 victory. Three walks and half a dozen errors by St. John’s helped the visitors.

• It was back to tightly-played base ball in GAME THREE. The score was 5-4 to Shamrock after three innings. After scoreless middle innings Shamrock answered a St. John’s run in the seventh with two of their own, and the extra run was needed as St. John’s scored one in the ninth and left a runner on third as Shamrock escaped with a 7-6 win.

• GAME FOUR was another nailbiter. St. John’s came to the plate in the sixth down 3-1 and scored four times to make it 5-3 to their favor. Shamrock scored in the eighth to pull to within a run, but St. John’s scored in the ninth to move back up by two. Once again, the insurance run was needed as Shamrock scored in the ninth and had the tying run on when they were put out – St. John’s won 6-5.

• GAME FIVE was incredible straight from the first pitch. St. John’s led 6-5 after the first two innings, and from there the teams sporadically traded runs until it was 8-7 going into the ninth. Shamrock came up to bat, and against the mightiest team in the early history of the N.B.B.O. they plated three runs thanks to a pair of run-scoring singles and a passed ball to take a 10-8 lead. Konrad Jensen tripled & scored in the bottom half, but then Gus Staley grounded out, the game ended 10-9, and incredibly Shamrock was moving on to the Tucker-Wheaton Cup series.

The drama of going through two five-game series for Shamrock – six games decided by one run, multiple games decided in the ninth inning or later – proved to be too much as Shamrock fell flat after winning Game One of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. They were outscored 32-11 over the final three games and they had to settle for being unlikely N.E.L. champions.

The debate for Batsman of the Year was over two men: Batting Champion Thomas Maloney of Shamrock and all-around wizard Anderson MacGyver of St. John’s. Maloney was the only man in the 48-team N.B.B.O. to hit over .400 in 1859 – .401 – but MacGyver led the N.E.L. in eight offensive categories and WAR in addition to finishing third in average, and MacGyver was named B.o.t.Y.

Most Valuable Player made for an interesting discussion. Would MacGyver pull off a “double” like Albert Jones in the N.Y.L. last year? Or would it go to another St. John’s star, such as 20-year-old wonderkid Konrad Jensen? What about 25-game winner John McGowan? With writers unsure which of St. Johns’ many stars to give the award to, that left an opening for Susquehanna’s 22-year-old star center fielder Willie Davis, who finished top-five in nine offensive categories and first in WPA. Davis snuck through and won the M.V.P. award.

There was zero debate over who should win Newcomer of the Year. There was one first-year across the whole N.B.B.O. who made the All-Star Game and earned a spot in his league’s Team of the Year. That man was Merrimack Mills third baseman Hawk Peterson, who hit just four points shy of .400 in his first season and was among the league leaders in OPS & RBI.

St. John’s may have been the victim of an incredible upset in the Northeastern League Championship Series, but they were still rewarded with roughly half of the Team of the Year nominations – pitcher John McGowan, first baseman Collin Henderson, second baseman Anderson MacGyver, and 20-year-old right field whiz kid Konrad Jensen. No other team had more than one.

The Northeastern League season was one of contrasts. The big clubs started to really pull away from their smaller brethren, but the most powerful of them fell in the playoffs. A St. John’s star took B.o.t.Y., but small-club players from Merrimack Mills & Susquehanna took home the other two individual awards. It will be interesting to see if there is a pull-back to more parity next season, or if the big clubs pull further away.

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS





NEW YORK LEAGUE PLAYOFFS

SEMI-FINALS: #2 Shamrock B.C. defeats #3 Alleghany B.C. 3-2

• GAME 1: ALL 2-12 SHA – P.o.t.G.: T. Maloney (OF, SHA) – 4/5, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, SB
• GAME 2: ALL 1-5 SHA – P.o.t.G.: O. McLoughlin (P, SHA) – CG, 6 H, 1 R/ER, 2 K, 110 PIT
• GAME 3: SHA 6-7 ALL – P.o.t.G.: G. Blair (OF, ALL) – 3/5, 2 R
• GAME 4: SHA 4-8 ALL – P.o.t.G.: H. Fowler (1B, ALL) – 3/4, 2B, 4 RBI
• GAME 5: ALL 9-10 SHA – P.o.t.G.: M. Eckhart (OF, ALL) – 5/5, 2B, 2 R, RBI, SB
• M.V.P.: Thomas Maloney (OF, SHA) – 11/21 (.524), 3 2B, 4 R, 6 RBI, 1 SB
• NOTABLE: Shamrock won the series with a walk-off single by Thomas Silke (C) in Game 5

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP: #2 Shamrock B.C. defeats #1 St. John’s B.C. 3-2

• GAME 1: SHA 5-6 STJ (11 inn.) – P.o.t.G.: W. Johnson (OF, STJ) – 4/4, 3 R, BB, 2 SB
• GAME 2: SHA 12-6 STJ – P.o.t.G.: M. McMahon (1B, SHA) – 2/4, 2 R, RBI, BB
• GAME 3: STJ 6-7 SHA – P.o.t.G.: A. MacGyver (2B, STJ) – 3/4, 3 R, BB, SB
• GAME 4: STJ 6-5 SHA – P.o.t.G.: K. Jensen (OF, STJ) – 2/4, R, RBI, 2 SB, OF AST
• GAME 5: SHA 10-9 STJ – P.o.t.G.: W. Johnson (OF, STJ) – 3/5, 3 R, 3 RBI, SB
• M.V.P.: Angus O’Connor (OF, SHA) – 10/23 (.435), 2 2B, 5 R, 4 RBI, 2 SB
• NOTABLE: 4/5 games decided by one run; 3/5 games decided in 9th inning or later
• NOTABLE: Shamrock won series with three runs in the top of the ninth of Game Five

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP: Shamrock B.C. defeated by Orange B.B.C. (N.Y.L.) 3-1

• Shamrock outscored 32-11 after winning Game One

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Anderson MacGyver – 25 y/o Second Baseman, St. John’s Baseball Club

• .395/.439/.529, .968 OPS, 106 R, 130 H, 31 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 73 RBI, 33 SB, 174 TB, 5.6 WPA, 4.3 WAR
• Led Northeastern League in OBP, SLG, OPS, R, H, 2B, XBH, TB, & WAR; 3rd in AVG
• Thomas Maloney (SHA: .401, 21 XBH, 66 RBI, 37 SB) 2nd, Hawk Peterson (M.M.: .396, 29 XBH, 63 EBI, 23 SB) 3rd

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Willie Davis – 22 y/o Center Fielder, Susquehanna Baseball Club

• .394/.435/.521, .956 OPS, 83 R, 124 H, 27 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 57 RBI, 43 SB, 164 TB, 5.7 WPA, 3.9 WAR
• Top-five in Northeastern League in AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, H, 2B, XBH, SB, WPA, & WAR
• Thomas Maloney (SHA: .401, 66 RBI, 5.5 WPA, 3.0 WAR) 2nd, Anderson MacGyver (STJ: .395, 73 RBI, 5.6 WPA, 4.3 WAR) 3rd

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Hawk Peterson – 23 y/o 3B, Merrimack Mills Baseball Club

• .396/.435/.505, .940 OPS, 63 R, 124 H, 25 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 63 RBI, 23 SB, 158 TB, 3.1 WPA, 3.2 WAR
• Only newcomer in the Northeastern League to make the All-Star Game or Team of the Year
• William Jones (M.M.: 21-11, 3.26, 290 IP, 5.0 WAR) 2nd, Matteus Svensson (REA: 20-10, 3.41, 282.1, 3.2 WAR) 3rd

GOLDEN GLOVES

P: Joseph Jefferson (L.E.) – 58 TC, 2 E, 2.0 RNG, +5.0 ZR, 1.087 EFF
C: Jimmy Rearson (T.U.) – 80 PB, 14.2 CS%, 3.12 CERA, +15.3 ZR, 1.093 EFF
1B: Frank Krillenberger (T.U.) – 836 TC, 17 E, +4.5 ZR, 1.059 EFF
2B: Willard Krone (P.J.) – 456 TC, 179 PO, 255 AST, 26 DP, 22 E, 6.4 RNG, +20.2 ZR, 1.187 EFF
3B: Birk Jorgensen (SUS) – 253 TC, 41 PO, 189 AST, 9 DP, 23 E, 3.4 RNG, +10.1 ZR, 1.119 EFF
SS: Anthony Mascherino (G.M.) – 491 TC, 101 PO, 324 AST, 36 DP, 66 E, 6.1 RNG, +24.8 ZR, 1.178 EFF
OF: William Johnson (STJ) – 204 TC, 7 AST, 3 DP, 14 E, 2.9 RNG, +5.3 ZR, 1.047 EFF
CF: Raleigh Altstadt (SPO) – 306 TC, 8 AST, 1 DP, 43 E, 3.8 RNG, +7.2 ZR, 1.042 EFF
OF: Leslie Wolf (REA) – 225 TC, 4 AST, 0 DP, 34 E, 2.8 RNG, +7.3 ZR, 1.074 EFF

TEAM OF THE YEAR

P: John McGowan (STJ) - 25-8, 2.78, 297.1 IP, 27 CG, 0 SHO, 38 BB, 36 K, 1.29 WHIP, 5.7 WAR/6.9 R9-WAR
C: Roy Jacobson (SCR) - .366/.396/.446, 46 R, 109 H, 16 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 3 SB, 3.5 WPA, 2.2 WAR
1B: Collin Henderson (STJ) - .360/.407/.439, 78 R, 113 H, 13 2B, 6 3B, 0 HR, 63 RBI, 22 SB, 3.0 WPA, 2.4 WAR
2B: Anderson MacGyver (STJ) - .395/.439/.529, .968 OPS, 106 R, 130 H, 31 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 73 RBI, 33 SB, 174 TB, 5.6 WPA, 4.3 WAR, B.o.t.Y.
3B: Hawk Peterson (M.M.) - .396/.435/.505, 63 R, 124 H, 25 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 63 RBI, 23 SB, 3.1 WPA, 3.2 WAR
SS: Anthony Mascherino (G.M.) - .337/.362/.774, 61 R, 106 H, 24 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 49 RBI, 23 SB, 2.9 WPA, 3.8 WAR, G.G.
OF: Thomas Maloney (SHA) - .401/.430/.476, 71 R, 124 H, 19 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 66 RBI, 37 SB, 5.5 WPA, 2.9 WAR
CF: Willie Davis (SUS) - .394/.435/.521, 83 R, 124 H, 27 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 57 RBI, 43 SB, 5.7 WPA, 3.9 WAR, M.V.P.
OF: Konrad Jensen (STJ) - .359/.407/.436, 90 R, 117 H, 15 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 74 RBI, 62 SB, 4.9 WPA, 3.3 WAR
MGR: Jimmy Longstreet (SHA) - 46-24; Shamrock seven wins above predictions; upset St. John’s in N.E.L.C.S.

[tm1681]

THE 1859 TUCKER-WHEATON CUP
SHAMROCK BATTLES ORANGE AFTER UPSETS IN THE L.C.S.

NEW YORK CITY & BOSTON (August 1857) – Last year the team with the best record in each league ended up taking each other on for the right to lift the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. That was not the case this year, as the #2 seed in each league reached the final battle of the base ball season.

Orange B.B.C. was in place to play for the Tucker-Wheaton Cup after an easy N.Y.L. Semi-final that was followed by a grueling Championship Series against #1 Kings County. Against Albany-based Minuteman, Orange lost the opener before winning the next three games and outscoring the Upstate champions 31-10 over the trio. The series against Kings County was a far tougher task – Orange winning Game One with the teams alternating victories until a seven-run rally by Orange in the late innings of Game Five sent them to the season's final series.

Shamrock B.C.'s road to the finals was the toughest any team has taken yet: two knock-down, drag-out, five-game series against the best the Northeastern League had to offer. The Semi-final against Inland champs Alleghany featured a pair of one-run games, the second of which saw Boston win the series on a single in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game Five. The League Championship Series featured FOUR games decided by a single run, and in Game Five Shamrock took down the almighty St. John’s with a three-run rally in the top of the ninth.

Orange & Shamrock might not have been the top seeds in their respective leagues, but they were most-deserving cup finalists who won over sixty percent of their games and feature plenty of star power. The main question going into the series was: would Shamrock’s two exhausting playoff series leave them with enough energy to make it through this one?

The answer was in the results:

After Shamrock had to go to extra innings to win Game One, it was finally too much for the N.E.L. champs and they slumped to three straight defeats – Orange B.B.C. becoming the first New York team to lift the Tucker-Wheaton Cup.

GAME ONE at the Upper Manhattan Base Ball Grounds needed eleven innings to decide the winner. The teams traded runs in the first inning and a second Shamrock tally was the only other run until the seventh, where Shamrock’s run was met with three by Orange. However, that rally was equaled with three runs by Shamrock in the top of the eighth to make the score 6-4. Orange scored twice in the ninth on a pair of singles to force the game into extra innings. In the top of the eleventh, Shamrock took the opener on a successful, and extremely gutsy, Squeeze Play by Walter Williams.

P.o.t.G.: Outfielder Koos Pieters (ORA) – 3/6, 1 R, 4 RBI

GAME TWO was when it all started to fall apart for Shamrock. Hosts Orange scored multiple runs in the first, fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings en-route to a 17-4 demolition of the visitors from Boston. As a team Orange had twenty hits, four of their batsmen had three each, and they were led by Doc Matheson’s three runs and pair of RBI.

P.o.t.G: Center Fielder Doc Matheson (ORA) – 3/5, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI

GAME THREE in Boston’s South End Grounds featured more Orange dominance. They scored twice in the first & three times in the second, and that was easily enough as Shamrock only scored once in the 8-1 Orange victory. Edward Huntley and Koos Pieters had three hits each, and Rainer van der Hout went the distance for the win.

P.o.t.G: Shortstop Edward Huntley (ORA) – 3/4, 2 R, 1 RBI, SB

GAME FOUR saw an early glimmer of hope for Shamrock. The hosts scored five runs over the first four innings to take a commanding 5-1 lead into the late stages of the contest. That lead evaporated thanks to five runs by Orange in the top of the seventh, with the key moment being Doc Matheson’s one-out triple that emptied the loaded bases. Shamrock tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a Thomas Maloney single, but all that did was delay their demise slightly as William Lantz hit a run-scoring single in the top of the tenth to give Orange the 7-6 victory and the Tucker-Wheaton Cup.

P.o.t.G: Outfielder William Lantz (ORA) – 4/6, 2B, R, RBI, hit series-winning single in top of the 10th

The vote for Most Valuable Player came back nearly instantly since there was only name the most of the Writers’ Pool even considered: Edward Huntley, Orange’s superstar shortstop. Huntley was 11/20 in the series with a pair of two baggers, EIGHT runs scored in four games, three runs batted in, two walks, and a stolen base. Taking all three playoff series into account, Huntley had what was easily the best postseason run of any player in the N.B.B.O.’s three-year history:

• TOTAL (13 G) .492 AVG, 1.173 OPS, 18 R, 31 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 18 RBI, 3 BB, 7 SB, 1.4 WPA, 1.1 WAR
• PER 162 G: .492/.522/.651, 224 R, 386 H, 99 2B, 12 3B, 0 HR, 224 RBI, 37 BB, 87 SB, 17.4 WPA, 13.7 WAR

Huntley’s performance in bringing the cup to New York City has almost certainly made him base ball’s first instantly recognizable star, and what should put a fright into the competition is that he is only 23 years old.

This was the first time the Tucker-Wheaton Cup was going to reside outside of Providence, but one gets the sneaking suspicion that St. John’s will try to take it back before long…

[tm1681]

CAN A TEENAGER PULL EXCELSIOR OUT OF LAST PLACE?

(I mentioned this on the previous page of the thread, but after saying I wasn't going to put any 1860s players into the game I changed my mind. Why? Well, on November 30 of 1859 in the in-game universe Excelsior B.B.C. made the independent league scouting discovery of a starting pitcher who was born in New York City. If you go to something even as simple as the Wikipedia page for Jim Creighton - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Creighton - you'll see that the NYC-born Creighton was first discovered by the big NYC-area clubs in 1859 and started playing for the real-life Excelsior BBC in 1860. With that many coincidences lining up I figured that I might as well have some fun with it.)


BROOKLYN (April 18, 1860)– On November 30th, Excelsior B.B.C. sent a telegram to the National Base Ball Organization offices telling them that they had signed a player from independent club Star B.B.C. in Brooklyn: an eighteen-year-old pitcher & first baseman named Jim Creighton.

There were a couple of other clubs in Brooklyn & New York City keen on the young man, but aside from that there was not much of a fuss made when word went out that Creighton was joining Excelsior. Why would there be, given the club’s results over the first three years of the N.B.B.O.?

• 1857: 29-41 (.414), Run Diff. of -63, 6th place in Brooklyn Championship (15 GB)
• 1858: 25-45 (.357), Run Diff. of -110, last place in Brooklyn Championship (21 GB)
• 1859: 24-46 (.343), Run Diff. of -125, last place in Brooklyn Championship (23 GB)

The rest of the clubs in the metropolitan area figured that if a player was happy to join a club mired in that kind of putrefaction then he must not be of a terribly high standard.

To say that those clubs are wrong is putting it lightly. Creighton, also an avid cricketer who became a regular bowler for the American Cricket Club of New York City last year, showed up to the April training games and delivered the ball at such a pace that left observers bewildered. After Excelsior’s training game against elder club Gotham last week, players and executives from the opposition demanded to see Creighton close-up to determine if he was somehow slipping an illegal element into his cannon-like delivery of the ball. Although there were about a dozen men surrounding him on three sides, nobody could spot an element of Creighton’s pitching repertoire that had to be struck down.

What spectators of Creighton’s pitching described was a delivery in which the ball left his right hand from roughly one foot off the ground and then proceeded with never-before-seen speed toward the plate, reaching the batsman at chest or shoulder level. Those on the 36-man Gotham training roster who attempted to hit it were flummoxed.

That was not the only trick Creighton had up his sleeve. He also showed the ability to put a significant amount of spin on the ball, so if an opposing player were to have his speedball timed properly and squared up he could change what he was pitching, and deliver a slower ball that curved away from the bat.

As if his terrifying pitching arsenal were not enough, Creighton also showed significant proficiency with the bat, no doubt present due to his experience as a cricketer for American C.C. Thankfully, he does not appear to be a locomotive on the basepaths in addition to everything else.

After two weeks of April training, here is what the club scouts and the Writers’ Pool collectively had to say about him:

JIM CREIGHTON – P/1B, Excelsior B.B.C. – 19 y/o (4/15/1841) from New York City – 6’1”, 200 lbs.

• PITCHING: Stuff 85/125, Movement 55/75, Control 50/80, Stamina 95, Hold Runners 50
• REPETOIRE: Fastball 65/70, Slider 45/70, Change-up 35/65, Sinker 65/80, Curve 35/65
• DEFENSE (INF): Range 45, Error 45, Arm 75, D.P. 20
• POSITIONS: Pitcher 75/75, First Base 40/60
• BATTING: Contact 50/75, Gap 40/65, Eye 40/60, Avoid K’s 50/70
• OTHER: Speed 50, Stealing 50, Baserunning 55, Sac. Bunt 80, Bunt for Hit 50
• FINAL GRADE: Current Talent: 5.0 Stars, Potential Talent: 5+ Stars

The Writers’ Pool is still predicting Excelsior to finish last in the Brooklyn Championship this year, due to their absolute lack of batting talent outside of Jesse Johnson and Henry Watt. However, if their new teenage prodigy hits the proverbial ground running then things will start to look up in short order.

[tm1681]

THE 1860 N.B.B.O. PREVIEW

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (May 2, 1860)– The April training schedule is over, and the 48 members of the National Base Ball Organization are ready for opening day!

Each of the first two N.B.B.O. off-seasons saw notable changes. Ahead of the 1858 season, the Called Strike rule was introduced to shorten the length of games. Ahead of the 1859 season, it was decided that an All-Star Game should take place on the first Monday of August to celebrate the sport’s premier talents. Ahead of this season, all was quiet. There will be no notable competition or rule changes for the 1860 season, as the National Base Ball Organization Executive Committee was satisfied with the state of the sport.

Even though they set numerous records last year, St. John’s do not enter this season as the defending Tucker-Wheaton Cup champions. That honor goes to Orange B.B.C., who became the first New York club to lift the trophy after defeating Boston’s Shamrock B.C. in last year’s final series. Orange & Shamrock are favorites in their subdivisions again this year, but not surprisingly the Writers Pool is expecting St. John’s and their murderous lineup to take the cup home for the third time in four years.

A wide-open race is expected for both New York League Batsman of the Year and the N.Y.L. batting title, with the Writers Pool expecting the class of New York to hit around .385. In the Northeastern League, where the base ball is played more aggressively, the writers expect the batting champion to hit right around .400 again this season. Runs per game are anticipated to remain between 6.5 and 7 per game for the average team, and even though some exciting new pitching talent has entered the N.B.B.O. ranks the writers expect previous years’ tendency of only the most free-swinging teams to strike out once per game to hold true again.

As in the previous two years, the Writers Pool has gathered and averaged their predictions for the upcoming N.B.B.O. season, beginning with the standings below:

PREDICTED NEW YORK LEAGUE STANDINGS

For the 1860 New York League season, the Brooklyn and New York City championships are expected to largely be repeats of last season. Kings County, Atlantic, & Eckford were 1-2-3 in Brooklyn in ’59 and they are the predicted top three again this year, with Eckford & Atlantic swapping places. Orange, Knickerbocker, & Mutual were 1-2-3 in New York City in ‘59, and they are expected to finish in the same order this year. The only major change projected in either metropolitan subdivision is that the writers feel Empire is due to fall well below .500 after going 36-34 last season.

As always, the Upstate Championship seems to be in a continuous state of readjustment. The Writers Pool has actually predicted Minuteman to fall from first to last this season, with 1859 runners-up Utica the expected Upstate champions. Eagle, the smallest club in the N.Y.L. and one that has a venue which holds only a thousand people, has been picked to finish third. Finally, to give the reader yet another idea of just how competitive Upstate is, Flour City has been projected to finish seventh out of eight with a barely-below-500 record of 33-37.

It looks like one is to expect more of the same from N.Y.C. & Brooklyn, but in Upstate New York anything goes.

PREDICTED NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

For the 1860 Northeastern League season, not much different is expected in the Coastal & New England championships. The two Bostonian clubs are expected at the top of the Coastal for the second season in a row, though the writers are looking for a real coin flip of a pennant race this year. To be fair, with first projected to finish 39-31 and last projected to finish 30-40, the entire Coastal looks like a coin flip.

In greater New England, why would anybody go against St. John’s, even after last year’s upset in the N.E.L.C.S.? They still have the most talented roster in the sport, and they are still easily capable of scoring 9-10 runs during an average afternoon.

There are some slight differences expected downwind in the two subdivisions. Olympic is expected to finally crawl out of their last-place hole with a thirteen-win improvement, and the writers like Green Mountain & Sons of the Ocean to leapfrog Portland.

Once again, Inland looks like a quagmire. Alleghany is predicted to fall from first to fourth, but only lose two more games than last season in doing so. Scranton & Susquehanna are tipped to make big upward moves, while Merrimack Mills & Sportman’s are expected to fall.

Still, all roads to the cup go through St. John’s B.C.

NEW YORK LEAGUE AWARD FAVORITES

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR

• FAVORITE: Soren Thomsen (OF, Kings County) – Prediction of .378 AVG, 3 HR, 65 RBI, 12 SB
• SECOND: Joe Bentley (2B, Niagara) – Prediction of .378 AVG, 1 HR, 51 RBI, 11 SB
• THIRD: William LaValliere (OF, Utica) – Prediction of .372AVG, 2 HR, 56 RBI, 12 SB
• OTHERS: Ed Huntley (3B/SS, ORA), Peter Sweet (OF, UTI), Alistair Jones (CF, MUT), Walt Driscoll (OF, MUT), Clive Stock (CF, VIC), Oliver Stein (OF, BING), James Robertson (OF, SYR)

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

• FAVORITE: Edward Huntley (3B/SS, Orange)
• SECOND: Jerald Peterson (3B, Kings County)
• THIRD: Henry Ciccone (2B, Metropolitan)
• OTHERS: Per Olaf Bakken (SS, K.C.), Carl Keener (SS, MIN), Walt Driscoll (OF, MUT), Albert Jones (CF, KNI), Chester Ellis (OF, ATL), Calum Barr (CF, ATL), John Francis (CF, K.C.)

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

• FAVORITE: Jim Creighton (P, Excelsior)
• SECOND: Alistair Jones (CF, Mutual)
• THIRD: James Hoyt (OF, Flour City)
• OTHERS: Wilson Clark (CF, HAR), Arthur Kiessling (CF, EXC), Theodore Kolberg (SS, ATL), Charles Schuster (3B, MUT), William Pearson (P, MUT), MacKenzie Dunn (3B, ORA), Dennis Pruitt (OF, EMP)

TEAM OF THE YEAR

• P: Grover Wright (K.C.), C: James Hoddle (F.C.), 1B: Will Robbins (BED), 2B: Joe Bentley (NIA), 3B: Leroy Weld (MET), SS: Edward Huntley (ORA), OF: William LaValliere (UTI), CF: Albert Jones (KNI), OF: Soren Thomsen (K.C.)

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE AWARD FAVORITES

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR

• FAVORITE: Konrad Jensen (OF, STJ) – Prediction of .374 AVG, 2 HR, 56 RBI, 55 SB
• SECOND: Frank Krillenberger (1B, T.U.) – Prediction of .397, 1 HR, 49 RBI, 2 SB
• THIRD: Thomas Maloney (OF, SHA) – Prediction of .382, 0 HR, 62 RBI, 33 SB
• OTHERS: Stanford Topps (3B, REA), William Johnson (OF, STJ), Arthur Waltrip (CF, AME), Willie Davis (CF, SUS), Hawk Peterson (3B, M.M.), Henry Fowler (1B, ALL), Clive Wise (OF, S.o.t.O.)

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

• FAVORITE: Anthony Mascherino (SS, G.M.)
• SECOND: Willie Davis (CF, SUS)
• THIRD: Anderson MacGyver (2B, STJ)
• OTHERS: Konrad Jensen (OF, STJ), Samuel Kessler (3B, S.o.t.O.), William Johnson (STJ), Joe Blake (SS, ALL), Albert Fowler (SS, SUS), Daragh Adams (SHA), Thomas Maloney (SHA)

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

• FAVORITE: Ernest Lewis (2B, Quinnipiac)
• SECOND: Ben Bailey (P, Green Mountain)
• THIRD: Dag Nielsen (C, Reading)
• OTHERS: Pankratz Bauer (2B, NEW), Newton Guilford (1B, SHA), Paul Kronenberg (OF, SPO), Douglas Coates (SS, SCR), Callum Hughes (2B, PORT), Jesse Beaver (SPO), Everett Early (GRA)

TEAM OF THE YEAR

• P: John McGowan (STJ), C: Roy Jacobson (SCR)), 1B: Frank Krillenberger (T.U.), 2B: Anderson MacGyver (STJ), 3B: Stanford Topps (REA), SS: Anthony Mascherino (G.M.), OF: Thomas Maloney (SHA), CF: Wille Davis (SUS), OF: Konrad Jensen (STJ)

[tm1681]

LAKE ERIE WINS 17-1 AT SPORTSMAN’S
L.E.’s WARNER HITS GRAND SLAM, FINISHES WITH 7 RBI

FALL RIVER, MA (May 9, 1860) – The fans of Sportsman’s Baseball Club were in for quite a shock on Wednesday afternoon, as their hometown team was crushed by perennial Inland Championship doormat Lake Erie 18-1 at Buffington Field. It was a loss in which Sportsman’s had as many fielding errors as hits: eight.

There was one star that shone far brighter than all others in the game: Lake Erie shortstop Helmut Warner…

• TOP 2: Leadoff Singe between 3B & SS off William Walch
• TOP 3: 1-Run Triple to RCF off William Walch
• TOP 4: GRAND SLAM over LF fence (309’) off William Walch
• TOP 5: Hit by Pitch by Andrew Seymour with bases loaded (RBI given)
• TOP 6: Pop-fly out to SS
• TOP 9: 1-Run Single past SS off Andrew Seymour
• TOTAL: 4/5, 3B, HR, 4 R, 7 RBI, HBP

Warner became the fourth player in National Base Ball Organization history with seven RBI in a single game.

[tm1681]

PIONEER BEATS LAKE ERIE 17-1; 6 HITS FOR DURHAM

ERIE, PA (May 18, 1860) – Lake Erie Baseball Club have been the whipping boys of the Inland Championship throughout the National Base Ball Organization’s existence, finishing last in each of the competition’s three seasons. With the team off to a 4-8 start this season, things are not looking much different. To drive the point in even further, take a look at what Pioneer B.C. did to them at the Tenth Street Baseball Grounds in Erie on Friday afternoon:

Pioneer were the dominant side in every facet of the game: batting, pitching, fielding, and baserunning. They even pulled off a rare feat and hit two home runs during the contest. On the other side, it is not as if one or two players stood out with putrid performances for Lake Erie. Six different players committed errors, five different batsmen ended innings by leaving runners in scoring position, and three different pitchers allowed at least as many runs as innings pitched. The 17-1 loss truly was a team effort.

Pioneer had four players collect four hits each: Isaac Durham (OF), William Lydon (2B), Terho Rasanen (3B) and Edgar Schall (C). Of the four, Durham played the lead role with a six-hit performance.

Durham’s day with the bat:

• TOP 2: Leadoff Single between 1B & 2B off Otis Williams
• TOP 3: Single past SS off Otis Williams
• TOP 4: 3-run Inside-the-Park Home Run past CF off Otis Williams
• TOP 5: 1-run Single between 1B & 2B off Claude Fazio
• TOP 6: 1-run Single to CF off Claude Fazio
• TOP 8: 1-run Double past 1B off Claude Fazio
• TOTAL: 6-6, 2B, HR, 3 R, 6 RBI, 10 TB

Durham’s stat line makes him the first Pioneer player with six hits in a game, and also the first with ten total bases in a game.

[tm1681]

RAY SMITH PITCHES ONE-HITTER IN NIAGARA WIN

BINGHAMTON, NY (June 2, 1860) – Two baserunners – one in the second inning and one in the seventh – were all that stood between a shutout and immortality for Ray Smith in Niagara’s 6-0 victory at Binghamton B.B.C. today.

Niagara #2 pitcher Ray Smith came into today’s contest with a non-descript 5-4 record and a 3.55 ERA, so few were expecting this result even though Binghamton entered Saturday with a 5-18 record.

After a 1-2-3 opening inning, Binghamton’s leadoff batter in the bottom of the second reached first after an error by Niagara second baseman Joseph Bentley. That was the only man to reach base for the hosts until the bottom of the seventh, when Milton Crawford hit a double past third base with two out to give Binghamton their only hit of the game. After the double seven men came to bat for Binghamton and all seven were put out, capping off an amazing game by Smith and a Niagara defense that came into the day allowing 5.7 runs and committing 3.5 errors per game.

Had Bentley not committed his error and Smith completed a No-hitter, it would have been the second in N.B.B.O. history – the other being pitched by Eckford of Greenpoint’s Henry Gibson on May 23rd, 1858. Had Smith and the defense done the unthinkable it would have been the first Perfect Game in base ball history – a feat many think to be impossible.

[tm1681]

RICH THUMPS SIX HITS IN ALL-PHILLY CLASSIC
AMERICAN & QUAKER ST. COMBINE FOR 22 RUNS & 32 HITS IN EXTRA-INNING THRILLER

PHILADELPHIA (June 10, 1860) – The end of one of the two annual five-game series between Philadelphia’s pair of N.B.B.O. clubs – American Baseball Club & Quaker State B.C. – provided fans with plenty of excitement on Sunday afternoon at Quaker St.’s home of the Philadelphia Cricket Grounds. Nine innings were not enough, as the rivals needed ten to decide the winner in a contest that featured 22 runs, 32 hits, & 13 errors:

American won the contest with a four-run rally in the top of the tenth that saw the winning run come home via error, but the man who started the rally was the star of the day: American first baseman William Rich, who was 6/6 with the bat.

• TOP 1: Single past 2B off Walter Rose (scored)
• TOP 3: 1-Run Double to LF off Walter Rose
• TOP 5: 1-Run Double to LF off Walter Rose (scored)
• TOP 7: Leadoff Single past SS of Walter Rose
• TOP 8: 1-Run Single past 1B off Walter Rose (scored)
• TOP 10: Single past 2B off Evan Bryant (scored)
• TOTAL: 6/6, 2 2B, 4 R, 3 RBI, 8 TB

Rich’s fine day leaves him with a .389 average, eight extra-base hits, and sixteen RBI on the season.

The win moved American to 17-13, where they are part of a four-team scramble – American, Mass. Bay, Newark & Shamrock – separated by just one game at the top of the Coastal Championship after six weeks of play.

[tm1681]

CHAMPIONSHIPS TOO CLOSE TO CALL AT THE HALFWAY POINT

NORTHEASTERN U.S.A. (June 18, 1860) – The National Base Ball Organization season reached its halfway point yesterday, and after seven weeks of play each of the six championship subdivisions is simply too close to call.

In every one of the N.B.B.O.’s six city & regional championships there is either a tie for first place or a gap of no more than two games separating first place and second after half of the schedule’s seventy games:

• BROOKLYN: Kings County has the N.B.B.O.’s best record at 26-9, but they are only two games ahead of Atlantic B.B.C.

• NEW YORK CITY: Knickerbocker B.B.C. sits atop the championship at 22-13, where they are one game ahead of Mutual, three ahead of Metropolitan, and four ahead of Harlem.

• UPSTATE: Flour City & Utica are tied for the lead at 23-12, with Niagara B.B.C. two games behind the pair. Syracuse & Victory are four games back, so that means five teams still have good chances to take the Upstate Championship.

• COASTAL: Shamrock B.C. is in the lead at 22-13, but there is a trio of teams – American, Massachusetts Bay, & Newark – just two games back.

• INLAND: Scranton tops the standings with a 25-10 record, but Pioneer is just two games back and Susquehanna is lurking at three games back in third place.

• NEW ENGLAND: St. John’s is looking like their usual fantastic selves with a 25-10 record, but Green Mountain is just one game back thanks to seven consecutive wins.

What this all means is that the second half of the 1860 season should serve up no shortage of dramatic action to the public.

[jksander]

Still following this one Hope your holiday is going well!

[tm1681]

Originally Posted by jksander

Still following this one Hope your holiday is going well!

Thank you! My holiday was nice and quiet this year, and went well. Hopefully yours has too.

[tm1681]

MINUTEMAN SLAMS SYRACUSE 22-4
ALBANY CLUB HAS FOUR BATSMEN FINISH WITH 3+ HITS

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (June 20th, 1860) – Defending Upstate New York champions Minuteman struggled over the first of the 1860 season, finishing 15-20 and sitting in sixth place in the eight-team Upstate Championship. With that in mind Minuteman wanted to reverse course to start the second half, and they did just that in clubbing 19-16 Syracuse by the score of 22-4 at Syracuse’s Salina Street Base Ball Grounds on Wednesday afternoon.

While the Minuteman batsmen put in a great shift of work to slap around two dozen hits, they were certainly aided in their endeavors by the Syracuse defense unit. Not only did the hosts commit a dozen errors, but every starter sans pitcher Charles Snodgrass committed at least one fielding mistake.

Minuteman had four players finish with three or more hits on the afternoon: Carl Keener (SS), John Mattingly (OF), Samuel Pezzi (OF), and Harold Zimmerman (2B). Mattingly & Pezzi were the star performers of the day, combining for nine hits, five runs, and half a dozen RBI.

Mattingly’s line for the game:

• TOP 1: Single past 2B off Charles Snodgrass (scored)
• TOP 2: Ground-ball Out to 2B
• TOP 4: 1-run Single to LF off C. Snodgrass
• TOP 5: Fly-ball Out to RF
• TOP 7: Single between 1B & 2B off C. McTear
• TOP 8: 1-run Single base 2B off C. McTear
• TOP 9: 1-run Single past 1B off J. Davis (scored)
• TOTAL: 5/7 (all singles), 2 R, 3 RBI

Pezzi’s day with the bat:

• TOP 1: 2-Run single between 3B & SS off C. Snodgrass
• TOP 3: Reached via Base on Balls by C. Snodgrass
• TOP 5: Single past SS off C. Snodgrass (scored)
• TOP 6: Fly-ball Out to CF
• TOP 8: Single past 2B off C. McTear (scored)
• TOP 9: 1-run Double to CF off J. Davis (scored)
• TOTAL: 4/5, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI, BB

Minuteman remain sixth in the Upstate Championship at eight games out of first place, but given how ultra-competitive the subdivision has been during the N.B.B.O.’s existence it would not surprise if Minuteman climbed their way back up near the top of the standings before the season’s final week or two.

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BECKER MAKES HISTORY WITH THREE HOME RUNS!
THREE I.T.P. HOMERS MAKES HISTORY; UTICA’S KUHN WAS 1ST TO HIT TWO IN A GAME

PHILADELPHIA (June 30th, 1860) – The American Baseball Club took a surprising 13-10 home loss to Olympic this afternoon but the talk of the game was American’s Friedrich Becker, who did what many thought impossible and became the first player ever to hit three home runs in a single game. To give one an idea of the feat Becker pulled off, the average TEAM in the N.B.B.O. has hit roughly four home runs through 44 games this year (187 HR/48 teams) and eight have yet to hit even one.

Becker’s first home run – his first of the season & his career – was a solo Inside-the-Park job that flew over the head of Olympic center fielder Hank Roginski in the bottom of the fourth.

In the bottom of the sixth Becker led off the inning with his second homer, another Inside-the-Park effort that split the gap between Roginski and Olympic right fielder Mooney McMahon.

The bottom of the eighth was where Becker made history, hitting a third Inside-the-Park home run that found its way between Roginski and Olympic left fielder Charles Hutchins.

American B.C. teammates lined up on the field to congratulate Becker after the historic feat and members of Olympic joined in to tip their caps to the catcher, who had just hit as many home runs in a single game as many N.B.B.O. teams had all season. Utica’s Scott Kuhn was the first to hit a pair of home runs in a game on June 15, 1858, and now Becker had done him one better.

Becker’s final line for the day: 5/5, 3 HR, 4 R, 5 RBI, 14 TB.

Not only were Becker’s three home runs a new milestone for the sport of base ball, but his fourteen Total Bases were a new N.B.B.O. record that is unlikely to be broken for quite some time. Olympic may have won the game, but Becker’s accomplishments were all that anyone will remember.

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MACGYVER’S STREAK STOPPED ONE GAME SHORT OF RECORD
SECOND PLAYER TO COME UP ONE GAME SHORT OF MILLER’S 37-GAME HITTING STREAK

NEW HAVEN, CT (July 5th, 1860) – St. John’s B.C. were dominant at Quinnipiac today, winning 7-1 and taking their record to 34-13 for the season. The team had a couple of star performers – outfielders William Johnson & Richard Kenton had three hits each – but superstar Anderson MacGyver went 0/4, bringing his 36-game hitting streak to an end one short of the N.B.B.O. record.

Thanks to MacGyver’s oh-fer the record hitting streak still belongs to the name of Harold Miller, who began a streak for Utica during the N.B.B.O.’s inaugural season and ran it two weeks into the 1858 season before it was stopped at 37 games.

MacGyver is not the first person to be stopped one game short of Miller’s record. On June 5th of last year, American B.C. outfielder Arthur Waltrip had his own 36-game hitting streak snapped in a game against intra-city rival Quaker State. Interestingly, on the same day Kings County third baseman Jerald Peterson had a 35-game hitting streak come to an end after his lack of success against Continental.

Before one sheds any tears for MacGyver, his St. John’s team has the #1 record in the N.B.B.O. thanks to yesterday’s win and he remains the #2 hitter in the league with a .407 average. He leads the Northeastern League in RBI & WPA, and MacGyver is considered the favorite to win N.E.L. Batsman of the Year for the second year in a row.

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GREEN MTN. WINS 19-7 TO KEEP PACE W/ ST. JOHN’S
MASCHERINO BELTS FIVE HITS & DRIVES IN FIVE RUNS

NEW BEDFORD, MA (July 13th, 1860) – The Green Mountain Baseball Club currently has the toughest job in the N.B.B.O.: trying to keep up with St. John’s at the top of the New England Championship standings. G.M.’s league-best 24-6 home record has allowed them the chance to stay close to the kings of New England, but more wins like their Friday afternoon 19-7 victory at Sons of the Ocean, who entered with a 14-8 home record, and they might be able to usurp Providence’s finest.

G.M. blasted a Northeastern League record ten extra-base hits in the contest, and they did so in one of the more prominent Pitcher’s Parks in the N.E.L.: S.o.t.O.’s New Bedford Commons (AVG Factor: .964, HR Factor: .187, CF Distance: 503 ft.). Outfielder Alex Hedrick was 4/7 with a double during the contest, but the undisputed player of the game was superstar shortstop Anthony Mascherino:

• TOP 1: 1-run Single to RF off Arthur Edwards (scored)
• TOP 2: 1-run Double past 1B off Arthur Edwards
• TOP 4: Single to LF off Arthur Edwards (scored)
• TOP 5: 2-run Single to CF off Jesse McCoy (scored)
• TOP 6: Reached via Error by SS
• TOP 8: 1-run Triple to RCF off Jesse McCoy (scored)
• TOTAL: 5/6, 2B, 3B, 4 R, 5 RBI, 99 GAME SCORE

Mascherino, the shortstop in last season’s N.E.L. Team of the Year, looks like he will earn a repeat nomination to both the T.o.t.Y. and the All-Star Game, as he is once again batting well over .300 with expert baserunning while playing unimpeachable Golden Glove defense at his position.

As for the G.M. team, the win moved their record to 36-17 and kept them three games behind mighty St. John’s. Their schedule for the rest of July involves two more games in the series at S.o.t.O (31-22, 3rd in New England), a five-game series at Quinnipiac (28-25, 4th in New England), and a massive five-game home series against St. John’s (39-14) to close out the month. If G.M. can withstand the difficulty of the upcoming schedule and claw back a couple of games against St. John’s, their final series is at last-place Cantabrigians (18-35), and they will have a real chance to take the New England title.

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METRO WINS WILD 22-10 CONTEST AT ORANGE
FOUR METROPOLITAN PLAYERS RECORD 4+ HITS; FOUR ALSO DRIVE IN THREE RUNS

NEW YORK CITY (July 14th, 1860) – It was a battle of the #3 & 4 teams in the New York City Championship on Saturday afternoon, with Metropolitan B.B.C. visiting Orange B.B.C. at the Upper Manhattan Base Ball Grounds. The resulting contest between the two was packed full of action, with the two teams combining for 32 runs and 44 hits.

Metropolitan were the big winners on the day, but did they not secure the result until late. Ahead 9-8 after five innings, the visitors pounded Orange into submission with thirteen more runs over the last four.

Metropolitan’s 22-run onslaught was truly a team effort. Four players – Kieron Cantrell (C), Henry Ciccone (2B), William Karras (CF), and Walter Kirby (OF) – had four or more hits, and four players – Cantrell, Karras, Kirby, and Garrett Turner – had three RBI.

Two Metropolitan batsmen finished the game with five hits: Cantrell & Ciccone, with Henry Ciccone being named Player of the Game.

Cantrell’s day against the Orange pitching:

• TOP 1: 1-run Single between 3B/SS off E. Lindsey
• TOP 3: Single between 1B/2B off E. Lindsey (scored)
• TOP 4: Single past SS off J. Mankin
• TOP 6: 1-run Single to CF off J. Mankin (scored)
• TOP 7: Reached via Base on Balls by J. Mankin
• TOP 8: 1-run Infield Single off C. Kishbaugh
• TOP 9: Reached via Base on Balls by C. Kishbaugh
• TOTAL: 5/5, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 85 GAME SCORE

P.o.t.G. Ciccone’s afternoon:

• TOP 1: Single past 2B off E. Lindsey (scored)
• TOP 2: Fly-ball Out to LF
• TOP 3: 2-run Single between 1B/2B off E. Lindsey (scored)
• TOP 6: Leadoff Single to CF off J. Mankin (scored)
• TOP 7: Leadoff Double to CF off J. Mankin (scored)
• TOP 8: Infield Single off C. Kishbaugh (scored)
• TOP 9: Reached via Base on Balls by C. Kishbaugh
• TOTAL: 5/6, 2B, 5 R, 2 RBI, BB, 90 GAME SCORE

The result of the game left both teams with a 29-25 record, placing them four games behind surprise N.Y.C. leaders Mutual B.B.C. Henry Ciccone’s big day saw him exit with a .374 Batting Average and 79 Hits, with both marks putting him in the top ten of the New York League.