History of Major League Base Ball (revised)

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

In 1937, the first people were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as pioneers and executives. Three men were selected. One was Ban Johnson, the founder of the American League. For symmetry's sake, the Hall of Fame wanted to include the National League's founder - they ended up getting it wrong and inducting Morgan Bulkeley, who was the first president of the National League but had almost no connection to baseball. (William Hulbert, the proper person, was eventually inducted in 1995.) The third pioneer was George Wright.

In some ways, Wright was a weird choice for this. His brother, Harry, was the pioneer who put together baseball's first professional team. George, like his teammate Al Spalding, founded a (smaller) sporting goods empire during his off hours. In fact, he was more of a founder for golf in American than for baseball. He was one of the first sellers of golf clubs and today there is a course in Boston named for him.

Instead, George Wright likely deserves induction because he was one of the best players of his day. Beginning in the mid-1860s he was one of the best hitters and one of the best fielders of his day, and Nemec's book suggests Wright might have been one of the reasons for the infield fly rule:

Observers rated Wright the best ever at the "trapped ball" play with runners on base and less than 2 out, which entailed scooping up a batted ball the instant it touched earth and starting a quick double play that the opposition was powerless to prevent because Wright would never stand so far from where a ball would land as to make it obvious that he meant to trap it.

Wright's bat faded before his glove - his last year as a top hitter was 1876, while he was still an excellent glove man through the end of the 1870s. Basically, he was the top hitter in baseball as a young man and was the top defensive middle infielder for nearly 15 years. This isn't an incidental player who was primarily a "pioneer." It's the pioneer's little brother, who was actually the best player in baseball for long enough to be a legitimate Hall of Famer, assuming we value contributions from the early days of baseball.

I've always been fascinated by this family of English expatriates who become baseball's founding fathers. Here's what George's SABR bio says about his early life:

[George] was born into a cricket family whose home was at Third Avenue and 110th Street, easy walking distance to the Red House Grounds, where his father, Samuel, was the resident professional for the St. George Cricket Club (SGCC), which welcomed British expatriates but not players of American birth.

Samuel had been born in Sheffield, Yorkshire, in 1812 and with his wife, Ann (Tone) Wright, and young son, Harry (born in 1835), he came to the United States via Liverpool in 1836, lured by an offer from the Dragon Slayers. The other Wright children were all born in New York, including George’s older brother, Daniel, and younger brothers, William and Samuel Jr. Harry trained as a silversmith (and George as an engraver) but, like his brothers, in turn took to cricket under their father’s tutelage and, in the case of Harry and George, went on to become assistant professionals with the SGCC.

In 1854 the St. George’s Cricket Club – which had begun life in the 1830s with grounds at Manhattan’s Bloomingdale Road (today’s Broadway) and 30th Street before relocating to the Red House Grounds – accepted the invitation of the New York Cricket Club, whose players were all American-born, to share their space at the Elysian Fields, across the Hudson River. The Wright household relocated to Hoboken and Sam Sr. continued as instructor, groundskeeper, and principal bowler. Harry became a formidable cricketer, playing his first contest with the SGCC in 1850.

Little Georgie, “when scarcely taller than a wicket,” also displayed a great aptitude for the game, and by his own account began play with the junior club in 1857, at the age of 10. By the time he turned 13, in 1860, he began to play alongside the men of St. George. When he was 16 years old, in 1863, he played in first-eleven matches with men twice his own age.

Of course, the brothers also learned baseball, and were quickly among the best at it. George Wright was one of the early paid baseball players - in the 1860s, this was usually accomplished by giving a player a job of marginal importance:

In 1866 George returned to New York City and assumed his first (covertly) paid baseball position as shortstop and sometime third baseman of the Union Club of Morrisania. This was a celebrated early team, of interest for such other professionals as Dave Birdsall, who went on to play with George for Boston in the National Association, and Charlie Pabor, longtime pitcher and outfielder with the most inexplicable of all baseball nicknames: “The Old Woman with the Red Cap.”

But peripatetic George left the champion Unions after the 1866 campaign to join the subsidized Washington Nationals as they planned their tour of the West (what is today termed the Midwest). George was supposedly earning his living as a government clerk, but the address of his “employer” as listed in the City Directory was a public park. Below are the Nationals and their nominal occupations and places of employment. No one seemed to mind their extended absence from their desks during the tour.

Incidentally, this also means that one of the first great professional baseball teams was created by embezzling from the federal government in the post-Civil War era. Following this time in Washington, George joined Harry as part of the mighty 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings.

We have seen that Harry felt the need to improve his Red Stockings after their thrashing by the Nationals. The arrival in 1868 of pitcher Asa Brainard from the 1867 Nationals – he had been the successor to Jim Creighton with the Excelsior of Brooklyn – and local first baseman Charlie Gould strengthened the club. Harry also signed New Yorkers John Van Buskirk Hatfield and Fred Waterman, and brought in catcher Doug Allison from Philadelphia. For 1869, he embraced the Nationals’ model of total professionalism. In short order, Harry turned away all the club’s local lads except for Gould; relinquished the revolver Hatfield back to the Mutuals, his former club; and signed Cal McVey from Indianapolis. He also reached terms with Charlie Sweasy, Andy Leonard, and Dick Hurley from the local Buckeyes, the first two having come to Cincinnati by way of their former club, the Irvingtons of New Jersey, the last named by way of Columbia College in New York.

But Harry’s great coup was to secure the perpetually available services of his brother George, unbound by long-term contract or a not-yet-dreamed-of reserve clause. Thus were the 1869 Red Stockings set to become the most accomplished club in the land and, at $9,300 in salaries alone, the most profligate. George was paid $1,400, even more than Harry, whose $1,200 salary was second highest. The money made the team powerful, but no one could have imagined that they would be literally unbeatable. George Wright became baseball’s first nationwide hero.

The Red Stockings took on all comers, from Maine to California, in 1869, and never tasted defeat. They won 84 consecutive games in 1869-1870 before getting their comeuppance from the venerable Atlantics of Brooklyn, the champions of several earlier 1860s campaigns.

George's 1870s career is a bit more well-known than his pre-NA life. He moved to Boston with Harry, and was - along with Ross Barnes - the star of the NA Red Stockings. He stayed in Boston until the late 1870s, and by the end of his career his bat was rather weak, as he batted only .225 in 1878. However, he jumped to Providence in 1879 and was the player-manager of a club that defeated Boston to win the 1879 pennant.

Following his baseball career, George ran his sporting goods empire, golfed, and played some cricket and baseball for fun.

As great a cricketer, baseballist and businessman as he was, George may be best known today for his contributions to golf. On one of his trips abroad in the 1880s he found some golf equipment in a store. He didn’t know what the implements were for, but concluding they were in the sporting line, he purchased a set. In Boston he put the clubs on a shelf and let them gather dust. Soon along came a Scotchman by the name of Findlay who wondered what they were doing there. Wright explained that he was at a loss to know how to use the things. The Scotchman enlightened him. They got their heads together, and not long thereafter, as none is more zealous than the convert, George Wright established, in October 1890, the first public nine-hole golf course in the United States at Franklin Park in Boston. (This “first” is challenged by Van Cortlandt Park, a layout in the Bronx, which may have beaten Franklin Park to the proverbial punch by a matter of months.)

The New York Times obituary in 1937 referred to Wright as “the father of the ancient game [of golf] in this country,” having been one of the first to popularize the Scottish sport on American shores. Wright and Ditson imported and sold golf clubs; none other than US Open champion Francis Ouimet worked at the store while pursuing his amateur career. He would later say that George Wright “…did as much toward developing the game of golf in this country as any man,” even if Wright’s greatest gift was to approve of giving Ouimet additional vacation time so he could enter the 1913 Open. The 20-year-old caddie defeated the British “old guard“ – Harry Vardon and Ted Ray – in a playoff, becoming the first amateur to win the title.

Although he sold his sporting goods empire to his former teammate Al Spalding in 1892, Wright was involved in the rise of American sports for the rest of his life. His sons Beals and Irving both became top tennis players, and Beals won the 1905 U.S. Open.

In my universe, George Wright is a top defensive shortstop, as he was in reality. He's also still a top hitter, though he's slightly less impressive than the top hitters like Barnes, Higham and Meyerle. His career average is .351 at the moment though he may be coming to the end of his days as a star - he's a few years older than most of the other top players and will turn 30 in the 1876-77 offseason. Nevertheless, he's one of the best players out there and is a big part of the reason for Boston's success.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

The standings on Sunday, August 27, 1876:

New York Mutuals 37-10
Boston Red Stockings 33-19
Hartford Dark Blues 26-22
Chicago White Stockings 29-25
Louisville Grays 29-25
Philadelphia Athletics 20-31
Cincinnati Reds 19-33
St. Louis Brown Stockings 12-40

After a weak week in which they went 3-3, Boston simply don't appear to have what it takes to challenge to Mutuals, despite the fact that they have outscored their opponents this season by 109 runs as compared with New York's 105. Chicago is on a six-game winning streak, though it comes much too late to impact the pennant race. At this point, barring a miracle New York should stroll to the first National League pennant.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

Dick Higham, New York - .430
Frank McCarton, Boston - .394
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - .389
Jim Foran, Chicago - .381
Cal McVey, Boston - .340
Jimmy Wood, Louisville - .336
George Wright, Boston - .329

Runs Scored

Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 56
Scott Hastings, Louisville - 54
Dave Eggler, New York - 53
George Wright, Boston - 51
Ross Barnes, Boston - 50
Mike McGeary, Philadelphia - 49
George Hall, Chicago - 48

Runs Batted In

Jim Foran, Chicago - 46
Cal McVey, Boston - 44
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 43
Tom York, Louisville - 43
Ezra Sutton, New York - 38
Steve King, New York - 37
2 players tied with 36 each

Stolen Bases

Dave Eggler, New York - 43
Mike McGeary, Philadelphia - 41
George Wright, Boston - 33
Ross Barnes, Boston - 28
John McMullin, New York - 27
Denny Mack, New York/St. Louis - 22
4 players tied with 20 each

Won-Loss Record

Dan Collins, Louisville, 19-11
Bobby Mathews, New York, 18-5
Al Spalding, Boston, 17-6
Hugh Campbell, New York, 16-4
Asa Brainard, Chicago, 15-13
Tricky Nichols, Hartford, 15-14
Cy Bentley, Boston, 13-10

Earned Run Average

Hugh Campbell, New York - 1.56
Flip Lafferty, Philadelphia - 1.59
Al Spalding, Boston - 1.88
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 1.99
Bobby Mathews, New York - 2.17
Tricky Nichols, Hartford - 2.37
Cy Bentley, Boston - 2.48

Strikeouts

Dan Collins, Louisville - 109
Sam Weaver, Cincinnati - 77
Pud Galvin, St. Louis - 40
Al Spalding, Boston - 37
Cy Bentley, Boston - 33
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 33
2 players tied with 30 each

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

If you know him from OOTP, you know Cal McVey as the first superstar catcher - one of the best hitters in the game and also a capable backstop. In reality, McVey was indeed one of the best hitters of his day but he ended up playing all over the diamond, probably because he was not much of a fielder. (He logged the greatest number of games at first base.)

McVey was born in Iowa three years after it became a state, but grew up in Indianapolis. He was a great athlete from the start. Per his SABR bio:

As a boy Calvin had been a nimble athlete, known for his cartwheels and handsprings. He had been a capable bare-knuckle pugilist. In Indianapolis Mac, as he was called, was introduced to baseball, which he soon came to love. He played for two different amateur clubs, the Actives and the Westerns. In 1867 the latter club took on the powerful Nationals of Washington, D.C., in a highly publicized match of one of the best teams in the East against the best of the West. McVey’s team lost, but the teenager earned a national reputation as a competitive player.

In 1869 A.B. Champion formed the nation’s first club of all openly professional players—the famous Cincinnati Red Stockings. Most of his players were imported from the East. (Only one was a Cincinnati native.) Harry Wright had been a member of the famous Knickerbockers in New York. He came to Cincinnati to play cricket, but Champion named him manager of the Red Stockings. Wright had heard about the exploits of the youngster with the Indianapolis Westerns and signed him to a contract. (Actually William had to sign for his son, as 18-year-old Calvin was considered a minor, too young to sign a legally binding document.) Mac was younger and less experienced than his teammates, and Wright was unsure of the best position for him to play, but he knew the youngster could hit, so he put him in right field. Calvin McVey became the youngest player in professional baseball, the first salaried player born in Iowa, and the first pro born west of the Mississippi River.

McVey played for Harry Wright's teams for nearly all of the NA years. (He spent one season in Baltimore, but returned to Boston at the end of it.) He was a top hitter throughout, and continued to be a top hitter after moving west in 1876. He spent two seasons with Chicago and two with Cincinnati before leaving professional baseball at the age of 29. He was a great hitter by any metric, with a lifetime batting average of .346 and a lifetime OPS+ of 152. That's basically a Joe DiMaggio-like level of production at the plate, though obviously the game was different in the 1870s.

McVey had been impressed with California during his 1869 visit to San Francisco with the Red Stockings, so he moved to West and tried his hand at minor-league ball in the Bay Area. Caroline and William McVey also succumbed to the lure of the Golden State and joined their son in California. They were living in the same household as Abbey and Calvin in Oakland at the time of the 1880 census. In California William worked from time to time in his former occupations of farmer and tax collector. McVey started the 1880 baseball season with Bay City in the California League. He stayed with the club when it jumped to the Pacific League on July 3. Three weeks later the Pacific League folded, and Cal joined the Californias in the California League. He played the last game of the season with the Knickerbockers of San Francisco. In the fall of 1885 he played for an independent club, the Pioneers of San Francisco, and he was with them in April and May of 1886, when the club was in the California League. During various times in the 1880s he played for independent clubs in the Bay Area or in Southern California.

As soon as the 1880 baseball season was over, the McVeys relocated to Tulare County, southeast of San Francisco. When he registered to vote that November, Calvin gave his occupation as an R.E. agent. In 1884 Calvin again registered in Tulare County, as did his father. Cal’s occupation was given as an agent and William as farmer. In 1890 Cal registered to vote in San Diego, again giving his occupation as an agent. In 1893 he was back in Tulare County. In 1896 he registered in Fresno. On the registration forms he was described as being of fair complexion, with brown hair and blue eyes. Identifying features were “baseball marks on fingers.”

Most of the 1890 census schedules, including all those from California, were destroyed by a fire in the Commerce Department Building in January 1923. Voter registration records are the only official guide to Mac’s activities between 1880 and 1900. Of course, women were not allowed to vote at that time, so no account of Abbey’s whereabouts is available.

In the 1900 census Calvin was shown as a resident of a boarding house on Powell Street in San Francisco. Although he was listed as married, Abbey was not with him at that time. The 1901 San Francisco City Directory lists Mac as a special policeman, residing at 209 Eddy Street, and also as a watchman at 17 Powell Street. According to John Liepa, a historian in Iowa who has researched McVey’s career, Calvin’s wife was seriously injured and his home destroyed by the calamitous San Francisco Earthquake in 1906.

A final moment of glory came for Cal McVey in 1919 when he was invited to come to Cincinnati as an honored guest at a celebration of the 50th anniversary of baseball’s first professional team. He proudly rode in a festive parade prior to the opening of the World Series between the Reds and the Chicago White Sox.

In my universe, McVey is about to hit his 27th birthday. He is much better as a catcher than he was in real life, and is perfectly capable of handling the position though he's not known as a superstar catcher. His hitting is superb - he's got a lifetime average of .349 at the moment and his current total of 513 career hits ranks fourth all-time behind Meyerle, Wright and Barnes. He's got every chance of being one of the all-time greats, as catchers who can hit the way he can are extremely rare in any era.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

September 1, and time for our monthly NWL update. New York's affiliate had a great month and is running away with the minor league title just as the Mutuals are doing with the major league one.

St. Paul Saints 48-11 (New York's affiliate)
Minneapolis Millers 41-18 (Boston)
Evansville Hoosiers 37-21 (Louisville)
Fort Wayne Railroaders 36-22 (Cincinnati)
Peoria Distillers 31-28 (Chicago)
Grand Rapids Woodworkers 18-42 (Hartford)
Quincy Ravens 15-44 (St. Louis)
Terre Haute Hottentots 10-50 (Philadelphia)

The NWL league leaders:

Batting Average

Gat Stires, St. Paul - .440
Charlie Gould, Fort Wayne - .415
John Morrill, Minneapolis - .414
James McDermott, Minneapolis - .412
Jumbo Latham, Minneapolis - .406
Jim Snyder, St. Paul - .404
Ralph Ham, Peoria - .391

Runs Scored

Jim Keenan, Minneapolis - 64
Steve Bellan, Minneapolis - 59
John Morrill, Minneapolis - 58
Gat Stires, St. Paul - 57
Charlie Hodes, St. Paul - 54
James McDermott, Minneapolis - 53
Jumbo Latham, Minneapolis - 49

Runs Batted In

James McDermott, Minneapolis - 63
Jim Snyder, St. Paul - 57
Jim Keenan, Minneapolis - 53
John Morrill, Minneapolis - 52
Charlie Hodes, St. Paul - 50
Gat Stires, St. Paul - 49
Jumbo Latham, Minneapolis - 46

Stolen Bases

Ralph Ham, Peoria - 20
Jim Keenan, Minneapolis - 17
Gat Stires, St. Paul - 12
James McDermott, Minneapolis - 11
John Morrill, Minneapolis - 11
4 players tied with 9 each

Won-Loss Record

Bill Stearns, Peoria, 20-15
Fred Goldsmith, Evansville, 19-9
Tommy Bond, St. Paul, 17-3
Mike Golden, Minneapolis, 16-4
Rynie Wolters, Evansville, 15-7
Phonney Martin, Minneapolis, 14-5
Ed Stratton, St. Paul, 14-5

Earned Run Average

Tommy Bond, St. Paul - 2.16
NFN Edwards, Fort Wayne - 2.32
Ed Stratton, St. Paul - 2.45
Fred Goldsmith, Evansville - 2.49
Mike Golden, Minneapolis - 2.54
Terry Larkin, St. Paul - 2.61
John Cassidy, Fort Wayne - 2.84

Strikeouts

Bill Stearns, Peoria - 46
NFN Edwards, Fort Wayne - 22
Tommy Bond, St. Paul - 16
Charlie Mason, Grand Rapids - 13
Bill French, Quincy - 12
Fred Goldsmith, Evansville - 12
Ed Stratton, St. Paul - 11

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

The standings on Sunday, September 10, 1876:

New York Mutuals 40-11
Boston Red Stockings 35-20
Hartford Dark Blues 29-23
Chicago White Stockings 31-27
Louisville Grays 30-27
Philadelphia Athletics 21-34
Cincinnati Reds 20-36
St. Louis Brown Stockings 14-42

There were no league games in the final week of August, so it's been two weeks since the last update. With a seven-game lead over Boston and just a few games left to play in the season, New York appears to have the pennant wrapped up. It seems that everyone is mainly playing for individual honors at this point.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

Dick Higham, New York - .426
Frank McCarton, Boston - .390
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - .389
Jim Foran, Chicago - .369
Cal McVey, Boston - .348
Fergy Malone, Chicago - .339
Jimmy Wood, Louisville - .339

Runs Scored

Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 60
Dave Eggler, New York - 58
Ross Barnes, Boston - 55
Scott Hastings, Louisville - 55
Mike McGeary, Philadelphia - 53
George Wright, Boston - 53
George Hall, Chicago - 52

Runs Batted In

Jim Foran, Chicago - 51
Cal McVey, Boston - 47
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 46
Tom York, Louisville - 46
Ezra Sutton, New York - 42
Steve King, New York - 40
Bob Ferguson, New York - 38

Stolen Bases

Mike McGeary, Philadelphia - 48
Dave Eggler, New York - 47
George Wright, Boston - 33
Ross Barnes, Boston - 32
John McMullin, New York - 30
Andy Leonard, Hartford - 24
Denny Mack, New York/St. Louis - 22

Won-Loss Record

Bobby Mathews, New York, 20-5
Dan Collins, Louisville, 20-12
Al Spalding, Boston, 18-6
Hugh Campbell, New York, 17-5
Tricky Nichols, Hartford, 16-15
Asa Brainard, Chicago, 15-15
Cy Bentley, Boston, 14-11

Earned Run Average

Hugh Campbell, New York - 1.51
Flip Lafferty, Philadelphia - 1.54
Al Spalding, Boston - 1.84
Bobby Mathews, New York - 2.09
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 2.12
Cy Bentley, Boston - 2.36
Tricky Nichols, Hartford - 2.39

Strikeouts

Dan Collins, Louisville - 111
Sam Weaver, Cincinnati - 83
Al Spalding, Boston - 42
Pud Galvin, St. Louis - 41
Cy Bentley, Boston - 33
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 33
Bobby Mathews, New York - 32

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

For a guy who is one of the most prominent pitchers of the 1870s, there's not a lot of biographical information out there on George Zettlein. SABR doesn't have a bio on him at all, and Nemec's entry is not really that detailed given his prominence at his peak. Here is the complete entry Nemec has on him:

George Zettlein claimed (probably falsely) that he served in both the army and the navy in the Civil War and was on Admiral Farragut's flagship in the Battle of New Orleans. According to James Terry, the pitcher was "a big-footed, buffoonish character," and William Ryczek depicted him as famous for getting hit in the head with a line drive, taking a drink of water and going back to work. Yet outfielder Ned Cuthbert claimed that the "Charmer" was the speediest pitcher of his day, and he was also said to be the first pitcher to give pickoff signs to his infielders and then to throw to a base without looking, expecting them to have gotten the sign and be on the bag. But while reports as to his skill and acumen may be contradictory, Zettlein was undeniably the first pitcher in major league history to give up a home run (on May 8, 1871, to Cleveland's Ezra Sutton) and also the first to surrender a grand slam (on September 5, 1871, to Boston's Charlie Gould).

A Brooklyn native, Zettlein tossed for the Brooklyn Atlantics in 1870 and beat the Cincinnati Red Stockings 8-7 in eleven innings on June 14 to end their record 97-game winning streak. Probably he would have remained with the Atlantics if they had joined the NA in 1871, but instead he went to Chicago and won his first seven starts of the fledgling major league season before losing 8-5 at New York on June 5. After that he went just 11-8 but led the loop with a 2.73 ERA. Zettlein moved to Troy in 1872 when the Great Fire forced Chicago to disband but returned to the Windy City in 1874 when it rejoined the NA. The following year he severed connections with Chicago on August 3 for what he considered "arbitrary and unjust treatment by the managers" and joined the Philadelphia Pearls, only to run into trouble again almost immediately. On August 30, in the clubhouse after a loss to Hartford, Mike McGeary accused both Zettlein and outfielder Fred Treacey of selling out the game. Both were initially suspended, but at a team meeting that night Treacey accused McGeary of offering Jack Burdock of Hartford $1,000 prior to the game to throw the decision to Philadelphia and suggested McGeary was angry because he had lost money on the game and not because he believed Zettlein and Treacey had thrown it.

Even though the pitcher finished the season back in the team's good graces, he considered quitting the game to run a restaurant in Far Rockaway, New York. He then decided belatedly to return, but since the Pearls were not part of the newly formed National League, he signed in May with the Philadelphia Athletics and was a bleak 4-16, leading the loop in every negative pitching department except losses and BR/9 IP. After leaving the game, Zettlein worked in the Brooklyn district attorney's office for some years. He died of Bright's disease in Patchogue, New York, while visiting his brother-in-law. Zettlein acquired his most popular nickname from a dancer with Hooley's Minstrels, called "George the Charmer."

(Reminder again that the three-volume Nemec books on 19th century players are absolutely essential for those interested in 1800s baseball.)

In my game, Zettlein was 10-18 in 1871 with Chicago, though he did lead the Association in strikeouts with 26. In 1872, he pitched for New York and did reasonably well. He joined the Philadelphia Whites (aka the "Pearls") and led the Association in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts in 1873, then came back to Chicago in 1874, where he has been ever since. He and Asa Brainard are the top two Chicago pitchers in 1876 and he has a respectable 13-9 record currently.

For his career, the 32-year-old Zettlein is now 105-81 and seems like he can last for a few more years as a solid innings-eater.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

The standings on Sunday, September 17, 1876:

New York Mutuals 42-13
Boston Red Stockings 38-22
Chicago White Stockings 34-28
Hartford Dark Blues 30-26
Louisville Grays 31-31
Philadelphia Athletics 24-35
Cincinnati Reds 22-38
St. Louis Brown Stockings 16-44

The big news this week was off the field rather than on it. The Mutuals seem comfortably ensconced at the top of the league, and they and the Philadelphia Athletics were scheduled to make their final western road trip beginning on September 18. However, both clubs lost money on their previous western trip, and with Mutual basically having the pennant wrapped up and Athletic mired deep in the second division, the two clubs have decided not to go on that trip, thus depriving Chicago, Cincinnati, Louisville and St. Louis of a series of home games.

This was not uncommon during the Association years, but the whole point of the new National League was to stabilize the schedule. It remains to be seen what the League leadership will do - Hartford president Morgan Bulkeley is the nominal head of the circuit but Chicago's William Hulbert is the real driving force. However, five of the other six clubs are reportedly furious - the four western teams are not going to have opponents to host and Boston will have fewer games to try to make up their deficit against New York.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

Dick Higham, New York - .409
Frank McCarton, Boston - .399
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - .388
Jim Foran, Chicago - .362
Cal McVey, Boston - .351
Fergy Malone, Chicago - .341
Ross Barnes, Boston - .335

Runs Scored

Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 64
Ross Barnes, Boston - 61
Dave Eggler, New York - 60
Scott Hastings, Louisville - 60
George Wright, Boston - 60
3 players tied with 54 each

Runs Batted In

Cal McVey, Boston - 55
Jim Foran, Chicago - 53
Tom York, Louisville - 50
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 48
Ezra Sutton, New York - 44
Bob Ferguson, New York - 43
4 players tied with 40 each

Stolen Bases

Mike McGeary, Philadelphia - 52
Dave Eggler, New York - 50
Ross Barnes, Boston - 38
George Wright, Boston - 36
John McMullin, New York - 35
Andy Leonard, Hartford - 25
Denny Mack, New York/St. Louis - 22

Won-Loss Record

Bobby Mathews, New York, 21-6
Dan Collins, Louisville, 21-13
Al Spalding, Boston, 19-7
Hugh Campbell, New York, 17-6
Asa Brainard, Chicago, 16-15
Tricky Nichols, Hartford, 16-17
Cy Bentley, Boston, 15-12

Earned Run Average

Hugh Campbell, New York - 1.50
Flip Lafferty, Philadelphia - 1.57
Al Spalding, Boston - 1.81
Bobby Mathews, New York - 2.06
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 2.15
Cy Bentley, Boston - 2.41
Tricky Nichols, Hartford - 2.47

Strikeouts

Dan Collins, Louisville - 115
Sam Weaver, Cincinnati - 85
Pud Galvin, St. Louis - 43
Al Spalding, Boston - 43
Cy Bentley, Boston - 37
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 35
Bobby Mathews, New York - 35

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Lip Pike is toiling with last-place St. Louis this season in my league, but he was the first batting title winner, hitting .477 for Troy in 1871. Both SABR and David Nemec identify Pike as the first great Jewish professional baseball player. Here's Nemec:

The first indisputably Jewish player in major league history, Lip Pike was the second-oldest of three ballplaying brothers. . . .Pike had a short, crisp swing and quick wrists, producing tremendous power for a man his size. Will White's scouting report on the lefty slugger confided that he was death on balls around his shins and at his shoulders but could not hit pitches at waist level. On defense, Pike was said by Opie Caylor to be a sure fielder with a good arm but not one to take chances and seemed almost deliberately to come up short of a ball if it seemed a difficult play on which he might err. Off the field Pike was fiercely temperate and always nattily attired. . . .If he had an Achilles' heel, it was an addiction to poker but hardly a detrimental one - he was said to be second among ball players only to Mike McGeary as a draw poker player.

He was a New York City boy, a haberdasher's son who began playing top-flight baseball in 1865 at age 20. He played for the Brooklyn Atlantics in 1869 and 1870 and was in center field on the historic day when the Atlantics ended the Cincinnati Red Stockings' long winning streak. Here's what Nemec says about Pike's ability during the National Association years:

Pike remained one of the NA's offensive kingpins during its entire tenure as a major league. At the time the circuit was usurped by the NL following the 1875 season, he ranked first in career home runs with 14. After spending the final NA campaign with the St. Louis Browns, Pike opted to stay with the Mound City entry in 1876 when it became one of the NL's eight original clubs. Even though the Browns finished second to inaugural NL champion Chicago, Pike departed to sign with last-place Cincinnati as playing captain for 1877. Installing himself in center field, he won his fourth loop home run crown and became the first major league slugger to attain 20 career four-baggers, but when he sensed that his heroics could not save the Reds from the cellar again, he resigned as captain on June 20 and was succeeded by Bob Addy.

For three years toward the end of his prime as a player, he played for non-major league teams, including going back to the Brooklyn Atlantics in 1881. Since he could still play well, there's a bit of mystery to his departure from the majors, but it may have been because he was regarded as a dishonest player. In 1881, the National League adopted a blacklist of players who were not to be signed because of their alleged dishonesty and Pike was one of nine players on the list. Pike's career as a player was basically over and he became a haberdasher in Brooklyn, opening a shop "that became a meeting place for local baseball enthusiasts." He made one promotional major league appearance in the AA at age 42 and that was it for his career. By the time of his death from heart disease in 1893, he was widely celebrated as one of baseball's early pioneers.

In my league, Pike had that tremendous 1871 season for Troy and while he continues to be a good player, his batting average has declined in each professional season. He is batting .305 for St. Louis this year and has moved from center field to right as he is now in his thirties and can no longer run like he once could. He seems like a player who can still contribute on a strong team but he has played mostly for second-division clubs, going from Troy to Baltimore to Hartford and now to St. Louis.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

The Northwestern League's inaugural season is over, so we have the final standings and statistics for baseball's first affiliated minor league. Congratulations to the St. Paul Saints and the New York Mutuals, their affiliated major league club!

St. Paul Saints 57-13 (New York's affiliate)
Minneapolis Millers 48-22 (Boston)
Fort Wayne Railroaders 45-25 (Cincinnati)
Evansville Hoosiers 44-26 (Louisville)
Peoria Distillers 33-37 (Chicago)
Grand Rapids Woodworkers 20-50 (Hartford)
Quincy Ravens 18-52 (St. Louis)
Terre Haute Hottentots 15-55 (Philadelphia)

The NWL league leaders:

Batting Average

Tommy Bond, St. Paul - .429
Gat Stires, St. Paul - .415
Charlie Gould, Fort Wayne - .415
John Morrill, Minneapolis - .411
Jim Snyder, St. Paul - .404
Jumbo Latham, Minneapolis-Evansville - .402
Jack Burdock, St. Paul - .395

Runs Scored

Jim Keenan, Minneapolis - 74
Steve Bellan, Minneapolis - 71
Gat Stires, St. Paul - 68
John Morrill, Minneapolis - 65
Charlie Hodes, St. Paul - 62
James McDermott, Minneapolis - 55
Pete Donnelly, Minneapolis - 52

Runs Batted In

James McDermott, Minneapolis - 68
Jim Snyder, St. Paul - 65
Charlie Hodes, St. Paul - 61
John Morrill, Minneapolis - 60
Gat Stires, St. Paul - 58
Jim Keenan, Minneapolis - 57
Steve Bellan, Minneapolis - 51

Stolen Bases

Ralph Ham, Peoria - 21
Jim Keenan, Minneapolis - 20
Gat Stires, St. Paul - 15
John Morrill, Minneapolis - 14
Bill Crowley, Minneapolis - 13
4 players tied with 11 each

Won-Loss Record

Tommy Bond, St. Paul, 21-3
Fred Goldsmith, Evansville, 21-13
Rynie Wolters, Evansville, 20-8
Bill Stearns, Peoria, 20-18
Mike Golden, Minneapolis, 18-5
Ed Stratton, St. Paul, 18-5
John Cassidy, Fort Wayne, 17-4

Earned Run Average

Tommy Bond, St. Paul - 2.10
NFN Edwards, Fort Wayne - 2.25
John Cassidy, Fort Wayne - 2.49
Fred Goldsmith, Evansville - 2.57
Ed Stratton, St. Paul - 2.63
Mike Golden, Minneapolis - 2.71
Terry Larkin, St. Paul - 2.92

Strikeouts

Bill Stearns, Peoria - 47
NFN Edwards, Fort Wayne - 30
Tommy Bond, St. Paul - 21
Fred Goldsmith, Evansville - 18
Bill French, Quincy - 15
Charlie Mason, Grand Rapids - 14
Ed Stratton, St. Paul - 14

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

*FINAL 1876 STANDINGS AND LEADERS*

New York Mutuals 42-14
Boston Red Stockings 46-24
Chicago White Stockings 36-30
Louisville Grays 34-32
Hartford Dark Blues 34-34
Philadelphia Athletics 24-35
Cincinnati Reds 23-42
St. Louis Brown Stockings 18-46

Boston made it closer down the stretch but in the end the New York Mutuals simply had too big of a lead to overcome.

The league leaders:

Batting Average

Dick Higham, New York - .409
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - .373
Frank McCarton, Boston - .372
Jim Foran, Chicago - .367
George Wright, Boston - .363
Cal McVey, Boston - .362
Ross Barnes, Boston - .350

Runs Scored

Ross Barnes, Boston - 80
George Wright, Boston - 78
Scott Hastings, Louisville - 67
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 67
Cal McVey, Boston - 66
Dave Eggler, New York - 61
George Hall, Chicago - 57

Runs Batted In

Cal McVey, Boston - 73
Jim Foran, Chicago - 56
Tom York, Louisville - 54
Ross Barnes, Boston - 50
Jim O'Rourke, Boston - 50
Levi Meyerle, Chicago - 49
Bob Ferguson, New York - 45

Stolen Bases

Mike McGeary, Philadelphia - 52
Dave Eggler, New York - 50
Ross Barnes, Boston - 46
George Wright, Boston - 43
John McMullin, New York - 35
Andy Leonard, Hartford - 27
Cal McVey, Boston - 23

Won-Loss Record

Al Spalding, Boston, 23-7
Dan Collins, Louisville, 22-13
Bobby Mathews, New York, 21-7
Cy Bentley, Boston, 19-13
Tricky Nichols, Hartford, 19-19
Hugh Campbell, New York, 17-6
Asa Brainard, Chicago, 17-16

Earned Run Average

Hugh Campbell, New York - 1.50
Flip Lafferty, Philadelphia - 1.57
Al Spalding, Boston - 1.68
Bobby Mathews, New York - 2.03
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 2.25
Cy Bentley, Boston - 2.28
Dan Collins, Louisville - 2.64

Strikeouts

Dan Collins, Louisville - 119
Sam Weaver, Cincinnati - 98
Al Spalding, Boston - 48
Pud Galvin, St. Louis - 46
Cy Bentley, Boston - 43
Tricky Nichols, Hartford - 42
Asa Brainard, Chicago - 41

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

All-Time Professional Baseball Pennant Winners

National Association

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

National League

1876 - New York Mutuals

Batting Champions

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

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

In a somewhat shocking result, the other six National League clubs unanimously voted to expel the champion New York Mutuals and the Philadelphia Athletics from the league due to their failure to complete their schedules for the year. The two clubs refused to make their final western road trip because they had lost money on their earlier west coast swing, and Mutual basically had the pennant sewn up already while Philadelphia had no hope of finishing with a winning record.

The four western teams - Louisville, Chicago, Cincinnati and St. Louis - were enraged by the lack of reciprocation from the two eastern clubs, while the rumor is that Boston were looking to get rid of the club that ended their four-year reign atop professional baseball. No one knows why Hartford and team president Morgan Bulkeley voted with the other five clubs, but in any event it appears possible that there will be only six clubs in 1877 in the National League. It seems likely that the many star players on the New York and Philadelphia teams will sign elsewhere for 1877.

If true, this means stars such as Cap Anson, Dave Eggler, Bob Ferguson, Dick Higham, Bobby Mathews, Mike McGeary, Ezra Sutton and Deacon White will be available to whichever clubs choose to retain their services for 1877.

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Awards through the Years

Most Valuable Player

1871 - Lip Pike, Troy Haymakers
1872 - Rynie Wolters, New York Mutuals
1873 - Levi Meyerle, Philadelphia Whites
1874 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings
1875 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings
1876 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings

Jim Creighton Award (for best overall pitcher)

1871 - Rynie Wolters, New York Mutuals
1872 - Al Spalding, Boston Red Stockings
1873 - Al Spalding, Boston Red Stockings
1874 - Dan Collins, Chicago White Stockings
1875 - Dan Collins, Chicago White Stockings
1876 - Al Spalding, Boston Red Stockings

Rookie of the Year

1871 - Lip Pike, Troy Haymakers
1872 - Jack McDonald, Brooklyn Atlantics
1873 - Paul Hines, Washington Blue Legs
1874 - Dan Collins, Chicago White Stockings
1875 - Orator Shafer, Hartford Dark Blues
1876 - Flip Lafferty, Philadelphia Athletics

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Positional Awards Year by Year

PITCHER

Gold Glove Award

1871 - Al Spalding, Boston Red Stockings
1872 - Al Spalding, Boston Red Stockings
1873 - Dick McBride, Philadelphia Athletics
1874 - Asa Brainard, New York Mutuals
1875 - Frank Buttery, Hartford Dark Blues
1876 - Al Spalding, Boston Red Stockings

Silver Slugger Award

1871 - Rynie Wolters, New York Mutuals
1872 - Rynie Wolters, New York Mutuals
1873 - Rynie Wolters, Elizabeth Resolutes
1874 - Al Spalding, Boston Red Stockings
1875 - Al Spalding, Boston Red Stockings
1876 - Al Spalding, Boston Red Stockings

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

CATCHER

Gold Glove Award

1871 - Dick Higham, New York Mutuals
1872 - Dick Higham, Baltimore Canaries
1873 - Deacon White, Philadelphia Athletics
1874 - Fergy Malone, Chicago White Stockings
1875 - Scott Hastings, Hartford Dark Blues
1876 - Dick Higham, New York Mutuals

Silver Slugger Award

1871 - Doug Allison, Washington Olympics
1872 - Dick Higham, Baltimore Canaries
1873 - Cal McVey, Boston Red Stockings
1874 - Cal McVey, Boston Red Stockings
1875 - Cal McVey, Boston Red Stockings
1876 - Dick Higham, New York Mutuals

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

FIRST BASE

Gold Glove Award

1871 - Cap Anson, Rockford Forest Citys
1872 - Everett Mills, Baltimore Canaries
1873 - Everett Mills, Baltimore Canaries
1874 - Everett Mills, Hartford Dark Blues
1875 - Cap Anson, Philadelphia Athletics
1876 - Cap Anson, Philadelphia Athletics

Silver Slugger Award

1871 - Cap Anson, Rockford Forest Citys
1872 - Everett Mills, Baltimore Canaries
1873 - Joe Start, New York Mutuals
1874 - Jim Foran, Chicago White Stockings
1875 - Al Spalding, Boston Red Stockings
1876 - Jim Foran, Chicago White Stockings

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

SECOND BASE

Gold Glove Award

1871 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings
1872 - John Hatfield, New York Mutuals
1873 - John Hatfield, New York Mutuals
1874 - John Hatfield, New York Mutuals
1875 - Mike McGeary, Philadelphia Athletics
1876 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings

Silver Slugger Award

1871 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings
1872 - John Hatfield, New York Mutuals
1873 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings
1874 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings
1875 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings
1876 - Ross Barnes, Boston Red Stockings

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

THIRD BASE

Gold Glove Award

1871 - Bob Ferguson, New York Mutuals
1872 - Levi Meyerle, Philadelphia Athletics
1873 - Bob Ferguson, Brooklyn Atlantics
1874 - Bob Ferguson, Brooklyn Atlantics
1875 - Joe Battin, Hartford Dark Blues
1876 - Joe Battin, Hartford Dark Blues

Silver Slugger Award

1871 - Levi Meyerle, Philadelphia Athletics
1872 - Levi Meyerle, Philadelphia Athletics
1873 - Levi Meyerle, Philadelphia Whites
1874 - Levi Meyerle, Chicago White Stockings
1875 - Ezra Sutton, New York Mutuals
1876 - Levi Meyerle, Chicago White Stockings

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

SHORTSTOP

Gold Glove Award

1871 - Dickey Pearce, New York Mutuals
1872 - Dickey Pearce, New York Mutuals
1873 - Tom Carey, Baltimore Canaries
1874 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings
1875 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings
1876 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings

Silver Slugger Award

1871 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings
1872 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings
1873 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings
1874 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings
1875 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings
1876 - George Wright, Boston Red Stockings

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

LEFT FIELD

Gold Glove Award

1871 - Ned Cuthbert, Philadelphia Athletics
1872 - Tom York, Baltimore Canaries
1873 - Tom York, Baltimore Canaries
1874 - Ned Cuthbert, Chicago White Stockings
1875 - John Glenn, Chicago White Stockings
1876 - Charley Jones, Cincinnati Reds

Silver Slugger Award

1871 - Fred Treacey, Chicago White Stockings
1872 - Fred Cone, Boston Red Stockings
1873 - Tom York, Baltimore Canaries
1874 - Steve King, New York Mutuals
1875 - Steve King, New York Mutuals
1876 - Jim O'Rourke, Boston Red Stockings