The Big Bang: A Larger Baseball Universe Starting From Nothing in 1857 - Page 54

tm1681 · 03-07-2026, 02:47 AM

THE 1879 PHILADELPHIA CITY BASEBALL LEAGUE PREVIEW

PHILADELPHIA, PENN. (May 14, 1879) – The Philadelphia City Baseball League begins season number seven this afternoon with a full slate of games. The honor of First Pitch goes to Merion Baseball & Cricket Club, who are hosting Bartram Village at Cheswold Lane for a game that starts shortly after lunchtime.

Overbrook took the first Liberty Bell Cup after Philadelphia B.C.C.’s exit to the N.B.B.O., with Queen Village coming out on the wrong end of a five-game series for the second consecutive year. The Philadelphia Writers Pool doesn’t much like either team’s chances to make it back this year, and they think the competition will be wide open in both sides of the city.

P.C.B.L. PROJECTED FINISH & ANALYSIS

EAST PHILADELPHIA

• Favorites: Minerva B.C. at 45-25 (+160 RD)
• Frankford 3 GB, Sons of Ben 4 GB, Spartan 8 GB
• Pt. Richmond 12 GB, Queen Vill. 14 GB, Keyston 18 GB, Yorktown 33 GB

Minerva, last year’s favorites, fell eleven wins short of projections in 1878 and duly finished eleven games out of 1st. They are back with a trio of Greenhorns who appear to be steady upgrades at 1B, 3B, & RF. If that proves true, then this should be the best team in the league.

Frankford, once again, has the league’s best 2B & OF trio, but there are questions after both the stunning firing of Manager Nicholas Walters and the hiring of his replacement, Keystone Bench Coach Felix Johnson, who has no managerial experience. Sons of Ben looks fine at C, 1B, and the OF three, but they’re seriously weak elsewhere and that should leave them short of the pennant. Spartan has a fine group of batsmen, but they won’t be able to take the pennant with pitching ranked 16th/16 by the Writers Pool.

Queen Village is expected to take a hard fall from 50-20 – projected 34-36 – because they lost regulars at P, SS, & CF without finding equal replacements for any of the three.

WEST PHILADELPHIA

• Favorites: Mercantile B.C. at 42-28 (+100 RD)
• Merion 3 GB, Germantown 4 GB, Schuylkill 5 GB, Bartram Village 7 GB, Penn 8 GB
• Overbrook 11 GB, Independence 17 GB

Mercantile ranks in the top three at 1B, 3B, LF, & P, and thus the team led by inaugural M.V.P. Benjamin Warnock is favored to take the West. If they have one weakness it might be at C, and that means they’re set up for success.

Merion should have outstanding pitching, given they brought 2x Triple Crown winner Robert Benson back to the league and have paired him with A.P.B.L. & N.B.B.O. vet Charles Sturch. However, weaknesses at 2B & OF make them likely to fall just short of the pennant. Germantown has the most top-heavy lineup in the league, ranking top-three at C, 1B, & RF but 12th-16th at 2B, SS, LF, & P. That imbalance will likely spell their doom as the season wears on. 2nd-year team Bartram Village added three nice-looking Greenhorns who will start at 3B, LF, & RF, and they also prized CF Wallace Wagner away from Merion. Penn should have the league’s premier Greenhorn in C Damian McLaughlin and a top-three RF in Charles Taylor, but aside from those two their lineup is just okay.

Philadelphia champions Overbrook are expected to fall all the way to 31-39 because departures and signings elsewhere have left them ranked in the bottom quarter of the league at five positions: C, 1B, 2B, 3B, & RF. Robert Nygren is the league’s best Pitcher, but he won’t be able to make up for such a lack of quality elsewhere all by himself.

P.C.B.L. AWARD FAVORITES

Batsman of the Year: Henry Yoder (CF, Sons of Ben)
Pitcher of the Year: Robert Benson (Merion)
Most Valuable Player: Benjamin Warnock (1B, Mercantile)
Greenhorn of the Year: Damian McLaughlin (C, Penn)

P.C.B.L. TEAM OF THE YEAR FAVORITES

P: Robert Benson (Merion), C: Milton Foster (Queen Village), 1B: Benjamin Warnock (Mercantile), 2B: Jonathan Auriemma (Minerva), 3B: Finlay Mackay (Penn), SS: Archie Bell (Minerva), OF: Henry Yoder (Sons of Ben), OF: George Oman (Schuylkill), OF: James Harris (Frankford)

P.C.B.L. TOP GREENHORNS & PROSPECTS

P1: Charles Pratt (age 28, MERC, 5.0/5.0*), P2: Jonathan Landini (age 25, IND, 4.0/4.5*), C: Damian McLaughlin (age 23, PENN, 4.0/5.0*), 1B: Fred Pietrangelo (age 25, MIN, 4.0/4.0*), 2B: Will Williams (age 28, SCH, 3.0/3.0*), 3B: Martin Horst (age 23, MIN, 2.5/3.0*), SS: Hank Carey (age 27, MERC, 2.5/2.5*), OF: Edward Dobbs (age 22, MIN, 2.5/4.5*), OF: William Penn (age 22, GER, 2.5/4.0*), OF: Arie Henstra (age 27, BV, 3.0/3.0*)

tm1681 · 03-07-2026, 02:52 AM

THE 1879 COASTAL BASEBALL CONFERENCE PREVIEW

BOSTON, MASS. (May 14, 1879) – The second season of the Coastal Baseball Conference is ready for its first pitch.

Olympic topped the standings virtually from Game 1 to Game 70, finishing first by eight games over Sportsman’s. They are not expected to repeat, as Bridgeport, 5th in the inaugural season, made some excellent roster moves over the winter. Other teams have some developing young players, and in the end it means that the C.B.C. could see its teams separated by just a dozen or so games from top to bottom in Year Two.

C.B.C. PROJECTED FINISH & ANALYSIS

FAVORITES: Bridgeport B.C. at 43-27 (+175 RD)

• Sportsman’s 5 GB, Essex Co. 7 GB, Olympic 8 GB, Camden & Amboy 9 GB
• Highlander 10 GB, Capitol City 11 GB, Lynn 12 GB

Bridgeport made outstanding signings over the winter: 5x N.B.B.O. All-Star P Edward Koch (Union), 2x N.B.B.O. All-Star SS Louis Beane (Portland), & 1878 N.B.B.O. All-Star LF Walter Kirby (P.B.C.C.). Those additions, combined with the continuing development of 22 y/o 3B Jacob Overfield (3.0/5.0*), have given them the league’s most talented roster, one that has the potential to run away with the pennant.

Sportsman’s has the league’s best overall batsman (2B Johnny Holcombe) and pitcher (Walt Harper), but they’re unlikely to match Bridgeport’s starpower. Essex Co. has a great Infield, but also a very weak Outfield & pitching duo. Olympic lost P.o.t.Y. Carl Bancroft to the N.B.B.O., and that will leave a big hole in their pitching ranks. C. &. A. has the league’s best C (Jonathan Brumback) and some nice players, but issues at 1B, 3B, SS, & CF will keep them out of serious contention.

C.B.C. AWARD FAVORITES

Batsman of the Year: Johnny Holcombe (2B, Sportsman’s)
Pitcher of the Year: Edward Koch (Bridgeport)
Most Valuable Player: Louis Beane (Bridgeport)
Greenhorn of the Year: Gustav Hartmann (SS, Essex Co.)

C.B.C. TEAM OF THE YEAR FAVORITES

P: Edward Koch (Bridgeport), C: Jonathan Brumback (C. & A.), 1B: Euan Graham (Bridgeport), 2B: Johnny Holcombe (Sportsman’s), 3B: John Schoessow (Lynn), SS: Louis Beane (Bridgeport), OF: Sidney Adams (Highlander), OF: Walter Kirby (Bridgeport), OF: Everton Pauline (Olympic)

C.B.C. TOP GREENHORNS & PROSPECTS

P1: Nep Sweatt (age 19, OLY, 2.0/5.0*), P2: Jonathan Sing (age 26, HIGH, 2.5/3.0*), C: Paul Ubelhor (age 24, OLY, 3.0/3.0*), 1B: Irving Knight (age 28, CC, 3.0/3.0*), 2B: Archie Wilbanks (age 20, CC, 1.5/2.5*), 3B: Horace Bray (age 25, HIGH, 2.5/2.5*), SS: Gustav Hartmann (age 29, ESX, 3.0/3.0*), OF: George Collier (age 21, HIGH, 2.5/5.0*), OF: Mark Russo (age 25, SPO, 2.5/3.0*), OF: Fiorenzo Napoleoni (age 21, LYNN, 2.0/3.0*)

tm1681 · 03-07-2026, 03:05 AM

THE 1879 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION PREVIEW

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (May 14, 1879) – Another May, and another new season for the competition that started it all: the National Base Ball Organization.

Last season saw a rematch in both League Championship Series as well as the Tucker-Wheaton Cup final. However, while both L.C.S. had the same outcome as the year before the T.W.C. final didn’t, as New York Athletic Club overturned 1877’s Game Five defeat with a comeback to win Game Five at Susquehanna and lift the cup for the first time.

This season, all 48 teams return to compete for the cup as no new leagues sprouted up over the winter, and hopefully that means some change is in store for the N.B.B.O.’s six regional championships.

In New York, Continental and their five-star pitching duo are finally expected to give Atlantic a serious chase for the Brooklyn pennant. In New York City, cup champs N.Y.A.C. and Union of Morrisania are expected to go 1-2 again, but after a number of down years 1860 pennant winners Mutual has the potential to finish in the top three. Upstate, the Writers Pool seems to think that Syracuse has what it takes to rebound from a worst-ever finish of 7th to vault all the way back up to the top of the standings and make the playoffs.

In the Northeast, it appears as though Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club is ready to give the three established clubs – Maryland, National, & Trenton United – a battle for the Coastal Championship. Inland, the Writers Pool is of the opinion that this will be the year Lancastra Britannia passes the mighty Susquehanna and takes their first pennant. Portland is favored to finish atop New England yet again, but it’s expected to be no easy march to the playoffs as at least three other teams are projected to finish within a handful of games.

With the N.B.B.O. ready to begin its 23rd season of play, it’s time to play ball!

N.B.B.O. PROJECTED FINISH & ANALYSIS

BROOKLYN CHAMPIONSHIP

• Favorites: Atlantic at 45-25 (+180 RD)
• Continental 3 GB, Eckford 7 GB
• Empire 14 GB, Bedford 15 GB, Marathon 16 GB, Nassau Co. 17 GB, Star 20 GB

The team with the deepest pockets in Brooklyn is expected to take the pennant for the sixth time this decade thanks to excellent offense led by Ben Gagliardi & Herb Verrett. However, Continental, with their five-star pitching and 4.5* Greenhorn Michael Akhverdov at RF, appears ready to try and break Atlantic’s grip on it. Eckford, as always, will be lurking and ready to pounce if the other two slip up.

NEW YORK CITY CHAMPIONSHIP

• Favorites: New York Athletic Club at 46-24 (+145 RD)
• Union 5 GB, Mutual 9 GB
• Baltic 11 GB, Hilltop 12 GB, Mercury 15 GB, Metro 16 GB, Harlem 17 GB

No surprise – the cup champs should repeat in N.Y.C. after bringing back nearly everybody. Their only question comes at SS after they lost 2x All-Star Peter James to the P.C.B.L. Union lost 5x All-Star P Edward Koch to the C.B.C. and longtime CF Nick Hardingham to Nassau Co., and while that will hurt them they did bring in some quality Greenhorns during the winter. Mutual has some good players, most notably 3B Ellis Terrien, and could be competitive.

UPSTATE NEW YORK CHAMPIONSHIP

• Favorites: Syracuse at 47-23 (+140 RD)
• Utica 6 GB, Minuteman 7 GB
• Eagle 10 GB, Frontier 13 GB, Victory 15 GB, Columbia 20 GB, Binghamton 22 GB

Syracuse has a quality lineup with multiple All-Stars and a very good #1 – Jacob Wesolowski – and that makes them the favorites after last year’s worst-ever finish. Utica lost 3B Fox Ellis (Hilltop) & SS Ed Davis (Empire), but William Ioffe came in from the A.P.B.L. (Newark) to man 3B and Henry Smith could be an outstanding Greenhorn at SS. Defending champs Minuteman are weak at C & 1B due to departures, and thus they’re unlikely to repeat as Upstate victors.

COASTAL CHAMPIONSHIP

• • Favorites: Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club at 43-27 (+150 RD)
• National 2 GB, Maryland 3 GB, Bunker Hill 6 GB
• Trenton Utd. 11 GB, Lord Baltimore 12 GB, Brighton 13 GB, Diamond St. 15 GB

P.B.C.C. lost a couple of regulars over the winter, but they enter 1879 with reigning B.o.t.Y. Leroy Moore, and they rank top-ten at C, 1B, 2B, 3B, & CF while ranking worse than 20th/48 only at SS. They’re ready to do damage in the Coastal. National returns their stars, and they could easily repeat if 24 y/o 2B Chester Dudek has a breakout season. Maryland has outstanding hitting at all the corner spots – 1B, 3B, LF, & RF – and strikeout king Earl Quinn at P. Bunker Hill has the potential to be a major surprise after a number of winter signings, including 4.0* Greenhorn Oliver Johnson at 3B.

INLAND CHAMPIONSHIP

• Favorites: Lancastra Britannia at 53-17 (+215 RD)
• Susquehanna 4 GB
• Squirrel Hill 16 GB, Pioneer 19 GB, Reading A.C. 20 GB, Merrimack M. 22 GB, Scranton 30 GB, Lake Erie 31 GB

The Writers Pool thinks this is the year Lancastra snatches the pennant from Susquehanna. They have the N.E.L.’s reigning M.V.P. in Lennon Haley, two outstanding Outfielders, Robert Basalyga & William White, and steady pitching. HOWEVER, Susquehanna still has the league’s most balanced lineup – top ten at SS, LF, CF, & P and no worse than 15th/48 at any position except RF. For Lancastra to finish 1st it will likely take another M.V.P. effort from Haley and 3-4 other All-Star seasons.

NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIP

• Favorites: Portland at 42-28 (+105 RD)
• S.o.t.O. 1 GB, Quinnipiac 2 GB, Green Mtn. 6 GB, Salem 8 GB
• Granite 11 GB, Cantabrigians 13 GB, Oceanic 14 GB

Portland is expected to win yet another pennant, but anticipation is that they’ll need to fight hard to take it as they have major weaknesses at C & CF. S.o.t.O. is light on bats outside of the trio of Hal Brinks, Jesse Craig, & Peter Huff, but they prefer to rely on defense in the extremely spacious New Bedford Commons. Quinnipiac has a decent lineup but more importantly two very good Pitchers in Vilhelm Adriansen & Tom Hauser. Green Mtn. will be led, as always, by 6x All-Star C Bertrand Bosley. Salem has 4-5 quality batsmen, but weaknesses at 3B, CF, & RF will drag them down.

PLAYOFFS

• New York League champions: New York Athletic Club
• Northeastern League champions: Lancastra Britannia
• Tucker-Wheaton Cup champions: New York Athletic Club

It’s extremely hard to argue against N.Y.A.C. and its pitching, given that over the past two seasons they’ve played ten games against Susquehanna, the N.B.B.O.’s team of the decade so far, in the Tucker-Wheaton Cup final.

N.B.B.O. AWARD FAVORITES

N.Y.L. Batsman of the Year: Chester Alexander (1B, Syracuse)
N.E.L. Batsman of the Year: Leroy Moore (CF, P.B.C.C.)
N.Y.L. Pitcher of the Year: Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.)
N.E.L. Pitcher of the Year: Earl Quinn (Maryland)
N.Y.L. Most Valuable Player: Ben Gagliardi (SS, Atlantic)
N.E.L. Most Valuable Player: Lennon Haley (2B, Lancastra)
N.Y.L. Greenhorn of the Year: Michael Akhverdov (RF, Continental)
N.E.L. Greenhorn of the Year: V.O. Papenfuss (2B, Squirrel Hill)

N.B.B.O. TEAM OF THE YEAR FAVORITES

NEW YORK LEAGUE – P: Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.), C: Robert Borut (Eckford), 1B: Chester Alexander (Syracuse), 2B: Jemke v. Zutphen (Star), 3B: William Rockford (Frontier), SS: Jules Thomas (Minuteman), OF: Francis Smith (Metro), OF: Manuel Romeiras (N.Y.A.C.), OF: Herb Verrett (Atlantic)

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE – P: John Faulkner (Lancastra), C: Bertrand Bosley (Green Mtn.), 1B: Jesse Craig (S.o.t.O.), 2B: Lennon Haley (Lancastra), 3B: James Kinney (National), SS: Earl Seals (Trenton Utd.), OF: Walter Little (National), OF: Leroy Moore (P.B.C.C.), OF: John Schultz (Susquehanna)

MOST TALENTED GREENHORNS (by position)

P1: William Burrow (PBCC, age 24, 5.0/5.0*), P2: Harmon Dunlap (MARA, age 24, 4.5/5.0*) C: Joseph Sullivan (BRI, age 23, 4.5/5.0*), 1B: Elias Martin (SQH, age 24, 2.5/2.5*), 2B: V.O. Papenfuss (SQH, age 24, 4.0/4.0*), 3B: Oliver Johnson (BH, age 24, 4.0/4.0*), SS: Henry Smith (UTI, age 27, 4.0/4.0*), OF: Michael Akhverdov (CON, age 28, 4.5/4.5*), OF: James Bartell (LBA, age 23, 3.0/4.5*), OF: Franklin Painter (GM, age 25, 3.0/3.0*)

MOST TALENTED RESERVE PROSPECTS (by position)

P1: Hamilton Wiggins (MLD, age 21, 2.0/5.0*), P2: Edward King (BH, age 21, 2.5/5.0*), C: George Wittrock (MIN, age 21, 2.0/5.0*), 1B: Anthony Johnson (EAG, age 19, 2.0/4.5*), 2B: Daniel Buchanan (SAL, age 22, 2.5/3.5*), 3B: William Winship (SAL, age 22, 2.5/4.0*), SS: James Lamb (SCR, age 21, 2.0/3.0*), OF: Francis Edwards (QUI, age 21, 2.5/5.0*), OF: John Hassell (HILL, age 21, 2.0/5.0*), OF: John Robbins (GM, age 21, 2.0/4.0*)

tm1681 · 03-07-2026, 11:40 PM

QUAKER ST. SWEEPS KINGS CO. WITH 16-0 BEATING
PHILADELPHIANS APPEAR TO BE MUCH TOUGHER AFTER ONE YEAR IN THE APBL

PHILADELPHIA, PENN. (May 8, 1878) - Kings County finished 2nd in the Metropolitan Conference last year, while debutants Quaker State finished tied for last. That means the result of the season-opening series between the two at the Philadelphia Cricket Grounds proved a new year indeed means a fresh start, as Quaker St. swept the visitors in spectacular fashion:

This was a close game for three innings, but with the score 1-0 to the hosts Quaker St. stepped to the plate in B4 and sent half a dozen men across Home Plate. The key hit of the inning was a two-run Double by 3B Jerry Rockford, and at the end of the fourth Quaker St. had a 7-0 lead which would never be threatened in any way.

After plating a run in B6 on a Single by Rockford, Quaker St. then made it a Lucky Seventh by scoring eight times, the big hit there a two-run Inside the Park Home Run by PH Charles Hull, to give the game its final score of 16-0.

Each of the first five members of the Quaker St. lineup had multiple hits…

• QS LF William Wimple: 2/4 (2B), 3 R, 3 RBI, SB, 3 TB
• QS 3B Jerry Rockford: 3/4 (2B), 2 R, 3 RBI, 4 TB
• QS CF Ned Morganti: 2/5 (both 1B), 1 R, 3 RBI
• QS RF Charles Aplin: 2/3 (2B), 1 R, 0 RBI, 3 TB
• QS 1B William Theriault: 4/5 (all 1B), 2 R, 1 RBI

…and Hull added a Single to his pinch-hit homer to finish 2/2 on the afternoon.

The Shutout was pitched by Quaker St.’s eleventh-year #1, Ross Gill:

• QS P Ross Gill: CG SHO (2-0, 2.50), 6 HA, 0 BB, 2 K

The massive home victory finished off a three-game sweep of the series by Quaker St., one in which they scored at least nine runs in each contest and won all three by multiple runs. Three days of play is obviously a small sample size, but it looks like Quaker St. is determined to start 1879 by showing the rest of the A.P.B.L. that they’re much more competitive than their debut season in the league showed.

tm1681 · 03-07-2026, 11:41 PM

NAT’L PAIR POUND OUT FIVE HITS EACH ON OPENING DAY
BELL & GENTILE RAVAGE DIAMOND ST. PITCHING IN DC; DUDEK ADDS FOUR RBI IN BIG HOME WIN

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 14, 1879) - National Baseball Club began their Coastal Championship title defense against Diamond State at George Washington Stadium on Tuesday, and they started it in style with a twelve-run win:

The hosts were never in any trouble here. They scored four times in B1, the big moment a two-run Double by 2B Chester Dudek, to take a quick 4-0 lead. After Diamond St. cut the lead to one (4-3) in T3, National scored twice in B3 and then responded to another Diamond St. run in T4 with another pair of scores to take am 8-4 lead.

From there on National’s lead only grew bigger, and they scored during each of their final four trips to the plate, with runs on base hits by C Oscar Harrington & LF Frank Bell during B8 giving the game its final score of 18-6.

The run-scoring Single in the eighth gave Bell, a Greenhorn who was making his debut, five Hits on the day, and he was one of two National batsmen to accomplish the feat.

Bell’s afternoon:

• B1: Pop Fly Out to SS (2 out)
• B3: 1-run Single to LCF off K. Stingley
• B5: Leadoff Single past 2B off K. Stingley (R)
• B6: 1-run Triple to RF off W. Stone (R)
• B7: Double to LF off W. Stone (R)
• B8: Single past 2B off W. Stone
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2B, 3B), 3 R, 2 RBI, 8 TB

The other National man with five Hits was SS James Gentile:

• B1: Single past SS off K. Stingley (R)
• B2: Double past 3B off K. Stingley
• B4: Leadoff Single past SS off K. Stingley (R)
• B5: 1-run Single past 2B off K. Stingley (R)
• B6: Single past SS off W. Stone
• B7: Reached via Base on Balls by W. Stone
• B8: Pop Fly Out to 3B (3 out)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2B), 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 6 TB

As for first-inning hero Dudek, he also had a fine day:

• NAT 2B Chester Dudek: 3/6 (2B), 3 R, 4 RBI, 4 TB

For Bell, it was the perfect way to begin his career. For Gentile, it was the ideal way to break in what he wishes is his third straight season of offensive improvement. Finally, National will hope that Dudek’s afternoon is a good omen that this will be the 24-year-old’s breakout season in the middle of the lineup.

For National as a whole, it was a perfect Opening Day.

tm1681 · 03-07-2026, 11:41 PM

BUNKER HILL OPENS ’79 WITH 27 RUNS IN BALTIMORE
FOUR BUNKER HILL BATSMEN FINISH WITH FOUR OR MORE HITS IN SEVENTEEN-RUN WIN

BALTIMORE, MLD. (May 14, 1879) - Bunker Hill and Lord Baltimore opened their second season of life in the N.B.B.O. by facing each other at the Carey Street Grounds in Baltimore, and the result was a hard-to-believe domination of Lord Baltimore by the visiting Bostonians:

Bunker Hill stepped up to the plate to open the 1879 season and proceeded to score nine times in the first inning, with two run-scoring Triples by N.B.B.O. debutant Oliver Johnson (3B) the key hits. Not satisfied, the visitors came up to bat for T2 and scored nine more times to take an 18-3 lead after just an inning and a half of play.

There wasn’t much action until B6, when Lord Baltimore scored five times to make it a ten-run game (18-8). However, Bunker Hill immediately responded by taking those five runs back to make it 23-8, and after a pair of Lord Baltimore scores in B8 they piled on four more runs in T9 for good measure to give the game a 27-10 final score.

There were plenty of Bunker Hill batsmen that began the season on the right foot. The starting lineup:

• BH SS John Harmon: 3/6 (2 2B), 4 R, 3 RBI, 5 TB
• BH CF Geoffrey Baker: 4/7 (2B), 4 R, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 5 TB
• BH 3B Oliver Johnson: 2/7 (2 3B), 2 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 6 TB (N.B.B.O. debut)
• BH 1B Solomon Springs: 2/6 (2B), 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 3 TB
• BH LF Howard Shedd: 1/5 (1B), 1 R, 0 RBI
• BH RF Cyrus Foster: 4/6 (all 1B), 4 R, 2 RBI
• BH 2B William Gillette: 3/6 (all 1B), 4 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
• BH C Edward Phillips: 5/6 (all 1B), 4 R, 3 RBI, 1/3 CS
• BH P Tom Baker: 1/3 (1B), 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 K

For Bunker Hill, the start of their second season in league baseball couldn’t have possibly gone any better. For Lord Baltimore? Well, there’s always tomorrow.

tm1681 · 03-07-2026, 11:42 PM

HALL CRACKS FOUR DOUBLES IN WIN AT MINERVA
SoB LEADOFF MAN SPARKS TEAM’S ATTACK IN TEN-RUN VICTORY AT HOLME FIELD

PHILADELPHIA, PENN. (May 21, 1879) - Minerva is hosting Sons of Ben for Week Two of the P.C.B.L. season, and it was Sons of Ben who started the week off right with a ten-run victory at Thomas Holme Field:

This was an easy win for the visitors. They scored three times in the opening inning and had a multiple-run advantage the rest of the way, enjoying a lead as large as eleven (15-4) before Minerva scored a run in the bottom of the ninth.

S.o.B.’s Batsman of the Year favorite Henry Yoder had another fantastic afternoon…

• SoB CF Henry Yoder: 4/6 (2 3B), 1 R, 2 RBI, SB, 8 TB

…that brought his batting record to an absurd 21/31 (.677 AVG, 1.613 OPS) through six games, but it was leadoff man Arthur Hall (RF) who stole the show and took home Player of the Game honors:

• T1: Leadoff Double to CF off J. Thorp (R)
• T2: Double to LCF off J. Thorp (R)
• T4: 1-run Single to CF off J. Thorp (R)
• T5: 1-run Double to CF off J. Thorp (R)
• T6: Reached via Error by 2B J. Auriemma
• T8: 1-run Double to LCF off J. McDonald
• TOTAL: 5/6 (4 2B), 4 R, 3 RBI, 9 TB, 85 GMSC

Hall’s quartet of Doubles set a new single-game record for the league. The two-base outburst was quite the shocker from the Outfielder, as he's never hit more than sixteen Doubles over seventy games in any of his previous five seasons in the P.C.B.L., all with Sons of Ben. Hall is batting 10/30 with six Doubles, nine Runs, and four RBI through six games.

The ten-run win moved Sons of Ben up to a nice 4-2 start. Meanwhile, for the second year in a row a Minerva team that has been favored to take the East Philadelphia pennant is off to a slow start, this time 1-5.

tm1681 · 03-07-2026, 11:43 PM

RATICAN RATTLES MASS. BAY IN JERSEY SHUTOUT
NEWARK #1 TWO-HITS M.B., IS OFF TO MUCH BETTER START IN SECOND APBL SEASON

NEWARK, N.J. (May 23, 1879) - Newark and Massachusetts Bay opened their three-game series at Ironbound Park in New Jersey on Friday, and it was a walk in the baseball park for the hosts as Mass. Bay’s bats went limp:

Newark had the victory in the bag by the end of the second inning. They stepped to the plate in B1 and scored four times on a Ground Out, a Single by LF Jacob Kaulback, a Single by 2B Leander Artis, and another Single by SS Jonathan Richards. They added another run via Fielder’s Choice in B2, and it turned out that a 5-0 lead was easily large enough to secure the win as Newark #1 John Ratican was in excellent form:

• NEW P John Ratican: CG SHO (4-5, 3.16), 2 HA, 0 BB, 3 K, 86 GMSC

Ratican was one of the many Newark N.B.B.O. holdovers who had significant trouble adjusting to the A.P.B.L. last season. One year after his historic 1877 N.B.B.O. campaign for Newark (29-9, 1.84 ERA, 133 K, 10.3 WAR), he set an A.P.B.L. record with 34 Losses (14-34), had a career-worst Earned Run Average of 4.51, allowed 496 Hits over 341 innings of work (13.1 HA/9), and finished the season with a staggering WHIP of 1.56.

So far in 1879, Ratican has looked much better. While his record is only 4-5, through 74 innings Ratican has an ERA of 3.16, is allowing 9.2 Hits per nine innings, has a WHIP of 1.14, and is on pace for a Pitching WAR of around 8.0. This is the John Ratican that Newark and neutral A.P.B.L. anticipated seeing last season.

The win made Newark a 7-9 (6th in Colonial) team through just over two and a half weeks of play, while Mass. Bay is 9-7 (3rd in Colonial).

tm1681 · 03-07-2026, 11:44 PM

MAXWELL THE HERO IN TEN-INNING THRILLER
2B HAS FIVE HITS INCLUDING GAME-WINNER AS SUSQUEHANNA & MERRIMACK COMBINE FOR 29 RUNS

WILKES-BARRE, PENN. (May 24, 1879 - Just after lunch on Saturday, Susquehanna and Merrimack Mills contested the fourth game of their N.B.B.O. Week Two series at River View Field. It was an extremely exciting affair:

The first four innings left the 1,731 in attendance thinking this game would be standard fare. Visiting Merrimack scored single runs in the 2nd & 3rd, Susquehanna scored single runs in the 3rd & 4th, and it was 2-2 after four. Then, the fun began.

Merrimack took their bats and scored twice in T5 on a Single by RF Alfred Suber. After the hosts went down 1-2-3, the visiting side scored seven times, the rally sped along with two-run Doubles by both Suber and 2B Jonathan Pierce, to give Merrimack a commandeering 11-2 lead.

After Merrimack scored a run in T7, Susquehanna went to work. The hosts scored twice in B7 to bring the deficit to eight (12-4), and after Merrimack scored another run in T8 Susquehanna put up a six-run rally in B8 that featured five run-scoring Singles to make it a 13-10 game. Merrimack stranded a man on third in T9, and Susquehanna plated three in their final chance, with PH Charles Patterson hitting a two-run Single with two out to tie the game 13-13 and force extra innings.

Merrimack scored once in the top of the tenth on a Single by SS James Nixon. Susquehanna came up to bat and tied the game with one out when a Sacrifice Fly by SS Stephen Barley brought in 3x M.V.P. John Schultz, and then 2B Lucas Maxwell won it with a Single that sent 1B Joseph Jurski home.

For Maxwell, the game-winning base hit was the capstone of an excellent performance:

• B1: Fly Out to LF (3 out)
• B3: 1-run Infield Single to 2B off I.A. Butler
• B5: Pop Fly Out to 1B (2 out)
• B7: 1-run Single past SS off I.A. Butler (R)
• B8: 1-run Single to RF off I.A. Butler (R)
• B9: Single past SS off F. Adams
• B10: 1-run Single past 2B off F. Adams (GW HIT)
• TOTAL: 5/7 (all 1B), 2 R, 4 RBI, GW HIT

Maxwell isn’t off to the kind of start he had last season, when he hit over .500 in May. Through eight games, Maxwell is batting .286 (8/28) with seven Runs and five RBI. That’s not bad, but it’s not up to Maxwell’s typical standard.

The two teams will finish their series tomorrow afternoon at River View Field, with the first pitch to be delivered at 2:20.

tm1681 · Yesterday, 01:23 PM

METRO HITS HARLEM WITH EVERYTHING IN RECORD WIN
5x NYC CHAMPS SET TEAM RECORD FOR RUNS & HITS IN A GAME; WIN BY MORE THAN TWO DOZEN

NEW YORK CITY (May 28, 1879) - Harlem hosted Metropolitan at Mt. Morris Square to start N.B.B.O. Week Three action on Wednesday, and the visiting attack went absolutely wild as they set team records in a 25-run victory:

Harlem actually scored first, with a fielding miscue granting them a 1-0 lead in B1. Metro responded with ten Runs in T2, and the rout was on. After scoring twice in both the 3rd & 5th, Metro went to bat in T8 and put up sixteen Runs on fifteen Hits. Ahead 33-6 after the end of the eighth, Metro decided they weren’t done and dropped four more runs on Harlem’s heads in T9 to take a 28-run lead that would wind up a 25-run margin of victory.

The 34 Runs & 37 Hits were both team records for Metropolitan. For the first time in team history – this being their 23rd season of play – they scored 10+ runs in an inning twice in the same game, and for the first time in team history they had two players with six Runs Batted In during the same game. Also, their fifteen Hits during the top of the eighth inning was an N.B.B.O. record for Hits by one team in a single inning.

Everybody got in on the fun, especially LF David Phillips and #1 Abraham Evans. The starting lineup:

• MET RF Ernest Keel: 2/5 (2B), 1 R, 1 RBI, 3 TB
• MET LF David Phillips: 6/9 (3B), 5 R, 6 RBI, 8 TB
• MET 1B Ezechiele Cornaro: 3/8 (all 1B), 2 R, 0 RBI
• MET CF Francis Smith: 3/9 (HR), 3 R, 4 RBI, 6 TB
• MET C Mark Lehmann: 4/8 (all 1B), 5 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB
• MET 3B Jacob Abbiate: 2/7 (both 1B), 4 R, 2 RBI, SAC BUNT
• MET 2B Thomas Reece: 4/7 (all 1B), 3 R, 3 RBI
• MET SS Frank Morrison: 3/4 (2B), 2 R, 1 RBI, 4 TB
• MET P Abraham Evans: 5/6 (all 1B), 3 R, 6 RBI, 1 K, SAC BUNT
• MET P Abraham Evans: W (5-0, 1.72), 8.2 IP, 10 HA, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K

Evans is decent-hitting Pitcher, but the 5/6 outburst isn’t something you’d ever expect from the .258 career hitter, who has managed to crank out all of three Extra-Base Hits (3 2B) out of his 161 total Hits during his seven-year career.

Phillips’ afternoon deserves a closer look:

• T1: Fly Out to RF (2 out)
• T2: Reached via Error by 2B (R)
• T3: Reached via Error by 3B (R)
• T4: Single past 2B off E. Haddox
• T6: Leadoff Single to RF off E. Haddox
• T7: Single past SS off E. Haddox
• T8: 2-run Single to LF off W. Kruse (R)
• T8: 1-run Single past 1B off W. Kruse (R)
• T9: 3-run Triple to RCF off A. Hand (R)
• TOTAL: 6/9 (3B), 5 R, 6 RBI, 8 TB, 113 GMSC

With three Runs, three Hits, and half a dozen Runs Batted In over the final three innings, Phillips gave the N.B.B.O. both its first six-hit game and its first 100+ Game Score of the 1879 season.

The smashing victory put Metropolitan above .500 at 6-5. Meanwhile, Harlem is 4-7 after the first day of Week Three.

tm1681 · Yesterday, 01:24 PM

GILL WINS PITCHER’S DUEL IN PHILADELPHIA
QUAKER ST. #1 GETS THE BETTER OF NEWARK’S KIHLSTEDT IN A RARE ONE-RUN GAME

PHILADELPHIA, PENN. (May 29, 1879) - Quaker State hosted Newark for the last of their three-game set on Thursday, and the contest at the Philadelphia Cricket Grounds finished with the rarest of outcomes: a 1-0 final score.

Quaker State went 1-0 during the bottom of the first on a run-scoring Single by CF Ned Morganti, and as it turned out that would be the only run of the game as both pitchers and both sets of fielders were in top form throughout the nine innings.

The pitching lines in Philadelphia:

• NEW P Washington Kihlstedt: L (3-6, 5.02), 8.0 IP, 5 HA, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• QS P Ross Gill: CG SHO (8-3, 2.70), 5 HA, 1 BB, 2 K

The two teams combined for three errors (A.P.B.L. Avg.: 10.6 total E/G) and, in a losing effort, visiting Newark had a rare errorless game in which their Catcher, Hilliard Patrick, threw out both Quaker St. men who tried to steal bases.

For the 2,900 or so in attendance it wasn’t what they would typically consider an exciting contest. However, fans of solid fundamental baseball likely saw it as a beautiful one.

The win ran Quaker State’s record to 14-7, which is good for a tie atop the Metropolitan Conference. Newark is 7-14, which has them sitting in seventh place in the Colonial Conference.

tm1681 · Yesterday, 01:25 PM

HARRIS CLUBS HALF-DOZEN HITS IN WIN AT GRANITE
PORTLAND RF HAS NBBO’S SECOND SIX-HIT GAME IN THREE DAYS; ALSO HAS SEVEN RBI

MANCHESTER, N.H. (May 30, 1879) - It was Game Three between Granite & Portland at the Kalivas Union Grounds on Friday afternoon, and, although it took some rallies to secure the result, 6x New England champs Portland were the victors:

After five innings it appeared that Portland had the win in the bag thanks to a 10-1 lead. However, Granite’s four-run rally in B6 featuring four straight Singles cut that lead to five (10-5). Portland immediately responded with three runs in T7 on a Home Run by RF Cody Harris to bring the lead back to eight (13-5), and four more runs in the ninth made sure they would earn the victory in New Hampshire.

The Home Run that put a seal on the win was the key moment of a perfect afternoon for Harris:

• T1: 1-run Double to LCF off C. Dempsey
• T3: 1-run Single to RF off C. Dempsey
• T4: 1-run Single past 2B off C. Dempsey
• T5: 1-run Single past 2B off C. Dempsey
• T7: 3-RUN HOME RUN to LCF off J. Schlitz
• T9: Single past 2B off J. Schlitz
• TOTAL: 6/6 (2B, HR), 1 R, 7 RBI, 10 TB, 109 GMSC

Harris’ afternoon output marked both the second six-hit game and the second 100+ Game Score in the N.B.B.O. over the past three days. While Harris’ 109 Game Score didn’t match Metropolitan LF David Phillips’ 113, Harris’ performance does have the upper hand in that he was a perfect 6/6 with the bat and he also hit a Home Run. Harris is batting .324 (.836 OPS) with ten Runs Batted In through the first thirteen games of the 1879 season, his third as a Portland regular.

The result gave the teams palindromic records. Portland is 8-5 and one game behind Sons of the Ocean for top spot in New England, while Granite is 5-8 and tied for sixth place with the Cantabrigians.

tm1681 · Yesterday, 01:26 PM

AMERICAN BASEBALL MONTHLY RECAP: MAY

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (May 31, 1879) – It is the last night of May. All of the competitive baseball for the opening month of the season has been completed, and here is how each of the four competitions look:

AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE STANDINGS

COLONIAL – As expected, Shamrock is atop the Colonial Conference, albeit after just one month. Henry Jost has seamlessly transitioned to CF, and they’ve allowed fewer runs than any other team in the A.P.B.L. at 5.4 RA/G.

Alleghany is right behind Shamrock with the league’s best fielding (E/G: #1, ZR: #1, EFF: #1) and they’re second in Runs Allowed (5.5 RA/G). Mass. Bay is tied for 2nd due to good overall performance and a fine May from the middle of their lineup. St. Johns’ stars and greenhorns are performing, but a few members of their lineup are batting close to .200. Niagara’s been just okay, with the exception of red-hot 1B William Norman (.457, 25 RBI, 1.4 WAR). Flour City is lucky not to be in last place. Pt. Jersey’s magic form in close games that buoyed them last year has evaporated (1-Run: 1-6; X-Inn: 0-4). Newark is more competitive than they were in their debut season, but they’re still struggling.

METROPOLITAN – If you would have individually asked all 88 members of the Writers Pool their opinions on how the first month of the season would end up, not a one would have said that the two newest Philadelphia teams – Quaker St. & Tiger S.C. – would take up the top two spots in the Metro with the league’s highest Run Differentials. Yet, there they are.

Quaker St. reeled off nine straight wins to end May, with the last two being 15-6 and 16-5 clobberings of American. They lead the league in Runs, Average, On-Base, Slugging, & OPS. Tiger, who went 4-18 last May, has the men on either side of Martin Prince in the lineup batting .398 (1B Mario Fusilli) and .360 (RF Howard Boley), and Henry Tallman took home P.o.t.M. Knick has had a couple of hiccups, but they look fine a month into their title defense. Gotham has only a pair of .300 hitters right now. American saw James Burke bat just .297 during the opening month. Struggling Kings Co. is 14th/16 in Runs Allowed (7.7 RA/G). Excelsior, as expected, is struggling to adjust without Jim Creighton. Orange, YET AGAIN, looks absolutely miserable on offense (R/G: last, AVG: last, OBP: last, OPS: last).

A.P.B.L. MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Royal Altman (1B, GOT) – .421, 1.082 OPS, 25 R, 42 H, 15 2B, 3 3B, 30 RBI, 6 BB, 2 SB, 2.4 WPA, 1.7 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Henry Tallman (TIG) – 9-5, 2.48 ERA, 21 K, 112.2 IP, 16 GP, 9 CG, 2.1 K/BB, 1.25 WHIP, 1.3 WAR, 2.9 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Eamonn Higgins (3B, StJ) – .327, .859 OPS, 19 R, 32 H, 3 2B, 5 3B, 24 RBI, 10 BB, 4 SB, 1.6 WPA, 1.1 WAR

Niagara 1B William Norman had a much higher Average (.457), but Altman earned his third career B.o.t.M. with a superior OPS (1.082 vs 1.015), higher RBI total (30 vs 25), and a whopping eighteen Extra-Base Hits. The other possibility here was 1B Mario Fusilli of Tiger, who hit .398 (.926 OPS) with a league-leading 34 Runs Batted In over just 23 games in May.

Tallman was one of three Pitchers to earn nine Wins in May, with Shamrock’s George Burroughs and Quaker St.’s Ross Gill the other two. Those two had better records (both 9-3), but Tallman had the lowest ERA of the trio and he also appeared in an absurd 16/23 Tiger S.C. games during the month. Tallman has arguably been their most important player so far.

No surprise for G.o.t.M., as the most highly-touted new face going into the season was the best of the Greenhorns during May. Teammate Joseph Nalley also hit over .300 (.329), while Mass. Bay CF James Johnson (.322) and Flour City 3B Jesse Noss (.308) did the same. The best Greenhorn P was Alleghany’s John Miles (6-4, 3.26 ERA, 8 K, 1.0 WAR).

A.P.B.L. STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .457 by William Norman (1B, Niagara)
OPS: 1.082 by Royal Altman (1B, Gotham)
Home Runs: 2 by Nelson Townsend (RF, St. John’s)
Runs Batted In: 34 by Mario Fusilli (1B, Tiger S.C.)
Runs: 33 by Babe Johnson (2B, Gotham) & Nelson Townsend
Stolen Bases: 19 by James Burke (CF, American)
Batsman WPA: 2.4 by Royal Altman & William Norman
Batsman WAR: 1.4 by Joseph Evans (LF, St. John’s) & Frank Doherty (3B, Alleghany)

Wins: 9 by three different pitchers
ERA (50+ IP): 2.28 by Robert Goodman (Knick) & Bertram Landreth (Knick)
Strikeouts: 29 by Nicholas Banfield (Orange)
Complete Games: 11 by Ross Gill (Quaker St.)
WHIP (50+ IP): 1.03 by Ross Gill
Pitcher WAR: 2.1 by Ross Gill
Pitcher rWAR: 3.9 by Ross Gill

NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION REGIONAL LEADERS

BROOKLYN: Eckford at 13-1 (Cont’l 4 GB; Bedford, Nassau Co., & Star 6 GB)
NEW YORK CITY: Mercury at 9-5 (Metro & N.Y.A.C. 1 GB; Hilltop & Union 2 GB)
UPSTATE N.Y.: Minuteman & Utica at 9-5 (Syracuse 1 GB; Binghamton, Frontier, & Victory 2 GB)
COASTAL: Trenton Utd. at 10-4 (Diamond St., Maryland, & P.B.C.C. 2 GB)
INLAND: Lancastra Brit., Pioneer, & Susquehanna at 9-5 (Reading A.C. 1 GB)
NEW ENGLAND: Sons of the Ocean at 10-4 (Portland, Quinnipiac, & Salem 2 GB)

BROOKLYN – After consecutive runner-up finishes in Brooklyn, Eckford appears determined to race out to such a fast start that nobody will catch them. The real surprise: Atlantic is 6-8 with sputtering offense.

NEW YORK CITY – Mercury is ahead for now, but defending N.B.B.O. champions N.Y.A.C. ended May with four straight wins. All eight teams are separated by just four games – standard N.Y.C. fare.

UPSTATE N.Y. – The usual suspects – Minuteman, Syracuse, & Utica – are the top three. That doesn’t say much, however, as taking the Upstate pennant frequently involves a multi-team fight that lasts until the final week.

COASTAL – Trenton Utd., projected to finish 32-38, are the surprise leaders at the end of May. Maryland & P.B.C.C. are playing well enough, but the main news here was National’s 4-8 start before they recovered with consecutive wins to end the month.

INLAND – Lancastra & Susquehanna topping the standings is a surprise to absolutely nobody. However, through nearly three weeks of play it appears that Pioneer, led by P Fred Cowan & 2B Frank Thomas, wants to crash their exclusive party.

NEW ENGLAND – S.o.t.O. has the early lead thanks to their fielding being the best in the N.E.L. and their stars Jesse Craig & Peter Huff both batting well over .350. The rest of the Writers Pool’s projected top five are right behind them.

N.B.B.O. MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMEN OF THE MONTH
NYL: George Whaley (CF, FRO) – .469, 1.173 OPS, 21 R, 30 H, 9 2B, 3 3B, 19 RBI, 1 BB, 7 SB, 1.0 WPA, 1.1 WAR
NEL: James Poindexter (1B, TU) – .484, 1.177 OPS, 20 R, 30 H, 4 2B, 4 3B, 19 RBI, 2 BB, 10 SB, 2.0 WPA, 1.2 WAR

PITCHERS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Abraham Evans (MET) – 6-1, 2.18 ERA, 18 K, 62.0 IP, 5 CG, 1.3 K/BB, 1.16 WHIP, 1.0 WAR, 2.3 rWAR
NEL: Fred Cowan (PIO) – 6-2, 2.26 ERA, 15 K, 67.2 IP, 4 CG, 2.5 K/BB, 1.33 WHIP, 0.9 WAR, 0.6 rWAR

GREENHORNS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Michael Akhverdov (RF, CON) – .344, 1.065 OPS, 22 R, 22 H, 10 XBH, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 7 BB, 5 SB, 1.1 WPA, 0.9 WAR
NEL: Gilbert Ingels (3B, PBCC) – .439, 1.071 OPS, 15 R, 25 H, 5 2B, 1 HR, 24 RBI, 7 BB, 1 SB, 0.9 WPA, 0.9 WAR

N.B.B.O. STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .488 by George Keller (C, Lake Erie)
OPS: 1.177 by James Poindexter (1B, Trenton Utd.)
Home Runs: 3 by Michael Akhverdov (RF, Continental)
Runs Batted In: 24 by Gilbert Ingels (3B, P.B.C.C.)
Runs: 25 by Frederick Pike (2B, P.B.C.C.)
Stolen Bases: 16 by Karl Ilkin (RF, Union)
Batsman WPA: 2.1 by Julius Tierney (LF, Star)
Batsman WAR: 1.4 by Frank Thomas (2B, Pioneer)

Wins: 6 by four different pitchers
ERA (50+ IP): 1.92 by Robert Dressen (Portland)
Strikeouts: 37 by Earl Quinn (Maryland)
Complete Games: 6 by six different pitchers
WHIP (50+ IP): 0.93 by Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.)
Pitcher WAR: 2.1 by Earl Quinn
Pitcher rWAR: 3.3 by Arthur Rice (Union)

COASTAL BASEBALL CONFERENCE LEADER

Bridgeport at 9-5 (Lynn & Sportsman’s 1 GB; Essex Co. & Olympic 2 GB)

No surprise – preseason favorites Bridgeport top the standings after one month. However, their +5 Run Differential ranks fourth so they are a bit lucky to be in first place. Lynn is playing surprisingly well, while Olympic & Sportsman’s are where they should be.

C.B.C. MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
James Holt (C, OLY) – .475, 1.098 OPS, 18 R, 29 H, 7 2B, 1 3B, 11 RBI, 3 SB, 56.5 CS%, 0.4 WPA, 1.2 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Edward Koch (BRI) – 6-2, 2.97 ERA, 9 K, 63.2 IP, 6 CG, 2.2 K/BB, 1.19 WHIP, 1.2 WAR, 1.3 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Horace Bray (HIGH) – .373, .828 OPS, 14 R, 22 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 14 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB, 0.8 WPA, 0.5 WAR

C.B.C. STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .475 by James Holt (C, Olympic)
OPS: 1.098 by James Holt
Home Runs: 3 by Lucian Diller (RF, Capitol City)
Runs Batted In: 18 by William Fair (RF, Lynn)
Runs: 19 by Hiram Trout (2B, Highlander)
Stolen Bases: 11 by Everton Pauline (LF, Olympic)
Batsman WPA: 1.5 by Bodil Hansen (2B, C. & A.)
Batsman WAR: 1.2 by James Holt

Wins: 6 by Walt Harper (Sportsman’s) & Edward Koch (Bridgeport)
ERA (50+ IP): 2.64 by William Stewart (Lynn)
Strikeouts: 19 by Jonathan Reitz (C. & A.)
Complete Games: 6 Edward Koch
WHIP (50+ IP): 1.19 by Edward Koch
Pitcher WAR: 1.3 by Walt Harper
Pitcher rWAR: 1.5 by Howard McGrath (Olympic)

PHILADELPHIA CITY BASEBALL LEAGUE LEADERS

EAST: Spartan at 10-4 (Frankford 2 GB; Keystone, Minerva, & Queen Village 3 GB)
WEST: Mercantile at 10-4 (Merion 2.5 GB; Bartram Vill., Independence, & Overbrook 3 GB)

EAST – Spartan had the league’s #1 offense during May, and their reward is first place. However, there are three quality teams close behind and Keystone (proj. 30-40) looks competitive as well.

WEST – Mercantile looks brilliant so far. They’re top-three in numerous offensive categories and star 1B Benjamin Warnock took home B.o.t.M. However, all other teams are within five games so it looks like the West will be very competitive.

P.C.B.L. MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Benjamin Warnock (1B, MERC) – .478, 1.131 OPS, 19 R, 33 H, 9 2B, 1 3B, 14 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB, 1.1 WPA, 1.3 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Charles Sturch (MER) – 5-1, 1.70 ERA, 23 K, 53.0 IP, 5 CG, 4.6 K/BB, 1.02 WHIP, 1.1 WAR, 1.3 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Damian McLaughlin (C, PENN) – .344, .826 OPS, 15 R, 22 H, 4 2B, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 1 BB, 2.76 C-ERA, 0.9 WPA, 0.6 WAR

P.C.B.L. STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .478 by Benjamin Warnock (1B, Mercantile)
OPS: 1.160 by Henry Yoder (CF, Sons of Ben)
Home Runs: 1 by seventeen different batsmen
Runs Batted In: 18 by four different batsmen
Runs: 21 by George Golden (LF, Independence)
Stolen Bases: 12 by Jonathan Auriemma (2B, Minerva) & Harrison Comstock (LF, Schuylkill)
Batsman WPA: 1.7 by James Stober (3B, Queen Village)
Batsman WAR: 1.1 by Benjamin Warnock

Wins: 6 by Robert Nygren (Overbrook)
ERA (50+ IP): 1.70 by Charles Sturch (Merion)
Strikeouts: 29 by Oliver Greene (Frankford)
Complete Games: 6 by Robert Nygren & Charles Pratt (Mercantile)
WHIP (50+ IP): 1.02 by Robert Benson (Merion) & Charles Sturch
Pitcher WAR: 2.0 by Robert Nygren
Pitcher rWAR: 1.8 by Robert Ewing (Sons of Ben) & Charles Roberts (Sons of Ben)

tm1681 · Today, 09:03 AM

PELHAM PITCHES TWO SHUTOUTS OVER LONG WEEKEND
FRONTIER #1 BLANKS BINGHAMTON ON DECORATION DAY AND AGAIN ON JUNE 1ST

OSWEGO, N.Y. (June 1, 1879) - Frontier B.B.C. spent Week Three of N.B.B.O. play hosting Binghamton at Fort Ontario Park in Upstate New York. The result was a 3-2 series win by Frontier that pushed them over .500 (8-7), a result that wouldn’t have happened without the efforts of their #1, Edward Pelham.

The series began well for Frontier with a 10-5 victory on Wednesday in which they were led by former Merrimack Mills 2B William Sudduth (3/4, 2B, 1 R, 4 RBI). Binghamton evened the series on Thursday with an 11-8 win in which RF Edward Everage (3/4, 3B, 2 R, 4 RBI) took the Player of the Game honor.

Friday afternoon’s game was a special one at Fort Ontario, as those in attendance were celebrating Decoration Day to honor the men who perished during the Civil War.

(NOTE: What we know as Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day. Shortly after the end of the Civil War, similar holidays honoring the war dead began in the Northern States and the Southern States, with the holiday being known as "Decoration Day" in the North and "Memorial Day" in the South. Over time, the Memorial Day moniker won out, probably because it was a better descriptor of the day. However, until 1971 it was still officially called "Decoration Day".

The holiday was originally on a fixed date of May 30th each year thanks to General Order No. 11 from General John Logan to the Grand Army of the Republic. It remained that way until the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968 mandated the change of a number of federal holidays to specific Mondays, and starting in 1971 Memorial Day was observed on the final Monday in May.

And there's your trivia for the day.

Pelham rose to the occasion in a seven-run Frontier victory:

• FRO P Edward Pelham: CG SHO (4-3, 3.99), 3 HA, 1 BB, 5 K

The only player who came remotely close to doing any damage against Pelham was previous P.o.t.G., Everage, who hit a Double to lead off the top of the fourth before he was left there thanks to Pelham’s pitching. The Shutout was the seventh in Pelham’s career, and it put Frontier over .500 at 7-6.

Binghamton evened the series 2-2 on Saturday with a rain-shorted (seven innings) 3-1 win in which the conditions caused both teams to struggle with the bat – there were six total hits (BING 4, FRO 2) – and the result left both an even 7-7.

The series finale took place just after lunchtime on Sunday, and this one went the full nine innings in splendid weather, with Frontier’s four-run rally in the fourth breaking the game open and their 5-0 lead holding steady thanks, again, to the work of sixth-year #1 Pelham:

• FRO P Edward Pelham: CG SHO (5-3, 3.44), 5 HA, 0 BB, 1 K

This time around it was Binghamton SS Edward Schwab who hit the lone Double in the third inning before he was stranded, and Pelham was aided greatly by C Fergus O’Connall, who threw out all four Binghamton would-be base stealers.

For Pelham, the consecutive shutouts were a rare achievement for a Pitcher but one that he arguably needed. A 2x All-Star with a career ERA of 3.33, Pelham entered the Decoration Day game with a 3-3 record and a 4.75 ERA. The two successive Shutouts lowed his ERA all the way down to a perfectly acceptable 3.44, and they improved his record to 5-3.

The final result of the five-game series bumped Frontier up and over .500 to 8-7 (4th Upstate), with the loss moving Binghamton down to 7-8 (T-5th Upstate).