1871 - Major League Baseball Begins

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August 31, 1878 - It should have been a grand day to go to the ballpark for White Stockings fans. Their team has surged to first place and has a magic number of 6...possibly about to win their third straight pennant in a season when they were expected to decline.
But a storm was brewing, indeed it was a rainy day for a game. And just a couple hours before game time it was announced that Al Spalding would be playing his final game today. The White Stockings lost 5-4, and Spalding went 0 for 4 at the plate. In the bottom of the ninth, Jimmy Hallinan grounded out, ending the game. Spalding was in the on deck circle. He wouldn't get another chance to be the hero. Only 967 were in attendance...the word wasn't spread fast enough of Spalding's last day, and the weather didn't help.
When Hallinan grounded out, an audible silence passed through the crowd. Then, as one, they cheered, and it was as if 10,000 were in attendance. Never before has a player in the on deck circle, unable to bat, received such a cheer. Spalding, teary eyed, acknowledged the fans and remained on the field for several minutes, before leaving and then returning for the official goodbye ceremony. Those 967 knew that a legend's era had come to an end before their eyes.

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September 1st, 1878 - The Chicago White Stockings had a great August...great enough to find themselves on the brink of their third straight pennant. Rookie pitcher Terry Larkin is 29-21 with a 2.38 ERA. Providence has floundered...they are 3-7 the past ten games. Remarkably, the Milwaukee Grays are in 3rd place and 3 and a half games back.

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September 11th, 1878 - The Chicago White Stockings rallied and scored 5 runs in the 8th inning to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 6-3, clinching their third straight pennant. A key victory only 4 days prior over Providence set the stage for today as Chicago started the game with a magic number of 1. The White Stockings have now tied the Philadelphia Athletics for the most franchise pennants (3).

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December 4th, 1878 - The Indianapolis Blues and the Milwaukee Grays survived only one season, but thankfully there will be 4 new teams to replace them in 1879. Here's your first look at these 4 new franchises:



So there you have it. Three new teams in New York, and one new team in Ohio, bringing the league up to 8 teams for the 1879 season.

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March 15th, 1879 Season Predictions

Boston Red Caps Boston begins the year with several returning players from last season and also several rookies that may be decent. They don't have any player that is the best in the league, but they have good players at all positions. Center fielder Charley Jones arrives from Cincinnati to bat cleanup. Anticipate Boston to improve on their .500 season from last year, though it is doubtful they will win the pennant.

Buffalo Bisons Buffalo could actually be a respectable rookie team, except that starting pitcher Pud Galvin isn't exactly an all-star. Pud last pitched in 1875 for the St. Louis Brown Stockings and had a 5.23 ERA. Center Fielder Dave Eggler (.321) transfers from Chicago. Rookie third baseman Hardie Richardson swings the bat well and could end up being the star of the team. Expect the Bisons to have somewhere around a .400 season.

Chicago White Stockings Chicago has made some key improvements this year and may be the first team to win four pennants in a row. RIght fielder Orator Shafer batted .337 for Indianapolis last year. Harbridge, Dalrymple, Peters and Anson all return, all batted above .300. Rookie center fielder George Gore is expected to help out with his bat. Starting Pitcher Terry Larkin hopes to have a good a season as last year (2.28 ERA.) It all adds up to yet another winning season for the White Stockings.

Cincinnati Reds Ross Barnes returns to baseball after taking last season off, and he should help catapult the Reds to a winning season. He joins King Kelly, Deacon White and Cal McVey in the batting order. Rookie center fielder Pete Hotaling will bat 4th. Will White returns after a successful pitching year with a 2.87 ERA. Expect to Reds to finish above .500 this year.

Cleveland Blues Jim McCormick is going to have a great ERA this season, but not many wins to show for it. The Cleveland Blues have one of the worst lineups in the league, featuring several untested rookies and several veterans who have already proven that they can't hit very well. Look for the Blues to finish in the cellar this year.

Providence Grays Jim O'Rourke (.311), Mike McGeary (.321) and George Wright (.324) join the Grays this season to give Providence a lineup that certainly looks like a pennant winner. Not to mention pitcher Monte Ward is being backed up by Bobby Mathews. Rookie catcher Emil Gross looks like a future star. Providence has an excellent chance of finding themselves in first place at the end of October.

Syracuse Stars Syracuse will be battling Cleveland and Troy for last place this year. Beyond first baseman Mike Dorgan (.324), this is a very weak team.

Troy Trojans George Bradley will be begging his team for run support this season, but with a cast of characters that includes aging veterans that are well past their prime (like Bob Ferguson), and several rookies that don't look like anything special, with the possible exception of Dan Brouthers, it's going to be a long season for Troy. Their only hope is to squeeze out an extra run or two against Syracuse and Cleveland so they don't finish dead last.

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June 1st, 1879 - Chicago has jumped out to the early lead, with Troy, Providence and Buffalo each sitting 3 games back. The big surprise thus far is the Troy Trojans. George Bradley (2.15 ERA) and Dan Brouthers (.338 / 7 RBI) are carrying the team on their shoulders. It's also surprising that Cincinnati is 3-12. They have 4 .300+ hitters, and Will White has a 3.15 ERA.

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July 1st, 1879 - Providence swept Chicago in a three game series and briefly held first place, but the White Stockings are on an 8-2 run and have recaptured the lead. Troy and Buffalo continue to play well and are both 4 games back.

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August 1st, 1879 - Chicago beat Providence 3 out of 4 games in a key series; they've won 8 games in a row and 9 out of their last 10. Providence meanwhile has won 5 in a row, but after a while it has to be disheartening when the other team rarely loses. The Trojans have begun to falter...George Bradley has pitched heroically this season.

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August 14th, 1879 - With his team riding a six game winning streak, and sitting atop the National League with a 7 1/2 game lead, Cap Anson has decided to sit out the rest out the season to try and recover from an unspecified liver ailment.
"It's affecting my play," said Cap, "I've got to heal up from this, for myself and for the team."

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September 1st, 1879 - Chicago has lost 4 games in a row and has seen their lead shrink to 5 games. Still, their magic number is 13, so even if they can manage .500 ball they have a good chance of winning. Will they be able to hold off Providence without Cap Anson?

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September 21st, 1879 - Chicago has gone 2-8 in their last 10 games, and though their magic number is 7, they only have a 1/2 game lead over the surging Providence Grays. Even Boston has an outside shot, as they have played excellent ball since the mid-point of the season and are now only 4 games out.

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September 29th, 1879 - The Providence Grays have rallied back from a 7 1/2 game deficit to win the National League pennant, ending Chicago's 3 year winning streak. Providence won 8 games in a row, and Chicago went 3 and 7 in their last 10 games. It was an epic collapse by the White Stockings, who were really impacted by the loss of Cap Anson.

[BaseballMan]

Do you think Cap will get 3,000 hits?

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Originally Posted by BaseballMan

Do you think Cap will get 3,000 hits?

My guess is no but it could be close!

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November 1st, 1879 - Final Standings/Statistics

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December 3rd, 1879 - The Cincinnati Reds withdrew from the league on October 24th, and the National League announced today that they will be replaced with the semi-professional team, the Cincinnati Stars.


Also, on September 10, the Syracuse Stars went bankrupt and folded, so they also will not be returning next season.

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February 5th, 1880 - Massachusetts now has a National League team, as the Worcester Ruby Legs were admitted into the league today. The National League is now back to 8 teams for the 1880 Season.

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I really haven't been happy with the way the default website works for OOTP, so I'm working on a way to get more information from all seasons packed in there before I start the 1880 season.

In the meantime, please read a word from one of our sponsors.

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February 6th, 1880 - Cal McVey announced today that he will not be returning to the National League this year. McVey has played in every season of the National Association/League since 1871, was an 1873 Gold Glove winner, and has won 4 pennants (2 with Boston, 2 with Chicago).
"My time has ended in the National League, but I am far from done with baseball," said Mcvey in a news conference, "I'm moving out west, and I'm going to bring baseball with me. I'll never quit playing this game."