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

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AMERICAN BASEBALL RECAP: JULY

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (July 31, 1881) – The end of July and the space between the two All-Star Games means that there are a scant few weeks left in the season. Here are how the pennant races stand with 10-15 games remaining:

AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE STANDINGS

The conferences, at least across the top half, are now basically equal in strength after the Metropolitan Conference produced three of the A.P.B.L.’s four best teams during July. However, the Metro still has the two worst teams in the league and the only two that have been eliminated from Founders Cup contention.

COLONIAL CONFERENCE

The St. John’s July was a bit deceiving. They were only 13-11 but had a +35 Run Differential, so some bounces didn’t go their way. Still, they’re going to have to fight off three teams who are within a week’s worth of wins if they want to take another pennant.

Niagara shot two places up the standings with an outstanding July during which All-Star OF’s Charles Barrett (.361) and Reginald Roper (.355) both hit over .350, and they’re now within two games of St. John’s. Mass. Bay had an iffy July marked by fielding issues, but they’re still just three games out of 1st and their next three series are against teams around .500 or notably under it. Shamrock also had a tough time in July because parts of their lineup hit the skids, but they remain within five games of the leaders and an upcoming home series vs American should prove to be a nice tonic.

The other four teams remain mathematically alive for the postseason, but at 10-11 games out of 1st none have a realistic chance of snatching the pennant at the last moment. Of the four, Pt. Jersey is likeliest to spoil others’ Founders Cup hopes – they have series against Kings Co. & Excelsior remaining – because #1 Robert Goodman has taken the Win in eight of his last ten starts and they have the second-best Run Differential in the Colonial Conference, so they’ve played better than their record.

METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE

Excelsior is, without doubt, the best team in the league right now. Their July record left them 35-15 since June 1st, as all three of their Greenhorns have proven to be excellent additions and B.o.t.M. Troy Oberst went nuts with the bat over the last four weeks. They have the third-ranked attack and top-four fielding, which is an extremely dangerous combination.

Orange had a fine July that leaves them within striking distance of Excelsior should they falter, with Andrew Miller (22-14, 3.09, 105 K) making his first All-Star Game and RF Jonathan Cobb (.369, 38 XBH, 71 RBI) having his best season yet. Surprising Tiger has leaped up to 3rd, with SS Martin Prince (.360, 52 RBI, 5.0 WAR) having his finest campaign, 2B Griffin Gray (.336, 45 RBI, 27 SB) making his 1st All-Star Game, and Howard Boley (.354) batting over .350. Kings Co. had a nightmarish July that caused them to fall from 1st to 4th after their offense took a slumber that led to a monthly RD of -48, and with that form it’s hard to see them turning it around and taking the pennant.

Knick is eight games back, but with 12/15 remaining games away from home their postseason chances are slim to none. What was tipped to be a pennant-winning season for Gotham instead will see them bow out of contention with roughly two weeks left on the schedule. American & Quaker State are preparing for next year.

A.P.B.L. MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Troy Oberst (LF, EXC) – .480, 1.317 OPS, 33 R, 49 H, 11 2B, 9 3B, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 8 BB, 2.3 WPA, 2.5 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Robert Goodman (PtJ) – 8-5, 3.10 ERA, 101.2 IP, 8 CG, 34 K, 3.8 K/BB, 1.24 WHIP, 2.3 WAR, NO-HITTER

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Charles Blaise (1B, EXC) – .317, .847 OPS, 18 R, 32 H, 8 2B, 5 3B, 19 RBI, 3 BB, 11 SB, 1.3 WPA, 0.9 WAR

Oberst managed to outdo either of Garfield Koonce’s first two months with an unbelievable slash line of .480/.523/.794 over 24 games during July, leading the league in just about every contact-related category. That meant Shamrock 3B William Dickerson’s amazing month (.444, 1.168 OPS, 27 RBI, 11 SB, 2.1 WPA, 2.2 WAR) had to be cast aside, and two other players who hit above .400, Martin Prince (.404) & Solomon Springs (.404) didn’t even merit the briefest of consideration for B.o.t.M.

Goodman took P.o.t.M. because of his winning run over the second half of the month and his No-Hitter. Tomoharu Mukai had the most Wins (9) but a 3.54 ERA. George Burroughs had the best ERA (1.88) but was 5-7. John Ratican had the most Strikeouts (46) but went 5-6. Walter Johannessen had the best Win% (7-1) but walked more men than he struck out (12 to 8).

This wasn’t Charles Blaise’s best month, but he was the best of the Greenhorns during the month thanks to the strange skillset he has for a 1B that made him one of three Excelsior Greenhorns to make the All-Star Game, an A.P.B.L. first. The G.H. trio of he, 2B C Frank Clark, & 2B Johnny Holcombe has been simply fantastic this season.

A.P.B.L. STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .418 by Garfield Koonce (1B, Kings Co.)
OPS: 1.020 by Garfield Koonce
Home Runs: 5 by Jesse Noss (3B, Flour City)
Runs Batted In: 76 by Garfield Koonce
Runs: 88 by John Meier (LF, Orange)
Stolen Bases: 62 by John Meier
Batsman WPA: 5.3 by Garfield Koonce
Batsman WAR: 5.0 by Martin Prince (SS, Tiger S.C.)

Wins: 23 by Bertram Landreth (Knick)
ERA (150+ IP): 2.54 by John Ratican (Newark)
Strikeouts: 129 by Nicholas Banfield (Alleghany)
Complete Games: 30 by Bertram Landreth
WHIP (150+ IP): 1.16 by Andrew Miller
Pitcher WAR: 7.4 by Howard Burns (St. John’s)
Pitcher rWAR: 8.9 by Willie Gray (Tiger S.C.)

NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION REGIONAL LEADERS

NEW YORK LEAGUE

BROOKLYN: Atlantic at 40-20 (Continental 7 GB; Bedford & Eckford 9 GB)
NEW YORK CITY: New York A.C. at 39-21 (Metro 2 GB; Hilltop 4 GB; Mutual 5 GB)
UPSTATE N.Y.: Frontier at 40-20 (Syracuse 3 GB; Minuteman 5 GB; Utica 8 GB)

BROOKLYN: A five-game sweep vs Nassau Co. to end July has just about wrapped up another pennant for Atlantic. Before that their lead was five games with fifteen to play, but now that they have a seven-game cushion with ten left it’s hard to see how they can be beaten.

NEW YORK CITY: A 15-8 July featuring Charles Rhodes’ greatest month yet has put N.Y.A.C. back in first place. There are still three other teams in the thick of the fight and most of their remaining series are against the bottom four, but with the way Rhodes is pitching it’s difficult to imagine anyone other than Metropolitan coming from behind to take the pennant.

UPSTATE N.Y.: Frontier is still in 1st, but danger is lurking. Syracuse was 15-8 during July, while Minuteman went 8-2 over their last ten games during the month. Syracuse’s last two series are at Columbia and vs Eagle, so they have the schedule advantage. However, it could be the final-week series between Minuteman & Frontier that decides who takes the pennant.

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE

COASTAL: National at 41-19 (Maryland 3 GB; Philadelphia B.C.C. 5 GB, Trenton Utd. 9 GB)
INLAND: Susquehanna at 41-19 (Squirrel Hill 4 GB; Lancastra 5 GB; Pioneer 9 GB)
NEW ENGLAND: Quinnipiac at 37-23 (S.o.t.O. 2 GB; Portland 7 GB; Granite 8 GB; Green Mtn. & Oceanic 9 GB)

COASTAL: An 18-5 July punctuated with a sweep of Lord Baltimore to end the month has National looking like the best team in the N.E.L. right now. However, Maryland remains a major threat due to the emergence of new #1 Hamilton Wiggins (11-6, 2.35, 31 K, 145 IP). Also, National ends the season at Philadelphia B.C.C., which could cause their pennant chase to crash at the last hurdle.

INLAND: Susquehanna and Squirrel Hill were both 13-10 last month, while Lancastra was 15-9. That means there will be a three-way race for the Inland pennant, something that didn’t look possible after Susquehanna’s 14-1 May. Lancastra hosts Susquehanna next week, and that series could go a long way to deciding who takes the pennant.

NEW ENGLAND: Quinnipiac & S.o.t.O. switched spots again, meaning the end-of-May leaders were back on top at the end of July. Both teams have a series against Portland remaining, and with the seven-time pennant winners 8-2 over their last ten games there’s a slight chance the men from Maine could come out of nowhere, stun the top two, and grab the pennant.

N.B.B.O. MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMEN OF THE MONTH
NYL: Manuel Romeiras (RF, MUT); .410, 1.095 OPS, 26 R, 41 H, 15 XBH, 1 HR, 32 RBI, 5 BB, 14 SB, 2.4 WPA, 1.3 WAR
NEL: Chester Dudek (2B, NAT); .412, 1.065 OPS, 25 R, 40 H, 9 2B, 4 3B, 28 RBI, 12 BB, 4 SB, 2.1 WPA, 1.5 WAR

PITCHERS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Charles Rhodes (NYAC); 11-4, 1.53 ERA, 129.1 IP, 13 CG, 1 SHO, 73 K, 10.4 K/BB, 0.91 WHIP, 5.1 WAR, 6.0 rWAR
NEL: Ben Lauppe (NAT); 11-3, 1.66 ERA, 119.0 IP, 9 CG, 1 SHO, 68 K, 4.9 K/BB, 1.17 WHIP, 3.4 WAR, 2.8 rWAR

GREENHORNS OF THE MONTH
NYL: William Webb (CF, VIC); .365, .925 OPS, 38 R, 42 H, 13 XBH, 1 HR, 28 RBI, 7 BB, 9 SB, 1.5 WPA, 1.5 WAR
NEL: Luther Isaacson (3B, LE); .351, .844 OPS, 134 OPS+, 19 R, 33 H, 7 2B, 16 RBI, 13 BB, 2 SB, 1.9 WPA, 0.9 WAR

N.B.B.O. STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .394 by James Burke (CF, Philadelphia B.C.C.)
OPS: 1.065 by James Burke
Home Runs: 3 by many different Batsmen
Runs Batted In: 78 by Scott Lyons (C, Susquehanna)
Runs: 88 by John Porretta (2B, Susquehanna)
Stolen Bases: 60 by Jack Anastasio (RF, N.Y.A.C.)
Batsman WPA: 6.0 by Francis Smith (CF, Metropolitan)
Batsman WAR: 4.4 by James Burke & William Denham (3B, Continental)

Wins: 26 by Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.)
ERA (150+ IP): 1.76 by Charles Rhodes
Strikeouts: 167 by Charles Rhodes
Complete Games: 30 by Charles Rhodes
WHIP (150+ IP): 1.01 by Charles Rhodes
Pitcher WAR: 11.2 by Charles Rhodes
Pitcher rWAR: 12.0 by Charles Rhodes

COASTAL BASEBALL CONFERENCE LEADER

Bridgeport at 42-18 (Capitol City & Essex Co. 9 GB; Highlander 10 GB)

Two wins from the remaining ten games are all Bridgeport needs to put the seal on their third consecutive C.B.C. title. Their two remaining series are at home vs Capitol City & Sportsman’s, and with a 19-6 home record it shouldn’t take more than 3-4 games into the Week Thirteen schedule before the trophy is theirs.

C.B.C. MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Hiram Trout (1B, HIGH) – .394, .981 OPS, 30 R, 37 H, 9 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 28 RBI, 6 BB, 1.5 WPA, 1.3 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Robert Murphy (BRI) – 7-2, 2.51 ERA, 68.0 IP, 4 CG, 2 SHO, 34 K, 3.1 K/BB, 1.10 WHIP, 1.5 WAR, 1.9 rWAR

C.B.C. STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .375 by Euan Graham (1B, Bridgeport)
OPS: .972 by Euan Graham
Home Runs: 3 by Calvin Masters (SS, Highlander)
Runs Batted In: 78 by Louis Beane (SS, Bridgeport)
Runs: 87 by Jacob Overfield (3B, Bridgeport)
Stolen Bases: 41 by Robert Werstler (CF, Bridgeport)
Batsman WPA: 4.8 by Jacob Overfield
Batsman WAR: 3.3 by Jacob Overfield

Wins: 23 by Erasmus Kelschenbach (Highlander)
ERA (150+ IP): 2.19 by Edward Koch
Strikeouts: 128 by Erasmus Kelschenbach
Complete Games: 19 by Erasmus Kelschenbach
WHIP (150+ IP): 1.25 by John Baker
Pitcher WAR: 5.0 by John Baker
Pitcher rWAR: 4.9 by John Baker

PHILADELPHIA CITY BASEBALL LEAGUE LEADERS

EAST: Minerva at 48-12 (clinched pennant)
WEST: Schuylkill at 40-20 (Overbrook 7 GB; Merion 8 GB; Mercantile & Penn 9 GB)

EAST: Minerva decided a 17-5 June just wasn’t good enough so they went 19-4 during the month of July, securing their place in the Liberty Bell Classic in the process. They are now 36-9 since June 1st, and if Minerva can win eight of their ten games during the series against Frankford & Pt. Richmond they’ll have the best single-season record in P.C.B.L. history.

WEST: Schuylkill was outstanding during July, with a 17-6 record that saw them gain six games on the competition and make them almost certain to repeat as West Philadelphia champs. Schuylkill’s remaining series are vs Merion and at Penn, so they can’t become complacent. After all, West Philadelphia is known for late-season chaos, if nothing else.

P.C.B.L. MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Paul Ward (SS, FRA) – .404, 1.073 OPS, 33 R, 44 H, 11 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 29 RBI, 10 BB, 1.1 WPA, 2.0 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Bud Forster (MIN) – 10-1, 2.83 ERA, 114.1 IP, 9 CG, 4.0 K/BB, 9.6 H/A, 1.18 WHIP, 2.5 WAR, 3.2 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Paul Ward (SS, FRA)* – P.C.B.L. Batsman of the Month
*Also won G.o.t.M. for May

P.C.B.L. STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .375 by James Niven (CF, Overbrook)
OPS: .955 by John Smith (Independence)
Home Runs: 2 by nine different Batsmen
Runs Batted In: 69 by Fred Pietrangelo (1B, Minerva)
Runs: 86 by Jonathan Auriemma (2B, Minerva)
Stolen Bases: 56 by Jonathan Auriemma
Batsman WPA: 5.8 by Jonathan Auriemma
Batsman WAR: 4.7 by Paul Ward (SS, Frankford)

Wins: 25 by Bud Forster (Minerva)
ERA (150+ IP): 2.18 by Robert Nygren
Strikeouts: 134 by Oliver Greene (Frankford)
Complete Games: 27 by Robert Nygren
WHIP (150+ IP): 1.16 by Bud Forster
Pitcher WAR: 7.3 by Robert Nygren
Pitcher rWAR: 8.8 by Robert Nygren

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1881 A.P.B.L. ALL-STAR GAME
GAME HOSTED BY ORANGE; EXCELSIOR TIES RECORD W/ SIX PLAYERS; RECORD SEVEN GREENHORNS

MANHATTAN, N.Y. (Aug. 1, 1881) – There are fifteen games left to play in the season, and that means it’s time for the annual American Professional Baseball League All-Star Game!

Rosters for the A.P.B.L.’s Midsummer Classic aren’t the same as those in its N.B.B.O. counterpart, but it should be noted that they were changed for this year’s game:

• Twenty-four players per conference
• Roster places 1-4 go to Pitchers – two for each rotation place
• Roster places 5-20 go to Batsmen – two for each position
• Roster places 21-24 go to one Pitcher, Corner Infielder, Middle Infielder, & Outfielder

It was the Metropolitan Conference’s turn to host the game this time around, and since St. John’s won the Founders Cup last year the league champs wouldn’t be hosting for the first time since 1877. The decision was made to grant hosting duties to Orange B.B.C., whose home, the Upper Manhattan Grounds, was a fine venue that held over 12,000 spectators.

Fifteen out of sixteen teams were represented at this year’s game, with 25-50 American deemed unworthy of having any player present. Fourteen teams had multiple players present, while Alleghany was the only team that sent one player to Manhattan.

The Colonial Conference roster was led by St. John’s with five nominees, but Flour City, Niagara, & Shamrock sent four players each. The big surprise in the CC roster was Flour City RF Floyd Hoffman, who had a .208 Average and -0.9 WAR over 142 Plate Appearances in 1880 but was batting .361 (.863 OPS) through 75 games, all starts, in 1881, perhaps the biggest year-to-year improvement in A.P.B.L. history.

Red-hot Excelsior led the Metropolitan Conference with a record-tying six nominees, with 38-37 Knick sending five players, all legitimate All-Stars. The most surprising member of the MC roster was Quaker St. CF William Wimple, who logged a Batsman WAR between 0.0 & 1.0 in each of his first three years after his team’s move up from the N.B.B.O., but saw his Average jump eighty points (.241 to .321) and his OPS 152 (.620 to .772) to earn his place among the sport’s best players.

Thanks to the increased roster sizes there were no glaring omissions from the rosters in this year’s All-Star Game. The only big debate was over which Excelsior Pitcher, if either, was deserving to go, because even though both Elmer Seabold (19-14, 3.16) & Jonathan Reitz (22-12, 3.59) had great Win-Loss records their secondary statistics were average by comparison.

Also, due to the increased roster size there was a record number of Greenhorns present at the Upper Manhattan Grounds.

With the Metropolitan Conference hoping to win the game for the fourth consecutive year, these were the All-Star Game rosters, with total All-Star appearances between the pre-1871 N.B.B.O. & A.P.B.L. noted:

Here are the number of nominees who represented each team:

• ALLEGHANY: 1 (Strong)
• AMERICAN: None
• EXCELSIOR: 6 (Blaise, Clark, Hill, Holcombe, Oberst, & Seabold)
• FLOUR CITY: 4 (Breland, Dugas, Hoffman, & Noss)
• GOTHAM: 2 (Johnson & McLaughlin)
• KINGS CO.: 3 (dos Santos, Koonce, & Williams)
• KNICK: 5 (Burns, Dyke, Hathaway, Landreth, & Murray)
• MASS. BAY: 2 (Duke & Quarles)
• NEWARK: 2 (Fetterman & Ratican)
• NIAGARA: 4 (Barrett, Hudspeth, Mukai, & Roper)
• ORANGE: 3 (Cobb, Meier, & Miller)
• PT. JERSEY: 2 (Dixon & Eastman)
• QUAKER ST.: 2 (Durand & Wimple)
• SHAMROCK: 4 (Aldridge, Collier, Dickerson, & Sullivan)
• ST. JOHN’S: 5 (Burns, Cannon, Evans, Jensen, & Nalley)
• TIGER S.C.: 3 (G. Gray, W. Gray, & Prince)

Given their level of performance during June & July, Excelsior deserved a record-tying six All-Stars. They also became the first team ever to send three Greenhorns to the All-Star Game. Knickerbocker & St. John’s both sent five All-Stars, although Knick 1B Gerald Burns was one of the last three named to the M.C. roster.

The seven Greenhorns to be nominated were a new record, although the only starter was Frank Clark. Those seven were part of a class of eighteen first-timers (CC: 7, MC: 11). The elder statesman in Manhattan was Konrad Jensen, who was making his 20th All-Star Game appearance, while Garfield Koonce, Babe Johnson, & Gerald Strong were all in double figures.

As for the game itself, this was how it turned out:

For the fourth consecutive year, the Metropolitan Conference came out on top.

The home side got out to a quick start, scoring twice in B1 on Singles by Excelsior teammates Elijah Hill & Troy Oberst. The Colonial Conference tied the game (2-2) in T4 on a Sacrifice Fly and a Single by Reginald Roper, but the Metropolitan Conference game straight back at the C.C. with a four-run rally featuring two-run Singles by Alfred Williams & William Wimple that gave them a 6-2 lead.

That lead proved to be untouchable. The M.C. went up 7-2 on a one-run Double by Wimple in B6, and after a run-scoring Ground Out brought the visitors back to within four (3-7) in T7, the M.C. sealed the win on a Sacrifice Fly by Wimple in B8.

Wimple, who finished the game with four Runs Batted In, took home a certainly-earned Most Valuable Player trophy.

• MC SUB William Wimple: 2/2 (2B), 1 R, 4 RBI, SAC FLY, 3 TB

Considering the struggles he had gone through during his first three seasons in the A.P.B.L., making the All-Star Game for the first time and then taking the M.V.P. honor in his debut completes a most fantastic turnaround for Wimple, one of two players, the other being LF Harold Durand, who have been bright spots during an otherwise miserable Quaker St. season.

The pitchers of record were Willie Gray with the Win and Howard Burns with the Loss.

Attendance at the Upper Manhattan Grounds was 12,412, and it was a clear, 78-degree afternoon with winds blowing right to left at 10-15 mph. It was a beautiful afternoon for baseball, and the Metro Conference fans went home happy.

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CORNARO & SMITH STAR IN MERCURY MAULING
METROPOLITAN ALL-STARS HAVE BIG AFTERNOONS AS TEAM WINS BY A BAKER’S DOZEN

NEW YORK CITY (Aug. 3, 1881) - Metropolitan has a golden opportunity to take back first place in the N.Y.C. Championship thanks to a five-game series at N.Y.L.-worst Mercury, and they made no mistakes in the series opener at Hunt’s Point.

Susquehanna was in complete control straight from the opening inning. They went ahead 1-0 on a Passed Ball in B1, and then Metro had the lead straight from the opening inning, as the visitors scored twice in T1 on a two-run Single by star CF Francis Smith. With two more Runs in T2 via Ground Out & Passed Ball followed by four in T3, Metro had an 8-2 lead by the end of the early innings.

The lead only grew from there. A one-run Single by Smith in T4 made it a 9-2 game, Runs in T5 via Error & Wild Pitch made it 11-2, and another Run in T6 on a Single by 1B Zeke Cornaro put the visitors ahead by ten at 12-2. With three more Runs in T8 on an Error and run-scoring Singles by Smith and C Mark Lehmann, Metro secured a thirteen-run away win.

The result gave Metro #1 Abraham Evans his 20th Win of the 1881 season.

• MET P Abraham Evans: CG W (20-12, 2.94), 9 HA, 2 R/2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

The visitors received an excellent performance from All-Star 1B Cornaro…

• MET 1B Ezechiele Cornaro: 4/5 (2B, 3B), 5 R, 1 RBI, BB, 7 TB

…and 2x Batsman of the Year Francis Smith finished the game with five Hits & RBI each.

• T1: 2-run Single to CF off J. Watson
• T3: 1-run Single past SS off J. Watson (R)
• T4: 1-run Single to RCF off J. Watson (SB)
• T5: Single to RF off J. Watson
• T6: Pop Fly Out to 2B (3 out)
• T8: 1-run Single to RF off R. Wolford
• TOTAL: 5/6 (all 1B), 1 R, 5 RBI, SB

Cornaro’s 4/5 day left him with a .370 Average and a .970 OPS, 63 Runs, 38 Extra Base Hits (29 2B, 8 3B, 1 HR), 49 RBI, and 3.3 WAR with nine games remaining. However, his Average & OPS are only second best in the team as Smith’s 5/6 performance left him batting .380 with a .995 OPS, 87 Runs, 41 Extra Base Hits (21 2B, 18 3B, 2 HR), 58 RBI, 36 Stolen Bases, and 4.4 WAR. Cornaro & Smith have been two of the very best Batsmen in the New York League in 1881.

New York A.C. suffered a very surprising 20-11 home loss to Harlem, so Metro (38-23) is now just one game behind N.Y.A.C. (39-22) for 1st place in New York City after 61 of 70 games have been played. At 17-44, Mercury, the worst team in the N.Y.L.

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ISKENMEIER CRAFTS CYCLE VS MERION
SCHUYLKILL CF BECOMES 3RD IN PCBL HISTORY TO PERFORM FEAT; TEAM ONE WIN CLOSER TO PENNANT

PHILADELPHIA, PENN. (Aug. 3, 1881) - West Philadelphia leaders Schuylkill opened their series against third-place Merion knowing they have a chance to grab the West pennant this week, and thanks to a late rally they took the opener and came one step closer to doing just that.

The first Runs of the game came during the second inning, when both teams scored a Run each: Merion on a Ground Out and Schuylkill on a Fielder’s Choice to Home Plate that the runner beat. The visitors went ahead 3-1 in T3 thanks to a one-run Single by LF Sidney Crowder and a Sacrifice Fly, and they increased the lead to 4-1 in T5 via Error.

The sixth inning was when the Schuylkill comeback began. In B6 a one-run Double by 3B William Greene and a one-run Single by Roy Myers cut the visitors’ lead to one (4-3). Then, Schuylkill turned the game on its head with a seven-run rally in B7 that featured two big Hits: a two-run Inside the Park Home Run by CF Helmut Iskenmeier and a two-run Double by LF Harrison Comstock. Now ahead 10-4, Schuylkill had the win wrapped up, and two late Merion tallies never put the hosts in danger.

Helmut Iskenmeier’s Home Run in the seventh didn’t just give Schuylkill the lead, it completed the Cycle.

• B1: Triple to CF off R. Benson
• B3: Single to RCF off R. Benson
• B6: Leadoff Double past 3B off R. Benson (R)
• B7: 2-RUN ItP HOME RUN TO CF off R. Benson
• B8: Ground Out to P (1 out)
• TOTAL: 4/5 (2B, 3B, HR), 2 R, 2 RBI, CYCLE, (10 TB)

The Cycle by Iskenmeier was the third in P.C.B.L. history:

• #1: May 27, 1876: Joseph Sizemore (Spartan) vs Minerva (4/5, 1 R, 5 RBI)
• #2: July 24, 1879: Francis Stickrod (Merion) vs Schuylkill (4/5, 2 R, 5 RBI)
• #3: Aug 3, 1881: Helmut Iskenmeier (Schuylkill) vs Merion (4/5, 2 R, 2 RBI)

The historic performance left Iskenmeier a .322 hitter (.808 OPS) on the season, with 56 Runs, 24 Extra Base Hits (15 2B, 8 3B, 1 HR), 64 Runs Batted In, and 2.7 WAR with a little less than two weeks left on the schedule.

The win, combined with Overbrook’s 4-3 home loss vs Germantown, has given Schuylkill an eight-game lead atop the West Philadelphia standings with nine games remaining. With two more wins, a win and an Overbrook loss, or two Overbrook losses, Schuylkill will repeat as East Philadelphia champions.

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LEWIS STARS IN THRILLING WIN OVER SotO
SALEM CF TOTALS FIVE HITS, FOUR RUNS, & FOUR RBI AS LATE RALLIES WIN A 33-RUN GAME

SALEM, MASS. (Aug. 5, 1881) - Sons of the Ocean entered the third game of their series at Salem B.C. in The Crucible needing a win to keep pace with Quinnipiac or pull up to a tie for the New England lead, and they were on track for the result until two late rallies by the home team changed the outcome.

Once S.o.t.O. had finished scoring four Runs in T6 they had a 14-10 advantage. Given the offensive output of the previous five inning that wasn’t a safe lead, but it was one that New England’s second-place team should have been able to hold on to.

However, Salem came up to bat for their half of the 7th and used a six-run rally to take a 16-14 lead, with the key hits a three-run Double by CF George Lewis and a two-run Home Run by PH Jonathan Atwood that gave the home side the lead. After the visitors stranded a runner on 3rd in T8, Salem sealed the win with Runs on a Single by 1B Patrick Nagtegaal, Double by Lewis, and Single by 3B William Winship to go ahead 19-14 and pin a crucial defeat on S.o.t.O.

The victors received a fine performance from Winship that included a Home Run…

• SAL 3B William Winship: 3/6 (HR), 3 R, 5 RBI, 6 TB

…but the man of the hour in the famous Crucible was CF George Lewis.

• B1: Single past SS off W. Petrie (R)
• B2: Single past 3B off W. Petrie
• B4: Single to LF off W. Hardy (R)
• B6: Fly Out to RF (1 out)
• B7: 3-run Double to LCF off W. Hardy (R)
• B8: 1-run Double to LCF off C. Deeney (R)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2 2B), 4 R, 4 RBI, 7 TB – 92 GmSc (B: T-5th)

Lewis’ big day at the ballpark was the fifth-best performance by an N.B.B.O. Batsman this season, one that raised his Average to a career-high .333 (.831 OPS) with 54 Runs, 31 Extra Base Hits (24 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR), 64 RBI, and 1.9 WAR for the season.

The loss was especially frustrating for S.o.t.O. as Quinnipiac lost 11-10 vs Portland in extra innings, which meant that they would have moved into a tie for first place in New England had they held that 14-10 lead. Instead, S.o.t.O. remains one game behind Quinnipiac with seven remaining.

Salem is in last place and out of playoff contention, with their remaining goal being to avoid becoming the first team in baseball history to finish a season last in their league, conference, or region while having a positive Run Differential. Salem is currently one game out of seventh place with a Run Differential of +38.

[tm1681]

NYC WILL BE DECIDED IN FINAL WEEK OF SEASON
HILLTOP, METRO, & NYAC ARE TWO GAMES APART WITH FIVE LEFT TO PLAY

NEW YORK CITY (Aug. 8, 1881) - There is one week remaining in the N.B.B.O. season. Some of the regions – Brooklyn, Inland, & Upstate – have already been decided. A couple of regions – Coastal & New England – are still in play but with one team very likely to take the pennant. That leaves one region – New York City – where the pennant is entirely up for grabs.

With five games left on the schedule, here is what the New York City Championship standings look like:

New York Athletic Club is in first place with a record of 41-24, and they are followed closely by Metropolitan with their 40-25 record and Hilltop of Yonkers with their 39-26 record. All three teams have been playing at roughly the same level over the past ten games, with Hilltop & Metro going 6-4 while N.Y.A.C. was 5-5.

Mutual appears to be mathematically alive at five games back, but for reasons that will be discussed in detail below they have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

New York A.C.’s final series will take place at Baltic. N.Y.A.C. has a 20-10 away record, the best in the New York League. Meanwhile, Bedford is 15-15 at home. That means the leaders should take three out of the five games and finish 44-26.

Metropolitan & Hilltop will be playing against each other over the final five games, with Hilltop hosting at Nodine Hill. Something will have to give here, because Hilltop is 24-11 at home but Metro is 23-12 away, the second-best mark in the N.Y.L. Hilltop’s slightly better home record makes them the favorites to take three out of five games, but if N.Y.A.C. does the expected at Baltic then a 3-2 split in the Hilltop v Baltic series would put N.Y.A.C. in the playoffs.

If N.Y.A.C. goes 3-2 at Baltic, Metropolitan would need to go 4-1 at Hilltop to force a one-game playoff or take a 5-0 sweep to win New York City outright. On the other hand, Hilltop would need a 5-0 sweep just to force a playoff. However, if N.Y.A.C. falters at Baltic, who is 6-4 over their last ten games, then the chances of season-ending chaos increase significantly. For instance, if N.Y.A.C. goes just 1-4 at Baltic then a Hilltop v Metro series in which Hilltop takes the series 3-2 would see the New York City Championship end in a three-way tie, all three teams finishing the season 42-28.

As mentioned, Mutual still appears mathematically alive but in reality they aren’t. If N.Y.A.C. were to somehow be swept at Baltic and Mutual swept last-place Mercury to put the two teams on the same record at 41-29 they could also finish with the same 41-29 mark as either Metro or Hilltop, but that would mean the other team got the upper hand in the series and finished the season with a record better than 41-29. Thus, Mutual’s season is over.

New York City is where all N.B.B.O. eyes will be for the final week, and hopefully the fans are treated to a fantastic finish.