The Liberty League, Est. 1876

[Questdog]

[Questdog]

[Questdog]

[Questdog]

[Questdog]

Here's the Skinny on the Skunkbears

We are now the two time defending champions of the Liberty League. We won the first championship by the skin of our teeth, but romped to an easy win last year. I see only one way that we will not be champions again: either Bush or Townley takes a serious injury. Now that we have traded William McLeod (27-5.6) because of his exorbitant salary demands, we do not have the pitching depth to sustain a loss to one of our top two pitchers as we did last season.

Pitchers
Ed Bush (26-5.3)
He went from #3 pitcher to our ace last season and just missed winning the Hurler Trophy, finishing a very close 2nd in the voting. One concern is the number of home runs he allowed, 27 last season. A lot of that had to do with our park, but a lot of it did not. He led the League in home runs allowed on the road. We have addressed the park issue, though clouts to right field will still find the fences fairly often. We'll see if Bush can make some adjustments himself to fix the issue. The other issue is his control. His control was good enough for the old pitching rules, but we'll have to see if the new rules make it harder for him to throw strikes. But he was super in the Spring games, walking about as many as he did last year and he did not allow a home run.

Lou Townley (25-3.4)
Quote from last season's Opening Day dispatch: "He'll be the highest paid player in the Liberty League this year with a contract that calls for Mr. Perkins (64-4.3) to pay him $23,160. He'll be worth every penny." He was not worth every penny. He only won 8 games because of an elbow problem. He was excellent in the games he pitched, but he did not earn his salary by a long shot. This season he will not make as much money as last year, but he'll still be well compensated. He'll be the 5th highest paid pitcher in the game and all 4 above him won a lot more than 8 games last year. In the Spring Games, his control was superb, but he did not seem terribly difficult to hit. We'll just have to see if he's still working the elbow back to full strength.

Zenas Keough (25-4.5)
Our 2nd round draft pick from '84, he has shown good control in the minors, but not much else. A decent hitter for a pitcher. I'm hoping he shows continued improvement, but he was not very impressive in the practice games. He'll get first shot at the games that Bush and Townley can't pitch until Al Rice (22-7.6) shows me he's ready for the big leagues.

Ed Seelow (27-4.5)
He was decent in a few starts for Philadelphia last year, but stunk it up for us this Spring. But he's a lefty, and lefty's often take longer to get in shape for the season. The fact that he's a lefty is the only reason he's on the team. We'll start him against teams that look like they'd give Keough a rough time of it. I have Dave Frazier (27-5.7) at Syracuse to fill the same role if Seelow falters. Actually, I thought Frazier would be the one to win the job, but he was horrible this Spring, walking 10 batters and not striking out anyone in 18 innings before I kicked him off the team.

Catcher
Jimmy Babcock (30-6.9)
Babcock won the job over Evan Eckberg (31-3.5) this Spring with his defense, but he hit pretty well, too. Eckberg can still swing the bat, but his play behind the plate has deteriorated at an alarming rate. He'll still get plenty of action as the #2 backstop and maybe can earn back the #1 job, but I doubt it. Frankly, I will be surprised if this is not Eckberg's last season with Detroit.

First Base
Sam Cowan (31-5.1)
The all-time Hit King is back after a great first season in Detroit. He won a Silver Slugger Bat and a Gold Glove and was named to the post-season All-Star team and he won his 2nd batting title. He's not getting any younger, however, and the fact that he did not hit at all this Spring is a concern.

Second Base
Jocko Cole (25-6.1)
He had a great season last year, improving in almost every area over his good 1885. I expect him to improve even more this year and become one of the premier hitters in the League. He had a fantastic Spring, batting over .400 with power.

Shortstop
Al Shaffer (24-5.6)
He played a solid half-season last year and finally won the starting job that I tried to give him when I first arrived in Detroit. He showed good power and though he is not very fast, he stole 10 bases without getting caught. His glove is solid, if unspectacular. The one concern is his refusal to let a pitch go by without taking a swing at it. This year, with the batters not allowed to call for the location of the pitch, a patient eye will be even more important.

Third Base
Sam Boullion (25-4.8)
My first pick in the B Draft after I took the Detroit job in the Fall of '84. He blossomed last season into a great player, both at bat and in the field. And the rest of the League took notice as well and he finished 2nd in the MVP voting. I expect him to win a Gold Glove this year and be in the hunt for the batting title as well. However, he is currently lame and will miss the first week of the season. However, far from being upset by this, I am glad, because it will give me the opportunity to play Tom Nelson (20-6.6). When I was poring over the players eligible for the Draft last fall, I spotted Nelson and immediately decided I wanted to pick him for his great glove and the fact that he was amazing as a hitter on the sandlots. However, since he was not universally regarded as one of the top prospects in B Ball, I thought I could wait and pick him in the 3rd round. But Kansas City beat me to him and picked him in the 2nd. So I traded for him and thought he might turn into a good ballplayer in a few years. But this Spring he was the best hitter on our team, leading everyone in RBIs. So while Boullion is out, Nelson will play 3rd and then after the week is up, I can decide what to do with him. He is a better fielder than Shaffer at short and if he continues to hit, he'll have to take that spot. Else, if he fails to live up to his Spring showing, I will send him to Syracuse for seasoning.

Left Field
Ben Smith (27-6.7)
He followed up his MVP season with one more akin to his previous years, but that was good enough to be named to the post-season All-Star team. And good enough for me. He did not hit well this Spring, but he never seems to anyway and as he his only 27, not much cause for concern. He'll once again be our cleanup hitter.

Center Field
Tom Duncan (22-6.6)
I think our first pick from the 1885 Draft is ready to take over the job in center field. He hit for a very good average this Spring, though not for much power. If he is not ready, we still have the usual candidates from the past lurking around in various nooks and crannies.

Right Field
Joe Kraus (28-7.9)
"The best hitter and nicest guy on the team" is what I wrote about Kraus in my first Opening Day dispatch 2 years ago. Well, he is still the nicest guy on the team and the main reason he still has a job. He has not hit very well in either of the past two seasons. But he can still catch the ball as evidenced by the 4th Gold Glove he won last year and until somebody outplays him soundly, he'll have a spot in my lineup. He's recovering from a sprained ankle and will not start in the first series of the season.

We finally got our park to be a fair place to play a ball game, though Mr. Perkins insisted on keeping the right field fence shorter than it needs to be so that now it will take a Herculean blast to hit one over the left field fence, but any Nancy who makes contact can put one over the right field boundary. Of course, most of our hitters bat right-handed and so our opponents will more likely benefit from our park than us. But anyways, it is a step in the right direction and maybe I can convince the owner to see things my way in full for next year.

Editor's Note: I do not pick my park's modifiers; they are all based on the historical venues. For teams that appear in our universe that did not play in the MLB for that season, I make their parks analogous to one of the real parks that is not represented. By the way, they are also of my own figuring and not the default ones in OOTP as those are not calculated properly.

Once again, I am eager to get the season underway and I feel we have a good shot at another championship as long as Bush and Townley keep healthy. And even if one of them goes down, with the new trading rules, I may be able to secure an acceptable replacement, provided they get hurt before the June 15 trading deadline.

See you on Opening Day!

Bartholomew Levy
April 27, 1887

[Questdog]

Dear Billy,

I am not sure that I know who your father is, but if you are the third, he must be somebody important. So here are the standings right now in the Grand National Association and from now on we will make it a regular feature of our Sunday dispatches to display the standings of both major professional base ball leagues.

Please tell your father (or grandfather, if he is the more important one) how nicely the editors treated you and we look forward to your continued patronage.

[Questdog]

Thursday, April 28, 1887 Opening Day in the Liberty League

We open the season at home with a 3 game series against manager/C Deacon Dubin (30-8.8) and his Spiders. This will be Dubin's first season as manager of the team. This will be the team's 9th season overall and they have only once had a winning record and that was in their very first season when they were the Utica Pent Ups of 1879. Dubin's job will be tough as the Spiders seem to be cursed to have poor pitching. Last season, they thought they had solved the problem when they signed Haymaker ace Harry Lamb (32-6.4). In the 4 previous seasons with Troy, he had won 111 games while leading the League in ERA and strikeouts once each. But as soon as he put on a Spider's uniform, his arm went dead and he won only 9 games for Cleveland last year and looked especially poor in doing it. He threw only about 75% as hard as he did with the Haymakers when he was one of the fastest hurlers in the game. He's now in the minor leagues and is one of the softest tossers you'll likely find there.

Cleveland Spiders (54-72 .429 32 GB in 5th place in the Liberty League last season) at
Detroit Wolverines (86-40 .683 Defending Champions)

Ed Pedersen, Clev. (25-5.1) (R 27-31 3.47 10.0-2.1-3.6 H-BB-K/9 last season) vs. Ed Bush, Det. (26-5.3) (R 37-10 2.11 6.3-2.3-5.6 last season)

The Spider's lineup has only one player that has hit over .250 against Bush: CF Jake Howard (28-4.6) at .263 with a home run (the only hitter that has one against him as well) in 19 AB. Their best hitter, LF Joe Coffey (30-5.2) is 4 for 41 (.098) against Bush.

Won - 12 to 2

Of course, since I mentioned it, Coffey hit a 2-out single his first time up. He then stole 2nd and scored when 3B Cowboy Gray (24-7.8) singled just past the diving 2B Jocko Cole (25-6.1). That was his only hit of the day, however.

Bush allowed 6 hits, 4 walks and struck out 2.

We had 13 hits and made 2 errors. Cleveland made 7.

RF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) had 4 hits with a double, stole a base, scored 3 runs and had 3 RBIs. 1B Sam Cowan (31-5.1) hit a triple his first time up and then legged out an infield dingle his second time up, but collided with first baseman Charlie Taylor (31-5.2) and ended up with a broken knee cap. The all-time Hit King is done for the season after 2 at bats. And probably won't be the all-time Hit King by the end of the season. Editor's Note: Crap! His replacement, 1B Zenas Woodard (27-4.6) had a hit, stole a base, and had 2 RBIs. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) had 2 hits, stole a base and scored 3 runs. 3B Tom Nelson (20-6.6) hit a double, scored a run and had an RBI. C Jimmy Babcock (30-6.9) had 3 hits with a home run, a mammoth blast over the newly distant left field fence, scored 3 runs and had 3 RBIs.

After the game, I sent word to Syracuse to send me C Adam White (27-6.3). He's not much, but he will be useful as a 3rd catcher and an emergency first baseman. I had already made an offer to free agent C Dan Holmes (31-5.7), who is a total scrub, to be a 3rd catcher at Syracuse so I could carry 3 catchers here. But he hasn't signed yet.

Liberty League:
Louisville (5) at Indianapolis (10): Bill Crawford (28-7.2) (1-0) over William McLeod (27-5.6) (0-1). C Fred Smith (31-6.8) hit a 3-run home run. McLeod was horrible in his Bourbon debut: in 7 innings, he allowed 14 hits, 10 runs, walked 3 and struck out 3.

Inclement weather washed out the other 2 Opening Day games.

Grand National Association:
Kansas City (6) at St. Louis (3): Al McClaughry (23-5.6) (4-2) over Ted Ryther (33-4.3) (1-4). McClaughry allowed 5 hits, no walks and struck out 4.

Chicago (9) at Milwaukee (2): Pony Stanley (23-6.2) (2-3) over Wiley Steel (25-5.6) (0-1).


Down in the Eastern League (A), the Scranton Miners were down 10 to 0 going into the bottom of the 7th inning at home against the Springfield Horseman. They scored 11 times in the last 3 innings, capped by 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th to win. P John Ritch (32-7.8) hit a 2-out single to score the final run. He came into the game in relief and pitched the final 3 innings to earn the victory. At bat, he was 3 for 3 with a triple, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs, all in those last 3 innings.

[Questdog]

Friday, April 29, 1887

Cleveland Spiders (0-1 .000 1 GB tied for 7th place in the Liberty League) at
Detroit Wolverines (1-0 1.000 tied for first place)

Henry Rawls, Clev. (32-4.3) (L 6-10 4.34 11.5-1.9-3.3 H-BB-K/9 last season) vs. Lou Townley, Det. (25-3.4) (R 8-4 2.05 7.2-1.7-6.2 last season)

Won - 11 to 5

Townley allowed 9 hits, 2 walks and struck out 5. At bat, he had 3 hits, scored a run and had 2 RBIs.

We had 18 hits and made 1 error. Cleveland made 3.

RF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) had 3 hits with a double, scored 2 runs and had an RBI. That gives him 7 hits in the 1st 2 games. Not bad for somebody who wasn't even supposed to be in the lineup. CF Tom Duncan (22-6.6) had 2 hits with a double, stole a base, scored 2 runs and had 2 RBI. LF Ben Smith (27-6.7) had 3 hits, scored a run and had 2 RBIs. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) had 2 hits with a triple and scored 2 runs. 3B Tom Nelson (20-6.6) hit 2 doubles, scored a run and had 3 RBIs. C Jimmy Babcock (30-6.9) had 2 hits with a double, scored 2 runs and had an RBI.

For Cleveland, LF Joe Coffey (30-5.2) hit a triple and a home run and scored twice.

Liberty League:
Boston (3) at Pittsburgh (6): Tom Lilly (27-6.4) (1-0) over Charlie Morlock (37-6.7) (0-1). In the Puddlers' Liberty League debut, Lilly allowed 7 hits, no walks and struck out 2. For Boston, RF Charlie Warner (33-9.2) had 4 hits, scored a run and had an RBI. The Red Caps made 7 errors.

Louisville (14) at Indianapolis (0): Count Childs (31-3.1) (1-0) over Dad Marshall (28-4.4) (0-1). Childs allowed 3 hits, 1 walk and struck out 1. At bat, he had 2 hits, scored 3 runs and had an RBI. 3B Sam Thompson (39-4.5) hit a home run.

Inclement weather washed out the Cincinnati at New York game for the 2nd straight day.

Grand National Association:
Omaha (8) at Baltimore (7) in 12 innings: Bill Hamilton (29-5.4) (1-0) in relief of Lee Sprague (27-3.5) over Ed Price (23-5.7) (0-2) in relief of Pop Yurkovich (35-5.6). Omaha scored 2 times in the top of the 9th to tie the game. Hamilton pitched 4 shutout innings of relief to earn the win. Rookie 2B Uriah Fischer (24-4.6) had 3 hits with a double, scored a run and had 5 RBIs. For the O's, 3B Phil Lane (26-7.4) had 5 hits with 2 doubles, scored 2 runs and had 2 RBIs.

[Questdog]

Saturday, April 30, 1887

Cleveland Spiders (0-2 .000 2 GB 8th place in the Liberty League) at
Detroit Wolverines (2-0 1.000 tied for first place)

Ed Pedersen, Clev. (25-5.1) (R 0-1 9.82 14.7-0.0-0.0 H-BB-K/9) vs. Ed Bush, Det. (26-5.3) (R 1-0 1.00 6.0-4.0-2.0)

Lost - 10 to 3

Someday, we'll have that undefeated season....

In 7 innings, Bush allowed 7 run, 4 earned, 11 hits, 2 walks and struck out 2.
Lefty Ed Seelow (27-4.5) pitched 2 innings of relief, allowed 3 runs, 1 earned and 4 hits.

Pedersen gave us 9 hits, 2 walks and struck out 2.

We made 3 errors and Cleveland made 2.

C Evan Eckberg (31-3.5) hit a triple, walked twice and scored a run. 3B Tom Nelson (20-6.6) had 3 hits with a triple, scored a run and had an RBI. 1B Zenas Woodard (27-4.6) cracked a rib and will miss 5 to 6 weeks. So, we are suddenly very thin at first base. CF Ben Spencer (26-4.2) had 2 hits.

For Cleveland, CF Jake Howard (28-4.6) had 2 hits with a triple and a walk, scored 3 runs and had an RBI. LF Joe Coffey (30-5.2) hit a double and his 2nd home run of the season, stole a base, scored 4 runs and had 3 RBIs. Rookie 2B Ed Englehardt (22-5.0) had 5 hits with a double, scored a run and had an RBI.

Liberty League:
Cincinnati (9) at New York (3): John Stevens (30-8.2) (1-0) over Miah Turner (26-5.3) (0-1). Stevens allowed 5 hits, 3 walks and struck out no one. CF Jimmy Wolf (26-5.1) had 3 hits with a double, stole a base, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs.

Boston (7) at Pittsburgh (6): William Little (26-6.0) (1-0) over Whitey Mathews (24-4.1) (0-1).

Indianapolis (4) at Louisville (5) in 12 innings: William McLeod (27-5.6) (1-1) over Bill Crawford (28-7.2) (1-1). C Andy Runnels (30-7.8) won the game with a 2-out RBI single.

Grand National Association:
Brooklyn (12) at Providence (7): Al Green (24-3.8) (4-1) over Ed Hodges (26-3.2) (1-3). Providence scored 6 times in the 1st inning and was still ahead until the 8th.

Omaha (11) at Baltimore (6): Tom Lee (29-6.0) (3-1) over Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (2-2). Lee walked 9 batters, yet still won. CF Abe Cupp (26-4.7) had 3 hits with a triple, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs. Rookie 2B Uriah Fischer (24-4.6) hit 3 doubles and had an RBI. He now has 7 doubles in 8 games.

Kansas City (6) at St. Louis (2): Al McClaughry (23-5.6) (5-2) over Fred Barrow (35-4.7) (1-3). McClaughry allowed 7 hits, 1 walk and struck out 3.

Chicago (10) at Milwaukee (1): Pat Seguin (23-4.4) (5-0) over Freddy Wood (30-6.3) (2-3). Ex-MVP LF Candy Simpson (28-6.8) had 3 hits with 2 doubles, scored 2 runs and had 3 RBIs, but pulled a muscle and will miss a month.


Down in the Northwestern League (B), P Con DeForge (21-5.7), in his B Leagues debut for the Des Moines Hawkeyes, pitched a 1-hitter, shutting out the Minneapolis Millers, 8 to 0. He walked 4 and struck out 5. At bat, he had 2 hits with a double and scored a run.

[Questdog]

Sunday, May 1, 1887

I sent word to Syracuse to send me 1B Al Pickens (29-5.8), our 11th round draft pick this past Winter, to take the spot of the injured Zenas Woodard (27-4.6).

Grand National Association:
Kansas City (7) at St. Louis (6) in 10 innings: Lew Burnett (26-4.5) (3-1) over Ted Ryther (33-4.3) (1-5). In 10 innings, Burnett allowed 7 hits, 1 walk and struck out 1. LF Jimmy Harrison (25-5.4) hit a home run.

Chicago (13) at Milwaukee (7): Pony Stanley (23-6.2) (3-3) over Zachary Buchanan (26-4.0) (2-3). SS Bob Robertson (24-4.1) hit his 2nd home run of the season.

[Questdog]

Monday, May 2, 1887

Manager/LF Silver Borresen (33-6.9) brings his Reds into Recreation Park to begin a 3 game series today. They've only played 1 game so far due to the weather, but beat the New York Gothams 9 to 3. We always have a tough time against them, especially when Stevens pitches. We are 7-11 against him over the past 2 seasons.

Cincinnati Reds (1-0 1.000 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Detroit Wolverines (2-1 .667 0 GB tied for 2nd place)

John Stevens, Cin. (30-8.2) (R 1-0 0.00 5.0-3.0-0.0 H-BB-K/9) vs. Lou Townley, Det. (25-3.4) (R 1-0 4.00 9.0-2.0-5.0)

In only our 4th game, we are already starting our 3rd different first baseman. 1B Al Pickens (29-5.8) will make his Wolverine debut. RF Joe Kraus (30-7.9) says his ankle is 100%, so he'll get his first start. OF Willie Kirby (25-2.1), who leads the team in hits, is the odd man out, for now.

Lost - 9 to 6

We are going to have a tough go of it this season if our pitching does not improve considerably. They batted around on Townley in the 1st inning and scored 6 runs.

Townley allowed 18 (!!) hits, no walks and struck out 3. At bat, he had a hit and scored a run.

Stevens gave us 10 hits, 2 walks and struck out 3. At bat, he hit a 2-out bases-loaded triple.

We made 2 errors and Cincinnati made 3.

CF Tom Duncan (22-6.6) had 2 hits with a double and scored a run. 2B Jocko Cole (25-6.1) had a hit, scored 2 runs and had an RBI. LF Ben Smith (27-6.7) hit a 3-run home run over the short right field fence. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) had 3 hits and an RBI, but got caught stealing twice. He was not caught at all in 10 chances last year.

For the Reds, rookie CF Ed Robling (24-7.3) had 2 hits with a double, stole 2 bases and scored 2 runs. Rookie 2B Ed Kent (23-3.6) hit a double and a triple and scored a run. RF Fleet Wilcox (30-4.9) had 3 hits with a double, scored 2 runs and had an RBI. Manager/LF Silver Borresen (33-6.9) in his first action of the year, had 2 hits with a triple, scored a run and had 2 RBIs. C Spider Sullivan (26-6.7) had 3 hits, scored a run and had an RBI. 1B Jimmy Wolf (26-5.1) had 3 hits and scored a run.

Liberty League:
Cleveland (6) at New York (7): Miah Turner (26-5.3) (1-1) over Ed Pedersen (25-5.1) (1-2).

Indianapolis (8) at Pittsburgh (7): Dad Marshall (28-4.4) (1-1) over Tom Lilly (27-6.4) (1-1). Manager/RF Ed Wakefield (27-5.8) had 4 hits with a double and scored a run. C Fred Smith (31-6.8) hit his 2nd home run of the year.

Boston (9) at Louisville (8): Charlie Morlock (37-6.7) (1-1) over Count Childs (31-3.1) (1-1). Boston scored 4 times in the top of the 9th to take the lead. CF Pat Stafford (26-5.4) had 3 hits with 2 home runs and scored 3 times. For the Bourbons, C Andy Runnels (30-7.8) had 4 hits and 3 RBIs and threw out the only runner to attempt a steal.

I hope the powers that be like these new rules. Last season the Liberty League batted a collective .246 and averaged 5.2 runs per game. So far, in the early going, the League is batting .283 and averaging 6.7 runs per game.

Grand National Association:
Brooklyn (4) at Providence (14): Ed Hodges (26-3.2) (2-3) over Al Green (24-3.8) (4-2). Hodges allowed 7 hits, 3 walks and struck out 2.

Omaha (6) at Baltimore (5) in 10 innings: Lee Sprague (27-3.5) (4-1) over Pop Yurkovich (35-5.6) (1-3). Baltimore made 10 errors.

Milwaukee (5) at Chicago (10): Pat Seguin (23-4.4) (6-0) over Freddy Wood (31-6.3) (2-4). Seguin allowed 8 hits, 2 walks and struck out 8. CF Tommy Casale (27-3.7) hit a double, a triple and a home run, scored 2 runs and had 3 RBIs. For the Brewers, RF Ed Capps (24-6.1) hit his 2nd home run of the year.

[Questdog]

Tuesday, May 3, 1887

Cincinnati Reds (2-0 1.000 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Detroit Wolverines (2-2 .500 1 GB tied for 3rd place)

Charlie Branham, Cin. (27-4.2) (R 20-11 8.5-1.8-4.3 H-BB-K/9 last season) vs. Ed Bush, Det. (26-5.3) (R 1-1 2.81 9.6-3.4-2.3)

Won - 6 to 1

Finally! A well pitched ball game!

Bush allowed 5 hits, 1 walk and struck out 3. At bat, he hit a triple, scored a run and had an RBI.

Branham gave us 8 hits, 1 walk and struck out 1.

We made 1 error and Cincinnati made 4.

CF Tom Duncan (22-6.6) hit a triple and scored a run. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) got hit by a pitch and will be gimpy for the next week or so. The injuries are piling up fast and furious. 3B Tom Nelson (20-6.6) had 2 hits and a walk, stole 2 bases and scored 2 runs. He moved over to short after Shaffer got hurt and booted the first ball hit to him. C Jimmy Babcock (30-6.9) hit a double, scored a run and had an RBI.

Liberty League:
Cleveland (8) at New York (2): Henry Rawls (33-4.3) (1-1) over Jack Roberts (35-6.1) (0-1). Rawls allowed 6 hits, no walks and struck out 3. CF Jake Howard (28-4.6) and 2B Jesse Flanders (27-5.4) each hit a home run. C Pony Link (25-5.5), in his major league debut, had 4 hits and scored 2 runs.

Indianapolis (7) at Pittsburgh (1): Bill Crawford (28-7.2) (2-1) over Whitey Mathews (24-4.1) (0-2). Crawford allowed 4 hits, 2 walks and struck out 3. 3B Bill Lawson (30-6.9) hit a 3-run home run.

Boston (11) at Louisville (10) in 11 innings: Dave Wolf (24-4.7) (1-0) in relief of William Little (26-6.0) over John Simon (27-6.6) (0-1) in relief of William McLeod (27-5.6). SS Mike Stables (31-7.1) hit a home run in the top of the 11th. He had 4 hits, scored 2 runs and had 3 RBIs. For Louisville, 1B Pete Hinde (31-7.9) hit a home run. Rookie SS Art Hedman (31-4.5) had 4 hits with a double and a walk, scored a run and had 3 RBIs.

Grand National Association:
Providence (6) at Baltimore (5): Bill Henson (30-6.5) (1-1) over Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (2-3). The Grays scored twice in the top of the 9th to take the lead.

Brooklyn (6) at Omaha (5): Ren French (25-4.9) (2-1) over Tom Lee (29-6.0) (3-2).

[Questdog]

Wednesday, May 4, 1887

Cincinnati Reds (2-1 .667 2nd place in the Liberty League) at
Detroit Wolverines (3-2 .600 0.5 GB tied for 3rd place)

Charlie Branham, Cin. (27-4.2) (R 0-1 5.63 9.0-1.1-1.1 H-BB-K/9) vs. Ed Bush, Det. (26-5.3) (R 2-1 2.16 7.9-2.5-2.5)

Won - 4 to 1

Bush allowed 2 hits, 1 walk and struck out 2.

Branham gave us 8 hits, 1 walk and struck out 2.

We made 4 errors and Cincinnati made 3.

RF Joe Kraus (30-7.9) hit a double and had an RBI. C Evan Eckberg (31-3.5) had 2 hits with a double, scored a run and had an RBI. CF Tom Duncan (22-6.6) hit a double and scored a run.

Liberty League:
Cleveland (9) at New York (10): Jack Roberts (35-6.1) (1-1) over Ed Pedersen (25-5.1) (1-3). Cleveland scored 8 times in the top of the 9th to fall just short of a miraculous comeback. Rookie LF Fred James (23-5.3) hit a home run.

Indianapolis (8) at Pittsburgh (4): Sal DeVaux (32-3.5) (1-0) over Tom Adams (32-6.0) (0-1). Crawford allowed 4 hits, 2 walks and struck out 3. 3B Bill Lawson (30-6.9) hit a 3-run home run.

Boston (4) at Louisville (7): John Simon (27-6.6) (1-1) over Dave Wolf (24-4.7) (1-1). Ex-Wolverine CF Pat Womack (26-6.3) had 4 hits with 2 doubles, stole 2 bases and scored 2 runs, but sprained his ankle and will miss a month. For Boston, manager/1B Pete Bucolo hit a home run. 3B Bill Gordon (30-3.7) had 4 hits with a triple, scored 2 runs and had an RBI.

Grand National Association:
Baltimore (5) at Providence (0): Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (3-3) over Bill Henson (30-6.5) (1-2). Wilmarth allowed 8 hits, no walks and struck out 1.

Brooklyn (4) at Omaha (8): Bill Hamilton (29-5.4) (2-0) over Ren French (25-4.9) (2-2).

Milwaukee (9) at St. Louis (4): Zachary Buchanan (26-4.0) (3-3) over Ted Ryther (33-4.3) (1-6).

Chicago (9) at Kansas City (19): Al McClaughry (23-5.6) (6-2) over Pony Stanley (23-6.2) (3-4). Manager/CF Connie Frenette (32-4.7) had 4 hits with a double and a home run, walked twice, stole a base, scored 4 runs and had 3 RBIs. LF Joe Nichols (30-5.3), in his 1st major league appearance in 3 years, had 4 hits with 2 triples and a walk, stole a base, scored 4 runs and had 3 RBIs. RF Tommy Dyer (29-3.8) had 5 hits with a double and a walk, stole a base, scored 4 runs and had 5 RBIs.

[Questdog]

Thursday, May 5, 1887

We head on the road for the first time this season to play a 3 game series in Cleveland against manager/C Deacon Dubin (30-8.8) and his Spiders. We beat them 2 of 3 in Detroit a week ago in a series where every game featured a double digit score. After a week of play, Cleveland is 4th in the League in scoring runs with 6.7 per game (Detroit is 2nd with 7.0). They are 7th in runs allowed with 7.5 per game (Detroit is #1 with 4.7). They have reconfigured their League Park from last season with an eye to making it less cruel to their struggling pitchers. It is very tough to hit one out to left, but somewhat easier to right, though by no means easy.

3B Sam Boullion (27-4.8) is ready to play, so he'll be in the lineup. IF Russell Gardner (33-6.4) was sent to Syracuse to make room.

Detroit Wolverines (4-2 .667 tied for 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Cleveland Spiders (2-4 .333 2 GB in 7th place)

Lou Townley, Det. (25-3.4) (R 1-1 4.50 13.5-1.0-4.0 H-BB-K/9) vs. Henry Rawls, Clev. (33-4.3) (L 1-1 3.00 12.0-0.0-3.0)

Won - 5 to 2

Duncan stole home!

Townley allowed 6 hits, 3 walks and struck out 4. At bat, he had a hit and an RBI.

Rawls gave us 15 hits, no walks and struck out 3.

We made 2 errors and Cleveland made 4.

SS Tom Nelson (20-6.6), the surprise of the season so far, had 4 hits and an RBI. He now has 13 hits in our first 7 games. Truthfully, I expected him to be a couple of seasons away from being able to contribute and still expect him to come back to earth any day now. I can't believe Kansas City gave him to me for next to nothing! 3B Sam Boullion (27-4.8), in his season debut, had 3 hits and scored a run. RF Joe Kraus (30-7.9) hit a double and had an RBI, but struck out 3 times and is batting .150 on the season. CF Tom Duncan (22-6.6) had 2 hits, stole 2 bases (including home!) and scored a run. I cannot remember the last time I saw a fellow steal home! C Jimmy Babcock (30-6.9) had 2 hits and scored a run.

For Cleveland, SS Jesse Flanders (27-5.4) hit his 2nd home run of the year.

Grand National Association:
Baltimore (5) at Providence (4): Pop Yurkovich (35-5.6) (2-3) over Ed Hodges (26-3.2) (2-4).

Brooklyn (14) at Omaha (9): Al Green (24-3.8) (5-2) over Lee Sprague (27-3.5) (4-2). RF Tom Campbell (28-3.6) had 3 hits and a walk, stole a base and scored 4 runs. LF Piggy Galon (26-4.8) had 4 hits with a double, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs. Rookie SS Ed Cheney (23-7.8) had 2 hits, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs.

Milwaukee (9) at St. Louis (4): Zachary Buchanan (26-4.0) (3-3) over Ted Ryther (33-4.3) (1-6).

Chicago (3) at Kansas City (7): Lew Burnett (26-4.5) (4-1) over Pat Seguin (23-4.4) (6-1). LF Joe Nichols (30-5.3) hit a home run. In 2 games, he has 6 hits, 4 of them for extra bases.

[Questdog]

Friday, May 6, 1887

Detroit Wolverines (5-2 .714 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Cleveland Spiders (2-5 .286 3 GB in 7th place)

Ed Bush, Det. (26-5.3) (R 3-1 1.59 6.4-2.1-2.4 H-BB-K/9) vs. Ed Pedersen, Clev. (25-5.1) (R 1-3 5.74 13.2-1.7-0.9)

Lost - 7 to 0

Bush allowed 8 hits, 5 walks and struck out 3.

Pedersen gave us 5 hits, 2 walks and struck out 1. At bat, he walked twice and scored a run.

Each team made 3 errors.

1B Al Pickens (29-5.8) had 2 hits.

For Cleveland, CF Jake Howard (28-4.6) had 2 hits with a double and a walk, scored a run and had 2 RBIs.

Liberty League:
Boston (7) at Indianapolis (9): Dad Marshall (28-4.4) (2-1) over Charlie Morlock (37-6.7) (1-2). The Hoosiers, who finished in last place last season, now stand alone at the top of the Liberty League with a 5-2 record. In the GNA, last year's cellar dwellers, the Kansas City Cowboys, are also in 1st place. For Boston, 3B Bill Gordon (30-3.7) had 4 hits with a triple and scored 3 runs.

Louisville (1) at Pittsburgh (0): William McLeod (27-5.6) (2-1) over Tom Lilly (27-6.4) (1-2). McLeod allowed 3 hits, 4 walks and struck out 1. At bat, he doubled home the only run of the game. Lilly allowed 4 hits, 2 walks and struck out 3. Pittsburgh, who finished in 2nd place in the GNA last year and were the champions in 1885, are now 1-5 and in last place in the tougher Liberty League.

New York (12) at Cincinnati (5): Miah Turner (26-5.3) (2-1) over John Stevens (30-8.2) (2-1). 1B John Hilliard (27-7.2) had 4 hits with a home run and a walk, scored twice and had 5 RBIs. Rookie SS Tommy Medlen (27-4.6) and C Kid Wright (32-7.3) also homered. For Cincinnati, rookie 3B Tub Saslow (21-5.8) hit a home run.

Grand National Association:
Baltimore (5) at Providence (1): Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (4-3) over Ed Wison (26-7.3) (0-3). Wilmarth allowed 6 hits, 1 walk and struck out no one. C Fred Clapp (28-4.0) hit a home run. Rookie CF Jimmy Sleeman (24-3.3) had 4 hits, stole a base and scored a run.

Milwaukee (0) at St. Louis (5): Fred Barrow (35-4.7) (2-3) over Freddy Wood (31-6.3) (2-5). Barrow allowed 4 hits, 4 walks and struck out 3.

[Questdog]

Saturday, May 7, 1887

Detroit Wolverines (5-3 .625 0.5 GB in 2nd place in the Liberty League) at
Cleveland Spiders (3-5 .375 2.5 GB in 7th place)

Zenas Keough, Det. (26-4.5) (R 18-17 2.85 9.1-1.8-4.7 H-BB-K/9 last season in A Ball) vs. Henry Rawls, Clev. (33-4.3) (L 1-2 3.75 13.1-0.0-3.0)

We are 2-0 against lefties on the season. That is to say, we are 2-0 against Rawls on the season.

Only one player in Cleveland's lineup has ever faced Keough: CF Jake Howard (28-4.6) has only one at bat against him, but he hit a home run.

Lost - 18 to 4

Jake Howard is now on my s%@t list. With his team up 14 to 4, he takes out my shortstop on the pivot of a double play at second base and puts him out of action for 5 or 6 weeks. What a cheap shot..... SS Tom Nelson (20-6.6), the hottest player on the team! He'll probably be worthless when he gets back....

In 5 innings Keough, allowed 14 runs, 14 hits, 2 walks and struck out 2.
Ed Seelow (27-4.5) pitched 3 innings of relief, allowed 4 runs, 3 hits, 2 walks and struck out no one.
They are both on a train to Syracuse as I write this.

Rawls gave us 8 hits, 2 walks and struck out 4. At bat, he had a hit and scored a run.

We made 5 errors and Cleveland made 4.

SS Tom Nelson, before he was mauled by Jake Howard, had 2 hits and scored 2 runs. RF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) had 2 hits, scored a run and had an RBI. 2B Sam Boullion (27-4.8) had 2 hits and a walk and 3 RBIs. 2B John Powers (34-6.2) hit a double.

For Cleveland, CF Jake Howard (28-4.6) had 3 hits with a walk, stole a base, scored 3 runs and had 2 RBIs. LF Joe Coffey (30-5.2) hit a triple and his 3rd home run of the year (all against Detroit), scored 4 runs and had 3 RBIs. 3B Cowboy Gray (24-7.8) had 3 hits with 2 triples, stole a base, scored 2 runs and had 3 RBIs. SS Jesse Flanders (27-5.4) had 3 hits with a double, scored 2 runs and had 2 RBIs. Rookie 1B Dave Kelly (25-6.0) had 3 hits and 3 RBIs.

Liberty League:
Boston (6) at Indianapolis (7): Bill Crawford (28-7.2) (3-1) over William Little (26-6.0) (1-1). Last season's Rookie of the Year, CF Ed Slonim (24-8.5) separated his shoulder and will miss 3 to 4 weeks.

Louisville (3) at Pittsburgh (8): Whitey Mathews (24-4.1) (1-2) over Count Childs (31-3.1) (1-2). RF Ace Trimmell (29-5.0) hit a 3-run home run. After pitching a shutout in his 1st start of the year, Childs has allowed 17 runs in his next 2. For Louisville, SS Freddy Parsley (27-7.5) had 4 hits with a double, scored a run and had an RBI.

New York (8) at Cincinnati (10): Charlie Branham (27-4.2) (1-2) over Jack Roberts (35-6.1) (1-2).

Grand National Association:
Baltimore (11) at Providence (6): Pop Yurkovich (35-5.6) (3-3) over Bill Henson (30-6.5) (1-3). Rookie CF Jimmy Sleeman (24-3.3) hit a home run.

Milwaukee (1) at St. Louis (11): Ted Ryther (33-4.3) (2-6) over Zachary Buchanan (26-4.0) (3-4). Ryther allowed 5 hits, no walks and struck out 3.

Chicago (13) at Kansas City (6): Pony Stanley (23-6.2) (4-4) over Al McClaughry (23-5.6) (6-3). LF Tom Megrath (26-5.6) had 2 hits, scored a run and had 4 RBIs.

[Questdog]

Sunday, May 8, 1887

Grand National Association:
Milwaukee (4) at St. Louis (3): Freddy Wood (31-6.3) (3-5) over Fred Barrow (35-4.7) (2-4). Wood allowed 8 hits, 1 walk and struck out 2. LF Ted Steeves (25-4.2) and rookie CF Al Blanchette (22-7.7) each hit a home run.

Kansas City (3) at Chicago (11): Pat Seguin (23-4.4) (7-1) over Lew Burnett (26-4.5) (4-2). Seguin allowed 6 hits, no walks and struck out 2. LF Herman Ralli (27-4.8), in his season debut, had 2 hits with a double, scored a run and had 4 RBIs.

[Questdog]

Monday, May 9, 1887

We begin a 3 games series in Cincinnati against manager/LF Silver Borresen (33-6.9) and his Reds today. We beat them 2 of 3 in Detroit last week. They are currently 6th in runs scored with 5.8 per game (Detroit, since Sam Cowan (31-5.1) got hurt has dropped to 7th with 5.7). They are 6th in runs allowed with 6.5 per game (After giving up 18 runs in our last outing, Detroit has fallen to 4th with 6.1). Their League Park is very nice to hitters and is the easiest place to hit one out to left field and the 2nd easiest place to hit it out to right (though no where even close to as easy as in Detroit).

P's Dave Frazier (27-5.7) and Tom Graves (22-6.2) have arrived from Syracuse. We'll see if they can give up less than 18 runs when the need arises. Also arriving is SS Dave Krampe (28-5.5) to take the spot of the injured SS Tom Nelson (20-6.6).

Detroit Wolverines (5-4 .556 1.5 GB in 2nd place in the Liberty League) at
Cincinnati Reds (3-3 .500 2 GB tied for 3rd place)

SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) is ready to play, so he'll be back in the lineup. To get Willie Kirby's (25-2.1) bat in the lineup, we are trying Tom Duncan (22-6.6) out at first base.

Ed Bush, Det. (26-5.3) (R 3-2 2.14 6.9-2.8-2.6 H-BB-K/9) vs. John Stevens, Cin. (30-8.2) (R 2-1 4.32 10.1-2.2-2.9)

Won - 5 to 2

Bush allowed 7 hits, 2 walks and struck out 5.

Stevens gave us 9 hits, no walks and struck out 3.

We did not make an error for the first time this season and Cincinnati made 2.

LF Ben Smith (27-6.7) hit a triple and scored a run. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) had 2 hits, scored a run and had an RBI. C Jimmy Babcock (30-6.9) had 2 hits and scored a run.

For the Reds, rookie 3B Tub Saslow (21-5.8) had 3 hits with a triple and an RBI.

Liberty League:
New York (7) at Cleveland (4): Miah Turner (26-5.3) (3-1) over Ed Pedersen (25-5.1) (2-4).

Pittsburgh (10) at Indianapolis (1): Tom Lilly (27-6.4) (2-2) over Dad Marshall (28-4.4) (2-2). Lilly allowed 6 hits, no walks and struck out 4. SS Dan White (27-5.1) had 4 hits with a double and 2 RBIs.

Louisville (7) at Boston (8): Charlie Morlock (37-6.7) (2-2) over William McLeod (27-5.6) (2-2). 3B Ed Tummino (25-5.8) knocked in the winning run with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th. Rookie LF Highball Baxter (21-5.7) hit a home run. Manager/1B Pete Bucolo (39-4.1) had 4 hits with a triple, stole 2 bases and scored 2 runs. He has scored 14 runs in 8 games. 3B Bill Gordon (30-3.7) ruptured a tendon in his knee and is out for the season. He had led the League in OBP the last 2 seasons.

Grand National Association:
Kansas City (9) at Chicago (8) in 10 innings: Lew Burnett (26-4.5) (5-2) over Pony Stanley (23-6.2) (4-5). CF Danny Bolus (35-5.4) hit a home run. C Gene Stone (30-5.4) had 3 hits with a triple and a home run, scored 2 runs and had 2 RBIs. For the Colts, 1B Joe Vaughan (32-5.2), the Liberty League leader in home runs last year with Cincinnati, injured his hip and is expected to take about 3 months to heal.

[Questdog]

Tuesday, May 10, 1887

Detroit Wolverines (6-4 .600 0.5 GB in 2nd place in the Liberty League) at
Cincinnati Reds (3-4 .429 2 GB in 6th place)

Lou Townley, Det. (25-3.4) (R 2-1 3.33 11.0-1.7-4.0 H-BB-K/9) vs. Charlie Branham, Cin. (27-4.2) (R 1-2 4.32 9.4-1.8-1.1)

The first time Townley faced the Reds, they knocked him around for 18 hits. He definitely is not throwing as hard as he was before the injury, but it is hard to tell whether it is the injury or the new pitching rules. Nobody is throwing as hard as they were last year since they have to keep a foot on the back line of the pitching box and cannot get a running start. But I think the injury has had an effect.

Won - 8 to 2

Townley allowed 8 hits, no walks and struck out no one. It is the first start of his career that he has not struck anyone out.

Branham gave us 14 hits, no walks and struck out 3.

We made 4 errors and Cincinnati made 5.

CF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) had 2 hits, stole 2 bases and scored 2 runs. 3B Sam Boullion (27-4.8) had 3 hits and an RBI. 2B Al Shaffer (26-5.6) had 2 hits with a triple, stole a base, scored 2 runs and had 2 RBIs. 2B Jocko Cole (25-6.1) had 2 hits, scored a run and had 2 RBIs. 1B Tom Duncan (22-6.6) had 2 hits with a triple and an RBI. RF Joe Kraus (30-7.9) had 2 hits, stole 2 bases, scored a run and had an RBI.

Liberty League:
New York (1) at Cleveland (4): Henry Rawls (33-4.3) (3-2) over Jack Roberts (35-6.1) (1-3). Rawls allowed 6 hits, 3 walks and struck out 3.

Pittsburgh (11) at Indianapolis (7) in 10 innings: Whitey Mathews (24-4.1) (2-2) over Joe Osborne (29-3.0) (0-1) in relief of Bill Crawford (28-7.2). RF Ace Trimmell (29-5.0) hit his 2nd home run of the year. LF Billy Galloway (25-5.3) hit his first. 1B Tom Coponen (31-7.0) had 3 hits with a double and 4 RBIs.

Louisville (5) at Boston (14): William Little (26-6.0) (2-1) over Count Childs (31-3.1) (1-3). Little allowed 8 hits, no walks and struck out 5. 2B Mike Stables (31-7.1) and rookie 3B Highball Baxter (21-5.7) each hit their 2nd home run of the season.

Grand National Association:
Brooklyn (9) at Kansas City (11): Al McClaughry (23-5.6) (7-3) over Al Green (24-3.8) (5-3). RF Danny Bolus (35-5.4) had 3 hits with 2 triples and a walk, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs. For Brooklyn, 2B Joe Henry (34-9.2) hit his 2nd home run of the season.

Providence (8) at Milwaukee (9): Zachary Buchanan (26-4.0) (4-4) over Ed Hodges (26-3.2) (2-5). Buchanan reached on an error in the bottom of the 9th and scored the winning run on a wild pitch. 3B Andy Byl (33-4.0) hit a home run. RF Ed Capps (24-6.1) hit his 3rd of the year. For the Grays, RF Joe Turner (27-6.6) had 2 hits with a double and 4 RBIs.

Baltimore (8) at St. Louis (1): Pop Yurkovich (35-5.6) (4-3) over Ted Ryther (33-4.3) (2-7). Yurkovich allowed 4 hits, 3 walks and struck out 5. Will this be the year he finally ends up with a winning record? The Orioles have won 5 in a row.

Omaha (1) at Chicago (3): Pat Seguin (23-4.4) (8-1) over Lee Sprague (27-3.5) (4-3). Seguin allowed 5 hits, no walks and struck out 3. Sprague allowed 6 hits, 1 walk and struck out 2.

[Questdog]

Wednesday, May 11, 1887

Detroit Wolverines (7-4 .636 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Cincinnati Reds (3-5 .375 2.5 GB in 8th place)

Lou Townley, Det. (25-3.4) (R 3-1 3.00 10.3-1.3-3.0 H-BB-K/9) vs. Charlie Branham, Cin. (27-4.2) (R 1-3 4.50 10.6-1.3-1.6)

Won - 11 to 8

Townley allowed 12 hits, 2 walks and struck out 5. At bat, he had a hit and a walk, scored 2 runs and had an RBI.

We had 17 hits and made 6 errors. The Reds made 3.

CF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) had 2 hits and scored 2 runs. 3B Sam Boullion (27-4.8) had 2 hits with a triple, scored 2 runs and had an RBI. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) had 3 hits with an inside-the-park home run, stole a base, scored 2 runs and had 3 RBIs. He has taken over Cowan's #3 spot in the lineup. LF Ben Smith (27-6.7) had a hit and 2 RBIs. C Evan Eckberg (30-3.5) had 3 hits, scored a run and had an RBI. He bruised his shoulder and will be out of action for 3 or 4 days. 1B Tom Duncan (22-6.6) had 3 hits with a double and an RBI.

For the Reds, a pair of rookies stood out: CF Ed Robling (24-7.3) had 4 hits, stole 2 bases and had 4 RBIs and 1B Will Muller (23-6.4) hit a triple and an inside-the-park home run, drew a walk, stole a base and scored 3 times.

Liberty League:
New York (14) at Cleveland (16): Ed Pedersen (25-5.1) (3-4) over Jack Roberts (35-6.1) (1-4). For New York, 3B Pussy Wise (25-6.8) had 3 hits with a double and a walk, stole a base, scored 4 runs and had an RBI.

Pittsburgh (12) at Indianapolis (3): Tom Lilly (27-6.4) (3-2) over Sal DeVaux (32-3.5) (1-1). C Cliff Robinson (29-6.1) had 4 hits and a walk, stole a base, scored 3 runs and had 2 RBIs. LF Billy Galloway (25-5.3) had 2 hits with a double and 4 RBIs.

Louisville (2) at Boston (16): Dave Wolf (24-4.7) (2-1) over John Simon (27-6.6) (1-2). The rookie Wolf allowed 3 hits, 6 walks and struck out 4. CF Pat Stafford (26-5.4) had 4 hits with a double and 2 walks and scored 4 runs. C Frank Douglas (32-5.8) had 3 hits and a walk, scored 4 runs and had 3 RBIs. LF Ed Tummino (25-5.8) had 4 hits with a double and a home run, scored twice and had 4 RBIs.

Grand National Association:
Brooklyn (6) at Kansas City (7): Lew Burnett (26-4.5) (6-2) over Ren French (25-4.9) (2-3).