The Liberty League, Est. 1876

[Questdog]

Thursday, May 12, 1887

We are in New York City today to begin a 3 game series with manager Hi Lynch (36-7.5) and his Gothams. The are currently 3rd in the Liberty League in scoring runs with 7.1 per game (Detroit is #5 with 6.3). They are dead last in runs allowed with 7.9 per game (Detroit is #2 with 5.6). They have remodeled the Polo Grounds, adding more seats and the construction has seemed to transform the park from one of the best pitcher's parks in the League into a good hitter's park. Home runs still are not cheap but batting averages seem to flourish.

Detroit Wolverines (8-4 .667 1st place in the Liberty League) at
New York Gothams (4-5 .444 2.5 GB in 6th place)

Last season, we were 3-6 against Turner. You can clearly see the effects of the new pitching rules in his stats. Last season, he led the League in strikeouts and was 2nd in SO/9 with 6.7. This year, he is again 2nd in SO/9, but with only 3.8.

Ed Bush, Det. (26-5.3) (R 4-2 2.12 6.9-2.6-3.0 H-BB-K/9) vs. Miah Turner, N.Y. (26-5.3) (R 3-1 3.75 10.0-1.0-3.8)

Lost - 9 to 2

Bush allowed 13 hits, 1 walk and struck out 2.

Turner gave us 3 hits, 1 walk and struck out 5. At bat, he had a hit and scored a run.

For New York, last year's Silver Slugger at 3B, Ed Glass (27-4.5), made his season debut today and had 4 hits with a triple and scored 2 runs. Rookie LF Fred James (23-5.3) hit a triple and a home run, drew a walk and scored 3 times. SS Pussy Wise (25-6.8) and 2B Bid Phillis (25-5.9), neither one a renowned hitter, blasted back-to-back home runs in the 8th inning.

Liberty League:
Indianapolis (2) at Louisville (13): William McLeod (27-5.6) (3-2) over Dad Marshall (28-4.4) (2-3). McLeod allowed 7 hits, 3 walks and struck out 7. 1B Pete Hinde (31-7.9) had 4 hits with a double, scored 3 runs and had 3 RBIs.

Cleveland (3) at Cincinnati (17): John Stevens (30-8.2) (3-2) over Henry Rawls (33-4.3) (3-3). At bat, Stevens had 3 hits and 5 RBIs. Rookie 1B Will Muller (23-6.4) had 2 hits with a triple and a walk, scored 4 runs and had an RBI. Rookie 2B Ed Kent (23-3.6) had 3 hits, scored 4 runs and had 2 RBIs.

Pittsburgh (6) at Boston (13): Charlie Morlock (37-6.7) (3-2) over Tom Adams (32-6.0) (0-2). C Hub West (33-6.7) had 2 hits with a home run, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs. Rookie 3B Highball Baxter (21-5.7) had 3 hits with a double and his 2rd home run of the season, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs. For Pittsburgh, 1B Tom Coponen (31-7.0) and CF Al Steel (27-7.0) each hit a home run.

Grand National Association:
Brooklyn (9) at Kansas City (4): Al Green (24-3.8) (6-3) over Al McClaughry (23-5.6) (7-4). C Billy Boblett (29-5.4) had 3 hits and 4 RBIs.

Providence (15) at Milwaukee (7): Ed Hodges (26-3.2) (3-5) over Freddy Wood (31-6.3) (3-6). LF Charlie Gregor (28-5.2) had a hit and a walk and scored 4 runs. C John Toler (29-6.4) had 4 hits with a double and a triple, scored a run and had 6 RBIs. For the Brewers, 3B Andy Byl (33-4.0) hit his 2nd home run of the season.

Baltimore (10) at St. Louis (7): Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (5-3) over Fred Barrow (35-4.7) (2-5). Rookie CF Jimmy Sleeman (24-3.3) had 2 hits, stole a base, scored 4 runs and had an RBI. For the Terriers, 3B Jim Hodzic (36-7.0) hit a home run.

Omaha (2) at Chicago (5): Pony Stanley (23-6.2) (5-5) over Lee Sprague (27-3.5) (4-4). Stanley allowed 5 hits, 3 walks and struck out no one. For the Mutuals, RF Hank Roberts (28-3.0) hit a home run.

[Questdog]

Friday, May 13, 1887

Friday the 13th! It'll be bad luck for somebody for sure.

Detroit Wolverines (8-5 .615 0 GB in 2nd place in the Liberty League) at
New York Gothams (5-5 .500 1.5 GB tied for 3rd place)

Dave Frazier, Det. (27-5.7) (L 1-1 2.65 8.5-3.2-1.6 H-BB-K/9 in A Ball) vs. Jack Roberts, N.Y. (35-6.1) (R 1-4 6.42 12.8-5.5-1.5)

Lost - 5 to 3

The bad luck fell to us....

Frazier allowed 11 hits, 1 walk and struck out 1. At bat, he had a hit.

Roberts gave us 6 hits, 2 walks and struck out 1.

We made 3 errors and New York made 4.

3B Sam Boullion (27-4.8) had 2 hits, stole an base, scored a run and had an RBI. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) hit a double and had an RBI. LF Ben Smith (27-6.7) was 0 for 4. Our cleanup hitter and former MVP is now batting .167 on the season, but he's making up for it with horrible defense: he has 5 errors already. 2B Jocko Cole (25-6.1) hit a double and scored a run.

For New York, CF Lorenzo Chappell (27-5.2) had a hit and a walk, stole a base, scored 3 runs and had an RBI. SS Bill Baker (25-3.6) had 4 hits with a double, stole a base, scored a run and had 3 RBIs.

Liberty League:
Indianapolis (9) at Louisville (10): Count Childs (31-3.1) (2-3) over Sal DeVaux (32-3.5) (1-2) in relief of Bill Crawford (28-7.2). Childs tied the all-time Liberty League record by walking 10 batters in the game, yet ended up with the win. The game was tied at 8 going into the 9th inning. Indianapolis scored a run in the top of the 9th to take the lead, but the Bourbons scored twice in the bottom half to win. A 2-out single by C Andy Runnels (30-7.8) ended the game. He had 3 hits with 2 doubles, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs.

Cleveland (4) at Cincinnati (6): Charlie Branham (27-4.2) (2-4) over Henry Rawls (33-4.3) (3-4). 2B Jumbo Lynn (27-3.8) hit a home run. For the Spiders, SS Jesse Flanders (27-5.4) hit his 3rd home run of the season.

Pittsburgh (6) at Boston (5): Whitey Mathews (24-4.1) (3-2) over William Little (26-6.0) (2-2).

Grand National Association:
Providence (9) at Milwaukee (21): Zachary Buchanan (26-4.0) (5-4) over Bill Henson (30-6.5) (1-4). SS Lou Bohus (27-5.4) had 2 hits, scored a run and had 4 RBIs. 3B Andy Byl (33-4.0) had a hit and a walk, scored 4 runs and had an RBI. C Tim Fish (32-5.4) hit 2 doubles, drew 3 walks, scored 4 runs and had an RBI. 2B Tom Kelly (23-5.3) had 5 hits, scored 4 runs and had 5 RBIs.

Baltimore (2) at St. Louis (3): Ted Ryther (33-4.3) (3-7) over Pop Yurkovich (35-5.6) (4-4). Ryther allowed 9 hits, 3 walks and struck out 7. Yurkovich does not need Friday the 13th to get his share of bad luck: he allowed 3 hits, 2 walks and struck out 5.

Omaha (3) at Chicago (4): Pat Seguin (23-4.4) (9-1) over Bill Hamilton (29-5.4) (2-1) in relief of Tom Lee (29-6.0). Omaha scored a run in the top of the 9th to tie the game, but the Colts won it in the bottom half with a run on an error. Ladies and gentleman! We have a favorite for the Hurler Trophy! Seguin allowed 10 hits, 1 walk and struck out 7. For Omaha, RF Hank Roberts (28-3.0) hit his 2nd home run of the year. He only has 10 at bats.


Down in the International League (A), our Syracuse Stars have gotten off to a 12-1 start. Today they beat the Hamilton Hams, 6 to 5, with a run in the bottom of the 9th. SS Al Hartford (22-5.0) who had not hit a home run since his sandlot days, swatted 2 of them today.

[Questdog]

Saturday, May 14, 1887

Detroit Wolverines (8-6 .571 0 GB in 2nd place in the Liberty League) at
New York Gothams (6-5 .545 0.5 GB in 3rd place)

McDowell will be making his major league debut today.

Lou Townley, Det. (25-3.4) (R 4-1 3.20 10.6-1.4-3.4 H-BB-K/9) vs. Tom McDowell, N.Y. (23-8.0) (R 23-18 2.67 8.4-1.9-4.4 last season in A Ball)

Won - 9 to 0

Townley allowed 7 hits, no walks and struck out 5. At bat, he had a hit and scored a run.

McDowell gave us 14 hits, 1 walk and struck out 3.

We made 1 error and New York made 4.

CF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) had a hit and scored 2 runs. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) had 2 hits with a double, scored 2 runs and had 2 RBIs. LF Ben Smith (27-6.7) had a hit and a walk, scored 2 runs and had an RBI. 2B Jocko Cole (25-6.1) had 2 hits, stole a base, scored a run and had 2 RBIs. 1B Tom Duncan (22-6.6) had 3 hits with a double and 2 RBIs. RF Joe Kraus (30-7.9) sprained his ankle and will likely miss 6 weeks. I sent for CF Fred Bianco (28-6.9) from Syracuse to meet us in Indianapolis on Monday.

Liberty League:
Louisville (4) at Indianapolis (15): Bill Crawford (28-7.2) (4-1) over John Simon (27-6.6) (1-3). Crawford allowed 6 hits, 4 walks and struck out 4. Simon only went 2 innings because he pulled a muscle running the bases and will miss about 5 weeks. SS Jake Steitz (28-4.7) had 4 hits with a home run, stole a base, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs. 1B Lew Bell (30-4.2) had 3 hits with a double, scored a run and had 5 RBIs. For the Bourbons, 3B Sam Thompson (39-4.5) hit his 2nd home run of the year.

Cleveland (9) at Cincinnati (10) in 10 innings: Jiggs Niedermeyer (23-5.8) (1-0) in his 1st major league start over Ed Pedersen (25-5.1) (3-5). At bat, Niedermeyer had 3 hits and scored 2 runs. With 1 out in the bottom of the 10th, he singles and later scored the winning run on a 2-out error. RF Fleet Wilcox (30-4.9) hit his 1st home run of the season in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game. Rookie CF Ed Robling (24-7.3) had 4 hits with a triple and a walk, stole 2 bases, scored 3 runs and had an RBI. For the Spiders, SS Cowboy Gray (24-7.8) hit a home run.

Pittsburgh (5) at Boston (6): Dave Wolf (24-4.7) (3-1) over Tom Lilly (27-6.4) (3-3). RF Charlie Warner (33-9.2) hit a home run.

Grand National Association:
Brooklyn (8) at Kansas City (5) in 10 innings: Ren French (25-4.9) (3-3) over Lew Burnett (26-4.5) (6-3). For the Cowboys, RF Jimmy Harrison (25-5.4) had 4 hits with a double and a walk, stole 2 bases, scored a run and had 2 RBIs. 2B Jim McCarthy (25-7.5) pulled a muscle and will miss about 3 weeks.

Providence (2) at Milwaukee (3): Wiley Steel (25-5.6) (1-1) over Bill Henson (30-6.5) (1-5). Steel allowed 9 hits, 1 walk and struck out 3. Henson allowed 6 hits, 2 walks and struck out no one.

Baltimore (8) at St. Louis (10): Fred Barrow (35-4.7) (3-5) over Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (5-4). Rookie 3B Kid Powell (24-7.5) had 3 hits with a triple, stole a base, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs. C Willie Ticknor (30-3.1) hit a home run. For the Orioles, C Fred Clapp (28-4.0) will miss a week or two with a sore shoulder.

Omaha (6) at Chicago (7): Pat Seguin (23-4.4) (10-1) over Lee Sprague (27-3.5) (4-5). C Walt Wilson (27-5.2) hit a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th to win the game. For the Mutuals, LF Dave Cunningham (31-5.4) hit a home run.

[Questdog]

Sunday, May 15, 1887

Grand National Association:
Baltimore (2) at Milwaukee (11): Wiley Steel (25-5.6) (2-1) over Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (5-5). Steel allowed 8 hits, 1 walk and struck out 3. C Tim Fish (32-5.4) and 1B Jim Walker (30-7.6) each hit a home run.

Brooklyn (4) at Chicago (5): Pony Stanley (23-6.2) (6-5) over Al Green (24-3.8) (6-4). The Colts won their 3rd straight game in the bottom of the 9th. This time it was a walk, a steal and an error that brought in RF Tom Megrath (26-5.6) with the winning run. Stanley allowed 5 hits, 1 walk and struck out 3.

[Questdog]

Monday, May 16, 1887

We are in Indianapolis to begin a 4 game series with manager/LF Ed Wakefield (27-5.6) and his Hoosiers today. They are 6th in runs scored with 6.4 per game (Detroit, with our injuries and crap hitting cleanup hitter have dropped all the way to the bottom of the pile with 5.9). They are 7th in runs allowed with 7.8 per game (Detroit is #1 with 5.4). Their 7th Street Park is maybe the fairest place to play a ball game for pitchers and hitters. It is fairly tough to hit one over the right field fence, but quite a bit easier to left.

Detroit Wolverines (9-6 .600 0 GB in 2nd place in the Liberty League) at
Indianapolis Hoosiers (7-7 .500 1.5 GB tied for 3rd place)

Ed Bush, Det. (26-5.3) (R 4-3 3.05 7.9-2.4-2.9 H-BB-K/9) vs. Bill Crawford, Ind. (28-7.2) (R 4-1 3.25 8.1-3.8-2.8)

Won - 5 to 3

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

Crawford gave us 11 hits, 5 walks and struck out 3.

We made 2 errors and Indianapolis made none.

CF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) had 2 hits and a walk and scored 2 runs. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) hit a double and a triple, drew a walk and had 2 RBIs. RF Fred Bianco (28-6.9) hit a double, stole a base, scored a run and had and RBI and threw out a runner at third. C Jimmy Babcock (30-6.9) had 3 hits with 2 doubles, drew a walk and scored a run.

Liberty League:
Cleveland (9) at Louisville (6): Henry Rawls (33-4.3) (4-4) over William McLeod (27-5.6) (3-3). Manager/C Deacon Dubin (30-8.8) hit a home run. For the Bourbons, 3B Dave Odekirk (22-6.5), in his major league debut, hit a home run. CF Jack Inman (33-4.3) tore up his shoulder and will miss at least 3 months, they say.

Cincinnati (5) at Pittsburgh (4): John Stevens (30-8.2) (4-2) over Whitey Mathews (24-4.1) (3-3). Stevens allowed 7 hits, 2 walks and struck out 3. For the Puddlers, 1B Tom Coponen (31-7.0) hit his 2nd home run of the season.

New York (6) at Boston (5): Miah Turner (26-5.3) (5-1) over Charlie Morlock (37-6.7) (3-3). Turner allowed 6 hits, 2 walks and struck out 3. He had to overcome 7 Gotham errors to win. 2B Bill Baker (25-3.6), who must be the hottest hitter in the League, had 4 hits with a double, stole 3 bases and scored 3 runs. C Kid Wright (32-7.3) hit his 2nd home run of the season. For the Red Caps, C Hub West (33-6.7) is going to miss a month with a strained ligament in his knee.

Grand National Association:
Providence (4) at St. Louis (5) in 11 innings: Con Arnold (23-6.3) (1-0) in his major league debut in relief of Ted Ryther (33-4.3) over Ed Hodges (26-3.2) (3-6). After the 1st two batters were put out in the bottom of the 11th, C Willie Ticknor (30-3.1) doubled and CF James McClellan (29-4.7) singled him home to win the game. Arnold pitched 2 scoreless inning, giving up a hit and a walk and striking out 1. Ryther, in 9 innings, allowed only 3 hits, walked 3 and struck out 3.

Omaha (7) at Kansas City (3): Tom Lee (29-6.0) (4-2) over Al McClaughry (23-5.6) (7-5). RF Hank Roberts (28-3.0) hit his league-leading 3rd home run of the season. He only has 20 at bats.

[Questdog]

Tuesday, May 17, 1887

Detroit Wolverines (10-6 .625 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Indianapolis Hoosiers (7-8 .467 2.5 GB in 5th place)

Lou Townley, Det. (25-3.4) (R 5-1 2.67 10.0-1.2-3.7 H-BB-K/9) vs. Sal DeVaux, Ind. (32-3.5) (R 1-2 5.06 11.0-6.3-1.3)

Won - 7 to 0

Lou tossed his 2nd shutout in a row!

Townley allowed 5 hits, no walks and struck out 2. He had 6 assists in the field.

We had 13 hits and did not make an error. Indianapolis made 3.

We made 2 errors and Indianapolis made none.

3B Sam Boullion (27-4.8) had 2 hits and scored 2 runs. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) had 4 hits , stole a base, scored 2 runs and had an RBI. He has been our best player by far in the early going. He leads the Liberty League with a .453 batting average and has scored 14 runs and knocked in 14 in 13 games. They aren't all singles, either, he has 7 extra-base hits, which tied 1B Tom Duncan (22-6.6) for the team lead. LF Ben Smith (27-6.7) had 2 hits with a double, scored a run and had 2 RBIs. 2B Jocko Cole (25-6.1) had 2 hits with a triple, scored a run and had 2 RBIs. RF Fred Bianco (28-6.9) hit a double and had an RBI.

Liberty League:
Cleveland (7) at Louisville (3): Ed Pedersen (25-5.1) (4-5) over Count Childs (31-3.1) (2-4). Pedersen allowed 5 hits, 1 walk and struck out 3. 3B Cowboy Gray (24-7.8) hit 2 doubles and his 2nd home run of the season, scored twice and had 4 RBIs.

Cincinnati (2) at Pittsburgh (4): Tom Lilly (27-6.4) (4-3) over Charlie Branham (27-4.2) (2-5). Lilly allowed 4 hits, no walks and struck out 2. Branham allowed 6 hits, 2 walks and struck out 2. For the Reds, rookie 2B Ed Kent (23-3.6) will miss about 3 weeks with a sore shoulder.

New York (3) at Boston (19): William Little (26-6.0) (3-2) over Jack Roberts (35-6.1) (2-5). In 2 of his last 3 starts, Roberts has allowed at least 14 runs and walked 9 batters in each one without striking anyone out. In the other game, he faced Detroit and only gave up 6 hits and 2 walks while beating us 5 to 3. LF Charlie Warner (33-9.2) had 3 hits with 2 doubles and a walk, stole a base, scored 4 runs and had an RBI. CF Pat Stafford (26-5.4) had 3 hits with a double and a walk, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs. C Joe Ostrander (33-4.1), in his 1st major league game since appearing for Detroit in 1882, had 3 hits with a double, scored a run and had 4 RBIs. For the Gothams, CF Lorenzo Chappell (27-5.2) hit a home run. Rookie LF Fred James (23-5.3) will miss about 5 weeks with a strained forearm.

Grand National Association:
Baltimore (3) at Milwaukee (4): Freddy Wood (31-6.3) (4-6) over Pop Yurkovich (35-5.6) (4-5). Yurkovich with his 2nd straight 1-run loss in a decently pitched game.

Providence (8) at St. Louis (5): Ed Wison (26-7.3) (1-3) over Fred Barrow (35-4.7) (3-6). C John Toler (29-6.4) hit a home run.

Brooklyn (8) at Chicago (6): Ren French (25-4.9) (4-3) over Pat Seguin (23-4.4) (10-2). C Billy Boblett (29-5.4) had 2 hits with a home run and 4 RBIs. RF Tom Campbell (28-3.6) hit a home run.

[Questdog]

Wednesday, May 18, 1887

Detroit Wolverines (11-6 .647 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Indianapolis Hoosiers (7-9 .438 3.5 GB in 7th place)

Ed Bush, Det. (26-5.3) (R 5-3 2.65 7.5-2.3-2.9 H-BB-K/9) vs. Joe Osborne, Ind. (29-3.0) (R 0-1 2.57 14.1-2.6-3.9)

Won - 4 to 2

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

Osborne, who is 14-48 in his career, gave us 6 hits, no walks and struck out 1. Our offense is stinking up the League right now.

Each team made 4 errors.

SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) hit a double. 2B Jocko Cole (25-6.1) hit 2 doubles and scored 2 runs.

For the Hoosiers, 3B Bill Lawson (30-6.9) hit his 2nd home run of the season.

Liberty League:
Cleveland (5) at Louisville (4) in 10 innings: Harry Lamb (32-6.4) (1-0) in relief of Bill Henrichs (28-7.4) over William McLeod (28-5.6) (3-4). SS Jesse Flanders (27-5.4) became the 1st player in either league to hit his 4th home run of the year. That ties his career high for a full season; last year he did not hit any.

Cincinnati (8) at Pittsburgh (5): John Stevens (30-8.2) (5-2) over Tom Lilly (27-6.4) (4-4). 3B Bill Parsons (29-8.3) hit a home run.

New York (7) at Boston (8): Charlie Morlock (37-6.7) (4-3) over Miah Turner (26-5.3) (5-2). In the bottom of the 9th, CF Pat Stafford (26-5.4) led off the bottom of the 9th with his 3rd home run of the season to tie the game. With 1-out C Joe Ostrander (33-4.1) singled home the winning run. For the Gothams, 2B Bill Baker (25-3.6) had 2 hits with a home run, scored twice and had 4 RBIs.

Grand National Association:
Omaha (6) at Kansas City (7): Al McClaughry (23-5.6) (8-5) over Lee Sprague (27-3.5) (4-6). Sprague has lost 5 in a row. For the Mutuals, 1B Tom Anglin (34-5.6) hit a home run. Rookie 2B Uriah Fischer (24-4.6), who was making himself a Rookie of the Year candidate playing for the injured Warren Hogan (32-7.2), badly injured his shoulder and is expected to miss 4 to 5 months of action.

Baltimore (3) at Milwaukee (10): Zachary Buchanan (26-4.0) (6-4) over Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (5-6). 3B Andy Byl (33-4.0) hit his 3rd home run of the year. matching his career high for a season.

Providence (7) at St. Louis (8) in 10 innings: Con Arnold (23-6.3) (2-0) in his 1st major league start over Bill Henson (30-6.5) (1-6) in relief of Ed Hodges (26-3.2). The winning run scored on a 2-out error. CF James McClellan (29-4.7) had 4 hits with a triple, stole 3 bases, scored a run and had 3 RBIs. Rookie 3B Kid Powell (24-7.5) pulled a muscle and will miss 3 weeks or so. For the Grays, 2B Ed Knight (24-5.1) hit a home run. SS Tom Hepner (25-7.1) had 4 hits, stole 2 bases and scored 3 runs, but made the error that ended the game.

Brooklyn (2) at Chicago (5): Pete Rinehart (28-6.2) (1-0) in his 1st start of the season over Al Green (24-3.8) (6-5). Rinehart allowed 3 hits, 1 walk and struck out 6.

[Questdog]

Thursday, May 19, 1887

Detroit Wolverines (12-6 .667 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Indianapolis Hoosiers (7-10 .412 4.5 GB in 7th place)

Lou Townley, Det. (25-3.4) (R 6-1 2.29 9.3-1.0-3.4 H-BB-K/9) vs. Bill Crawford, Ind. (28-7.2) (R 4-2 3.47 8.4-4.0-2.8)

Lost - 9 to 3

We made a botch of the 6th inning when we let the Hoosiers score 7 runs. We made 5 errors and had a passed ball in the inning.

Townley allowed 12 hits, 2 walks and struck out 1. At bat, he had a hit.

Crawford gave us 9 hits, 2 walks and struck out 2. At bat, he had 2 hits with a double, scored a run and had an RBI.

We made 7 errors (a new season high) and Indianapolis made 3.

CF Ben Spencer (26-4.2) had 3 hits, but nothing to show for it. LF Sy Geller (27-5.7) had 2 hits, stole 2 bases and scored 2 runs. RF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) hit a double, stole a base, scored a run and had an RBI. C Jimmy Babcock (30-6.9) had not made an error of the season until today, when he decided to make 2.

For the Hoosiers, SS Jake Steitz (28-4.7) had 2 hits, stole a base, scored 2 runs and had an RBI. Rookie CF Dick Thacker (26-7.6) had 2 hits with a triple, stole a base, and scored a run. Manager/LF Ed Wakefield (27-5.8) had 3 hits, stole 2 bases and had 2 RBIs.

Liberty League:
Cleveland (4) at Louisville (7): Count Childs (31-3.1) (3-4) over Bill Henrichs (28-7.4) (0-1) in relief of Henry Rawls (33-4.3). RF John Rodgers (35-4.4), in his season debut, hit a home run. Rawls retired the 1st 5 batters of the game, but then had to leave with back spasms. They say he'll be okay in 4 of 5 days.

Cincinnati (8) at Pittsburgh (11): Whitey Mathews (24-4.1) (4-3) over Charlie Branham (27-4.2) (2-6). C Wilson Wendling (26-4.1) had 3 hits with 2 doubles, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs.

New York (6) at Boston (16): William Little (26-6.0) (4-2) over Jack Roberts (35-6.1) (2-6). Rookie 3B Highball Baxter (21-5.7), whom I am wishing I would have drafted, had 4 hits with a double, stole a base, scored 3 runs and had 2 RBIs. In 10 starts, he is now hitting .556 with 10 extra-base hits. For the Gothams, 1B John Hilliard (27-7.2) hit his 2nd home run of the year.

Grand National Association:
Omaha (19) at Kansas City (14): Bill Hamilton (29-5.4) (3-1) in relief of Tom Lee (29-6.0) over Dan Butler (29-4.7) (0-1) in relief of Lew Burnett (26-4.5). Rookie 2B Dave Henderson (24-4.1) had 4 hits with a double and a home run, drew a walk, stole a base, scored 3 runs and had 3 RBIs. Rookie 3B Ed Petrarca (26-5.2) hit 2 doubles, drew a walk, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs. For the Cowboys, LF Joe Nichols (30-5.3) had 2 hits with his 2nd home run of the season and had 4 RBIs. C Gene Stone (30-5.4) hit his 2nd home run of the year.

Baltimore (10) at Milwaukee (5): Pop Yurkovich (35-5.6) (5-5) over Freddy Wood (31-6.3) (4-7).

Providence (5) at St. Louis (6): Ted Ryther (33-4.3) (4-7) over Ed Wison (26-7.3) (1-4). Providence scored a run in the top of the 9th to tie the game, but St. Louis scored in the bottom half to win. 2 erros and a long fly ball are all it took.

Brooklyn (4) at Chicago (5): Tom Washam (34-6.1) (1-0) in relief of Pat Seguin (23-4.4) over William David (24-3.6) (0-1). Seguin left the game in the 5th inning with a sore ankle, but they say he'll be fine in a few days. SS Bob Robertson (24-4.1) has a 20 game hit streak going.


Are you fans enjoying all of this offense? Well, enjoy it while you can, because I have word that the powers that be are appalled and are devising methods to curtail the obscene scores as we speak. The probably won't get together on what to do before next season, but you can bet 1888 will see some rules changes to cut down the hitters at the knees.

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by Questdog

Are you fans enjoying all of this offense? Well, enjoy it while you can, because I have word that the powers that be are appalled and are devising methods to curtail the obscene scores as we speak. The probably won't get together on what to do before next season, but you can bet 1888 will see some rules changes to cut down the hitters at the knees.

Sounds like about the last thing the Wolverines could need.

[Questdog]

Friday, May 20, 1887

We are in Boston to begin a 4 game series with manager/1B Pete Bucolo (39-4.1) and his Red Caps. They lead the league in runs scored with 9.2 per game. Yes, 9.2 per game (Detroit is last with 5.7). They are 3rd in runs allowed with 6.2 (Detroit is #1 with 5.0). Their South End Grounds is now the 2nd best pitcher's park in the League behind Pittsburgh's Recreation Park.

Detroit Wolverines (12-7 .632 0 GB in 2nd place in the Liberty League) at
Boston Red Caps (11-6 .647 1st place)

Ed Bush, Det. (26-5.3) (R 6-3 2.57 9.9-2.2-2.8 H-BB-K/9) vs. Dave Wolf, Bos. (24-4.7) (R 3-1 3.45 9.4-3.5-3.8)

Lost - 3 to 2

I am sick of this offense, I will tell you what..... The League's hitters are exploding out all over the place, but not here....

Bush allowed 4 hits, 1 walk and struck out 1. If not for his requisite home run allowed per game, he would have won. Or if we had an offense.

Wolfe gave us 7 hits, 1 walk and struck out 1.

Each team made 3 errors.

For the Red Caps, CF Pat Stafford (26-5.4) hit his 4th home run of the season, tying for the League lead.

Liberty League:
Cincinnati (8) at Louisville (7): Charlie Branham (27-4.2) (3-6) over Sammy Berry (27-5.5) (0-1).

Cleveland (6) at Pittsburgh (7) in 10 innings: Tom Adams (32-6.0) (1-2) over Harry Lamb (32-6.4) (1-1) in relief of Ed Pedersen (25-5.1). Pittsburgh scored twice in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game, but Cleveland scored a run in the top of the 10th to take the lead. However, Pittsburgh scored 2 more in the bottom of the 10th to win. LF Jim Graves (29-5.7) singled home the winning run with 2 outs. C Wilson Wendling (26-4.1) hit a home run.

New York (12) at Indianapolis (11): Tom McDowell (23-8.0) (1-1) over Dad Marshall (28-4.4) (2-4). 1B John Hilliard (27-7.2) hit his 3rd home run of the season.

Grand National Association:
Providence (6) at Kansas City (7): Lew Burnett (26-4.5) (7-3) over Bill Henson (30-6.5) (1-7). CF Danny Bolus (35-5.4) was knocked unconscious and will likely miss 4 months. For the Grays, LF Charlie Gregor (28-5.2) hit a home run.

Omaha (8) at Milwaukee (1): Lee Sprague (27-3.5) (5-6) over Zachary Buchanan (26-4.0) (6-5). Sprague allowed 8 hits, no walks and struck out 2. RF Bill Hammack (34-5.0) had 4 hits, scored 2 runs and had 3 RBIs.

Brooklyn (2) at St. Louis (3): Fred Barrow (35-4.7) (4-6) over Ren French (25-4.9) (4-4). Barrow allowed 8 hits, 3 walks and struck out 4. For the Gladiators, C Jim Granier (31-5.7) hit a home run.

Baltimore (7) at Chicago (2): Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (6-6) over Pete Rinehart (28-6.2) (1-1). Wilmarth allowed 5 hits, 3 walks and struck out 4. For the Colts, SS Bob Robertson (24-4.1) went hitless, ending his streak at 20 games.

[Questdog]

Saturday, May 21, 1887

Detroit Wolverines (12-8 .600 1 GB in 2nd place in the Liberty League) at
Boston Red Caps (12-6 .667 1st place)

Morlock has 289 career wins, the most in history. If he stays healthy, he should get to 300 this season.

Dave Frazier, Det. (27-5.7) (L 0-1 3.38 12.4-1.1-1.1 H-BB-K/9) vs. Charlie Morlock, Bos. (37-6.7) (R 4-3 4.05 9.9-2.1-2.3)

Won - 4 to 2

Looks like I found my #3 pitcher! I thought for sure this was gonna be ugly....

Frazier allowed 9 hits, 2 walks and struck out 3. At bat, he had a hit.

Morlock gave us 12 hits, 1 walk and struck out 2.

We made 1 error and Boston made 2.

LF Ben Smith (27-6.7) hit a double and a triple, stole a base, scored a run and had an RBI. C Evan Eckberg (30-3.5) hit a double and a triple and had 3 RBIs. RF Fred Bianco (28-6.9) had 3 hits and stole a base.

For the Red Caps, manager/1B Pete Bucolo (39-4.1) hit a home run that was only fair by about an inch. We held rookie 3B Highball Baxter (21-5.7) to 2 hits with a double, which is below his average. Seriously, he now has 27 hits in 11 starts.

Liberty League:
Cincinnati (5) at Louisville (8): William McLeod (28-5.6) (4-4) over John Stevens (30-8.2) (5-3). For the Reds, 1B Jimmy Wolf (26-5.1) is going to miss a couple of weeks with a sprained ankle.

Cleveland (0) at Pittsburgh (6): Tom Lilly (27-6.4) (5-4) over Ed Pedersen (25-5.1) (4-6). Lilly allowed 4 hits, 2 walks and struck out 8. Pedersen only allowed 6 hits and a walk, but all in the 1st 3 innings along with 5 Cleveland errors.

New York (13) at Indianapolis (11) in 10 innings: John Allen (28-6.4) (1-0) in relief of Miah Turner (26-5.3) over Joe Osborne (29-3.0) (0-3) in relief of Dad Marshall (28-4.4). The Gothams scored 6 times in the top of the 9th to tie the game. 1B John Hilliard (27-7.2) had 2 hits with his 4th home run of the season, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs. 3B Ed Glass (27-4.5) had 2 hits with a bases loaded home run in the top of the 9th and walked twice. SS Bill Baker (25-3.6) hit his 2nd home run of the year. C Kid Wright (32-7.3) will miss 2 weeks with a strained rib cage muscle.

Grand National Association:
Providence (9) at Kansas City (6): Ed Hodges (26-3.2) (4-6) over Al McClaughry (23-5.6) (8-6). LF Charlie Gregor (28-5.2) had 4 hits with a double, scored a run and had an RBI. For the Cowboys, 1B Tommy Dyer (29-3.8) had 4 hits, stole 2 bases, scored a run and had an RBI. Two years ago, he won the Batting Title, but last year only hit .235. This year, he now has an even .400 average. Manager/CF Connie Frenette (32-4.7) pulled a muscle and will miss at least 5 weeks.

Omaha (9) at Milwaukee (2): Lee Sprague (27-3.5) (6-6) over Wiley Steel (25-5.6) (2-2). Milwaukee out-hit Omaha 12 to 11 and out-walked them 2 to 1, but made 6 errors to 0 for the Mutuals. LF Dave Cunningham (31-5.4) strained his groin and will miss 5 weeks.

Brooklyn (7) at St. Louis (4): Al Green (24-3.8) (7-5) over Con Arnold (23-6.3) (2-1). Barrow allowed 8 hits, 3 walks and struck out 4. For the Gladiators, C Jim Granier (31-5.7) hit a home run.

Baltimore (6) at Chicago (8): Pony Stanley (24-6.2) (7-5) over Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (6-7). 2B Henry Potter (33-6.4) hit his 2nd home run of the year.

[Questdog]

Sunday, May 22, 1887

Grand National Association:
Omaha (9) at Milwaukee (7) in 13 innings: Bill Hamilton (29-5.4) (4-1) in relief of Tom Lee (29-6.0) over Freddy Wood (31-6.3) (4-8). Lee had to leave after 7 innings with a strained muscle. They say he should be fine in 4 or 5 days. Hamilton pitched 6 shutout innings of relief to earn the win. He allowed 4 hits, 1 walk and struck out 5. Omaha made 11 errors and Milwaukee made 9. Rookie LF Dave Todd (21-5.5), in his season debut, had 4 hits and a walk, scored a run and had an RBI. For the Brewers, LF Ted Steeves (25-4.2) had 4 hits hit his 2nd home run of the year, scored a run and had 2 RBIs. SS Lou Bohus (27-5.4) hit a home run.

Brooklyn (4) at St. Louis (3): William David (24-3.6) (1-1) over Ted Ryther (33-4.3) (4-8). Brooklyn scored a run in the top of the 9th on 2 errors and a passed ball to break the tie. St. Louis made 8 errors to 1 for Brooklyn.

Baltimore (5) at Chicago (6): Pony Stanley (24-6.2) (8-5) over Pop Yurkovich (35-5.6) (5-6). LF Washington Macho (37-8.3) will miss a couple of weeks with a back issue.

[Questdog]

Monday, May 23, 1887

Trade! Cincinnati sent 2B Jumbo Lynn (27-3.8) and minor league RF Chief Shaw (23-3.9) to Pittsburgh for C Cliff Robinson (29-6.1). Both Lynn and Robinson have gotten off to hot starts, but had other players getting more time at their respective positions on their teams and apparently desired to be traded. However, it does not appear that either of their new teams is inclined to put them in the starting lineup full time.

Detroit Wolverines (13-8 .619 0 GB in 2nd place in the Liberty League) at
Boston Red Caps (12-7 .632 1st place)

Little leads the League in SO/9. No one in the Boston lineup has hit .250 or better against Bush, but their 3, 4 and 5 hitters have each knocked 2 home runs against him. The trio has a combined 20 hits in 112 AB (.179), but 6 home runs.

Ed Bush, Det. (27-5.3) (R 6-4 2.44 7.0-2.1-2.6 H-BB-K/9) vs. William Little, Bos. (26-6.0) (R 4-2 5.20 11.7-2.2-3.9)

Won - 6 to 5

Little shut us out until his defense imploded in the 7th inning and we scored 4 runs on 1 hit, a walk and a hit batter. Still trailing by a marker in the top of the 9th, we had the tying run at second with 2 outs when CF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) grounded one to Gold Glove SS John Ingling (27-4.6). But Ingling muffed it and 3B Sam Boullion (27-4.8) and SS Dave Krampe (28-5.5) hit back to back singles to tie the game and put us up a run.

In 8 innings, Bush allowed 8 hits, 6 walks and struck out 4. At bat, he had a hit and scored a run.
Lou Townley (25-3.4) pitched the final inning and gave up a double, but was unscored upon.

Little gave us 7 hits, 2 walks and struck out 3. He did not allow an earned run.

We made 3 errors and Boston made 7.

3B Sam Boullion had 2 hits and 2 RBIs. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) hit a triple, but came up lame and will have to rest a day or two. RF Fred Bianco (28-6.9) hit a double and scored a run.

For the Red Caps, LF Charlie Warner (33-9.2) had 2 hits with his 2nd home run, drew a a walk, scored twice and had 3 RBIs. CF Pat Stafford (26-5.4) had 2 hits with an inside-the-park home run and stole a base. He now has 5 home runs on the season to lead the League and has 2 in this series. Even with all the home runs allowed, Bush has been awesome for us, but geez, they are annoying.

Liberty League:
Cincinnati (8) at Louisville (1): Charlie Branham (27-4.2) (4-6) over Count Childs (31-3.1) (3-5). Branham allowed 4 hits, no walks and struck out 3. RF Fleet Wilcox (30-4.9) hit his 2nd home run of the season.

Cleveland (4) at Pittsburgh (6): Whitey Mathews (24-4.1) (5-3) over Ed Pedersen (25-5.1) (4-7).

New York (6) at Indianapolis (5): Jack Roberts (35-6.1) (3-6) over Bill Crawford (28-7.2) (5-3). Roberts, who did not allow an earned run, gave up 6 hits, 3 walks and struck out 5. 1B John Hilliard (27-7.2) hit his 5th home run of the season to tie for the League lead. CF Bert Gellis (26-5.5) also hit a home run.

Grand National Association:
Providence (8) at Kansas City (4): Ed Wison (26-7.3) (2-4) over Lew Burnett (26-4.5) (7-4). RF Joe Turner (27-6.6) hit a home run.

[Questdog]

Tuesday, May 24, 1887

Trade! Cleveland sent LF Joe Coffey (30-5.2), the career leader in nearly every offensive statistic for the Spiders, to Pittsburgh for three minor league prospects: P Kid Mathewson (20-6.4), P Archie Boucher (24-6.1) and RF William Kasteler (24-5.3). Coffey had been a member of the Spiders for as long as they had been in existence. He and the team were both rookies in 1879, when the team was in Utica and was called the Pent Ups. Mathewson is the real prospect of the bunch, topping most people's lists of ace pitching prospects. He is from New York City and was named the top amateur pitcher in the country by the NAABBP (National Association of Amateur Base Ball Players) in 1885.

Detroit Wolverines (14-8 .636 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Boston Red Caps (12-8 .600 1 GB in 2nd place)

Lou Townley, Det. (25-3.4) (R 6-2 2.25 9.8-1.1-3.1 H-BB-K/9) vs. Charlie Morlock, Bos. (37-6.7) (R 4-4 3.78 10.2-2.0-2.2)

Won - 6 to 3

Townley did not allow a hit until the 5th inning.

Townley allowed 4 hits, 2 walks and struck out 3. At bat, he had a hit and a walk and had 2 RBIs.

Morlock gave us 16 hits, 1 walk and struck out 2. At bat, he had a hit.

We made 2 errors and Boston made 6.

All 16 of our hits were singles and everyone in the lineup had at least 1. CF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) had 2 hits, stole 2 bases and scored a run. RF Fred Bianco (28-6.9) had 2 hits, stole 2 bases, scored a run and had an RBI. 3B Sam Boullion (27-4.8) had 2 hits and an RBI. 1B Tom Duncan (22-6.6) had 2 hits, stole a base and scored a run. SS Dave Krampe (28-5.5) had 2 hits, scored a run and had an RBI. C Jimmy Babcock (30-6.9) had 3 hits and an RBI.

Liberty League:
Cincinnati (5) at Louisville (10): William McLeod (28-5.6) (5-4) over John Stevens (30-8.2) (5-4). C Wiley Fobes (36-2.5) hit a double and a home run, drew a walk, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs and threw out 2 of 3 on steal attempts.

New York (7) at Indianapolis (2): Miah Turner (26-5.3) (6-2) over Dad Marshall (28-4.4) (2-5). Turner allowed 8 hits, no walks and struck out 4. At bat, he had 2 hits and scored 2 runs. SS Bill Baker (25-3.6) had 4 hits with a double, scored 2 runs and had 3 RBIs. For the Hoosiers, rookie 2B Kid Stevens (25-8.4) had 4 hits and 2 RBIs.

Grand National Association:
Providence (2) at Kansas City (1): Ed Hodges (26-3.2) (5-6) over Al McClaughry (23-5.6) (8-7). Hodges allowed 5 hits, 1 walk and struck out 4. McClaughry allowed 8 hits, no walks and struck out 3.

Omaha (11) at Milwaukee (6): Lee Sprague (27-3.5) (7-6) over Zachary Buchanan (26-4.0) (6-6). After 6 innings, the Brewers were winning 6 to 2. Omaha has won 5 in a row and Milwaukee has lost 5 in a row.

Brooklyn (7) at St. Louis (8): Fred Barrow (35-4.7) (5-6) over Al Green (24-3.8) (7-6).

Baltimore (6) at Chicago (5): Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (7-7) over Pat Seguin (23-4.4) (10-3). Wilmarth allowed 8 hits, 1 walk and struck out 2. At bat, he hit 2 doubles, scored 3 runs and had an RBI.

[Questdog]

Wednesday, May 25, 1887

Liberty League:
Cincinnati (1) at Boston (9): William Little (28-6.0) (5-3) over Charlie Branham (27-4.2) (4-7). Little allowed 4 hits, no walks and struck out 2. Rookie 3B High Baxter (21-5.7) hit his 4th home run of the year.

Grand National Association:
Baltimore (5) at Kansas City (6): Lew Burnett (26-4.5) (8-4) over Pop Yurkovich (35-5.6) (5-7). Kansas City scored twice in the bottom of the 9th to win. Rookie 3B Bev Bradley (22-6.2) hit a 2-out infield single to end the game.

Brooklyn (11) at Milwaukee (12): Wiley Steel (25-5.6) (3-2) in relief of Freddy Wood (31-6.3) over Ren French (25-4.9) (4-5). The Brewers scored 6 times in the bottom of the 9th to win. The final blow was a 2-out double by SS Lou Bohus (27-5.4). For the Gladiators, C Billy Boblett (29-5.4) hit his 2nd home run of the season.

Omaha (12) at St. Louis (9): Tom Lee (29-6.0) (5-2) over Ted Ryther (33-4.3) (4-9). Omaha has won 6 in a row. For the Terriers, CF James McClellan (29-4.7) hit his 2nd home run of the year.

Providence (5) at Chicago (6) in 11 innings: Pete Rinehart (28-6.2) (2-1) over Ed Wison (26-7.3) (2-5). The Colts scored 3 times in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game and C George Sandefur (31-5.8) won it in the bottom of the 11th with a home run. In 11 innings, Rinehart allowed 7 hits, 2 walks and struck out 3.

[Questdog]

Thursday, May 26, 1887

Trade! Cincinnati (LBL) sent 1B Frank Young (36-7.6) to St. Louis (GNA) for minor league CF Tom Doolittle (23-5.3). Young has been in the Liberty League since the beginning (1876), when he played for St. Louis. He was in his 9th season with Cincinnati. Doolittle does not look like much of a prospect.

We are in Kentucky to begin a 3 game series with manager Elmer Higgins (41-6.4) and his new Bourbons today. They are currently 4th in the League in runs scored with 6.4 per game (Detroit is still last with 5.5). They are 6th in runs allowed with 7.3 per game (Detroit is still #1 with 4.7). The Bourbons play in the old Eclipse park which nowadays is a great place to be a hitter as long as you do not have designs of hitting the ball over the right field fence.

Detroit Wolverines (15-8 .652 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Louisville Bourbons (9-13 .409 5.5 GB tied for 6th place)

Ed Bush, Det. (27-5.3) (R 7-4 2.71 7.2-2.5-2.8 H-BB-K/9) vs. Count Childs, Lou. (31-3.1) (R 3-5 5.56 9.6-4.6-3.3)

Lost - 6 to 0

I don't know how to score runs when 3 of my best hitters are out injured and the ones that are playing aren't hitting. LF Ben Smith (27-6.7), MVP the season before last and my cleanup hitter, is batting .191 in a season where everyone else in the League is seeing their batting averages explode. We have allowed 9 home runs since the last time one of our batters hit one in a game.

In 7 innings, Bush allowed 11 hits, 2 walks and struck out 2.

Childs gave us 3 hits, 4 walks and struck out 5. At bat, he had 2 hits with a triple and a walk and scored 2 runs.

We made 3 errors and Louisville made 2. Another bright spot of LF Ben Smith's season is that he is 2nd in the League in most errors for a left fielder.

SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6), the only player on the team who is hitting of late, had 2 of our 3 hits and drew a walk. 3B Sam Boullion (27-4.8) was injured when tagging LF John Cray (30-7.0) out in the first inning. He tweaked his shoulder and is expected to miss 3 weeks. We now have 5 players out of action with injuries. I sent for old IF Russell Gardner (33-6.4) to come back to the team.

For the Bourbons, SS Freddy Parsley (27-7.5) hit a home run, the 1st of his career. This is his 4th season of play and he spent the 1st 3 seasons in Chicago, that notorious home run haven. But of course, he never got to face Ed Bush in the Grand National Association.

Liberty League:
Cleveland (6) at Indianapolis (11): Bill Crawford (28-7.2) (6-3) over Henry Rawls (33-4.3) (4-5). The Hoosiers scored 6 times in the 8th inning to take command of the game. SS Jake Steitz (28-4.7) had 3 hits with his 2nd home run of the season, drew a walk and had 4 RBIs. Rookie C Sandy McKinnon (27-4.0) had 4 hits with 2 doubles and a home run, stole 3 bases, scored 2 runs and had 2 RBIs. 3B Bill Lawson (30-6.9) hit his 3rd home run of the year. 1B Lew Bell (30-4.2) also hit a homer. For the Spiders, rookie 1B Dave Kelly (25-6.0) hit a home run.

Cincinnati (7) at Boston (6) in 10 innings: Charlie Branham (27-4.2) (5-7) over Dave Wolf (24-4.7) (4-2). 1B Willie Burton (32-8.5), in his season debut, hit a 2-run home run in the top of the 10th.

Grand National Association:
Brooklyn (6) at Milwaukee (3): Ren French (25-4.9) (5-5) over Zachary Buchanan (26-4.0) (6-7). 1B Monte Moody (29-6.9) hit a home run.

Omaha (2) at St. Louis (8): Fred Barrow (35-4.7) (6-6) over Lee Sprague (27-3.5) (7-7). Barrow allowed 9 hits, 1 walk and struck out 3. 1B Jack Warren (34-7.2) had 4 hits, stole a base, scored a run and had an RBI. For the Mutuals, rookie LF Dave Todd (21-5.5) hit a home run.

Providence (4) at Chicago (6): Pat Seguin (23-4.4) (11-3) over Bill Henson (30-6.5) (1-8). Seguin allowed 5 hits, 2 walks and struck out 5. C Walt Wilson (27-5.2) hit his 2nd home run of the season.

[Questdog]

Friday, May 27, 1887

Detroit Wolverines (15-9 .625 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Louisville Bourbons (10-13 .435 4.5 GB in 6th place)

We face our old teammate, McLeod, for the 1st time today. If Childs shut us out, then we should get negative runs today.

Lou Townley, Det. (24-3.4) (R 7-2 2.11 9.1-1.2-3.1 H-BB-K/9) vs. William McLeod, Lou. (28-5.6) (R 5-4 4.24 10.3-3.4-2.6)

Won - 6 to 3

Townley has now supplanted Bush as my #1 choice to start a game. We turned 4 double-plays today. LF Ben Smith (27-6.7) was hitless again and made another error.

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

McLeod gave us 7 hits, 2 walks and struck out 6. At bat, he had a hit.

We made 2 errors and Louisville made 5.

CF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) did not get a hit, but drew a walk, stole 2 bases and scored 2 runs. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) had 2 hits, stole a base and had 2 RBIs.

Liberty League:
Cleveland (10) at Indianapolis (14): Dad Marshall (28-4.4) (3-5) over Ed Pedersen (25-5.1) (4-8). SS Jake Steitz (28-4.7) had 3 hits with a triple and a walk, stole a base, scored 4 runs and had 2 RBIs. 3B Bill Lawson (30-6.9) had 4 hits with a triple and his 4th home run of the year, scored 3 runs and had 4 RBIs. For the Spiders, rookie LF Hi Bowman (23-5.5) had 2 hits with a home run and a walk, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs.

New York (3) at Pittsburgh (4): Tom Lilly (27-6.4) (6-4) over Miah Turner (26-5.3) (6-3). Lilly allowed 7 hits, 1 walk and struck out 5.

Cincinnati (3) at Boston (4): Charlie Morlock (37-6.7) (5-5) over John Stevens (30-8.2) (5-5). Morlock allowed 9 hits, 3 walks and struck out 5.

Grand National Association:
Brooklyn (12) at Milwaukee (6): Al Green (24-3.8) (8-6) over Wiley Steel (25-5.6) (3-3). Rookie SS Ed Cheney (23-7.8) hit a home run.

Omaha (22) at St. Louis (6): Lee Sprague (27-3.5) (8-7) over Con Arnold (23-6.3) (2-2). Omaha had 26 hits and 10 walks. Rookie LF Dave Todd (21-5.5) did not have a hit, but walked 3 times and scored 4 runs. RF Bill Hammack (34-5.0) had 5 hits with a double and a walk, scored 5 runs and had an RBI. SS Ed Aldrich (23-6.8) had 4 hits and 2 walks, scored 5 runs and had 2 RBIs. Rookie 2B Dave Henderson (24-4.1) had 3 hits with a double and 2 walks, scored 2 runs and had 7 RBIs to tie the GNA record. 1B Tom Anglin (34-5.6) had 6 hits with a double, stole a base, scored a run and had 2 RBIs. For the Terriers, 1B Felix Hill (28-4.2), an ex-Mutual, pitched the 9th inning and did not allow a run to score.

Providence (10) at Chicago (9) in 10 innings: Ed Hodges (27-3.2) (6-6) on his birthday over Pete Rinehart (28-6.2) (2-2). Rookie CF Sy Cullum (24-5.9) walked to lead off the 10th, stole 2nd and 3rd base and scored on a long fly out.

[Questdog]

Saturday, May 28, 1887

Trade! The Cincinnati Reds (LBL), who obviously want to trade all of their players if they can, sent P Lou Ellard (29-6.3) to the Omaha Mutuals (GNA) for minor league P William Butina (24-5.6). Another cost-cutting move; Butina is not high on anyone's list of prospects. It is reported that Ellard will be installed as the #3 pitcher on the Mutuals, who see him as an upgrade from Bill Hamilton (29-5.4).

Detroit Wolverines (16-9 .640 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Louisville Bourbons (10-14 .417 5.5 GB tied for 6th place)

Ed Bush, Det. (27-5.3) (R 7-5 2.88 7.7-2.5-2.8 H-BB-K/9) vs. Sammy Berry, Lou. (27-5.5) (R 0-1 5.00 13.0-2.0-1.0)

Won - 6 to 4

Bush allowed 8 hits, 4 walks and struck out 2. And no home runs! At bat, he had a hit.

Berry gave us 15 hits, no walks and struck out no one. At bat, he had a hit and scored a run.

We made 2 errors and Louisville made 4.

CF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) had 4 hits with a triple, stole 2 bases and scored 3 runs. SS Al Shaffer (26-5.6) had 3 hits, stole 2 bases, scored 2 runs and had 2 RBIs. LF Ben Smith (27-6.7) finally had a decent game with 3 hits and an RBI. He did not make an error, but did get picked off at first base by the pitcher. 2B Jocko Cole (25-6.1), another who is hitting much less than expected, had 3 hits and 2 RBIs.

For the Bourbons, 2B Sam Swanger (34-4.8), our old shortstop, had 2 hits and scored 2 runs.

Liberty League:
Cleveland (10) at Indianapolis (7): Henry Rawls (33-4.3) (5-5) over Bill Crawford (28-7.2) (6-4). CF Jake Howard (28-4.6) hit hit his 2nd home run and 3B Cowboy Gray (25-7.8) hit his 3rd. LF John Bradbury (26-7.6) cracked a bone in his shoulder blade and will miss 4 to 5 weeks.

Grand National Association:
Baltimore (8) at Kansas City (5): Pop Yurkovich (35-5.6) (6-7) over Al McClaughry (23-5.6) (8-8). Yurkovich allowed 8 hits, 5 walks and struck out 7. SS Fred Parrish (28-5.7), an ex-Wolverine, had 3 hits with 2 triples and 4 RBIs.

Brooklyn (2) at Milwaukee (4): Freddy Wood (31-6.3) (5-8) over William David (24-3.6) (1-2). Wood allowed 9 hits, 3 walks and struck out 4. At bat, he had 2 hits and a walk and scored a run. For the Gladiators, C Jim Granier (31-5.7) hit his 2nd home run of the season.

Omaha (7) at St. Louis (8): Ted Ryther (33-4.3) (5-9) over Tom Lee (29-6.0) (5-3). SS Smith Yocum (29-5.5) and rookie LF Pat Matthews (24-5.1) each hit a home run.

Providence (5) at Chicago (3): Ed Wison (27-7.3) (3-5) over Pat Seguin (23-4.4) (11-4). Wison allowed 7 hits, 5 walks and struck out 2.

[Questdog]

Sunday, May 29, 1887

Grand National Association:
Baltimore (7) at Chicago (10): Pony Stanley (24-6.2) (9-5) over Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (7-8). Stanley, the runner up in last year's Hurler Trophy voting, has won 5 in a row. For the Orioles, rookie CF Jimmy Sleeman (24-3.3) and 3B Phil Lane (26-7.4) each hit their 2nd home run of the season. Baltimore made 10 errors, 3 of them by Lane.

[Questdog]

Monday, May 30, 1887 Decoration Day

Holiday Double-Headers!

We are in Pittsburgh to begin a 3 game series with a double-header today against manager Jesse Courtney (38-5.1) and his Puddlers. The last time we played them was in October of 1885 in the championship series between the Liberty League and the Grand National Association. We swept them in 4 games. They are 5th in runs scored in the Liberty League with 6.1 per game (Detroit is still last with 5.3, and by a margin that gets larger with every passing day). They are 2nd in runs allowed with 5.1 per game (Detroit is still 1st with 4.7). Their Recreation Park is far and away the toughest place to hit in the Liberty League this year. Home runs and hits of all kinds have been tough to come by (at least in relation to the other parks).

Detroit Wolverines (17-9 .654 1st place in the Liberty League) at
Pittsburgh Puddlers (12-9 .571 2.5 GB in 3rd place)

Game 1
Lou Townley, Det. (25-3.4) (R 8-2 2.00 9.1-1.3-3.3 H-BB-K/9) vs. Tom Lilly, Pitt. (27-6.4) (L 6-4 2.53 7.8-1.4-3.6)

Won - 7 to 3

Townley allowed 9 hits, no walks and struck out 4. At bat, he had 2 hits and scored a run.

Lilly gave us 13 hits, 2 walks and struck out 4.

We made 4 errors and Pittsburgh made 5.

CF Willie Kirby (25-2.1) had a hit and a walk, stole a base and scored 2 runs. LF Ben Smith (27-6.7) had 2 hits with a double and scored a run. 2B Jocko Cole (25-6.1) had 2 hits with a double and a walk, scored 2 runs and had an RBI. 3B John Powers (34-6.2), who up until today had played great defense but had not hit a lick, had 4 hits with a double and an RBI, but made 3 errors.

For the Puddlers, 1B Tom Coponen (31-7.0) hit 2 doubles and scored a run.

Game 2
Ed Bush, Det. (27-5.3) (R 8-5 2.97 7.7-2.6-2.7 H-BB-K/9) vs. Whitey Mathews, Pitt. (24-4.1) (L 5-3 3.16 9.1-2.9-3.2)

Won - 4 to 0

Bush allowed 3 hits, 2 walks and struck out 3. At bat, he had a hit and an RBI.

Mathews gave us 9 hits, 1 walk and struck out 3.

We made 3 errors and Pittsburgh made 8. 5 of the Puddler errors were made by 3B Adam Trombley (30-6.8), 3 of them in the 2nd inning, but we only got 1 run out of them.

CF Willie Kirby had 2 hits, stole a base, scored a run and had an RBI. RF Fred Bianco (28-6.9) hit a double. LF Ben Smith had 2 hits and a walk and an RBI. C Evan Eckberg (31-3.5) did not do anything with the bat, but managed to score twice. 3B John Powers had 2 hits and an RBI.

Liberty League:
Cincinnati (12) at Indianapolis (11) Game 1: John Stevens (30-8.2) (6-5) over Dad Marshall (28-4.4) (3-6). Cincinnati scored 6 times in the 8th. RF Fleet Wilcox (30-4.9) had 2 hits with his 3rd home run of the season, drew 3 walks, stole a base, scored 2 runs and had 4 RBIs. 1B Willie Burton (32-8.5) had 4 hits with a double and his 2nd home run of the year, drew a walk, scored 2 runs and had 3 RBIs. For the Hoosiers, rookie LF Dick Thacker (26-7.6) had 5 hits, stole a base, scored 2 runs and had 3 RBIs.

Cincinnati (12) at Indianapolis (2) Game 2: Charlie Branham (27-4.2) (6-7) over Bill Crawford (28-7.2) (6-5). Branham allowed 5 hits, 2 walks and struck out 1. At bat, he had 2 hits and a walk and scored 3 times. 1B Willie Burton had 4 more hits to give him 8 in the double-header. He had a double and a triple, but only a lone RBI to show for all his work. RF Fleet Wilcox hit his 4th home run of the year. Rookie of the Year candidate CF Ed Robling (24-7.3) pulled a hamstring and will miss 2 to 3 weeks.

Louisville (2) at New York (9) Game 1: Miah Turner (26-5.3) (7-3) over William McLeod (28-5.6) (5-6). Turner allowed 5 hits, 1 walk and struck out 3. CF Bert Gellis (26-5.5) hit his 2nd home run of the year.

Louisville (6) at New York (4) Game 2: Count Childs (31-3.1) (5-5) over Jack Roberts (35-6.1) (3-7). Louisville scored twice in the top of the 9th to break the tie and take the lead. For the Gothams, C Joe Kotlyar (31-6.2), the ex-Wolverine, hit a home run.

Cleveland (14) at Boston (9) Game 1: Ed Pedersen (25-5.1) (5-8) over Charlie Morlock (37-6.7) (5-6). 3B Cowboy Gray (25-7.8) hit his 4th home run of the year, scored twice and had 4 RBIs. Manager/C Deacon Dubin (30-8.8) had 3 hits, stole the 1st base of his career and scored 4 runs. The steal was not on the back-end of a double steal, he swiped second all by himself. LF Kid Stryffeler (24-9.2), in his major league debut, had 4 hits, scored a run and had 2 RBIs. For the Red Caps, manager/1B Pete Bucolo (39-4.1) had 4 hits and scored a run. Boston made 8 errors.

Cleveland (5) at Boston (3) Game 2: Henry Rawls (33-4.3) (6-5) over William Little (26-6.0) (5-4). Rawls allowed 6 hits, no walks and struck out 3. At bat, he had 2 hits with a double and an RBI. SS Jesse Flanders (27-5.4) hit his 5th home run of the year. For Boston, rookie C Joe Ostrander (33-4.1) hit a home run.

Grand National Association:
St. Louis (4) at Brooklyn (3) Game 1: Fred Barrow (35-4.7) (7-6) over Al Green (24-3.8) (8-7). Barrow allowed 7 hits, no walks and struck out 3. He has won 4 in a row. For the Gladiators, 1B Monte Moody (29-6.9) hit his 2nd home run of the season.

St. Louis (4) at Brooklyn (5) Game 2: Ren French (25-4.9) (6-5) over Con Arnold (23-6.3) (2-3).

Milwaukee (5) at Providence (3) Game 1: Zachary Buchanan (26-4.0) (7-7) over Ed Hodges (27-3.2) (6-7). Buchanan allowed 5 hits, no walks and struck out 2.

Milwaukee (11) at Providence (3) Game 2: Wiley Steel (25-5.6) (4-3) over Bill Henson (30-6.5) (1-9). For the Grays, RF Joe Turner (27-6.6) pulled a muscle and is expected to miss 5 to 6 weeks.

Omaha (3) at Kansas City (13) Game 1: Al McClaughry (23-5.6) (9-8) over Lee Sprague (27-3.5) (8-8). McClaughry allowed 9 hits, 2 walks and struck out 5. 2B Al Sarbacker (26-4.8) had 4 hits with 2 doubles, scored 3 runs and had an RBI. Omaha made 10 errors.

Omaha (1) at Kansas City (2) Game 2: Lew Burnett (26-4.5) (9-4) over Lou Ellard (29-6.3) (0-1) in his Mutuals debut. Burnett allowed 7 hits, 3 walks and struck out 3. Ellard allowed 8 hits, 1 walk and struck out 1.

Chicago (2) at Baltimore (11): Tom Wilmarth (27-5.4) (8-8) over Pete Rinehart (28-6.2) (2-3). Wilmarth allowed 7 hits, 3 walks and struck out 4. At bat, he had 2 hits, scored a run and had an RBI. Rookie 2B Kitty Covington (22-5.4) had 4 hits with a double, stole 2 bases, scored 4 runs and had 2 RBIs. The 2nd game of the double-header was canceled due to the poor weather.