1871 - Major League Baseball Begins

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September 24th, 1882 - Louisville defeated Pittsburgh in both games of a doubleheader, clinching the pennant and ending the season for Pittsburgh, as they were their last games on the schedule. Louisville played only Pittsburgh and Cincinnati the entire month of September, proving they were no fluke and that they could win without McCaffery. McCaffery will join the team in the World Series against Cleveland.

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The first ever World Series is set to kick off on October 7th, as the two teams that dominated their leagues will face off in a 3 game series. Who will capture the glory and become world champions?

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October 7th, 1882 - World Series Game 1 - The replay file is attached, as it will be for all future World Series games.

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October 9th, 1882 - World Series Game 2

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October 10th, 1882 - World Series Game 3

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October 10th, 1882 - Well there you have it folks...Louisville won the first game at home, but they couldn't get it done in Cleveland. Jim McCormick really put the hammer down after a poor performance in Game 1. He really did it all in Game 3, holding Louisville to just 1 run and 4 hits, and punching in 4 RBI's at the plate.

Errors really hurt Louisville, as Cleveland had just 6 errors to Louisville's 16. And Cleveland made all 6 of their errors in Game 1...that's right, they didn't commit a single error in game 2 or game 3. So Cleveland's superior fielding made a huge difference.


Fred Dunlap, Jack Glasscock, and Doc Kennedy were a real force at the plate, with Dunlap and Kennedy batting .600, and Glasscock .462. So, not the best showing for the American Association this year, but at least they won the first game. The Cleveland Blues showed why they were so dominant all season long.

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December 6th, 1882 - Two new teams, the New York Gothams and the Philadelphia Quakers had been admitted into the National League for the 1883 season. The two teams will replace the Troy Trojans and the Worcester Ruby Legs, who have been kicked out of the league.

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December 7th, 1882 - The Columbus Buckeyes and the New York Metropolitans have been approved to join the American Association for the 1883 season, giving each league 8 teams for a total of 16 competing next year to become the next World Series champions.

Also, in the National League, the Boston Red Caps announced they are changing their team nickname to the Boston Beaneaters.

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December 9th, 1882 - Shortstop Mike McGeary has announced his retirement after a long and successful career. Mike led the National League in stolen bases from 1879 to 1881. In 1873 he led the league in on base percentage (.424). In 1880 he led the league in hits (121). Mike is the all-time stolen base leader (346), and the all time base hit leader (906). He has been on 4 championship teams as listed:
1873 Philadelphia Athletics
1874 Philadelphia Athletics
1879 Providence Grays
1881 Cleveland Blues

Congratulations to Mike McGeary on an incredible career!

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January 1st, 1883 - .304 career hitting shortstop George Wright announced his retirement today. Wright was on 4 championship teams: the 1871, 1872 and 1880 Boston teams, and the 1879 Providence Grays. He led the league in hits and runs for 3 seasons over a span of 5 years from 1874 to 1878, and he lead the league in WAR 4 out of those 5 seasons. He is the current MLB career leader in the following categories:

Games: 821
At Bats: 3,776
Runs: 750
Hits: 1,149
WAR: 43.3

Wright has had an outstanding career, and he hasn't missed a single season. He has played mostly for Boston, and 2 seasons with Providence. We asked him what his plans are for the future.
"Well as you may know I've really taken to cricket...I'll continue to play that. I'm also quite fond of golf so...there's going to be a lot more sporting activities in my future."

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March 15th, 1883

American Association

Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore is going with a 2 man rotation of John Fox (3.10 ERA in Boston in 1881) and rookie Bob Emslie. Emslie shows real promise and John Fox should at least keep the Orioles in the game. Rookie relief pitcher Frank Diven also has a solid arm and can come into games when needed. Left Fielder Jim Clinton (.315) comes over from Worcester. Unfortunately, the rest of the Baltimore lineup is rather mediocre. It isn't a terrible lineup, but it is below average. Expect Baltimore to improve on their 22-52 performance from last season, but don't expect them to break .500.

Cincinnati Red Stockings
Will White (2.32 ERA) returns as Cincinnati's starting pitcher this year, and they've added black-listed National League slugger Charley Jones, who last played in 1880 for Boston and batted .257. A couple of promising rookies (John Reilly and Bid McPhee) join a lineup of under-performing veterans, and while the Cincinnati lineup won't blow anyone out of the water, perhaps they've struck the right combination this year to strike gold. It seems like a longshot, and its probably safer to say that the Red Stockings will finish second or third.

Columbus Buckeyes
The Buckeyes have a poor lineup with a couple of bright spots, but their plan to go with pitcher Frank Mountain seems severely flawed. Granted, Mountain is a 3 year veteran, but he has only pitched 19 innings in those 3 years, although his career ERA is 2.84. All the same, I'm expecting this new team from Ohio to flounder big-time and finish near the bottom this season.

Louisville Eclipse
Louisville lost their star pitcher Tony Mullane (1.67 ERA) to St. Louis, but rookie pitcher Guy Hecker really has a solid arm and could have quite the career. Add to that some incredible key pickups to their batting rotation, and Louisville is going to be a very exciting team to watch this season. Shortstop Joe Gerhardt will lead off. He batted .246 in 1881 for Detroit but took last year off. Jumbo Latham (.287) was acquired from the Athletics and will bat second. Pete Browning (.368) and Chicken Wolf (.313) return to bat 3rd and 4th. Catcher Ed Whiting (.293) arrives from Baltimore to bat 5th. The second half of the lineup doesn't look as great, but the talent in the first half combined with the promising young arm of Guy Hecker will allow the Eclipse to compete for the pennant. Unfortunately I believe they will fall just short because of one man...Bobby Mathews.

New York Metropolitans
Like their National League counterparts, the New York Metropolitans have put together a very good team to kick off their inaugural season. Tim Keefe (2.16 ERA) will do most of the pitching, but he'll be backed up occasionally by Jack Lynch (2.88 ERA in 1881). Candy Nelson will lead off; he last played in 1881 when he batted .282 for Worcester. Steve Brady bats second and is a real question mark since he last played in 1875, though he batted .332 that season for Hartford. It remains to be seen if he can still contribute at age 31. John O'Rourke last played in 1880 for Boston, when he batted .319. Dude Esterbrook is the cleanup hitter, and he had a .258 campaign for Cleveland last year. The talent starts to drop off after that...this team isn't as good as the Gothams, but it should be fun to see if these heroes of yesterday can still compete. I'm expecting about a 4th place finish from the Metropolitans.

Philadelphia Athletics
Though it is a different franchise, the Philadelphia Athletics believe they can return their city to the glory days of the mid-1870's, when Dick McBride brought them 3 pennants in a row. And who will argue with them, since they are going with a one man rotation this year of none other than legendary Bobby Mathews. Mathews led the MLB last year with a 1.24 ERA, and at age 31 he shows no signs of slowing down. But Mathews isn't the only upgrade made by the Athletics this year. Center fielder Bill Crowley arrives from a year off...he batted .284 in 1881 for Boston. Mike Moynahan also sat out last year after batting .269 for Detroit in 1881 (he'll bat 3rd this year). Harry Stovey bats cleanup. He hit .294 for Worcester last season and had 12 homeruns and 64 RBI's. The second half of the lineup features some sub-average hitters with potential, and it all adds up to what I believe will be a pennant winning year for the Athletics.

Pittsburgh Alleghenys
After finishing second last season in the AA, Pittsburgh will go with a 2 man pitching rotation of Denny Driscoll (2.75 ERA) and promising young rookie Bob Barr. They picked up several players from the defunct Worcester organization, including Buttercup Dickerson (though he sat out last season, batted .368 in 1881), and Jackie Hayes (.269). I have to question however why Denny Mack is their leadoff hitter after batting .139 last year for Louisville. He does have some speed, but he'll have to get on base more often this year to make use of it. I'm expecting Pittsburgh to finish 2nd or 3rd this season.

St. Louis Browns
Tony Mullane (1.67 ERA) joins Jumbo McGinnis (2.48 ERA) to form the starting rotation for this year's Browns (Yes, they've shortened their name.) They've added some very mediocre hitters from other clubs, with the exception of Harry McAffery who hit .288 for Louisville last year. The lineup isn't terrible but it's just barely not terrible. The Browns had a winning percentage last year of just over .400, and I expect them to repeat that performance this season.

National League

Boston Beaneaters
Boston will feature a 2 man rotation of veteran Jim Whitney (2.46 ERA) and rookie Charlie Buffinton. Buffinton shows promise but may need time to develop. Gone is the golden arm of Bobby Mathews, who will be pitching for the Athletics in 1883. Catcher Lew Brown hit .200 in 1881 for Detroit and he joins the Beaneaters this year and will bat third. That kind of tells you the tale right there. Boston has a few good hitters and alot of question marks. Ezra Sutton (.284) is one of the good hitters and is also a question mark at age 33. Last year Boston gave Cleveland a run for their money and finished 7 and a half games out of first. I do not expect them to do that well this year...there just isn't enough there.

Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo has added key lefty left fielder Orator Shafer to the top of their lineup this season. Shafer hit .285 with 47 RBI's and 21 stolen bases last year for Cleveland, and he is followed in the batting order by Jim O'Rourke (.294), Dan Brouthers (.336), Hardy Richardson (.292), and Jack Rowe (.304). The question though is how long Buffalo will stick with Pud Galvin as their starter, who had a 4.16 ERA last year. He may be on a very short leash, as the Bisons have acquired pitcher George Derby (2.71 ERA) from Detroit. Regardless, Buffalo is a solid looking team that looks like they could bash their way to many victories this season, possibly for a second or third place finish, and maybe even an outside shot at the pennant.

Chicago White Stockings
Chicago is bringing almost the exact same team to the table as last season, which means they'll be faced with the exact same pros and cons of last season. For Chicago it is the best of times and the worst of times. Their 2 man rotation of Larry Corcoran (26-14/1.45 ERA) and Fred Goldsmith (14-29/4.50 ERA) was only good for a just under .500 performance. Goldsmith however can only be partially blamed for Chicago's woes. Several players on the White Stockings lineup severely under-performed last year. The culprits are Tom Burns (.262), Ned Williamson (.233) and George Gore (.239). These players have to do better for Chicago to have a chance. All the same, expect another .500 performance from Chicago this year.

Cleveland Blues
Not satisfied with 2 pennant winning seasons in a row, Cleveland has made some key improvements this year that makes it look like they are bound for a third straight pennant and a second straight World Series. Hugh Daily (2.20 ERA) comes over from Buffalo to supplement Jim McCormick (2.52 ERA) in the pitching rotation. Right Fielder Pete Hotaling (.292) arrives from Boston to join an already fearsome lineup that features leadoff man Jack Glasscock (.306/57 RBI) and second baseman Fred Dunlap (.379/72 RBI). The weak spot in the Cleveland lineup is their 5 thru 7 slots of under-performers, 3 players who batted around .200 last year (Tom York, Bill Phillips, and Jake Evans). However, the 8th man Doc Bushong batted .287 with 42 RBI's. Don't expect much bat support from the pitchers, both of whom batted under .200 last year. Still, this Blues team is looking really good, and they are my pick to win it all once again in 1883.

Detroit Wolverines
Stump Wiedman and his 4.06 ERA is expected to carry the load for Detroit this year, and that is a heavy load indeed considering the Wolverines lineup looks more like a group of baby hedgehogs. It's going to be tough sledding for Detroit, and you can expect them to do worse than their .384 performance from last season.

New York Gothams
This a surprisingly solid team considering it is their first season. The Gothams will go with a two man rotation of Mickey Welch (2.45 ERA) and Monte Ward (2.35 ERA) Welch and Ward will also play center field when it isn't their turn to pitch. Led by veteran manager John Clapp (5 years), the Gothams lineup begins with two very good hitters who didn't play last year: Frank Hankinson and Mike Dorgan. Monte Ward bats third and is a solid .292 hitter to go along with his excellent skills as a pitcher. Roger Connor is the cleanup hitter and batted .278 with 42 RBI's last year for Troy. There's a lot of talent on this team, and I expect them to finish second in the National League.

Philadelphia Quakers
Rookie starting pitcher John Coleman looks really good, but there's not enough power in this Quakers offense to support him this year. Catcher Emil Gross is the star of the group...he didn't play last season but batted .302 the year before for Providence. There are 3 Bills in the lineup: Bill Harbridge (.242), Bill McClellan (.262 in 1881) and rookie shortstop Bill White (not expected to do much). There just isn't much here, and this Quakers team is going to struggle. Expect a finish near the bottom. At least the team has a decent looking starting pitcher, he'll be fun to watch but fans will also be frustrated by his lack of run support.

Providence Grays
Providence analysts are reporting that Old Hoss Radbourn spent the offseason trying to figure out what's wrong with his game after going 7-33 with a 7.46 ERA last year, and many believe he has worked out several of the kinks that were holding him and his entire team down. Expect Old Hoss to rebound this year. He will be helped by shortstop Arthur Irwin, a key addition from Worcester who batted .326 last season. Irwin will bat leadoff. I expect Providence to improve alot this season, assuming the reports are true about Radbourn. The Grays may have a successful season, that may even include them battling for the NL pennant.

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June 1st, 1883 - Well here it is, the first standings report of the 1883 season, which is always good to get an initial indicator of how the season will play out. Let's start in the National League, where the Cleveland Blues once again find themselves in first place, though they are closely followed by the newly formed New York Gothams. Mike Dorgan has led the way for the Gothams with a .446 batting average. Meanwhile, Old Hoss Radbourn's respectable 3.00 ERA has not been enough to keep Providence out of the cellar. Providence has an .844 fielding percentage, the worst fielding percentage in baseball, and that is why they are losing.

In the American Association, it's the Bobby Mathews show. Bobby Mathews is having a legendary season, even for Bobby Mathews. He is leading the league in just about every pitching statistic, and is doing everything he can for his team. Meanwhile he's getting great run support, which adds up to a 15-2 record for the Athletics. However, it is still a close race thanks to great play from the Louisville and Cincinnati clubs.

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One more note about the Athletics performance in May. Check out their lineup stats. How do you beat that when you're batting against Bobby Mathews?

[BaseballMan]

Bobby Mathews always does well for me. One of those forgotten 19th century players. Like Deacon White finally getting in Mathews probably should be in the Hall. Paul Hines should be in the hall as well.

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July 1st, 1883 - The baseball world has never seen the type of dominance that Bobby Mathews and the Philadelphia Athletics are displaying this year. The Athletics are 36-2 and riding an 18 game winning streak. Mathews is 28-1 with a 1.01 ERA, 345 strikeouts, and a WAR of 18.1. Philadelphia has a 12 and a half game lead over Cincinnati, and they really haven't given the other teams in the AA any hope of recovering the lost ground.
In the National League, Cleveland has displayed what would be considered a high level of dominance in any other year. The New York Gothams remain within striking distance at 5 games back.

What a historic season for Bobby Mathews and the Athletics!

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August 1st, 1883 - The Philadelphia Athletics inevitably cooled off and came back to earth after winning 18 straight games. Louisville has won 9 games in a row, but is still 9 1/2 games back. All the same, considering how well the Athletics played in May and June, that isn't bad. Bobby Mathews however, has not cooled off at all. He has a 0.96 ERA and 496 strikeouts.
In the National League, Cleveland seems to just keep getting better and better, and they nearly have as good of a winning percentage as the Athletics. The way the Athletics started, it's hard to believe that the race is actually closer in the American Association.

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September 1st, 1883 - An interesting pennant race year it is not...but this is shaping for what looks like on paper should be an absolutely incredible World Series. Cleveland has surpassed Philadelphia in terms of winning percentage. Bobby Mathews has 50 wins, 683 strikeouts, a 1.02 ERA, and a WAR of 35.7.

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September 2nd, 1883 - The Cleveland Blues defeated the Chicago White Stockings 11-2 to clinch their 4th straight National League pennant. It seems inevitable that they will face the Athletics in the World Series, who has a magic number of 7.

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September 16th, 1883 - The Philadelphia Athletics won 5 games in a row to clinch the American Association pennant. It had to be frustrating for Louisville, who had won 10 games in a row only to watch their chances dwindle away day by day. The win was Philadelphia's 70th of the year, and sets up an epic matchup in the World Series vs. Cleveland.