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tm1681 06-09-2024 11:06 AM

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STARS IN NEW PLACES & GREAT NEW FACES FOR 1865
NUMEROUS STARS SWITCH CLUBS; LARGE NUMBER OF HIGHLY TOUTED NEWCOMERS


NORTHEASTERN U.S.A. (Apr. 12, 1865) – The National Base Ball Organization’s 48 member clubs have started their training ahead of the 1865 season, and that means the ink on each club’s senior roster list is almost dry.

As was reported back in mid-November, major stars began changing clubs early in the offseason, with three of the four players to earn selections to all six All-Star games – Willie Davis, Edward Huntley, & Samuel Kessler – trading places within 90 days of the end of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. Those three were not the only stars and highly regarded veterans to decide that a change of jersey and a new challenge were needed.

The list of notable player moves, in order of reputation, is as follows:
5.0* CF Willie Davis (2x B.o.t.Y, 1x M.V.P, 6x A-S, 4x T.o.t.Y.) – Susquehanna to American
5.0* SS Edward Huntley (1x Champ, 2x M.V.P, 6x A-S, 5x T.o.t.Y, 6x G.G.) – Orange to Knickerbocker
5.0* 3B Samuel Kessler (1x B.o.t.Y, 1x M.V.P, 6x A-S, 6x T.o.t.Y, 1x G.G.) – Sons of the Ocean to Alleghany
4.5* 2B Anderson MacGyver (3x Champ, 1x B.o.t.Y, 3x A-S, 3x T.o.t.Y.) – St. John’s to Mutual
4.5* OF Thomas Maloney (1x Champ, 4x A-S, 3x T.o.t.Y.) – Shamrock to Reading
4.0* 3B Jerald Peterson (2x Champ, 1x B.o.t.Y, 4x A-S, 3x T.o.t.Y.) – Kings County to Sons of the Ocean
4.0* P Bernard Schmidt (2x All-Star, 41.4 career W.A.R.) – Niagara to Sportsman’s
4.0* P Rainer van der Hout (1x Champ, 1x A-S, 1x G.G.) – Orange to Shamrock
4.0* CF Arthur Waltrip (1x M.V.P, 4x A-S, 2x T.o.t.Y.) – American to Alleghany
3.5* 2B Hamish Barclay (2x A-S, 1x T.o.t.Y.) – Gotham to Niagara
3.5* 1B Joseph Bentley (1x B.o.t.Y, 3x A-S, 4x T.o.t.Y.) – Granite to Mutual
3.5* P Joe Cunningham (1x Champ, 2x A-S, 149 career Wins) – Shamrock to Susquehanna
3.5* 2B Albert Gore (3x A-S, 1x T.o.t.Y.) – Granite to Sons of the Ocean
3.5* 1B Mario Fusilli (1x All-Star) – Knickerbocker to Syracuse
3.5* P Harry Nilsson (1x A-S, 1x T.o.t.Y.) – Reading to Excelsior
3.5* 3B Leroy Weld (3x A-S, 1x T.o.t.Y) – Merrimack Mills to Union of Morrisania
3.0* 1B Arvi Hämäläinen (1x B.o.t.Y, 1x A-S, 1x T.o.t.Y.) – Niagara to Atlantic
There is also an unusually high number of talented Newcomers to the National Base Ball Organization, especially among the pitching ranks. This bumper crop of players new to organized baseball could prove to be the best one yet.

The notable Newcomers, listed in similar fashion to the veterans above:
5.0* OF Royal Altman (23 Y/O, 80+ CON, 65 GAP, 55 POW, 50 EYE, 50 SPD, 75 STL, 65 LF) – Alleghany
5.0* P Peadar Daly (29 Y/O, 40 STU, 65 MOV, 75 CTRL, 65 STA, 60 P) – Knickerbocker
5.0* P Earl Quinn (23 Y/O, 40 STU, 70 MOV, 75 CTRL, 80 STA, 60 P) – Syracuse
5.0* P Fred Richards (29 Y/O, 40 STU, 75 MOV, 75 CTRL, 60 STA, 55 P) – Alleghany
5.0* P William Tighe (27 Y/O, 40 STU, 75 MOV, 75 CTRL, 75 STA, 65 P) – St. John’s
5.0* P Gus Woods (25 Y/O, 40 STU, 75 MOV, 75 CTRL, 55 STA, 55 P) – Niagara
4.5* 2B Peter Boyce (22 Y/O, 80 CON, 55 GAP, 55 POW, 45 EYE, 60 SPD, 60 STL, 80 2B) – American
4.0* P Robert Fertel (28 Y/O, 35 STU, 75 MOV, 70 CTRL, 80 STA, 45 P) – Metropolitan
4.0* P Hugh Whiteside (27 Y/O, 35 STU, 70 MOV, 65 CTRL, 70 STA, 45 P) – Cantabrigians
3.0* C Clifford Bardo (25 Y/O, 70 CON, 50 GAP, 50 POW, 45 EYE, 45 SPD, 45 STL, 55 C) – Quaker St.
3.0* SS Edwin Barr (28 Y/O, 70 CON, 50 GAP, 50 POW, 45 EYE, 50 SPD, 50 STL, 55 SS) – Continental
3.0* 2B Arran Duffy (30 Y/O, 65 CON, 75 GAP, 60 POW, 50 EYE, 65 SPD, 60 STL, 60 2B) – Alleghany
3.0* SS Logan Hickey (26 Y/O, 70 CON, 55 GAP, 55 POW, 45 EYE, 40 SPD, 60 STL, 60 SS) – Susquehanna
3.0* 3B James McNeil (26 Y/O, 70 CON, 45 GAP, 45 POW, 45 EYE, 40 SPD, 45 STL, 65 3B) – Syracuse
3.0* OF Fred Olson (24 Y/O, 70 CON, 75 GAP, 55 POW, 45 EYE, 65 SPD, 50 STL, 75 LF) – Eckford
3.0* CF Graeme Peel (23 Y/O, 55 CON, 75 GAP, 60 POW, 45 EYE, 60 SPD, 80+ STL, 55 CF) – Quinnipiac
3.0* OF Johnnie Sands (28 Y/O, 70 CON, 65 GAP, 50 POW, 45 EYE, 60 SPD, 55 STL, 75 LF) – Utica
3.0* OF Henry Stoltz (25 Y/O, 75 CON, 55 GAP, 50 POW, 55 EYE, 55 SPD, 55 STL, 60 RF) – Mass. Bay
3.0* SS Roy Vreeken (27 Y/O, 70 CON, 60 GAP, 55 POW, 45 EYE, 45 SPD, 50 STL, 60 SS) – Quinnipiac
3.0* SS Ben Weir (26 Y/O, 70 CON, 50 GAP, 45 POW, 45 EYE, 45 SPD, 55 STL, 60 SS) – Olympic
With the amount of Newcomers expected to play regularly during the upcoming N.B.B.O. season likely to reach an all-time high, the future of the sport continues to look brighter and brighter.

tm1681 06-09-2024 11:13 AM

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PLAY BALL: THE 1865 N.B.B.O. PREVIEW
EXCELSIOR TIPPED FOR BEST RECORD; 3-WAY TIE PROJECTED IN UPSTATE; N.E.L. CHAMPS ALL PROJECTED 45-25


NORTHEAST U.S.A. (May 3, 1865) – Season number nine of the National Base Ball Organization begins this afternoon, with Harlem and Metropolitan officially starting the new season just after noon in Hamilton Square in New York City.

The most significant change on the field this year is the removal of the Bound Rule, which will almost certainly lead to an increase in runs until fielders adjust. In addition, three of the biggest stars in the sport have changed addresses, an Inland club down on its luck has undergone a major overhaul, there is a surplus of first-year talent, the Upstate Championship is expected to be a bloodbath, and a member of the old New York City guard may have the most talented team in the N.B.B.O.

The most fascinating projection for the upcoming season is that the Writers Pool believes a three-way tie could be in the cards for the Upstate Championship, with five teams ultimately finishing within three games of each other due the incredibly close level of quality found in most of the Upstate teams.

Other predictions include Excelsior having the best record in the N.B.B.O. thanks to the addition of Harry Nilsson to pitch with mighty Jim Creighton, all three N.E.L. regional champions finishing 45-25, Royal Altman having a shot at being another Newcomer to win Batsman of the Year, Alleghany possibly going from worst to first, Knickerbocker allowing the fewest runs in the N.B.B.O. thanks to their winter additions, and a pair of pitchers crossing the 100 Strikeout mark.

Taking at the projections at face value, it would appear that not a lot is expected to change in the N.B.B.O. Excelsior is expected back on top, Gotham & Knickerbocker are projected to be the top two in N.Y.C, Flour City should be at the top of Upstate, Merrimack is considered likely to win a third straight Inland pennant, and of course St. John’s is favored to take New England again. However, the nature of the game itself has changed, and that means anything can happen.

The upcoming season could ultimately be more of the same, but if that happens it will be in spite of major changes.


WRITERS POOL GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

These are the teams that the Writers Pool has named the favorites to advance to the Tucker-Wheaton Cup:
BROOKLYN: Excelsior – 47-23, 560 R.F, 406 R.A. (Empire & Kings Co. 8-10 G.B.)
N.Y.C: Knickerbocker – 42-28, 507 R.F, 394 R.A. (Gotham & Mutual 3-5 G.B.)
UPSTATE: Three-way tie – 39-31 (Flour City, Minuteman, & Niagara – Syracuse & Utica 1-3 G.B.)
COASTAL: Mass. Bay – 45-25, 570 R.F, 479 R.A. (Quaker St, Shamrock, & Trenton 6-8 G.B.)
INLAND: Merrimack Mills – 45-25, 522 R.F, 427 R.A. (Alleghany 1 G.B.)
N. ENGLAND: St. John’s – 45-25, 561 R.F, 426 R.A. (Green Mtn. & S.o.t.O. 5 G.B.)
In regard to the projected three-way tie in Upstate New York, the Writers Pool expects Flour City to have the best Run Differential of the three teams – +52 vs +38 for Niagara & +23 for Minuteman – making them the unofficial favorites.

When asked for other observations about the upcoming season, here were the main talking points offered up by the 48-member N.B.B.O. Writers Pool:
• The twenty most talented batsmen in the N.B.B.O: Konrad Jensen (OF, STJ), Edward Huntley (SS, KNI), Anthony Mascherino (SS, G.M.), Nelson Townsend (OF, STJ), Royal Altman (N) (OF, ALL), Willie Davis (CF, AME), Samuel Kessler (3B, ALL), Peter Boyce (N) (SS, AME), Thomas Maloney (OF, REA), Leslie Arnett (2B, M.M.), Anderson MacGyver (2B, MUT), Declan Brice (CF, K.C.), Ernest Lewis (2B, QUI), Taliesin Buckley (CF, GOT), Joe Feuerstein (C, PORT), Jerald Peterson (3B, S.o.t.O.), Hugh Harris (3B, KNI), Cormack Alexander (1B, K.C.), Franklin Petty (CF, L.E.), Arthur Waltrip (CF, ALL) – N represents Newcomer

• The ten most talented pitchers in the N.B.B.O: Jim Creighton (EXC), James Goodman (MIN), Fred Richards (N) (ALL), Grover Wright (CON), William Tighe (N) (STJ), Earl Quinn (N) (SYR), Gus Woods (N) (NIA), Peadar Daly (N) (KNI), Carl Bancroft (EMP), John McGowan (KNI) – N represents Newcomer

• The ten best newcomers in the N.B.B.O: Royal Altman (OF, ALL), Fred Richards (P, ALL), William Tighe (P, STJ), Earl Quinn (P, SYR), Gus Woods (P, NIA), Peadar Daly (P, KNI), Peter Boyce (SS, AME), Robert Fertel (P, MET), Frederick Olson (OF, ECK), Roy Vreeken (SS, QUI)

• The ten best reserve squad prospects in the N.B.B.O: Charles Sturch (20 y/o P, Q.S.), George Cerven (19 y/o P, GOT), Isaac Kelly (19 y/o 3B, ECK), Harry Singleton (22 y/o P, SHA), William Shelley (22 y/o P, ORA), Ned Morganti (21 y/o OF, Q.S.), Clyde Branagan (22 y/o P, NIA), Will Chaffin (22 y/o 3B, ORA), William Buschmann (21 y/o CF, UTI), Herbert Todd (21 y/o P, BING)

• The W.P. projected a three-way tie atop the Upstate Championship because they simply cannot agree on who the best team will be. They see Upstate as a relative gauntlet where many of the teams are very close in ability, with the small clubs like Binghamton & Eagle capable of punching above their weight to make matters that much more even. The only projected weak link in Upstate is Victory (26-44), but they have failed to win 30 games in a season only once.

• Excelsior has been tipped to be the N.B.B.O’s best team, with projections of a 47-23 record and +154 Run Differential. No new batsmen were added to the lineup, but a pair of second-year players – Uwe Schneider & Jameson Spears – are expected to improve and make the team’s offense better. Also, Excelsior has added 1862 N.Y.L. win leader Harry Nilsson (career: 121-101) to give Jim Creighton pitching support.

• Alleghany’s offseason overhaul of its roster has resulted in a projected twenty-win improvement from last year’s 24-46 record. Currently, their lineup ranks in the top ten at five positions (P, 1B, 3B, LF, & CF) and they have no players that the W.P. has ranked in the bottom half of the N.B.B.O. at their position (lowest: C Martin Elson at 23rd).

• Knickerbocker enters the season as the most talented team in the N.B.B.O after the recruitment of Edward Huntley and Peadar Daly. Their positional rankings, according to the W.P: 4th out of 48 at C, 34th at 1B, 6th at 2B, 3rd at 3B, 1st at SS, 9th at LF, 26th at CF, 2nd at RF, and 8th at P. No other team can match Knickerbocker’s seven players ranked in the top ten at their position.

• Merrimack Mills is expected to win Inland for the third year running – even if by just a game – due to consistency and continuity. Both regular pitchers and seven of eight batsmen have returned, with former S.o.t.O. player Lars Kelson expected to be an upgrade in center field over the now-benched Leonard Popa.

• Massachusetts Bay has been picked as the Coastal favorite but, in reality, anything can happen there as all five of the “big” clubs have plenty of talent, and that does not include two-time defending champions Port Jersey. The only thing the W.P. knows for sure is that Olympic will be terrible, with a projected record of 19-51 and a -149 Run Differential.

• The Writers Pool expects Flour City & Kings County to hit 20+ Home Runs this season. If both do, it will mark the first time two teams have hit twenty or more home runs in the same season.

• More on Kings County...they are projected to finish 2nd in Brooklyn but could take quite a tumble, as K.C. lost Per-Olaf Bakken, Jerald Peterson, and Rainer van der Hout without finding equal replacements. The front office thought they could use the club's reputation to recruit Edward Huntley & Samuel Kessler but wound up with neither. Instead, two-star backup SS Leslie Bjork (-0.6 career W.A.R.) was brought over from Empire and Stanford Topps, an 1861 All-Star who has been an average player since, was recruited from Atlantic. Their #1 pitcher to start the season will be Ernest Wise, who has been with the team for three years without pitching in an N.B.B.O. game, and heir #2 pitcher, Charles Matthews, has 17.1 career innings of experience to his name.

• No team has ever hit below .250 over an entire season, with Empire coming the closest at .251 in the N.B.B.O’s inaugural season. The W.P. believes that this season’s Scranton team could quite possibly become the first to do it.

• Konrad Jensen and St. John’s teammate Nelson Townsend are expected to be the two best batsmen in the N.E.L. this season. With the pair now ages 25 & 24 respectively, both players are expected to continue their slow & steady improvement. If that happens, one or the other could break records in 1865.

• After his record-breaking debut campaign, the Writers Pool has Cormack Alexander winning the N.B.B.O. Batting Title for the second straight season. They do not see last year as a historic fluke, instead viewing Alexander as perhaps the most technical contact hitter in the sport.

• The Writers Pool thinks this will be the year that Jim Creighton crosses 100 Strikeouts in a season. He came very close with 95 last season and, given that Creighton is still only 24 years old, he should continue to improve his extraordinary skills for another couple of years. His 1865 projection: 27-6, 2.48 E.R.A, 105 K’s. That would almost certainly earn Creighton his second New York League M.V.P. in three seasons.

• While the major change to how outs are made is expected to raise the rate of errors significantly, especially among outfielders, the Writers Pool has noted that the influx of high-level pitching talent to the N.B.B.O. might offset any potential league-wide scoring increases that the extra errors would bring.

tm1681 06-10-2024 02:52 PM

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OVERHAULED ALLEGHANY OPENS SEASON IN STYLE
OPENS SEASON WITH 27 HITS IN 21-4 WIN; WALTRIP & KESSLER WITH 5 HITS EACH


SCRANTON, PENN (May 3, 1865) – The new-look Alleghany B.C. lineup opened the 1865 season in style on Wednesday, clobbering a woeful Scranton side by the score of 21-4:




There was not one singular inning that loomed over the others in Alleghany’s opening day outburst. Instead, 3+ runs in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 6th meant the visitors from Pittsburgh had a 19-3 lead. They tacked on two late runs to finish Scranton’s humiliation and start the 1865 season in the most exemplary conceivable manner.

Alleghany rattled off 27 hits in their first game of the new season, with none of the Scranton pitchers having any measure of success:
Albert Forman: 2.0 IP, 8 H, 9 R/5 ER
Trygve Skovgaard: 3.1 IP, 10 H, 8 R/7 ER
Robert Hanlon: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R/ER
Conversely, it was all smiles for the Alleghany batsmen. Five players clubbed three or more hits and two players making their Alleghany debuts stood out above the rest: Arthur Waltrip.

Waltrip’s performance batting leadoff:
T1: Leadoff Double to RF off A. Forman (scored)
T2: Reached via Error by P A. Forman (scored)
T3: 1-run Single to LF off T. Skovgaard
T5: Leadoff Single past 2B off T. Skovgaard (scored)
T6: 1-run Single past SS off T. Skovgaard (scored)
T7: Reached via Fielder’s Choice to 2B
T9: Single past 1B off R. Hanlon
TOTAL: 5/6, 2B, 4 R, 2 RBI, 6 TB
Kessler’s performance batting immediately after Waltrip in the lineup:
T1: 1-run Single past SS off A. Forman (scored)
T2: 2-run Single to RCF off A. Forman (caught stealing)
T3: Fly Out to LF off T. Skovgaard
T5: Reached via Base on Balls by T. Skovgaard
T6: 1-run Single to CF off R. Hanlon (scored)
T7: Single past 2B off R. Hanlon
T9: Single past SS off R. Hanlon
TOTAL: 5/6, 2 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB
It was a banner day for Alleghany, as all three of their Newcomers put in fine performances. Royal Altman was 3/5 with a pair of runs and one R.B.I, Arran Duffy was also 3/5 but with three runs, four R.B.I, and a home run in the 1st inning, and Fred Richards pitched a Complete Game while allowing ten hits, no earned runs, and striking out two.

tm1681 06-10-2024 02:52 PM

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THREE WITH FIVE HITS EACH FOR CONTINENTAL!
KIESSLING, HEWITT, & BIELENBERG RAVAGE ATLANTIC PITCHING IN 21-7 WIN


BROOKLYN (May 7, 1865) – Continental B.B.C. finished off a four-win opening week with a demolition of Atlantic on Sunday afternoon, winning 21-7 at the Capitoline Baseball Grounds:




The result was never in doubt, with Continental going ahead 12-4 in the top of the 4th inning and piling on runs from there.

Continental was led by three players – leadoff batter Arthur Kiessling, #5 batter Arthur Hewitt, & #7 batter Dieter Bielenberg – who had five hits each, with Continental totaling 26 for the game.

Kiessling’s day at the plate:
T1: Leadoff Infield Single off R. Stroh (scored)
T2: Leadoff Double to LCF off R. Stroh (scored)
T3: Ground Out to SS off R. Stroh
T4: Infield Single between off R. Stroh (scored)
T5: Ground Out to 2B off B. Chastain
T6: 1-run Single between 1B & 2B off B. Chastain
T8: 1-run Single past 2B off F. Ballard (scored)
TOTAL: 5/7 (all Singles), 2B, 4 R, 2 RBI
Hewitt’s performance in just his fifth game as a first baseman:
T1: Reached via Base on Balls by R. Stroh
T2: Ground Out to SS off R. Stroh
T4: Double to RF off R. Stroh (scored)
T5: Single to LF off B. Chastain (scored)
T6: 1-run Single to CF off B. Chastain (scored)
T7: Double to CF off F. Ballard
T9: Single to RF off F. Ballard
TOTAL: 5/6, 2 2B, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 7 TB
Bielenberg’s output batting in the bottom third of the lineup:
T1: 1-run Single past 2B off R. Stroh
T3: Leadoff Single between 1B & 2B off R. Stroh (stole 3B, scored)
T4: 2-run Triple to RCF off R. Stroh (scored)
T5: Single to LF off B. Chastain
T6: Single to CF off B. Chastain (scored)
T8: Leadoff Ground Out to 2B off F. Ballard
T9: Fly Out to CF off F. Ballard
TOTAL: 5/7, 3B, 3 R, 3 RBI, 1 SB, 7 TB
It was quite a day for Continental and their trio of star performers. They are 4-1 after one week of play and hoping that the form they showed during the five games at Atlantic does not let up soon.

tm1681 06-10-2024 02:53 PM

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ROBERTSON GOES GRAND AGAINST FLOUR CITY!
NEW NIAGARA 1B ONLY 1/4, BUT LONE HIT IS A GRAND SLAM


BUFFALO, N.Y. (May 18, 1865) – Matters did not go Niagara B.C’s way in their home game against red-hot Flour City on Thursday, losing 12-9 against the Rochester side that has won eleven of their first twelve games to open 1865.

There was one major bright spot for Niagara, however. With two outs in the bottom of the third new first baseman James Robertson, a two-time All-Star who joined after two seasons playing for Atlantic, uncorked a Grand Slam over the left field fence, giving him the distinction of hitting the N.B.B.O’s first Grand Slam of 1865.

It was Robertson’s only hit of the game in four at-bats, although he did draw a base on balls in the bottom of the 9th inning.

So far in 1865, Robertson is batting .294 through a dozen games with his new team, adding four doubles and a pair of home runs while scoring a dozen runs and driving in a dozen as well. Meanwhile, Niagara is 5-7 through two and a half weeks of play.

tm1681 06-10-2024 02:54 PM

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ALEXANDER BATTERS EXCELSIOR IN LOSING EFFORT
STAR 1B GOES 5/5 WITH A DOUBLE & HOME RUN; CURRENTLY BATTING .477


BROOKLYN (May 20, 1865) – Six-time Brooklyn champions Kings County are doing just okay to start 1865, with their 12-6 home loss to Excelsior leaving them 7-7 after fourteen games. One player who has been doing a whole lot more than “just okay” is record-breaking second-year star Cormack Alexander.

In the loss against Excelsior, Alexander was 5/5 with the bat, belting an inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the 5th inning and adding a double in the bottom of the ninth. Alexander accounted for five of his team’s eleven hits, two of their six runs, and three of their five R.B.I.

For Alexander, it would appear after nearly three weeks of play that his record-breaking debut season in 1864 was nothing remotely close to a fluke. After Saturday’s outburst, here is how Alexander has started his second N.B.B.O season:

• 14 G, .477 AVG (31/65), 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 9 R, 21 R.B.I., .631 SLG, 1.116 O.P.S, 1.5 WPA, 0.9 WAR

Obviously there are more than eleven weeks of base ball left to play, but Cormack Alexander is threatening to follow up his extraordinary first season with an even more spectacular second act.

tm1681 06-10-2024 02:55 PM

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KNICKERBOCKER 15-0 THROUGH THREE WEEKS!
RECORD-SETTING START TO THE SEASON HAS CLUB ALREADY IN N.Y.C. LEAD BY FIVE GAMES


NEW YORK CITY (May 22, 1865) – Knickerbocker B.B.C. thought they had everything set up to go back to the top of the New York City Championship in 1864 when they brought in legendary pitcher John McGowan, star batsmen James Hoyt & Juriaan Kerstens, and five-star 3B prospect Hugh Harris. Instead, Knickerbocker finished 37-33 for the third time in four years and wondered just what they needed to do to become the leader of the N.Y.C. pack once again.

Doc Adams and club G.M. Harold Hatch…hatched a plan. By the end of the first week of November they had signed on Edward Huntley, unquestionably the best shortstop in the N.Y.L, and five-star independent ball pitcher Peadar Daly. Herman Easley, the N.E.L’s best pitcher in 1863, was added as pitching insurance after a down year with Susquehanna, one-time Team of the Year member Curtis Bowman was recruited to replace the disappointing Gregersen Rohrmann in center field, and solid veteran Willie Love was brought in to play first base after Mario Fusilli left for Syracuse.

The results so far?




Knickerbocker is three weeks into the season and they have yet to lose a game, shattering an N.B.B.O. by starting the season with fifteen consecutive victories. They have scored 116 runs (7.7 R/G) while allowing just 46 (3.1 R/G), giving Knickerbocker an absurd +70 Run Differential over just fifteen games.

The team’s pitching & defense lead the N.Y.L. in nearly every notable category, meaning it has been a truly historic start to the season.

Knickerbocker’s three-week run has been a total team effort. Seven of the eight regular batsmen in their lineup have 10+ R.B.I. through fifteen games, while Willie Love has nine. John McGowan is 7-0 with a 1.29 E.R.A, and Peadar Daly is 8-0 with a 2.54 E.R.A.

Incredibly, Knickerbocker is 15-0 even though Edward Huntley, the two-time New York League M.V.P. and a career .350 batter, has the worst average on the team at .254 with a .648 O.P.S, which would both easily be career lows if Huntley were to swing the bat like he has for the entire season.

Every single regular, including both pitchers, currently have a positive Zone Rating, and their defense leads the entire N.B.B.O. in Errors, Fielding Percentage, Defensive Efficiency, and – not surprisingly – Zone Rating.

Knickerbocker’s offense has not been as amazing, currently 17th in the N.B.B.O. in average (.296) and 10th in runs. However, they are 6th in O.P.S. (.732), 3rd in W.A.R. (3.6), and the fact of the matter is that the batsmen simply have not needed to perform at a top-tier level as opponents are batting just .203 against them so far this season (S.o.t.O. 2nd at .239).

While it is most assured that Knickerbocker will not win every one of the seventy games that are on the calendar for 1865, their historic start means that they might be able to play .500 base ball the rest of the way and still be part of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup field. What a start!

tm1681 06-11-2024 06:55 PM

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KNICKERBOCKER'S RECORD WIN STREAK IS OVER
N.Y.C. CLUB’S RUN OF 17 STRAIGHT WINS TO OPEN SEASON ENDS WITH DRAMATIC DEFEAT


NEW YORK CITY (May 26, 1865) – Knickerbocker B.B.C’s record-breaking streak of seventeen consecutive victories – a new mark for consecutive wins at any time let alone to open a season – came to an end in dramatic fashion this afternoon at the Morrisania Base Ball Grounds against Union:




The score was level at 4-4 going into the 7th inning, where James Hoyt tripled and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Edward Huntley that gave Knickerbocker a one-run lead. The score remained 5-4 going into the bottom of the 9th, and it looked like Peadar Daly was all set to move to 10-0 on the season.

In the bottom of the 9th, Daly hit Union leadoff man Matthew Walsh with a pitch before allowing a single to Victor Wallerstedt. After a sacrifice moved the runners to second & third base, Leroy Weld came to the plate and singled in Walsh & Wallerstedt to give Union the 6-5 victory and end Knickerbocker’s extraordinary run.

Knickerbocker’s streak of seventeen consecutive victories breaks the old record for wins in a row, which was set in 1860 when Kings County won their final sixteen games before losing the 1861 season opener. Knickerbocker’s 17-1 record currently has them five games better than any other team in New York City & four better than anyone else in the N.B.B.O.

tm1681 06-11-2024 07:05 PM

1 Attachment(s)
GREEN MTN. SCORES RECORD-BREAKING AWAY WIN
VERMONTERS TAG CANTABRIGIANS WITH LARGEST SHOUTOUT WIN IN N.B.B.O. HISTORY


AMBRIDGE, MASS. (May 27, 1865) – The members of Green Mountain B.C. must have felt like they had something to prove ahead of Saturday’s game at Cantabrigians, because what proceeded was the largest shutout win on record:




Not only was Green Mountain’s 22-0 obliteration of the Cantabrigians the largest margin of victory in a shutout, but their 20-hit advantage was the largest in N.B.B.O. history. Two of the Cantabrigians’ hits were by CF Damion Brown, and the other one was by a pinch hitter.

The star of the afternoon for Green Mountain was 1B Fred Schmidt. While batsmen #3-7 for Green Mountain all had three or more hits, Schmidt led the way with a 4/7 outing that included a triple, three runs, and four R.B.I. Teammate James Badner was 4/6 with three runs scored and a pair of R.B.I. to bring his team-leading total to seventeen so far this season.

Robert Hulcy pitched a complete-game Shutout for Green Mountain, the first of his career. That brought his record on the season to 4-2, with an E.R.A. of 3.02 and ten strikeouts compared to eight bases on balls.

Hugh Whiteside took the brunt of Green Mountain’s aggression. Cantabrigians’ starting pitcher lasted just 2.2 innings but allowed eleven hits and ten runs, eight of which were Earned Runs. The performance dropped his record to 1-7 (5.76 E.R.A.)

tm1681 06-11-2024 07:05 PM

1 Attachment(s)
READING PAIR WITH FIVE HITS EACH IN BIG WIN
SPAN & BRENNON COMBINE TO HIT 10/11 IN DOUBLE-DIGIT READING HOME VICTORY


READING, PENN. (June 3, 1865) – Reading Athletic has had an uncharacteristically poor start to the season at 8-15 but on Saturday afternoon they produced an impressive result, scoring every time at bat in a thirteen-run victory over Merrimack:




Reading was led by a pair of batsmen who had five hits each: leadoff man Alfred Span and #8 hitter George Brenon.


Span’s day at the top of the lineup:
B1: Leadoff Single to CF off F. Huth (scored)
B2: 1-run Double past 1B off F. Huth (scored)
B4: Leadoff Fly Out to LF off F. Huth
B5: 1-run Single past 2B off F. Huth
B7: Leadoff Single to CF off J. Helsey (scored)
B8: 1-run Double to CF off J. Helsey (scored)
TOTAL: 5/6, 2 2B, 4 R, 3 RBI, 7 TB
Brenon’s afternoon at the bottom of the order:
B2: Single past 2B off F. Huth (scored)
B3: 1-run Single to RF off F. Huth
B5: Triple to RCF off G. Brenon (scored)
B6: Double to CF off J. Helsey
B8: Leadoff Single b/w 1B & 2B off J. Helsey (scored)
TOTAL: 5/5, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 1 RBI, 8 TB

The big home win moved Reading’s record up to 9-15, but they are still tied for last in the Inland Championship with Scranton. The loss dropped Merrimack Mills to 11-13, good for sixth place but they just two games out of second. Alleghany leads the Inland Championship with a record of 17-7.

tm1681 06-11-2024 07:09 PM

1865: THE HALFWAY POINT
KNICKERBOCKER BEST EVER AFTER SEVEN WEEKS; ALLEGHANY & EXCELSIOR ALSO DOMINATING


NORTHEAST U.S.A. (June 19, 1865) – The National Base Ball Organization has played half its schedule, and so far the base ball landscape in 1865 looks like a land of contrasts. In Brooklyn, New York City, & Inland one team is dominating the competition. In Upstate, Coastal, & New England everything remains up for grabs. One more thing is certain: Knickerbocker B.B.C. has had the best first half of a season ever seen by a country mile.

Here are the leaders of the six regional championships:
Brooklyn: Excelsior at 24-11 (+89 R.D, Bedford & Kings Co. 6 G.B.)
N.Y.C: Knickerbocker at 31-4 (+113 R.D, Gotham 10 G.B.)
Upstate: Niagara at 23-12 (+55 R.D, Minuteman 2 G.B.)
Coastal: Trenton Utd. at 22-13 (+76 R.D, American & Shamrock 3 G.B.)
Inland: Alleghany at 26-9 (+102 R.D, Pioneer 7 G.B.)
N. England: S.o.t.O. & St. John’s at 22-13 (Quinnipiac 1 G.B.)
General observations from the first half of the season, via the Writers Pool:
Knickerbocker, of course, is the talk of the base ball world. Their 31-4 record after seven weeks is easily the best in N.B.B.O. history. The previous best was 26-9, which Alleghany has achieved this season and a number of teams have reached in seasons past. To put it simply, Knickerbocker’s pitching & defense have been impenetrable. They have allowed 136 runs (3.9 R/G), 34 fewer than any other team. They have the lowest E.R.A. (2.34), walked the fewest batters (19), the lowest W.H.I.P. (0.96), the lowest opponents’ average (.230), and the lowest opponents’ O.P.S. (.539). Their defense has committed the fewest errors (121), has the highest fielding percentage (.918), is the most efficient (.707), and has the highest Zone Rating (+45.1; S.o.t.O. 2nd at +27.0).

Alleghany’s winter machinations have most definitely paid off. Arthur Waltrip is batting .415 with a 2.4 W.A.R. at the head of the batting order. Samuel Kessler has 38 R.B.I. batting right behind him. Newcomer Royal Altman is batting .353 with 38 R.B.I. to match Kessler. Fellow first-year N.B.B.O. player Fred Richards is 13-5 with a 1.84 E.R.A. The only quibble they might have is that first-year 2B Arran Duffy is batting a bit worse than expected at .261, but he has hit a pair of home runs and has 30 R.B.I. to go with them.

Excelsior is, of course, being led by mighty Jim Creighton (14-5, 2.13 E.R.A, 54 K), but they also have the best overall offense in the New York League – 2nd in runs (287; 8.2 R/G), 1st in average (.330), 1st in on-base (.356), 1st in O.P.S. (.794), and 1st in Batting W.A.R. (8.9). C Ruby Watson is batting .409, 3B Wesley Leone is batting .374 with 30 R.B.I, OF Uwe Schneider is batting .358 with 28 R.B.I. and 23 steals, and CF Archie Mask is batting .329 with 30 R.B.I.

Niagara has won nine of their last ten games to race into the midway point with a 2-3 game lead over Minuteman and Flour City. Their offense sprung to life over the past two weeks, with Gotham import Hamish Barclay and Atlantic signee James Robertson leading the way. Newcomer Gus Woods is pitching well (9-7, 2.77 E.R.A.) and Walter Simon has a 9-2 record since taking on the #2 pitcher role.

• Plucky Trenton United, who has twice taken the Coastal pennant against a roster of much bigger clubs, has the Coastal lead thanks to the best pitching in the Northeastern League. #1 pitcher Robert Dozier is 12-3 with a sparkling 1.63 E.R.A. that he can thank his highly-rated defense for. The team’s other pitchers have performed well.

St. John’s & Sons of the Ocean are in a dogfight for New England. The St. John’s offense has fallen just a bit after losing Anderson MacGyver to Mutual, as they have three batsmen currently performing below replacement level: C Bruce Botchko, SS Thomas DiMola, & 2B Walter Warren. Their pitching has actually improved a lot, jumping all the way up to 3rd in the N.E.L. in Runs Allowed thanks in no small part to newcomer William Tighe. S.o.t.O. was able to replace Samuel Kessler with Kings Co’s Jerald Peterson, and they also recruited three-time All-Star Albert Gore to play second base. The results speak for themselves, and they currently enjoy the #1 defense in the N.E.L. Quinnipiac, with its top-five offense, is just a game behind the two New England frontrunners.

• It was thought that the removal of the Bound Rule and its subsequent increase in fielding errors would lead to more runs, but scoring is holding steady at 7.0 R/G per team. As the Writers Pool mused during the annual season preview, the influx of quality pitching talent into the competition has balanced out the Bound Rule’s elimination.

• As mentioned, Knickerbocker is 31-4 at the halfway mark, which puts them on a pace for a 62-8 record. The best single-season record in N.B.B.O. history is 54-16, first done in 1859 by St. John’s and then in 1860 by Kings County. They are also on a pace to allow 272 runs (3.9 R/G), which would be the fewest allowed in a season by nearly 80 as the current record belongs to St. John’s with 350 Runs Allowed in 1860. Their current E.R.A. of 2.34 would also easily be the lowest in a season, with the current record belonging to the 1861 Syracuse pitching staff at 2.65.

St. John’s is on a pace to draw more than 180 bases on balls, which would easily break the record of 169 they set in the 1861 season.

• There are seven players batting over .400, with Arthur Waltrip leading the N.B.B.O. at .415. There were a record nine .400 hitters after seven weeks last season.

Konrad Jensen has 44 Stolen Bases, placing him on a pace for 88 over the entire season. That would significantly outdo the record of 69 set last season by Mathius Wirtz of Minuteman. Jensen is also on pace to break his own record for Bases on Balls taken over the course of a single season.

James Heilman of Kings County is on pace for 108 runs, which would break the current record for runs scored in a season: 106 by Anderson MacGyver of St. John’s in 1859.

• Speaking of Anderson MacGyver, he currently has 3.62 Win Probability Added, which puts him on pace to be the first player with 7.0+ W.P.A. in a season.

Robert Dozier has an E.R.A. of 1.63 over 154.2 innings. That would easily be the best Earned Run Average for a full-time starting pitcher over an entire season if his form holds.

Jim Creighton is on a pace to break his own single-season records for strikeouts and Pitching W.A.R. He is on pace for 108 K’s, which would be the first 100-strikeout season. He has also walked only two batsmen, and his current K/BB ratio of 27/1 would break the existing record by roughly a factor of eight.

tm1681 06-13-2024 02:59 PM

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FIVE HITS & FIVE RUNS FOR GAYNOR IN VICTORY
OCEANIC WINS 15-6 AT PORTLAND WITH OUTFIELDER LEADING THE WAY


PORTLAND, MAINE (June 29, 1865) – It has been a very disappointing season for Oceanic B.C, which entered Thursday’s game at Portland with a 14-27 record. For one day, they were able to shrug off the failures of the season with a big victory:




Oceanic had three players with three hits each – 3B William Booth, SS Lawrence Craig, & 1B John Francis – but the most damage was done via a five-hit performance by LF Johnathan Gaynor.

Gaynor’s day with the bat in Portland:
T1: 2-run Double past 1B off H. Foutch (scored)
T2: Reached via Fielder’s Choice at 2B (scored)
T4: Infield Single b/w C & 3B off H. Foutch
T6: Single to RCF off H. Foutch (stole 2B, scored)
T7: Single b/w 1B & 2B off H. Foutch (scored)
T8: 1-run Single to LCF off C. Smith (scored)
TOTAL: 5/6, 2B, 5 R, 3 RBI, SB, 6 TB
The performance moved Gaynor’s average up to a nice, even .300 on the season with 34 R.B.I. and 21 stolen bases.

On the other side, Portland fell to 24-18, even with Quinnipiac for 3rd in New England and three games out of 1st place.

tm1681 06-13-2024 03:00 PM

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MOORE STARS IN WILD NEWARK V. MASS. BAY TILT
NEWARK OUTFIELDER GOES 5/6, SCORES GAME-WINNER AFTER TEAM BLOWS EIGHT-RUN LEAD


BOSTON (June 30, 1865) – The base ball is always exciting in the perennially cutthroat Coastal Championship, and Friday’s contest between Newark and Massachusetts Bay in Boston was no different:




For much of the afternoon it looked like an all-Newark affair, as the visitors took an 11-3 lead in the top of the 8th thanks to a run-scoring single by 3B Albert Lewter. What followed was a mighty Mass. Bay comeback. They scored twice in the bottom of the 8th on a double by substitute pitcher Jonathan Case, and then scored six times in the 9th via a combination of singles, doubles, errors, and passed balls to make it 11-11, with Raleigh Altstadt’s mad dash in from third base on a miscue by the Newark catcher evening up the score.

It figured that Mass. Bay had all the momentum going into the extra innings, but in the top of the 10th Newark OF Iestyn Moore singled, moved over to second base after 2B Pankratz Bauer was hit by a pitch, and then came around to score on a single by Lewter. Mass. Bay went down 1-2-3 in their half of the 10th, and Newark earned the victory.

Moore’s run in the 10th ended a fine day’s work:
T1: 1-run Single to LF off W. Jones
T3: 1-run Single past 2B off W. Jones (scored)
T5: Ground Out to 2B off W. Jones
T6: 1-run Single to CF off W. Jones (scored)
T8: Single past 2B off J. Case (scored)
T10: Single to CF off J. Case (scored)
TOTAL: 5/6 (all singles), 4 R, 3 RBI, GAME-WINNING RUN
The result left both teams at 22-21, five games behind 1st-place Trenton United in the Coastal Championship.

tm1681 06-13-2024 03:01 PM

1 Attachment(s)
BROCK GRAND SLAM LIFTS S.O.T.O. OVER THE TOP
6TH-INNING JOLT KEY MOMENT IN N.E. LEADERS’ WIN; 2ND GRAND SLAM IN N.B.B.O. THIS YEAR


BURLINGTON, VER. (July 2, 18653) – The Sons of the Ocean ended Week Nine of the 1865 National Base Ball Organization season holding on to their one-game lead in the New England Championship thanks to a five-run win at Green Mountain:




Green Mountain had the better of things with a 7-5 lead after five innings thanks to three runs in the 1st & the 4th. S.o.t.O. came to bat in the top of the 6th, and after an error by 3B Bill Crosby, an error by P Ben Bailey, and a base on balls by Bailey S.o.t.O, SS Albert Brock came to the plate and made Green Mountain pay dearly for their mistakes with a Grand Slam to left field. It was the second Grand Slam in the National Base Ball Organization this season.

Brock’s blast put S.o.t.O. up 9-7, and although that would prove to be enough runs their offense scored twice in the 8th inning and then two more times in the 9th to win 13-8. Aside from the Grand Slam, Brock drove in runs via sacrifice in the 2nd and single in the 9th, making for a total of half a dozen R.B.I. on the afternoon.

The win brought S.o.t.O’s record to 21-14 after nine weeks of play – an extremely important victory that kept them one game ahead of both Portland & St. John’s in the New England Championship standings. Quinnipiac is also lurking three games back, so if the team from New Bedford is to be the ones to finally knock off St. John’s it will be a fight to the very end.

tm1681 06-13-2024 03:04 PM

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WALTRIP REACHES 1,000 HITS!
ALLEGHANY STAR FIRST PLAYER TO REACH MAJOR MILESTONE


PITTSBURGH, PENN. (July 5, 1865) – Alleghany B.C. beat Sportsman’s 9-8 in the Inland Championship on Wednesday, and during the game Arthur Waltrip became the first player in baseball history to successfully collect one thousand base hits.

Waltrip was 3/4 on the afternoon with a run, two steals, and two bases on balls – an excellent performance from the ninth-year N.B.B.O. star. It was during his plate appearance in the bottom of the 9th when Waltrip hit a single past first base off Sportsman’s P James Marks that Waltrip created the 1,000 Hit Club. It was an important hit as well, for it moved Lester Hayworth to third base, who then scored the game’s winning run thanks to an error by Sportsman’s 2B John DeAndrea.

Waltrip’s career in hits to date:
1857 (American): 67 G, 115 H, .370 AVG, .388 OBP, .460 SLG, .847 OPS
1858 (American): 70 G, 95 H, .308 AVG, .338 OBP, .377 SLG, .715 OPS
1859 (American): 70 G, 112 H, .336 AVG, .352 OBP, .387 SLG, .739 OPS
1860 (American): 70 G, 115 H, .351 AVG, .377 OBP, .430 SLG, .807 OPS
1861 (American): 70 G, 117 H, .356 AVG, .376 OBP, .429 SLG, .805 OPS
1862 (American): 70 G, 126 H, .387 AVG, .406 OBP, .506 SLG, .912 OPS
1863 (American): 70 G, 121 H, .389 AVG, .425 OBP, .489 SLG, .914 OPS
1864 (American): 70 G, 110 H, .353 AVG, .373 OBP, .471 SLG, .844 OPS
1865 (Alleghany): 46 G, 89 H, .413 AVG, .442 OBP, .555 SLG, .997 OPS
CAREER (2 teams): 603 G, 1,000 H, .361 AVG, .385 OPS, .453 SLG, .838 OPS
Next on the N.B.B.O. career hit list is William Johnson of St. John’s, who has 942 hits for his career. Thomas Maloney of Reading Athletic and James Robertson of Niagara both have 937. Alleghany teammate Samuel Kessler has 931, and Edward Huntley of Knickerbocker has 930.

tm1681 06-13-2024 03:24 PM

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TWO OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES ON THURSDAY
BENDEL DRIVES IN SIX FOR NASSAU CO; HEDRICK HAS 3+ HITS, RUNS, & R.B.I. for Merrimack


BROOKLYN & FALL RIVER, MASS. (July 13, 1865) – There were two outstanding performances by outfielders in the N.B.B.O. on Thursday afternoon, one in each league.

The first star performance was in Brooklyn, where Nassau County (21-31) pillaged Kings County (26-26) at Washington Park by the score of 16-6. Nassau Co. was ahead 14-0 by the middle of the 6th inning, and the star of their afternoon was CF and #4 batsman George Bendel:

Bendel’s day at Kings County:
T1: 2-run Triple to RCF off C. Matthews (scored)
T3: 1-run Single past SS off C. Matthews (scored)
T4: 2-run Double to RF off C. Matthews (scored)
T5: Single to RCF off M. Svensson
T7: Reached via Error by SS L. Bjork
T9: 1-run Ground Out to 3B
TOTAL: 4/6, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 6 RBI, 7 TB
Nassau County is virtually eliminated from Brooklyn Championship contention, but Kings County, who is still in contention, was knocked to six games back of the 1st-place duo of Continental & Excelsior by the disappointing home loss.

Over in the Inland Championship, two-time defending Inland champions Merrimack Mills (22-30) has had a disappointing 1865 season but they reverted back to previous years’ form with an excellent eleven-run victory at Sportsman’s. Merrimack had two dozen hits in the 19-8 win, and they were led by veteran corner outfielder Alexander Hedrick.

Hedrick’s performance against Sportsman’s:
T1: Single to RF off C. Carson (2B via Error)
T3: 1-run Single b/w 1B & 2B off C. Carson (scored)
T4: 1-run Single to LF off C. Carson
T5: Reached via Error by 1B J. Beaver
T7: Hit by Pitch from C. Carson (stole 2B, scored)
T8: 1-run Single to CF off J. Marks (scored)
T9: 1-run Triple past 3B off L. Carpenter
TOTAL: 5/6, 3B, 3 R, 4 RBI, SB, 7 TB
Hedrick’s big day with the bat lifted him to .301 with 21 extra-base hits and 36 R.B.I. on the season.

Merrimack is in last place, fourteen games behind runaway Inland leaders Alleghany. Sportsman’s is not faring much better as they are a dozen games behind Alleghany. However, Pittsburgh's finest are so far ahead of the Inland competition that Merrimack is just four games out of 2nd place and Sportsman’s two.

tm1681 06-13-2024 03:25 PM

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1865’S STAR PLAYERS NAMED
KNICKERBOCKER LEADS WITH SIX SELECTIONS; GAME TO BE HELD OUTSIDE OF N.Y.C. FOR 1ST TIME


NEW YORK CITY (July 17, 1865) - Final votes have been tabulated, and with that the rosters for the 1865 All-Star game were named at N.B.B.O. headquarters this afternoon. Once again, there are thirty men per league who will suit up for the contest that will take place in two weeks’ time:

Rosters for the upcoming All-Star Game will be thirty men per side again this season:
• Places 1-6 in each team’s roster will go to the best pitchers in each league.
• The remaining 24 roster sports will consist of three players for every other position.
This year’s All-Star Game will take place outside of the Elysian Fields for the first time. It was not originally part of the plan for this year’s game, but the N.B.B.O. Executive Committee decided while sending voting forms out that St. John’s should be honored in some way for having won half of the first eight Tucker-Wheaton Cups. So, the contest will be held at Providence’s Olneyville Field on July 31st.

The 1865 All-Star Game will feature 26 first-timers and three N.B.B.O. newcomers. For the New York League, the big-name debut is probably that of James Goodman, as “The Little Professor” has finally come good after eight years of struggling to master his unusual pitching repertoire. Royal Altman & Fred Richards are the two marquee debuts for the Northeastern League, as the two five-star Alleghany newcomers have been every bit as good as promised.

Given that their record is 45-10, it should come as no surprise that Knickerbocker has set an All-Star Game record with six players nominated. They and Kings County are the two teams with two starters: P John McGowan & 3B Hugh Harris for Knickerbocker; 1B Cormack Alexander & CF Declan Brice for Kings Co.

Rosters for the 1865 All-Star Game, with starters highlighted in red, are as follows:


NEW YORK LEAGUE ROSTERS

P: Jim Creighton (EXC/4th) – 19-10, 2.36 ERA, 95 K, 6.9 WAR
P: Peadar Daly (KNI/New) – 22-6, 2.61 ERA, 22 K, 4.2 WAR
P: James Goodman (MIN/1st) – 20-9, 2.69 ERA, 86 K, 6.5 WAR
P: Giorgio Imperiale (ORA/1st) – 16-8, 3.05 ERA, 38 K, 4.1 WAR
P: John McGowan (KNI/6th) – 21-4, 2.21 ERA, 27 K, 3.9 WAR
P: Grover Wright (CON/5th) – 15-8, 2.81 ERA, 28 K, 3.2 WAR

C: Marshall Hickson (VIC/1st) – .360, 16 XBH, 38 RBI, 1.6 WAR
C: Wilbert Schrader (KNI/2nd) – .315, 8 XBH, 33 RBI, 1.2 WAR
C: Ruby Watson (EXC/3rd) – .382, 15 XBH, 30 RBI, 2.2 WAR

1B: Cormack Alexander (K.C./2nd) – .379, 17 XBH, 53 RBI, 2.1 WAR
1B: Hawk Peterson (ORA/2nd) – .351, 24 XBH, 49 RBI, 2.0 WAR
1B: Leroy Weld (UNI/4th) – .346, 24 XBH, 49 RBI, 1.8 WAR
2B: Anderson MacGyver (MUT/4th) – .333, 26 XBH, 56 RBI, 31 SB, 1.9 WAR
2B: Art Mauser (F.C/2nd) – .365, 24 XBH, 40 RBI, 2.2 WAR
2B: Mathius Wirtz (MIN/1st) – .319, 15 XBH, 30 RBI, 51 SB, 2.1 WAR
3B: Hugh Harris (KNI/1st) – .320, 30 XBH, 47 RBI, 25 SB, 2.0 WAR
3B: Dennis Hunt (EMP/1st) – .356, 18 XBH, 57 RBI, 1.7 WAR
3B: Doire MacDonald (BING/1st) – .350, 18 XBH, 48 RBI, 1.7 WAR
SS: Per-Olaf Bakken (ORA/4th) – .305, 25 XBH, 27 RBI, 21 SB, 1.5 WAR
SS: Edward Huntley (KNI/7th) – .289, 17 XBH, 42 RBI, 27 SB, 2.5 WAR
SS: Will Strausbaugh (EMP/2nd) – .366, 24 XBH, 44 RBI, 2.2 WAR

OF: Luc Billon (GOT/2nd) – .375, 24 XBH, 40 RBI, 2.3 WAR
OF: Ilkka Kivivuori (EMP/3rd) – .360, 12 XBH, 45 RBI, 1.7 WAR
OF: Zarek Polakowski (N.C./3rd) – .350, 19 XBH, 37 RBI, 1.6 WAR
CF: Declan Brice (K.C./5th) – .343, 19 XBH, 56 RBI, 25 SB, 1.7 WAR
CF: Taliesin Buckley (GOT/3rd) – .321, 24 XBH, 50 RBI, 27 SB, 1.6 WAR
CF: Hiram Majors (ATL/2nd) – .335, 19 XBH, 24 RBI, 34 SB, 2.4 WAR
OF: Jasper Carrell (UTI/1st) – .301, 15 XBH, 22 RBI, 48 SB, 2.0 WAR
OF: James Hoyt (KNI/2nd) – .339, 27 XBH, 39 RBI, 1.9 WAR
OF: Uwe Schneider (EXC/1st) – .363, 24 XBH, 41 RBI, 29 SB, 2.1 WAR


NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE ROSTERS

P: Robert Dozier (T.U/1st) – 19-6, 2.47 ERA, 33 K, 3.5 WAR
P: Harold Foutch (PORT/1st) – 17-9, 3.32 ERA, 32 K, 2.6 WAR
P: Robert Hulcy (G.M/1st) – 16-8, 2.58 ERA, 27 K, 3.0 WAR
P: Charlie Mitchell (S.o.t.O/1st) – 18-8, 3.02 ERA, 43 K, 2.8 WAR
P: Fred Richards (ALL/New) – 16-11, 2.45 ERA, 20 K, 3.7 WAR
P: Rainer v.d. Hout (SHA/1st) – 17-8, 3.47 ERA, 25 K, 3.0 WAR

C: Lorenzo Bradford (M.B/1st) – .321, 8 XBH, 35 RBI, 1.1 WAR
C: James Ellis (OLY/1st) – .310, 9 XBH, 29 RBI, 0.9 WAR
C: Joe Feuerstein (PORT/5th) – .298, 18 XBH, 36 RBI, 1.4 WAR

1B: Jesse Johnson (QUI/1st) – .372, 16 XBH, 33 RBI, 1.9 WAR
1B: William Robbins (M.B/1st) – .362, 16 XBH, 42 RBI, 1.4 WAR
1B: Roscoe Turner (M.M/1st) – .375, 19 XBH, 46 RBI, 1.8 WAR
2B: Albert Gore (S.o.t.O/4th) – .355, 21 XBH, 56 RBI, 22 SB, 2.2 WAR
2B: Willard Krone (P.J/2nd) – .313, 15 XBH, 53 RBI, 1.5 WAR
2B: Ernest Lewis (QUI/2nd) – .323, 22 XBH, 34 RBI, 1.7 WAR
3B: Walter Dudley (P.J./2nd) – .365, 16 XBH, 45 RBI, 1.9 WAR
3B: Samuel Kessler (ALL/7th) – .360, 24 XBH, 51 RBI, 2.3 WAR
3B: Enda Reed (M.M/2nd) – .382, 21 XBH, 46 RBI, 2.2 WAR
SS: Albert Brock (S.o.t.O/1st) – .290, 15 XBH, 24 RBI, 30 SB, 2.6 WAR
SS: William Gillette (SHA/1st) – .336, 7 XBH, 35 RBI, 1.7 WAR
SS: Anthony Mascherino (G.M./7th) – .291, 16 XBH, 36 RBI, 24 SB, 2.6 WAR

OF: Royal Altman (ALL/New) – .318, 25 XBH, 59 RBI, 24 SB, 1.7 WAR
OF: Thomas Maloney (SHA/5th) – .407, 19 XBH, 46 RBI, 27 SB, 3.4 WAR
OF: Nelson Townsend (STJ/3rd) – .367, 22 XBH, 46 RBI, 40 SB, 2.6 WAR
CF: Willie Davis (AME/7th) – .378, 29 XBH, 47 RBI, 23 SB, 3.4 WAR
CF: Gregersen Rorhmann (Q.S/1st) – .374, 18 XBH, 41 RBI, 2.7 WAR
CF: Arthur Waltrip (ALL/5th) – .379, 27 XBH, 31 RBI, 25 SB, 3.1 WAR
OF: Konrad Jensen (STJ/5th) – .336, 13 XBH, 44 RBI, 60 SB, 2.8 WAR
OF: Tibor Racz (M.B/1st) – .369, 18 XBH, 40 RBI, 2.0 WAR
OF: Luther Tatum (SHA/2nd) – .333, 29 XBH, 52 RBI, 1.6 WAR

The following players will be making their first All-Star Game appearances:

NEW YORK LEAGUE ALL-STAR DEBUTS
P: Peadar Daly, James Goodman, Giorgio Imperiale
C: Marshall Hickson
IF: Hugh Harris, Dennis Hunt, Doire MacDonald, Mathius Wirtz
OF: Jasper Carrell, Uwe Schneider
TOTAL: 10 All-Star Debuts
NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE ALL-STAR DEBUTS
P: All six pitchers are making their All-Star Game debuts
C: Lorenzo Bradford, James Ellis
IF: Albert Brock, William Gillette, Jesse Johnson, William Robbins, Roscoe Turner
OF: Royal Altman, Tibor Racz, Gregersen Rohrmann
TOTAL: 16 All-Star Debuts
Every one of the six pitchers representing the Northeastern League will be going to the All-Star Game for the first time, and that is why the N.E.L. has a record sixteen debutantes. Not that the pitchers do not deserve selection. It has been a banner year for new and unheralded pitchers in the league, and if selection were to be expanded further then 21-year-old Elmer Seabold might have been included as he leads the N.E.L. in strikeouts & W.A.R. but has a slightly high E.R.A. and a middling record.

There are three newcomers in this year’s All-Star Game: Royal Altman, Peadar Daly, & Fred Richards. The three first-year players are representing the two best teams in the N.B.B.O: Knickerbocker (Daly) & Alleghany (Altman, Richards).

It will be an exciting afternoon two Mondays from now as the base ball world comes to Providence to celebrate the city’s status as the new center of baseball after more than eight and half years of the N.B.B.O, the fans will be able to see the best players in the sport, and as always it will be a wonderful night for charity.

Makonnen 06-14-2024 11:56 AM

Just a note of support here. Love the concept, love the detail. One question: how are you handling real life historical figures? Are you modeling their careers independently of the game, or?

tm1681 06-14-2024 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Makonnen (Post 5114606)
Just a note of support here. Love the concept, love the detail. One question: how are you handling real life historical figures? Are you modeling their careers independently of the game, or?

Thanks!

When I ran this universe before, what happened was that I split ten teams off from the original 48 team league to simulate the formation of the National Association and than replaced those teams in the N.B.B.O.

As far as real historical figures go? I'm not sure how I'll go about that this time around. Maybe I'll put some in? I'm thinkng maybe ones who never had a chance in real life, like Josh Gibson, or ones who lost a lot of time due to war, like Ted Williams.

Jim Creighton is a real-life figure, but his inclusion was kind of on a whim. In real life he was "discovered" by the Excelsior club playing for an informal team ahead of the 1860 season, and in this game Excelsior made the independent scouting discovery during the winter of 1859/60 of a player who just happened to be a pitcher. I thought it all lined up too well to pass up.

tm1681 06-14-2024 02:19 PM

1 Attachment(s)
KNICKERBOCKER CLINCHES W/ 13 GAMES TO SPARE!
N.Y.C. LEADERS’ 47TH WIN ELIMINATES GOTHAM; EARLIEST TEAM TO GUARANTEE PENNANT


NEW YORK CITY (July 20, 1865) – The Knickerbocker B.B.C. juggernaut continues to roll along. The most dominant team in N.B.B.O. history started Week Twelve of the season with a 9-3 home win over Metropolitan on Wednesday, and they followed it up with a 12-2 win over Metro on Thursday, a breeze of a contest in which John McGowan allowed two hits and raised his 1865 pitching record to 22-4.

The pair of blowout victories brought Knickerbocker’s record to 47-10, keeping them fourteen games in front of Gotham B.B.C. with thirteen games left on the schedule. That meant Knickerbocker were New York City champions with two and a half weeks to spare, a full three games sooner than any other team has clinched their regional championship in the history of the N.B.B.O.

Knickerbocker has not quite been as extraordinarily dominant over the second half of the season as they were during the first. Since their 31-4 run over the opening seven weeks of play, Knickerbocker is “merely” 16-6, which is still a winning percentage over .700. It beggars belief that this team’s records over the previous five seasons were 35-35, 37-33, 36-34, 37-33, and another season of 37-33. The second-oldest club in existence is definitely back to a form that fits their reputation.

Knickerbocker’s 47-10 record makes them nine games better than any other team in the N.B.B.O – Alleghany the second-best at 38-19. They have a +170 Run Differential, and while Knickerbocker is unlikely to better the 1859 St. John’s record of +245 they are roughly +50 better than any other team this season.

Knickerbocker is allowing 4.4 runs per game, still on pace to easily allow the fewest runs over the course of a season. They are allowing a full run per game less than any other team this season, and they are also a run and a half per game better than the #2 team in the New York League. Their team E.R.A. of 2.33, assuming it holds, will easily break existing records.

So far in 1865, everything has gone Knickerbocker’s way. The only question that remains to be answered is if they can carry that same form beyond the end of the season and win their first Tucker-Wheaton Cup.


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