Replaying baseball history from 1871
 

I decided to start a new historical league starting in 1871.
I will be using ootp23 till 1901 and then convert to ootp24.
If the ootp24 database is fixed then i will of course convert sooner.
I will be using actual historical teams with the players that played for that team.
In some cases i've had to make a guess for a transaction date.
For example when a player leaves one team for a team that will be folding during the year.
I don't want to trade a player too soon and leave his old team with not enough players.
Nor do i want to wait too long to trade a player.
Not gonna do any good to trade a player to a team thats already folded.
I will be using the real starting pitcher for every game unless the pitcher is injured.
I am using as played schedules until around 1900.
Reason is that if i allow a team that folded to play a whole season then players on those teams may have
stats far different than history and they can effect the stats of other players.
Injuries are enough of a what if factor for me.
I dont expect historical stats to be exact as i would just read a book on baseball history
but i do like a player's performance to be in the ballpark of his real life model.
Sometimes a player's career will still take a left turn no matter what ballpark you put him in.

Some house rules i will be using.
If a team folded then that team is ineligible for postseason play.
I don't want a team that played 6 games winning the championship.
If more than 15 errors are made in a game then that game will be replayed.
Its just a personal taste.

In my previous replays involving 19th century players it was more of a challenge to get everything to work.
I think i am at a point now where it is not as much work as it once was and i can just enjoy the replay more.
At least i hope so.

1871 News

more news

1871n3

1871n4

trying to figure out best way to post results

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION 1871
STATISTICS & LEADERS

LEAGUE STANDINGS
Team W L WPct GB R RA
Washington Olympics 19 13 .594 - 280 242
Boston Red Stockings 18 13 .581 ½ 279 228
New York Mutuals 19 14 .576 ½ 255 227
Cleveland Forest Citys 16 13 .552 1½ 253 215
Philadelphia Athletics 15 13 .536 2 248 252
Troy Haymakers 15 14 .517 2½ 246 266
Rockford Forest Citys 10 15 .400 5½ 208 232
Chicago White Stockings 10 18 .357 7 219 258
Fort Wayne Kekiongas 5 14 .263 7½ 104 172

Great to see you back with a league starting in 1871 BaseballMan. I follow all your 19th century reports going back to 2016. I'm also using 23 for the 1898 season and look forward to seeing how your transition to 24 in 1901 goes. Really looking forward to this.

Thanks.
I'm really interested to see how using actual starting pitchers for each game will go.
Might get Old Hoss Radbourn his 59 wins.
Looking into maybe putting stats up on a website.
Would like to do a yearly write up like "The Sports Encyclopedia Baseball.
Not sure if i will have the time.
Resigned up with dropbox for now.

Hope this link to my almanac works
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9d62hfwnr...Gn207clma?dl=0

1872 season news

1872 n2

1872 n3

1872 n4

Thinking of letting chat gpt do a season recap.
Maybe posting playoff videos on youtube.
Unless there is fee for that.
Right now i would like to be able to share stats in an easy way.
Anyway its early in the replay but if there is any player you want to hear about or keep an eye just let me know.

Steve Bellan was the first latin player to play in the National Association. He was with the Troy Haymakers in 71 and 72. Has he gotten any starts in your save? In real life he had 286 at bats over 3 seasons. He's considered the father of Cuban baseball as he organized their professional league in the early days.

He started 29 games and batted .217 in 1871.
Started 25 games and batted .202 in 1872.
The ai had hims starting at 3b in 1871 and ss in 1872.
I have him moving to The New York Mutuals in 1873.
I dont think he will achieve his real lifetime batting average.

So i used chat gpt to write a season recap.
I rearranged it a bit but this is what i got so far.
Trying to take notes of what i noticed during a season so it doesn't just spit out stats. Wanting to make season recaps like in the "Sports Encyclopedia Baseball"
Anyway this what i got so far.

Opening Day

On May 4th, 1871, the first game in professional baseball history was played between the Cleveland Forest Citys and Fort Wayne Kekiongas in a National Association game. It was a closely contested game with Cleveland edging Fort Wayne by a score of 5-4. The game was played at Grand Duchess and saw Ezra Sutton of the Cleveland Forest Citys emerge as the star of the game.

Sutton went 5-for-5, hitting two triples, two singles, and a two-run single in the ninth inning. He also scored a run and drove in two runs.
The game was not without its errors and mistakes, with both teams committing multiple errors. However, it was a historic game that set the stage for professional baseball to become one of America's favorite pastimes. The final score was Cleveland Forest Citys 5, Fort Wayne Kekiongas 4.

The inaugural season of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, which later became Major League Baseball, has come to a close. The Washington Olympics were the first-ever National Association champions, having defeated the Boston Red Stockings in the World Championship Series four games to three.
evi Meyerle of the Philadelphia Athletics took home three of the major awards, including the Babe Ruth MVP Award, Jackie Robinson Award, and Gold Glove Award for his outstanding performances at the plate and in the field. Al Spalding of the Boston Red Stockings won the Cy Young Award for his impressive 18-12 record, 2.99 ERA, and 6.2 WAR.

In the Silver Slugger Award, Al Pratt of the Cleveland Forest Citys won the award for pitchers, while Deacon White of the Chicago White Stockings, Joe Start of the New York Mutuals, Ross Barnes of the Boston Red Stockings, Davy Force of the Washington Olympics, Levi Meyerle of the Philadelphia Athletics, John Hatfield of the New York Mutuals, Count Sensenderfer of the Philadelphia Athletics, and Lip Pike of the Troy Haymakers were named the top hitters at their respective positions.

The league's top players included the likes of Meyerle, Force, and Sutton.

With the conclusion of the 1871 season, the National Association looks forward to many more seasons to come and the growth of the sport of baseball in the United States.

Still needs work.
Doesn't really have that flow like when your reading a yearly recap.
Seems a little robotic

Currently in the 1875 season.
Trying to get system on how and what way to post results and recaps.
Back tracking a bit to post the 1871 postseason recap.


National Association World Champion Series
BOSTON RED STOCKINGS AT WASHINGTON OLYMPICS
Game 1

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND , 1871 - GAME LOG
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston Red Stockings 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 2 6 8 4
Washington Olympics 0 0 0 7 0 0 1 0 X 8 9 3



World Championship Series Game 1 Victory for Brainard and Washington
The Washington Olympics started the World Championship Series in style today, downing the visiting Boston Red Stockings at Olympics Grounds by a score of 8-6 to stake an early 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Olympics right-hander Asa Brainard threw 9.0 innings of 8-hit ball.
Davy Force dealt the Red Stockings a blow in the bottom of the fourth. Batting with the bases loaded and Washington leading 4-0, Force, who finished 2nd in the NL in wins above replacement with 2.0 in 1871, hit a 1-1 fastball for a bases-clearing double.
"You never want to start a series with a loss, but I saw a lot of good things today," Red Stockings manager Harry Wright said. "I'm not worrying. Yet."
The next game is set to be played tomorrow at Olympics Grounds in Washington.


Game 2
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD , 1871

Boston Red Stockings 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 5 12
Washington Olympics 3 4 1 2 2 0 2 1 X 15 13 0

C Allison Lights Up Red Stockings for 7 RBIs as Olympics Extend Lead
Riding the 4-hit performance of catcher Doug Allison, the Washington Olympics stopped the visiting Boston Red Stockings, 15-2, in Game 2 of the World Championship Series today. Allison went 4 for 5 with a triple and 2 doubles. He scored 2 times and drove in 7 for the Olympics, who now lead the best-of-7 series, 2 games to 0.
Allison came through for Washington with a 2-run double in the bottom of the first. He hit a 1-1 curveball to left field, staking his team to a 2-0 lead.
"It feels good to get this one," Allison told the Washington Daily.
Game 3 is scheduled for Sunday at South End Grounds I in Boston.

Game 3
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH , 1871

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Washington Olympics 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 1 7 13 4
Boston Red Stockings 0 0 2 3 1 0 1 0 1 8 14 4

Boston Wins at Home to Narrow Series Deficit to 2-1
Already down in the World Championship Series, the Boston Red Stockings put on their best show, beating the Washington Olympics by a final score of 8-7 today. George Hall was special. He went 4-5 with a triple and 3 singles, while scoring 2 times. Boston now trails Washington 2-1 in the best-of-7 affair.
The most significant at-bat for Boston came with a runner on 1st in the bottom of the ninth. Red Stockings first baseman Charlie Gould hit a double to win the game.
"It was a nice win for our side today," said Red Stockings manager Harry Wright. "Not perfect, but we'll take it."
The next game is set to be played tomorrow at South End Grounds I in Boston.

Game 4
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH , 1871
Washington Olympics 1 0 0 3 0 0 3 0 2 9 13 11
Boston Red Stockings 6 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 X 10 8 7

Red Stockings Clip Olympics 10-9 in WCS Contest
The Boston Red Stockings defeated the Washington Olympics, 10-9 in Game 4 of the World Championship Series today. Making an impact was first baseman Charlie Gould, who went 2-4 with a double, while scoring 2 runs and driving in 2. The win moves Boston into a 2-2 tie with Washington in the series.
Cal McVey dealt the Olympics a blow in the bottom of the first. Batting with runners on 1st and 2nd and Boston trailing 1-0, McVey hit a 0-1 fastball for a 2-run triple.
"I like our moxie," said Red Stockings manager Harry Wright.
The next game is set to be played tomorrow at South End Grounds I in Boston.

Game 5
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH , 1871
Host Red Stockings Drop Pivotal Game 5, Now Trail Series 3-2
With left fielder Henry Burroughs leading the charge, the Washington Olympics got past the Boston Red Stockings, 11-8, in extra innings in Game 5 of the World Championship Series today. Burroughs was 3-6 with a triple and a double. He scored 3 runs and drove in 3 at South End Grounds I as Washington managed to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series.
The game was all tied up in the top of the 12th, until Burroughs delivered big-time for Washington, stroking a dramatic 2-run triple off Al Spalding. The game-changing hit put the Olympics on top, 10-8.
"It was a nice win for our side today," said Olympics manager Nick Young. "Not perfect, but we'll take it."
The next game is set to be played for Thursday, November 9th , 1871 at Olympics Grounds in Washington.

Game 6
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH , 1871
Boston Red Stockings 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 5 9 15 5
Washington Olympics 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 8 11 6

Red Stockings Clip Olympics 9-8 in WCS Contest
The Boston Red Stockings and the Washington Olympics will take the World Championship Series to a decisive 7th game. In a must-win situation today, the Red Stockings beat the Olympics 9-8 at Olympics Grounds to force the series into what will essentially be a one-game playoff. Boston right-hander Al Spalding had a big role in the win. He threw 9.0 innings allowing 8 runs.
George Wright, who finished 3rd in the NL in extra base hits with 18 in 1871, aided the Boston cause with a 2-run triple in the top of the ninth. For the game, the shortstop was 1-5 with a triple, while adding 2 RBI and scoring once.
"It wasn't a pretty victory," said Wright, "but we got it done."
The next game is set to be played tomorrow at Olympics Grounds in Washington.

Game 7
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH , 1871
Boston Red Stockings 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 10 5
Washington Olympics 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 1 X 4 11 0

World Championship Series to Washington
A celebratory mood filled the air as the Washington Olympics closed out the season with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Stockings at Olympics Grounds to capture the World Championship Series, 4-3.
Giving the Red Stockings credit for a hard-fought series, Olympics players said they believed throughout the postseason that their "destiny" was to be crowned Major League Baseball champions.
"We felt like this was our year all season long," said catcher Doug Allison, who was named series MVP. "It was our destiny to win it and we did."
It was the 1st in franchise history. During the National Association regular season Washington put up a 19-13 record and finished first.
"They're the champions and they deserve it," said a dejected Boston manager Harry Wright. "We played good ball, they just played better than us."

1871 post season stats.
Doug Allison was named the MVP of the series.
Wonder how long he will hold the record for postseason rbi.
All without a single home run.

Completed 1875 season.
Still trying to get organized.

Wrote a rough draft for 1872 recap. Used gpt and it basically wrote the same thing. I'm no writer so i'm trying to take some notes, write some ideas and give it to gpt along with some stats.
Anyway this is what we came up with.

National Association
1872 season recap

"First Place forfeit"
The 1872 National Association baseball season welcomed four new teams to the league, which replaced the defunct Fort Wayne, Rockford, and Chicago franchises.
The Chicago franchise had been lost to the great Chicago fire of 1871, while the other two franchises failed to cover league fees and player salaries.
Baltimore, Middletown, and two teams in Brooklyn took the field for the first time. Despite this, several teams would not finish and fold during the year. Most surprising was the Washington Olympics calling it quits after 9 games and in first place, finishing the year with the best winning percentage in the league but being disqualified from the World Championship Series due to failure to follow their schedule.

The league was accused of being hypocritical as it turned a blind eye to top teams like the Boston Red Stockings, who played exhibition teams against local players from nearby towns. Despite this, the league stuck with the league standings by winning percentage. At the end of the year, the Red Stockings took the runner-up playoff spot with a .604 percentage over the Baltimore Canaries' .517, even though they played ten fewer games. The league ruled that no regular season games could be scheduled after the scheduled season end date and ruled in favor of Harry Wright's Red Stockings.

The Red Stockings were led by Al Spalding, George Wright and Ross Basrnes.
Despite the talent on Boston's roster the Phildelphia Athletics out did them.
Philadelphia had one of the best young hitters in the game in Cap Anson.
Anson was snatched up in the offseason by the Athletics after Rockford folded during the 1871 season.
Philadelphia also had good seasons from Ned Cuthbert, Dickie Flowers and Dick McBride.
Despite the talent on Boston's roster, the Philadelphia Athletics outdid them, led by one of the best young hitters in the game in Cap Anson, who was snatched up in the offseason by the Athletics after Rockford folded during the 1871 season. Philadelphia also had good seasons from Ned Cuthbert, Dickie Flowers, and Dick McBride.

The league batting stats showed the Baltimore Canaries, the Boston Red Stockings, and the Philadelphia Athletics to be the top three teams in the league.
In the post-season the Philadelphia Athletics defeat the Boston Red Stockings, 4-1, in the World Championship Series.

Where are Middletown (New York State?) and Rockford anyway?

Don't you all love the towns that qualified for major leagues back then?

Middletown CT
Rockford IL

Any club could compete for the NA championship provided it: (1) was a member of the NA; and (2) paid a small fee (I think it was $10 or $15) to enter into the competition for the "whip pennant." Of course, the entry fee was peanuts in comparison to the expenses for things like travel, road accommodations, park rental, advertising, and player salaries. I suppose small-town clubs like Rockford and Middletown looked at the entry fee and thought "we can afford that" without thinking about all those other expenses that they would have to incur in order to compete with big-city clubs like Boston. That's why those small-city clubs like Fort Wayne and Elizabeth NJ usually lasted for only a handful of games before calling it quits.

I’m sure there was also the gamble that a Middletown, CT could live off of one big payday when they journeyed into New York City and played the Mutual or what have you. It’s more about the fly by night nature of the league itself that there was so much folding, and eventually all of that was why the original NL was formed out of the ashes of the NA (clubs in bigger cities didn’t want to deal with the here today gone tomorrow teams) (although ironically one of the first major moves the NL had to do was to kick out the Philadelphia and New York teams when they decided not to fulfill their schedule at the end of the 1876 season).

Looking at another fly by night team in the Keokuk Westerns,
i noticed that Mike Golden's record with the team was the exact same record of 1-12 that he had in the real league.
He even had a better era at 2.58.
But what can a pitcher do when he bats .216 and has the 2nd best batting average on a team that bats .175.

Not sure if this will work.
The link is to my dropbox with my 1871-1885 almanacs.
Thinking about maybe a solo league website.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/xrols...fhr09d2182onyu

Some stats for the 1873 season.
Currently in mid July 1876.

Here is Steve Bellan's career batting stats.

Looks like things are going well for you. No duct tape needed!

Honestly the simming is going really well.
I have a notebook with all the transactions i use.
Lot easier than having a spreadsheet opened on the screen.
Its finding an easy way to post results and finding a consistent way to do it.
Of course the American Association years can slow me down a bit but thats ok i'd rather not rush it.
Even if i do want to get to ootp24.

Darn that restrictive hybrid setup for 19th century league leagues.
Wish they would just put the real expansion history in there and let us worry about the players.
Even with the fictional setup, players are not on the correct teams anyway.
This year they've made it practically impossible to do it with correct rosters.
Otherwise i would be playing ootp24.

Future on the Horizon
By the 1870s, Harry Wright had been recognized as the best manager in the game. Wright was able to help Boston acquire some of the best talent in the game. Yet for a team that had Al Spalding, Ross Barnes, Jim O'Rourke, Deacon White and Harry's younger brother George a championship trophy eluded Harry and the Red Stockings.
The 1873 Red Stockings were not the best team Harry had managed but they were still expected to finish first. In terms of individual statistics and leaders, the Boston Red Stockings had the highest runs-per-game average, at 10.9. Their batting was led by a strong team effort, with many players contributing to their success. The team finished with a batting average of .333, an on-base percentage of .351, and a slugging percentage of .433. The team had several notable players in 1873, including Ross Barnes, who played second base and had a batting average of .388, and George Wright, who played shortstop and had a batting average of .349. Harry Wright played center field and had a batting average of .299. Other notable players on the Red Stockings roster in 1873 included Deacon White, who batted .348 and Jim O'Rourke, who batted .336 and broke the record for consecutive game hitting streak with 46.Al Spalding once again led the Red Stockings and the league in wins with 41. His record would give him his 3rd straight Cy Young Award. In fact, the award for the best pitcher was originally known as the Al Spalding pitching Award. However the final official name for awards was used in these chronicles. This is why Spalding won the 1873 Cy Young award even though it would not be named that for many years after Spalding's death.

The Baltimore Canaries had a strong season in 1873, finishing with a record of 38-19 and a .667 winning percentage, which was good enough for second place. The team scored 567 runs and allowed 451. Lip Pike was the team's best hitter, posting a .368 batting average. During the summer Pike also managed to beat "Chance" a horse in 100 yd dash. Other Canaries contributors were Tom J. Carey who hit .319, Davy Force hit .346, Everett Mills hit .364 and Scott Hastings hit .379 The team's pitching was led by Asa Brainard, who went 11-2 with a 2.54 ERA in 157.1 innings pitched. Candy Cummings went 10-6 with a 2.95 ERA in 124.2 innings pitched, while George Bradley went 8-8 with a 2.87 ERA in 139 innings pitched.

On the weak side of the league, the Baltimore Marylands had a difficult season, with a high runs-per-game average of 9.2. However, they did manage to record 2 complete games and 1 shutout. The team finished with an ERA of 4.76 and a WHIP of 1.75. Elizabeth Resolutes finished the season with a record of 6-17 and a .261 winning percentage, which placed them 9th in the league. The team scored 138 runs and allowed 192 runs. Neither team were able to overcome the lack of success on the field and called it quits before the season ended.

The National Association of 1873 had an exciting season, but questions still remained on the future of the league. The commissioner Henry Chadwick was well respected as an expert on the game. However, he was not a strong leader and would often allow players to leave and join teams at their leisure. This did nothing for fans of bad teams.

But changes were already on the horizon. A future of baseball with or without the National Association was beginning to form in the mind of William Hulbert. In the shadows of 1873 Hulbert had watched the game and began to plan the future. Hulbert had backed the the 1871 Chicago team that had been lost due to the great Chicago fire. Hulbert was eager to bring baseball back to Chicago but was displeased with the league’s lack of effort to field good teams in the west. Most west teams were hardly better than minor league teams for the powerhouse teams of the East. Hulbert wanted a restart in Chicago.
Hulbert also wanted a better organized league and control placed in the owner’s hands.

1874 news

more 1874 news

1874 season recap

The Wright Decision

The Boston Red Stockings dominated the National Association Baseball league in 1874, finishing the season with a remarkable record of 55 wins and 16 losses, winning the pennant by 7 games. The team led the league in runs scored (656) and allowed (426). Player-manager Harry Wright, who played center field and batted .256 with 3 home runs and 50 RBIs, was the leader of the team. The lineup included standout players such as Ross Barnes, with an average of .377 and 69 RBIs, George Wright with an average of .330 and 69 RBIs, and Deacon White, batting .325 with 73 RBIs. The team's pitching was anchored by ace Al Spalding, who also played first base and batted .346, finishing the season with a record of 46-12 and a 1.75 ERA.
The Philadelphia White Stockings finished in second place with a record of 36 wins and 22 losses, followed by the Philadelphia Athletics and the Chicago White Stockings. The Philadelphia White Stockings had the best pitching in the league, allowing an average of 5.5 runs per game, with a team ERA of 2.24. The team scored 392 runs and allowed 317 runs during the 1874 season. Bill Craver was the standout player for the team that year, playing in 58 games and batting .281 with 9 doubles, 6 triples, and 31 RBIs. Dave Eggler was another strong contributor for the team, batting .317 with 8 doubles, 9 triples, and 50 RBIs in 58 games.
In the 1874 season, the league played a total of 464 games, with a total of 3,262 runs scored and 320 home runs hit. The league batting average was .273, and the league ERA was 3.07.
At the start of the World Championship Series, Harry Wright made a controversial decision to sit the best pitcher in the game and take the mound himself. The decision appeared to backfire as the Red Stockings lost 7-6. In game 2, Wright started again and was able to pull out a win. Fans were beginning to worry if Al Spalding had suffered a major injury, as injuries were not reported to the league at the time. Boston fans were relieved when Spalding took the mound for games 3 and 4. Wanting to give his workhorse some more rest to save him for a game 7, Harry took the mound again in game 6. The Red Stockings won game 6 by a score of 5-2 to claim their 2nd championship.
Harry Wright proved that his decision to start himself 3 time s in the series was right decision by going 2-1 with an ERA of 2.00 and batting .381, earning him the MVP for the series. Ross Barnes and Deacon White also contributed significantly to Boston's 2nd World Championship, batting .379 and .333, respectively.
The League seemed to have found a more stable foundation, as only the Baltimore Canaries folded up shop. However, the League needed to keep the same teams for a few years and build up a stable fan base to ensure profitable expansion in the future. Unfortunately, as the offseason came, six new teams formed and paid the team entry fee of $100, much to the disgust of William Hulbert.

1875 season recap

SLOW CHANGE COMING

The 1875 National Association Baseball League expanded by six teams in 1875.
The expansion was not well planned. It was more of a result of inexperienced team owners. Most of the NA clubs were run by owners who had little experience in running a team. Many of them had backgrounds in a family owned business or as a saloon owner.
The majority of the owners did not see the problem of supporting 3 teams in Philadelphia and putting a team in Keokuk.
Few people had even heard of Keokuk.
But one man had heard of Keokuk.
Hulbert was astonished that the League had even taken the matter under consideration.
He argued fruitlessly that a town of 12,700 could not support a Major League team.
His argument fell on deaf ears.
By mid June, Hulbert's predictions came true and the Keokuk Westerns became a footnote in the history of baseball.

Early season predictions that the established teams would feast on the expansion teams soon came true. The Red Stockings dominated the competition once again with their best record ever at 62-20. Along with Boston at the top were the Philadelphia White Stockings, Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis and Hartford ballclubs. Hulbert was furious watching the top clubs snatch up the best talent and dominate the expansion clubs.
The Boston Red Stockings season was one for the record books, finishing with a dominant 62-20 record and a .756 winning percentage. They were followed in the standings by the Philadelphia White Stockings, who finished 12 games back with a 44-26 record.
The St. Louis Brown Stockings and Philadelphia Athletics rounded out the top four, with records of 42-28 and 44-33, respectively.
Looking at the league batting stats, Boston was once again the cream of the crop, scoring an average of 8.5 runs per game and hitting .310 as a team. They were followed by the Hartford Dark Blues, who averaged 6.7 runs per game and hit .265. The Philadelphia Athletics, Philadelphia White Stockings, and St. Louis Brown Stockings rounded out the top five in team batting average.
Overall, it was a season dominated by the Boston Red Stockings, who showed themselves to be a force to be reckoned with in the world of professional baseball.
In the postseason, the World Championship Series was contested between the Boston Red Stockings and the Philadelphia White Stockings, with Boston ultimately coming out on top by a score of 4-2. The series was hard-fought and closely contested, with both teams putting up a strong fight.
In terms of individual performances, there were a number of standout players throughout the league. The Boston Red Stockings boasted the highest run total in the league, with an impressive 701 runs over the course of the season. Meanwhile, the Hartford Dark Blues had the highest number of stolen bases, with 86 in total.
The league's batting statistics were also impressive, with the Boston Red Stockings finishing the season with a team batting average of .310, an on-base percentage of .323, and a slugging percentage of .401. These impressive numbers helped them secure their spot as the top team in the league.
Overall, the 1875 baseball season was an exciting and memorable one, with plenty of great performances and exciting moments throughout including a record breaking 48 game hit streak for Cal McVey of the Red Stockings. Still the clouds of a uncertain future remained.
What was certain was that the League could not survive another year of rapid expansion.
Like it or not a train of change was coming.

should i keep posting the league news section?

If you wrap a code tag around your stats they will show up using a fixed-width font. I still have to pre-type my stuff in Visual Studio Code (notepad++ would also work) to get everything aligned but it’s OK. I’d love it if we could post HTML although i kind of understand why not…

Thanks.
I'll try it but i'm not sure where to get code tags. Is that the <> in the box above when you're posting?
To be honest i have no idea when it comes to HTML and stuff.
I rarely go outside of notepad or word.

You put this in front [ code ] and this after [ /code ] without the spaces. If you hit the reply button to one of my weekly updates you should see it in action (you don’t actually have to reply! Just click the button and look at how my post is laid out under the quote tag).

New Beginings

The National Association League faced turbulent times as seven out of its 13 teams went out of business. The league was more of a gathering of player clubs than a league of teams, with players coming and going as they pleased. Unreliable scheduling and teams not fulfilling their commitments were just a few of the issues the league faced. Financial instability plagued the league, and on December 17th, 1875, the remaining six teams left to establish the National League.
From the ashes of the National Association League of Baseball Players, a new league was born. William Hulbert had conceived the National League as a league of teams controlled by owners, rather than players. Hulbert secretly convinced some of the National Association's best players to sign with his Chicago White Stockings, and by the time Harry Wright learned of the deals, it was too late to save the National Association. The league added two teams in Louisville and Cincinnati, bringing the total to eight teams.
Chicago dominated the league, setting team records in batting average with a team total of .339 and earned run average with a team total of 1.76. Harry Wright's Red Stockings struggled, finishing 19 games behind and missing the postseason for the first time in team history.
On September 11th, Philadelphia informed the League office that it could not honor its remaining schedule due to financial difficulties, creating controversy. Hulbert was furious when Philadelphia came in second in team rankings based on winning percentage, but Bulkeley ruled that since Philadelphia had not folded and was technically still a team on hold, it was entitled to a postseason berth. Hulbert instructed his White Stockings to win the World Championship Series, resulting in a Chicago sweep. Not satisfied with the outcome or Bulkeley's decision, Hulbert replaced him as commissioner for 1877 and expelled Philadelphia and New York from the league for failing to complete their schedules.
Although the National League represented a new beginning for baseball, doubts about its survival were already starting to emerge, especially after losing two teams in major markets. People began to wonder if smaller teams like Cincinnati and St. Louis could survive if New York and Philadelphia could fail.

I tried it but i must be doing it wrong.
Its a little better now.
You would think ootp would make posting stats as easy as printing stats.
Running a 19th century league is the easy part.