NABL News: Draft Pool Revealed
Sunday, October 2nd, 1881: Earlier today, the NABL released its amateur draft pool, sending organizations into a flurry of action. For the next 30 days, scouts will be trying to gauge as many players as they can, hoping to get a true sense of the character, ability and passion of these young men with professional baseball aspirations.
The league has created a special Draft Area on the transactions page, which will be available for 30 days prior to draft day.
The top players available (in no particular order) seem to be:
1. Bill Sweeney, 27 year-old starting pitcher out of college.
2. Jumbo McGinnis, 27 year-old starting pitcher out of college.
3. Fred Mann, 23 year-old center fielder out of college.
4. Jack O'Brien, 21 year-old catcher out of college.
5. Bill Wise, 20 year-old starting pitcher out of college.
6. John Irwin, 20 year-old third baseman out of college.
7. Chief Roseman, 25 year-old center fielder out of college.
8. Jimmy Wolf, 19 year-old right fielder out of high-school.
9. Bert Dorr, 19 year-old reliever out of high-school.
10. Pete Browning, 20 year-old left fielder out of college.
Sunday 10/2/1881
Philadelphia 4 Baltimore 0
Lee Richmond pitches a seven hit shut out for his 26th win. Lee has 3 shut out this season.
Boston Hopeless Against White
Sunday, October 2nd, 1881: Will White of the Cincinnati Red Stockings was masterful today, pitching a 4-hit 11-0 shutout against the Boston Red Caps and giving his bullpen a rest by going the distance.
Cleveland at Philadelphia
Tuesday 10/4/1881
Philadelphia 6 Cleveland 3
Tom Burns goes 3-4 and Joe Sommer goes 2-3 scoring three times.
Wednesday 10/5/1881
Cleveland 14 Philadelphia 4
Mike McGeary goes 3-6 with 3 RBIs. Jack Manning goes 3-5. Mike Moynahan has a 3 RBI game.
Thursday 10/6/1881
Philadelphia 4 Cleveland 2
Athletics end season on winning note. Joe Sommer scores three times and Charlie Eden drives in three.
Athletics Ace Wins Triple Crown
Friday, October 7th, 1881: Few men in baseball history have won the pitching triple crown. Lee Richmond of the Philadelphia Athletics joined this elite company today when the season ended, officially making him the league leader in ERA, K's and wins.
Richmond put up a 26-26 record, an ERA of 1.78 and 249 strikeouts this season. He started 56 times, walked 79 and held opposing clubs to a .248 average.
Richmond is the odds-on favorite to capture the Outstanding Pitcher Award this year.
John O'Rourke Wins 1881 AL Batting Crown
Friday, October 7th, 1881: And the Winner is... John O'Rourke.
The 1881 American League batting race was won by the Cleveland center fielder. O'Rourke topped the batting chart with a .317 average. For the season, he cranked out 78 hits, 3 home runs, scored 45 times and batted in 35.
Swartwood of Boston Earns NL Batting Crown
Friday, October 7th, 1881: The 1881 National League batting champion is Ed Swartwood of the Boston Red Caps. He just closed out an impressive season with a .326 average. His consistency at the plate was a prime reason the 22-year-old center fielder beat out the competition. A slump was a rare occurence for him. Playing in 74 games, Swartwood contributed 95 hits, no home runs and 27 RBIs to the Red Caps attack.
Final Standings
| American League Standings |
| W | L | PCT | GB |
| Baltimore Orioles | 47 | 37 | .560 | - |
| Philadelphia Athletics | 43 | 41 | .512 | 4.0 |
| St. Louis Brown Stockings | 40 | 44 | .476 | 7.0 |
| Cleveland Blues | 38 | 46 | .452 | 9.0 |
| National League Standings |
| W | L | PCT | GB |
| Cincinnati Red Stockings | 48 | 36 | .571 | - |
| Boston Red Caps | 45 | 39 | .536 | 3.0 |
| Brooklyn Atlantics | 40 | 44 | .476 | 8.0 |
| Chicago White Stockings | 35 | 49 | .417 | 13.0 |
Final Leaders
AL BA: John O'Rourke (CLE) .317
NL BA: Ed Swartwood (BSN) .326
AL HR: Jack Remsen (PHA) 4
NL HR: Charlie Jones (BRO) 4
AL RBI: Fred Dunlap (BAL) 49
NL RBI: Jack Glasscock (CIN) 74
AL Wins: Lee Richmond (PHA) 26
NL Wins: Stump Wiedman (BSN) 23
AL ERA: Lee Richmond (PHA) 1.78
NL ERA: Will White (CIN) 1.73
AL SO: Lee Richmond (PHA) 249
NL SO: Harry Salisbury (CHN) 158
Playoffs
Baltimore Orioles versus Cincinnati Red Stockings.
Game 1:
Saturday 10/8/1881 Baltimore at Cincinnati
Baltimore 8 Cincinnati 2
John Carbine and Harry Stovey 3 hits each.
Game 2:
Sunday 10/9/1881
Cincinnati 7 Baltimore 3
Herman Dehlman 4-4, double.
Game 3:
Tuesday 10/11/1881 Cincinnati at Baltimore
Cincinnati 4 Baltimore 3
John Clapp 2-5 with a double
Game 4:
Wednesday 10/12/1881
Cincinnati 7 Baltimore 6
Sadie Houke and Deacon White 3 hits each.
Game 5:
Thursday 10/13/1881
Baltimore 12 Cincinnati 6
George Wood HR, Harry Stovey 2-5 and 2 RBIs.
Game 6:
Saturday 10/15/1881 Baltimore at Cincinnati
Baltimore 7 Cincinnati 1
Jim Britt 6 hitter. Cal McVey 2 RBIs. Jim O'Rourke 2-5.
Game 7
Sunday 10/16/1881
Baltimore 1 Cincinnati 0
Orioles down 3 games to one, rally to take Championship. George Derby pitches a seven hit shut out.
Orioles Win Round 1
Sunday, October 16th, 1881: It was Baltimore and Cincinnati challenging one other in the 1881 North American BaseBall League Round 1 this season. On paper, there wasn't much difference between the two strong ballclubs, but on the field, the verdict went to the Orioles.
It was the 3rd for the new league champions. They defeated the Red Stockings 4-3 in the series, winning the last game today by a 1-0 score.
Off Season
Athletics players retiring
Lip Pike .304 and 567 hits
Fred Waterman .267
Rynie Wolters 139-88
Ed McKenna
Manager Jorge Navarro 1878 Chicago White Stockings 1879-1881 Philadelphia
Expansion Draft
St Louis Brown stockings change name to Louisville Eclipse
New teams
American League
Washington Nationals
Detroit Wolverines
Chicago White Sox
Boston Americans
National League
St Louis Brown Stockings
Pittsburg Alleghenys
Philadelphia Quakers
New York Gothams
Ross Barnes goes cross town to Quakers
Al Spalding also goes cross to Quakers
Signed Asa Brainard to a 5 year Manager deal.
Awards
NL Announces 1881 Top Gloves
Friday, October 28th, 1881: "Ball hawk" is a good name for the members of the defensive elite, the players who make leather shine. The fielders who crashed the wall, leaped in the air, and dived in the hole better than any others during 1881 have been tabbed as the National League's Glove Wizard Award winners. Here are this year's best:
Pitcher: Will White (Cincinnati Red Stockings)
Catcher: Jack Rowe (Boston Red Caps)
First Baseman: John Reilly (Boston Red Caps)
Second Baseman: Arlie Latham (Boston Red Caps)
Third Baseman: Hick Carpenter (Boston Red Caps)
Shortstop: Jack Glasscock (Cincinnati Red Stockings)
Left Fielder: Mike Mansell (Chicago White Stockings)
Center Fielder: George Hall (Cincinnati Red Stockings)
AL Announces Best Glovemen for 1881
Friday, October 28th, 1881: Good glovemen take pride in their defensive skills. They know they make a difference in baseball. Even on days when they don't get a hit, they feel they can make a difference in the field -- and they do. The American League announced its Glove Wizard Award honorees for 1881. This year's recipients are:
Pitcher: George Derby (Baltimore Orioles)
First Baseman: Paul Hines (Cleveland Blues)
Second Baseman: Fred Dunlap (Baltimore Orioles)
Third Baseman: Jerry Denny (Louisville Eclipse)
Shortstop: John Peters (Baltimore Orioles)
Left Fielder: George Wood (Baltimore Orioles)
Center Fielder: Pete Hotaling (Louisville Eclipse)
NL's Top Rookie Chosen
Saturday, October 29th, 1881: League officials announced today that Ed Swartwood of the Boston Red Caps has been selected the 1881 Newcomer of the Year Award in the National League.
The talented center fielder finished his first year batting .326 with no home runs, 27 RBIs and 50 runs scored.
Derby Rewarded with Rookie Award
Saturday, October 29th, 1881: George Derby's age didn't show very often in his first year. He performed more like a veteran on the hill for the Baltimore Orioles and today he walked away with the 1881 American League Newcomer of the Year Award.
The 24-year-old starter registered a 25-15 record this season in 42 starts. Over 343.2 innings he gave up 344 hits, struck out 126 and issued 79 walks as he held the opposition to a .254 batting average and fashioned a 1.96 ERA.
Best NL Pitcher Announced
Monday, October 31st, 1881: The Cincinnati Red Stockings have a rising superstar or maybe even a budding Hall-of-Famer in the making.
It's Will White, this year's National League Outstanding Pitcher Award selection. This blossoming hurler wowed fans, peers and sportswriters with a fabulous performance.
White compiled a 22-19 record in 42 starts, tallied 145 strikeouts in 338.1 innings and recorded a 1.73 ERA. Other clubs managed only a .252 batting average against him.
Outstanding Pitcher Award Goes to Richmond
Monday, October 31st, 1881: He's in the early phase of his career, but this past season Lee Richmond performed like a veteran on the hill for the Philadelphia Athletics and walked away with the American League Outstanding Pitcher Award in the process.
The 24-year-old Athletics star fashioned a 26-26 won-loss record in 1881 with a 1.78 ERA. In 465 innings of work and 56 starts, Richmond struck out 249 while giving up 471 hits and 79 walks. He held opposing batters to a .248 average.
Kelly Chosen 1881 NL Outstanding Hitter Award
Tuesday, November 1st, 1881: King Kelly really stood out with the bat in the National League this year as he put together a .315 batting average. Today he was named the winner of the coveted 1881 Outstanding Hitter Award.
He hit his way to an award-winning season with these stats: 108 hits, 1 home run, 56 RBIs and 75 runs scored.
Dan Brouthers Chosen AL's Premier Hitter
Tuesday, November 1st, 1881: Philadelphia's Dan Brouthers teed off on opposing pitching all season long and claimed the American League Outstanding Hitter Award today.
He belted out 101 hits in 326 at-bats to compile a .310 batting average and a .395 on-base percentage in 1881. He also tallied 21 doubles, 9 triples, 3 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 55 runs scored.
Draft
Philadelphia Athletics draft the following players
CF Tom Brown
C Jackie Hayes
3B Jimmy Say
C Bill Morgan
C Tug Arundel