OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - The Simplest Beginnings: From Amateurism in 1857, to Pro Ball (1870), Int'l Ball, & More

tm1681 · 04-22-2023, 05:03 PM

THE EARLY YEARS

In the early years of the NBBO, even though the oldest clubs were from New York City and Brooklyn it was the clubs outside of New York who proved better, with Northeastern League members winning six of the first ten Tucker-Wheaton Cups. Their champions were varied, with Sons of the Ocean (New Bedford, MA) winning the inaugural Tucker Wheaton Cup in 1857. NEL champions would take the next three, with Granite (Manchester, NH), St. John's (Providence, RI), and Quinnipac (New Haven, CT) winning in '58, '59, & '60. Soon after, the Green Mountain club of Burlington, VT took control of the NEL, winning it three times in five years and taking the cup in 1863 & 1865.

Over on the New York side, it was all about one team: the Willem von Orange Baseball Club. Even though it didn't have the resources and venue size of the Gotham Club or the Knickerbocker club, the Orange Club won the New York City championship in each of its first nine seasons, going on to win the New York League championship in seven of those nine. However, they could rarely take the final step, only winning the Tucker Wheaton Cup in 1861 & 1864.

In the latter half of the 1860s, fissures began to appear in the NBBO. While most players were given an expense per-diem of $1 or $2 per week during training, star players were given under-the-table payments of as much as $500 per year, essentially making them full-time professionals. Not long after "shamateurism" began, the Orange Club's dominance of the New York League was upended and they went five years without winning the New York City Championship, with the Knickerbocker club winning it four out of the five.

Also, smaller Northeastern League clubs subsidized by rich owners continued get the best of their NYL counterparts in direct competition, with NEL teams taking the Tucker Wheaton Cup in 1867 (Reading v. Excelsior), '68 (Newark v. Gotham), and '69 (Sons of the Ocean v. Atlantic). There were larger clubs in the NEL - Alleghany (Pittsburgh), Shamrock (Boston), Quaker State (Philadelphia) to name a few - but it was these smaller clubs funded either by rich owners or well-to-do patrons and supporters that always managed to frustrate their bigger-city brethren.

On a lighter note: given how many clubs and players there were in the NBBO, competition organizers thought it would be fun to have an “All Stars” game with roughly two weeks to go in the season; an exhibition featuring the best 45-50 players in the country that would surely bring in a nice set of gate receipts (NOTE: something kind of like this did actually happen in real life in 1858). There would be 23 each from the NYL and NEL – two for each non-pitcher position (#1-16), a third catcher (#17), and six pitchers (#18-23). Once clubs began using three starting pitchers instead of two, the number of pitchers increased from six to eight.

And thus, along with the inaugural seasons of organized baseball came the inaugural “All Stars Game”.

As far as the players go, even though the NBBO was comprised of 48 teams shortly after its foundation a clear set of stars emerged. Some of the players of note:

NEW YORK LEAGUE

Thomas Maloney (Orange) won three of the first six Batsman of the Year awards (1858, 59, 62) and three Most Valuable Player awards. He also appeared in eight All-Star games and five Teams of the Year over the first decade. He was the first player to hit .400 twice (.401 in 1858, .426 in 1859), and he was the first to put up a 1.000 OPS in a season (1.071 in 1859).
Edward Huntley (Orange) didn’t play in 1857, but after joining the NBBO as a 22-year-old in 1858 he made all thirteen All-Star games that were played before the formation of professional baseball. He also won two Batsman of the Year awards (1863, 66), three Most Valuable Player awards, six Golden Gloves at third base, and was in the Team of the Year nine times.
Carl Bancroft (Orange) won three of the first six NYL Pitcher of the Year awards (1858, 60, 62) and won no less than 280 games as an amateur pitcher for the Orange Club thanks to a decade’s worth of 20-win seasons. He would go on to become the first pitcher ever to win 300+ games.
Raymond Staten (Victory, Flour City) started the 1860s by winning eight straight Golden Gloves (nine in total) as the New York League’s, and the NBBO’s, best defensive catcher. This only earned him one TotY and two All-Star nominations, but his work at the most physically demanding position on the field made him arguably the most respected player in the league.
Delbert “Mr. Do-it-All” Hodges (Kings County) made four All-Star games and won five Golden Gloves (all at P), but he was far more famous for his versatility. He was an accomplished pitcher, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, and outfielder, and his ability to comfortably play so many positions in addition to being a starting pitcher made him a fan favorite. By the end of his twenty-year career, he won 294 games between amateur & pro ball, amassed 1,330 hits on a .310 batting average, and earned 101.4 WAR between his pitching, batting, and fielding work.

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE

Samuel “The Shark” Kessler (Sons of the Ocean, Newark, Niagara) entered the first year of the NBBO as a 21-year-old and immediately showed himself to be the best-hitting third baseman in the league. He won Batsman of the Year three times (1859, 64, 68), made thirteen All-Star Games, and was named in the Team of the Year seven times. He would also become one of the original stars of professional baseball for Buffalo.
Anthony Mascherino (Green Mountain) was just out of high school when the NBBO began play, but he established himself as the league’s best defensive shortstop while he was still a teenager. He would break in his 20s by winning seven straight Golden Gloves, and on top of that he made Team of the Year five times and was an eleven-time All-Star. His career would end up lasting a full quarter-century, long enough to essentially have one career in the NBBO and another one after the start of professional baseball before retiring at the age of 43.
Alexander Etheridge (various clubs) was an Englishman in his 30s who bounced around from club to club, but while he was nomadic he was still the NBBO’s first .400 hitter, had an OPS+ of 210 in the NEL’s inaugural season, was the NEL’s first Batsman of the Year, was a three-time Team of the Year member, made multiple All-Star games, and helped developed the sport in England along with fellow NEL player Percy Wilkinson after his retirement.
Benjamin Chin (various clubs) would later play for other clubs, but it was during his time in New Hampshire with the Granite Club in which Chin was voted the best second baseman in the league (TotY) during four of the NEL’s first six seasons. He made 4-5 All-Star games, and in his prime he could hit .350+ and steal 50 bases in a season.

There were other major stars who would develop (ex: Konrad Jensen) or join (ex: Herman Ferris) the NBBO in the 1860s, but the above were examples of players who made their mark starting in year one or two.

04-22-2023, 05:03 PM	#3
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,093	THE EARLY YEARS In the early years of the NBBO, even though the oldest clubs were from New York City and Brooklyn it was the clubs outside of New York who proved better, with Northeastern League members winning six of the first ten Tucker-Wheaton Cups. Their champions were varied, with Sons of the Ocean (New Bedford, MA) winning the inaugural Tucker Wheaton Cup in 1857. NEL champions would take the next three, with Granite (Manchester, NH), St. John's (Providence, RI), and Quinnipac (New Haven, CT) winning in '58, '59, & '60. Soon after, the Green Mountain club of Burlington, VT took control of the NEL, winning it three times in five years and taking the cup in 1863 & 1865. Over on the New York side, it was all about one team: the Willem von Orange Baseball Club. Even though it didn't have the resources and venue size of the Gotham Club or the Knickerbocker club, the Orange Club won the New York City championship in each of its first nine seasons, going on to win the New York League championship in seven of those nine. However, they could rarely take the final step, only winning the Tucker Wheaton Cup in 1861 & 1864. In the latter half of the 1860s, fissures began to appear in the NBBO. While most players were given an expense per-diem of $1 or $2 per week during training, star players were given under-the-table payments of as much as $500 per year, essentially making them full-time professionals. Not long after "shamateurism" began, the Orange Club's dominance of the New York League was upended and they went five years without winning the New York City Championship, with the Knickerbocker club winning it four out of the five. Also, smaller Northeastern League clubs subsidized by rich owners continued get the best of their NYL counterparts in direct competition, with NEL teams taking the Tucker Wheaton Cup in 1867 (Reading v. Excelsior), '68 (Newark v. Gotham), and '69 (Sons of the Ocean v. Atlantic). There were larger clubs in the NEL - Alleghany (Pittsburgh), Shamrock (Boston), Quaker State (Philadelphia) to name a few - but it was these smaller clubs funded either by rich owners or well-to-do patrons and supporters that always managed to frustrate their bigger-city brethren. On a lighter note: given how many clubs and players there were in the NBBO, competition organizers thought it would be fun to have an “All Stars” game with roughly two weeks to go in the season; an exhibition featuring the best 45-50 players in the country that would surely bring in a nice set of gate receipts (NOTE: something kind of like this did actually happen in real life in 1858). There would be 23 each from the NYL and NEL – two for each non-pitcher position (#1-16), a third catcher (#17), and six pitchers (#18-23). Once clubs began using three starting pitchers instead of two, the number of pitchers increased from six to eight. And thus, along with the inaugural seasons of organized baseball came the inaugural “All Stars Game”. As far as the players go, even though the NBBO was comprised of 48 teams shortly after its foundation a clear set of stars emerged. Some of the players of note: NEW YORK LEAGUE Thomas Maloney (Orange) won three of the first six Batsman of the Year awards (1858, 59, 62) and three Most Valuable Player awards. He also appeared in eight All-Star games and five Teams of the Year over the first decade. He was the first player to hit .400 twice (.401 in 1858, .426 in 1859), and he was the first to put up a 1.000 OPS in a season (1.071 in 1859). Edward Huntley (Orange) didn’t play in 1857, but after joining the NBBO as a 22-year-old in 1858 he made all thirteen All-Star games that were played before the formation of professional baseball. He also won two Batsman of the Year awards (1863, 66), three Most Valuable Player awards, six Golden Gloves at third base, and was in the Team of the Year nine times. Carl Bancroft (Orange) won three of the first six NYL Pitcher of the Year awards (1858, 60, 62) and won no less than 280 games as an amateur pitcher for the Orange Club thanks to a decade’s worth of 20-win seasons. He would go on to become the first pitcher ever to win 300+ games. Raymond Staten (Victory, Flour City) started the 1860s by winning eight straight Golden Gloves (nine in total) as the New York League’s, and the NBBO’s, best defensive catcher. This only earned him one TotY and two All-Star nominations, but his work at the most physically demanding position on the field made him arguably the most respected player in the league. Delbert “Mr. Do-it-All” Hodges (Kings County) made four All-Star games and won five Golden Gloves (all at P), but he was far more famous for his versatility. He was an accomplished pitcher, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, and outfielder, and his ability to comfortably play so many positions in addition to being a starting pitcher made him a fan favorite. By the end of his twenty-year career, he won 294 games between amateur & pro ball, amassed 1,330 hits on a .310 batting average, and earned 101.4 WAR between his pitching, batting, and fielding work. NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE Samuel “The Shark” Kessler (Sons of the Ocean, Newark, Niagara) entered the first year of the NBBO as a 21-year-old and immediately showed himself to be the best-hitting third baseman in the league. He won Batsman of the Year three times (1859, 64, 68), made thirteen All-Star Games, and was named in the Team of the Year seven times. He would also become one of the original stars of professional baseball for Buffalo. Anthony Mascherino (Green Mountain) was just out of high school when the NBBO began play, but he established himself as the league’s best defensive shortstop while he was still a teenager. He would break in his 20s by winning seven straight Golden Gloves, and on top of that he made Team of the Year five times and was an eleven-time All-Star. His career would end up lasting a full quarter-century, long enough to essentially have one career in the NBBO and another one after the start of professional baseball before retiring at the age of 43. Alexander Etheridge (various clubs) was an Englishman in his 30s who bounced around from club to club, but while he was nomadic he was still the NBBO’s first .400 hitter, had an OPS+ of 210 in the NEL’s inaugural season, was the NEL’s first Batsman of the Year, was a three-time Team of the Year member, made multiple All-Star games, and helped developed the sport in England along with fellow NEL player Percy Wilkinson after his retirement. Benjamin Chin (various clubs) would later play for other clubs, but it was during his time in New Hampshire with the Granite Club in which Chin was voted the best second baseman in the league (TotY) during four of the NEL’s first six seasons. He made 4-5 All-Star games, and in his prime he could hit .350+ and steal 50 bases in a season. There were other major stars who would develop (ex: Konrad Jensen) or join (ex: Herman Ferris) the NBBO in the 1860s, but the above were examples of players who made their mark starting in year one or two. Last edited by tm1681; 06-21-2023 at 11:21 PM.