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tm1681 · 06-04-2023, 03:53 PM

THE FIRST SEASON OF IRISH BASEBALL

The first set of games in the competitive history of Irish baseball took place on June 2nd, 1896, with the first official game being a contest between Carlow and Louth at Ballymakenny Road in Drogheda. Thanks to a three-run rally by the hosts in the bottom of the seventh inning Louth won the inaugural AIBC game 8-6, with center fielder Fred Martin (3/4, 2 RBIs) winning Player of the Game honors.

While a high-scoring opener might seem like it would portend a high-scoring first season of the All-Ireland Baseball Championship, the reality was that the AIBC ended up being the lightest-hitting league in existence in 1896. This owed to one simple factor: Ireland isn’t the United States – the weather is cooler, the winds are stronger, and the air is more humid. This meant that even if most of the venues in the competition were smaller than the average ballpark in the states, the ball didn’t carry like it does in many parts of the U.S., and offensive output suffered as a result.

The final slash line for the 32-team league was .259/.320/.330, which was good for an OPS of .650. That OPS was about fifty points lower than that of the semi-pro leagues in the Northeastern U.S., and when compared to the most offensive league in the U.S.A., the Prairie League, average and OPS came in at 42 and 95 points lower respectively.

The first season of the league was competitive for the most part, with three of the four provincial championships being decided in the final week of the three-month season. The champions:

Connacht: Cavan (54-30 – Galway & Roscommon 7 GB)
Leinster: Wicklow (54-30 – Wexford 3 GB)
Munster: Tipperary (52-32 – Kilkenny & Laois 2 GB)
Ulster: Donegal (54-30 – Armagh 10 GB)

The playoffs were also very exciting. Both All-Ireland semifinals went the maximum five games, with Cavan besting Tipperary in one and Donegal beating Wicklow in the other. Cavan went on to win the first All-Ireland Championship for baseball three games to one, with third baseman Donegal Walker, who plays for Cavan and not Donegal, being named the AIC’s Most Valuable Player.

SUMMARY

STANDINGS

ALL-IRELAND SEMIFINALS

Cavan (Connacht) beat Tipperary (Munster) 3 games to 2 – Darragh Allen (RF, CAV) named MVP (8/22, 5 RBI)
Donegal (Ulster) beat Wicklow (Leinster) 3 games to 2 – Gavin Martin (WICK) named MVP (Game 5 winner, 2-1, 0.90 ERA, 30 IP)

ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP

Cavan beat Donegal 3 games to 1

Game One (@ Cavan): Cavan 4, Donegal 3 – Desmond Jones (CAV – 10 IP, 159 pitches, 7 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 K) Player of the Game
Game Two (@ Cavan): Cavan 5, Donegal 0 – Casey Nuttle (CAV – CG shutout, 155 pitches, 8 H, 1 BB, 3 K) Player of the Game
Game Three (@ Donegal): Donegal 6, Cavan 3 – Charlie Sherwin (DON – 3/4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) Player of the Game
Game Four (@ Donegal): Cavan 7, Donegal 5 – Donegal Walker (CAV – 4/5, 2B, RBI, 3 R) Player of the Game

All-Ireland Championship MVP: Donegal Walker (3B, CAV) – 8/17, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 5 R

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR

Toirealach Brennan (C, Cork) – .362/.429/.471, .900 OPS, 100 H, 15 2B, 3 HR, 44 RBI, 4.3 WAR (8.3/162 G)

HURLER OF THE YEAR

Casey Nuttle (Cavan) – 256.1 IP, 22-5, 1.72 ERA, 26 CG, 10 SHO, 41 BB, 75 K, 1.01 WHIP, 6.2 WAR (5.4/225 IP)

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER

Morrigan Osborne (CF, Clare) – .348/.418/.497, .915 OPS (177 OPS+), 119 H, 20 2B, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 170 TB, 18 SB, 3.95 WPA (7.62/162 G), 4.1 WAR (7.9/162 G)

TEAM OF THE YEAR

P: Gavin Martin (Donegal) – 16-12, 1.83 ERA, 26 CG, 38 BB, 82 K, 1.09 WHIP, 7.6 WAR, AIC runner-up
C: Toirealach Brennan (Cork) – .362 AVG, .900 OPS, 100 H, 21 XBH, 3 HR, 44 RBI, 2.56 WPA, 4.3 WAR, BotY
1B: Tyler Bevan (Longford) – .332 AVG, .864 OPS, 103 H, 19 XBH, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 1.20 WPA, 2.3 WAR
2B: Regan Moran (Roscommon) – .362 AVG, .899 OPS, 101 H, 16 XBH, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 1.82 WPA, 2.5 WAR
3B: Bowen Kennedy (Wicklow) – .330 AVG, .832 OPS, 104 H, 22 XBH, 4 HR, 48 RBI, 2.74 WPA, 3.0 WAR, AIC semi-final
SS: Killian Perry (Galway) – .303 AVG, .771 OPS, 99 H, 20 XBH, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 2.42 WPA, 4.1 WAR
OF: Sheridan O’Sullivan (Cavan) – .303 AVG, .851 OPS, 91 H, 28 XBH, 6 HR, 48 RBI, 2.73 WPA, 4.2 WAR, AIC champ
CF: Morrigan Osborne (Clare) – .348 AVG, .915 OPS, 119 H, 32 XBH, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 170 TB, 18 SB, 3.95 WPA, 4.1 WAR
OF: Richard Simpson (Kerry) – .301 AVG, .833 OPS, 98 H, 28 XBH, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 15 SB, 2.71 WPA, 4.8 WAR

06-04-2023, 03:53 PM	#42
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,081	THE FIRST SEASON OF IRISH BASEBALL The first set of games in the competitive history of Irish baseball took place on June 2nd, 1896, with the first official game being a contest between Carlow and Louth at Ballymakenny Road in Drogheda. Thanks to a three-run rally by the hosts in the bottom of the seventh inning Louth won the inaugural AIBC game 8-6, with center fielder Fred Martin (3/4, 2 RBIs) winning Player of the Game honors. While a high-scoring opener might seem like it would portend a high-scoring first season of the All-Ireland Baseball Championship, the reality was that the AIBC ended up being the lightest-hitting league in existence in 1896. This owed to one simple factor: Ireland isn’t the United States – the weather is cooler, the winds are stronger, and the air is more humid. This meant that even if most of the venues in the competition were smaller than the average ballpark in the states, the ball didn’t carry like it does in many parts of the U.S., and offensive output suffered as a result. The final slash line for the 32-team league was .259/.320/.330, which was good for an OPS of .650. That OPS was about fifty points lower than that of the semi-pro leagues in the Northeastern U.S., and when compared to the most offensive league in the U.S.A., the Prairie League, average and OPS came in at 42 and 95 points lower respectively. The first season of the league was competitive for the most part, with three of the four provincial championships being decided in the final week of the three-month season. The champions: Connacht: Cavan (54-30 – Galway & Roscommon 7 GB) Leinster: Wicklow (54-30 – Wexford 3 GB) Munster: Tipperary (52-32 – Kilkenny & Laois 2 GB) Ulster: Donegal (54-30 – Armagh 10 GB) The playoffs were also very exciting. Both All-Ireland semifinals went the maximum five games, with Cavan besting Tipperary in one and Donegal beating Wicklow in the other. Cavan went on to win the first All-Ireland Championship for baseball three games to one, with third baseman Donegal Walker, who plays for Cavan and not Donegal, being named the AIC’s Most Valuable Player. SUMMARY STANDINGS ALL-IRELAND SEMIFINALS Cavan (Connacht) beat Tipperary (Munster) 3 games to 2 – Darragh Allen (RF, CAV) named MVP (8/22, 5 RBI) Donegal (Ulster) beat Wicklow (Leinster) 3 games to 2 – Gavin Martin (WICK) named MVP (Game 5 winner, 2-1, 0.90 ERA, 30 IP) ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP Cavan beat Donegal 3 games to 1 Game One (@ Cavan): Cavan 4, Donegal 3 – Desmond Jones (CAV – 10 IP, 159 pitches, 7 H, 1 ER, 5 BB, 4 K) Player of the Game Game Two (@ Cavan): Cavan 5, Donegal 0 – Casey Nuttle (CAV – CG shutout, 155 pitches, 8 H, 1 BB, 3 K) Player of the Game Game Three (@ Donegal): Donegal 6, Cavan 3 – Charlie Sherwin (DON – 3/4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R) Player of the Game Game Four (@ Donegal): Cavan 7, Donegal 5 – Donegal Walker (CAV – 4/5, 2B, RBI, 3 R) Player of the Game All-Ireland Championship MVP: Donegal Walker (3B, CAV) – 8/17, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 5 R BATSMAN OF THE YEAR Toirealach Brennan (C, Cork) – *.362/.429/.471, .900 OPS, 100 H, 15 2B, 3 HR, 44 RBI, 4.3 WAR (8.3/162 G) HURLER OF THE YEAR* Casey Nuttle (Cavan) – *256.1 IP, 22-5, 1.72 ERA, 26 CG, 10 SHO, 41 BB, 75 K, 1.01 WHIP, 6.2 WAR (5.4/225 IP) MOST VALUABLE PLAYER* Morrigan Osborne (CF, Clare) – .348/.418/*.497, .915 OPS (177 OPS+), 119 H, 20 2B, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 170 TB, 18 SB, 3.95 WPA (7.62/162 G), 4.1 WAR (7.9/162 G) TEAM OF THE YEAR* P: Gavin Martin (Donegal) – 16-12, 1.83 ERA, *26 CG, 38 BB, 82 K, 1.09 WHIP, 7.6 WAR, AIC runner-up C: Toirealach Brennan* (Cork) – *.362 AVG, .900 OPS, 100 H, 21 XBH, 3 HR, 44 RBI, 2.56 WPA, 4.3 WAR, BotY 1B:* Tyler Bevan (Longford) – .332 AVG, .864 OPS, 103 H, 19 XBH, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 1.20 WPA, 2.3 WAR 2B: Regan Moran (Roscommon) – *.362 AVG, .899 OPS, 101 H, 16 XBH, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 1.82 WPA, 2.5 WAR 3B:* Bowen Kennedy (Wicklow) – .330 AVG, .832 OPS, 104 H, 22 XBH, 4 HR, 48 RBI, 2.74 WPA, 3.0 WAR, AIC semi-final SS: Killian Perry (Galway) – .303 AVG, .771 OPS, 99 H, 20 XBH, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 2.42 WPA, 4.1 WAR OF: Sheridan O’Sullivan (Cavan) – .303 AVG, .851 OPS, 91 H, 28 XBH, 6 HR, 48 RBI, 2.73 WPA, 4.2 WAR, AIC champ CF: Morrigan Osborne (Clare) – .348 AVG, *.915 OPS, 119 H, 32 XBH, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 170 TB, 18 SB, 3.95 WPA, 4.1 WAR OF:* Richard Simpson (Kerry) – .301 AVG, .833 OPS, 98 H, 28 XBH, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 15 SB, 2.71 WPA, *4.8 WAR* Last edited by tm1681; 06-07-2023 at 01:45 AM.