This Month In Baseball
January 1878
Edition 8.1
1878 Best Nine
Catcher - Deacon White - Washington Nationals
White won his second MVP award and has set the standard for a longtime running at the position. His excellence was almost unbelievable hitting .458 and leading the league in OPS as well at 1.13. Deacon was instrumental in another Washington pennant and as he turns 30, there really is no slowdown in his game.
First Base - John Clapp - Louisville Grays
Clapp has come on strong in the league even as many have not taken notice. He lead the league in hits last season with 163 and hit a very impressive .416 for Louisville. At around 200 pounds, Clapp is a great target at first for his infield and the 26 year old hopes to be part of a resurgence in Kentucky.
Second Base - John Peters - Boston Red Caps
The player to finally knock off Ross Barnes at second is a Harry Wright prodigy who deserves this honor. He stole 30 bags last season with 51 RBI from the leadoff spot and sits as a .318 career hitter. New rules seem to be working against Barnes and Boston will be very glad to see one of their own unseat the Washington star. Peters is an excellent fielder as well.
Shortstop - Bob Ferguson - Milwaukee Grays
Speaking of great fielders, none is better then Ferguson who is death to all flying things. He has won 5 gold gloves and has many batters purposely hitting the ball away from him. He also hit .307 with 22 steals and will try to be as fan friendly in Wisconsin as he was in Hartford. It is great to see defense get rewarded in the ranking.
Third Base - Cal McVey - New York Mutuals
A .369 career hitter the great talent lead the league in WAR again at 5.1 and of course does all of this while winning the outstanding pitcher award. There really is nothing that McVey can not do on a baseball field and surely his legend will be talked about for generations to come. Yes he is even fast, stealing 31 bases and legging out 14 triples.
Left Field - Paul Hines - Chicago White Stockings
Impossible to believe that he is only 22, Hines has made himself an anchor in Chicago. He scored 48 runs and drove in 54 with 17 triples and a .344 career average. There is a pennant drought for this club and when a player like Hines keep improving, anything is really possible.
Center Field - Frank McCarton - Washington Nationals
If clutch was a statistic, McCarton surely would be the leader as his focus and anticipation in big spots is becoming familiar. He hit .370 last season with 61 RBI and 76 runs scored. He also is only 23 years old but his resume would make a great career even if he quit tomorrow. Frank is the secret reason why the Washington club has been the best club overall in the leagues history.
Right Field - Orator Shafer - Cincinnati Reds
Really coming into his own this season his selection here may be a bit of a surprise for those outside Ohio. Shafer drove in 64 runs while hitting .334 and was a central reason why the Reds were in the race well into October. All of his numbers were career highs as the Philadelphia native has figuired something out in a big way at the plate.
Pitcher - Tommy Bond - Philadelphia Whites
The only representative of the champions, Bond wins this distinction for the second straight season as he went 27-6 with a 2.20 ERA. Their were other worthy choices like Laurie Reis and Cal McVey, but it was Bond who took the ball in the biggest spots including 2 wins in the World Series. Bond struck out 90 and has made countless Irishmen proud with his poise and winning confidence.