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ONE .400 HITTER IN EACH LEAGUE IN 1861
F.C.’S HODDLE & M.B.’S CHADWICK TAKE THE HONORS

ROCHESTER, N.Y. & BOSTON, MASS. (August 5, 1861) – For the second year in a row the National Base Ball Organization has seen the season end with a pair of batsmen topping the .400 mark. However, unlike last year there was one hitter in each league who did the deed instead of both 400 men coming from the Northeastern League.

In the New York League it was Flour City catcher James Hoddle who finished with a .402 average, although he did miss the final week of play due to an injury to his throwing hand. Hoddle was over .400 for all of July except for four games, and it was his .433 average in July (42/97) that helped put him over the magic mark.

Over in the Northeastern League Massachusetts Bay outfielder Lester Chadwick hit .404, although he needed some late heroics to get there. Going into the last two games of the season Chadwick’s average was .396, but after going 6/11 over the final two games he finished safely over the .400 mark. Unlike Hoddle, Chadwick needed a white-hot final month to take the N.E.L. Batting Championship as he entered July hitting .371. A .449 mark in July (35/78) and .538 (7/13) in August did it.

Chadwick was never injured but he actually started fewer games than Hoddle – 59 vs 65 – as the quality in the Mass. Bay outfield runs four deep, and that means the regulars are occasionally given a game off.

The closest player to .400 this season was St. John’s outfielder Konrad Jensen at .394 but, unlike 1860 near-miss Roy Jacobson, Jensen did not fall below .400 over the final two games. Outside of two games Jensen was actually between .390 and .400 at the end of every game after July 1st.