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TOP TALENT IS MOVING TO BROOKLYN & N.Y.C.
NEARLY EVERY CLUB IN BROOKLYN & N.Y.C. CHAMPIONSHIPS HAVE MADE MAJOR ADDITIONS

BROOKLYN & NEW YORK CITY (Mar. 16, 1863) - Spring is lurking around the corner, and that means the base ball season is just six weeks away.

Over the winter there was a bit more player movement than usual, as the amateurs of the N.B.B.O. are in no way beholden to the member clubs for life. Of the course of a typical base ball winter slumber the movement of men from city to city is rather random, but after the 1862 season and going into 1863 an interesting pattern emerged: star players moved to nearly every club in Brooklyn & New York City.

When it is said that nearly every Brooklyn & N.Y.C. club brought in a highly-regarded player over the winter it is not an exaggeration – twelve out of the sixteen signed players who have either excelled for other clubs in the past or are expected to immediately take on important roles in their first seasons as N.B.B.O. players. The transactions:

ATLANTIC (BROOKLYN)
C Alistair Hewitt from Green Mountain (2x All-Star, 1x R.B.I. leader)
3B Stanford Topps from Reading (1861 A-S, 12.0 W.A.R. over 420 career games)
OF William Gentilucci from Independent Ball (rated 3.5 stars)
OF James Robertson from Syracuse (2x A-S, .367 career AVG)

BEDFORD (BROOKLYN)
P Archie Green from Green Mtn. (1862 A-S, 3x 20-game winner, 1x Wins leader)

CONTINENTAL (BROOKLYN)
P Harold Perry from Trenton Utd. (2x A-S, 3x 20-game winner, 1x E.R.A. leader)

ECKFORD OF GREENPOINT (BROOKLYN)
OF Peter Sweet from Utica (10.2 career W.A.R. over 420 games)

EMPIRE (BROOKLYN)
P Carl Bancroft from Utica (3x A-S, 4x 20-game winner, 1x W.A.R. leader)

EXCELSIOR (BROOKLYN)
1B/2B Willie Smith from Allegheny (1862 A-S, .339 career AVG)
2B Benjamin Lovette from Independent Ball (rated 3.0 stars)
SS Pokse Uhlgren (Sweden) from Independent Ball (rated 3.0 stars)
OF Lester Chadwick from Mass. Bay (1x A-S, .404 AVG in 1861)

GOTHAM (NEW YORK CITY)
3B Joseph Dalton from Newark (1862 All-Star, .330 career AVG)
OF Luc Billon (France) from Independent Ball (rated 4.0 stars)

KNICKERBOCKER (NEW YORK CITY)
1B Mario Fusilli (Italy) from Independent Ball (rated 4.5 stars)
2B Lonnie Lester from Reading (1860 A-S, 1x Golden Glove)
CF Gregersen Rohrmann (Denmark) from Independent Ball (rated 4.5 stars)

METROPOLITAN (NEW YOK CITY)
3B Fred Stevens from Independent Ball (rated 3.0 stars)
OF Burkhard Winter (Germany) from Independent Ball (rated 3.5 stars)

MUTUAL (NEW YORK CITY)
P Willie Hall from Portland (2x A-S, 1x 20-game winner)

NASSAU COUNTY (BROOKLYN)
P Leon Hester from Independent Ball (rated 3.0 stars)
OF George Bendel from Independent Ball (rated 3.0 stars)

ORANGE (NEW YORK CITY)
P James Lott from Alleghany (2x A-S, 2x 20-game winner)
3B Frank Darcy from Port Jersey (.335 career AVG)

UNION OF MORRISANIA (BROOKLYN)
CF Curtis Bowman from Mass. Bay (1x A-S, 11.9 W.A.R. over 402 career games)

Most of the veterans switching teams are coming in off fine seasons, though there are a few who will need to re-prove themselves after struggling in 1862. Most notable among the players who will need a comeback season is Peter Sweet, who saw his Average drop by more than eighty points – his O.P.S. roughly 170 – last season.

Among the newcomers from independent base ball, the Knickerbocker club snagged the top two: Mario Fusilli and Gregerson Rohrmann. The pair is expected to immediately be among the top five in the N.B.B.O. at their positions, and adding them to the solid glove work of new second baseman Lonnie Lester it should lead to a much better season for one of the sport’s oldest clubs.

Reports on the best of the new players:

GREGERSEN ROHRMANN – CF, Knickerbocker – 26 y/o, 5’8”, 145 lbs. from Denmark – Grade: 4.5 stars

• BATTING: Contact 70/70, Gap 50/50, Eye 60/60, Avoid Ks 60/60
• DEFENSE (OF): Range 70, Error 55, Arm 55
• POSITIONS: LF: 60/80, CF: 65/65, RF: 30/70
• OTHER: Speed 65, Stealing 55, Baserunning 65, Sac. Bunt 60, Bunt for Hit 60
• SUMMARY: Danish OF spotted playing independent ball in N.Y.C. Able to do the two most important things quite well: make solid contact and patrol the outfield. His baserunning and field could improve a bit, and if they do then he could be a truly outstanding player.

MARIO FUSILLI – 1B, Knickerbocker – 25 y/o, 5’7”, 145 lbs. from Italy – Grade: 4.5 stars

• BATTING: Contact 75/75, Gap 65/65, Eye 55/55, Avoid Ks 65/65
• DEFENSE (INF): Range 50, Error 35, Arm 40, D.P: 30
• POSITIONS: 1B: 45/45
• OTHER: Speed 30, Stealing 50, Baserunning 50, Sac. Bunt 60, Bunt for Hit 35
• SUMMARY: Italian immigrant seen playing independent ball around New York last year. Looks like he will be an outstanding hitter. He is competent defending first base, which is usually good enough at that position. Known to be both hard-working and intelligent, which means that he should take direction very well.

LUC BILLON – LF, Gotham – 26 y/o, 5’8”, 160 lbs. from France – Grade: 4.0 stars

• BATTING: Contact 70/70, Gap 55/55, Eye 65/65, Avoid Ks 70/70
• DEFENSE (OF): Range 60, Error 65, Arm 50
• POSITIONS: LF: 65/65, CF: 45/45, RF: 45/60
• OTHER: Speed 55, Stealing 60, Baserunning 45, Sac. Bunt 55, Bunt for Hit 40
• SUMMARY: Spotted playing in Brooklyn last summer. Looks great with the bat – selective with pitches and smooth with his swing. Can steal bases, but running on a live ball is a little bit suspect. Safe hands in the outfield, and has enough range to cover either corner outfield position.

WILLIAM GENTILUCCI – LF, Atlantic – 28 y/o, 5’8”, 155 lbs. from Waterbury, Conn. – Grade: 3.5 stars

• BATTING: Contact 65/65, Gap 65/65, Eye 60/60, Avoid Ks 70/70
• DEFENSE (OF): Range 60, Error 50, Arm 50
• POSITIONS: LF: 65/65, RF: 60/60
• OTHER: Speed 55, Stealing 50, Baserunning 50, Sac. Bunt 50, Bunt for Hit 55
• SUMMARY: Played for an independent club in Connecticut before moving to Brooklyn to play for Atlantic. Fine all-around ball player – does nothing fantastically, but nothing poorly. Works hard and should be a reliable member of the Atlantic line-up.

BURKHARD WINTER – LF, Metropolitan – 28 y/o, 5’6”, 160 lbs. from Germany – Grade: 3.5 stars

• BATTING: Contact 70/70, Gap 60/60, Eye 45/50, Avoid Ks 70/70
• DEFENSE (OF): Range 65, Error 60, Arm 50
• POSITIONS: LF: 70/70, CF: 55/55, RF: 45/60
• OTHER: Speed 60, Stealing 65, Baserunning 75, Sac. Bunt 70, Bunt for Hit 65
• SUMMARY: German-born outfielder who was seen on various fields around Brooklyn & N.Y.C. last year. Can hit the ball quite hard and obtain a fair amount of extra-base hits. Decent speed. Can steal some bases and is an excellent baserunner. Has the range to play in the center of the outfield, but with Metro already having an established CF Winter will play LF.

With so much talent moving to the New York metropolitan area, it appears that Brooklyn & New York City will be the center of the base ball world in 1863. Shamrock over in Boston may still have the most talented team in the N.B.B.O, but the largest metropolitan area in the United States should be home to the most highly competitive base ball in existence.