The Baseball Chronicle
July 1881
Edition 10.5
The True Home Run King
Thirty One Year Old Stires May Be At His Best
The Troy Haymakers are in the midst of yet another excellent season lead by their one of a kind manager Lip Pike. The franchise keeps finding a way to win year after year and through all of its success, a mainstay has been the power and slug of Gat Stires.
There was a debate of late who the greatest power hitter in the game was. Dan Brouthers of Providence recently came on the scene and hit a legendary home run earlier this season. Ed Pinkham of the White Stockings is another favorite choice for this claim as the 34 year old has 51 career home runs and hit a record setting 22 in last season. Still many can say that Brouthers is still unproven and the Pinkham has the aide of the shortest fence in the entire league. When all is said and done, no man has had the power consistency of Stires, and this season may be his best effort yet.
Stires is slugging a career best .619 and has already hit 12 home runs, only one behind his career best of 13 and it is only August. He will really have to turn it on to ge to the coveted 22 season record, but fans see an experienced hitter who knows how to produce the wallop. With the cloud of his home stadium a reality for Pinkham, many have said that this is truly the best power hitting season they have ever seen.
"It all comes down to leverage" said Stires, "I just have an uppercut that few can duplicate." When asked if he is the best slugger in the league good old humble Gat has a typical answer, "that young lad from Providence is pretty darn impressive.
Most HR One Season
Journalists and fans the nation wide will without a doubt be following Stires for the remainder of the season to see if he can approach 20 home runs. In the meantime the Haymakers just keep on winning and will likely lift their 5th league pennant.
Cleveland Enjoying a Turnaround
Club Has Put A Tumultuous 1880 Season Behind Them
The Cleveland club has won only one pennant in their history since the league started and to add lost out on the pennan by a single game on two other occasions. To be competitive however was something the Blues had been committed too until last season when the club lost 63 games and many accused them of giving up or losing without a fight.
New manager Jamari Arms has had a different approach and he also has been brushed aside by many after his many losing seasons as manager of the St. Louis club. Arms and his men have proved almost everyone wrong however in 1881 going from last in the league to a club with much competence and confidence, even if they are 6 games out of first.
Candy Cummings has found a new birth to his career going 13-5 this season after losing 24 games last year. The 32 year old veteran has added even more movement to his 'curve' pitch, a pitch many give him sole credit of inventing during his younger days in New York.
Old Bob Ferguson is still getting the job done at 36 years old both in the field and at the plate as the former MVP is hitting .303 at the top of the order. Wes Fisler another aging veteran also seems to have alot left to play for, the inspirational team leader has 21 RBI and is hitting .280.
It is always good to see surprises in the game, and even if many feel this Cleveland club is just too aged to fight for the flag; baseball has become fun again in Cleveland Ohio.