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BROOKLYN CHAMPIONSHIP A FIGHT TO THE BITTER END
TOP SIX TEAMS SPACED FIVE GAMES APART WITH JUST TWO WEEKS LEFT TO PLAY

BROOKLYN (July 26, 1869) – There are only ten games left in the 1869 NBBO season, but in one region there is still no clue as to who will take the pennant and advance to the Tucker-Wheaton Cup.

After Week Twelve, this is what the current standings look like in the Brooklyn Championship:

If you are counting, that is Kings County in first place followed by five different teams each one game further back of the other until the standings go down to sixth-place Nassau County at five games back. The two historical juggernauts of Brooklyn – K.C. & Excelsior – occupy the top two places, but neither is guaranteed a top-two finish.

Leader Kings County has been the steadiest team of the six. They are third in the NYL in Runs Scored, fifth in Runs Allowed, and they have four players batting above .340 – Garfield Koonce (.397), James Hoyt (.359), Carlton McShane (.348), & Henry Fitzgerald (.345). They also have a pair of fifteen-win pitchers in James Peters (15-15) & Charles Matthews (15-6).

Excelsior, of course, is second thanks to Jim Creighton (21-13, 2.69 ERA, 115 K, .281 AVG, .785 OPS, 9.7 WAR), but he does have support. 3B Gil Cappelletti (.364, 1 HR, 65 RBI) is an All-Star for the second straight year, and OF Ralph Hunt is batting .356. Their main issue has been the bottom of the lineup, where the 6-7-8 batsmen all have an OPS below .600.

Atlantic is in third because they are good but not great – seventh in the NYL in Runs and thirteenth in Runs Allowed. They have seen brilliant play from OF Martin Craven (.381, 59 RBI, 2.5 WAR), outstanding fielding from SS Marcel Bresciani (+17.3 ZR, 1.155 EFF), and a surprise newcomer at 3B J.P. in Texier who (.343, 39 RBI, 1.2 WAR).

Eckford is one of two enigmas in the group. With a 32-28 record but a -73 Run Differential, on paper this has the look of a team that should be well under .500. However, they have been led by excellent 23-year-old 3B Isaac Kelly (.379, 46 RBI, 2.5 WAR), OF George Bendel (.342, 41 RBI, 1.5 WAR), and #1 P Frank Childs (17-13, 3.32 ERA, 3.2 WAR).

Continental is the other major enigma in the group. The yin to Eckford’s yang, Continental is 31-29 with a +87 Run Differential that is second in Brooklyn behind only Kings County. On paper, this should be the team up at the top with K.C. Andrew Brannon (.330, 47 RBI, 2.7 WAR) is a debut All-Star and they have the pitching duo of Earl Quinn (85-67, 2.84 career ERA) and Grover Wright (221-155, 1x MVP, 59.4 career WAR), but it has just not added up to massive success.

Nassau County rounds out the list. They have a fine offense – 8th in the NYL in Runs & Average – but a terrible defense – 23rd in the NYL in Runs Allowed & Errors. OF William Gentilucci (.350, 50 RBI, 2.2 WAR) has earned his first All-Star nomination and they have multiple other batsmen above .300, but a critical lack of defense has led to some big losses.

The remaining schedule for each team:

• KINGS COUNTY: vs Excelsior, at Empire
• EXCELSIOR: at Kings County, vs Nassau County
• ATLANTIC: at Nassau County, vs Bedford
• ECKFORD: at Empire. vs Continental
• CONTINENTAL: vs Bedford, at Eckford
• NASSAU COUNTY: vs Atlantic, at Excelsior

All six teams have one remaining home series and one away, so nobody has a distinct home advantage. If one team could be said to have the scheduling advantage it would be Atlantic, as their remaining games are against sixth-place Nassau Co. and last-place Bedford (22-38), a team that is 14-26 (.350) since the beginning of June.

The upcoming Kings County v Excelsior battle will be the series of the year in Brooklyn, and based on past seasons it will determine who takes the pennant. However, if it is an even series that ends 3-2 either way then any of the other four teams can move to within striking distance of first place ahead of the final week with a 5-0 sweep of their own series.

Whatever the final weeks hold in store, this is certain: it will be a memorable finish to the 1869 Brooklyn Championship.