The Baseball Chronicle
May 1882
Edition 11.4
Dare To Finally Believe In Cleveland?
Blues Off To 21-9 Start As City Rallies Behind Them
It has been written about them in the past only to have enthusiasm fall by the wayside. The Cleveland baseball club has only one a single pennant in their history in the league and in turn have many other putrid seasons that have made local fans endure.
Things in 1882 could not have brought a better start as the club has won 21 of their 30 games including a 12 game winning streak. At the center of it all is manager Jamari Arms. Arms was a forgotten man in his days managing the St. Louis where his team never achieved a winning season. When he came to Cleveland last year many wondered why he was chose to turnaround this team. Arms lead them to 52 wins last season and seemed to be a great motivator for a team that didnt have anything to play for. Now with a season under his belt, Arms seems poised to lead and take this team to the next level. A level that few Cleveland followers have ever experienced.
Club pitching has been excellent as this group have performed much better then anyone expected. Thirty seven year old George Zettlein was left for dead as a starter but now is putting together yet another fine season fooling batters with his array of pitches. The Charmer is 7-2 with a 1.48 ERA. Along side of his is Joe Blong who had lost his way for a couple of seasons since his years of dominance but now has settled in again and looks like the pitcher that won 27 games in 1878. Blong is 7-3 with a 2.44 ERA and alot of confidence. Both men credit manager Arms with getting them to believe in their abilities.
The offense has scored the most runs in the American League with centerfielder Ned Hanlon leading the way. Hanlon is hitting .356 with 24 RBI and 23 runs scored. After an up and down season last year, the 24 year old looks set for success and could be a diamond in the rough this season. Ed Swartwood and Wes Fisler also are contributing in a nice way, and teams are not looking forward to facing this lineup.
The city is optimistic on what they see as League Park has been full most of the spring. Now banners are going up around the city as the eternal hope remains that this season will finally be the one for a championship. No one will argue that the man in charge, the oce discarded skipper, is the right man for the job.
Enthusiasm Refuses To Wain In Louisville
Kentucky Club Manages Only 3 Wins
The spectators for the Kentucky derby were out in force this spring and local fans had hoped that the same enthusiasm could be chattered about about the new ballclub after two months of the season. In the preseason names like Albert Spalding and Dick McBride had brought much attention to the startup.
A win in their second game brought some enthusiasm but the club fell off a cliff shortly after. They would win only two more games for the next two months and the cheers soon turned to worry and discontent. The stars shine has faded and the reality of a very very competitive league has set in.
The offense has especially been meek, scoring only 61 runs in that span and not a single player with over 10 runs or 10 RBI. The defense has also been something to worry about.
Manager Malik Felton has taken it all in stride, "We have the best fans in the country. In time wel will surely play better and give them a much better product on the field; and that starts with me."
