With the Cincinnati Red Stockings reunited, speculation was rife: would the team that was famously undefeated in 1869 and still strong in 1870 dominate the new National Professional Association in 1871?
In a word, no.
The Red Stox played only .500 ball (10-9) through the first three weeks of the season, then promptly fell into a ten-game losing streak (still in progress), tumbling to ninth place...ahead of only the utter disaster in upstate New York.
Even with all the extra players, there's still only 31 pitchers in this 18-team universe. Some teams only have one, including the Troy Haymakers, whose only hurler is John "Lefty" McMullin, who's...not very good. IRL, Lefty was a meh 12-15 with a 89 ERA+ in 1871, then pitched a handful of innings in subsequent years. Now, the whole Haymakers franchise is in danger of crashing down in just one season.
At the other end of the table, Cleveland's Jim Creighton is proving himself to be the loop's best hitter
and best pitcher, with a 209 OPS+ and a 242 ERA+...nuff said. The Forest Citys are on top, but by only one game over Boston and New York; indeed, half the league is within three games of the top.
In the American Amateur Association (AAA), Elias Cope's 17 wins have put the Resolute club of Elizabeth, NJ in front:
And before you can say, "Where the hell is Morrisania and why do their team suck so bad?", we'll get to that next time!