[tm1681]

1878 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION REVIEW

NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION STANDINGS








PER-TEAM STATISTICS

1878 N.Y.L.: 8.4 R/G, .286, .673 OPS, 810 H, 98 2B, 44 3B, 5 HR, 90 SB, 3.48 ERA, 112 BB, 117 K, 7.6 E/G, .834 FLD%
1878 N.E.L.: 8.6 R/G, .291, .687 OPS, 818 H, 103 2B, 44 3B, 4 HR, 86 SB, 3.63 ERA, 120 BB, 121 K, 7.7 E/G, .832 FLD%

1877 N.Y.L.: 7.7 R/G, .288, .677 OPS, 794 H, 94 2B, 45 3B, 5 HR, 96 SB, 3.39 ERA, 101 BB, 96 K, 6.8 E/G, .844 FLD%
1877 N.E.L.: 7.8 R/G, .287, .675 OPS, 790 H, 93 2B, 44 3B, 5 HR, 85 SB, 3.43 ERA, 104 BB, 119 K, 6.9 E/G, .842 FLD%



TUCKER-WHEATON CUP XXII

N.Y.L. SEMIFINAL: #2 Atlantic defeats #3 Minuteman 3-2
N.E.L. SEMIFINAL: #3 Portland defeats #2 National 3-1

N.Y.L. CHAMPIONSHIP: #1 N.Y.A.C. sweeps Atlantic 3-0
N.E.L. CHAMPIONSHIP: #1 Susquehanna defeats Portland 3-2

T.W.C. FINAL: New York Athletic Club (1st title) defeats Susquehanna B.C. 3-2

GAME 1: NYAC 15-9 SUS – NYAC RF Jack Anastasio: 2/6 (2B, 3B), 4 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB, 5 TB
GAME 2: NYAC 4-12 SUS – SUS P William Hawk: CG, 9 HA, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K; 2/4, 1 R, 1 RBI
GAME 3: SUS 8-7 NYAC – SUS LF Walter Braden: 3/5 (all 1B), 3 R, 1 RBI
GAME 4: SUS 2-9 NYAC – NYAC P George Cerven: CG, 7 HA, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K; 2/3
GAME 5: NYAC 9-8 SUS – SUS LF Walter Braden: 3/5 (2B, 3B, HR), 3 R, 2 RBI, 9 TB

CUP M.V.P.: NYAC 1B Peaches Watson – 8 G, .353 (12/34), 6 R, 9 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB

There were no major surprises in the N.B.B.O. in 1878. Nearly every team that was predicted to finish at or near the top of the standings did, and in the end both halves of the League Championship Series as well as the Tucker-Wheaton Cup Final all featured rematches from the previous year. Of the eighteen teams picked to finish in the top three in their regions, only two finished more than two places below projection: Salem (proj. 2nd in NE, finished 6th) and Syracuse (proj. 2nd in UPNY, finished 7th). The team that actually did the worst compared to pre-season predictions was Marathon, who were expected to be last in Brooklyn 26-44 but instead finished a competition-worst 16-54.

The same is true of the six new teams that entered the N.B.B.O. Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club was projected to be the best of the six and the only one over .500, and that was exactly what happened. Lord Baltimore finished five wins below expectations but they were unlucky, for their Run Differential suggested they should have finished 34-36 – exactly as predicted. On the other hand, Brighton was simply disappointing in finishing nine wins below their Writers Pool projection.

If there was any team that could be classified as a nice surprise it would be Eagle. The Upstate small-club doormats were expected to finish at the bottom of the standings once again, but their 33-37 record and fifth-place finish were their best marks in both areas in eleven years.

Perhaps the most curious thing to happen this season: the fates of both defending Batsmen of the Year. Star’s Julius Tierney saw his batting fall from .403/.425/.532 (.957 OPS, 2.8 WAR) to .307/.330/.429 (.760 OPS, 0.7 WAR). Lake Erie’s Joe Mitchell saw a falloff just as bad, with his batting crashing from .375/.430/.449 (.879 OPS, 3.5 WAR) to .290/.340/.332 (.672 OPS, 0.8 WAR). It was, quite frankly, bizarre to see BOTH B.o.t.Y.’s struggle that much while defending their titles.