The Big Bang: A Larger Baseball Universe Starting From Nothing in 1857

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1876 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION REVIEW

1875 NBBO STANDINGS








PER-TEAM STATISTICS

1876 N.Y.L.: 7.5 R/G, .281, .657 OPS, 776 H, 92 2B, 41 3B, 5 HR, 84 SB, 3.17 ERA, 86 BB, 115 K, 6.9 E/G, .843 FLD%
1876 N.E.L.: 7.5 R/G, .284, .667 OPS, 780 H, 92 2B, 43 3B, 5 HR, 90 SB, 3.38 ERA, 97 BB, 124 K, 6.8 E/G, .843 FLD%

1875 N.Y.L.: 7.8 R/G, .291, .673 OPS, 825 H, 95 2B, 40 3B 11 HR, 71 SB, 3.28 ERA, 62 BB, 46 K, 7.4 E/G, .833 FLD%
1875 N.E.L.: 7.8 R/G, .292, .674 OPS, 827 H, 95 2B, 38 3B, 9 HR, 72 SB, 3.25 ERA, 66 BB, 60 K, 7.5 E/G, .830 FLD%



TUCKER-WHEATON CUP XX

N.Y.L. SEMIFINAL: Union of Morrisania defeats Atlantic 3-2
N.E.L. SEMIFINAL: Trenton United defeats Sons of the Ocean 3-2

N.Y.L. CHAMPIONSHIP: Minuteman defeats Union 3-2
N.E.L. CHAMPIONSHIP: Susquehanna defeats Trenton United 3-1

T.W.C. FINAL: Minuteman (1st title) wins series 3-2 over Susquehanna

GAME 1: MIN 12-23 SUS – 3B Frank Carter (SUS) 4/5 (2B, 5 TB), 5 R, 3 RBI, 1 BB
GAME 2: MIN 5-8 SUS – SS Stephen Barley (SUS) 2/5 (2B, 3 TB), 2 R, 2 RBI, DEF DP
GAME 3: SUS 5-8 MIN – 2B Jules Thomas (MIN) 3/4 (2B, 4 TB), 3 R, 1 RBI, SB
GAME 4: SUS 2-21 MIN – 1B Paul LaGuerre (MIN) 4/6 (2 2B, 3B, 8 TB), 5 R, 6 RBI, 101 GMSC
GAME 5: MIN 10-3 SUS – 2B Jules Thomas (MIN) 3/5 (3B, 5 TB), 2 R, 2 RBI, DEF DP

T.W.C. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: LF Frank Tucker (Minuteman)

NEW YORK LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Jackson Wright (1B, age 33) – Gotham B.B.C.; 1st career B.o.t.Y.

• .413/.442/.530, .972 OPS, 70 R, 116 H, 22 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 74 RBI, 12 BB, 5 SB, 149 TB, 3.7 WPA, 3.5 WAR
• Led N.B.B.O. in AVG, OBP, SLG, & OPS; Led N.Y.L. in Hits; Improved AVG 112 points from 1875 (OPS +239)
• Ben Gagliardi (SS, ATL) 2nd – .391, .872 OPS, 75 R, 127 H, 19 XBH, 1 HR, 76 RBI, 5 BB, 22 SB, 5.1 WPA, 4.4 WAR
• Louis Murray (LF, ECK) 3rd – .323, .784 OPS, 94 R, 112 H, 17 2B, 11 3B, 46 RBI, 16 BB, 67 SB, 3.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR


PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Charles Rhodes (age 27) – New York Athletic Club; 2nd career P.o.t.Y.

• 22-15, 1.84 ERA, 130 K, 342.1 IP, 24 CG, 2 SHO, .514 O-OPS, 6.2 K/BB, 1.04 WHIP, 9.2 WAR, 8.1 rWAR
• Set N.B.B.O. records for ERA, O-OBP, O-SLG, & O-OPS; Also led N.Y.L. in K, SHO, K/BB, WHIP, & WAR
• William Tighe (MIN) 2nd – New York League Most Valuable Player
• Olaf Sorensen (ATL) 3rd – 26-12, 2.52 ERA, 64 K, 328.2 IP, 26 CG, 1 SHO, 1.7 K/BB, 1.20 WHIP, 5.3 WAR, 6.9 rWAR


MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: William Tighe (P, age 38) – Minuteman B.B.C.; 1st career M.V.P.

• 28-11, 2.44 ERA, 98 K, 350.2 IP, 31 CG, 2 SHO, 2 SV, 2.4 K/BB, 1.19 WHIP, 7.2 WAR, 10.6 rWAR
• Led N.Y.L. in Wins for 2nd straight season; Also #1 in CG, SHO, & rWAR; Won Game Five of T.W.C. Final
• Ben Gagliardi (SS, ATL) 2nd – N.Y.L. Batsman of the Year Runner-up
• William Cruise (SS, UNI) 3rd – .330, 764 OPS, 68 R, 105 H, 19 XBH, 43 RBI, 11 BB, 13 SB, +34.1 ZR, 2.9 WPA, 3.9 WAR


GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: Jack Anastasio (RF, age 25) – New York Athletic Club

• .313/.350/.430, .780 OPS, 84 R, 99 H, 13 2B, 12 3B, 0 HR, 75 RBI, 18 BB, 74 SB, 136 TB, 4.0 WPA, 3.1 WAR
• Led N.Y.L. in Stolen Bases; Made All-Star Game
• Bernard Puckett (1B, BING) 2nd – .352, .856 OPS, 80 R, 117 H, 18 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 77 RBI, 9 BB, 4.8 WPA, 2.2 WAR
• Charles Ramer (3B, STAR) 3rd – .360, .811 OPS, 64 R, 119 H, 17 2B, 3 3B, 66 RBI, 11 BB, 1 SB, 4.1 WPA, 2.7 WAR


NYL GOLDEN GLOVES

• P: Robert Wolford (MER/1st) – 16 PO, 49 AST, 3 DP, 14 E, 1.82 RNG, +6.1 ZR, 1.048 EFF
• C: Jonathan Rue (MIN/1st) – 38.5 CS%, 2.45 C-ERA, 23 PB, 9 E, +6.4 ZR, 1.116 EFF
• 1B: Neal Cody (BED/1st) – 617 PO, 68 AST, 25 DP, 38 E, 11.28 RNG, +9.2 ZR, 1.105 EFF
• 2B: Lacy LeGendre (NYAC/3rd) – 227 PO, 180 AST, 19 DP, 50 E, 6.13 RNG, +16.7 ZR, 1.165 EFF
• 3B: Isaac Kelly (ECK/1st) – 77 PO, 154 AST, 6 DP, 54 E, 3.31 RNG, +14.3 ZR, 1.178 EFF
• SS: William Cruise (UNI/1st) – 168 PO, 264 AST, 29 DP, 64 E, 6.27 RNG, +34.1 ZR, 1.286 EFF
• LF: Alfred Williams (HILL/1st) – 110 PO, 2 AST, 29 E, 1.68 RNG, +0.0 ARM, +4.8 ZR, 1.090 EFF
• CF: Hanrahan Casey (ECK/2nd) – 213 PO, 14 AST, 42 E, 3.32 RNG, +1.8 ARM, +9.4 ZR, 1.102 EFF
• RF: Farris Crowe (BAL/1st) – 171 PO, 7 AST, 62 E, 2.67 RNG, +2.7 ARM, +6.2 ZR, 1.045 EFF


NYL TEAM OF THE YEAR

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Jesse Craig (1B, age 30) – Sons of the Ocean; 1st career B.o.t.Y.

• .387/.422/.467, .888 OPS, 74 R, 122 H, 14 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 68 RBI, 19 BB, 1 SB, 147 TB, 5.3 WPA, 4.0 WAR
• Led N.E.L. in AVG & OBP; Top five in Hits, OPS, & Batsman WAR
• Ned Morganti (CF, QS) 2nd – .375, .506 SLG, .924 OPS, 79 R, 120 H, 29 XBH, 61 RBI, 22 BB, 29 SB, 5.5 WPA, 3.2 WAR
• Stephen Barley (SS, SUS) 3rd – .346, .848 OPS, 81 R, 112 H, 30 XBH, 1 HR, 89 RBI, 15 BB, 22 SB, 3.0 WPA, 4.9 WAR


PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Earl Quinn (age 35) – Maryland B.C.; 1st career P.o.t.Y.

• 24-18, 2.40 ERA, 148 K, 356.1 IP, 28 CG, 1 SV, 3.2 K/BB, 9.0 HA/9, 1.13 WHIP, 7.8 WAR, 10.7 rWAR
• Led N.E.L. in IP, GP, CG, HA/9, WHIP, & rWAR; Top five in W, ERA, K, QS, K/9, BABIP, & WAR
• George Burroughs (PtJ) 2nd – 23-18, 2.90 ERA, 158 K, 341.1 IP, 27 CG, 3 SHO, 5.1 K/BB, 1.18 WHIP, 10.7 WAR, 9.5 rWAR
• Fred Cowan (PIO) 3rd – Northeastern League Greenhorn of the Year


MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: John Schultz (CF, age 29) – Susquehanna B.C.; 2nd career M.V.P.

• .343/.368/.435, .803 OPS, 97 R, 123 H, 11 2B, 11 3B, 0 HR, 58 RBI, 10 BB, 44 SB, 156 TB, 3.6 WPA, 3.5 WAR
• Led N.E.L. in Runs & Hits; .341 (15/44) during playoffs; Leadoff man for team that set record for Runs in a season
• Earl Seals (SS, TU) 2nd – .311, .782 OPS, 73 R, 98 H, 21 XBH, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 16 SB, +23.1 ZR, 3.7 WPA, 4.7 WAR
• Peter Jones (SS, SotO) 3rd – .323, .752 OPS, 55 R, 91 H, 11 XBH, 1 HR, 50 RBI, 27 SB, +28.2 ZR, 2.0 WPA, 4.5 WAR


GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: Fred Cowan (P, age 23) – Pioneer B.C.

• 27-12, 2.82 ERA, 49 K, 344.2 IP, 23 CG, 0 SHO, 1.5 K/BB, 10.8 HA/9, 1.29 WHIP, 5.2 WAR, 2.7 rWAR
• Led N.E.L. in Wins; 3rd in Pitcher of the Year voting; Made All-Star Game
• Frank Cyphert (P, SUS) 2nd – 25-7, 3.26 ERA, 25 K, 287.0 IP, 20 CG, 1 SV, 1.3 K/BB, 1.30 WHIP, 4.8 WAR, 4.6 rWAR
• Walter Little (RF, NAT) 3rd – .337, .852 OPS, 71 R, 109 H, 29 XBH, 2HR, 65 RBI, 18 BB, 0 SB, 3.2 WPA, 2.5 WAR


NEL GOLDEN GLOVES

• P: Fleming Skiff (NAT/1st) – 9 PO, 36 AST, 3 DP, 3 E, 2.15 RNG, +5.5 ZR, 1.221 EFF
• C: James White (QUI/2nd) – 30.8 CS%, 2.88 C-ERA, 21 PB, 10 E, +3.4 ZR, 1.229 EFF
• 1B: Wade Jones (OCE/1st) – 628 PO, 55 AST, 22 DP, 26 E, 10.99 RNG, +6.5 ZR, 1.099 EFF
• 2B: John Baddley (PJ/2nd) – 212 PO, 167 AST, 27 DP, 54 E, 5.58 RNG, +12.5 ZR, 1.144 EFF
• 3B: Herbert Ray (TIG/6th) – 93 PO, 139 AST, 2 DP, 55 E, 3.53 RNG, +15.6 ZR, 1.222 EFF
• SS: Peter Jones (SotO/6th) – 187 PO, 241 AST, 23 DP, 71 E, 6.40 RNG, +28.2 ZR, 1.247 EFF
• LF: Robert Basalyga (LAN/1st) – 134 PO, 5 AST, 29 E, 2.04 RNG, -0.9 ARM, +5.9 ZR, 1.036 EFF
• CF: James Baird (OCE/1st) – 228 PO, 8 AST, 48 E, 3.40 RNG, +2.3 ARM, +8.6 ZR, 1.090 EFF
• RF: Thomas Fetterman (NEW/1st) – 135 PO, 7 AST, 25 E, 2.06 RNG, +1.3 ARM, +5.9 ZR, 1.092 EFF


NEL TEAM OF THE YEAR

MISCELLANEOUS

SEASON RECORDS

• Susquehanna set a new record for Runs Scored with 724 (10.3 R/G).
• Susquehanna set a new record for Run Differential with +309 (+4.4 R/G).
• Sons of the Ocean tied the record for Triples with 69.
• New York Athletic Club set a new record for Team ERA with 2.18.
• Port Jersey pitchers set a new record for Strikeouts with 232 (3.3 K/G).
• Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.) set a new record for ERA (175+ IP) with 1.84.
• Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.) set a new record for Opponents’ On-Base (175+ IP) with .243.
• Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.) set a new record for Opponents’ Slugging % (175+ IP) with .271.
• Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.) set a new record for Opponents’ OPS (175+ IP) with .514.

NEW YORK LEAGUE LEADERS

• Average: .413 by Jackson Wright (1B, Atlantic)
• On-Base: .442 by Jackson Wright
• Slugging: .530 by Jackson Wright
• OPS: .972 by Jackson Wright
• Home Runs: 3 by Bernard Lambert (LF, Bedford)
• Runs Batted In: 81 by Fox Ellis (3B, Utica)
• Runs: 94 by Louis Murray (LF, Eckford)
• Hits: 127 by Ben Gagliardi (SS, Atlantic)
• Doubles: 22 by three different batsmen
• Triples: 14 by Clarence jones (CF, Mercury)
• Extra-Base Hits: 33 by Alessandro Baldaro (CF, Bedford)
• Stolen Bases: 74 by Jack Anastasio (RF, N.Y.A.C.)
• Total Bases: 164 by Herb Verrett (CF, Atlantic)
• Bases on Balls: 32 by William Buschmann (CF, Utica)
• Zone Rating: +34.1 by William Cruise (SS, Union)
• Win Prob. Added: 5.2 by Lon Duffy (RF, Syracuse)
• Batsman WAR: 4.4 by Ben Gagliardi

• Wins: 28 by William Tighe (Minuteman)
• Losses: 27 by Howard Budd (Empire) & Earl Henry (Harlem)
• ERA (175+ IP): 1.84 by Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.)
• Strikeouts: 130 by Charles Rhodes
• Innings: 356.0 by Howard Shepherd (Cont’l)
• Complete Games: 31 by William Tighe
• Shutouts: 2 by five different pitchers
• BB/9 (175+ IP): 0.4 by Howard Shepherd & Edward Pelham (Frontier)
• K/9 (175+ IP): 3.4 by Charles Rhodes
• K/BB (175+ IP): 6.2 by Charles Rhodes
• WHIP (175+ IP): 1.04 by Charles Rhodes
• Pitcher WAR: 9.2 by Charles Rhodes
• Pitcher rWAR: 10.6 by William Tighe

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE LEADERS

• Average: .387 by Jesse Craig (1B, S.o.t.O.)
• On-Base: .422 by Jesse Craig
• Slugging: .506 by Ned Morganti (CF, Quaker St.)
• OPS: .924 by Ned Morganti
• Home Runs: 3 by Charles Kragholm (2B, Quinnipiac)
• Runs Batted In: 92 by William Gentilucci (1B, Quinnipiac)
• Runs: 97 by John Schultz (CF, Susquehanna)
• Hits: 123 by John Schultz
• Doubles: 22 by James Hunsberger (RF, Trenton) & Lucius Roberts (LF, Quaker St.)
• Triples: 16 by George Black (CF, S.o.t.O.)
• Extra-Base Hits: 34 by James Hunsberger
• Stolen Bases: 74 by Walter Williams (CF, Pioneer)
• Total Bases: 162 by Ned Morganti
• Bases on Balls: 28 by Oliver Lysiak (C, Susquehanna)
• Zone Rating: +28.2 by Peter Jones (SS, S.o.t.O.)
• Win Prob. Added: 5.9 by Alfred Suber (RF, Merrimack)
• Batsman WAR: 4.9 by Stephen Barley (SS, Susquehanna)

• Wins: 27 by Fred Cowan (Pioneer)
• Losses: 28 by Walt Harper (Sportsman’s)
• ERA (175+ IP): 2.39 by Robert Dozier (Newark)
• Strikeouts: 158 by George Burroughs (Pt. Jersey)
• Innings: 356.1 by Earl Quinn (Maryland)
• Complete Games: 28 by three different pitchers
• Shutouts: 4 by Thomas Koch (Trenton)
• BB/9 (175+ IP): 0.4 by William Hawk (Susquehanna) & John Faulkner (Lancastra)
• K/9 (175+ IP): 4.2 by George Burroughs
• K/BB (175+ IP): 5.1 by George Burroughs
• WHIP (175+ IP): 1.13 by Earl Quinn
• Pitcher WAR: 10.7 by George Burroughs
• Pitcher rWAR: 10.7 by Earl Quinn

ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS

• May 11: William Fair (Frontier) bats 5/6 with 8 RBI vs Eagle.
• May 13: Otto Humphries (S.o.t.O.) has 7 RBI against Quinnipiac.
• May 17: Claude Owens (Bedford) has 7 RBI against Marathon.
• May 18: Hoyt Woodford (Salem) hits for the Cycle (4/4, 4 RBI) at Cantabrigians.
• May 20: Ned Mortangi’s (QS) 45-game Hitting Streak comes to an end.
• May 27: William Sudduth’s (MM) 43-game Hitting Streak comes to an end.
• June 17: Susquehanna sets N.E.L. records for Runs (31), Hits (31), & Margin of Victory (29; 31-2) at Reading.
• June 17: Susquehanna has four players with 4+ Hits in their win at Reading.
• June 17: Walter Braden (Susquehanna) has 6 Hits (6/8, 2B, 4 RBI) at Reading.
• June 17: Jack Anastasio (N.Y.A.C.) sets a new single-game SB record with 6 against Union.
• June 30: Two Mutual players have 5+ Hits during a win at Harlem.
• June 30: Ellis Terrien (Mutual) has 6 Hits (6/6, 5 RBI) at Harlem.
• July 7: Two Mutual players have 5+ Hits during a win at Mercury.
• July 7: Robert Wolf (Mutual) has 6 Hits (6/6, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI) at Mercury.
• July 12: Everton Pauline (Olympic) hits 2 Home Runs at Maryland.
• July 13: Lancastra & Scranton play the longest game in N.B.B.O. history at 17 innings. LAN wins 5-3.
• July 13: Harley Stephenson (LAN) & Charles Emmert (SCR) both set a new record for IP in a game with 17.0.
• July 13: Harley Stephenson (Lancaster) becomes the first P in any league with a 100 Game Score.
• July 13: Lake Erie erases an 11-run deficit (14-3) to defeat Sportsman’s 18-17 in a walkoff win.
• July 26: The N.E.L. wins the 18th All-Star Game 9-5. MVP: Jesse Craig (1B, SotO). HOST: Tiger S.C.
• July 30: Two Atlantic players have 5 Hits during a win at Marathon.
• Aug 5: Clive Harry (Baltic) hits for the Cycle (4/6, 5 RBI) at Mutual.
• Aug 6: William Gentilucci’s (QUI) 42-game Hitting Streak comes to an end.
• Aug 11: Wade Jones (Oceanic) has 7 RBI at Granite.
• Aug 12: Lon Duffy (Syracuse) has 6 hits (6/7, 2 2B, 3B, 7 RBI) at Eagle.
• Aug 12: Euan Strachan (Quaker St.) scores 6 Runs at Olympic.
• Aug 14: Atlantic batsmen finish the season 1-2-3 in the N.Y.L. in Batting Average & OPS.
• Sep 5: Minuteman (1st title) wins the Tucker-Wheaton Cup XX final in five games over Susquehanna.

PERFORMANCES OF THE SEASON BY GAME SCORE

• #1: 114 by Lon Duffy (RF, Syracuse) at Eagle on Aug. 12th (6/7, 2 2B, 3B, 4 R, 6 RBI)
• #2: 109 by Ellis Terrien (3B, Mutual) at Harlem on June 30th (6/6, 3 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB)
• #3: 108 by Claude Owens (RF, Bedford) vs Marathon on May 17th (5/5, 2B, 2 R, 7 RBI, 1 BB)
• #4: 107 by Otto Humphries (RF, S.o.t.O.) vs Quinnipiac on May 13th (4/4, HR, 3 R, 7 RBI, SB)
• #5: 106 by William Fair (RF, Frontier) vs Eagle on May 11th (5/6, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 8 RBI)
• #6: 105 by Charles Wolff (LF, Trenton Utd.) vs Pt. Jersey on July 15th (4/5, 2B, 5 R, 6 RBI)
• #7: 105 by Walter Williams (CF, Pioneer) at Sportsman’s on July 23rd (4/4, HR, 5 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SB)
• #8: 104 by Robert Wolf (RF, Mutual) at Mercury on July 7th (6/6, 2B, 3B, 4 R, 4 RBI)
• #9: 101 by Paul LaGuerre (1B, Minuteman) vs Susquehanna in the T.W.C. Final (4/6, 2 2B, 3B, 5 R, 6 RBI)
• #10: 100 by Harley Stephenson (P, Lancastra) at Scranton on July 13th (17.0 IP, 10 HA, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K)

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1876 AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE REVIEW

WRITERS POOL OBSERVATIONS

ALLEGHANY: The loss of Seabold was a killer. Cordell had another fine season (22-15, 3.34, 53 K) but Seabold’s replacement, Greenhorn James Lockhart, was a clear downgrade (14-24, 3.50, 29 K). Another major issue: 3B Doherty & CF Golden saw their averages fall by 75+ points. There’s a chance this season was a one-off. To upgrade: 1B & maybe CF.

AMERICAN: Four cup wins in five years – American has become the dynasty of dynasties in baseball. The signing of George Kassabian to move Sid Crowder to backup at LF meant there were no holes in the lineup or pitching duo, and the result was a Founders’ Cup sweep. However, star SS Martin Prince is free to leave this winter.

EXCELSIOR: They reverted back to a combination of spectacular pitching and anemic offense. Creighton & Seabold were incredible together, with Seabold FINALLY taking the strikeout crown from Creighton, but their 12th-ranked offense meant both were 21-21. Hill & Oberst were great, but the loss of Hudspeth hurt the attack more than they thought it would.

FLOUR CITY: Competitive but flawed due to below-average defense. Kessler, Dugas, & Knight made for a nice middle of the lineup, but LF Donovan (38), 3B Harris (36), & SS Hodges (35) are starting to look their age. Another problem: James Goodman is about to turn 38 and there’s no clear #2 in the team’s pitching duo. Next year could quickly go very wrong.

GOTHAM: Disaster. In short order, Royal Altman lost his OF range, forcing a move to 1B, and Babe Johnson missed five weeks injury, and the team proceeded to go 8-32 over its next 40 games. Otherwise, close to .500. If they plug the newfound hole in LF then next season will trend upward. Potential storm cloud: longtime RF stalwart Clive Strachan can leave.

KINGS CO: AT LAST, a highly competitive K.C. team after five years below the 40-win mark. Koonce & Bartholomew were excellent as the 3-4 combo, 3B Williams needed no adjustment time to the A.P.B.L., RF Miller was passable in his first season as a regular, and Banfield was the #1 they needed after coming in from Excelsior. To upgrade: 2B & SS.

KNICKERBOCKER: A league-record improvement of 19 wins (33-57 to 52-38) and 2nd place in the Metro – a successful season. Mascherino was EXACTLY what the infield needed after moving to 2B, and Groff was decent after taking 3B from Verstegen. Burton & Landreth both had ERA’s under 3.00. Problem: 9x All-Star 1B Alexander can leave this winter.

MASS. BAY: Their second straight over-500 season and 3rd place in the Colonial. Their second raid of rivals Shamrock bore fruit, as 2B Fisher and #2 P Ricks both had good seasons. 1B Berg was an All-Star in his first A.P.B.L. season, young LF Durand proved a capable batsman, and after moving to 3B Stoffers had his best season in three years. To upgrade: CF.

NIAGARA: From worst to first in the Colonial – a better season than they could have dream of. Ignore how it ended. 2B Hudspeth was an All-Star in his first season after moving from Excelsior, and teamed brilliantly with SS Schumacher. Mukai had a career-best ERA. #2 P Smith was a surprise. RF Roper made All-Star Game #6. Issue: CF Barrett can leave.

ORANGE: Another down year. SS Harmon was an All-Star in his first season as a regular, but it was offense where he was a major downgrade from Mascherino. Greenhorn Hopp was just okay in CF. C Schreiber crashed to .252, his first season under .300. The good: RF Valentine was an All-Star and LF Crosby did well in his first Orange season. To upgrade: P, 1B, & CF.

SHAMROCK: Worst season in team history. They brought in two Greenhorn pitchers and it didn’t work at all, with #1 Hagan going 9-27. They also saw 1B Bulger hit under .300 for the first time, RF Noble’s average fall 80+ points, and new SS Falconer put up -2.2 WAR and a -44.2 ZR, both league records in a bad way. To upgrade: SS, LF, & CF.

ST. JOHN’S: From their first under-500 season to one game from a playoff. The infield tweaks worked, as Greenhorn 2B Cannon hit .320, veteran Price was a passable SS, and 3B Todd emerged as a star. However, both Jensen & Townsend had their worst seasons, with Townsend batting .278. They’ll bank on the two flanks of the Hydra returning to form next year.

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1876 APBL STANDINGS





PER-TEAM STATISTICS

1876: 7.1 R/G, .285, .658 OPS, 1,002 H, 113 2B, 54 3B, 6 HR, 161 SB, 3.32 ERA, 88 BB, 141 K, 6.3 E/G, .854 FLD%
1875: 7.5 R/G, .295, .678 OPS, 1,057 H, 123 2B, 48 3B, 12 HR, 146 SB, 3.49 ERA, 75 BB, 72 K, 6.7 E/G, .847 FLD%



FOUNDERS' CUP VI

American (4th title; 4th in 5 years) wins series 4-0 over Niagara.

GAME 1: NIA 5-6 AME – James Burke (AME) 2/5 (2B, 3 TB), 1 R, 3 RBI, GW HIT
GAME 2: NIA 4-14 AME – 3B William Carrigan (AME) 2/5 (both 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI
GAME 3: AME 13-3 NIA – CF James Burke (AME) 3/6 (all 1B), 1 R, 3 RBI, 2 SB
GAME 4: AME 8-6 NIA – RF Franklin Petty (AME) 2/5 (2B, 3 TB), 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB

FOUNDERS’ CUP M.V.P.: James Burke (CF, American)

AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
Career award totals are carried over from the NBBO

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: James Burke (CF, age 33) – American B.C.; 3rd career B.o.t.Y.

• .387/.415/.521, .936 OPS, 120 R, 165 H, 22 2B, 16 3B, 1 HR, 80 RBI, 20 BB, 90 SB, 222 TB, 5.3 WPA, 6.0 WAR
• Led A.P.B.L. in AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, R, H, 3B, XBH, SB, TB, & WAR; 3rd B.o.t.Y. in four years
• Eamonn Todd (3B, StJ) 2nd – .354,. 824 OPS, 74 R, 136 H, 19 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 95 RBI, 18 BB, 3.8 WPA, 3.9 WAR
• Garfield Koonce (1B, KC) 3rd – .353, .821 OPS, 73 R, 143 H, 20 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 65 RBI, 15 BB, 3.6 WPA, 2.6 WAR

This is how it works: if you lead the league in ELEVEN offensive categories, then you win B.o.t.Y. Nobody came remotely close to Burke’s level of production with the bat this season, and while it wasn’t the 7.0 WAR season of Nelson Townsend in 1871 he definitely deserved the unanimous vote. Todd emerged as a star in 1876. Koonce’s consistency earned him 3rd place.


PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Simeon DiStefano (age 25) – American B.C.; 1st career P.o.t.Y.

• 29-17, 2.54 ERA, 28 K, 392.2 IP, 30 CG, 1 SV, 392.2 IP, 0.7 K/BB, 10.1 HA/9, 1.23 WHIP, 3.9 WAR, 11.3 rWAR
• Set A.P.B.L. record for rWAR; led league in W, ERA, IP, & HA/9; 2-0 (2.65 ERA, 3 K, 17.0 IP) in Founders’ Cup
• Bert Landreth (KNI) 2nd – 23-18, 2.75 ERA, 96 K, 377.0 IP, 30 CG, 1 SHO, 5.3 K/BB, 1.21 WHIP, 6.7 WAR, 4.2 rWAR
• Howard Burns (StJ) 3rd – 21-17, 2.83 ERA, 69 K, 372.1 IP, 28 CG, 1 SHO, 5.3 K/BB, 1.24 WHIP, 7.0 WAR, 6.2 rWAR

If going by overall stat line then P.o.t.Y. could’ve been shared by Jim Creighton & Elmer Seabold, but the Excelsior men both went 21-21 and the voters aren’t going to put a .500 season on a pedestal. Enter DiStefano, whose dependability was brilliant in his own way. Knick #1 Landreth turned potential into stardom. Burns had his best season, and he just turned 27.


MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: James Burke (CF, age 33) – American B.C.; 1st career M.V.P.

• Also named A.P.B.L. Batsman of the Year
• Led A.P.B.L. in Batsman WAR by 0.8; 3rd in WPA; Named Most Valuable Player of Founders’ Cup
• A. Mascherino (2B, KNI) 2nd – .332, .799 OPS, 83 R, 133 H, 29 XBH, 76 RBI, 13 BB, 36 SB, +15.7 ZR, 2.4 WPA, 5.2 WAR
• Albert Stoffers (3B, MB) 3rd – .373, .833 OPS, 99 R, 141 H, 23 2B, 3 3B, 73 RBI, 7 BB, 2 SB, 5.4 WPA, 2.8 WAR

Burke becomes the first to win B.o.t.Y. & M.V.P. in the same year because, in addition to leading the league in eleven offensive categories, he led the league in Batsman WAR, was top-three in WPA, and was M.V.P. of the Founders’ Cup. Until August it looked like Mascherino would win, but he went cold late. Stoffers responded brilliantly to his position switch.


GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: Alfred Williams (3B, age 29) – Kings County B.B.C.

• .292/.320/.400, .720 OPS, 86 R, 125 H, 18 2B, 14 3B, 0 HR, 55 RBI, 14 BB, 14 SB, 171 TB, 3.5 WPA, 2.3 WAR
• Only Greenhorn to make A.P.B.L. All-Star Game
• Cletus Cannon (2B, StJ) 2nd – .321, .753 OPS, 102 R, 128 H, 25 XBH, 1 HR, 68 RBI, 16 BB, 53 SB, 2.7 WPA, 1.8 WAR
• Harold Durand (LF, MB) 3rd – .335, .776 OPS, 61 R, 111 H, 17 2B, 7 3B, 56 RBI, 2 BB, 4 SB, 2.3 WPA, 1.1 WAR

Williams didn’t hit .300 but he was close to the mark, and he was a good defender & decision-maker on the diamond, which put him above Cannon & Durand. Cannon was a prototype St. John’s batsman at 2B, but his defense (-15.7 ZR) was lacking. Durand was the best hitter of the three, but baserunning & defense were issues as he adjusted to professional baseball.


APBL GOLDEN GLOVES

• P: Raynard Cordell (ALL/1st) – 14 PO, 41 AST, 5 DP, 6 E, 1.32 RNG, +8.9 ZR, 1.115 EFF
• C: Raynard Steinbach (AME/2nd) – 31.8 RTO%, 2.96 C-ERA, 23 PB, 17 E, +5.8 ZR, 1.050 EFF
• 1B: Frank Bulger (SHA/5th) – 893 PO, 58 AST, 33 DP, 44 E, 11.07 RNG, +8.1 ZR, 1.091 EFF
• 2B: Clyde Hudspeth (NIA/4th) – 322 PO, 285 AST, 35 DP, 54 E, 7.10 RNG, +16.6 ZR, 1.115 EFF
• 3B: Jonathan Quarles (GOT/1st) – 115 PO, 161 AST, 6 DP, 59 E, 3.61 RNG, +12.4 ZR, 1.151 EFF
• SS: Martin Prince (AME/2nd) – 288 PO, 301 AST, 51 DP, 87 E, 6.71 RNG, +27.1 ZR, 1.177 EFF
• LF: Fred Bartholomew (KC/1st) – 148 PO, 51 AST, 32 E, 1.76 RNG, +1.0 ARM, +6.4 ZR, 1.077 EFF
• CF: Rudolph Decker (StJ/1st) – 247 PO, 7 AST, 77 E, 2.95 RNG, +0.5 ARM, +13.9 ZR, 1.108 EFF
• RF: Nelson Townsend (StJ/1st) – 152 PO, 9 AST, 61 E, 1.82 RNG, +2.3 ARM, +4.1 ZR, 1.027 EFF


APBL TEAM OF THE YEAR

MISCELLANEOUS

SEASON RECORDS

• Excelsior pitchers set a new record for Team Strikeouts with 343 (3.8 K/G).
• Elmer Seabold (Excelsior) set new records for Strikeouts with 182
• Elmer Seabold set a new record for K/9 Ratio with 4.57.
• Jim Creighton (Excelsior) set a new record for K/BB Ratio with 8.67
• Howard Burns (St. John’s) set a new record for BB/9 Ratio with 0.31.
• Simeon DiStefano (American) set a new record for RA9-WAR with 11.3.

APBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

• Average: .387 by James Burke (CF, American)
• On-Base: .415 by James Burke
• Slugging: .521 by James Burke
• OPS: .936 by James Burke
• Runs: 120 by James Burke
• Hits: 165 by James Burke
• Doubles: 23 by Albert Stoffers (3B, Mass. Bay)
• Triples: 16 by James Burke
• Extra-Base Hits: 39 by James Burke
• Home Runs: 4 by Garfield Koonce (1B, Kings Co.)
• Runs Batted In: 95 by Peter Boyce (2B, American) & Eamonn Todd (3B, St. John’s)
• Stolen Bases: 90 by James Burke
• Total Bases: 222 by James Burke
• Bases on Balls: 34 by William Busby (1B, American)
• Zone Rating: +27.1 by Martin Prince (SS, American)
• Batsman WPA: 5.8 by Konrad Jensen (LF, St. John’s)
• Batsman WAR: 6.0 by James Burke

• Wins: 29 by Simeon DiStefano (American)
• Losses: 29 by Albert Lively (Gotham)
• ERA (200+ IP): 2.54 by Jim Creighton (Excelsior) & Simeon DiStefano (American)
• Strikeouts: 182 by Elmer Seabold (Excelsior)
• Innings: 392.2 by Simeon DiStefano
• Complete Games: 32 by Jim Creighton
• Shutouts: 4 by Jim Creighton
• BB/9 (200+ IP): 0.3 by Howard Burns (St. John’s)
• K/9 (200+ IP): 4.6 by Elmer Seabold
• K/BB (200+ IP): 8.7 by Jim Creighton
• WHIP (200+ IP): 1.19 by Jim Creighton
• Pitcher WAR: 8.1 by James Goodman (Flour City)
• Pitcher rWAR: 11.3 by Simeon DiStefano

ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS

• May 4: Jim Creighton (Excelsior) bats 3/4 (2B, 2 RBI) while pitching a Shutout (5 HA, 7 K) at Orange.
• May 14: Jerald Peterson (Alleghany) has 5 Hits & 6 RBI at Mass. Bay.
• June 3: Albert Stoffers (Mass. Bay) has 6 Hits (6/6, 2B, 3 RBI) vs Flour City.
• June 8: Gotham scores 6 times in the bottom of the 9th to defeat Kings Co. 12-11.
• June 20: Excelsior wins 19-0 at Gotham. Jim Creighton pitches the Shutout (3 HA, 4 K).
• June 20: James Burke (American) has 5 Stolen Bases at Kings Co.
• June 28: Washington Kihlstedt (Mass. Bay) pitches a One-hitter vs Niagara (CG SHO, 1 BB, 6 K).
• July 19: Edward Donovan (Flour City) has 5 Stolen Bases at Shamrock.
• Aug 2: The CC wins the 6th All-Star Game 7-3. MVP: Reginald Roper (RF, NIA). HOST: American.
• Aug 4: Elmer Seabold (Excelsior) records 11 Strikeouts during a 10-inning game vs Orange.
• Aug 19: Samuel Kessler (Flour City) has 6 Hits (6/6, 2 2B, 3 RBI) at Mass. Bay.
• Aug 21: James Burke (American) finishes the season leading the A.P.B.L. in 11 offensive categories.
• Aug 21: Jim Creighton (Excelsior) fails to lead his league in Strikeouts for the first time since 1860.
• Aug 26: American (4th title) wins Founders’ Cup VI in a sweep over Niagara.

PERFORMANCES OF THE SEASON BY GAME SCORE

• #1: 104 by Albert Stoffers (3B, Mass. Bay) vs Flour City on June 3rd (6/6, 2B, 5 R, 3 RBI)
• #2: 100 by James Burke (CF, American) vs Excelsior on Aug. 10th (5/6, 2B, 4 R, 5 RBI, 2 SB)
• #3: 92 by Eamonn Todd (3B, St. John’s) at Flour City on June 11th (5/6, 2B, 3 R, 5 RBI, DEF DP)
• #4: 92 by George Kassabian (LF, American) at Orange on Aug. 12th (5/6, 2 2B, 3B, 3 R, 5 RBI, SB)
• #5: 92 by Harold Groves (2B, Shamrock) at St. John’s on Aug. 16th (5/6, 2B, 3 R, 5 RBI)
• #6: 90 by Washington Kihlstedt (P, Mass. Bay) vs Niagara on June 28th (CG SHO, 1 HA, 1 BB, 6 K)
• #7: 89 by Ernest Dugas (CF, Flour City) at Alleghany on May 20th (5/5, 3B, 3 R, 4 RBI)
• #8: 89 by John Meier (LF, Alleghany) vs St. John’s on June 4th (5/5, 3B, 3 R, 4 RBI, 7 SB)
• #9: 88 by Ashley Hearns (RF, Alleghany) vs Niagara on June 15th (4/4, 4 R, 4 RBI, SF)
• #10: 87 by Cletus Cannon (2B, St. John’s) on May 3rd vs Niagara (5/5, 2 2B, 3B, 4 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB)

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ANOTHER BATCH OF EARLY STARS RETIRES
BUCKLEY & PETERSON CALL TIME ON THEIR CAREERS, AS DO OTHER NOTABLE PLAYERS

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Oct. 1, 1876) - The baseball season has ended, autumn is in the air, the leaves are changing their colors, and that means another batch of the early stars of baseball have made the decision to hand up their cleats for good.

Englishman Taliesin Buckley joined Gotham as a 24-year-old in 1861 and had a positive impact (.337, 42 RBI, 41 SB, 2.0 WAR) before making the first of his nine N.B.B.O. or A.P.B.L. All-Star Game in 1862. He made his first Team of the Year in 1863.

After five years, three All-Star Games, and two appearances in the team of the year for Gotham, Buckley joined Niagara for the 1866 season. Buckley struggled in his first season upstate but was back in All-Star form during the second of his six years in Buffalo. He stayed with the team through the end of the inaugural season of the A.P.B.L., making five All-Star Game and the last two of his five Teams of the Year

Buckley joined Orange for the 1872 season, and he won the only championship of his career as he team’s CF in 1874. After four years in Manhattan he played one final season as the regular RF for Excelsior.

Buckley’s career:

• 16 YRS: .325, .788 OPS, 1,242 R, 1,760 R, 465 XBH, 14 HR, 912 RBI, 141 BB, 697 SB, 54.0 WPA, 48.5 WAR
• 1x A.P.B.L. Champion (1874)
• 9x All-Star (7x N.B.B.O., 2x A.P.B.L.), 5x Team N.Y.L. Team of the Year (1862-63, 67-68, 70)

Jerald Peterson was the regular 3B for Kings County during the inaugural season of the N.B.B.O. at the age of 22, which marked the beginning of a six-team, twenty-year career. Peterson would make nine All-Star Games, six Teams of the Year, and three N.B.B.O. titles. Peterson wouldn’t join the A.P.B.L. until very late in his career, but when he finally did he was a productive player even though he was in his 40’s.

The peak of Peterson’s career came during his eight years with Kings County, where he was part of their back-to-back cup-winning teams in 1860 & 1861, and he won N.Y.L. Batsman of the Year in 1860. In a move that was seen as perplexing at the time, he left Brooklyn for Sons of the Ocean in the mid-60’s, then joined Knickerbocker after two seasons in Massachusetts and immediately won his third Tucker-Wheaton Cup in 1867.

Peterson left Knickerbocker for Minuteman after the 1869 season, and he opted to stay with in Albany for a second season instead of moving to the A.P.B.L. for its inaugural season. He then played with Metropolitan for two seasons before finally entering the A.P.B.L. in 1874 by signing with Alleghany at the age of 39.

Peterson played in two Founders’ Cup with Alleghany and was their regular 1B in each of his three seasons with the team, and he remained a .300 hitter in 1876 even though he was 42 years old at the end of the season.

Peterson’s career:

• 20 YRS: .332, .797 OPS, 1,483 R, 2,172 H, 509 XBH, 19 HR, 1,231 RBI, 350 BB, 214 SB, 60.8 WPA, 50.6 WAR
• 1860 (BotY): .363/.419/.515, 70 R, 107 H, 25 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 68 RBI, 27 BB, 9 SB, 152 TB, 3.4 WPA, 3.0 WAR
• 3x N.B.B.O. Champion (1860-61, 67)
• 1x N.Y.L. Batsman of the Year (1860)
• 1x Tucker-Wheaton Cup Final M.V.P. (1860)
• 9x N.B.B.O. All-Star (1859-61, 64, 66-67, 70-71, 73), 6x N.Y.L. Team of the Year (1859-61, 67, 70, 73)

Other notable retirees:

Obelix Tsiaris – Upon joining Flour City in 1864 as a 26-year-old, Tsiaris immediately became an impact player. Two years later made both the first of his seven All-Star Games and his two N.Y.L. Teams of the Year (1866, 69). After six years with Flour City, Tsiaris joined Excelsior for the 1870 season and was a star CF for four years before joining Niagara, where he was their CF for two years before serving as a backup for their pennant-winning team this past season.

• 13 YRS: .328, .782 OPS, 996 R, 1,420 H, 314 XBH, 8 HR, 648 RBI, 174 BB, 331 SB, 39.8 WPA, 36.1 WAR
• 7x All-Star (5x N.B.B.O., 2x A.P.B.L.), 2x Team of the Year (N.Y.L.)

Hawk Peterson – A utility infielder who played for eighteen years, Peterson was an All-Star in his debut season as a 23-year-old with Merrimack in 1859. After four years there he moved to Alleghany, and after two decent years in Pittsburgh he joined Orange B.B.C., where he had his biggest successes, earning three Golden Gloves, two All-Star Game nominations, one Team of the Year nod, and the 1868 championship during his seven seasons there. After leaving Orange, he spent three seasons with Flour City before splitting his last two with Mass. Bay & St. John’s

• 18 YRS: .327, .794 OPS, 1,169 R, 1,759 H, 403 XBH, 21 HR, 914 RBI, 242 BB, 199 SB, 45.7 WPA, 39.2 WAR
• 1x N.B.B.O. Champion (1868), 1859 N.E.L. Greenhorn of the year
• 3x N.Y.L. Golden Glove (1865-66, 68), 3x N.B.B.O. All-Star (1859, 65-66), 2x Team of the Year (1x N.Y.L., 1x N.E.L.)

Tarmo Kuopio – The Finnish 1B joined St. John’s for the 1868 season, and in the three seasons before the league split he had three of the four highest RBI totals in N.B.B.O. history to that point. He was 6th in RBI in the A.P.B.L.’s inaugural season. After Kuopio’s run production dropped by a third in 1872, he left for Excelsior and spent one year as their 1B before spending three more years as a backup with Excelsior & Flour City before retiring at age 36.

• 9 YRS: .335, .774 OPS, 482 R, 772 H, 150 XBH, 1 HR, 519 RBI, 59 BB, 73 SB, 16.5 WPA, 16.8 WAR
2x Champion (1x N.B.B.O., 1x A.P.B.L.), 3x N.B.B.O. leader in RBI (1868-70)

James Hoyt – Debuted with Flour City in 1860 as a 25-year-old, and three years later won N.Y.L. Batsman of the year when the N.B.B.O. was the top level of the sport. He left Flour City to join Knickerbocker for the 1864 season, and was part of their famous 1865 team that went 57-13 that set the record for fewest Runs Allowed per game that still stands. He then joined Kings Co. in 1867, but spent only three years there before joining Minuteman instead of staying with K.C. and hoping to stick with them through the league split. He then played for Mutual, N.Y.A.C., & Hilltop over the final five seasons of his seventeen-year career, all of which were spent in the N.B.B.O.

• 17 YRS: .328, .794 OPS, 1,096 R, 1,638 H, 415 XBH, 4 HR, 706 RBI, 199 BB, 153 SB, 41.2 WPA, 34.1 WAR
• 1863 (BotY): .395, 979 OPS, 91 R, 131 H, 22 2B, 14 3B, 1 HR, 61 RBI, 16 BB, 18 SB, 184 TB, 6.0 WPA, 3.5 WAR
• 1x N.B.B.O. Champion (1865), 1x N.Y.L. Batsman of the Year (1863)
• 4x N.B.B.O. All-Star (1863, 65, 68-69), 1x N.Y.L. Team of the Year (1863)

Enda Reed – Spent fifteen years in the N.B.B.O. with Shamrock (1862-63), Merrimack (64-67), & Portland (68-76) as a 1B/3B. Reed won his only N.B.B.O. title during his Greenhorn season with Shamrock, but he had his most success in Maine, where during his nine years with Portland he went to the playoffs four times, the final of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup twice, earned three All-Star Game appearances, and won N.E.L. Most Valuable Player in 1872. Reed was a rare player in that his best seasons occurred after he turned 35.

• 15 YRS: .349, .846 OPS, 883 R, 1,443 H, 350 XBH, 11 HR, 801 RBI, 243 BB, 126 SB, 43.2 WPA, 35.4 WAR
• 1872 (MVP): .394, .934 OPS, 71 R, 117 H, 24 2B, 6 3B, 0 HR, 60 RBI, 14 BB, 2 SB, 4.6 WPA, 3.8 WAR
• 1x N.B.B.O. Champion (1862), 1x N.E.L. Most Valuable Player (1872)
• 6x N.B.B.O. All-Star (63, 65-66, 71, 73-74), 2x Golden Glove (1863, 73), 1x N.E.L. Team of the Year (1872)

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EVANS IS MADE AVAILABLE & THE CHASE IS ON
FRANKFORD CF WILL BE MOST SOUGHT-AFTER PLAYER IN APBL HISTORY; OTHER STARS ON MARKET

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Oct. 24, 1876) - Via telegram, it was made official this afternoon: Frankford Arsenal CF Joseph Evans has been made available for purchase by teams in other leagues. While technically an organization in the N.B.B.O. could come in with an offer, it’s expected that all twelve A.P.B.L. teams, even the ones with excellent outfields like American & St. John’s, will be offering superstar-level contracts to the 24-year-old.

Evans’ dominance in the P.C.B.L. starting at the age of 20 has already become the stuff of legend, even though it came over just four seasons, but just how good was he to earn such superlative praise for the level he was playing at?

1x P.C.B.L. Champion (1876), 3x Runner-up (1873-75)
4x P.C.B.L. Batsman of the Year (1873-76), 1x Most Valuable Player (1876), 6x Batsman of the Month
2x P.C.B.L. Batting Champion (1873, 75)
4x P.C.B.L. leader in Slugging %, OPS, OPS+, & Total Bases
3x P.C.B.L. leader in Batsman WAR (1873, 75-76)
PLAYOFFS (17 G): .432, .960 OPS, 20 R, 35 H, 2 2B, 2 3B, 21 RBI, 4 BB, 11 SB, 1.6 WPA, 1.3 WAR

It should be noted that the P.C.B.L. has a lower talent level than the N.B.B.O., but how do scouts and members of the Writers Pool grade Evans on the default 1-10 scale, compared to the level of play in the A.P.B.L.?

Long story short, Evans is widely believed to be one of the most talented players in the sport, and he’s been tipped to immediately become one of the most productive batsmen in the A.P.B.L., wherever he signs. Evans & Frankford hope to be able to finalize his transfer to the A.P.B.L. during the Executive Committee meetings in two and a half weeks. Frankford is expected to be the recipient of a transfer fee that breaks the previous record by a significant amount.

With Evans already having built such a star-studded reputation in such a short amount of time, many might not realize that there is another P.C.B.L. star who will be on the move this winter.

Due to the presence of numerous talented players at the position among the P.C.B.L.’s best teams, Queen Village 2B Herman Stanley has been a relatively unheralded player. Even though the 25-year-old has been stuck on teams that have finished under .500 in each of the league’s four seasons, Stanley is regarded as the league’s best overall 2B. He’s only been in the P.C.B.L. Team of the Year once, but 2B is the deepest position in the league.


During his four seasons in the A.P.B.L., Stanley hit .342 (.818 OPS) Stanley has been rated as a four-star talent relative to the A.P.B.L., higher than any other middle infielder in the league:

On paper, Stanley would be an upgrade at 2B for about half the teams in the A.P.B.L., with his most logical destinations being Excelsior and Kings County, the two weakest teams at the position in the league.

There is one other major player available for transfer, this one from the N.B.B.O.

After seven years with Port Jersey, George Burroughs has been made available. Burroughs, the 1875 N.E.L. Pitching Triple Crown winner, didn’t have as spectacular of a season in 1876, but he still set N.E.L. records for Strikeouts (158) and Pitching WAR (10.7). He has been rated at 4.5 stars relative to the A.P.B.L., which would make him a #1 pitcher on most of the teams in the league. It’s believed the team that signs Burroughs will need to give Port Jersey around $2,500 for the signature of the man unanimously regarded as the most gifted pitcher outside of the A.P.B.L.

There is one other pitcher in the N.B.B.O. rated 4.5 stars relative to the A.P.B.L.'s level of play: N.Y.A.C.'s Charles Rhodes. However, he already makes well over $1,000 per season playing in New York City ($1,060), making him more handsomely paid than numerous A.P.B.L. pitchers and thus perfectly happy to stay in the country's #2 competition. By comparison, Burroughs made about 1/3 of what Rhodes did this past season while playing in New Jersey ($360).

So, the chase is on for the signature of Joseph Evans, easily the brightest talent that has existed outside of the A.P.B.L. since its inception in 1871. There will almost certainly be an epic battle for his signature, with the winning team gaining the services of the most naturally-gifted young batsman in the sport. Still, there are two very good consolation prized available on the market for those who lose out.

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EVANS TO ST. JOHN’S FOR $5,000, JENSEN TO 1B
PURCHASE DOUBLES RECORD AS THE HYRDA IS RECONFIGURED; OTHER STARS PURCHASED

NEW YORK CITY (Dec. 30, 1876) - It was hoped by all camps involved that the bidding war for the services of P.C.B.L. superstar Joseph Evans, one of the ten most talented players in the sport, would be resolved during the sport’s Autumn Meetings. That plan didn’t come to pass, but one A.P.B.L. team did win the services of Evans, with a record-shattering price involved in prizing him away from Frankford Arsenal.

Every team was involved in the bidding war for the man ranked the #4 batsman in the sport by the Writers Pool except Gotham, who was hit with an unexpected shortfall due to their disastrous 1876 and didn’t have the cash on hand to pay a fee for any of the available players on the Interleague Transfer Market.

So, what did the race for Evans’ services look like?

• Alleghany had holes in their outfield but the biggest was at CF, where Robert Golden hit .240, Still Evans would be a two-star upgrade over RF Ashley Hearns. At the same time, they had the least money available of any team in the mix.

• American, of course, had five-star talents in CF & RF – James Burke & Franklin Petty – but LF George Kassabian had a five-star bat with a two-star glove. Still, C & 3B were positions where they could more efficiently upgrade.

• Excelsior definitely needed offensive help, and Evans would be a clear upgrade at RF. However, with a pitching duo of Creighton & Seabold they needed to be their strongest across the infield, and their 2B/SS combo had a combined WAR of -0.1 in 1876. Those two positions needed upgrading first.

• Flour City was the most logical place for Evans, as departures left them with two-star batsmen as their projected LF & RF. However, of the teams vying for Evans’ services only Alleghany had less budget room.

• As mentioned, Gotham only had about $600 available, so any player in the I.T.M. was off-limits to them.

• Kings County spent 1876 with a 2.5-star player, George Miller, as their RF. At the same time, the improving team also had to be mindful of issues at 2B & CF.

• Knickerbocker had more money available than any other team, so they were the natural front-runners. However, club executives preferred their Outfielders to be outstanding defenders first, which Evans would only be a LF. Coincidentally, LF was an issue since Charles Washer left after the end of the season.

• Massachusetts Bay had plenty of money, but their only issue in the outfield was at CF due to the presence of excellent Greenhorn LF Harold Durand and 3x All-Star RF Henry Gaul.

• Niagara had the funds thanks to their unlikely run to the Founders’ Cup. Their LF in 1876 was 2.5-Star Giacomo Branca, so Evans would be a natural fit.

• Orange had a 2x A.P.B.L. All-Star at RF, William Valentine, and a 1x All-Star at LF, Earl Crosby. Their biggest issue was legendary C Everett Schriber, whose Average fell by 73 points & OPS by 166 from 1875 to ’76.

• Shamrock was definitely in the mix, but even though they needed at LF – projected LF Lewis Zeeryp was 2.5 stars – their park was TERRIBLE for righties (AVG RHB: .856) and SS was a bigger need after Rhys Falconer set a league record with -2.2 WAR in 1876.

• St. John’s had almost as much money as Knickerbocker, and while their outfield looked great on paper it was known that Konrad Jensen, who would be 38 on Opening Day, was going to move to 1B (RNG: 82, ERR: 184, ARM: 123, DP: 139) after losing range at LF, 1B Hawk Peterson had -0.2 WAR in 1876, and they missed out on Cormack Alexander.

The first major event happened when a number of teams entered the bidding for George Burroughs. The Port Jersey man became the second Pitcher in N.B.B.O. history to win a Triple Crown in 1875, and in 1876 he set N.E.L. records for Strikeouts and WAR. Burroughs, rated the #6 Pitcher in baseball, went to Shamrock for $2,500 – at the time a new record Transfer Fee – on November 16th and signed for a salary of $1,900. Shamrock then spent roughly another $2,000 between fee & salary to purchase SS Robert Jessup from Empire on December 6th.

The second major event was the sale of Queen Village 2B Herman Stanley. Even though 2B is the deepest position in the A.P.B.L. there were a number of teams active in the bidding for his services, and in the end Kings County won out on November 20th with a fee of $2,100 and a starting salary of $1,450.

As anticipated, Excelsior put their focus & money into making major upgrades to their infield, signing 3.5-star 2B Sam Jackson at the start of the Autumn Meetings and four-star SS J.B. Chessman on the final day of the Winter Meetings.

With the sums of money thrown around in the first two big-money transfers of the winter, Shamrock & Kings County were out of the running. Also, Excelsior made it clear their focus was elsewhere. Then the last major move happened as Knickerbocker signed 6x All-Star Clive Strachan away from archrivals Gotham on December 28th for $2,000 per year, closing the only hole in their outfield and taking the team with the most money out of the running.

The remaining team with the deepest pockets was St. John’s, and it was the 6x champions from Providence who made the signing official on December 30th with a late Christmas present for the people of Rhode Island: Evans had been purchased from Frankford Arsenal for a fee of $5,000, doubling the record established by Burroughs’ transfer in November, and he would be paid a whopping $3,300 per year for St. John’s, making him the third-richest man in the league behind Jim Creighton & Anthony Mascherino.

The signing meant that Konrad Jensen, who originally had the range to play 2B when he joined St. John’s as a teenager, would move to 1B, Evans would take over LF, and the Hydra of St. John’s would enter Year 18 with a new configuration.

St. John’s went from under .500 for the first time ever to one game from the Founders’ Cup in 1876, and based on what they had just done it looked like St. John’s would improve from one game out of first place in 1876 to prohibitive Colonial Conference favorites in 1877.

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CHANGES TO GROUND & PLAYING RULES FOR 1877
HOME PLATE MOVED SLIGHTLY; NEW BASE STANDARDS; CLARIFICATION ON BATTED BALLS

NEW YORK CITY (Mar. 13, 1877) - The Spring Meeting of the Executive Committee is took place this week, and while there were no major items on the agenda there were some slight tweaks made to both the field of play and the rules of play.

First up: the field of play. For the last four years Home Plate has been placed in the middle of the Batter’s Box, with the foul lines intersecting at the midpoint of the base. That led to occasional confusion as to whether a ball was in fair or foul territory if it was hit directly off home plate. A solution to that issue has been reached.

The positions of the other bases have been moved slightly so that now the lines intersect at the back corner of Home Plate, meaning that the starting base will be entirely in fair territory starting with the upcoming season.

Above image taken from here.

The aim of this change is to eliminate any confusion about whether or not a ball hit off the plate is fair or foul, and an added benefit is that it will be easier to mark the field since the lines from First Base & Third Base no longer have to meet an unmarked intersection point, with the lines now running along the back two sides of Home Plate until they intersect at the back corner.

This change has another benefit in that no physical changes to the field are needed.

In accordance with the above change, it has been officially mandated that all four bases in every park that hosts A.P.B.L. N.B.B.O., & P.C.B.L. games must be a square 15”x15” and made of canvas in order to create a uniform standard.

Next up: the rules of play. Until now, a player running between the bases was considered part of the field of play, similar to an umpire, and thus play continued on as normal when a batted ball hit a batsman who was between bases. This led to a problem: men who didn’t care so much for honesty or sportsmanship would stop if they thought they were in the path of a lightly batted ball so it would hit them and bounce, away from the fielders, and guarantee a Single.

Not anymore – starting with the 1877 season any runner between bases struck by a batted ball before the infield has the opportunity to field it will be declared to have interfered with the live play and will be called out, with the man who hit the ball being awarded a Single. If the ball passed any infielder who had the chance to play it and then it hit the runner, then live play will continue on.

The above will put an end to any baserunning shenanigans involved batted balls, although there may still be the occasional situation where a slow runner could purposefully interfere with a batted ball that looks like a sure out in order to allow a much faster teammate to reach First Base. Still, it will result in an out being recorded.

In the end, the Executive Committee didn’t make and revolutionary changes for the upcoming season, but they are needed changes that will remove elements of confusion from the sport going forward.