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

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1881 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION REVIEW

NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION STANDINGS








PER-TEAM STATISTICS

1881 NYL: 7.3 R/G, .286, .704 OPS, 781 H, 143 2B, 48 3B, 10 HR, 101 SB, 3.57 ERA, 119 BB, 158 K, 5.5 E/G, .875 FLD%
1880 NYL: 6.8 R/G, .281, .686 OPS, 758 H, 135 2B, 43 3B, 9 HR, 87 SB, 3.29 ERA, 107 BB, 185 K, 5.4 E/G, .880 FLD%

1881 NEL: 7.3 R/G, .283, .697 OPS, 773 H, 145 2B, 46 3B, 9 HR, 98 SB, 3.43 ERA, 123 BB, 143 K, 5.7 E/G, .873 FLD%
1880 NEL: 7.1 R/G, .283, .696 OPS, 758 H, 141 2B, 45 3B, 10 HR, 80 SB, 3.44 ERA, 113 BB, 160 K, 5.4 E/G, .880 FLD%

ADAMS CUP I

N.Y.L. SEMIFINALS: Atlantic defeats Metropolitan 3-2
N.E.L. SEMIFINALS: Quinnipiac defeats Susquehanna 3-2

N.Y.L. CHAMPIONSHIP: Frontier defeats Atlantic 3-0
N.E.L. CHAMPIONSHIP: National defeats Quinnipiac 3-2

ADAMS CUP FINAL: National (1st title) defeats Frontier 3-1

GAME 1: NAT 15-6 FRO – 2B Chester Dudek (NAT): 5/6 (all 1B), 2 R, 1 RBI, SB; DP
GAME 2: NAT 12-2 FRO – 3B James Kinney (NAT): 3/5 (2B), 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, SB, 4 TB
GAME 3: FRO 7-4 NAT – 2B Bertram Wagner (FRO): 2/4 (2B, 3B), 1 R, 2 RBI, SAC BUNT 5 TB – 2 DP
GAME 4: FRO 4-6 NAT – 3B James Kinney (NAT): 3/4 (2B), 1 R, 4 RBI, 4 TB

CUP M.V.P.: 3B James Kinney (NAT): .422 (19/45), 10 R, 6 2B, 1 3B, 15 RBI, 3 BB, 2 SB, 27 TB, 2x PotG


National was the team of destiny this year. The N.B.B.O.’s #1 team during the season, when faced with Frontier and their 26-9 home record after being Quinnipiac in the N.E.L.C.S. National hammered the home favorites in both of the opening two games of the Adams Cup Final, and then they went on to become the first team to lift the new trophy.

That National won their first ever title was befitting an N.E.L. that had some previously struggling teams establish themselves in 1881. Granite had their first over-500 campaign in ten years, Maryland B.C. had the best season in club history, Quinnipiac took the New England pennant for the first time before upsetting Susquehanna in the N.E.L. Semifinals, and Squirrel Hill finished runner-up for the Inland title in just their fourth season in the N.B.B.O.

There was also change afoot in the N.Y.L. Small club Frontier was crowned N.Y.L. champions for the first time. Thanks to a one-game playoff Metropolitan made the postseason after a five-year wait. While Atlantic took the Brooklyn pennant once again, runner-up Continental ended up just two games back after finishing 1880 in 6th. After 24 seasons of trying, Hilltop had the first 40-win season in club history, and also in N.Y.C. Mutual had their best season since 1872.

There was one major oddity in the N.Y.L. standings. Minuteman had the league’s best Run Differential by nearly 50 Runs at +171, but with a 43-27 record they finished the season three games out of 1st in Upstate New York. In the N.E.L. Pioneer managed to finish 41-29 with a -50 Run Differential, one that suggested a 32-38 record would have been fairer. That nine-win difference between actual W-L mark and expected W-L figure was the largest in N.B.B.O. history. Also, in New England, Salem finished tied for last place with a positive Run Differential (+48), an N.B.B.O. first.

Individually, the season was dominated by two Pitchers: Charles Rhodes in the N.Y.L. and Ben Lauppe in the N.E.L. Both men led their leagues in more than a dozen statistical categories, and in the case of Rhodes that meant two other Pitchers with 28 Wins and ERA’s near or below 3.00 knew they had no chance of taking Pitcher of the Year. That’s not to say there weren’t dominant Batsmen, as Francis Smith & James Burke led their leagues in a number of offensive statistics while being the only one in each to finish with an OPS over 1.000. There was also Continental 3B William Denham, who put up a Batsman WAR not seen in the New York League since before the league split in 1870-71.

There was one Greenhorn whose brilliance was far brighter than anyone else’s: John Porretta of Susquehanna, who put together a season that would have earned either B.o.t.Y. or the old M.V.P. award in years past if it wasn’t for the presence of James Burke in the N.E.L. Still, Frontier C William Burke shouldn’t be overlooked, for he was the top Batsman on the best team in the N.Y.L. and as a result he earned a place in the Team of the Year.

As always, autumn and the upcoming winter will bring change, and it will be interesting to see if that means there will be more upheaval or if members of the old guard will return to their places at the front of the pecking order in 1882.

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NEW YORK LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Francis Smith (CF, age 36) – Metropolitan B.B.C.; 3x winner (3rd in four years)

• .382/.404/.618, 1.022 OPS, 104 R, 130 H, 30 2B, 22 3B, 2 HR, 67 RBI, 12 BB, 38 SB, 210 TB, 7.1 WPA, 5.4 WAR
• Set N.B.B.O. record for Total Bases; Led N.Y.L. in SLG, OPS, R, H, XBH, 3B, RC, & WPA
• William Denham (3B, CON) 2nd – .358, .925 OPS, 68 R, 106 H, 32 XBH, 3 HR, 70 RBI, 20 BB, 12 SB, 5.8 WPA, 5.5 WAR
• Jonathan Toppin (2B, MUT) 3rd – .393, .962 OPS, 73 R, 121 H, 25 2B, 10 3B, 67 RBI, 16 BB, 33 SB, 4.7 WPA, 3.6 WAR

In earning his third B.o.t.Y. in four years, Francis Smith had the best season of his incredible fifteen-year career at the age of 36. He was so great that he overshadowed Denham, who had the most WAR by the N.Y.L. leader since the legendary Edward Huntley in 1869 (6.5). Denham’s amazing season meant N.Y.L. Batting Champion Toppin finished 3rd.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Charles Rhodes (age 31); New York Athletic Club; 7x winner (6th straight)

• 27-11, 1.89 ERA, 377.0 IP, 32 CG, 1 SHO, 197 K, 4.7 K/9, 8.2 K/BB, 9.1 H/9, 1.07 WHIP, 12.9 WAR, 12.6 rWAR
• Set record for Pitcher WAR; Led N.Y.L. in ERA, IP, QS, K, BB/9, K/9, K/BB, O-AVG/OBP/OPS, WHIP, & rWAR
• Francis Molinari (MIN) 2nd – 28-11, 3.03 ERA, 356.0 IP, 33 CG, 1 SHO, 174 K, 4.2 K/BB, 1.17 WHIP, 9.0 WAR, 10.5 rWAR
• Edward Pelham (FRO) 3rd – 28-9, 2.49 ERA, 343.1 IP, 25 CG, 1 SHO, 68 K, 2.5 K/BB, 1.25 WHIP, 6.8 WAR, 6.8 rWAR

Another indescribable season for Rhodes. He led the N.Y.L. in thirteen Pitching categories, and his July (11-4, 1.53 ERA, 73 K, 5.1 WAR) was the best individual month in the history of the N.B.B.O. His competition for P.o.t.Y. was the toughest yet, with both Molinari & Pelham having seasons that would have won P.o.t.Y. in many other years.

FIELDER OF THE YEAR: William Denham (3B, age 31) – Continental B.B.C.

• 3B: 313 TC, 69 PO, 189 AST, 10 DP, 55 E, .824 FLD%, 3.84 RNG, 1.249 EFF, +22.5 ZR, +23.3 FldRV
• .358/.402/.524, .925 OPS, 68 R, 106 H, 18 2B, 11 3B, 3 HR, 70 RBI, 20 BB, 12 SB, 5.8 WPA, 5.5 WAR
• Frank Morrison (MET) 2nd – SS: 99 PO, 266 AST, 41 DP, .831 FLD%, 5.46 RNG, 1.206 EFF, +27.0 ZR, 3.7 WAR
• Jules Thomas (MIN) 3rd – SS: 111 PO, 221 AST, 27 DP, .838 FLD%, 4.89 RNG, 1.207 EFF, +23.0 ZR, 3.6 WAR

Denham finished the season with a Batsman WAR not seen in New York since the '60s because he was the slickest-fielding 3B in N.Y.L. history in addition to being one of the league’s best Batsmen. That placed him above the league’s two best fielders at Shortstop, Morrison & Thomas.

GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: William Butcher (C, age 28) – Frontier B.B.C.

• .362/.398/.470, .868 OPS, 64 R, 104 H, 24 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 68 RBI, 20 BB, 1 SB, 135 TB, 3.1 WPA, 3.3 WAR
• Made All-Star Game; C in N.Y.L. Team of the Year; Top Batsman for N.Y.L. champions
• William Webb (CF, VIC) 2nd – .331, .806 OPS, 84 R, 107 H, 13 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 56 RBI, 28 SB, 3.6 WPA, 3.4 WAR
• George Decker (P, UTI) 3rd – 21-17, 3.26 ERA, 317.1 IP, 21 CG, 101 K, 1.2 K/BB, 1.52 WHIP, 4.9 WAR, 4.2 rWAR

Butcher was the best Batsman for the first Frontier team to take the N.Y.L. pennant, and for that he wins G.o.t.Y. He was also the only N.Y.L. Greenhorn to be named to the Team of the Year. Webb had an excellent season that fell just short of an All-Star Game appearance. Decker pitched well for a Utica team that had some of the poorest fielding in the N.Y.L.

GOLDEN HANDS NOMINEES

• P: Thomas Onstad (ATL; 1st) – 30 PO, 54 AST, 5 E, .944 FLD%, 2.30 RNG, 1.178 EFF, +5.8 ZR
• C: Mark Lehmann (MET; 3rd) – 15 E, .943 FLD%, 25 PB, +6.2 ZR, 35.4 CS%, 3.16 C-ERA
• 1B: Andrew Cohen (UTI; 1st) – 44 DP, 32 E, .959 FLD%, 1.113 EFF, +7.7 ZR
• 2B: Melvin Greenawalt (NYAC; 4th) – 122 PO, 209 AST, 41 DP, 35 E, .904 FLD%, 5.24 RNG, 1.213 EFF, +17.8 ZR
• 3B: William Denham (CON; 2nd) – 69 PO, 189 AST, 10 DP, 55 E, .824 FLD%, 3.84 RNG, 1.249 EFF, +22.5 ZR
• SS: Frank Morrison (MET; 2nd) – 99 PR, 266 AST, 41 DP, 74 E, .831 FLD%, 5.46 RNG, 1.206 EFF, +27.0 ZR
• LF: Franklin Baum (MUT; 1st) – 10 AST, 2 DP, 21 E, .896 FLD%, 1.075 EFF, +9.3 ZR/ARM
• CF: George Whaley (FRO; 3rd) – 11 AST, 1 DP, 22 E, .918 FLD%, 1.048 EFF, +5.3 ZR/ARM
• RF: Robert Golden (SYR; 1st) – 10 AST, 0 DP, 12 E, .946 FLD%, 1.066 EFF, +5.2 ZR/ARM

TEAM OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

• P: Charles Rhodes (NYAC, age 32; 5th)
27-11, 1.89 ERA, 377.0 IP, 32 CG, 1 SHO, 197 K, 4.7 K/9, 8.2 K/BB, 1.07 WHIP, 12.9 WAR, 12.6 rWAR
• C: William Butcher (FRO, age 28; GH)
.362, .868 OPS, 64 R, 104 H, 24 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 68 RBI, 20 BB, 1 SB, 3.1 WPA, 3.3 WAR
• 1B: Ezechiele Cornaro (MET, age 34; 1st)
.376, .972 OPS, 78 R, 117 H, 31 2B, 11 3B, 1 HR, 59 RBI, 22 BB, 6 SB, 5.4 WPA, 3.7 WAR
• 2B: Jonathan Toppin (MUT, age 33; 1st)
.393, .423 OBP, .962 OPS, 73 R, 121 H, 25 2B, 10 3B, 0 HR, 67 RBI, 16 BB, 33 SB, 4.7 WPA, 3.6 WAR
• 3B: William Denham (CON, age 31; 2nd)
.358, .925 OPS, 68 R, 106 H, 18 2B, 11 3B, 3 HR, 70 RBI, 20 BB, 12 SB, +22.5 ZR, 5.8 WPA, 5.5 WAR
• SS: Ben Gagliardi (ATL, age 34; 3rd)
.336, .859 OPS, 60 R, 83 H, 21 2B, 8 3B, 0 HR, 51 RBI, 14 BB, 46 SB, +16.6 ZR, 3.7 WPA, 3.8 WAR (58 G)
• OF: Francis Smith (MET, age 36; 7th)
.382, .618 SLG, 1.022 OPS, 104 R, 130 H, 30 2B, 22 3B, 2 HR, 67 RBI, 38 SB, 210 TB, 7.1 WPA, 5.4 WAR
• OF: Jack Anastasio (NYAC, age 28; 2nd)
.322, .880 OPS, 92 R, 102 H, 27 2B, 15 3B, 0 HR, 46 RBI, 28 BB, 69 SB, 5.5 WPA, 3.3 WAR
• OF: Herb Verrett (ATL, age 37; 5th)
.361, .893 OPS, 70 R, 103 H, 23 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 62 RBI, 12 BB, 10 SB, 3.5 WPA, 2.9 WAR

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: James Burke (CF, age 38) – Philadelphia B.C.C.; 7x winner (5 in A.P.B.L.; repeat winner)

• .381/.442/.595, 1.037 OPS, 91 R, 114 H, 24 2B, 17 3B, 2 HR, 71 RBI, 35 BB, 58 SB, 178 TB, 4.7 WPA, 4.7 WAR
• Led N.E.L. in AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, BB, SB, RC, & WAR; 7th B.o.t.Y. in 9 years between A.P.B.L. & N.B.B.O.
• John Porretta (2B, SUS) 2nd – Northeastern League Greenhorn of the Year
• Jesse Craig (1B, SotO) 3rd – .346, .877 OPS, 70 R, 103 H, 31 2B, 5 3B, 65 RBI, 25 BB, 1 SB, 4.7 WPA, 3.5 WAR

Burke didn’t lead the N.E.L. in nine offensive categories again this season, only eight this time. His On Base, Slugging, & OPS were actually higher than they were last year, so he’s not showing any signs of slowing down. That meant Porretta, whose performance would have earned him a B.o.t.Y. & G.o.t.Y. double in many other years, had to settle for runner-up. Craig, the 1876 B.o.t.Y., had another excellent season for Sons of the Ocean.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Ben Lauppe (age 29) – National B.C.

• 28-13, 2.31 ERA, 355.0 IP, 30 CG, 1 SHO, 171 K, 4.3 K/9, 3.9 K/BB, 9.0 H/9, 1.12 WHIP, 9.0 WAR, 10.3 rWAR
• Won Triple Crown; Led N.E.L. in W, ERA, K, IP, CG, QS, O-AVG/SLG/OPS, K/9, H/9, WHIP, WAR, rWAR
• James Dressman (LBR) 2nd – 25-14, 2.60 ERA, 335.1 IP, 26 CG, 3 SHO, 118 K, 2.4 K/BB, 1.26 WHIP, 6.9 WAR, 6.3 rWAR
• William Burrow (NAT) 3rd – 26-13, 2.57 ERA, 336.0 IP, 27 CG, 1 SHO, 65 K, 3.4 K/BB, 1.18 WHIP, 6.0 WAR, 6.0 rWAR

Lauppe was even more dominant relative to the competition than Charles Rhodes was in the N.Y.L., leading the N.E.L. in FOURTEEN statistical categories and winning the Pitching Triple Crown, if limiting ERA Title contenders to 175+ innings instead of one inning per game (70+ IP). Dressman & Burrow had fine seasons, but Lauppe beat them by a country mile.

FIELDER OF THE YEAR: William Cruise (SS, age 30) – Portland B.C.

• SS: 349 TC, 97 PO, 212 AST, 32 DP, 40 E, .885 FLD%, 4.45 RNG, 1.296 EFF, +26.0 ZR, +29.3 FldRV
• .325/.366/.423, .789 OPS, 75 R, 103 H, 15 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 44 RBI, 22 BB, 12 SB, 2.9 WPA, 4.6 WAR
• Earl Seals (TU) 2nd – SS: 87 PO, 251 AST, 31 DP, 61 E, .847 FLD%, 4.98 RNG, 1.228 EFF, +26.7 ZR, 4.1 WAR
• John Harmon (BH) 3rd – SS: 96 PO, 257 AST, 33 DP, 64 E, .847 FLD%, 5.20 RNG, 1.206 EFF, +26.1 ZR, 3.4 WAR

Portland had a down year but Cruise certainly didn’t, as he enjoyed the best season of his career with the bat while winning his 6th Golden Hands award at Shortstop. Seals & Harmon gifted their teams another year of defensive wizardry, and over his eleven years in the N.B.B.O. Seals’ cumulative Zone Rating is now +265.4 (+24.1/YR).

GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: John Porretta (2B, age 24) – Susquehanna B.C.

• .356/.402/.562, .965 OPS, 97 R, 114 H, 23 2B, 20 3B, 1 HR, 91 RBI, 20 BB, 38 SB, 180 TB, 5.9 WPA, 4.5 WAR
• Made All-Star Game; N.E.L. Team of the Year at 2B; Runner-up for N.E.L. Batsman of the Year
• Lamberto Porcatello (C, QUI) 2nd – .340, .807 OPS, 41 R, 89 H, 20 XBH, 1 HR, 57 RBI, 13 BB, 2.77 C-ERA, 3.0 WPA, 1.9 WAR
• Jerald Campbell (P, GRA) 3rd – 20-15, 3.74 ERA, 315.1 IP, 15 CG, 1 SHO, 41 K, 0.9 K/BB, 1.55 WHIP, 5.1 WAR, 0.6 rWAR

A Greenhorn season like the one Porretta just had might mean it’ll be the 24-year-old’s only one in the N.B.B.O. He was brilliant in every aspect of the game except fielding, and in that regard he was still above average. In past years he likely would have earned either B.o.t.Y. or M.V.P. for his efforts. Porcatello & Campbell were good, but far…FAR behind.

GOLDEN HANDS NOMINEES

• P: Fred Cowan (PIO; 2nd) – 38 PO, 61 AST, 12 E, .892 FLD%, 1.104 EFF, +8.6 ZR
• C: Charley Craig (NAT; 1st) – 14 E, .956 FLD%, 27 PB, +6.1 ZR, 42.6 CS%, 2.70 C-ERA
• 1B: Jesse Craig (Soto; 2nd) – 40 DP, 27 E, .966 FLD%, 1.065 EFF, +4.4 ZR
• 2B: Lennon Haley (LBR; 3rd) – 145 PO, 231 AST, 35 DP, 44 E, .895 FLD%, 5.58 RNG, 1.178 EFF, +18.6 ZR
• 3B: Arwin Rijneveld (CAN; 1st) – 52 PO, 199 AST, 15 DP, 82 E, .828 FLD%, 3.70 RNG, 1.224 EFF, +19.7 ZR
• SS: William Cruise (PORT; 6th) – 97 PO, 212 AST, 32 DP, 40 E, .885 FLD%, 4.45 RNG, 1.296 EFF, +26.0 ZR
• LF: Henry Pittman (NAT; 1st) – 2 AST, 0 DP, 10 E, .935 FLD%, 1.081 EFF, +6.7 ZR/ARM
• CF: John Schultz (SUS; 2nd) – 15 AST, 5 DP, 17 E, .950 FLD%, 1.061 EFF, +10.4 ZR/ARM
• RF: Livingston Hollingsworth (OCE; 2nd) – 16 AST, 1 DP, 15 E, .938 FLD%, 1.064 EFF, +6.2 ZR/ARM

TEAM OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

• P: Ben Lauppe (NAT, age 29; 1st)
28-13, 2.31 ERA, 355.0 IP, 30 CG, 1 SHO, 171 K, 4.3 K/9, 3.9 K/BB, 9.0 H/9, 1.12 WHIP, 9.0 WAR, 10.3 rWAR
• C: Bertrand Bosley (GM, age 34; 5th)
.299, .823 OPS, 53 R, 73 H, 20 2B, 9 3B, 1 HR, 69 RBI, 24 BB, 0 SB, 5.1 WPA, 2.6 WAR
• 1B: Jesse Craig (SotO, age 33; 3rd)
.346, .877 OPS, 70 R, 103 H, 21 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 65 RBI, 25 BB, 1 SB, 4.7 WPA, 3.5 WAR
• 2B: John Porretta (SUS, age 24; GH)
.356, .965 OPS, 97 R, 114 H, 23 2B, 20 3B, 1 HR, 91 RBI, 20 BB, 38 SB, 180 TB, 5.9 WPA, 4.5 WAR
• 3B: James Kinney (NAT, age 32; 3rd)
.338, .873 OPS, 88 R, 110 H, 26 2B, 15 3B, 0 HR, 47 RBI, 12 BB, 6 SB, 3.5 WPA, 3.6 WAR
• SS: William Cruise (PORT, age 30; 1st)
.325, .789 OPS, 75 R, 103 H, 15 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 44 RBI, 22 BB, 12 SB, +26.0 ZR, 2.9 WPA, 4.6 WAR
• OF: James Burke (PBCC, age 38; 11th)
.381/.442/.595, 1.038 OPS, 91 R, 114 H, 24 2B, 17 3B, 2 HR, 71 RBI, 35 BB, 58 SB, 4.7 WPA, 4.7 WAR
• OF: John Schultz (SUS, age 34; 6th)
.326, .822 OPS, 96 R, 115 H, 23 2B, 14 3B, 1 HR, 62 RBI, 7 BB, 42 SB, +10.4 ZR/ARM, 5.3 WPA, 3.5 WAR
• OF: Francis Edwards (QUI, age 23; 1st)
.364, .945 OPS, 69 R, 112 H, 28 2B, 12 3B, 1 HR, 69 RBI, 22 BB, 9 SB, 6.2 WPA, 2.7 WAR

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MISCELLANEOUS

SEASON RECORDS

• Metropolitan CF Francis Smith set a new record for Total Bases with 210.
• New York A.C. P Charles Rhodes set a new record for Pitcher WAR with 12.9.

NEW YORK LEAGUE STATISTICAL LEADERS

• Average: .393 by Jonathan Toppin (2B, Mutual)
• On-Base: .423 by Jonathan Toppin
• Slugging: .618 by Francis Smith (CF, Metro)
• OPS: 1.022 by Francis Smith
• Home Runs: 4 by three different Batsmen
• Runs Batted In: 75 by Jonathan Capehart (RF, Eagle)
• Runs: 104 by Francis Smith
• Hits: 130 by Francis Smith
• Doubles: 32 by Bernard Puckett (1B, Binghamton)
• Triples: 22 by Francis Smith
• Extra-Base Hits: 54 by Francis Smith
• Bases on Balls: 40 by Arvid Walters (3B, Syracuse)
• Stolen Bases: 69 by Jack Anastasio (RF, N.Y.A.C.)
• Total Bases: 210 by Francis Smith
• Zone Rating: +27.0 by Frank Morrison (SS, Metro)
• Win Prob. Added: 7.1 by Francis Smith
• Batsman WAR: 5.5 by William Denham (3B, Continental) (highest in N.Y.L. since 1869)

• Wins: 28 by Francis Molinari (Minuteman) & Edward Pelham (Frontier)
• Losses: 29 by John Watson (Mercury)
• ERA (175+ IP): 1.89 by Charles Rhodes
• Strikeouts: 197 by Charles Rhodes
• Innings: 377.0 by Charles Rhodes
• Complete Games: 33 by Francis Molinari
• Shutouts: 3 by Howard Shepherd (Continental) & Jack Smith (Eckford)
• BB/9 (175+ IP): 0.6 by Charles Rhodes
• K/9 (175+ IP): 4.7 by Charles Rhodes
• K/BB (175+ IP): 8.2 by Charles Rhodes
• WHIP (175+ IP): 1.07 by Charles Rhodes
• Pitcher WAR: 12.9 by Charles Rhodes
• Pitcher rWAR: 12.6 by Charles Rhodes

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE STATISTICAL LEADERS

• Average: .381 by James Burke (CF, P.B.C.C.)
• On-Base: .442 by James Burke
• Slugging: .595 by James Burke
• OPS: 1.037 by James Burke
• Home Runs: 4 by Joe McKellar (SS, Squirrel Hill)
• Runs Batted In: 91 by John Porretta (2B, Susquehanna)
• Runs: 101 by Edward Shores (LF, Granite)
• Hits: 116 by Columbus Young (3B, Quinnipiac)
• Doubles: 36 by Edward Shores
• Triples: 20 by John Porretta
• Extra-Base Hits: 46 by Edward Shores
• Bases on Balls: 35 by James Burke
• Stolen Bases: 58 by James Burke
• Total Bases: 180 by John Porretta
• Zone Rating: +27.0 by Earl Seals (SS, Trenton Utd.)
• Win Prob. Added: 6.2 by Francis Edwards (LF, Quinnipiac)
• Batsman WAR: 4.7 by James Burke

• Wins: 28 by Ben Lauppe (National)
• Losses: 28 by Joseph Cobb (Lake Erie)
• ERA (175+ IP): 2.31 by Ben Lauppe
• Strikeouts: 171 by Ben Lauppe
• Innings: 355.0 by Ben Lauppe
• Complete Games: 30 by Ben Lauppe
• Shutouts: 3 by James Dressman (Lancastra) & William Hawk (Susquehanna)
• BB/9 (175+ IP): 0.5 by William Burrow (P.B.C.C.) & Michael Newman (Merrimack)
• K/9 (175+ IP): 4.3 by Ben Lauppe
• K/BB (175+ IP): 4.1 by William Hawk
• WHIP (175+ IP): 1.12 by Ben Lauppe
• Pitcher WAR: 9.0 by Ben Lauppe
• Pitcher rWAR: 10.3 by Ben Lauppe

ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS

• May 12: Lancastra Brit. sets an N.B.B.O. record with 4 Home Runs in a 9-1 win vs Pioneer.
• May 12: Lancastra 1B Ralph Callahan hits 2 Home Runs (1 Grand Slam) in a 9-1 win vs Pioneer.
• May 13: Frontier 1B Austin Hunter has 5 Hits & 5 RBI in a 17-5 win vs Victory.
• May 19: Green Mtn. wins 18-16 at Cantabrigians. Seven Batsmen finish with 3+ Hits.
• May 25: Atlantic scores 12 Runs in T4 during a 19-3 win at Marathon.
• May 25: Susquehanna C Scott Lyons has a Home Run, 5 Hits, & 5 RBI in a 15-7 win at Reading A.C.
• May 26: S.o.t.O. RF Seamus Gilchrist hits 4 Doubles in an 11-10 win at Granite.
• May 27: Squirrel Hill LF Jonatham Mills hits for the Cycle and has 7 RBI in a 22-4 win vs Pioneer.
• May 28: Frontier 2B Bertram Wagner hits 3 Triples in a 10-8 win at Utica.
• May 31: Susquehanna finishes May 14-1 and has a six-game lead in the Inland Championship.

• June 8: Eckford wins 16-15 vs Marathon. Seven Batsmen finish with 3+ Hits.
• June 9: Nassau Co. LF Valentino Grande hits 2 Home Runs in a 9-8 win vs Atlantic.
• June 17: Union LF Karl Ilkin bats 5/6 with 6 Runs & 4 Stolen Bases in a 17-4 win vs Hilltop.
• June 26: Brighton wins 17-16 vs Lord Balt. The teams combine for 41 Hits, and seven Batsmen have 3+.
• June 26: S.o.t.O. 2B Robert Nelson hits 2 Home Runs (1 ItP) in a 9-8 win vs Portland.
• June 29: Syracuse P Jacob Wesolowski bats 5/6 with 3 RBI while pitching a CG in a 28-2 win vs Binghamton.
• June 29: Atlantic 2B Monroe Crawford bats 5/6 with a Home Run in a 13-3 win at Continental.
• June 30: Reading A.C. RF Scott Conway hits 3 Triples in a 10-5 win at Merrimack.

• July 6: National P Ben Lauppe has an N.E.L. season-high 11 Strikeouts in a 6-2 win vs Brighton.
• July 8: The season-long Hitting Streak of Marathon RF Alessandro Salieri ends after 38 games.
• July 9: National 1B Hilton James has 5 Hits & 5 RBI in a 26-3 win vs Brighton.
• July 16: Hilltop P Jack Jacobs has an N.Y.L. season-high 11 Strikeouts in a 7-5 win vs Baltic.
• July 20: Empire SS Edward Davis hits for the Cycle in an 11-4 win at Bedford.
• July 21: Two teams score 20+ Runs during wins in New England: PORT 25-6 GRA, QUI 20-12 OCE
• July 25: The N.Y.L. wins the All-Star Game 6-1. M.V.P.: Ned Morganti (CF, HILL). HOST: Quinnipiac.
• July 27: Susquehanna P William Hawk pitches a One-Hitter in an 11-0 win vs Pioneer.
• July 29: Victory SS Phillip Wolf draws 4 Bases on Balls in an 18-7 win at Binghamton.

• Aug 3: Metro CF Francis Smith has 5 Hits & 5 RBI in a 15-2 win at Mercury.
• Aug 4: Trenton Utd. CF Jonas Simmelink hits 2 Home Runs in a 13-12 loss at National.
• Aug 5: Salem CF George Lewis bats 5/6 with 4 Runs & 4 RBI in a 19-14 win vs S.o.t.O.
• Aug 12: Frontier CF George Whaley has 5 Stolen Bases in a 12-9 loss at Minuteman.
• Aug 13: Pioneer 1B August Belanger bats 6/7 with 3 Doubles in a 16-inning, 13-12 win vs Reading A.C.
• Aug 13: Nassau Co. RF Stephen Gabriel has 2 Home Runs (1 ItP) & 6 RBI in an 11-0 win at Eckford.
• Aug 13: Bunker Hill 1B Nicholas Briley draws 4 Bases on Balls in a 9-7 win at Diamond St.
• Aug 15: Metro beats New York A.C. 6-2 to take the New York City pennant via one-game playoff.

• Sep 6: National (1st title) wins the Adams Cup Final vs Frontier. M.V.P.: James Kinney (3B, NAT).

PERFORMANCES OF THE SEASON (by Game Score)

• #1: 107 by Squirrel Hill LF Jonathan Mills vs Pioneer on May 27 (4/4, 2B, 3B, HR, 3 R, 7 RBI, CYCLE)
• #2: 100 by Victory 3B Henry Nabors at Binghamton on July 28 (3/3, GRAND SLAM, 3 R, 5 RBI, 3 BB)
• #3: 97 by Susquehanna C Scott Lyons at Reading A.C. on May 25 (5/6, HR, 3 R, 5 RBI)
• #4: 97 by National 1B Hilton James vs Brighton on July 9 (5/6, 2 2B, 3B, 3 R, 5 RBI, BB; DP)
• #5: 95 by National 2B Chester Dudek vs Trenton Utd. on Aug. 6 (3/4, HR, 4 R, 6 RBI, BB)
• #6: 92 by Frontier 1B Austin Hunter vs Victory on May 13 (5/6, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 5 RBI)
• #7: 92 by Salem CF George Lewis vs S.o.t.O. on Aug. 5 (5/6, 2 2B, 4 R, 4 RBI)
• #8: 90 by Portland 2B Randolph Enright at Cantabrigians on June 11 (5/6, 2 2B, 4 R, 3 RBI, BB)
• #9: 89 by Susquehanna P William Hawk vs Pioneer on July 27 (SHO, 9.0 IP, 1 HA, 1 BB, 5 K)
• #10: 89 by Minuteman RF Klement Toksvig vs Frontier on Aug. 10 (4/5, 3B, HR, 3 R, 5 RBI)

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1881 AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE REVIEW

FINAL A.P.B.L. STANDINGS





PER-TEAM STATISTICS

1881: 6.2 R/G, .280 AVG, .694 OPS, 946 H, 185 2B, 64 3B, 11 HR, 144 SB, 3.37 ERA, 147 BB, 219 K, 4.5 E/G, .897 FLG%
1880: 5.7 R/G, .271 AVG, .667 OPS, 898 H, 175 2B, 56 3B, 10 HR, 128 SB, 3.11 ERA, 129 BB, 255 K, 4.2 E/G, .905 FLD%


FOUNDERS CUP XI

St. John’s (4th title, 2nd straight, 9th overall) defeats Excelsior 4-2.

GAME 1: EXC 5-17 StJ – 3B Eamonn Higgins (StJ): 5/6 (all 1B), 3 R, 1 RBI
GAME 2: EXC 6-7 StJ – LF Joseph Evans (StJ): 2/4 (2B), 1 R, 2 RBI, BB, 3 TB, GW RUN
GAME 3: StJ 8-9 EXC – 2B Cletus Cannon: 2/5 (HR), 3 R, 2 RBI, 3 SB, 5 TB
GAME 4: StJ 5-11 EXC – CF Henry Arnold (EXC) – 2/4 (3B), 3 R, 2 RBI, BB, 4 TB
GAME 5: StJ 19-3 EXC – 2B Cletus Cannon (StJ): 4/6 (2B, 3B), 5 R, 3 RBI, BB, 3 SB, 7 TB
GAME 6: EXC 7-10 StJ – 2B Cletus Cannon (StJ): 4/5 (2B, 3B), 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 SB, 7 TB

SERIES M.V.P.: 2B Cletus Cannon (StJ) - .500 (15/30), 15 R, 3 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 1 BB, 9 SB, 25 TB, 3x PotG

WRITERS POOL OBSERVATIONS

After establishing a uniform standard for the entire construction of the game ball during the Executive Committee’s Spring Meetings, Strikeouts went down, Average & OPS went up, and run scoring increased by close to ten percent, although it still was not as high as it was in 1879 (7.1 R/G).

ALLEGHANY: For the second straight season their Pitching & Fielding were comfortably in the league’s top half but saw that good work undone by an anemic offense ranked in the league’s bottom two. Last winter they didn’t tinker much with the lineup, but it’s obvious they can’t do that again. Needs: 3B, LF, CF, RF.

M.V.P: SS Gerald Strong – .319, .773 OPS, 75 R, 123 H, 25 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 53 RBI, 10 BB, 43 SB, 2.1 WPA, 3.6 WAR

AMERICAN: They hit rock-bottom in 1881, having their poorest season in the A.P.B.L. and their worst on the whole since their 16-54 N.B.B.O. campaign in 1858. William Busby, Will Carrigan, George Kassabian, & Franklin Petty all had career-worst years, and it leaves one wondering where the front office should even start when it comes to roster changes.

M.V.P: P Jimmy Everhart – 15-27, 3.82 ERA, 360.1 IP, 25 CG, 1 SHO, 139 K, 4.0 K/BB, 1.43 WHIP, 8.1 WAR, 3.2 rWAR

EXCELSIOR: From 6th place at 40-50 in 1880 to 1st at 54-37 in 1881 – couldn’t have had a better year. Incredible work to sign three Greenhorns who all became All-Stars in their debut seasons. Excellence up & down the lineup, and great fielding as well. Only issue: their Pitching Duo ranked 15th/16 in terms of talent.

M.V.P: LF Troy Oberst – .361, .939 OPS, 93 R, 146 H, 39 2B, 16 3B, 1 HR, 57 RBI, 22 BB, 4 SB, 5.9 WPA, 5.5 WAR

FLOUR CITY: Once again finished 46-44 even though their lineup had major weaknesses at 3-4 positions. New #1 Steve Breland was outstanding in his first season. Floyd Hoffman had the greatest year-to-year turnaround ever. Ernest Dugas had a career year. Jesse Noss made another All-Star Game. Frank Bulger wasn’t as good as he should have been. Needs: C, 2B, SS.

M.V.P: CF Ernest Dugas – .324, .818 OPS, 83 R, 122 H, 24 2B, 14 3B, 0 HR, 82 RBI, 22 BB, 34 SB, 4.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR

GOTHAM: Oof…Projected to top the Metro, but instead finished 6th with about a dozen Wins below projections. The problem: the worst Defensive Efficiency in the league, as nobody aside from SS wizard Peter Jones looked good in the field. That caused their Pitchers to unnecessarily suffer, and results went with it. Most immediate need: a new Third Baseman.

M.V.P: 2B Babe Johnson – .329, .873 OPS, 89 R, 121 H, 21 2B, 13 3B, 3 HR, 64 RBI, 41 BB, 25 SB, 4.0 WPA, 2.7 WAR

KINGS COUNTY: Great in the opening half, but a 20-25 second half caused them to fall short of the Founders Cup. Garfield Koonce and the lineup were very good. Hugo dos Santos hit his All-Star potential, but other P’s really let them down as the season went on. The other issue big issue: it looks like they’re due for a new CF after six years of playing George Miller there.

M.V.P: 1B Garfield Koonce – .388, .945 OPS, 80 R, 142 H, 33 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 86 RBI, 22 BB, 1 SB, 5.6 WPA, 4.6 WAR

KNICKERBOCKER: Fell from their pennant-winning heights as their offense struggled this season. Clive Strachan had a career-worst year. Cale Jones hit just .227 in his return to the lineup at C. Albert Stoffers saw his OPS fall 50-60 points. William Avery also proved to be a big downgrade from Robert Goodman. Retooling is needed.

M.V.P: P Bertram Landreth – 26-19, 2.94 ERA, 392.1 IP, 34 CG, 146 K, 3.5 K/BB, 1.22 WHIP, 8.1 WAR, 5.0 rWAR

MASSACHUSETTS BAY: A fine season by the Bostonians that ended with their best Colonial Conference finish to date. What got them there was an attack that was the league’s best even though they lost Harold Durand. M.B. finished the year with seven .300 hitters. Another plus: adding Charles King from Pt. Jersey stabilized their pitching. Needs: LF, CF.

M.V.P: RF Kevin Duke – .351, .831 OPS, 78 R, 140 H, 32 2B, 7 3B, 0 HR, 69 RBI, 10 BB, 17 SB, 3.9 WPA, 3.3 WAR

NEWARK: Last place again, but they made it to 40 Wins for the 1st time in the A.P.B.L. John Ratican was their best player again – an All-Star for the 2nd straight year. Jacob Kaulback, an 1880 All-Star, really struggled, but Outfield mate Thomas Fetterman made his first A.S.G. Andrew Lowden was better, but still not good enough. Needs: P2, 2B, 3B, SS, LF.

M.V.P: P John Ratican – 23-20, 2.70 ERA, 380.0 IP, 33 CG, 1 SHO, 143 K, 2.9 K/BB, 1.26 WHIP, 6.6 WAR, 6.2 rWAR

NIAGARA: Better in 1881 – tied for 2nd in the Colonial. Charles Barrett was excellent for the third straight year. Reginald Roper had his best campaign since 1873. William Norman again was a run producer. Oliver Johnson had a decent Greenhorn season at 3B & SS. Jenkins & Mukai weren’t as great as last year but remain a formidable Pitching Duo.

M.V.P: CF Charles Barrett – .316, .819 OPS, 78 R, 125 H, 26 2B, 10 3B, 3 HR, 59 RBI, 28 BB, 17 SB, 4.3 WPA, 4.2 WAR

ORANGE: Their comeback is complete after forcing Excelsior into a one-game playoff for the Metro crown. Andrew Miller was the best #1 in the league. The Johns – Cobb & Meier – were tremendous in the Outfield. Charles Whitehead had another great year. Walter Carrow improved slightly in Year Two. With a new C and perhaps a new 1B, they’ll be pennant favorites.

M.V.P: P Andrew Miller – 29-16, 2.92 ERA, 394.0 IP, 32 CG, 126 K, 6.6 K/BB, 1.14 WHIP, 8.9 WAR, 5.0 rWAR

PORT JERSEY: An odd year – 6th in the Colonial but with the 2nd-best Run Differential. Record aside, Robert Goodman was every bit the upgrade they were hoping for at P1. Vincent Dixon had a breakout season. Samuel Eastman didn’t reach last year’s heights but was still very good. They received quality play from their Outfield. Issues going into the winter: C, 1B.

M.V.P: 2B Vincent Dixon – .372, .960 OPS, 78 R, 141 H, 42 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 78 RBI, 18 BB, 11 SB, 5.7 WPA, 5.8 WAR

QUAKER STATE: Lost their long-tenured greats, Gill & Morganti, and it was a deathblow – 2nd-worst record and worst RD in the league. The good: Harold Durand was an All-Star in his 1st season with the team and William Wimple became one in his 4th A.P.B.L. season. The bad: just about everything else. The big needs: 1B, SS, P1, P2.

M.V.P: LF Harold Durand – .343, .888 OPS, 67 R, 130 H, 29 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 67 RBI, 20 BB, 9 SB, 3.4 WPA, 3.9 WAR

SHAMROCK: Disappointment – top of the Colonial midway through the season, but an 18-27 second half saw them finish 5th. George Collier & Joseph Sullivan were All-Stars in their debut seasons. William Dickerson was the best 3B in the league. Henry Jost was a greyhound in the Outfield. George Burroughs was a solid #1 again. Issues: light hitting at 2B, SS, LF, & RF

M.V.P: 3B William Dickerson – .337, .855 OPS, 75 R, 122 H, 23 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 72 RBI, 29 BB, 47 SB, 5.2 WPA, 5.3 WAR

SAINT JOHN’S: Champions again. Six .300 hitters in the lineup, and while Howard Burns wasn’t historically great once again George Cerven backed him up with a 25-9 campaign. Their only issue: will one player take over SS and/or RF next year?

M.V.P: 1B Konrad Jensen – .311, .783 OPS, 89 R, 122 H, 24 2B, 6 3B, 0 HR, 68 RBI, 40 BB, 64 SB, 5.4 WPA, 3.7 WAR

TIGER S.C.: Their best season in the A.P.B.L. – 4th in the Metro but with the conference’s best RD. Martin Prince had his finest campaign, and Middle Infield partner Griffin Gray became an All-Star. Howard Boley hit over .350 out of nowhere. Their capture of the Flour City Pitching Duo was fine business as both Gray & Johannessen had 20+ Wins. Needs: C, 1B, CF.

M.V.P: SS Martin Prince – .361, .943 OPS, 94 R, 130 H, 27 2B, 20 3B, 1 HR, 56 RBI, 11 BB, 24 SB, 3.7 WPA, 5.6 WAR

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AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
Career totals include awards from pre-1871 N.B.B.O.

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Garfield Koonce (1B, age 36) – Kings County B.B.C.; 2x winner (1869 in N.B.B.O.)

• .388/.423/.522, .945 OPS, 80 R, 142 H, 33 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 86 RBI, 22 BB, 1 SB, 191 TB, 5.6 WPA, 4.6 WAR
• Led league in AVG, OBP, & RBI; Top five in SLG, OPS, OPS+, H, 2B, RC, & WPA; 1st B.o.t.Y. in A.P.B.L.
• Vincent Dixon (2B, PtJ) 2nd – .372, .960 OPS, 78 R, 141 H, 42 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 78 RBI, 18 BB, 5.7 WPA, 5.8 WAR
• Troy Oberst (LF, EXC) 3rd – .361, .939 OPS, 93 R, 146 H, 56 XBH, 1 HR, 57 RBI, 22 BB, 220 TB, 5.9 WPA, 5.5 WAR

Because he “only” hit comfortably over .300 after July 1, Koonce ended up falling short of .400 in 1881. Still, he takes B.o.t.Y. because he finished 1st in two of the three Triple Crown categories. This was easily his best season since the league’s inaugural year (.392, 48 XBH, 92 RBI), and although it might feel like a Lifetime Achievement Award since he didn’t have the highest WPA/WAR and this was his fifth time being in the top three for A.P.B.L. Batsman of the Year, he still deserved the honor.

25-year-old Dixon had a tremendous season for Pt. Jersey, and his progression over the past three years has taken him from average regular to bonafide star. Oberst had the best of his eight seasons for the Metropolitan Conference champions, and he was the main factor in their trip to Founders Cup XI.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Andrew Miller (age 27) – Orange B.B.C.

• 29-16, 2.92 ERA, 394.0 IP, 32 CG, 0 SHO, 126 K, 2.9 K/9, 6.6 K/BB, 9.8 H/9, 1.14 WHIP, 8.9 WAR, 5.0 rWAR
• Led league in W, IP, BB/9, K/BB, WHIP, & WAR; Top five in CG, QS, O-AVG/OBP/OPS
• Bertram Landreth (KNI) 2nd – 26-19, 2.94 ERA, 392.1 IP, 34 CG, 146 K, 3.5 K/BB, 1.22 WHIP, 8.1 WAR, 5.0 rWAR
• Howard Burns (StJ) 3rd – 24-17, 3.32 ERA, 374.0 IP, 30 CG, 148 K, 2.9 K/BB, 1.39 WHIP, 8.7 WAR, 3.6 rWAR

Miller earned his P.o.t.Y. because he was the league’s best Pitcher after June 1st, going 23-9 with a 2.42 ERA and 91 Strikeouts to just eight Bases on Balls over 290 innings of work. The award meant Miller’s five-year career had come full circle, for in his Greenhorn season of 1877 Miller was 7-31 with a 4.64 ERA for the worst team in Orange’s history.

Landreth didn’t have a record-breaking campaign like he did in 1880, but he was consistently excellent and led the league in Complete Games. Burns didn’t take his third straight P.o.t.Y., as his form after July 1st (8-9, 4.14 ERA) ruined what had been an excellent opening half of the campaign.

The oddity: if going purely by performance then Robert Goodman, who had a 2.91 ERA with 143 Strikeouts, 8.7 WAR, & 8.4 rWAR, was the league’s best Pitcher. However, because of Pt. Jersey’s strange year his record was 21-25 and he wasn’t considered.

FIELDER OF THE YEAR: Martin Prince (SS, age 31) – Tiger S.C.

• SS: 447 TC, 112 PO, 286 AST, 37 DP, 49 E, .890 FLD%, 4.88 RNG, 1.133 EFF, +17.5 ZR, +21.3 FldRV
• .361/.387/.556, .943 OPS, 94 R, 130 H, 27 2B, 20 3B, 1 HR, 56 RBI, 11 BB, 24 SB, 3.7 WPA, 5.6 WAR
• J.B. Chessman (EXC) 2nd – SS: 113 PO, 296 AST, 37 DP, .857 FLD%, 4.65 RNG, 1.120 EFF, +14.7 ZR, 4.4 WAR
• Ernest Dugas (FC) 3rd – CF: 279 PO, 9 AST, 2 DP, .883 FLD%, 3.32 RNG, 1.084 EFF, +10.6 ZR/ARM, 3.7 WAR

Prince, an 8x All-Star, had the best year of his career in 1881, and as part of that he was the finest-fielding Shortstop in the A.P.B.L., featuring both the surest hands and the strongest arm. In the process, he led Tiger S.C. to the best of their four seasons in the A.P.B.L.

GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: Charles Blaise (1B, age 27) – Excelsior B.B.C.

• .339/.376/.517, .893 OPS, 91 R, 132 H, 28 2B, 19 3B, 1 HR, 60 RBI, 18 BB, 50 SB, +11.0 BsR, 5.0 WPA, 5.0 WAR
• Top five in SLG, XBH, 3B, TB, RC, & WAR; One of three Excelsior Greenhorns to make All-Star Game
• Steve Breland (P, FC) 2nd – 24-18, 2.76 ERA, 374.2 IP, 32 CG, 90 K, 1.6 K/BB, 10.1 H/9, 1.28 WHIP, 6.6 WAR, 7.7 rWAR
• Damian McLaughlin (C, GOT) 3rd – .326, .746 OPS, 33 R, 102 H, 17 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 50 RBI, 42.4 CS%, 1.6 WPA, 2.8 WAR

In a year when a record seven Greenhorns made the All-Star Game, naming the G.o.t.Y., let alone the top three, was an extremely difficult task. In the end, Blaise came out on top because of his massive impact for the Metro champs, reaching 5+ WPA & WAR. Breland’s fantastic August (6-1, 1.29 ERA) cemented his status as a top-tier pro pitcher, and he took 2nd. While McLaughlin didn’t have the best statistical output among the Greenhorn Batsmen, the fact that he was the best Catcher in the league led to him finishing 3rd.

The one man who will feel shortchanged by not making the top three is Excelsior 2B Johnny Holcombe, whose output – .319 AVG, .832 OPS, 76 R, 70 RBI, 4.1 WPA, 4.5 WAR – would have earned him G.o.t.Y. at the end of every other season in league history, save one or two.

GOLDEN HANDS NOMINEES

• P: Steve Breland (FC; GH) – 39 PO, 50 AST, 3 DP, 16 E, .848 FLD%, 1.077 EFF, +6.3 ZR
• C: Joseph Nalley (StJ; 3rd) – 85 AST, 9 DP, 16 E, .956 FLD%, 1.039 EFF, +10.3 FldRV, 35.6 CS%, 3.60 C-ERA
• 1B: Konrad Jensen (StJ; 6th) – 924 PO, 89 AST, 47 DP, 16 E, .984 FLD%, 1.112 EFF, +9.7 ZR
• 2B: Burton Ellerby (MB; 2nd) – 149 PO, 320 AST, 57 DP, 53 E, .898 FLD%, 5.49 RNG, 1.106 EFF, +15.4 ZR
• 3B: Jesse Noss (FC; 1st) – 84 PO, 222 AST, 16 DP, 73 E, .807 FLD%, 3.52 RNG, 1.105 EFF, +10.9 ZR
• SS: Martin Prince (TIG; 5th) – 112 PO, 286 AST, 37 DP, 49 E, .890 FLD%, 4.88 RNG, 1.133 EFF, +17.5 ZR
• LF: Howard Boley (TIG; 1st) – 8 AST, 0 DP, 17 E, .915 FLD%, 2.41 RNG, 1.039 EFF, +4.1 ZR/ARM
• CF: Ernest Dugas (FC; 1st) – 9 AST, 2 DP, 38 E, .883 FLD%, 3.32 RNG, 1.084 EFF, +10.7 ZR/ARM
• RF: Jonathan Cobb (ORA; 2nd) – 23 AST, 5 DP, 23 E, .923 FLD%, 3.12 RNG, 1.017 EFF, +4.8 ZR/ARM

TEAM OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

• P: Howard Burns (StJ, age 32; 2nd)
24-17, 3.32 ERA, 374.0 IP, 30 CG, 148 K, 3.6 K/9, 2.9 K/BB, 11.3 H/9, 1.39 WHIP, 8.7 WAR, 3.6 rWAR
• C: Damian McLaughlin (GOT, age 26; 1st)
.326, .746 OPS, 33 R, 102 H, 17 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 50 RBI, 11 BB, 2 SB, 42.4 CS%, 1.6 WPA, 2.8 WAR
• 1B: Garfield Koonce (KC, age 36; 5th)
.388, .423 OBP, .945 OPS, 80 R, 142 H, 33 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 86 RBI, 22 BB, 1 SB, 5.6 WPA, 4.6 WAR
• 2B: Vincent Dixon (PtJ, age 25; 1st)
.372, .562 SLG, .960 OPS, 78 R, 141 H, 42 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 78 RBI, 18 BB, 11 SB, 5.7 WPA, 5.8 WAR
• 3B: William Dickerson (SHA, age 34; 4th)
.337, .855 OPS, 75 R, 122 H, 23 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 72 RBI, 29 BB, 47 SB, +10.1 BsR, 5.2 WPA, 5.3 WAR
• SS: Martin Prince (TIG, age 31; 4th)
.361, .943 OPS, 94 R, 130 H, 27 2B, 20 3B, 1 HR, 56 RBI, 11 BB, 24 SB, +17.5 ZR, 3.7 WPA, 5.6 WAR
• OF: Troy Oberst (EXC, age 34; 2nd)
.361, .939 OPS, 93 R, 146 H, 39 2B, 16 3B, 1 HR, 57 RBI, 22 BB, 4 SB, 220 TB, 5.9 WPA, 5.5 WAR
• OF: John Meier (ORA, age 31; 1st)
.321, .812 OPS, 102 R, 136 H, 34 2B, 11 3B, 1 HR, 37 RBI, 14 BB, 77 SB, 6.0 WPA, 4.1 WAR
• OF: Charles Barrett (NIA, age 29; 3rd)
.316, .819 OPS, 78 R, 125 H, 26 2B, 10 3B, 3 HR, 59 RBI, 28 BB, 17 SB, 4.3 WPA, 4.2 WAR

MISCELLANEOUS

SEASON RECORDS

• Excelsior Batsmen new a new record for Triples with 87.
• Vincent Dixon (2B, PtJ) & Troy Oberst (LF, EXC) tied the record for Extra Base Hits with 56.
• Mass. Bay P Peter Dittmer tied the league record for Saves with 9.
• Flour City P Everton Crawford set a new record for Bases on Balls with 106.

STATISTICAL LEADERS

• Average: .388 by Garfield Koonce (1B, Kings Co.)
• On-Base: .423 by Garfield Koonce
• Slugging: .562 by Vincent Dixon (2B, Pt. Jersey)
• OPS: .960 by Vincent Dixon
• Home Runs: 5 by Jesse Noss (3B, Flour City)
• Runs Batted In: 86 by Garfield Koonce
• Runs: 102 by John Meier (LF, Orange)
• Hits: 146 by Troy Oberst (LF, Excelsior)
• Doubles: 42 by Vincent Dixon
• Triples: 20 by Martin Prince (SS, Tiger S.C.)
• Extra-Base Hits: 56 by Vincent Dixon & Troy Oberst
• Bases on Balls: 45 by William Busby (1B, American)
• Stolen Bases: 77 by John Meier
• Total Bases: 220 by Troy Oberst
• Zone Rating: +17.5 by Martin Prince
• Batsman WPA: 6.0 by John Meier
• Batsman WAR: 5.8 by Vincent Dixon

• Wins: 29 by Andrew Miller (Orange)
• Losses: 31 by Albert Stewart (Quaker St.)
• ERA (200+ IP): 2.70 by John Ratican (Newark)
• Strikeouts: 149 by Nicholas Banfield (Alleghany)
• Innings: 394.0 by Andrew Miller
• Complete Games: 34 by three different Pitchers
• Shutouts: 3 by George Burroughs (Shamrock)
• BB/9 (200+ IP): 0.4 by Andrew Miller
• K/9 (200+ IP): 3.9 by Nicholas Banfield
• K/BB (200+ IP): 6.6 by Andrew Miller
• WHIP (200+ IP): 1.14 by Andrew Miller
• Pitcher WAR: 8.9 by Andrew Miller
• Pitcher rWAR: 10.2 by Willie Gray

ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS

• May 4: The season-long Hitting Streak of Flour City LF Matthew Small ends after 23 games.
• May 7: Knick 2B Anthony Mascherino’s 5 RBI vs Newark gives him 11 RBI over a two-game span.
• May 13: Kings Co. P Paul Caldwell bats 4/6 with a Grand Slam & 7 RBI in a 26-8 win vs Gotham.
• May 13: Kings Co. CF George Miller draws 4 Bases on Balls in a 26-8 win vs Gotham.
• May 15: Alleghany P Nicholas Banfield has a season-high 9 Strikeouts in a 7-6 win vs Shamrock.
• May 22: Pt. Jersey CF Art Kanellopoulos bats 6/6 with 4 Runs & 4 RBI in a 16-6 win vs St. John’s.
• May 22: Tiger S.C. SS Martin Prince has 3 Doubles in a 13-11 loss vs Excelsior.
• May 26: American P Jimmy Everhart ties the season high with 9 Strikeouts in an 8-1 win vs Niagara.

• June 5: St. John’s finishes with 4 Hits in a 7-0 Shutout win vs Alleghany.
• June 10: Shamrock has three Batsmen finish with 3+ Hits in a 16-13 win at Newark.
• June 16: Flour City beats Knick by 10+ on consecutive days at the Elysian Fields (FC 14-1 KNI, FC 13-2 KNI).
• June 21: Orange has four Batsmen finish with 3+ Hits in a 12-4 win at Alleghany.
• June 28: Mass. Bay 3B Joseph Kipp has 5 Stolen Bases in a 7-4 win vs Quaker St.
• June 29: Pt. Jersey wins 15-13 at Tiger S.C. Seven Batsmen finish with 3+ Hits.
• June 30: Kings Co. 1B Garfield Koonce ends the month of June with a .453 Average (1.101 OPS) over 51 games.

• July 1: Shamrock 3B William Dickerson sets a new record with 14 Total Bases in a 21-1 win vs Kings Co.
• July 1: Shamrock 3B William Dickerson has 2 HR & 8 RBI in a 21-1 win vs Kings Co.
• July 5: St. John’s has four Batsmen finish with 3+ Hits in a 19-3 win at Mass. Bay.
• July 5: Excelsior has four Batsmen finish with 3+ Hits in a 15-4 win at Quaker St.
• July 5: Excelsior CF Henry Arnold has 5 Hits & 6 RBI in a 15-4 win at Quaker St.
• July 7: Shamrock 3B William Dickerson & SS Clive Aylett finish with 5 Hits in a 16-2 win vs Alleghany.
• July 13: Orange C David Dial has 5 Hits, a Home Run, & 9 RBI (ties record) in a 19-16 win at Gotham.
• July 23: Pt. Jersey P Robert Goodman pitches a No-Hitter in an 18-1 win vs Gotham.
• July 23: Mass. Bay RF Kevin Duke bats 5/5 with 3 Doubles in an 8-5 win at American.
• July 27: Flour City 3B Jesse Noss hits 2 HR (1 ItP) in an 8-7 win at Mass. Bay.
• July 27: Newark P John Ratican ties the season high with 9 Strikeouts in a 10-7 loss at Niagara.

• Aug 1: Metro Conf. wins the All-Star Game 8-3 (4th straight). M.V.P.: William Wimple (CF, QS). HOST: Orange.
• Aug 13: American P Jimmy Everhart pitches a three-hit Shutout with 8 Strikeouts in a 3-0 win at Shamrock.
• Aug 22: Excelsior wins the Metropolitan Conference title in a one-game playoff (ORA 5-6 EXC).
• Aug 31: St. John’s (4th title) wins Founders Cup XI vs Excelsior. M.V.P.: Cletus Cannon (2B, StJ)

PERFORMANCES OF THE SEASON (by Game Score)

• #1: 118 by Shamrock 3B William Dickerson vs Kings Co. on July 1 (4/6, 2 3B, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 14 TB)
• #2: 114 by Orange C David Dial at Gotham on July 13 (5/7, 2B, HR, 2 R, 9 RBI, GIDP; 1/5 CS)
• #3: 106 by Kings Co. P Paul Caldwell vs Gotham on May 13 (4/6, GS, 4 R, 7 RBI, SAC BUNT)
• #4: 104 by Pt. Jersey CF Art Kanellopoulos vs St. John’s on May 22 (6/6, 2B, 4 R, 4 RBI)
• #5: 99 by Excelsior CF Henry Arnold at Quaker St. on July 5 (5/6, 2 3B, 3 R, 6 RBI)
• #6: 99 by Pt. Jersey 2B Vincent Dixon at Tiger S.C. on June 29 (5/5, 2B, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, BB; DP)
• #7: 91 by Knick 2B Anthony Mascherino vs Newark on May 6 (4/5, 2B, 3 R, 6 RBI, SAC FLY)
• #8: 90 by Pt. Jersey P Robert Goodman vs Gotham on July 23 (NO-HITTER, 9.0 IP, 1 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)
• #9: 89 by Mass. Bay SS Jonathan Quarles vs Orange on May 24 (4/5, 2 2B, HR, 3 R, 5 RBI, SAC FLY; DP)
• #10: 89 by Flour City RF Floyd Hoffman vs Newark on July 13 (4/5, 2 3B, 4 R, 4 RBI, BB)

[tm1681]

Now it's time to build up to the new leagues. It's going to take a bit since it will be three at the same time. I'll need to test them and make sure they integrate properly. The graphics are ready to go, though.

I also have some work deadlines coming up, so can't slack on that front.

[tm1681]

FRANKLIN PETTY RETIRES
LEGENDARY OUTFIELDER WAS 12x ALL-STAR, 2x MVP, 1x BotY DURING 19-YEAR CAREER

PHILADELPHIA, PENN. (Sep. 10, 1881) - Franklin Petty, one of the greatest Outfielders in the young history of the sport of baseball, has decided to put away his bat & cleats to put an end to a nineteen-year career that spanned three decades.

A native of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Petty got his start in league baseball when he signed with struggling Lake Erie as a 19-year-old during the autumn of 1862, joining the team roughly six weeks before another indy ball prospect who would go on to become a familiar name: Wilbur Graff (9x All-Star, 4x Team of the Year).

Petty immediately won the Center Fielder job for Lake Erie, and as a 20-year-old his output in 1863 – .368, .903 OPS, 26 XBH, 44 RBI, 2.5 WAR – saw him miss out on the 1863 N.E.L. Greenhorn of the Year honor only because Pt. Jersey’s Edward Donovan, who himself had an outstanding top-level career (8x All-Star, 2x Golden Hands, 1x Team of the Year), had a historic Greenhorn campaign – .384, .897 OPS, 61 RBI, 37 SB, 3.4 WAR. Petty would make the All-Star Game the next season, establishing himself as one of the sport’s best players at the ripe old age of 21.

In 1868, Petty became a superstar, earning N.E.L. Most Valuable Player for a season that saw him hit .394 with a Slugging Pct. of .622 and an OPS 1.062 while becoming the first Outfielder to cross 6.0 Batsman WAR in a season. The reason why he took that award instead of Batsman of the Year was because he was up against a campaign from Konrad Jensen in which he Jensen hit over .400 and set a new record for OPS (1.088) that still stands. The next year Petty got his Batsman of the Year honor after batting .394 again with another OPS over 1.000 (1.019), 83 RBI, and a league-leading 189 Total Bases.

That winter, Petty left Lake Erie after its second straight under .500 season and signed with Orange B.B.C. Petty was excellent in an Orange shirt and made the move with them to the A.P.B.L., but left Manhattan after the league’s inaugural season to join American.

In Philadelphia, Petty became a key cog in an American machine that won four A.P.B.L. titles in five years, a run that included the best season ever by a pro team: 1873’s 65-25 campaign with a Run Differential that nearly hit +300. That season was James Burke’s first with the team, and together with Petty and 13x All-Star Willie Davis they formed a terrifying Outfield. Petty would go on to win his second career M.V.P. award in 1875, a season in which he hit .365 while scoring 130 times and swiping 79 bases. That would be the last truly great year of his career, although he made two more All-Star games, with his last appearance coming in 1878.

Petty had the most difficult year of his career in 1881. Because of that he decided to call time on his career. His numbers:

• 4x Founders Cup winner (1872-73, 75-76)
• 2x Most Valuable Player (NEL: 1868, APBL: 1875)
• 1x Batsman of the Year (NEL: 1869)
• 12x All-Star (NEL: 1864, 66-69; APBL: 1871-76, 78)
• 6x Team of the Year (NEL: 1866, 68, 69; APBL: 1872-73, 75)
• 1x Golden Glove (NEL: 1864)
• 1st Outfielder with 6+ WAR in a season (6.1 in 1868)
• 5 seasons hitting .350+ (NBBO: 1864, 68-89; APBL: 1871, 75)
• 2 seasons with 1.000+ OPS (NBBO: 1868-69)

For close to fifteen years Franklin Petty was one of the premier players in the sport. He will be remembered as one of the first “Five Tool” Outfielders in baseball, possessing premier contact ability, gap power, running speed, fielding ability/range, and arm strength. My he enjoy his retirement.

[tm1681]

CORMACK ALEXANDER RETIRES
WAS 2x BotY, 11x ALL-STAR, 3x GOLDEN HANDS WINNER, 3x .400 HITTER IN TOP FLIGHT

PITTSBURGH, PENN. (Sep. 17, 1881) - Irishman Cormack Alexander, who became a sensation immediately upon his arrival in the N.B.B.O. in 1864, has ended his baseball career after eighteen seasons, all but one at the highest level.

Alexander, who was born in County Dublin but moved to the United States as a teenager, was spotted by Kings County staff playing independent ball in the summer of 1863 and signed with the team that September. This was how he introduced himself to the National Base Ball Organization the next year, as a 23-year-old:

• 1864 (KC): .430/.453/.523, .976 OPS, 92 R, 138 H, 27 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 62 RBI, 16 BB, 6 SB, 168 TB, 3.8 WPA, 4.0 WAR

In his debut season, Alexander took both N.Y.L. Batsman of the Year & Greenhorn of the Year while establishing new N.B.B.O. records for Batting Average & Hits in what was the greatest debut season ever seen. Those records have seen been surpassed, with Royal Altman batting .445 for Alleghany in 1867 and Troy Oberst collecting 143 Hits for Metropolitan in 1871. Still, at the time what Alexander did was something nobody had seen from a Batsman that young and inexperienced.

Alexander repeated as N.Y.L. Batting Champion the next season with a .375 Average, and after he “only” hit .359 in 1866 he earned B.o.t.Y. #2 in 1867. During the ’67 season, Alexander hit .414 (1.010 OPS) while leading the N.Y.L. in Slugging Pct. (.577), Hits (138), Doubles (34), and Total Bases (192) while also giving Kings Co. 82 RBI in a season that was better than his historic 1864. Sensationally, the Kings Co. front office let Alexander leave after the season because they had a 22-year-old five-star prospect who was ready for the Senior Roster and would save them $1,000 if promoted to regular duty: Garfield Koonce, who turned out to be not too shabby himself.

On Christmas Day of 1867 Alexander agreed to join Quaker State, for whom 1B had been a big issue. He responded by batting comfortably batting over .350 the next two seasons, and then came 1870. In the final season before the league split, Alexander hit .400+ for the third time, batting .418 and tying teammate William Dickerson in the tightest Batting Title race the N.B.B.O. had ever seen. He lost out to Dickerson for B.o.t.Y., but after staying with Quaker St. and being part of their 58-12 team in the first year after the split he won B.o.t.Y. in 1871 with a .434 Average, 1.034 OPS, 83 RBI, and 4.6 WAR, all figures that led the Northeastern League while helping Quaker St. take the final Round Robin edition of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup.

After the best statistical season of his career, Alexander moved back to the highest level of baseball in 1872 by signing for Knickerbocker. He would never hit .400 again or win another B.o.t.Y., but over eight seasons in Manhattan he was consistently excellent, making four All-Star Games with batting & fielding skill that saw him end the 90-game seasons with at least 2.7 Batsman WAR and reach a high of 4.2. During that time he was also part of the Knick team that won Founders Cup VII. He then spent the final two years of his career in Pittsburgh with Alleghany, for whom he would make his final All-Star Game appearance in 1880 before a season-long slump in 1881 led Alexander to put his prolific bat on the rack at the age of 40.

Alexander’s career in summary:

TOP-LEVEL HONORS

• 1x Founders Cup winner (1878)
• 2x Batsman of the Year (NYL: 1864, 67)
• 11x All-Star (NBBO: 1864-67, 69-70; APBL: 1874-75, 77, 79-80)
• 5x Team of the Year (NBBO: 1864-65, 67, 70; APBL: 1875)
• 4x Golden Hands winner (NBBO: 1868, 70; NBBO: 1874)
• 3x .400 Hitter (NBBO: 1864, 67, 70)
• 3x Batting Champion (NYL: 1864-65, 70)

Cormack Alexander will be long talked about as one of the finest First Baseman ever to play the sport, with technical skill that had few peers and a career that began in unprecedented fashion.

[tm1681]

ANTHONY MASCHERINO RETIRES
GREATEST MIDDLE INFIELDER IN BASEBALL HISTORY ENDS CAREER AFTER QUARTER CENTURY

MANHATTAN, N.Y. (Sep. 21, 1881) - Anthony Mascherino, who became Green Mountain’s regular Shortstop as a teenager in the N.B.B.O.’s inaugural season to begin an incomparable career that lasted a quarter of a century, has decided to retire from baseball after 25 years of play at the highest level, shortly before turning 43.

Mascherino’s career began back in the N.B.B.O.’s inaugural season. A native of New Hampshire (Concord), Mascherino went to neighboring Vermont and joined Green Mountain for that very first season of play. Expected to be a backup Middle Infielder, instead Field Manager Dan Davis decided that Mascherino’s fielding ability was so prodigious that he should go straight into the lineup as an 18-year-old, even though his ability to make contact was rated just 4/10 and he was prone to swing & miss.

In the inaugural season, Mascherino struck out more often than any other Batsman in the N.E.L. but he still managed to hit .338 with slightly below average gap power. When factoring in the fielding ability that earned him the first of his record haul of Golden Hands awards, Mascherino finished 1857 as the N.E.L. leader in Batsman WAR. Not bad for a teenager.

The above was just the beginning of a career that spanned four decades and almost defies description. Mascherino would go on to spend eight seasons in Vermont with Green Mtn., and during that span he led the N.E.L. in Batsman WAR six times, including his record-setting mark of 6.7 in 1861 that still stands as the N.B.B.O.’s all-time high. Also, during that timeframe he won an N.E.L. Golden Hands award for his work at Shortstop every year, giving him eight Golden Hands awards before he turned 27. In addition, he was nominated to the N.E.L. Team of the Year six times.

When Mascherino opted to leave for a big club after the 1865 season every single notable club in the N.B.B.O. came calling. In the end he opted to stay in New England, signing for Bostonian club Shamrock. Over the next four years Mascherino would continue his brilliance, registering an Average as high as .345 in the toughest place to hit in the sport and putting up WAR figures ranging from 4.1 to 4.9 over the 70-game schedule.

However, even though he was one of two key players, along with James Burke, for the most dominant stretch in club history, Mascherino opted to leave Shamrock after the 1869 season and sign for Orange, which gave them a team featuring eight current or former All-Stars as the sport was ramping up to the creation of the first professional league. He was brilliant in his first season with Orange, earning his 12th straight All-Star Game nod before making the move to the A.P.B.L., and he spent the first five seasons of the league’s existence as a member of the club. He was a key part of the Orange team that beat upset American in Founders Cup IV, and after one more season that featured All-Star Game selection #15, he moved on.

Two days into 1876 Mascherino signed a record-setting contract with Knickerbocker, who convinced the soon-to-be 37-year-old to move to Second Base to give his career more longevity. The switch worked brilliantly, as it allowed Mascherino to remain highly influential both with his bat and in the field into his 40s. He was one of the leaders of the Knick teams that won three straight Metropolitan Conference titles, with Knick taking down St. John’s in six games to win Founders Cup VIII.

At the age of 40, in 1879 Mascherino hit .348 and won the last of his peerless FIFTEEN Golden Hands awards. That season would also see Mascherino make the last of his TWENTY All-Star Game appearances. In 1880 Mascherino’s Average fell below .300 for the first time since 1873, and in 1881 he hit a career-low .282 while posting a negative Zone Rating for the first time ever. It was the sudden drop in fielding ability that made Mascherino realize it was time to call for a stop to his playing days.

With Mascherino’s career having come to an end after a quarter of a century, here is a look at his unparalleled record:

• 3x Champion (NBBO: 1866; APBL: 1874, 78)
• 2x Most Valuable Player (NEL: 1860, 63)
• 20x All-Star (NEL: 1859-69; NYL: 1870; APBL: 1871-72, 74-79)
• 16x Team of the Year (NEL: 1859-63, 65-69; NYL: 1870; APBL: 1871-72, 75-77)
• 15x Golden Hands (NEL: 1857-66, 68; APBL: 1871-72, 78-79)
• 6x League leader in Batsman WAR (NEL: 1857-58, 60-63)

• Career leader in Games Played (1,953)
• Career leader in Doubles (502)
• Career leader in Zone Rating (+508.0; +23.4/90 G)
• Career leader in Batsman WAR (117.6; 5.4/90 G)
• 2nd in career Runs (1,949)
• 2nd in career Hits (2,836)
• 2nd in career Extra Base Hits (659)
• 2nd in career Runs Batted In (1,457)
• 2nd in career Win Prob. Added (83.6; 3.9/90 G)

When it comes to Middle Infielders, Anthony Mascherino is a man whose résumé simply has no equal. His career started with him being unexpectedly thrust into the Green Mountain lineup as a teenager in the N.B.B.O.’s very first season, and instead of wilting against older competitors he instantly became the most gifted fielder in the sport, a talent that then held up for the better part of 25 years.

Mascherino’s twenty career All-Star Game appearances and fifteen career Golden Hands awards are both all-time records, the latter a record that, on its face, should be impossible to either equal or surpass. His sixteen career Team of the Year nominations are an amount bettered only by Konrad Jensen’s eighteen. He retires as the sport’s all-time leader in a number of statistical categories and the career #2 in a handful of others. Still, Mascherino spent much of his career overlooked as he was only named his league’s Most Valuable Player twice.

Mascherino was also excellent in the postseason, aiding his team with bat and hand right up until the end of his career, batting .391 (9/23) with half a dozen RBI during Knickerbocker’s loss to St. John’s in Founders Cup X last year.

When James Burke & Konrad Jensen retire, then there will be Batsmen whose entire careers can be said to have equaled that of Anthony Mascherino. However, until then the career’s work of the greatest Middle Infielder ever to play the sport stands alone as the grandest monument to greatness.

[WooBallFan43]

Are you gonna move Bridgeport to the NBBO? If so, Gate City B.B.C. (Nashua, NH) could be a great replacement.