The Big Bang: A Larger Baseball Universe Starting From Nothing in 1857 - Page 17

tm1681 · 09-01-2024, 04:13 PM

ALLEGHANY WINS INLAND PLAYOFF IN A WALKOFF
.224 HITTER BROWN HITS GAME-WINNING SINGLE TO SEND TEAM TO 3RD STRAIGHT CUP APPEARANCE

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 6, 1867) – The three-way playoff to decide the Inland Championship is over, and Alleghany BC is going to the Tucker-Wheaton Cup for the third year in a row. Not that it was easy – it took until the very last batter to decide who would take the pennant.

The first playoff game took place in Wilkes-Barre (Penn.) the day before. Hosts Susquehanna started the game off well, enjoying a 6-3 lead after three innings. However, pitching & defense let them down in the middle of the contest, Pioneer took the lead, and the visitors were able to keep Susquehanna at arm’s length to win and advance:

Pioneer’s player of the game was corner outfielder Reardon Armstrong, who hit 3/5 with a double, two runs scored, and two batted in. However, their hero of the day was James Mullin, who relieved #1 pitcher Thomas Paddock to start the 4th inning after he picked up an injury and finished the game, allowing seven hits and two runs over six innings of relief duty.

Susquehanna #1 Elmer Seabold (23-18, 3.43, 113 K, 6.4 WAR) had a disappointing outing at the worst time, allowing eight runs (4 ER) on ten hits before exiting the contest after five innings.

The loss means Susquehanna has now finished in the top three of Inland five times in eleven seasons without winning it.

Pioneer then played at Alleghany to decide the Inland Champion, and the game went down to the very last batter:

This was a close contest the entire way. It was 5-5 after three innings, 6-6 after the top of the 7th, and 7-7 after the bottom of the 8th.

The last three innings were full of drama. With the score 6-5 to Alleghany, Pioneer came to bat in the top of the 7th and tied the game via a sacrifice fly by 3B John Edmonson. After Alleghany was sent down in order, Pioneer took the lead in the top of the 8th on a single by 1B William Farrell. The hosts were able to better their 7th inning performance, evening the score at 7-7 with a single by PH Wilbert Schrader in the bottom of the 8th to set up a very tense final inning.

Thanks to a Reardon Armstrong double and an error by the Alleghany 2B, Pioneer had runners on second & third base with two out in the top of the 9th. 2B Michael Joyce could only ground out to leave Pioneer scoreless, the game still level at 7-7.

In the bottom of the 9th inning Alleghany’s first two batsmen – OF Royal Altman & PH Robert Kubel – were retired via fly ball outs. 1B Walter Anderson then doubled and OF Harmon Melville was hit by a pitch to put runners on first & second base with two out. Extra innings still looked likely as the man who came up to bat was SS Ed Brown, a defensive specialist who started the afternoon batting .224 (.586 OPS) for the season after having started all 70 games. On the first pitch, Brown hit a single between SS & 3B and Anderson beat the LF’s throw home to win the game and make Alleghany the Inland champions for the third year running.

It was a tragic end for Pioneer, who were an inning and a half from taking their first Inland pennant after having finished in last place with a 25-45 record the previous season.

tm1681 · 09-01-2024, 04:14 PM

ALTMAN NEW KING OF SWING AS 1867 SEES HISTORIC PERFORMANCES
ALLEGHANY STAR SETS FIVE RECORDS; NUMEROUS OTHER RECORDS FALL; CREIGHTON WINS BATTING TITLE

NORTHEASTERN U.S.A. (Aug. 7, 1867) – Now that the Inland Championship Playoff has been completed the 1867 National Base Ball Organization season is over, and with the end of the season numerous records have officially fallen.

First up is Alleghany’s superstar corner outfielder Royal Altman, who over his three NBBO seasons has gone from .345 hitter to .400 hitter to record-breaking hitter. Altman set five NBBO records during the 1867 season:

• Batting Average: .445 (previous: Cormack Alexander w/ .430 in 1864)
• Slugging Percentage: .606 (previous: .595 by Royal Altman in 1866)
• On-base + Slugging: 1.079 (previous: 1.038 by Arvi Hamalainen in 1862)
• Hits: 141 (previous: 138 by Cormack Alexander in 1864)
• Win Prob. Added: 6.75 (previous: 6.08 by Walter Dudley in 1864)

Altman was not the only Alleghany batsman to make history. Samuel Kessler set three records of his own in 1867:

• Total Bases: 199 (previous: 185 by Royal Altman in 1866)
• Doubles: 37 (previous: 35 by Jerald Peterson in 1866)
• Extra-base Hits: 51 (previous: 43 by Albert Jones in 1858)

Elsewhere in the Northeastern League, St. John’s center fielder William Johnson, the leadoff hitter in the team’s record-breaking offense, tied former teammate Anderson MacGyver’s record with 106 runs scored while having a career-best season.

One other Northeastern League batsman broke a record, and it was a bit of an oddity due to the Inland Championship playoff. Because Pioneer played two extra games in an effort to make the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, 5x All-Star Declan Brice became the first player in NBBO history to play in 72 games in a season.

Among the pitchers of the NBBO, numerous records were also set. Pioneer’s Thomas Paddock set a new record for games pitched in during a season with 48, Granite’s Howard Riggs set a new record for games started in a season with 44, and Shamrock’s Tom Ricks set a new record for complete games pitched in a season with 33.

There was one other pitcher who set a record during 1867, and of course it was Jim Creighton. His 361.2 innings pitched set a new standard, and that was not the only history he made.

In addition to his usual pitching excellence, Creighton became the first NBBO pitcher to win his league's Batting Title, occasionally starting at first base when he was out of the Pitcher’s Area and batting .416 with a 1.030 OPS over 58 games, both marks leading the New York League. Creighton’s 1867 was the first season in which a player could credibly lay claim to being both the best pitcher and batsman in one league in the same season.

In real life, Jim Creighton was regarded as extremely skilled with the bat in addition to his legendary reputation as a pitcher. From https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jim-creighton/:

“But the best was to be saved for last. After another championship campaign in 1861, Creighton went through the 1862 season as not only the game’s peerless pitcher but also its top batsman, being retired only four times, either in plate appearances or on the basepaths.”

Given the above, a season where he was the best pitcher and hitter in a league in an OOTP setting is most definitely possible. He apparently first started showing significant ability with both arm and bat when he was just sixteen years old as a cricket player in Brooklyn. That fact that he was already a legend when he died at age 21 is evidence of his talent.

Teams also set records this season. Both Knickerbocker and St. John’s broke the existing record for runs scored in a season, with Knickerbocker scoring 672 runs (9.6 R/G) and St. John’s barely besting them with 676 (9.7 R/G). Knickerbocker’s run-scoring exploits, while not as extraordinary as those of St. John’s, did allow them to break the 1859 St. John’s team’s record for Run Differential in a season with a final RD of +259 (+3.7 R/G), fourteen runs better than the St. John’s team of eight years ago. Alleghany set a new record for extra-base hits in a season with 223 (172 2B, 40 3B, 11 HR), and St. John’s broke its own record for bases on balls taken in a season with 229.

Also, Shamrock nearly broke the 1865 Knickerbocker team’s record for runs allowed in a season, coming three runs short at 320 (4.6 RA/G). They had the NBBO’s #1 defense in all four main factors – Errors, Fielding Percentage, Efficiency, and Zone Rating – for the second season in a row.

It was quite a season when it came to history-making performances in the NBBO. Hopefully the upcoming Tucker-Wheaton Cup will feature more of the same.

tm1681 · 09-01-2024, 04:14 PM

THE 1867 CUP FIELD IS SET
FIELD IS A REPEAT OF LAST YEAR; KNICKERBOCKER IS THE ONLY 50-WIN TEAM

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 6, 1866) – It took extra games, but the NBBO season is over and the six-team field for the Tucker-Wheaton Cup is set in place. Even though the top teams were not as dominant as they were last season – there is only one 50-win team this year instead of three – the cup field is an exact repeat of last season, the first such occurrence.

BROOKLYN – Excelsior was one game ahead of the much-improved Kings County at the halfway mark, and that was how things stayed until the end. With their lead at one game going into the final day of play, Excelsior responded to K.C.’s 11-9 win at Bedford with an 11-6 win at Nassau County to clinch their fourth Brooklyn pennant in five years.

NEW YORK CITY – Knickerbocker was the NBBO’s only 50-win team – 28-7 in the first half and 26-9 in the second half for a 54-16 record. They were clear in first place by eight games at the halfway mark, and at season’s end they had won the New York City Championship by a record seventeen games with a record-setting Run Differential of +259.

UPSTATE NY – Syracuse was always just far enough in front of their upstate rivals to be comfortable. They were five games clear after Week Seven on June 17th, five games clear on July 17th, and seven games clear going into the final week of play. They ended up winning Upstate by four games due to some struggles during their final series.

COASTAL – It was clear from early in the season that Coastal would be a two-horse race between Shamrock & American, but American simply could not keep pace with the defending champions. American was behind by just one game at the midseason point but the deficit was six games one month later, and that six-game gap was the final margin.

INLAND – Inland was the tightest regional competition in NBBO history. Alleghany, Lake Erie, Pioneer, & Susquehanna were separated by all of one game going into the final week. Only Lake Erie was knocked out of contention over the last five games, with a three-way playoff deciding the champion. After Pioneer won at Susquehanna in the first game of the playoff, a walk-off single by light-hitting Ed Brown against Pioneer sent Alleghany to the cup for the third year in a row.

NEW ENGLAND – Once again, St. John’s and their machine-like offense (9.7 R/G) was too much for everyone else, most notably Sons of the Ocean. The gap between St. John’s and S.o.t.O. was four games at the midway point of the season, and it had grown to eight games one month later before St. John’s coasted to another New England title by five.

This is the first time that the roster of teams taking part in the postseason is an exact repeat of the previous year. However, only Knickerbocker comes into the Tucker-Wheaton Cup with a better record than they had last year. The other five teams won anywhere from four to nine fewer games than they did in 1866.

THE 1867 TUCKER-WHEATON CUP

FORMAT: Each team plays all others twice, once home and once away, for a total of ten games. The team with the best record wins the cup. A one-game playoff will be held at Washington Park in Brooklyn if there is a tie for 1st place. Head-to-Head record and Run Differential will be used as tiebreakers to determine other positions in the case of identical record.

TEAMS: The six entrants to the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, sorted by record & run differential.

• Knickerbocker (NYC) – 54-16 (+259 RD)
• Shamrock (Coastal) – 49-21 (+210 RD)
• St. John’s (N. England) – 48-22 (+197 RD)
• Excelsior (Brooklyn) – 42-28 (+99 RD)
• Syracuse (Upstate) – 42-28 (+47 RD)
• Alleghany (Inland) – 41-30 (+110 RD)

SCHEDULE: The tournament is twelve days in length, teams receiving Monday & Tuesday off as they do during the season.

• Aug. 7: Syracuse at Excelsior, Alleghany at Shamrock, Knickerbocker at St. John’s
• Aug. 8: Alleghany at Syracuse, St. John’s at Excelsior, Knickerbocker at Shamrock
• Aug. 9: Excelsior at Syracuse, Shamrock at Alleghany, St. John’s at Knickerbocker
• Aug. 10: Syracuse at St. John’s, Knickerbocker at Alleghany, Excelsior at Shamrock
• Aug. 11: Shamrock at Syracuse, St. John’s at Alleghany, Knickerbocker at Excelsior
• Aug. 12: DAY OFF
• Aug. 13: DAY OFF
• Aug. 14: Syracuse at Shamrock, Alleghany at St. John’s, Excelsior at Knickerbocker
• Aug. 15: Syracuse at Knickerbocker, Shamrock at St. John’s, Excelsior at Alleghany
• Aug. 16: Syracuse at Alleghany, Excelsior at St. John’s, Shamrock at Knickerbocker
• Aug. 17: St. John’s at Syracuse, Alleghany at Knickerbocker, Shamrock at Excelsior
• Aug. 18: Knickerbocker at Syracuse, Alleghany at Excelsior, St. John’s at Shamrock

The Writers Pool has been asked their collective opinion of what they expect from this year’s cup competition, and they have the teams in the following order:

• #1: Knickerbocker (54-16, 26-9 2nd half, 8-2 last 10, 1 cup win, #1 in NBBO history with +259 RD)
• #2: Shamrock (49-21, 25-10 2nd half, 7-3 last 10, 2 cup wins, #2 in NBBO history with 4.6 RA/G)
• #3: St. John’s (48-22, 23-12 2nd half, 6-4 last 10, 4 cup wins, #1 in NBBO history with 9.7 R/G)
• #4: Excelsior (42-28, 18-17 2nd half, 4-6 last 10, 23-12 away from home in 1867)
• #5: Alleghany (41-30, 19-17 2nd half, 5-5 last 10, needed extra games to make postseason)
• #6: Syracuse (42-28, 19-16 2nd half, 6-4 last 10, lost last 3 games, Pyth. W-L was 38-32)

tm1681 · 09-02-2024, 03:54 PM

TWC XI: DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 7-18, 1867) – After an 1866 season in which the best teams in the sport were utterly dominant, 1867 saw the NBBO’s best come back to the pack a bit. There was only one 50-win team, only two teams won their regional championship by more than five games, and for the first time one region needed a playoff to determine a champion.

Still, in spite of the more competitive nature of the 1867 season the six teams to earn entry into the Tucker-Wheaton Cup were the same six that competed last year, and five of them looked much the same:

• Alleghany had the most talented lineup front end ever (Waltrip, Kessler, & Altman) and enough elsewhere to get by.
• Excelsior was a band of acceptable players, jobbers, & misfits carried to the pennant by Jim Creighton.
• Shamrock brought historically great pitching & defense, and a park that complemented their strengths.
• Syracuse was a good team that became extraordinary in close games (15-7 1-Run, 5-2 X-Inn).
• St. John’s had a 600-run offense and a group of batsmen who could harass pitchers and steal bases at will.

The only cup team that looked noticeably different was Knickerbocker. Their teams of the previous two seasons had made the cup thanks to pitching & defense, which set multiple NBBO records in 1865. This season, Knickerbocker set the NYL record for runs, and they also led the league in AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, 2B, 3B, XBH, BB, & Batting WAR while setting the NBBO record for Run Differential. Not only that, but the Knickerbocker attack did so while playing its home games in the best Pitcher’s Park in the NBBO not located in Boston. Knickerbocker was a terrifying cup-winner in 1865, but this season they were terrifying in a completely different way.

There were also some new wrinkles the teams would have to contend with. Alleghany’s Royal Altman had raised his performance to a new level, setting a handful of NBBO records during the season. Jim Creighton had his best season yet, adding a Batting Title to a 27-15 record, 2.46 ERA, and his third straight season with 100+ strikeouts. Shamrock had famed newcomer James Burke, who hit over .390 with 60+ RBI, 50+ steals, and 3.5 WAR in his maiden NBBO season. St. John’s switched second baseman after midseason, and new 2B Cathan Morgan hit .376 with an OPS over .900 in 22 starts.

It was time for the cup competition to commence. Would the six repeat entrants give fans a repeat result? Or would there be a new order and a new champion?

tm1681 · 09-02-2024, 03:55 PM

GAMEDAY ONE (Wed. August 7th)

SYR 4-5 EXC (10 Inn.) – SS Henry Neal (SYR): 4/4, 3 2B, R, 2 RBI
KNI 12-6 STJ – OF Hugh Harris (KNI): 4/6, 2B, 2 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI
ALL 2-3 SHA (12 Inn.) – P Tom Ricks (SHA): CG (12.0 IP), 5 HA, 2 R/1 ER, 1 BB/2 K

For seven innings Jim Creighton held Syracuse off the scoreboard, but the visitors broke through in the 8th and then scored three times in the 9th to erase a 4-0 deficit – Henry Neal’s third double of the afternoon tying the game. After Creighton held Syracuse scoreless in the 10th, an error allowed John Withers to score the winning run for Excelsior in the cup opener.

Knickerbocker opened the cup with a statement win in Providence over St. John’s. By the middle of the 7th they were ahead 12-3, and from there it was just a matter of finishing things up. Harris was their key batsman, but four other Knick players including pitcher Peadar Daly had multiple hits against the St. John’s pitching.

Alleghany at Shamrock was the first twelve-inning game in cup history. It looked like Shamrock would wrap up the win in the standard nine, but light-hitting Inland playoff hero Ed Brown came up big again and hit a game-tying double to force extra frames. From there, it was not until the bottom of the 12th, when substitute 2B George Coffman singled in Walter Williams, that the game was decided.

GAMEDAY TWO (Thurs. August 8th)

STJ 16-3 EXC – OF Nelson Townsend (STJ): 3/5, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI
KNI 10-3 SHA – OF Albert Jones (KNI): 3/4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI
ALL 3-2 SYR – P Fred Richards (ALL): CG, 4 HA, 2 R/1 ER, 2 BB/1 K

Jim Creighton had to give up the ball for Game Two, and the result was a drubbing of Excelsior by St. John’s. Excelsior scored the first two runs, but by the end of the 6th the score was 13-3. The St. John’s outfield trio of Townsend, Johnson, & Jensen combined to bat 9/16 with seven runs, six RBI, and three steals.

Knickerbocker tallied statement win #2 with a seven-run win at Shamrock on the second day of the cup. 11-year Knick veteran Jones was their key player, but Hugh Harris & Kenneth Harvey also had three hits while Jerald Peterson had three RBI. Knick #2 Grover Anderson had an easy game, allowing ten hits and a pair of Earned Runs.

Syracuse, once again the NBBO’s best team in close games during the season, followed up their one-run loss to open the cup with another one to Alleghany. The 6th inning made all the difference, with Alleghany scoring three runs on a wild pitch, an Arran Duffy double, and a Walter Anderson single.

Just like last year, Knickerbocker was the only 2-0 team after Gameday Two, Syracuse was the only 0-2 team, and everybody else was 1-1.

GAMEDAY THREE (August 9th)

STJ 5-10 KNI – 3B Jerald Peterson (KNI): 5/5, 2 2B, 2 R, 5 RBI, SB
EXC 5-10 SYR – SS Henry Neal (SYR): 2/3, 2 2B, 1 R, 5 RBI
SHA 4-3 ALL – P Tom Ricks (SHA): CG, 8 HA, 3 R/0 ER, 3 BB/0 K, GW HIT

Knickerbocker’s first home game of the cup was a five-run victory over St. John’s, the closest of the three games they have played so far. The score was 5-5 after six innings, but the fearsome Knick attack took control over the 7th & 8th while Jerald Peterson had a fantastic day with the bat. Peadar Daly earned his second win of the cup.

Syracuse pulled off a stunner for their first win of the cup. In the bottom of the 3rd the Excelsior defense committed five errors behind Jim Creighton, leading to a seven-run inning and an 8-4 lead that the hosts would never relinquish. Creighton would allow just one Earned Run due to the defensive woes, while Henry Neal’s three-run double in the 3rd sealed the win.

Shamrock made it two one-run victories over Alleghany in three days with their result in Pittsburgh. Tom Ricks was the difference in the game. Not only did he pitch another brilliant complete game, but Ricks was also responsible for the game-winning hit when he singled in Jerrick Stoner during the top of the 7th to put Shamrock ahead 4-3.

There were no more winless teams after Gameday Three, but Knickerbocker was still undefeated.

GAMEDAY FOUR (August 10th)

EXC 6-4 SHA – P Jim Creighton (EXC): CG, 8 HA, 4 R/1 ER, 2 BB/4 K
KNI 11-7 ALL – OF Hugh Harris (KNI): 4/5, 2 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, SB
SYR 8-5 STJ – 3B James McNeil (SYR): 3/5, R, 2 RBI

Jim Creighton more than made up for the previous day’s disaster at Syracuse with an outstanding Complete Game victory at Shamrock. Excelsior scored four runs in the 4th on a trio of singles and a Benjamin Lovette triple, and from there they added runs in the 5th & 8th to earn the win. No single Excelsior player had more than one hit, run, or RBI.

Knickerbocker continued their run of double-digit scoring in Pittsburgh. The game was effectively over after the early innings, with the visitors having scored three times in the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd to take a 9-2 lead. Harris put in another PotG performance, and Edward Huntley was 3/5 with a triple to bring his cup average up to .421.

Syracuse hit St. John’s with a real shock to end Gameday Four. The visitors from Upstate NY raced out to a 5-1 lead after the 3rd, and from there St. John’s was unable to catch up even though they collected fourteen hits on the afternoon. Syracuse’s defense committed just two errors and P Eddie Morse walked one batter, keeping extra baserunners to a minimum.

GAMEDAY FIVE (August 11th)

KNI 10-1 EXC – OF Hugh Harris (KNI): 2/5, 2B, R, 4 RBI, SB
SHA 9-4 SYR – OF James Burke (SHA): 3/5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, SB
STJ 2-6 ALL – P Fred Richards (ALL): CG, 3 HA, 2 R/1 ER, 0 BB/0 K

Knickerbocker was up against Excelsior’s #2 pitcher at Carroll Park, and not surprisingly the result was a nine-run margin of victory. Harris put in his third PotG performance in five games, Kenneth Harvey was 3/5 with a pair of runs & an RBI, and the combo of Paul LaGuerre & Jerald Peterson was each 2/5 with a run & RBI.

Shamrock won the game at Syracuse in the middle innings. Ahead 2-1 after the 3rd, the Bostonians scored four times during the 4th-6th to take a 6-2 lead. The six runs were more than enough, but they tacked on three late runs for good measure. Burke’s PotG performance brought his cup average up to .435 with four RBI.

Alleghany moved back into the win column thanks to an outstanding effort from #1 Fred Richards, who allowed all of three hits against St. John’s and its record-breaking offense. The home team scored three times in the bottom of the 2nd, and due to Richards’ dominance the game turned out to be an easy outing from then on.

The standings after Gameday Five of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup were as follows:

Code:

TEAM			W	L	 R	RA	 RD
KNICKERBOCKER	        5	0	53	22	+31
SHAMROCK		3	2	23	25	 -2
SYRACUSE		2	3	28	27	 +1
ALLEGHANY		2	3	21	22	 -1
EXCELSIOR		2	3	20	44	-24
ST. JOHN’S		1	4	34	39	 -5

Through five days, the Tucker-Wheaton Cup was looking like a Knickerbocker coronation. They had scored ten or more runs in all five games, their closest contest was a four-run victory at Alleghany on Gameday Four, and the best Run Differential aside from their incredible +31 (+6.2 R/G) was Syracuse’s +1.

Still, the biggest surprise of the competition just might have been St. John’s. Never had they been in last place in the cup’s Round Robin era halfway through the competition or later, and here they were at 1-4 and fresh off a three-hit performance in a loss at Alleghany. Their mighty offense was disappearing, and there was no good explanation for it.

If the standings after Gameday Five were going to see switches over the rest of the competition, something was going to have to change drastically. What Knickerbocker’s five rivals had going for them was that there were two days off to regroup.

tm1681 · 09-02-2024, 03:56 PM

GAMEDAY SIX (August 14th)

SYR 8-14 SHA – SS Anthony Mascherino (SHA): 3/5, 2 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI
ALL 7-11 STJ – 1B Collin Henderson (STJ): 3/5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
EXC 3-4 KNI – 3B Jerald Peterson (KNI): 2/4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, SB, GW RUN

Shamrock improved to 4-2 with a six-run win over Syracuse at the South End Grounds. Three Shamrock batsmen had three hits: Mascherino, James Burke, & Walter Williams. The key inning was the 4th, in which Shamrock scored six times on four different run-scoring hits to take an 8-4 lead. Six runs over the next three innings, and Shamrock had the win in the bag.

The St. John’s offense was back on track in their win over Alleghany. The hosts had a 6-1 lead after the 2nd but gave it back when Alleghany scored five times in the top of the 6th. St. John’s then scored five more runs in the bottom of the 7th – PH John Baddley’s two-run double the key hit – to secure the result.

Knickerbocker was finally held below ten runs on Gameday Six, but the result was another win as Jim Creighton’s valiant effort was not enough in the Elysian Fields. The score was 3-3 going into the bottom of the 9th when Knickerbocker began the inning with a pair of singles off Creighton, and after a sac bunt PH Fred Carter singled Peterson in to win the game.

The results of Gameday Six meant Knickerbocker was in first place by two games.

GAMEDAY SEVEN (August 15th)

SYR 1-3 KNI – P Grover Anderson (KNI): CG, 7 HA, 1 R/ER, 0 BB/1 K, 1/3
SHA 4-7 STJ – OF Nelson Townsend (STJ): 2/5, 2 R, 3 SB
EXC 12-2 ALL – SS John Withers (EXC): 3/5, 2 2B, R, 5 RBI

Once again Knickerbocker was held on the low end of the scoring scale, but once again the result was another Knickerbocker win. Single runs in the 1st, 3rd, & 6th were enough as #2 pitcher Grover Anderson put in a brilliant effort and the defense behind him committed a single fielding miscue over the course of the game.

The St. John’s offense was not at its best, but it was good enough to earn another win. A three-run rally in the 4th inning put the hosts up 5-2, with Thomas DiMola’s two-run triple effectively guaranteeing the win. St. John’s baserunners terrorized the Shamrock battery, stealing seven bases without being caught.

Alleghany took an ugly home loss on Gameday Seven, considering they were facing Excelsior #2 pitcher Lonny Cochrane. Their visitors scored in each of the first six innings, and Alleghany failed to score until the bottom of the 9th. Excelsior totaled 20 hits, with Felix Brand, Jim Creighton, Benjamin Lovette, Archie Mask & John Withers all having three or more.

The results of Gameday Seven eliminated Alleghany, Excelsior, St. John’s, & Syracuse. There were two teams left in contention for the cup: the previous two champions.

Code:

TEAM			W	L	 R	RA	 RD
KNICKERBOCKER	        7	0	60	26	+34
SHAMROCK		4	3	41	40	 +1

Knickerbocker & Shamrock were opening Gameday Eight at the Elysian Fields. With a win, Knickerbocker would be cup champions for the second time in three years.

GAMEDAY EIGHT (August 16th)

SHA 21-13 KNI – SS Anthony Mascherino (SHA): 4/6, 3 2B, 3 R, 5 RBI, SB
EXC 5-7 STJ – P William Tighe (STJ): CG, 12 HA, 5 R/4 ER, 2 BB/0 K, 2/3, 3B, 2 R, 1 RBI
SYR 3-11 ALL – 1B Edgar Drury (ALL): 3/4, 3B, R, 4 RBI

Their backs to the wall, defending champions Shamrock pummeled Knickerbocker in a crazy contest that saw the teams combine for 34 runs and 41 hits. Mascherino led the way, but Luther Tatum was 4/5, James Burke was 3/5, and William Gillette was 3/6 while Walter Williams stole three bases. The Knickerbocker celebrations would have to wait.

St. John’s punished a poor defensive effort by Excelsior, whose seven errors contributed heavily to the home team’s fortunes in Providence. Jim Creighton was in good form, and his team’s fielding issues meant only one of seven runs he allowed was an Earned Run. William Tighe’s pitching was not perfect, but he more than made up for it with the bat.

Edgar Drury had to enter for an injured Harmon Melville to start the 4th inning, and he was the main reason why Alleghany ran away from Syracuse. While the home side blew the game open during the middle innings, Drury hit a two-run sin-gle and a two-run triple. By the time the 6th was over it was 8-3 to Alleghany and the win was theirs.

The two teams left in contention for the cup after Gameday Eight:

Code:

TEAM			W	L	 R	RA	 RD
KNICKERBOCKER	        7	1	73	47	+26
SHAMROCK		5	3	62	53	 +9

Knickerbocker would be at home against Alleghany, and Shamrock would play at Excelsior on Gameday Nine.

GAMEDAY NINE (August 17th)

STJ 8-10 SYR – SS Henry Neal (SYR): 3/5, 2 2B, R, 4 RBI
SHA 9-5 EXC – CF Walter Williams (SHA): 3/5, 2B, 3B, R, 2 RBI, SB
ALL 5-11 KNI – 3B Jerald Peterson (KNI): 2/5, 3B, 4 R, RBI, SB

Syracuse had a BIG start against St. John’s: eight runs over the first two innings. However, poor pitching allowed their lead to slip away and the game was 8-8 at the end of the 6th. Syracuse redeemed themselves with a one-run single by James McNeil in the 7th and another one by cup star Henry Neal in the 8th to take the victory.

Shamrock needed to win against Excelsior and their #2 pitcher to stay in contention with hopes to force a playoff for the cup, and they got the result they needed thanks to six runs in the fourth followed by three in the fifth. Shamrock was a bit lucky in victory as they committed a very uncharacteristic eight fielding errors, but Excelsior failed to take advantage.

A win would give Knickerbocker the cup, and they took care of business against Alleghany. The visitors scored early – five runs over the first three innings – but Knickerbocker put multiple crooked figures on the scoreboard and were ahead 10-5 after the 6th. Grover Anderson held Alleghany scoreless from there, and that meant the cup was going back to Manhattan.

The top two after Gameday Nine:

Code:

TEAM			W	L	 R	RA	 RD
KNICKERBOCKER	        8	1	84	52	+32
SHAMROCK		6	3	71	58	+13

Gameday Ten would be a celebration day for Knickerbocker, and the end of the line for everybody else.

GAMEDAY TEN (August 17th)

ALL 5-7 EXC – P Jim Creighton (EXC): CG, 7 H, 5 R/0 ER, 0 BB/3 K, 2/4, 2B, R
STJ 11-8 SHA – 1B Collin Henderson (STJ): 2/4, 3 R, RBI, BB
KNI 17-6 SYR – SS Edward Huntley (KNI): 5/7, 2 2B, 3B, 3 R, 7 RBI, SB

Jim Creighton and Excelsior ended the cup in fine form, leaping forth to a 7-1 lead over Alleghany after three innings. From there Creighton carried the win and a 4-6 finish home, putting in another great all-around performance. It was the end of a frustrating TWC for Alleghany, whose feared 1-2-3 batsmen were nowhere near as proficient as they were during the season.

St. John’s got the best of Shamrock in an exciting affair in Boston. Shamrock scored twice in the bottom of the 7th on run-scoring singles to take an 8-5 lead, but St. John’s roared back with six runs in the top of the 8th on five separate run-scoring singles to go ahead 11-8 and take the final battle of the NEL’s two best teams.

As they did in 1865, Knickerbocker ended their championship cup run by thrashing the Upstate Champions. It was not quite the 19-1 home mauling of Minuteman from two years ago, but the 17-6 win at Syracuse was almost as impressive. Edward Huntley was fantastic, three other Knick batsmen recorded three hits, – Hugh Harris, Albert Jones, & Paul LaGuerre – and the Tucker-Wheaton Cup was presented to the team after the end of the game at the Salina Street Grounds.

tm1681 · 09-02-2024, 03:59 PM

1867 TUCKER WHEATON CUP STANDINGS

Code:

TEAM			W	L	 R	RA	 RD
KNICKERBOCKER	        9	1      101	58	+43
SHAMROCK		6	4	79	69	+10
ST. JOHN’S		5	5	78	73	 +5
EXCELSIOR		4	6	52	71	-19
ALLEGHANY*		3	7	51	66	-15
SYRACUSE		3	7	56	80	-24

*Alleghany was 2-0 v Syracuse

MVP: SS Edward Huntley (KNI) – .444 (20/45), 1.245 OPS, 4 2B, 5 3B, 14 R, 13 RBI, 4 BB/0 K, 5 SB
1x PotG, 212 WRC+, 240 OPS+, 0.5 WPA, 0.8 WAR in 10 Games

The TWC went exactly as the Writers Pool had predicted it, and it was a mirror of the regular season. The only fifty-win team and the team that set the new record for Run Differential, Knickerbocker, equaled the mark for best Round Robin finish by going 9-1 and they set a new record for Run Differential in the TWC with +43. The teams that were clearly second and third-best in the NBBO – Shamrock & St. John’s – finished in second and third place. The other three regional champions were clearly not able to keep up, just as their regular season records showed they were a step below the NBBO’s top three.

Knickerbocker was a machine during the TWC. Five members of the lineup hit over .300, five scored 10+ runs, and five had 10+ RBI. Hugh Harris scored no less than eighteen times, and Paul LaGuerre drove in fourteen runs while being the fourth-best batsman in his own team. Huntley was amazing, and the pitching of Peadar Daly & Grover Anderson was excellent. The most dominant team in NBBO history was the most dominant cup team in NBBO history.

Shamrock tried their best to keep up with Knickerbocker and defend their NBBO title, but they fell short. James Burke (19/45, 9 R, 8 RBI, 8 SB) was great in his first postseason action, Jerrick Stoner hit .400, and Anthony Mascherino drove in ten runs. However, they were undone by poor defense in losses, and Thomas Smith was 1-4 with an ERA of 6.63.

St. John’s had an extremely difficult cup run. After starting with two games versus Knickerbocker in three days their offensive juggernaut collapsed, and they were 1-4 after Gameday Five. The team rebounded well over the second half of the competition, but it was too late. St. John’s famed outfield trio all played quite well, but the rest of their lineup struggled.

Excelsior was, once again, a one-man gang. Jim Creighton pitched 47.1 innings over six games and had a 1.90 ERA. He was also 11/33 with the bat (.947 OPS) and scored ten runs. He was the only Excelsior player with more than 20 at-bats to hit over .300, and other Excelsior pitchers had a collective ERA over 5.00.

Alleghany came into the cup with the most talented 1-2-3 batsmen in the sport. During the cup, those three combined to bat .212 (27/127) with just seven RBI. Royal Altman did score eleven runs, but none of the three were anything close to the regular season versions of themselves. That meant decent pitching by Fred Richards and John Henry went to waste.

Once again, Syracuse’s tendency to eke out close results during the season was foreshadowing for a poor postseason. They did have one star player in Henry Neal (17/42, 8 R, 9 2B, 13 RBI), but six of eight regular batsmen hit below .250 and All-Star #1 Carl Bancroft was 1-4 with an ERA of nearly 4.96.

Edward Huntley did not have the most PotG performances in his own team during the cup – Hugh Harris and Jerald Peterson had three each – but in the end he was their best player, and the best player any of the six teams had during the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. His .444 average and 1.245 OPS were better than any other batsman, and his five triples in ten games were simply ridiculous. Add in fourteen runs, thirteen RBI, and Golden Glove level defense for the team that won the cup, and it is fairly elementary to see why Huntley was named Tucker-Wheaton Cup MVP.

The only other players that came close to Huntley’s output were fellow Knickerbocker batsmen:

• 3B Jerald Peterson: .409 (18/44), 1.063 OPS, 5 2B, 2 3B, 14 R, 13 RBI, 4 BB/1 K, 5 SB, 0.9 WPA, 0.6 WAR
• OF Hugh Harris: .431 (22/51), 1.070 OPS, 7 2B, 2 3B, 18 R, 12 RBI, 0 BB/1 K, 6 SB, 0.7 WPA, 0.6 WAR
• 1B Paul LaGuerre: .386 (17/44), .958 OPS, 7 2B, 1 3B, 8 R, 14 RBI, 0 BB/0 K, 0 SB, 0.7 WPA, 0.3 WAR

What separated Huntley from his three teammates was his outstanding defense.

tm1681 · 09-04-2024, 07:41 PM

1867 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION REVIEW

WRITERS POOL OBSERVATIONS

Offensive output was notably higher in 1867. Average & OPS were up roughly 10 & 20 points respectively in the New York League, and in the Northeastern League both marks increased by 10 & 25. Run production in both leagues was up by about 0.3 runs per game. One particular oddity: triples increased 17% in the NEL.

Even though the Tucker-Wheaton Cup featured the same six teams as last year, the 1867 season was more competitive than the previous season was. Only one team won 50+ games – there were three 50-game winners in 1866 – and no teams lost more than two-thirds of their games, as opposed to three the year before.

St. John’s set a new record for runs with an offense that crushed its own record for walks taken in a season, and also led the NEL in stolen bases for the tenth time. Nelson Townsend’s .440 was somehow the worst on-base mark of their famed outfield trio, and with reliable 1B Collin Henderson batting behind them in the lineup it amounted to easy runs.

That Knickerbocker led the NYL in nearly every notable offensive category while playing home games in the league’s most pitcher-friendly park is almost impossible to believe. Had they played in any other park than the Elysian Fields they would have become the first team to break the 10.0 runs per game barrier (they finished with 9.6 R/G).

Alleghany has a problem. For all the history the front three members of their lineup made, the other five batsmen were all below average hitters. If Royal Altman and Samuel Kessler hadn’t both set multiple records the team would not have been part of the tie atop the Inland standings at the end of the season.

Syracuse has been lucky two years in a row. They were 15-7 in one-run games and 5-2 in extra innings, again both marks the best in the NBBO. To compare, champs Knickerbocker were 8-6 & 1-3 respectively. That has been able to get Syracuse past their Upstate competition, but in cup play it has exposed them as an inferior squad to the best the NBBO has to offer.

Kings County had a twelve-win improvement from their last-place finish, and things look great going forward. They were 41-29 even though the centerpiece of their recruitment, 2x All-Star James Hoyt, only hit .302 with an OPS of .730 (.831 career OPS). If they can bring in another good P and Hoyt is back to form next year, 1st place looks likely.

The Pioneer story was wonderful: a sixteen-win improvement and they were so close to making the cup finals. It’s a mystery how they brought in a 5x All-Star like Declan Brice but they did, and their newcomers – OF Reardon Armstrong, 3B Lionel Gray, & SS Frank Thomas – were all positive contributors. Armstrong in particular (3.3 WAR) was great.

Harlem was one of the weirdest teams ever. They were in the bottom third of the NYL in nearly every major offensive category: Runs, AVG, OBP, SLG, & OPS. However, they struck out 25 times the entire season, easily breaking the previous record for hardest team to strike out. One player, CF Harold Severson, didn’t strike out once in 331 plate appearances.

Flour City may be a team to watch next year. They were 12-3 over the last three weeks of the season, with a number of young players showing dramatically improved play, particularly that of previously disappointing 2B Mitchell Schwartz.

James Burke was everything that was advertised in his first year with Shamrock: technical batting, patience, power, speed, and ability in the field. He had an OPS near 1.000 and a WAR of 3.5. It seems odd that he beat out a .422 hitter like Gerhardt Berg for Newcomer of the Year, but Burke managed to play even better in the Tucker-Wheaton Cup.

The discussion about whether or not to give Royal Altman both Batsman of the Year & MVP was the easiest one ever. In addition to all the batting records he set, Altman broke the WPA record on a team that went 41-29. The NYL discussion was tougher, as Jim Creighton led in AVG, OBP, & OPS but only started 58 games between P & 1B. .400 hitter Cormack Alexander played in all 70, so he took BotY while Creighton took a richly deserved MVP award.

Edward Huntley might have the most overlooked season ever. He was the second batsman to break 5.0 WAR, but due to the historic seasons around the NBBO he didn’t factor in the NYL BotY vote – Jerald Peterson had a better batting season on his own team – and he fell short in the MVP vote because Creighton decided to add a Batting Title to his pitching exploits.

Syracuse SS Henry Neal is apparently “Mr. August”. Over his two NBBO seasons he has hit .284 with an OPS of .685 (96 OPS+) with 30 doubles and 2.43 WPA in 140 games, but in his two Tucker-Wheaton Cup appearance those figures have shot up to a .373 average, a .911 OPS (157 OPS+), twelve doubles, and 2.13 WPA in just twenty games.

tm1681 · 09-04-2024, 07:44 PM

1867 NBBO STANDINGS

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP

Champions: Knickerbocker BBC (9-1, 101 R, 58 RA, +43 RD)
Most Valuable Player: Edward Huntley (31 y/o SS, Knickerbocker BBC)

GAMEDAY 1: SYR 4-5 EXC (10 INN), KNI 12-6 STJ, ALL 2-3 SHA (12 INN)
GAMEDAY 2: STJ 16-3 EXC, KNI 10-3 SHA, ALL 3-2 SYR
GAMEDAY 3: STJ 5-10 KNI, EXC 5-10 SYR, SHA 4-3 ALL
GAMEDAY 4: EXC 6-4 SHA, KNI 11-7 ALL, SYR 8-5 STJ
GAMEDAY 5: KNI 10-1 EXC, SHA 9-4 SYR, STJ 2-6 ALL

GAMEDAY 6: SYR 8-14 SHA, ALL 7-11 STJ, EXC 3-4 KNI
GAMEDAY 7: SYR 1-3 KNI, SHA 4-7 STJ, EXC 12-2 ALL (ALL, EXC, STJ, SYR eliminated)
GAMEDAY 8: SHA 21-13 KNI, EXC 5-7 STJ, SYR 3-11 ALL
GAMEDAY 9: STJ 8-10 SYR, SHA 9-5 EXC, ALL 5-11 KNI (SHA eliminated, KNI champs)
GAMEDAY 10: ALL 5-7 EXC, STJ 11-8 SHA, KNI 17-6 SYR

KNICKERBOCKER: SS Edward Huntley – .444 (20/45), 1.245 OPS, 4 2B, 5 3B, 14 R, 13 RBI, 4 BB, 5 SB, 0.5 WPA, 0.8 WAR
SHAMROCK: OF James Burke – .422 (19/45), 1.071 OPS, 7 2B, 1 3B, 9 R, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 8 SB, 0.5 WPA, 0.6 WAR
ST. JOHN’S: CF William Johnson – .370 (17/46), .855 OPS, 3 2B, 0 3B, 14 R, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 5 SB, 1.1 WPA, 0.5 WAR
EXCELSIOR: P Jim Creighton – 3-3, 1.90 ERA, 47.2 IP, 7 BB/18 K, 1.14 WHIP, .333 (11/33), 6 2B, 1 3B, 10 R, 4 RBI, 1.1 WAR
ALLEGHANY: P Fred Richards – 3-3, 3.25 ERA, 44.1 IP, 4 CG, 6 BB/11 K, 1.15 WHIP, 0.8 WAR, 0.9 rWAR
SYRACUSE: SS Henry Neal – .405 (17/42), 1.038 OPS, 9 2B, 0 3B, 8 R, 13 RBI, 0 BB, 0 SB, 1.0 WPA, 0.5 WAR

tm1681 · 09-04-2024, 07:47 PM

NEW YORK LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Cormack Alexander – 27 y/o 1B, Kings County BBC (2nd BotY Award)

• .414/.434/.577, 1.010 OPS, 90 R, 138 H, 34 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 82 RBI, 9 BB, 1 SB, 192 TB, 4.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR
• Led NYL in SLG, H, 2B, & TB; Top five in AVG, OBP, OPS, R, XBH, RBI, & WAR
• Jim Creighton (P/1B, EXC) 2nd – New York League Most Valuable Player
• Jerald Peterson (3B, KNI) 3rd – .378/.434/.524, 91 R, 111 H, 29 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 84 RBI, 30 BB, 11 SB, 4.2 WPA, 3.2 WAR

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Jim Creighton – 26 y/o P/1B, Excelsior BBC (3rd MVP Award)

• 27-15, 2.46 ERA, 361.2 IP, 30 CG, 1 SHO, 117 K, 4.3 K/BB, 2.9 K/9, 1.10 WHIP, 8.8 WAR, 11.3 rWAR
• .416/.464/.566, 1.030 OPS, 60 R, 94 H, 24 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 44 RBI, 20 BB, 1 SB, 128 TB, 2.5 WPA, 2.7 WAR
• First P to win Batting Title; 11.5 total Batting & Pitching WAR (new record)
• Edward Huntley (SS, KNI) 2nd – .355/.404/.531, 100 R, 113 H, 32 2B, 12 3B, 0 HR, 71 RBI, 27 BB, 36 SB, +25.7 ZR, 3.6 WPA, 5.4 WAR
• Francis Smith (OF, MET) 3rd – Newcomer of the Year

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Francis Smith – 22 y/o OF, Metropolitan BBC

• .342/.379/.509, .888 OPS, 74 R, 110 H, 28 2B, 13 3B, 0 HR, 61 RBI, 17 BB, 15 SB, 164 TB, 4.8 WPA, 2.7 WAR
• Led NEL Newcomers in OBP, SLG, OPS, H, XBH, WPA, & WAR; Won Golden Glove; In NYL Team of the Year
• Monroe Munson (P, NIA) 2nd – 22-14, 2.68 ERA, 332.0 IP, 24 CG, 1 SHO, 31 K, 2.2 K/BB, 1.16 WHIP, 7.1 WAR, 7.9 rWAR
• William Buschmann (CF, UTI) 3rd – .328/.340/.422, 70 R, 108 H, 23 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 41 RBI, 6 BB, 13 SB, 3.1 WPA, 2.5 WAR

GOLDEN GLOVES

P: James Goodman (MIN, 2nd) – 2.07 RNG, +7.8 ZR, 1.087 EFF
C: Roel Woudenberg (CON, 1st) – 40.3 RTO%, 3.40 C-ERA, +5.5 ZR, 1.127 EFF
1B: Mario Fusilli (SYR, 1st) – 10.61 RNG, +7.1 ZR, 1.115 EFF
2B: William Strausbaugh (EMP, 1st) – 6.46, +14.8 ZR, 1.123 EFF
3B: Roscoe Brown (MIN, 1st) – 3.99 RNG, +13.8 ZR, 1.127 EFF
SS: Edward Huntley (KNI, 8th) – 5.62 RNG, +25.7 ZR, 1.188 EFF
OF: Scanlon Miller (MUT, 1st) – 2.50 RNG, +5.6 ZR, 1.123 EFF
CF: Hiram Majors (ATL, 2nd) – 4.28 RNG, +10.7 ZR, 1.079 EFF
OF: Francis Smith (MET, 1st) – 2.60 RNG, +8.0 ZR, 1.065 EFF

TEAM OF THE YEAR

P: Jim Creighton (EXC, 4th) - 27-15, 2.46 ERA, 361.2 IP, 30 CG, 1 SHO, 117 K, 4.3 K/BB, 2.9 K/9, 1.10 WHIP, 8.8 WAR, 11.3 rWAR
C: Kenneth Harvey (KNI, 1st) - .332/.369/.457, 53 R, 96 H, 23 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 68 RBI, 18 BB, 4 SB, 132 TB, 1.9 WPA, 2.2 WAR
1B: Cormack Alexander (KC, 3rd) - .414/.434/.577, 90 R, 138 H, 34 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 82 RBI, 9 BB, 1 SB, 192 TB, 4.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR
2B: Leslie Arnett (GOT, 3rd) - .356/.378/.414, 71 R, 110 H, 12 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 46 RBI, 11 BB, 20 SB, 128 TB, +16.0 ZR, 3.0 WPA, 3.0 WAR
3B: Jerald Peterson (KNI, 4th) - .378/.434/.524, 91 R, 111 H, 29 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 84 RBI, 30 BB, 11 SB, 154 TB, 4.2 WPA, 3.2 WAR
SS: Edward Huntley (KNI, 8th) - .355/.404/.531, 100 R, 113 H, 32 2B, 12 3B, 0 HR, 71 RBI, 27 BB, 36 SB, 169 TB, +25.7 ZR, 3.6 WPA, 5.4 WAR
OF: Ilkka Kivivuori (EMP, 2nd) - .396/.415/.472, 62 R, 120 H, 12 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 58 RBI, 9 BB, 4 SB, 143 TB, 2.9 WPA, 2.6 WAR
CF: Taliesin Buckley (NIA, 3rd) - .326/.344/.466, 71 R, 105 H, 22 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 58 RBI, 10 BB, 45 SB, 150 TB, 3.5 WPA, 2.2 WAR
OF: Francis Smith (MET, 1st) - .342/.379/.509, 74 R, 110 H, 28 2B, 14 3B, 0 HR, 61 RBI, 17 BB, 15 SB, 164 TB, 4.8 WPA, 2.7 WAR
MGR: Marion Craycroft (KNI) - 54-16; Knickerbocker won NYC by 17 games; went 9-1 in TWC with record +43 Run Differential

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Royal Altman – 25 y/o OF, Alleghany BC (2nd BotY Award)

• .445/.474/.606, 1.079 OPS, 93 R, 141 H, 23 2B, 11 3B, 2 HR, 83 RBI, 19 BB, 38 SB, 192 TB, 6.8 WPA, 4.7 WAR
• Set new NBBO records for AVG, SLG, OPS, H, & WPA; Also won MVP
• William Busby (1B, AME) 2nd – .392/.441/.565, 72 R, 118 H, 26 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 85 RBI, 27 BB, 1 SB, 6.1 WPA, 3.6 WAR
• Gerhardt Berg (1B, SotO) 3rd – .422/.452/.558, 68 R, 130 H, 24 2B, 9 3B, 0 HR, 69 RBI, 12 BB, 2 SB, 5.6 WPA, 3.2 WAR

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Royal Altman – 25 y/o OF, Alleghany BC

• NEL Batsman of the Year
• 2nd player in NBBO history to win BotY & MVP in the same season
• Ed Donovan (OF, PJ) 2nd – .399/.411/.519, 97 R, 137 H, 23 2B, 9 3B, 0 HR, 41 RBI, 7 BB, 62 SB, 6.3 WPA, 3.1 WAR
• William Johnson (CF, STJ) 3rd – .365/.456/.521, 106 R, 112 H, 24 2B, 12 3B, 0 HR, 50 RBI, 53 BB, 41 SB, 6.0 WPA, 3.8 WAR

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: James Burke – 26 y/o OF, Shamrock BC

• .392/.421/.557, .978 OPS, 92 R, 114 H, 29 2B, 8 3B, 1 HR, 64 RBI, 19 BB, 54 SB, 162 TB, 3.8 WPA, 3.5 WAR
• All-Star in debut season; Hit .422 (1.071 OPS) with 8 XBH, 9 R, 8 RBI, 8 SB in Tucker-Wheaton Cup
• Gerhardt Berg (1B, SotO) 2nd – NEL Batsman of the Year 3rd place
• Harvey O’Donnell (C, CAN) 3rd – .409/.426/.514, 70 R, 113 H, 23 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 51 RBI, 3 BB, 0 SB, 3.7 WPA, 2.5 WAR

GOLDEN GLOVES

P: Robert Dozier (TU, 1st) – 2.78 RNG, +6.0 ZR, 1.133 EFF
C: William White (SHA, 2nd) – 27.0 RTO%, 2.61 C-ERA, +10.3 ZR, 1.061 EFF
1B: William Busby (AME, 1st) – 12.28 RNG, +6.7 ZR, 1.105 EFF
2B: William Gillette (SHA, 2nd) – 6.53 RNG, +17.6 ZR, 1.130 EFF
3B: Herbert Ray (PJ, 1st) – 3.68 RNG, +16.5 ZR, 1.191 EFF
SS: Finley Carter (OCE, 1st) – 5.41 RNG, +20.1 ZR, 1.158 EFF
OF: James Heilman (SUS, 1st) – 2.83 RNG, +6.2 ZR, 1.040 EFF
CF: Franklin Petty (LE, 1st) – 3.76 RNG, +7.3 ZR, 1.078 EFF
OF: Konrad Jensen (STJ, 2nd) – 2.78 RNG, +5.7 ZR, 1.047 EFF

TEAM OF THE YEAR

P: Tom Ricks (SHA, 2nd) - 29-11, 2.77 ERA, 351.1 IP, 33 CG, 2 SHO, 38 K, 1.3 K/BB, 1.07 WHIP, 5.8 WAR, 13.0 rWAR
C: Harvey O'Donnell (CAN, 1st) - .409/.426/.514, 70 R, 113 H, 23 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 51 RBI, 3 BB, 0 SB, 142 TB, 3.7 WPA, 2.5 WAR
1B: William Busby (AME, 1st) - .392/.441/.565, 72 R, 118 H, 26 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 85 RBI, 27 BB, 1 SB, 170 TB, 6.1 WPA, 3.6 WAR
2B: James Caldwell (LE, 1st) - .356/.393/.408, 76 R, 116 H, 7 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 43 RBI, 14 BB, 15 SB, 133 TB, 2.7 WPA, 2.3 WAR
3B: Samuel Kessler (ALL, 9th) - .395/.433/.596, 100 R, 132 H, 51 XBH, 37 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 51 RBI, 18 BB, 30 SB, 199 TB, 2.8 WPA, 3.9 WAR
SS: Anthony Mascherino (SHA, 8th) - .345/.381/.479, 72 R, 100 H, 19 2B, 10 3B, 0 HR, 68 RBI, 19 BB, 22 SB, 139 TB, +18.1 ZR, 3.3 WPA, 3.4 WAR
OF: Royal Altman (ALL, 2nd) - .445/.474/.606, 1.079 OPS, 93 R, 141 H, 23 2B, 11 3B, 2 HR, 83 RBI, 19 BB, 38 SB, 192 TB, 6.8 WPA, 4.7 WAR
CF: William Johnson (STJ, 2nd) - .365/.456/.521, 106 R, 112 H, 24 2B, 12 3B, 0 HR, 50 RBI, 53 BB, 41 SB, 160 TB, 6.0 WPA, 3.8 WAR
OF: Nelson Townsend (STJ, 3rd) - .379/.440/.570, 95 R, 119 H, 24 2B, 12 3B, 4 HR, 71 RBI, 33 BB, 54 SB, 179 TB, 6.2 WPA, 3.8 WAR
MGR: Milton Crawford (SHA) - 53-17; Shamrock best team in NEL for 2nd straight year; Runner-up in Tucker-Wheaton Cup

tm1681 · 09-04-2024, 07:49 PM

MISCELLANEOUS

NEW YORK LEAGUE LEADERS

• Average: .416 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• On-Base: .464 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• Slugging: .577 by Cormack Alexander (KC)
• OPS: 1.030 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• Hits: 138 by Cormack Alexander (KC)
• Extra-Base Hits: 44 by Edward Huntley (KNI)
• Doubles: 34 by Cormack Alexander (KC)
• Triples: 14 by Albert Jones (KNI)
• Home Runs: 5 by Charles Haynes (UTI)
• Runs Batted In: 84 by Jerald Peterson (KNI)
• Runs: 100 by Edward Huntley (KNI)
• Stolen Bases: 58 by Mathius Wirtz (MIN)
• Total Bases: 192 by Cormack Alexander (KC)
• Bases on Balls: 43 by Walter Driscoll (MIN)
• Win Prob. Added: 4.8 by Francis Smith (MET)
• Batter WAR: 5.4 by Edward Huntley (KNI)

• Wins: 28 by Peadar Daly (KNI)
• Losses: 26 by Frank Childs (ECK)
• ERA: 2.46 by Jim Creighton (EXC) in 361.2 IP
• Innings: 361.2 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• Complete Games: 30 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• Shutouts: 2 by three different pitchers
• Walk Rate: 0.2 BB/9 by Peadar Daly (KNI) in 338.0 IP
• Strikeouts: 117 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• Strikeout Rate: 2.9 K/9 by Jim Creighton (EXC) in 361.2 IP
• K/BB Ratio: 4.3/1 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• WHIP: 1.10 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
• Pitching WAR: 9.0 by James Goodman (MIN)
• RA/9 WAR: 11.3 by Jim Creighton (EXC) & James Goodman (MIN)

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE LEADERS

• Average: .445 by Royal Altman (ALL)
• On-Base: .474 by Royal Altman (ALL)
• Slugging: .606 by Royal Altman (ALL)
• OPS: 1.079 by Royal Altman (ALL)
• Hits: 141 by Royal Altman (ALL)
• Extra-Base Hits: 51 by Samuel Kessler (ALL)
• Doubles: 37 by Samuel Kessler (ALL)
• Triples: 15 by Reardon Armstrong (PIO)
• Home Runs: 6 by William Busby (AME)
• Runs Batted In: 85 by William Busby (AME)
• Runs: 106 by William Johnson (STJ)
• Stolen Bases: 62 by Edward Donovan (PJ)
• Total Bases: 199 by Samuel Kessler (ALL)
• Bases on Balls: 53 by William Johnson (STJ)
• Win Prob. Added: 6.8 by Royal Altman (ALL)
• Batter WAR: 4.7 by Royal Altman (ALL)

• Wins: 29 by Thomas Ricks (SHA)
• Losses: 26 by Hugh Whiteside (CAN)
• E.R.A.: 2.39 by Ira Stiles (SUS) in 169.2 IP
• Innings: 361.0 by Thomas Paddock (PIO)
• Complete Games: 33 by Thomas Ricks (SHA)
• Shutouts: 4 by Thomas Bishop (OCE)
• Walk Rate: 0.5 BB/9 by Thomas Ricks in 351.1 IP
• Strikeouts: 113 by Elmer Seabold (SUS)
• Strikeout Rate: 3.1 K/9 by Elmer Seabold (SUS) in 328.0 IP
• K/BB Ratio: 2.4/1 by Elmer Seabold (SUS)
• WHIP: 1.07 by Thomas Ricks (SHA)
• Pitching WAR: 7.4 by Jonathan Jenkins (QS)
• RA/9 WAR: 13.0 by Thomas Ricks (SHA)

SEASON RECORDS

• Knickerbocker set a new record for Run Differential in a season with +259 (+3.70 R/G).
• St. John’s set a new record for Runs Scored in a season with 676 (9.66 R/G).
• Knickerbocker set new records for Doubles (190) and Extra-base Hits (249) in a season.
• Shamrock set a new record for Triples in a season with 61.
• St. John’s set a new record for Bases on Balls drawn in a season with 229 (3.27 BB/G).
• Harlem set a new record low for strikeouts by batsmen in a season with 25 (0.36 K/G).
• Royal Altman (ALL) set new records for AVG (.445), SLG (.606), OPS (1.079), Hits (141), & WPA (6.75) in a season.
• Samuel Kessler (ALL) set new records for Extra-Base Hits (51), Doubles (37), & Total Bases (199) in a season.
• Jim Creighton (EXC) set a new record for combined Batting & Pitching WAR with 11.5.
• William Johnson (STJ) tied the NBBO record for Runs Scored in a season with 106.
• Declan Brice (PIO) set a new record for Games Played in a season with 72.
• Thomas Paddock (PIO) set a new record for Games Pitched in a season with 48.
• Howard Riggs (GRA) set a new record for Games Started by a pitcher in a season with 44.
• Jim Creighton (EXC) set a new record for Innings Pitched in a season with 361.2
• Thomas Ricks (SHA) set new records for Complete Games (33) and RA/9 WAR (13.0) in a season.

ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS

• May 6: Alva Blatnik (PJ) allowed 10 Runs, 9 Earned Runs, & 7 Hits without recording an out against Port Jersey.
• May 6: Newark became the first team in NBBO history to hit two Home Runs in a single inning.
• May 6: Newark set a new record by scoring 16 times in the 9th inning in a comeback win (28-16 at Port Jersey).
• May 17: Jim Creighton (EXC) became the first pitcher with 10+ Strikeouts in a game with 10 at Eckford.
• June 14: St. John’s set a new record with a 27-run Margin of Victory (28-1 at QUI).
• June 14: William Johnson (STJ) became the first player ever to draw five Bases on Balls in a single game.
• June 21: Bryn Rasmussen (CON) became the first player with an RBI in seven PA’s in the same game.
• June 26: Harry Nettles (SotO) pitched the NBBO’s first No-Hitter in five years.
• June 26: Harry Nettles (SotO) became the first pitcher with two career No-Hitters.
• July 12: Thomas Maloney (MB) became the first player to record 5+ Hits in consecutive games.
• August 1: Samuel Kessler (ALL) became the first player with 50+ Extra-base Hits in a single season.
• August 4: The Inland Championship became the first regional championship to end the season with a tie for 1st place.

• Five players hit .400 or better during the 1867 season.
• Jim Creighton (EXC) became the first P to win a Batting Title, leading the NYL with a .416 Batting Average.
• Royal Altman (ALL) became the 2nd player to win BotY & MVP in the same season (KNI’s Albert Jones in 1858).
• Edward Huntley (EXC) became the 2nd batsman with more than 5.0 WAR in a single season.
• William Busby (AME) became the first player to hit more than 5 HR in a season since 1864.
• A record six players finished the season with 75+ Runs Batted In.
• For the third season in a row three pitchers won 25+ games.
• Five players recorded six-hit games in 1867.

tm1681 · 09-08-2024, 04:54 PM

GOTHAM RETOOLS; FIVE-STAR STRACHAN THE KEY
FOUR BATSMEN & TWO PITCHERS BROUGHT IN; HENDERSON RECRUITED FROM ST. JOHN’S

NEW YORK CITY (Dec. 12, 1867) – Ever since the dominance of Knickerbocker BBC began in 1865 Gotham BBC, the oldest club in the NBBO, has had to play Second Fiddle in the New York City Championship, which they had won twice and had finished top-three in from 1860 to ’64. Gotham finished just two games behind Knickerbocker in 1866, but that season was sandwiched between two seasons of mediocrity, with Gotham going 36-34 in 1867 and finishing eighteen games from first.

Knowing that their standard philosophy of recruiting fine young players and developing them was not working, the Gotham front office has been hard at work bringing in a mix of extremely talented newcomers and highly respected veterans in an effort to give the team a much better chance at keeping up with the 3x defending NYC champions in 1868.

The centerpiece of Gotham’s recruitment so far during the offseason has been, not surprisingly, an NBBO newcomer: 24-year-old Clive Strachan, an Englishman whose services were in very high demand after he decided to make the switch from cricket, where he was a very highly regarded player in New York City.

The Writers Pool’s observations – attributes are on a 1-10 scale – of Strachan make him seem like an almost dead ringer for 1867’s most famous and heavily recruited newcomer: Shamrock’s James Burke…

CLIVE STRACHAN – 24 y/o, 5’9”, 175 lbs. from Silverstone, England – OF, B/T: L/L – 4.5 stars

• BATTING: Contact 10 (BABIP 9, Avoid K 10+), Gap 8, Eye 4
• DEFENSE (OF): Range 8, Error 6, Arm 7
• POSITIONS: LF 6/10, CF 5/7, RF 9
• OTHER: Speed 10, Stealing 10+ (Agg. 10, Ability 10+), Baserunning 10+, Bunting 9 (Sac. 8, Hit 10)
• PERSONALITY: High Adaptability, Outspoken

There are a few areas in which Strachan is not quite on the level of Burke. He is not as patient at the plate, his power to the gaps is a tick below, and his baserunning, although 10+, is not as intimidating. Hence an almost dead ringer for Burke.

Strachan is not the only good-looking newcomer Gotham has signed on for 1868. They have recruited an outfielder from just north of the Bronx to play in their other corner outfield spot:

CHARLES HORMEL – 25 y/o, 5’8”, 165 lbs. from Mt. Vernon, NY – OF, B/T: L/L – 3.0 stars

• BATTING: Contact 9 (BABIP 6, Avoid K 10+), Gap 8, Eye 5
• DEFENSE (OF): Range 9, Error 6, Arm 7
• POSITIONS: LF 9/10, CF 7/8, RF 6/9
• OTHER: Speed 9, Stealing 8.5 (Agg. 8, Ability 9), Baserunning 8, Bunting 4 (Sac. 6, Hit 2)
• PERSONALITY: Very high Work Ethic, very low Adaptability & Intelligence

Hormel has plenty of raw talent, but there are questions about how well he can grasp lessons from his coaches even though he works extremely hard.

There are four veterans Gotham has already secured the services of for 1868. The key member of the group is 1B Collin Henderson, who left St. John’s after a decade with the team and three cup wins. Henderson has been recruited because, as he did for years in Providence, he will be asked to bat fourth in the lineup behind three gifted outfielders. Henderson played the role extremely well for St. John’s, batting over .330 for ten seasons and crossing the 80-RBI mark three of the past four. His significant work ethic, high intelligence, and championship pedigree should do nothing but improve Gotham.

The other notable batsman who has joined Gotham is CF Hiram Majors, who spent his first eight seasons in the NBBO all in Brooklyn with Atlantic. He is a 2x All-Star who has also won two Golden Gloves and has stolen an average of thirty bases per season during his career. His defense in center field is rated 9/10, with maybe a few in the position better than him.

Gotham has also signed two highly respected veteran pitchers after their 1867 pitching duo of Daniel Flynn & Ralph Dodon both saw their ERA’s increase by a full 1.50 and their opponents hit thirty points higher against them.

Gotham’s new #1 is Carl Bancroft, a 6x 20-game winner who has made four All-Star games and is two wins shy of 200 for his career. He is second on the career Pitching WAR leaderboard with 51.8, and he is the only pitcher in NBBO history with more than 3,200 innings to his name. Their new #2 is Rainer van der Hout, the man who is second on the career innings list with 3,023. He brings four years of postseason experience with one championship, and a career record of 193-140. Gotham is van der Hout’s fifth team, but he is known for his high intelligence & work ethic and has been well liked at every stop.

If all of the new pieces fall into place properly, 1868 could end up being a banner year for Gotham BBC, the grand old men of organized base ball.

tm1681 · 09-08-2024, 04:55 PM

BotY ALEXANDER MOVES FROM BROOKLYN TO PHILADELPHIA
2x .400 HITTER JOINS QUAKER STATE; KINGS CO. HAS TOP BATTING PROSPECT READY AT 1B

PHILADELPHIA (Dec. 25, 1867) – The Quaker State Baseball Club has pulled off a Christmas miracle, announcing via telegram that the present Santa Claus left for them under the Christmas Tree was 2x New York League Batsman of the Year & .400 hitter Cormack Alexander.

Rumors will abound about how much money in brown paper bags may have changed hands in order to convince Alexander to move from his lofty perch in Brooklyn to play for the smaller of Philadelphia’s two clubs, but in any event Alexander will be a massive upgrade over 2.5-star Raymond Masters (.294, 41 RBI, 19 SB, 0.3 WAR), who was the team’s primary first baseman this season.

Alexander’s move is a risk in two different ways. First, he has left a traditional Brooklyn powerhouse for the less successful of the two Philadelphian clubs – Quaker St. has only finished in the top three of the Coastal Championship twice – and he has traded the most batsman-friendly park for lefties in the NBBO for a new home park, the Philadelphia Cricket Grounds, that is only somewhat advantageous for left-handed batsmen.

Alexander had the following record over his four seasons as Kings County’s most important batsman:

He was an All-Star every season, won NYL Batsman of the Year twice, and was in the NYL Team of the Year three times.
As for why Kings County would let such an extraordinarily talented batsman leave their squad just as they have become Brooklyn Championship contenders once again, the answer appears to come from their reserve squad.

In the Kings County reserve squad, there is a first baseman who will be 23 at the start of next season named Garfield Koonce, a five-star talent considered the best pure hitting prospect in the NBBO, and the fourth-best prospect among all reserve squad batsmen. The Writers Pool file on Koonce:

GARFIELD KOONCE – 22 y/o, 5’7”, 155 lbs. from Peabody, Mass. – 1B, B/T: L/L – 2.5/5.0 

• BATTING: Contact 9/10+ (BABIP 7/9, Avoid K 10/10+), Gap 7/9, Eye 5/7
• DEFENSE (INF): Range 6, Error 6, Arm 5, Turn DP 2
• POSITIONS: 1B 6
• OTHER: Speed 4, Stealing 3.5 (Agg. 4, Ability 3), Baserunning 5, Bunting 3.5 (Sac. 6, Hit 1)
• PERSONALITY: High Work Ethic & Intelligence

Koonce is slightly below-average as runner and slightly above-average defensively, but if he can live up to his potential with the bat then Koonce, who hits left-handed like Alexander, will be a stalwart member of the Kings County lineup.

tm1681 · 09-17-2024, 11:57 AM

MORE TWEAKS TO PITCHING AHEAD OF ’68 SEASON
P’S MAY NOW LIFT A FOOT WHEN DELIVERING; PITCHER’S AREA BECOMES A SIX-FOOT SQUARE

NEW YORK CITY (Mar. 16, 1868) – As they always do, the annual Spring Meetings of the NBBO Executive Committee have been taking place at the St. Nicho-las Hotel in New York City during the middle of March, with a group of players, coaches, & executives discussing concerns regarding the rules & regulations governing the sport of base ball.

After the notable spike in offensive output that took place during the 1867 season the NBBOEC took a look at the adden-dums to the Laws of Base Ball, and once again decided to tinker with the rules governing pitching.

The first change will be noticeable to every person who goes to a base ball game in 1868, whether diehard fan or casual at-tendee: the pitcher may now lift one foot at a time while delivering the ball: the front foot during the windup and the back foot at the follow-through. Even though pitchers could move around inside their designated area during the 1867 season thanks to a rule change, they still had to slide their front foot during the delivery and keep both feet on the ground. No more.

The second change is yet another tweak to the Pitcher’s Area, which has been modified for the fourth time this decade.

Just last year, the NBBOEC changed the size of the Pitcher’s Area from a pair of twelve-foot parallel lines four feet apart to a pair of six-foot parallel lines four feet apart, with the pitcher newly allowed to move around before delivering from within the six-by-four area. Now the Pitcher’s Area has been made two feet deeper, to what is essentially a six-foot square in all but name. The 1868 Pitcher’s Area will have a pair of six-foot parallel lines six feet apart, within which the pitcher may move about before delivering the ball to the batsman.

The central points of the two lines have also been modified due to one change the NBBOEC has made to the field of play: the size and shape of home plate.

Up until this point, home plate has been literally that: an iron plate roughly 12” to 15” in diameter, painted white for visual accessibility. Starting this season home plate must now be a uniform twelve-inch square in every NBBO venue, and the “plate” can be made of iron, stone, or wood as long as it is still painted white. This will make home plate equal in size to the other three bases even if its material makeup is still different – the other three bases are canvas bags.

Where this change brings the Pitcher’s Area into play is that the NBBOEC has decided the center points of both lines mark-ing the area, which have been circles, will be changed to squares to mimic the change in the shape of home plate. This is just a cosmetic switch, but yet another tweak to the Pitcher’s Area during a decade full of them.

The following summarizes the changes made by the NBBOEC during its Spring Meetings:

• Pitchers may now have one foot off the ground at a time while delivering the ball.
• The parallel lines marking the Pitcher’s Area will remain 6’ in length
• The parallel lines marking the Pitcher’s Area will now be 6’ apart instead of 4’
• The central points of the lines marking the Pitcher’s Area have been changed from circles to squares
• Home plate will now be a 12” square that may be made of iron, stone, or wood & painted white

Will further changes to the Pitcher’s Area have any effect on offense in 1868? Based on the mostly cosmetic changes put in place, that seems unlikely. If the NBBO really wants to put a damper on offense it will have to do something to make it harder for the batsmen to reach base, whether that comes by allowing pitchers to throw the ball, letting fielders wear padded gloves, being more strict on wayward deliveries, or some other mechanism.

The season starts in six weeks, and until then one can only speculate on what the latest round of changes will do.

tm1681 · 09-17-2024, 12:01 PM

PLAY BALL! THE 1868 NBBO PREVIEW

NORTHEAST USA (May 6, 1868) – The National Base Ball Organization enters its twelfth season of play on Wednesday afternoon, and it will bring with it another winter of changes on & off the field while more fans than ever before expected to attend games in 1868.

Ahead of the new season, more tweaks have been made to pitching. The Pitcher’s Area is now a square 6’ by 6’ area, and the pitcher may lift a foot off the ground while making his delivery. Also, home plate remains a plate, but it will now be a square 12” plate that can be made of any hard substance – not just iron – so long as it is painted white.

Defending champions Knickerbocker remain the most talented team in the NBBO, but they have made two changes to their lineup after Hugh Harris & Albert Jones left. They have been replaced by 3x All-Star Luc Billon and eleven-year vet James Heilman, both top-ten talents at their corner outfield spots.

If Knickerbocker wins NYC again, it will not be without a big fight from Gotham, who overhauled their pitching with Carl Bancroft & Rainer van der Hout while adding venerable champion 1B Collin Henderson, 2x All-Star CF Hiram Majors, and 4.5-star newcomer Clive Strachan to the lineup.

Kings County is projected to lead Brooklyn for the first time in four years, with the additions of SS Henry Fitzgerald & P James Peters, as well as the debut of five-star prospect Garfield Koonce, anticipated to put them back on top even though they lost Cormack Alexander to Quaker State. In Upstate NY, Niagara’s winter overhaul that included 1864 MVP 1B Walter Driscoll, 3x All-Star 2B/SS Ernest Lewis, and 2x All-Star C Wilbert Schrader has made them heavy favorites.

The other four projected regional champions are repeats from last year, with Alleghany & St. John’s tipped to be the 1868 season’s two 50-win teams thanks to their perennially dominant offensive attacks.

It should be another fantastic season of base ball in the NBBO.

Four of six regional favorites – ALL, KNI, SHA, STJ – made the Tucker-Wheaton Cup last year. Kings County has won Brooklyn six times, last in 1864, and the TWC twice (1860-61). Niagara has won Upstate NY once (1863).

WRITERS POOL GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

When asked for other observations about the upcoming season, here were the main talking points offered up by the 48-member N.B.B.O. Writers Pool:

•The most talented batsmen in both leagues at each position (*represents newcomer):

NYL – C: Everett Schreiber (24 y/o, ORA), 1B: Mario Fusilli (30 y/o, SYR), 2B: Anderson MacGyver (33 y/o, MUT), 3B: Jerald Peterson (33 y/o, KNI), SS: Edward Huntley (32 y/o, KNI), OF: Clive Strachan* (25 y/o, GOT), CF: Taliesin Buckley (31 y/o, NIA), OF: Francis Smith (23 y/o, MET)

NEL – C: Harvey O’Donnell (25 y/o, CAN), 1B: Cormack Alexander (28 y/o, Q.S.), 2B: Peter Boyce (25 y/o, AME), 3B: Samuel Kessler (32 y/o, ALL), SS: Anthony Mascherino (29 y/o, SHA), OF: Royal Altman (26 y/o, ALL), CF: Willie Davis (31 y/o, AME), OF: Konrad Jensen (28 y/o, STJ)

• The ten most talented pitchers in the NBBO (*represents newcomer):

Jim Creighton (27 y/o, EXC), James Goodman (30 y/o, MIN), Tom Hauser* (26 y/o, AME), Monroe Munson (25 y/o, NIA), Tom Ricks (29 y/o, SHA), William Tighe (30 y/o, STJ), Sammie Cato* (26 y/o, G.M.), Elmer Seabold (24 y/o, SUS), Grover Wright (34 y/o, CON), Peadar Daly (32 y/o, KNI)

• The ten best newcomers in the NBBO:

Clive Strachan (25 y/o OF, GOT), Tom Hauser (26 y/o P, AME), Garfield Koonce (23 y/o 1B, K.C.), Sammie Cato (26 y/o P, G.M.), Martin Hales (24 y/o P, BIRM), William Johannessen (24 y/o P, VIC), Dennis Foster (24 y/o P, UNI), Reginald Roper (22 y/o OF, F.C.), Charles Hormel (25 y/o OF, GOT), Tarmo Kuopio (27 y/o 1B, STJ)

• The ten best reserve squad prospects in the NBBO:

Frank Bulger (21 y/o 2B, SHA), Charles Sturch (23 y/o P, Q.S.), George Cerven (23 y/o P, GOT), William Hatch (20 y/o P, GRA), William Spears (21 y/o P, P.J.), Will Dickerson (21 y/o 3B, Q.S.), Troy Oberst (21 y/o OF, MET), Sherman Friday (20 y/o P, CON), Gerald Strong (22 y/o SS, ALL), Washington Kihlstedt (22 y/o P, SPO)

• Kings County is projected to return to the top of Brooklyn because of their changes and Excelsior’s roster. K.C. added quality Atlantic SS Henry Fitzgerald and underrated Eagle P James Peters, and even though they lost Cormack Alexander they have potential .375 hitter Garfield Koonce taking over first base in his first season as a senior player.

Meanwhile, Excelsior added former Orange All-Star Ralph Hunt to their outfield and have brought on highly-rated newcomer Gino Cappelletti to play 3B, but they go into Opening Day ranked in the bottom third of the NBBO at three positions: C (35th/48), 2B (37th/48), & LF (45th/48). If they make the cup, it will be solely due to Jim Creighton.

• Knickerbocker is favored to take New York City for the fourth straight year, but it will be a tough fight. Hugh Harris left for Massachusetts Bay after refusing to become a full-time OF and Albert Jones joined Quaker State after eleven years as a regular in the Knick OF. They have been replaced by 3x All-Star Luc Billon and dependable veteran OF James Heilman (N.C. 1857-63, K.C. 64-65, SUS 66-67). Their lineup should be almost as good as last season while still having excellent pitching & defense.

Gotham has responded to Knickerbocker’s recent dominance with a roster overhaul. They have recruited 3x Champion & All-Star 1B Collin Henderson from St. John’s, added 4x All-Star P Carl Bancroft, signed champion P Rainer van der Hout, brought in 2x All-Star & Golden Glove CF Hiram Majors, and gained the services of a pair of highly-talented newcomer OFs: 4.5-star Clive Strachan & 3.0-star defensive specialist Charles Hormel. The changes should make them the toughest team in the NYL to score against, and that could allow them to overtake Knickerbocker.

Orange is expected to finish a game behind Knickerbocker because of their infield. Everett Schreiber has been rated the most talented C in the sport, 1B Hawk Peterson is a 3x All-Star, 2B Ilari Morino is an above-average player at the position, 3B Will Chaffin is nearly a top-five talent, and SS Jake Johnson is one of the best defenders at his position.

• In a departure from the norm, Upstate NY is expected to belong to one team: Niagara. Their winter additions of 3x All-Star & 1x MVP Walter Driscoll, 3x All-Star middle infielder Ernest Lewis, 2x All-Star C Wilbert Schrader, and ten-year veteran OF Will Maier have made the team easily the most talented in New York outside of the metro area.

• Shamrock is expected to win Coastal once again, but they should be in a tough battle with American and possibly Mass. Bay. They lost Golden Glove 3B Jerrick Stoner but have replaced him with respectable veteran Ralph Weber: an upgrade with the bat but a bit of a downgrade with the glove. They have also made hard-hitting backup William McCrory their new 1B, and the team hopes that trading a bit of defense for some offense will win them the TWC.

American added five-star newcomer Tom Hauser as their #1, and that means they now have top-three players at no less than five positions: 1B William Busby (2nd/48), 2B Peter Boyce (1st), 3B Werner Verstegen (2nd), CF Willie Davis (1st), & P Hauser (3rd/48 #1 P’s). However, they are in the bottom third of the NBBO at three other positions – C (33rd), SS (40th), & LF (39th) – which leaves them with a boom-or-bust lineup that could just as easily be historically good or fall short of Shamrock again.

Massachusetts Bay made some fine winter additions to address their club-worst 6th place finish last year. Their new C is talented Dutch newcomer Falco van der Vaart (#6 C), fellow newcomer George Carver should be a very dependable glove at 1B if nothing else, Franklin Skaggs could be a top-five RF, former Knick Hugh Harris should return to All-Star form now that he will be a full-time 3B again, and former Harlem CF Harold Severson should give them a fine glove even if his bat work is lacking. Their only big weakness is at 2B.

Quaker State looks great on paper. The top of their order – Greg Rohrmann, Albert Jones, Cormack Alexander, & Ned Morganti – is as good as any in the NBBO. However, they have the 42nd-ranked 2B & 3B, their infield defense is likely to be an issue, and their pitching is just okay. That will hurt them in the very deep Coastal Championship.

• Inland should be all Alleghany. Now that Arthur Waltrip is on the wrong side of 35 and has lost some OF range, the team has brought in highly regarded CF Joe Thatcher. That means they have quality defense across the outfield, and Thatcher’s bat should be a healthy upgrade over the OF he is replacing: Harmon Melville. Retaining the Altman-Duffy-Kessler-Waltrip quartet means they will score loads of runs, and the pitching duo of Fred Richards & Jonathan Scott should be very good.

• No surprise at the top of New England: St. John’s is favored to waltz into the postseason. They lost Collin Henderson but have replaced him with Finnish newcomer Tarmo Kuopio, whose bat and 1B defense could be just as good. 24-year-old SS John Baddley, previously a backup, looks ready to be a regular and should be great with the glove. Cathan Morgan, who was excellent in limited starts last season, should do well as their new 2B. As always, their outfield of Jensen, Johnson, & Townsend is easily the best in the NBBO and should propel them to another season of 600+ runs.

The one potential New England surprise is that Oceanic, who has never finished in the top half of the standings, looks like they could be a solid 2nd-place team. Oceanic did not make any major additions over the winter, but on paper their defense is outstanding and other teams in the region have lost quality players.

• This could be another year in which Jim Creighton crosses two major single-season milestones. After pitching a record 361 innings last season, he has been tipped to become the first pitcher to win more than 30 games in a season – John Anderson won 30 in 1857 – and also to become the first pitcher to strike out more than 150 batters in a season.

• Five-star prospect Garfield Koonce will be the man to watch as Kings County tries to take the Brooklyn pennant back from Excelsior. He is expected to be one of three NYL first baseman, the others being Mario Fusilli (SYR) & Ilkka Kivivuori (BING), to hit .375 this season. He is projected to have an OPS slightly over .900.

• Famed newcomer Clive Strachan is seen as a Batsman of the Year candidate in the NYL. He has been projected to have a .360 average, an OPS in the mid .900s, and nearly 50 stolen bases in his debut season with Gotham.

• William Busby is viewed as a serious Triple Crown threat in the NEL. After leading the league in HR’s & RBI last season, he is projected to be among the league leaders in average while driving in nearly 90 runs and becoming the first player to hit 10+ home runs in a season. Doing so would guarantee him BotY honors.

tm1681 · 10-14-2024, 07:33 AM

Okay I'm back after nearly a month - was focusing on Fooball Research while they're redoing the code for the game from the ground up, but if you've seen the news about this year's release...well...that was fun to deal with.

tm1681 · 10-14-2024, 07:34 AM

MALONEY BATTERS TRENTON IN BIG M.B. WIN
STAR OUTFIELDER TOTALS SIX HITS, FOUR RUNS, & FIVE RBI IN SEVENTEEN-RUN WIN

BOSTON (May 7, 1868) – Thomas Maloney had an outstanding finish to his first season as a member of Massachusetts Bay BC and Thursday’s game at Oceanside Park was evidence Maloney has carried that form into the 1868 season, with Maloney belting the ball over the field in a massive Mass. Bay victory:

Just last year, the NBBOEC changed the size of the Pitcher’s Area from a pair of twelve-foot parallel lines four feet apart All twelve men who took part in the game for Massachusetts Bay registered base hits, with Mass. Bay totaling 27 on the afternoon. The middle of the M.B. lineup did very well, but it was Maloney who was the brightest star:

• B1: Single to RCF off R. Dozier
• B3: 1-run Double to CF off R. Dozier (Run)
• B4: 2-run Single past 2B off R. Dozier
• B6: Single to CF off R. Dozier (Run)
• B7: 1-run Triple to LCF off N. Vlahos (Run)
• B8: 1-run Double to RCF off N. Vlahos (Run)
• TOTAL: 6/6, 2 2B, 3B, 4 R, 5 RBI, 10 TB, 111 GMSC

Maloney hit nearly .460 over July & August last year and he has opened the 1868 season by batting 11/11 over Massachusetts Bay’s first two games, a new mark for excellence to start a season.

tm1681 · 10-14-2024, 07:35 AM

BRAND STARS IN EXCELSIOR MAULING OF K.C.
OUTFIELDER RAPS FOUR EXTRA-BASE HITS & SCORES FOUR TIMES AS EXCELSIOR WINS BY 21

BROOKLYN (May 8, 1868) – The two favorites to win the Brooklyn Championship – Excelsior & Kings County – are starting the 1868 season by playing each other in Week One at K.C.’s home grounds of Washington Park. After the two teams split the first two games, three-time defending champions Excelsior decided to remind the old boss of Brooklyn why they are the current boss:

Excelsior, who had Jim Creighton pitching, was already ahead 7-1 when they came up to bat in the fifth inning, but they decided to really humiliate Kings County in front of their fans with a twelve-run outburst that featured fifteen batsmen, six hits, a double, a pair of triples, and six K.C. errors.

Creighton led Excelsior with four RBI while striking out four Kings County batsmen, but it was outfielder Felix Brand who took home Player of the Game honors with his batsmanship for Excelsior:

• T1: Leadoff Double to RF off C. Matthews (Run)
• T1: Single to CF off C. Matthews
• T3: Fly Out to RF off C. Matthews
• T5: 1-run Double to RF off C. Matthews (Run)
• T5: 2-run Triple to RF off E. Wise (Run)
• T7: Double to CF off W. O’Farrell (Run)
• T9: Ground Out to 2B off W. O’Farrell
• TOTAL: 5/7, 3 2B, 3B, 4 R, 3 RBI, 10 TB, 94 GMSC

The teams have two games left to play in Week One.

tm1681 · 10-14-2024, 07:35 AM

ALEXANDER’S HITTING STREAK NOW AT 40 GAMES
NEW QUAKER ST. FIRST BASEMAN ONE GAME FROM TYING RECORD

PHILADELPHIA (May 17, 1868) – The contest between Philadelphian rivals American & Quaker State needed extra innings to decide a winner – American won 6-5 – and it was very fortuitous for new Quaker St. star Cormack Alexander that a tenth inning was needed.

During the regulation nine innings Alexander was 0/4 with the bat. To lead off the tenth Alexander placed a single between first & second base to bring his Hitting Streak to forty games, making him the second player in the history of the National Base Ball Organization with a 40-game Hitting Streak.

The current record Hitting Streak belongs to former Shamrock & Flour City shortstop William McQuaid, who had a 41-game Hitting Streak that crossed seasons and ended on June 28th, 1863 while he was playing for Flour City.

Alexander, who shockingly joined Quaker State from Kings County over the winter, has sixteen hits over his first ten games as Quaker St.’s first baseman, with a .372 average and an .832 OPS.

Cormack Alexander will have his chance to go even with McQuaid’s record on Wednesday, when Quaker State starts its Week Three series at home against Port Jersey with Manfred Hundley (2-6, 5.33) likely to pitch for the visitors.

tm1681 · 10-14-2024, 07:36 AM

PAIR OF SHAMROCK STARS SHINE IN PHILADELPHIA
BURKE & MASCHERINO COMBINE FOR 9 HITS, 10 RUNS, & 11 RBI’S IN DEMOLITION OF AMERICAN

BOSTON (May 20, 1868) – It was a battle of two of the Coastal Championship’s large clubs in Boston on Wednesday afternoon, but visiting American did not stand a chance against a rampant Shamrock side that scored nearly twenty times:

American made a contest of it in the fifth inning when they were able to score five times to turn an 8-1 hole into an 8-6 deficit, but it did not take long for Shamrock to take those five runs back, and the home rout was on.

The 3-4-5 men in the Shamrock lineup were 12/17 in total, but unsurprisingly it was the team’s two best players – James Burke & Anthony Mascherino – who put in the marquee performances at the South End Grounds.

BURKE
• B1: Reached via Fielder’s Choice at 2B (SB, Run)
• B3: 1-run Single to LCF off T. Hauser (SB, Run)
• B4: 1-run Double to CF off T. Hauser (Run)
• B6: 1-run Single past 3B off T. Onstad (SB, Run)
• B7: 1-run Single to LCF off T. Onstad (Run)
• B8: 1-run Double past 1B off J. Steiner (Run)
• TOTAL: 5/6, 2 2B, 5 R, 5 RBI, 3 SB, 7 TB, 113 GMSC

MASCHERINO
• B1: 1-run Ground Out to 3B off T. Hauser
• B3: 2-run Triple to RF off T. Hauser (Run)
• B4: 1-run Single to LF off T. Hauser (Run)
• B6: 1-run Single to RF off T. Onstad (SB, Run)
• B7: Reached via Error by 2B P. Boyce (Run)
• B8: 1-run Double to LF off J. Steiner
• TOTAL: 4/6, 2B, 3B, 4 R, 6 RBI, SB, 7 TB, 95 GMSC

The Shamrock superstars combined for three doubles, a triple, nine runs, eleven RBI’s, four stolen bases, and fourteen total bases in their team’s 11-run home victory.

The result placed both teams’ records a 8-3, making American & Shamrock part of a three-way tie atop the Coastal Championship with Massachusetts Bay.

09-02-2024, 03:55 PM	#325
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,081	GAMEDAY ONE (Wed. August 7th) SYR 4-5 EXC (10 Inn.) – SS Henry Neal (SYR): 4/4, 3 2B, R, 2 RBI KNI 12-6 STJ – OF Hugh Harris (KNI): 4/6, 2B, 2 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI ALL 2-3 SHA (12 Inn.) – P Tom Ricks (SHA): CG (12.0 IP), 5 HA, 2 R/1 ER, 1 BB/2 K For seven innings Jim Creighton held Syracuse off the scoreboard, but the visitors broke through in the 8th and then scored three times in the 9th to erase a 4-0 deficit – Henry Neal’s third double of the afternoon tying the game. After Creighton held Syracuse scoreless in the 10th, an error allowed John Withers to score the winning run for Excelsior in the cup opener. Knickerbocker opened the cup with a statement win in Providence over St. John’s. By the middle of the 7th they were ahead 12-3, and from there it was just a matter of finishing things up. Harris was their key batsman, but four other Knick players including pitcher Peadar Daly had multiple hits against the St. John’s pitching. Alleghany at Shamrock was the first twelve-inning game in cup history. It looked like Shamrock would wrap up the win in the standard nine, but light-hitting Inland playoff hero Ed Brown came up big again and hit a game-tying double to force extra frames. From there, it was not until the bottom of the 12th, when substitute 2B George Coffman singled in Walter Williams, that the game was decided. GAMEDAY TWO (Thurs. August 8th) STJ 16-3 EXC – OF Nelson Townsend (STJ): 3/5, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI KNI 10-3 SHA – OF Albert Jones (KNI): 3/4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 2 RBI ALL 3-2 SYR – P Fred Richards (ALL): CG, 4 HA, 2 R/1 ER, 2 BB/1 K Jim Creighton had to give up the ball for Game Two, and the result was a drubbing of Excelsior by St. John’s. Excelsior scored the first two runs, but by the end of the 6th the score was 13-3. The St. John’s outfield trio of Townsend, Johnson, & Jensen combined to bat 9/16 with seven runs, six RBI, and three steals. Knickerbocker tallied statement win #2 with a seven-run win at Shamrock on the second day of the cup. 11-year Knick veteran Jones was their key player, but Hugh Harris & Kenneth Harvey also had three hits while Jerald Peterson had three RBI. Knick #2 Grover Anderson had an easy game, allowing ten hits and a pair of Earned Runs. Syracuse, once again the NBBO’s best team in close games during the season, followed up their one-run loss to open the cup with another one to Alleghany. The 6th inning made all the difference, with Alleghany scoring three runs on a wild pitch, an Arran Duffy double, and a Walter Anderson single. Just like last year, Knickerbocker was the only 2-0 team after Gameday Two, Syracuse was the only 0-2 team, and everybody else was 1-1. GAMEDAY THREE (August 9th) STJ 5-10 KNI – 3B Jerald Peterson (KNI): 5/5, 2 2B, 2 R, 5 RBI, SB EXC 5-10 SYR – SS Henry Neal (SYR): 2/3, 2 2B, 1 R, 5 RBI SHA 4-3 ALL – P Tom Ricks (SHA): CG, 8 HA, 3 R/0 ER, 3 BB/0 K, GW HIT Knickerbocker’s first home game of the cup was a five-run victory over St. John’s, the closest of the three games they have played so far. The score was 5-5 after six innings, but the fearsome Knick attack took control over the 7th & 8th while Jerald Peterson had a fantastic day with the bat. Peadar Daly earned his second win of the cup. Syracuse pulled off a stunner for their first win of the cup. In the bottom of the 3rd the Excelsior defense committed five errors behind Jim Creighton, leading to a seven-run inning and an 8-4 lead that the hosts would never relinquish. Creighton would allow just one Earned Run due to the defensive woes, while Henry Neal’s three-run double in the 3rd sealed the win. Shamrock made it two one-run victories over Alleghany in three days with their result in Pittsburgh. Tom Ricks was the difference in the game. Not only did he pitch another brilliant complete game, but Ricks was also responsible for the game-winning hit when he singled in Jerrick Stoner during the top of the 7th to put Shamrock ahead 4-3. There were no more winless teams after Gameday Three, but Knickerbocker was still undefeated. GAMEDAY FOUR (August 10th) EXC 6-4 SHA – P Jim Creighton (EXC): CG, 8 HA, 4 R/1 ER, 2 BB/4 K KNI 11-7 ALL – OF Hugh Harris (KNI): 4/5, 2 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, SB SYR 8-5 STJ – 3B James McNeil (SYR): 3/5, R, 2 RBI Jim Creighton more than made up for the previous day’s disaster at Syracuse with an outstanding Complete Game victory at Shamrock. Excelsior scored four runs in the 4th on a trio of singles and a Benjamin Lovette triple, and from there they added runs in the 5th & 8th to earn the win. No single Excelsior player had more than one hit, run, or RBI. Knickerbocker continued their run of double-digit scoring in Pittsburgh. The game was effectively over after the early innings, with the visitors having scored three times in the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd to take a 9-2 lead. Harris put in another PotG performance, and Edward Huntley was 3/5 with a triple to bring his cup average up to .421. Syracuse hit St. John’s with a real shock to end Gameday Four. The visitors from Upstate NY raced out to a 5-1 lead after the 3rd, and from there St. John’s was unable to catch up even though they collected fourteen hits on the afternoon. Syracuse’s defense committed just two errors and P Eddie Morse walked one batter, keeping extra baserunners to a minimum. GAMEDAY FIVE (August 11th) KNI 10-1 EXC – OF Hugh Harris (KNI): 2/5, 2B, R, 4 RBI, SB SHA 9-4 SYR – OF James Burke (SHA): 3/5, 2B, R, 2 RBI, SB STJ 2-6 ALL – P Fred Richards (ALL): CG, 3 HA, 2 R/1 ER, 0 BB/0 K Knickerbocker was up against Excelsior’s #2 pitcher at Carroll Park, and not surprisingly the result was a nine-run margin of victory. Harris put in his third PotG performance in five games, Kenneth Harvey was 3/5 with a pair of runs & an RBI, and the combo of Paul LaGuerre & Jerald Peterson was each 2/5 with a run & RBI. Shamrock won the game at Syracuse in the middle innings. Ahead 2-1 after the 3rd, the Bostonians scored four times during the 4th-6th to take a 6-2 lead. The six runs were more than enough, but they tacked on three late runs for good measure. Burke’s PotG performance brought his cup average up to .435 with four RBI. Alleghany moved back into the win column thanks to an outstanding effort from #1 Fred Richards, who allowed all of three hits against St. John’s and its record-breaking offense. The home team scored three times in the bottom of the 2nd, and due to Richards’ dominance the game turned out to be an easy outing from then on. The standings after Gameday Five of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup were as follows: Code: TEAM W L R RA RD KNICKERBOCKER 5 0 53 22 +31 SHAMROCK 3 2 23 25 -2 SYRACUSE 2 3 28 27 +1 ALLEGHANY 2 3 21 22 -1 EXCELSIOR 2 3 20 44 -24 ST. JOHN’S 1 4 34 39 -5 Through five days, the Tucker-Wheaton Cup was looking like a Knickerbocker coronation. They had scored ten or more runs in all five games, their closest contest was a four-run victory at Alleghany on Gameday Four, and the best Run Differential aside from their incredible +31 (+6.2 R/G) was Syracuse’s +1. Still, the biggest surprise of the competition just might have been St. John’s. Never had they been in last place in the cup’s Round Robin era halfway through the competition or later, and here they were at 1-4 and fresh off a three-hit performance in a loss at Alleghany. Their mighty offense was disappearing, and there was no good explanation for it. If the standings after Gameday Five were going to see switches over the rest of the competition, something was going to have to change drastically. What Knickerbocker’s five rivals had going for them was that there were two days off to regroup. __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 09-02-2024 at 05:21 PM.

09-02-2024, 03:56 PM	#326
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,081	GAMEDAY SIX (August 14th) SYR 8-14 SHA – SS Anthony Mascherino (SHA): 3/5, 2 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI ALL 7-11 STJ – 1B Collin Henderson (STJ): 3/5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB EXC 3-4 KNI – 3B Jerald Peterson (KNI): 2/4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, SB, GW RUN Shamrock improved to 4-2 with a six-run win over Syracuse at the South End Grounds. Three Shamrock batsmen had three hits: Mascherino, James Burke, & Walter Williams. The key inning was the 4th, in which Shamrock scored six times on four different run-scoring hits to take an 8-4 lead. Six runs over the next three innings, and Shamrock had the win in the bag. The St. John’s offense was back on track in their win over Alleghany. The hosts had a 6-1 lead after the 2nd but gave it back when Alleghany scored five times in the top of the 6th. St. John’s then scored five more runs in the bottom of the 7th – PH John Baddley’s two-run double the key hit – to secure the result. Knickerbocker was finally held below ten runs on Gameday Six, but the result was another win as Jim Creighton’s valiant effort was not enough in the Elysian Fields. The score was 3-3 going into the bottom of the 9th when Knickerbocker began the inning with a pair of singles off Creighton, and after a sac bunt PH Fred Carter singled Peterson in to win the game. The results of Gameday Six meant Knickerbocker was in first place by two games. GAMEDAY SEVEN (August 15th) SYR 1-3 KNI – P Grover Anderson (KNI): CG, 7 HA, 1 R/ER, 0 BB/1 K, 1/3 SHA 4-7 STJ – OF Nelson Townsend (STJ): 2/5, 2 R, 3 SB EXC 12-2 ALL – SS John Withers (EXC): 3/5, 2 2B, R, 5 RBI Once again Knickerbocker was held on the low end of the scoring scale, but once again the result was another Knickerbocker win. Single runs in the 1st, 3rd, & 6th were enough as #2 pitcher Grover Anderson put in a brilliant effort and the defense behind him committed a single fielding miscue over the course of the game. The St. John’s offense was not at its best, but it was good enough to earn another win. A three-run rally in the 4th inning put the hosts up 5-2, with Thomas DiMola’s two-run triple effectively guaranteeing the win. St. John’s baserunners terrorized the Shamrock battery, stealing seven bases without being caught. Alleghany took an ugly home loss on Gameday Seven, considering they were facing Excelsior #2 pitcher Lonny Cochrane. Their visitors scored in each of the first six innings, and Alleghany failed to score until the bottom of the 9th. Excelsior totaled 20 hits, with Felix Brand, Jim Creighton, Benjamin Lovette, Archie Mask & John Withers all having three or more. The results of Gameday Seven eliminated Alleghany, Excelsior, St. John’s, & Syracuse. There were two teams left in contention for the cup: the previous two champions. Code: TEAM W L R RA RD KNICKERBOCKER 7 0 60 26 +34 SHAMROCK 4 3 41 40 +1 Knickerbocker & Shamrock were opening Gameday Eight at the Elysian Fields. With a win, Knickerbocker would be cup champions for the second time in three years. GAMEDAY EIGHT (August 16th) SHA 21-13 KNI – SS Anthony Mascherino (SHA): 4/6, 3 2B, 3 R, 5 RBI, SB EXC 5-7 STJ – P William Tighe (STJ): CG, 12 HA, 5 R/4 ER, 2 BB/0 K, 2/3, 3B, 2 R, 1 RBI SYR 3-11 ALL – 1B Edgar Drury (ALL): 3/4, 3B, R, 4 RBI Their backs to the wall, defending champions Shamrock pummeled Knickerbocker in a crazy contest that saw the teams combine for 34 runs and 41 hits. Mascherino led the way, but Luther Tatum was 4/5, James Burke was 3/5, and William Gillette was 3/6 while Walter Williams stole three bases. The Knickerbocker celebrations would have to wait. St. John’s punished a poor defensive effort by Excelsior, whose seven errors contributed heavily to the home team’s fortunes in Providence. Jim Creighton was in good form, and his team’s fielding issues meant only one of seven runs he allowed was an Earned Run. William Tighe’s pitching was not perfect, but he more than made up for it with the bat. Edgar Drury had to enter for an injured Harmon Melville to start the 4th inning, and he was the main reason why Alleghany ran away from Syracuse. While the home side blew the game open during the middle innings, Drury hit a two-run sin-gle and a two-run triple. By the time the 6th was over it was 8-3 to Alleghany and the win was theirs. The two teams left in contention for the cup after Gameday Eight: Code: TEAM W L R RA RD KNICKERBOCKER 7 1 73 47 +26 SHAMROCK 5 3 62 53 +9 Knickerbocker would be at home against Alleghany, and Shamrock would play at Excelsior on Gameday Nine. GAMEDAY NINE (August 17th) STJ 8-10 SYR – SS Henry Neal (SYR): 3/5, 2 2B, R, 4 RBI SHA 9-5 EXC – CF Walter Williams (SHA): 3/5, 2B, 3B, R, 2 RBI, SB ALL 5-11 KNI – 3B Jerald Peterson (KNI): 2/5, 3B, 4 R, RBI, SB Syracuse had a BIG start against St. John’s: eight runs over the first two innings. However, poor pitching allowed their lead to slip away and the game was 8-8 at the end of the 6th. Syracuse redeemed themselves with a one-run single by James McNeil in the 7th and another one by cup star Henry Neal in the 8th to take the victory. Shamrock needed to win against Excelsior and their #2 pitcher to stay in contention with hopes to force a playoff for the cup, and they got the result they needed thanks to six runs in the fourth followed by three in the fifth. Shamrock was a bit lucky in victory as they committed a very uncharacteristic eight fielding errors, but Excelsior failed to take advantage. A win would give Knickerbocker the cup, and they took care of business against Alleghany. The visitors scored early – five runs over the first three innings – but Knickerbocker put multiple crooked figures on the scoreboard and were ahead 10-5 after the 6th. Grover Anderson held Alleghany scoreless from there, and that meant the cup was going back to Manhattan. The top two after Gameday Nine: Code: TEAM W L R RA RD KNICKERBOCKER 8 1 84 52 +32 SHAMROCK 6 3 71 58 +13 Gameday Ten would be a celebration day for Knickerbocker, and the end of the line for everybody else. GAMEDAY TEN (August 17th) ALL 5-7 EXC – P Jim Creighton (EXC): CG, 7 H, 5 R/0 ER, 0 BB/3 K, 2/4, 2B, R STJ 11-8 SHA – 1B Collin Henderson (STJ): 2/4, 3 R, RBI, BB KNI 17-6 SYR – SS Edward Huntley (KNI): 5/7, 2 2B, 3B, 3 R, 7 RBI, SB Jim Creighton and Excelsior ended the cup in fine form, leaping forth to a 7-1 lead over Alleghany after three innings. From there Creighton carried the win and a 4-6 finish home, putting in another great all-around performance. It was the end of a frustrating TWC for Alleghany, whose feared 1-2-3 batsmen were nowhere near as proficient as they were during the season. St. John’s got the best of Shamrock in an exciting affair in Boston. Shamrock scored twice in the bottom of the 7th on run-scoring singles to take an 8-5 lead, but St. John’s roared back with six runs in the top of the 8th on five separate run-scoring singles to go ahead 11-8 and take the final battle of the NEL’s two best teams. As they did in 1865, Knickerbocker ended their championship cup run by thrashing the Upstate Champions. It was not quite the 19-1 home mauling of Minuteman from two years ago, but the 17-6 win at Syracuse was almost as impressive. Edward Huntley was fantastic, three other Knick batsmen recorded three hits, – Hugh Harris, Albert Jones, & Paul LaGuerre – and the Tucker-Wheaton Cup was presented to the team after the end of the game at the Salina Street Grounds. __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 09-02-2024 at 05:22 PM.

09-02-2024, 03:59 PM	#327
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,081	1867 TUCKER WHEATON CUP STANDINGS Code: TEAM W L R RA RD KNICKERBOCKER 9 1 101 58 +43 SHAMROCK 6 4 79 69 +10 ST. JOHN’S 5 5 78 73 +5 EXCELSIOR 4 6 52 71 -19 ALLEGHANY* 3 7 51 66 -15 SYRACUSE 3 7 56 80 -24 Alleghany was 2-0 v Syracuse MVP: SS Edward Huntley (KNI)* – .444 (20/45), 1.245 OPS, 4 2B, 5 3B, 14 R, 13 RBI, 4 BB/0 K, 5 SB 1x PotG, 212 WRC+, 240 OPS+, 0.5 WPA, 0.8 WAR in 10 Games The TWC went exactly as the Writers Pool had predicted it, and it was a mirror of the regular season. The only fifty-win team and the team that set the new record for Run Differential, Knickerbocker, equaled the mark for best Round Robin finish by going 9-1 and they set a new record for Run Differential in the TWC with +43. The teams that were clearly second and third-best in the NBBO – Shamrock & St. John’s – finished in second and third place. The other three regional champions were clearly not able to keep up, just as their regular season records showed they were a step below the NBBO’s top three. Knickerbocker was a machine during the TWC. Five members of the lineup hit over .300, five scored 10+ runs, and five had 10+ RBI. Hugh Harris scored no less than eighteen times, and Paul LaGuerre drove in fourteen runs while being the fourth-best batsman in his own team. Huntley was amazing, and the pitching of Peadar Daly & Grover Anderson was excellent. The most dominant team in NBBO history was the most dominant cup team in NBBO history. Shamrock tried their best to keep up with Knickerbocker and defend their NBBO title, but they fell short. James Burke (19/45, 9 R, 8 RBI, 8 SB) was great in his first postseason action, Jerrick Stoner hit .400, and Anthony Mascherino drove in ten runs. However, they were undone by poor defense in losses, and Thomas Smith was 1-4 with an ERA of 6.63. St. John’s had an extremely difficult cup run. After starting with two games versus Knickerbocker in three days their offensive juggernaut collapsed, and they were 1-4 after Gameday Five. The team rebounded well over the second half of the competition, but it was too late. St. John’s famed outfield trio all played quite well, but the rest of their lineup struggled. Excelsior was, once again, a one-man gang. Jim Creighton pitched 47.1 innings over six games and had a 1.90 ERA. He was also 11/33 with the bat (.947 OPS) and scored ten runs. He was the only Excelsior player with more than 20 at-bats to hit over .300, and other Excelsior pitchers had a collective ERA over 5.00. Alleghany came into the cup with the most talented 1-2-3 batsmen in the sport. During the cup, those three combined to bat .212 (27/127) with just seven RBI. Royal Altman did score eleven runs, but none of the three were anything close to the regular season versions of themselves. That meant decent pitching by Fred Richards and John Henry went to waste. Once again, Syracuse’s tendency to eke out close results during the season was foreshadowing for a poor postseason. They did have one star player in Henry Neal (17/42, 8 R, 9 2B, 13 RBI), but six of eight regular batsmen hit below .250 and All-Star #1 Carl Bancroft was 1-4 with an ERA of nearly 4.96. Edward Huntley did not have the most PotG performances in his own team during the cup – Hugh Harris and Jerald Peterson had three each – but in the end he was their best player, and the best player any of the six teams had during the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. His .444 average and 1.245 OPS were better than any other batsman, and his five triples in ten games were simply ridiculous. Add in fourteen runs, thirteen RBI, and Golden Glove level defense for the team that won the cup, and it is fairly elementary to see why Huntley was named Tucker-Wheaton Cup MVP. The only other players that came close to Huntley’s output were fellow Knickerbocker batsmen: • 3B Jerald Peterson: .409 (18/44), 1.063 OPS, 5 2B, 2 3B, 14 R, 13 RBI, 4 BB/1 K, 5 SB, 0.9 WPA, 0.6 WAR • OF Hugh Harris: .431 (22/51), 1.070 OPS, 7 2B, 2 3B, 18 R, 12 RBI, 0 BB/1 K, 6 SB, 0.7 WPA, 0.6 WAR • 1B Paul LaGuerre: .386 (17/44), .958 OPS, 7 2B, 1 3B, 8 R, 14 RBI, 0 BB/0 K, 0 SB, 0.7 WPA, 0.3 WAR What separated Huntley from his three teammates was his outstanding defense. __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 09-02-2024 at 04:09 PM.

09-04-2024, 07:44 PM	#329
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,081	1867 NBBO STANDINGS TUCKER-WHEATON CUP Champions: Knickerbocker BBC (9-1, 101 R, 58 RA, +43 RD) Most Valuable Player: Edward Huntley (31 y/o SS, Knickerbocker BBC) GAMEDAY 1: SYR 4-5 EXC (10 INN), KNI 12-6 STJ, ALL 2-3 SHA (12 INN) GAMEDAY 2: STJ 16-3 EXC, KNI 10-3 SHA, ALL 3-2 SYR GAMEDAY 3: STJ 5-10 KNI, EXC 5-10 SYR, SHA 4-3 ALL GAMEDAY 4: EXC 6-4 SHA, KNI 11-7 ALL, SYR 8-5 STJ GAMEDAY 5: KNI 10-1 EXC, SHA 9-4 SYR, STJ 2-6 ALL GAMEDAY 6: SYR 8-14 SHA, ALL 7-11 STJ, EXC 3-4 KNI GAMEDAY 7: SYR 1-3 KNI, SHA 4-7 STJ, EXC 12-2 ALL (ALL, EXC, STJ, SYR eliminated) GAMEDAY 8: SHA 21-13 KNI, EXC 5-7 STJ, SYR 3-11 ALL GAMEDAY 9: STJ 8-10 SYR, SHA 9-5 EXC, ALL 5-11 KNI (SHA eliminated, KNI champs) GAMEDAY 10: ALL 5-7 EXC, STJ 11-8 SHA, KNI 17-6 SYR KNICKERBOCKER: SS Edward Huntley – .444 (20/45), 1.245 OPS, 4 2B, 5 3B, 14 R, 13 RBI, 4 BB, 5 SB, 0.5 WPA, 0.8 WAR SHAMROCK: OF James Burke – .422 (19/45), 1.071 OPS, 7 2B, 1 3B, 9 R, 8 RBI, 3 BB, 8 SB, 0.5 WPA, 0.6 WAR ST. JOHN’S: CF William Johnson – .370 (17/46), .855 OPS, 3 2B, 0 3B, 14 R, 4 RBI, 4 BB, 5 SB, 1.1 WPA, 0.5 WAR EXCELSIOR: P Jim Creighton – 3-3, 1.90 ERA, 47.2 IP, 7 BB/18 K, 1.14 WHIP, .333 (11/33), 6 2B, 1 3B, 10 R, 4 RBI, 1.1 WAR ALLEGHANY: P Fred Richards – 3-3, 3.25 ERA, 44.1 IP, 4 CG, 6 BB/11 K, 1.15 WHIP, 0.8 WAR, 0.9 rWAR SYRACUSE: SS Henry Neal – .405 (17/42), 1.038 OPS, 9 2B, 0 3B, 8 R, 13 RBI, 0 BB, 0 SB, 1.0 WPA, 0.5 WAR __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 09-04-2024 at 08:06 PM.

09-04-2024, 07:47 PM	#330
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,081	NEW YORK LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Cormack Alexander – 27 y/o 1B, Kings County BBC (2nd BotY Award) • .414/.434/.577, 1.010 OPS, 90 R, 138 H, 34 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 82 RBI, 9 BB, 1 SB, 192 TB, 4.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR • Led NYL in SLG, H, 2B, & TB; Top five in AVG, OBP, OPS, R, XBH, RBI, & WAR • Jim Creighton (P/1B, EXC) 2nd – New York League Most Valuable Player • Jerald Peterson (3B, KNI) 3rd – .378/.434/.524, 91 R, 111 H, 29 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 84 RBI, 30 BB, 11 SB, 4.2 WPA, 3.2 WAR MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Jim Creighton – 26 y/o P/1B, Excelsior BBC (3rd MVP Award) • 27-15, 2.46 ERA, 361.2 IP, 30 CG, 1 SHO, 117 K, 4.3 K/BB, 2.9 K/9, 1.10 WHIP, 8.8 WAR, 11.3 rWAR • .416/.464/.566, 1.030 OPS, 60 R, 94 H, 24 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 44 RBI, 20 BB, 1 SB, 128 TB, 2.5 WPA, 2.7 WAR • First P to win Batting Title; 11.5 total Batting & Pitching WAR (new record) • Edward Huntley (SS, KNI) 2nd – .355/.404/.531, 100 R, 113 H, 32 2B, 12 3B, 0 HR, 71 RBI, 27 BB, 36 SB, +25.7 ZR, 3.6 WPA, 5.4 WAR • Francis Smith (OF, MET) 3rd – Newcomer of the Year NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Francis Smith – 22 y/o OF, Metropolitan BBC • .342/.379/.509, .888 OPS, 74 R, 110 H, 28 2B, 13 3B, 0 HR, 61 RBI, 17 BB, 15 SB, 164 TB, 4.8 WPA, 2.7 WAR • Led NEL Newcomers in OBP, SLG, OPS, H, XBH, WPA, & WAR; Won Golden Glove; In NYL Team of the Year • Monroe Munson (P, NIA) 2nd – 22-14, 2.68 ERA, 332.0 IP, 24 CG, 1 SHO, 31 K, 2.2 K/BB, 1.16 WHIP, 7.1 WAR, 7.9 rWAR • William Buschmann (CF, UTI) 3rd – .328/.340/.422, 70 R, 108 H, 23 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 41 RBI, 6 BB, 13 SB, 3.1 WPA, 2.5 WAR GOLDEN GLOVES P: James Goodman (MIN, 2nd) – 2.07 RNG, +7.8 ZR, 1.087 EFF C: Roel Woudenberg (CON, 1st) – 40.3 RTO%, 3.40 C-ERA, +5.5 ZR, 1.127 EFF 1B: Mario Fusilli (SYR, 1st) – 10.61 RNG, +7.1 ZR, 1.115 EFF 2B: William Strausbaugh (EMP, 1st) – 6.46, +14.8 ZR, 1.123 EFF 3B: Roscoe Brown (MIN, 1st) – 3.99 RNG, +13.8 ZR, 1.127 EFF SS: Edward Huntley (KNI, 8th) – 5.62 RNG, +25.7 ZR, 1.188 EFF OF: Scanlon Miller (MUT, 1st) – 2.50 RNG, +5.6 ZR, 1.123 EFF CF: Hiram Majors (ATL, 2nd) – 4.28 RNG, +10.7 ZR, 1.079 EFF OF: Francis Smith (MET, 1st) – 2.60 RNG, +8.0 ZR, 1.065 EFF TEAM OF THE YEAR P: Jim Creighton (EXC, 4th) - 27-15, 2.46 ERA, 361.2 IP, 30 CG, 1 SHO, 117 K, 4.3 K/BB, 2.9 K/9, 1.10 WHIP, 8.8 WAR, 11.3 rWAR C: Kenneth Harvey (KNI, 1st) - .332/.369/.457, 53 R, 96 H, 23 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 68 RBI, 18 BB, 4 SB, 132 TB, 1.9 WPA, 2.2 WAR 1B: Cormack Alexander (KC, 3rd) - .414/.434/.577, 90 R, 138 H, 34 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 82 RBI, 9 BB, 1 SB, 192 TB, 4.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR 2B: Leslie Arnett (GOT, 3rd) - .356/.378/.414, 71 R, 110 H, 12 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 46 RBI, 11 BB, 20 SB, 128 TB, +16.0 ZR, 3.0 WPA, 3.0 WAR 3B: Jerald Peterson (KNI, 4th) - .378/.434/.524, 91 R, 111 H, 29 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 84 RBI, 30 BB, 11 SB, 154 TB, 4.2 WPA, 3.2 WAR SS: Edward Huntley (KNI, 8th) - .355/.404/.531, 100 R, 113 H, 32 2B, 12 3B, 0 HR, 71 RBI, 27 BB, 36 SB, 169 TB, +25.7 ZR, 3.6 WPA, 5.4 WAR OF: Ilkka Kivivuori (EMP, 2nd) - .396/.415/.472, 62 R, 120 H, 12 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 58 RBI, 9 BB, 4 SB, 143 TB, 2.9 WPA, 2.6 WAR CF: Taliesin Buckley (NIA, 3rd) - .326/.344/.466, 71 R, 105 H, 22 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 58 RBI, 10 BB, 45 SB, 150 TB, 3.5 WPA, 2.2 WAR OF: Francis Smith (MET, 1st) - .342/.379/.509, 74 R, 110 H, 28 2B, 14 3B, 0 HR, 61 RBI, 17 BB, 15 SB, 164 TB, 4.8 WPA, 2.7 WAR MGR: Marion Craycroft (KNI) - 54-16; Knickerbocker won NYC by 17 games; went 9-1 in TWC with record +43 Run Differential NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Royal Altman – 25 y/o OF, Alleghany BC (2nd BotY Award) • .445/.474/.606, 1.079 OPS, 93 R, 141 H, 23 2B, 11 3B, 2 HR, 83 RBI, 19 BB, 38 SB, 192 TB, 6.8 WPA, 4.7 WAR • Set new NBBO records for AVG, SLG, OPS, H, & WPA; Also won MVP • William Busby (1B, AME) 2nd – .392/.441/.565, 72 R, 118 H, 26 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 85 RBI, 27 BB, 1 SB, 6.1 WPA, 3.6 WAR • Gerhardt Berg (1B, SotO) 3rd – .422/.452/.558, 68 R, 130 H, 24 2B, 9 3B, 0 HR, 69 RBI, 12 BB, 2 SB, 5.6 WPA, 3.2 WAR MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Royal Altman – 25 y/o OF, Alleghany BC • NEL Batsman of the Year • 2nd player in NBBO history to win BotY & MVP in the same season • Ed Donovan (OF, PJ) 2nd – .399/.411/.519, 97 R, 137 H, 23 2B, 9 3B, 0 HR, 41 RBI, 7 BB, 62 SB, 6.3 WPA, 3.1 WAR • William Johnson (CF, STJ) 3rd – .365/.456/.521, 106 R, 112 H, 24 2B, 12 3B, 0 HR, 50 RBI, 53 BB, 41 SB, 6.0 WPA, 3.8 WAR NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: James Burke – 26 y/o OF, Shamrock BC • .392/.421/.557, .978 OPS, 92 R, 114 H, 29 2B, 8 3B, 1 HR, 64 RBI, 19 BB, 54 SB, 162 TB, 3.8 WPA, 3.5 WAR • All-Star in debut season; Hit .422 (1.071 OPS) with 8 XBH, 9 R, 8 RBI, 8 SB in Tucker-Wheaton Cup • Gerhardt Berg (1B, SotO) 2nd – NEL Batsman of the Year 3rd place • Harvey O’Donnell (C, CAN) 3rd – .409/.426/.514, 70 R, 113 H, 23 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 51 RBI, 3 BB, 0 SB, 3.7 WPA, 2.5 WAR GOLDEN GLOVES P: Robert Dozier (TU, 1st) – 2.78 RNG, +6.0 ZR, 1.133 EFF C: William White (SHA, 2nd) – 27.0 RTO%, 2.61 C-ERA, +10.3 ZR, 1.061 EFF 1B: William Busby (AME, 1st) – 12.28 RNG, +6.7 ZR, 1.105 EFF 2B: William Gillette (SHA, 2nd) – 6.53 RNG, +17.6 ZR, 1.130 EFF 3B: Herbert Ray (PJ, 1st) – 3.68 RNG, +16.5 ZR, 1.191 EFF SS: Finley Carter (OCE, 1st) – 5.41 RNG, +20.1 ZR, 1.158 EFF OF: James Heilman (SUS, 1st) – 2.83 RNG, +6.2 ZR, 1.040 EFF CF: Franklin Petty (LE, 1st) – 3.76 RNG, +7.3 ZR, 1.078 EFF OF: Konrad Jensen (STJ, 2nd) – 2.78 RNG, +5.7 ZR, 1.047 EFF TEAM OF THE YEAR P: Tom Ricks (SHA, 2nd) - 29-11, 2.77 ERA, 351.1 IP, 33 CG, 2 SHO, 38 K, 1.3 K/BB, 1.07 WHIP, 5.8 WAR, 13.0 rWAR C: Harvey O'Donnell (CAN, 1st) - .409/.426/.514, 70 R, 113 H, 23 2B, 3 3B, 0 HR, 51 RBI, 3 BB, 0 SB, 142 TB, 3.7 WPA, 2.5 WAR 1B: William Busby (AME, 1st) - .392/.441/.565, 72 R, 118 H, 26 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 85 RBI, 27 BB, 1 SB, 170 TB, 6.1 WPA, 3.6 WAR 2B: James Caldwell (LE, 1st) - .356/.393/.408, 76 R, 116 H, 7 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 43 RBI, 14 BB, 15 SB, 133 TB, 2.7 WPA, 2.3 WAR 3B: Samuel Kessler (ALL, 9th) - .395/.433/.596, 100 R, 132 H, 51 XBH, 37 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 51 RBI, 18 BB, 30 SB, 199 TB, 2.8 WPA, 3.9 WAR SS: Anthony Mascherino (SHA, 8th) - .345/.381/.479, 72 R, 100 H, 19 2B, 10 3B, 0 HR, 68 RBI, 19 BB, 22 SB, 139 TB, +18.1 ZR, 3.3 WPA, 3.4 WAR OF: Royal Altman (ALL, 2nd) - .445/.474/.606, 1.079 OPS, 93 R, 141 H, 23 2B, 11 3B, 2 HR, 83 RBI, 19 BB, 38 SB, 192 TB, 6.8 WPA, 4.7 WAR CF: William Johnson (STJ, 2nd) - .365/.456/.521, 106 R, 112 H, 24 2B, 12 3B, 0 HR, 50 RBI, 53 BB, 41 SB, 160 TB, 6.0 WPA, 3.8 WAR OF: Nelson Townsend (STJ, 3rd) - .379/.440/.570, 95 R, 119 H, 24 2B, 12 3B, 4 HR, 71 RBI, 33 BB, 54 SB, 179 TB, 6.2 WPA, 3.8 WAR MGR: Milton Crawford (SHA) - 53-17; Shamrock best team in NEL for 2nd straight year; Runner-up in Tucker-Wheaton Cup __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 09-04-2024 at 07:57 PM.

09-04-2024, 07:49 PM	#331
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,081	MISCELLANEOUS NEW YORK LEAGUE LEADERS • Average: .416 by Jim Creighton (EXC) • On-Base: .464 by Jim Creighton (EXC) • Slugging: .577 by Cormack Alexander (KC) • OPS: 1.030 by Jim Creighton (EXC) • Hits: 138 by Cormack Alexander (KC) • Extra-Base Hits: 44 by Edward Huntley (KNI) • Doubles: 34 by Cormack Alexander (KC) • Triples: 14 by Albert Jones (KNI) • Home Runs: 5 by Charles Haynes (UTI) • Runs Batted In: 84 by Jerald Peterson (KNI) • Runs: 100 by Edward Huntley (KNI) • Stolen Bases: 58 by Mathius Wirtz (MIN) • Total Bases: 192 by Cormack Alexander (KC) • Bases on Balls: 43 by Walter Driscoll (MIN) • Win Prob. Added: 4.8 by Francis Smith (MET) • Batter WAR: 5.4 by Edward Huntley (KNI) • Wins: 28 by Peadar Daly (KNI) • Losses: 26 by Frank Childs (ECK) • ERA: 2.46 by Jim Creighton (EXC) in 361.2 IP • Innings: 361.2 by Jim Creighton (EXC) • Complete Games: 30 by Jim Creighton (EXC) • Shutouts: 2 by three different pitchers • Walk Rate: 0.2 BB/9 by Peadar Daly (KNI) in 338.0 IP • Strikeouts: 117 by Jim Creighton (EXC) • Strikeout Rate: 2.9 K/9 by Jim Creighton (EXC) in 361.2 IP • K/BB Ratio: 4.3/1 by Jim Creighton (EXC) • WHIP: 1.10 by Jim Creighton (EXC) • Pitching WAR: 9.0 by James Goodman (MIN) • RA/9 WAR: 11.3 by Jim Creighton (EXC) & James Goodman (MIN) NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE LEADERS • Average: .445 by Royal Altman (ALL) • On-Base: .474 by Royal Altman (ALL) • Slugging: .606 by Royal Altman (ALL) • OPS: 1.079 by Royal Altman (ALL) • Hits: 141 by Royal Altman (ALL) • Extra-Base Hits: 51 by Samuel Kessler (ALL) • Doubles: 37 by Samuel Kessler (ALL) • Triples: 15 by Reardon Armstrong (PIO) • Home Runs: 6 by William Busby (AME) • Runs Batted In: 85 by William Busby (AME) • Runs: 106 by William Johnson (STJ) • Stolen Bases: 62 by Edward Donovan (PJ) • Total Bases: 199 by Samuel Kessler (ALL) • Bases on Balls: 53 by William Johnson (STJ) • Win Prob. Added: 6.8 by Royal Altman (ALL) • Batter WAR: 4.7 by Royal Altman (ALL) • Wins: 29 by Thomas Ricks (SHA) • Losses: 26 by Hugh Whiteside (CAN) • E.R.A.: 2.39 by Ira Stiles (SUS) in 169.2 IP • Innings: 361.0 by Thomas Paddock (PIO) • Complete Games: 33 by Thomas Ricks (SHA) • Shutouts: 4 by Thomas Bishop (OCE) • Walk Rate: 0.5 BB/9 by Thomas Ricks in 351.1 IP • Strikeouts: 113 by Elmer Seabold (SUS) • Strikeout Rate: 3.1 K/9 by Elmer Seabold (SUS) in 328.0 IP • K/BB Ratio: 2.4/1 by Elmer Seabold (SUS) • WHIP: 1.07 by Thomas Ricks (SHA) • Pitching WAR: 7.4 by Jonathan Jenkins (QS) • RA/9 WAR: 13.0 by Thomas Ricks (SHA) SEASON RECORDS • Knickerbocker set a new record for Run Differential in a season with +259 (+3.70 R/G). • St. John’s set a new record for Runs Scored in a season with 676 (9.66 R/G). • Knickerbocker set new records for Doubles (190) and Extra-base Hits (249) in a season. • Shamrock set a new record for Triples in a season with 61. • St. John’s set a new record for Bases on Balls drawn in a season with 229 (3.27 BB/G). • Harlem set a new record low for strikeouts by batsmen in a season with 25 (0.36 K/G). • Royal Altman (ALL) set new records for AVG (.445), SLG (.606), OPS (1.079), Hits (141), & WPA (6.75) in a season. • Samuel Kessler (ALL) set new records for Extra-Base Hits (51), Doubles (37), & Total Bases (199) in a season. • Jim Creighton (EXC) set a new record for combined Batting & Pitching WAR with 11.5. • William Johnson (STJ) tied the NBBO record for Runs Scored in a season with 106. • Declan Brice (PIO) set a new record for Games Played in a season with 72. • Thomas Paddock (PIO) set a new record for Games Pitched in a season with 48. • Howard Riggs (GRA) set a new record for Games Started by a pitcher in a season with 44. • Jim Creighton (EXC) set a new record for Innings Pitched in a season with 361.2 • Thomas Ricks (SHA) set new records for Complete Games (33) and RA/9 WAR (13.0) in a season. ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS • May 6: Alva Blatnik (PJ) allowed 10 Runs, 9 Earned Runs, & 7 Hits without recording an out against Port Jersey. • May 6: Newark became the first team in NBBO history to hit two Home Runs in a single inning. • May 6: Newark set a new record by scoring 16 times in the 9th inning in a comeback win (28-16 at Port Jersey). • May 17: Jim Creighton (EXC) became the first pitcher with 10+ Strikeouts in a game with 10 at Eckford. • June 14: St. John’s set a new record with a 27-run Margin of Victory (28-1 at QUI). • June 14: William Johnson (STJ) became the first player ever to draw five Bases on Balls in a single game. • June 21: Bryn Rasmussen (CON) became the first player with an RBI in seven PA’s in the same game. • June 26: Harry Nettles (SotO) pitched the NBBO’s first No-Hitter in five years. • June 26: Harry Nettles (SotO) became the first pitcher with two career No-Hitters. • July 12: Thomas Maloney (MB) became the first player to record 5+ Hits in consecutive games. • August 1: Samuel Kessler (ALL) became the first player with 50+ Extra-base Hits in a single season. • August 4: The Inland Championship became the first regional championship to end the season with a tie for 1st place. • Five players hit .400 or better during the 1867 season. • Jim Creighton (EXC) became the first P to win a Batting Title, leading the NYL with a .416 Batting Average. • Royal Altman (ALL) became the 2nd player to win BotY & MVP in the same season (KNI’s Albert Jones in 1858). • Edward Huntley (EXC) became the 2nd batsman with more than 5.0 WAR in a single season. • William Busby (AME) became the first player to hit more than 5 HR in a season since 1864. • A record six players finished the season with 75+ Runs Batted In. • For the third season in a row three pitchers won 25+ games. • Five players recorded six-hit games in 1867. __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here

10-14-2024, 07:33 AM	#336
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,081	Okay I'm back after nearly a month - was focusing on Fooball Research while they're redoing the code for the game from the ground up, but if you've seen the news about this year's release...well...that was fun to deal with. __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here