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

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ONE CYCLE DESERVES ANOTHER IN BALTIMORE
MARYLAND CF VERRETT CANCELS OUT NEWARK CYCLE FROM YESTERDAY WITH ONE OF HIS OWN

BALTIMORE, MD. (July 14, 1871) – It has been quite a couple of days for baseball fans in Baltimore. After watching James Wilkerson of visiting Newark hit for the Cycle yesterday afternoon, spectators in Cecil Calvert Park got to see a member of the home team return the favor on Friday in a 13-8 Maryland BC victory.

The player to do it? None other than All-Star CF Herb Verrett, who finished the job by the end of the 5th inning:

• B1: 1-run Triple to RF off W. Lathem (R)
• B3: Infield Single off W. Latham (R)
• B4: Double to LCF off W. Latham (R)
• B5: 2-RUN HOME RUN (ItP) to LCF off C. Lee
• B7: Reached via Fielder’s Choice at 2B
• TOTAL: 4/5, CYCLE (2B, 3B, HR), 4 R, 3 RBI, 10 TB

After Wilkerson hit for the NBBO’s first Cycle in just shy of three years the day before, Verrett made it two Cycles over two days in the same venue, an NBBO first. He also became the first player to complete a Cycle in the first five innings of play.

The fourteenth Cycle in NBBO history was not the only notable feat on the afternoon. Maryland’s other All-Star, 3B Charles Palmer, was 5/5 with a Double, Triple, a pair of Runs, and four RBI in a performance that would nearly always win Player of the Game honors but had to settle for second fiddle here.

Also of note: Maryland 1B James Fisher finished the contest with a quartet of threes – three Hits in three At Bats with three Runs and three RBI each.

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K.C. & GOTHAM PLAY A CLASSIC AT RED HOUSE
STAR 2B BABE JOHNSON GOES 5/5 AS HOSTS COME UP JUST SHORT

NEW YORK CITY (July 15, 1871) – Kings County & Gotham played one of the most exciting games of the inaugural season of the APBL on Saturday, with the struggling visitors just getting the better of Gotham in the St. George Cricket Grounds:

There were contrasting attacks in this game. Victorious Kings County did most of their damage with two big rallies in the 6th & 8th innings, while Gotham scored multiple runs during five of their nine times to bat. The crucial moment came in the bottom of the 8th, when Nicky Smith had a chance to tie the game with two out and men on base after Gotham had already scored four runs in the inning. All he could do was hit into a Fielder’s Choice, and after both teams went down 1-2-3 in the 9th the win went to Kings Co.

The Player of the Game was Gotham’s star 2B Babe Johnson in a losing effort. Johnson’s afternoon:

• TOTAL: 5/5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 SB, 1 DEF DP

There were two other players with 3+ Hits during the game:

• Theodore Kohlberg (2B, KC): 3/6, 3B, 3 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB
• Edward Johnson (CF, GOT): 3/6, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI

Gotham stayed alone in 2nd place in the Metropolitan Conference in spite of the loss, but at thirteen games back of utterly dominant Orange and their twelve-game win streak, it looks like Gotham may already be playing for pride.

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NEL BEATS NYL FOR FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS
NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE’S BEST TAKE LOW-SCORING ALL-STAR GAME IN NEW YORK CITY

NEW YORK CITY (July 17, 1871) – The Northeastern League made it back into the Win column on Monday, taking the NBBO All-Star Game for the first time in three years:

(NOTE: I’m not sure why the Northeastern League was the home team here. I double-checked and they were the home team the previous year. A bug???)

NEW YORK LEAGUE STARTERS

• P: Ashley Atkins (SYR), C: Raynard Steinbach (BING), 1B: Ilkka Kivivuori (EMP), 2B: Henry Neal (SYR), 3B: Lawrence Robinson (BAL), SS: Marcel Bresciani (ATL), LF: Troy Oberst (MET), CF: Walter Williams (ATL), RF: Peter Huff (UNI)

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE STARTERS

• P: James Dressman (PORT), C: Charles Singer (TU), 1B: Cormack Alexander (QS), 2B: William Strausbaugh (QS), 3B: Charles Palmer (MLD), SS: John Hudgins (CAN), LF: Callum Allison (REA), CF: Ned Morganti (QS), RF: George Scott (MM)

The crowd of over 5,900 at the Capitoline Grounds didn’t get to see the type of offensive output that was present for the All-Star Game in previous seasons, but it was a tight contest until late. The NEL earned the win in the 8th inning when, already ahead 2-1, they scored twice on Singles by Quaker State OF Luc Billon & Portland SS Louis Beane to go ahead by three.

In such a low-scoring ASG, it should come as no surprise that All-Star Game MVP went to a pitcher from the winning team:

• MVP: Elmer Seabold (P, SUS) – 5.0 IP, 6 HA, 1 RA/0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, SV

Aside from host Atlantic’s representatives at the game – Marcel Bresciani, Kenneth Harvey, Olaf Sorensen, & Walter Williams – the two men everyone looked forward to seeing were Peter Huff with his now 54-game Hitting Streak and 41-year-old first time All-Star James Heilman. Huff was 1/3 (Single) for the NYL, while Heilman was 0/2 for the NEL.

In the end, it was another fun exhibition for the fans that raised much-needed funds for charity.

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WILKERSON HAS BANNER DAY VS PORT JERSEY
NEWARK RF TALLIES FIVE HITS & SIX RUNS AGAINST NEW JERSEY RIVALS

NEWARK, N.J. (July 21, 1871) – Newark BC played in-state rivals Port Jersey on Friday, and the hosts guaranteed a series victory with a smashing offensive performance at Ironbound Park:

After a pair of one-run wins to open the five-game set, Newark pounded Port Jersey, scoring thirteen times over the first four innings before adding an eight-run rally in the 6th and then crossing the plate twice more in the 8th for good measure.

Four Newark players had 3+ hits, with Player of the Game honors going to RF James Wilkerson:

• B1: Leadoff Double to RCF off W. Spears (R)
• B2: Leadoff Double to CF off W. Spears (R)
• B3: 2-run Double to RCF off W. Spears (R)
• B4: 1-run Single to CF off G. Graves (R)
• B6: Leadoff Single past 2B off G. Graves (R)
• B6: Reached via Error by H. Nyman (R)
• B8: Substituted out for J. Carlson
• TOTAL: 5/6, 3 2B, 6 R, 3 RBI, 8 TB, 99 GMSC

It was Wilkerson’s third game of 5+ Hits in July, and his second in nine days. In this five-hitter Wilkerson completed an NEL first by hitting three Doubles over the first three innings of a game.

The victory brought 4th-place Newark back to .500, while Port Jersey continues to languish in 6th place in the Coastal Championship.

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GRAY HAS HR & 7 RBI IN WIN OVER SUSQUEHANNA
PIONEER’S ALL-STAR SS HAS CAREER DAY IN HIGHEST-SCORING GAME OF THE SEASON

SPRINGFIELD, MASS. (July 22, 1871) – The top two in the Inland Championship battled each other in the fourth game of their Week Twelve series, and the result was the highest-scoring game in the NBBO this season:

The game was a comedy of errors – 29 total fielding miscues, 15 runners stranded in scoring position, 10 Bases on Balls, 5 Wild Pitches, & 3 Passed Balls made for a contest that was exciting but not exactly pristine in quality.

The Player of the Game was Pioneer’s 2x All-Star shortstop Lionel Gray, who put in the best performance of his career:

• B2: Leadoff Single past 3B off J. Gant (R)
• B2: 1-run Single past SS off J. Gant (R)
• B3: 1-run Sac Fly to RF
• B5: Single past SS off A. Bruner
• B6: 1-run Single to CF off A. Bruner (R)
• B8: Ground Out to 2B
• B8: GRAND SLAM (ItP) to LCF off A. Schottel
• TOTAL: 5/6, HR, 4 R, 7 RBI, 8 TB, 118 GMSC

Gray was having a fine day – 4/5, 3 R, 3 RBI – before the especially wild 8th inning that saw the two teams combine to score twenty times. He proceeded to put an exclamation point on the Pioneer win with an Inside the Park Grand Slam – a well-hit fly ball that went over the heads of two Susquehanna outfielders before rolling all the way to the left-center field fence that stands 455 feet from home plate in River View Park.

The victory left Susquehanna two games clear of Pioneer in 1st place in the Inland Championship. The team nearest to those two is Merrimack Mills, who are five games off the pace.

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ROSTERS NAMED FOR 1ST APBL ALL-STAR GAME
GAME TO BE PLAYED AT ELYSIAN FIELDS ON JULY 31ST; ORANGE LEADS WITH SIX ALL-STARS

NEW YORK CITY (July 24, 1871) – Final vote tallies taken from fans, coaches, players, and Writers Pool members have been completed, and telegrams detailing the rosters for the 1st American Professional Baseball League All-Star Game have been sent out across the Northeast.

Rosters for the APBL Midsummer Classic aren’t the same as those in its NBBO counterpart:

• Twenty players per conference
• Roster places 1-4 go to pitchers – two for each rotation place
• Roster places 5-20 go to batsmen – two for each position
• All six teams from each conference must be represented

The game will be played at the venue that hosted the first National Base Ball Organization All-Star Game: the Elysian Fields in Manhattan, with its capacity of over 15,000 and its reputation as the oldest baseball park in existence.

There are many, many familiar faces on the All-Star Game rosters as nearly every perennial NBBO All-Star has been nominated to play in this year’s game. However, due to the level of competition those stars, for the most part, won’t be bringing the gaudy statistical output they were used to enjoying before the move up from the semi-pro ranks.

Here are the All-Star Game rosters:

COLONIAL CONFERENCE

P: James Goodman (FC) – 18-16, 3.15 ERA, 70 K, 280.0 IP, 23 CG, 1 SHO, 1.25 WHIP, 1.6 K/BB, 6.1 WAR
P: Tom Ricks (SHA) – 15-17, 3.53 ERA, 28 K, 295.2 IP, 22 CG, 0 SHO, 1.26 WHIP, 0.7 K/BB, 3.9 WAR
P: Thomas Smith (StJ) – 20-13, 3.97 ERA, 14 K, 297.0 IP, 22 CG, 0 SHO, 1.34 WHIP, 0.4 K/BB, 4.5 WAR
P: Gus Woods (NIA) – 16-16, 3.63 ERA, 14 K, 282.1 IP, 19 CG, 0 SHO, 1.36 WHIP, 0.3 K/BB, 3.8 WAR

C: Peter Caliguri (StJ) – .271, .617 OPS, 34 R, 55 H, 11 XBH, 0 HR, 32 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SB, 1.67 WPA, 0.3 WAR
C: Joseph Hines (NIA) – .265, .606 OPS, 33 R, 62 H, 10 XBH, 0 HR, 21 RBI, 6 BB, 33.3 RTO%, 0.5 WAR
1B: Frank Bulger (SHA) – .345, .849 OPS, 77 R, 106 H, 25 XBH, 0 HR, 36 RBI, 8 BB, 28 SB, 3.92 WPA, 2.9 WAR
1B: Albert Stoffers (MB) – .363, .875 OPS, 53 R, 98 H, 23 XBH, 3 HR, 60 RBI, 7 BB, 0 SB, 2.90 WPA, 2.1 WAR
2B: Leslie Arnett (MB) – .338, .810 OPS, 61 R, 100 H, 25 XBH, 0 HR, 36 RBI, 13 BB, 11 SB, 1.42 WPA, 2.1 WAR
2B: Ernest Lewis (NIA) – .304, .718 OPS, 56 R, 82 H, 19 XBH, 0 HR, 50 RBI, 5 BB, 8 SB, 1.57 WPA, 1.1 WAR
3B: Hugh Harris (FC) – .281, .716 OPS, 61 R, 85 H, 18 XBH, 0 HR, 39 RBI, 29 BB, 37 SB, 2.54 WPA, 2.1 WAR
3B: Samuel Kessler (ALL) – .331, .778 OPS, 61 R, 104 H, 26 XBH, 0 HR, 67 RBI, 9 BB, 5 SB, 2.17 WPA, 2.0 WAR
SS: George Pugatch (StJ) – .260, .582 OPS, 44 R, 67 H, 8 XBH, 46 RBI, 9 BB, 14 SB, +12.3 ZR, 0.86 WPA, 0.7 WAR
SS: Gerald Strong (ALL) – .261, .671 OPS, 60 R, 80 H, 24 XBH, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 14 SB, +10.8 ZR, 1.17 WPA, 2.1 WAR

LF: Royal Altman (ALL) – .367, .903 OPS, 75 R, 114 H, 32 XBH, 0 HR, 62 RBI, 12 BB, 27 SB, 5.21 WPA, 2.8 WAR
LF: Konrad Jensen (StJ) – .352, .947 OPS, 87 R, 103 H, 23 XBH, 1 HR, 58 RBI, 61 BB, 55 SB, 5.32 WPA, 3.7 WAR
CF: Taliesin Buckley (NIA) – .291, .748 OPS, 79 R, 92 H, 28 XBH, 1 HR, 40 RBI, 7 BB, 56 SB, 3.50 WPA, 1.7 WAR
CF: James Burke (SHA) – .352, .871 OPS, 85 R, 113 H, 31 XBH, 0 HR, 56 RBI, 18 BB, 71 SB, 4.98 WPA, 4.0 WAR
RF: Henry Gaul (SHA) – .361, .889 OPS, 53 R, 105 H, 35 XBH, 0 HR, 70 RBI, 8 BB, 7 SB, 2.86 WPA, 2.3 WAR
RF: Nelson Townsend (StJ) – .399, 1.080 OPS, 95 R, 128 H, 44 XBH, 4 HR, 74 RBI, 38 BB, 37 SB, 5.21 WPA, 4.7 WAR

METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE

P: George Cerven (GOT) – 17-12, 3.60 ERA, 19 K, 289.2 IP, 19 CG, 0 SHO, 1.38 WHIP, 0.4 K/BB, 4.5 WAR
P: Raynard Cordell (ORA) – 24-7, 2.79 ERA, 15 K, 303.2 IP, 24 CG, 1 SHO, 0.97 WHIP, 0.6 K/BB, 4.8 WAR
P: Jim Creighton (EXC) – 16-20, 3.99 ERA, 99 K, 291.1 IP, 19 CG, 1 SHO, 1.33 WHIP, 2.9 K/BB, 6.7 WAR
P: Peadar Daly (KNI) – 20-13, 3.08 ERA, 21 K, 298.0 IP, 23 CG, 2 SHO, 1.15 WHIP, 0.9 K/BB, 5.1 WAR

C: Oliver Lysiak (KNI) – .267, .656 OPS, 28 R, 50 H, 10 XBH, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 8 BB, 0 SB, 1.85 WPA, 0.8 WAR
C: Everett Schreiber (ORA) – .315, .747 OPS, 48 R, 84 H, 22 XBH, 0 HR, 62 RBI, 14 BB, 0 SB, 2.87 WPA, 1.8 WAR
1B: William Busby (AME) – .351, .916 OPS, 57 R, 93 H, 24 XBH, 7 HR, 65 RBI, 27 BB, 1 SB, 3.79 WPA, 2.6 WAR
1B: Garfield Koonce (KC) – .363, .878 OPS, 54 R, 118 H, 31 XBH, 2 HR, 73 RBI, 5 BB, 1 SB, 4.43 WPA, 2.5 WAR
2B: Peter Boyce (AME) – .308, .743 OPS, 84 R, 99 H, 21 XBH, 2 HR, 59 RBI, 9 BB, 29 SB, 3.39 WPA, 2.5 WAR
2B: Babe Johnson (GOT) – .318, .838 OPS, 83 R, 102 H, 30 XBH, 2 HR, 68 RBI, 26 BB, 20 SB, 4.30 WPA, 2.1 WAR
3B: Will Chaffin (ORA) – .308, .774 OPS, 93 R, 100 H, 28 XBH, 0 HR, 38 RBI, 15 BB, 29 SB, 3.27 WPA, 2.5 WAR
3B: Werner Verstegen (AME) – .383, .908 OPS, 88 R, 124 H, 26 XBH, 1 HR, 44 RBI, 10 BB, 29 SB, 6.09 WPA, 3.6 WAR
SS: Edward Huntley (KNI) – .322, .811 OPS, 78 R, 102 H, 30 XBH, 0 HR, 50 RBI, 20 BB, 33 SB, 2.61 WPA, 2.8 WAR
SS: Anthony Mascherino (ORA) – .318, .767 OPS, 68 R, 102 H, 22 XBH, 54 RBI, 24 SB, +13.3 ZR, 3.39 WPA, 3.1 WAR

LF: Edward Donovan (KNI) – .351, .865 OPS, 83 R, 111 H, 32 XBH, 0 HR, 68 RBI, 13 BB, 39 SB, 2.82 WPA, 2.6 WAR
LF: Bernard Lambert (ORA) – .317, .793 OPS, 53 R, 88 H, 22 XBH, 0 HR, 38 RBI, 11 BB, 27 SB, 2.35 WPA, 1.4 WAR
CF: Willie Davis (AME) – .337, .865 OPS, 76 R, 103 H, 35 XBH, 0 HR, 50 RBI, 16 BB, 27 SB, 3.11 WPA, 2.9 WAR
CF: Franklin Petty (ORA) – .361, .858 OPS, 71 R, 114 H, 21 XBH, 77 RBI, 19 BB, 34 SB, +10.6 ZR, 4.77 WPA, 3.1 WAR
RF: Reginald Roper (FC) – .304, .722 OPS, 52 R, 93 H, 24 XBH, 0 HR, 43 RBI, 4 BB, 5 SB, 1.96 WPA, 0.9 WAR
RF: Clive Strachan (GOT) – .361, .867 OPS, 81 R, 122 H, 31 XBH, 0 HR, 51 RBI, 3 BB, 51 SB, 4.13 WPA, 3.6 WAR

The leaders in each conference also lead the way in All-Star nominations:

• ST. JOHN’S (5): Caliguri, Jensen, Pugatch, Smith, & Townsend
• ORANGE (6): Chaffin, Cordell, Lambert, Mascherino, Petty, & Schreiber

There will be two Greenhorns in this year’s All-Star Game:

• COLONIAL: Gaul & Stoffers
• METROPOLITAN: None

When the 1st APBL All-Star Game takes place next Monday, expect plenty of excitement as a new piece of baseball history is created.

[RMc]

APBL & NBBO MAY RECAP

...then again, they may not...

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Originally Posted by RMc

APBL & NBBO MAY RECAP

...then again, they may not...

Ha!

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UNLIKELY HERO GODDARD 5/5 WITH 5 RBI
LIGHT-HITTING CATCHER CAPS MEMORABLE DAY WITH GAME-WINNING HIT FOR K.C.

BROOKLYN (July 25, 1871) – American & Kings County were playing for pride in Washington Park on Tuesday, but that didn’t stop them from staging an exciting contest:

Kings Co. looked to have the game in hand after the end of the middle innings courtesy of their 9-3 lead, but a six-run American rally in the top of the 7th led by a two-run Howard LeBouf Triple evened the score.

In the bottom of the 8th, Kings Co. catcher Albert Goddard came to the plate with one out and drove in Maikel Strijbis with a Single, putting the hosts ahead 10-9 and ultimately giving them the victory.

The clutch hit marked the end of a fine day for Goddard:

• TOTAL: 5/5 (all 1B), 0 R, 5 RBI, GW HIT, 75 GMSC

It also marked an unlikely source of late-inning production for the winners. Over 67 games (61 starts) so far into the APBL’s inaugural season, Stoddard had been batting just .188 with OPS of .497 (41 OPS+), although he had drawn 26 Bases on Balls and the 5/5 performance brought his average above .200. Still, it was Goddard, much more known for his defense (Career ZR: +28.0 over 423 G), who carried Kings Co. to victory.

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HUFF’S HITTING STREAK HITS 60 GAMES
ALL-STAR UNION RF NOW HAS BASEBALL’S LONGEST EVER HIT STREAK BY 18 GAMES

NEW YORK CITY (July 26, 1871) – HE…SIMPLY…CAN…NOT…STOP…HITTING.

With a two-run Triple in the top of the 3rd inning of an 8-0 win at Mercury on Wednesday, Union of Morrisania's Peter Huff took his seemingly mythical Hitting Streak past the 60-game barrier.

Huff’s batting line for the afternoon:

• TOTAL: 2/4, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI, 4 TB

The performance raised Huff’s average on the season to .406 (1.007 OPS) with 51 RBI through 61 games.

Most of the .400 hitters in baseball history have completed the achievement through torrid stretches of batsmanship that have carried them to a .400 finish in spite of average work during other parts of the season. Not so for Huff.

Huff’s streak, which started during the second game of the season, has been a case study in consistency. Of the sixty games during the streak, 28 have been one-hit games. His Batting Average has remained somewhere between .380 and its season high of .407 every day since June 7th. Contrast that with Metropolitan’s .420 hitter Troy Oberst, who has been held hitless six times this season. He has had 37 multi-hit games, and two five-hit outings to go with two four-hit games.

Again, it is remarkable to see such a season from Peter Huff. Last season the Union RF hit .299 with a .708 OPS. His 1871 average of .406 and OPS of 1.007 are 107 and 299 points higher respectively. Last season he had 17 Extra-base Hits (11 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR) and this season he has 32 (19 2B, 11 3B, 2 HR) with nine games still to play. Huff has had arguably the largest season-to-season improvement by a veteran batsman in baseball history.

And for now, everyone waits to see just how long Huff can keep the streak going.

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COLONIAL CONFERENCE WINS 1ST APBL ALL-STAR GAME
GREENHORN GAUL KNOCKS IN WINNING RUN; SAMUEL KESSLER TAKES MVP HONORS

NEW YORK CITY (July 31, 1871) – The inaugural edition of the APBL All-Star took place at the Elysian Fields on Monday, and the contest was an extra-inning thriller that went to the Colonial Conference.

COLONIAL CONFERENCE STARTERS

• P: James Goodman (FC), C: Joseph Hines (NIA), 1B: Albert Stoffers (MB), 2B: Leslie Arnett (MB), 3B: Samuel Kessler (ALL), SS: Gerald Strong (ALL), LF: Konrad Jensen (StJ), CF: James Burke (SHA), RF: Nelson Townsend (StJ)

METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE STARTERS

• P: Raynard Cordell (ORA), C: Everett Schreiber (ORA), 1B: William Busby (AME), 2B: Babe Johnson (GOT), 3B: Werner Verstegen (AME), SS: Anthony Mascherino (ORA), LF: Edward Donovan (KNI), CF: Franklin Petty (ORA), RF: Clive Strachan (GOT)

The crowd of over 15,000 got more than their money’s worth out of this one. A tight 3-2 contest heading into the 4th inning, the Colonial Conference blew the game open with a four-run rally sparked by Samuel Kessler’s two-run Single and capped by Frank Bulger’s run-scoring Triple.

Faced with a 7-2 deficit, the Metropolitan Conference chipped away at the CC’s lead by scoring single runs in the 4th, 6th, & 7th to make it a 7-5 game. In the bottom of the 9th, a Bulger Single and a Sac Fly from Oliver Lysiak evened the score at 7-7, and the first APBL All-Star Game was headed to extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, Shamrock Greenhorn Henry Gaul came to bat with two on & one out and hit a Double that drove in Hugh Harris to give the CC the lead. In the bottom half the MC threatened, but Reginald Roper could only fly out with Will Chaffin on third and two out, and the Colonial Conference had won the game.

While Gaul was the hero for driving in the winning run, Alleghany’s legendary third baseman Samuel Kessler took home Most Valuable Player honors with his excellent work at the plate:

• TOTAL: 2/3, 2B, 1 R, 3 RBI, DEF DP

St. Johns’s Thomas Smith earned the Win, while Gotham’s George Cerven took the loss.

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APBL & NBBO JULY RECAP

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (August 1, 1870) – It is now the Dog Days of Summer and the baseball season is nearly over. Here is how the two competitions look with days remaining before the postseason:

APBL STANDINGS (75 of 90 games played)

COLONIAL CONFERENCE

		 W	 L	GB	  RD
St. John’s	51	24	--	+180
Flour City	37	38	14	 -49
Shamrock	35	40	16	 -20
Alleghany	35	40	16	 -37
Mass. Bay	34	41	17	 -43
Niagara		33	42	18	 -31

METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE

		 W	 L	GB	  RD
Orange		53	22	--	+152
Knick		40	35	13	 +52
Gotham		39	36	14	 +10
American	36	39	17	  +5
Kings Co.	31	44	22	 -96
Excelsior	26	49	27	-123

St. John’s & Orange have their conference pennants all but wrapped up with fifteen games remaining, which isn’t how anyone saw the season unfolding. St. John’s has mastered the Colonial with dominant offense, while Colonial has taken down the Metropolitan with dominant pitching & defense.

APBL MONTHLY AWARDS

BotM: Nelson Townsend (OF, StJ) – .396, 1.077 OPS, 38 R, 44 H, 16 XBH, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 10 BB, 12 SB, 2.68 WPA, 1.6 WAR
PotM: Raynard Cordell (ORA) – 6-2, 2.68 ERA, 9 K, 94.0 IP, 6 CG, 0 SHO, 1.11 WHIP, 0.8 K/BB, 1.8 WAR
GotM: Lambert van Erp (P, ORA) – 7-3, 2.58 ERA, 4 K, 90.2 IP, 7 CG, 0 SHO, 1.18 WHIP, 0.4 K/BB, 1.5 WAR

Townsend takes APBL Batsman of the Month for the second time and looks certain all but certain to win its first Batsman of the Year award. Townsend has an outside chance to become the first batsman to reach 6.0 WAR in a season.

Similarly, Cordell has won APBL Pitcher of the Month for the second time, and with him almost guaranteed to lead the APBL in Wins and likely to lead it in ERA he seems a shoo-in for the first APBL Pitcher of the Year award.

Van Erp has been a midseason revelation for Orange since usurping 150-win veteran William Titus (16-8, 3.79 ERA) for their #2 pitcher slot. The 23-year-old has done almost nothing but good since becoming Cordell’s pitching partner.

APBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .403 by Nelson Townsend (OF, StJ)
OPS: 1.087 by Nelson Townsend (OF, StJ)
Runs: 101 by Nelson Townsend (OF, StJ)
Home Runs: 7 by William Busby (1B, AME)
RBI: 81 by Franklin Petty (ORA)
Stolen Bases: 73 by James Burke (CF, SHA)
Batsman WPA: 6.46 by Werner Verstegen (3B, AME)
Batsman WAR: 5.0 by Nelson Townsend (OF, StJ)

ERA: 2.80 by Reynard Cordell (ORA) over 318.2 IP
Wins: 25 by Reynard Cordell (ORA)
Complete Games: 25 by Reynard Cordell (ORA) & Peadar Daly (KNI)
Strikeouts: 125 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
WHIP: 0.99 by Reynard Cordell (ORA) over 318.2 IP
Pitcher WAR: 7.1 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
Pitcher rWAR: 9.0 by Peadar Daly (KNI)

NBBO REGIONAL LEADERS (65 of 70 games played)

BROOKLYN: Atlantic at 47-18 (clinched)
NEW YORK CITY: Metropolitan at 42-23 (Union 4 GB)
UPSTATE NY: Syracuse at 44-21 (clinched)
COASTAL: Quaker St. at 53-12 (clinched)
INLAND: Susquehanna at 42-23 (Pioneer 3 GB)
NEW ENGLAND: Portland at 43-22 (clinched)

No surprises in the New York Metro, as Atlantic has taken the Brooklyn pennant and Metropolitan remains the very likely New York City champions. However, Syracuse used an incredible 20-2 July to launch themselves from 2 GB of Minuteman to seven games clear ahead in Upstate New York – one of the greatest late-season flourishes in NBBO history.

The only thing left for Quaker State to figure out is if they can win their last five games (v 23-42 Olympic) to surpass the 1865 Knickerbocker team for the best record ever. Merrimack was 7-15 in July, and Susquehanna took advantage of the slump to go several games ahead for the Inland championship. Portland continued to keep everyone else at arm’s length in New England, and that saw them clinch their first pennant.

NBBO BATSMEN OF THE MONTH

NYL: Isaac Kelly (3B, ECK) – .468, 1.133 OPS, 23 R, 51 H, 14 XBH, 1 HR, 29 RBI, 5 BB, 2 SB, 2.52 WPA, 1.6 WAR
NEL: Herb Verrett (CF, MLD) – .416, 1.094 OPS, 30 R, 42 H, 15 XBH, 1 HR, 23 RBI, 7 BB, 2 SB, 2.34 WPA, 1.4 WAR

NBBO PITCHERS OF THE MONTH

NYL: Ashley Atkins (SYR) – 12-1, 3.24 ERA, 11 K, 111.0 IP, 10 CG, 0 SHO, 1.14 WHIP, 0.9 K/BB, 2.1 WAR
NEL: Elmer Seabold (SUS) – 12-2, 2.55 ERA, 24 K, 116.1 IP, 11 CG, 1 SV, 1.23 WHIP, 1.5 K/BB, 2.2 WAR

NBBO GREENHORNS OF THE MONTH

NYL: Nicholas Banfield (P, MUT) – 7-7, 2.86 ERA, 14 K, 113.1 IP, 8 CG, 0 SHO, 1.50 WHIP, 0.6 K/BB, 1.8 WAR
NEL: William Latham (P, NEW) – 7-6, 3.93 ERA, 15 K, 105.1 IP, 5 CG, 0 SHO, 1.46 WHIP, 2.1 K/BB, 2.7 WAR

NBBO STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .439 by Troy Oberst (OF, MET)
OPS: 1.080 by William Valentine (OF, NYAC)
Runs: 100 by Ned Morganti (CF, QS)
Home Runs: 6 by Adam Allen (2B, QUI)
RBI: 77 by Cormack Alexander (1B, QS)
Stolen Bases: 71 by Walter Williams (CF, ATL)
Batsman WPA: 5.60 by Troy Oberst (OF, MET)
Batsman WAR: 3.9 by William Valentine (OF, NYAC)

ERA: 2.52 by Richard Frazee (MET) over 317.1 IP
Wins: 30 by Ross Gill (QS)
Complete Games: 31 by Elmer Seabold (SUS)
Strikeouts: 53 by Bubba Mack (LE)
WHIP: 1.14 by William Potteiger (MAR) over 300.0 IP
Pitcher WAR: 7.3 by Charles Rhodes (FRO)
Pitcher rWAR: 11.5 by Ashley Atkins (SYR)

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I am officially flabbergasted by Peter Huff's 60-game Hitting Streak.

The slash line for the New York League half of the NBBO through 65/70 games in 1871 is .292/.323/.372 with a .695 OPS. That is in line with the real-life National Association in 1871, which had a slash line of .287/.312/.384 and a .696 OPS. So, no shenanigans here.

I haven't written an update yet, but the streak is now at 64 games and still going.

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ROSS GILL SETS NEW RECORD WITH 31ST WIN
QUAKER STATE’S STAR PITCHER BECOMES 1ST TO GO PAST 30 WINS IN A SEASON

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 2, 1871) – Quaker State began their home series against Olympic needing to win all five games to break the 1865 Knickerbocker team’s record for most victories in a 70-game season. Late rallies got the job done in the opener:

The main driver of the Quaker State attack was, unsurprisingly, Cormack Alexander, whose three Singles drove in a pair of runs. Catcher Matthew Williams was also a key factor, driving in two runs via Double in the bottom of the 6th inning.

The talk of the day, however, was Quaker St. #1 Ross Gill.

Entering the game with a 30-6 record, Gill had already become the fifth pitcher with thirty Wins in a season. However, none of the five had ever made it past thirty, with every pitcher in the “30 Win Club” having earned Win #30 in their last appearance of the season. That changed on Wednesday.

Gill was in command for much of the afternoon, allowing seven Hits over the nine innings, and all five scores against him were Unearned Runs due to Quaker St. fielding errors. After Quaker St. took the lead in the 6th the result was never in doubt, and Gill had historic Win #31.

In recognition of his feat, Gill was given Player of the Game honors and two expensive bottles of wine from a local Sommelier.

Gill will likely pitch two more times during the series against Olympic, and if Quaker St. is as successful as the records of both teams (OLY 23-43; QS 54-12) indicate they should be then he could finish the 1871 season with a 33-6 record.

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HUFF’S STREAK FINALLY ENDS AFTER 67 GAMES
LEGENDARY RUN OFFICIALLY 25 GAMES LONGER THAN ANY OTHER HITTING STREAK

NEW YORK CITY (Aug. 5, 1871) – After 67 games and 126 Hits, the unfathomable Hitting Streak achieved by Union of Morrisania’s Peter Huff has finally come to an end.

After fly ball outs in the 1st, 3rd, & 5th were followed by him reaching via Error in the 7th, Huff had one final chance to run his streak to 68 games with two out in the bottom of the 8th. After fouling off five pitches, New York Athletic Club’s John Kimmerle finally made one too many wayward deliveries and Huff went to first via Base on Balls. The next batter, Wilbur Graff, hit into an out, Union went down 1-2-3 in the 9th to lose 10-9, and the streak was over.

Huff was sent out to the middle of the infield after the end of the game, where he received a standing ovation from the fans, handshakes and pats on the back by players from both teams, personal congratulations from the National Base Ball Organization commissioner, and a note that the NBBO will be commissioning a plaque commemorating the streak.

Now that it has officially ended at 67 games, it can be noted that what Huff has accomplished may well be baseball’s first truly unapproachable record. Here is how it compares to other Hitting Streaks in NBBO history:

• 67 Games: Peter Huff (UNI) – ended 8/5/1871
• 66 Games:
• 65 Games:
• 64 Games:
• 63 Games:
• 62 Games:
• 61 Games:
• 60 Games:
• 59 Games:
• 58 Games:
• 57 Games:
• 56 Games:
• 55 Games:
• 54 Games:
• 53 Games:
• 52 Games:
• 51 Games:
• 50 Games:
• 49 Games:
• 48 Games:
• 47 Games:
• 46 Games:
• 45 Games:
• 44 Games:
• 43 Games:
• 42 Games: Cormack Alexander (KC & QS; 1867-68) & William Gentilucci (NC; 1870)
• 41 Games: William McQuaid (FC; 1862-63) & Franklin Petty (LE; 1868-89)
• 40 Games: Henry Nabors (VIC) – ended 5/22/1869
• 39 Games: Arthur Waltrip (AME) – ended 6/4/1862
• 38 Games: Cormack Alexander (QS) – ended 6/25/1870
• 37 Games: Harold Miller (UNI; 1857-58) & Tarmo Kuopio (StJ; 1868)
• 36 Games: four different streaks
• 35 Games: five different streaks
• 34 Games: three different streaks
• 33 Games: three different streaks
• 32 Games: six different streaks
• 31 Games: four different streaks
• 30 Games: thirteen different streaks

As one can see, the final length of Huff’s Hitting Streak is a full 25 games longer than any other ever seen in baseball history – the longest so far in the inaugural season of the APBL is 27 games by Shamrock’s James Burke.

Whatever else is in store for Peter Huff after this, what is for sure is that Huff has etched his name in baseball lore with an achievement that will never be forgotten, and almost certainly will never be beaten.

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QUAKER ST. SETS NEW STANDARD FOR DOMINANCE
PHILADELPHIANS SWEEP OLYMPIC; FINISH SEASON 58-12 TO ONE-UP 1865 KNICKERBOCKER TEAM

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 6, 1871) – Going into their Week Fourteen series against last-place Olympic, Quaker State knew that they needed a five-game sweep to go one game better than the 1865 cup-winning Knickerbocker team for most wins in a season in National Base Ball Organization history.

The results:

• Aug. 2: OLY 5-10 QS – Ross Gill (P, QS) CG, 7 HA, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, WIN #31
• Aug. 3: OLY 8-15 QS – William Dickerson (3B, QS) 3/4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB, 7 TB
• Aug. 4: OLY 4-13 QS – Luc Billon (LF, QS) 3/3, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, 4 TB
• Aug. 5: OLY 3-5 QS – Luc Billon (LF, QS) 3/4, 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI, 4 TB
• Aug. 6: OLY 6-10 QS – Matthew Williams (C, QS) 3/5, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, 5 TB

They’d done it – Quaker State finished the season 58-12, winning one more game than Knickerbocker did in 1865. All that’s left for the team to do is repeat what Knick did that season and win the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, which would cement their place as the best single-season team in NBBO history.

There isn’t a single area in which Quaker St. wasn’t dominant in 1871. Their ranks among the 48 NBBO teams in the following categories:

• Runs per Game: #1/48 at 9.5 (663 R)
• Average: #1 at .336
• On-Base: #1 at .370
• Slugging: #1 at .424
• OPS: #2 at .794
• Extra-Base Hits: #4 at 197
• Stolen Bases: #5 at 123
• Batsman WPA: #1 at 25.10
• Batsman WAR: #1 at 19.2

• Runs Allowed per Game: #1/48 at 5.3 (373 RA)
• Team ERA: #3 a 2.92
• Opp. Average: #2 at .262
• Opp. OPS: #4 at .650
• Team WHIP: #1 at 1.22
• Pitching WAR: #12 at 10.3
• Pitching rWAR: #1 at 21.8

• Errors: #2/48 at 281 (4.0 E/G)
• Fielding %: #2 at .905
• Def. Efficiency: #1 at .671
• Zone Rating: #1 at +69.1

Quaker State nearly became the first team with a pair of .400 hitters, as 1B Cormack Alexander hit .434 for the season and CF Ned Morganti hit .392. LF Luc Billon also hit above .350 (.377).

Quaker State does have a record holder: Ross Gill. After winning the first game of the Olympic series to set a new record for Wins in a season, Gill won his last two pitching appearances vs Olympic to finish 1871 with a 33-6 record (3.18 ERA).

Quaker State will be prohibitive favorites to win the upcoming Tucker-Wheaton Cup. Based on performance during the season, it looks like the only team that has a chance of standing in their way is repeat Brooklyn champs Atlantic. Should Quaker St. fall, their season will be forever remembered for unrealized greatness.

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HALF A DOZEN HIT .400 IN 1871
THREE MEN IN EACH LEAGUE COMPLETE THE FEAT; SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR SIX HAVE HIT .400+.

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 7, 1871) – The 1871 NBBO season came to an end yesterday afternoon, and with that the final statistics have been tallied.

With the final calculations in, six players have officially hit over .400 in the NBBO for the second consecutive season:

• #1: Troy Oberst (LF, MET) at .439 (1.054 OPS, 143 H, 41 XBH, 81 RBI, 3.9 WAR)
• #2: Cormack Alexander (1B, QS) at .434 (1.034 OPS, 132 H, 34 XBH, 83 RBI, 3.9 WAR)
• #3: William Valentine (RF, NYAC) at .419 (1.059 OPS, 126 H, 38 XBH, 68 RBI, 4.1 WAR)
• #4: Ilkka Kivivuori (1B, EMP) at .407 (.924 OPS, 112 H, 16 XBH, 45 RBI, 2.7 WAR)
• #5: Callum Allison (LF, REA) at .405 (.956 OPS, 128 H, 28 XBH, 73 RBI, 2.8 WAR)
• #6: Iestyn Moore (RF, SPO) at .403 (.974 OPS, 112 H, 29 XBH, 58 RBI, 2.2 WAR)

Three batsmen in each league hit over .400, which also happened last year. The stunner of the group is Moore, who went on an almighty tear over the last four weeks of the season after missing out on a spot in the All-Star Game. He hit 10/21 over Sportsman’s final five games to raise his average from .399 to .403.

Incredibly, Peter Huff, the man with the 67-game Hitting Streak that lasted from the second game of the season to the second-to-last game of the season, finished with a .396 average (.984 OPS, 127 H, 35 XBH, 65 RBI, 3.3 WAR).

The top two hitters on this list, Oberst & Alexander, will be competing in the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, so it will be interesting to see if their .430+ hitting translates successfully to the postseason.

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THE 1871 CUP FIELD IS SET
Q.S. ENTERS W/ BEST RECORD IN NBBO HISTORY; ATLANTIC IS NYL #1; PORTLAND IN FOR 1ST TIME

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug 7, 1871) – The 1871 Tucker-Wheaton Cup will be the first since the move of a dozen clubs from the NBBO to the APBL. As such, there will be plenty of unfamiliar faces in this year’s edition. Two teams are playing extra baseball for the first time ever, and one has made the playoffs for the first time since the NBBO’s inaugural season. The only holdover from last year’s cup is Brooklyn champions Atlantic.

Four of the regions were decided by the beginning of August, and in Quaker State’s case they had the Coastal Championship clinched on July 15th. Other regional champions were able to hold contenders at arm’s length.

NEW YORK LEAGUE

BROOKLYN – Atlantic was never truly chased on their way to becoming repeat Brooklyn champions. They were a handful of games in front by mid-June, and they finished the season six games clear with the New York League’s best record. The cup runs of the past two years account for both postseason appearances in team history.

KEY PLAYER: Walter Williams (CF) – .293, .756 OPS, 91 R, 22 XBH, 35 RBI, 74 SB, +10.2 ZR, 3.07 WPA, 2.8 WAR

NEW YORK CITY – Metropolitan filled the void left by the departures of Gotham, Knick, & Orange. They were 3-4 games ahead of the pack by the end of the first week in June and kept it that way, finishing four games ahead of Union. This is Metropolitan’s first postseason appearance since way back in the NBBO’s inaugural season of 1857.

KEY PLAYER: Troy Oberst (LF) – .439, 1.054 OPS, 143 H, 31 2B, 41 XBH, 81 RBI, 195 TB, 6.03 WPA, 3.9 WAR

UPSTATE N.Y. – Syracuse left Upstate NY behind thanks to their legendary 20-2 July, finishing 1st by seven games over Utica and eight over Minuteman. This is Syracuse’s 4th playoff appearance (1861, 66, 67, 71).

KEY PLAYER: Ashley Atkins (P) – 31-11, 3.16 ERA, 32 K, 348.0 IP, 31 CG, 1 SHO, 1.16 WHIP, 0.9 K/BB, 6.6 WAR

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE

COASTAL – Quaker State was expected to have the best record in the NBBO going into the season and instead they had the best record ever in the NBBO, becoming the first team to win their region by a full twenty games. They are massive favorites to lift the cup. This is Quaker St.’s 1st appearance in the TWC.

KEY PLAYER: Cormack Alexander (1B) – .434, 1.034 OPS, 132 H, 31 2B, 34 XBH, 83 RBI, 170 TB, 4.57 WPA, 3.9 WAR

INLAND – Susquehanna was three games behind and in 3rd place at the start of July, but by the end of the month they were three games ahead and stayed there, fending off a tough challenge by Pioneer. This is Susquehanna’s second cup appearance (1868, 71).

KEY PLAYER: Elmer Seabold (P) – 29-13, 2.65 ERA, 58 K, 359.1 IP, 34 CG, 1 SHO, 1.28 WHIP, 0.9 K/BB, 5.7 WAR

NEW ENGLAND – Portland increased their lead in New England from 1/2 game to five games during June, and nobody was able to come much closer as they won the New England Championship by four games over surprising newcomers Salem. This is Portland’s first ever appearance in the Tucker-Wheaton Cup.

KEY PLAYER: James Dressman (P) – 29-10, 2.81 ERA, 35 K, 355.2 IP, 26 CG, 0 SHO, 1.23 WHIP, 0.7 K/BB, 6.4 WAR

THE 1871 TUCKER-WHEATON CUP

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

• #1: Quaker State – 58-12; +290 RD
• #2: Atlantic – 49-21; +216 RD
• #3: Syracuse – 47-23; +126 RD
• #4: Metropolitan – 46-24; +147 RD
• #5: Susquehanna – 46-24; +126 RD
• #6: Portland – 45-25; +114 RD

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 the Elysian Fields 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.

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

• • Aug. 9-13: First half of TWC competition
• Aug. 14-15: Two days off
• Aug. 16-20: Second half of TWC competition
• Aug. 21st: Playoff (if necessary)

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: Quaker State (30-5 2nd half; 8-2 last 10; WWWWWW last 6)
• #2: Syracuse (26-9 2nd half, 8-2 last 10, 12-3 final three weeks)
• #3: Susquehanna (27-8 2nd half, 9-1 last 10, 8-5 1-Run)
• #4: Atlantic (23-12 2nd half, 7-3 last 10, 30-5 at home)
• #5: Metropolitan (21-14 2nd half, 8-2 last 10, 6-3 1-Run)
• #6: Portland (21-14 2nd half, 4-6 last 10, 11-7 1-Run)

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TOWNSEND HAS FIRST 30-GAME STREAK IN APBL HISTORY
LIKELY INAUGURAL BATSMAN OF THE YEAR HAS HIT SAFELY IN 30 STRAIGHT GAMES

BOSTON (Aug. 16, 1871) – Colonial Conference champions St. John’s have lost their last three games, but in Wednesday’s 9-6 loss at Massachusetts Bay one of their star players made American Professional Baseball League history.

Nelson Townsend hit a Single as the second man to bat in the top of the 1st, and with that hit he became the first player in APBL history with a 30-game Hitting Streak. That was Townsend’s only hit of the day, as he finished 1/5.

That is likely not the only history Townsend will make this year. As of the end of Wednesday’s game, Townsend was the only man in the APBL with a .400+ Batting Average (currently .407), the only man with a 1.000+ OPS (currently 1.084), and he was on the verge of becoming the first batsman in baseball history – APBL or NBBO – to make it to 6.0 WAR in a single season (currently 5.9).

It was thought that if any St. John’s player were to hit those marks in the first season of the APBL it would be the perennially brilliant Konrad Jensen. Jensen has been excellent this season – .352/.460/.484, 72 RBI, 70 SB, 4.3 WAR – but Townsend has simply been in a class all by himself when compared to the best the APBL has on offer.

All Townsend has to do is play average baseball over St. Johns’ final four games, and he’ll have four different pieces of APBL history all wrapped up in time for the first ever Founders’ Cup.

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TWC XV: BRAVE NEW WORLD

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 9-20, 1871) – The 1871 edition of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup was the first one since the National Base Ball Organization’s perennial postseason players had all left to form the APBL.

The only holdover from last year’s cup was Atlantic, but they weren’t the favorites. 58-12 juggernauts Quaker State, who’d had the best season in NBBO history, were everyone’s favorite to lift the cup. Metropolitan was back in cup contention for the first time since the first season of NBBO play in 1857. Syracuse, behind incredible late-season form, was in the postseason for the fourth time. Susquehanna was in the cup for the second time in three years. Portland was in after becoming just the second team other than St. John’s to take the New England pennant.

Going in, TWC XV felt to many like it would be little more than a coronation of Quaker State as the new kings of the NBBO. After all, not only did they have the best record in NBBO history but they were even better over the second half of the season (30-5) than they were during the first half (28-7).

Cup returnees Atlantic were definitely going to have a say about the above thanks to the NYL’s best offense, but there were also two teams that won 8-9 of their last ten games and were led by star #1 pitchers: Syracuse (8-2 last 10), led by Ashley Atkins (31-11, 3.16, 6.6 WAR), and Susquehanna (9-1 last 10), led by Elmer Seabold (29-13, 2.65, 5.7 WAR).

Metropolitan & Portland had some struggles over the second half of the season, but Metropolitan would be bringing NBBO Batting Champion Troy Oberst (.439, 1.054 OPS, 4.1 WAR) into the fray and Portland had star #1 James Dressman (29-10, 2.81, 6.4 WAR) they could rely upon when the going got tough.

It was out with the old and in with the new, and the main question was this: could anybody take down Quaker State and take up the cup instead of them?