The Big Bang: A Larger Baseball Universe Starting From Nothing in 1857 - Page 29

tm1681 · 03-04-2025, 11:24 AM

TRIO OF FLOUR CITY MEN MAUL MASS. BAY
HARRIS, KNIGHT, & PETERSON LEAD HOME TEAM TO EIGHT-RUN VICTORY IN ROCHESTER

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (May 8, 1872) – Flour City opened the 1872 season with a 4-1 home win over Massachusetts Bay in which their attack lacked punch. However, lack of punch was no such issue on Wednesday in Game #2:

The contest ended in a Flour City blowout victory, and it was over quickly, with the hosts scoring multiple runs in each of the first three innings and exiting the early stages of the game with an unreachable 18-4 lead over Mass. Bay.

Flour City was led by a trio of star performers on the afternoon:

• Ralph Knight (2B): 5/6, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI, 7 TB
• Hugh Harris (3B): 4/7, 2 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, 6 TB
• Hawk Peterson (1B): 4/6 (all 1B), 3 R, 4 RBI

The trio combined to collect thirteen of Flour City’s 25 hits, and between them they scored eight runs while driving in nine.

Also of note: third-year outfielder and first-year regular at RF Ernest Dugas hit a two-run Home Run over the left field fence in the bottom of the 3rd inning to put the cap on an eight-run Flour City rally.

Flour City is hoping to improve on last year’s 48-42 record that saw them finish 2nd in the Metropolitan Conference, behind only St. John’s. So far, so good even if they have played only two games.

tm1681 · 03-04-2025, 11:26 AM

SIX HITS, FIVE RUNS FOR ALTMAN IN GOTHAM WIN
GOTHAM LF PLAYS STARRING ROLE IN BATTLE OF BASEBALL’S TWO OLDEST CLUBS

NEW YORK CITY (May 18, 1872) – Baseball’s two oldest clubs, Gotham & Knickerbocker, played the second of their three-game series at the St. George Cricket Grounds on Saturday, with Gotham exiting winners after an exciting contest:

Knickerbocker had an early 6-2 lead thanks to five runs in the top of the 2nd, but Gotham did more than just make up the deficit as multiple runs in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, & 6th saw the hosts enter the late stages of the game with a 14-9 lead that was easily able to withstand a late Knick rally.

Without question, the Player of the Game was new Gotham LF Royal Altman:

• B1: Single past 1B off P. Daly (R)
• B3: Leadoff Single to LCF off P. Daly (SB, R)
• B4: Leadoff Single past SS off P. Daly (R)
• B5: 1-run Double to LF off P. Daly (R)
• B6: 1-run Double to RCF off C. Bancroft (R)
• B8: 1-run Double to RCF off C. Bancroft
• TOTAL: 6/6, 3 2B, 5 R, 3 RBI, SB, 9 TB, 104 GMSC

Altman’s performance represented the second six-hit game in APBL history, and the first with a 100+ Game Score. He is batting .480 with nine RBI through eleven games.

The win moved Gotham up to 8-3, good for the early lead in the Metropolitan Conference.

tm1681 · 03-04-2025, 11:26 AM

HARDINGHAM RUNS WILD AS UNION BATTERS BALTIC
SECOND-YEAR CF TOTALS 6 HITS, 5 RUNS, & 5 RBI WHILE UNION SETS TEAM RECORD FOR RUNS

NEW YORK CITY (May 25, 1872) – Union of Morrisania went into Saturday’s home game against Baltic looking to move past the .500 mark. Union did just that, and how!

In the end, the thirty-run output was a team record for Union. Every starter had multiple hits except pitcher Dennis Foster, and every starter also finished with multiple Runs & RBI to their name except Foster.

While the whole Union team ran riot this afternoon, there was still one standout player: second-year senior team member and first-year regular at CF, Nicholas Hardingham

• B1: 1-run Single past 3B off F. Ross (R)
• B2: Leadoff Single past 1B off F. Ross (R)
• B3: 1-run Double to RCF off F. Ross (R)
• B4: 1-run Single past 2B off B. Chastain
• B5: 1-run Double to RCF off B. Chastain (R)
• B6: Reached via Base on Balls by C. Palmer
• B8: Reached via Error by 1B W. Schrader (R)
• B8: 1-run Infield Single off M. French
• TOTAL: 6/7, 2 2B, 5 R, 5 RBI, BB, 8 TB, 119 GMSC

Not only did Union set a team record for Runs in a game, but the 27-run margin of victory was a team record as well.

tm1681 · 03-04-2025, 11:27 AM

GRANITE OUTLASTS GREEN MTN. IN GAME OF THE YEAR
VISITORS OVERCOME EARLY 10-RUN INNING BY GRANITE, ONLY TO LOSE IN WALKOFF

MANCHESTER, N.H. (May 26, 1872) – Green Mountain and Granite ended their Week Four series at the Kalivas Union Grounds in New Hampshire on Sunday, and what took place there was the game of the season:

This contest looked like it was over early, as Granite used a ten-run rally to take a 12-2 lead by the end of the 3rd inning. However, Green Mountain blasted away at the lead with multiple rallies of their own, and after a run in the 5th, four in the 6th, six in the 7th, and four more in the 8th the visitors had taken a 17-13 lead.

In the bottom of the 8th, Granite came to bat and scored runs on a Passed Ball, Balk, and Error to pull to within a run at 17-16. Then, with two out PH Clarence Fetters hit a 1-run Single to tie the game, and after that 3B David Bertolet followed him with a 2-run Single to give Granite a 19-17 lead to go into the 9th inning with.

In the top of the 9th Green Mountain LF Joseph Hill hit a Sacrifice Fly to make the score 19-18, and with two out CF Joseph Black hit a game-tying double; the score 19-19 going into the bottom of the 9th. With two out and a runner on third in the bottom of the 9th, Granite 2B Howard Shearer hit a Single to drive in Jackson Watts, winning the game for Granite and piling agony on Green Mtn, who had overcome two large Granite rallies to stay alive.

No less than fourteen players had multiple base hits in the game. Thirteen players scored multiple times. Eleven players had multiple RBI.

The stars of the game:

• Deacon George(2B, GM): 5/6 (all 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
• Elijah Hill (1B, GM): 3/7, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI
• Elton Lewis (1B, GRA): 3/4, 2 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI
• Edward Resetar (RF, GM): 6/7, 2B, 3 R, RBI, 7 TB, Player of the Game
• Howard Shearer (2B, GRA): 3/6 (all 1B), 3 R, 2 RBI

Resetar’s 6/7 was the first six-hit performance in Green Mountain history, while the performances of Hill & Lewis have left them with Batting Averages over .450 (Hill .490, Lewis .458) through the end of four weeks of play.

Green Mountain & Granite are two of the smaller clubs in the NBBO, so only 1,325 or so were in attendance to see the game. Still, every single fan at the Kalivas Union Grounds got their money’s worth.

tm1681 · 03-04-2025, 11:29 AM

APBL & NBBO MAY RECAP

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (June 1, 1872) – The first month of May, with the APBL starting play six days later than the NBBO, has been completed. Here are how things stand:

APBL STANDINGS (22 of 90 games played)

Code:

COLONIAL CONFERENCE

		 W	 L	GB	  RD
St. John’s	14	 8	--	 +19
Alleghany	13	 9	 1	 +12
Shamrock	11	11	 3	 +13
Flour City	10	12	 4	   0
Mass. Bay	10	12	 4	  -8
Niagara		 8	14	 6	 -36

METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE

		 W	 L	GB	  RD
Gotham		14	 8	--	 +11
Knick		13	 9	 1	 +10
Orange		12	10	 2	 +27
American	 9	13	 5	 +28
Kings Co.	 9	13	 5	 -29
Excelsior	 9	13	 5	 -47

Last year by the end of the opening month a pair of teams in each conference had pulled 4-5 games in front of everyone else – a sign of things to come. The standings are a little tighter after one month this season.

St. John’s is in 1st with a much different look this year, as they are 6th in Runs Scored, Average, & OPS but lead the APBL in all notable Defensive Metrics. This is a St. John’s team playing unlike any other we’ve seen.

Gotham’s addition of Royal Altman (.460, 1.076 OPS, 15 RBI, 1.3 WAR) has given them the most dangerous lineup in the league, and as a result they’ve been the best team in the Metropolitan Conference over the first month.

Niagara had a truly putrid start to the season – 3-13 over their opening sixteen games. However, they are 5-1 since and the season no longer looks like it’s over barely after it started.

American has indeed been “boom or bust” as projected – no other way to explain a 9-13 record with an APBL-best +28 Run Differential. Each of American’s last six wins has been by 6+ runs, and they have reached double figures in Runs in all six.

APBL MONTHLY AWARDS

BotM: Leslie Arnett (2B, KNI) – .480, 1.097 OPS, 22 R, 47 H, 8 XBH, 0 HR, 17 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SB, 2.47 WPA, 1.7 WAR
PotM: Thomas Smith (StJ) – 8-1, 2.53 ERA, 4 K, 92.2 IP, 9 CG, 1 SHO, 1.21 WHIP, 0.4 K/BB, 1.4 WAR
GotM: Rudolph Decker (CF, StJ) – .432, .929 OPS, 27 R, 41 H, 4 XBH, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 11 SB, 1.19 WPA, 1.3 WAR

Arnett adjusted to his move to Knickerbocker by having the single best month of his twelve-year career, topping all batsmen in the APBL in AVG, OBP, OPS, & WAR. Only Royal Altman came close, but Arnett was the clearly deserved winner since he put up those numbers as a Second Baseman.

Howard Burns is still figuring out his considerable talent as a 22-year-old, and Smith helped him out by having an outstanding opening month for St. John’s. Elmer Seabold (ALL) & Gus Woods (GOT) had as many Wins but weren’t quite as good. James Goodman (FC) had a better ERA (2.34) but was only 4-7.

Decker lived up to every bit of his billing over his first month with St. John’s and was far & away the best Greenhorn batsman in the APBL, besting all others by roughly 70 points of Average & 130 points of OPS.

APBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .480 by Leslie Arnett (2B, KNI)
OPS: 1.097 by Leslie Arnett (2B, KNI)
Runs: 31 by Edward Donovan (OF, KNI)
Home Runs: 1 by seven different players
RBI: 24 by Callum Craig (OF, KC)
Stolen Bases: 21 by James Burke (CF, SHA)
Batsman WPA: 2.47 by Leslie Arnett (2B, KNI)
Batsman WAR: 1.7 by Leslie Arnett (2B, KNI)

ERA: 2.34 by James Goodman (FC) over 92.1 IP
Wins: 8 by three different pitchers
Complete Games: 9 by three different pitchers
Strikeouts: 31 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
WHIP: 1.21 by Thomas Smith (StJ) over 92.2 IP
Pitcher WAR: 2.1 by James Goodman (FC)
Pitcher rWAR: 3.0 by James Goodman (FC)

NBBO REGIONAL LEADERS (23 of 70 games played)

BROOKLYN: Marathon & Star at 14-9 (Bedford 1 GB, Eckford 2 GB, Atlantic 3 GB)
NEW YORK CITY: Union at 14-9 (Mercury & Mutual 1 GB, Metropolitan 2 GB)
UPSTATE NY: Minuteman at 15-7 (one rain-out; Syracuse 2.5 GB, Frontier & Utica 3.5 GB)
COASTAL: Quaker St. at 18-5 (Maryland, Tiger, & Trenton 5 GB)
INLAND: Reading at 15-8 (Lake Erie, Pioneer, & Susquehanna 2 GB)
NEW ENGLAND: Oceanic & Portland at 14-9 (Salem 1 GB, Granite & S.o.t.O. 2 GB)

No surprise – Quaker State was the best team over the opening month of the season, with an NBBO-best +49 Run Differential to go with it. That two of the second-year teams in Coastal are giving chase is promising.

Surprises everywhere else – none of the projected favorites are in first place in any of the other five regions. However, each of those five teams are currently at or above the .500 mark.

NBBO BATSMEN OF THE MONTH

NYL: Henry Nabors (SS, VIC) – .459, .982 OPS, 25 R, 50 H, 4 2B, 0 3B, 14 RBI, 6 BB, 5 SB, 1.59 WPA, 1.6 WAR
NEL: Elijah Hill (1B, GM) – .491, 1.098 OPS, 30 R, 52 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 22 RBI, 3 BB, 0 SB, 1.67 WPA, 1.6 WAR

NBBO PITCHERS OF THE MONTH

NYL: George Hunter (STAR) – 9-3, 2.14 ERA, 13 K, 118.0 IP, 10 CG, 1 SHO, 1.08 WHIP, 1.4 K/BB, 1.5 WAR
NEL: Earl Henry (SUS) – 10-4, 1.62 ERA, 17 K, 122.0 IP, 12 CG, 0 SHO, 1.13 WHIP, 2.1 K/BB, 2.6 WAR

NBBO GREENHORNS OF THE MONTH

NYL: Moriarty Murray (2B, BED) – .361, .975 OPS, 28 R, 39 H, 5 2B, 5 3B, 15 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB, 0.80 WPA, 1.0 WAR
NEL: Elijah Hill (1B, GM) – NEL Batsman of the Month

NBBO STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .491 by Elijah Hill (1B, GM)
OPS: 1.114 by Herb Verrett (CF, MLD)
Runs: 32 by Alfred Span (CF, MUT)
Home Runs: 2 by four different players
RBI: 29 by Dallas Campanelli (3B, PORT)
Stolen Bases: 20 by Manuel Romeiras (CF, HAR) & Walter Williams (CF, NAT)
Batsman WPA: 3.02 by Herb Verrett (CF, MLD)
Batsman WAR: 1.6 by three different players

ERA: 1.42 by Francis Molinari (TU) over 82.1 IP
Wins: 10 by four different pitchers
Complete Games: 12 by Earl Henry (SUS) & George Layman (MER)
Strikeouts: 22 by Charles Rhodes (FRO)
WHIP: 0.92 by Francis Molinari (TU) over 82.1 IP
Pitcher WAR: 2.6 by Earl Henry (SUS)
Pitcher rWAR: 4.7 by Earl Henry (SUS)

tm1681 · 03-05-2025, 07:39 PM

BATTS’ BAT EXCELS IN ENORMOUS READING VICTORY
R.A.C. 2B TALLIES FIVE HITS & SEVEN RBI AS INLAND LEADER WIN BY NEARLY TWO DOZEN

READING, PENN. (June 6, 1872) – Inland Championship leaders Reading started the day one game ahead of Susquehanna in the standings, and they ended the day one game ahead thanks to an emphatic home win over Sportsman’s:

The game as a contest was effectively over after the end of the opening inning, as Reading’s eight-run rally proved to be enough for the win. However, they scored four times in the 2nd and once more in the 3rd to exit the early innings with a 13-2 lead. Reading continued to pile on the runs from there, eventually beating Sportsman’s by a margin of 23.

Four members of the Reading lineup had 3+ hits: Callum Allison (LF), Joseph Arbogast (3B), Jonathan Batts (2B), & Charles Price. Batts was the best of the bunch, and took Player of the Game honors for his work driving in teammates:

• TOTAL: 5/8 (all 1B), 3 R, 7 RBI, 98 GMSC

Batts, a Greenhorn, had been doing okay for himself up to yesterday’s game, batting .291 (.654 OPS) with 11 RBI through 21 games. Thanks to his performance against Sportsman’s, his average is now .322 (.707 OPS) with 18 RBI through 22 games during his first season playing in the NBBO.

Reading Athletic Club is currently 17-10, one ahead of Susquehanna for 1st place in the Inland Championship.

tm1681 · 03-05-2025, 07:40 PM

FLOUR CITY’S BARTHOLOMEW IS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
F.C. OUTFIELDER BATS .500 AS TEAM GOES 5-1

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (June 10, 1872) – Fred Bartholomew has been named APBL Player of the Week for the set of games played from June 4-9.

The Flour City outfielder had an excellent week as his team went 5-1 to climb back up to .500, where they are part of a three-way tie for 3rd place in an extremely tight Colonial Conference.

Bartholomew’s week:

• June 4 (FC 1-10 StJ): 4/5, 2B, 0 R, 1 RBI
• June 5 (FC 8-5 StJ): 1/5 (1B), 2 R, 0 RBI
• June 6 (FC 8-4 StJ): 1/5, 3B, 1 R, 1 RBI
• June 7 (SHA 7-8 FC): 2/4 (both 1B), 1 R, 2 RBI
• June 8 (SHA 3-6 FC): 3/4, 2B, 0 R, 1 RBI
• June 9 (SHA 4-5 FC): 3/5 (all 1B), 0 R, 2 RBI, GW HIT
• TOTAL: .500 (14/28), 1.143 OPS, 2 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI, 1.34 WPA, 0.5 WAR

Bartholomew’s week, which he capped with a two-run walkoff Single against Shamrock, raised his average on the season to .373 (.835 OPS) with 18 RBI through thirty games.

At the end of five weeks of play, all six teams in the Colonial Conference are within three games of each other in the standings, with records ranging from 16-14 (NIA & StJ) to 13-17 (SHA). Niagara has won fifteen of their last sixteen games to blast out from their 3-13 start to take their share of top spot.

tm1681 · 03-05-2025, 07:40 PM

MORGANTI HITS TWO HOMERS IN INTRA-PHILLY BATTLE
STAR CF CLUBS ROUND-TRIPPERS IN BACK-TO-BACK INNINGS AS QUAKER ST. POUNDS TIGER

PHILADELPHIA (June 14, 1872) – Tiger Social Club has looked much improved so far during their second season in the NBBO, but they have still proven to be no match for elder Philadelphia brethren Quaker State, as Q.S. moved to 3-0 in the first series of the season between the two with a big home win on Friday:

There were two players who each had four hits for Quaker State: multiple time All-Stars William Dickerson & Ned Morganti. It was Morganti who took Player of the Game honors thanks to some spectacular batting late:

• B2: Leadoff Single past 2B (SB, R)
• B2: Reached via Fielder’s Choice at 2B (RBI, R)
• B4: Pop Out to 2B
• B5: 1-run Single past 2B (R)
• B7: 3-RUN INSIDE THE PARK HOME RUN to RCF
• B8: SOLO INSIDE THE PARK HOME RUN to LF
• TOTAL: 4/6, 2 HR, 5 R, 6 RBI, SB, 10 TB, 111 GMSC

It was already a 13-3 game when he came to the plate during the bottom of the 7th, but Morganti decided to add to the excitement of the afternoon by hitting the first of his two Inside-the-Park Home Runs, a three-run shot that found its way through the gap in Right-center Field. He then hit another Inside-the-Park Home Run an inning later, this time hitting the ball over the head of the Left Fielder before sprinting around the bases.

Morganti is batting .347 (.878 OPS) with 39 RBI through 33 games, and it currently looks like he will be making his fourth All-Star Game appearance in five years when rosters are announced in July.

tm1681 · 03-05-2025, 07:40 PM

NIAGARA’S JOHANNESSEN IS APBL PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NIAGARA #2 HAS 3-0 WEEK FOR RED HOT COLONIAL CONFERENCE LEADERS

BUFFALO, N.Y. (June 17, 1872) – The APBL Player of the Week for June 11-16 is Niagara Pitcher William Johannessen.

Johannessen, who is in his first season with Niagara after four seasons in Upstate New York pitching for Victory in the NBBO, put in three fine performances:

• June 12 (ALL 5-8 NIA): CG, 7 HA, 5 RA/1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, PotG
• June 14 (NIA 3-1 SHA): CG, 5 HA, 1 RA/1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K – 1/3, PotG
• June 16 (NIA 4-2 SHA): CG, 6 HA, 2 R/0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, PotG
• TOTAL: 3x PotG, 3-0, 0.67 ERA, 27.0 IP, 3 CG, 0.67 WHIP, 0.4 WAR, 1.5 rWAR

For the season, Johannessen is 11-7 with a 2.73 ERA and 1.7 WAR over 148.1 Innings Pitched. He has won nine of his last ten starts for Niagara, with the other ending in a No Decision.

Since starting the season 3-13, Niagara is has won seventeen of their last twenty games, giving them a record of 20-16 on the season and making them part of a three-way tie for 1st place in the Colonial Conference with Flour City & St. John’s.

tm1681 · 03-05-2025, 07:41 PM

THE NBBO AT THE MIDWAY POINT
ONLY QUAKER ST. LEADS THEIR REGION BY MORE THAN 2 GAMES

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (June 17, 1872) – The NBBO has finished seven weeks of play, meaning that teams are at the midway point of the 1872 season.

Here are the leaders of the six regions:

BROOKLYN: Star at 21-14 (Marathon 1 GB, Eckford 2 GB, Atlantic 3 GB, all others within 6 GB)
NEW YORK CITY: Union at 23-12 (Mercury 2 GB, Metropolitan 3 GB, Mutual 5 GB)
UPSTATE NY.: Syracuse at 22-13 (Frontier 2 GB, Minuteman 2.5 GB, Utica 3 GB)

COASTAL: Quaker State at 28-7 (Maryland 8 GB, Trenton Utd. 9 GB, Tiger SC 11 GB)
INLAND: Susquehanna at 22-13 (Lancastra & Reading 2 GB, Lake Erie & Pioneer 4 GB)
NEW ENGLAND: Portland & Salem at 21-14 (Oceanic 1 GB, Granite & S.o.t.O. 3 GB)

Now that the twelve new teams have had a season of experience behind them they have helped bring more parity to the NBBO. Of the twelve, eight are currently in the top half of their regional standings, with just one – Baltic – in last place.

Overall, only Quaker State leads their region by more than two games. There is a tie for 1st place in New England, Star is leading Brooklyn by one game, and in three regions – Inland, NYC, & Upstate – the leaders are in front by two games.

Brooklyn is currently the tightest region of the six, as each of the other seven clubs are within six games of leaders Star. Marathon is a game back, Eckford is two, Atlantic is three, Continental is four, and the trio of Bedford, Empire, & Nassau Co. are all six games behind Star.

The biggest surprise at midseason is New England co-leaders Salem. The surprise isn’t that they’re 21-14 – they were projected to finish 2nd with a 40-30 record by the Writers Pool – but that they’re 21-14 having played only 10/35 games at their famous home venue: The Crucible.

The most notable disappointment at the halfway mark is Sportsman’s in the Inland Championship. Having finished last season 33-37 they were projected to finish in the 4th in Inland with a 37-33 record. Instead, they’re 13-22 and sitting in last place, a position they’ve never been in.

Given how close most of the regions are, it looks like anything could happen in the second half of the NBBO season.

tm1681 · 03-08-2025, 06:58 AM

HOME RUN BUSBY IS APBL’S BEST THIS WEEK
AMERICAN STRUGGLES, BUT STAR 1B HITS .550 WITH ONE HOMER & 7 RBI

PHILADELPHIA (Jun 24, 1872) – American BC struggled last week, winning just once, but the same could not be said of star American 1B William Busby, the APBL Player of the Week for June 18-23.

Busby’s week with the bat:

• June 18 (AME 6-7 KNI): 3/3 (all 1B), 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
• June 19 (AME 3-11 KNI): 1/3, 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
• June 20 (AME 3-5 KNI): 1/3 (1B), 0 R, 0 RBI
• June 21 (AME 5-8 KC): 1/3, 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI
• June 22 (AME 8-5 KC): 2/4 (both 1B), 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
• June 23 (AME 8-9 KC): 3/4, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 6 TB, PotG
• TOTAL (June 18-23): .550 (11/20), 1.409 OPS, 7 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 16 TB, 0.89 WPA, 0.5 WAR

Busby’s hot week raised his average for the 1872 season to .341 (.855 OPS), with 3 Home Runs and 39 RBI through American’s first 42 games. Due to increased depth at First Base in the Metropolitan Conference after the import of Cormack Alexander & Walter Dudley from the NBBO, those numbers currently do not make Busby a lock for the All-Star Game. Between the NBBO & APBL, Busby has made four of the last five.

American’s 1-5 week saw their record fall from 19-17 to 20-22, and subsequently their place in the Metropolitan Conference standings fell from 3rd to 4th. They are seven games behind Metropolitan leaders Gotham.

tm1681 · 03-08-2025, 06:58 AM

TSIARIS STARS AS EXCELSIOR CLUBS KNICKERBOCKER
5X ALL-STAR PUTS UP FIVE HITS & FOUR RBI AS TEAM WINS AT HOME BY DOUBLE DIGITS

BROOKLYN (June 27, 1872) – Excelsior is going through another season of offensive issues in the APBL, but on Thursday afternoon they set those issues aside and easily defeated 2nd-place Knickerbocker at Carroll Park:

Of course, Jim Creighton (CG, 8 HA, 2 ER, 3 K – 1/2, 2 BB) took on a starring role in the eleven-run victory, but the Player of the Game was star Excelsior CF Obelix Tsiaris:

• B1: Single past SS off P. Daly (SB, R)
• B2: 2-run Double to RCF off P. Daly
• B4: Single past SS off P. Daly
• B5: 2-run Single past 2B off P. Daly
• B6: Single to CF off C. Bancroft
• B8: Line Out to 2B
• TOTAL: 5/6, 2B, 1 R, 4 RBI, SB, 6 TB

Both of Tsiaris’ two-run hits were the key points of Excelsior rallies, with his Double driving in the final runs of a three-run rally in the bottom of the 2nd and his Single sending in the last two of a five-run rally in the bottom of the 5th.

Also of note: Excelsior C Albert Goddard was 4/4 (all Singles) with one Run scored and two RBI.

Tsiaris is batting .364 (.855 OPS) exactly halfway through the season, with fifteen Extra-base Hits, two dozen RBI, sixteen Stolen Bases, and 2.0 WAR to his name. He looks likely to make his sixth All-Star Game when rosters are announced at the end of next month.

tm1681 · 03-08-2025, 07:00 AM

HALFWAY THROUGH THE APBL SEASON
CONFERENCES MUCH CLOSER THAN INAUGURAL SEASON; ST. JOHN’S & GOTHAM ARE LEADERS

NORTHEASTERN U.S.A. (June 28, 1872) – Due to its late start, the second season of the APBL hasn’t reached the midway point until the end of June, with the teams currently halfway through the eighth week of action.

Here is a look at the standings after 45 of 90 games have been played:

Code:

COLONIAL CONFERENCE

		 W	 L	GB	  RD
St. John’s	27	18	--	 +32
Flour City	24	21	 3	 +33
Niagara		22	23	 5	 -16
Mass. Bay	22	23	 5	 -26
Shamrock	21	24	 6	 +12
Alleghany	19	26	 8	 -35

METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE

		 W	 L	GB	  RD
Gotham		29	16	--	 +30
Knick		27	18	 2	 +33
American	22	23	 7	 +44
Orange		22	23	 7	 +31
Kings Co.	18	27	11	 -69
Excelsior	17	28	12	 -69

This was how the standings ideally would have looked midway through the inaugural season. While there is some separation between the top two and the rest of the Metropolitan Conference, the conferences don’t have clear leaders that appear to be pulling away from everyone else, and none of the twelve teams has fared better than 7-3 over their last ten games.

St. John’s continues to win with a formula they’ve never used before. They are still stealing far more bases than any other team, but St. John’s is 6th/12 in the APBL in Runs, 3rd in Bases on Balls, 4th in Average, and 4th in OPS while being either 1st or 2nd in every defensive metric. That they are in first place even though they have two regulars hitting below .210 – Ben Gagliardi at .209 & George Pugatch at .194 – says everything about how different this version of St. John’s is.

Gotham continues to lead the Metropolitan Conference with the league’s best offense – #1 in Runs, Average, On-Base, & OPS. Royal Altman has cooled off but is still batting .393 (.908 OPS), while Babe Johnson has raised his average to .385 (.924 OPS) and William Theriault is hitting .346 (.752 OPS).

Shamrock’s season has been derailed by an injury to superstar CF James Burke. He injured a leg muscle on June 1st, and during his twenty-day absence Shamrock was 5-12. Their main hope for the second half is that, since St. John’s hasn’t been as dominant as they were last season, there’s still plenty of time to catch up.

That Knickerbocker is in 2nd place is surprising given that Edward Huntley is having the worst season of his career. Through 45 games, Huntley is batting .255 (.612 OPS) with just ten Extra-base Hits. He hit .329 (.833 OPS) with 41 XBH in the APBL’s inaugural season. He has never hit below .300 and never had an OPS below .700. Still, Huntley has 33 RBI & 24 SB, and thanks to his sterling fielding at Third Base he remains on pace to finish the season with a WAR of nearly 3.0.

American remains the most confounding team in the APBL – 22-23 with a league-best +44 Run Differential. When they win they win big, but when the stars in their top-heavy lineup don’t all deliver it leads to meager losses. Franklin Petty has been a bit of a disappointment, while their best player has been the seemingly ageless Willie Davis.

Jim Creighton is doing the best he can (12-10, 2.94, 71 K, 4.5 WAR), but in spite of their efforts to improve the roster over the winter Excelsior once again has a struggling offense and a league-worst defense. On paper, the Excelsior defense grades out as one that should be in the middle of the APBL, but it just isn’t performing as it should.

tm1681 · 03-08-2025, 07:41 PM

STURCH TAKES PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
2ND STRAIGHT AMERICAN BC PLAYER TO BE NAMED APBL POTW

PHILADELPHIA (July 1, 1872) – For the second consecutive week a member of American BC has been named the APBL Player of the Week. Last week it was William Busby, and this week it is American #1 Charles Sturch.

Sturch’s week pitching for American:

• June 25 (ORA 4-5 AME): CG, 4 HA, 4 RA, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, PotG
• June 27 (ORA 2-5 AME): CG, 8 HA, 2 RA, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K – 2/4, 1 RBI
• June 29 (EXC 1-9 AME): CG, 6 HA, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, PotG
• TOTAL (June 25-30): 3-0, 1.00 ERA, 5 K, 27.0 IP, 3 CG, 0.81 WHIP, 1.2 K/BB, 0.6 WAR, 1.6 rWAR

Charles Sturch has now won his last four starts, and he is 12-10 on the season with a 2.53 ERA over 199.0 Innings.

As a team, American made up for their 1-5 run the previous week with a 4-2 set this week in which they were 2-1 against both Orange & Excelsior at home. That has moved them back into a tie for 3rd in the Colonial Conference with Orange, both teams eight games behind leaders Gotham at the end of June.

tm1681 · 03-08-2025, 07:43 PM

APBL & NBBO JUNE RECAP

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (July 1, 1872) – It is summer across the Northeastern United States. The calendar has turned over to the month of July, and it is time to check in on how baseball’s two competitions stand

APBL STANDINGS (48 of 90 games played)

Code:

COLONIAL CONFERENCE

		 W	 L	GB	  RD
St. John’s	29	19	--	 +33
Mass. Bay	25	23	 4	 -22
Flour City	24	24	 5	 +29
Niagara		23	25	 6	 -29
Shamrock	22	26	 7	 +11
Alleghany	21	27	 8	 -22

METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE

		 W	 L	GB	  RD
Gotham		31	17	--	 +38
Knick		27	21	 4	 +26
American	23	25	 8	 +41
Orange		23	25	 8	 +23
Kings Co.	21	27	10	 -62
Excelsior	19	29	12	 -66

There is a tight marching order in the Colonial, with St. John’s a bit in front and the other five teams all one game in front of each other. Over in the Metropolitan the six teams appear to be currently separated into three groups of two.

Based on the current standings, it looks unlikely that any team will reach a Run Differential of +100 or better this season, something that has never happened for an entire competition in the history of the sport.

APBL MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Babe Johnson (2B, GOT) – .407, .929 OPS, 29 R, 46 H, 5 2B, 2 3B, 19 RBI, 8 BB, 8 SB, 1.99 WPA, 1.3 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
William Johannessen (NIA) – 9-4, 1.56 ERA, 6 K, 109.1 IP, 11 CG, 0 SHO, 0.96 WHIP, 1.5 K/BB, 1.8 WAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Robert Ewing (P, KC) – 8-3, 3.48 ERA, 9 K, 108.2 IP, 6 CG, 1 SHO, 1.34 WHIP, 1.1 K/BB, 1.3 WAR

Johnson barely edged out St. Johns’ Nelson Townsend, who hit .400 (.883 OPS) for the month with more runs (36) but fewer RBI (13). Johnson’s month saw him move up to 4th in the APBL in both Batting Average (.369) and OPS (.914), and he is currently the APBL leader in both On-Base (.426) and Bases on Balls (21).

Johannessen had a fantastic month, going the distance in 11/13 appearances while holding opponents to less than a hit per inning. Charles Sturch (AME) had a better record at 9-3, but he had a higher ERA during the month (2.17) and walked more than three times as many batsmen (13) as Johannessen.

Ewing earned Greenhorn of the Month honors thanks to his 8-3 record for an otherwise struggling Kings County team, in the process putting up a monthly ERA that was two runs lower than it was in May (3.48 v 5.46). Previous GotM Rudolph Decker (StJ) had a decent June (.310, .719 OPS, 28 R, 19 SB, 1.0 WAR) but it wasn’t the same as his excellent May.

APBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .406 by Nelson Townsend (OF, StJ)
OPS: .914 by Royal Altman (OF, GOT)
Runs: 59 by Royal Altman (OF, GOT) & Clive Strachan (OF, GOT)
Home Runs: 4 by William Busby (1B, AME)
RBI: 48 by Garfield Koonce (1B, KC)
Stolen Bases: 39 by Edward Donovan (OF, KNI)
Batsman WPA: 3.36 by Babe Johnson (2B, GOT)
Batsman WAR: 2.6 by Rudolph Decker (CF, StJ)

ERA: 2.18 by Thomas Paddock (ORA) over 111.2 IP
Wins: 15 by Gus Woods (GOT)
Complete Games: 21 by Henry Tallman (SHA)
Strikeouts: 73 by Jim Creighton (EXC)
WHIP: 1.05 by Thomas Paddock (ORA) over 111.2 IP
Pitcher WAR: 5.3 by James Goodman (FC)
Pitcher rWAR: 5.9 by Henry Tallman (SHA)

NBBO REGIONAL LEADERS (45 of 70 games played)

BROOKLYN: Star at 27-18 (Eckford & Marathon 2 GB, Atlantic & Continental 4 GB)
NEW YORK CITY: Union at 28-17 (Mercury & Mutual 2 GB, Harlem & Metropolitan 5 GB)
UPSTATE NY: Syracuse at 28-17 (Frontier 3 GB, Utica 3.5 GB, Minuteman 4 GB)
COASTAL: Quaker St. at 35-10 (Maryland, 8 GB, Trenton Utd 10 GB)
INLAND: Susquehanna at 27-18 (Lancastra & Reading 3 GB, Lake Erie & Pioneer 4 GB)
NEW ENGLAND: Oceanic & Portland at 27-18 (Salem 1 GB, Cantabrigians 4 GB)

For the second straight month Star & Union stay just in front of the pack in the New York metropolitan area’s two regions, while in New England the duo of Oceanic & Portland remain tied for 1st with Salem one game behind, just as they were at the beginning of June.

In Upstate New York, Minuteman’s 8-14 June allowed Syracuse to sail past and take over top spot, while over in Inland a 14-8 June by Susquehanna let them leapfrog three teams and take over 1st place.

In the Coastal Championship it looks like Quaker State has officially put the rest of the competition to the sword. Maryland’s record of 27-18 would be good enough for 1st or a share of 1st in every other region, but since they have to deal with Quaker St. a .600 Winning Percentage just isn’t going to be good enough.

NBBO MONTHLY AWARDS

NBBO BATSMEN OF THE MONTH
NYL: Chester Alexander (2B, NYAC) – .464, 1.027 OPS, 23 R, 45 H, 7 2B, 1 3B, 21 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB, 1.75 WPA, 1.4 WAR
NEL: Ned Morganti (CF, QS) – .438, 1.075 OPS, 25 R, 42 H, 11 XBH, 2 HR, 37 RBI, 3 BB, 8 SB, 1.63 WPA, 1.2 WAR

NBBO PITCHERS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Sherman Friday (CON) – 11-0, 1.83 ERA, 7 K, 98.1 IP, 9 CG, 1 SHO, 0.94 WHIP, 1.2 K/BB, 1.5 WAR
NEL: Earl Henry (SUS) – 9-3, 2.39 ERA, 9 K, 109.1 IP, 8 CG, 0 SHO, 1.32 WHIP, 1.5 K/BB, 1.9 WAR

NBBO GREENHORNS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Sherman Friday (P, CON) – New York League Pitcher of the Month
NEL: Earl Henry (P, SUS) – Northeastern League Pitcher of the Month

NBBO STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .444 by Elijah Hill (1B, GM)
OPS: 1.007 by Elijah Hill (1B, GM)
Runs: 59 by James Heilman (OF, UTI)
Home Runs: 3 by Earl Ludgate (3B, UNI)
RBI: 64 by Ned Morganti (CF, QS)
Stolen Bases: 43 by Manuel Romeiras (CF, HAR)
Batsman WPA: 3.81 by Herb Verrett (CF, MLD)
Batsman WAR: 2.6 by Euan Strachan (SS, ATL)

ERA: 1.98 by Earl Henry (SUS) over 231.1 IP
Wins: 19 by Earl Henry (SUS) & George Layman (MER)
Complete Games: 22 by George Layman (MER)
Strikeouts: 37 by Washington Kihlstedt (SPO)
WHIP: 1.10 by Francis Molinari (TU) over 189.1 IP
Pitcher WAR: 4.9 by Charles Rhodes (FRO)
Pitcher rWAR: 7.6 by Ross Gill (QS)

tm1681 · 03-09-2025, 01:34 PM

DOHERTY LEADS ALLEGHANY WITH 5 HITS & 4 RBI AT F.C.
GREENHORN 3B PUTS IN BEST PERFORMANCE OF BRIEF CAREER

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (July 4, 1872) – Last-place Alleghany found themselves behind early at Flour City during the team’s Independence Day tilt, but turned matters around quickly during the middle innings to take an eleven-run win:

Eight Alleghany players, including pitcher Elmer Seabold, had multiple hits, and two had at least four: 3B Frank Doherty & CF Joe Thatcher. Of the two, it was Doherty’s batsmanship that earned Player of the Game honors:

• T2: Ground Out to 2B
• T4: Single past 2B off L. Vogel
• T5: 1-run Single past 1B off L. Vogel
• T6: 2-run Double to CF off C. Baxter (R)
• T8: Leadoff Single past SS off C. Baxter
• T9: 1-run Single to LF off C. Baxter
• TOTAL: 5/6, 2B, 1 R, 4 RBI

The 5/6 day raised the average of greenhorn Doherty to .278 (.638 OPS), and he has 38 RBI through 51 games so far in his debut season. He has been light with the bat, but where Doherty has been outstanding is in the field, where he currently leads all APBL Third Basemen in Fielding % (.932), Defensive Efficiency (1.209), & Zone Rating (+12.7). As a result, Doherty has a WAR of 1.4 on the season even though he has been a below-average batsman.

tm1681 · 03-09-2025, 01:35 PM

CHARLES WHITEHEAD IS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ORANGE’S HERALDED GREENHORN 2B HAD FIRST HOT WEEK OF HIS CAREER

MANHATTAN (July 8, 1872) – Orange 2B Charles Whitehead was regarded as the most talented potential Greenhorn available to teams in the APBL & NBBO during the winter of 1871-72, due to a combination of fine bat skills and slick fielding ability.

Over the first two months of Whitehead’s APBL career he had shown himself to be a league-average batsman, hitting around .300 for Orange with an OPS in the .680 range. Over the past week Whitehead’s batsmanship finally broke through, and as a result he’s been named the APBL Player of the Week:

• July 2 (KNI 3-4 ORA): 0/5, 1 K
• July 3 (KNI 4-2 ORA): 3/4 (all 1B), 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 DEF DP
• July 4 (KNI 10-4 ORA): 3/4 (all 1B), 1 R, 1 RBI, CS
• July 5 (ORA 5-6 KC): 3/5, 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI
• July 6 (ORA 10-2 KC): 3/5, 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI, CS
• July 7 (ORA 15-5 KC): 4/5, 2B, 1 R, 3 RBI, HBP
• TOTAL: .571 (16/28), 1.300 OPS, 5 R, 4 2B, 7 RBI, 20 TB, 1.00 WPA, 0.6 WAR

After going hitless during a one-run win against Knickerbocker on Tuesday, Whitehead finished the week with five consecutive three-hit games, batting 16/23 (.696) over the five-game span. That outburst raised Whitehead’s average from .294 (.664 OPS) to .332 (.752 OPS), and it showed the rest of the league what he’s truly capable of.

Whitehead’s team, Orange, remains stuck just below .500 and is now ten games behind Metropolitan leaders Gotham. As of right now it looks like a return trip to the Founders’ Cup is highly unlikely.

tm1681 · 03-09-2025, 01:36 PM

PAIR OF PIONEER BATSMEN WITH 5 HITS IN SCRANTON
HUNT & TAGGART REEL OFF FIVE HITS EACH IN DOUBLE-DIGIT VICTORY

SCRANTON, PENN. (July 11, 1872) – An eleven-run 8th inning was the difference between extra innings and a lopsided finish in Pennsylvania, as Pioneer’s big rally pushed them to four games over .500:

During the decisive rally Pioneer struck seven base hits and took advantage of seven Scranton fielding errors to turn what was an 8-8 game into a 19-8 rout.

There were two standout stars on the afternoon for Pioneer: first-year team members Ralph Hunt & Elwood Taggart.

• Ralph Hunt (1B): 5/7 (all 1B), 2 R, 3 RBI, SB
• Elwood Taggart (CF): 5/6 (all 1B), 3 R, 5 RBI

The late rally was much-needed as the win kept Pioneer tied for 2nd place in the Inland Championship with Reading, with both teams four games behind Susquehanna.

tm1681 · 03-09-2025, 01:37 PM

GANT DELIVERS FIRST NO-HITTER IN FIVE YEARS
SUSQUEHANNA #2 ACCOMPLISHES MEMORABLE FEAT IN FRONT OF RAUCOUS HOME CROWD

WILKES-BARRE, PENN. (July 11, 1872) – 1,739 showed up to River View Field in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday afternoon and had the good fortune to witness something not seen in the sport of baseball in just over five years:

The author of the No-Hitter: Susquehanna #2 Joseph Gant, an extremely unlikely source of such a feat given that he entered the day with a 6-12 record and a 4.55 ERA over roughly 145 innings so far in 1872.

It was an excellent team performance by Susquehanna. While Gant was responsible for one Base on Balls and one Strikeout, the defense behind him committed only two errors (NBBO Avg.: 5.7 E/G) and did fine fundamental work on the ball against a Merrimack Mills team whose offense is in the upper third of the Northeastern League.

Gant’s performance marked the fifth No-Hitter in baseball history:

• May 23, 1858: Henry Gibson (EMP) vs Eckford
• May 10, 1862: Arthur Smith (ATL) vs Nassau Co.
• Aug 3, 1862: Harry Nettles (EMP) vs Bedford
• June 22, 1867: Harry Nettles (SotO) vs Quinnipiac
• July 11, 1872: Joseph Gant (SUS) vs Merrimack

Not only was this the first No-Hitter seen in five years, but it was just the second in nearly a decade of play.

It was a day to remember for Joseph Gant and his Susquehanna teammates, one that also kept them four games clear at the top of the Inland Championship standings.

tm1681 · 03-09-2025, 01:37 PM

SMITH CLUBS HOMER, DRIVES IN SEVEN FOR METRO
2X ALL-STAR HAS BEST GAME OF CAREER IN WIN AT N.Y.A.C.

NEW YORK CITY (July 11, 1872) – Thursday was a day of big performances in the NBBO, and a notable one took place in the second half of the doubleheader between Metropolitan & New York Athletic Club at the N.Y.A.C. Grounds:

Metropolitan pulled away late with ten runs over the final three innings, and the main catalyst was All-Star CF Francis Smith, who enjoyed the best game of his career:

• T1: Single past SS off C. McCormick
• T4: Line Out to SS
• T5: Line Out to SS
• T7: 2-run Single past 2B off C. McCormick (R)
• T8: 2-run Single past 3B off R. Blair (R)
• T9: 3-RUN HOME RUN to RF off R. Blair
• TOTAL: 4/6, HR, 3 R, 7 RBI, 7 TB, 100 GMSC

All totaled, Smith drove in seven of Metropolitan’s ten runs over their final three times to bat, and he turned what had been an ordinary 1/3 afternoon into the best performance he’s ever had in a Metro uniform. One could argue that it should be easy for Smith to drive in runs given that he bats immediately behind defending NYL Batsman of the Year Troy Oberst, but his late-inning hitting here was undeniably brilliant.

The win put Metropolitan into a tie for 4th in the New York City Championship, seven games behind Union. N.Y.A.C. is 25-28, nine games back and in 6th place.