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

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AMERICAN BASEBALL JULY RECAP

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 1, 1873) – The United States of America is now in the Dog Days of summer, and the three organized baseball competitions in existence are in the stretch run. Here is how each of the three looks:

APBL STANDINGS (75 of 90 games played)

St. Johns’ lead over the rest of the Colonial Conference doubled from three to six games over the month of June, with Flour City yet again remaining alone in 2nd place. Shamrock’s uptick in form vaulted them above .500 and into 3rd place over a Niagara team that was okay last month. Alleghany, who moved up the standings during June, has fallen back down. Massachusetts Bay remains in last place, and they played far worse in July than in either May or June.

The Metropolitan Conference basically belongs to American, as Knickerbocker has finally fallen off the pace after a .500 month. Orange remains in 3rd place thanks to some nice baseball in July. Excelsior, like Orange, went 15-12 last month and moved up a spot in the standings as a result. Gotham’s pitching & defense were below standard during July, and due to that they’re now in 5th. Kings County, once again, brings up the rear as they develop a young roster.

APBL MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Edward Huntley (SS, KNI) – .480, 1.162 OPS, 36 R, 59 H, 11 2B, 5 3B, 43 RBI, 9 BB, 13 SB, 3.4 WPA, 2.4 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Thomas Smith (STJ) – 8-3, 2.34 ERA, 6 K, 111.1 IP, 8 CG, 0 SHO, 1.17 WHIP, 0.9 K/BB, 1.2 WAR, 2.0 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Martin Prince (SS, AME) – .309, .745 OPS, 31 R, 34 H, 7 XBH, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 3 BB, 12 SB, 1.3 WPA, 0.6 WAR

At the young age of 37, Edward Huntley put together what was possibly the best month ever by a batsman when considering the level of competition. His 59 Hits and 43 RBI were all-levels records for a single month, and there wasn’t one aspect of his stat line that wasn’t ridiculous. Incredibly, Reginald Roper (.448, 1.069 OPS, 34 RBI, 1.6 WAR) nearly matched him.

Jim Creighton had the most Wins (9) and Strikeouts (46) of any pitcher, but the Writers Pool felt that Smith’s steady 8-3 month for St. John’s with a fine ERA – the lowest of any 8+ game winner – deserved the honors. It’s the fourth time in Smith’s career he’s taken PotM honors, with three of them coming in the APBL.

Prince repeated as GotM because he was excellent for the entire month, while Knick’s Bertram Landreth was excellent for two-thirds of the month after coming back from injury. As of right now Prince has the inside track on Greenhorn of the Year, but it will likely come down to the last three weeks of play as Landreth’s record remains astounding at 14-1.

APBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .383 by Albert Stoffers (1B, Mass. Bay)
OPS: .884 by Edward Huntley (SS, Knick)
Runs: 104 by James Burke (CF, American)
Home Runs: 3 by Willie Davis (LF, American) & Hiram Majors (CF, Shamrock)
Runs Batted In: 93 by James Burke
Stolen Bases: 89 by James Burke
Batsman WPA: 6.05 by Edward Huntley
Batsman WAR: 4.0 by James Burke

ERA (150+ IP): 2.70 by Elmer Seabold (Susquehanna)
Wins: 26 by John Henry (American)
Complete Games: 25 by Elmer Seabold
Strikeouts: 124 by Jim Creighton (Excelsior)
WHIP (150+ IP): 1.21 by John Henry
Pitcher WAR: 7.7 by James Goodman (Flour City)
Pitcher rWAR:[/B] 8.9 by John Henry

NBBO REGIONAL LEADERS (57 of 70 games played)

BROOKLYN: Atlantic at 35-22 (Eckford 1 GB, Empire 3 GB, Bedford 5 GB)
NEW YORK CITY: Harlem at 34-32 (Metro & N.Y.A.C. 2 GB, Union 3 GB, Baltic 5 GB)
UPSTATE NY: Utica at 35-22 (Frontier 2 GB, Minuteman & Syracuse 4 GB)
COASTAL: Quaker St. & Trenton Utd. at 35-22 (Tiger 4 GB, Pt. Jersey 5 GB)
INLAND: Pioneer at 39-18 (Susquehanna 3 GB, Lancastra 10 GB)
NEW ENGLAND: Portland at 35-22 (Oceania 3 GB, Green Mtn. 4 GB, Cantabrig’s 5 GB)

BROOKLYN – Atlantic remains in 1st, but here comes Eckford. The defending champions had a 16-6 July that catapulted them from 5th to 2nd and right next to the leaders in the standings. Bedford & Empire continue to give chase, but based on current form it looks like Eckford might be the team to beat for the pennant.

NEW YORK CITY – Harlem didn’t have a great July, but their 14-8 month was enough to move them from two games behind N.Y.A.C. to two games clear atop the standings. The leaders still have plenty to worry about given that there are four teams within five games with thirteen to play, and Mercury is lurking at seven games back.

UPSTATE NY – Frontier & Victory were tied for 1st on July 1st, but on August 1st it’s Utica who’s alone at the top of Upstate after a 15-7 month. Frontier is right behind them, but a 6-16 July saw Victory fall all the way to 6th place. With Minuteman and Syracuse within arm’s reach, the pennant race should go all the way to the final week.

COASTAL – Again it’s Quaker St. & Trenton Utd. at the top, although the two are now tied with 2.5 weeks left instead of one game apart. Port Jersey & Tiger S.C. are lurking, so if the top two slip up then Coastal will be up for grabs. Don’t think that’s impossible, as both Quaker St. & Trenton Utd. were right around .500 in July.

INLAND – A 15-7 July by Pioneer saw the Springfield men go three games clear at the top of Inland as Susquehanna finally cooled off. The two teams, who don’t play each other again, are realistically the only two left in the pennant race.

NEW ENGLAND – Portland overtook Oceanic during July, but the region is a jumble as each of the top four teams was 5-5 or 6-4 over their last ten games. If one of the four gets hot over the final 2+ weeks, then the New England pennant could easily wind up in that team’s hands as there is no clear frontrunner at the current time.

NBBO MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMEN OF THE MONTH
NYL: Isaac Holm (LF, COL) – .418, 1.020 OPS, 29 R, 46 H, 11 XBH, 1 HR, 26 RBI, 3 BB, 11 SB, 1.5 WPA, 1.6 WAR
NEL: Gerhardt Berg (1B, QS) – .410, .980 OPS, 27 R, 43 H, 8 XBH, 1 HR, 26 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SB, 3.2 WPA, 1.1 WAR

PITCHERS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Richard Majors (MET) – 8-3, 2.61 ERA, 5 K, 103.1 IP, 7 CG, 1.33 WHIP, 0.5 K/BB, 0.8 WAR, 1.2 rWAR
NEL: Charles McCormick (PIO) – 8-3, 1.97 ERA, 13 K, 105.0 IP, 8 CG, 1.21 WHIP, 1.9 K/BB, 1.6 WAR, 1.5 rWAR

GREENHORNS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Edward Davis (SS, UTI) – .383, .855 OPS, 24 R, 41 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 24 RBI, 3 BB, 1 SB, 1.8 WPA, 0.9 WAR
NEL: Callum Tait (1B, SotO) – .411, 1.052 OPS, 22 R, 30 H, 9 2B, 2 3B, 11 RBI, 5 BB, 1 SB, 1.1 WPA, 1.0 WAR

NBBO STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .402 by Henry Nabors (SS, Victory)
OPS: .956 by Deacon George (2B, Green Mtn.)
Runs: 84 by Lucius Roberts (LF, Syracuse)
Home Runs: 3 by Joseph Kryszak (C, Mercury) & Frank Rose (RF, Maryland)
Runs Batted In: 80 by Henry Nabors
Stolen Bases: 63 by Manuel Romeiras (CF, Trenton Utd.)
Batsman WPA: 5.13 by Henry Nabors
Batsman WAR: 3.8 by Isaac Kelly (3B, Eckford)

ERA (150+ IP): 2.06 by Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.)
Wins: 22 by Ross Gill (Quaker St.)
Complete Games: 24 by Ross Gill
Strikeouts: 36 by George Burroughs (Port Jersey)
WHIP (150+ IP): 1.12 by Rudolph Fowler (Utica)
Pitcher WAR: 5.1 by Ross Gill
Pitcher rWAR: 6.8 by Ross Gill

PCBL REGIONAL LEADERS (57 of 70 games played)

EAST: Frankford Arsenal at 35-22 (Keystone 3 GB, Sons of Ben 4 GB, Spartan 5 GB)
WEST: Mercantile at 36-21 (Merion 3 GB, Philadelphia B.C.C. 5 GB, Overbrook 6 GB)

For the third month in a row, the top four in East Philadelphia looks like this: Frankford in front, with Keystone, Sons of Ben, & Spartan keeping pressure on the leaders. Frankford’s last two series are at home against Keystone and Spartan, so the East will come down to the final two weeks of play.

A 15-7 July saw Mercantile climb to the top of the West Philadelphia standings, although they have a pair of B.C.C. teams to deal with if they want to take the pennant. The remaining schedules for all three teams are about equal in difficulty and none of the three play each other, so the leaders remain the pennant favorites due to their three-game lead.

PCBL MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Joseph Evans (LF, FA) – .371, .953 OPS, 27 R, 39 H, 6 2B, 7 3B, 31 RBI, 4 BB, 6 SB, 2.1 WPA, 1.4 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Casper Shultis (MER) – 9-2, 1.66 ERA, 7 K, 103.0 IP, 10 CG, 1 SHO, 1.08 WHIP, 3.5 K/BB, 1.8 WAR, 1.5 rWAR

PCBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .380 by Joseph Evans (LF, Frankford)
OPS: .928 by Joseph Evans
Runs: 84 by William Engholm (LF, Penn)
Home Runs: 2 by ten different batsmen
Runs Batted In: 73 by Charlie Kleinman (LF, Mercantile)
Stolen Bases: 56 by Harrison Comstock (LF, Germantown)
Batsman WPA: 4.21 by William Engholm
Batsman WAR: 4.1 by Joseph Evans

ERA (150+ IP): 1.95 by Lafayette Crippen (Germantown)
Wins: 22 Charlie Greiner (Frankford)
Complete Games: 21 by Casper Shultis (Mercantile)
Strikeouts: 33 by Jarvis Whitney (Yorktown)
WHIP (150+ IP): 1.13 by Casper Shultis
Pitcher WAR: 4.4 by Paul Krueger (Sons of Ben) & Casper Shultis
Pitcher rWAR: 5.5 by Casper Shultis

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NYL SEES PAIR OF SIX-HIT PLAYERS OVER THE WEEKEND
MERCURY CF JONES HAS SIX HITS ON SAT. & COLUMBIA C MCNABB HAS SIX PLUS A HR ON SUN.

NEW YORK CITY & OSWEGO, N.Y. (Aug. 2-3, 1873) – Over the weekend the NBBO saw a pair of batsmen crack six hits in the New York League side of the competition.

First up: Mercury BBC greenhorn CF Clarence Jones, who pulled off the feat in a much-needed victory over Union at the Morrisania Grounds on Saturday by the score of 16-8.

The game was relatively close going into the 7th inning, with Mercury ahead 10-7 over their hosts. However, six runs over their next two times to bat sealed the win for Mercury and gave Union a home loss they did not at all need.

There was one clear star performer for Mercury, and that was the aforementioned Jones:

• T1: Single to CF off G. Woods
• T2: 1-run Triple to LCF off G. Woods
• T4: Single to RCF off G. Woods (R)
• T5: 1-run Single past 2B off B. Johnson (SB)
• T7: Single to LCF off J. Waters (SB, R)
• T8: 1-run Single to CF off J. Waters (SB, R)
• TOTAL: 6/6, 3B, 3 R, 3 RBI, 3 SB, 8 TB

Clarence Jones has had a very up-and-down Greenhorn season for Mercury, but overall he’s been a solid player for the third-year NBBO team. Jones is batting .293 (.727 OPS) with 44 Runs Batted In, 41 Stolen Bases, and 1.4 WAR with eleven games left to play in 1873.

The victory left Mercury three games under .500 at 28-31, but more importantly they are still alive for a playoff spot as the win meant they were seven games behind NYC leaders Harlem with just over two weeks left to play. Union’s loss saw them slip from 2nd place to 4th, putting them three games behind the leaders.

Next up: Columbia C/1B Johnathan McNabb, who delivered six hits and more in a 13-10 win at Frontier on Sunday.

As with Jones in the Mercury v Union contest, six-hit performer McNabb was the clear star of Columbia v Frontier:

• T1: 1-run Single past SS off C. Bancroft (SB, R)
• T3: Leadoff Single to LF off C. Bancroft (CS)
• T5: Single to CF off C. Bancroft (R)
• T6: Single to LF off C. Bancroft
• T8: 2-RUN HOME RUN to RF off R. Benson
• T9: Single to RF off H. Smith
• TOTAL: 6/6, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, SB, 9 TB

The performance was by far the best of McNabb’s three-year NBBO career, as the Columbia regular is considered a lighter bat and his current average of .285 (.649 OPS) is a career high. The Home Run was the first of his career.

The win moved Columbia into a tie with Minuteman for 4th place in Upstate New York, six games behind leaders Utica with ten left to play. The loss dropped Frontier back into a tie for 2nd with Syracuse, four games below the leaders.

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EARL QUINN PITCHES CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUTS
MARYLAND #1 STYMIES OLYMPIC TWICE IN THREE DAYS

BALTIMORE, MD. (Aug. 1-3, 1873) – Maryland BC is on the verge of being eliminated from playoff contention, but their #1, Earl Quinn, is doing the most he possibly can to keep his team in the pennant chase.

Maryland is hosting NEL-worst Olympic this week, and after a spotty outing in the series opener Quinn got to business in his second outing of the five-game set. Runs on a Single by Charles Kelly and a Ground Out in the bottom of the 4th on Friday proved to be all the scoring Maryland needed, as Quinn pitched a Complete Game Shutout:

• MLD P E. Quinn: CG SHUTOUT, 6 HA, 0 BB, 2 K

After a maddening 9-7 loss in which Maryland threw the game away by allowing multiple runs in the 8th & 9th innings, Quinn had the ball again for Sunday’s series-ending encounter and the result was another scoreless outing:

• MLD P E. Quinn: CG SHUTOUT, 5 HA, 1 BB, 2 K

However, the result was never in doubt this time, as Maryland scored seven runs over the first two innings and cruised from there to an 11-0 victory, with 1B James Fisher & 3B Charles Palmer both providing three hits and three other batsmen collecting two each for Maryland.

The twin shutouts were Quinn’s first two for the 1873 season, and oddly enough if that’s how he finishes the campaign then it will mark the fourth time in the past five seasons that Quinn has finished with exactly two Shutouts to his name.

The 3x All-Star is 17-16 with a 3.03 ERA so far in 1873, and he is 4th in the Northeastern League in Pitching War at 5.1. His Maryland team is exactly .500 at 30-30, seven games behind Coastal Championship leaders Quaker St. & Trenton Utd. with exactly ten games left to play.

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METROPOLITAN REPEATS AS ALL-STAR CHAMPS
SIX-RUN RALLY IN 7TH THE KEY MOMENT; SHAMROCK 3B DICKERSON WINS MVP IN LOSS

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Aug. 4, 1873) – The 3rd APBL All-Star Game took place at Olneyville Field in Providence on Monday, with the forty best players in the sport of baseball taking to the field in front of a sellout crowd. The result wasn’t what the home fans had hoped for, as the visiting Metropolitan Conference All-Stars repeated as All-Star Game victors:

Early on the game looked like it would belong to the Colonial Conference All-Stars, as the hosts put up five runs over the opening pair of innings to go ahead 5-0. However, three Metropolitan runs in the 3rd and another in the top of the 4th made the score 5-4 before Shamrock 3B William Dickerson’s home run to left field in the bottom of the 4th gave the Colonial Conference a 6-4 lead.

6-4 was how the score stayed until the top of the 7th, when the Metropolitan Conference unleashed a six-run rally that ultimately decided the game. American 2B Peter Boyce began the scoring with a two-run Single, Knickerbocker LF Edward Donovan followed Boyce with another two-run Single, Gotham 1B William Theriault followed with a 1-run Single, and American SS Martin Prince finished the rally with a one-run Single of his own with two out.

The score now 10-6 in favor of the visitors, the Metropolitan Conference added an insurance run in the top of the 9th and that meant two runs by the Colonial Conference in their final time to bat meant little. The Metropolitan Conference had won the All-Star Game for the second year in a row.

Even though the Metropolitan Conference won, it was a player from the Colonial Conference who took home Most Valuable Player honors. Because he hit the first Home Run in All-Star Game history, MVP went to William Dickerson:

• CC #2 W. Dickerson (3B, SHA): 2/3, HR, 2 R, 1 RBI

In victory, the key player for the Metropolitan Conference was American’s greenhorn SS, Martin Prince:

• MC SUB M. Prince (SS, AME): 3/3 (all 1B), 0 R, 2 RBI

Prince’s three hits all came after he entered the game for Gotham 2B Babe Johnson in the top of the 7th, and he played an important part in the Metropolitan rally that changed the outcome in their favor.

It was a gentle August afternoon in Providence, with the temperature at 67 degrees and the winds a slight breeze out to left field, perfect for the 6,250 or so in attendance.

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TWO MASSIVE PERFORMANCES OPEN NBBO’S WEEK
CRAVEN HAS 5 HITS & 6 RBI’S FOR SYRACUSE; DAY BELTS HR & DRIVES IN 7 FOR CANTABRIGIANS

SYRACUSE, N.Y. & PORTLAND, ME. (Aug. 6, 1873) – The first day of Week Thirteen of the NBBO season saw two magnificent performances from its batsmen, one in each league.

The first performance was in Upstate New York, where Syracuse has a golden opportunity to close in on Upstate leaders Utica via five-game home series against 7th-place Binghamton this week. They were up to the task in the opener, taking a 19-8 lead after seven innings before allowing some late consolation runs to win 19-14.

Much of the Syracuse lineup was excellent, as five of their batsmen had three or four hits each:

• SYR #1 Walter Williams (CF): 3/6 (all 1B), 4 R, 0 RBI, 4 SB
• SYR #2 Lucius Roberts (LF): 4/5 (all 1B), 3 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 2 SB
• SYR #4 Chester Alexander (2B): 3/6, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, 4 TB
• SYR #5 Carlton McShane (1B): 3/6 (all 1B), 0 R, 1 RBI
• SYR #8 James Lindsey (3B): 3/6, 2B, 3 R, 0 RBI, 4 TB

However, it was RF Martin Craven who trumped all of them with a spectacular afternoon at the Salina Street Grounds:

• B1: Single past SS off W. Haney
• B3: 1-run Single past SS off W. Haney (R)
• B4: Reached via Fielder’s Choice at HP (R)
• B5: 2-run Single past SS off C. German (R)
• B6: 2-run Triple to RCF off C. German (R)
• B7: 1-run Single past SS off C. German
• TOTAL: 5/6, 3B, 4 R, 6 RBI, 7 TB, 106 GMSC

Craven, a 2x All-Star in his first season with Syracuse after four playing for Atlantic, is having another brilliant season. The 5/6 afternoon moved Craven’s Average to 4th in the NYL at .375 (.856 OPS) with eight games left to play. He is also 2nd in the NYL in Runs Batted In with 77.

The victory moved Syracuse alone into 2nd place in Upstate New York, and it helped them keep pace with fellow Wednesday winners Utica. The two teams are four games apart in the standings.

The other performance occurred in New England, where Portland hosted Cantabrigians in a battle of top-four teams.

The game was a tight affair, with the visitors jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the 1st inning before holding off repeated Portland rallies, taking an 11-10 leading into the 9th, and scoring two insurance runs to exit 13-10 winners.

Both C Jonathan Day & 2B Adrian Rutledge had four hits for Cantabrigians, but it was Day’s work that earned the plaudits:

• T1: 1-run Single past SS off J. Dressman (R)
• T3: Line Out to SS
• T5: 2-RUN HOME RUN TO RCF off J. Dressman
• T6: 2-run Single to RF off J. Dressman
• T7: 1-run Single past SS off C. Donnely (SB)
• T9: 1-run Sac Fly to CF off S. Brown
• TOTAL: 5/6, HR, 2 R, 7 RBI, SB, 7 TB, 96 GMSC

Day, who has made the last two All-Star Games, is easily having the best season of his career, as his .350 Average (.785 OPS), 103 Hits, and 75 Runs Batted In lead all Catchers in the Northeastern League.

The Cantabrigians victory has left the New England standings extremely tight, as the top four teams are now just four games apart – Portland in 1st place by two – with eight left to play.

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GROVES GOES WILD AT LAST-PLACE OLYMPIC
ALL-STAR 2B HAS 6 HITS & 7 RBI AS NATIONAL PUMMELS HOSTS

PATERSON, N.J. (Aug. 10, 1873) – Neither National nor Olympic have anything left to play for other than pride, but that didn’t stop visiting National from dismantling their opposition in Great Falls Park on Sunday afternoon:

Once National used an eight-run rally to take a 10-0 lead by the middle of the 3rd the game was effectively over, but that didn’t stop them from piling on the runs during subsequent innings.

National received two outstanding performances, one was from SS Joseph Davenport:

• NAT #2 J. Davenport (SS): 5/7, 2 3B, 5 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 9 TB, 100 GMSC

But the unquestionable Player of the Game was All-Star 2B Harold Groves:

• T1: Reached via Base on Balls by J. Davis (R)
• T3: 1-run Triple to RCF off J. Davis (R)
• T3: 1-run Single past 2B off J. Davis
• T5: Fly Out to RF
• T6: 2-run Single past 2B off T. Mann (R)
• T7: 1-run Single past 2B off T. Mann
• T9: Leadoff Double to LCF off J. Pratt (R)
• T9: 2-run Double to RF off J. Pratt
• TOTAL: 6/7, 2 2B, 3B, 4 R, 7 RBI, BB, 10 TB, 126 GMSC

Groves’ performance was the second-best by a batsman in the NBBO this year, and the best ever by anybody wearing National’s colors.

With one week left, National & Olympic are the two teams at the bottom of the standings in the Coastal Championship.

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So...the twelve biggest teams splitting off has finally had its desired effect from the looks of it. For, I think, the first time ever, with one week (five games) left in the NBBO season none of the six regions has had a team clinch the pennant.

We'll see what happens...

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EVERY REGION STILL OPEN WITH ONE WEEK LEFT IN NBBO
TWO TEAMS ONLY NEED A SINGLE WIN, BUT ALL SIX REGIONS ARE STILL OPEN FOR THE TAKING

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 11, 1873 - The are five games left in the NBBO season, and for the first time all six regions are still looking for an official champion with one week left to play.

BROOKLYN – One of three regions that still has four or more teams alive in the pennant race, Brooklyn is very much up for grabs going into the final week. Defending Tucker-Wheaton Cup champions Eckford (39-26) have finally taken over 1st place thanks to a 7-3 record over their last ten games, but they are only one game ahead of Atlantic (38-27). Empire (36-29) is three games behind, and Bedford (35-30) is four games back.

During Week Fourteen, Eckford is at home against Bedford, Atlantic plays at Marathon (33-32), and Empire is at Continental (32-33). The schedule favors Eckford since they’re at home, where they are 21-9 this season.

NEW YORK CITY – In the most prestigious region, not only are there two teams – Metropolitan & N.Y.A.C. – tied for first place at 37-28, but five teams are still in the hunt for the pennant. One game behind the top two is Harlem (36-29), the NYC leaders for much of the last month. Three games behind the co-leaders are defending NYC champions Union (34-31). Four games back of the 1st place tie is Baltic (33-32).

For the final week, Metropolitan is at home vs Mercury (31-34), N.Y.A.C. is at home vs Mutual (30-35), Harlem is at home against last-place Hilltop (22-43), and Union & Baltic play against each other at the Morrisania Grounds. With Hilltop eight games worse than any other NYC team and 7-23 away from home, the schedule clearly favors Harlem.

UPSTATE NEW YORK – Upstate is one of two regions where all the leader needs is a win or a loss by the team in 2nd place. Utica (42-23) is five games clear in first place but it’s 2x defending Upstate champions Syracuse (37-28) lurking at five games back, so the leaders, who have never been in the postseason, can’t rest easy.

Utica plays its final five games at home against Columbia (32-33), while Syracuse plays at Minuteman (35-30).

COASTAL – Quaker St. (39-26) has finally separated themselves from Trenton Utd. thanks to a four-game winning streak at the perfect time, but the lead is only slight as it sits at three games. A 9-1 run by Port Jersey (37-28) has kept them in contention at four games behind the Philadelphians.

This week, Quaker St. plays at National (25-40), Trenton Utd. plays at Newark (31-34), and Port Jersey plays at home against Olympic (22-43). If Quaker St. & Trenton Utd. hit the skids, Port Jersey has a definite chance to snatch the pennant.

INLAND – Pioneer’s amazing run during the second half of the season has continued, and as a result they are now five games clear in 1st place at 44-21. Susquehanna (39-26) is hanging on for dear life, but the 2x defending Inland champions won’t go down without a fight.

Pioneer plays its final series at Sportsman’s (32-33), and Susquehanna plays at Lancastra Britannia (33-32).

NEW ENGLAND – Yankeeland remains a bit of a mess as none of its top four teams have fared better than 6-4 over the last ten games, making it look like the region nobody wants to win. Portland (38-27) is in front by two games, with Oceanic (36-29) in 2nd and the duo of Cantabrigians (35-30) & Green Mtn. (35-30) tied for 3rd.

Portland plays at Granite (32-33), Oceanic plays at Green Mtn., and Cantabrigians is at home against Sons of the Ocean (31-34). The schedule favors Cantabrigians, but given positioning they still need help if they want to take their 1st pennant.

So, with one week left in the National Base Ball Organization everything remains up for grabs in what has become the most exciting season yet. Who will reach the Tucker-Wheaton Cup playoffs?

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So the last week did indeed get a little weird. There was a playoff to decide one of the six NBBO regions, but also...

• A pitcher made it to 30 Wins.
• A player made to 100+ Runs, 100+ RBI, & 100+ Stolen Bases on one season.
• A player who was batting .402 on the final day of the season fell to .397.
• A SS in the NBBO - and I didn't notice this before - finished the season with 53 SACRIFICE BUNTS IN 70 GAMES.

That last one...WHAT

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KOLHBERG CRACKS FIVE HITS IN BIG ST. JOHN’S WIN
2B’S FIVE-HIT DAY INCLUDES GAME-WINNING HIT IN 10TH AT FLOUR CITY

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (Aug. 13, 1873) - St. John’s & Flour City are currently in the middle of an extremely important series between the top two teams in the Colonial Conference. If St. John’s wins all three games they exit the series enjoying an eight-game lead with nine games to play, and if Flour City sweeps they decrease the lead possessed by the perennial postseason players to two games with eight left.

Game One was a solid Flour City victory. Led by the pitching of Jonathan Goodman and the 3/5 batting of CF Ernest Dugas (2B, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI), the hosts won 9-5 and ended Tuesday four games behind St. John’s.

Wednesday’s game was an outstanding contest that needed additional innings to decide a winner:

Not that it looked like it was going to go to Extra Innings. Thanks to a Passed Ball that plated a run with two out, St. John’s exited their half of the 9th inning with a 9-4 lead. In the bottom of the 9th Flour City proceeded to uncork a five-run rally, with a Sacrifice Fly, a one-run Single by 1B Chris Carlson, a 1-run Error, a Passed Ball, and another one-run Single by substitute P John Murphy turning the five-run deficit into a 9-9 game.

St. John’s, veterans of so many pressure-packed situations, weren’t fazed by their collapse in the bottom of the 9th, responding to the Flour City rally by scoring four runs in the top of the 10th, with the key hits being a two-run Single by 2B Theodore Kohlberg and a two-run Double by C Falco van der Vaart. Ahead 13-9, St. John’s sub P William Titus allowed a run with one out before setting down Flour City on a pair of fly balls, and St. John’s had taken a massive win in Rochester.

St. John’s didn’t get major production from their usual stars. 1B Mario Fusilli was 0/5, and both Konrad Jensen & Nelson Townsend were 1/5 with a Base on Balls. Instead, the Player of the Game was Kohlberg:

• STJ #5 Theodore Kohlberg (2B): 5/6 (all 1B), 2 R, 3 RBI, GW HIT

The clutch performance pushed Kohlberg’s average up to .340 (.757 OPS), which will be the highest of his fourteen-year career between the NBBO & APBL if it holds over the final week and a half. His 72 Runs Batted In are also a massive improvement over his previous career best: 54 for Atlantic in 1863. In addition, his 48 Stolen Bases are threatening his career high of 53, set in 1871 while playing for Kings County in the inaugural season of the APBL.

With ten games left in the season, the Colonial Conference looks like this:

• #1: St. John’s at 48-32
• #2: Flour City at 43-37 (5 GB)
• #3: Shamrock at 41-39 (7 GB)
• #4: Niagara at 40-40 (8 GB)

After tomorrow St. Johns’ final three series are at home against Niagara, at Shamrock, and at Alleghany. A win tomorrow should just about wrap up yet another pennant for the 6x champions of baseball.

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HENRY BECOMES 1ST APBL PITCHER TO WIN 30
AMERICAN #1 HAS NOW WON 30+ GAMES IN A SEASON THREE TIMES

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Aug. 16, 1873) - The main question ahead of Saturday’s APBL game in Brooklyn was not if American would beat Kings County, but by how much. The answer? American won by nine:

Even though it ended up a lopsided contest, all eyes remained on one player through all nine innings: American #1 John Henry. Henry entered Saturday with a 29-4 record on the season, meaning a positive result would make him the first APBL Pitcher to reach thirty Wins in a season. Henry didn’t have his best outing – 6 IP, 9 HA, 4 ER – but the American offense did more than enough to ensure that he made history at Washington Park.

In victory, not only did John Henry become the first APBL Pitcher with 30+ Wins in a season but he became the first Pitcher to earn 30+ Wins in a season three times:

• 1869 (Alleghany, NBBO): 30-10, 3.35 ERA, 332.2 IP, 29 BB, 44 K, 1.32 WHIP, 4.8 WAR, 3.3 rWAR
• 1870 (Alleghany, NBBO): 30-7, 3.05 ERA, 330.2 IP, 28 BB, 31 K, 1.15 WHIP, 5.4 WAR, 5.4 rWAR
• 1873 (American, APBL): 30-4, 3.03 ERA, 323.2 IP, 26 BB, 18 K, 1.18 WHIP, 3.2 WAR, 10.0 rWAR

Incredibly, Henry is the only Pitcher to win 30+ games in a season twice, let alone three times.

It has been told before, but John Henry’s story is remarkable. After two seasons as a regular Pitcher for Newark in the NBBO he was let go, and joined Alleghany in 1866 to become a relief man. Then, after three years of occasional starting the team turned to him after letting #1 Fred Richards leave, and the rest, as they say, is history:

That’s not to say Henry didn’t run into adversity after first making history. After struggling during the inaugural APBL season Alleghany cut him loose, and he was an All-Star for Gotham in 1872 but they let him leave after just one year. American brought Henry in to replace departed All-Star #1 Charles Sturch, and Henry responded with his third unforgettable season in five years.

American, now 61-22, has clinched the Metropolitan Conference pennant, and John Henry’s 30th Win has surely clinched the APBL Pitcher of the Year award for him.

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BURKE TOPS 100 RUNS, RBI, & SB IN ONE SEASON
STAR CF WAS ALREADY 1ST WITH 100 RBI IN A SEASON, NOW ALSO 1ST WITH 100 SB

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 17, 1873) - On Saturday, American #1 John Henry made history by becoming the first Pitcher in American Professional Baseball League history with 30+ Wins in a single season. On Sunday, the chance to beat up on last-place Kings County meant more history was made by American BC.

The result was never in doubt, with American taking charge over the middle innings and winning 15-3. The result gave American the new high mark for wins in a season at any level with 62, beating the 1871 Orange team that went 61-29.

However, there were other things to watch. After hitting a Single in his first trip to the plate American CF James Burke stole Second Base, putting him at 99 Stolen Bases on the season. The previous day Burke had become the first player in baseball history to reach 100 Runs Batted In during a single campaign, and now with one more Stolen Base he would also become the first player with 100 Stolen Bases in one season.

In the midst of an eight-run rally during the top of the 8th, Burke would get his chance at another piece of history. After hitting another Single, Burke took off for Second Base on the first pitch to Franklin Petty and swiped the bag, stealing his 100th base of 1873.

In addition to the above, Burke had long since passed the 100-Run barrier, meaning that he had done something no player had ever come remotely close to: Burke had officially reached 100 Runs, 100 Runs Batted In, & 100 Stolen Bases in the same season, and he was the first ever to reach two of the three century marks.

When Burke made the stunning decision to leave Shamrock and then joined the newly-minted Founders’ Cup champions on December 11th of last year, conventional wisdom was that American’s more batsman-friendly venue of Glenwood Field would lead to Burke having a noticeably better season from an offensive standpoint. However, nobody could imagine that Burke would put up statistics like this, numbers that there are no reference levels for.

Burke and his American teammates still have six games left, so who knows what else they might accomplish during the last week of play before the third edition of the Founders’ Cup?

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A LOOK AT READING ATHLETIC’S KING OF THE BUNT
VETERAN SS MACKAY’S UNIQUE TALENT HAS NO PARALLEL IN BASEBALL

READING, PENN. (Aug. 17, 1873) - Meet Gordon Mackay…

Mackay, a 33-year-old from Coatbridge, Scotland, has been Reading’s everyday Shortstop since entering the National Base Ball Organization ahead of the 1870 season.

Upon first glance Mackay seems like nothing out of the ordinary, as any scouting report on him will tell you that he’s a fairly average baseball player:

CONTACT: 5/10, HIT FOR AVG: 5/10, GAP POWER: 5.5/10, BATTING EYE: 4/10
DEFENSE (SS): 7/10, SPEED: 8/10, STEALS: 7/10, BASERUNNING: 9/10

Mackay’s playing record has been average as well. With his fourth season in the NBBO having just come to an end, Mackay’s career batting line is .288/.308/.358 with a .666 OPS and an 88 OPS+. His average WAR per season has been 0.8, and his fielding at SS has been roughly NBBO average.

However, there is one skill Gordon Mackay possesses that is so great that not a single opposing player or manager in the NBBO even attempts to stop him when he tries it: his ability to move teammates from base to base with a Sacrifice Bunt.

While Mackay is average or good at nearly every skill, writers, coaches, & scouts who have observed him during his four seasons in the NBBO have graded his ability to make Sacrifice Bunts at a “10+/10”. If there is zero or one out and men on base, Mackay will lay a ball down in perfect position to move runners. It doesn’t matter how the defense is positioned, or what the incoming pitch is, or what the weather is like. Mackay squares his bat, and everyone moves forward a base.

A perfect case in point: the just concluded 1873 NBBO season. Typically, in a seventy-game season the most technically gifted bunt masters among the batsmen in the NBBO have been capable of laying down 30-35 Sacrifice Bunts. Mackay has taken that number and moved it in a direction nobody thought possible. After laying down his final sacrifice of the season on Sunday, Mackay finished 1873 with an absolutely absurd FIFTY-THREE SACRIFICE BUNTS IN SEVENTY GAMES PLAYED.

Nobody is even sure how Mackay does it, and if Mackay has a method then he’s kept it a secret. Some have spread rumors that Mackay lines up opposite a modified cannon and practices bunting baseballs that fly at him with impossible speed. Others claim that he goes home during the winter and spends time working on tracking the ball in the winds of the Western Isles of Scotland. Others have speculated that Mackay has a secret in his bat that allows him such bunting proficiency.

Some, like Konrad Jensen, have decided to master the art of contact hitting. Others, like Jim Creighton, have mastered the art of pitching with power. Some, like James Goodman, have devoted their time to mastering command over the ball itself to fool batsmen. Still others, like Anthony Mascherino, have gained mastery over their work in the field. Even further, men like James Burke have perfected the skill of terrorizing opponents on the basepaths.

Apparently, instead of doing any of the above Gordon Mackay has decided to become the Da Vinci of bunting. If nothing else, it’s a skill that he has perfected to the point that it will cause the baseball world to remember him for a long time.

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NEW YORK CITY GOES TO A PLAYOFF AGAIN
HARLEM & METROPOLITAN FINISH 41-29; PLAYOFF TAKES PLACE AT HARLEM’S MT. MORRIS SQUARE

NEW YORK CITY (Aug. 18, 1873) - For the second consecutive season the New York City Championship has required more than the regular seventy games to decide a winner.

Last year Mercury & Union of Morrisania finished tied at 42-28, and Union took the pennant thanks to an extraordinary comeback over the final two innings to win 6-5 at Mercury in the 71st game.

This year Harlem and Metropolitan were 39-29 with two games remaining but both teams won out to finish 41-29, and for the second straight season New York City would need a 71st game to crown its #1 team.

Harlem was near the top of the standings all season, finishing May 9-5 and never finding themselves lower than third place while looking to secure their first pennant in ten years. On the other hand, Metropolitan was 4-10 in May and in the bottom half of the NYC standings as late as July 15th. An 18-7 finish over the final five weeks vaulted Metropolitan all the way into their 1st place tie, and now one more win stood between the team and an unlikely second pennant in three years.

Harlem was a solid but unorthodox team. They led the NYL in Batting Average at .306 but their leading hitter was their #8 batsman, CF Charles Anderson, at .334. Their First Baseman, Bertrand Ray, was their leadoff hitter. Their #1, Fred Bolger, walked more than twice as many batsmen as he struck out, but still won twenty games and had a league-average ERA.

Metropolitan had star power. Leadoff batsman Francis Smith was a 2x All-Star and Team of the Year member at CF. LF Troy Oberst was both NYL Batsman of the Year & Most Valuable Player in 1871 and had just made his third straight All-Star Game. 1B Jerald Peterson was a 9x All-Star with three cup titles and a BotY to his credit.

So, how did the one-game playoff at Harlem’s Mount Morris Square unfold?

For much of the game it was an even contest – 6-5 after three innings and 7-7 after six – but Metropolitan pulled away late to win the New York City Championship for the second time in three years.

The pennant-deciding scoring began from an unfamiliar source, as Metropolitan’s go-ahead run in the top of the 7th came home on a one-run Single by greenhorn 3B Leon Freeman. After a 1-2-3 Harlem 7th, Jerald Peterson singled in a run in the top of the 8th to put Metro up 9-7. After Harlem agonizingly failed twice to bring in a runner from Third Base in the bottom of the 8th, Metro put the game away in the top of the 9th when one-run Singles by substitute P Frazer Richardson and Troy Oberst gave the team an 11-7 lead that stood as the game’s final score.

Player of the Game honors didn’t go to any of Metropolitan’s multiple-time All-Stars, but instead to Freeman:

• MET #6 Leon Freeman (3B): 3/5 (all 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI, GW HIT

The result meant Metropolitan’s season finished at 42-29 and they had earned the #3 seed in the New York League playoffs. Meanwhile, Harlem finished 41-30 and were the New York City runners-up for the second time in their history.

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THE NBBO & PCBL PLAYOFFS ARE SET
PIONEER HAS BEST RECORD; DEFENDING CHAMPS ARE BACK; PHILA. READY FOR FIRST TITLE SERIES

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug 18, 1872) – Now that the one-game playoff to decide the winner of the New York City Championship has been decided, the playoff fields in both the National Base Ball Organization and the Philadelphia City Baseball League are set.

For the NBBO, this will be the second Tucker-Wheaton Cup since returning to the playoff format. For the PCBL, this will be its first ever championship series.

NATIONAL BASEBALL ORGANIZATION

NYL BROOKLYN – Eckford of Greenpoint (44-26) won all five games against Bedford, and in the process increased their one-game lead to a final margin of four over Atlantic. The defending cup champions were just one win off last year’s pace, and worryingly for everyone else their form over the final five weeks was quite similar to that of last year (18-7 v 20-5).

KEY PLAYER: Isaac Kelly (3B) – .381, .873 OPS, 68 R, 129 H, 26 2B, 3 3B, 60 RBI, 8 BB, +12.1 ZR, 3.0 WPA, 4.5 WAR

NYL NEW YORK CITY – It took excellent late-season form and a one-game playoff, but Metropolitan (42-29) is in the playoffs for the second time in three years. All of their strength is in offense, thanks in no small part to the Oberst/Peterson/Smith trio, with both their pitching & defense ranking in the middle of the pack in the New York League.

KEY PLAYER: Troy Oberst (LF) – .361, .833 OPS, 75 R, 125 H, 17 2B, 6 3B, 68 RBI, 15 BB, 6 SB, 3.5 WPA, 2.5 WAR

NYL UPSTATE N.Y. – Utica (45-25) was in 1st by five games with five games left, but they didn’t ease up and went 8-2 over their final ten games. The team was solid everywhere. Runs: 5th in the NYL. Average: 5th. Steals: 2nd. Runs Against: 5th. Defense: 2nd. Eckford might look more dangerous and Pioneer might have a better record, but Utica is the most complete team in the cup playoffs.

KEY PLAYER: Fox Ellis (3B) – .340, .758 OPS, 65 R, 113 H, 14 XBH, 3 HR, 73 RBI, 3 BB, 11 SB, 4.4 WPA, 2.3 WAR

NEL COASTAL – Quaker State (43-27) lost their last three against National, but Trenton Utd. also struggled in their final series and thus they took the region by one game over the surging Port Jersey, who went 14-1 over their final 15. Q.S. is nowhere as strong on offense as it was the previous two seasons, but their pitching & defense still ranks in the top two of the NEL.

KEY PLAYER: Ross Gill (P) – 27-11, 2.50 ERA, 356.2 IP, 31 CG, 1 SHO, 31 K, 2.4 K/BB, 1.14 WHIP, 6.6 WAR, 9.4 rWAR

NEL INLAND – Pioneer (46-24) is not only in the playoffs for the first time, but they also finished with the NBBO’s best record. Batsmen #2-7 in their lineup all hit over .300, but it was their pitching that shone the brightest as those who took the ball for Pioneer had a collective ERA of 2.47, #1 in the NBBO.

KEY PLAYER: Charles McCormick (P) – 23-11, 2.23 ERA, 302.2 IP, 20 CG, 1 SHO, 37 K, 2.2 K/BB, 1.19 WHIP, 4.6 WAR

NEL NEW ENGLAND – Portland (41-29) played like they didn’t want to hold onto their New England lead but nonetheless they did, and the Maine men are in the playoffs for the third year in a row. Offense is where this team is at its best, but their formidable pitching duo of James Dressman & Grover Wright makes Portland very dangerous in a playoff situation, as proven in their historic upset of Quaker St. in the NELCS just last year.

KEY PLAYER: Enda Reed (1B) – .362, .889 OPS, 60 R, 109 H, 30 XBH, 1 HR, 75 RBI, 12 BB, 10 SB, 4.6 WPA, 2.8 WAR

THE 1872 TUCKER-WHEATON CUP

SEEDING

• NYL #1: Utica – 45-25; +144 RD
• NYL #2: Eckford – 44-26; +112 RD
• NYL #3: Metropolitan – 42-29; +21 RD

• NEL #1: Pioneer – 46-24; +121 RD
• NEL #2: Quaker State – 43-27; +134 RD
• NEL #3: Portland – 41-29; +34 RD

FORMAT & SCHEDULE

• LSF, LSCF, & TWC all best of five games
• All series follow 2-2-1 schedule
• Higher seed has Home Field Advantage

• NYL SEMIFINALS: Metropolitan v Eckford
• NEL SEMIFINALS: Portland v Quaker State

• NYL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: MET/ECK v Utica
• NEL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: PORT/QS v Pioneer

• TUCKER-WHEATON CUP: NYL Champion v NEL Champion (NEL has HFA)

WRITERS POOL PREDICTIONS

• NYL SEMIFINALS: Eckford (WWWWWW L6; 26-9 Home) over Metropolitan (17-19 Away)
• NEL SEMIFINALS: Quaker State (24-11 Home) over Portland (7-8 Post All-Star)

• NYL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: Utica (8-2 L10; 29-6 Home) over Eckford (18-17 Away)
• NEL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: Quaker St. (3rd straight year in playoffs) over Pioneer (5-5 last 10)

• TUCKER-WHEATON CUP: Utica over Quaker State

PHILADELPHIA CITY BASEBALL LEAGUE

EAST PHILA.: Just as at the end of May, June, & July, Frankford Arsenal (43-27) managed to play just well enough to stay in 1st by a couple of games, with the trio of Keystone, Sons of Ben, & Spartan taking up the rest of the top four spots in the standings. Frankford’s strength is their offense, which was the second-best in the PCBL.

KEY PLAYER: Joseph Evans (CF) – .372, .915 OPS, 93 R, 127 H, 19 2B, 13 3B, 83 RBI, 23 BB, 19 SB, 4.4 WPA, 4.8 WAR

WEST PHILA.: Against all preseason odds, Mercantile (44-26) held off a fierce challenge by two B.B.C. teams, taking the pennant on the final day when they beat Schuylkill and Merion lost in ten innings. Mercantile had the best pitching in the PCBL – their starters’ ERA was a ludicrous 2.09 – but they also have the most technical bat in the league: 1B Ben Warnock.

KEY PLAYER: Benjamin Warnock (1B) – .347, .802 OPS, 80 R, 120 H, 15 2B, 8 3B, 55 RBI, 12 BB, 17 SB, 4.8 WPA, 2.9 WAR

THE 1873 LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC

SEEDING

• #1: Mercantile – 44-26; +148 RD
• #2: Frankford – 43-27; +113 RD

SERIES FORMAT

• Best of five games
• 2-2-1 format
• Higher seed (MER) has Home Field Advantage

WRITERS POOL PREDICTION

• Frankford Arsenal (WWWWW L5, 23-12 Away) over Mercantile (8-7 1-Run)

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VALENTINE SLAMS 5 HITS & HR VS AMERICAN
1ST-YEAR ORANGE OF FINISHING SEASON IN STYLE AS TEAM UPSETS METRO CHAMPS

MANHATTAN (Aug. 23, 1873) - American has long-since clinched the Metropolitan Conference pennant but they still put in 100% effort at the Upper Manhattan Grounds on Saturday, and Orange responded in kind, leading to an excellent contest:

It looked like American had yet another tally in the win column after their seven-run 6th inning put them ahead 11-6, but Orange made a valiant comeback and American did themselves in with a run-scoring Error in the bottom of the 9th.

Five Orange players had multiple hits, but their star was first-year RF William Valentine:

• B1: Single past SS off J. Henry (SB)
• B3: TWO-RUN HOME RUN (Inside the Park) to LF off J. Henry
• B5: Leadoff Double to LCF off J. Henry (R)
• B6: 1-run Double past 3B off J. Henry
• B8: 1-run Single to RF off L. Townsend (R)
• TOTAL: 5/5, 2 2B, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, SB, 10 TB, 94 GMSC

The 5/5 was Valentine’s best performance in his debut season with Orange. With one game left in the season he is batting .338 (.803 OPS) with 84 Runs Batted In and 2.9 WAR as Orange’s second-best batsmen behind Samuel Kessler.

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JENSEN TAKES APBL BATTING TITLE BY .0008
BEATS OUT MASS. BAY’S STOFFERS IN CLOSEST AVERAGE RACE IN YOUNG LEAGUE’S HISTORY

PROVIDENCE (Aug. 24, 1873) - The APBL season concluded on Sunday afternoon, and with it the closest Batting Title race in baseball since the famous 1870 Northeastern League race that saw Quaker State’s Cormack Alexander & William Dickerson claim a tie after the teammates finished the season just .0001 apart.

Going into Sunday’s play, St. Johns’ legendary OF Konrad Jensen was batting .380 with 3x Massachusetts Bay All-Star 1B Albert Stoffers at .379. Both players went 2/5 in their final game, and as a result here was how the APBL batting charts looked at the end of the 1873 season:

• #1: Konrad Jensen (RF, STJ) at .380 (.3805; 156/410)
• #2: Albert Stoffers (1B, MB) at .380 (.3797; 161/424)
• #3: Edward Huntley (SS, KNI) at .374 (156/417)
• #4: James Burke (CF, AME) at .368 (155/421)
• #5: Samuel Kessler (LF, ORA) at .355 (151/425)

The final difference of .0008 between Jensen & Stoffers is easily the closest in the American Professional Baseball League’s three-year history, as Jensen won the Batting Title by nineteen points in 1872 and Nelson Townsend won it by a dozen points in the APBL’s inaugural season of 1871.

Unfortunately for Stoffers this is the second season in a row that he has been forced to take on the mantle of runner-up for the Batting Title to Jensen, as he hit .383 last season to Jensen’s .402. Stoffers finished #3 in the 1871 batting race.

This is Jensen’s third Batting Title between the NBBO & APBL. His .416 On-Base also led the APBL, making it the tenth time he has led his league in OBP. In addition, his .904 OPS led the APBL, which was his fifth time leading his league in On-base + Slugging.

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FOUNDERS’ CUP MATCHUP IS SET
ST. JOHN’S & AMERICAN WILL TAKE PART IN A REMATCH FOR APBL TITLE

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 25, 1873) – The APBL season is over, and the matchup for the third edition for the Founders’ Cup is now in place.


COLONIAL – St. John’s (52-38) took the pennant once again, although their final record was four games worse than the 56-34 they finished with in 1871 & ’72, and their two-game margin atop the Colonial was the smallest they’ve seen in the three seasons of the APBL. Still, their postseason experience is unmatched.

KEY PLAYERS:

• Konrad Jensen (LF) – .380, .904 OPS, 113 R, 156 H, 30 XBH, 2 HR, 87 RBI, 27 BB, 88 SB, 7.7 WPA, 4.6 WAR
• Mario Fusilli (1B) – .326, .763 OPS, 102 R, 134 H, 26 2B, 2 3B, 89 RBI, 21 BB, 6 SB, 5.1 WPA, 2.1 WAR
• Theo Kohlberg (2B) – .335, .751 OPS, 71 R, 117 H, 19 XBH, 1 HR, 81 RBI, 7 BB, 51 SB, 3.5 WPA, 1.8 WAR
• Thomas Smith (P) – 26-15, 3.14 ERA, 352.1 IP, 27 CG, 1 SHO, 18 K, 0.8 K/BB, 1.33 WHIP, 5.3 WAR, 6.6 rWAR

METROPOLITAN – American (65-25) Turned their eight-game lead with a month left into a seventeen-game margin atop the Metropolitan standings. They led the APBL in Runs, Runs Allowed, Average, On-Base, Slugging, OPS, Stolen Bases, Shutouts, & Opponents’ Average during the most dominant season in baseball history.

KEY PLAYERS:

• James Burke (CF) – .368, .884 OPS, 130 R, 155 H, 33 XBH, 1 HR, 109 RBI, 17 BB, 113 SB, 6.7 WPA, 4.8 WAR
• Franklin Petty (RF) – .335, .786 OPS, 127 R, 143 H, 29 XBH, 2 HR, 78 RBI, 16 BB, 80 SB, 6.1 WPA, 3.3 WAR
• Martin Prince (SS) – .332, .765 OPS, 88 R, 127 H, 21 XBH, 2 HR, 67 RBI, 32 SB, +27.7 ZR, 4.3 WPA, 3.9 WAR
• John Henry (P) – 30-5, 3.14 ERA, 341.1 IP, 21 CG, 1 SHO, 18 K, 0.7 K/BB, 1.22 WHIP, 3.0 WAR, 10.4 rWAR

The Founders’ Cup is a best-of-seven series with the following schedule:

• Aug. 26th: GAME 1 – St. John’s at American
• Aug. 27th: GAME 2 – St. John’s at American
• Aug. 28th: No game
• Aug. 29th: GAME 3 – American at St. John’s
• Aug. 30st: GAME 4 – American at St. John’s
• Aug. 31st: GAME 5 – American at St. John’s (if necessary)
• Sep. 1st: No game
• Sep. 2nd: GAME 6 – St. John’s at American (if necessary)
• Sep. 3rd: GAME 7 – St. John’s at American (if necessary)

The Writers Pool doesn’t expect this to be as close of a series as last year:

• American (34-11 Away, 11-4 Post A-S, +284 RD) over St. John’s (7-12 1-Run, 6-9 Post A-S)
• The series will go five games

Not only was American the most dominant team in the APBL’s short history but St. John’s sputtered down the stretch, and the belief is that the combination of the two will lead to a short series and a repeat for American.

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THE INAUGURAL LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC
FRANKFORD V MERCANTILE TO DETERMINE THE INAUGURAL CHAMPIONS OF PHILADELPHIA

PHILADELPHIA (Aug. 19-25, 1873) – The inaugural edition of the Liberty Bell Classic had the city of Philadelphia buzzing. After a successful maiden season of the Philadelphia City Baseball League, the United States’ second-largest city was about to crown its first local baseball champion, and with the series ready to start the competition couldn’t have possibly looked more even between the representatives of West & East Philadelphia.

Frankford Arsenal were in the LBC because they had spent the entire season staying just a bit in front of everyone else in East Philadelphia. Their offense was second-best in the PCBL behind only Merion, and their pitching & defense – while not elite – was adequate enough to let the offense lead the way without dragging it back.

Frankford was led by a relative child: OF Joseph Evans, who didn’t turn 21 years old until July 30th. Evans led the PCBL in Average, On-Base, Slugging, OPS, Bases on Balls, Total Bases, & Batsman WAR as a player already good enough with the bat that outsiders felt he could be a regular in the NBBO or a backup in the APBL even though he was a twenty-year-old for almost the entire season. His presence in the lineup was complemented by fellow Outfielders Francis Brown (.340, 83 RBI, 3.0 WAR) & William Walker (.332, 54 RBI, 2.3 WAR), and outstanding #1 Charlie Greiner (24-9, 2.61, 3.9 WAR).

Mercantile surprisingly beat out the three “B.C.C.” teams that were expected to top the standings in West Philadelphia to compete for the city championship, although the pennant wasn’t decided until the final day of the season.

Mercantile’s strength was in its PCBL-best pitching duo: Casper Shultis (19-16, 2.00 ERA, 5.4 WAR) & Joseph Hansel (21-10, 2.16 ERA, 5.1 WAR), who at one point took turns winning Pitcher of the Month awards. However, Mercantile also had three excellent batsmen: technical 1B Ben Warnock (.347, 55 RBI, 2.8 WAR), RBI leader Charlie Kleinman (.320, 87 RBI, 2.2 WAR), and OF Niels Larsen (.362, 50 RBI, 2.3 WAR).

One team was expected to be there, with the other a surprise entry, and it was now time to decide who would be the first champions of Philadelphia: the Working Class ammunition factory team or the moneyed Merchant Class organization.

GAME ONE (Market Street Grounds)
FRA 12-8 MERC – Joseph Evans (CF, FA) 4/6 (all 1B), 1 R, 3 RBI, SB

The first game in Liberty Bell Classic history looked like it was over quick, as Frankford scored five times in the top of the 1st to take a big early lead. After Frankford scored three more times in the 5th to increase their lead to 9-1, Mercantile finally showed signs of life with half a dozen runs in the bottom of the 6th to make it a two-run game. However, Frankford tallies in the 8th & 9th brought the lead back to 12-7, and they had the result in the bag.

GAME TWO (Market Street Grounds)
FRA 14-17 MERC – Stephen Burroughs (CF, MERC) 3/5, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 5 RBI

This time, it was Mercantile’s turn to jump out to a big early lead as they evened the series 1-1. Seven runs during their first time at bat and five more in the 4th meant Mercantile had a 12-5 lead. Frankford scored four times in the top of the 5th, but Mercantile immediately replied with four runs of their own to make it a 16-9 game and effectively ended the contest. Burroughs, 3B William McDonnell, C Fred Rankin, & 1B Benjamin Warnock each had three hits for the victors.

GAME THREE (Frankford Park)
MERC 2-4 FRA – Charlie Greiner (P, FRA) CG, 6 HA, 0 ER, 1 K, 1/4, 1 RBI

Game Three was decided in the 4th inning. Down 1-0, Mercantile scored twice on a Single by LF Charlie Kleinman to take a 2-1 lead, but Frankford scored three times via two-run Double by 3B James Montuoro and run-scoring Single by Greiner to take a 4-2 lead. That was the end of the scoring, and Frankford was ahead two games to one.

GAME FOUR (Frankford Park)
MERC 15-8 FRA – Benjamin Warnock (1B, MERC) 3/6, 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI, 5 TB

Mercantile forced a deciding game with one inning. Behind 6-1 going into the 6th, Mercantile came to bat and scored an even ten times, the key hit being a two-run Triple by Warnock, to turn the five-run deficit into a five-run lead (11-6). The only runs Frankford could muster after that were two in the 9th, and the series was going to Game Five.

GAME FIVE (Market Street Grounds)
FRA 10-12 MERC – Charlie Kleinman (LF, MERC) 2/4, 3B, 1 R, 4 RBI

It was back to Market Street for the game that would decide the first champions of Philadelphian baseball. Early on the game looked like it would be a raucous classic. Frankford scored twice in the 2nd and three times in the 3rd, while Mercantile scored four times in the 1st and twice in the 2nd to see the game 6-5 to the hosts after three innings.

However, in the bottom of the 4th Mercantile came to bat and scored six runs on a combination of sacrifices, errors, a one-run Single by SS Sidney Boothe, and a two-run Double by 3B William McConnell that put the hosts ahead 12-5. Frankford scored once in the 7th to make it a 12-6 game, and a furious rally in the 9th petered out after four runs when LF Francis Brown popped out with CF Joseph Evans on first to end the game.

Mercantile B.C. were the first champions of baseball in Philadelphia, and it was a highly-deserved honor considering who they had to get the better of, both during the season and the LBC, to claim the title.

LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Benjamin Warnock (1B, MERC) – .423 (11/26), .962 OPS, 10 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 1 SB, 1x PotG

The vote for MVP was almost evenly split between Warnock and CF Stephen Burroughs (10/22, 4 XBH, 10 RBI) but it was Warnock who won out because most of Burroughs’ damage was done early in the series while Warnock shone during the latter half of the LBC. It was the perfect way to end the season for the man many in the city consider the most technically-skilled batsman in the PCBL.

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TWC XVII: SIX TEAMS, BUT NO FAVORITES

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 20 to Sep. 3, 1873) – The 1873 edition of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup playoffs was the second since the return to its original format. The previous edition had proven why the change from a Round Robin format back to a Playoff format was the right one, as 43-27 Portland took out defending champions and runaway #1 team Quaker State (54-16) in a stunning NEL Championship Series upset after losing the first two games, with Eckford lifting the cup for the first time.

Headlining the field was the defending cup champions: Eckford of Greenpoint, whose late surge for the second straight season carried them to the playoffs for the second straight season. There were two other returnees: 1871 champions Quaker State and Portland, who had both finished 1st in their regions for the third season in a row.

Two other teams had postseason experience. Metropolitan was in after having taken 1st place in New York City for the second time in three years – their third pennant overall. Also, New York League #1 seed Utica was in the cup playoffs for the second time, although it was their first trip in eleven years.

That left one newcomer: Pioneer Baseball Club, who had finally taken the Inland Championship pennant after finishing 2nd the previous two seasons and agonizingly losing out in the famous three-team Inland playoff of 1867. Pioneer had the best record in the NBBO (46-24), claiming the #1 spot on the back of a balanced lineup and excellent work by their #1, Charles McCormick (23-11, 2.23 ERA, 4.6 WAR).

Unlike last year, there was no clear favorite heading into the playoffs. Quaker State was in again, but they were eleven wins worse than last season – 43-27 v 54-16. Pioneer had set a record low for Wins as the overall #1 team in the NBBO. Utica looked like the most complete team in the competition, but they weren’t ranked #1 in the NYL in any notable category other than Home Runs. Metropolitan was very reliant on its star batsman trio. Eckford was very reliant on its #1 defense. Portland was only 20-15 over the second half of the season.

The 1873 Tucker-Wheaton Cup playoffs were the first since the 1870 edition where there wasn’t an obvious favorite when it came time for First Pitch. Would Eckford take advantage of the uncertainty and repeat as champions? Could Quaker State take cup win number two? Or could one of the other teams claim the NBBO title for the first time?