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

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SotO SHUTS OUT GREEN MTN. TWICE IN ONE DAY
MASS. MEN PULL OFF NBBO 1ST AS TEAMS WERE PLAYING DOUBLEHEADER TO MAKE UP RAINOUT

NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (June 20, 1875) - Sons of the Ocean hosted Green Mountain for a Sunday doubleheader to make up a game that had been rained out earlier in the series. What occurred was an NBBO first:

1874 All-Star William Berg had the ball for S.o.t.O. in Game One, and it was a Single by Green Mtn. 1B Roy Myers that kept Berg from completing the eighth No-Hitter in N.B.B.O. history. Additional baserunners reached via one Base on Balls by Berg and one S.o.t.O. Error by 3B Joseph Joslin.

Kennedy Fitzgerald pitched Game Two for S.o.t.O., and while Green Mtn. had six base hits instead of one the result was the game: a lopsided Shutout victory for the home team.

It was an afternoon of excellence for S.o.t.O.’s pitchers & fielders:

• S.o.t.O. P William Berg: CG SHUTOUT, 1 HA, 1 BB, 2 K, 1/4
• S.o.t.O. P Kennedy Fitzgerald: CG SHUTOUT, 6 HA, 1 BB, 2 H, 1/4 (2B), 1 RBI
• S.o.t.O. FIELDING: 18 INN, 2 E, 1 OF AST, 2/3 RTO

S.o.t.O.’s fielding also must be given a large amount of credit for the afternoon’s results. The average N.B.B.O. side would commit sixteen Errors over the course of a Doubleheader but here S.o.t.O. committed just two, two of three would-be Green Mtn. base stealers were thrown out by C Hal Brinks, and RF Otto Humphries had an Outfield Assist during Game One.

The results of the two games left S.o.t.O. & Green Mtn. a game apart in the New England standings. S.o.t.O. is 14-16 while Green Mtn. is 13-17, with the pair 4-5 games behind surprising New England leaders Salem.

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BURKE HIT 5 SINGLES AS AMERICAN BEATS K.C.
SUPERSTAR CF’S 3 RUNS, 3 RBI, & 3 SB’S ARE THE DIFFERENCE IN CLOSE CONTEST

PHILADELPHIA (June 20, 1875) - American hosted Kings County to end Week Seven, and while Kings Co. put up a good fight American came out on top thanks to a run in the bottom of the 8th:

American started off well, with four runs over the first two innings giving the home side a 4-0 lead. Normally this would lead to an easy victory, but lowly Kings Co. evened the score by the middle of the 4th and they responded to three American runs in B4 with three of their own in T5 to keep the game level (7-7).

After the teams traded three runs in the 6th and one more in the 7th to make it an 11-11 game, Kings Co. went scoreless in the 8th before P Simeon DiStefano hit a Sacrifice Fly that brought in 3B William Carrigan to give American a 12-11 lead. Kings Co. went down 1-2-3 in the 9th, and American had earned a surprisingly difficult victory.

The key player for American was legendary CF James Burke, who kept multiple rallies going thanks to his work both with the bat and between the bases:

• B1: Single past 2B off J. Doherty (SB, R)
• B2: Single to RF off J. Doherty (SB)
• B4: 1-run Single past 3B off J. Doherty (SB, R)
• B6: 1-run Single to LCF off R. Ewing (R)
• B7: Infield Single to 2B off R. Ewing
• TOTAL: 5/5 (all 1B), 3 R, 3 RBI, 3 SB

So far in 1875, James Burke is on track to post what would easily be his best A.P.B.L. Batting Average, which currently sits at .392 (.910 OPS). That would match a career high he set during his Greenhorn season in the N.B.B.O. in 1867, when he hit .392 (.978 OPS) for Shamrock. He is currently on pace for 5.8 WAR, which would also be a career high.

American is 25-17, four games clear in 2nd place and four games behind Metropolitan Conference leaders Excelsior. Kings County, unfortunately, is 8-24 since their 5-5 start and are once again in last place.

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It is looking like 1875 will be the craziest season when it comes to oddball single-game happenings. That last batch of five items was from just four days...

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MERION PUMMELS INDY; NORMAN THE STAR
MBCC 1B HAS FIVE HITS & FIVE RBI AS HOME TEAM SEALS WIN BY END OF 4TH

PHILADELPHIA (June 27, 1875) - It may seem like a futile endeavor in the long run, but Merion needed a Sunday win to stay within seven games of Philadelphia B.C.C. and they completed the task with an easy win over visiting Independence :

It was a close 2-1 game in Merion’s favor after two innings, but five runs over the 3rd & 4th proved to be more than enough for a win as the home side received more excellent pitching from Jonathan Atkins (10-8, 2.40 ERA, 3.2 WAR) and steady defense as they eventually won by nine.

Five Merion batsmen had multiple hits, but the only one with more than two was P.o.t.G., 1B William Norman:

• B1: Triple to LF off W. Jackson (R)
• B3: 2-run Single past SS off W. Jackson (R)
• B4: 1-run Infield Single to 1B off W. Jackson
• B6: Single to RF off W. Jackson
• B7: 2-run Single to RF off E. Busse
• TOTAL: 5/5 (3B, 7 TB), 2 R, 5 RBI

Norman is having a stellar season for Merion at the halfway point. He is batting .363 (.855 OPS) with 15 Extra-Base Hits, 43 Runs Batted In, and 1.5 WAR through seven weeks of play, which puts him on pace for career highs in each category.

The win gave Merion a 20-15 record. They are one game ahead of Germantown for 2nd place in West Philadelphia but they are seven games behind Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club, which just finished the best half-season in P.C.B.L. history with a record of 27-8 and a Run Differential of +159 (+4.5 R/G).

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AMERICAN BASEBALL JUNE RECAP

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (July 1, 1875) – June has turned into July, the opening weeks of the baseball season have turned into the unofficial midway point, and it’s time to see where the three competitions stand.

APBL STANDINGS (50 of 90 games played)

COLONIAL – Alleghany continues to be just a little bit better than everyone else, with their second-ranked offense and fielding separating them from the pack. Shamrock has moved up to 2nd place thanks to a surprising six .300 hitters. St. John’s & Niagara are tied for 3rd, with the St. John’s offense having surprising issues. Mass. Bay fell off last month but is still only five games off the pace. Flour City appears in trouble, but James Goodman is returning after two weeks out.

METROPOLITAN – Excelsior was rolling with a five-game lead in mid-June, but they slipped up a bit and American went 8-2 to end the month to leave the teams even atop the standings. Gotham’s second straight decent month has them a week’s worth of wins behind the co-leaders. Orange’s down, then up, then down again season has them in 4th place. The loss of Edward Huntley and their resulting #11 defense have really hurt Knickerbocker. Kings Co. had a slightly better June, but they still have the worst record in the A.P.B.L.

APBL MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Babe Johnson (2B, GOT) – .414, 1.016 OPS, 31 R, 48 H, 7 2B, 5 3B, 27 RBI, 9 BB, 7 SB, 1.6 WPA, 1.5 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Tom Ricks (SHA) – 8-5, 2.18 ERA, 107.1 IP, 6 CG, 0 SHO, 9 K, 0.8 K/BB, 1.17 WHIP, 1.4 WAR, 0.3 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
John Meier (LF, ALL) – .291, .640 OPS, 24 R, 37 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 14 RBI, 1 BB, 16 SB, 0.1 WPA, 0.6 WAR

Johnson was one of three players to bat over .400 during June but he was the only one with an OPS over 1.000, so the B.o.t.M. award, his third in the APBL, was his. Defending B.o.t.M. James Burke stole 25 bases and scored 35 runs, but his .347 Average & .797 OPS for the month weren’t close to Johnson’s output.

Ricks won P.o.t.M. because Jim Creighton is essentially graded against himself and not his peers. Creighton (9-5) and Alleghany’s Elmer Seabold (9-3) both won nine times in June, but both men had monthly ERA’s a bit over 3.00 while Ricks’ 2.18 was about 0.40 lower than any other regular pitcher, and for that the Writers Pool honored him.

June was not a great month for the Greenhorns. Meier was much better in May (.348, 29 RBI, 1.2 WAR), but all of the pitchers that started 10+ games lost more than they won. It’s conceivable that the Writers Pool could have split the award between American’s Simeon DiStefano & Charles Griffith since they combined to go 8-3, but that’s never happened.

APBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .384 by James Burke (CF, American)
OPS: .918 by Babe Johnson (2B, Gotham)
Runs: 66 by Franklin Petty (RF, American)
Home Runs: 5 by Troy Oberst (LF, Excelsior)
Runs Batted In: 56 by Mario Fusilli (1B, St. John’s)
Stolen Bases: 50 by Franklin Petty
Batsman WPA: 3.5 by Cormack Alexander (1B, Knick) & Garfield Koonce (1B, Kings Co.)
Batsman WAR: 3.2 by James Burke

ERA (100+ IP): 2.29 by Tom Ricks (Shamrock)
Wins: 17 by Jim Creighton (Excelsior)
Complete Games: 17 by Jim Creighton & Elmer Seabold (Alleghany)
Strikeouts: 59 by Jim Creighton
WHIP (100+ IP): 1.20 by Simeon DiStefano (American)
Pitcher WAR: 5.0 by Jim Creighton
Pitcher rWAR: 4.5 by Washington Kihlstedt (Mass. Bay)

NBBO REGIONAL LEADERS (36 of 70 games played)

BROOKLYN: Atlantic at 24-12 (Eckford 4 GB, Cont’l & Marathon 5 GB)
NEW YORK CITY: Mutual at 21-14 (Mercury & Metro 0.5 GB, Union 3.5 GB, Hilltop 4 GB)
UPSTATE N.Y.: Utica at 26-10 (Minuteman 4 GB, Victory 4.5 GB, Frontier 7 GB)
COASTAL: Port Jersey at 25-11 (Quaker St. 1 GB, Trenton Utd. 2 GB, Newark 3 GB)
INLAND: Pioneer at 22-14 (Merrimack 1 GB, Lake Erie & Scranton 4 GB, Lancastra & Susquehanna 5 GB)
NEW ENGLAND: Cantabrigians at 21-15 (Oceanic, Portland, & Salem 1 GB, S.o.t.O. 4 GB, Quinnipiac 5 GB)

BROOKLYN – Atlantic broke away from the three-way tie with a 14-7 June, while Eckford was 10-11 and Continental went 9-12. Brooklyn is now a region in which Atlantic is in front with a decent advantage over a number of teams. That’s not to say they’re in the clear, because three teams are 4-5 games behind with two more 7-8 games back.

NEW YORK CITY – The region is doing typical New York City things after 36 games. Mutual is in top spot thanks to a rainout, with two teams half a game back and four more teams withing 5.5 games of the current regional leaders. Once again, New York City will very likely take until sometime in the final week, or later, to decide who earns the pennant.

UPSTATE N.Y. – As with Brooklyn one team separated itself from the three-way Upstate tie during June, and it was Utica with a brilliant 16-5 month. Victory had an 11-9 June (one rainout) and Frontier was 9-12, which left a lane open for Minuteman and they ended the month alone in 2nd thanks to a June in which they were well over .500.

COASTAL – Quaker St.’s 14-1 May turned into a 10-11 June, and as a result Pt. Jersey rose to the top with a 15-6 month. However, preseason cup favorites Trenton Utd. won their final ten games and thus represent a huge thread from 3rd place, while Newark rounds out a very tight top four. The rest of Coastal is 11-14 games out of 1st place.

INLAND – Scranton went from 11-4 in May to 7-14 in June. The only two teams to really take advantage of that fall in form were Pioneer & Merrimack, and they’re #1-2 and one game apart as a result. Pioneer is being led by the N.E.L.’s #2 offense, but Merrimack’s fielders are in the league’s top five.

NEW ENGLAND – Unlike the other two three-way ties that were in place at the end of May, nobody has separated themselves in New England, with the entire region from #1-8 just six games apart at the end of June.

NBBO MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMEN OF THE MONTH
NYL: Morton Nichols (3B, MAR) – .426, .997 OPS, 27 R, 43 H, 7 2B, 3 3B, 30 RBI, 2 BB, 2 SB, 1.6 WPA, 1.4 WAR
NEL: Manuel Romeiras (CF, TU) – .402, 1.029 OPS, 36 R, 41 H, 7 2B, 6 3B, 22 RBI, 5 BB, 15 SB, 1.5 WPA, 1.6 WAR

PITCHERS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Frank Nicholas (MER) – 9-2, 3.13 ERA, 112.0 IP, 7 CG, 1 SV, 9 K, 0.8 K/BB, 1.33 WHIP, 1.0 WAR, 1.6 rWAR
NEL: George Burroughs (PJ) – 9-4, 1.42 ERA, 108.0 IP, 10 CG, 1 SHO, 15 K, 2.1 K/BB, 1.13 WHIP, 2.6 WAR, 4.0 rWAR

GREENHORNS OF THE MONTH
NYL: William Rockford (3B, FRO) – .359, .865 OPS, 22 R, 37 H, 6 2B, 3 3B, 21 RBI, 4 BB, 2 SB, 0.9 WPA, 0.9 WAR
NEL: Jesse Craig (1B, SotO) - .406, .490 SLG, .914 OPS, 25 R, 39 H, 8 2B, 28 RBI, 2 BB, 47 TB, 2.7 WPA, 1.1 WAR

NBBO STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .420 by Gerhardt Berg (1B, Quaker St.)
OPS: 1.003 by Gerhardt Berg
Runs: 53 by Manuel Romeiras (CF, Trenton Utd.)
Home Runs: 5 by Henry Card (RF, Maryland) & Clarence Jones (CF, Mercury)
Runs Batted In: 48 by Fox Ellis (3B, Utica)
Stolen Bases: 32 by Louis Murray (LF, Eckford)
Batsman WPA: 3.7 by Henry Nabors (SS, Victory)
Batsman WAR: 2.5 by Manuel Romeiras

ERA (100+ IP): 1.58 by George Burroughs (Pt. Jersey)
Wins: 15 by three different pitchers
Complete Games: 19 by Rudolph Fowler (Utica)
Strikeouts: 26 by George Burroughs
WHIP (100+ IP): 1.12 by George Burroughs
Pitcher WAR: 3.9 by William Tighe (Minuteman)
Pitcher rWAR: 7.1 by George Burroughs

PCBL LEADERS (36 of 70 games played)

EAST: Frankford Arsenal at 23-13 (Keystone 1 GB, Minerva 2 GB, Queen Village 6 GB)
WEST: Philadelphia B.C.C. at 27-9 (Merion 6 GB, Germantown 7 GB, no other teams within 10 GB)

EAST – And yet again Frankford Arsenal is alone in 1st but just barely. Queen Village had a rough June, so it’s now surprising Keystone that’s alone in 2nd place thanks to a good balance of offense and defense. Minerva remains a serious threat thanks to their #2 offense. Queen Village & Spartan will need big second-half improvements to come near 1st place.

WEST – Philadelphia B.C.C. was “only” 14-7 during June, but they still enjoy a comfortable lead after half the season plus one game. Still, that the other two B.C.C. teams are within ten games means there are threats that need to be fended off should P.B.C.C. wish to reach the Liberty Bell Classic for the first time. For the rest of the pack, they’re playing for pride.

PCBL MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Joseph Evans (LF, FA) – .451, 1.271 OPS, 24 R, 46 H, 8 2B, 8 3B, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 4 BB, 1.8 WPA, 2.1 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Moses Smith (KEY) – 11-2, 1.94 ERA, 111.1 IP, 9 CG, 0 SHO, 6 K, 0.5 K/BB, 1.22 WHIP, 2.3 WAR, 2.6 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Moses Smith (KEY) – Philadelphia City Baseball League Pitcher of the Month

If the fans of other teams were frightened of Joseph Evans before, then a month in which he had twenty Extra-Base Hits in 21 games, including four Home Runs, should seemingly turn him into something akin The Whispered One. And to think he’s still only 22. Surely he will be playing in the A.P.B.L. next year unless Frankford offers him professional-level money.

PCBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .406 by Joseph Evans (LF, Frankford)
OPS: 1.110 by Joseph Evans
Runs: 52 by Wallace Wagner (CF, Merion)
Home Runs: 4 by Joseph Evans
Runs Batted In: 45 by Walter Kirby (LF, P.B.C.C.)
Stolen Bases: 20 by Harrison Comstock (LF, Germantown) & Joseph King (CF, Independence)
Batsman WPA: 3.9 by William Norman (1B, Merion)
Batsman WAR: 2.7 by Joseph Evans

ERA (100+ IP): 1.99 by Warren Leonard (P.B.C.C.)
Wins: 16 by Arthur Lipscomb (P.B.C.C.) & Moses Smith (Keystone)
Complete Games: 16 by Arthur Lipscomb
Strikeouts: 21 by Oscar Downs (Queen Village) & Jarvis Whitney (Yorktown)
WHIP (100+ IP): 1.11 by Warren Leonard
Pitcher WAR: 3.8 by Moses Smith
Pitcher rWAR: 5.6 by Arthur Lipscomb

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KLEINMAN KING AS MERCANTILE MAULS MERION
OF HELPS TOPPLE STAR #1 ATKINS; FINISHES WITH FIVE HITS & SIX RBI IN DOUBLE-DIGIT WIN

PHILADELPHIA (July 2, 1875) - Jonathan Atkins had the ball for Merion this afternoon, and that should have meant a low-scoring contest at Mercantile. However, Merion’s hosts had other plans in mind:

An even 1-1 game after the opening inning, Mercantile took charge in the 3rd with four runs and never let up, responding to a pair of Merion runs in the 4th with a five-run rally to take a 10-3 lead and then responding to another two-run Merion rally in the 5th with nine runs to make the score 19-5 and the rest of the game a formality.

Jonathan Atkins, a 20-game winner in each of the P.C.B.L.’s first two seasons and currently on pace to do it again, entered the game with an 11-8 record and a 2.33 ERA. His outing lasted only four innings as the Mercantile batsmen took nine Hits and ten Runs (3 ER) off him before an early exit. They then tagged substitute Charles Frankfort for four Hits and eight Runs (0 ER) while seeing just one batsman retired in the 5th.

Mercantile’s key player was RF Charlie Kleinman:

• B1: 1-run Single past 2B off J. Atkins
• B3: 2-run Double past 1B off J. Atkins (R)
• B4: 1-run Single past SS off J. Atkins (R)
• B5: 2-run Single past 2B off C. Frankfort (R)
• B6: Strike Out (looking) by J. Engebretson (1 out)
• B8: Leadoff Single to RF off J. Engebretson (R)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2B, 6 TB), 4 R, 6 RBI, 106 GMSC

It was a badly-needed outing for Kleinman, who entered the day suffering career lows in both Batting Average at .240 and OPS .580, a far cry from his inaugural season numbers of .320 and .747 respectively.

The loss knocked Merion down to eight games behind Philadelphia B.C.C. in the West Philadelphia standings, though they are still alone in 2nd place. Mercantile is in 5th place, eleven games behind the leaders.

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FLOUR CITY TOPS MASS. BAY WITH LATE RALLY
DUGAS BATS 5/5 WITH THREE RBI WHILE DONOVAN DRIVES IN FOUR

BOSTON (July 4, 1875) - Things are looking up for Flour City. The Colonial’s last-place team saw James Goodman come back from injury yesterday, and on Independence Day they won at Massachusetts Bay thanks to two large rallies:

Mass. Bay had a 3-2 lead heading into the 4th inning, but Flour City came to bat and scored four runs on a combination of Singles, Sacrifices, Errors, & a Double by Edward Donovan to take a 6-3 lead. Mass. Bay scored single runs in the 5th & 6th to cut the deficit to one, but then Flour City came to bat in the 7th and pulled out a seven-run rally with runs scoring on a combination of Singles & Errors before a three-run Triple by Donovan cleared the bases, gave the visitors a 13-5 lead, and sealed the victory.

Donovan, who had the most important hits of the day for the victors, had a fine afternoon:

• FC #2 Edward Donovan (LF): 3/6 (2B, 3B, 6 TB), 3 R, 4 RBI

However, he didn’t take P.o.t.G. honors as Flour City CF Ernest Dugas had a perfect day with the bat:

• T2: Leadoff Triple to CF off I.A. Butler (R)
• T3: 1-run Single past 2B off I.A. Butler
• T4: 1-run Single to RF off I.A. Butler
• T7: Leadoff Single past 2B off I.A. Butler
• T7: 1-run Single to RF off J. Desautels
• TOTAL: 5/5 (3B, 7 TB), 1 R, 3 RBI

Flour City remains in last place despite the win in Boston. They are 23-31, three games behind Mass. Bay & St. John’s for 4th place and nine games behind Colonial leaders Alleghany.

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HOLM HAS OUTING OF THE SEASON vs EXCELSIOR
ORANGE LF POUNDS OUT TWO HOME RUNS & SEVEN RBI IN SERIES OPENER VS EXCELSIOR

MANHATTAN (July 6, 1875) - Excelsior & Orange opened their Week Ten series in the Upper Manhattan Grounds on Tuesday, and the result was a dominant Orange win:

The fireworks started early, with Orange scoring five times in the bottom of the 1st, a rally punctuated with a three-run, inside-the-park Home Run by LF Isaac Holm. The five runs proved to be enough for Orange, and from there they cruised to an easy nine-run victory.

However, Holm didn’t let up after the opening inning. Instead, he went forth to put on the performance of the season:

• B1: 3-RUN HOME RUN (I-t-P) to RCF off H. Long (R)
• B3: Ground Out to 2B (2 out)
• B5: Single to CF off H. Long (R)
• B6: 1-run Single past 2B off G. Scott
• B8: 3-RUN HOME RUN (I-t-P) to RF off G. Scott (R)
• TOTAL: 4/5 (2 HR, 10 TB), 3 R, 7 RBI, 108 GMSC

Holm’s 108 Game Score represented the best performance by a batsman in the A.P.B.L. so far this season, and the first with a Game Score of 100+.

Isaac Holm is having a much-improved sophomore campaign in the league. Last year, after being transferred in from Columbia in the N.B.B.O. for $850 he became the everyday Orange LF and hit .259 with a .601 OPS and a dozen Extra-Base Hits, barely putting himself above Replacement Level (90 G; 0.4 WAR). This season, through 57 games Holm is batting .325 with a .756 OPS, a dozen Extra-Base Hits, 46 Runs Batted In, and 1.4 WAR. Holm won’t be an All-Star, but if there was an award for Most Improved Player then he’d currently be the leading candidate to receive it.

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SPLENDID STURGIS SHUTS DOWN EXCELSIOR
ORANGE’S TOP p HOLDS CREIGHTON & COMPANY TO PAIR OF HITS IN SHUTOUT WIN

MANHATTAN (July 7, 1875) - Orange’s yo-yo of a season is back on the upswing, as they took to the field for their second game at home against Excelsior and kept the visitors off the scoreboard:

The author of the Shutout was George Sturgis, who took the ball and held the A.P.B.L.’s #5 offense to very little in the way of offensive production:

• ORA P George Sturgis: CG SHUTOUT, 2 HA, 0 BB, 3 K

The two Excelsior base hits over the course of the afternoon were Singles by LF Troy Oberst & P Jim Creighton, who struck out four Orange batsmen but ultimately wasn’t at his best in the Upper Manhattan Grounds.

Orange, who started the season 1-10, is now 27-29. That is good for 4th place in the Metropolitan Conference, where they are eight games behind the leaders. The Excelsior loss pulled them out of the tie atop the standings with American, and at 34-22 they are now alone in 2nd and one game behind the leaders.

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LAYMAN DOES IT ALL FOR MUTUAL AT NYAC
MUTUAL’S TOP PITCHER HAS FIVE HITS AND GOES THE DISTANCE IN TEN-RUN WIN

NEW YORK CITY (July 9, 1875) - Mutual and New York Athletic Club played the third game of their series at the N.Y.A.C. Grounds on Friday afternoon, and the visitors were in control from the first pitch:

Mutual scored in the opening inning on a Sacrifice Fly, and after five runs in the 2nd on a series of three consecutive Singles put them ahead 6-0 the visitors were able to sit back, relax, and enjoy an easy victory over N.Y.A.C.

A number of Mutual batsmen had multiple Hits, Runs, and/or RBI, but it was clear to all who spectated that the most outstanding player in this game was Mutual P George Layman:

• MUT P George Layman PITCHING: CG, 10 HA, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• MUT P George Layman BATTING: 5/5 (all 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI

Layman had the first run-scoring Single during the rally in the top of the 2nd that gave Mutual the runs they needed to win, and he hit a second run-scoring Single during the top of the 4th in addition to three other Singles that he hit during the course of the game.

Layman’s pitching gave him a 12-7 record on the season with a 3.67 ERA, and he currently leads the New York League in Pitching WAR at 4.6, putting him on pace to finish the season with what would be a career high of 7.6.

The win kept Mutual alone in 1st place by half a game in New York City. They have one rained out game to make up, which they will do on July 14th at Hilltop. N.Y.A.C., whose offense and fielding both rank #21/24 in the N.Y.L., are stuck in 7th place at 9.5 games behind Mutual.

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ALLEGHANY’S FIVE-RUN 7TH TOPPLES MASS. BAY
PITTSBURGHERS OPEN UP EIGHT-GAME LEAD IN COLONIAL; STRONG BELTS FIVE HITS

PITTSBURGH (July 9, 1875) - Massachusetts Bay and Alleghany opened their series in Pittsburgh’s Recreation Park on Friday afternoon, and the game was decided by a rally in the 7th inning:

After Mass. Bay scored a run in the top of the 7th on a Single by LF Franklin Skaggs to even the score at 6-6, Alleghany took their turn in B7 and scored five runs on a series of Sacrifices & Singles, with the key moment being a two-run Single by SS Gerald Strong, to take an 11-6 lead that ended up as the game’s final score.

For Strong, the Single in the 7th capped an excellent performance:

• B1: Leadoff Single past 2B off I.A. Butler (SB, R)
• B2: 1-run Single past 2B off I.A. Butler
• B4: 1-run Single to RCF off I.A. Butler (SB, R)
• B6: Single to RF off I.A. Butler (SB)
• B7: 2-run Single past SS off I.A. Butler (R)
• TOTAL: 5/5 (all 1B), 3 R, 4 RBI, 3 SB

The stellar performance raised Strong’s average to .299 (.683 OPS) on the season, with 41 Runs Batted In and 22 Stolen Bases through 58 games. However, baseball aficionados know that the bat and basepaths are not where Strong excels. It’s in the field where the defending A.P.B.L. Most Valuable Player is at his best, and through those 58 games he has a Zone Rating of +17.8 at SS, which leads all fielders regardless of position and is on pace to easily beat his +21.5 ZR from last year.

The win was Alleghany’s sixth in a row and ninth over their last ten games, which has allowed them to open up an eight-game lead over Mass. Bay and three other teams – Niagara, Shamrock, & St. John’s – that are tied for 2nd place in the Colonial Conference at 28-30. Flour City is in last place at 26-32.

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EVANS BECOMES 1ST PCBL PLAYER TO HR MILESTONE
HOMER AT QUEEN VILLAGE MAKES HIM 1ST IN LEAGUE HISTORY WITH FIVE IN A SEASON

PHILADELPHIA (July 11, 1875) - It was a case of “another day, another piece of history” for Frankford Arsenal’s Joseph Evans at Fitzwater Field on Sunday afternoon.

The P.C.B.L.’s only Batsman of the Year had an outstanding performance during Frankford’s 17-6 victory at Queen Village:

• FRA #3 Joseph Evans (LF): 3/4 (2B, HR, 7 TB), 3 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 1 OF AST

In the top of the 6th, Evans stopped to the plate with one out and RF James Howard on and he proceeded to hit an inside-the-park Home Run to give the visitors an 8-3 lead that would only grow larger over the late innings.

Evans’ homer made him the first player in the Philadelphia City Baseball League’s young history with 5+ Home Runs in a season, and the 1875 season is shaping up to be his best yet:

Through 45 games, Evans is leading P.C.B.L. batsmen in AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+, H, 3B, HR, XBH, RBI, TB, ISO, & WAR. That’s thirteen different categories, and he is #3 in Doubles, #5 in Runs, & #5 in Win Probability Added.

To consider that Evans is this dominant even though he doesn’t turn 23 for eighteen days is astounding. When players have been regulars at the age of 20 or 21, as Edward Huntley & Franklin Petty were, they haven’t immediately become the best batsmen in their league, with 2-3 years of adjustment time needed before those players’ elite skills were fully unlocked.

Since he is only 22, Joseph Evans is believed to be receiving a Housing & Per Diem remittance of $250 or so while playing for Frankford Arsenal. Evans’ skillset could command five to seven times as much money in the A.P.B.L., so unless Frankford is willing to pay him like a professional going forward then it is almost certain that after winning his third straight P.C.B.L. Batsman of the Year award Evans will be offered up for transfer this winter.

If Evans is offered up at the Autumn Meetings, expect one of the most hotly-contested races for a signature ever seen.

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PAIR OF SHUTOUTS IN THE APBL ON SATURDAY
BANFIELD, RICKS, & QUALITY DEFENSES MAKE THEIR OPPONENTS PAY FOR LAZY BATWORK

BROOKLYN & BUFFALO (July 17, 1875) - There were six games in the A.P.B.L. yesterday, and two of them ended in Shutout victories.

The first Shutout took place in the Battle of Brooklyn, where Excelsior visited Kings County at Washington Park to play the second game of their series. Excelsior scored a run in T1 on a Single by 1B Gil Cappelletti, and that was enough as Nicholas Banfield and not Jim Creighton was in fine form as Excelsior won 4-0:

• EXC P Nicholas Banfield: CG SHUTOUT, 5 HA (all 1B), 1 BB, 2 K

Oddly, two of the five hits Banfield allowed were to opposing Pitcher Willie Gray, a career .239 hitter, with the regular batsmen going 3/26 with three Singles.

Excelsior fielders committed only a pair of Errors (1875 Avg.: 6.8 E/G), turned one Double Play, and threw out both would-be Kings Co. base stealers in the win.

The 5-0 victory was Excelsior’s fourth win in row, which improved their record to 40-25 and kept them within a game of American for the Metropolitan Conference lead.

The game between Shamrock & Niagara looked quite similar, as visiting Shamrock scored once in the first and had an easy time of it from there in their 7-0 win in Buffalo.

Although the lone run in the 1st was enough, Shamrock scored five times in T2 to put the outcome beyond doubt as longtime #1 Pitcher Tom Ricks was excellent:

• SHA P Tom Ricks: CG SHUTOUT, 9 HA (1 2B), 2 BB, 2 K, 1/3 (1B), 1 R

Like Excelsior, the Shamrock defense committed only two Errors, kept opposing runners from taking any extra bases, and showed themselves a highly competent group out in the field.

Shamrock’s victory kept them alone in 2nd place in the Colonial Conference at 33-32 and eight games behind Alleghany. Niagara is part of a three-way tie for 4th with Flour City & Mass. Bay at 30-35 (11 GB).

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PRINCE SHINES AS GOTHAM GOES DOWN
ALL-STAR SS PUTS FIVE HITS & SIX RBI ON OPPOSING PITCHING IN NINE-RUN AMERICAN WIN

NEW YORK CITY (July 17, 1875) - American needed a victory at Gotham on Saturday to ensure that they would stay alone atop the Metropolitan Conference standings. They completed the task quite well:

Four runs in the 1st and another in the 2nd made for an early 5-0 lead, and American responded to a Gotham run in the 4th with two in the 5th to go ahead 7-1. After Gotham scored in the 6th & 7th to pull to within a run, American reeled off consecutive four-run rallies in the 8th & 9th, with both innings featuring key hits by SS Martin Prince, to take a 15-6 lead that wouldn’t be breached.

American had a fine performance from veteran 1B William Busby…

• AME #2 William Busby (1B): 4/5 (all 1B), 3 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB, SB, 1 DEF DP (U/A)

…but Prince was clearly the Player of the Game:

• T1: 3-run Double to RCF off A. Lively (SB, R)
• T3: Leadoff Single past 2B off A. Lively (SB)
• T5: Reached via Error by SS G. Pugatch (R)
• T7: Single past 2B off J. Smith
• T8: 1-run Triple to LF off J. Smith
• T9: 2-run Single past 1B off E. Morris
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2B, 3B, 8 TB), 2 R, 6 RBI, 2 SB, 100 GMSC

It was a tremendous afternoon for Prince, who left the game with a .336 average, .757 OPS, 76 Runs Batted In (on pace for 105), a +14.2 Zone Rating at SS, and 2.7 WAR.

The nine-run win kept American alone in 1st place in the Metropolitan Conference by one game over Excelsior, who is back in good form after playing middling baseball from mid-June to roughly a week ago. Gotham remains alone in 3rd place at 37-28, four games behind American.

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VERSTEGEN COMPLETES APBL’S FIRST CYCLE
STRUGGLING KNICK 3B HAS AN AFTERNOON TO REMEMBER AT EXCELSIOR

BROOKLYN (July 22, 1875) - Knickerbocker entered the final game of their series at Excelsior to start Week Twelve having won the first two games in spite of their underdog status. They completed the sweep in impressive fashion:

In victory there was one Knickerbocker player who put together a historic performance: 3B Werner Verstegen.

• T2: Leadoff Triple to RF off Nicholas Banfield (R)
• T3: Ground Out to SS (2 out)
• T6: Single past 2B off N. Banfield (R)
• T7: 3-RUN HOME RUN to RF off N. Banfield (R)
• T9: Leadoff Double to RCF off R. Daniels
• TOTAL: 4/5 (CYCLE, 10 TB), 3 R, 3 RBI

With Knickerbocker enjoying an 8-2 lead entering the top of the 9th players and fans alike knew the result was a formality. That meant all eyes were in T9 leadoff man Verstegen, who wasted no time in completing the first cycle in A.P.B.L. history as he hit the first pitch from Robert Daniels between a pair of outfielders for a double and a place in pro baseball lore.

Few in the sport will have needed the pick-me-up from such a performance more than Verstegen. A 5x All-Star and 3x Team of the Year member, Verstegen has missed five weeks of game action this year due to a shoulder injury, and entering the game he was suffering career lows in Batting Average (.235), On-Base (.269), Slugging (.275), OPS (.543), and he was on pace for career lows in RBI (26; on pace for 37; career low is 51) and Stolen Bases (5, on pace for 7; career low is 14).

The sweep at Excelsior moved Knickerbocker out of last place in the Metropolitan Conference – they are now alone in 5th. Thanks to poor play by American to begin the week, Excelsior remains just one game behind of the conference leaders.

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KIRBY STARS IN YET ANOTHER PBCC VICTORY
FOUR-STAR LF HAS SIX HITS & FIVE RBI AS LEAGUE LEADERS BLAST INDY BY FOURTEEN

PHILADELPHIA (July 22, 1875) - Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club continued their dominance of West Philadelphia with a demolition of Independence B.C. on Thursday afternoon:

There was no shortage of quality performances from the P.B.C.C. batsmen during the game…

• PBCC #1 Robert Chase (CF): 2/7 (both 1B), 4 R, 2 RBI
• PBCC #2 Moody Steiger (SS): 4/5 (2B, 5 TB), 4 R, 2 RBI
• PBCC #6 Harrison Hearst (C): 3/6 (2 2B, 5 TB), 3 R, 3 RBI
• PBCC #7 Harold Pruitt (1B): 3/6 (2B, 4 TB), 2 R, 1 RBI

…but a different batsman had a day far superior to any of those four: LF Walter Kirby.

• T1: 1-run Double to RCF off G. Reese
• T3: Fly Out to 3B (1 out)
• T5: 1-run Double to RF off G. Reese (R)
• T6: 1-run Single to RF off G. Reese (R)
• T8: Leadoff Triple to LCF off W. Hall (R)
• T8: 2-run Triple to RF off E. Busse (R)
• T9: Single past SS off E. Busse
• TOTAL: 6/7 (2 2B, 3 3B, 12 TB), 4 R, 5 RBI, 107 GMSC

Kirby’s 6/7 was the second six-hit game in the P.C.B.L. this season, his 107 Game Score was the second-highest in the league so far in 1875, and his twelve Total Bases set a league single-game record. The historic haul left Kirby a .335 hitter (.850 OPS) on the season, with 23 Extra-Base Hits and 65 Runs Batted In through 52 games.

The win gave Philadelphia B.C.C. a 38-14 record and a whopping +207 Run Differential. They have dominated West Philadelphia so thoroughly through ten and a half weeks of play this season that 2nd-place Germantown has won ten consecutive games and are still eight games behind them. It has been an incredible season for the league’s most prominent club. Now to see to it that it ends similarly.

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ROSTERS NAMED FOR 5TH APBL ALL-STAR GAME
PITTSUBRGH TO HOST; ALLEGHANY TO BRING SIX; SHAMROCK’S ENTIRE INFIELD NOMINATED

NEW YORK CITY (July 25, 1875) – Final vote tallies taken from fans, coaches, players, and Writers Pool members have been completed, and telegrams detailing the rosters for the 5th American Professional Baseball League All-Star Game have been sent out across the Northeast.

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

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

This year the Colonial Conference hosts, and with the defending conference champions playing in the A.P.B.L.’s largest stadium it was only natural that Pittsburgh’s Recreation Park was chosen to host the festivities for 1875.

The rosters for this year’s game are quite interesting. Of no surprise is that conference leaders Alleghany & American have six and five All-Stars respectively. However, Shamrock (COL: 3rd) also has six All-Stars and has become the first team ever to send its entire infield. They’ll send their C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, and their RF to Pittsburgh next Monday. Another surprise is that Gotham (MET: 3rd) is sending five All-Stars, more than an Excelsior team – they’re sending four – that has been in either 1st or 2nd place for the entire season.

The strongest position of the nine at this year’s game will be RF. Among the four players nominated, the lowest Batting Average is .340, the lowest OPS is .806, and all four have at least 4.0 WPA & 2.5 WAR. One leads the league in Runs & Stolen Bases, while another is #3 in Average & OPS. Two of the four have been All-Stars 10+ times.

Here are the All-Star Game rosters, with total All-Star appearances between the NBBO & APBL noted:

COLONIAL CONFERENCE

P: Howard Burns (STJ/1st) – 15-10, 3.11 ERA, 237.2 IP, 13 CG, 2 SV, 23 K, 2.6 K/BB, 1.32 WHIP, 3.6 WAR
P: James Goodman (FC/10th) – 12-12, 3.30 ERA 248.0 IP, 18 CG, 1 SV, 53 K, 3.5 K/BB, 1.37 WHIP, 5.9 WAR
P: Washington Kihlstedt (MB/3rd) – 13-13, 3.21 ERA, 277.1 IP, 14 CG, 0 SHO, 53 K, 2.3 K/BB, 1.34 WHIP, 3.9 WAR
P: Elmer Seabold (ALL/7th) – 22-11, 3.23 ERA, 295.2 IP, 22 CG, 1 SHO, 70 K, 1.7 K/BB, 1.38 WHIP, 4.8 WAR

C: James Simon (SHA/5th) – .305, .682 OPS, 35 R, 79 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 40 RBI, 4 BB, 3 SB, 1.4 WPA, 1.8 WAR
C: Harry Thompson (ALL/2nd) – .340, .800 OPS, 54 R, 85 H, 17 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 6 BB, 0 SB, 3.5 WPA, 1.9 WAR
1B: Frank Bulger (SHA/4th) – .324, .746 OPS, 62 R, 106 H, 16 2B, 6 3B, 0 HR, 63 RBI, 2 BB, 26 SB, 3.2 WPA, 2.7 WAR
1B: Mario Fusilli (STJ/6th) – .309, .723 OPS, 60 R, 103 H, 13 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 74 RBI, 17 BB, 5 SB, 1.9 WPA, 1.7 WAR
2B: Harold Groves (SHA/3rd) – .316, .735 OPS, 66 R, 105 H, 17 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 60 RBI, 2 BB, 7 SB, 1.4 WPA, 2.4 WAR
2B: Ralph Knight (FC/4th) – .334, .759 OPS, 64 R, 105 H, 8 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 61 RBI, 5 SB, +11.2 ZR, 1.8 WPA, 2.1 WAR
3B: William Dickerson (SHA/6th) – .320, .723 OPS, 68 R, 110 H, 14 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 60 RBI, 4 BB, 29 SB, 4.0 WPA, 2.2 WAR
3B: Frank Doherty (ALL/2nd) – .350, .812 OPS, 59 R, 103 H, 9 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 59 RBI, 6 BB, +12.3 ZR, 3.5 WPA, 3.3 WAR
SS: Arthur Fisher (SHA/2nd) – .308, .723 OPS, 55 R, 90 H, 12 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 5 BB, 17 SB, 2.2 WPA, 2.1 WAR
SS: Gerald Strong (ALL/6th) – .304, .701 OPS, 81 R, 109 H, 8 2B, 6 3B, 3 HR, 54 RBI, 26 SB, +23.7 ZR, 3.0 WPA, 3.4 WAR

LF: Konrad Jensen (STJ/15th) – .341, .849 OPS, 89 R, 110 H, 13 2B, 8 3B, 3 HR, 62 RBI, 27 BB, 51 SB, 4.1 WPA, 3.4 WAR
LF: John Meier (ALL/GH) – .309, .733 OPS, 87 R, 108 H, 7 2B, 12 3B, 1 HR, 66 RBI, 5 BB, 40 SB, 3.6 WPA, 2.3 WAR
CF: Robert Golden (ALL/1st) – .329, .780 OPS, 59 R, 102 H, 15 2B, 9 3B, 0 HR, 54 RBI, 6 BB, 4 SB, 1.9 WPA, 2.3 WAR
CF: Obelix Tsiaris (NIA/7th) – .291, .657 OPS, 67 R, 99 H, 9 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 35 RBI, 16 BB, 23 SB, 2.9 WPA, 1.4 WAR
RF: Leonard Noble (SHA/2nd) – .362, .855 OPS, 77 R, 108 H, 12 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 52 RBI, 12 BB, 8 SB, 4.1 WPA, 3.1 WAR
RF: Nelson Townsend (STJ/13th) – .340, .819 OPS, 74 R, 114 H, 14 2B, 9 3B, 1 HR, 44 RBI, 16 BB, 42 SB, 4.0 WPA, 2.7 WAR

METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE

P: Jim Creighton (EXC/14th) – 23-13, 2.99 ERA, 312.2 IP, 25 CG, 1 SHO, 104 K, 4.3 K/BB, 1.26 WHIP, 7.3 WAR
P: Peadar Daly (GOT/9th) – 18-15, 3.52 ERA, 279.0 IP, 20 CG, 0 SHO, 18 K, 0.7 K/BB, 1.38 WHIP, 3.6 WAR
P: Simeon DiStefano (AME/GH) – 16-7, 2.72 ERA, 198.1 IP, 13 CG, 1 SV, 11 K, 0.8 K/BB, 1.21 WHIP, 3.1 WAR
P: Albert Lively (GOT/1st) – 15-12, 3.17 ERA, 284.1 IP, 14 CG, 2 SHO, 16 K, 0.7 K/BB, 1.31 WHIP, 4.0 WAR

C: Albert Goddard (EXC/4th) – .258, .612 OPS, 38 R, 60 H, 6 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 42 RBI, 9 BB, 0 SB, 1.4 WPA, 1.1 WAR
C: Everett Schreiber (ORA/8th) – .318, .744 OPS, 60 R, 89 H, 18 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 41 RBI, 5 BB, 2 SB, 2.5 WPA, 2.3 WAR
1B: Cormack Alexander (KNI/9th) – .350, .812 OPS, 60 R, 109 H, 14 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 67 RBI, 19 BB, 3 SB, 4.9 WPA, 3.0 WAR
1B: Garfield Koonce (KC/6th) – .347, .783 OPS, 59 R, 115 H, 12 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 52 RBI, 16 BB, 1 SB, 3.6 WPA, 2.4 WAR
2B: Peter Boyce (AME/7th) – .323, .740 OPS, 76 R, 109 H, 12 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 78 RBI, 5 BB, 31 SB, 3.1 WPA, 2.6 WAR
2B: Babe Johnson (GOT/7th) – .369, .882 OPS, 81 R, 122 H, 14 2B, 11 3B, 0 HR, 52 RBI, 20 BB, 28 SB, 3.5 WPA, 3.2 WAR
3B: Elijah Hill (EXC/4th) – .281, .606 OPS, 62 R, 94 H, 9 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 47 RBI, 3 BB, 1 SB, 2.8 WPA, 1.2 WAR
3B: Jonathan Quarles (GOT/1st) – .343, .771 OPS, 67 R, 109 H, 14 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 58 RBI, 11 SB, +13.1 ZR, 2.6 WPA, 2.9 WAR
SS: Anthony Mascherino (ORA/16th) – .356, .820 OPS, 72 R, 120 H, 22 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 46 RBI, 23 SB, +12.6 ZR, 4.3 WPA, 3.6 WAR
SS: Martin Prince (AME/2nd) – .325, .740 OPS, 66 R, 105 H, 9 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 78 RBI, 16 SB, +16.1 ZR, 2.5 WPA, 2.8 WAR

LF: Royal Altman (GOT/9th) – .355, .819 OPS, 83 R, 123 H, 18 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 3 BB, 37 SB, 2.1 WPA, 2.4 WAR
LF: Troy Oberst (EXC/5th) – .323, .794 OPS, 67 R, 110 H, 15 2B, 9 3B, 5 HR, 55 RBI, 4 BB, 9 SB, 1.8 WPA, 2.3 WAR
CF: James Burke (AME/9th) – .393, .924 OPS, 85 R, 134 H, 17 2B, 10 3B, 1 HR, 73 RBI, 12 BB, 60 SB, 3.9 WPA, 4.7 WAR
CF: Louis Dyke (KNI/2nd) – .300, .746 OPS, 60 R, 96 H, 13 2B, 11 3B, 3 HR, 45 RBI, 5 BB, 18 SB, 1.7 WPA, 2.5 WAR
RF: Franklin Petty (AME/10th) – .350, .806 OPS, 103 R, 124 H, 10 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 52 RBI, 12 BB, 64 SB, 4.3 WPA, 3.1 WAR
RF: William Valentine (ORA/3rd) – .340, .813 OPS, 70 R, 112 H, 20 2B, 9 3B, 0 HR, 60 RBI, 7 BB, 7 SB, 4.1 WPA, 2.5 WAR


Here are the number of nominees representing each team:

• ALLEGHANY: 6 (Doherty, Golden, Meier, Seabold, Strong, & Thompson)
• SHAMROCK: 6 (Bulger, Dickerson, Fisher, Groves, Noble, & Simon)
• AMERICAN: 5 (Boyce, Burke, DiStefano, Petty, & Prince)
• GOTHAM: 5 (Altman, Daly, Johnson, Lively, & Quarles)
• EXCELSIOR: 4 (Creighton, Goddard, Hill, & Oberst)
• ST. JOHN’S: 4 (Burns, Fusilli, Jensen, & Townsend)
• ORANGE: 3 (Mascherino, Schreiber, & Valentine)
• FLOUR CITY: 2 (Goodman & Knight)
• KNICKERBOCKER: 2 (Alexander & Dyke)
• KINGS CO.: 1 (Koonce)
• MASS. BAY: 1 (Kihlstedt)
• NIAGARA: 1 (Tsiaris)

While Alleghany & Shamrock are tied for the lead in All-Star with six each, Shamrock made history in that their entire infield has been nominated to take part, a feat made all the more unlikely by their pitcher-friendly home venue: the South End Grounds (AVG Factor: .884).

There are half a dozen first-time All-Stars taking part, with three from each conference:

• COLONIAL: 3 (Burns, Golden, & Meier [GH])
• METROPOLITAN: 3 (DiStefano [GH], Lively, & Quarles)

The 5th APBL All-Star Game takes place next Monday afternoon at Recreation Park in Pittsburgh. First Pitch is scheduled for just after 1:00 PM. A sellout crowd of over 17,000 is expected to attend.

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1875 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION ALL-STAR GAME
GAME GOES BACK TO NEW YORK CITY; UTICA HAS LARGEST NOMINATION HAUL

NEW YORK CITY (July 26, 1875) – With three weeks left to play in the NBBO season, it’s time for the annual NBBO All-Star Game! Rules were the same as always:

• Places 1-6 in each team’s roster will go to the best pitchers in each league.
• The remaining 24 roster spots will consist of three players for every other position.

This year the game went back to the New York League, and a new venue was chosen: the highly respected Union Armory Base Ball Grounds, home to Mutual B.B.C. The Union Armory Grounds were a unique place to play, with the foul poles just 285 feet from home plate while Center Field and the alleys on either side measured an even 500’. The extremes of the park made it an ideal place for batsmen and a frequent home of nightmares for pitchers, and its capacity of just over 8,000 made it an ideal venue to host important events such as the All-Star Game.

Unlike last year’s roster in which no team had more than three nominees, current New York League #1 Utica (36-19) brought five players to the game, while Quaker St. led the Northeaster League with four even though they were sitting at 3rd place (34-21, 2 GB) in the Coastal Championship.

There were 26 first-time nominees (NYL: 11, NEL: 15) at the All-Star Game, down from last year’s 31, With 7/12 N.E.L. infielders taking part for the first time. There were three Greenhorns taking part, with Utica’s initially unheralded three-star 1B Jonathan Fraker the only Greenhorn starter.

The old hand at this year’s game was Henry Nabors, who was making his ninth All-Star Game appearance in ten N.B.B.O. seasons while batting .340+ for the seventh time in eight seasons. The debuts that people were most looking forward to were those of Olympic’s 22-year-old whiz kids, Harold Durand & Carl Nevers.

Rosters for the 1874 NBBO All-Star Game were as follows, with starters marked in red:

NEW YORK LEAGUE ROSTERS

P: Rudolph Fowler (UTI/1st) – 21-10, 2.47 ERA, 22 K, 1.23 WHIP, 4.5 WAR
P: William Jones (VIC/2nd) – 15-11, 2.43 ERA, 18 K, 1.45 WHIP, 2.9 WAR
P: Edward Koch (UNI/3rd) – 20-11, 2.20 ERA, 21 K, 1.27 WHIP, 4.6 WAR
P: George Layman (MUT/3rd) – 14-9, 3.52 ERA, 21 K, 1.42 WHIP, 5.9 WAR
P: Frank Nicholas (MER/1st) – 20-13, 2.82 ERA, 17 K, 1.37 WHIP, 3.1 WAR
P: William Tighe (MIN/5th) – 24-10, 2.47 ERA, 28 K, 1.18 WHIP, 5.2 WAR

C: Oscar Dickey (MUT/2nd) – .323, 7 2B, 2 HR, 42 RBI, 0.7 WAR
C: Clive Harry (BAL/1st) – .326, 17 XBH, 1 HR, 38 RBI, 1.4 WAR
C: James White (HILL/1st) – .346, 14 XBH, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 2.4 WAR

1B: Neal Cody (BED/1st) – .328, 19 XBH, 1 HR, 53 RBI, 1.6 WAR
1B: Jonathan Fraker (UTI/GH) – .381, 15 XBH, 1 HR, 49 RBI, 2.3 WAR
1B: Samuel Gillespie (NC/1st) – .347, 12 2B, 3 3B, 48 RBI, 2.1 WAR
2B: Chester Alexander (SYR/4th) – .360, 22 XBH, 1 HR, 50 RBI, 2.4 WAR
2B: Theodore Kohlberg (BED/5th) – .327, 17 XBH, 1 HR, 37 RBI, 1.6 WAR
2B: William Vogel (EMP/2nd) – .312, 18 XBH, 34 RBI, +17.4 ZR, 2.8 WAR
3B: William Denham (CON/2nd) – .350, 13 XBH, 53 RBI, +16.5 ZR, 3.2 WAR
3B: Fox Ellis (UTI/1st) – .370, 15 XBH, 2 HR, 72 RBI, 1.7 WAR
3B: Isaac Kelly (ECK/5th) – .355, 17 XBH, 4 HR, 53 RBI, 2.9 WAR
SS: Peter James (NYAC/2nd) – .315, 8 2B, 7 3B, 40 RBI, 1.8 WAR
SS: Hugh Mercer (MIN/2nd) – .299, 5 XBH, 36 RBI, +21.3 ZR, 2.3 WAR
SS: Henry Nabors (VIC/9th) – .340, 18 XBH, 3 HR, 49 RBI, 1.9 WAR

LF: Louis Murray (ECK/1st) – .311, 27 XBH, 48 RBI, 46 SB, 2.7 WAR
LF: Graeme Peel (UTI/2nd) – .315, 22 XBH, 42 RBI, 27 SB, 1.6 WAR
LF: William Vickers (CON/2nd) – .324, 12 2B, 8 3B, 45 RBI, 2.0 WAR
CF: Alessandro Baldaro (BED/2nd) – .306, 24 XBH, 3 HR, 49 RBI, 1.4 WAR
CF: William Buschmann (UTI/3rd) – .348, 15 XBH, 2 HR, 55 RBI, 2.5 WAR
CF: Francis Smith (MET/4th) – .335, 17 2B, 7 3B, 46 RBI, 2.5 WAR
RF: Lon Duffy (SYR/1st) – .321, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 21 SB, 1.6 WAR
RF: Ernst Hagen (HAR/2nd) – .344, 17 XBH, 2 HR, 54 RBI, 1.4 WAR
RF: Edward Johnson (CON/1st) – .276, 21 XBH, 1 HR, 38 RBI, 2.3 WAR

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE ROSTERS

P: George Burroughs (PJ/2nd) – 25-8, 1.80 ERA, 36 K, 1.16 WHIP, 5.9 WAR
P: James Dressman (PORT/5th) – 20-13, 2.44 ERA, 16 K, 1.23 WHIP, 4.0 WAR
P: Ross Gill (QS/6th) – 18-10, 2.49 ERA, 16 K, 1.29 WHIP, 4.9 WAR
P: Charles Logan (MM/1st) – 20-9, 3.14 ERA, 19 K, 1.41 WHIP, 4.3 WAR
P: Bubba Mack (CAN/2nd) – 22-8, 3.16 ERA, 29 K, 1.38 WHIP, 3.1 WAR
P: Francis Molinari (TU/2nd) – 22-13, 3.48 ERA, 22 K, 1.42 WHIP, 3.3 WAR

C: Bertrand Bosley (GM/4th) – .312, 12 2B, 5 3B, 38 RBI, 1.6 WAR
C: Carl Nevers (OLY/1st) – .310, 9 2B, 1 3B, 46 RBI, 1.0 WAR
C: Joseph Steele (PIO/3rd) – .333, 10 2B, 1 3B, 53 RBI, 1.7 WAR

1B: Gerhardt Berg (QS/6th) – .419, 22 XBH, 1 HR, 54 RBI, 3.3 WAR
1B: Jesse Craig (SotO/GH) – .396, 15 2B, 1 3B, 59 RBI, 2.3 WAR
1B: Fred Stanick (LE/1st) – .349, 18 XBH, 1 HR, 51 RBI, 1.7 WAR
2B: Jonathan Crow (CAN/1st) – .395, 24 XBH, 1 HR, 48 RBI, 2.1 WAR
2B: Charles Hull (QS/1st) – .357, 12 2B, 5 3B, 52 RBI, 2.2 WAR
2B: William Sudduth (MM/2nd) – .351, 17 XBH, 2 HR, 52 RBI, 2.1 WAR
3B: Andrew O’Shea (LB/1st) – .302, 9 2B, 4 3B, 31 RBI, 1.3 WAR
3B: Herbert Ray (TIG/1st) – .345, 12 XBH, 36 RBI, +11.7 ZR, 2.0 WAR
3B: Alfred Williams (PORT/2nd) – .323, 16 XBH, 2 HR, 44 RBI, 2.3 WAR
SS: Thomas Ashley (PJ/2nd) – .326, 9 XBH, 46 RBI, +20.0 ZR, 2.2 WAR
SS: Earl Seals (TU/5th) – .288, 19 XBH, 1 HR, 55 RBI, +23.1 ZR, 3.0 WAR
SS: Ashley Stretton (SAL/GH) – .329, 7 2B, 3 3B, 51 RBI, 1.7 WAR

LF: Sam Brown (OCE/1st) – .345, 11 XBH, 1 HR, 54 RBI, 1.8 WAR
LF: Harold Durand (OLY/1st) – .382, 27 XBH, 1 HR, 59 RBI, 2.2 WAR
LF: Jacob Kaulback (NEW/1st) – .375, 23 XBH, 50 RBI, 21 SB, 2.7 WAR
CF: Lage Barlund (CAN/1st) – .341, 19 XBH, 1 HR, 42 RBI, 2.3 WAR
CF: Ned Morganti (QS/7th) – .370, 14 2B, 16 3B, 70 RBI, 3.2 WAR
CF: Manuel Romeiras (TU/4th) – .354, 2 HR, 55 RBI, 39 SB, 3.4 WAR
RF: Henry Card (MLD/2nd) – .342, 21 XBH, 4 HR, 49 RBI, 2.0 WAR
RF: Thomas Fetterman (NEW/1st) – .341, 21 XBH, 1 HR, 57 RBI, 2.0 WAR
RF: McKenzie Gibson (QUI/1st) – .346, 13 XBH, 37 RBI, 29 SB, 1.9 WAR


So, how did this year's All-Star Game turn out?

It was a memorable affair at the Union Armory Grounds.

After a Double by Isaac Kelly opened the scoring, a Triple by Ernst Hagen made the score 2-0 and a Sacrifice made it 3-0 to the N.Y.L. by the end of the 2nd. The home team scored another run in the 3rd on a Single by Chester Alexander to take a 4-0 lead, and for a while it looked as if the New Yorkers were in total control.

In the top of the 7th, the Northeastern League began their comeback with a run-scoring Single by Earl Seals. The N.E.L. then came to bat in the 8th and tied the game on a 1-run Double by Harold Durand and a 2-run Single by Jesse Craig. The N.Y.L. took the lead back in B8 thanks to an Error by the visitors, but the N.E.L. more than made up for the mistake in the top of the 9th as separate run-scoring hits by Manuel Romeiras (Single), Durand (Triple), & Carl Nevers (Single) put the N.E.L. ahead 7-5. After some nervous moments in the bottom of the 9th the N.Y.L. was held scoreless, and the N.E.L. were winners.

The All-Star Game Most Valuable Player was Olympic LF Harold Durand:

• NEL SUB LF Harold Durand: 2/2 (2B, 3B, 5 TB), 2 R, 2 RBI

Not only did Durand enter in the 8th and pound out two extremely important hits over the final two innings, but he was also the only player in the game with multiple hits, let alone multiple Extra-Base Hits.

The pitchers of record were Francis Molinari with the Win, Edward Koch with the Loss, and James Dressman with the Save.
Attendance was 8,077 at the Union Grounds, and the sellout crowd was able to enjoy a game in 76 degrees and clear skies.

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ST. JOHN’S DOMINATES IN SHUTOUT VICTORY
PROVIDENCE MEN BEAT NIAGARA BY THIRTEEN, HAVE WON EIGHT OF EIGHT OF LAST TEN GAMES

BUFFALO (July 28, 1875) - St. John’s was in Upstate New York for the second game of their series at Niagara, and they let their hosts have just about nothing in a dominant Shutout victory:

St. John’s took the lead quickly, scoring three runs in T2 via an Error and run-scoring Singles by 3B Eamonn Todd & CF Rudolph Decker. The next three and a half innings were scoreless, but in T6 St. John’s scored four more runs, the key being a two-run Home Run by Decker, to go ahead 7-0. Given the quality of work St. John’s was doing in the field the seven-run lead was never going to be threatened, and the visitors added more runs late to win by thirteen.

The author of the Shutout was veteran St. John’s man Thomas Smith:

• STJ P Thomas Smith: CG SHUTOUT, 5 HA (all 1B), 1 BB, 2 K

In addition, St. John’s received some fine performances from their batsmen:

• STJ #1 Rudolph Decker (CF): 3/6 (HR, 6 TB), 2 R, 3 RBI
• STJ #4 Konrad Jensen (LF): 3/6 (2 3B, 7 TB), 2 R, 4 RBI, 2 SB
• STJ #5 Eamonn Todd (3B): 3/6 (all 1B), 1 R, 2 RBI

The win was St. Johns’ eighth over their last ten games. That run has seen them move from 5th place in the Colonial Conference to 2nd, and they are currently seven games behind leaders Alleghany with a 38-36 record. Niagara’s loss was their fifth in a row, and they are currently the Colonial’s last-place team (32-42, 13 GB).

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NOBLE TWIRLS CONSECUTIVE SHUTOUTS
SUSQUEHANNA’S #2 PITCHER EMBARRASSES SCRANTON TWICE IN THREE DAYS

SCRANTON, PENN. (July 27-29, 1875) - Susquehanna has been trying to make up for a 17-18 first half to make it back into the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. Thanks to a pair of Shutouts at Scranton over three days to end June, the team’s second half has officially hit white-hot status.

In the second game of their series at Scranton on July 29th, the team scored three times in the 3rd, once in the 4th, and four more times in the 9th to take an easy 8-0 win.

Susquehanna’s attack was led by LF Walter Braden’s three hits, but their key player was #2 Pitcher Irving Noble:

• SUS P Irving Noble: CG SHUTOUT, 4 HA (2 2B), 2 BB, 1 K – 1/3 (1B), 1 R

After an 11-3 win on Saturday, a run in T1, a seven-run rally during T6, and excellent fieldwork meant Susquehanna completed another 8-0 shutout in Scranton.

With the second 8-0 victory in three days came the second Shutout by Irving Noble in three days:

• SUS P Irving Noble: CG SHUTOUT, 4 HA (all 1B), 0 BB, 1 K – 1/2 (1B), 1 RBI, 1 SAC BUNT, 1 SAC FLY

Noble is one of only a select few in N.B.B.O. history to pitch consecutive Shutouts, with the first being Grover Wright in July of 1861 while he was pitching for Kings County.

For Noble, a 31-year-old in his first year as a regular Pitcher after six years of substitute work, the Shutouts left him with a 12-8 record and a fine 2.69 ERA after 191 innings so far in 1875. Noble has earned Wins in seven of his last eight outings, with the other ending in a No Decision.

For the Susquehanna team, the wins continue an incredible run of form by the men from Wilkes-Barre. Roughly three weeks ago the team was 22-23 and tied for 4th place in the Inland Champions. They have since won each and every one of their last fourteen games, and Susquehanna is now in a tie with Merrimack for 1st place at the end of July with a 36-23 record.

While defending N.B.B.O. champions Susquehanna look unstoppable Merrimack are themselves 7-3 over their last ten games, so it appears that a memorable pennant chase is in store for the Inland.