The Big Bang: A Larger Baseball Universe Starting From Nothing in 1857 - Page 42

tm1681 · 08-06-2025, 05:53 AM

1875 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION REVIEW

1875 NBBO STANDINGS

PER-TEAM STATISTICS

1875 N.Y.L.: 7.8 R/G, .291, .673 OPS, 825 H, 95 2B, 40 3B 11 HR, 71 SB, 3.28 ERA, 62 BB, 46 K, 7.4 E/G, .833 FLD%
1875 N.E.L.: 7.8 R/G, .292, .674 OPS, 827 H, 95 2B, 38 3B, 9 HR, 72 SB, 3.25 ERA, 66 BB, 60 K, 7.5 E/G, .830 FLD%

1874 N.Y.L.: 7.9 R/G, .288, .664 OPS, 817 H, 98 2B, 38 3B, 7 HR, 75 SB, 3.22 ERA, 61 BB, 49 K, 7.6 E/G, .829 FLD%
1874 N.E.L.: 7.7 R/G, .293, .670 OPS, 827 H, 98 2B, 37 3B, 5 HR, 76 SB, 3.23 ERA, 62 BB, 54 K, 7.4 E/G, .833 FLD%

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP XIX

N.Y.L. SEMIFINALS: #2 Eckford beats #3 Metropolitan 3-2
N.E.L. SEMIFINALS: #3 Cantabrigians beats #2 Merrimack Mills 3-1

N.Y.L. CHAMPIONSHIP: #2 Eckford beats #1 Utica 3-1
N.E.L. CHAMPIONSHIP: #1 Trenton United beats #3 Cantabrigians 3-0

T.W.C. FINAL: Trenton United (1st title) wins series 3-1 over Eckford of Greenpoint

T.W.C. FINAL GAME 1: TU 11-7 ECK – Francis Molinari (P, TU) CG, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 4/5 (all 1B), 2 R, 3 RBI
T.W.C. FINAL GAME 2: TU 2-3 ECK – Louis Murray (LF, ECK) 2/4 (3B, 4 TB), 1 R, 2 RBI
T.W.C. FINAL GAME 3: ECK 6-12 TU – Manuel Romeiras (CF, TU) 4/5 (2B, 5 TB), 2 R, 0 RBI, SB
T.W.C. FINAL GAME 4: ECK 7-13 TU – Earl Seals (SS, TU) 3/5 (all 1B), 2 R, 4 RBI, 1 DEF DP

T.W.C. FINAL MVP: Manuel Romeiras (CF, Trenton United)

NEW YORK LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Jonathan Fraker (1B, age 25) – Utica B.B.C.; 1st career B.o.tY.

• .385/.401/.476, .877 OPS, 77 R, 127 H, 10 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 68 RBI, 6 BB, 25 SB, 157 TB, 3.1 WPA, 2.8 WAR
• Led N.Y.L. in AVG, OBP, OPS, & H; 2nd consecutive Utica player to win B.o.t.Y. (James Heilman)
• Isaac Kelly (3B, ECK) 2nd – New York League Most Valuable Player
• Chester Alexander (2B, SYR) 3rd – .351, .840 OPS, 64 R, 118 H, 23 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 63 RBI, 3 BB, 5.2 WPA, 2.7 WAR

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: William Tighe (age 37) – Minuteman B.B.C.; 1st career P.o.t.Y.

• 27-16, 2.74 ERA, 35 K, 358.2 IP, 27 CG, 1 SHO, 2 SV, 0.9 K/9, 1.2 K/BB, 1.24 WHIP, 6.8 WAR, 8.7 rWAR
• Led N.Y.L. in W, K, IP, & G; top five in CG, QS, SHO, WHIP, RA/9, HA/9, K/9, & WAR
• Edward Koch (UNI) 2nd – 25-15, 2.10 ERA, 27 K, 351.1 IP, 27 CG, 1 SHO, 0.8 K/BB, 1.24 WHIP, 5.5 WAR, 7.9 rWAR
• Rudolph Fowler (UTI) 3rd – 25-13, 2.49 ERA, 26 K, 351.0 IP, 28 CG, 0.9 K/BB, 1.25 WHIP, 5.6 WAR, 10.3 rWAR

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Isaac Kelly (3B, age 30) – Eckford of Greenpoint; 2nd career M.V.P.

• .372/.390/.480, .870 OPS, 78 R, 123 H, 12 2B, 6 3B, 4 HR, 68 RBI, 6 BB, 159 TB, +12.1 ZR, 3.6 WPA, 4.3 WAR
• Led N.Y.L. in SLG, TB, & Batsman WAR; 2nd M.V.P. award in three years
• Will Buschmann (CF, UTI) 2nd – .346, .837 OPS, 76 R, 110 H, 21 XBH, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 22 BB, 21 SB, 4.7 WPA, 3.0 WAR
• Francis Smith (CF, MET) 3rd – .334, .799 OPS, 81 R, 113 H, 21 2B, 10 3B, 64 RBI, 5 BB, 22 SB, 4.5 WPA, 3.2 WAR

GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: Jonathan Fraker (1B, age 25) – Utica B.B.C.

• Also won New York League Batsman of the Year
• 1st Greenhorn to win B.o.t.Y. since Elijah Hill in 1872 & 1st in N.Y.L. since Cormack Alexander in 1864
• J. Wesolowski (P, SYR) 2nd – 19-19, 3.27 ERA, 31 K, 335.1 IP, 25 CG, 1 SHO, 1.6 K/BB, 1.40 WHIP, 7.2 WAR, 6.0 rWAR
• Will McMahon (P, BED) 3rd – 20-16, 3.08 ERA, 24 K, 327.0 IP, 20 CG, 1 SHO, 1.5 K/BB, 1.29 WHIP, 5.7 WAR, 4.5 rWAR

NYL GOLDEN GLOVES

• P: Frank Nicholas (MER/1st) – 25 PO, 53 AST, 0 DP, 17 E, 2.02 RNG, +7.9 ZR, 1.206 EFF
• C: Michael Jones (ATL/1st) – 44.4 CS%, 3.57 C-ERA, 5 PB, 7 E, +4.8 ZR, 1.119 EFF
• 1B: Samuel Gillespie (NC/2nd) – 611 PO, 72 AST, 22 DP, 34 E, 11.09 RNG, +8.4 ZR, 1.122 EFF
• 2B: William Vogel (EMP/1st) – 247 PO, 231 AST, 25 DP, 51 E, 6.88 RNG, +21.9 ZR, 1.183 EFF
• 3B: William Denham (CTL/1st) – 113 PO, 168 AST, 5 DP, 54 E, 4.13 RNG, +20.3 ZR, 1.263 EFF
• SS: Hugh Mercer (MIN/1st) – 208 PO, 200 AST, 8 DP, 69 E, 6.22 RNG, +24.1 ZR, 1.216 EFF
• LF: Leonard Troxell (FRO/1st) – 113 PO, 4 AST, 44 E, 1.95 RNG, +0.1 ARM, +5.2 ZR, 1.085 EFF
• CF: Francis Smith (MET/2nd) – 193 PO, 11 AST, 60 E, 2.97 RNG, +1.6 ARM, +7.1 ZR, 1.067 EFF
• RF: Nelson Albrecht (STAR/2nd) – 110 PO, 10 AST, 50 E, 1.89 RNG, +1.3 ARM, +4.8 ZR, 1.104 EFF

NYL TEAM OF THE YEAR

P: William Tighe (MIN/1st) - 27-16, 2.74 ERA, 35 K, 358.2 IP, 27 CG, 1 SHO, 2 SV, 1.2 K/BB, 1.24 WHIP, 6.8 WAR, 8.7 rWAR
C: James White (HILL/1st) - .342, .780 OPS, 44 R, 104 H, 11 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 54 RBI, 13 BB, 33.0 CS%, 3.8 WPA, 3.0 WAR
1B: Jonathan Fraker (UTI/GH) - .385, .401 OBP, .877 OPS, 77 R, 127 H, 10 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 68 RBI, 25 SB, 3.1 WPA, 2.8 WAR
2B: Chester Alexander (SYR/2nd) - .351, .840 OPS, 64 R, 118 H, 23 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 63 RBI, 12 BB, 2 SB, 5.2 WPA, 2.7 WAR
3B: Isaac Kelly (ECK/4th) - .372, .870 OPS, 78 R, 123 H, 22 XBH, 4 HR, 68 RBI, 6 BB, 159 TB, +12.1 ZR, 3.6 WPA, 4.3 WAR
SS: Henry Nabors (VIC/6th) - .334, .771 OPS, 85 R, 111 H, 17 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 64 RBI, 10 BB, 11 SB, 4.8 WPA, 2.3 WAR
OF: Louis Murray (ECK/1st) - .315, .797 OPS, 85 R, 97 H, 21 2B, 8 3B, 1 HR, 55 RBI, 14 BB, 58 SB, 4.3 WPA, 3.5 WAR
OF: Francis Smith (MET/3rd) - .334, .799 OPS, 81 R, 113 H, 21 2B, 10 3B, 0 HR, 64 RBI, 5 BB, 22 SB, 4.5 WPA, 3.2 WAR
OF: William Buschmann (UTI/1st) - .346, .837 OPS, 76 R, 110 H, 14 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 22 BB, 21 SB, 4.7 WPA, 3.0 WAR

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Gerhardt Berg (1B, age 30) – Quaker State; 1st career B.o.t.Y.

• .402/.438/.510, .949 OPS, 93 R, 138 H, 20 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 66 RBI, 19 BB, 5 SB, 175 TB, 5.1 WPA, 3.9 WAR
• Led N.E.L. in AVG, SLG, H, & BB; tied for lead in OPS; 1st .400 hitter in N.B.B.O. since 1872
• Ned Morganti (CF, QS) 2nd – .376, .949 OPS, 71 R, 129 H, 16 2B, 20 3B, 92 RBI, 13 SB, 188 TB, 4.1 WPA, 4.0 WAR
• Harold Durand (LF, LB) 3rd – .376, .895 OPS, 66 R, 124 H, 23 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 70 RBI, 9 BB, 4.3 WPA, 2.5 WAR

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: George Burroughs (age 26) – Port Jersey; 1st career P.o.t.Y.

• 29-12, 1.99 ERA, 43 K, 347.2 IP, 29 CG, 2 SHO, 1.1 K/9, 2.0 K/BB, 1.20 WHIP, 7.2 WAR, 13.4 rWAR
• Led N.E.L. in W, ERA, K, CG, QS, & rWAR; first Triple Crown winner since Jim Creighton in 1863
• Francis Molinari (TU) 2nd – 29-14, 3.33 ERA, 29 K, 354.0 IP, 28 CG, 1 SHO, 1.1 K/BB, 1.41 WHIP, 4.2 WAR, 3.7 rWAR
• Ross Gill (QS) 3rd – 25-13, 2.75 ERA, 22 K, 330.1 IP, 18 CG, 1 SHO, 1.2 K/BB, 1.32 WHIP, 6.0 WAR, 4.7 rWAR

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Manuel Romeiras (CF, age 31) – Trenton United; 1st career M.V.P.

• .360/.391/.509, .899 OPS, 105 R, 124 H, 18 2B, 12 3B, 3 HR, 81 RBI, 16 BB, 49 SB, 4.6 WPA, 4.7 WAR
• Led N.B.B.O. in Runs & Batsman WAR; M.V.P. of Tucker-Wheaton Cup final
• William Sudduth (2B, MM) 2nd – .357, .867 OPS, 92 R, 116 H, 23 XBH, 4 HR, 65 RBI, 8 BB, 12 SB, 5.9 WPA, 2.8 WAR
• Bubba Mack (P, CAN) – 26-13, 3.25 ERA, 33 K, 337.2 IP, 23 CG, 1 SHO, 1.0 K/BB, 1.39 WHIP, 4.3 WAR, 5.8 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: Jesse Craig (1B, age 29) – Sons of the Ocean

• .385/.408/.465, .872 OPS, 77 R, 126 H, 19 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 71 RBI, 12 BB, 1 SB, 152 TB, 5.5 WPA, 3.0 WAR
• Top five in N.E.L. in AVG, OBP, OPS, H, RBI, & WAR; made All-Star Game
• Walt Harper (P, SPO) 2nd – 18-22, 2.53 ERA, 33 K, 317.0 IP, 22 CG, 1 SHO, 1.9 K/BB, 1.42 WHIP, 7.3 WAR, 5.8 rWAR
• Ashley Stretton (SS, SAL) 3rd – .338, .750 OPS, 62 R, 106 H, 7 2B, 5 3B, 67 RBI, 10 BB, 13 SB, 2.4 WPA, 2.1 WAR

NEL GOLDEN GLOVES

• P: Robert Dozier (NEW/3rd) – 25 PO, 41 AST, 0 DP, 13 E, 2.36 RNG, +6.3 ZR, 1.439 EFF
• C: Karl Murphy (CAN/1st) – 47.8 CS%, 3.33 C-ERA, 2 PB, 8 E, +4.4 ZR, 1.005 EFF
• 1B: Charles Laczkowski (NEW/1st) – 699 PO, 56 AST, 10 DP, 32 E, 11.34 RNG, +9.8 ZR, 1.157 EFF
• 2B: William Gillette (SUS/7th) – 256 PO, 200 AST, 15 DP, 49 E, 7.00 RNG, +20.6 ZR, 1.171 EFF
• 3B: Herbert Ray (TIG/5th) – 113 PO, 155 AST, 4 DP, 75 E, 4.03 RNG, +11.0 ZR, 1.118 EFF
• SS: Peter Jones (SotO/5th) – 196 PO, 226 AST, 14 DP, 65 E, 6.45 RNG, +26.3 ZR, 1.256 EFF
• LF: Charles Wolff (TU/1st) – 125 PO, 3 AST, 20 E, 1.91 RNG, +0.9 ARM, +5.9 ZR, 1.098 EFF
• CF: Charles Lamb (MM/2nd) – 210 PO, 4 AST, 79 E, 3.15 RNG, +0.3 ARM, +9.9 ZR, 1.100 EFF
• RF: William Hill (CAN/1st) – 135 PO, 7 AST, 40 E, 2.16 RNG, +2.2 ARM, +4.8 ZR, 1.054 EFF

NEL TEAM OF THE YEAR

P: George Burroughs (PJ/1st) - 29-12, 1.99 ERA, 43 K, 347.2 IP, 29 CG, 2 SHO, 2.0 K/BB, 1.20 WHIP, 7.2 WAR, 13.4 rWAR
C: Bertrand Bosley (GM/2nd) - .323, .757 OPS, 66 R, 96 H, 13 2B, 7 3B, 0 HR, 53 RBI, 8 BB, 1 SB, 2.2 WPA, 2.1 WAR
1B: Gerhardt Berg (QS/2nd) - .402, .438 OBP, .949 OPS, 93 R, 138 H, 20 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 66 RBI, 19 BB, 5.1 WPA, 3.9 WAR
2B: William Sudduth (MM/1st) - .357, .867 OPS, 92 R, 116 H, 10 2B, 9 3B, 4 HR, 65 RBI, 8 BB, 12 SB, 5.9 WPA, 2.8 WAR
3B: Alfred Williams (PORT/1st) - .318, .764 OPS, 58 R, 103 H, 10 2B, 9 3B, 2 HR, 62 RBI, 11 BB, 11 SB, 2.5 WPA, 2.8 WAR
SS: Earl Seals (TU/2nd) - .309, .742 OPS, 80 R, 103 H, 17 2B, 8 3B, 1 HR, 71 RBI, 20 SB, +25.0 ZR, 3.7 WPA, 4.0 WAR
OF: Harold Durand (OLY/1st) - .376, .895 OPS, 66 R, 124 H, 23 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 70 RBI, 9 BB, 4 SB, 4.3 WPA, 2.5 WAR
OF: Manuel Romeiras (TU/1st) - .360, .899 OPS, 105 R, 124 H, 18 2B, 12 3B, 3 HR, 81 RBI, 16 BB, 49 SB, 4.6 WPA, 4.7 WAR
OF: Ned Morganti (QS/5th) - .376, .949 OPS, 71 R, 129 H, 16 2B, 20 3B, 1 HR, 92 RBI, 13 SB, 188 TB, 4.1 WPA, 4.0 WAR

MISCELLANEOUS

RECORDS

• Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) tied Manuel Romeiras’ record for Triples in a season with 20.
• George Burroughs (Pt. Jersey) set a new record for ERA in a season (175+ IP) with 1.99.
• Lanny Allen (Star) set a new record for BB/9 (175+ IP) in a season with 0.1.

NEW YORK LEAGUE LEADERS

• Average: .385 by Jonathan Fraker (1B, Utica)
• On-Base: .401 by Jonathan Fraker
• Slugging: .480 by Isaac Kelly (3B, Eckford)
• OPS: .877 by Jonathan Fraker
• Home Runs: 6 by Clarence Jones (CF, Mercury)
• Runs Batted In: 84 Fox Ellis (3B, Utica)
• Hits: 127 by Jonathan Fraker
• Extra-Base Hits: 32 by Alessandro Baldaro (CF, Bedford)
• Doubles: 23 by Chester Alexander (2B, Syracuse)
• Triples: 15 by Graeme Peel (LF, Utica)
• Runs: 91 by Graeme Peel
• Stolen Bases: 58 by Louis Murray (LF, Eckford)
• Total Bases: 159 by Isaac Kelly (3B, Eckford)
• Bases on Balls: 25 by James Hoyt (1B, N.Y.A.C.)
• Zone Rating: +24.1 by Hugh Mercer (SS, Minuteman)
• Win Prob. Added: 5.2 by Chester Alexander
• Batsman WAR: 4.3 by Isaac Kelly

• Wins: 27 by William Tighe (Minuteman)
• Losses: 25 by Allan Jordan (Columbia) & Luca Porcatello (Eagle)
• ERA (175+ IP): 2.10 by Edward Koch (Union)
• Strikeouts: 35 by William Tighe (Minuteman)
• Innings: 358.2 by William Tighe
• Complete Games: 28 by Rudolph Fowler (Utica)
• Shutouts: 2 by Jonathan Hill (Syracuse)
• BB/9 (175+ IP): 0.1 by Lanny Allen (Star)
• K/9 (175+ IP): 1.0 by Luca Porcatello
• K/BB (175+ IP): 7.0 by Lanny Allen
• WHIP (175+ IP): 1.20 by Ernest Hill (Cont’l)
• Pitcher WAR: 7.6 by George Layman (Mutual)
• Pitcher rWAR: 10.3 by Rudolph Fowler

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE LEADERS

• Average: .402 by Gerhardt Berg (1B, Quaker St.)
• On-Base: .438 by Gerhardt Berg
• Slugging: .548 by Ned Morganti (CF, Quaker St.)
• OPS: .949 by Gerhardt Berg & Ned Morganti
• Home Runs: 5 by John Bergen (3B, Merrimack) & Henry Card (RF, Maryland)
• Runs Batted In: 92 by Ned Morganti
• Hits: 138 by Gerhardt Berg
• Extra-Base Hits: 37 by Ned Morganti
• Doubles: 23 by Gus Carlson (CF, Newark) & Harold Durand (LF, Olympic)
• Triples: 20 by Ned Morganti
• Runs: 105 by Manuel Romeiras (CF, Trenton Utd.)
• Stolen Bases: 60 by Steffen Strandlund (Sportsman’s)
• Total Bases: 188 by Ned Morganti
• Bases on Balls: 19 by Gerhardt Berg & Oliver Lysiak (Susquehanna)
• Zone Rating: +26.3 by Thomas Ashley (SS, Pt. Jersey) & Peter Jones (SS, S.o.t.O.)
• Win Prob. Added: 5.9 by William Sudduth (2B, Merrimack)
• Batsman WAR: 4.8 by Manuel Romeiras (CF, Trenton Utd.)

• Wins: 29 by George Burroughs (Pt. Jersey) & Francis Molinari (Trenton Utd.)
• Losses: 29 by Earl Quinn (Maryland)
• ERA (175+ IP): 1.99 by George Burroughs
• Strikeouts: 43 by George Burroughs
• Innings: 354.0 by Francis Molinari
• Complete Games: 29 by George Burroughs
• Shutouts: 3 by William Berg (S.o.t.O.) & William Clayberg (Scranton)
• BB/9 (175+ IP): 0.2 by Thomas Koch (Trenton Utd.)
• K/9 (175+ IP): 1.2 by three different Pitchers
• K/BB (175+ IP): 4.3 by Thomas Koch
• WHIP (175+ IP): 1.14 by William Hawk
• Pitcher WAR: 7.3 by Walt Harper (Sportsman’s)
• Pitcher rWAR: 13.4 by George Burroughs

ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS

• May 15: Grover Wright (P, Portland) becomes the 3rd P with 300 Wins in the NBBO.
• May 21: Tiger S.C. has two players with 5+ Hits in a 26-8 win at Pt. Jersey.
• May 21: Herbert Ray (3B, Tiger S.C.) has 6 Hits (6/8, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI) at Pt. Jersey.
• May 28: Herman Kramer (CF, Lake Erie) has 6 Hits (6/7, 2 2B, 4 R, 3 RBI) at Sportsman’s.
• May 30: Edward Johnson (RF, Cont’l) hits for The Cycle (4/4, 4 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB) in a win vs Nassau Co.
• May 31: Eagle completes the first winless month (0-15) in N.B.B.O. history.
• June 2: Victory has two players with 5+ Hits in a 27-5 win vs Columbia.
• June 2: Charles Bailey (3B, Victory) has 6 Hits (6/7, 3 R, 1 RBI) vs Columbia.
• June 3: Fred Stanick (1B, Lake Erie) has 6 Hits & 7 RBI (6/6, 2B, 3B, 5 R, 7 RBI) vs Pioneer.
• June 4: Remi Scrovegni (1B, Frontier) has 6 Hits (6/7, 2B, HR, 3 R, 5 RBI) at Binghamton.
• June 10: Marathon scores 17 Runs (12 H, 1 HR, 7 E) in the 9th inning to win 23-11 at Bedford.
• June 10: Neal Cody (1B, Bedford) has 7 RBI (4/5, 2B, 1 R, 7 RBI) vs Marathon.
• June 12: Thomas Fetterman (RF, Newark) has 7 RBI (5/7, 2 R, 7 RBI) at Maryland.
• June 18: Pt. Jersey wins 1-0 at Newark. The Shutout is pitched by George Burroughs.
• June 20: Sons of the Ocean has two Shutout wins over Green Mtn. on the same day.
• June 25: Walter Lynch (SS, Baltic) has 6 Hits (6/7, 2B, 2 R, RBI) at Union.
• July 3: Woodrow Grenier (1B, Empire) has 7 RBI (3/5, HR, 2 R, 7 RBI) at Eckford.
• July 9: George Layman (P, Mutual) bats 5/5 while pitching a Complete Game Win at N.Y.A.C.
• July 10: Dave Dawson (LF, Quinnipiac) has 7 RBI (4/5, 3B, 2 R, 7 RBI) vs Granite.
• July 15: Robert Borut (C, Eckford) scores 6 R (4/5, 3B, 4 RBI, 1 BB) vs Bedford.
• July 16: Clarence Jones (CF, Mercury) becomes the 1st player since 1871 with 5+ HR in a season.
• July 17: The Hitting Streak of Manuel Romeiras (CF, Trenton Utd.) ends at 35 Games.
• July 26: The N.E.L. wins the 17th All-Star Game 7-5. MVP: Harold Durand (LF, OLY). HOST: Mutual
• July 29: Irving Noble (P, Susquehanna) pitches his 2nd consecutive Shutout.
• July 31: James Langston (LF, Mercury) scores 6 Runs (4/7, 2B, HR, 6 R, 3 RBI) at N.Y.A.C.
• Aug. 12: Walter Clark (RF, Binghamton) has 5 SB (4/6, 4 R, 5 SB) at Eagle.
• Aug. 13: Art Sauer (2B, Victory) has 7 RBI (4/5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 7 RBI) vs Utica.
• Aug. 14: Alistair Bailey (LF, Quaker St.) has 6 Hits & 6 Runs (6/7, 3B, 6 RBI) vs Pt. Jersey.
• Aug. 16: Gerhardt Berg (1B, Quaker St.) is the first player since 1872 to finish with a .400+ Average.
• Aug. 16: George Burroughs (P, Pt. Jersey) wins the 2nd pitching Triple Crown in NBBO history.
• Aug. 25: John Baddley (2B, Utica) has six Hits (6/7, 4 RBI) in a N.Y.L.C.S. game vs Eckford.
• Sep. 1: Trenton Utd. (1st title) wins the Tucker-Wheaton Cup XIX final in four games over Eckford.

PERFORMANCES OF THE SEASON BY GAME SCORE

• #1: 132 by Fred Stanick (1B, Lake Erie) on June 3rd vs Pioneer (6/7, 2B, 3B, 5 R, 7 RBI, 9 TB)
• #2: 121 by Alistair Bailey (LF, Quaker St.) on Aug. 14th vs Pt. Jersey (6/7, 3B, 5R, 6 RBI, 8 TB)
• #3: 107 by John Baddley (2B, Utica) vs Eckford in the N.Y.L.C.S. (6/7, [all 1B], 5 R, 4 RBI)
• #4: 106 by Leonard Troxell (LF, Frontier) on June 18th at Syracuse (5/6 [all 1B], 4 R, 6 RBI, 1 SB)
• #5: 106 by Paul Kronenberg (1B, Trenton Utd.) at Cantabrig’s in the N.E.L.C.S. (5/6, 3B, 4 R, 6 RBI, 7 TB)
• #6: 105 by Remi Scrovegni (1B, Frontier) on Juny 4th at Binghamton (6/7, 2B, HR, 3 R, 5 RBI, 10 TB, 1 SB)
• #7: 104 by Dermott Ainge (Cantabrig’s) on May 16th vs Salem (4/6, 2 3B, HR, 4 R, 6 RBI, 11 TB)
• #8: 103 by Robert Borut (C, Eckford) on July 15th vs Bedford (4/5, 3B, 6 R, 4 RBI, 6 TB, 1 BB, 1/3 CS)
• #9: 101 by Alistair Bailey (LF, Quaker St.) on July 4th vs National (4/6, 3B, 6 R, 5 RBI, 6 TB)
• #10: 99 by Louis Williams (SS, Newark) on May 15th vs Olympic (5/6, 2 2B, 4 R, 5 RBI, 7 TB, SB)

tm1681 · 08-06-2025, 06:06 AM

1875 AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE REVIEW

WRITERS POOL OBSERVATIONS

ALLEGHANY: What this team needs to do is more mental than anything else. If they can figure out the August yips and instead keep playing like they do early in the season, then Alleghany easily has what it takes to be a dominant cup winner. One potential problem: Elmer Seabold, who authored the Founders’ Cup No-Hitter, is free to leave if he so chooses.

AMERICAN: Change nothing. This team has the best player in the sport, the most powerful lineup in the sport, and a group of young pitchers that should improve next year. If there is one quibble it’s that Sidney Crowder easily replaceable at LF. Otherwise, American is in impeccable shape and will almost certainly be favored to take another title next year.

EXCELSIOR: They were better than their projected record as the Metro co-favorites before the season, but unfortunately American was even better. Creighton was incredible again, Banfield finally came around, and their defense was very good. This team could still improve, as SS & RF only produced at replacement level.

FLOUR CITY: Another tough season, but one with an impressive end, as F.C. moved up from last place to take 2nd to themselves by the finish. Ernest Dugas, Hugh Harris, and Ralph Knight were very good, but they need a new RF, Samuel Kessler is finally showing his age as he nears 40, and LF Edward Donovan had his first mediocre season at age 37.

GOTHAM: Only two games worse than last season, but one place lower due to the strength of American & Excelsior. Spots #1-5 in their lineup are very good, but #6-8 have light bats. Of the three, SS George Pugatch is the best as he offers Golden Glove defense at SS, so it’s C & CF that are the weak links. Also, they could lose Peadar Daly after one season.

KINGS CO: They won seven more games than last season, but Kings County is still a very poor team. Garfield Koonce was brilliant and Fred Bartholomew is a good LF, but aside from that this team could justifiably change every other regular.

KNICKERBOCKER: It was going to be a transition year, but nobody expected last place to be the result. Charles Burton & Bert Landreth displayed loads of talent as the pitching duo but their infield defense was porous, and they allowed a lot of extra runs as a result. Knick likely needs a new C, 2B, 3B, & SS if fortunes are to improve dramatically next year.

MASS. BAY: From two last-place finishes to 3rd – a fine season. Mass. Bay was basically average at everything. Moving William Trowbridge worked out quite well, as his ZR went from -37.4 at a SS to -6.2 at a 3B. The rest of their lineup and pitching was okay to good, but one notable issue is that is that 3x All-Star Albert Stoffers had his worst season.

NIAGARA: Back down to last place for the team from Buffalo. Their offense remained weak, and Ernest Lewis, who has retired, was no longer a capable middle infielder. They still have two very good outfielders in Charles Barrett & Reginald Roper, and Tomoharu Mukai has proven himself to be a capable #1 P. They need a C, 1B, 2B, & possibly a CF.

ORANGE: Defending a championship after starting 1-11 was too tall of an order to complete, and it did Orange in. The team doesn’t have any huge weaknesses going into the winter, but they do have one very notable worry: that Anthony Mascherino could leave. The legendary SS is on the wrong side of 35, but he still put up 4.5 WAR and a +14.2 ZR this season.

SHAMROCK: Shamrock improved by a few games, finished .500, and took 4th place as a result. Their infield? No issues there since they all made the All-Star Game. However, SS Arthur Fisher is free to leave. Ten-year #1 P Tom Ricks is also free to leave this winter, as is #2 P John Henry. What Shamrock does with their pitching may determine how they do in ’76.

ST. JOHN’S: It took nineteen years, but St. John’s finally dipped below .500. Their outfield is perfect as it is, even if Konrad Jensen & Nelson Townsend are in their mid-30s. Also, Howard Burns & Thomas Smith make up a very good pitching duo. It’s the infield that needs to be reshaped, as 37 y/o Mario Fusilli had a down year and they had weak bats at C, 2B, & SS.

tm1681 · 08-06-2025, 06:11 AM

1875 APBL STANDINGS

PER-TEAM STATISTICS

1875: 7.5 R/G, .295, .678 OPS, 1,057 H, 123 2B, 48 3B, 12 HR, 146 SB, 3.49 ERA, 75 BB, 72 K, 6.7 E/G, .847 FLD%
1874: 7.4 R/G, .293, .672 OPS, 1,050 H, 123 2B, 44 3B, 10 HR, 156 SB, 3.38 ERA, 79 BB, 72 K, 6.8 E/G, .846 FLD%

FOUNDERS' CUP V

American (3rd title) wins series 4-3 over Alleghany.

GAME 1: ALL 1-8 AME – James Burke (CF, AME): 3/5 (2B, 3B, 6 TB), 1 R, 2 RBI, SB
GAME 2: ALL 19-3 AME – Franklin Petty (RF, AME): 4/6 (3B, 6 TB), 4 R, 2 RBI
GAME 3: AME 5-9 ALL – Frank Doherty (3B, ALL): 4/4 (2B, 5 TB), 1 R, 3 RBI
GAME 4: AME 11-7 ALL – Sidney Crowder (LF, AME): 2/4 (HR, 5 TB), 2 R, 4 RBI
GAME 5: AME 0-4 ALL – Elmer Seabold (P, ALL): NO-HITTER, 0 BB, 2 K
GAME 6: ALL 7-6 AME – John Meier (LF, ALL) 3/4 (all 1B), 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
GAME 7: ALL 7-13 AME – Peter Boyce (2B, AME) 3/5 (all 1B), 3 R, 1 RBI

FOUNDERS’ CUP MVP: Franklin Petty (RF, American)

AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS
Career award totals are carried over from the NBBO

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: James Burke (CF, age 32) – American B.C.; 2nd career B.o.t.Y.

• .401/.419/.531, .950 OPS, 111 R, 173 H, 27 2B, 13 3B, 1 HR, 93 RBI, 14 BB, 77 SB, 229 TB, 5.7 WPA, 5.9 WAR
• Set AP.B.L. record for Hits; led league in AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, XBH, 2B, TB, & WAR
• Babe Johnson (2B, GOT) 2nd – .353, .862 OPS, 102 R, 144 H, 17 2B, 15 3B, 71 RBI, 27 BB, 32 SB, 4.9 WPA, 3.5 WAR
• Konrad Jensen (LF, STJ) 3rd – .342, .856 OPS, 110 R, 137 H, 30 XBH, 3 HR, 72 RBI, 34 BB, 66 SB, 5.2 WPA, 4.4 WAR

Of course the award was going to James Burke, who took his second B.o.t.Y. in three years. Burke led the league in nine offensive categories while setting a new record in one, and he did so while batting .400 and playing for the champions. Johnson had another great year, and Jensen was 3rd in OPS in spite of his lowest Batting Average in a decade.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Jim Creighton (age 34) – Excelsior B.B.C.; 3rd career PotY

• 31-14, 2.96 ERA, 116 K, 383.2 IP, 29 CG, 1 SHO, 2.7 K/9, 4.1 K/BB, 1.27 WHIP, 8.8 WAR, 5.8 rWAR
• Set A.P.B.L. record for Wins; led league in K, IP, G, GS, CG, K/9, K/BB, HA/9, RA/9, & WAR
• Elmer Seabold (ALL) 2nd – 25-16, 3.23 ERA, 362.1 IP, 26 CG, 1 SHO, 86 K, 1.6 K/BB, 1.39 WHIP, 5.7 WAR, 5.9 rWAR
• Albert Lively (GOT) 3rd – 20-15, 3.12 ERA, 360.0 IP, 19 CG, 2 SHO, 17 K, 0.5 K/BB, 1.34 WHIP, 5.1 WAR, 5.2 rWAR

Creighton didn’t lead the league in thirteen pitching categories this season. Instead, he led in “only” eleven while becoming the first A.P.B.L. P to go past 30 Wins in a season. Unfortunately for Seabold, the previous means that his consecutive 25-Win seasons have resulted in runner-up finishes for P.o.t.Y. Lively had a fine season for Gotham.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Franklin Petty (RF, age 32) – American B.C.; 2nd career MVP

• .365/.385/.452, .837 OPS, 130 R, 160 H, 16 2B, 8 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 15 BB, 79 SB, 198 TB, 6.2 WPA, 4.0 WAR
• Tied A.P.B.L. record for Runs; led league in SB & WPA; top five in AVG, H, RBI, TB, & WAR
• A. Mascherino (SS, ORA) 2nd – .357, .816 OPS, 91 R, 157 H, 27 2B, 5 3B, 60 RBI, 26 SB, +14.2 ZR, 5.0 WPA, 4.5 WAR
• Gerald Strong (SS, ALL) 3rd – .305, .699 OPS, 94 R, 137 H, 21 XBH, 3 HR, 72 RBI, 30 SB, +27.5 ZR, 4.2 WPA, 3.8 WAR

It was Petty’s presence at the top of the lineup helped American players finish #1-4 in the in RBI this season, and for that he’s earned his second career M.V.P. honor. His bat work was outstanding, and he terrorized opponents on the basepaths. Mascherino had a throwback season for Orange, while Strong wasn’t quite as excellent as he was last year.

GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: John Meier (LF, age 28) – Alleghany B.C.

• .330/.344/.428, .771 OPS, 103 R, 144 H, 13 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 82 RBI, 5 BB, 49 SB, 187 TB, 4.5 WPA, 3.1 WAR
• Only Greenhorn All-Star from Colonial Conference; top ten in H, R, 3B, RBI, SB, TB,
• Simeon DiStefano (P, AME) 2nd – 22-9, 2.70 ERA, 15 K, 269.2 IP, 19 CG, 0.7 K/BB, 1.28 WHIP, 4.0 WAR, 5.5 rWAR
• Daniel Gibson (P, FC) 3rd – 21-20, 3.36 ERA, 14 K, 334.2 IP, 21 CG, 1 SHO, 0.3 K/BB, 1.41 WHIP, 4.5 WAR, 4.1 rWAR

Meier took G.o.t.Y., but it was the subject of much debate. The Alleghany LF had an excellent season, but DiStefano was 22-9 while leading the league in ERA. At the same time, DiStefano spent 1/3 of the season out of the pitching rotation while Meier was an everyday player. Gibson was the biggest surprise – forced into the F.C. rotation after a surprise retirement.

APBL GOLDEN GLOVES

• P: James Goodman (FC/6th) – 20 PO, 35 AST, 1 DP, 18 E, 1.52 RNG, +6.0 ZR, 1.184 EFF
• C: Raynard Steinbach (AME/1st) – 35.0 RTO%, 3.01 C-ERA, 4 PB, 13 E, +4.7 ZR, 1.095 EFF
• 1B: Frank Bulger (SHA/4th) – 793 PO, 75 AST, 22 DP, 40 E, 10.12 RNG, +7.5 ZR, 1.084 EFF
• 2B: Clyde Hudspeth (EXC/3rd) – 348 PO, 301 AST, 21 DP, 59 E, 7.69 RNG, +21.7 ZR, 1.115 EFF
• 3B: Frank Doherty (ALL/3rd) – 123 PO, 161 AST, 6 DP, 58 E, 3.36 RNG, +15.4 ZR, 1.190 EFF
• SS: Gerald Strong (ALL/3rd) – 297 PO, 319 AST, 23 DP, 95 E, 6.88 RNG, +27.5 ZR, 1.152 EFF
• LF: Konrad Jensen (STJ/4th) – 178 PO, 1 AST, 28 E, 2.01 RNG, +2.8 ARM, +6.0 ZR, 1.046 EFF
• CF: Louis Dyke (KNI/3rd) – 276 PO, 11 AST, 64 E, 3.30 RNG, +1.8 ARM, +10.3 ZR, 1.068 EFF
• RF: Reginald Roper (NIA/3rd) – 153 PO, 9 AST, 43 E, 1.87 RNG, +0.4 ARM, +4.4 ZR, 1.065 EFF

APBL TEAM OF THE YEAR

P: Jim Creighton (EXC/7TH) - 31-14, 2.96 ERA, 116 K, 383.2 IP, 29 CG, 1 SHO, 2.7 K/9, 4.1 K/BB, 10.8 HA/9, 1.27 WHIP, 8.8 WAR
C: Everett Schreiber (ORA/6th) - .325, .755 OPS, 74 R, 113 H, 21 2B, 4 3B, 56 RBI, 8 BB, 2 BB, 3.28 C-ERA, 3.5 WPA, 2.7 WAR
1B: Cormack Alexander (KNI/6th) - .356, .841 OPS, 78 R, 142 H, 22 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 89 RBI, 26 BB, 5 SB, 6.0 WPA, 3.4 WAR
2B: Babe Johnson (GOT/5th) - .353, .862 OPS, 102 R, 144 H, 17 2B, 15 3B, 0 HR, 71 RBI, 27 BB, 32 SB, 4.9 WPA, 3.5 WAR
3B: Frank Doherty (ALL/1st) - .340, .773 OPS, 69 R, 120 H, 9 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 71 RBI, 6 BB, +15.4 ZR, 4.0 WPA, 3.5 WAR
SS: Anthony Mascherino (ORA/14th) - .357, .816 OPS, 91 R, 154 H, 27 2B, 5 3B, 60 RBI, 7 BB, 26 SB, +14.2 ZR, 5.0 WPA, 4.5 WAR
OF: Konrad Jensen (StJ/15th) - .368, .899 OPS, 96 R, 144 H, 28 XBH, 3 HR, 79 RBI, 32 BB, 56 SB, 190 TB, 6.4 WPA, 4.0 WAR
OF: James Burke (AME/6th) - .401, .531 SLG, .950 OPS, 111 R, 173 H, 27 2B, 13 3B, 1 HR, 93 RBI, 77 SB, 5.7 WPA, 5.9 WAR
OF: Franklin Petty (AME/6th) - .365, .837 OPS, 130 R, 160 H, 16 2B, 8 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 15 BB, 79 SB, 6.2 WPA, 4.0 WAR

MISCELLANEOUS

RECORDS

• American set a new record for team Batting Average with .323.
• Franklin Petty (American) tied the record for Runs in a season with 130.
• James Burke (American) set a new record for Hits in a season with 173.
• Garfield Koonce (Kings Co.) set a new record for Singles in a season with 135.
• Peter Boyce (American) set a new record for RBI in a season with 111.
• Jim Creighton (Excelsior) set a new record for Wins in a season with 31.

APBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

• Average: .401 by James Burke (CF, American)
• On-Base: .419 by James Burke
• Slugging: .531 by James Burke
• OPS: .950 by James Burke
• Hits: 173 by James Burke
• Extra-Base Hits: 41 by James Burke
• Doubles: 27 by James Burke & Anthony Mascherino (SS, Orange)
• Triples: 15 by Babe Johnson (2B, Gotham)
• Home Runs: 6 by Troy Oberst (LF, Excelsior)
• Runs Batted In: 111 by Peter Boyce (2B, American)
• Runs: 130 by Franklin Petty (RF, American)
• Stolen Bases: 79 by Franklin Petty
• Total Bases: 229 by James Burke
• Bases on Balls: 36 by Hugh Harris (3B, Flour City)
• Zone Rating: +27.5 by Gerald Strong (SS, Alleghany)
• Batsman WPA: 6.2 by Franklin Petty
• Batsman WAR: 5.9 by James Burke

• Wins: 31 by Jim Creighton (Excelsior)
• Losses: 26 by Charles Burton (Knickerbocker)
• ERA (200+ IP): 2.70 by Simeon DiStefano (American)
• Strikeouts: 116 by Jim Creighton
• Innings: 383.2 by Jim Creighton
• Complete Games: 29 by Jim Creighton
• Shutouts: 2 by Albert Lively (Gotham)
• BB/9 (200+ IP): 0.4 by Charles Burton & Jack Doherty (Kings Co.)
• K/9 (200+ IP): 2.7 by Jim Creighton
• K/BB (200+ IP): 4.1 by Jim Creighton
• WHIP (200+ IP): 1.27 by Jim Creighton
• Pitcher WAR: 8.8 by Jim Creighton
• Pitcher rWAR: 7.3 by James Goodman (Flour City)

ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS

• May 14: Mass. Bay wins at Niagara in a 19-0 Shutout victory.
• May 20: Martin Prince (SS, American) has 7 RBI (5/6, 2 2B, 2 R, 7 RBI) at Knickerbocker.
• June 3: Peter Boyce (2B, American) has 5 SB (3/5, 3 R, 1 RBI, 5 SB) at Kings Co.
• June 29: Troy Oberst (LF, Excelsior) becomes the 1st player since 1872 with 5+ HR in a season.
• July 6: Isaac Holm (LF, Orange) has 2 HR & 7 RBI (4/5, 2 HR, 3 R, 7 RBI) vs Excelsior.
• July 15: Falco van der Vaart (C, St. John’s) has 6 Hits (6/6, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI) vs Alleghany.
• July 17: Both Excelsior and Shamrock win via Shutout.
• July 22: Werner Verstegen (3B, Knick) hits for the APBL’s 1st Cycle (4/4, 3 R, 3 RBI) at Excelsior.
• Aug. 2: The MET wins the 5th All-Star Game 14-12. MVP: Louis Dyke (CF, KNI). HOST: Alleghany.
• Aug. 18: Anthony Mascherino (SS, Orange) has the APBL’s 1st 40-game Hitting Streak.
• Aug. 18: Jim Creighton (P, Excelsior) reaches 30 Wins for the second time.
• Aug. 20: Elijah Hill (3B, Excelsior) has 6 Hits (6/6, 1 R, 1 RBI) vs Gotham.
• Aug. 21: The Hitting Streak of Anthony Mascherino (Orange) ends after 42 games.
• Aug. 22: James Burke (CF, American) raises his Average from .399 to .401 on the last day of the season.
• Aug. 22: American clinches the Metropolitan Conference pennant on the last day of the season.
• Aug. 23: American batsmen finish the season #1-4 in the A.P.B.L. in RBI.
• Aug. 29: Elmer Seabold (P, Alleghany) pitches the A.P.B.L.’s 1st No-Hitter in Game 5 of the Founders’ Cup.
• Sep. 1: American (3rd title) wins Founders’ Cup V in seven games over Alleghany.

PERFORMANCES OF THE SEASON BY GAME SCORE

• #1: 108 by Isaac Holm (LF, Orange) on July 6 vs Excelsior (4/5, 2 HR, 3 R, 7 RBI, 10 TB)
• #2: 103 by Clive Strachan (RF, Gotham) on Aug. 14 vs Kings Co. (4/6, 4 R, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB)
• #3: 99 by Martin Prince (SS, American) on May 20 at Knick (5/6, 2 2B, 2 R, 7 RBI, 7 TB, 1 DEF DP)
• #4: 92 by Martin Prince (SS, American) on July 18 at Gotham (5/6, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 6 RBI, 8 TB, 2 SB)
• #5: 90 by Clyde Hudspeth (2B, Excelsior) May 25 vs Kings Co. (5/6, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, 8 TB)
• #6: 89 by Elmer Seabold (P, Alleghany) in Game 5 of F.C. vs American (NO-HITTER, 0 BB, 2 K)
• #7: 89 by Gerald Strong (SS, Alleghany) on July 9 vs Mass. Bay (5/5, 3 R, 4 RBI, 3 SB)
• #8: 89 by Lane Garvin (C, Mass. Bay) on May 14 at Niagara (5/5, 3B, 3 R, 4 RBI, 7 SB)
• #9: 89 by Clive Strachan (RF, Gotham) on June 13 vs American (5/5, 2B, 3B, 4 R, 3 RBI, 8 TB)
• #10: 88 by Ben Gagliardi (SS, St. John’s) on Mar 14 vs Flour City (4/5, HR, 3 R, 5 RBI, 7 TB)

tm1681 · 08-08-2025, 06:37 AM

THE AMERICAN WAY
AMERICAN HAS TAKEN THREE OF LAST FOUR APBL TITLES BECOME SPORT’S DOMINANT TEAM

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 1, 1875) - Exactly one month ago, American Baseball Club beat Alleghany 13-7 in Game Seven of the Founders’ Cup. The win gave American their third A.P.B.L. title in four years, and with St. John’s missing the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time it was apparent that American was now baseball’s most prominent club.

So, how did American get there?

While playing in the National Base Ball Organization, American wasn’t much of a force to be reckoned with. They finished under. 500 five times in the competition’s first eight seasons, and their 16-54 record in 1858 still stands as the third-worst single-season record in N.B.B.O. history.

During the six years before the league split American showed signs that they were a proper big-city club. After finishing 3rd in the Coastal Championship in 1865, American finished runners-up in each of the next two seasons before taking the pennant for the first time in 1868 with a 48-22 record that bested long-time Coastal masters Shamrock by three games. They were led by 1B William Busby with his still-standing record of thirteen Home Runs, and he was joined by All-Stars Werner Verstegen (3B), Willie Davis (CF), Peter Boyce (2B), & Tom Hauser (P). American only finished 5th in the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, but they had finally found a winning formula.

American hovered around .500 each of the next two years before the league split, and they were offered the chance to be Philadelphia’s representative in the American Professional Baseball League ahead of Quaker State, which had a longer record of mediocrity. American happily accepted, and they were one of the sport’s first twelve professional clubs.

American was competitive in the A.P.B.L.’s inaugural season, finishing 46-44 and tied for 3rd place in the Metropolitan Conference. That winter they took Franklin Petty away from Metro champions Orange, and that tipped the scales as they won seven more games, finished atop the Metropolitan, and beat a St. John’s team five wins better than anyone else in a seven-game upset in Founders’ Cup II.

It was then that American made their ultimate statement of intent to the rest of the A.P.B.L. over the winter of 1872-73 they signed four-star Greenhorn SS Martin Prince from independent ball, 2x 30-game winner John Henry from Gotham, and then pried CF James Burke from Shamrock in a signing that was viewed as an absolute stunner.

The results? A 65-25 record, the best single-season in the A.P.B.L.’s short history, and a +284 Run Differential, also the best of the A.P.B.L.’s short existence. Burke had 100+ Runs, Runs Batted In, & Stolen Bases – a first. Prince had a league-best +27.0 Zone Rating at SS while finishing with 4.2 WAR and winning Greenhorn of the Year. John Henry was 30-5, his third 30-Win season, with a 3.14 ERA. On top of that, Frankling Petty hit .335 with 78 RBI and 80 SB with 3.6 WAR while Peter Boyce had a .334 Average, 85 RBI, a +18.0 Zone Rating at 2B, and 3.4 WAR.

Considering the level of competition, American had the best season in baseball history. Still, they had to clear one hurdle, and that was St. John’s in Founders’ Cup III. The series was an unforgettable classic, going seven games with the final contest ending 16-15 to American after a rally in the bottom of the 8th. The Philadelphians’ place in baseball history had been fully set in stone.

1874 saw the team slip to 48-42 and a tie for 3rd in the Metropolitan in what turned out to be the final season of the legendary career of Willie Davis. After some retooling American went back to the top of the conference in 1875, although not without an incredible fight to the finish, and they took Founders’ Cup V against Alleghany in another seven-game classic.

American’s 1875 team will be remembered for its mighty offense and especially their first five batsmen, who had the best season ever for a lineup’s 1-5:

• #1 Franklin Petty (RF): .365, .837 OPS, 130 R, 160 H, 26 XBH, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 79 SB, 6.2 WPA, 4.0 WAR
• #2 William Busby (1B): .348, .783 OPS, 97 R, 147 H, 21 XBH, 1 HR, 94 RBI, 5 SB, 4.4 WPA, 2.6 WAR
• #3 James Burke (CF): .401, .950 OPS, 111 R, 173 H, 41 XBH, 1 HR, 93 RBI, 77 SB, 5.7 WPA, 5.9 WAR
• #4 Peter Boyce (2B): .322, .742 OPS, 96 R, 136 H, 25 XBH, 2 HR, 111 RBI, 38 SB, 3.5 WPA, 3.0 WAR
• #5 Martin Prince (SS): .348, .780 OPS, 90 R, 135 H, 24 XBH, 1 HR, 98 RBI, 21 SB, 2.8 WPA, 3.8 WAR

Not only did American’s front-end batsmen set multiple records, but they also dominated the RBI leaderboard:

• #1: 111 by Peter Boyce (American)
• #2: 98 by Martin Prince (American)
• #3: 94 by William Busby (American)
• #4: 93 by James Burke (American)
• #5: 92 by Eamonn Todd (St. John’s)
• #6: 91 by Mario Fusilli (St. John’s)
• #7: 89 by Cormack Alexander (Knick)
• #8: 85 by Jerald Peterson (Alleghany)
• #9: 83 by Ralph Knight (Flour City)
• #10: 82 by John Meier (Alleghany)

American batsmen finished #1-4 in the A.P.B.L. in Runs Batted In. During the history of the N.B.B.O. & A.P.B.L., the only time a team had finished with players in places #1-3 in a statistical category was when St. John’s players were #1-3 in Runs in the Northeastern League in 1868, and here was American with the top four run drivers in the toughest league in the sport.

That feat speaks to how American has become three-time A.P.B.L. champions in the space of four years. They have constructed a team that bludgeons opponents to death starting straight from the top of the lineup, with pitching and defense good enough to ensure that they won’t be outscored on a regular basis.

What makes American even scarier is that they have learned from past mistakes with their pitching and now have six pitchers age 25 or younger with at least 2.5-star ability and three-star potential, signifying that all are capable of being regular A.P.B.L. pitchers. In the past their pitching lacked depth & consistency on a yearly basis. Not anymore.

This past season, St. John’s finished under .500 for the first time in its nineteen-year history, also missing the postseason in consecutive years for the first time in its history. With that occurring at the same time as American’s third A.P.B.L. cup triumph, it looks like it’s time to anoint American as the model club for all others to follow.

tm1681 · 08-14-2025, 06:25 PM

HOW TO HIT .175 AND BE A NET POSITIVE? MEET PETER JONES
SONS OF THE OCEAN SS HAS PULLED OFF DEFENSIVE FEATS THAT HAVE NO EQUAL

NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (Oct. 14, 1875) - At the end of the 1874 season there stood one of the most peculiar players in N.B.B.O. history, a man with the following stat line for the season:

• .175/.201/.198, .398 OPS (17 OPS+), 43 R, 47 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 24 RBI, 4 BB, 13 SB, -0.7 WPA, 1.9 WAR

For those who don’t follow the game closely, it made for a most bizarre read. How could a man who hit .175 with an OPS under .400, both marks the lowest of any regular batsman in the entire N.B.B.O., finish the season with a WAR higher than that of nearly ten All-Stars?

To answer that question, allow us to introduce you to the man who made such a strange season happen: Sons of the Ocean infield maestro Peter Jones.

Peter Jones is a 27-year-old Shortstop who debuted in the N.B.B.O. in 1871 with Salem, one of the dozen teams that joined the competition after the league split. As a 23-year-old Greenhorn, Jones’ work with the bat was weaker than that of many pitchers. Jones finished his debut season with a Batting Average of .226, an OPS of .527 (47 OPS+), and just 10/65 Hits went for extra bases. Based on his work with the bat, Jones appeared to be easily the worst batsman in a Salem team that surprised everyone by finishing 2nd in New England in its debut season in organized baseball.

However, at the same time Jones immediately established himself as the slickest fielder in the Northeastern League, and perhaps the entire N.B.B.O. While his arm was merely pretty good, his range was peerless, his hands could catch anything, and his ability to turn a Double Play was perhaps the best of anyone outside the A.P.B.L.

The result: He made up for the sub-pitcher batting with a Zone Rating of +26.3 in just 70 games, finishing with 1.3 WAR.

Jones’ 1872 was more of the same: a .215 Average, .498 OPS (51 OPS+), and just six Extra-Base Hits, but a +23.3 Zone Rating that gave him 1.7 WAR on the season.

After the season, Salem decided that Jones’ fielding didn’t make up for his bat and they told him to leave. Just a couple of months later he signed with fellow New Englanders Sons of the Ocean, and his first season in New Bedford saw Jones take his fielding to levels never seen before while improving with the bat.

Jones was an All-Star, hitting a career-high .275 with a career-best .607 OPS, but it was his fielding that made him the talk of the N.E.L. Jones established a new record with a +37.8 Zone Rating at SS over the 70-game season (that would be a +87.5 ZR over 162 games), which nearly saw him become the first non-Catcher to earn a Team of the Year spot while batting under .300.

However, it was Jones’ 1874 season that really left people scratching their heads. Jones’ ability with the bat fell off a cliff, and as mentioned he ended the season as the worst-performing regular batsman in the N.B.B.O. However, he was again so prolific in the field that it more than made up for his offensive shortcomings, as adding in his Zone Rating will show:

• .175/.201/.198, .398 OPS, 43 R, 47 H, 6 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 24 RBI, 4 BB, 13 SB, +35.5 ZR, -0.7 WPA, 1.9 WAR

Jones had the highest ZR of any player in the NBBO by a full ten points (~40%), and it was roughly double that of the man in sixth place. That allowed him to finish 1874 with a more valuable WAR than eight of the N.B.B.O.’s sixty All-Stars in what was the single largest no-offense, all-defense outlier of a season ever seen.

Jones’ 1875 was a bit of a return to form. His Batting Average was back up to .271, his OPS was back up to .610, and he had career highs with eleven Extra-Base Hits and 49 Runs Batted In. However, with a Zone Rating of “just” +26.3 Jones finished the season with 2.5 Batsman WAR instead of the 3.5 he had in his All-Star year.

To consider Peter Jones is to consider a player who lies at both extremes of the spectrum at the same time. He frequently looks like a highschooler on offense while performing like a magician on defense. In a competition with nearly nine hundred players in its rosters, Jones might be the single most unique man of the entire lot.

tm1681 · 08-18-2025, 12:52 AM

MASCHERINO TO KNICKERBOCKER; MOVES TO 2B
LEGENDARY INF WILL BE 37 ON OPENING DAY; HOPES ARE SWITCH WILL EASE WEAR & TEAR

MANHATTAN (Jan. 2, 1876) - It was painfully obvious that an infield overhaul was needed after Knickerbocker’s last-place finish in 1875, and one signing alone could complete the job.

On the second day of the new year, the club announced the signing of 13x Golden Glove winner Anthony Mascherino, who had spent the previous six seasons playing in Manhattan with main rivals Orange B.B.C. Along with the signing, it was announced that the legendary SS will move to 2B starting next season.

The reason for the position switch is that Mascherino will turns 37 in February and is coming off his “worst” defensive season in the A.P.B.L, with 103 Errors and a Zone Rating of +14.2. It is believed that moving to the other side of the middle of the infield will help keep Mascherino a world-class defender as long as possible.

If the plan is successful then Knickerbocker should receive quite a season from Mascherino in 1876, as he had A.P.B.L. highs in Batting Average, On-Base, Slugging, OPS, and Extra-Base Hits playing for Orange last season while finishing 1875 with 4.5 WAR, good for second-best in the A.P.B.L. among batsmen.

Mascherino wraps up his time as a SS with thirteen Golden Gloves and a career Zone Rating of +435.4, an all-leagues record that looks absolutely unbreakable except if Sons of the Ocean’s Peter Jones can keep up his performance for a long time.

Is it possible that the signing of Mascherino alone could pull Knickerbocker back into Metropolitan Conference contention. Indeed it is. 4x Golden Glove winner Leslie Arnett had the worst season of his career in 1875 (-0.1 WAR) and retired as a result, so replacing him with the sport’s most revered active infielder while pairing him with a highly competent defensive SS in Louis Johnson should give the team a massive boost in the Runs Allowed department in 1876.

If Knickerbocker also makes the rumored move of promoting part-time SS Arthur Groff to full-time 3B ahead of Werner Verstegen, then their defense issues should be solved and improved results should follow.

tm1681 · 08-18-2025, 12:53 AM

WILL CHICAGO BECOME NEW CENTER OF BASEBALL?
LOCAL BUSINESSMAN PLAYS HUNCH, OPENS LARGE BASEBALL GOODS STORE IN 5TH-LARGEST CITY

CHICAGO, ILL. (Feb. 12, 1876) - The two largest cities outside of the Northeastern United States are St. Louis & Chicago. It is in the latter of the two cities that a businessman has become of the belief that the sport of baseball as an everyday pastime is soon to sweep across the country, and in response has opened a multi-floor baseball goods emporium.

Illinois native Albert Spalding, along with his brother Walter, has opened a largest-of-its-kind store in the Andrews Building on Madison Street in Chicago, where the ball player can get everything for the sport he could ever want: bats, balls, hats, shirts, pants, socks, shoes, and accessories like score cards and rule books.

(In real life, in addition to being the founder of Spalding, Albert Spalding was a pitcher who almost certainly would have made the Hall of Fame based solely on statistical output had he not retired at age 26, he helped organize the National League in 1876, helped put together the first scholarly – albeit flawed – account of the history of baseball, he took a group of baseball players on a world tour, and the company he founded sold books about various sports. Due to his off-the-field work, Spalding was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939 as part of the fourth class of inductees.)

While the Midwestern United States doesn’t have anywhere close to the population of the Northeast – it only has seven of the U.S.A.’s thirty largest cities – it has become home to a quickly spreading network of baseball clubs, some of which have become well-known:

• Chicago, Ill.: Lake Michigan
• Chicago, Ill.: Red & Gold
• Cincinnati, Ohio: Queen City
• Cleveland, Ohio: Forest City
• Detroit, Mich.: Detroit B.B.C.
• Indianapolis, Ind.: Indianapolis B.B.C.
• Louisville, Ky.: River City
• Milwaukee, Wis.: Bavarian B.B.C.
• St. Louis, Mo.: Bluebird B.B.C.
• St. Louis, Mo.: Louis IX B.B.C.

While the above is a list of ten clubs in major Midwestern cities known to some in traditional baseball circles, in recent years many clubs have sprung up in smaller cities and towns as leisure time has become a more common thing to have among American workers, and things to do with that leisure time are thus more in demand.

Some say that it’s only a matter of time before Midwestern baseball has an organizational structure in place to rival that of the sport’s home in the Northeast. If that is true, then Spalding may have positioned himself well to become one of the premier suppliers to everyone involved with the game in due time.

tm1681 · 08-24-2025, 05:18 AM

THE 1876 AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE PREVIEW

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (May 2, 1876) – It’s time to begin the sixth season of the A.P.B.L., with professional baseball action taking place across the Northeast this afternoon. American begins the season looking for their fourth Founders’ Cup triumph in five years, while Alleghany will once again try to win the Colonial Conference and clear the final hurdle for the first time. Ten other teams will also try to break American’s grip on the cup, with Excelsior the likeliest to succeed as they try to build on last season’s superb finish.

A summary of the offseason for each team:

ALLEGHANY – The entire group of batsmen is back, but they suffered a big loss when 7x All-Star Elmer Seabold departed for Excelsior. They think that one of two Greenhorn pitchers – William Haney or James Lockhart – can do an admirable job of filling the void, and if either does than the team should be almost as good as it was last year.

AMERICAN – Because the bats of the champions apparently weren’t strong enough, they brought back 7/8 regular batsmen and upgraded LF by signing indy ball player George Kassabian, a slightly worse defender but a much better hitter than Sidney Crowder. American will again be the favorites to take home the Founders’ Cup.

EXCELSIOR – An interesting winter. After coming up a game short in their charge to catch American last year, they decided to upgrade their pitching instead of their offense, letting Nicholas Banfield leave for Kings Co. while signing Elmer Seabold. The problem: they let star 2B Clyde Hudspeth leave, and his replacement, Bert Wagner, is a downgrade. Excelsior may come up just short once again.

FLOUR CITY – After finishing 2nd for the fourth time in five years, the team replaced disappointing RF Alfred Suber with Bill Lewis from Excelsior – a marginal upgrade – without making any other changes to the lineup. Greenhorn John Riley may take Daniel Gibson’s place in the pitching rotation but that would be an even move. The Writers Pool doesn’t like Flour City’s chances this year.

GOTHAM – The team will have its third CF in three years, this one being ex-Excelsior CF Alfred Calvert, an upgrade over Gerbrand Boonstra. The rest of their batsmen have returned, but the team lost Peadar Daly after one season and has replaced him from within with James Smith (2.5*) at a downgrade. They are expected to lose 4-5 more games than last year.

KINGS COUNTY – One should see another improvement of 5-7 wins from them. They took Nicholas Banfield from Excelsior to be their new #1 after his breakthrough season, purchased excellent 3B Alfred Williams from the N.B.B.O., and made the promising George Miller their new RF. A contender? No, but it looks like this team finally has a fair amount of talent at the top of its roster.

KNICKERBOCKER – After the worst season in team history, they instantly reversed their infield defensive woes by signing Anthony Mascherino. They’ve also made Arthur Groff their new 3B, a defensive upgrade over the aging Werner Verstegen. Add in 5* relief specialist Robert Goodman and this team should be much better than it was last year. A .500 or better season seems likely.

MASSACHUSETTS BAY – Another year and another raid of crosstown rivals Shamrock, with the team signing Arthur Fisher to be their new 2B and 6x All-Star Tom Ricks to be their new #2 Pitcher. They signed .400 hitter Gerhardt Berg from the NBBO, and will move Albert Stoffers to 3B so Berg can play 1B. Excellent young hitter Harold Durand has also been transferred in from the NBBO.

NIAGARA – They should be notably better. They have replaced the ageing & now retired Ernest Lewis with Clyde Hudspeth, the best defensive 2B in the league last year. The improved middle infield defense should do wonders for P’s Tomoharu Mukai & Jack Smith. They’ve also added a good-looking bat in indy ball Greenhorn Sweeney Martin, and Charles Barrett looked great in preseason training.

ORANGE – This will be a tough season. They lost Anthony Mascherino and replaced him at SS from within with John Harmon, a downgrade from 5.0* to 2.5*. They also lost 9x All-Star Taliesin Buckley and have replaced him with a Greenhorn, George Hopp. One silver lining: former Shamrock Earl Crosby should be a nice upgrade at LF.

SHAMROCK – Both Tom Ricks & John Henry have been replaced, with highly-rated Greenhorns Rudolph Aldridge & Donal Hagan the new pitching duo. They responded to Earl Crosby’s departure by signing Mario Fusilli and moving Frank Bulger to LF, while Rhys Falconer was promoted to SS after Arthur Fisher joined Niagara. The loss of Fisher will hurt, and Shamrock will be worse off

ST. JOHN’S – The team has perhaps fixed the infield issues from last year. They signed the #1 indy ball batsman available: 2B Cletus Cannon. That will let them move Gerald Hathaway to SS, where he will compete with veteran ex-K.C. player Harold Price. The main issue: Mario Fusilli was replaced with 40 y/o Hawk Peterson at 1B. Still, the Writers Pool thinks they’re the Colonial favorites.

NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION PROJECTED FINISH

COLONIAL CONFERENCE

• Favorites: St. John's at 52-38 (+110 RD)
• Alleghany 2 GB
• Mass. Bay 7 GB
• Niagara 9 GB
• Shamrock 11 GB
• Flour City 12 GB

METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE

• Favorites: American at 54-36 (+80 RD)
• Excelsior 1 GB
• Knickerbocker 9 GB
• Gotham 10 GB
• Kings Co. & Orange 16 GB

APBL AWARD FAVORITES

Batsman of the Year: James Burke (CF, American) – projected .366/.410/.466, 1 HR, 95 RBI, 81 SB
Pitcher of the Year: Jim Creighton (P, Excelsior) – projected 24-17, 2.82 ERA, 170 K over 380.0 IP
Most Valuable Player: John Meier (LF, Alleghany) – projected .344/.364/.451, 2 HR, 89 RBI, 48 SB
Greenhorn of the Year: Harold Durand (LF, Mass. Bay) – projected .314/.343/.398, 1 HR, 80 RBI, 9 SB

APBL TEAM OF THE YEAR FAVORITES

P: Jim Creighton (EXC), C: Everett Schreiber (ORA), 1B: Cormack Alexander (KNI), 2B: Anthony Mascherino (KNI), 3B: Alfred Stoffers (MB), SS: Gerald Strong (ALL), LF: Konrad Jensen (StJ), CF: James Burke (AME), RF: Franklin Petty (AME)

KEY SIGNINGS & PLAYER CHANGES

P: Rudolph Aldridge (24 y/o Greenhorn; 4.0/4.0*) to Shamrock on Nov. 1
P: Nicholas Banfield (20-18, 3.49 ERA, 22 K, 3.1 WAR) from Excelsior to Kings Co. on Dec. 23
P: Peadar Daly (22-20, 3.93 ERA, 21 K, 4.4 WAR) from Gotham to Excelsior on Nov. 10
P: Peter Dittmer (21 y/o Greenhorn; 2.0/4.0*) from Maryland (NBBO) to Mass. Bay for $2,000 on Feb. 18
P: Robert Goodman (22 y/o Greenhorn; 5.0/5.0* as RP only) to Knick on Oct. 31
P: Donal Hagan (31 y/o Greenhorn; 3.5/3.5*) to Shamrock on Jan. 23
P: William Haney (25 y/o Greenhorn; 2.5/3.0*) from Keystone (PCBL) to Alleghany for $1,500 on Dec. 19
P: Walter Hoffman (26 y/o Greenhorn; 3.0/3.0*) to St. John’s on Nov. 19
P: James Lockhart (29 y/o Greenhorn; 3.0/3.0*) to Alleghany on Nov. 24
P: Tom Ricks (20-22, 2.80 ERA, 17 K, 4.0 WAR) from Shamrock to Mass. Bay on Dec. 27
P: John Riley (27 y/o Greenhorn; 2.5/2.5*) to Flour City on Dec. 6
P: Elmer Seabold (25-16, 3.23 ERA, 86 K, 5.7 WAR) from Alleghany to Excelsior on Nov. 9

1B: Gerhardt Berg (33 y/o; 3.5*) from Quaker St. (NBBO) to Mass. Bay on Nov. 9
1B: Sweeney Martin (29 y/o Greenhorn; 3.0/3.0*) to Niagara on Dec. 2
1B: Hawk Peterson (40 y/o; 2.5*) from Mass. Bay to St. John’s on Dec. 28
2B: Cletus Cannon (26 y/o Greenhorn; 3.5/3.5*) to St. John’s on Nov. 18
2B: Arthur Fisher (.300, 65 RBI, 24 SB, 2.1 WAR) from Shamrock to Mass. Bay on Dec. 19
2B: Clyde Hudspeth (.304, 53 RBI, +21.7 ZR, 3.7 WAR) from Knick to Niagara on Dec. 24
2B: Anthony Mascherino (.357, 60 RBI, +14.2 ZR, 4.5 WAR) from Orange to Knick on Jan. 2
3B: Alfred Williams (28 y/o Greenhorn; 3.5/3.5*) from Portland (NBBO) to Kings Co. for $2,000 on Dec. 16
SS: Harold Price (.265, 66 RBI, 15 SB, 1.0 WAR) from Kings Co. to St. John’s on Feb. 17

LF: Earl Crosby (.285, 47 RBI, 55 SB, 2.6 WAR) from Shamrock to Orange on Jan. 31
LF: Harold Durand (24 y/o Greenhorn; 3.5/3.5*) from Olympic (NBBO) to Mass. Bay for $2,000 on Dec. 8
LF: Mario Fusilli (.301, 91 RBI, 7 SB, 1.2 WAR) from St. John’s to Shamrock on Nov. 27
LF: George Kassabian (27 y/o Greenhorn; 3.0/3.5*) to American on Oct. 31
CF: George Hopp (22 y/o Greenhorn; 2.5/2.5*) to Orange on Dec. 9
CF: Christopher Morton (29 y/o Greenhorn; 3.0/3.0*) to Excelsior on Nov. 23
CF: Alfred Calvert (.308, 56 RBI, 22 SB, 1.6 WAR) from Excelsior to Gotham on Jan. 10
RF: Taliesin Buckley (.342, 72 RBI, 23 SB, 2.5 WAR) from Orange to Excelsior on Dec. 10
RF: Bill Lewis (.262, 64 RBI, 17 SB, 0.5 WAR) from Excelsior to Flour City on Dec. 1

tm1681 · 08-24-2025, 08:18 PM

THE 1876 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION PREVIEW

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (May 10, 1876) – It is time to start the twentieth season of play in the N.B.B.O.

1875 began with Trenton United as the seemingly surprising favorite to hoist the Tucker-Wheaton Cup but the Writers Pool was ultimately proven correct in their wisdom, for the New Jersey outfit finished with the N.B.B.O.’s #1 overall record, swept their way through the N.E.L. Championship Series, and won the cup final over Eckford of Greenpoint in four games.

After three straight years with the same playoff roster, there are three new favorites this year in New York, as roster moves by Atlantic, Minuteman, and especially New York Athletic Club have made them the teams to beat, at least on paper, in their respective regions.

In the Northeastern League, Trenton United remains the team to beat even though they lost Manuel Romeiras, such is their depth. Lancastra Britannia has been tipped to take the Inland pennant for the first time with a top-heavy lineup. Last year’s New England favorites, Sons of the Ocean, are favorites again after finishing 4th (36-34) in 1875.

One team expected to see some measure of mediocrity for the first time in a number of years is Quaker St., due to the fact that for the second consecutive winter they lost a five-star batsman, this one 1B & Batsman of the Year Gerhardt Berg, and replaced him at a downgrade of at least two stars, with Berg’s replacement being 3.0* 1B James Fisher.

N.Y.A.C. is the only team expected to make a large rise or fall in the standings this year, with the team expected to improve by a Baker’s Dozen worth of victories thanks to their numerous offseason imports. For the rest of the N.B.B.O., expect teams to improve or degrade slightly, and for the standings to react accordingly.

One thing to watch out for this year: Strikeout totals. With only two dozen regular pitching spots available in the professional ranks there are an increasing amount of professional-grade pitchers in the N.B.B.O., and as a result the Writers Pool expects multiple P’s to top 100 Strikeouts in 1876, with George Burroughs considered the likely Strikeout King.

And with that, it’s time to play ball!

NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION PROJECTED FINISH

Brooklyn Championship
• Favorites: Atlantic at 43-27 (+95 RD)
• Eckford & Star 1 GB, Continental 6 GB

New York City Championship
• Favorites: New York Athletic Club at 42-28 (+105 RD)
• Metropolitan 1 GB, Union 2 GB, Hilltop 6 GB

Upstate New York Championship
• Favorites: Minuteman at 42-28 (+105 RD)
• Syracuse & Victory 3 GB, Frontier 6 GB

Coastal Championship
• Favorites: Trenton Utd. at 49-21 (+205 RD)
• Pt. Jersey 5 GB, Newark 9 GB, Quaker St. 10 GB

Inland Championship
• Favorites: Lancastra Britannia at 47-23 (+200 RD)
• Merrimack 4 GB. Susquehanna 5 GB, no other teams within 10 GB

New England Championship
• Favorites: Sons of the Ocean at 42-28 (+80 RD)
• Cantabrigians 1 GB, Portland 4 GB, Oceanic 7 GB

Tucker-Wheaton Cup favorites: Trenton United B.B.C.

BROOKLYN – Eckford has taken the last four Brooklyn pennants, but the Writers Pool thinks that Atlantic will go back to the top for the first time since 1871 thanks to the addition of former St. John’s SS Ben Gagliardi. Star has an excellent-looking Greenhorn at 3B in Charles Ramer, and the team’s talented set of batsmen should keep them in close contention. Continental has two fantastic young P’s – Howard Shepherd & Henry Spencer – but there are holes in their lineup.

NEW YORK CITY – N.Y.A.C.’s winter additions of champion CF & M.V.P. Manuel Romeiras, A.P.B.L. P George Cerven, Golden-Glove 2B Lacy LeGendre, and 4* indy ball RF Jack Anastasio should make them the competition’s most improved team. That trumps the Metro additions of 1x P.o.t.Y. George Layman & Susquehanna LF Ernest Keel. Union returns every member of their solid lineup, but that’s likely not enough. Hilltop has a standout 3B in Charles Barrow, and a decent lineup surrounding him.

UPSTATE – Minuteman is favored to take the pennant for the first time since they had James Goodman thanks to a team featuring 2B Jules Thomas, 1B Paul LaGuerre, & defending P.o.t.Y. William Tighe. The trio of 2B Chester Alexander, RF Lon Duffy, & P Jacob Wesolowski should keep Syracuse close. Victory has Henry Nabors, and that alone makes them contenders. Frontier returns their great pitching duo – Carl Bancroft & Ed Pelham – and excellent 3B William Rockford.

COASTAL – The champions lost Manuel Romeiras, but they still have SS Earl Seals, tremendous OF defense, and two fine P’s, and that could easily make them repeat cup winners. Pt. Jersey convinced George Burroughs to stay for another year, and that makes them automatic contenders. Newark brings back a fine roster featuring 5* P John Ratican and a number of talented batsmen. Quaker St. again downgraded from a 5* player and while they'll still be safely above .500 they will suffer as a result.

INLAND – Lancastra has an odd mix of weak points (C, 1B, SS, RF) and bright spots (2B, CF, P) in their lineup, but the good outweighs the bad and they’re projected for big things. Merrimack brought in Flour City RF Alfred Suber & 7x Golden Glover William Gillete to join All-Star 2B William Sudduth and make them serious contenders. Susquehanna lost Gillette & LF Ernest Keel, and thus they’re projected to fall down the standings a bit.

NEW ENGLAND – S.o.t.O. replaced 2B Lacy LeGendre adequately with Emeril Catanzaro, and as a result they have the best lineup in New England. Pennant holders Cantabrigians added veteran P John Brown from the A.P.B.L., but they’re still expected to come up just short of a repeat. Portland had to sell 3B Alfred Williams to recover from a financial shortfall, so their place in the standings will take a hit. Oceanic has a fine CF – James Baird – and a decent lineup elsewhere.

NBBO AWARD FAVORITES

NYL Batsman of the Year: Isaac Kelly (3B, Eckford) – projected .350/.376/.437, 0 HR, 78 RBI, 1 SB
NEL Batsman of the Year: Jesse Craig (1B, S.o.t.O.) – projected .369/.392/.437, 0 HR, 85 RBI, 1 SB
NYL Pitcher of the Year: Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.) – projected 22-14, 2.27 ERA, 116 K over 345.2 IP
NEL Pitcher of the Year: George Burroughs (Pt. Jersey.) – projected 29-14, 1.87 ERA, 147 K over 365.1 IP
NYL Most Valuable Player: Francis Smith (CF, Metro) – projected .351/.359/.506, 2 HR, 63 RBI, 23 SB
NEL Most Valuable Player: Lennon Haley (2B, Lancastra) – projected .326/.354/.464, 1 HR, 70 RBI, 28 SB
NYL Greenhorn of the Year: Henry Carter (P, age 26, SYR) – projected 20-15, 2.78 ERA, 35 K over 321.0 IP
NEL Greenhorn of the Year: Walter Little (1B, age 24, NAT) – projected .333/.371/.462, 0 HR, 53 RBI, 7 SB

NBBO TEAM OF THE YEAR FAVORITES

NEW YORK LEAGUE – P: Charles Rhodes (N.Y.A.C.), C: Cale Jones (Union), 1B: Ezechiele Cornaro (Metro), 2B: Jules Thomas (Minuteman), 3B: Isaac Kelly (Eckford), SS: Henry Nabors (Victory), OF: Herb Verrett (Atlantic), OF: Francis Smith (Metro), OF: Manuel Romeiras (N.Y.A.C.)

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE – P: George Burroughs (Pt. Jersey), C: Carl Nevers (Olympic), 1B: Jesse Craig (S.o.t.O.), 2B: Lennon Haley (Lancastra), 3B: Hoyt Woodford (Salem), SS: Earl Seals (Trenton Utd.), OF: Ned Morganti (Quaker St.), OF: Jacob Kaulback (Newark), OF: John Schultz (Susquehanna)

MOST TALENTED GREENHORNS (by position)

P: Henry Carter (Syracuse, age 26, 4.5*), C: Mackenzie Simpson (Cantabrigians, age 31, 3.5*), 1B: Walter Little (National, age 24, 4.0/4.5*), 2B: Patrick Nagtegaal (Salem, age 28, 3.5*), 3B: Charles Ramer (Star, age 26, 4.0*), SS: Julius Krebs (Marathon, age 30, 3.0*), OF: Jack Anastasio (N.Y.A.C., age 25, 4.0/4.5*), OF: Fred Harbour (Maryland, age 28, 4.0*), OF: McKenzie Wilson (Cantabrigians, age 24, 3.0/3.5*)

MOST TALENTED RESERVE PROSPECTS (by position)

P: Hugo dos Santos (Syracuse, age 21, 2.0/5.0*), C: John Hepler (Eckford, age 21, 2.0/3.0*), 1B: Chester Dudek (age 21, National, 2.5/5.0*), 2B: Jerry Rockford (Trenton Utd., age 21, 2.5/4.0*), 3B: Earl McKeon (Maryland, age 22, 2.5/3.0 *), SS: William Reed (Pioneer, age 21, 2.5/3.0*), OF: Jonathan Cobb (Granite, age 19, 2.0/5.0*), OF: Mervin King (Baltic, age 20, 2.0/4.0*), OF: Arthur Capone (Maryland, age 23, 2.5/3.5*)

tm1681 · 08-24-2025, 08:29 PM

THE 1876 PHILADELPHIA CITY BASEBALL LEAGUE PREVIEW

PHILADELPHIA (May 10, 1876) – Season #4 of the P.C.B.L. begins this afternoon.

Last year was Philadelphia B.C.C.’s year. After an incredible 26-9 first half the team took some criticism as they eased their way into the Liberty Bell Classic, but once in the playoff they were back in form and won the city championship in five games over the now 3x runners-up Frankford Arsenal.

This year, P.B.C.C. is expected to be similarly dominant after they strengthened their already league-best pitching, and their anticipated opponent in the Liberty Bell Classic is Frankford Arsenal, who will make a fourth attempt at becoming the best team in Philadelphia.

The two major individual awards are expected to be repeats. Joesph Evans returns from his best season yet and looking better than ever as the Writers Pool believes he could become the P.C.B.L.’s first Triple Crown winner. Meanwhile, Arthur Lipscomb is projected to lead the league in Wins again while sporting a low E.R.A. while having the league’s best group of fielders behind him.

If there is any player that could knock Joseph Evans off his Batsman of the Year perch for the first time, the likeliest candidate is Queen Village 2B Herman Stanley, The 24-year-old has improved in each of the P.C.B.L.’s three seasons, and last year he hit .344 with an .820 OPS, 20 Stolen Bases, and 3.8 WAR. Another candidate is Mercantile Benjamin Warnock, was last year’s runner-up in both Batting Average & OPS while finishing a handful away from the RBI lead.

As for the other two awards…Even though Most Valuable Player could go to anybody who puts forth a great season, Merion’s William Norman is considered a likely candidate to repeat as M.V.P. after his absurd 7.7 WPA in 1875. That, combined with his consistent batting and his high Baseball I.Q., makes him likely to be extremely valuable once again. Greenhorn of the Year will likely be another P.B.C.C. pickup, with 22-year-old RF Leroy Moore, who is incredibly talented with the bat and will be deadly once he’s a bit better at finding the gaps in the outfield.

And with that, it’s time to play ball!

PHILADELPHIA CITY BASEBALL LEAGUE PROJECTED FINISH

East Philadelphia
• Favorites: Frankford Arsenal at 42-28 (+95 RD)
• Minerva 1 GB, Keystone 6 GB, Port Richmond & Sons of Ben 7 GB, Spartan 8 GB

West Philadelphia
• Favorites: Philadelphia B.C.C. at 48-22 (+170 RD)
• Merion 8 GB, Germantown 9 GB, no other teams within 10 GB

Liberty Bell Classic favorites: Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club

EAST PHILDELPHIA – Once again Frankford is expected to take the pennant for the eastern half of the city, and once again it’s expected to be a close race. Of course the favorites have the league’s best player – LF Joseph Evans – but they also rank #1-2 at three other positions: 2B (James Toppin), CF (Francis Brown), & RF (James Howard). Minerva has a powerful offense whose best bat may be that of a Greenhorn: 2B Jonathan Auriemma. Keystone will be led by excellent P Moses Smith. Pt. Richmond has a hit-or-miss lineup led by CF William Detmer. Sons of Ben will again be anchored by P Paul Krueger. Spartan has RF Joseph Sizemore, but unfortunately not a whole lot else to support him.

WEST PHILADELPHIA – P.B.C.C. has such a talented roster that they are expected to easily make it to the Liberty Bell Classic even though Merion has top-three players at four positions – 1B (William Norman), 3B (Ben Roberts), CF (Wallace Wagner), & RF (Clifford Martin) – and Germantown ranks #1 at three – C (Thomas Kirkpatrick), CF (Edward Smith), & RF (Sig Siemens). There isn’t a single hole in their lineup, their defense is outstanding, and their pitching is excellent. What’s even scarier is that P.B.C.C. has four of the top ten young prospects in the P.C.B.L., and one is already a starter in 22-year-old RF Leroy Moore.

PCBL AWARD FAVORITES

Batsman of the Year: Joseph Evans (LF, Frankford) – projected .359/.404/.548, 5 HR, 77 RBI, 16 SB
Pitcher of the Year: Arthur Lipscomb (P.B.C.C.) – projected 27-12, 2.44 ERA, 56 K over 335.2 IP
Most Valuable Player: Benjamin Warnock (1B, Merion) – projected .348/.376/.465, 2 HR, 60 RBI, 18 SB
Greenhorn of the Year: Leroy Moore (RF, P.B.C.C.) – projected .331/.351/.458, 1 HR, 56 RBI, 5 SB

PCBL TEAM OF THE YEAR FAVORITES

P: Arthur Lipscomb (P.B.C.C.), C: Harrison Hearst (P.B.C.C.), 1B: William Norman (Merion), 2B: Herman Stanley (Queen Village), 3B: Charles Hunt (P.B.C.C.), SS: Moody Steiger (P.B.C.C.), OF: Joseph Evans (Frankford), OF: Francis Brown (Frankford), OF: Sigmund Siemens (Germantown)

tm1681 · 08-26-2025, 04:46 AM

CANNON FIRES ON NIAGARA IN 2ND CAREER GAME
HIGHLY TOUTED GREENHORN HITS HOME RUN WILE RACKING UP FIVE HITS & FOUR RBI

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 3, 1876) - Cletus Cannon, the wonderfully-named Greenhorn, was the #1 indy ball prospect available this winter. It took all of two games in his first A.P.B.L. to prove why as St. John’s beat Niagara in a walkoff:

St. John’s had the advantage going into the late innings with 6-4 lead after six. After the home side added a run in the 7th. Niagara took the lead in the 8th with a four-run rally, the key hit a two-run Single by C Irving Polk, to go ahead 9-8. In the bottom of the 9th LF Konrad Jensen tied the game on a Single that scored Cannon, and 3B Eamonn Todd followed him with another run-scoring Single to win the game for St. John’s.

Jensen (2/4, 3 RBI) & Todd (3/5, 1 RBI) both put in quality performances, but the Player of the Game was Cannon, a man playing the second game of his career:

• B1: SOLO HOME RUN to LF off J. Smith (R)
• B3: 1-run Double to CF off J. Smith
• B5: Double to LCF off J. Smith (R)
• B7: Single to CF off J. Smith (SB, R)
• B9: Single past 2B off C. Dempsey (SB, R)
• TOTAL: 4/5 (2 2B, HR, 10 TB), 4 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB, 87 GMSC

Cannon was the best indy ball batsman available during the offseason as a 2B rated at 3.5*. Regarded as outstanding at hitting the outfield gaps, a good fielder at 2B, and an excellent baserunner, Cannon is 7/10 through his first two games. It has taken him no time to adjust to the professional game, and St. John’s looks like they have another star on their hands.

tm1681 · 08-26-2025, 04:46 AM

CREIGHTON CREATES MASTERPIECE AT ORANGE
EXCELSIOR LEGEND PITCHES SHUTOUT, BATS 3/4 IN WIN AT UPPER MANHATTAN GROUNDS

MANHATTAN (May 4, 1876) - Jim Creighton stated that he was left heartbroken by Excelsior’s 14-1 August run that came up just short of catching American for the Metropolitan Conference title last year, and based on the start of this season and especially Thursday’s game at Orange it looks like he’ll do everything he can to put Excelsior over the top:

It was Creighton who opened the scoring with a two-run Double in the top of the 3rd, and that was easily enough for the win as he was brilliant with both ball and bat:

• EXC P Jim Creighton PITCHING: CG SHUTOUT, 5 HA, 0 BB, 7 K
• EXC P Jim Creighton BATTING: 3/4, 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI

Creighton’s whopping Strikeout total at Orange meant that he has authored seven of the eight outings in A.P.B.L. history featuring 7+ Strikeouts by a pitcher, with James Goodman providing the other one. Creighton also has the single-game Strikeout record with eight, a feat he performed just a couple of weeks into the A.P.B.L.’s inaugural season.

Excelsior won all three of their games at Orange by multiple runs, with the results making the team 17-1 over its last eighteen games going back to last August. There could well be another epic pennant race in store for the Metropolitan.

tm1681 · 08-26-2025, 04:47 AM

SMITH SHUTOUT HANDS ALLEGHANY FIRST LOSS
ALLEGHANY HAD SCORED AT LEAST FIVE RUNS IN EACH OF THEIR FIRST SIX GAMES

PITTSBURGH (May 10, 1876) - Alleghany entered Wednesday’s home game against Niagara with a 7-0 record, having beaten their Buffalo-based opposition 3-2 the previous day. However, Niagara had the upper hand here:

The visitors opened scoring with two runs in the top of the 2nd on a Double by SS William Schumacher, and that was enough as #2 P Jack Smith had himself an excellent afternoon:

• NIA P Jack Smith PITCHING: CH SHUTOUT, 4 HA, 1 BB, 2 K
• NIA P Jack Smith BATTING: 1/4, 1 R, 1 RBI

Ahead of the series Alleghany had scored 5+ Runs in each of their first six games, but Smith had their batsmen guessing incorrectly all afternoon. The base hits came from just three players: CF Robert Golden (2/4), RF Ashley Hearns (1/4), & PH Walter White (1/1).

The loss was Alleghany’s first of the young season. For Niagara it was a badly needed win, as the team had been projected to finish with an improved record in 1876 but lost six of their first seven games.

tm1681 · 08-26-2025, 04:48 AM

FRONTIER’S FAIR DRIVES IN EIGHT AGAINST EAGLE
FRONTIER RF HAS CAREER DAY AT HOME AGAINST EAGLE ON SEASON’S SECOND DAY

OSWEGO, N.Y. (May 11, 1876) - Frontier B.B.C. is opening their season against perennial Upstate basement dwellers Eagle and through games they have taken advantage, with Thursday’s win and easy eight-run home victory:

Eagle did have the lead for brief periods – 1-0 after the top of the 1st and 3-2 after the top of the 3rd – but Frontier erased the lead both times. The home took the lead permanently during the bottom of the 3rd before adding two runs in the 4th to go ahead 7-3. The hosts then hit Eagle with a six-run rally in the bottom of the 6th to make it a 13-3 game, and the rout was on, with Frontier having a lead as large as 16-3 before Eagle scored some late runs.

Frontier saw first-year regular 2B Elmer Haas have a fine 4/4 afternoon, but his work paled in comparison to that of fifth-year RF William Fair:

• B1: Single past SS off J. Darby (R)
• B2: 1-run Single to CF off J. Darby
• B3: 2-run Single to RF off J. Darby
• B5: Ground Out to SS (2 out)
• B6: 3-run Double past 1B off J. Wilson (R)
• B7: 2-run Tiple to LCF off L. Porcatello
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2B, 3B, 8 TB), 2 R, 8 RBI, 106 GMSC

It was easily the best performance of Fair’s career. The 28-year-old has one other five-hit game on record, a 5/6 outing with three Runs Batted In against Binghamton in August of 1874. It was also Fair’s second career six-RBI game, with the other being a 4/6 day with six RBI against Eagle in July of 1874.

tm1681 · 08-26-2025, 04:49 AM

MORGANTI HAS ANOTHER HISTORIC HIT STREAK
QUAKER ST. STAR BECOMES FIRST PLAYER EVER WITH TWO 40-GAME HITTING STREAKS

PHILADELPHIA (May 12, 1876) - Cross-city rivals Tiger Social Club and Quaker State are opening the N.B.B.O. season against each other, and Quaker St. won 11-7 at the Philadelphia Cricket Grounds on Friday to take a 2-1 series lead.

However, the outcome of the game wasn’t the big news of the afternoon, and neither was new 1B James Fisher’s Player of the Game performance (3/5, 1 R, 4 RBI). That honor went to 7x All-Star Ned Morganti.

Morganti, Quaker St.’s longest-tenured player at thirteen years with the club and ten seasons in the Senior Roster, entered Friday’s contest with a 39-game Hitting Streak. After grounding out and reaching via Error, in the bottom of the 5th Morganti hit a one-run Single off Tiger S.C. P Thomas Paddock that brought his streak to an even forty games in length.

Not only was Morganti’s hit significant in that it gave him the ninth forty-game Hitting Streak in N.B.B.O. history, but Morganti also became the first player in baseball history with two separate forty-game Hitting Streaks during his career.

Here is the new and updated list of forty-game Hitting Streaks in N.B.B.O. history:

• #1: 67 games by Peter Huff (Union) during 1871 (ended 8/5)
• #2: 49 games by Remi Scrovegni (Frontier) during 1874 (ended 8/5)
• #3: 42 games by William Gentilucci (Nassau Co.) during 1870 (ended 7/20)
• #4: 42 games by Cormack Alexander (K.C. & Q.S.) during 1867-68 (ended 5/22/68)
• #5: 41 games by Franklin Petty (Lake Erie) during 1869 (ended 7/7)
• #6: 41 games by William McQuaid (Flour City) during 1862-63 (ended 6/28/63)
• #7: 40 games by Henry Nabors (Victory during 1868-69 (ended 5/22/69)
• #8: 40 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1873-74 (ended 6/17/74)
• #9: 40 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1875-76 (ongoing)

Morganti’s other historic Hitting Streak ended at exactly forty games, so he’ll be hoping that he can get some hits tomorrow to make his current one a new career high.

Ned Morganti is undoubtedly the greatest player in Quaker St. history, and given his already lengthy list of accomplishments:

• 1x Tucker-Wheaton Cup champion (1871)
• 1x N.E.L. Batsman of the Year (1874)
• 1x N.E.L. Most Valuable Player (1872)
• 7x N.E.L. All-Star (1868, 70-75)
• 5x N.E.L. Team of the Year (1871-75)

• 3x N.E.L. leader in RBI (1872, 74-75)
• 3x N.E.L. leader in Hits (1871-73)
• 2x N.E.L. leader in Slugging & OPS (1874-75)
• 2x N.E.L. leader in Batsman WAR (1872, 74)

…adding, not one, but two forty-game Hitting Streaks to that résumé makes Morganti one of the most accomplished players in the history of the National Base Ball Association, and its greatest player since the league split in 1871.

Morganti has two more games against Tiger pitching this week, and given the rate at which both of their main pitchers allowed Hits last year (Thomas Paddock: 11.9 HA/9; Ivory Norman: 12.2 HA/9) the odds are good that Morganti will run his streak to a new career high.

tm1681 · 08-26-2025, 04:50 AM

ALLEGHANY MAULS MASS. BAY TO GO TO 10-2
JERALD PETERSON TALLES FIVE HITS & SIX RBI AS VISITORS SCORE EARLY & OFTEN IN BOSTON

BOSTON (May 14, 1876) - Massachusetts Bay hosted Alleghany in the final game of their Week Two series on Sunday, and in the end Alleghany continued yet another hot start to a season with an impressive win at Oceanside Park:

Alleghany scored first with three runs in the top of the 2nd, with the inning led off by a Single from 1B Jeral Peterson, and never relinquished the lead, scoring eleven of their thirteen runs over the first five innings.

Peterson was easily Alleghany’s most outstanding performer on the afternoon:

• T2: Leadoff Single past 3B off T. Ricks (R)
• T3: Ground Out to 3B (1 out)
• T4: 2-run Double to RCF off T. Ricks
• T5: 2-run Double to LF off T. Ricks
• T7: 1-run Double to RF off W. McGuffin
• T9: 1-run Single past SS off W. McGuffin
• TOTAL: 5/6 (3 2B, 8 TB), 1 R, 6 RBI, 85 GMSC

It was a badly-needed set of hits for Peterson, who began Week Two batting .182 and raised his average from .240 (.495 OPS) to .304 (.673) OPS with his five-Hit, three-Double day. The 41-year-old has long since lost his ability to play 3B, but the 9x All-Star remains a capable 1B and a fine batsman.

The victory in Boston gave Alleghany a 10-2 record and their third straight hot start to a season. They have the best record in the A.P.B.L. after two weeks, while Mass. Bay is 7-5 and 3rd in the Colonial Conference.

tm1681 · 08-27-2025, 06:26 AM

HUMPHRIES PLATES SEVEN AS SotO BEATS QUINNIPIAC
VETERAN RF HAS BEST PERFORMANCE IN YEARS TO LEAD TEAM TO EIGHT-RUN WIN

NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (May 13, 1876) - Sons of the Ocean took on Quinnipiac at home on Saturday, and what occurred was an exciting contest in which S.o.t.O. went up early, Quinnipiac came back, and the hosts pulled away:

S.o.t.O. opened the scoring with four runs in the 1st, the key hit a two-run Single by RF Otto Humphries, and three more in the 2nd, with another run-scoring Single by Humphries bringing in the final run of the rally.

Faced with a 7-0 deficit, Quinnipiac went work and slowly closed the deficit over the middle innings by scoring in the 3rd, 4th, & 5th, the key hit being a two-run Triple by LF Frederick Olson, to make it a 7-5 game. After a scoreless 6th Quinnipiac scored on a Sacrifice Fly & a Single in T7 to tie the game 7-7.

S.o.t.O. came right back at Quinnipiac. Humphries put the hosts ahead with another run-scoring Single, and two more runs in the 7th made it 10-7. S.o.t.O. then put up a five-run rally during the 8th, with Humphries hitting a three-run, inside-the-park Home Run to put the game away.

For Humphries, the Home Run in the 8th capped off a fantastic afternoon:

• B1: 2-run Single to CF off J. Honeycutt (R)
• B2: 1-run Single to LCF off J. Honeycutt
• B5: Reached via Error by 3B J. Reed
• B7: 1-run Single to 2B off D. Palmer (R)
• B8: THREE-RUN HOME RUN (ItP) to LCF off D. Palmer (R)
• TOTAL: 4/5 (HR, 7 TB), 3 R, 7 RBI, 107 GMSC

Humphries’ seven Runs Batted In were a team record, though it wasn’t the first six-RBI game of his career. On Independence Day four years ago, Humphries hit a Grand Slam as part of a six-RBI day against Green Mountain.

Both Quinnipiac and Sons of the Ocean are 2-2 after four games.

tm1681 · 08-27-2025, 06:27 AM

BEDFORD OUTLASTS MARATHON IN A CLASSIC
MARATHON’S 10-RUN 6TH OVERCOME BY BEDFORD’S 5-RUN 9TH; OWENS HAS 7 RBI

BROOKLYN (May 17, 1876) - Marathon and Bedford opened their Week Two series on Wednesday afternoon, and the corresponding contest was quite the memorable affair:

An even 2-2 game after the 2nd inning, Marathon took the lead with a run in the 3rd only to be met with six Bedford tallies over the 3rd & 4th that put the hosts ahead 8-3. After a scoreless 5th, Marathon roared back into the lead with a ten-run rally in the 6th inning that featured four two-run Singles. Bedford put up one run in response, and the score was 13-9 going into the key frames.

After a scoreless 7th & 8th, Marathon went down 1-2-3 in the 9th. Bedford came to bat knowing they needed four runs, but instead they scored five to win. The first run came across on a Single by PH George Keller to make it a 13-10 game. CF Alessandro Baldaro then drew a Base on Balls with the bases full to make it 13-11. With two out, RF Claude Owens hit a two-run Single to tie the game at 13-13. Then, PH William Bundock hit a line drive that went through the hands of the Marathon 1B to let in a run, and Beford had a 14-13 victory.

The game-tying Single by Owens was marked the end of what was an excellent afternoon for the Bedford man:

• B1: 1-run Single to RCF off C. Sturch (R)
• B3: 2-run Double to CF off C. Sturch (R)
• B4: 1-run Single past SS off C. Sturch
• B6: 1-run Single past 2B off C. Sturch
• B8: Reached via Base on Balls by J. Owen
• B9: 2-run Single to RCF off J. Owen
• TOTAL: 5/5 (2B, 6 TB), 2 R, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 108 GMSC

Owens’ hefty output left him batting .500 (14/28) through six games with thirteen Runs Batted In.

Bedford is 5-1 and off to their best start in years. Meanwhile, Marathon is 2-4.

tm1681 · 08-27-2025, 06:28 AM

SALEM’S WOODFORD BELTS OUT CYCLE
VETERAN 3B REACHES SLAPS AROUND THE CANTABRIGIANS IN BIG WIN

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (May 18, 1876) - Salem and Cantabrigians met in a battle of a pair of 3-3 teams on Thursday, and Salem was the dominant side in a ten-run win at St. Peter’s Field:

Salem was never in any trouble at St. Peter’s, putting six runs on the scoreboard before Cantabrigians plated their lone run of the game in the bottom of the 5th.

There were two Salem batsmen that finished the game with four hits. The first was Greenhorn 2B Patrick Nagtegaal (4/5, 2B, 4 R) and the other was 3B Hoyt Woodford, who had a historic day with the bat:

• T1: 1-run Double to RCF off B. Mack
• T3: Reached via Base on Balls by B. Mack
• T5: 2-RUN HOME RUN (ItP) to LCF off B. Mack (R)
• T7: 1-run Triple to LCF off B. Mack (R)
• T8: Single to RF off J. Murphy (R)
• TOTAL: 4/4 (CYCLE, 10 TB), 3 R, 4 RBI, 1 BB, 91 GMSC

For Woodford, it was a Cycle done almost the easy way. The Extra-base Hits came first, with the Home Run his second Hit, and the Single came last in the top of the 8th.

For the N.B.B.O., it was the seventeenth Cycle in competition history and the first since May 30th of last year, when Continental OF Edward Johnson completed the feat against Nassau Co.

Hoyt Woodford can’t seem to stick to a team given that he’s playing for his fifth in five years – Merrimack, Cantabrigians, Harlem, Newark, & Salem – but he’s been a consistently good 3B (1872-76: 2.1 WAR/70 G) and is batting .323 (.912 OPS) with a Home Run and ten RBI through seven games in 1876.

Through seven games, Salem is 4-3 and defending New England champions Cantabrigians are 3-4.

tm1681 · 08-27-2025, 06:30 AM

ARSENAL WALLOPS SPARTAN BEHIND BIG BATS
MONTOURO BELTS FIVE HITS, THREE OTHERS HAVE THREE EACH AS FRANKFORD WINS BY 15

PHILADELPHIA (May 19, 1876) - Frankford Arsenal entered Friday’s home game against Spartan looking nearly unbeatable with a fantastic offensive attack. The proceedings at Frankford Park were more of the same:

This game was over quick. Seven runs by Frankford in the 1st followed by six more in the 2nd meant the hosts were ahead 13-4 by the end of the 3rd inning. From there, Frankford piled on nine more runs over their last five times at bat to add to the Spartan humiliation, and by the time it was all over they had a fifteen-run victory.

There were five standout performances in the Frankford win:

• FRA #2 Francis Brown (LF): 3/6 (3B, 5 TB), 2 R, 4 RBI
• FRA #4 Joseph Evans (CF): 3/5 (2 2B, 5 TB), 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
• FRA #6 Burton Hyde (SS): 2/6 (both 1B), 3 R, 3 RBI
• FRA #7 James Montuoro (3B): 5/6 (2B, 6 TB), 4 R, 3 RBI
• FRA #8 Roger Thomas (C): 3/5 (all 1B), 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB

Montuoro’s performance earned him Player of the Game honors, while Evans ended the game with a .405 Batting Average (.936 OPS) and a pace for 7.0 WAR, of course in a small sample size.

Frankford Arsenal is 7-1 with 85 Runs through eight games, already with eighteen more than any other team. The team has quickly opened up a two-game lead on the rest of East Philadelphia, and if the early games of the season are any indication then this just might be the first season in which the pennant race in the eastern half of the city is over before it really has a chance to begin.

08-06-2025, 06:11 AM	#823
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,372	1875 APBL STANDINGS PER-TEAM STATISTICS 1875: 7.5 R/G, .295, .678 OPS, 1,057 H, 123 2B, 48 3B, 12 HR, 146 SB, 3.49 ERA, 75 BB, 72 K, 6.7 E/G, .847 FLD% 1874: 7.4 R/G, .293, .672 OPS, 1,050 H, 123 2B, 44 3B, 10 HR, 156 SB, 3.38 ERA, 79 BB, 72 K, 6.8 E/G, .846 FLD% FOUNDERS' CUP V American (3rd title) wins series 4-3 over Alleghany. GAME 1: ALL 1-8 AME – James Burke (CF, AME): 3/5 (2B, 3B, 6 TB), 1 R, 2 RBI, SB GAME 2: ALL 19-3 AME – Franklin Petty (RF, AME): 4/6 (3B, 6 TB), 4 R, 2 RBI GAME 3: AME 5-9 ALL – Frank Doherty (3B, ALL): 4/4 (2B, 5 TB), 1 R, 3 RBI GAME 4: AME 11-7 ALL – Sidney Crowder (LF, AME): 2/4 (HR, 5 TB), 2 R, 4 RBI GAME 5: AME 0-4 ALL – Elmer Seabold (P, ALL): NO-HITTER, 0 BB, 2 K GAME 6: ALL 7-6 AME – John Meier (LF, ALL) 3/4 (all 1B), 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB GAME 7: ALL 7-13 AME – Peter Boyce (2B, AME) 3/5 (all 1B), 3 R, 1 RBI FOUNDERS’ CUP MVP: Franklin Petty (RF, American) AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS Career award totals are carried over from the NBBO BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: James Burke (CF, age 32) – American B.C.; 2nd career B.o.t.Y. • .401/.419/.531, .950 OPS, 111 R, 173 H, 27 2B, 13 3B, 1 HR, 93 RBI, 14 BB, 77 SB, 229 TB, 5.7 WPA, 5.9 WAR • Set AP.B.L. record for Hits; led league in AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, XBH, 2B, TB, & WAR • Babe Johnson (2B, GOT) 2nd – .353, .862 OPS, 102 R, 144 H, 17 2B, 15 3B, 71 RBI, 27 BB, 32 SB, 4.9 WPA, 3.5 WAR • Konrad Jensen (LF, STJ) 3rd – .342, .856 OPS, 110 R, 137 H, 30 XBH, 3 HR, 72 RBI, 34 BB, 66 SB, 5.2 WPA, 4.4 WAR Of course the award was going to James Burke, who took his second B.o.t.Y. in three years. Burke led the league in nine offensive categories while setting a new record in one, and he did so while batting .400 and playing for the champions. Johnson had another great year, and Jensen was 3rd in OPS in spite of his lowest Batting Average in a decade. PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Jim Creighton (age 34) – Excelsior B.B.C.; 3rd career PotY • 31-14, 2.96 ERA, 116 K, 383.2 IP, 29 CG, 1 SHO, 2.7 K/9, 4.1 K/BB, 1.27 WHIP, 8.8 WAR, 5.8 rWAR • Set A.P.B.L. record for Wins; led league in K, IP, G, GS, CG, K/9, K/BB, HA/9, RA/9, & WAR • Elmer Seabold (ALL) 2nd – 25-16, 3.23 ERA, 362.1 IP, 26 CG, 1 SHO, 86 K, 1.6 K/BB, 1.39 WHIP, 5.7 WAR, 5.9 rWAR • Albert Lively (GOT) 3rd – 20-15, 3.12 ERA, 360.0 IP, 19 CG, 2 SHO, 17 K, 0.5 K/BB, 1.34 WHIP, 5.1 WAR, 5.2 rWAR Creighton didn’t lead the league in thirteen pitching categories this season. Instead, he led in “only” eleven while becoming the first A.P.B.L. P to go past 30 Wins in a season. Unfortunately for Seabold, the previous means that his consecutive 25-Win seasons have resulted in runner-up finishes for P.o.t.Y. Lively had a fine season for Gotham. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Franklin Petty (RF, age 32) – American B.C.; 2nd career MVP • .365/.385/.452, .837 OPS, 130 R, 160 H, 16 2B, 8 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 15 BB, 79 SB, 198 TB, 6.2 WPA, 4.0 WAR • Tied A.P.B.L. record for Runs; led league in SB & WPA; top five in AVG, H, RBI, TB, & WAR • A. Mascherino (SS, ORA) 2nd – .357, .816 OPS, 91 R, 157 H, 27 2B, 5 3B, 60 RBI, 26 SB, +14.2 ZR, 5.0 WPA, 4.5 WAR • Gerald Strong (SS, ALL) 3rd – .305, .699 OPS, 94 R, 137 H, 21 XBH, 3 HR, 72 RBI, 30 SB, +27.5 ZR, 4.2 WPA, 3.8 WAR It was Petty’s presence at the top of the lineup helped American players finish #1-4 in the in RBI this season, and for that he’s earned his second career M.V.P. honor. His bat work was outstanding, and he terrorized opponents on the basepaths. Mascherino had a throwback season for Orange, while Strong wasn’t quite as excellent as he was last year. GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: John Meier (LF, age 28) – Alleghany B.C. • .330/.344/.428, .771 OPS, 103 R, 144 H, 13 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 82 RBI, 5 BB, 49 SB, 187 TB, 4.5 WPA, 3.1 WAR • Only Greenhorn All-Star from Colonial Conference; top ten in H, R, 3B, RBI, SB, TB, • Simeon DiStefano (P, AME) 2nd – 22-9, 2.70 ERA, 15 K, 269.2 IP, 19 CG, 0.7 K/BB, 1.28 WHIP, 4.0 WAR, 5.5 rWAR • Daniel Gibson (P, FC) 3rd – 21-20, 3.36 ERA, 14 K, 334.2 IP, 21 CG, 1 SHO, 0.3 K/BB, 1.41 WHIP, 4.5 WAR, 4.1 rWAR Meier took G.o.t.Y., but it was the subject of much debate. The Alleghany LF had an excellent season, but DiStefano was 22-9 while leading the league in ERA. At the same time, DiStefano spent 1/3 of the season out of the pitching rotation while Meier was an everyday player. Gibson was the biggest surprise – forced into the F.C. rotation after a surprise retirement. APBL GOLDEN GLOVES • P: James Goodman (FC/6th) – 20 PO, 35 AST, 1 DP, 18 E, 1.52 RNG, +6.0 ZR, 1.184 EFF • C: Raynard Steinbach (AME/1st) – 35.0 RTO%, 3.01 C-ERA, 4 PB, 13 E, +4.7 ZR, 1.095 EFF • 1B: Frank Bulger (SHA/4th) – 793 PO, 75 AST, 22 DP, 40 E, 10.12 RNG, +7.5 ZR, 1.084 EFF • 2B: Clyde Hudspeth (EXC/3rd) – 348 PO, 301 AST, 21 DP, 59 E, 7.69 RNG, +21.7 ZR, 1.115 EFF • 3B: Frank Doherty (ALL/3rd) – 123 PO, 161 AST, 6 DP, 58 E, 3.36 RNG, +15.4 ZR, 1.190 EFF • SS: Gerald Strong (ALL/3rd) – 297 PO, 319 AST, 23 DP, 95 E, 6.88 RNG, +27.5 ZR, 1.152 EFF • LF: Konrad Jensen (STJ/4th) – 178 PO, 1 AST, 28 E, 2.01 RNG, +2.8 ARM, +6.0 ZR, 1.046 EFF • CF: Louis Dyke (KNI/3rd) – 276 PO, 11 AST, 64 E, 3.30 RNG, +1.8 ARM, +10.3 ZR, 1.068 EFF • RF: Reginald Roper (NIA/3rd) – 153 PO, 9 AST, 43 E, 1.87 RNG, +0.4 ARM, +4.4 ZR, 1.065 EFF APBL TEAM OF THE YEAR P: Jim Creighton (EXC/7TH) - 31-14, 2.96 ERA, 116 K, 383.2 IP, 29 CG, 1 SHO, 2.7 K/9, 4.1 K/BB, 10.8 HA/9, 1.27 WHIP, 8.8 WAR C: Everett Schreiber (ORA/6th) - .325, .755 OPS, 74 R, 113 H, 21 2B, 4 3B, 56 RBI, 8 BB, 2 BB, 3.28 C-ERA, 3.5 WPA, 2.7 WAR 1B: Cormack Alexander (KNI/6th) - .356, .841 OPS, 78 R, 142 H, 22 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 89 RBI, 26 BB, 5 SB, 6.0 WPA, 3.4 WAR 2B: Babe Johnson (GOT/5th) - .353, .862 OPS, 102 R, 144 H, 17 2B, 15 3B, 0 HR, 71 RBI, 27 BB, 32 SB, 4.9 WPA, 3.5 WAR 3B: Frank Doherty (ALL/1st) - .340, .773 OPS, 69 R, 120 H, 9 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 71 RBI, 6 BB, +15.4 ZR, 4.0 WPA, 3.5 WAR SS: Anthony Mascherino (ORA/14th) - .357, .816 OPS, 91 R, 154 H, 27 2B, 5 3B, 60 RBI, 7 BB, 26 SB, +14.2 ZR, 5.0 WPA, 4.5 WAR OF: Konrad Jensen (StJ/15th) - .368, .899 OPS, 96 R, 144 H, 28 XBH, 3 HR, 79 RBI, 32 BB, 56 SB, 190 TB, 6.4 WPA, 4.0 WAR OF: James Burke (AME/6th) - .401, .531 SLG, .950 OPS, 111 R, 173 H, 27 2B, 13 3B, 1 HR, 93 RBI, 77 SB, 5.7 WPA, 5.9 WAR OF: Franklin Petty (AME/6th) - .365, .837 OPS, 130 R, 160 H, 16 2B, 8 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 15 BB, 79 SB, 6.2 WPA, 4.0 WAR MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS • American set a new record for team Batting Average with .323. • Franklin Petty (American) tied the record for Runs in a season with 130. • James Burke (American) set a new record for Hits in a season with 173. • Garfield Koonce (Kings Co.) set a new record for Singles in a season with 135. • Peter Boyce (American) set a new record for RBI in a season with 111. • Jim Creighton (Excelsior) set a new record for Wins in a season with 31. APBL STATISTICAL LEADERS • Average: .401 by James Burke (CF, American) • On-Base: .419 by James Burke • Slugging: .531 by James Burke • OPS: .950 by James Burke • Hits: 173 by James Burke • Extra-Base Hits: 41 by James Burke • Doubles: 27 by James Burke & Anthony Mascherino (SS, Orange) • Triples: 15 by Babe Johnson (2B, Gotham) • Home Runs: 6 by Troy Oberst (LF, Excelsior) • Runs Batted In: 111 by Peter Boyce (2B, American) • Runs: 130 by Franklin Petty (RF, American) • Stolen Bases: 79 by Franklin Petty • Total Bases: 229 by James Burke • Bases on Balls: 36 by Hugh Harris (3B, Flour City) • Zone Rating: +27.5 by Gerald Strong (SS, Alleghany) • Batsman WPA: 6.2 by Franklin Petty • Batsman WAR: 5.9 by James Burke • Wins: 31 by Jim Creighton (Excelsior) • Losses: 26 by Charles Burton (Knickerbocker) • ERA (200+ IP): 2.70 by Simeon DiStefano (American) • Strikeouts: 116 by Jim Creighton • Innings: 383.2 by Jim Creighton • Complete Games: 29 by Jim Creighton • Shutouts: 2 by Albert Lively (Gotham) • BB/9 (200+ IP): 0.4 by Charles Burton & Jack Doherty (Kings Co.) • K/9 (200+ IP): 2.7 by Jim Creighton • K/BB (200+ IP): 4.1 by Jim Creighton • WHIP (200+ IP): 1.27 by Jim Creighton • Pitcher WAR: 8.8 by Jim Creighton • Pitcher rWAR: 7.3 by James Goodman (Flour City) ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS • May 14: Mass. Bay wins at Niagara in a 19-0 Shutout victory. • May 20: Martin Prince (SS, American) has 7 RBI (5/6, 2 2B, 2 R, 7 RBI) at Knickerbocker. • June 3: Peter Boyce (2B, American) has 5 SB (3/5, 3 R, 1 RBI, 5 SB) at Kings Co. • June 29: Troy Oberst (LF, Excelsior) becomes the 1st player since 1872 with 5+ HR in a season. • July 6: Isaac Holm (LF, Orange) has 2 HR & 7 RBI (4/5, 2 HR, 3 R, 7 RBI) vs Excelsior. • July 15: Falco van der Vaart (C, St. John’s) has 6 Hits (6/6, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI) vs Alleghany. • July 17: Both Excelsior and Shamrock win via Shutout. • July 22: Werner Verstegen (3B, Knick) hits for the APBL’s 1st Cycle (4/4, 3 R, 3 RBI) at Excelsior. • Aug. 2: The MET wins the 5th All-Star Game 14-12. MVP: Louis Dyke (CF, KNI). HOST: Alleghany. • Aug. 18: Anthony Mascherino (SS, Orange) has the APBL’s 1st 40-game Hitting Streak. • Aug. 18: Jim Creighton (P, Excelsior) reaches 30 Wins for the second time. • Aug. 20: Elijah Hill (3B, Excelsior) has 6 Hits (6/6, 1 R, 1 RBI) vs Gotham. • Aug. 21: The Hitting Streak of Anthony Mascherino (Orange) ends after 42 games. • Aug. 22: James Burke (CF, American) raises his Average from .399 to .401 on the last day of the season. • Aug. 22: American clinches the Metropolitan Conference pennant on the last day of the season. • Aug. 23: American batsmen finish the season #1-4 in the A.P.B.L. in RBI. • Aug. 29: Elmer Seabold (P, Alleghany) pitches the A.P.B.L.’s 1st No-Hitter in Game 5 of the Founders’ Cup. • Sep. 1: American (3rd title) wins Founders’ Cup V in seven games over Alleghany. PERFORMANCES OF THE SEASON BY GAME SCORE • #1: 108 by Isaac Holm (LF, Orange) on July 6 vs Excelsior (4/5, 2 HR, 3 R, 7 RBI, 10 TB) • #2: 103 by Clive Strachan (RF, Gotham) on Aug. 14 vs Kings Co. (4/6, 4 R, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB) • #3: 99 by Martin Prince (SS, American) on May 20 at Knick (5/6, 2 2B, 2 R, 7 RBI, 7 TB, 1 DEF DP) • #4: 92 by Martin Prince (SS, American) on July 18 at Gotham (5/6, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 6 RBI, 8 TB, 2 SB) • #5: 90 by Clyde Hudspeth (2B, Excelsior) May 25 vs Kings Co. (5/6, HR, 3 R, 4 RBI, 8 TB) • #6: 89 by Elmer Seabold (P, Alleghany) in Game 5 of F.C. vs American (NO-HITTER, 0 BB, 2 K) • #7: 89 by Gerald Strong (SS, Alleghany) on July 9 vs Mass. Bay (5/5, 3 R, 4 RBI, 3 SB) • #8: 89 by Lane Garvin (C, Mass. Bay) on May 14 at Niagara (5/5, 3B, 3 R, 4 RBI, 7 SB) • #9: 89 by Clive Strachan (RF, Gotham) on June 13 vs American (5/5, 2B, 3B, 4 R, 3 RBI, 8 TB) • #10: 88 by Ben Gagliardi (SS, St. John’s) on Mar 14 vs Flour City (4/5, HR, 3 R, 5 RBI, 7 TB) __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 08-07-2025 at 06:42 AM.