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

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PHILADELPHIA BCC HAMMERS PENN IN SHUTOUT
DEFENDING CHAMPS SHOW NO MERCY IN 19-0 WIN; GREENHORN MOORE BATS 5/6

PHILADELPHIA (May 20, 1876) - Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club finally proved themselves to be the best of Philadelphia last year. They’ve started 1876 in excellent form, and on Saturday they absolutely crushed woeful Penn:

At least the game was even early. During a scoreless opening three innings it looked like Penn might give the defending champions a difficult afternoon, but P.B.C.C. opened the scoring with three runs in the 4th and then punished Penn with more runs in each of the last five innings in what ended up being a Shutout win with a nineteen-run margin of victory.

While the fielders were excellent and committed just a pair of Errors, the author of the P.B.C.C. Shutout was defending Pitcher of the Year Arthur Lipscomb:

• TOTAL: CG SHUTOUT, 9 HA, 0 BB, 4 K

P.B.C.C. saw CF Robert Chase (4/7, 2 R, 2 RBI) and 3B Charles Hunt (4/6, 2 R, 2 RBI) collect four Hits each, but in the end their best batsman and the Player of the Game was RF Leroy Moore:

• T2: Ground Out to SS (2 out)
• T4: 1-run Single to RF off R. Johnson (R)
• T6: Leadoff Single past SS off R. Johnson (R)
• T6: 1-run Single past 2B off W. Satterfield
• T8: Single past 2B off W. Satterfield (R)
• T9: Single to LF off W. Satterfield (R)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (all 1B), 4 R, 2 RBI

The highly touted 22-year-old has been every bit as good as promised during the first nine games of his career, batting .395 (.820 OPS) with ten Runs and eight RBI. Meanwhile, the Shutout left Lipscomb with a 3-1 record and a miniscule 1.16 ERA through four games of action so far in 1876.

Philadelphia B.C.C. is 7-2 through nine games with a +42 Run Differential, a start nearly as dominant as the one they had in their cup-winning season last year. The rest of West Philadelphia is on notice: it’s going to take a special, special team to take them down.

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MORGANTI’S STREAK ENDS AT 45 GAMES
FAILURE TO BREAK THROUGH AGAINST MUNSON LEAVES MORGANTI WITH 3RD-LONGEST STREAK

PHILADELPHIA (May 20, 1876) - Quaker State played at home against Port Jersey on Saturday afternoon, and former A.P.B.L. #1 P Monroe Munson gave the hosts an extremely difficult time as the visitors won 9-2 with Quaker St. limited to half a dozen Hits.

The object of the usual attention was Quaker St. CF Ned Morganti, who entered Saturday with a 45-game Hitting Streak. Morganti had no luck dealing with Munson during his first three appearances at the plate:

• B1: Reached via Error by SS T. Ashley
• B4: Ground Out to SS (2 out)
• B6: Sacrifice Bunt to P (1 out; runner to 2B)

With the way Munson was pitching everyone knew that Morganti was very likely to get just one more chance with the bat, and that chance came in the bottom of the 8th. With nobody out and a runner on 1B, Morganti hit a short fly ball that was caught by the Pt. Jersey 2B, and Morganti’s Hitting Streak was over.

The updated list of 40-game Hitting Streaks in N.B.B.O. history:

• #1: 67 games by Peter Huff (Union) during 1871 (ended Aug. 5)
• #2: 49 games by Remi Scrovegni (Frontier) during 1874 (ended Aug. 5)
• #3: 45 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1875-76 (ended May 20, 1876)
• #4: 42 games by William Gentilucci (Nassau Co.) during 1870 (ended July 20)
• #5: 42 games by Cormack Alexander (K.C. & Q.S.) during 1867-68 (ended May 22, 1868)
• #6: 41 games by Franklin Petty (Lake Erie) during 1869 (ended July 7)
• #7: 41 games by William McQuaid (Flour City) during 1862-63 (ended June 28, 1863)
• #8: 40 games by Henry Nabors (Victory during 1868-69 (ended May 22, 1869)
• #9: 40 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1873-74 (ended June 17, 1874)

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MERRIMACK’S SUDDUTH HAS A 40-GAME STREAK
2B’S RUN IS THE 10TH SUCH STREAK IN NBBO HISTORY & THE 2ND THIS SEASON

LOWELL, MASS. (May 21, 1876) - Merrimack Mills went above .500 to end Week Two thanks to a 5-4 home win over Inland favorites Lancastra Britannia.

The main story of the game was that of Merrimack 2B William Sudduth. In the bottom of the 1st, Sudduth took his first turn at bat and reached on an Infield Single, and in doing so ran his Hitting Streak to forty games, becoming the second player in just ten days to reach the milestone after Ned Morganti did it on May 12th.

That means there are now ten members of the 40 Game club:

• #1: 67 games by Peter Huff (Union) during 1871 (ended Aug. 5)
• #2: 49 games by Remi Scrovegni (Frontier) during 1874 (ended Aug. 5)
• #3: 45 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1875-76 (ended May 20, 1876)
• #4: 42 games by William Gentilucci (Nassau Co.) during 1870 (ended July 20)
• #5: 42 games by Cormack Alexander (K.C. & Q.S.) during 1867-68 (ended May 22, 1868)
• #6: 41 games by Franklin Petty (Lake Erie) during 1869 (ended July 7)
• #7: 41 games by William McQuaid (Flour City) during 1862-63 (ended June 28, 1863)
• #8: 40 games by Henry Nabors (Victory during 1868-69 (ended May 22, 1869)
• #9: 40 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1873-74 (ended June 17, 1874)
• #10: 40 games by William Sudduth (Merrimack) during 1875-76 (ongoing)

Reaching the 40-game mark is another achievement for Sudduth, who had the best season of his nine-year career last season, batting .357 (.867 OPS) with 92 Runs, 65 RBI, 2.8 WAR, his second straight All-Star Game appearance, and his first nomination to the N.E.L. Team of the Year as Merrimack Mills made the playoffs.

Morganti’s streak ended at 45 games. Now it’s time to see how long Sudduth’s will go.

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MUKAI THE MAN AS NIAGARA SHUTS OUT MASS BAY
NIAGARA #1 HOLDS IMPROVED MB LINEUP IN CHECK TO IMPROVE TO 5-4 ON THE SEASON

BOSTON (May 23, 1876) - Niagara and Massachusetts Bay began A.P.B.L. Week Four play in Boston on Tuesday, and it was a tight, defensive battle between the two Colonial Conference teams:

The man behind the Niagara shutout was their #1 P, Tomoharu Mukai:

• TOTAL: CG SHUTOUT, 4 HA, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/3

Mukai was aided by some fine Niagara defense, with the fielders committing only two Errors during the game.

Visiting Niagara received one hit each from eight different players, including Mukai, and one run each in the 3rd & 9th innings were enough to defeat Mass. Bay and its improved lineup, which entered the game second in the A.P.B.L. in Runs, Batting Average, & OPS.

After some big early struggles, Niagara has won five of their last seven games to go to 7-12 on the season, while Mass. Bay is 10-9. Both teams are multiple games behind Colonial Conference leaders St. John’s (14-5).

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DRESSEN GOES 14 INNINGS TO TAKE THE VICTORY
SALEM P OUTLASTS OCEANIC IN RARE 3.5 HOUR CONTEST; GAULDEN CRACKS FIVE HITS

SALEM, MASS. (May 26, 1876) - Oceanic and Salem met for the third game of their N.B.B.O. Week Three series in the famous Crucible, and the result was a rare fourteen-inning affair:

Salem should have had the contest won in the regulation nine, but some fielding mistakes and timely Singles by Oceanic batsmen during the 8th & 9th turned a 5-2 gamed into a tie that needed extra innings. From there, nobody scored until the top of the 14th, when a Sacrifice Fly by PH Harold Ray put Oceanic ahead 6-5. In the bottom of the 14th, substitute C Johann Schumacher reached base on a Single with out and was moved to third with a Double by PH Thomas Bradbury. Then, CF Thomas Myers hit a Single that drove both men in and won the game for Salem, a rare contest that lasted a full three and a half hours.

While Oceanic used three Pitchers during the game, Salem stuck by brilliant old hand Robert Dressen:

• TOTAL: CG (14.0 IP), 13 HA, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 70 GMSC

Dressen’s fourteen innings was the most pitched by one man in an N.B.B.O. game so far this year, and it is likely to stand as the most innings pitched in a game by anyone in the N.B.B.O. in 1876 since, due to the amount of scoring, it's very rare for a game to go past 11-12 innings in length.

In a losing effort, Oceanic 2B Dewey Gaulden was 5/7 with the bat, scoring twice, driving in a run, and hitting a Triple with two out in the top of the 11th that, unfortunately, his teammates couldn't capitalize on.

The result left both teams 6-7, where they are part of a bizarre six-way tie for 3rd place in New England with Granite, Portland, Quinnipiac, & Sons of the Ocean. All six are three games behind N.E. leaders Cantabrigians.

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SUDDUTH’S STREAK ENDS AT FORTY-THREE
MERRIMACK MILLS 2B KEPT OFF BASE IN WIN AT READING

READING, PENN. (May 27, 1876) - Merrimack Mills scored five early since and coasted from three to take a 6-4 win at Reading Athletic Club and move to 8-6. Merrimack P Charles Snow earned P.o.t.G. honors with a Complete Game effort and a 1/4 performance with the bat. However, Snow’s performance wasn’t the main story.

Merrimack’s All-Star 2B, William Sudduth, was looking to keep his 40+ game Hitting Streak going, but on this afternoon he was kept out of the Hit column by new Reading A.C. pitcher William Johannessen, stopping Sudduth’s Hitting Streak at 43 games in length.

With Sudduth’s streak over, here is the updated list of longest Hitting Streaks in N.B.B.O. history:

• #1: 67 games by Peter Huff (Union) during 1871 (ended Aug. 5)
• #2: 49 games by Remi Scrovegni (Frontier) during 1874 (ended Aug. 5)
• #3: 45 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1875-76 (ended May 20, 1876)
• #4: 43 games by William Sudduth (Merrimack) during 1875-76 (ended May 27, 1876)
• #5: 42 games by William Gentilucci (Nassau Co.) during 1870 (ended July 20)
• #6: 42 games by Cormack Alexander (K.C. & Q.S.) during 1867-68 (ended May 22, 1868)
• #7: 41 games by Franklin Petty (Lake Erie) during 1869 (ended July 7)
• #8: 41 games by William McQuaid (Flour City) during 1862-63 (ended June 28, 1863)
• #9: 40 games by Henry Nabors (Victory during 1868-69 (ended May 22, 1869)
• #10: 40 games by Ned Morganti (Quaker St.) during 1873-74 (ended June 17, 1874)

With his Hitting Streak over, the main thing now for William Sudduth is to see if he can make his third consecutive All-Star Game and guide Merrimack Mills back to the playoffs.

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SIZEMORE COMPLETES PCBL’S FIRST CYCLE
SPARTAN RF COMPLETES FEAT WITH WALKOFF SINGLE TO DEFEAT MINERVA ON SATURDAY

PHILADELPHIA (May 27, 1876) - Spartan hosted Minerva for the fourth game of their P.C.B.L. Week Three series on Saturday. Spartan dominated the opening innings, Minerva came back in the 7th, and the hosts won it in the 9th:

It was all Spartan early, the hosts scoring three times in the 2nd and five more times in the 3rd to exit the early innings with a solid 8-3 lead. The middle innings went by without a run before Minerva put up a six-run rally in the 7th on a series of four run-scoring Singles to take a 9-8 lead. Faced with their last chance, Spartan tied the game in the bottom of the 9th when PH George Karl hit a one-run Single. Then, with men on 1st & 3rd and nobody out RF Joseph Sizemore hit a Single to bring Karl home and win the game for Spartan.

Sizemore’s hit was more than just a walkoff Single. It also completed the first Cycle in P.C.B.L. history:

• B1: Reach via Base on Balls by J. Gray
• B2: 3-RUN HOME RUN to LF off J. Gray (R)
• B3: 1-run Triple to LF off J. Gray
• B5: Reached via Error by SS E. Grady
• B8: Leadoff Double to RCF off A. Christianson
• B9: Walkoff Single past 3B off A. Christianson
• TOTAL: 4/5 (CYCLE, 10 TB), 1 R, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 1 OF AST, GW HIT

Furthermore, not only was Sizemore’s Cycle the first in P.C.B.L. history but it was the first in baseball history that was completed with a walkoff hit for the home team.

Sizemore is batting .292 (.780 OPS) with fourteen RBI through fourteen games this season.

The final left both Minerva & Spartan at 8-6, two games behind East Philadelphia leaders Frankford Arsenal.

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AMERICAN BASEBALL MAY RECAP

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (August 1, 1876) – The calendar has now turned over to August, which means that there are a scant few weeks left in the season and playoff places are soon to be decided. Here are how the three competitions stand.

APBL STANDINGS (26 of 90 games played)

COLONIAL – Based on the opening month, St. John’s has corrected last season’s infield issues, and as a result they’re back atop the Runs & Stolen Base charts, they had both the B.o.t.M. & P.o.t.M., and they have the league’s best record. Alleghany has cooled off from the 10-2 start, but they’re still playing good baseball. Mass. Bay’s lineup is indeed much improved, but their defense is lacking. Flour City hasn’t been good or bad in any specific area, and they’ve been a bit unlucky. Niagara’s offense has been an issue. For Shamrock, it was simply a May to forget as both their batting and fielding faltered.

METROPOLITAN – American is on top thanks to an offense that leads the A.P.B.L. in pretty much everything except Runs & Stolen Bases, and behind them is a group of five extremely even teams. Kings Co. FINALLY has something to look forward to thanks to fine pitching and passable offense. Excelsior is .500 due solely to the pitching of Creighton & Seabold. Orange has been led by a brilliant May from William Valentine. Gotham has three batsmen hitting better than .375. Knickerbocker’s offense is improved, and Anthony Mascherino was excellent in his first month as a 2B.

APBL MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
Konrad Jensen (LF, STJ) – .410, .939 OPS, 28 R, 48 H, 6 2B, 3 3B, 29 RBI, 3 BB, 24 SB, 2.8 WPA, 1.5 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Howard Burns (STJ) – 10-1, 2.27 ERA, 21 K, 111.0 IP, 10 CG, 1 SHO, 7.0 K/BB, 1.15 WHIP, 2.3 WAR, 2.7 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Alfred Williams (3B, KC) – 333, .834 OPS, 25 R, 41 H, 7 2B, 4 3B, 23 RBI, 6 BB, 3 SB, 2.6 WPA, 1.3 WAR

Jensen was B.o.t.M. in the last full month of 1875, and he opens 1876 as the same with monthly award #15 as he led the league in OPS, RBI, & Stolen Bases. Henry Gaul (MB) hit .436, but only 3/51 Hits were for extra bases (2 2B, 1 3B). Royal Altman (GOT) had a very good May (.398, .913 OPS, 20 RBI, 13 SB, 1.4 WAR) but it wasn’t on Jensen’s level.

Four regular P’s had lowers ERA’s, but Burns was the only man with ten Wins in May and he finished second in the WAR chart at 2.3. Jim Creighton likely would have taken the honor with one more win because aside from an 8-3 record his output was ridiculous (2.08 ERA, 11 CG, 1 SHO, 1 BB, 37 K, 2.5 WAR).

After two outstanding seasons for Portland in the N.B.B.O., Williams was similarly brilliant during his first month playing in the A.P.B.L, giving Kings Co. a dangerous bat and steady fielding at 3B. American LF George Kassabian had a higher Average (.368), RBI total (24), and OPS (.846), but was much more of a liability in the field.

APBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .436 by Henry Gaul (RF, Mass. Bay)
OPS: .939 by Konrad Jensen (LF, St. John’s)
Runs: 37 by Rudolph Decker (CF, St. John’s)
Home Runs: 2 by John Harmon (SS, Orange)
Runs Batted In: 29 by Konrad Jensen
Stolen Bases: 24 by Konrad Jensen
Batsman WPA: 2.8 by Konrad Jensen
Batsman WAR: 1.8 by Anthony Mascherino (2B, Knick)

ERA (50+ IP): 2.08 by Jim Creighton (Excelsior)
Wins: 10 by Howard Burns (St. John’s)
Complete Games: 11 by Raynard Cordell (Alleghany) & Jim Creighton
Strikeouts: 48 by Elmer Seabold (Excelsior)
WHIP (50+ IP): 1.15 by Howard Burns & Jim Creighton
Pitcher WAR: 2.5 by Jim Creighton
Pitcher rWAR: 4.5 by Simeon DiStefano (American)

NBBO REGIONAL LEADERS (16 of 70 games played)

BROOKLYN: Eckford at 11-5 (Atlantic, Bedford, & Continental 1 GB, Star 3 GB)
NEW YORK CITY: Mercury, N.Y.A.C., & Union at 10-6 (Baltic, Mutual, & Metro 2 GB)
UPSTATE N.Y.: Frontier at 13-3 (Victory 2 GB, Minuteman & Utica 4 GB)
COASTAL: Quaker St. at 12-4 (Pt. Jersey & Trenton Utd. 2 GB, Newark 3 GB)
INLAND: Susquehanna at 12-4 (Merrimack 2 GB, Lancastra 3 GB, Pioneer & Reading A.C. 4 GB)
NEW ENGLAND: Cantabrigians at 10-6 (all other teams within 4 GB)

BROOKLYN – Eckford has the New York League’s #1 offense, but they have three fine teams right behind them: Atlantic with its strong overall roster, Bedford and its solid group of batsmen, and Excelsior with their two excellent young P’s.

NEW YORK CITY – Of course New York City is a jumble after a month. N.Y.A.C. remains the favorite because their pitching is so good, but there are five teams also playing decent or good baseball that present notable threats in their own different ways.

UPSTATE N.Y. – Frontier’s 13-3 start is a major surprise because their best batsman, 3B William Rockford, is batting only .227. However, Bancroft & Pelham pitched excellently while the team has gone WWWWW in one-run contests. Of note: favorites Minuteman have only played five games at home.

COASTAL – Quaker St.’s 12-4 start is a surprise after losing Gerhardt Berg, but star P Ross Gill has been fantastic and veteran C Matthew Williams is batting .380. Of course, Pt. Jersey & Trenton Utd. are right behind, with Pt. Jersey’s pitching a significant danger and Trenton Utd.’s offense a constant problem.

INLAND – Susquehanna was a little lucky but still looked very good in May, with their fielding among the best in the N.B.B.O. and two men hitting above .375. Merrimack could quickly overtake once their 39th-ranked offense wakes up, and favorites Lancastra are right behind.

NEW ENGLAND – defending N.E. champs Cantabrigians have the lead but each of the other seven teams is 1-4 games back, and that means anything is possible over the next two and a half months as the teams race to grab the pennant.

NBBO MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMEN OF THE MONTH
NYL: Herb Verrett (CF, ATL) – .387, .896 OPS, 19 R, 29 H, 5 2B, 2 3B, 25 RBI, 1 BB, 0 SB, 2.0 WPA, 0.8 WAR
NEL: James Kinney (3B, NAT) – .412, 1.148 OPS, 24 R, 33 H, 16 XBH, 1 HR, 15 TBI, 3 BB, 1 SB, 1.1 WPA, 1.3 WAR

PITCHERS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Olaf Sorensen (ATL) – 8-2, 1.54 ERA, 20 K, 81.2 IP, 7 CG, 1.7 K/BB, 1.04 WHIP, 1.4 WAR, 2.7 rWAR
NEL: Ross Gill (QS) – 9-0, 2.66 ERA, 14 K, 84.2 IP, 7 CG, 1 SV, 2.0 K/BB, 1.25 WHIP, 1.7 WAR, 2.7 rWAR

GREENHORNS OF THE MONTH
NYL: Jack Anastasio (RF, NYAC) – .366, .916 OPS, 24 R, 26 H, 5 2B, 3 3B, 19 RBI, 3 BB, 19 SB, 1.4 WPA, 1.0 WAR
NEL: James Kinney (3B, NAT) – Northeastern League Batsman of the Month

NBBO STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .412 by James Kinney (3B, National)
OPS: 1.148 by James Kinney
Runs: 25 by three different batsmen
Home Runs: 1 by many different batsmen
Runs Batted In: 25 by Herb Verrett (CF, Atlantic)
Stolen Bases: 19 by Jack Anastasio (RF, N.Y.A.C.)
Batsman WPA: 2.1 by Claude Owens (RF, Bedford)
Batsman WAR: 1.3 by Earl Seals (SS, Trenton Utd.)

ERA (50+ IP): 1.09 by Luca Porcatello (Eagle)
Wins: 9 by Ross Gill (P, Quaker St.)
Complete Games: 8 by Jonathan Faulkner (Lancastra)
Strikeouts: 38 by Francis Molinari (Trenton Utd.)
WHIP (50+ IP): 1.00 by Henry Spencer (Cont’l)
Pitcher WAR: 2.4 by George Burroughs (Pt. Jersey)
Pitcher rWAR: 3.2 by Earl Quinn (Maryland)

PCBL LEADERS (16 of 70 games played)

EAST: Frankford Arsenal at 12-4 (Minerva 2 GB, Sons of Ben 3 GB, Pt. Richmond & Spartan 4 GB)
WEST: Philadelphia B.C.C. at 12-4 (Merion 1 GB, Independence & Mercantile 4 GB)

EAST – Arsenal already looks a step above everyone else thanks to Joseph Evans, the usually great offense, and an outstanding new P in Joseph Lawson. Minerva’s fine group of batsmen is keeping them right behind. Sons of Ben is being carried by star P Paul Krueger. Pt. Richmond has great defense, and Spartan’s speedy stealers are winning games for them.

WEST – P.B.C.C.’s is ahead of Merion by one game, but their huge +81 Run Differential suggests a 13-3 or 14-2 record would have been a better representation of their play. Offense? Great. Pitching? Excellent. Fielding? Impeccable. Merion’s James Cray & William Norman are both batting over .425, while P Jonathan Atkins was 9-1. It feels like the rest of the West is already playing for 3rd place.

PCBL MONTHLY AWARDS

BATSMAN OF THE MONTH
William Norman (1B, MBCC) – .430, 1.079 OPS, 24 R, 34 H, 8 XBH, 2 HR, 25 RBI, 3 BB, 0 SB, 1.5 WPA, 1.3 WAR

PITCHER OF THE MONTH
Jonathan Atkins (MBCC) – 9-1, 1.84 ERA, 16 K, 83.1 IP, 7 CG, 5.3 K/BB, 1.15 WHIP, 1.4 WAR, 1.6 rWAR

GREENHORN OF THE MONTH
Joseph Lawson (FRA) – 8-2, 1.68 ERA, 18 K, 85.2 IP, 7 CG, 2.0 K/BB, 1.04 WHIP, 1.2 WAR, 0.3 rWAR

PCBL STATISTICAL LEADERS

Average: .464 by James Cray (LF, M.B.C.C.)
OPS: 1.145 by James Cray
Runs: 35 by Wallace Wagner (CF, M.B.C.C.)
Home Runs: 2 by three different batsmen
Runs Batted In: 25 by William Norman (1B, M.B.C.C.)
Stolen Bases: 15 by Harrison Comstock (LF, Schuylkill)
Batsman WPA: 1.8 by Jonathan Noble (C, Mercantile)
Batsman WAR: 1.5 by Joseph Evans (CF, Frankford)

ERA (50+ IP): 1.53 by William Jardin (Overbrook)
Wins: 9 by Jonathan Atkins (M.B.C.C.)
Complete Games: 9 by Robert Benson (P.B.C.C.)
Strikeouts: 22 by Ward Jackson (Independence)
WHIP (50+ IP): 1.02 by Robert Benson
Pitcher WAR: 2.1 by Paul Krueger (Sons of Ben)
Pitcher rWAR: 2.9 by Robert Benson

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THREE LEGENDARY PITCHING STARS RETIRE
HENRY, VAN DER HOUT, & WRIGHT HANG UP THEIR CLEATS AFTER FAILING TO FIND TEAMS

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (June 1, 1876) - With the baseball season a month old, rosters have been finalized as last-minute and early-season signings to replace injured players or make slight upgrades to the lineup have been completed. For those who haven’t found a team, that means they will likely have to wait until next year and continue working their regular jobs in the meantime.

For players over the age of 35, the inability to find a team at the start of a new season is typically a sign that it’s time for their career to end and to return to the regular workforce year-round. Roughly eighty such men find themselves in that boat this year, and among them are some of the more famous pitchers in the early history of baseball.

First among the major retirees is John Henry, the “Steel Driving Man”.

Henry was the most highly regarded indy ball Pitcher available ahead of the 1864 season, and after signing for Newark he gave them a 20-11 debut season (3.90 ERA, 3.5 WAR) that earned him the runner-up place in N.E.L. Greenhorn of the Year voting behind Pt. Jersey .400 hitter Walter Dudley. After going 16-16 the next year Newark surprisingly told Henry that he could leave, and he joined Alleghany as a substitute for 1866. He was 13-9 as Alleghany’s #2 the next year but was put back on sub duty in 1868. Then, Alleghany let go of Fred Richards and something incredible happened…

Henry was made Alleghany’s #1 for the 1869 season, he won 30 games (30-10, 3.35 ERA), and he was 5-1 in the Tucker-Wheaton Cup playoffs as Alleghany won its first N.B.B.O. title. Henry earned N.E.L. Pitcher of the Year, and he had completed a comeback story for the ages.

The next year, Henry did it all over again except he was even better, finishing the season with a 30-7 record, 3.05 ERA, and 5.9 WAR while becoming the first P to win 30 games in a season twice, and he’d done it in consecutive seasons. His reward: repeat P.o.t.Y. honors, although Alleghany fell short in the Round Robin T.W.C.

1871 saw Henry struggle in the inaugural season of the A.P.B.L., going 16-24 with a 4.50 ERA. Alleghany cut him loose, and he rebounded with an All-Star season for Gotham the next year (17-10, 3.65 ERA, 2.3 WAR). Then, it happened again…

Ahead of the 1873 season Henry signed with American and became part of their record-smashing 65-25 Founders’ Cup winners. In the process, he finished the season 30-5 with a 3.14 ERA, earning P.o.t.Y. honors as the #1 for the best team in baseball history, and he became the first to win 30 games in a season three times before anyone else had done it twice.

After another All-Star season for American in 1874 (20-17, 3.50 ERA, 3.3 WAR) he left for Shamrock in 1875 and struggled (19-19, 4.50 ERA, 1.8 WAR), and went without an offer over the winter.

Henry’s career statistics & accolades:

• 12 YRS: 219-134, 3.72 ERA, 303 K, 3,111.1 IP, 205 CG, 7 SHO, 0.8 K/BB, 1.35 WHIP, 36.0 WAR, 30.3 rWAR
• 1869 (ALL): 30-10, 3.35 ERA, 44 K, 332.2 IP, 27 CG, 1 SHO, 1.5 K/BB, 1.32 WHIP, 5.3 WAR, 3.6 rWAR
• 1870 (ALL): 30-7, 3.05 ERA, 31 K, 330.2 IP, 29 CG, 1 SHO, 1.1 K/BB, 1.15 WHIP, 5.9 WAR, 5.7 rWAR
• 1873 (AME): 30-5, 3.14 ERA, 18 K, 341.1 IP, 21 CG, 1 SHO, 0.7 K/BB, 1.22 WHIP, 3.5 WAR, 10.0 rWAR

• 2x Champion (N.B.B.O. 1869, A.P.B.L. 1873)
• 3x 30-game Winner (1869-70, 73); only P with 30 Wins in a season 3x
• 3x Pitcher of the Year (N.E.L. 1869-70, A.P.B.L. 1873)
• 3x Team of the Year member (N.E.L. 1869-70, A.P.B.L. 1873)
• 5x All-Star (N.E.L. 1869-70, A.P.B.L. 1872-74)
• Career .620 Winning Percentage


The second notable retiree is Rainer van der Hout, one of a select few Pitchers to win 300+ games and the only one to pitch for eleven different teams.

Van der Hout was never an especially dominant Pitcher, but he was consistently good for a very long time, and for well over a decade some of the N.B.B.O.’s best teams were more than happy to have him in their roster.

While van der Hout lifted the Tucker-Wheaton Cup once he pitched in the postseason five times, and while he only made one All-Star Game he won 20+ games in a season four times. It was van der Hout’s longevity that kept teams calling for his services, and that led to him becoming the first with 300+ Wins strictly in the N.B.B.O. on July 29th, 1874. He was also a decent Pitcher for Pt. Jersey last year at the age of 42 as the complement to P.o.t.Y. George Burroughs.

Van der Hout’s career statistics:

• 19 YRS: 317-272, 3.58 ERA, 524 K, 5,204.1 IP, 351 CG, 12 SHO, 0.8 K/BB, 1.38 WHIP, 82.2 WAR, 34.2 rWAR


The third of the famous retirees is Grover Wright, the first N.Y.L. Pitcher to win Most Valuable Player.

When Wright entered the N.B.B.O. with Kings County in 1858, he immediately became one of the best Pitchers in the competition. Even though he wasn’t one of the multiple 20-game winners, Wright was 19-14 with a 3.21 ERA and an N.Y.L. best 5.7 WAR. He would then more than make up for his “lack” of wins by winning 20+ games in each of the next three seasons, culminating with his 1861 campaign that saw Kings Co. lift the cup for the second straight year and Wright become the first Pitcher to be named N.Y.L. Most Valuable Player.

After having what had been the best season by a Pitcher in N.B.B.O. history, it looked like the New York League had its answer to John McGowan. However, in an extremely controversial move Wright left for Niagara in Upstate New York that winter and was never the same, winning 20+ games in a season only one more time over fourteen seasons.

Still, Grover Wright would go on to become the second Pitcher with 300+ Wins in N.B.B.O. competition, with Win #300 coming on May 15th last year at Sons of the Ocean. He would also go on to pitch in postseason play in seven different years, something few can brag about.

Wright’s career statistics:

• 18 YRS: 313-213, 3.30 ERA, 440 K, 4,7631.1 IP, 339 CG, 12 SHO, 1.0 K/BB, 1.34 WHIP, 77.6 WAR, 40.9 rWAR
• T.W.C. (7x): 11-8, 3.88 ERA, 26 K, 269.0 IP, 17 CG, 1 SHO, 0.9 K/BB, 1.52 WHIP, 4.3 WAR, 1.8 rWAR
• 1861: 29-6, 2.46 ERA, 48 K, 329.1 IP, 30 CG, 3 SHO, 1.3 K/BB, 1.12 WHIP, 6.8 WAR, 9.4 rWAR, N.Y.L. M.V.P.

The careers of John Henry, Rainer van der Hout, & Grover Wright may be over, but they won’t be forgotten about by baseball fans anytime soon.

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STOFFERS SLAMS SIX HITS AGAINST FLOUR CITY
MASS. BAY 3B ALSO SCORES FIVE TIMES IN BIG WIN; SS RICHARDS BATS 4/6

BOSTON (June 3, 1876) - Massachusetts Bay entered the second game of their home series against Flour City with the opportunity to go above .500, and they took it with an impressive win over James Goodman and the visitors:

The result was never in much doubt. After Flour City canceled out Mass. Bay’s run in the opening inning, the hosts would score the next five runs before a Flour City rally in the 5th made it a 6-5 game. Mass. Bay then scored twice in the 5th to make it 8-5, and after the visitors canceled that rally out with two runs in the 6th the hosts scored half a dozen times in the 6th inning to bring the score to 14-7 and put a seal on the win.

There were a few quality performances among the Mass. Bay batsmen:

• MB #1 Charles Foster (CF): 3/7 (all 1B), 3 R, 2 RBI, SB
• MB #4 Gerhardt Berg (1B): 3/5 (3B, 5 TB), 3 R, 1 RBI
• MB #7 Jonathan Richards (SS): 4/6 (all 1B), 1 R, 3 RBI, SB

But a fourth batsman stood out above the others, and that was 3B Albert Stoffers:

• B1: 1-run Single to RF off J. Goodman
• B3: Leadoff Double past 3B off J. Goodman (R)
• B4: Single to CF off J. Goodman (R)
• B5: 1-run Single past 2B off J. Goodman (R)
• B6: 1-run Single past 2B off D. Gibson (R)
• B8: Leadoff Single to LF off D. Gibson (R)
• TOTAL: 6/6 (2B, 7 RBI), 5 R, 3 RBI, 104 GMSC

Stoffers’ performance marked the both the first six-hit game and the first 100+ Game Score by a player in the A.P.B.L. batsman this season. It raised his average to .371 (.808) with two dozen Runs Batted In through 28 games. Based on early results, Stoffers is on pace to have his best season in three years, and Mass. Bay is more than happy to see it.

The result moved Mass. Bay above .500 to 15-14, and they remain alone in 3rd place in the Colonial Conference. Flour City is 12-17, in 5th place and eight games behind Colonial leaders St. John’s.

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MEIER BATTERS ST. JOHN’S IN BIG HOME WIN
ALLEGHANY LF COLLECTS FIVE HITS & FOUR RBI IN TEN-RUN WIN OVER COLONIAL LEADERS

PITTSBURGH (June 4, 1876) - The top two teams in the Colonial Conference, St. John’s & Alleghany, finished their series in Pittsburgh on Sunday, with the hosts coming out on top in a game they dominated from start to finish:

Alleghany began the game by scoring three times in the bottom of the 1st against P Walter Hoffman and the St. John’s fielders, and from there the hosts continued to dominate, going ahead 9-0 before St. John’s put their lone run on the scoreboard in the top of the 7th.

The scoring was opened on a Single by LF John Meier, who had himself an excellent afternoon:

• B1: 1-run Single past 2B off W. Hoffman (R)
• B2: Single past 3B off W. Hoffman
• B4: 2-run Single past 1B off W. Hoffman (R)
• B6: 1-run Triple to CF off W. Hoffman (R)
• B8: Leadoff Single past 2B off T. Smith
• TOTAL: 5/5 (3B, 7 TB), 3 R, 4 RBI, 89 GMSC

Meier’s outing was the second-best by an A.P.B.L. batsman this year. The reigning Greenhorn of the Year is having an excellent sophomore campaign, batting .374 (.877 OPS) with 28 RBI, 15 Stolen Bases, and 1.3 WAR through 1/3 of the campaign, with all numbers on pace to better the marks from his debut season.

The win moved Alleghany to within two games of St. John’s, which still has the best record in the A.P.B.L. at 20-10.

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SANDERS HITS GRAND SLAM, DRIVES IN 9 IN 10-INN WIN
MINERVA C HAS THE DAY OF HIS LIFE AS HOSTS WIN INCREDIBLE GAME AGAINST SONS OF BEN

PHILADELPHIA (June 4, 1876) - The teams in 2nd & 3rd place in East Philadelphia met for the end of their P.C.B.L. Week Four series on Sunday, and what occurred was the game of the year:

The action started straight from the first pitch, as Sons of Ben scored twice in the 1st, twice in the 2nd, once in the 3rd, and three times in the 4th. Minerva countered with four runs in the 3rd, thanks to a Grand Slam by C Leonard Sanders, and four more in the 4th to leave the game tied 8-8 after the end of the 4th.

After a scoreless 5th, Sons of Ben took the lead with two runs in the 6th and added three more in the 7th before a third four-run rally made it 13-12 at the end of the 7th. S.o.B. added an insurance run in the 8th to make it 14-12, but Minerva tied the game at 14-14 in the bottom of the 9th on a two-run Triple by CF Julian Fleury.

Sons of Ben opened Extra Innings with three runs in the top of the 10th, with Singles by back-to-back PH’s William Gaumer & John Shaw providing the runs. That worried Minerva little, as they won the game with four in the bottom of the 10th. The first two runs scored on a two-run Double by 1B John Bolton with no outs, and after substitute P James Gray struck out Sanders hit a two-run Single to win a most memorable game for Minerva B.C.

Minerva had three batsmen finish with 3-4 Hits on the afternoon…

• MIN #1 Julian Fleury (CF): 4/6 (3B, 6 TB), 1 R, 4 RBI, SB
• MIN #3 Jonathan Auriemma (2B): 3/6 (2B, 4 TB), 2 R, 0 RBI
• MIN #6 John Bolton (1B): 3/6 (2B, 4 TB), 3 R, 2 RBI

…but it was third-year C Leonard Sanders who stole the show with an awe-inspiring performance:

• B2: Reached via Error by SS W. Brooks (R)
• B3: GRAND SLAM HOME RUN (ItP) to CF off P. Krueger (R)
• B6: Leadoff Infield Single to 2B off P. Krueger
• B7: 2-run Single past SS off J.H. Dumas
• B9: Double to LF off J.H. Dumas (R)
• B10: Walkoff 2-run Single past 2B off J. Shaw
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2B, GS, 9 TB), 3 R, 9 RBI, GW HIT, 125 GMSC

Not only did the 23-year-old hit a Grand Slam off the league’s most talented Pitcher, not only did he bat 5/6, and not only did he get the game-winning hit, but Sanders also set an unofficial P.C.B.L. record with nine Runs Batted In during the ten-inning game. The official record will remain seven RBI in a single game, set by four different batsmen, since those performances were completed during a standard, nine-inning contest.

Sanders entered the game with a .280 Average, .672 OPS, and just two RBI through nineteen games. Sunday’s incredible output left him batting .318 with a .784 OPS and eleven RBI through twenty games.

The win improved Minerva’s record to 13-7. They are second in East Philadelphia and three games behind Frankford Arsenal. Sons of Ben is an even .500 at 10-10, six games behind the leaders.

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UNION BESTS MUTUAL IN RAUCOUS WALKOFF WIN
CONTEST SEES 29 RUNS AS BOTH TEAMS HAD MULTI-RUN LEADS; UNION SS CRUISE BATS 5/6

NEW YORK CITY (June 7, 1876) - Mutual & Union opened their N.B.B.O. Week Five series at the Morrisania Grounds on Wednesday afternoon, and the resulting contest was full of excitement:

Early on it was Mutual’s game, as the visitors followed up their run in the 1st with a seven-run rally in the 3rd, the runs scoring on a series of Errors & Singles, to take a commanding 8-1 lead. However, Union roared back with two runs in the 3rd, another pair in the 4th, and a five-run rally in the 5th on another series of Errors & Singles to take a 10-8 lead. Union scored twice more in the 6th to go ahead 12-8.

Then, it was Mutual’s turn to erase a multiple-run deficit. During the top of the 7th Mutual scored three times via Single (PH Chuck Jones), Error, & Ground Out to make it a 12-11 game. After a scoreless Union 7th, the visitors scored twice in the 8th on a two-run Double by C Walt Felder to take a 13-12 lead. They then added another run in T9 to make it 14-12.

Now it was Union’s turn to erase another multiple-run deficit. SS William Cruise started B9 with a Single, his fifth Hit of the afternoon. He would eventually score after Singles by C Cale Jones & 2B Neal Hilton to make it a one-run game. After Jones scored on a Passed Ball, CF Benjamin Harper drove Hilton in with a Single to win the game for Union.

The clear star of the game, the only player with more than three Hits, was Union SS Cruise:

• B1: Single past 2B off G. Kendle
• B2: Hit into Fielder’s Choice at 2B (3 out)
• B4: 1-run Double to CF off G. Kendle (R)
• B5: Single past SS off G. Kendle (R)
• B6: 2-run Double to LF off M. Riis
• B9: Leadoff Single to LCF off H. Kerstens (R)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2 2B, 7 TB), 3 R, 3 RBI, 78 GMSC

The 5/6 day gave Cruise a .361 Batting Average (.832 OPS) and fifteen Runs Batted In through 21 games of the 1876 season. Currently on pace for over 3.0 WAR, the 1x Golden Glover is looking likely to make his first All-Star Game.

The walkoff victory moved Union alone into 1st place in New York City at 14-7, one game ahead of Mercury. Mutual is part of a three-way tie four games behind Union at 10-11.

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GOTHAM BEATS KC WITH SIX IN THE 9TH
MASSIVE RALLY IN FINAL INNING LEADS TO MEMORABLE WIN; ALTMAN BATS 5/5

NEW YORK CITY (June 8, 1876) - It was Brooklyn vs New York City in the A.P.B.L. on Thursday, with Kings County visiting Gotham at the St. George Cricket Grounds. Kings Co. thought they had the win, but Gotham stunned the visitors:

The hosts were ahead early, enjoying a 3-1 lead after the end of the 3rd inning. From there it was all Kings Co., with the visitors scoring ten times over the next four innings to take an 11-3 that, based on Gotham’s batsmanship from the 4th-6th, didn’t look like it would be in any danger.

However, Gotham’s offense woke up in the bottom of the 7th and they scored three times, the key hit being a one-run Triple by temporary 1B Royal Altman. After K.C. went down easy in the 8th & 9th, Gotham came to bat facing an 11-6 deficit and needing five runs to extend the game.

Gotham proved to be up to the task. After CF Alfred Calvert led off with a Single, SS George Pugatch sent him around the bases with a Triple to make it 11-7. Pugatch then scored on an Error with PH Enos Pfannenstiel at bat to make it 11-8. After a Fly Out, Altman hit a Single and 2B Babe Johnson reached via Base on Balls. PH William Theriault hit a Sacrifice Fly to make it 11-9, and after another Error loaded the base it was time for a hero.

Incredibly, the man who would win the game for Gotham was PH Francis Tilby, and calling him a rarely-used player is putting it lightly as the backup 1B was in for what was exactly his tenth Plate Appearance since he signed for Gotham ahead of the 1868 season. Naturally, Tilby hit a Double that cleared the bases and gave Gotham a memorable comeback victory.

Only two players finished with multiple Hits for Gotham, with Altman easily outshining the 2/4 Pugatch:

• B1: Single past 2B off N. Banfield
• B3: 1-run Triple to LCF off N. Banfield (R)
• B5: Single to CF off N. Banfield
• B7: 1-run Triple to RCF off N. Banfield (R)
• B9: Single past 2B off N. Banfield (R)
• TOTAL: 5/5 (2 3B, 9 TB), 3 R, 2 RBI, 75 GMSC

The 5/5 performance pushed Altman’s Batting Average over the .400 line to .401 (.936 OPS). The veteran is currently on pace for his best season in the A.P.B.L., but with the season barely 1/3 over time will tell if that happens.

Gotham is 15-18 and part of a three-way tie for 4th in the Metropolitan Conference. Kings County is 16-17 and part of a two-way tie for 2nd. American leads the Metro at 22-11.

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ST. JOHN’S FLATTENS FLOUR CITY WITH EARLY RALLY
VISITORS SCORE NINE IN 1ST & WIN BY FOURTEEN; ST. JOHN’S 3B TODD BATS 5/5 WITH 5 RBI

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (June 11, 1876) - Flour City had no chance at home against St. John’s on Sunday afternoon, as the visitors scored nine times in the top of the first and piled on the pain from there in a 20-6 victory:

The nine-run rally that began straight from the first pitch effectively sealed the win for St. John’s, but they weren’t satisfied and kept adding runs until they had taken a whopping 17-0 lead before Flour City scored for the first time. It was a truly dominant victory from start to finish.

Three St. John’s batsmen finished with three Hits…

• STJ #4 Konrad Jensen (LF): 3/5 (2B, 4 TB), 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, SB
• STJ #6 Hawk Petersen (1B): 3/5 (all 1B), 1 R, 1 RBI, HBP
• STJ #8 Falco van der Vaart (C): 3/6 (all 1B), 2 R, 3 RBI

…but 3B Eamonn Tood outpaced the trio with five:

• T1: 1-run Single to RCF off J. Riley (R)
• T2: Fly Out to LF (1 out)
• T4: 1-run past SS off J. Riley
• T5: 2-run Single to LF off D. Gibson (R)
• T7: Leadoff Double to CF off D. Gibson (R)
• T8: 1-run Single to RF off O. Holt
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2B, 6 TB), 3 R, 5 RBI, 92 GMSC

Todd is having an excellent season. Through six weeks of play in the A.P.B.L. the third-year 3B is batting .392 (.856 OPS) with 37 Runs Batted In (90 G: 93) and 1.7 WAR (90 G: 4.4). It’s easily been the best start to any of his three seasons, and should Tood stay close to this level of production in the coming weeks then he’ll make his first All-Star Game.

St. John’s is two games clear atop the Colonial Conference, and their 22-14 record is even with American for best in the A.P.B.L. Flour City is six games back at 16-20.

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MERCANTILE HAS TWO FIVE-HIT MEN AT OVERBROOK
2B HURT & 1B WARNOCK BOTH GO 5/6 AS INAUGURAL PCBL CHAMPS WIN BY ELEVEN

PHILADELPHIA (June 15, 1876) - Mercantile had the run of the Columbia Avenue Grounds on Thursday afternoon, as they visited Overbook and pounded their opposition during the middle innings before closing out a dominant win:

It was close early – 1-1 after the 3rd and 2-1 to Mercantile after the 4th. Then, the first P.C.B.L. champs took over, scoring eleven runs over the next three innings to take a 13-1 lead by the mid-7th and make the rest of the game a formality.

Two Mercantile batsmen had three Hits at Overbrook:

• MERC #6 Jonathan Noble (C): 3/6 (all 1B), 3 R, 1 RBI, 1/3 RTO
• MERC #8 Roy Schwarzwald (CF): 3/5 (all 1B), 1 R, 3 RBI

However, two more Mercantile men had five Hits each. The first five-hit star was 2B James Hurt…

• T1: Single past SS off F. Wertz
• T3: 1-run Single to LCF off F. Wertz
• T5: Single past 2B off F. Wertz (R)
• T6: 1-run Single past 2B off F. Wertz (R)
• T7: 1-run Single past SS off W. Denman
• T9: Fly Out to RF (1 out)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (all 1B), 2 R, 3 RBI, 71 GMSC

…and the other the was inaugural P.C.B.L. Most Valuable Player, 1B Benjamin Warnock:

• T1: Single to CF off F. Wertz
• T3: Single past 2B off F. Wertz (R)
• T5: Ground Out to 3B (1 out)
• T6: Single past 2B off F. Wertz (R)
• T7: Single past SS off W. Denman (R)
• T9: 2-RUN HOME RUN to LF off W. Denman (R)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (HR, 8 TB), 4 R, 2 RBI, 76 GMSC

While Hurt had more run-producing trips to the plate during the game, it was Warnock’s Home Run in the top of the 9th that earned him Player of the Game honors.

Hurt, in his first season with Mercantile, is batting .306 (.705 OPS) as an occasional starter at 2B. Warnock’s .290 Average (.712 OPS) is roughly 85 points lower than he finished last season at, but his 1.4 WPA shows that he’s still making many positive contributions to the Mercantile lineup.

Mercantile is part of a tie for 5th place in West Philadelphia at 11-16, while Overbrook is in 7th at 10-16 (one Rainout). Philadelphia B.C.C. leads the western half of the P.C.B.L. with a 21-6 record.

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JOST HAS FIVE HITS IN WIN AT GOTHAM
MASSIVE RALLY IN FINAL INNING LEADS TO MEMORABLE WIN; ALTMAN BATS 5/5

NEW YORK CITY (June 15, 1876) - Another series between the sport’s two oldest clubs wrapped up on Thursday afternoon, and it was Knickerbocker who got the better of Gotham at the St. George Cricket Grounds:

Gotham ran off to a quick 5-1 lead over the first two innings, with a two-run Triple by Royal Altman the key hit. After a couple of scoreless frames, Knickerbocker came back with three runs in the 5th and three more in the 6th to take a 7-5 lead, with a two-run Single by Anthony Mascherino putting the visitors ahead. Gotham evened the score on an Altman Double, but after a scoreless 7th Knickerbocker controlled the late innings by scoring three times over the 8th & 9th, with a run-scoring Single by RF Henry Jost in the top of the 9th sealing the win for the visitors.

For Jost, the RBI Single in the final inning capped off a fine afternoon by Knickerbocker’s leadoff man:

• T1: Leadoff Single to RF off A. Lively (SB, R)
• T2: 1-run Fielder’s Choice at 2B
• T5: Leadoff single to RF off A. Lively (R)
• T6: 1-run Single past SS off A. Lively (R)
• T8: Single to RCF off W. Grabow (R)
• T9: 1-run Single past 2B off J. Smith
• TOTAL: 5/6 (all 1B), 4 R, 3 RBI, SB, 85 GMSC

Jost is batting .306 (.698), the same Batting Average he ended 1875 with, through 39 games, with seventeen Runs Batted In and fifteen Stolen Bases.

Knickerbocker is 3rd in the Metropolitan Conference at 19-20, five games behind leaders American. Gotham is part of a three-way tie for 4th at 18-21.

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SUSQUEHANNA BREAKS RECORDS IN ROUT AT READING
1874 CHAMPS SET MARGIN OF VICTORY RECORD AMONG OTHERS IN UNFORGETTABLE PERFORMANCE

READING, PENN. (June 17, 1876) - Reading Athletic Club went into Saturday’s home game against Susquehanna hoping to even the series at two games apiece. That ABSOLUTELY did not happen:

After four innings it was a 4-0 game, and the signs pointed toward a run-of-the-mill Susquehanna win with a fine pitching performance by William Hawk. Three innings later it was 26-2, and those in attendance were left wondering just what in the world happened.

When all was said and done, Susquehanna were the proud owners of a number of new Northeastern League records:

• Runs by one team in a single game: 31
• Hits by one team in a single game: 31
• Margin of Victory in a single game: 29 Runs
• Players with 4+ Hits in a single game: four

Not surprisingly, just about every member of the Susquehanna lineup had a field day at the Rasmussen Grounds:

• SUS #1 John Schultz (CF): 2/7 (both 1B), 4 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
• SUS #2 Lucas Maxwell (2B): 4/8 (2B, 5 TB), 5 R, 1 RBI, SB
• SUS #3 Joseph Jurski (1B): 5/6 (2B, 6 TB), 5 R, 4 RBI, SB, 99 GMSC (P.o.t.G.)
• SUS #4 Stephen Barley (SS): 4/6 (2 2B, HR, 9 TB), 4 R, 5 RBI, 92 GMSC
• SUS #5 Walter Braden (LF): 6/8 (2B, 7 TB), 2 R, 4 RBI, 82 GMSC
• SUS #6 Oliver Lysiak (C): 3/7 (all 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
• SUS #7 Frank Carter (3B): 1/8 (1B), 0 R, 0 RBI
• SUS #8 Karl Valentine (RF): 2/6 (both 1B), 5 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, SB
• SUS P William Hawk: 1/4 (1B), 2 R, 1 RBI, 3 SAC BUNT
• SUS SUB Charles Patterson (1B): 2/2 (2B, 3 TB), 2 R, 1 RBI
• SUS SUB Thomas Granger (SS): 1/2 (1B), 0 R, 1 RBI
• SUS TOTAL: 31/64, 7 XBH (6 2B, 1 HR), 31 R, 22 RBI, 3 BB, 3 SB

Of particular note: Walter Braden’s 6/8 performance was the first six-hit game in the N.B.B.O. so far this season.

Susquehanna #1 pitcher William Hawk also had a fine day with the ball:

• TOTAL: CG, 8 HA, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

The 29-run victory left Susquehanna the N.E.L.’s #1 team in Batting Average, On-Base Percentage, OPS, Hits, & Doubles, while they are 2nd in runs behind only National. They are 21-8, four games clear atop the Inland Championship standings.

Meanwhile, Reading is 13-16 (8 GB), which made the events at the Rasmussen Grounds that much more confounding. This hasn’t been a bad team this season. In fact, Reading had a +8 Run Differential entering Saturday’s game.

If nothing else, the above proves that on any given day a person can go to a baseball game and witness something that nobody’s expected or seen before.

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EXCELSIOR HAMMERS GOTHAM BEHIND CREIGHTON SHUTOUT
CREIGHTON K’S FOUR & FIVE BATSMEN COLLECT THREE HITS EACH AS VISITORS WIN BY NINETEEN

NEW YORK CITY (June 20, 1876) - Excelsior played at Gotham to open Week Eight of A.P.B.L. action, and the visitors could do no wrong in a smashing victory at the St. George Cricket Grounds:

The contest was over quickly, as five Excelsior runs in the opening followed by three in the 3rd and five more in the 4th gave the visitors a 13-0 lead before the game was halfway to completion.

Excelsior had Jim Creighton pitching, which meant Gotham had no chance to overcome the early Excelsior barrage while Creighton was busy twirling a Shutout and excelling at the plate:

• EXC P Jim Creighton PITCHING: CG SHUTOUT, 3 HA, 0 BB, 4 K, 85 GMSC
• EXC P Jim Creighton BATTING: 1/3 (3B, 4 TB), 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB

The Shutout win improved Jim Creighton’s record on the season to 12-8. While he isn’t winning as frequently as in recent seasons, that is through no fault of his own as Creighton’s other main statistics – 2.08 ERA, 69 K, 2 SHO, 34.5 K/BB, 4.5 WAR – are on pace to be the best he’s had yet in the A.P.B.L.

Also, a number of Creighton’s teammates put in excellent performances, with no fewer than five Excelsior batsmen finishing the game with three hits apiece:

• EXC #1 Taliesin Buckley (RF): 3/5 (2B, 3B, 6 TB), 2 R, 6 RBI
• EXC #3 Troy Oberst (LF): 3/6 (all 1B), 2 R, 2 RBI
• EXC #4 Elijah Hill (3B): 3/6 (2B, 4 TB), 2 R, 1 RBI
• EXC #6 Marcel Bresciani (SS): 3/6 (all 1B), 2 R, 1 RBI
• EXC #8 Edgar Pridgen (C): 3/6 (3B, 5 TB), 4 R, 1 RBI, 1/2 RTO

The brilliant team performance moved Excelsior to within a game of .500 (21-22), where they are seven games behind Metropolitan Conference leaders American. Gotham has fallen to last place at 18-25.

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PBCC CARRIES 15-GAME WIN STREAK TO MIDWAY POINT
DEFENDING PCBL CHAMPIONS LOOK INVINCIBLE HALFWAY THROUGH 1876 SEASON

PHILADELPHIA (June 26, 1876) - Four weeks into the P.C.B.L. season Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club had a fine 14-6 record, but they were two games behind rampant Merion for the lead in West Philadelphia. Jump forward three weeks and it looks to all like P.B.C.C. has already taken the pennant thanks to a fifteen-game winning streak leading up to the halfway point of the 1876 season.

On Sunday, June 4th, P.B.C.C. lost 6-5 at home to Germantown after allowing a run during the top of the 9th. Since then the Philadelphia champions have been utterly flawless, starting with a five-game sweep of main rivals Merion that saw P.B.C.C. go back atop the standings:

• June 7: PBCC 8-1 MER – P Robert Benson CG, 8 HA, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1/3 (2B), 1 RBI
• June 8: PBCC 11-2 MER – 2B Frederick Pike 2/4 (2 1B), 3 R, 3 RBI, SB, 1 DEF DP
• June 9: PBCC 14-11 MER – SS Moody Steiger 3/6 (3B, 5 TB), 3 R, 1 RBI
• June 10: PBCC 8-7 MER – 3B Charles Hunt 2/3 (2 1B), 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB
• June 11: PBCC 12-7 MER – P Robert Benson CG, 7 HA, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 1/5 (1B), 1 R, 1 RBI

Four of the five games ended in Philadelphia B.C.C. wins by multiple runs, and in the lone one-run game P.B.C.C. had a five-run lead in the middle of the 9th before a Merion rally came up just short. The aftermath: P.B.C.C. had a Run Differential of +25 over five games playing at a team that entered the series with a 16-4 record, and P.B.C.C. had turned a two-game deficit in East Philadelphia into a three-game lead.

As it turned out, P.B.C.C. didn’t stop there:

• June 14: IND 7-10 PBCC – 2B Frederick Pike 4/5 (3B, 6 TB), 2 R, 4 RBI, 1 DEF DP
• June 15: IND 2-7 PBCC – 2B Frederick Pike 4/5 (2B, 5 TB), 2 R, 3 RBI, SB
• June 16: IND 0-12 PBCC – P Robert Benson CG SHO, 9 HA, 1 BB, 3 K, 1/3 (1B), 1 R, 1 RBI
• June 17: IND 7-8 PBCC (10) – 3B Charles Hunt 3/4 (3 1B), 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB
• June 18: IND 3-4 PBCC – P Robert Benson CG, 9 HA, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1/3 (1B), 1 R

P.B.C.C. had racked up a ten-game Winning Streak, and with Merion winning their first three games at Germantown before losing the final two it meant their lead in East Philadelphia had grown to five games.

Still, P.B.C.C.’s winning ways were far from over:

• June 21: SCH 6-7 PBCC – SS Moody Steiger 2/5 (3B, 4 TB), 2 R, 3 RBI, SB, WALKOFF 3B
• June 22: SCH 1-4 PBCC – P Arthur Lipscomb CG, 1 HA, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1/4 (1B)
• June 23: SCH 2-6 PBCC – CF Robert Chase 3/5 (3B, 5 TB), 3 R, 1 RBI
• June 24: SCH 7-4 PBCC – 2B Frederick Pike 2/3 (3B, 4 TB), 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, SB
• June 25: SCH 3-10 PBCC – P Robert Benson CG, 6 HA, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, 1/3 (2B), 1 R, 3 RBI

P.B.C.C. now had a fifteen-game Winning Streak, and Merion’s 1-4 series at Mercantile meant the defending champions had gone from a two-game deficit to a nine-game lead over the rest of West Philadelphia over the span of just three weeks. Merion had followed up their 16-4 start with a 4-11 run, and here was how P.B.C.C. responded:

• 15 W, 0 L, 128 R (8.5 R/G), 63 RA (4.2 RA/G), +65 RD (+4.3 R/G), +11 G vs MER, 9-game lead in West PHI

Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club enters the midway point of the P.C.B.L. season with a 29-6 record, among the best half-season runs ever seen in any league. They have the only two P.C.B.L. Pitchers with ERA’s under 2.00…

• #1: 1.58 by Robert Benson (182.2 IP)
• #2: 1.91 by Arthur Lipscomb (118.0 IP)

…their pitching leads the P.C.B.L. in…

• Runs Allowed with 159 (4.5 RA/G; Frankford 2nd with 5.8 RA/G)
• Shutouts with 2 (Spartan also has 2)
• Team ERA with 1.81 (Sons of Ben 2nd with 2.32)
• Hits Allowed with 310 (8.8 HA/G; Mercantile 2nd with 9.9 HA/G)
• Strikeouts with 78 (2.2 K/G; Independence 2nd with 2.1 K/G)
• WHIP with 1.05 (Frankford 2nd with 1.20)
• Opponents’ AVG with .237 (Mercantile 2nd with .251)
• Opponents’ OBP with .254 (Frankford 2nd with .279)
• Opponents’ SLG with .295 (Frankford 2nd with .318)
• Opponents’ OPS with .548 (Frankford 2nd with .597)

…and their fielders lead the P.C.B.L. in each of the four main defensive factors:

• Errors with 210 (6.0 E/G, Frankford 2nd with 6.2 E/G)
• Fielding % with .862 (Frankford 2nd with .856)
• Efficiency with .643 (Frankford 2nd with .623)
• Zone Rating with +20.7 (Frankford 2nd with +3.6)

P.B.C.C. has played even better away from home (13-2) than they have at Willow Grove, they have an outside chance to become the first team in any league to finish a season with a Run Differential of +300, and they have been so dominant that their current Run Differential of +146 suggests their record should be 27-8, which would still be historically great.

The other clubs in Philadelphia can take solace in the fact that, while they were 26-9 in the first half last season, P.B.C.C. was only marginally over .500 during the second half of 1875 and needed a full five games to take the Liberty Bell Classic. Still, all current signs point to P.B.C.C. repeating as champions of the city, and doing so in spectacular fashion.