The Big Bang: A Larger Baseball Universe Starting From Nothing in 1857 - Page 61

tm1681 · 04-26-2026, 03:59 PM

1880 AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME
GAME HOSTED BY ALLEGHANY; ST. JOHN’S & KNICK LEAD WITH FIVE PLAYERS EACH

PITTSBURGH, PENN. (Aug. 2, 1880) – There are fifteen games left to play in the season, and that means it’s time for the annual American Professional Baseball League All-Star Game!

Rosters for the A.P.B.L.’s Midsummer Classic aren’t the same as those in its N.B.B.O. counterpart:

• Twenty players per conference
• Roster places 1-4 go to pitchers – two for each rotation place
• Roster places 5-20 go to batsmen – two for each position

This year it was the Colonial Conference’s turn to host the game, and since the Founders Cup traded conferences once again it meant that for the third straight season the defending league champions were able to host. In turn, that meant Recreation Park in Pittsburgh, home to Alleghany B.C. and the most fan-friendly park in the sport, was the site of the contest.

The All-Star Game rosters saw every team represented for the first time since the A.P.B.L. expanded from twelve to sixteen teams for the 1878 season, and there were worthy nominees from all sixteen. The two conference leaders, St. John’s & Knickerbocker, led the way with five players each, and a record thirteen teams sent two or more players to Pittsburgh.

The Colonial Conference lineup was dominated by St. John’s, who had four men starting after their historic 21-4 July. The Metropolitan lineup, on the other hand, was represented by seven different teams, with leaders Knick having only one starter.

The big omission this year was that of Knick 2B Anthony Mascherino. The 20x All-Star missed the game for the first time since 1873 and for only the second in his extraordinary career. While he’s had a fine 1880 (.296, .765 OPS, 33 RBI, 3.1 WAR), Mascherino’s seasonal body of work didn’t quite stack up to that of Gotham’s Babe Johnson or Orange’s Charles Whitehead.

The biggest surprise in this year’s rosters was Jacob Kaulback. The 2x N.B.B.O. All-Star was a below-average hitter in each of the first two seasons after Newark made the move up to the A.P.B.L., but this year he’s raised his Average & OPS by 64 & 155 points respectively, easily earning him his first professional All-Star-Game nomination.

With the Metropolitan Conference hoping to win the game for the third consecutive year, these were the All-Star Game rosters, with total All-Star appearances between the pre-1871 N.B.B.O. & A.P.B.L. noted:

Here are the number of nominees who represented each team:

• ALLEGHANY: 2 (Alexander & Strong)
• AMERICAN: 2 (Everhart & Todd)
• EXCELSIOR: 2 (Chessman & Oberst)
• FLOUR CITY: 3 (Drake, Gray, & Noss)
• GOTHAM: 4 (Altman, Johnson, LeBouf, & Ward)
• KINGS CO.: 3 (Koonce, Nevers, & Siemens)
• KNICK: 5 (Dyke, Goodman, Landreth, Stoffers, & Strachan)
• MASS. BAY: 3 (Duke, Fisher, & Quarles)
• NEWARK: 2 (Kaulback & Ratican)
• NIAGARA: 2 (Barrett & Roper)
• ORANGE: 2 (Cobb & Whitehead)
• PT. JERSEY: 1 (Eastman)
• QUAKER ST.: 1 (Morganti)
• SHAMROCK: 2 (Burroughs & Jost)
• ST. JOHN’S: 5 (Burns, Cannon, Evans, Jensen, & Nalley)
• TIGER S.C.: 1 (Prince)

It was St. John’s & Knickerbocker who led the way this year with five players each. St. John’s simply had to have a handful of All-Stars after their unprecedented July run, and Knick deserved their All-Star haul as Metropolitan Conference since just past the halfway mark of the season.

While the omission of Anthony Mascherino grabbed headlines, the biggest All-Star snub was arguably that of June P.o.t.M. Charles King of Pt. Jersey, who entered the day of the game 3rd in the league in Wins with a 23-18 record. However, his ERA of 3.90 was much higher than that of any of the four Colonial Conference P’s picked, and that made him the odd man out.

There were nine first-timers at the game for the second year in a row (COL: 6, MET: 3), but unlike last year there were no Greenhorns present. The youngest All-Star, like last year, was Orange RF Jonathan Cobb (24 years, 82 days), while the oldest was St. John’s 1B Konrad Jensen (41 years, 59 days).

As for the game itself, this was how it turned out:

It was a Metropolitan Conference three-peat, one which occurred thanks to a pair of late rallies by the visitors.

The Colonial drew first blood with a pair of Runs in B1 on back-to-back Doubles by Samuel Eastman & Charles Barrett. The Metropolitan would gradually take the lead with single Runs in each of the next three innings, with a run-scoring Ground Out in T2, an RBI Single by Garfield Koonce in T3, and an RBI Single by Martin Prince in T4 giving the visitors a 3-2 lead. The hosts then took the lead back (3-4) in B5 on an Error and a run-scoring Single by Henry Jost.

Facing a one-run deficit going into the late innings, the Metropolitan took the lead (7-4) with a four-run rally in T7, the Runs scoring on an Error, a Double by Clive Strachan, a Single by Louis Dyke, and a Triple by Troy Oberst. After the Colonial cut the Metro lead to two (7-5) with a Run in B7, they put the game away with a second four-run rally in T9 that saw two Runs score via Error and the other two score on a Passed Ball and a Double by Oberst. The Colonial made a valiant attempt at a comeback in B9, but their three Runs were three short of what they needed to continue the festivities and the Metropolitan Conference had their third consecutive All-Star Game victory.

For Oberst, who played the entire game, his run-producing Extra Base Hits during the Metropolitan’s late rallies earned him the honor of Most Valuable Player:

• MET LF Troy Oberst: 2/5 (2B, 3B), 3 R, 3 RBI, 5 TB, SB

There were four other players who finished the game with multiple Hits:

• MET 1B Garfield Koonce: 3/5 (all 1B), 1 R, 1 RBI, SB – DEF DP
• MET SS Martin Prince: 2/5 (2B), 0 R, 0 RBI, 2 SB – DEF DP
• COL 3B Samuel Eastman: 2/5 (2B), 2 R, 1 RBI, 3 TB
• COL SUB Henry Jost: 2/3 (both 1B), 2 R, 1 RBI, SB

The pitchers of record were Jimmy Everhart with the Win and George Burroughs with the Loss.

Attendance at Pittsburgh’s Recreation Park was 17,839, and it was a cloudy, 68-degree afternoon at the venue, with a slight breeze from left to right. The home fans didn’t go home happy, but they still got the chance to see the game’s premier players.

tm1681 · 04-26-2026, 04:01 PM

ISENHOUR TORTURES TRENTON UTD. WITH SIX HITS
MARYLAND C HAS CAREER DAY THAT INCLUDES FIVE RBI IN DOUBLE-DIGIT HOME WIN

BALTIMORE, MLD. (Aug. 6, 1880) - Maryland & Trenton United, who were Coastal Championship contenders at the midway point of the season, are now playing for pride. They met for the third game of their series at Cecil Calvert Park on Friday afternoon, and it was the hosts who came up big once again and took their third straight multiple-run victory:

Trenton Utd. actually scored first in this one, plating three men in the first inning. However, Maryland bludgeoned them into submission after that, scoring seventeen of the game’s next eighteen Runs while pummeling visiting pitching with 25 base hits. The climax of the afternoon was an eighth inning rally in which Maryland scored eight Runs on nine Hits, and in the middle of it all was a Grand Slam by LF Henry Tarkenton.

Once Maryland was finally done at the plate for the afternoon, the visitors scored a few meaningless Runs in T9 to give Maryland its final winning margin of ten, to go with victories by eight (6-14) and six (7-13) in the series’ first two games.

While Tarkenton provided the 2,062 in attendance with the most exciting moment of the day, that was his only successful swing against Trenton Utd. There were four Maryland players who had three Hits on the afternoon…

• MLD 1B Frank Miller: 3/5 (2 2B), 1 R, 4 RBI, 5 TB
• MLD 2B Peter Boyce: 3/5 (all 1B), 1 R, 1 RBI, 3 SB
• MLD CF Edgar Hearst: 3/6 (2 2B), 3 R, 1 RBI, 5 TB
• MLD RF Fred Harbour: 3/5 (2B), 3 R, 1 RBI, 4 TB

…but there was one Batsman who doubled that output: C John Isenhour.

• B2: Single to CF off P. Dahlen (R)
• B4: 1-run Single to RF off P. Dahlen (R)
• B5: 1-run Single to CF off P. Dahlen (R)
• B7: Leadoff Single to LF off M. Snapp
• B8: 2-run Single past 2B off M. Snapp (R)
• B8: 1-run Single past 2B off G. van Deursen
• TOTAL: 6/6 (all 1B), 4 R, 5 RBI – 111 GMSC (BAT: 1st)

Isenhour’s performance was the best of the season by a Batsman in the N.B.B.O., and the first all year with a 100+ Game Score.

Isenhour has gone absolutely nuts to start August, batting 13/18 over four games with eight Runs, eight RBI, and 0.7 B-WAR. In just those four games he’s raised his Average from .349 to .386 (.882 OPS), and while Isenhour won’t receive any postseason honors since he’s only started 45 of Maryland’s 63 games he’s been quite a revelation during his first season as a member of their lineup.

The result left Maryland 33-30 and Trenton Utd. 28-35. Maryland’s main objective here on out is to overtake intracity rivals Lord Baltimore, whom they are currently one game behind, for 3rd in the Coastal Championship. Struggling Trenton Utd’s objective for the rest of the season is to hold on to 5th, as they are currently five games behind fourth-place Maryland.

tm1681 · 04-26-2026, 04:02 PM

HUGGARD SHUTS OUT WHITE-HOT ST. JOHN’S
YOUNG PITCHER BRINGS GOTHAM OUT OF ALL-STAR BREAK BY BLANKING BASEBALL’S HOTTEST TEAM

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Aug. 6, 1880) - To exit the All-Star Break, St. John’s is hosting Gotham in a series that is pivotal for both teams. Knowing that St. John’s has struck the richest vein of form in A.P.B.L. history, Gotham went into the three-game set hoping to win just one in an effort to keep the pressure on Knickerbocker. They did win one, and it was the opener in stunning fashion:

All Gotham could manage in terms of Runs was single tallies in the 1st, 4th, & 6th, with the only run-scoring Hit of the day being Royal Altman’s RBI Double during the opening inning. Shockingly, that ended up being no issue at all for Gotham as their 23-year-old #2, Everett Huggard, held the heavily-favored hosts scoreless:

• GOT P Everett Huggard: SHO (9-15), 9.0 IP, 6 HA, 1 BB, 3 K – 77 GMSC

Huggard only allowed one Extra Base Hit: a Double to Rudolph Decker with two out in B3, after which Decker couldn’t progress any further. The fielding behind Huggard excelled as well, with Gotham fielders other than the Pitcher committing just one Error on the afternoon while holding St. John’s, who as a team is averaging 3.4 Stolen Bases per game this season, to one theft on the basepaths.

The surprising Shutout could be just the lift Gotham needs as they try to catch and surpass Knickerbocker for the Metropolitan Conference lead. The 3-0 win moved Gotham to within a game of Knick at 44-32, while St. John’s was able to stay seven games clear atop the Colonial Conference with a record of 47-29 in spite of the loss.

The series continues on Saturday, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:35 PM.

tm1681 · 04-27-2026, 02:49 AM

SUSQUEHANNA HAS FIVE-HIT PAIR IN BIG WIN
LYONS & VALENTINE THE STARS IN DEMOLITION OF READING; SUSQUEHANNA NOW THREE GAMES CLEAR

WILKES-BARRE, PENN. (Aug. 11, 1880) - Susquehanna ended their July by winning five of six games, one makeup game included, in a series at N.E.L.-worst Lake Erie. They then went 3-2 at Pioneer in their most important series of the year to take the Inland Championship lead by two games. They entered their final series, a five-game home set vs Reading Athletic Club, knowing three wins would likely be good enough to take yet another pennant. With that in mind, Susquehanna got the job done and then some in the series opener:

This was no contest. Reading went down in order to start the game, and Susquehanna responded with five Runs during their first turn to bat, a rally that saw the team collect three Extra Base Hits (2B, 2 3B). The visitors got on the board in T2, but Susquehanna responded with their second five-run rally, this one featuring two-run Singles from 2B Jacob Falk & RF Karl Valentine. At the end of two innings, the score was already 10-1 in Susquehanna’s favor.

The hosts scored three runs over the next two innings, and then they hit Reading with the finisher: a third five-run rally in B5, with the key Hit being a two-run Double by C Scott Lyons. That outburst put Susquehanna ahead 18-1, and this game was effectively over. There was a smattering of runs over the final four innings, and the hosts exited with an eighteen-run win.

Susquehanna had 22 Hits over the course of the contest, and two of their Batsmen had five each.

C Scott Lyons:

• B1: Single to RF off C. Timmons (R)
• B2: Single to LCF off C. Timmons
• B3: 1-run Single past SS off L. Allen
• B4: Single past 2B off L. Allen
• B5: 2-run Double past 1B off L. Allen
• B7: Ground Out to SS (1 out)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (2B), 1 R, 3 RBI, 6 TB – 0/1 CS

RF Karl Valentine:

• B1: 1-run Single past 3B off C. Timmons
• B2: 1-run Single past 2B off C. Timmons
• B4: Leadoff Triple to RCF off L. Allen (R)
• B5: Single to RCF off L. Allen (R)
• B6: 1-run Single past 2B off L. Allen
• B8: Fly Out to CF (3 out)
• TOTAL: 5/6 (3B), 2 R, 3 RBI, 7 TB

Lyons’ banner day raised his Average to .363 (.876 OPS) with 29 Extra Base Hits (24 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR), 71 Runs Batted In, & 3.4 Batsman WAR with four games remaining, proving that his B.o.t.Y. campaign in his first season as a regular was no fluke. Valentine, more of a defensive specialist, is batting .276 (.699 OPS) with 39 RBI.

The win gave Susquehanna a 41-25 record, as well as a 16-4 record over their last twenty games. They are now three games ahead of Lancastra & Pioneer for the Inland Championship lead with four games remaining, and an eighth pennant in ten years looks just about guaranteed now.

Reading is 34-32 and is likely to finish 5th in the Inland Championship, down from 3rd last year.

tm1681 · 04-27-2026, 02:52 AM

BURNS 1ST TO CROSS 200 STRIKEOUT BARRIER
LIKELY PITCHER OF THE YEAR HITS 30 WINS, MAKES BASEBALL HISTORY AT NIAGARA

BUFFALO, N.Y. (Aug. 11, 1880) - Niagara & St. John’s played the second game of their series at the Greater New York Sporting Grounds in Buffalo today. After losing the opener 7-2, St. John’s evened the series on Wednesday afternoon:

St. John’s did most of their scoring early. They scored twice in T1 on a Double by LF Joseph Evans and a Single by RF Nelson Townsend, and then once in T2 on a Sacrifice Fly to take a 3-0 lead. After a scoreless third, St. John’s went ahead 4-0 in T4 on a Single by P Howard Burns. Niagara responded with a pair in B4 to cut the visitors’ lead in half (4-2), but those ended up being the only runs Burns allowed, and with an extra Run in the ninth St. John’s earned a 5-2 victory.

The result itself didn’t end up being the main story of the day in Buffalo, however, as Howard Burns made two pieces of history over the course of the afternoon.

First, Burns sent Niagara 2B Clyde Hudspeth back to the dugout with a swinging Third Strike in the bottom of the second inning, and that made Burns the first Pitcher in the history of the sport with 200 Strikeouts in a single season. The man who’d previously come closest to the milestone was, of course, Jim Creighton, who struck out 197 over 362.2 innings with Excelsior in the N.B.B.O. in 1868. With his performance in Upstate New York…

• StJ P Howard Burns: CG W (30-6), 9.0 IP, 7 HA, 2 R/1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K – 1/2, RBI

…Burns has 205 Strikeouts over 344.2 innings with exactly ten games remaining in the 1880 season.

(In real life, John Ward of the Providence Grays was the first pitcher with 200+ Strikeouts in a season. He struck out 239 batters in 587 innings and was only 19 years old for more than half the season. The strikeout rate for elite pitchers in the fictional universe is inflated, simply because it’s extremely difficult to get the game engine to recreate the conditions in which one pitcher has the ball for most of the innings of a team’s season, at least in a fictional league.)

It should be noted that Burns will likely be joined in the initial 200 Strikeout Club by Charles Rhodes in the N.B.B.O., who has 198 Strikeouts over 338 innings for New York A.C. with at least two outings remaining. However, Burns achieving the feat in the A.P.B.L. is the more significant historical accomplishment.

Second, with his Win at Niagara Burns became the fourth member of the A.P.B.L.’s 30-Win club:

• 1873: John Henry (AME): 30-5, 3.14 ERA, 341.1 IP, 21 CG, 1 SHO, 18 K, 1.22 WHIP, 3.5 WAR, 10.0 rWAR
• 1874: Jim Creighton (EXC): 30-21, 2.56 ERA, 396.2 IP, 28 CG, 1 SHO, 136 K, 1.20 WHIP, 8.4 WAR, 6.8 rWAR
• 1875: Jim Creighton (EXC): 31-14, 2.96 ERA, 383.2 IP, 29 CG, 1 SHO, 116 K, 1.27 WHIP, 8.8 WAR, 5.8 rWAR
• 1878: Bertram Landreth (KNI): 31-11, 2.41 ERA, 374.0 IP, 32 CG, 1 SHO, 134 K, 1.16 WHIP, 7.0 WAR, 8.7 rWAR
• 1880: Howard Burns (StJ): 30-8, 2.30 ERA, 344.2 IP, 33 CG, 0 SHO, 205 K, 1.10 WHIP, 10.1 WAR, 9.0 rWAR (ongoing)

Burns has five scheduled outing remaining, and given how St. John’s has played over the second half of the 1880 season the odds are high that he’ll set a new single season record for Wins in the A.P.B.L.

With the twin milestones he reached on Wednesday afternoon, Burns is now guaranteed to repeat as A.P.B.L. Pitcher of the Year, something only done by Creighton (1874-75). That will place Burns in another extremely exclusive club.

The victory was St. John’s 50th of the season. They are 50-30 and seven games clear atop the Colonial Conference standings. Niagara is tied for third place with Upstate New York rivals Flour City at 41-39 (9 GB).

tm1681 · 04-27-2026, 02:56 AM

RHODES EARNS TRIPLE CROWN, MOORE BATS .400
NYAC STAR ADDS ANOTHER ACCOMPLISHMENT, PBCC RF 1ST SINCE ’77 TO CROSS .400 MARK

NEW YORK CITY & PHILADELPHIA, PENN. (Aug. 16, 1880) - The regular season for the leagues outside of the A.P.B.L. ended yesterday afternoon, and with it a pair of significant accomplishments by players in the N.B.B.O. were set in stone.

First, to New York City. For each of the past four years, the season has ended with New York Athletic Club’s Charles Rhodes being named N.Y.L. Pitcher of the Year. The man has been the most dominant Pitcher in the N.B.B.O. since Jim Creighton, with many well aware of the open secret that Rhodes, who could be a five-star Pitcher in the A.P.B.L., but happy staying in semi-pro ball because he’s already being paid a professional All-Star’s wages to play for N.Y.A.C.

Still, for all of the greatness Rhodes displayed from 1876 to ’79, he took his pitching to an even higher level this season. Rhodes’ last outing was a 3-1 win vs Mutual, and with that he did two things: he reached 30 Wins for the first time, and more importantly he became the third man in N.B.B.O. history to earn the Pitching Triple Crown.

A look at Rhodes’ last five seasons, which should end with his fifth consecutive N.Y.L. Pitcher of the Year award, will show the read just how dominant he’s been:

The following is the new list of Triple Crown seasons in N.B.B.O. history:

• 1864: Jim Creighton (EXC): 26-4, 2.29 ERA, 69 K, 302.0 IP, 27 CG, 2 SHO, 2.5 K/BB, 1.02 WHIP, 6.4 WAR
• 1875: George Burroughs (PtJ): 29-12, 1.99 ERA, 93 K, 347.2 IP, 29 CG, 2 SHO, 4.2 K/BB, 1.20 WHIP, 7.1 WAR
• 1880: Charles Rhodes (NYAC): 30-11, 2.30 ERA, 204 K, 356.0 IP, 32 CG, 1 SHO, 11.3 K/BB, 1.03 WHIP, 12.9 WAR

All of the above doesn’t mean that Rhodes wasn’t an outstanding Pitcher before the start of the 1876 season. Since joining the N.B.B.O. as a 22-year-old when Frontier B.B.C. entered the New York League in 1871, Rhodes has led either the N.Y.L. or the entire N.B.B.O. in Pitching WAR nine out of the ten seasons of his career.

• 1871 (Frontier): 7.8 WAR (1st overall)
• 1872 (Frontier): 6.9 WAR (1st in N.Y.L.)
• 1873 (N.Y.A.C.): 6.4 WAR (1st in N.Y.L.)
• 1874 (N.Y.A.C.): 6.8 WAR (1st in N.Y.L.)
• 1875 (N.Y.A.C.): 6.6 WAR (4th in N.Y.L.)
• 1876 (N.Y.A.C.): 9.5 WAR (1st overall)
• 1877 (N.Y.A.C.): 9.6 WAR (1st overall)
• 1878 (N.Y.A.C.): 10.7 WAR (1st overall)
• 1879 (N.Y.A.C.): 9.6 WAR (1st overall)
• 1880 (N.Y.A.C.): 12.9 WAR (N.B.B.O. record)
• TOTAL (1871-80): 86.7 WAR (7.6 WAR per 300 IP)

There is a reason why Rhodes’ nickname is “The Colossus”. When he entered the N.B.B.O. he immediately became its most dependable Pitcher. Now, Rhodes is the N.B.B.O. most invincible Pitcher.

Now, it’s over to Philadelphia, where thanks to a .471 Average (1.204 OPS) during the August portion of the schedule Philadelphia B.C.C. RF Leroy Moore became the first N.B.B.O. Batsman in three years to finish the season with a Batting Average over .400, with a final mark of .404 (1.003 OPS).

When P.B.C.C. made the stunning signing of James Burke over the winter, it was thought that Moore might be able to recapture the form that earned him 1878 N.E.L. Batsman of the Year since he could move back to RF, the position he played at when he won the award. He recaptured that form and then some, and the difference between his one season as the P.B.C.C. CF (1879) and his two as their RF in the N.B.B.O. sandwiched around it couldn’t be more pronounced:

The incredible thing is that Moore might not even earn his second N.E.L. Batsman of the Year honor after hitting over .400. That’s thanks to legendary new teammate Burke, who beat him out in a number of offensive categories:

• .384/.436/.581, 1.016 OPS, 92 R, 119 H, 35 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 29 BB, 51 SB, 5.0 WPA, 5.7 WAR

Whatever the outcome, Moore has earned the bragging rights that go with being a .400 hitter and P.B.C.C. will have the N.E.L. Batsman of the Year. Not only that, but they might end up with the league’s Pitcher of the Year too, since William Burrow finished the season with a 32-10 record (2.85 ERA, 96 K, 5.7 WAR).

With the greatest exploits of the N.B.B.O. recognized, it’s now on to the Tucker-Wheaton Cup playoffs.

tm1681 · 04-27-2026, 03:00 AM

EAST PHILADELPHIA GOES TO A PLAYOFF
MINERVA LOSES LAST TWO GAMES, FRANKFORD WINS LAST SIX TO LEAVE BOTH TEAMS LEVEL

PHILADELPHIA, PENN. (Aug. 16, 1880) - It turned out that seventy games wasn’t going to be enough to determine the East Philadelphia champion in the P.C.B.L. this year, as Frankford & Minerva finished the season with identical 41-29 records.

Minerva was in the proverbial captain’s seat going into the final week of play, as they were alone atop the standings and two games above the trio of Frankford Arsenal, Sons of Ben, & Spartan. Sons of Ben & Spartan played each other in Week Fourteen Ben Franklin Field, and hosts S.o.B. took the series 3-2. Frankford, who had won their final game at Spartan 9-7 in ten innings after losing the first four, then swept Pt. Richmond at home and thus ended the season with a six-game Win Streak.

That sweep put pressure on Minerva, who was hosting last-place Yorktown for their Week Fourteen series. For the hosts, the series started as well as could be desired:

• YORK 5-10 MIN – 2B Jonathan Auriemma (MIN): 3/5 (3B), 3 R, 1 RBI, 5 TB, SB
• YORK 6-9 MIN – SS Archie Bell (MIN): 3/5 (2B, HR), 2 R, 3 RBI, 7 TB – DEF DP
• YORK 7-8 MIN – SS Archie Bell (MIN): 3/5 (2 2B), 3 R, 1 RBI, 5 TB, SB

Those three wins kept Minerva two games ahead of Frankford with two games left to play, while Sons of Ben & Spartan had been eliminated from playoff contention.

In the fourth game of the series Minerva experienced their first setback, a painful one-run loss:

• YORK 5-4 MIN – Minerva had bases loaded w/ one out at 5-4 in B9, hit into Double Play

Minerva had the bases loaded with one out and needing just a lone Run to force Extra Innings, but 1B Frederick Pietrangelo hit into a Double Play and the game was over. The loss was definitely on Minerva, as they hit into three Double Plays and had two men thrown out on the basepaths by Outfielders, both at home. On top of it, that all happened against a Yorktown team whose defense ranked 12th in the P.C.B.L.

Frankford beat Pt. Richmond 8-4 on Saturday afternoon, and that meant Minerva had a one-game lead in the East Philadelphia going into the season’s final day. Factoring in their 23-11 home record and with Yorktown’s 11-23 away record, the odds were good for a Minerva win and the team’s first trip to the Liberty Bell Classic.

Then, in Sunday’s finale came a loss that was just as agonizing as the one the day before:

• YORK 3-2 MIN – Minerva had runners on 1st & 3rd w/ no out at 3-2 in B8, did not score

Minerva, who had the league’s third-ranked offense, again found it difficult to score against a Yorktown team that allowed more Runs (8.5 RA/G) than any other team in the P.C.B.L. After Yorktown took a 3-1 lead on a Single in T8, Jonathan Auriemma raced home on a Wild Pitch in B8 to make it 3-2. Then, Pietrangelo drew a Base on Balls and Minerva had men on 1st & 3rd with nobody out needing just a Run, but preferably more. The next three Batsmen – Martin Horst, Leonard Sanders, & George Veach – proceeded to hit into a Fly Out (CF) that couldn’t advance the runners, another Fly Out (RF) that couldn’t advance the runners, and a Force Out (2B) that ended the inning with Yorktown still up 3-2.

After a scoreless T9, James Lynch led off B9 with a Single for Minerva, but after Kieron Heath hit a weak ball to the Yorktown 3B Harvey Larson stepped up to bat, hit into a Double Play, and the game was over.

Minerva’s surprising loss, combined with Frankford’s 9-4 home win over Pt. Richmond, meant the top two in East Philadelphia had finished the season 41-29 and there would be a one-game playoff on Monday to decide the champion. Fortunately for Minerva they took the season series vs Frankford 7-3, which meant they would host the one-game playoff at Holme Field, a quirky venue known to be advantageous for left-handed Batsmen.

Would Minerva’s home field advantage in the one-game playoff save their season?:

NO. Visiting Frankford never trailed. Minerva was within a Run twice – 4-3 in the third inning and 6-5 in the seventh – but then Frankford pulled away.

In T8 Frankford scored on a Double by LF James Harris, Single by star 2B Jonathan Toppin, and a run-scoring Ground Out to take a 9-5 lead. After a scoreless B8, Frankford clinched another pennant with a four-run rally in T9, the Runs scoring on a Double by SS John Hammel, a Wild Pitch, an Error, and a Single by RF James Howard. With the score now 13-5, Frankford Arsenal had their hands on their fifth East Philadelphia pennant, and their first since Joseph Evans left for the A.P.B.L.

The result denied the P.C.B.L. a Liberty Bell Classic between two first-time participants. Instead, first-time West Philadelphia champions would be battling five-time East Philadelphia champions, and one-time L.B.C. winners, Frankford for the title of best team in the city.

For Minerva, it was about as heartbreaking a way to end a season as one could imagine, ESPECIALLY since they had never been to the postseason before.

tm1681 · 04-27-2026, 03:02 AM

SEMI-PRO SEASON OVER; PLAYOFFS SET
PORTLAND IS NBBO #1; BRIDGEPORT REPEATS IN CBC; FRANKFORD VS SCHUYLKILL IN THE LBC

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 17, 1880) - The season for the leagues below the A.P.B.L. is complete, and it’s time for postseason play after the most exciting set of pennant races ever seen.

Here are the seedings in each of the three semi-professional competitions:

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP PLAYOFFS (N.B.B.O.)

• N.Y.L. #1: Atlantic B.B.C. at 47-23 (+144 RD)
• N.Y.L. #2: New York Athletic Club at 47-23 (+141 RD)
• N.Y.L. #3: Utica B.B.C. at 41-29 (+86 RD)

• N.E.L. #1: Portland B.C. at 50-20 (+174 RD)
• N.E.L. #2: Philadelphia B.C.C. at 49-21 (+162 RD)
• N.E.L. #3: Susquehanna B.C. at 43-27 (+119 RD)

• All series are best-of-five; N.E.L. has Home Field Advantage in final

Portland enters the playoffs with the #1 overall record, but believe it or not their final mark of 50-20 is concerning because they followed up their record-tying 31-4 opening half of the season with a 19-16 closing half, the worst 35-game set of the six teams vying for the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. Nobody expected them to go on another 31-4 run and finish 62-8, but that much of a dropoff in form is most definitely alarming.

COASTAL BASEBALL CONFERENCE

• Champions: Bridgeport B.C. at 51-19 (Sportsman’s 4 GB; C. & A. 13 GB, Essex Co. 15 GB)

Bridgeport entered the final week of play five games ahead of Sportsman’s, needing either one win or one Sportsman’s loss to clinch the C.B.C. title. They beat Camden & Amboy 9-2 at home in the opening game of their series, and a repeat championship was theirs.

LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC (P.C.B.L.)

• #1 Seed: Frankford Arsenal at 42-29 (+76 RD)
• #2 Seed: Schuylkill at 40-30 (+9 RD)
• Series is best-of-five

It took an extra day to figure out the field for the Liberty Bell Classic in Philadelphia, but after the one-game playoff to determine the East Philadelphia champion it’ll be Frankford, whose final-week surge and late barrage at Minerva earned them the East pennant, taking on Schuylkill, the first team ever to make the postseason with a Run Differential in the single digits.

tm1681 · 04-27-2026, 11:12 PM

BURNS SETS SINGLE-YEAR WIN RECORD IN FINALE
PRESUMPTIVE PotY ENDS 1880 WITH 34-8 RECORD; ST. JOHN’S TO PLAY KNICK IN FOUNDERS CUP

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Aug. 22, 1880) - While the N.B.B.O. & P.C.B.L. are in the midst of their playoff series, the American Professional Baseball League was busy playing the final day of games for the 1880 season on Sunday afternoon. One of the eight games on the menu was Kings County vs St. John’s, and with a run in the eighth inning the visitors came out on top:

With the score tied 7-7, PH Solomon Springs stepped to the plate with two out in T8 and hit a Double that scored 3B Eamonn Higgins to give St. John’s an 8-7 lead. Longtime St. John’s regular P Thomas Smith, demoted to substitute duty this year, entered to pitch the last two innings and was flawless, preserving the lead and giving St. John’s a league-best 58-32 record to finish the season.

St. John’s received two fine performances from their Batsmen in Brooklyn…

• StJ 3B Eamonn Higgins: 3/5 (all 1B), 1 R, 3 RBI, K
• StJ CF Rudolph Decker: 4/5 (2 3B), 3 R, 0 RBI, SB, 8 TB

…but it was P1 Howard Burns who was the story of the afternoon.

• StJ P Howard Burns: W (34-8), 7.0 IP, 10 HA, 7 R/4 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Thanks to Springs’ Double in T8, Burns earned his 34th Win of the 1880 season in his final appearance, breaking the all-leagues record originally set by Quaker St.’s Ross Gill in 1871 (33-6, 3.18, 24 K, 6.4 WAR) and then equaled by Susquehanna’s William Hawk in 1877 (33-2, 2.40, 93 K, 7.3 WAR).

Of course, that Burns set the new mark while pitching in the highest level of the sport and not the original Tier One competition, the N.B.B.O., makes his accomplishment that much more impressive. At this point it would not surprise nobody if he was unanimously named the A.P.B.L. Pitcher of the Year.

With the season over, attention will turn to the Founders Cup. St. John’s will play 55-35 Knickerbocker in a rematch of the 1878 series that Knick won 4-2. St. John’s will have the home field advantage this time around, and Game One will be on Tuesday at Olneyville Field in Providence.

tm1681 · 04-28-2026, 09:55 AM

THE EIGHTH LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC
FRANKFORD BACK FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE ’76, BATTLES NEWCOMERS SCHUYLKILL

PHILADELPHIA, PENN. (Aug. 18-21, 1880) – The seventh Liberty Bell Classic, unlike the previous two editions, didn’t go the full five games. Instead, Penn B.C., who only led West Philadelphia one time – at the end of the final day of the season – beat favored Spartan in four games to become, perhaps, the most unexpected title winners in baseball history.

Neither team was quite good enough to make it back. Spartan lost star veteran Joseph Sizemore to the N.B.B.O. and finished 3.5 games out of top spot in East Philadelphia, although the top four was so tight that a 3.5-game deficit put them in fourth place. Penn spent much of the season in the bottom half of the standings before waking up just a bit too late, finishing as the runners-up in West Philadelphia at three games back of the pennant winners as a result.

This year’s entrant from East Philadelphia was a very familiar one: Frankford Arsenal. They took the East pennant in each of the first four seasons of the league’s existence and won the fourth edition of the L.B.C. against Philadelphia Baseball & Cricket Club. Now, they were back in it for the first time since they had the great Joseph Evans in their employ.

Frankford’s opponents would be a newcomer to the L.B.C.: Schuylkill, a team that relied on close-game magic, quality pitching, and sure-handed fielding to earn the results they needed to keep the rest of East Philadelphia 3-4 games out for the entire second half of the season and play extra baseball for the first time.

A brief summary of the two halves of this year’s Liberty Bell Classic field…

EAST PHILADELPHIA: Frankford Arsenal was at or near the top of the standings all year long. Faced with a two-game deficit as part of a four-way dogfight for the pennant going into the final week of play, Frankford swept Pt. Richmond to force a playoff, and then won the playoff at Minerva to return to the L.B.C. for the first time in four years.

Frankford’s strength, as always, was their offense. Though 4th/16 in Runs, they led the league in Average, On-Base Pct., OPS, & Batsman WAR while having two regulars hit .350+. On top of that, one of the .350 hitters was their fourth-best Batsman. Frankford also had the 3x league Strikeout king as their #1, so any presumptions that being heavily focused toward offense meant their pitching was weak were ill-founded.

FRANKFORD ARSENAL KEY PLAYERS

• Jonathan Toppin (2B): .350, .856 OPS, 67 R, 117 H, 25 2B, 9 3B, 1 HR, 80 RBI, 21 SB, 162 TB, 3.2 WPA, 4.2 WAR
• James Harris (LF): .329, .818 OPS, 81 R, 110 H, 23 2B, 8 3B, 1 HR, 50 RBI, 11 BB, 12 SB, 4.0 WPA, 3.3 WAR
• George Estes (CF): .327, .804 OPS, 71 R, 103 H, 22 2B, 10 3B, 0 HR, 46 RBI, 6 BB, 37 SB, 3.4 WPA, 3.1 WAR
• Oliver Greene (P): 24-14, 2.80 ERA, 346.2 IP, 27 CG, 1 SV, 155 K, 4.8 K/BB, 1.15 WHIP, 8.3 WAR, 3.3 rWAR

WEST PHILADELPHIA: As has been the case lately in the western half of the city, Schuylkill was a peculiar pennant winner. Just 12th/16 in the P.C.B.L. in Runs, they made up for it by finishing 2nd in Runs Allowed thanks to fine pitching. Still, Schuylkill became the first team in baseball history to reach the postseason with a Run Differential in the single digits, with their +9 RD the lowest ever, in any league, for a playoff team.

So, how in the world did Schuylkill take the pennant? They did receive standout seasons from P Ralph Brown, 2B William Williams, & CF Helmut Iskenmeier, but it was Schuylkill’s league-best 15-6 record in one-run games – nobody else came close – that allowed them to clear the West Phila. competition by three games while basically giving up as many Runs as they scored.

SCHUYLKILL B.C. KEY PLAYERS

• Helmut Iskenmeier (CF): .318, .813 OPS, 60 R, 94 H, 22 2B, 8 3B, 2 HR, 53 RBI, 13 BB, 10 SB, 3.8 WPA, 2.6 WAR
• William Williams (2B): .299, .716 OPS, 54 R, 91 H, 13 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 41 RBI, 7 BB, +11.9 ZR, 0.9 WPA, 2.7 WAR
• Harrison Comstock (LF): .283, .712 OPS, 61 R, 84 H, 18 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 37 RBI, 18 BB, 28 SB, 2.1 WPA, 1.9 WAR
• Ralph Brown (P): 24-14, 2.72 ERA, 340.1 IP, 24 CG, 3 SHO, 153 K, 3.9 K/BB, 1.16 WHIP, 7.3 WAR, 6.7 rWAR

Frankford would be the favored team in this year’s L.B.C. They had the league’s best record. Including the playoff, they won their last seven games. Also, considering that Frankford had the home field advantage for the series, their league-best 25-10 home record would without a doubt be a factor.

Would the favorites lift the cup? Or would the team that spent the season pulling tight results out of the hat do it again?

GAME ONE (Frankford Park – ATT: 7,022)
SUS 4-8 FRA – 2B Jonathan Toppin (FRA): 3/4 (2 2B), 3 R, 1 RBI

Schuylkill had control of the game early, with single Runs in the 1st & 2nd and two more in the 3rd giving them a 4-0 lead. Frankford’s comeback began with two Runs in B4 on a Double by Toppin and a Single by RF James Howard. The hosts tied the game in B6 on an Error and another Single by Howard. Frankford then scored four times in B8, with Toppin providing another run-scoring hit, to win the opener.

GAME TWO (Frankford Park – ATT: 7,016)
SCH 0-4 FRA – P Claude Haskins (FRA): SHO, 9.0 IP, 5 HA, 0 BB, 5 K

Frankford took a commanding series lead with a Shutout in Game Two. However, the pristine pitching performance wasn’t from who you’d think it would be. Instead of star P1 Oliver Greene, it was Haskins who twirled the Shutout to continue the fine work he’s done during his Greenhorn season. Frankford needed it too, as their Batsmen only totaled four Hits.

GAME THREE (River Bend Park – ATT: 3,408)
FRA 8-10 SCH – RF Helmut Iskenmeier (SCH): 3/5 (3B), 2 R, 2 RBI, SB, 5 TB

The P.C.B.L. season would last another day. Schuylkill started the scoring in B1 on a Ground Out & Single by Iskenmeier, and after Frankford scored in T2 the hosts answered with three Runs in B3 and two more in B4 to take a 7-1 lead. Frankford roared back with a six-run rally in T5, the key Hit a two-run Triple by James Howard, to even the score at 7-7. However, Schuylkill immediately answered with two more Runs in B5 via Wild Pitch & Error to go ahead 9-7, and after the teams traded Runs in the 8th Schuylkill had their first ever win in the L.B.C.

GAME FOUR (River Bend Park – ATT: 3,428)
FRA 9-4 SCH – P Oliver Greene (FRA): CG, 3 HA, 4 R/0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K – 3/5, 2 R, 1 RBI

Game Four at Schuylkill started off fast. Frankford scored three times in T1 on a Sacrifice Fly and Doubles by Jonathan Toppin & 1B William Fish. The hosts responded with a pair in B1 on a two-run Error, and it was 3-2 after the opening inning. Frankford scored via Sacrifice Fly in T2 and then on run-scoring Singles by Greene and James Harris in T3 to take a 6-2 lead.

That was the last of the scoring until B6, when 3B William Greene brought Schuylkill to within two (6-4) on a hard-hit Single to the Outfield. Frankford responded with two Runs in T8 and another in T9 to close out the game, and the 1876 Philadelphia Champions had won the Liberty Bell Classic, three games to one.

For Frankford Arsenal, their second L.B.C. triumph was all about pride. They had taken the East Philadelphia pennant in each of the league’s first four seasons and famously beat Philadelphia B.C.C. in the fourth L.B.C., but that was all while they had Joseph Evans manning their Outfield. Frankford was still good in the years after the club transferred him to St. John’s for a record-shattering $5,000 during the winter after the 1876 season, but consecutive runner-up finishes followed by third place in 1879 meant they weren’t quite good enough without him. This win meant they actually were able to lift the cup without having THE foundational star of Philadelphia baseball in their lineup.

LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
RF James Howard (FRA): .400 (6/15), 4 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 12 TB, 0.5 WPA

James Howard didn’t earn any Player of the Game honors during the L.B.C. but he was the most consistent Batsman in the series, reaching base multiple times in all four games. It was a welcome upswing in form, as Howard had just endured his second straight year under .300 after batting anywhere from .305 to .332 during his first five seasons as a regular in the Frankford Arsenal Outfield.

Still, Howard has been one of the most dependable Outfielders in the P.C.B.L. during his seven seasons in the Frankford lineup, and his reward at the end of the L.B.C. was more evidence of just that.

LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC SUMMARY

tm1681 · 04-28-2026, 10:00 AM

TWC XXIV: THE RISING TIDE OF THE ATLANTIC

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 17 to Sep. 6, 1880) – The season is over, the playoff tickets have been punched, and it’s time for the 24th edition of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup.

The 23rd edition of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup saw three familiar faces – Eckford, New York A.C., & Susquehanna – joined by three newcomers to the playoffs – Frontier, Green Mountain, & Philadelphia B.C.C. It was the battle-hardened playoff veterans who won out, as Eckford & N.Y.A.C contested the N.Y.L. Championship Series while Susquehanna beat P.B.C.C. in four games to take the N.E.L. Championship Series. Susquehanna then beat Eckford 3-1 in the Tucker-Wheaton Cup Final to earn their third N.B.B.O. title in six years.

This year’s edition of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup was back to having a group of familiar faces in the field.

The New York League…Atlantic won more than three quarters of their games over the second half of the season to take over first place and win the Brooklyn Championship for the sixth time. New York A.C. was in a three-way tie for the New York City lead at the halfway mark, and then crushed their competition over the second half, while Charles Rhodes had his greatest season yet, to take their fourth straight pennant. In Upstate New York, Utica was able to keep the field at bay in a region where all eight teams were separated by just nine games, and in doing so made the playoffs for the first time in three years.

The Northeastern League…after their N.E.L.C.S. run last year, Philadelphia B.C.C. stunned baseball by signing James Burke over the winter and then immediately became the best offensive team in the N.B.B.O., parlaying that into a 49-21 record and their second straight Coastal Championship pennant. Mighty Susquehanna was fourth in the Inland Championship with exactly one month left, but recovered their dominant form to take the pennant by one game. In New England, Portland used their historic 31-4 first half to glide to the regional title, concerning many but still finishing with the N.B.B.O.’s best record in 1880.

All things taken into consideration, the big issue heading into Tucker-Wheaton Cup XXIV was this: was Portland worthy of their overall #1 status, and would they finally lift the cup? Or was their second half slumber a portent of their incoming doom to be inflicted by one of the teams that played much better baseball at the end of the season?

NEW YORK LEAGUE

BROOKLYN: At the midway point of the season Empire & Bedford were Brooklyn’s top two, and it looked like a new era just might be ushered in for the region. Then, Atlantic went 27-8 over the second half of the season while both Empire & Bedford faded, and by a five-game margin Atlantic took their fourth pennant in five years.

Atlantic had the N.B.B.O.’s fourth-best offensive attack, with their Batsmen third overall in WPA & fifth in WAR. What was scary to some was that they rolled through the second half of the season even though 3x All-Star SS Ben Gagliardi hit just .244 (.636), his worst mark in the N.B.B.O. since 1871. This was a team that had verifiable talent at every position.

ATLANTIC B.B.C. KEY PLAYERS

• Herb Verrett (LF): .335, .891 OPS, 74 R, 106 H, 25 2B, 17 3B, 1 HR, 65 RBI, 12 BB, 7 SB, 3.4 WPA, 2.8 WAR
• MacKenzie Wilson (RF): .329, .848 OPS, 68 R, 100 H, 31 2B, 11 3B, 0 HR, 66 RBI, 10 BB, 4 SB, 4.2 WPA, 2.3 WAR
• Jackson Wright (1B): .321, .803 OPS, 67 R, 90 H, 20 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 42 RBI, 18 BB, 3 SB, 3.3 WPA, 2.1 WAR
• Thomas Onstad (P): 24-12, 3.05 ERA, 327.2 IP, 26 CG, 1 SHO, 126 K, 2.7 K/BB, 1.28 WHIP, 5.8 WAR, 6.0 rWAR

NEW YORK CITY: Hilltop, Mercury, & New York Athletic Club were tied for first at 20-15 with the season halfway over. Like Atlantic, a 27-8 second half allowed N.Y.A.C. to steamroll the rest of their regional competition, and in the end the 1878 cup winners took their fourth straight pennant by a final margin of ten games.

The central focus of this team was pitching. Runs Allowed: 1st. ERA: 1st. Strikeouts: 1st. Opponents’ AVG, OBP, & SLG: all 1st. WHIP: 1st. Pitching WAR: 1st. Charles Rhodes had his most dominant season yet, and he was again backed up excellently by George Cerven. Behind them was quality fielding, and supporting them was an offense just good enough to secure results.

NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB KEY PLAYERS

• Jack Anastasio (RF): .297, .819 OPS, 88 R, 94 H, 16 2B, 22 3B, 1 HR, 33 RBI, 15 BB, 58 SB, 3.9 WPA, 2.6 WAR
• Thomas Cox (2B): .350, .872 OPS, 66 R, 89 H, 13 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 44 RBI, 15 BB, 37 SB, 1.5 WPA, 2.9 WAR
• Lawrence Calhoun (LF): .336, .769 OPS, 69 R, 102 H, 15 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 55 RBI, 11 BB, 32 SB, 1.4 WPA, 2.3 WAR
• Charles Rhodes (P): 30-11, 2.30 ERA, 356.0 IP, 32 CG, 1 SHO, 204 K, 11.3 K/BB, 1.03 WHIP, 12.9 WAR, 11.1 rWAR

UPSTATE N.Y.: Utica had the lead at the midway point and held it the rest of the way, although it wasn’t easy. With one month left on the schedule the entire region was separated by just seven games, and with two weeks left every team was still in the chase. Still, Utica was able to keep the pack 3-5 games back to make the playoffs for the first time in three years.

Utica offense was ranked #1 in the N.Y.L. and #3 overall. They had a trio of .350 hitters, and every one of their regular Batsmen was capable of producing Runs. The main reason why Utica was the N.Y.L.’s #3 seed was that they had the worst Defensive Efficiency in the entire N.B.B.O., a first for a playoff team. Still, they couldn’t be taken lightly.

UTICA B.B.C. KEY PLAYERS

• Ewald Schmitz (LF): .373, .897 OPS, 82 R, 118 H, 19 2B, 10 3B, 0 HR, 60 RBI, 15 BB, 10 SB, 4.1 WPA, 3.1 WAR
• Andrew Cohen (1B): .364, .866 OPS, 78 R, 118 H, 22 2B, 7 3B, 0 HR, 68 RBI, 11 BB, 2 SB, 3.8 WPA, 3.0 WAR
• Henry Smith (SS): .358, .884 OPS, 74 R, 97 H, 21 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 40 RBI, 23 BB, 7 SB, 3.3 WPA, 2.0 WAR
• Alexander Verde (P): 20-16, 3.59 ERA, 318.1 IP, 19 CG, 1 SHO, 106 K, 3.9 K/BB, 1.51 WHIP, 7.8 WAR, 2.8 rWAR

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE

COASTAL: Halfway through the season the Coastal was a four-horse race involving Maryland, National, Philadelphia B.C.C., & Trenton Utd. By mid-July National & P.B.C.C. had pulled away from the other two and were tied at 32-15. At the end of July P.B.C.C. had a two-game lead, and they were able to fend off an 8-2 National finish to take the pennant by a single game.

P.B.C.C. had the #1 offense in the entire N.B.B.O: 1st in Runs, 1st in Average, 1st in Slugging, 1st in OPS, & 1st in Batsman WAR. They were powered by excellence from James Burke, a .400 season by Leroy Moore, another solid year by Frederick Pike, another All-Star campaign by Gilbert Ingels after a move to C, an All-Star season by former A.P.B.L. regular Charles Washer, and a 30-win season by #1 William Burrow. They did everything but finish with the N.B.B.O.’s best record.

PHILADELPHIA BASEBALL & CRICKET CLUB KEY PLAYERS

• James Burke (CF): .384, 1.016 OPS, 92 R, 119 H, 35 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 29 BB, 51 SB, 5.0 WPA, 5.7 WAR
• Leroy Moore (RF): .404, 1.003 OPS, 76 R, 126 H, 23 2B, 13 3B, 1 HR, 94 RBI, 19 BB, 16 SB, 5.4 WPA, 4.6 WAR
• Frederick Pike (2B): .343, .856 OPS, 92 R, 113 H, 34 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 8 BB, 45 SB, 3.8 WPA, 4.3 WAR
• William Burrow (P): 32-10, 2.85 ERA, 347.0 IP, 23 CG, 0 SHO, 96 K, 2.0 K/BB, 1.24 WHIP, 5.7 WAR, 6.7 rWAR

INLAND: With one month left to play it looked like Susquehanna’s reign was over. They were in fourth place, 3.5 games out of first, and uncharacteristically struggling on offense. They then went 18-6 over their final two dozen games to sprint past Lancastra, Pioneer, & Scranton to snatch another Inland pennant by a single game, their closest pennant-winning finish.

Susquehanna’s offense was “down” to a tie for 6th overall in the N.B.B.O., but they still hit over .300 as a team and their All-Star Batsmen – Barley, Braden, Carter, Lyons, & Schultz – all performed well in 1880. Of course, #1 William Hawk pitched as brilliantly as he usually does, but because the offense struggled for a while he “only” won 25 games instead of his usual 30+.

SUSQUEHANNA B.C. KEY PLAYERS

• John Schultz (CF): .338, .826 OPS, 85 R, 116 H, 14 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 49 RBI, 8 BB, 42 SB, 4.7 WPA, 3.6 WAR
• Scott Lyons (C/1B): .352, .852 OPS, 59 R, 105 H, 24 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 72 RBI, 16 BB, 1 SB, 3.0 WPA, 3.5 WAR
• Walter Braden (LF): .344, .775 OPS, 62 R, 103 H, 17 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 53 RBI, 9 BB, 20 SB, 2.3 WPA, 1.9 WAR
• William Hawk (P): 25-11, 2.74 ERA, 335.0 IP, 27 CG, 2 SHO, 151 K, 9.4 K/BB, 1.13 WHIP, 8.5 WAR, 6.7 rWAR

NEW ENGLAND: At the halfway mark the pennant race was functionally over, with Portland having just finished their historic 31-4 start and already enjoying a fourteen-game lead. However, the overall #1 apparently decided that a casual stroll to the pennant was warranted and went 19-16 over the second half, winning New England by “just” ten games instead of 14+.

Second half concerns aside, Portland was the only team in the N.B.B.O. to win 50+ games because they had the best fielding out of all 48 teams, the best Pitching Duo other than New York A.C.’s, and an offense that ran the basepaths and manufactured Runs better than almost anyone else. They still had plenty of danger to offer up in the playoffs.

PORTLAND B.C. KEY PLAYERS

• John Ruppel (CF): .337, .880 OPS, 64 R, 99 H, 21 2B, 10 3B, 1 HR, 73 RBI, 29 BB, 5 SB, 4.2 WPA, 2.7 WAR
• Cody Harris (RF): .321, .803 OPS, 67 R, 99 H, 28 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 58 RBI, 11 BB, 2 SB, 4.0 WPA, 2.2 WAR
• William Cruise (SS): .260, .670 OPS, 57 R, 75 H, 15 2B, 8 3B, 51 RBI, 17 BB, 9 SB, +30.7 ZR, 1.4 WPA, 3.7 WAR
• Francis Molinari (P): 28-10, 2.59 ERA, 337.2 IP, 28 CG, 1 SHO, 194 K, 4.4 K/BB, 1.10 WHIP, 9.8 WAR, 8.4 rWAR

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP FORMAT & NOTES

SEEDING

• N.Y.L. #1: Atlantic B.B.C. at 47-23 (+144 RD) – 6th appearance (1870-71, 76-78)
• N.Y.L. #2: New York Athletic Club at 47-23 (+141 RD) – 4th appearance (1877-79), 1x winner (1878)
• N.Y.L. #3: Utica B.B.C. at 41-29 (+86 RD) – 6th appearance (1862, 73-75, 77), 1x winner (1873)

• N.E.L. #1: Portland B.C. at 50-20 (+174 RD) – 7th appearance (1871-74, 77-78)
• N.E.L. #2: Philadelphia B.C.C. at 49-21 (+162 RD) – 2nd appearance (1879)
• N.E.L. #3: Susquehanna B.C. at 43-27 (+119 RD) – 9th appearance (1868, 71-72, 74, 76-79), 3x winner (74, 77, 79)

FORMAT

LEAGUE SEMIFINALS

• #2 vs #3; #2 seed has Home Field Advantage
• HH-AA-H; day off after Game Two & Game Four

LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

• #1 vs L.S.F. winner; #1 seed has Home Field Advantage
• HH-AA-H; day off after Game Two & Game Four

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP FINAL

• N.Y.L. champion v N.E.L. champion; N.E.L. has Home Field Advantage
• HH-AA-H; day off after Game Two & Game Four

While Portland was the overall #1, they weren’t seen as the favorites because of their underperformance during the second half of the season. Instead, the Writers Pool was split between Atlantic, due to their 27-8 second half, and Philadelphia B.C.C., due to their outstanding offense.

tm1681 · 04-28-2026, 10:02 AM

NEW YORK LEAGUE SEMIFINALS

GAME 1: UTI 7-2 NYAC – LF Ewald Schmitz (UTI): 2/5 (2 2B), 1 R, 2 RBI, 4 TB
GAME 2: UTI 2-8 NYAC – RF Jack Anastasio (NYAC): 2/5 (2B), 1 R, 2 RBI, SB, 3 TB
GAME 3: NYAC 5-4 UTI – RF Jack Anastasio (NYAC): 4/5 (2 3B), 3 R, 1 RBI, SB, 8 TB
GAME 4: NYAC 5-9 UTI – RF Jack Anastasio (NYAC): 4/5 (2B), 2 R, 0 RBI, 2 SB, 5 TB
GAME 5: UTI 4-7 NYAC – RF Jack Anastasio (NYAC): 3/5 (3 2B), 1 R, 2 RBI, SB
SERIES M.V.P.: RF Jack Anastasio (NYAC) – .600 (15/25), 7 R, 5 2B, 2 3B, 5 RBI, 6 SB, 24 TB, 4x P.o.t.G.

The opener was a big surprise, as Utica took six Earned Runs off Charles Rhodes over eight innings while earning a multiple-run victory. NYAC reversed the result in Game Two thanks to a seven-run rally in B3 that left the visitors with no chance to recover, thanks to a fine effort by P2 George Cerven.

Rhodes got his revenge at Utica in Game Three, striking out seven while earning the Win in a close game. However, it was Anastasio who earned the plaudits with his second straight brilliant performance. Anastasio was excellent again in Game Four, but he couldn’t beat Utica by himself as the hosts collected sixteen Hits against N.Y.A.C. P’s Cerven & Will Matarazzo. With the score 5-6 in B8, the hosts put the game away with a three-run rally, RF Arthur Lessig’s two-run Single sealing the win and forcing a Game Five at the N.Y.A.C. Grounds.

N.Y.A.C. gave Rhodes the ball for Game Five, and while he scattered lone Runs across four different innings (2nd, 3rd, 5th, & 6th) the front half of the N.Y.A.C. lineup did enough see them through to the N.Y.L.C.S., Anastasio having yet another great afternoon with the bat and on the basepaths.

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE SEMIFINALS

GAME 1: SUS 3-5 PBCC – RF Leroy Moore (PBCC): 3/4 (2B), 1 R, 1 RBI, 4 TB – OF AST
GAME 2: SUS 9-8 PBCC – 3B Frank Carter (SUS): 3/5 (2 2B), 2 R, 1 RBI, SB, 5 TB
GAME 3: PBCC 5-2 SUS – CF James Burke (PBCC): 2/4 (2 2B), 1 R, 1 RBI, BB, 2 SB, 4 TB
GAME 4: PBCC 10-6 SUS – 1B John Morgan (PBCC): 3/5 (3B), 2 R, 1 RBI, 5 TB
SERIES M.V.P.: RF Leroy Moore (PBCC) – .389 (7/18), 3 R, 3 2B, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB, 10 TB, 1x P.o.t.G.

The opener in Philadelphia wasn’t the high-scoring barnburner many expected. Instead, P.B.C.C. won through methodical run production, securing the win with an Insurance Run in B8. Game Two was closer to what people were expecting – an exciting offensive affair that was won by Susquehanna with back-to-back three-run rallies in the 6th & 7th.

It was back to more low-scoring baseball for Game Three in Wilkes-Barre, with P.B.C.C. and P1 William Burrow coming out on top again. While Burke earned P.o.t.G., it was unheralded 3B Herkko Vanhala’s two-run Double in T8 that sealed the win. Susquehanna’s title defense ended in Game Four, as an eight-run rally by P.B.C.C. in T4 that featured four run-scoring Singles and three run-scoring Errors put the defending champions behind 8-0. Susquehanna tried their best to mount a comeback, but after cutting the deficit to 8-6 in B8 P.B.C.C. added two Runs in T9, and the visitors were on to the N.E.L.C.S.

NEW YORK LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

GAME 1: NYAC 9-1 ATL – P Charles Rhodes (NYAC): CG W, 7 HA, 1 R/1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
GAME 2: NYAC 12-7 ATL – 1B Joseph Keenan (NYAC): 3/4 (3B), 2 R, 5 RBI, 5 TB, SAC BUNT, SAC FLY
GAME 3: ATL 7-4 NYAC – 3B Nicholas Turnbull (ATL): 3/4 (all 1B), 1 R, 2 RBI
GAME 4: ATL 6-4 NYAC – RF MacKenzie Wilson (ATL): 2/5 (3B), 1 R, 2 RBI, 3 TB
GAME 5: NYAC 4-6 ATL – 2B Monroe Crawford (ATL): 2/3 (2B), 2 R, 2 RBI
SERIES M.V.P.: P Thomas Onstad (ATL) – 2-1, 2.96 ERA, 27.1 IP, 2 CG, 9 K, 4.5 K/BB, 0.99 WHIP

Jack Anastasio was outstanding AGAIN (2/5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI), but Charles Rhodes was hero in the opener at the Capitoline Grounds as he quieted the N.B.B.O.’s 4th-ranked offense in an easy win. N.Y.A.C. took control of Game Two early, scoring six times over the first two innings. Atlantic couldn’t put together a multi-run rally until it was too late, and N.Y.A.C. had their backs to the wall.

Late rallies in Game Three kept Atlantic’s season going. Behind 3-1 after six innings, Atlantic scored three times in T7, with former N.Y.A.C. man Turnbull’s Single giving them a 4-3 lead. They then scored three more times in T8 to guarantee the win. Atlantic won it late in Game Four. Behind 2-1 after the 5th, they scored twice in the 6th and then once each in the 7th, 8th, & 9th to force a Game Five at home vs Rhodes & company.

With nearly 7,000 fans cheering them on, Atlantic secured their first trip to the T.W.C. Final with an impressive display. After N.Y.A.C. scored first in T1, Atlantic scored the game’s next six Runs over the next seven innings. Holding a 6-1 lead going into the final inning, Atlantic was able to withstand a furious N.Y.A.C. attempt at a comeback that ended after three Runs, and they were outright N.Y.L. champions for the first time.

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

GAME 1: PBCC 3-4 PORT – CF John Ruppel (PORT): 2/4 (2B), 1 R, 2 RBI, 3 TB
GAME 2: PBCC 5-8 PORT – 3B Earl Ludgate (PORT): 3/4 (all 1B), 1 R, 3 RBI, SAC FLY
GAME 3: PORT 7-8 PBCC (10) – RF Leroy Moore (PBCC): 3/5 (3B), 3 R, 1 RBI, 5 TB
GAME 4: PORT 10-7 PBCC – SS William Cruise (PORT): 4/5 (2 2B, 3B), 2 R, 2 RBI, SB, 8 TB
SERIES M.V.P.: CF John Ruppel (PORT) – .444 (8/18), 3 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 13 TB, 1x P.o.t.G.

Portland may have struggled after their 31-4 first half, but they got the job done in their first playoff game. Down 3-2 in B7, they tied the score on a Single by PH Randolph Enright before Ruppel gave the hosts the lead, and eventually the win, with another RBI Single. Portland won Game Two during the early innings, as two Runs each in 1st, 3rd, 4th were enough to win. P.B.C.C. now knew why this was the N.B.B.O.’s #1 team.

It took ten innings, but P.B.C.C. ensured they would live to fight another day with a Game Three win. First, PH Moses Thornton hit an RBI Double to tie the game 7-7 in B9 and force Extra Innings. Then, a Passed Ball plated the winning Run in B10 to ensure there would be no sweep. However, in Game Four, Portland proved that they really did deserve the #1 overall seed. Behind 7-4 after four innings, the visitors scored the last six Runs of the game, led by Cruise’s outstanding effort, to beat the upstarts formerly of the P.C.B.L. and make their third trip to the final, their first since 1872.

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP FINAL

It was time for the final of Tucker-Wheaton Cup XXIV. For the third straight year it was #1 vs #1.

Portland would have Home Field Advantage for the final since it was the N.E.L.’s turn for it, and that was good news for them since they had a 26-9 Home record that was equaled only by National among teams in the N.B.B.O. Furthermore, their performance in winning the N.E.L.C.S. vs Philadelphia B.C.C. 3-1 showed they had put whatever issues they had during the second half of the season behind them. This was their third attempt to win the cup final.

What Atlantic had going for them ahead of the final was relatively simple. They were the most well-rounded team in the N.B.B.O., capable of playing whatever way the situation called for. If they were going to play a team like Portland that preferred low-scoring, tactical contests, they would be able to adapt just fine. After all, they’d just done the same against New York A.C.

GAME ONE (William King Field in Portland, Maine – ATT: 3,529)
ATL 8-3 PORT – RF MacKenzie Wilson (ATL): 2/5 (2 2B), 2 R, 2 RBI, 4 TB – OF AST

Atlantic traveled to Maine and took the opener thanks to one big rally.

After Portland scored the first Run via Ground Out in B3, Atlantic put up a five-run rally against likely P.o.t.Y. Francis Molinari in T4 with some excellent run manufacturing, as they scored on an RBI Double by Wilson, RBI Single by 2B Monroe Crawford, an Error, a run-scoring Ground Out, and a Sacrifice Fly. With the score 5-1, Atlantic held firm as P1 Thomas Onstad continued his fine work with the ball, eventually growing the lead to 8-2 before Portland scored a meaningless Run in B9.

Atlantic had taken the opener, and Home Field Advantage with it.

GAME TWO (William King Field in Portland, Maine – ATT: 3,350)
ATL 0-8 PORT – P Robert Dressen (PORT): SHO, 4 HA, 2 BB, 2 K

Game Two was smooth sailing for Portland as they levelled the series.

The overall #1 scored twice via Error in B1, and that ended up being enough for the win as Dressen, a 3x All-Star, was in premier form. He held Atlantic to four Hits, Portland received quality performances from SS William Cruise (2/4, 2B, 1 R, 3 RBI) & RF Cody Harris (3/5, 3 R, 1 RBI), and the series was even at one game apiece.

Aside from losing the game, Atlantic lost CF Harold Lally for the rest of the series after he injured a leg while running out a Double in T9. The Atlantic Field Manager stated after the game that Lally’s replacement would be Andrew Riegel, a backup rated 2.5 stars as a CF.

GAME THREE (Capitoline Grounds in Brooklyn, N.Y. – ATT: 9,548)
PORT 5-6 ATL – LF Herb Verrett (ATL): 4/5 (3 2B), 2 R, 2 RBI, 7 TB

It looked for certain that Portland would take the series lead, and then…

Portland scored first – a Single by William Cruise putting them ahead 1-0 in T2. The visitors then opened up a 5-0 lead in T4 after a Run scored via Error before light-hitting C James Biles (.214 AVG, .571 OPS) hit a three-run Triple. Atlantic fought back with three Runs in B4, with a Single by new CF Riegel, a Wild Pitch, and a Triple by 3B Nicholas Turnbull making it a 5-3 contest.

The next four innings went by without any Runs scored, which made it look to all the 9,500+ in attendance that the win would be Portland’s, given their strength. The visitors went down after one man reached 1st in T9. Atlantic came up to bat, and with one out and men in 1st & 2nd Verrett clubbed a Double into the Left-Center Field gap that scored both runners and tied the game 5-5. The next man up was previous series M.V.P. MacKenzie Wilson, and he belted a Single past the 2B that brought Verrett in to score, and Atlantic had picked up a heart-stopping victory, their second against Molinari, to take the series lead.

GAME FOUR (Capitoline Grounds in Brooklyn, N.Y. – ATT: 9,544)
PORT 6-8 ATL – 2B Monroe Crawford (ATL): 3/4 (2B, HR), 2 R, 3 RBI, 7 TB

And on their sixth trip to the postseason, Atlantic won their first championship.

Scoring started immediately in Game Four, with Portland plating Runs on a Cody Harris Double & Albert Noyes Single and Atlantic taking one back via Ground Out to make for a 2-1 game after the first inning. Atlantic evened the score (2-2) in B3 on a Single by MacKenzie Wilson, and they took the lead (2-3) in B4 on an Inside the Park Home Run by Crawford that went over the head of the CF. Portland scored via Error and Single by Harris to take a 4-3 lead in T5, and that set the stage for Atlantic’s triumph.

With the score still 4-3 to Portland, Atlantic took their bats for B6 and scored Runs on a Single by Crawford, a Single by Nicholas Turnbull, and a Passed Ball to take a 6-4 lead. They then responded to a Portland tally in T7 with two more Runs on a Triple by Herb Verrett and a Double by Crawford to increase their lead to 8-5.

The best Portland could do over the final two innings was a single Run in T8, as eighteen-year veteran P Robert Dozier and the Atlantic fielders held the line. After William Cruise hit a ball to SS Ben Gagliardi with two out in T9 that was safely delivered to the hands of 1B Jackson Wright, it was time to celebrate. Atlantic would be lifting the Tucker-Wheaton Cup for the first time.

The cup triumph was a long time coming for Atlantic. This year was the third time they had finished with the top record in the New York League, and in the last year before the league split (1870) they famously beat out soon-to-be professional outfits Excelsior & Kings County to take the Brooklyn pennant and make it to the Round Robin version of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. They had been in the top three of the Brooklyn Championship in each of the past eleven seasons, and their worst record in that span had been a 37-33 mark in 1875.

Atlantic was a club run in a way to be envied, and now they had a trophy to be envied as well.

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
LF Herb Verrett (ATL): .389 (7/18), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 12 TB, 0.6 WPA, 1x P.o.t.G

6x All-Star Herb Verrett was outstanding during the last two games of the T.W.C. Final, and that was what earned him the M.V.P. award. Though not as mobile as he was when he was a Team of the Year CF, the now 36-year-old Verrett still has one of the most dangerous bats in the New York League, and over the four games against Portland he showed that he can still easily hit the best pitching the competition has to offer.

When it comes to players on other teams, one has to spare a thought for New York A.C. RF Jack Anastasio. Although his team didn’t make it to the cup final it was absolutely no fault of his own, for this was he did over a pair of five-game series:

• .521 (25/48), 1.353 OPS, 17 R, 6 2B, 4 3B, 9 RBI, 2 BB, 12 SB, 39 TB, 1.4 WPA, 1.2 WAR, 4x P.o.t.G.

Anastasio was the best player in the postseason. To be completely honest, without him N.Y.A.C. probably wouldn’t have made it past Utica in the N.Y.L. Semifinal. He was thunder with the bat, lightning on the basepaths, and a joy to watch.

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP FINAL SUMMARY

tm1681 · 04-28-2026, 10:05 AM

FOUNDERS CUP X: GRAND OLD CLUBS MEET AGAIN

PROVIDENCE, R.I. & MANHATTAN, N.Y. (Aug. 24-31, 1880) – Last year’s Founders Cup saw Knickerbocker try to defend their title against Alleghany and its team filled with feel-good stories. The season of providence and good fortune continued for the team from Pittsburgh, and Alleghany, who had the best Away record in A.P.B.L. history, won their first professional title with a 10-5 win in Game Six at the Elysian Fields.

Alleghany didn’t make it back to defend their title. Their offense fell to last in the A.P.B.L., which no amount of quality pitching & defense was going to be able to cover. As a result, they fell to 7th in the Colonial Conference at 42-48. On the other hand, Knick was back in the Founders Cup for the third straight year, having pulled away from Gotham in August after the two were neck and neck in the Metropolitan Conference Standings for much of the year.

In Alleghany’s place, St. John’s was in the Founders Cup after a year off and looking to avenge their loss to Knickerbocker from two years ago. They brought their calling card, the league’s #1 offense both with the bat and on the bases. However, this time around they also had two record-breaking Pitchers, and the combination of that pitching with that offense was utterly devastating over the course of the second half of the 1880 season.

Knick was back in the Founders Cup with an offense that had fallen from 3rd last year to 11th this year in terms of run production. However, they allowed just 4.5 Runs per game, an A.P.B.L. record, had the league’s best set of fielders, and a pair of regular Pitchers who entered the Founders Cup with 25 Wins each and ERA’s under 2.50. If any team could tame St. John’s while in its seemingly invincible state, it was this one.

Given how St. John’s played over their last 35-40 games, they had to be the favorites. At the same time, the two teams’ pitching & defense indicated that this could be a low-scoring series, which meant that any game could go either way. This much was certain: the games figured to be close and hard-fought affairs.

Would St. John’s continue their record-breaking run and get their revenge for Founders Cup VIII? Or would Knickerbocker victimize St. John’s again to win their second A.P.B.L. title in three years?

OVERVIEW

COLONIAL CONFERENCE: After 53 games, St. John’s was 26-27, 6th in the Colonial Conference, and six games out of first place. ST. JOHN’S WENT 32-5 OVER THEIR LAST 37 GAMES, going from six games behind leaders Pt. Jersey to taking the pennant by nine – a fifteen-game swing – and finishing with the A.P.B.L.’s best record by three. It was the best month and a half of baseball played by a team in A.P.B.L. history, bar none.

Thanks to that season-ending run, St. John’s led the A.P.B.L. in just about everything offensive: Runs (6.6 R/G), Average (.285), On-Base Pct. (.326), OPS (.711), Bases on Balls (194), Stolen Bases (296), & WPA (17.9). In support of that lineup was a pair of record-setting Pitchers. It was a roster that couldn’t have fit together any better under the current circumstances:

ST. JOHN’S B.C. LINEUP

• C Joseph Nalley: .325, .763 OPS, 37 R, 102 H, 26 2B, 2 3B, 54 RBI, 10 BB, 14 SB, 50.0 CS%, 3.0 WPA, 3.0 WAR
• 1B Konrad Jensen: .322, .819 OPS, 81 R, 117 H, 17 2B, 12 3B, 1 HR, 78 RBI, 35 BB, 66 SB, 3.2 WPA, 3.9 WAR
• 2B Cletus Cannon: .280, .692 OPS, 61 R, 100 H, 22 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 62 RBI, 11 BB, 48 SB, 0.5 WPA, 3.1 WAR
• 3B Eamonn Higgins: .313, .829 OPS, 56 R, 88 H, 27 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 56 RBI, 28 BB, 9 SB, 2.1 WPA, 2.0 WAR
• SS George Pugatch: .251, .598 OPS, 41 R, 76 H, 5 2B, 7 3B, 0 HR, 35 RBI, 14 BB, 24 SB, 0.1 WPA, 1.2 WAR
• LF Joseph Evans: .328, .848 OPS, 84 R, 126 H, 25 2B, 12 3B, 1 HR, 62 RBI, 32 BB, 33 SB, 4.8 WPA, 4.6 WAR
• CF Rudolph Decker: .307, .758 OPS, 100 R, 119 H, 23 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 38 RBI, 18 BB, 70 SB, 4.6 WPA, 3.7 WAR
• RF Nelson Townsend: .274, .747 OPS, 48 R, 73 H, 16 2B, 9 3B, 0 HR, 45 RBI, 27 BB, 25 SB, 1.5 WPA, 0.8 WAR
• P1 Howard Burns: 34-8, 2.49 ERA, 386.2 IP, 36 CG, 0 SHO, 219 K, 5.9 K/BB, 1.14 WHIP, 10.7 WAR, 9.2 rWAR
• P2 William Hoy: 21-17, 2.37 ERA, 375.2 IP, 32 CG, 5 SHO, 125 K, 2.0 K/BB, 1.22 WHIP, 5.8 WAR, 5.9 rWAR
• NOTES: Higgins missed 15 games due to injury; Townsend missed 19 games due to injury

METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE: At the midway point of the season the top five teams in the Metro were just three games apart, with Gotham & Knick tied for 1st at 26-19 – less of a pennant race and more of a pennant brawl. With exactly one month remaining Gotham & Knick remained tied at 40-29 but had separated themselves from the pack a bit, with Orange 3rd at four games back and Kings Co. 4th at six behind. Knick took the lead in Game #70 and never looked back, going 14-6 over their final twenty games while Gotham was 9-11, and they took their third straight Metro pennant by six games.

Knick’s offense had fallen off since last year. It was still in the top half of the league in Average, On-Base, Slugging, OPS, and they were #1 in Batsman WAR, but due to baserunning that was among the league’s worst they finished 11th in Runs per game at just 5.4. However, they set a record for fewest Runs Allowed thanks to the best fielding in the league (E/G: 2nd, FLD%: 2nd, EFF: 1st, ZR: 1st) combined with the most mistake-free pitching in the A.P.B.L. This team was positively stingy.

KNICKERBOCKER B.B.C. LINEUP

• C Everett Schreiber: .259, .639 OPS, 40 R, 68 H, 16 2B, 4 3B, 32 RBI, 11 BB, 15 SB, 2.37 C-ERA, -0.6 WPA, 1.7 WAR
• 1B Gerald Burns: .311, .788 OPS, 57 R, 121 H, 28 2B, 14 3B, 1 HR, 64 RBI, 10 BB, 17 SB, 2.3 WPA, 3.3 WAR
• 2B Anthony Mascherino: .291, .749 OPS, 70 R, 102 H, 25 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 40 RBI, 26 BB, 21 SB, 1.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR
• 3B Albert Stoffers: .347, .861 OPS, 62 R, 127 H, 41 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 62 RBI, 18 BB, 7 SB, 2.3 WPA, 4.8 WAR
• SS Gerald Hathaway: .234, .571 OPS, 44 R, 75 H, 8 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 7 BB, 13 SB, -0.3 WPA, 1.4 WAR
• LF Clive Strachan: 327, .818 OPS, 74 R, 122 H, 27 2B, 9 3B, 1 HR, 35 RBI, 20 BB, 48 SB, 3.1 WPA, 4.2 WAR
• CF Louis Duke: .265, .670 OPS, 37 R, 84 H, 24 2B, 8 3B, 54 RBI, 7 BB, 27 SB, +10.2 ZR, 1.8 WPA, 2.9 WAR
• RF Callum Murray: .289, .732 OPS, 45 R, 99 H, 24 2B, 8 3B, 0 HR, 47 RBI, 14 BB, 18 SB, 1.3 WPA, 2.3 WAR
• P1 Robert Goodman: 25-18, 2.45 ERA, 396.0 IP, 38 CG, 2 SHO, 164 K, 5.0 K/BB, 1.04 WHIP, 7.6 WAR, 7.4 rWAR
• P2 Bertram Landreth: 25-10, 1.89 ERA, 318.1 IP, 29 CG, 1 SHO, 137 K, 4.2 K/BB, 1.03 WHIP, 7.1 WAR, 7.7 rWAR
• NOTES: Schreiber split starts w/ Cale Jones; Dyke missed 8 games due to injury

FOUNDERS’ CUP FORMAT & NOTES

SEEDING

• #1: St. John’s B.C. at 58-32 (+166 RD)
• #2: Knickerbocker B.B.C. at 55-35 (+85 RD)

FORMAT

• HH-AAA-HH Schedule
• One day off after Game Two & Game Five
• #1 seed has Home Field Advantage

WIN-LOSS

• H2H: Knick won season series 4-2
• LAST 10: St. John’s 8-2, Knick 7-3
• MONTH: St. John’s 17-4, Knick 15-6
• 2ND HALF: St. John’s 36-9, Knick 29-16
• HOME: St. John’s 31-14, Knick 26-19
• AWAY: Knick 29-16, St. John’s 27-18
• 1-RUN: Knick 17-9, St. John’s 14-15
• X-INN: Knick 5-5, St. John’s 1-2

RANKINGS

• RUNS SCORED: St. John’s 1st, Knick 11th
• RUNS ALLOWED: Knick 1st, St. John’s 2nd
• AVG/OBP/SLG: St. John’s 1st/1st/2nd, Knick 7th/9th/2nd
• ON-BASE + SLG: St. John’s 1st, Knick 4th
• STOLEN BASES: St. John’s 1st, Knick 3rd
• WIN PROB. ADDED: St. John’s 1st, Knick 13th
• EARNED RUN AVG: St. John’s 1st, Knick 2nd
• STRIKEOUTS (P): St. John’s 1st, Knick 2nd
• BASES ON BALLS (P): Knick 1st, St. John’s 5th
• OPPONENTS’ AVG: Knick 1st, St. John’s 4th
• OPPONENTS’ OPS: Knick 1st, St. John’s 2nd
• E/FLD%/EFF/ZR: Knick 2nd/2nd/1st/1st, St. John’s 4th/5th/9th/6th

Based on their historic second half and the fact that they had home field advantage with the best home record in the A.P.B.L., St. John’s entered Founders Cup X as the favorites. However, because of Knick’s pitching, defense, record in close games, and 4-2 season series win vs St. John’s, this was expected to be a very tight series, one that could easily go seven games.

tm1681 · 04-28-2026, 10:09 AM

GAME ONE (Olneyville Field in Providence, R.I. – ATT: 10,630)
KNI 3-4 StJ – StJ P William Hoy: CG W, 4 HA, 3 R/1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K – 1/3 (HR), 1 R, 1 RBI

A close, tense series was expected, and the opener was as close & tense as it gets.

St. John’s scored first on a Single by Joseph Evans in B1, and they doubled the lead (0-2) in B4 on a Sacrifice Fly. Knick took the lead in T6 thanks to a three-run rally that made it a 3-2 game, with the key moment a two-run Single by Anthony Mascherino. Evans then stepped to the plate with two out in B6 and evened the score (3-3) with another RBI Single.

After a scoreless 7th & T8, it happened. With one out after PH Walter Dudley was thrown out trying to steal Second Base, St. John’s P William Hoy, who hit .136 with one Extra Base Hit over 152 Plate Appearances in 1880, hit a Home Run over the Left Field fence that left everybody – players, coaches, writers, & fans – stunned, ESPECIALLY considering both the stage and the Pitcher he hit it against (Robert Goodman). Knick was too shocked to do anything in T9, and St. John’s had won the opener in a manner that was hard to believe.

GAME TWO (Olneyville Field in Providence, R.I. – ATT: 10,703)
KNI 2-5 StJ – CF Rudolph Decker (StJ): 2/4 (3B), 1 R, 1 RBI, SB, 4 TB

A fairly close contest, and another St. John’s win in Olneyville to take a 2-0 lead.

There were no stunning moments like game-winning Home Runs by Pitchers here. Instead, the game was decided in the fifth inning. Ahead 1-0, St. John’s took their bats for B5 and scored four Runs on Bertram Landreth. The first Run came home when George Pugatch executed a perfect Squeeze Bunt to score Cletus Cannon, the second Run scored on a Single by Howard Burns, the third run scored on a Triple by Decker, and the final Run scored on a Single by Joseph Evans.

Ahead 5-0, St. John’s was able to rest easy knowing that Burns had the ball. He pitched very well (CG, 8 HA, 2 R/1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K) and Knick never threatened the St. John’s lead.

GAME THREE (The Elysian Fields in Manhattan, N.Y. – ATT: 10,773)
StJ 2-7 KNI – RF Callum Murray (KNI): 2/4 (2B), 1 R, 2 RBI, 3 TB

This was another tense affair, but Knick pulled away late to take their first win.

St. John’s scored first on a Single by Joseph Evans in T1, and Knick cancelled the St. John’s opener via Error in T2. The score stayed 1-1 until T5, when a Passed Ball allowed the visitors to take a 2-1 lead. Knick took their first lead of the day in B6, when Louis Dyke & P.o.t.G. Murray hit RBI Singles to put the hosts up by one (2-3). Knick then scored a Run via Error in B7 to go ahead 4-2, and they sealed the win in B8 when a two-run Single by Anthony Mascherino gave them a 7-2 lead.

In victory, Robert Goodman (CG, 5 HA, 2 R/1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) put in a fine pitching performance for Knick.

GAME FOUR (The Elysian Fields in Manhattan, N.Y. – ATT: 10,786)
StJ 3-6 KNI – 1B Gerald Burns (KNI): 2/3 (2B), 1 R, 2 RBI, 3 TB – GW HIT

And with that, the series was even 2-2.

Knick got on the board first in B1 thanks to a Single by Burns. St. John’s responded immediately, with a run-scoring Ground Out tying the score in T2 before a Passed Ball and an RBI Double by Eamonn Higgins gave them a 3-1 lead in T3. After zeroes in the middle innings, Knick made it a 3-2 game in B7 when PH William Watson hit an RBI Single.

After St. John’s went down quietly in T8, Knick stepped up for their turn to bat and won the game with a four-run rally. First, Albert Stoffers tied the game with an RBI Double. Then, Burns gave Knick a 4-3 lead with another RBI Double. After a Fly Out and an Error, Callum Murray hit a two-run Double to put Knick ahead 6-3, and after that St. John’s moved nobody past Second Base in T9. The series was now tied.

GAME FIVE (The Elysian Fields in Manhattan, NY – ATT: 10,681)
StJ 4-3 KNI – LF Joseph Evans (StJ): 2/3 (both 1B), 2 R, 1 RBI, BB, 2 SB

With the second 4-3 game of the series, St. John’s moved to within one win of yet another championship.

All the scoring in Game Five took place over the first five innings. St. John’s started off on the right foot, with two Runs in T1 on Singles from Evans & Nelson Townsend. In T4, Cletus Cannon pulled off the most thrilling of plays, a steal of Home Plate, to put St. John’s up three (3-0). In B5, the visitors went up by four (4-0) when a Double by Townsend sent Evans around to score. Then, in B5 Knick scored on a two-run Single by Clive Strachan and a one-run Single by Anthony Mascherino to make it a 4-3 game.

Over the final four innings, Knick Batsmen reached Third Base twice - the 7th & 8th - and both times they were stranded there. In the bottom of the 9th Knick went down 1-2-3, and St. John’s had retaken the series lead.

The difference in this game was the St. John’s baserunning. They terrorized Knick, pilfering seven bases against Robert Goodman & Everett Schreiber, including Cannon’s steal of home. Meanwhile, Knick runners stole one base and were thrown out twice by the league-best arm of Joseph Nalley.

GAME SIX (Olneyville Field in Providence, R.I. – ATT: 10,724)
KNI 4-8 StJ – RF Nelson Townsend (StJ): 3/4 (all 1B), 2 R, 3 RBI, K, SB

Back in Providence, St. John’s proved that this was indeed going to end up the best second-half run in baseball history.

Solo Runs in the 1st on a Joseph Evans Single and the 2nd on a Sacrifice Fly put the hosts up 2-0 early. Knick scored on a Ground Out in T3 to cut the lead in half (1-2), but St. John’s immediately added Runs on Singles by Townsend & Joseph Nalley in B3 to take a 4-1 lead.

From then on, Knick was stuck playing catch-up, something their squad wasn’t designed to do. They scored single Runs in the 4th & 5th to cut the St. John’s lead to one (3-4), but St. John’s scored in B5 on another Townsend Single to take a 5-3 lead. Moving ahead to T7, Knick again pulled to within one (4-5) on a Single by Albert Stoffers, but then St. John’s responded with the championship-clinching rally: three Runs in B7 on a third run-scoring Townsend Single, an Error, and another RBI Single from Nalley. St. John’s was never bothered after that, and they were Founders Cup champions for the third time.

The triumph marked the end of an absurd eight weeks for St. John’s. It was on Independence Day when their unparalleled run began, and it was on the last day of August that it ended. Counting their six Founders Cup games, in that time St. John’s had a record of 36-7 over the 43 games they played, a winning rate that would amount to a 75-15 record over a 90-game season. There was simply no reference level for it, at least at the professional level.

Regarding championships, St. John’s had won their eighth title at the highest level of baseball – five in the N.B.B.O. before the league split (1857-58, 63-64, 70) and three in the A.P.B.L. (1871, 77, 80). That’s exactly one for every three years they had played league baseball. Perhaps even more remarkable, all of their accomplishments had come under the leadership of the same three men: President Borland Craig, General Manager Bennett White, and Field Manager Todd Rogers, who had all been with the club since the inaugural season of the N.B.B.O. in 1857, and even before then.

FOUNDERS’ CUP MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
LF Joseph Evans (StJ): .522 (12/23), 3 R, 2 2B, 6 RBI, 1 BB, 5 SB, 14 TB, 0.6 WPA, 1x P.o.t.G.

Joseph Evans was brilliant in the Founders Cup, safely reaching base in more than half of his Plate Appearances and stealing bases at a far higher rate than he did during the season. While he was only Player of the Game once, Evans was a catalyst for St. John’s in all four of their wins during Founders Cup X. He was also by far highest-hitting batsman, for he was the only one to bat above .400, let alone .500.

This was the end of Evans’ fourth year in the A.P.B.L., and while he had yet to win the league’s biggest individual honor he had now been a 2x champion, 4x All-Star, and 2x Team of the Year member in addition to the 1877 Greenhorn of the Year. Between the two leagues he’d played in over the eight years of his career Evans had built up quite the résumé of work, and he was still just barely 28 years old.

FOUNDERS' CUP SUMMARY

20_range · 04-30-2026, 09:38 AM

Would you mind doing another primer on league setup? Im doing testing for my own 1880s league, and struggling with getting the stats right (seems to be too much offense) and not enough player movement or players entering the league. I've started with one 8 team major league, one 8 team rival near-major league, and two low level minor leagues set to sell their players up for very cheap.

Just an overview of how you get your whole thing to flow well would be great, thanks!

tm1681 · Yesterday, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 20_range

Would you mind doing another primer on league setup? Im doing testing for my own 1880s league, and struggling with getting the stats right (seems to be too much offense) and not enough player movement or players entering the league. I've started with one 8 team major league, one 8 team rival near-major league, and two low level minor leagues set to sell their players up for very cheap.

Just an overview of how you get your whole thing to flow well would be great, thanks!

Okay...let me ruminate on that this weekend and then come back to it. It takes a decent amount of tinkering, ESPECIALLY with fictional leagues, because any auto-calc comparison is originally to a National League that had eight teams in it so the A/C numbers can get a bit wonky.

I had some issues with individual Strikeout lows & highs in this fictional season, so a little more tinkering is needed for my in-game universe.

I'll try to succinctly write down how I do it this weekend and then come back to it.

tm1681 · Yesterday, 10:22 PM

1880 PHILADELPHIA CITY LEAGUE REVIEW

PHILADELPHIA CITY LEAGUE STANDINGS

PER-TEAM STATISTICS

1880: 7.0 R/G, .282 AVG, .682 OPS, 760 H, 133 2B, 43 3B, 7 HR, 71 SB, 3.25 ERA, 102 BB, 166 K, 5.9 E/G, .872 FLD%

LIBERTY BELL CLASSIC:

Frankford Arsenal (2nd title) defeats Schuylkill B.C. 3-1

GAME 1: SUS 4-8 FRA – 2B Jonathan Toppin (FRA): 3/4 (2 2B), 3 R, 1 RB
GAME 2: SCH 0-4 FRA – P Claude Haskins (FRA): SHO, 9.0 IP, 5 HA, 0 BB, 5 K
GAME 3: FRA 8-10 SCH – RF Helmut Iskenmeier (SCH): 3/5 (3B), 2 R, 2 RBI, SB, 5 TB
GAME 4: FRA 9-4 SCH – P Oliver Greene (FRA): CG, 3 HA, 4 R/0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K – 3/5, 2 R, 1 RBI

SERIES M.V.P.: RF James Howard (FRA) – .400 (6/15), 4 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 12 TB, 0.5 WPA

This season, the P.C.B.L. didn’t give fans the high strangeness that occurred in 1879, but there were still plenty of oddities and excitement to be had.

Starting with the finalists, Frankford Arsenal came back from two games behind Minerva with two games left to take the East Philadelphia pennant in a one-game playoff, then going on to win the Liberty Bell Classic in impressive fashion. Their opponents, Schuylkill B.C., managed to take the West Philadelphia pennant even though their Run Differential for the entire seventy-game season was just +9.

The whole of West Philadelphia ended up being one giant pennant chase, with the eight teams separated by games, and the two teams tied for last place – Germantown & Independence – finishing 32-38. On top of that, the worst Run Differential in the West was Germantown’s -38, such was the parity in the western half of the city.

For the first time in P.C.B.L. history, all sixteen teams won at least forty percent of their games, which is an even greater sign that the league has achieved parity among its member clubs since Philadelphia B.C.C.’s move to the N.B.B.O. ahead of the 1878 season.

There was parity among league leaders too, as separate individuals led the league in Average, Slugging, OPS, Home Runs, RBI, Stolen Bases, WPA, Wins, ERA, Strikeouts, Innings Pitched, and Complete Games.

PHILADELPHIA CITY LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: John Smith (RF, age 24) – Independence B.C.

• .363/.411/.524, .935 OPS, 75 R, 106 H, 16 2B, 14 3B, 1 HR, 59 RBI, 22 BB, 17 SB, 153 TB, 4.2 WPA, 3.9 WAR
• Led league in OBP & OPS; Top five in AVG, SLG, 3B, BB, & WAR; B.o.t.M. in July (.447, 26 R, 15 XBH, 22 RBI)
• Edward Dobbs (LF, MIN) 2nd – .333, .928 OPS, 76 R, 96 H, 14 2B, 20 3B, 1 HR, 64 RBI, 23 BB, 4.5 WPA, 3.4 WAR
• Jonathan Toppin (2B, FRA) 3rd – .350, .856 OPS, 67 R, 117 H, 25 2B, 9 3B, 1 HR, 80 RBI, 163 TB, 3.2 WPA, 4.1 WAR

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Oliver Greene (age 31) – Frankford Arsenal

• 24-14, 2.80 ERA, 346.2 IP, 27 CG, 1 SHO, 155 K, 4.0 K/9, 4.8 K/BB, 9.5 H/9, 1.15 WHIP, 8.3 WAR, 3.3 rWAR
• Led league in Wins, K, QS, & GS; Top five in IP, CG, K/9, K/BB, H/9, WHIP, & WAR; 2-0 in L.B.C.
• Ralph Brown (SCH) 2nd – 24-14, 2.72 ERA, 340.1 IP, 24 CG, 3 SHO, 153 K, 3.9 K/BB, 1.16 WHIP, 7.3 WAR, 6.7 rWAR
• Thomas Bath (PENN) 3rd – 21-19, 2.76 ERA, 351.2 IP, 32 CG, 2 SHO, 151 K, 3.6 K/BB, 1.25 WHIP, 8.5 WAR, 9.3 rWAR

FIELDER OF THE YEAR: Archie Bell (SS, age 28) – Minerva B.C.

• 416 TC, 102 PO, 239 AST, 19 DP, 75 E, .820 FLD%, 4.89 RNG, 1.138 EFF, +16.8 ZR, +20.0 FldRV
• Led Shortstops in Efficiency, Zone Rating, & Fielding Run Value; also led league in Batsman WAR (4.2)
• Thomas Dixon (SS, OVER) 2nd – 105 PO, 230 AST, 23 DP, 73 E, .821 FLD%, 5.01 RNG, 1.135 EFF, +14.8 ZR
• Will Williams (2B, SCH) 3rd – 125 PO, 211 AST, 21 DP, 38 E, .898 FLD%, 5.14 RNG, 1.135 EFF, +11.9 ZR

GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: John Smith (RF, age 24) – Independence B.C.

• Also P.C.B.L. Batsman of the Year; Led Greenhorns in AVG, OBP, SLG, OPS, R, H, 3B, RBI, TB, WPA, & WAR
• Named Greenhorn of the Month in May, June, & July
• Ralph Brown (P, SCH) 2nd – P.C.B.L. Pitcher of the Year runner-up
• William Penn (LF, GER) 3rd – .351, .906 OPS, 56 R, 95 H, 22 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 43 RBI, 14 BB, 2.8 WPA, 3.0 WAR

GOLDEN HANDS

• P: Orville Oliver (KEY) – 13 E, 5.0 ZR, 1.058 EFF
• C: Dennis McLaughlin (PENN) – 37 PB, 2.88 C-ERA, 47.6 CS%, 1.109 EFF, +6.3 ZR
• 1B: Benjamin Warnock (MERC) – 18 E, 1.086 EFF, +2.9 ZR
• 2B: Will Williams (SCH) – 38 E, 211 AST, 21 DP, 1.135 EFF, +11.9 ZR
• 3B: Finlay Mackay (PENN) – 69 E, 193 AST, 1.148 EFF, +5.6 ZR
• SS: Archie Bell (MIN) – 75 E, 239 AST, 19 DP, 1.138 EFF, +16.8 ZR
• LF: John Bacon (SPA) – 16 E, 9 AST, 1.025 EFF, +4.2 ZR/ARM
• CF: Henry Yoder (SoB) – 24 E, 23 AST, 1.069 EFF, +6.1 ZR/ARM
• RF: John Smith (IND) – 34 E, 16 AST, 1.060 EFF, +6.1 ZR/ARM

TEAM OF THE YEAR

• P: Ralph Brown (Schuylkill, age 29)
24-14, 2.72 ERA, 340.1 IP, 24 CG, 3 SHO, 153 K, 4.0 K/9, 3.9 K/BB, 1.16 WHIP, 7.3 WAR, 6.7 rWAR
• C: Damian McLaughlin (Penn, age 25)
.343, .791 OPS, 70 R, 106 H, 17 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 55 RBI, 13 BB, 5 SB, 2.6 WPA, 3.0 WAR, 47.6 CS%
• 1B: Benjamin Warnock (Yorktown, age 35)
.310, .832 OPS, 82 R, 98 H, 25 2B, 10 3B, 1 HR, 48 RBI, 27 BB, 19 SB, 3.8 WPA, 3.4 WAR
• 2B: Jonathan Toppin (Frankford, age 32)
.350, .856 OPS, 67 R, 117 H, 25 2B, 9 3B, 1 HR, 80 RBI, 10 BB, 21 SB, 163 TB, 3.2 WPA, 4.1 WAR
• 3B: Jacky Kooren (Mercantile, age 32)
.317, .772 OPS, 68 R, 90 H, 21 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 50 RBI, 16 BB, 2 SB, 3.4 WPA, 2.7 WAR
• SS: Archie Bell (Minerva, age 28)
.348, .836 OPS, 83 R, 112 H, 24 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 44 RBI, 9 BB, 18 SB, 3.6 WPA, 4.2 WAR, +16.8 ZR
• OF: John Smith (Independence, age 24)
.363, .411 OBP, .935 OPS, 75 R, 106 H, 16 2B, 14 3B, 1 HR, 59 RBI, 22 BB, 17 SB, 4.2 WPA, 3.9 WAR
• OF: Edward Dobbs (Minerva, age 23)
.333, .531 SLG, .928 OPS, 76 R, 96 H, 14 2B, 20 3B, 1 HR, 64 RBI, 23 BB, 11 SB, 4.5 WPA, 3.4 WAR
• OF: George Estes (Frankford, age 28)
.327, .804 OPS, 71 R, 103 H, 22 2B, 10 3B, 0 HR, 46 RBI, 6 BB, 37 SB, 3.4 WPA, 3.0 WAR

Batsman of the Year, Greenhorn of the Year, Golden Hands at RF, & Team of the Year – not a bad way for John Smith to introduce himself to the P.C.B.L. Joseph Evans didn’t even pull that off, winning the first & last of the four in 1873.

MISCELLANEOUS

SEASON RECORDS

• Keystone set a new record for Bases on Balls drawn with 126.
• Frankford Arsenal set a new record for Strikeouts pitched with 269.
• Edward Dobbs (Minerva) set a new record for Triples with 20.
• Ralph Brown (Schuylkill) set a new record for Shutouts with 3.
• Thomas Bath (Penn) set a new record for Pitcher WAR with 8.53.

STATISTICAL LEADERS

• Average: .364 by William Fish (1B, Frankford)
• On-Base: .411 by John Smith (RF, Independence)
• Slugging: .531 by Edward Dobbs (LF, Minerva)
• OPS: .935 by John Smith
• Home Runs: 4 by George Alberts (C, Yorktown)
• Runs Batted In: 80 by Jonathan Toppin (2B, Frankford)
• Runs: 83 by Archie Bell (SS, Minerva)
• Hits: 117 by Jonathan Toppin
• Doubles: 30 by James Skiver (RF, Mercantile)
• Triples: 20 by Edward Dobbs
• Extra Base Hits: 44 by James Skiver
• Bases on Balls: 27 by Cesar Sorensen (2B, Queen Vill.)
• Stolen Bases: 37 by George Estes (CF, Frankford) & Arthur Hall (RF, Sons of Ben)
• Total Bases: 163 by James Skiver & Jonathan Toppin
• Zone Rating: +16.8 by Archie Bell
• Win Prob. Added: 4.8 by James Howard (RF, Frankford)
• Batsman WAR: 4.3 by Archie Bell

• Wins: 24 by Ralph Brown (Schuylkill) & Oliver Greene (Frankford)
• Losses: 23 by Jonathan Landini (Independence) & Warren Lester (Pt. Richmond)
• ERA (175+ IP): 2.14 by James Thorp (Minerva)
• Strikeouts: 155 by Oliver Greene (third straight year leading league)
• Innings: 355.1 by Edward Thompson (Sons of Ben)
• Complete Games: 32 by Thomas Bath (Penn)
• Shutouts: 3 by Ralph Brown
• BB/9 (175+ IP): 0.7 by Robert Nygren (Overbrook) & Robert Benson (Merion)
• K/9 (175+ IP): 4.3 by Orville Oliver (Keystone)
• K/BB (175+ IP): 5.0 by Robert Benson
• WHIP (175+ IP): 1.11 by James Thorp
• Pitcher WAR: 8.5 by Thomas Bath
• Pitcher rWAR: 9.3 by Thomas Bath

ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS

• May 12: Frankford CF George Estes has 4 Stolen Bases in a 4-5 loss at Yorktown.
• May 16: The season-long Hitting Streak of Keystone CF Edward Smith ends after 27 games.
• June 19: Frankford scores four Runs in B9 to earn a 15-14 win vs Spartan.
• July 2: Mercantile 1B Samuel Harris draws 4 Bases on Balls in a 19-12 win at Independence.
• July 3: Frankford 2B Jonathan Toppin has a Home Run & 7 RBI in a 22-10 win vs Yorktown.
• July 11: Keystone LF Dennis Nash has 5 Hits & 5 RBI in an 11-9 win at Spartan.
• July 14: Germantown RF Walter Heisenberg scores 6 Runs in a 20-10 win at Mercantile.
• July 17: Penn LF John Werra has 5 Hits & 6 RBI in a 19-7 win vs Overbrook.
• July 24: Queen Vill. CF Stuart Davison has 5 Hits & 6 RBI in a 19-12 win vs Yorktown.
• July 28: Overbrook CF James Niven hits 2 Home Runs in a 4-3 win vs Germantown.
• July 28: Independence RF John Smith hits 3 Triples and has 10 Total Bases in a 7-10 loss at Merion.
• July 29: Nine Spartan players finish with multiple Hits in a 23-7 win at Queen Vill.
• Aug 4: Keystone wins vs Yorktown in the season’s only 1-0 game. SHO: Orville Oliver.
• Aug 15: Schuylkill finishes 1st in West Phila. with a 40-30 record but a Run Differential of +9.
• Aug 16: Frankford Arsenal wins 13-6 at Minerva in a one-game playoff to take the East Philadelphia pennant.
• Aug 21: Frankford Arsenal wins the L.B.C. in four games over Schuylkill.

PERFORMANCES OF THE SEASON (by Game Score)

• #1: 108 by Penn LF John Werra vs Overbrook on July 17 (5/6, 3B, 3 R, 6 RBI, BB, SB, 7 TB)
• #2: 106 by Quenn Vill. CF Stuart Davison vs Yorktown on July 24 (5/6, 3B, 4 R, 6 RBI, 7 TB, OF AST)
• #3: 89 by Yorktown LF Franklin Decker at Sons of Ben on July 9 (4/5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 6 RBI)
• #4: 85 by Minerva LF Edward Dobbs at Sons of Ben on May 20 (5/6, 2B, 3B, 3 R, 4 RBI, SB)
• #5: 85 by Penn P Thomas Bath vs Independence on June 27 (SHO, 9.0 IP, 4 HA, 1 BB, 7 K)
• #6: 85 by Frankford P Oliver Greene at Queen Vill. on July 8 (SHO, 9.0 IP, 4 HA, 0 BB, 6 K)
• #7: 85 by Keystone LF Dennis Nash at Spartan on July 11 (5/6, 2B, 3B, 2 R, 5 RBI)
• #8: 85 by Germantown LF William Penn vs Independence on Aug 7 (5/6, 3B, 3 R, 4 RBI)
• #9: 84 by Penn RF Charles Taylor at Germantown on May 15 (4/5, 2 2B, 4 R, 4 RBI)
• #10: 84 by Merion P Charles Sturch vs Schuylkill on May 30 (CG W, 12.0 IP, 7 HA, 1 RA/0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)

tm1681 · Yesterday, 10:32 PM

1880 COASTAL CONFERENCE REVIEW

FINAL STANDINGS

PER-TEAM STATISTICS

1880: 6.9 R/G, .276 AVG, .671 OPS, 755 H, 139 2B, 40 3B, 8 HR, 51 SB, 3.09 ERA, 105 BB, 195 K, 5.7 E/G, .873 FLD%

Bridgeport was originally projected to take the 1880 C.B.C. championship with a 53-17 record. They were two wins short of the Writers Pool’s projections but still comfortably repeated as champs, with expected runners-up Sportsman’s finishing in second place but having eleven more wins than anticipated.

After that, the season didn’t go as expected. Projected cellar dwellers Camden & Amboy finished 3rd thanks to strong pitching. Essex County jumped two spots from projections to finish 4th with the league’s #2 offense. Highlander had the same record the Writers Pool pegged them at, but they finished 5th instead of 7th. Capitol City was one place down from where they were expected because they had the league’s weakest offense. Olympic finished 7th instead of their projected 3rd because of the league’s worst fielding. Lynn finished last instead of 4th because everything they attempted to do went wrong.

COASTAL CONFERENCE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Jacob Overfield (3B, age 23) – Bridgeport B.C.

• .301/.306/.463, .809 OPS, 100 R, 101 H, 20 2B, 11 3B, 4 HR, 60 RBI, 19 BB, 16 SB, 155 TB, 4.8 WPA, 3.4 WAR
• Led league in Runs, HR, & WPA; Top five in PA, H, XBH, BB, TB, SB, & WAR
• Johnny Holcombe (2B, SPO) 2nd – .355, .897 OPS, 74 R, 113 H, 25 2B, 12 3B, 1 HR, 55 RBI, 11 BB, 4.6 WPA, 2.7 WAR
• Charles Darling (CF, OLY) 3rd – .343, .848 OPS, 62 R, 103 H, 17 2B, 12 3B, 1 HR, 52 RBI, 7 BB, 3.9 WPA, 3.3 WAR

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Tom Hauser (age 38) – Bridgeport B.C.

• 28-9, 2.37 ERA, 323.0 IP, 30 CG, 1 SHO, 127 K, 3.5 K/9, 4.2 K/BB, 8.7 H/9, 1.06 WHIP, 7.7 WAR, 8.5 rWAR
• Led league Wins, ERA, CG, SHO, K/BB, H/9, WHIP, WAR, & rWAR; Top five in IP, K, QS, & BB/9
• Stephen Willis (SPO) 2nd – 22-9, 2.58 ERA, 255.0 IP, 21 CG, 177 K, 6.2 K/9, 2.7 K/BB, 1.38 WHIP, 6.0 WAR, 6.9 rWAR
• James Lockhart (ESX) 3rd – 21-13, 2.55 ERA, 335.1 IP, 23 CG, 1 SHO, 141 K, 3.4 K/BB, 1.34 WHIP, 6.7 WAR, 3.5 rWAR

FIELDER OF THE YEAR: Dee Wheeler (SS, age 31) – Lynn B.C.

• 424 TC, 80 PO, 240 AST, 17 DP, 104 E, .755 FLD%, 4.82 RNG, 1.150 EFF, +20.3 ZR, +23.4 FldRV
• Led Shortstops in Total Chances, Assists, Range, Efficiency, Zone Rating, & Fielding Run Value
• Louis Beane (SS, BRI) 2nd – 91 PO, 208 AST, 15 DP, 94 E, .761 FLD%, 4.34 RNG, 1.118 EFF, +12.8 ZR
• Butler Stout (SS, SPO) 3rd – 94 PO, 192 AST, 31 DP, 63 E, .819 FLD%, 4.14 RNS, 1.142 EFF, +11.6 ZR

GOLDEN HANDS

• P: Walt Harper (SPO) – 12 E, 1.093 EFF, +4.1 ZR
• C: Jonathan Brumback (C&A) – 50 PB, 3.07 C-ERA, 39.0 CS%, 1.021 EFF, +2.5 ZR
• 1B: Euan Graham (BRI) – 30 E, 1.062 EFF, +3.5 ZR
• 2B: Bodil Hansen (C&A) – 44 E, 238 AST, 32 DP, 1.061 EFF, +8.2 ZR
• 3B: Roosevelt Anderson (OLY) – 85 E, 188 AST, 23 DP, 1.089 EFF, +8.9 ZR
• SS: Butler Stout (SPO) – 104 E, 240 AST, 17 DP, 1.150 EFF, +20.3 ZR
• LF: Walter Kirby (BRI) – 13 E, 3 AST, 1.035 EFF, +3.0 ZR/ARM
• CF: Robert Werstler (BRI) – 32 E, 17 AST, 1.060 EFF, +8.7 ZR/ARM
• RF: Lucian Diller (CC) – 21 E, 14 AST, 1.029 EFF, +5.2 ZR/ARM

TEAM OF THE YEAR

• P: Tom Hauser (Bridgeport, age 38)
28-9, 2.37 ERA, 323.0 IP, 30 CG, 1 SHO, 127 K, 3.5 K/9, 4.2 K/BB, 1.06 WHIP, 7.7 WAR, 8.5 rWAR
• C: Jonathan Brumback (C. & A., age 28)
.332, .785 OPS, 50 R, 102 H, 19 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 57 RBI, 9 BB, 3.2 WPA, 3.2 WAR, 39.0 CS%
• 1B: Euan Graham (Bridgeport, age 33)
.336, .408 OBP, .848 OPS, 79 R, 100 H, 26 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 55 RBI, 33 BB, 3.1 WPA, 3.4 WAR
• 2B: Johnny Holcombe (Sportsman’s, age 24)
.355, .519 SLG, .897 OPS, 74 R, 113 H, 25 2B, 12 3B, 1 HR, 55 RBI, 11 BB, 165 TB, 4.6 WPA, 2.7 WAR
• 3B: Jacob Overfield (Bridgeport, age 23)
.301, .809 OPS, 100 R, 101 H, 20 2B, 11 3B, 4 HR, 60 RBI, 19 BB, 16 SB, 4.8 WPA, 3.4 WAR
• SS: Louis Beane (Bridgeport, age 33)
.312, .756 OPS, 56 R, 103 H, 24 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 83 RBI, 12 BB, 8 SB, 2.4 WPA, 3.9 WAR, +12.8 ZR
• OF: Charles Darling (Olympic, age 27)
.343, .848 OPS, 62 R, 103 H, 17 2B, 12 3B, 1 HR, 52 RBI, 7 BB, 3 SB, 3.9 WPA, 3.3 WAR
• OF: Sidney Adams (Highlander, age 33)
.291, .806 OPS, 50 R, 91 H, 25 2B, 15 3B, 1 HR, 66 RBI, 16 BB, 3 SB, 2.3 WPA, 3.1 WAR
• OF: Charles Neville (Sportsman’s, age 26)
.335, .832 OPS, 58 R, 104 H, 28 2B, 8 3B, 1 HR, 69 RBI, 6 BB, 3 SB, 4.1 WPA, 2.1 WAR

MISCELLANEOUS

STATISTICAL LEADERS

• Average: .357 by James Baker (1B, Essex Co.)
• On-Base: .408 by Euan Graham (1B, Bridgeport)
• Slugging: .519 by Johnny Holcombe (2B, Sportsman’s)
• OPS: .897 by Johnny Holcombe
• Home Runs: 4 by Jacob Overfield (3B, Bridgeport)
• Runs Batted In: 83 by Louis Beane (SS, Bridgeport)
• Runs: 100 by Jacob Overfield
• Hits: 113 by Johnny Holcombe
• Doubles: 28 by Charles Neville (LF, Sportsman’s)
• Triples: 15 by Sidney Adams (RF, Highlander)
• Extra-Base Hits: 41 by Sidney Adams
• Bases on Balls: 35 by William Davidson (3B, Essex Co.)
• Stolen Bases: 24 by Robert Werstler (CF, Bridgeport)
• Total Bases: 165 by Johnny Holcombe
• Zone Rating: +20.3 by Dee Wheeler (SS, Lynn)
• Win Prob. Added: 4.8 by Jacob Overfield
• Batsman WAR: 3.8 by Louis Beane

• Wins: 28 by Tom Hauser (Bridgeport)
• Losses: 24 by Albert Janikowski (Lynn)
• ERA (175+ IP): 2.37 by Tom Hauser
• Strikeouts: 177 by Stephen Willis
• Innings: 345.1 by Albert Piggott (C. & A.)
• Complete Games: 30 by Tom Hauser
• Shutouts: 1 by three different Pitchers
• BB/9 (175+ IP): 0.7 by Edward Koch (Bridgeport) & Walt Harper (Sportsman’s)
• K/9 (175+ IP): 6.2 by Stephen Willis
• K/BB (175+ IP): 4.2 by Tom Hauser
• WHIP (175+ IP): 1.06 by Tom Hauser
• Pitcher WAR: 7.7 by Tom Hauser
• Pitcher rWAR: 8.5 by Tom Hauser

ACHIEVEMENTS & NOTABLE EVENTS

• May 19: The season-long Hitting Streak of Sportsman’s 2B Johnny Holcombe ends after 37 games.
• May 28: C. & A. C Jonathan Brumback has 5 Hits & 5 RBI in a 14-5 win at Lynn.
• June 19: Sportsman’s P Stephen Willis has 11 Strikeouts in a 3-2 win vs C. & A.
• June 24: Sportsman’s P Stephen Willis has 10 Strikeouts in a 5-4 win vs Lynn.
• June 24: Bridgeport 3B Jacob Overfield bats 5/6 with a Home Run in a 12-6 win at C. & A.
• June 30: Sportsman’s SS Butler Stout hits for the 1st Cycle in C.B.C. history during a 7-9 loss at Olympic.
• June 9: C. & A. 2B Bodil Hansen bats 6/6 with 3 Extra Base Hits in a 9-10 loss at Essex Co.
• July 2: Olympic P Ray Christianson bats 5/6 (3 RBI) while pitching a CG in a 20-8 win vs Sportsman’s.
• July 7: Bridgeport SS Louis Beane has baseball’s first ever 10-RBI game in a 16-7 win vs Olympic.
• July 15: Olympic CF Charles Darlins bats 6/6 with 4 RBI in a 15-8 win at Highlander.
• July 28: Olympic CF Charles Darling hits 3 Triples in a 16-10 win at Lynn.
• Aug 8: Bridgeport SS Louis Beane has 6 RBI in a 20-9 win at Olympic.
• Aug 8: Bridgeport 1B Euan Graham draws 5 Bases on Balls in a 20-9 win at Olympic.
• Aug 11: Bridgeport (2nd title) clinches the C.B.C. championship with a 9-2 win vs C. & A.

PERFORMANCES OF THE SEASON (by Game Score)

• #1: 106 by Bridgeport SS Louis Beane vs Olympic on July 7 (4/6, 2B, GS, 1 R, 10 RBI)
• #2: 101 by C. & A. C Jonathan Brumback at Lynn on May 28 (5/5, 3B, 3 R, 5 RBI, BB)
• #3: 89 by C. & A. RF John Monroe at Highlander on July 4 (5/5, 3 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI, HBP, SAC FLY, OF AST)
• #4: 83 by Bridgeport 3B Jacob Overfield at C. & A. on June 24 (5/6, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, SB)
• #5: 82 by Sportsman’s P Stephen Willis vs C. & A. on June 19 (CG, 9.0 IP, 5 HA, 2 R/0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K)

tm1681 · Yesterday, 11:15 PM

1880 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION REVIEW

NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION STANDINGS

PER-TEAM STATISTICS

1880 N.Y.L.: 6.8 R/G, .281, .686 OPS, 758 H, 135 2B, 43 3B, 9 HR, 87 SB, 3.29 ERA, 107 BB, 185 K, 5.4 E/G, .880 FLD&
1880 N.E.L.: 7.1 R/G, .283, .696 OPS, 758 H, 141 2B, 45 3B, 10 HR, 80 SB, 3.44 ERA, 113 BB, 160 K, 5.4 E/G, .880 FLD%

TUCKER-WHEATON CUP XXIV

N.Y.L. SEMIFINALS: New York A.C. defeats Utica 3-2
N.E.L. SEMIFINALS: Philadelphia B.C.C. defeats Susquehanna 3-1

N.Y.L. CHAMPIONSHIP: Atlantic defeats New York A.C. 3-2
N.E.L. CHAMPIONSHIP: Portland defeats Philadelphia B.C.C. 3-1

T.W.C. FINAL: Atlantic (1st title) defeats Portland 3-1

GAME 1: ATL 8-3 PORT – RF MacKenzie Wilson (ATL): 2/5 (2 2B), 2 R, 2 RBI, 4 TB – OF AST
GAME 2: ATL 0-8 PORT – P Robert Dressen (PORT): SHO, 4 HA, 2 BB, 2 K
GAME 3: PORT 5-6 ATL – LF Herb Verrett (ATL): 4/5 (3 2B), 2 R, 2 RBI, 7 TB
GAME 4: PORT 6-8 ATL – 2B Monroe Crawford (ATL): 3/4 (2B, HR), 2 R, 3 RBI, 7 TB

CUP M.V.P.: LF Herb Verrett (ATL) – .389 (7/18), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 12 TB, 0.6 WPA, 1x P.o.t.G.

After Susquehanna went 18-6 over their last 24 games to vault from 4th to 1st in the Inland Championship the collective response to the defending champions was “uh oh…”, but it turned out that being stuck in the doldrums for too long and finishing as the N.E.L.’s #3 seed was too much to overcome, as P.B.C.C. took care of them in the N.E.L. Semifinals. Instead, it was the team that had the opposite issue, Portland, with their relatively anemic second half after opening the season 31-4, that woke up in the playoffs and took the N.E.L. banner.

The N.Y.L. was a simpler circuit. The team with the best record and best Run Differential over the second half of the season, Atlantic, were crowned league champions after their 27-8 closing half, although N.Y.A.C. pushed them to the brink in the N.Y.L.C.S. Atlantic then went on to dispatch the overall #1 in four games in the cup final to win the Tucker-Wheaton Cup for the first time in club history, also becoming the first Brooklynite cup winners in eight years.

The most exciting region to follow was Upstate New York, and no other came close. The eight teams finished nine games apart, and a 32-38 record, good for fifth in at least one other region, took last place. Making this region even stranger: the last-place team, Columbia, had a Run Differential of -1 while runners-up Frontier had a Run Differential of -21. Upstate has long been known for chaotic pennant races, but this might have been the strangest region-wide finish yet.

The most fascinating team to follow this year was Philadelphia B.C.C. Due to the signing of a certain CF, Leroy Moore hit over .400 and wasn’t even the most productive Batsman in his own team, with James Burke batting in the .380’s but leading the entire N.B.B.O. in Runs, Extra Base Hits & OPS. P.B.C.C. ended up having three regulars hit over .350 – former Knick & Shamrock regular Charles Washer hit .354 – and their #1, Charles Barrow, finished the season with 30+ Wins.

Speaking of pitching, Charles Rhodes managed to become even better in 1880, earning the first Triple Crown since 1875 and breaking multiple N.B.B.O. records while also winning 30+ games for the first time. The other dominant pitchers of note in the N.B.B.O. were Barrow, who went 32-10 with a 2.85 ERA, and Portland #1 Francis Molinari, who led the N.E.L. in numerous pitching categories.

There was an outstanding crop of Greenhorns in the N.B.B.O. this season. Thirteen first-year Batsmen, led by five-star Bedford 2B William Napier, earned at least 1.5 WAR, and eight new Pitchers won 10+ games over the course of 1880, with Hilltop’s Harry Miller looking like a potentially dominant #1.

The most surprising team of the season had to be Pioneer. Predicted by the Writers Pool to finish 7th in the Inland Championship at 28-42, instead Pioneer reversed that projection with a 42-28 season and a runner-up finish that came within one game of forcing a playoff against Susquehanna for the pennant. They achieved this with an offense that was much stronger than most had anticipated after they lost 8x All-Star Frank Thomas to regional rivals Scranton in March.

It’s now time to see what the winter has in store for the N.B.B.O. If there’s to be another shock in like the James Burke signing from last December, it boggles the mind to think who or what might be the ones to spring the surprise on everybody.

tm1681 · Yesterday, 11:30 PM

NEW YORK LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Francis Smith (CF, age 35) – Metropolitan B.B.C.; 2nd B.o.t.Y. in three years

• .380/.405/.558, .963 OPS, 86 R, 128 H, 21 2B, 18 3B, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 14 BB, 33 SB, 188 TB, 5.0 WPA, 5.2 WAR
• Led N.Y.L. in SLG, OPS, H, TB, RC, & WAR; Top five in AVG, OBP, R, XBH, 3B, & WPA
• Wilbur Graff (1B, MER) 2nd – .336, .441 OBP, .872 OPS, 62 R, 92 H, 21 XBH, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 48 BB, 5.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR
• Isaac Kelly (3B, ECK) 3rd – .359, .888 OPS, 49 R, 110 H, 31 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 41 RBI, 19 BB, 1 SB, 3.3 WPA, 4.6 WAR

Francis Smith keeps getting better with age. Consistently one of the best Batsmen in the N.B.B.O. before his 1878 award, he’s now won N.Y.L. Batsman of the Year twice in the three seasons, with his 1880 performance at age 35 arguably his best yet as he set career highs in Average, OPS, Hits, Extra Base Hits, Total Bases, & Batsman WAR.

OBP master Graff had another fine season at age 41, and Kelly was again superb in all facets of the game.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Charles Rhodes (age 31); New York Athletic Club; 6th career P.o.t.Y. (5th straight)

• 30-11, 2.30 ERA, 356.0 IP, 32 CG, 1 SHO, 204 K, 5.2 K/9, 11.3 K/BB, 8.8 H/9, 1.03 WHIP, 12.9 WAR, 11.1 rWAR
• Won Triple Crown; Led N.Y.L. in W, ERA, K, IP, QS, CG, BB/9, K/BB, H/9, WHIP, WAR, & rWAR
• Howard Budd (EMP) 2nd – 25-12, 2.56 ERA, 351.1 IP, 26 CG, 137 K, 3.7 K/BB, 1.15 WHIP, 8.4 WAR, 8.9 rWAR
• Howard Shepherd (CON) 3rd – 22-16, 2.87 ERA, 351.1 IP, 28 CG, 145 K, 3.7 K/BB, 1.23 WHIP, 7.8 WAR, 5.5 rWAR

This was Rhodes’ greatest season yet, with Budd & Shepherd the other finalists simply for thoroughness’ sake as Rhodes took another unanimous P.o.t.Y. HE LED THE N.Y.L. IN A DOZEN PITCHING CATEGORIES while breaking the N.B.B.O. Strikeout record and shattering the single-season record for Pitcher WAR. There’s not much else that can be said about him.

FIELDER OF THE YEAR: Frank Morrison (SS, age 34) – Metropolitan B.B.C.; inaugural F.o.t.Y.

• 442 TC, 80 PO, 281 AST, 27 DP, 81 E, .817 FLD%, 5.46 RNG, 1.172 EFF, +23.6 ZR, +26.6 FldRV
• Led N.Y.L. Shortstops in Total Chances, Assists, Ramge, Zone Rating, & Fielding Run Value
• Bendt Frandson (SS, BAL) 2nd – 89 PO, 271 AST, 27 DP, 74 E, .829 FLD%, 5.33 RNG, 1.157 EFF, +19.0 ZR
• Jules Thomas (SS, MIN) 3rd – 100 PO, 277 AST, 36 DP, 69 E, .826 FLD%, 4.72 RNG, 1.162 EFF, +16.3 ZR

GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: William Napier (2B, age 26) – Bedford B.B.C.

• .320/.388/.483, .872 OPS, 61 R, 96 H, 21 2B, 14 3B, 0 HR, 68 RBI, 36 BB, 28 SB, 145 TB, 3.6 WPA, 3.0 WAR
• Made All-Star Game; Nominated to Team of the Year at 2B; Top ten in XBH, 3B, RBI, BB, & RC
• Harry Miller (P, HILL) 2nd – 19-19, 3.30 ERA, 335.0 IP, 25 CG, 181 K, 4.9 K/9, 3.9 K/BB, 1.28 WHIP, 8.5 WAR
• Arvid Walters (3B, SYR) 3rd – .281, .689 OPS, 59 R, 88 H, 16 2B, 4 3B, 53 RBI, 23 BB, 8 SB, 3.3 WPA, 2.0 WAR

While Miller’s work for Hilltop showed that he’ll soon be a legitimate five-star #1, Napier was the top Second Baseman in the N.Y.L. during his debut season, appearing on the N.Y.L. leaderboard in a number of categories.

GOLDEN HANDS

• P: Daniel Gibson (VIC; 1st) – 26 PO, 73 AST, 16 E, .861 FLD%, 2.63 RNG, 1.087 EFF, +8.2 ZR
• C: Mark Lehmann (MET; 2nd) – 20 E, .943 FLD%, +8.4 ZR, 28 PB, 43.5 CS%, 3.16 C-ERA
• 1B: Ed Barnett (ECK; 1st) – 27 DP, 26 E, .967 FLD%, 1.097 EFF, +5.7 ZR
• 2B: Samuel Blalock (BAL; 2nd) – 155 PO, 224 AST, 31 DP, 46 E, .892 FLD%, 5.68 RNG, 1.084 EFF, +10.2 ZR
• 3B: Louis Johnson (UNI; 1st) – 56 PO, 241 ST, 10 DP, 66 E, .818 FLD%, 4.51 RNG, 1.145 EFF, +16.8 ZR
• SS: Frank Morrison (MET; 1st) – 80 PR, 281 AST, 27 DP, 81 E, .817 FLD%, 5.46 RNG, 1.172 EFF, +23.6 ZR
• LF: Murdock Whitehurst (MIN; 1st) – 6 AST, 4 DP, 21 E, .893 FLD%, 1.034 EFF, +5.6 ZR/ARM
• CF: George Whaley (FRO; 2nd) – 25 AST, 3 DP, 30 E, .898 FLD%, 1.089 EFF, +11.5 ZR/ARM
• RF: Michael Akhverdov (CON; 1st) – 11 AST, 2 DP, 21 E, .894 FLD%, 1.069 EFF, +6.8 ZR/ARM

TEAM OF THE YEAR

• P: Charles Rhodes (New York A.C., age 31; 4th)
30-11, 2.30 ERA, 356.0 IP, 32 CG, 1 SHO, 204 K, 5.2 K/9, 11.3 K/BB, 1.03 WHIP, 12.9 WAR, 11.1 rWAR
• C: Willie West (Victory, age 26; 1st)
.342, .849 OPS, 52 R, 92 H, 15 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 46 RBI, 9 BB, 2 SB, 3.3 WPA, 2.5 WAR
• 1B: Wilbur Graff (Mercury, age 41; 4th)
336, .441 OBP, .872 OPS, 62 R, 92 H, 15 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 48 BB, 5 SB, 5.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR
• 2B: William Napier (Bedford, age 26; GH)
.320, .872 OPS, 61 R, 96 H, 21 2B, 14 3B, 0 HR, 68 RBI, 36 BB, 28 SB, 3.6 WPA, 3.0 WAR
• 3B: Isaac Kelly (Eckford, age 35; 5th)
.359, .888 OPS, 49 R, 110 H, 31 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 41 RBI, 19 BB, 1 SB, 3.3 WPA, 4.6 WAR, +12.5 ZR
• SS: Jules Thomas (Minuteman, age 28; 3rd)
.330, .792 OPS, 71 R, 111 H, 24 2B, 8 3B, 0 HR, 53 RBI, 5 BB, 34 SB, 3.2 WPA, 3.8 WAR, +16.3 ZR
• OF: Francis Smith (Metro, age 35; 6th)
.380, .558 SLG, .963 OPS, 86 R, 128 H, 40 XBH, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 14 BB, 33 SB, 188 TB, 5.0 WPA, 5.2 WAR
• OF: Ewald Schmitz (Utica, age 25; 1st)
.373, .897 OPS, 82 R, 118 H, 19 2B, 10 3B, HR, 60 RBI, 15 BB, 10 SB, 4.1 WPA, 3.1 WAR
• OF: Herb Verrett (Atlantic, age 36; 4th)
.335, .891 OPS, 74 R, 106 H, 43 XBH, 25 2B, 17 3B, 1 HR, 65 RBI, 12 BB, 7 SB, 3.4 WPA, 2.8 WAR

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS

BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: James Burke (CF, age 37) – Philadelphia B.C.C.; 6th career B.o.t.Y. (5 in A.P.B.L.)

• .384/.436/.581, 1.016 OPS, 92 R, 119 H, 35 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 29 BB, 51 SB, 180 TB, 5.0 WPA, 5.7 WAR
• Led N.E.L. in OBP, SLG, OPS, R, XBH, 2B, TB, RC, & WAR; 6th B.o.t.Y. in 8 years between A.P.B.L. & N.B.B.O.
• Leroy Moore (RF, PBCC) 2nd – .404, 1.003 OPS, 76 R, 126 H, 37 XBH, 1 HR, 94 RBI, 19 BB, 16 SB, 5.4 WPA, 4.6 WAR
• John Schultz (CF, SUS) 3rd – .338, .826 OPS, 85 R, 116 H, 14 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 49 RBI, 42 SB, 4.7 WPA, 3.6 WAR

We now know what it takes to beat out someone with a .400+ Average and 1.000+ OPS for B.o.t.Y.: just be James Burke. While Moore led the N.E.L. in four major categories, Burke topped the N.E.L. batting charts in NINE different areas while putting up the highest Batsman WAR seen in the N.B.B.O. since the league split.

Susquehanna star Schultz had another great season, but there are numerous reasons why Burke & Moore became the first pair of teammates in N.B.B.O. history to go 1-2 in their league’s B.o.t.Y. vote.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Francis Molinari (age 35) – Portland B.C.; 1st career B.o.t.Y.

• 28-10, 2.59 ERA, 337.2 IP, 28 CG, 1 SHO, 194 K, 5.2 K/9, 4.4 K/BB, 8.7 H/9, 1.10 WHIP, 9.8 WAR, 8.4 rWAR
• Led N.E.L. in CG, K, WHIP, WAR, & rWAR; Top five in W, IP, QS, K/BB, H/9, & K/9; 25-7 thru July 31
• William Burrow (PBCC) 2nd – 32-10, 2.85 ERA, 347.0 IP, 23 CG, 96 K, 2.0 K/BB, 1.24 WHIP, 5.7 WAR, 6.7 rWAR
• Ben Lauppe (NAT) 3rd – 26-11, 3.10 ERA, 348.2 IP, 28 CG, 185 K, 4.4 K/BB, 1.18 WHIP, 8.9 WAR, 6.3 rWAR

Molinari managed to beat out 32-win Burrow for P.o.t.Y. because his secondary number were far superior to that of any other N.E.L. Pitcher while also going 28-10 on the season. He was brilliant from start to finish, sporting an ERA under 3.00 in every month.

While Burrow did have that 32-10 record, his secondary numbers were almost identical to those of last year, his W/L figure buoyed by P.B.C.C.’s #1 overall offense. Lauppe barely beat out William Hawk for the #3 spot.

FIELDER OF THE YEAR: Earl Seals (SS, age 33) – Trenton United; inaugural F.o.t.Y.

• 422 TC, 92 PO, 272 AST, 32 DP, 58 E, .863 FLD%, 5.40 RNG, 1.258 EFF, +33.2 ZR, +36.3 FldRV
• Led N.E.L. Shortstops in Assist, Double Plays, Zone Rating, & Fielding Run Value
• William Cruise (SS, PORT) 2nd – 96 PO, 209 AST, 17 DP, 32 E, .905 FLD%, 4.45 RNG, 1.339 EFF, +30.7 ZR
• Moody Steiger (SS, QUI) 3rd – 80 PR, 273 AST, 25 DP, 51 E, .874 FLD%, 5.63 RNG, 1.248 EFF, +29.7 ZR

GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: Francis Edwards (LF, age 22) – Quinnipiac B.C.

• .368/.393/.478, .871 OPS, 61 R, 110 H, 25 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 40 RBI, 12 BB, 10 SB, 143 TB, 2.8 WPA, 2.5 WAR
• Made All-Star Game; Was #1 Batsman prospect in N.B.B.O. entering season
• Edgar Hearst (CF, MLD) 2nd – .359, .871 OPS, 56 R, 102 H, 27 2B, 5 3B, 59 RBI, 10 BB, 1 SB, 3.7 WPA, 2.1 WAR
• Henry Pittman (LF, NAT) 3rd – .282, .748 OPS, 71 R, 85 H, 33 XBH, 2 HR, 38 RBI, 18 BB, 17 SB, 2.9 WPA, 2.0 WAR

Edwards was consistently excellent during 1880, batting over .325 in every month and living up to the considerable hype that was attached to his name ahead of the season. It was a close vote between he and Hearst, with Edwards winning out because he made the All-Star Game while Hearst didn’t. Pittman was a fine addition to the National Outfield.

GOLDEN HANDS

• P: William Hawk (SUS; 1st) – 34 PO, 60 AST, 11 E, .895 FLD%, 1.189 EFF, +5.0 ZR
• C: Hal Brinks (SotO; 1st) – 11 E, .950 FLD%, +7.2 ZR, 31 PB, 48.8 CS%, 3.36 C-ERA
• 1B: Mack Davis (CAN; 1st) – 22 DP, 29 E, .963 FLD%, 1.088 EFF, +5.7 ZR
• 2B: Lennon Haley (LBR; 2nd) – 134 PO, 220 AST, 26 DP, 31 E, .919 FLD%, 5.27 RNG, 1.133 EFF, +14.6 ZR
• 3B: Lorik van Unen (PIO; 1st) – 57 PO, 234 AST, 11 DP, 82 E, .780 FLD%, 4.22 RNG, 1.091 EFF, +10.4 ZR
• SS: Earl Seals (TU; 3rd) – 92 PO, 272 AST, 32 DP, 58 E, .863 FLD%, 5.40 RNG, 1.258 EFF, +33.2 ZR
• LF: Sandy Young (DS; 1st) – 2 AST, 1 DP, 12 E, .928 FLD%, 1.052 EFF, +5.1 ZR/ARM
• CF: William White (LBR; 2nd) – 19 AST, 3 DP, 17 E, .944 FLD%, 1.067 EFF, +12.1 ZR/ARM
• RF: Leroy Moore (PBCC; 1st) – 9 AST, 1 DP, 26 E, .864 FLD%, 1.064 EFF, +5.5 ZR/ARM

TEAM OF THE YEAR

• P: Francis Molinari (Portland, age 35; 1st)
28-10, 2.59 ERA, 337.2 IP, 28 CG, 1 SHO, 194 K, 5.2 K/9, 4.4 K/BB, 1.10 WHIP, 9.8 WAR, 8.4 rWAR
• C: Elton Heywood (Bunker Hill, age 33; 1st)
.373, .939 OPS, 32 R, 75 H, 14 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 10 BB, 2 SB, 3.3 WPA, 2.5 WAR
• 1B: Jesse Craig (S.o.t.O., age 33; 2nd)
.359, .921 OPS, 62 R, 108 H, 29 2B, 9 3B, 1 HR, 76 RBI, 21 BB, 2 SB, 3.2 WPA, 3.4 WAR
• 2B: Frederick Pike (Philadelphia B.C.C., age 29; 1st)
.343, .856 OPS, 92 R, 113 H, 34 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 8 BB, 45 SB, 3.8 WPA, 4.3 WAR, +10.2 ZR
• 3B: Phillip Little (Lancastra Brit., age 25; 1st)
.349, .902 OPS, 63 R, 109 H, 26 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 79 RBI, 11 BB, 7 SB, 3.5 WPA, 3.8 WAR
• SS: Earl Seals (Trenton Utd., age 33; 4th)
.308, .720 OPS, 51 R, 90 H, 14 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 53 RBI, 12 BB, 19 SB, 3.3 WPA, 4.6 WAR, +33.2 ZR
• OF: James Burke (Philadelphia B.C.C., age 37; 12th)
.384, .436 OBP, .581 SLG, 1.016 OPS, 92 R, 47 XBH, 35 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 51 SB, 180 TB, 5.0 WPA, 5.7 WAR
• OF: Leroy Moore (Philadelphia B.C.C., age 26; 2nd)
.404, 1.003 OPS, 76 R, 126 H, 23 2B, 13 3B, 1 HR, 94 RBI, 19 BB, 16 SB, 5.4 WPA, 4.6 WAR
• OF: John Schultz (Susquehanna, age 33; 5th)
.338, .826 OPS, 85 R, 116 H, 14 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 49 RBI, 8 BB, 42 SB, 4.7 WPA, 3.6 WAR

04-28-2026, 10:00 AM	#1211
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,680	TWC XXIV: THE RISING TIDE OF THE ATLANTIC NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 17 to Sep. 6, 1880) – The season is over, the playoff tickets have been punched, and it’s time for the 24th edition of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. The 23rd edition of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup saw three familiar faces – Eckford, New York A.C., & Susquehanna – joined by three newcomers to the playoffs – Frontier, Green Mountain, & Philadelphia B.C.C. It was the battle-hardened playoff veterans who won out, as Eckford & N.Y.A.C contested the N.Y.L. Championship Series while Susquehanna beat P.B.C.C. in four games to take the N.E.L. Championship Series. Susquehanna then beat Eckford 3-1 in the Tucker-Wheaton Cup Final to earn their third N.B.B.O. title in six years. This year’s edition of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup was back to having a group of familiar faces in the field. The New York League…Atlantic won more than three quarters of their games over the second half of the season to take over first place and win the Brooklyn Championship for the sixth time. New York A.C. was in a three-way tie for the New York City lead at the halfway mark, and then crushed their competition over the second half, while Charles Rhodes had his greatest season yet, to take their fourth straight pennant. In Upstate New York, Utica was able to keep the field at bay in a region where all eight teams were separated by just nine games, and in doing so made the playoffs for the first time in three years. The Northeastern League…after their N.E.L.C.S. run last year, Philadelphia B.C.C. stunned baseball by signing James Burke over the winter and then immediately became the best offensive team in the N.B.B.O., parlaying that into a 49-21 record and their second straight Coastal Championship pennant. Mighty Susquehanna was fourth in the Inland Championship with exactly one month left, but recovered their dominant form to take the pennant by one game. In New England, Portland used their historic 31-4 first half to glide to the regional title, concerning many but still finishing with the N.B.B.O.’s best record in 1880. All things taken into consideration, the big issue heading into Tucker-Wheaton Cup XXIV was this: was Portland worthy of their overall #1 status, and would they finally lift the cup? Or was their second half slumber a portent of their incoming doom to be inflicted by one of the teams that played much better baseball at the end of the season? NEW YORK LEAGUE BROOKLYN: At the midway point of the season Empire & Bedford were Brooklyn’s top two, and it looked like a new era just might be ushered in for the region. Then, Atlantic went 27-8 over the second half of the season while both Empire & Bedford faded, and by a five-game margin Atlantic took their fourth pennant in five years. Atlantic had the N.B.B.O.’s fourth-best offensive attack, with their Batsmen third overall in WPA & fifth in WAR. What was scary to some was that they rolled through the second half of the season even though 3x All-Star SS Ben Gagliardi hit just .244 (.636), his worst mark in the N.B.B.O. since 1871. This was a team that had verifiable talent at every position. ATLANTIC B.B.C. KEY PLAYERS • Herb Verrett (LF): .335, .891 OPS, 74 R, 106 H, 25 2B, 17 3B, 1 HR, 65 RBI, 12 BB, 7 SB, 3.4 WPA, 2.8 WAR • MacKenzie Wilson (RF): .329, .848 OPS, 68 R, 100 H, 31 2B, 11 3B, 0 HR, 66 RBI, 10 BB, 4 SB, 4.2 WPA, 2.3 WAR • Jackson Wright (1B): .321, .803 OPS, 67 R, 90 H, 20 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 42 RBI, 18 BB, 3 SB, 3.3 WPA, 2.1 WAR • Thomas Onstad (P): 24-12, 3.05 ERA, 327.2 IP, 26 CG, 1 SHO, 126 K, 2.7 K/BB, 1.28 WHIP, 5.8 WAR, 6.0 rWAR NEW YORK CITY: Hilltop, Mercury, & New York Athletic Club were tied for first at 20-15 with the season halfway over. Like Atlantic, a 27-8 second half allowed N.Y.A.C. to steamroll the rest of their regional competition, and in the end the 1878 cup winners took their fourth straight pennant by a final margin of ten games. The central focus of this team was pitching. Runs Allowed: 1st. ERA: 1st. Strikeouts: 1st. Opponents’ AVG, OBP, & SLG: all 1st. WHIP: 1st. Pitching WAR: 1st. Charles Rhodes had his most dominant season yet, and he was again backed up excellently by George Cerven. Behind them was quality fielding, and supporting them was an offense just good enough to secure results. NEW YORK ATHLETIC CLUB KEY PLAYERS • Jack Anastasio (RF): .297, .819 OPS, 88 R, 94 H, 16 2B, 22 3B, 1 HR, 33 RBI, 15 BB, 58 SB, 3.9 WPA, 2.6 WAR • Thomas Cox (2B): .350, .872 OPS, 66 R, 89 H, 13 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 44 RBI, 15 BB, 37 SB, 1.5 WPA, 2.9 WAR • Lawrence Calhoun (LF): .336, .769 OPS, 69 R, 102 H, 15 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 55 RBI, 11 BB, 32 SB, 1.4 WPA, 2.3 WAR • Charles Rhodes (P): 30-11, 2.30 ERA, 356.0 IP, 32 CG, 1 SHO, *204 K, 11.3 K/BB, 1.03 WHIP, 12.9 WAR, 11.1 rWAR* UPSTATE N.Y.: Utica had the lead at the midway point and held it the rest of the way, although it wasn’t easy. With one month left on the schedule the entire region was separated by just seven games, and with two weeks left every team was still in the chase. Still, Utica was able to keep the pack 3-5 games back to make the playoffs for the first time in three years. Utica offense was ranked #1 in the N.Y.L. and #3 overall. They had a trio of .350 hitters, and every one of their regular Batsmen was capable of producing Runs. The main reason why Utica was the N.Y.L.’s #3 seed was that they had the worst Defensive Efficiency in the entire N.B.B.O., a first for a playoff team. Still, they couldn’t be taken lightly. UTICA B.B.C. KEY PLAYERS • Ewald Schmitz (LF): .373, .897 OPS, 82 R, 118 H, 19 2B, 10 3B, 0 HR, 60 RBI, 15 BB, 10 SB, 4.1 WPA, 3.1 WAR • Andrew Cohen (1B): .364, .866 OPS, 78 R, 118 H, 22 2B, 7 3B, 0 HR, 68 RBI, 11 BB, 2 SB, 3.8 WPA, 3.0 WAR • Henry Smith (SS): .358, .884 OPS, 74 R, 97 H, 21 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 40 RBI, 23 BB, 7 SB, 3.3 WPA, 2.0 WAR • Alexander Verde (P): 20-16, 3.59 ERA, 318.1 IP, 19 CG, 1 SHO, 106 K, 3.9 K/BB, 1.51 WHIP, 7.8 WAR, 2.8 rWAR NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE COASTAL: Halfway through the season the Coastal was a four-horse race involving Maryland, National, Philadelphia B.C.C., & Trenton Utd. By mid-July National & P.B.C.C. had pulled away from the other two and were tied at 32-15. At the end of July P.B.C.C. had a two-game lead, and they were able to fend off an 8-2 National finish to take the pennant by a single game. P.B.C.C. had the #1 offense in the entire N.B.B.O: 1st in Runs, 1st in Average, 1st in Slugging, 1st in OPS, & 1st in Batsman WAR. They were powered by excellence from James Burke, a .400 season by Leroy Moore, another solid year by Frederick Pike, another All-Star campaign by Gilbert Ingels after a move to C, an All-Star season by former A.P.B.L. regular Charles Washer, and a 30-win season by #1 William Burrow. They did everything but finish with the N.B.B.O.’s best record. PHILADELPHIA BASEBALL & CRICKET CLUB KEY PLAYERS • James Burke (CF): .384, 1.016 OPS, 92 R, 119 H, 35 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 29 BB, 51 SB, 5.0 WPA, 5.7 WAR • Leroy Moore (RF): .404, 1.003 OPS, 76 R, 126 H, 23 2B, 13 3B, 1 HR, 94 RBI, 19 BB, 16 SB, 5.4 WPA, 4.6 WAR • Frederick Pike (2B): .343, .856 OPS, 92 R, 113 H, 34 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 8 BB, 45 SB, 3.8 WPA, 4.3 WAR • William Burrow (P): 32-10, 2.85 ERA, 347.0 IP, 23 CG, 0 SHO, 96 K, 2.0 K/BB, 1.24 WHIP, 5.7 WAR, 6.7 rWAR INLAND: With one month left to play it looked like Susquehanna’s reign was over. They were in fourth place, 3.5 games out of first, and uncharacteristically struggling on offense. They then went 18-6 over their final two dozen games to sprint past Lancastra, Pioneer, & Scranton to snatch another Inland pennant by a single game, their closest pennant-winning finish. Susquehanna’s offense was “down” to a tie for 6th overall in the N.B.B.O., but they still hit over .300 as a team and their All-Star Batsmen – Barley, Braden, Carter, Lyons, & Schultz – all performed well in 1880. Of course, #1 William Hawk pitched as brilliantly as he usually does, but because the offense struggled for a while he “only” won 25 games instead of his usual 30+. SUSQUEHANNA B.C. KEY PLAYERS • John Schultz (CF): .338, .826 OPS, 85 R, 116 H, 14 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 49 RBI, 8 BB, 42 SB, 4.7 WPA, 3.6 WAR • Scott Lyons (C/1B): .352, .852 OPS, 59 R, 105 H, 24 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 72 RBI, 16 BB, 1 SB, 3.0 WPA, 3.5 WAR • Walter Braden (LF): .344, .775 OPS, 62 R, 103 H, 17 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 53 RBI, 9 BB, 20 SB, 2.3 WPA, 1.9 WAR • William Hawk (P): 25-11, 2.74 ERA, 335.0 IP, 27 CG, 2 SHO, 151 K, 9.4 K/BB, 1.13 WHIP, 8.5 WAR, 6.7 rWAR NEW ENGLAND: At the halfway mark the pennant race was functionally over, with Portland having just finished their historic 31-4 start and already enjoying a fourteen-game lead. However, the overall #1 apparently decided that a casual stroll to the pennant was warranted and went 19-16 over the second half, winning New England by “just” ten games instead of 14+. Second half concerns aside, Portland was the only team in the N.B.B.O. to win 50+ games because they had the best fielding out of all 48 teams, the best Pitching Duo other than New York A.C.’s, and an offense that ran the basepaths and manufactured Runs better than almost anyone else. They still had plenty of danger to offer up in the playoffs. PORTLAND B.C. KEY PLAYERS • John Ruppel (CF): .337, .880 OPS, 64 R, 99 H, 21 2B, 10 3B, 1 HR, 73 RBI, 29 BB, 5 SB, 4.2 WPA, 2.7 WAR • Cody Harris (RF): .321, .803 OPS, 67 R, 99 H, 28 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 58 RBI, 11 BB, 2 SB, 4.0 WPA, 2.2 WAR • William Cruise (SS): .260, .670 OPS, 57 R, 75 H, 15 2B, 8 3B, 51 RBI, 17 BB, 9 SB, +30.7 ZR, 1.4 WPA, 3.7 WAR • Francis Molinari (P): 28-10, 2.59 ERA, 337.2 IP, 28 CG, 1 SHO, 194 K, 4.4 K/BB, 1.10 WHIP, 9.8 WAR, 8.4 rWAR TUCKER-WHEATON CUP FORMAT & NOTES SEEDING • N.Y.L. #1: Atlantic B.B.C. at 47-23 (+144 RD) – 6th appearance (1870-71, 76-78) • N.Y.L. #2: New York Athletic Club at 47-23 (+141 RD) – 4th appearance (1877-79), 1x winner (1878) • N.Y.L. #3: Utica B.B.C. at 41-29 (+86 RD) – 6th appearance (1862, 73-75, 77), 1x winner (1873) • N.E.L. #1: Portland B.C. at 50-20 (+174 RD) – 7th appearance (1871-74, 77-78) • N.E.L. #2: Philadelphia B.C.C. at 49-21 (+162 RD) – 2nd appearance (1879) • N.E.L. #3: Susquehanna B.C. at 43-27 (+119 RD) – 9th appearance (1868, 71-72, 74, 76-79), 3x winner (74, 77, 79) FORMAT LEAGUE SEMIFINALS • #2 vs #3; #2 seed has Home Field Advantage • HH-AA-H; day off after Game Two & Game Four LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES • #1 vs L.S.F. winner; #1 seed has Home Field Advantage • HH-AA-H; day off after Game Two & Game Four TUCKER-WHEATON CUP FINAL • N.Y.L. champion v N.E.L. champion; N.E.L. has Home Field Advantage • HH-AA-H; day off after Game Two & Game Four While Portland was the overall #1, they weren’t seen as the favorites because of their underperformance during the second half of the season. Instead, the Writers Pool was split between Atlantic, due to their 27-8 second half, and Philadelphia B.C.C., due to their outstanding offense. __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; 04-28-2026 at 10:26 AM.

04-28-2026, 10:05 AM	#1213
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,680	FOUNDERS CUP X: GRAND OLD CLUBS MEET AGAIN PROVIDENCE, R.I. & MANHATTAN, N.Y. (Aug. 24-31, 1880) – Last year’s Founders Cup saw Knickerbocker try to defend their title against Alleghany and its team filled with feel-good stories. The season of providence and good fortune continued for the team from Pittsburgh, and Alleghany, who had the best Away record in A.P.B.L. history, won their first professional title with a 10-5 win in Game Six at the Elysian Fields. Alleghany didn’t make it back to defend their title. Their offense fell to last in the A.P.B.L., which no amount of quality pitching & defense was going to be able to cover. As a result, they fell to 7th in the Colonial Conference at 42-48. On the other hand, Knick was back in the Founders Cup for the third straight year, having pulled away from Gotham in August after the two were neck and neck in the Metropolitan Conference Standings for much of the year. In Alleghany’s place, St. John’s was in the Founders Cup after a year off and looking to avenge their loss to Knickerbocker from two years ago. They brought their calling card, the league’s #1 offense both with the bat and on the bases. However, this time around they also had two record-breaking Pitchers, and the combination of that pitching with that offense was utterly devastating over the course of the second half of the 1880 season. Knick was back in the Founders Cup with an offense that had fallen from 3rd last year to 11th this year in terms of run production. However, they allowed just 4.5 Runs per game, an A.P.B.L. record, had the league’s best set of fielders, and a pair of regular Pitchers who entered the Founders Cup with 25 Wins each and ERA’s under 2.50. If any team could tame St. John’s while in its seemingly invincible state, it was this one. Given how St. John’s played over their last 35-40 games, they had to be the favorites. At the same time, the two teams’ pitching & defense indicated that this could be a low-scoring series, which meant that any game could go either way. This much was certain: the games figured to be close and hard-fought affairs. Would St. John’s continue their record-breaking run and get their revenge for Founders Cup VIII? Or would Knickerbocker victimize St. John’s again to win their second A.P.B.L. title in three years? OVERVIEW COLONIAL CONFERENCE: After 53 games, St. John’s was 26-27, 6th in the Colonial Conference, and six games out of first place. ST. JOHN’S WENT 32-5 OVER THEIR LAST 37 GAMES, going from six games behind leaders Pt. Jersey to taking the pennant by nine – a fifteen-game swing – and finishing with the A.P.B.L.’s best record by three. It was the best month and a half of baseball played by a team in A.P.B.L. history, bar none. Thanks to that season-ending run, St. John’s led the A.P.B.L. in just about everything offensive: Runs (6.6 R/G), Average (.285), On-Base Pct. (.326), OPS (.711), Bases on Balls (194), Stolen Bases (296), & WPA (17.9). In support of that lineup was a pair of record-setting Pitchers. It was a roster that couldn’t have fit together any better under the current circumstances: ST. JOHN’S B.C. LINEUP • C Joseph Nalley: .325, .763 OPS, 37 R, 102 H, 26 2B, 2 3B, 54 RBI, 10 BB, 14 SB, 50.0 CS%, 3.0 WPA, 3.0 WAR • 1B Konrad Jensen: .322, .819 OPS, 81 R, 117 H, 17 2B, 12 3B, 1 HR, 78 RBI, 35 BB, 66 SB, 3.2 WPA, 3.9 WAR • 2B Cletus Cannon: .280, .692 OPS, 61 R, 100 H, 22 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 62 RBI, 11 BB, 48 SB, 0.5 WPA, 3.1 WAR • 3B Eamonn Higgins: .313, .829 OPS, 56 R, 88 H, 27 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 56 RBI, 28 BB, 9 SB, 2.1 WPA, 2.0 WAR • SS George Pugatch: .251, .598 OPS, 41 R, 76 H, 5 2B, 7 3B, 0 HR, 35 RBI, 14 BB, 24 SB, 0.1 WPA, 1.2 WAR • LF Joseph Evans: .328, .848 OPS, 84 R, 126 H, 25 2B, 12 3B, 1 HR, 62 RBI, 32 BB, 33 SB, 4.8 WPA, 4.6 WAR • CF Rudolph Decker: .307, .758 OPS, 100 R, 119 H, 23 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 38 RBI, 18 BB, 70 SB, 4.6 WPA, 3.7 WAR • RF Nelson Townsend: .274, .747 OPS, 48 R, 73 H, 16 2B, 9 3B, 0 HR, 45 RBI, 27 BB, 25 SB, 1.5 WPA, 0.8 WAR • P1 Howard Burns: 34-8, 2.49 ERA, 386.2 IP, 36 CG, 0 SHO, *219 K, 5.9 K/BB, 1.14 WHIP, 10.7 WAR, 9.2 rWAR* • P2 William Hoy: 21-17, 2.37 ERA, 375.2 IP, 32 CG, *5 SHO, 125 K, 2.0 K/BB, 1.22 WHIP, 5.8 WAR, 5.9 rWAR • NOTES:* Higgins missed 15 games due to injury; Townsend missed 19 games due to injury METROPOLITAN CONFERENCE: At the midway point of the season the top five teams in the Metro were just three games apart, with Gotham & Knick tied for 1st at 26-19 – less of a pennant race and more of a pennant brawl. With exactly one month remaining Gotham & Knick remained tied at 40-29 but had separated themselves from the pack a bit, with Orange 3rd at four games back and Kings Co. 4th at six behind. Knick took the lead in Game #70 and never looked back, going 14-6 over their final twenty games while Gotham was 9-11, and they took their third straight Metro pennant by six games. Knick’s offense had fallen off since last year. It was still in the top half of the league in Average, On-Base, Slugging, OPS, and they were #1 in Batsman WAR, but due to baserunning that was among the league’s worst they finished 11th in Runs per game at just 5.4. However, they set a record for fewest Runs Allowed thanks to the best fielding in the league (E/G: 2nd, FLD%: 2nd, EFF: 1st, ZR: 1st) combined with the most mistake-free pitching in the A.P.B.L. This team was positively stingy. KNICKERBOCKER B.B.C. LINEUP • C Everett Schreiber: .259, .639 OPS, 40 R, 68 H, 16 2B, 4 3B, 32 RBI, 11 BB, 15 SB, 2.37 C-ERA, -0.6 WPA, 1.7 WAR • 1B Gerald Burns: .311, .788 OPS, 57 R, 121 H, 28 2B, 14 3B, 1 HR, 64 RBI, 10 BB, 17 SB, 2.3 WPA, 3.3 WAR • 2B Anthony Mascherino: .291, .749 OPS, 70 R, 102 H, 25 2B, 6 3B, 1 HR, 40 RBI, 26 BB, 21 SB, 1.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR • 3B Albert Stoffers: .347, .861 OPS, 62 R, 127 H, 41 2B, 5 3B, 0 HR, 62 RBI, 18 BB, 7 SB, 2.3 WPA, 4.8 WAR • SS Gerald Hathaway: .234, .571 OPS, 44 R, 75 H, 8 2B, 7 3B, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 7 BB, 13 SB, -0.3 WPA, 1.4 WAR • LF Clive Strachan: 327, .818 OPS, 74 R, 122 H, 27 2B, 9 3B, 1 HR, 35 RBI, 20 BB, 48 SB, 3.1 WPA, 4.2 WAR • CF Louis Duke: .265, .670 OPS, 37 R, 84 H, 24 2B, 8 3B, 54 RBI, 7 BB, 27 SB, +10.2 ZR, 1.8 WPA, 2.9 WAR • RF Callum Murray: .289, .732 OPS, 45 R, 99 H, 24 2B, 8 3B, 0 HR, 47 RBI, 14 BB, 18 SB, 1.3 WPA, 2.3 WAR • P1 Robert Goodman: 25-18, 2.45 ERA, 396.0 IP, *38 CG, 2 SHO, 164 K, 5.0 K/BB, 1.04 WHIP, 7.6 WAR, 7.4 rWAR • P2 Bertram Landreth:* 25-10, *1.89 ERA, 318.1 IP, 29 CG, 1 SHO, 137 K, 4.2 K/BB, 1.03 WHIP, 7.1 WAR, 7.7 rWAR • NOTES:* Schreiber split starts w/ Cale Jones; Dyke missed 8 games due to injury FOUNDERS’ CUP FORMAT & NOTES SEEDING • #1: St. John’s B.C. at 58-32 (+166 RD) • #2: Knickerbocker B.B.C. at 55-35 (+85 RD) FORMAT • HH-AAA-HH Schedule • One day off after Game Two & Game Five • #1 seed has Home Field Advantage WIN-LOSS • H2H: Knick won season series 4-2 • LAST 10: St. John’s 8-2, Knick 7-3 • MONTH: St. John’s 17-4, Knick 15-6 • 2ND HALF: St. John’s 36-9, Knick 29-16 • HOME: St. John’s 31-14, Knick 26-19 • AWAY: Knick 29-16, St. John’s 27-18 • 1-RUN: Knick 17-9, St. John’s 14-15 • X-INN: Knick 5-5, St. John’s 1-2 RANKINGS • RUNS SCORED: St. John’s 1st, Knick 11th • RUNS ALLOWED: Knick 1st, St. John’s 2nd • AVG/OBP/SLG: St. John’s 1st/1st/2nd, Knick 7th/9th/2nd • ON-BASE + SLG: St. John’s 1st, Knick 4th • STOLEN BASES: St. John’s 1st, Knick 3rd • WIN PROB. ADDED: St. John’s 1st, Knick 13th • EARNED RUN AVG: St. John’s 1st, Knick 2nd • STRIKEOUTS (P): St. John’s 1st, Knick 2nd • BASES ON BALLS (P): Knick 1st, St. John’s 5th • OPPONENTS’ AVG: Knick 1st, St. John’s 4th • OPPONENTS’ OPS: Knick 1st, St. John’s 2nd • E/FLD%/EFF/ZR: Knick 2nd/2nd/1st/1st, St. John’s 4th/5th/9th/6th Based on their historic second half and the fact that they had home field advantage with the best home record in the A.P.B.L., St. John’s entered Founders Cup X as the favorites. However, because of Knick’s pitching, defense, record in close games, and 4-2 season series win vs St. John’s, this was expected to be a very tight series, one that could easily go seven games. __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here

04-30-2026, 09:38 AM	#1215
20_range All Star Starter Join Date: Nov 2022 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 1,591	Would you mind doing another primer on league setup? Im doing testing for my own 1880s league, and struggling with getting the stats right (seems to be too much offense) and not enough player movement or players entering the league. I've started with one 8 team major league, one 8 team rival near-major league, and two low level minor leagues set to sell their players up for very cheap. Just an overview of how you get your whole thing to flow well would be great, thanks! __________________ I do logo requests @20_range on discord for easier discussions

Yesterday, 11:15 PM	#1219
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,680	1880 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION REVIEW NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION STANDINGS PER-TEAM STATISTICS 1880 N.Y.L.: 6.8 R/G, .281, .686 OPS, 758 H, 135 2B, 43 3B, 9 HR, 87 SB, 3.29 ERA, 107 BB, 185 K, 5.4 E/G, .880 FLD& 1880 N.E.L.: 7.1 R/G, .283, .696 OPS, 758 H, 141 2B, 45 3B, 10 HR, 80 SB, 3.44 ERA, 113 BB, 160 K, 5.4 E/G, .880 FLD% TUCKER-WHEATON CUP XXIV N.Y.L. SEMIFINALS: New York A.C. defeats Utica 3-2 N.E.L. SEMIFINALS: Philadelphia B.C.C. defeats Susquehanna 3-1 N.Y.L. CHAMPIONSHIP: Atlantic defeats New York A.C. 3-2 N.E.L. CHAMPIONSHIP: Portland defeats Philadelphia B.C.C. 3-1 T.W.C. FINAL: Atlantic (1st title) defeats Portland 3-1 GAME 1: ATL 8-3 PORT – RF MacKenzie Wilson (ATL): 2/5 (2 2B), 2 R, 2 RBI, 4 TB – OF AST GAME 2: ATL 0-8 PORT – P Robert Dressen (PORT): SHO, 4 HA, 2 BB, 2 K GAME 3: PORT 5-6 ATL – LF Herb Verrett (ATL): 4/5 (3 2B), 2 R, 2 RBI, 7 TB GAME 4: PORT 6-8 ATL – 2B Monroe Crawford (ATL): 3/4 (2B, HR), 2 R, 3 RBI, 7 TB CUP M.V.P.: LF Herb Verrett (ATL) – .389 (7/18), 4 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 4 RBI, 12 TB, 0.6 WPA, 1x P.o.t.G. After Susquehanna went 18-6 over their last 24 games to vault from 4th to 1st in the Inland Championship the collective response to the defending champions was “uh oh…”, but it turned out that being stuck in the doldrums for too long and finishing as the N.E.L.’s #3 seed was too much to overcome, as P.B.C.C. took care of them in the N.E.L. Semifinals. Instead, it was the team that had the opposite issue, Portland, with their relatively anemic second half after opening the season 31-4, that woke up in the playoffs and took the N.E.L. banner. The N.Y.L. was a simpler circuit. The team with the best record and best Run Differential over the second half of the season, Atlantic, were crowned league champions after their 27-8 closing half, although N.Y.A.C. pushed them to the brink in the N.Y.L.C.S. Atlantic then went on to dispatch the overall #1 in four games in the cup final to win the Tucker-Wheaton Cup for the first time in club history, also becoming the first Brooklynite cup winners in eight years. The most exciting region to follow was Upstate New York, and no other came close. The eight teams finished nine games apart, and a 32-38 record, good for fifth in at least one other region, took last place. Making this region even stranger: the last-place team, Columbia, had a Run Differential of -1 while runners-up Frontier had a Run Differential of -21. Upstate has long been known for chaotic pennant races, but this might have been the strangest region-wide finish yet. The most fascinating team to follow this year was Philadelphia B.C.C. Due to the signing of a certain CF, Leroy Moore hit over .400 and wasn’t even the most productive Batsman in his own team, with James Burke batting in the .380’s but leading the entire N.B.B.O. in Runs, Extra Base Hits & OPS. P.B.C.C. ended up having three regulars hit over .350 – former Knick & Shamrock regular Charles Washer hit .354 – and their #1, Charles Barrow, finished the season with 30+ Wins. Speaking of pitching, Charles Rhodes managed to become even better in 1880, earning the first Triple Crown since 1875 and breaking multiple N.B.B.O. records while also winning 30+ games for the first time. The other dominant pitchers of note in the N.B.B.O. were Barrow, who went 32-10 with a 2.85 ERA, and Portland #1 Francis Molinari, who led the N.E.L. in numerous pitching categories. There was an outstanding crop of Greenhorns in the N.B.B.O. this season. Thirteen first-year Batsmen, led by five-star Bedford 2B William Napier, earned at least 1.5 WAR, and eight new Pitchers won 10+ games over the course of 1880, with Hilltop’s Harry Miller looking like a potentially dominant #1. The most surprising team of the season had to be Pioneer. Predicted by the Writers Pool to finish 7th in the Inland Championship at 28-42, instead Pioneer reversed that projection with a 42-28 season and a runner-up finish that came within one game of forcing a playoff against Susquehanna for the pennant. They achieved this with an offense that was much stronger than most had anticipated after they lost 8x All-Star Frank Thomas to regional rivals Scranton in March. It’s now time to see what the winter has in store for the N.B.B.O. If there’s to be another shock in like the James Burke signing from last December, it boggles the mind to think who or what might be the ones to spring the surprise on everybody. __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here

Yesterday, 11:30 PM	#1220
tm1681 All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,680	NEW YORK LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: Francis Smith (CF, age 35) – Metropolitan B.B.C.; 2nd B.o.t.Y. in three years • .380/.405/.558, .963 OPS, 86 R, 128 H, 21 2B, 18 3B, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 14 BB, 33 SB, 188 TB, 5.0 WPA, 5.2 WAR • Led N.Y.L. in SLG, OPS, H, TB, RC, & WAR; Top five in AVG, OBP, R, XBH, 3B, & WPA • Wilbur Graff (1B, MER) 2nd – .336, .441 OBP, .872 OPS, 62 R, 92 H, 21 XBH, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 48 BB, 5.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR • Isaac Kelly (3B, ECK) 3rd – .359, .888 OPS, 49 R, 110 H, 31 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 41 RBI, 19 BB, 1 SB, 3.3 WPA, 4.6 WAR Francis Smith keeps getting better with age. Consistently one of the best Batsmen in the N.B.B.O. before his 1878 award, he’s now won N.Y.L. Batsman of the Year twice in the three seasons, with his 1880 performance at age 35 arguably his best yet as he set career highs in Average, OPS, Hits, Extra Base Hits, Total Bases, & Batsman WAR. OBP master Graff had another fine season at age 41, and Kelly was again superb in all facets of the game. PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Charles Rhodes (age 31); New York Athletic Club; 6th career P.o.t.Y. (5th straight) • 30-11, 2.30 ERA, 356.0 IP, 32 CG, 1 SHO, *204 K, 5.2 K/9, 11.3 K/BB, 8.8 H/9, 1.03 WHIP, 12.9 WAR, 11.1 rWAR* • Won Triple Crown; Led N.Y.L. in W, ERA, K, IP, QS, CG, BB/9, K/BB, H/9, WHIP, WAR, & rWAR • Howard Budd (EMP) 2nd – 25-12, 2.56 ERA, 351.1 IP, 26 CG, 137 K, 3.7 K/BB, 1.15 WHIP, 8.4 WAR, 8.9 rWAR • Howard Shepherd (CON) 3rd – 22-16, 2.87 ERA, 351.1 IP, 28 CG, 145 K, 3.7 K/BB, 1.23 WHIP, 7.8 WAR, 5.5 rWAR This was Rhodes’ greatest season yet, with Budd & Shepherd the other finalists simply for thoroughness’ sake as Rhodes took another unanimous P.o.t.Y. HE LED THE N.Y.L. IN A DOZEN PITCHING CATEGORIES while breaking the N.B.B.O. Strikeout record and shattering the single-season record for Pitcher WAR. There’s not much else that can be said about him. FIELDER OF THE YEAR: Frank Morrison (SS, age 34) – Metropolitan B.B.C.; inaugural F.o.t.Y. • 442 TC, 80 PO, 281 AST, 27 DP, 81 E, .817 FLD%, 5.46 RNG, 1.172 EFF, +23.6 ZR, +26.6 FldRV • Led N.Y.L. Shortstops in Total Chances, Assists, Ramge, Zone Rating, & Fielding Run Value • Bendt Frandson (SS, BAL) 2nd – 89 PO, 271 AST, 27 DP, 74 E, .829 FLD%, 5.33 RNG, 1.157 EFF, +19.0 ZR • Jules Thomas (SS, MIN) 3rd – 100 PO, 277 AST, 36 DP, 69 E, .826 FLD%, 4.72 RNG, 1.162 EFF, +16.3 ZR GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: William Napier (2B, age 26) – Bedford B.B.C. • .320/.388/.483, .872 OPS, 61 R, 96 H, 21 2B, 14 3B, 0 HR, 68 RBI, 36 BB, 28 SB, 145 TB, 3.6 WPA, 3.0 WAR • Made All-Star Game; Nominated to Team of the Year at 2B; Top ten in XBH, 3B, RBI, BB, & RC • Harry Miller (P, HILL) 2nd – 19-19, 3.30 ERA, 335.0 IP, 25 CG, 181 K, 4.9 K/9, 3.9 K/BB, 1.28 WHIP, 8.5 WAR • Arvid Walters (3B, SYR) 3rd – .281, .689 OPS, 59 R, 88 H, 16 2B, 4 3B, 53 RBI, 23 BB, 8 SB, 3.3 WPA, 2.0 WAR While Miller’s work for Hilltop showed that he’ll soon be a legitimate five-star #1, Napier was the top Second Baseman in the N.Y.L. during his debut season, appearing on the N.Y.L. leaderboard in a number of categories. GOLDEN HANDS • P: Daniel Gibson (VIC; 1st) – 26 PO, 73 AST, 16 E, .861 FLD%, 2.63 RNG, 1.087 EFF, +8.2 ZR • C: Mark Lehmann (MET; 2nd) – 20 E, .943 FLD%, +8.4 ZR, 28 PB, 43.5 CS%, 3.16 C-ERA • 1B: Ed Barnett (ECK; 1st) – 27 DP, 26 E, .967 FLD%, 1.097 EFF, +5.7 ZR • 2B: Samuel Blalock (BAL; 2nd) – 155 PO, 224 AST, 31 DP, 46 E, .892 FLD%, 5.68 RNG, 1.084 EFF, +10.2 ZR • 3B: Louis Johnson (UNI; 1st) – 56 PO, 241 ST, 10 DP, 66 E, .818 FLD%, 4.51 RNG, 1.145 EFF, +16.8 ZR • SS: Frank Morrison (MET; 1st) – 80 PR, 281 AST, 27 DP, 81 E, .817 FLD%, 5.46 RNG, 1.172 EFF, +23.6 ZR • LF: Murdock Whitehurst (MIN; 1st) – 6 AST, 4 DP, 21 E, .893 FLD%, 1.034 EFF, +5.6 ZR/ARM • CF: George Whaley (FRO; 2nd) – 25 AST, 3 DP, 30 E, .898 FLD%, 1.089 EFF, +11.5 ZR/ARM • RF: Michael Akhverdov (CON; 1st) – 11 AST, 2 DP, 21 E, .894 FLD%, 1.069 EFF, +6.8 ZR/ARM TEAM OF THE YEAR • P: Charles Rhodes (New York A.C., age 31; 4th) 30-11, 2.30 ERA, 356.0 IP, 32 CG, 1 SHO, *204 K, 5.2 K/9, 11.3 K/BB, 1.03 WHIP, 12.9 WAR, 11.1 rWAR* • C: Willie West (Victory, age 26; 1st) .342, .849 OPS, 52 R, 92 H, 15 2B, 7 3B, 3 HR, 46 RBI, 9 BB, 2 SB, 3.3 WPA, 2.5 WAR • 1B: Wilbur Graff (Mercury, age 41; 4th) 336, .441 OBP, .872 OPS, 62 R, 92 H, 15 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 48 BB, 5 SB, 5.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR • 2B: William Napier (Bedford, age 26; GH) .320, .872 OPS, 61 R, 96 H, 21 2B, 14 3B, 0 HR, 68 RBI, 36 BB, 28 SB, 3.6 WPA, 3.0 WAR • 3B: Isaac Kelly (Eckford, age 35; 5th) .359, .888 OPS, 49 R, 110 H, 31 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 41 RBI, 19 BB, 1 SB, 3.3 WPA, 4.6 WAR, +12.5 ZR • SS: Jules Thomas (Minuteman, age 28; 3rd) .330, .792 OPS, 71 R, 111 H, 24 2B, 8 3B, 0 HR, 53 RBI, 5 BB, 34 SB, 3.2 WPA, 3.8 WAR, +16.3 ZR • OF: Francis Smith (Metro, age 35; 6th) .380, .558 SLG, .963 OPS, 86 R, 128 H, 40 XBH, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 14 BB, 33 SB, 188 TB, 5.0 WPA, 5.2 WAR • OF: Ewald Schmitz (Utica, age 25; 1st) .373, .897 OPS, 82 R, 118 H, 19 2B, 10 3B, HR, 60 RBI, 15 BB, 10 SB, 4.1 WPA, 3.1 WAR • OF: Herb Verrett (Atlantic, age 36; 4th) .335, .891 OPS, 74 R, 106 H, 43 XBH, 25 2B, 17 3B, 1 HR, 65 RBI, 12 BB, 7 SB, 3.4 WPA, 2.8 WAR NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE AWARD WINNERS BATSMAN OF THE YEAR: James Burke (CF, age 37) – Philadelphia B.C.C.; 6th career B.o.t.Y. (5 in A.P.B.L.) • .384/.436/.581, 1.016 OPS, 92 R, 119 H, 35 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 29 BB, 51 SB, 180 TB, 5.0 WPA, 5.7 WAR • Led N.E.L. in OBP, SLG, OPS, R, XBH, 2B, TB, RC, & WAR; 6th B.o.t.Y. in 8 years between A.P.B.L. & N.B.B.O. • Leroy Moore (RF, PBCC) 2nd – .404, 1.003 OPS, 76 R, 126 H, 37 XBH, 1 HR, 94 RBI, 19 BB, 16 SB, 5.4 WPA, 4.6 WAR • John Schultz (CF, SUS) 3rd – .338, .826 OPS, 85 R, 116 H, 14 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 49 RBI, 42 SB, 4.7 WPA, 3.6 WAR We now know what it takes to beat out someone with a .400+ Average and 1.000+ OPS for B.o.t.Y.: just be James Burke. While Moore led the N.E.L. in four major categories, Burke topped the N.E.L. batting charts in NINE different areas while putting up the highest Batsman WAR seen in the N.B.B.O. since the league split. Susquehanna star Schultz had another great season, but there are numerous reasons why Burke & Moore became the first pair of teammates in N.B.B.O. history to go 1-2 in their league’s B.o.t.Y. vote. PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Francis Molinari (age 35) – Portland B.C.; 1st career B.o.t.Y. • 28-10, 2.59 ERA, 337.2 IP, 28 CG, 1 SHO, 194 K, 5.2 K/9, 4.4 K/BB, 8.7 H/9, 1.10 WHIP, 9.8 WAR, 8.4 rWAR • Led N.E.L. in CG, K, WHIP, WAR, & rWAR; Top five in W, IP, QS, K/BB, H/9, & K/9; 25-7 thru July 31 • William Burrow (PBCC) 2nd – 32-10, 2.85 ERA, 347.0 IP, 23 CG, 96 K, 2.0 K/BB, 1.24 WHIP, 5.7 WAR, 6.7 rWAR • Ben Lauppe (NAT) 3rd – 26-11, 3.10 ERA, 348.2 IP, 28 CG, 185 K, 4.4 K/BB, 1.18 WHIP, 8.9 WAR, 6.3 rWAR Molinari managed to beat out 32-win Burrow for P.o.t.Y. because his secondary number were far superior to that of any other N.E.L. Pitcher while also going 28-10 on the season. He was brilliant from start to finish, sporting an ERA under 3.00 in every month. While Burrow did have that 32-10 record, his secondary numbers were almost identical to those of last year, his W/L figure buoyed by P.B.C.C.’s #1 overall offense. Lauppe barely beat out William Hawk for the #3 spot. FIELDER OF THE YEAR: Earl Seals (SS, age 33) – Trenton United; inaugural F.o.t.Y. • 422 TC, 92 PO, 272 AST, 32 DP, 58 E, .863 FLD%, 5.40 RNG, 1.258 EFF, +33.2 ZR, +36.3 FldRV • Led N.E.L. Shortstops in Assist, Double Plays, Zone Rating, & Fielding Run Value • William Cruise (SS, PORT) 2nd – 96 PO, 209 AST, 17 DP, 32 E, .905 FLD%, 4.45 RNG, 1.339 EFF, +30.7 ZR • Moody Steiger (SS, QUI) 3rd – 80 PR, 273 AST, 25 DP, 51 E, .874 FLD%, 5.63 RNG, 1.248 EFF, +29.7 ZR GREENHORN OF THE YEAR: Francis Edwards (LF, age 22) – Quinnipiac B.C. • .368/.393/.478, .871 OPS, 61 R, 110 H, 25 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 40 RBI, 12 BB, 10 SB, 143 TB, 2.8 WPA, 2.5 WAR • Made All-Star Game; Was #1 Batsman prospect in N.B.B.O. entering season • Edgar Hearst (CF, MLD) 2nd – .359, .871 OPS, 56 R, 102 H, 27 2B, 5 3B, 59 RBI, 10 BB, 1 SB, 3.7 WPA, 2.1 WAR • Henry Pittman (LF, NAT) 3rd – .282, .748 OPS, 71 R, 85 H, 33 XBH, 2 HR, 38 RBI, 18 BB, 17 SB, 2.9 WPA, 2.0 WAR Edwards was consistently excellent during 1880, batting over .325 in every month and living up to the considerable hype that was attached to his name ahead of the season. It was a close vote between he and Hearst, with Edwards winning out because he made the All-Star Game while Hearst didn’t. Pittman was a fine addition to the National Outfield. GOLDEN HANDS • P: William Hawk (SUS; 1st) – 34 PO, 60 AST, 11 E, .895 FLD%, 1.189 EFF, +5.0 ZR • C: Hal Brinks (SotO; 1st) – 11 E, .950 FLD%, +7.2 ZR, 31 PB, 48.8 CS%, 3.36 C-ERA • 1B: Mack Davis (CAN; 1st) – 22 DP, 29 E, .963 FLD%, 1.088 EFF, +5.7 ZR • 2B: Lennon Haley (LBR; 2nd) – 134 PO, 220 AST, 26 DP, 31 E, .919 FLD%, 5.27 RNG, 1.133 EFF, +14.6 ZR • 3B: Lorik van Unen (PIO; 1st) – 57 PO, 234 AST, 11 DP, 82 E, .780 FLD%, 4.22 RNG, 1.091 EFF, +10.4 ZR • SS: Earl Seals (TU; 3rd) – 92 PO, 272 AST, 32 DP, 58 E, .863 FLD%, 5.40 RNG, 1.258 EFF, +33.2 ZR • LF: Sandy Young (DS; 1st) – 2 AST, 1 DP, 12 E, .928 FLD%, 1.052 EFF, +5.1 ZR/ARM • CF: William White (LBR; 2nd) – 19 AST, 3 DP, 17 E, .944 FLD%, 1.067 EFF, +12.1 ZR/ARM • RF: Leroy Moore (PBCC; 1st) – 9 AST, 1 DP, 26 E, .864 FLD%, 1.064 EFF, +5.5 ZR/ARM TEAM OF THE YEAR • P: Francis Molinari (Portland, age 35; 1st) 28-10, 2.59 ERA, 337.2 IP, 28 CG, 1 SHO, 194 K, 5.2 K/9, 4.4 K/BB, 1.10 WHIP, 9.8 WAR, 8.4 rWAR • C: Elton Heywood (Bunker Hill, age 33; 1st) .373, .939 OPS, 32 R, 75 H, 14 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 10 BB, 2 SB, 3.3 WPA, 2.5 WAR • 1B: Jesse Craig (S.o.t.O., age 33; 2nd) .359, .921 OPS, 62 R, 108 H, 29 2B, 9 3B, 1 HR, 76 RBI, 21 BB, 2 SB, 3.2 WPA, 3.4 WAR • 2B: Frederick Pike (Philadelphia B.C.C., age 29; 1st) .343, .856 OPS, 92 R, 113 H, 34 2B, 7 3B, 1 HR, 47 RBI, 8 BB, 45 SB, 3.8 WPA, 4.3 WAR, +10.2 ZR • 3B: Phillip Little (Lancastra Brit., age 25; 1st) .349, .902 OPS, 63 R, 109 H, 26 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 79 RBI, 11 BB, 7 SB, 3.5 WPA, 3.8 WAR • SS: Earl Seals (Trenton Utd., age 33; 4th) .308, .720 OPS, 51 R, 90 H, 14 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 53 RBI, 12 BB, 19 SB, 3.3 WPA, 4.6 WAR, +33.2 ZR • OF: James Burke (Philadelphia B.C.C., age 37; 12th) .384, .436 OBP, .581 SLG, 1.016 OPS, 92 R, 47 XBH, 35 2B, 10 3B, 2 HR, 70 RBI, 51 SB, 180 TB, 5.0 WPA, 5.7 WAR • OF: Leroy Moore (Philadelphia B.C.C., age 26; 2nd) .404, 1.003 OPS, 76 R, 126 H, 23 2B, 13 3B, 1 HR, 94 RBI, 19 BB, 16 SB, 5.4 WPA, 4.6 WAR • OF: John Schultz (Susquehanna, age 33; 5th) .338, .826 OPS, 85 R, 116 H, 14 2B, 12 3B, 2 HR, 49 RBI, 8 BB, 42 SB, 4.7 WPA, 3.6 WAR __________________ Logo & uniform work here Thread about my fictional universe that begins in 1857 here Last edited by tm1681; Today at 03:26 AM.