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

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THE 1863 N.B.B.O. PREVIEW
REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS EXPECTED TO BE TIGHTER THAN EVER BEFORE

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (May 6, 1863) – The newest season of the National Base Ball Organization begins today, with the first two games taking place shortly after noon: Scranton at Susquehanna & Gotham at Mutual. But…before a ball is even put into play this year the N.B.B.O. will see some big changes.

Grover Wright stunned the baseball establishment after the end of the 1861 season when he announced, weeks after setting multiple N.B.B.O. records while leading Kings County to their second consecutive Tucker-Wheaton Cup triumph, he was moving with his family to Buffalo and joining Niagara B.B.C. That change of address has seemingly tilted the balance of power in New York base ball, and it will be reflected in the Writers Pool’s projected standings for the New York League.

Pitchers are no longer as free to try to goad batsmen into swinging at balls pitched well outside of hittable realms, as the N.B.B.O. Executive Committee has introduced the Called Ball to complement the Called Strike. This, in addition to a second Pitching Line that joins the existing one to make up the brand-new “Pitcher’s Area”, has been put in place to speed up games and force pitchers to be more honest in their deliveries.

Batters will see their work changed as well, although only slightly. Those who prefer to come to the plate with extremely wide bats are out of luck this season, as the first restrictions on wood bats have been put in place. Starting today bats must be no more than 2.5 inches in diameter although length, shape, & width are still open to whatever the player desires.

Finally, the playoffs will be radically different this season. After complaints from the two toughest regional championships – New York City & Coastal – the road to the Tucker-Wheaton Cup will now involve all six entrants being places in one group and playing each other twice, and the team with the best ten-game record lifting the cup.

As always, the Writers Pool has offered their prognostications & opinions on the season ahead, and they are below. 

PROJECTED NEW YORK LEAGUE STANDINGS

BROOKLYN	 	 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA
Excelsior		43	27	.614	--	483	391
Eckford			41	29	.586	2	481	425
Kings Co.		38	32	.543	5	510	439
Continental		34	36	.486	9	416	426
Empire			32	38	.457	11	427	474
Atlantic		31	39	.443	12	493	519
Bedford			31	39	.443	12	415	497
Nassau Co.		31	39	.443	12	456	510

N.Y.C.			 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA
Orange			42	28	.600	--	514	475
Metropolitan	        40	30	.571	2	471	420
Knickerbocker 	        38	32	.543	4	499	441
Harlem			37	33	.529	5	482	437
Gotham			34	36	.486	8	504	541
Mutual			34	36	.485	8	502	516
Union			29	41	.414	13	478	542
Hilltop			28	42	.400	14	399	477

UPSTATE			 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA
Niagara			44	26	.629	--	564	456
Minuteman		36	34	.514	8	461	466
Utica			36	34	.514	8	521	517
Eagle			35	35	.500	9	510	518
Victory			35	35	.500	9	469	501
Flour City		34	36	.486	10	529	530
Syracuse		33	37	.471	11	508	492
Binghamton		30	40	.429	14	473	554

As expected, the influx of talent to Brooklyn & N.Y.C. is expected to make the competition there very tight – the last place finishers there finished about twenty games out of first place in ‘62. The Writers Pool appears to think that Excelsior will learn from last year’s late crash, and their new lineup members will lead to better hitting. Orange is expected to repeat as N.Y.C. champions, but Metropolitan is expected to make a big leap from last year’s 27-43 record thanks to improving young players and winter signings. Even though Excelsior & Orange are projected to finish 1st, there are no clear favorites in Brooklyn or N.Y.C. Niagara finally becomes the clear favorite in Upstate, as the reconfiguration of the Greater N.Y. Grounds is expected to give their star pitching duo some respite and allow them to pitch as they would in a normal venue.

PROJECTED NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE STANDINGS

COASTAL			 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA
Shamrock		42	28	.600	--	505	418
Mass. Bay		39	31	.557	3	551	467
American		37	33	.529	5	537	491
Newark			37	33	.529	5	483	497
Quaker St.		37	33	.529	5	499	516
Port Jersey		35	35	.500	7	454	447
Olympic			28	42	.400	14	470	532
Trenton Utd.	        27	43	.386	15	404	534

INLAND			 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA
Merrimack M.	        41	29	.586	--	483	448
Susquehanna		41	29	.586	-	518	439
Reading Ath.	        40	30	.571	1	517	528
Sportsman’s		38	32	.543	3	546	496
Alleghany		35	35	.500	6	472	459
Scranton		35	35	.500	6	453	452
Pioneer			28	42	.400	13	411	462
Lake Erie		25	45	.357	16	435	551

N ENGLAND		 W	 L	 PCT	GB	 R	 RA
St. John's		46	24	.657	--	619	452
S.o.t.O.		42	28	.600	4	534	462
Green Mtn.		41	29	.586	5	519	442
Oceanic			36	34	.514	10	517	523
Granite			32	38	.457	14	428	486
Portland		32	38	.457	14	472	504
Cantabrigians	        27	43	.386	19	451	574
Quinnipiac		25	45	.357	21	481	579

Shamrock & St. John’s, once again, are expected to win their regional championships, though they are not runaway favorites. The Coastal Championship is expected to be extremely close, with five teams expected to finish within a handful of games: the Bostonians, the Philadelphians, & Newark. The usual duo of S.o.t.O. & Green Mountain should give St. John’s a good chase in New England, but the best offensive attack in the N.E.L. will likely win out yet again. The Inland Championship is where the base ball should be the most interesting. The Writers Pool has Merrimack & Susquehanna finishing atop Inland with the same record, with Reading one game back, Sportman’s a few back, and Alleghany – last season’s champions – all the way down in fifth. In the end, all three regional championships in the Northeastern League look like they will be exciting affairs in 1863.

WRITERS POOL GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

When asked for general observations about the upcoming season, here were the main talking points offered up by the 48-member N.B.B.O. Writers Pool:

• The ten most talented batsmen in the N.B.B.O: Edward Huntley (SS, ORA), Anthony Mascherino (SS, G.M.), Konrad Jensen (RF, STJ), Willie Davis (CF, SUS), Samuel Kessler (3B, S.o.t.O.), Jerald Peterson (3B, K.C.), Joe Feuerstein (C, PORT), Gregersen Rohrmann* (CF, KNI), William Johnson (CF, STJ), P.O. Bakken (SS, K.C.)

• The ten most talented pitchers in the N.B.B.O: Jim Creighton (EXC), James Goodman (MIN), Carl Bancroft (EMP), Clydesdale Jackson (HAR), William Pearson (MUT), Grover Wright (NIA), Joe Cunningham (SHA), Walter Johnson (REA), Archie Green (BED), Howard Riggs (GRA)

• The ten best newcomers in the N.B.B.O: Gregersen Rohrmann (CF, KNI), Rossano Bessi (2B, M.B.), Mario Fusilli (1B, KNI), Luc Billon (LF, GOT), Burkhard Winter (LF/CF, MET), John Gaynor (RF, OCE), William Gentilucci (RF, ATL), Edward Donovan (LF, P.J.), George Bendel (CF, N.C.), Jacob Johnson (SS, SCR)

• Even though they lost the services of catcher Thomas Silke to Niagara, Shamrock remains the most talented team in the N.B.B.O, as their lineup does not feature a single player rated as below average at his position in comparison to the other 47 regulars in the competition.

• Niagara outfielder Luther Tatum is expected to follow up the All-Star performance level of his first season with the best average in the N.Y.L. – about .390 – even though Niagara’s field dimensions have been made less hitter-friendly.

• The Writers Pool thinks that 1863 will be the year Jim Creighton puts everything together and becomes the best pitcher in the sport. They expect his E.R.A. will go down to around 2.50 and for him to finish with a 25-10 record for an Excelsior team projected atop the Brooklyn Championship.

• Due to the changes to the Greater New York Sporting Grounds, the Niagara pitching duo of Grover Wright & Bernard Schmidt is expected to see their E.R.A. fall by close to a full run. Both pitchers should finish with around 20 Wins.

• Gotham’s All-Star duo of Hamish Barclay & Taliesin Buckley is expected to repeat last season’s performance, combining to hit around .360 with over 100 R.B.I.

• After one-time M.V.P. Fred Fowler’s average went from .308 to .377 in his first season with Utica after leaving Mass. Bay, the W.P. thinks he could hit even better in 1863 after Utica brought in some quality players to surround him in the batting order. He is expected to hit near .385.

• Thanks to Nelson Townsend’s outstanding performance in his first season as a regular, St. John’s is expected to have the three best outfielders in the Northeastern League, with Townsend, Konrad Jensen, & William Johnson all expected to hit above .350 and steal more than forty bases.

• After his Batting Average plummeted to a career low of .306 last year – his previous low was .350 – Anderson MacGyver of St. John’s is being picked for a spectacular return to form this season, with the W.P. figuring him to be good for an average near .385 with a league-leading R.B.I. total.

• Even though he was not named among the top ten newcomers, the Writers Pool thinks new Lake Erie first baseman Wilbur Graff has the potential to be one of the top ten batsmen in the N.E.L, and is likely to hit better than .350. The issue is that his lack of skill in other areas (defense, baserunning) only makes him a three-star player.

• Sportsman’s All-Star outfielder Paul Kronenberg is projected to have a comeback season after his average dropped by 45 points in 1862. He is expected to hit close to .370 with more than 60 R.B.I.

• Every team in the N.E.L. is projected to score 400+ runs this season, and because of that the Writers Pool expects no regular pitcher to have an E.R.A. under 3.00, with Shamrock’s Joe Cunningham leading the pack at around 3.10.

• John McGowan’s run of four straight seasons leading the N.E.L. in wins is expected to come to an end, with the Writers Pool marking in S.o.t.O’s Jesse McCoy as the projected Wins leader with 23.

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JOHNSON GOES FOR FIVE HITS & FIVE RUNS VS. GREEN MTN.
PERFORMANCE WAS PART OF 20-RUN OUTBURST BY ST. JOHN’S

BURLINGTON, VT. (May 10, 1863) – Star center fielder William Johnson had himself a spectacular afternoon against the Green Mountain club to end the first week of play in the New England Championship, tallying five hits and five runs as St. John’s went hammered rivals Green Mtn. by the score of 20-7.

Johnson’s afternoon:

• TOP 1: Single to RCF off B. Bailey (scored)
• TOP 2: Single to CF off B. Bailey (scored)
• TOP 3: 2-run Double to RF off B. Bailey (scored)
• TOP 5: Bound Out to RF off B. Bailey
• TOP 7: Infield Single off F. Mills (scored)
• TOP 8: Fly Out to 1B off F. Mills
• TOP 9: 1-run Double past 3B off F. Mills (scored)
• TOTAL: 5/7, 2 2B, 5 R, 3 RBI, 7 TB

Johnson wasn’t the only St. John’s batsman to wow the crowd in Burlington on Sunday, as Catcher Simpson Cron hit a pair of Inside-the-Park Home Runs en route to a 3/5 afternoon with three R.B.I. and three runs scored. First baseman Collin Henderson was 3/7 with three R.B.I, and left fielder Nelson Townsend was 3/5 with a pair of runs and one R.B.I.

The 20-run outburst was a much-needed end to the week for St. John’s, who had started the season 1-3 in their Week One series at Green Mountain.

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FRANCIS HAS FIVE HITS & FIVE R.B.I. AT ECKFORD
BRICE SCORES FIVE RUNS; KINGS CO. WINS 14-1

BROOKLYN (May 16, 1863) – Kings County won at Eckford on Saturday afternoon to run their record to 7-2 in the Brooklyn Championship. 1859 Batsman of the Year John Francis was K.C’s standout performer in the 14-1 win, going 5/6 with the bat and driving in five runs.

Francis’ afternoon:

• TOP 1: Bound out to RF off H. Gibson
• TOP 3: Infield Single off H. Gibson
• TOP 5: 1-run Triple to LCF off H. Gibson (scored)
• TOP 6: 2-run b/w 1B & 2B off H. Gibson (scored)
• TOP 7: 1-run Triple to CF off H. Gibson
• TOP 9: 1-run Infield Single off R. Stroh
• TOTAL: 5/6, 2 3B, 2 R, 5 RBI, 9 TB

Francis had some help in the big Kings County win. Leadoff batsman Declan Brice put in a spectacular performance of his own, going 4/6 with five runs, two R.B.I, and a pair of stolen bases. That performance left Brice hitting .457 with six doubles and nine R.B.I. through nine games.

It’s early in the 1863 season, but Kings County is looking like a Brooklyn Championship ironclad.

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OLIVER STEIN CARRIES THE DAY IN BUFFALO
BINGHAMTON RF GOES 5/6 WITH FOUR RUNS & FOUR R.B.I.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (May 31, 1863) – Binghamton B.B.C. (7-13) was able to pull off a surprising 12-10 victory at Niagara in Buffalo on Sunday afternoon, and the result happened largely due to the efforts of one man: star right fielder Oliver Stein.

Stein’s day with the bat against Niagara:

• TOP 1: Single b/w SS & 3B off B. Schmidt
• TOP 3: 1-run Single to b/w SS & 3B off B. Schmidt (stole third, scored)
• TOP 4: 1-run Single past 3B off B. Schmidt (scored)
• TOP 7: Double to RF off B. Schmidt (scored)
• TOP 8: 2-run Double to CF off B. Schmidt (scored)
• TOP 9: Ground Out to 1B off F. Robinette
• TOTAL: 5/6, 2 2B, 4 R, 4 RBI, 1 SB, 7 TB

That Stein’s performance mostly came against Niagara pitcher Bernard Schmidt, who had entered the contest with a 2.31 E.R.A, made it all the more impressive.

Stein ends the first month of N.B.B.O. play with a .381 average, 14 runs scored, and 16 R.B.I.

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SURPRISES ATOP THE STANDINGS AT THE END OF MAY
THREE TEAMS WITH ZERO PLAYOFF APPEARANCES SHARE N.B.B.O. LEAD AT 15-5

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (June 1, 1863) – The first month of play in the 1863 N.B.B.O. season ended yesterday afternoon, and at the end of May there are a number of surprises atop the standings in the various regional championships.

First off, a trio of teams top the overall standings at 15-5 and none of the three have ever made a postseason appearance. The three teams: Port Jersey in the Coastal Championship and the combination of Merrimack Mills & Pioneer in the Inland Championship.

Port Jersey ended the month of May leading the Northeastern League in both Runs Scored at 179 and Runs Allowed 106, of course making them the leaders in Run Differential (+73, 3.65 R/G). Six of the eight non-pitchers in the lineup are batting over .300, and they are led by a newcomer having a fantastic start: LF Edward Donovan, who is hitting .454 with a 1.006 O.P.S, 24 Runs, 21 R.B.I, and 12 Stolen Bases. Boudewijn Mulder, last year’s Batsman of the Year, is hitting .355 with 17 Runs & R.B.I.

Merrimack Mills has been shuffling pitchers around due to an injury to Frank Huth, but that has not mattered due to the strength of the top half of their batting order. The first foursome of CF Silvestro Masci, 2B Leslie Arnett, 3B Leroy Weld, & RF Alexander Hedrick are all batting at least .365 with 15 or more R.B.I. The current leader of the group is Metropolitan B.B.C. import Leroy Weld, who is batting .402 with 27 Runs and 21 R.B.I.

Pioneer sits at 15-5 thanks to some good luck. They are second in Runs Against in the N.E.L. but their Batting Average of .302 is only thirteenth. Still, they have been the beneficiaries of fine pitching from Frank McCowan and Francesco Sorrentino, and their excellent baserunning (3rd in Stolen Bases, 6th in Base Running) has meant Pioneer has been able to manufacture the runs necessary to achieve the results they need.

Elsewhere in the N.E.L, someone other than St. John’s is finally atop the New England Championship after the month of May, with Green Mountain B.B.C. holding the clear lead thanks to a 13-7 record. Their clear leader through four weeks of play is superstar SS Anthony Mascherino, who his batting .404 with 20 R.B.I. and is on a pace for 8.4 W.A.R. over just 70 games (19.4 W.A.R./162 G). The other main threat in the G.M. lineup has been CF Jasper Carrell, who set an N.B.B.O. record with 34 runs over the first month of the season while stealing 23 bases without being caught.

Over in the New York League, Victory B.B.C, who has not made the postseason in five years and has finished 6th & 5th in the Upstate Championship over the last two seasons, currently sits alone atop Upstate. Old hand David Roberts is once again providing them with solid pitching, and 2B Edward Sax is hitting .400.

The 1863 season is less than one-third of the way through, but if the first month is any indication than it could be unlike any other.

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BASE KNOCKS GALORE OVER 15 INNINGS IN NEW BEDFORD!
PORTLAND & S.O.T.O. COMBINE FOR 35 SINGLES, 47 TOTAL HITS IN 11-9 THRILLER

NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (June 10, 1863) – The 1,772 spectators in attendance at the New Bedford Commons in Wednesday afternoon received more than their money’s worth, both figuratively and literally, as Portland B.B.C. & Sons of the Ocean traded runs and scores of hits over fifteen innings in an 11-9 Portland victory:

There were numerous batsmen with multiple hits over the course of the contest – a dozen in all – which was perhaps to be expected given the length of the game. The two brightest stars at New Bedford Commons both came from the visiting Portland team, with 3-4 batsmen William Pfeffer (RF) & Henry Konrad (2B) combining to hit 11/13.

Pfeffer’s day in New Bedford:

• TOP 1: Single to LF off C. Mitchell (stole 2B, scored)
• TOP 3: Single to LF off C. Mitchell (to 2B via error, scored)
• TOP 4: Single past 2B off C. Mitchell
• TOP 6: Double to RF off C. Mitchell (scored)
• TOP 7: 1-run Single past 2B off C. Mitchell
• TOP 9: Double past 2B off R. Frohnapfel
• TOP 10: Substituted out for J. Knott as part of Double Switch
• TOTAL: 6/6, 2 2B, 3 R, 1 RBI, 2 SB, 8 TB

Konrad’s afternoon following Pfeffer in the lineup:

• TOP 1: 1-run Double to LF off C. Mitchell (scored)
• TOP 3: 1-run Single past 2B off C. Mitchell (stole 2B, scored)
• TOP 4: Reached via error by SS
• TOP 6: Single to RF off C. Mitchell (stole 2B, scored)
• TOP 7: Single past SS off H. Roberts
• TOP 9: Ground Out to 1B off R. Frohnapfel
• TOP 12: Single to RCF off J. McCoy (stole 2B, out at HP on Squeeze Play)
• TOP 14: Sacrifice Bunt moved J. Knott to 2B
• TOTAL: 5/7 (all Singles), 3 R, 2 RBI, 3 SB, 1 DEF DP

Neither player would take part in the 15th-inning rally that saw Portland win the game, with singles by George McCoy & Franklin Reeve providing the two runs that put the visitors over the top.

In total, there were 35 singles and 47 hits by the two teams. Sons of the Ocean easily led in extra-base hits with eight – three doubles by Lars Kelson – but they had a slightly more difficult time turning baserunners into runs, and that spelled their doom as extra innings continued.

The result places both teams at 11-15, with both parts of a four-team group taking up spots five through eight in the New England standings. That is where neither wants to be, but there is more than half of the season left to play.

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1863: THE HALFWAY POINT
FIVE OF SIX REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LEADERS HAVE NEVER PLAYED IN THE POST-SEASON

NORTHEASTERN U.S.A. (June 22, 1863) – The 1863 National Base Ball Organization season reached its halfway point yesterday afternoon, with Susquehanna’s 8-6 home win against The Sportsman’s Club wrapping up the first seven weeks of play.

At the 35-game mark, there are plenty of surprises to be found across the N.B.B.O. Five of the six regional championships are currently led by teams that have never won theirs before, the batting leaders in each league are first-year regulars, one of the biggest clubs in the Northeastern League is having a terrible season, and one pitcher is on pace to have a historic E.R.A.

General observations from the first half of the season, via the Writers Pool:

• As the regional championships currently stand, five of the six are led by teams that have never finished in first place before. In New York City, the one championship that is currently led by a post-season veteran, the team in second place, Harlem, is one that has never finished atop the standings.

• The BROOKLYN CHAMPIONSHIP leader, and once again the team with the best record at the midway point, is Excelsior B.B.C. at 25-10 (K.C. & CON 5 G.B.). Similar to last season, their Run Differential is not great (+34) but Continental is hitting much better (.311; .280 in ’62) and they are being led by the now seemingly unbeatable Jim Creighton, who is 15-2 with a 2.49 E.R.A. and 42 Strikeouts. Creighton is on pace to become the second pitcher in N.B.B.O. history with 30 Wins in a season, and he is also on a pace to best his own Strikeout record for the third year in a row.

• Gotham B.B.C. leads the NEW YORK CITY CHAMPIONSHIP at 23-12, but surprising Harlem is only one game back and Orange is three behind. Gotham’s M.V.P. so far this season has been Hamish Barclay (2B), who is hitting .409 with 32 Runs and 32 R.B.I. Harlem has been buoyed by Allegheny B.C. import Milton Eckhart (.394 AVG, 31 R, 24 R.B.I.) and veteran pitcher Clydesdale Jackson (12-4, 1.96 E.R.A, 15 K). Shortstop Jackson Butler is hitting .366.

• In the UPSTATE CHAMPIONSHIP, Niagara B.B.C. is finally at the top of the pack halfway through the season. It appears that the reconfiguration of the Greater New York Sporting Grounds has achieved its intended effect, as the E.R.A. of pitchers Grover Wright & Bernard Schmidt are 3.09 & 2.71 respectively, down from 4.05 & 3.96 last season. Their attack has fallen to ninth in the N.Y.L. in Runs Scored with a current pace to plate roughly 130 fewer runs than last year, but the new field layout has led to the team being #1 in the N.Y.L. in Runs Allowed. Still, Niagara is in no way in the clear for there are five teams – Binghamton, Flour City, Syracuse, Victory, & Utica – within two games.

• Port Jersey currently leads the COASTAL CHAMPIONSHIP with the N.E.L’s best record: 24-11. Their key player has been N.B.B.O. newcomer Edward Donovan, who is currently hitting .420 with 44 Runs, 2.13 W.P.A, and 2.1 W.A.R. Every member of the lineup except Seth Guzik (CF) is hitting over .300, and their offense is currently in the top three in the N.E.L. The two Boston teams, Massachusetts Bay & Shamrock, are within five games.

• Merrimack Mills, who like Port Jersey started the season 15-5, tops the INLAND CHAMPIONSHIP standings with a 22-13 mark. The team was able to weather a shoulder injury to #1 pitcher Frank Huth, who returned last week after a three-week absence. That was possible because they currently lead the N.E.L. in Runs (297), Average (.332), On-Base (.362), O.P.S. (.800), and Batting W.A.R. (6.8). Sportsman’s & Susquehanna are one game behind, and Scranton is two.

• Green Mountain leads the NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIP by one game over St. John’s thanks to a 23-12 record. They are the first team other than St. John’s to lead the N.E.C. outright halfway through the season. Their star player, of course, has been Anthony Mascherino, who is hitting .372 with 38 Runs, 27 R.B.I, 18 Stolen Bases, and a whopping 3.2 W.A.R. His +18.5 Zone Rating at shortstop is almost twice that of any other player at any position.

• Pioneer B.C, one of the three teams who were 15-5 after twenty games, have gone 3-12 since and are currently 18-17, good for a four-game deficit from the top of the Inland Championship and fifth place in the standings.

• The Batting Average leaders in each league are in their first season as regular batsmen. Irish outfielder Scanlon Miller of Mutual earned the team’s right fielder spot in his third season as an N.B.B.O. player, while 24-year-old William Pfeffer of Portland became their left fielder in his sixth season as a member of the club.

• Allegheny B.B.C, four-time winners of the Inland Championship, started the season with a 5-15 record over the first four weeks. They are 8-7 since, but with a 13-22 record after half the season it looks very likely that it is already too late for the Pittsburgh club to stage a comeback and take Inland from one of the six teams ahead of them who are within four games of each other for first place.

• Harlem star Clydesdale Jackson is 12-4 with a 1.96 E.R.A. after 18 starts and 156 innings of pitching so far in 1863. He is already the first N.B.B.O. with an E.R.A. under 2.00 after his first 150 innings in a season, and if he continues his level of performance he will become the first full-time pitcher to finish the season with an E.R.A. under 2.00. The pitcher who has come the closest is Syracuse’s William Huitema, who had a 2.25 E.R.A. over 312 innings in 1861.

• American’s Dennis Pruitt has 41 R.B.I. – a pace for 82 over the full season. That would break the existing record of 77, which was set by Massachusetts Bay’s Arthur Holton in 1860.

• Runs are holding steady at 6.9 per game in both leagues, but again the Northeastern League is providing the most action of the two. Teams in the N.E.L. have hit nearly twice as many Home Runs (143 vs. 74) and they have stolen roughly 165 more bases (1,147 vs. 982) at a higher rate. They also have slightly more Extra-base Hits than their N.Y.L. counterparts.

Those are just some of the observations from the first half of the N.B.B.O. season. No doubt the second half will provide plenty of excitement.

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K.C. INJURY REPLACEMENT WHITLEY GETS 6 HITS!
BACKUP SECOND BASEMAN WAS MAKING HIS FOURTH START OF 1863

BROOKLYN (June 25, 1863) – Kings County B.B.C. (23-15) made light work of third-place Continental B.B.C. (20-18) in a Brooklyn Championship tilt at Wheat Hill on Thursday afternoon, beating Continental by the score of 15-3.

Kings County has employed one of the best batting attacks in the New York League so far in 1863, but the hero of the day at Continental was quite a surprise: Victor Whitley, who was starting his fourth game of the season at second base as an injury replacement for Fred Beckwith.

Whitley was seventh in the K.C. lineup and did not see the Batter’s Area until the second inning, but he made the most of his first trip to the plate and every one after that, finishing with six hits on the day:

• TOP 2: Single past 2B off H. Perry (scored)
• TOP 4: Single to LCF off H. Perry (stole 2B, scored)
• TOP 4: 1-run Single between 1B & 2B off H. Perry
• TOP 6: 2-run Single past SS off C. Holmes (scored)
• TOP 8: Infield Single off C. Holmes
• TOP 9: Infield Single off C. Holmes
• TOTAL: 6/6 (all Singles), 3 R, 3 RBI, 1 SB

Two other K.C. players had big days with the bat. Declan Brice (CF) was 3/6 with a double and scored four runs, and Soren Thomsen (RF) was 4/5 with three runs & R.B.I. each, like Whitley.

The lopsided victory left Kings County five games behind first-place Excelsior in the Brooklyn Championship.

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HISTORY! MCQUAID HIT STREAK UP TO 40 GAMES!
FLOUR CITY SHORTSTOP BECOMES FIRST PLAYER TO REACH MARK

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (June 26, 1863) – Flour City took an 11-7 home loss to Victory B.B.C. at Riverside Park in Upstate New York on Sunday afternoon, but afterward the talk of the afternoon was the history-making base hit by William McQuaid in his last chance at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning.

McQuaid, Flour City’s everyday shortstop, was 0/3 going into his plate appearance in the ninth, but he led off F.C’s half of the inning with a single past the Victory second baseman that took his Hitting Streak to a place that had never been seen before: the forty-game plateau.

McQuaid, Shamrock B.C’s shortstop from 1857-61, joined Flour City last year and struggled for much of the season before picking up hits in their final two games. He has since collected hits in every one of F.C’s 38 games during the 1863 season, making him the first player ever to hit safely in forty consecutive games.

The historic run from McQuaid bests the previous record-long Hitting Streak, established last year by American B.C. center fielder Arthur Waltrip, whose 39-game streak ended on June 4th in Jersey City against Port Jersey B.B.C.

McQuaid has 21 Multiple-hit games so far in 1863. His Batting Average is .368, a 72-point jump from last season (.296), and his O.P.S. is .892, a massive 204-point leap from his debut season with Flour City in 1862 (.688).

If his current level of batsmanship holds up, William McQuaid will end the season having done his best work with the bat since his second season with Shamrock in 1858 (.360, 51 R.B.I, .842 O.P.S.). The 36-year-old has certainly turned the clock backwards in 1863.

NOTE: His streak would be stopped at 41 games the next day.

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A GERMAN CYCLE FOR SYRACUSE!
OUTFIELDER COMPLETES 1ST CYCLE IN FOUR YEARS

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (July 2, 1863) – Syracuse B.B.C. was able to move their record past the .500 mark thanks to a 10-5 home victory over Minuteman at the Salina Street Base Ball Grounds during midday on Friday. The hero of the day: Syracuse left fielder Jonathan German, who hit for the first Cycle the National Base Ball Organization has seen in nearly four years.

German’s performance against Minuteman, in summary:

• BOT 2: Reached via Error by SS (stole 2B)
• BOT 3: 1-run Single between 1B & 2B off J. Goodman
• BOT 5: 2-run Home Run to RF off J. Goodman
• BOT 7: 1-run Double past 3B off J. Goodman (scored)
• BOT 8: 1-run Triple to RCF off J. Goodman (scored)
• TOTAL: 4/5, CYCLE, 3 R, 5 RBI, 1 SB

German’s plate appearance in the bottom of the eighth was a real nail-biter. After numerous wayward delivers from James Goodman and foul balls, German finally connected and hit a line drive between the Minuteman center fielder and right fielder for the triple that he needed to complete the Cycle.

Jonathan German’s Cycle occurred almost four full years after the last one. On August 6th of 1859, Atlantic’s Chester Ellis hit for the Cycle over seven at-bats against Empire. It was the second Cycle of the 1859 season, as on July 3rd Per-Olaf Bakken of Kings County completed the feat against Atlantic in six at-bats.

German’s Cycle is the seventh in the history of the N.B.B.O, and the first in the history of Syracuse B.B.C.

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SPORTSMAN’S CLUBS 25 HITS IN MASSIVE WIN
SIX MEMBERS OF THE LINEUP FINISH WITH 3+ HITS

SPRINGFIELD, MASS. (July 13, 1863) – The Pioneer Baseball Club did not stand a chance in their home game against Sportsman’s B.C. this afternoon, with the visitors scoring in the top of the first and hammering Pioneer from then on to finish with an 18-0 win.

Sportsman’s clubbed 25 hits over the course of the afternoon, and they had no shortage of star performances:

• Doc Matheson (CF): 4/5, HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, SB
• Jesse Beaver (1B): 3/6, 2 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI
• James Springer (SS): 4/6, 2 R, 1 RBI
• Paul Kronenberg (RF): 3/6, 1 R, 2 RBI
• Pippino Assante (2B): 3/5, 3 R
• Charlie Carson (P): CG SHUTOUT, 3/4, 2 R, 2 RBI

Sportsman’s six players with three or more hits establishes a new Northeastern League record, and Charlie Carson’s performance both on the mound and with the bat will be remembered as one of the individual games of the season.

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1863’S STAR PLAYERS NAMED
2ND YEAR WITH 30-MAN SQUADS; SIX PLAYERS HAVE MADE ALL FIVE A.S.G’s

NEW YORK CITY (Julw 20, 1863) - All of the ballots that have been collected, mailed, & telegrammed in have been counted, and the National Base Ball Organization’s stars of the 1863 season have been named.

Rosters for the upcoming All-Star Game will be thirty men per side again this season:

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

Once again, the annual contest will be held at the Knickerbocker Club’s home of the Elysian Fields, which is both the oldest and largest base ball in existence.

Given the numerous surprises across the standings in the N.B.B.O’s six regional championships, expect to see many, many new faces playing two weeks from now in New York City.

Rosters for the 1863 All-Star Game are as follows:


NEW YORK LEAGUE ROSTERS

P: Jim Creighton (EXC) – 21-3, 2.46 ERA, 61 K, 5.7 WAR
P: Clydesdale Jackson (HAR) – 17-9, 2.54 ERA, 23 K, 4.6 WAR
P: William Titus (GOT) – 17-10, 3.39 ERA, 26 K, 4.3 WAR
P: John Brinson (ATL) – 17-8, 3.51 ERA, 27 K, 4.1 WAR
P: Otto Brinson (K.C.) – 17-7, 3.00 ERA, 25 K, 3.6 WAR
P: Bernard Schmidt (NIA) – 16-8, 3.22 ERA, 31 K, 3.6 WAR

C: Martin Elson (UTI) – .359, 8 XBH, 40 RBI, 2.0 WAR
C: Friedrich Becker (CON) – .313, 15 XBH, 33 RBI, 1.0 WAR
C: Ruby Watson (EXC) – .354, 8 XBH, 38 RBI, 0.9 WAR

1B: Henry Fowler (F.C.) – .375, 23 XB, 41 RBI, 1.5 WAR
1B: John Bateman (SYR) – .354, 20 XBH, 49 RBI, 1.4 WAR
1B: Mario Fusilli (KNI) – .327, 15 XBH, 44 RBI, 1.1 WAR
2B: Art Mauser (F.C.) – .382, 29 XBH, 47 RBI, 2.4 WAR
2B: Hamish Barcley (GOT) – .371, 27 XBH, 51 RBI, 2.4 WAR
2B: Edward Sax (VIC) – .383, 19 XBH, 46 RBI, 1.2 WAR
3B: Joseph Dalton (GOT) – .356, 25 XBH, 46 RBI, 0.6 WAR
3B: Frank Darcy (ORA) – .357, 13 XBH, 27 RBI, 1.4 WAR
3B: Carlo Fischetti (HILL) – .318, 23 XBH, 31 RBI, 1.3 WAR
SS: Edward Huntley (ORA) – .362, 26 XBH, 55 RBI, 30 SB, 3.6 WAR
SS: Jackson Butler (HAR) – .355, 16 XBH, 45 RBI, 2.1 WAR
SS: Per-Olaf Bakken (K.C.) – .356, 17 XBH, 31 RBI, 2.0 WAR

CF: Taliesin Buckley (GOT) – .414, 24 XBH, 43 RBI, 21 SB, 2.5 WAR
CF: Declan Brice (K.C.) – .368, 26 XBH, 45 RBI, 20 SB, 2.9 WAR
CF: Wilson Clark (HAR) – .355, 17 XBH, 35 RBI, 25 SB, 1.9 WAR
OF: Nik Madsen (N.C.) – .418, 23 XBH, 41 RBI, 2.3 WAR
OF: Fred Fowler (UTI) – .382, 20 XBH, 34 RBI, 2.2 WAR
OF: Joanathan German (SYR) – .371, 28 XBH, 47 RBI, 1.6 WAR
OF: James Hoyt (F.C.) – .383, 30 XBH, 49 RBI, 2.5 WAR
OF: Peter Sweet (ECK) – .365, 20 XBH, 31 RBI, 2.5 WAR
OF: John Carlton (UNI) – .339, 22 XBH, 52 RBI, 1.6 WAR


NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE ROSTERS

P: Thomas Hines (P.J.) – 18-6, 2.65 ERA, 22 K, 3.4 WAR
P: Herman Easley (SUS) – 18-8, 3.22 ERA, 43 K, 4.9 WAR
P: Ben Bailey (G.M.) – 18-7, 3.59 ERA, 16 K, 2.7 WAR
P: John McGowan (StJ) – 18-9, 3.92 ERA, 24 K, 3.6 WAR
P: Charles Martin (SPO) – 17-8, 3.45 ERA, 26 K, 4.9 WAR
P: Walter Johnson (REA) – 17-10, 3.25 ERA, 32 K, 4.2 WAR

C: Joe Feuerstein (PORT) – .345, 22 XBH, 43 RBI, 2.7 WAR
C: Dag Nielsen (REA) – .348, 18 XBH, 43 RBI, 1.8 WAR
C: Roy Jacobson (SCR) – .363, 17 XBH, 37 RBI, 1.5 WAR

1B: Maurice Thyne (CAN) – .370, 35 XBH, 44 RBI, 1.7 WAR
1B: Enda Reed (SHA) – .351, 16 XBH, 46 RBI, 1.5 WAR
1B: Collin Henderson (StJ) – .332, 18 XBH, 40 RBI, 1.4 WAR
2B: Leslie Arnett (M.M.) – .333, 21 XBH, 38 RBI, 2.1 WAR
2B: Willard Krone (P.J.) – .342, 11 XBH, 38 RBI, 1.8 WAR
2B: Ernest Lewis (QUI) – .364, 20 XBH, 31 RBI, 1.4 WAR
3B: Samuel Kessler (S.o.t.O.) – .377, 24 XBH, 49 RBI, 2.7 WAR
3B: Leroy Weld (M.M.) – .384, 24 XBH, 45 RBI, 2.5 WAR
3B: Finlay McIntosh (QUI) – .367, 16 XBH, 43 RBI, 1.5 WAR
SS: Anthony Mascherino (G.M.) – .380, 22 XBH, 48 RBI, 23 SB, 4.8 WAR
SS: Victor Hansen (AME) – .358, 10 XBH, 36 RBI, 1.5 WAR
SS: Albert Gore (GRA) – .341, 18 XBH, 38 RBI, 27 SB, 1.4 WAR

CF: Doc Matheson (SPO) – .353, 32 XBH, 36 RBI, 27 SB, 2.3 WAR
CF: Willie Davis (SUS) – .341, 23 XBH, 44 RBI, 43 SB, 2.3 WAR
CF: Arthur Waltrip (AME) – .361, 20 XBH, 42 RBI, 25 SB, 2.2 WAR
OF: William Pfeffer (PORT) – .439, 20 XBH, 44 RBI, 2.6 WAR
OF: Edward Donovan (P.J.) – .397, 22 XBH, 55 RBI, 31 SB, 2.7 WAR
OF: Andrew Bidwell (SUS) – .365, 28 XBH, 44 RBI, 27 SB, 2.9 WAR
OF: Dennis Pruitt (AME) – .404, 23 XBH, 61 RBI, 2.5 WAR
OF: Konrad Jensen (StJ) – .384, 25 XBH, 54 RBI, 33 SB, 2.9 WAR
OF: Alexander Hedrick (M.M.) – .405, 27 XBH, 52 RBI, 2.6 WAR

There will be numerous first-time All-Stars taking part in the game to be played on August 3rd:

NEW YORK LEAGUE ALL-STAR DEBUTS

• P: Clydesdale Jackson, John Brinson, Otto Brinson
• C: Martin Elson, Friedrich Becker
• IF: Henry Fowler, Mario Fusilli, Art Mauser, Frank Darcy, Carlo Fischetti, Jackson Butler
• OF: Wilson Clark, Nik Madsen, Fred Fowler, Jonathan German, James Hoyt, Peter Sweet

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE ALL-STAR DEBUTS

• P:Thomas Hines, Herman Easley, Ben Bailey, Walter Johnson
• C: None
• IF: Maurice Thyne, Enda Reed, Willard Krone, Ernest Lewis
• OF: Doc Matheson, William Pfeffer, Edward Donovan, Alexander Hedrick

The totals from the above are seventeen debuts for the N.Y.L. and an even dozen for the N.E.L.

At the other end of the All-Star Spectrum, the following players will be making their fifth All-Star Game appearance:

• NEW YORK: John Bateman & Edward Huntley
• NORTHEAST: John McGowan, Samuel Kessler, Anthony Mascherino, and Willie Davis

Those six distinguished players have yet to miss base ball’s midsummer classic.

Two weeks from today the base ball world can expect another crowd north of 15,000 fans cheering on the best the sport has to offer, both for fun and for charity.

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ORANGE PAIR BELTS FIVE HITS EACH IN 18-3 WIN
DARCY & RABBITT COMBINE FOR 10 HITS, 6 R.B.I, & 5 RUNS IN MASSIVE VICTORY

NEW YORK CITY (July 23, 1863) – It was a close contest for five innings at the Upper Manhattan Base Ball Grounds on Thursday afternoon, but Orange B.B.C. scored fifteen times over their last three times at bat to relegate the hapless Hilltop of Yonkers to yet another loss.

Two members of the Orange lineup combined for half of the team’s twenty hits: Frank Darcy (3B) & Albert Rabbitt (C).

Darcy’s day with the bat, which moved his average up to .379:

• B 1ST: Single to LCF off B. Slusher (stole 2B, scored)
• B 2ND: Double to CF off B. Slusher
• B 5TH: Ground Out to P off B. Slusher
• B 6TH: 2-run Double to LCF off B. Slusher (scored)
• B 8TH: Leadoff Single past 2B off A. Harrison (scored)
• B 8TH: Single between 1B & 2B off A. Harrison
• TOTAL: 5/6, 2 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB, 7 TB

Rabbitt’s afternoon at the plate, which saw him end the game batting .344:

• B 2ND: 1-run Single to LCF off B. Slusher
• B 4TH: 1-run Single between 1B & 2B off B. Slusher
• B 6TH: 1-run Single between 1B & 2B off B. Slusher (scored)
• B 7TH: Double to LCF off A. Harrison
• B 8TH: 1- run Single to RCF off A. Harrison (scored)
• TOTAL: 5/5, 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI, 6 TB

The fifteen-run victory moved Orange’s record to 34-23, currently good for third place in the New York City Championship. They sit two games behind Gotham for second place, and four games behind surprising leaders Harlem for the N.Y.C. lead.

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QUAKER ST. MAKES 12-RUN COMEBACK, BUT AMERICAN WINS
BATTLE OF PHILADELPHIA FEATURES EXTRAORDINARY 6TH INNING IN 17-13 AMERICAN WIN

PHILADELPHIA (July 29, 1863) – The matchup between the N.B.B.O’s two Philadelphian clubs on Wednesday was not the highest-scoring affair of the season, but it might have been the season’s zaniest contest.

After major rallies in the first & fifth innings saw American exit the opening half of the contest up 12-0, Quaker State scored THIRTEEN times in their turn at bat in the sixth inning, and in doing so became the first team in N.B.B.O. history to erase a twelve-run deficit.

Here was how the bottom of the sixth unfolded:

• LEADOFF: N. Howard – Base on Balls by F. Westwood (stole 2B, scored)
• BATTER 2: C. Thyregod – Single to RCF of F. Westwood (scored)
• BATTER 3: J. Forrest – Base on Balls by F. Westwood, (scored, WP during at-bat allowed 1 run)
• BATTER 4: G. Cooper – 1-run Single between 1B & 2B off F. Westwood (scored)
• BATTER 5: A. Richards – Reached via error by SS V. Hansen that allowed 1 run (scored)
• BATTER 6: R. Saucier – Sacrifice Bunt moved runners to 2B & 3B
• BATTER 7: J. Near – Reached via error by 1B W. Rich (scored)
• BATTER 8: F. Branch – 3-run Double to LCF off F. Westwood (stole 3B, scored)
• BATTER 9: R. Mullett – Base on Balls by F. Westwood (scored)
• BATTER 10: N. Howard – 1-run Infield Single off F. Westwood (scored)
• BATTER 11: C. Thyregod – Hit by Pitch from F. Westwood (scored)
• BATTER 12: J. Forrest – 2-run Single past 2B off F. Westwood (WP during at-bat allowed 1 run)
• BATTER 13: G. Cooper – Reached via Fielder’s Choice at 2B (scored)
• BATTER 14: A. Richards – Base on Balls by H. Kessler (scored)
• BATTER 15: R. Saucier – Reached via error by SS V. Hansen that allowed 1 run (scored)
• BATTER 16: O. Collins (PH) – Single between 1B & 2B off H. Kessler, error by RF D. Pruitt allowed 1 run
• BATTER 17: F. Branch – Bound out to RF (PB during at-bat allowed 1 run)
• TOTAL: 17 Batters, 13 Runs, 6 Hits, 4 Errors, 4 Walks, 2 Passed Balls, 2 Wild Pitches

One would think that allowing a thirteen-run rally to erase a dozen-run deficit would have put American out to pasture for the afternoon. However, American leveled the score at 13-13 in the top of the eighth before scoring four times in the top of the ninth to win 17-13.

The game was a fine microcosm of Quaker State’s season to date. The team has plenty of talent on its senior roster, but they have been utterly unable to turn it into positive results. The loss put Quaker St. at 24-37 – a disappointing record for them but still a marked improvement over where they were on July 1, which was a putrid 14-27.

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HARLEM CRUSHES MUTUAL; TAKES COMMANDING N.Y.C. LEAD
N.Y.C. LEADERS SCORE 11 IN BOTTOM OF THE 1ST EN ROUTE TO 25-4 WIN

NEW YORK CITY (July 30, 1863) – It was all smiles in Mount Morris Square on Thursday, as Harlem B.B.C. destroyed visiting Mutual to take a commanding four-game lead in the New York City Championship with just eight games to go:

The hosts wasted absolutely zero time in securing the result, scoring eleven runs on eight hits and a shocking eight Mutual fielding errors in the bottom of the first inning. Harlem could have loafed on in from there, but instead they scored fourteen more runs in their season-best 25-4 victory which featured a season-high 27 hits.

The middle of the Harlem lineup was simply extraordinary, with 3-4-5 men in the order leading the charge:

• Luther Etherington (3B) – 5/7 (all Singles), 5 R, 3 RBI
• Milton Eckhart (LF): 5/6, 2B, 3B, 5 R, 4 RBI, 8 TB
• Wilson Clarke (CF): 4/5, 2B, 2 R, 6 RBI, 1 SB, 5 TB
• 3-4-5 BATTERS: 14/18, 2 2B, 3B, 12 R, 13 RBI, 1 SB, 18 TB

The victory allowed pitcher Vern Nelson to match teammate Clydesdale Jackson with twenty Wins on the season, making them the only set of teammates in the N.B.B.O. with twenty Wins apiece.

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43 RUNS, 45 HITS, & A CYCLE IN UTICA!
FLOUR CITY CONTINUES TREND OF HAVING MOST EXCITING GAMES IN N.B.B.O.

UTICA, N.Y. (July 30, 1863) – Flour City B.B.C. has been the most exciting team in the N.B.B.O. during the 1863 season, and their contest at Utica on Thursday proved no different – a game in which runs, hits, & achievements were in no short supply:

The above fails to capture the full scope of excitement on display in Roscoe Conkling Field. The game saw the following:

• Forty-three total runs
• Forty-five total hits
• Fourteen Extra-Base hits
• Three Home Runs
• Two Players with five hits
• Eight players with three or more hits
• One player hit for the Cycle

First off is the history that was made in the game. The Cycle did not go to F.C, but instead was achieved by a Utica player: Charles Haynes, an 1862 All-Star who entered the game hitting .331 with 36 R.B.I. He hit a triple in the first inning, a single in the third, a double in the sixth, and an incredible three-run Inside the Park Home Run with two out in the bottom of the ninth to become the second player this year, and the eighth in N.B.B.O. history, to bat for the Cycle. It was not Utica’s day as a team, but Haynes’ star turn will reduce the sting a bit.

There were eight players who finished the game with three or more hits:

• Flour City: James Hoyt (RF), Art Mauser (2B), Jorgen Niebuhr (3B), James Pennington (CF)
• Utica: Ed Brown (SS), Martin Elson (C), Fred Fowler (LF), Charles Haynes (CF)

Out of those eight players, one had four hits – the aforementioned Haynes – and two F.C. players finished with five: Hoyt & Pennington.

• James Hoyt: 5/7, 2 2B, 4 R, 2 RBI, 7 TB
• James Pennington: 5/7 (all Singles), 4 R, 0 RBI, 1 SB

It was also a rare game in that both teams hit Home Runs. Flour City’s William McQuaid (SS) hit their Home Run in the top of the second inning, while Utica hit two – one by Wyatt Flanders (1B) in the fourth inning and Haynes’ dramatic, Cycle-clinching, Inside the Park effort in the ninth.

This is not even close to the only recent Flour City contest that has featured copious amounts of offensive output. Their last three games have seen both teams score ten or more runs, and such outcomes have occurred in eight of F.C’s 23 July games.

Why such gigantic scorelines? With little over a week to play, second-place Flour City is set to become the first team in N.B.B.O. history to lead their league in runs while also allowing the most runs. Their offense leads the N.Y.L. in:

• Runs Scored: 560 (8.9 p/g) – Atlantic in 2nd at 503
• Batting Average: .332 – Syracuse in 2nd at .321
• Doubles: 139 – Syracuse in 2nd at 138
• Triples: 51 – Gotham in 2nd at 50
• On-Base %: .367 – Atlantic in 2nd at .356
• Slugging %: .442 – Gotham in 2nd at .413
• On-Base + Slugging: .809 – Syracuse in 2nd at .757
• Batting W.A.R: 11.7 – Orange in 2nd at 9.5

Such a dominant attack has always seen a team finish in first place, but Flour City’s pitching and defense combined are easily the worst in the N.Y.L:

• Runs Allowed: 520 (8.3 p/g) – Syracuse is next at 486
• Team E.R.A: 5.15 – Syracuse is next at 4.81
• Opponents’ AVG: .338 – Syracuse is next at .320
• Opponents’ OBP: .376 – Utica is next at .353
• Opponents’ SLG: .434 – Utica is next at .421
• Opponents’ OPS: .810 – Utica is next at .774
• Complete Games: 20 – Syracuse is next at 25
• Hits Allowed: 836 – Utica is next at 791
• H.R. Allowed: 15 – Union of Morrisania is next at 14
• Bases on Balls: 142 – Bedford is next at 129
• W.H.I.P: 1.74 – Syracuse is next at 1.59
• W.P.A: -24.6 – Eagle is next at -22.6

The Flour City defenders’ fielding also ranks in the bottom third of the N.Y.L.

What truly makes Flour City’s 1863 season perhaps the strangest in N.B.B.O. history is that, unlike the previous layout of Niagara’s Greater New York Sporting Grounds, Flour City’s home of Riverside Park is only a moderate Hitter’s Park by N.B.B.O. standards. They employ a collection of excellent hitters – only one regular is batting under .300 – who are largely mediocre at fielding, and a group of pitchers whose performance has been simply dreadful. The result has been a team that has given the spectators their money’s worth nearly every afternoon, but one that has not been able to gather together enough positive results to take command of the Upstate Championship.

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N.E.L. TAKES ALL-STAR GAME 6-3
SUSQUEHANNA’S WILLIE DAVIS TAKES HOME M.V.P. HONORS

NEW YORK CITY (Aug. 3, 1863) – The fifth National Base Ball Organization All-Star Game took place on Monday afternoon at the Elysian Fields, with the Northeastern League coming out on top 6-3 thanks to a four-run rally in the top of the seventh inning.

Starting lineups for game were as follows:

NORTHEASTERN LEAGUE

• Thomas Hines (P, Port Jersey), Joe Feuerstein (C, Portland), Maurice Thyne (1B, Cantabrigians), Leslie Arnett (2B, Merrimack Mills), Samuel Kessler (3B, Sons of the Ocean), Edward Donovan (LF, Port Jersey), Doc Matheson (CF, Sportsman’s), Konrad Jensen (RF, St. John’s)

NEW YORK LEAGUE

• Jim Creighton (P, Excelsior), Martin Elson (C, Utica), John Bateman (1B, Syracuse), Art Mauser (2B, Flour City), Joseph Dalton (3B, Gotham), Edward Huntley (SS, Orange), Nik Madsen (LF, Nassau Co.), Taliesin Buckley (CF, Gotham), James Hoyt (RF, Flour City)

Many of the All-Star starters struggled to put bat to ball – there were zero runs over the first five innings – so it was up to the All-Star reserves to decide which league would take home the bragging rights. Enter Susquehanna’s two-time Batsman of the Year Willie Davis, an awfully nice backup outfielder to have sitting on the bench waiting for his chance to shine. Davis entered the game for Konrad Jensen in the sixth inning and proceeded to hit two singles in three at-bats, capping off the N.E.L’s decisive four-run rally in the seventh inning with a two-run single. Davis also scored twice, and his efforts earned him the M.V.P. honor.

Attendance was 15,292, making All-Star Game V another successful afternoon for New York City charities, with $1,529.20 taken at the box office plus other donations. All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon for the sport of base ball.

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CRIEGHTON TAKES FIRST TRIPLE CROWN!
EXCELSIOR’s YOUNG STAR SET NUMEROUS N.B.B.O. RECORDS IN 1863

BROOKLYN (Aug. 10, 1863) – The 1863 National Base Ball Organization season ended yesterday afternoon, and with it Excelsior B.B.C’s young superstar pitcher, Jim Creighton, has been written into the record books for numerous achievements.

Creighton’s 1863 from the Pitcher’s Area for Excelsior:

26-4, 2.29 ERA, 173 ERA+, 302.0 IP, 27 CG, 2 SHO, 28 BB, 69 K, 1.02 WHIP, 2.5 K/BB, 7.0 WAR, 12.4 RA9-WAR

Creighton led the entire N.B.B.O. in Wins, Starter’s E.R.A, & Strikeouts, making him not only the first pitcher to win his league’s Pitching “Triple Crown” but the first to lead the entire N.B.B.O. simultaneously over the course of a season. Nobody has yet to win the Batting “Triple Crown”, which demands a batsman lead his league in Average, Home Runs, & R.B.I.

That was not the only history Creighton made in 1863, as he set new N.B.B.O. in numerous starting pitcher’s categories:

• HITS/9: 8.34 – previously 8.88 by Henry Harding (EMP) in 1858
• WHIP: 1.02 – previously 1.12 by Grover Wright (K.C.) in 1861
• OPP. AVG: .239 – previously .248 by Frank Freitag (SHA) in 1862
• OPP. OBP: .262 – previously .275 by Grover Wright (K.C.) in 1861
• OPP. OPS: .566 – previously .571 by Rollie Rogers (N.C.) in 1858
• PITCHING WAR: 7.0 – previously 6.9 by Grover Wright (NIA) in 1862
• RA9-WAR: 12.6 – previously 10.8 by Grover Wright (K.C.) in 1861

Those new records are in addition to the records Creighton currently holds for Strikeouts in a season (73 in 1862) & Strikeouts per Nine Innings (2.23/9 in 1862). He barely missed beating the Starter’s E.R.A. record, currently belonging to Syracuse’s William Huitema with a 2.25 mark over 312 innings in 1861.

It was thought by many observers when Creighton joined the Excelsior club in 1860 that he had such an abundance of natural talent that it would only be a matter of time that he would become the sport’s premier pitcher. In 1863, Creighton has turned that prophecy into reality.

A signed Jim Creighton picture,
taken from here

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THE 1863 CUP FIELD IS SET!
FIVE OF SIX REGIONAL CHAMPIONS ARE MAKING THEIR POST-SEASON DEBUTS

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 10, 1863) – Another season of play in the National Base Ball Organization has come to its end, and for as much parity as there was across the competition during the first half of the season most of the regional championships saw a lot of separation between the best and the rest over the final seven weeks of action. At the midway mark four of the six championships saw first and second place only one game apart, but in the end three were decided by five or more games and none of the six saw the second-place team closer than three games behind first.

After the first seven weeks there was one team that was on a pace to win fifty of seventy games, and in the end there were two, with both going 50-20 on the season. Only one of the 48 teams had less than a .400 winning percentage after seven week, but in the end that number rose to eight. Of the six regional champions, half ended their season by winning eight or nine of their last ten games. Competition-wide, it was a tale of two very different halves to the season.

BROOKLYN – There was no second half collapse for Excelsior this season, and as a result they are playing for the cup for the first time. They were 25-10 with a five-game lead at the halfway point, and they finished the season 48-22 with Kings County seven games back in second place. Their offense could only find a place atop the bottom third of the N.Y.L, but it did not matter when Jim Creighton had the ball.

NEW YORK CITY – Thanks to a 24-11 second half to the season, Harlem B.B.C. is playing extra base ball for the first time, besting the combination of Gotham & Orange by four games each to become N.Y.C. champions. They were led by three All Stars: Jackson Butler (SS), Wilson Clark (CF), & Clydesdale Jackson (P).

UPSTATE – Niagara pulled away from the Upstate pack with a 26-9 second half – best in the N.Y.L. – to reach cup play for the first time. Thanks to the new field at the Greater N.Y. Sporting Grounds the star pitching duo of Bernard Schmidt & Grover Wright was borderline invincible, and veteran stars like Joseph Bentley found their groove at the perfect time. Flour City was never able to fix their pitching issues, and Binghamton actually snuck by them to finish in second place.

COASTAL – Port Jersey, like Niagara, used a 26-9 second half to win fifty games and become Coastal champions for the first time, seeing off a tough challenge from Shamrock. Both pitchers – Lanny Buchanan & Thomas Hines – won 20+ games, and they had two batsmen hit better than .350: 1862 All-Star Boudewijn Mulder and All-Star newcomer Edward Donovan.

INLAND – Merrimack Mills & Sportsman’s were only a game apart entering August, but Merrimack won five of their last six games to take their first Inland pennant by three games over Sportsman’s – yet another team making their postseason debut. They were led by a trio of All-Stars: Leslie Arnett (2B), Alexander Hedrick (OF), & Leroy Weld (3B). Four-time champs Allegheny finished seventh at 27-43.

NEW ENGLAND – It looked like 1863 might FINALLY be the year that St. John’s would be taken down in the New England Championship, but after Green Mountain led the N.E.C. by one game after seven weeks St. John’s ripped off an absurd 28-7 second half to take yet another New England pennant by seven games and finish as the N.B.B.O’s other 50-20 team. John McGowan led the N.E.L. in wins for the fifth season in a row and won 20+ games for the sixth season running. Outfielders Konrad Jensen & Nelson Townsend both finished the season batting over .375. They were one run away from scoring 600+ runs as a team for the second time.

With the playoffs set to begin it is important to remember that there are no playoff series this year, with one ten-game group final taking place instead. This came about due to dissent from clubs in the tougher regional championships last offseason, and the irony of it is that if there were playoffs this season the Shamrock Club would have finally earned the #1 seed they were claiming they had been unfairly denied by virtue of playing in the Coastal Championship.

Here are the entrants in order of record:

THE 1863 TUCKER-WHEATON CUP

• COASTAL CHAMPIONS: Port Jersey Baseball Club (50-20, +133 runs)
• BROOKLYN CHAMPIONS: Excelsior Base Ball Club (48-22, +93 runs)
• UPSTATE CHAMPIONS: Niagara Base Ball Club (46-24, +142 runs)
• NEW YORK CITY CHAMPIONS: Harlem Base Ball Club (46-24, +79 runs)
• INLAND CHAMPIONS: Merrimack Mills Baseball Club (44-26, +102 runs)

FORMAT: Each team plays every other team twice, for a total of ten games. The team with the best record wins the cup. Extra games will be played if there is a tie for 1st. Head-to-Head record and Run Differential will be used as tiebreakers to determine other positions in the case of identical record.

Given how well the six regional champions played at the end of the season – St. John’s was 9-1, Merrimack & Niagara were 8-2, Excelsior was 7-3, Harlem & Port Jersey were 6-4 – one can expect to see the highest level of performance on display over the next week and a half.

The Writers Pool has been asked their collective opinion of what they expect of this year’s cup competition, and they have the teams in the following order:

• #1: St. John’s (50-20, 28-7 2nd half, 9-1 Last 10)
• #2: Port Jersey (50-20, 26-9 2nd half, 6-4 Last 10)
• #3: Excelsior (48-22, 23-12 2nd half, 7-3 Last 10)
• #4: Niagara (46-24, 26-9 2nd half, 8-2 Last 10)
• #5: Harlem (46-24, 24-11 2nd half, 6-4 Last 10)
• #6: Merrimack Mills (44-26, 22-13 2nd half, 8-2 Last 10)

All that is left is for the six teams to play ball.

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1863 T.W.C: THE DEBUTANTES’ BALL
FIVE OF SIX TEAMS TAKING PART IN POSTSEASON PLAY FOR THE FIRST TIME

NORTHEAST U.S.A. (Aug. 1863) – The 1863 Tucker-Wheaton Cup was the second edition to feature the Round Robin format, but it looked significantly different from last year’s competition as five of the six teams to play for the cup – Excelsior, Harlem, Merrimack Mills, Niagara, & Port Jersey – had won their regional championships for the first time.

Of the five teams experiencing their first year of postseason base ball, Port Jersey was the best of the bunch. They were 15-5 on June 1st and never faded, finishing 1863 as one of two teams to go 50-20 over the course of the season. The Jersey City outfit was led by a trio of All-Stars: Edward Donovan (OF; .384, 1 HR, 61 RBI, 3.3 WAR), Willard Krone, (2B; .336, 4 HR, 48 RBI, 2.3 WAR), and Thomas Hines (P; 22-9, 2.96 ERA, 2 SHO, 4.7 WAR).

Excelsior B.B.C. was the playoff debutante that general base ball observers were most looking forward to seeing. It was obvious why this was the case: superstar pitcher Jim Creighton, who led the entire N.B.B.O. in wins (26), E.R.A. (2.29), strikeouts (69), and W.A.R. (7.0) while setting numerous records, and he did all as a phenomenal 22-year-old.

Niagara was playing for the cup thanks to a 26-9 second half spearheaded by the most talented pitching duo in the N.B.B.O: Bernie Schmidt (22-9, 3.00 ERA, 2 SHO, 5.1 WAR) & Grover Wright (19-10, 3.35 ERA, 6.1 WAR). Harlem was making their maiden cup voyage thanks to the pitching of steady veteran hand Clydesdale Jackson (21-12, 2.69 ERA, 5.8 WAR) and star batsmen Wilson Clark (CF; .341, 49 RBI, 33 SB, 2.3 WAR) & Jackson Butler (SS; .349, 1 HR, 58 RBI, 2.4 WAR). Merrimack Mills made it thanks to a lineup that led the N.E.L. in average (.327) & O.P.S. (.783) that was led by All-Stars Alexander Hedrick (LF; .392, 3 HR, 64 RBI, 2.8 WAR) & Leroy Weld (3B; .384, 2 HR, 50 RBI, 3.3 WAR).

Of course, the other team vying for the cup was the undisputed kings of New England: St. John’s, who won 28 of their last 35 games to become the other team to finish 50-20. They led the N.E.L. in runs (599) & stolen bases (187) while John McGowan led the league in wins (24) for the fifth year running. St. John’s entered the 1863 T.W.C. as the favorites thanks to their torrid second half, but could one of the five new entrants take the cup instead?


1863 TUCKER WHEATON CUP STANDINGS

TEAM		W	L	GB	 R	RA	 RD
ST. JOHN’S	9	1	--	77	53	+24
HARLEM		6	4	 3	57	46	+11
MERRIMACK	5	5	 4	63	65	-2
EXCELSIOR	5	5	 4	67	71	-4
NIAGARA		3	7	 6	54	61	-7
PORT JERSEY	2	8	 7	61	83	-22
Merrimack won both games against Excelsior

M.V.P: Archie Mask (CF, EXC) – .435 AVG (20/46), 1.043 OPS, 6 2B, 1 3B, 11 R, 10 RBI, 5 SB, 1.47 WPA, 4x P.o.t.G.

Not a chance. St. John’s did whatever they wanted to against the best the N.B.B.O. had to offer, scoring 77 runs and outscoring the opposition by 2.4 runs per game while stealing an absurd forty bases over the ten gamedays of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. Add their 9-1 record to their 28-7 second half and St. John’s was 37-8 over the final 45 games of 1863.

It looked for a while like St. John’s might receive a fierce challenge for the cup from New York City champions Harlem, who went 4-1 over the first five games. However, they faded over the second half of the competition and finished 6-4.

Port Jersey, Coastal champions and joint leaders of the N.B.B.O. with St. John’s at 50-20, had a terrible time at the Tucker-Wheaton Cup, finishing 2-8 and only winning one game before they were eliminated from cup contention.

Jim Creighton, easily the N.B.B.O’s marquee pitcher during the season, struggled in his first taste of postseason baseball, going 3-4 with a 4.26 E.R.A. and just half a dozen strikeouts over 50.2 innings for Excelsior.

Speaking of Excelsior, they ended up with the cup M.V.P, the second year in a row it went to a losing player. Archie Mask was the only four-time Player of the Game in the competition. He was one of three players with twenty or more hits, and he led all position players in both W.A.R. at 0.7 and W.P.A. at 1.47. St. Johns’ cup win was more of a team effort, as nobody hit .400 and nobody drove in ten or more runs.


GAMEDAY ONE

P.J. 6-10 STJ – P.o.t.G: Nelson Townsend (LF, STJ) – 3/5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB
EXC 7-6 NIA – P.o.t.G: Archie Mask (CF, EXC) – 4/5, 2B, 2 R, SB
HAR 7-3 M.M. – P.o.t.G: Clydesdale Jackson (P, HAR) – CG, 10 HA, 3 R/ER, 2 K

Gameday One started in Providence with the two best teams in the N.B.B.O. squaring off. St. John’s controlled the proceedings – the hosts scoring ten times over the first five innings before allowing two consolation runs to Port Jersey in their 10-6 win. The outfield trio of Townsend, Johnson, & Jensen all had multiple hits and R.B.I.

Excelsior vs Niagara was expected to be a duel between mighty Jim Creighton and Bernard Schmidt, but the two allowed fifteen hits each in an exciting affair that was decided when Excelsior’s Willie Smith scored on a passed ball in the top of the ninth inning.

Harlem wasted little time in securing victory at Merrimack Mills. The N.Y.C. champs scored five times in the top of the first inning, and that was more than enough as Clydesdale Jackson made sure the hosts stayed at arm’s length.


GAMEDAY TWO

EXC 6-11 STJ – P.o.t.G: Anderson MacGyver (2B, STJ) – 3/4, 2B, 2 R, RBI, SB
NIA 6-7 M.M. – P.o.t.G: Alexander Hedrick (RF, M.M.) 3/5, R, 3 RBI
P.J. 4-8 HAR – P.o.t.G: Harold Severson (RF, HAR) – 3/5, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI

St. John’s opened Gameday Two with a hard-fought win at home against Excelsior. With the game level at 6-6 going into the bottom of the eighth the hosts pulled off a five-run rally capped by Leo Pfeiffer’s two-run double, and that was that.

In Lowell, Merrimack Mills made up for the disappointment of Gameday One with a walk-off victory against Niagara. In the bottom of the ninth, P.o.t.G. Alexander Hedrick came up with Leslie Arnett on second and one out against Grover Wright and singled to give Merrimack the win.

For the second game in a row Harlem scored five times in the first inning to quickly secure their victory. This time the victims were Port Jersey, with Harold Severson’s two-run home run sending Harlem on their way to another win.


GAMEDAY THREE

STJ 6-1 M.M. – P.o.t.G: Anderson MacGyver (2B, STJ) – 2/4, 3 R, 3 SB
HAR 4-7 NIA – P.o.t.G: Reno Stegeman (1B, HAR) – 4/4, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
EXC 12-5 P.J. – P.o.t.G: Archie Mask (CF, EXC) – 4/6, 2B, 3 R, RBI, SB

St. John’s had an easy time of it in their victory at Merrimack Mills. Anderson MacGyver was the star of the show, as he stole three bases and scored three runs while John McGowan pitched a stress-free complete game.

Niagara was in control from the second inning on at home against Harlem. After scoring twice in the bottom of the second, the hosts ran the lead up to 7-2 before Harlem first baseman Reno Stegeman hit a consolation home run in the eighth.

Excelsior had a field day at Port Jersey, racking up a dozen runs on 23 hits against the struggling Coastal champions. Archie Mask was P.o.t.G, but Wesley Leone, Willie Smith, Ruby Watson, & John Williams also had three hits each.


GAMEDAY FOUR

STJ 9-15 P.J. – P.o.t.G: Willard Krone (2B, P.J.) – 3/6, 2B, 3 R, RBI
NIA 10-11 EXC (11 Inn.) – P.o.t.G: Archie Mask (CF, EXC) – 3/5, 2 2B, R, 2 RBI, 2 SB
M.M. 3-5 HAR – P.o.t.G: Wilson Clark (CF, HAR) – 2/4, R, RBI, SB

Port Jersey took their first win of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup by running fourteen men across home plate over the first three innings against previously undefeated St. John’s, chasing hapless starter Joe Griffin out of the contest in the process. The hosts allowed nine runs after that, but they were never in danger of being caught.

In Brooklyn, an error by Barney Fisher in the bottom of the eleventh allowed in the winning run as Excelsior beat Niagara 11-10. The batter on the play was Archie Mask, an unlikely postseason hero who has racked up three P.o.t.G. awards over the first four days of Tucker-Wheaton Cup competition.

Harlem took the honors in a close contest at home against Merrimack Mills. The visitors scored a run in the top of the seventh inning to make the score 4-3 but Harlem got the run back to make it 5-3, and that was all they needed.


GAMEDAY FIVE

M.M. 9-7 NIA (11 Inn.) – P.o.t.G: Joseph Bentley (2B, NIA) – 4/5, 2B, 3B, 2 R, RBI, SB
HAR 7-4 P.J. – P.o.t.G: Wilson Clark (CF, HAR) – 2/5, 3 R, RBI, 3 SB
STJ 6-5 EXC – P.o.t.G: John McGowan (P, STJ) – CG, 10 HA, 5 R, 3 ER, 2/2, 1 RBI

Merrimack Mills at Niagara was an exciting contest, with the score 6-6 after nine innings. Merrimack came to bat in the top of the eleventh and plated runners with three separate run-scoring singles – the three runs being enough to gain the victory in Buffalo despite the best efforts of star infielder Joseph Bentley.

Harlem used a four-run rally in the fifth inning, the key hit being a two-run double by Jackson Butler, to get the best of Port Jersey. They received a P.o.t.G. performance from Wilson Clark, with two hits from Al Glickman & Reno Stegeman as well.

St. John’s at Excelsior had a plethora of late drama. The visitors were up 5-2 after the top of the eighth, but Excelsior leveled the score thanks to singles by Doire McDonald and Ruby Watson. Unfortunately for Excelsior, a wayward delivery by Jim Creighton in the top of the ninth allowed Lennart Maier to score, and St. John’s were the victors.

The standings after Gameday Five of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup were as follows:

TEAM		W	L	GB	 R	RA	 RD
HARLEM		4	1	--	31	21	+10
ST. JOHN’S	4	1	--	42	33	+9
EXCELSIOR	3	2	 1	41	38	+3
MERRIMACK	2	3	 2	23	31	-8
NIAGARA		1	4	 3	36	38	-2
PORT JERSEY	1	4	 3	34	46	-12

St. John’s and surprising Harlem were the class of the first half of the Tucker-Wheaton Cup. Jim Creighton had the credit for all three of Excelsior’s wins, with much help from Archie Mask. Merrimack Mills was doing okay, Niagara had been unlucky, and Port Jersey was showing none of the form that had made them one of the N.B.B.O’s two 50-20 teams.


NOTE: The schedule got wonky after this point, and I'm not sure why...

GAMEDAY SIX

NIA 2-3 STJ (11 Inn.) – P.o.t.G: Konrad Jensen (RF, STJ) – 3/4, R, RBI, BB, SB
P.J. 4-13 M.M. – P.o.t.G: Lewis Knott (1B, M.M.) – 3/5, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
M.M. 1-3 NIA – Grover Wright (P, NIA) – CG, 9 HA, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 K

The second half of the cup opened with Niagara suffering their fourth one-run loss, and second in extra innings. Bernard Schmidt did well to hold St. John’s to a pair of runs over nine innings, but Niagara could only match that and a William Johnson single in the bottom of the eleventh was the difference.

Merrimack Mills hammered Port Jersey with multiple runs in the second, third, sixth, & eighth in their 13-4 win. Four players had multiple hits, and Port Jersey’s cup run was left in tatters.

Port Jersey then had to play again against Niagara and the result was another loss to drop them to 1-6, with Niagara finally being on the positive end of a close game.


GAMEDAY SEVEN

STJ 7-5 HAR – P.o.t.G: Collin Henderson (1B, STJ) – 3/5, R, 2 RBI
M.M. 8-5 EXC – P.o.t.G: Silvestro Masci (CF, M.M.) – 2/4, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
P.J. 13-6 M.M. – P.o.t.G: Johnny Pendergrass (RF, P.J.) – 2/5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI

St. John’s took the battle of the two one-loss teams, securing the result with a two-run eighth inning that pushed their lead over Harlem to 7-1. Harlem mounted a late rally, but John McGowan and the St. John’s defense held firm in the ninth.

Merrimack Mills at Excelsior turned late, with the visitors able to take six runs off Jim Creighton over the final three innings to turn a 5-2 deficit into an 8-5 win. Silvestro Masci’s 2-run single in the top of the eighth was the game’s big hit.

Port Jersey finally showed off some of that fifty-win form in their big win over Merrimack Mills, scoring six times in the first inning and keeping the offense going from there in a result that was much-needed for morale, if nothing else.


GAMEDAY EIGHT

EXC 7-6 HAR – P.o.t.G: Archie Mask (CF, EXC) – 3/5, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
STJ 11-3 NIA – P.o.t.G: Nelson Townsend (LF, STJ) – 4/6, 2B, 2 R, RBI, 4 SB
HAR 4-5 STJ – P.o.t.G: Albert Glickman (2B, HAR) – 3/4, 2 R, RBI, SB

Harlem opened Gameday Eight with a chance to keep close to St. John’s, but a three-run seventh by Excelsior led by yet more clutch hitting from Archie Mask, who earned his fourth P.o.t.G. award of the cup, brought the hosts down to level in the standings with Excelsior at 4-3.

With Harlem having faltered, a win could give St. John’s their third Tucker-Wheaton Cup. They dutifully came through with a dominant 11-3 win in which they stole half a dozen bases without being caught and basically tortured the Niagara defense. It was a classic St. John’s performance.

St. John’s then played again and rubbed salt in everyone else’s wounds by beating Harlem on a run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth to run their cup record to 8-1.

The standings after St. John’s clinched the cup on Gameday Eight:

TEAM		W	L	 GB	 R	RA	 RD
ST. JOHN’S	8	1	--	68	47	+21
EXCELSIOR	4	3	3	53	52	+1
HARLEM		4	4	3.5	46	40	+6
MERRIMACK	4	4	3.5	50	53	-3
NIAGARA		2	6	5.5	44	53	-9
PORT JERSEY	2	6	5.5	52	68	-16

GAMEDAY NINE

NIA 9-5 P.J – P.o.t.G: Lewis O’Reilly (3B, P.J) – 4/5, 2B, 2 R, RBI
EXC 3-7 M.M. – P.o.t.G: Silvestro Masci (CF, M.M.) – 3/5, 2B, 2 R, RBI, SB
NIA 1-3 HAR – P.o.t.G: Harold Severson (RF, HAR) – 3/4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, SB

Gameday Nine started with a battle between the two worst teams. Niagara & Port Jersey combined for 31 hits, but Niagara won the day thanks to four runs in the top of the first and five more in the top of the fifth.

Merrimack guaranteed a .500 cup run with a solid 7-3 home win against Jim Creighton and Excelsior, with Silvestro Masci leading the way for the second time in the last three games.

Harlem beat a punchless Niagara team thanks to some fine batsmanship by Harold Severson, and in the process guaranteed their own .500 cup run while ending Niagara’s T.W.C. at 3-7.


GAMEDAY TEN

P.J. 4-6 EXC – P.o.t.G: Willie Smith (1B, EXC) – 3/4, 2B, 3B, 2 R, RBI
HAR 8-5 EXC – P.o.t.G: Reno Stegeman (1B, HAR) – 3/5, 2 2B, 3 R, RBI
M.M. 6-9 STJ – P.o.t.G: William Johnson (STJ) – 3/5, 2 R, RBI, SB

Excelsior opened the last day of play by scoring four times in the bottom of the eighth inning to relegate Port Jersey, one of the N.B.B.O’s two 50-20 teams, to a last-place finish in the Tucker-Wheaton Cup at 2-8

Harlem closed out their 1863 Tucker-Wheaton Cup with a three-run win at Excelsior to clinch second place, with Reno Stegeman putting in another fine performance.

St. John’s closed the Tucker-Wheaton Cup in style, stealing five bases against Merrimack Mills in a 9-6 win to finish the competition with a staggering 9-1 record and +24 run differential.

In the end, St. Johns’ big-game experience was simply too much for the gaggle of postseason newcomers, and the men from Providence were taking the cup home for the first time in five years. They were unquestionably the best team in the competition, and the team has planted their flag to lay claim as the premier club of the early days of organized base ball.