- Details
- Category: 1880s Baseball Recaps
1880 Century League Season Recap
Final Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Centennials | 59 | 26 | .694 | - |
| Chicago Chiefs | 49 | 34 | .590 | 9 |
| Cleveland Cuyahogas | 47 | 38 | .553 | 12 |
| Brooklyn Unions | 43 | 43 | .500 | 16.5 |
| Baltimore Bannermen | 43 | 43 | .500 | 16.5 |
| Detroit Woodwards | 42 | 45 | .483 | 18 |
| Boston Pilgrims | 33 | 52 | .388 | 26 |
| New York Knights | 24 | 59 | .289 | 34 |
The Milwaukee Brickers did not last one full calendar year as Century Leaguers before declaring bankruptcy. The void was promptly filled by the Baltimore Banner club, named for their club's owner and referred to in the newspapers as the Bannermen.
As the 1880 season progressed, one issue grew increasingly apparent in the Century League. Through the first five years of league play, players had moved in and out of the league (mostly out), joining - or leaving - the many barnstorming teams that were dotted across much of the eastern half of the country. For League President William Whitney, this was something that would need to be handled in the near future. This process of "rotating" by the players was bad for business as the followers of the clubs could not rely on seeing their favorite players next season.
The annual shuffling of players resulted in another shuffle of the standings table by the end of the 1880 season. Philadelphia returned to the top of the standings, going 59-26 with a cast of new faces leading the way. SS Hank Seidel led the league in hitting with a .343 average while fellow rookie John Richard (12-6, 1.67) teamed with Cleveland import Martin Tucker (25-10, 1.64) in pitching the Centennials to the league's lowest runs allowed total. Philadelphia allowed a mere 259 runs over 85 games, nearly 100 runs better than second-place Chicago's 345.
The Chiefs finished second - again - this time with a 49-34 record. Cleveland was third at 47-38. The new guys finished tied for fourth with a 43-43 mark (Brooklyn also went 43-43). Detroit (42-45) outplayed its meager payroll and Boston continued its recent downward spiral, finishing 33-52. Once again New York finished last, posting a 24-59 mark in what would turn out to be the last hurrah for the Knights franchise.
Cleveland's Edgar Kirkpatrick led the league in ERA at 1.10 while Tucker's 25 wins set the standard in that category. Tucker's 250 strikeouts also topped the circuit. Sam Sorenson of Cleveland finished second in batting with a .337 average while Baltimore's Hiram Whitman - who had been Milwaukee's best pitcher in 1879 while hitting .350, didn't pitch this season due to a dead arm, but still could hit, recording a .333 average in Baltimore's outfield.
- Details
- Category: 1880s Baseball Recaps
1881 Season Recap
The New York Knights, and their larger-than-life owner Charles Bigsby, were no longer around. The younger Bigsby (Miles), still ran the show in Brooklyn but for the first time in the short history of the Century League there would be no club playing in the nation's largest city. Filling the void in the lineup were the Providence Gems - a solid touring performer playing in what would be the league's smallest city.
Surprisingly, Providence more than held its own against the Century League's other clubs. The Gems won 49 games against 34 losses, good for a second-place tie with Philadelphia, four games behind the champion Chicago Chiefs. Providence had a potent lineup and led the league in runs scored. The Gems had a trio of potent bats: 1B Clarence Gannon (.337, 11 HRs), C Cornelius Quimby (.311 and a league-high 80 RBIs) and CF Art Penick who hit .347, good for third in the batting race. Three veteran pitchers: Lou Allerton (late of NY), Bill Dunbar (Brooklyn) and Dan Farham (Boston) kept the opposition down on most days. Still, it wasn't enough to catch the Chiefs.
Chicago won the pennant for the second time - interestingly, through six seasons, three teams (Philly, Brooklyn and Chicago) had won championships and each now had a pair of titles. The Chiefs relied largely on their stellar pitching. Young, but veteran, ace Pat Murphy (19-11, 2.73) was joined by rookies Abel Kizzie (21-8, 1.32) and Al Kiernan (14-12, 2.34) in the league's stingiest pitching staff. The offense ranked just sixth in runs scored but the overall result was a 54-31 record and the championship.
Brooklyn's Tom Dunn emerged from two seasons sitting on the bench in Cleveland to lead the league in hitting with a .388 average. He was followed by Detroit second sacker Ed Moffitt (.349) and Penick of Providence (.347). For the first time ever, two men reached double figures in homers as Gannon was joined by Boston rookie Jack Castle (10). Chicago's Kizzie led the league by a mile in ERA his 1.32 more than a half-run better than Brooklyn ace Edgar Monroe's 1.92 mark. Cleveland's Walt Lopp was third at 2.29. Rufus Riddick pitched a lot for Boston, and won 42 of his club's 45 games. He also led the league in strikeouts with 245. Apparently when you pitch 640-plus innings, you can rack up some numbers.
But as the season drew to a close, the biggest news wasn't really about any of the above - it was all about the rumors circulating that Cincinnati Monarch club owner James Tice was looking to make a splash in a big way.
- Details
- Category: 1880s Baseball Recaps
1882 Figment Baseball Season Recap
The 1882 campaign marked the dawn of a new era in professional base ball. William W. Whitney’s Century League faced its first true rival: James P. Tice’s brash, workingman-oriented Border Association. Tice, ever eager to needle his old foe, boasted of beer in the stands, Sunday games, and 25-cent tickets — all the things Whitney’s refined “gentleman’s league” forbade. Whitney dismissed it to the press as “a Suds League, froth for the idle and intemperate,” a quip gleefully repeated by sportswriters nationwide.
Despite the jab, the Border Association was no laughing matter. Tice’s league immediately raided the Century League’s rosters, luring several stars with fatter contracts and freedom from the reserve system. The Rochester Robins were hit hardest, losing shortstop Billy Ketchum to the new Pittsburgh Colts. Ketchum would thrive in the BA, ultimately finishing second in batting at .324, behind Toronto’s rookie second baseman Martin Bird (.327). The result was the first true baseball war — a battle for players, fans, and the soul of the game.
Century League Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Blue Caps | 58 | 26 | .690 | - |
| Chicago Chiefs | 49 | 36 | .576 | 9½ |
| Louisville Grays | 47 | 37 | .560 | 11 |
| Providence Planters | 40 | 44 | .476 | 18 |
| Philadelphia Centennials | 38 | 48 | .442 | 21 |
| Milwaukee Creams | 37 | 47 | .440 | 21 |
| Rochester Robins | 37 | 48 | .435 | 21½ |
| Wilmington White Caps | 32 | 52 | .381 | 26 |
Century League Highlights
- Cleveland dominated once again, finishing 58-26 behind a lethal pitching duo of Tim Akins (26-10, 1.91) and Bill Silvers (18-8, 2.70).
- Player-manager Zebulon Banks of Chicago was second in the league in batting (.347), and led in home runs (8), and RBIs (78), nearly capturing a batting triple crown.
- The Louisville Grays relied on the bat of Davy Koehler, who hit a league-best .385, and the iron arm of Jem MacCannon (24 wins, 2.27 ERA).
- Jim Durr of the Chiefs posted a 28-21 record with a 2.38 ERA, tying Cincinnati’s Edgar Shanley for the most victories in all professional baseball.
Border Association Standings
| Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Monarchs | 44 | 36 | .550 | - |
| Baltimore Bannermen | 39 | 35 | .527 | 2 |
| Toronto Provincials | 42 | 38 | .525 | 2 |
| St. Louis Brewers | 40 | 39 | .506 | 3½ |
| Pittsburgh Colts | 36 | 39 | .480 | 5½ |
| Montreal Tigers | 33 | 47 | .413 | 11 |
Border Association Highlights
- The inaugural BA pennant race was thrilling, with four teams holding first place at various points before Tice’s Cincinnati Monarchs claimed the flag at 44-36.
- Edgar Shanley (CIN) starred on the mound, winning 28 games with a sparkling 1.85 ERA and a league-best 213 strikeouts.
- Toronto rookie Martin Bird electrified fans, hitting .327 with 40 RBIs, while Billy Ketchum (PIT) justified his defection from Rochester with a .324 average.
- The Montreal Tigers endured growing pains but drew strong home crowds, establishing Canada as a viable baseball frontier.
League Leaders (Combined)
- Batting Average: Davy Koehler (LOU) – .385
- Home Runs: Zebulon Banks (CHI) & Pete Crippen (WIL) – 8
- RBIs: Zebulon Banks (CHI) – 78
- Wins: Jim Durr (CHI) & Edgar Shanley (CIN) – 28
- ERA: Bob Cantrell (PIT) – 1.46
- Strikeouts: Edgar Shanley (CIN) – 213
Storm Clouds Ahead
With the Border Association’s successful debut, professional base ball entered a new era of competition. Crowds packed ballparks from Cincinnati to Montreal, and the Bigsby brothers’ barnstorming New York Imperials loomed as the ultimate prize, courted by both leagues. By year’s end, the Bigsbys would strike an unprecedented deal: the Imperials would join the BA, while a new Century League club, the Gothams, would share the grand Bigsby Sporting Oval in 1883.
Whitney and Tice had drawn their battle lines. The first shots of the baseball war had been fired, and the 1883 season promised even greater drama.
- Details
- Category: 1880s Baseball Recaps
1883: NOVELTY NO MORE
Going into 1883, the Century League got serious about its new competition. When the Cleveland Cuyahogas pulled the plug, CL President William Whitney took the opportunity to go for the jugular by placing a replacement club in New York. This set up a direct head-to-head battle in the nation's largest metropolis between the Century League and Border Association. The new club would be called the New York Gothams and they would play at a newly-rebuilt Bigsby Oval - which just happened to be across the street from the home of the Association's New York Stars homefield, Riverside Stadium.
In theory it would be an interesting battle - the teams shared a handful of home dates, meaning the base ball fans in New York would have to choose one or the other. The Stars were probably the better team and did perform better in their pennant race than the Gothams did in the inaugural Century League campaign. The Gothams finished 40-58, not terrible, but still a seventh-place finish in an eight-team league. Only the truly dismal Baltimore Bannermen (15-83) were worse. The Stars managed a third-place finish with a 53-45 season. They also had the Association's batting champion in Daniel Brown (.381). But the New York battle, expected to be a decisive one, was more of a sideshow.
The real excitement was in the pennant races and both leagues had good ones. The Association's battle was a Missouri affair as the St. Louis Brewers battled their new in-state rivals, the Kansas City Westerns, all summer long. In the end the St. Louis club won out, finishing two games ahead of the Westerns. KC rode a stellar pitching staff headlined by Edgar Kirkpatrick (31-18, 2.29) and Sidney Horace (30-19, 1.86). But St. Louis had an ace of its own in Mike Flynn (24-9, 1.65) who led the league in ERA and a strong lineup centered on emerging star Dan Theobald (.329-17-82) who led the Association in home runs and RBIs. NY was third, Pittsburgh, with the league's best offense, was fourth at 52-45. Montreal (49-48), Cincinnati (43-53), Toronto (42-56) and the other new club - Washington, rounded out the rest of the standings table. Those Washington Capitals, though their own club history would prove to be relatively short, did have a third baseman who would play a prominent role in baseball history on their roster, though his .262 average was relatively inauspicious. His name, which will come up again later, was Oscar Featherstone.
The Century League pennant race was - in modern terms - a tie. Boston posted a 62-36 record while Chicago, by virtue of a couple of extra games, was 63-37. By the rules employed by the Century League at the time, Whitney was forced to give the championship trophy to the Boston club. This was unprecedented and the League would amend its rule book, but at the time, Boston was named champion. Brooklyn, which had been in the mix nearly to the end, was third with a 57-41 record. Detroit, recovering a bit from its financial struggles, was fourth at 58-43. Providence (50-48), Philadelphia (50-49), the Gothams (40-58) and Baltimore (terrible as mentioned earlier) rounded out the rest of the league. Brooklyn's Tom Dunn cemented a reputation as perhaps the best hitter in all the sport, hitting .396 and winning his second batting title in three seasons - his averages across those three seasons were .388, .377 and .396 and his lifetime mark was a robust .387 - and he was just 25 years old. He had spent his 21 and 22 year-old seasons with Cleveland, and garnered one at-bat in each of those seasons, without a hit. Things had certainly changed for him. Providence's Billy Crutchfield was ERA champ with a 20-11, 1.55 season and Chicago had the league's only 30-game winners in Nate Chadwick (32-19, 2.30) and Cal Ames (31-16, 2.06).
Across the country, the popularity of baseball continued to rise. And this in turn, gave rise to more professional teams. With Whitney's concept of a centralized league now proven to be not only workable, but profitable, it was not surprising that others - beyond the Border Association - were looking for ways to get in on the action.
- Details
- Category: 1880s Baseball Recaps
1884 - Big Time
1884 will be remembered as the year that baseball really started to transition from pastime to national industry. Several new leagues cropped up - all of lower caliber than either the Century League or Border Association, and all but two of them would soon disappear into the mists of time, but what would become minor league baseball got its start in 1884.
Two leagues that still exist today began that season. The names - and teams - have changed, but the newly minted Dixie League and Western Federation started in 1884. The Dixie League was, as the name would indicate, a southern-based circuit, which started with eight teams while the Western Federation was what we'd today call an Upper Midwestern-located six team circuit. Both found paying customers in locations as far north as Minnesota's Twin Cities and as far south as New Orleans. The caliber of play would probably be roughly equal to Double A, or possibly Triple A. Neither was affiliated - yet - with what we now call the Major Leagues.
Speaking of those major leagues... the third season of the Border Association saw a great pennant race and the first playoff game in baseball history. The St. Louis Brewers and Cincinnati Monarchs finished the BA's 90-game schedule with identical 64-26 records. So a single, winner-takes-all game was set up between the two. The game was played in St. Louis and the home team won a dramatic, walk-off, 10-inning game by the score of 3-2. Winning pitcher Fred Lorraine went the distance and finished up his season with stellar stat lines of 24 wins, 1.98 ERA and 213 strikeouts. The losing pitcher was even better: Cincy's David Roper won a pitching Triple Crown with his 35 wins, 1.60 ERA and 273 strikeouts. This fabulous finish gave baseball fans across the country a thrill and had folks on both sides of the still simmering war between Whitney's Century Leaguers and Tice's Border Men thinking about some sort of postseason playoff between the two circuit's champions.
The Border Association's newest members, Brooklyn and Indianapolis, finished third and fourth respectively in the standings. Kansas City, despite the league's highest traveling expenses, finished fifth with a tidy 45-45 mark. Toronto, Montreal, Pittsburgh, Washington and the New York Stars rounded out the bottom half of the standings. Montreal's Walt Harkness led the league with the BA's first .400-season, finishing with a .404 mark. Brooklyn's Ed Moffitt was second with a .373 average and KC's Lew Clancy was third at .352.
Over in the Century League, the Boston Pilgrims claimed the pennant with a solid 75-40 campaign as the CL's season continued to lengthen. Boston had a solid, all-around club, finishing third in runs scored and second in runs allowed. Chicago, again, was second and newspaper wags began referring to them as "Bridegrooms" - but that name didn't stick. Providence finished third and Philadelphia, now being ably managed by star Otis Collier, was fourth. Brooklyn, who boasted the batting champ in Tom Dunn (.367), finished fifth, followed by Detroit, New York, and the still-terrible Baltimore club.
Boston's Al Lynn led the CL in wins with 32 while Chicago's Cal Ames was second in wins and first in ERA (1.42). Team mate Nate Chadwick was second in ERA (1.56) and won 29 games of his own. Philly's potent offense featured Otis Wentworth (.351) and Dave Grigsby (.341) who were 2nd and 3rd respectively in the batting race, plus plenty of pop with Phil Goff (19 HRs), Otis Collier (18) and Cal Hoffman (18) - Goff and Collier also became the first hitters to top 100 RBIs in a season, finishing with 101 and 100 respectively. Brooklyn's Dunn just missed joining them, ending up with 98.
It wasn't all rosy though - the expansion of the BA from six teams in '82 to ten in '84 proved costly, and the Border Men cut back to eight teams with Washington and Indianapolis dropping out. The Century League also suffered some attrition from the ongoing war for players as the Detroit Woodwards finally succumbed after years of trying to stay in the black. Baltimore followed suit - the Bannermen simply could not compete. Whitney entered the winter with a six-team circuit, but wanted to get back to eight before spring rolled around.