American Baseball Congress - An OOTP13 fictional historical league
 

The American Baseball Congress is a fictional-historical league in OOTP13 that starts in 1871. All settings have been imported for 1871 and league totals will adjust each year for historical accuracy.

This is the story of the ABC as it happens. Enjoy!

January 1, 1871 - Baltimore, MD

It is 1871 and the newly invented game of baseball is taken America by storm! 8 wealthy business men from major cities from around the country are forming the American Baseball Congress with grand ideas of entertaining the great people of our country. The ABC plans to start league play in April with a 56 game schedule. Earlier today, the league announced the 8 charter baseball franchises.


First is the team that will make its home in the same city as the league headquarters, the Baltimore Canaries!




Next is the team from the Northeast, the Boston Red Stockings!




Third, will be the Buffalo Bisons!




Next up is one of out Midwestern franchises, the Chicago White Stockings!




Joining Chicago from the Midwest will be the Cincinnati Reds!




Here we have the franchise from the grand city, the New York Mutuals!




Joining the ABC from the Liberty City, we have the Philadelphia Keystones!




Finally, we have the franchise from our nation's capitol, the Washington Nationals!



The league has also announced that they will host their Inauguration Draft tomorrow, January 2, 1871 at the league headquarters in Baltimore. The teams have spent the last few weeks evaluating talent from across the country.

Ugh, it's "base ball" spleen! Get it right! ;)

January 2, 1871 - Baltimore, MD

American Baseball Congress Holds Inaugural Draft

Today, the management and ownership of the new formed American Baseball Congress came together to hold their Inaugural Draft. Aspiring ball players from round the United States traveled to Baltimore, MD several weeks ago to try out for the newly forming league. Many of these young men hope to be the next great American heroes! The owners have come together today at the historic Admiral Fell Inn on Baltimore's waterfront to conduct today's draft. The draft order was randomly drawn out of a hat. Here is a recap of the first round.


ROUND 1 RECAP

The Boston Red Stockings were lucky to draw the first overall pick. With that selection, they took LF Carl Thomas. Thomas is 26 year old right-hander from Norfolk, VA. Thomas is expected to be one of the better hitters in the league.

LF Carl Thomas
Boston Red Stockings



The Philadelphia Keystones drew the second pick in the draft and they selected CF Lyle Scott, from Los Angeles, CA. Scott is 20 years old with lots of raw talent. Many expect him to develop into one of the ABC's best left-handed hitters.

CF Lyle Scott
Philadelphia Keystones



Picking third was the New York Mutuals and they selected 24 year old CF Rob Smith from Wyoming, Michigan. Smith is another young right-handed batter that we should see at the top of the leaderboards.

CF Rob Smith
New York Mutuals



The fourth pick in the draft went to the Washington Nationals. They were the first team to select a pitcher when they selected 28 year old SP Chris Harvey. Harvey hopes to leave his life as a New York City factory worker behind as he embarks on his ABC journey.

SP Chris Harvey
Washington Nationals



Next up with the 5th pick, the Baltimore Canaries go back to back with SP and select Malik Samman from Florence, AZ. Malik is a 29 year old right-hander.

SP Malik Samman
Baltimore Canaries



Then, with the 6th overall pick in the draft, the Chicago White Stockings select the 3rd SP when they picked 28 year old Brian McFarlane from Franklin, IN.

SP Brian McFarlane
Chicago White Stockings



The Cincinnati Reds selected CF Paul Baker with the 7th pick. Baker is a left-handed 24 year old from Manhattan, New York. He expects to be a table setter at the top of Cincinnati's lineup.

CF Paul Baker
Cincinnati Reds



And the 8th and final pick of the first round goes to the Buffalo Bisons. They've selected SP Armando Moran from Arlington Heights, IL. Moran was given the nickname 'Merlin' during tryouts as he entertained the rest of the players with his dazzling magic tricks during their down time.

SP Armando 'Merlin' Moran
Buffalo Bisons


That's how the first round shaped up. The ABC Inaugural season should be getting underway some time in April. The league expects to make an announcement about the start of the season and the schedule soon.

March 15, 1871 - Baltimore, MD

ABC Schedule and Opening Day Announcement

The ABC released its Inaugural Season schedule today. Each team will play a schedule of 56 games. The games will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays each week. Each team will play each other 8 times. The first game day of the season, which has been dubbed Opening Day, will be on April 7, 1871.

SP Pedro Núñes and the Philadelphia Keystones will travel to Baltimore to face RF Tom Hamilton and his Canaries teammates.

VS


SP Pedro Núñes - Philadelphia Keystones &
RF Tom Hamilton - Baltimore Canaries


The Chicago White Stockings and 1B Duane Frye go on the road to Buffalo to face the Bisons and C Billy Werner.

VS


1B Duane Frye - Chicago White Stockings &
C Billy Werner - Buffalo Bisons


SP Jon Lewis takes the mound for the Boston Red Stockings in Washington to face the Nationals and SS Juan Madrid!


VS


SP Jon Lewis - Boston Red Stockings &
SS Juan Madrid - Washington Nationals


In the final game of the day, SP Chris Phillips and the Cinncinati Reds play in New York against SP Leonard Payne and the Mutuals.

VS


SP Chris Phillips - Cincinnati Reds &
SP Leonard Payne - New York Mutuals

April 8, 1871

American Baseball Congress Starts Inaugural Season

ABC Inaugural Opening Day Recaps:

Philadelphia Keystones - 6
Baltimore Canaries - 8

LF Irving Morgan helped the Baltimore Canaries get their first ABC season off to a good start with a win. He earned Player of the Game honors by getting 3 hits in 4 at bats, with 1 run scored and 3 runs batted in.

LF Irving Morgan - Baltimore Canaries



Chicago White Stockings - 7
Buffalo Bisons - 8

RF Barry Brown got his 1871 season off to a great start. He collected 2 hits in 4 at bats, knocking in 2 runs and scored twice helping the Buffalo Bisons to a 8-7 win. In the bottom of the 9th inning, Brown knocked in the winning run when he single scored 1B Bernie Duncan.

RF Barry Brown
Buffalo Bisons



Boston Red Stockings - 2
Washington Nationals - 10

Washington got out to a blistering start when the scored 4 runs in the 1st, 3 in the 2nd and 3 in the 3rd. SP Carlton Gallagher wins Player of the Game honors after allowing 6 hits and no earned runs in Washington's vistory.

SP Carlton Gallagher
Washington Nationals



Cincinnati Reds - 3
New York Mutuals - 5

The New York Mutuals got their inaugural campaign off to a good start with a 5-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. SP Leonard Payne gave up 2 earned runs on his way to Player of the Game honors.

SP Leonard Payne
New York Mutuals

May 1, 1871

The first month of the ABC's first season has come to a close. The Philadelphia Keystones are leading the league with a 5-2 record. Here is the rest of the standings.


Batter of the Month
Chicago White Stockings RF Charles Handford has an outstanding April. He hit .444, driving in 9 runs and scoring 9 times on his way to winning the Batter of the Month Award.

RF Charles Handford
Chicago White Stockings


Pitcher of the Month
The first ever Pitcher of the Month award has been given to Cincinnati Reds SP Chris "Punch" Phillips. Phillips put up a 1.68 ERA in his 7 starts.

SP Chris "Punch" Phillips
Cincinnati Reds

May 1, 1871

First Ever Trade Complete in the ABC

The Buffalo Bisons and the Washington Nationals have agreed to terms for the first ever trade in ABC history. The Nationals send 32 year old 2B Michael Richardson to the Bisons in exchange for 31 year old P José Martínez and 19 year old SP Chris Carter.

Richardson's first season in the ABC hasn't gone too well so far, he is hitting .236. Carter and Martínez have yet to see any action.

2B Richardson


P Martínez and P Carter

Nice graphics. :)

Thanks!!

June 1, 1871

The Boston Red Stockings sit on top of the ABC standings after the month of May with a 10-6 record.



Batter of the Month
This month's Batter of the Month Award goes to Boston Red Stockings RF Andrew Jones. Jones hit .486 for the month with 11 runs scored and knocking in 12 runs.

RF Andrew Jones
Boston Red Stockings


Pitcher of the Month
Cincinnati's Chris Phillips wins his second Pitcher of the Month Award by posting another great month in May. He went 6-3 with a 1.41 ERA.

SP Chris Phillips
Cincinnati Reds


Coming up in June...
The ABC will hold the 1871 First Year Players Draft on June 15th.

Somehow, my saved game for this league has reverted back to April 7, 1871. So, I am going to have to re-sim back to this point in the dynasty. Unfortunate.

EDIT - All posts have been 'fixed' now. Thanks.

June 15, 1871

ABC Holds Inaugural First Year Players Draft

The ABC held their first ever First Year Players Draft today at the League Headquarters in Baltimore, MD. The draft order for this year is based off of the current league standings.

The first overall pick was made by the Baltimore Canaries and they selected 18 year old SP Curtis Clark from West Des Moines, IA.

SP Curtis Clark
Baltimore Canaries


The Washington Nationals made the second selection and they picked Pasadena, TX native RF George Webber.

RF George Webber
Washington Nationals


18 year old SP David Miner was the third pick, made by the Buffalo Bisons.

SP David Miner
Buffalo Bisons


The 4th pick is SP Michael Stone. Stone is a 21 year old right hander from Malden MA.

SP Michael Stone
New York Mutuals


With the 5th pick, the Philadelphia Keystones select LF Bruce Ellis.

LF Bruce Ellis
Philadelphia Keystones


The Boston Red Stockings have selected C Al Clayton with the 6th overall pick in this year's draft.

C Al Clayton
Boston Red Stockings


The 7th pick belongs to the Cincinnati Reds and they have selected 21 year old CF Micheal Fitzpatrick from Yonkers, NY.

CF Micheal Fitzpatrick
Cincinnati Reds


And with the final pick of the first round, the Chicago White Stockings selected SP Don Mathis. Mathis is an 18 year old right-hander from San Diego, CA.

SP Don Mathis
Chicago White Stockings