The United Baseball Association: The New York Chronicle (1918)

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UNITED BASEBALL ASSOCIATION
since 1912



LEAGUE HISTORY

November 1911: William A. Willman announces the formation of the United League, a brand new baseball league that will begin play in April, 1912.

March 1912: Eight charter franchises begin play on March 30, 1912. Each team will play 126 games. The team with the best record at the end of the season will win the Presidents Cup.

January 1913: Washington Statesmen owner Hugh McKinnon files for bankruptcy. Statesmen disband and players become free to sign with any team.

February 1913: E.C. Landgraf moves Richmond Cardinals to Washinton, DC. Team renamed Washington Grays.

March 1913: League owners expel J.J. Ryan's Cincinnati Ruby Legs from United League citing "bad management and poor attendance."

October 1913: James A. Gilmore announces the "Columbia League," a new major league that will compete with the American, National, and United Leagues.

January 1914: The Columbia League and United League agree to pit the winners of each league against each other in a nine-game series known as the Presidents Cup Series. The two leagues remain separate entities but will be known collectively as the United Baseball Association.

April 1914: United Baseball Association officially begins play. Columbia League opens with franchises in Baltimore, Brooklyn, Chicago, Kansas City, Newark, and St. Louis.

April 1915: Four new teams begin play. Boston and Detroit join United League. St. Paul and Philadelphia join Columbia League. Schedule is expanded to 140 games.

October 1915: After the 1915 season, the Brooklyn franchise is sold to Gus Duke, a real estate mogul. He changes the team's name to the Brooklyn Titans.

March 1916: St. Paul Saints move to Indiana and become the Indiana Blues.

April 1916: Schedule expanded to 154 games.

March 1917: Pittsburgh Keystones sold to the Swedish Gustav Amark, a Broadway theater owner. He moves the team to Yonkers, NY and renames them the Yonkers Knights. Pittsburgh citizens, outraged at the news, demand a new team be placed in Pittsburgh.

October 1917: League officials from American League, National League, and UBA meet to discuss an exhibition match between the winners of the Presidents Cup Series and the World Series. The first game is played on October 26, with the American League's Chicago White Sox defeating the New York Gothams 7-1. They agree to play the exhibition game each year.

November 1917: Due to World War I, which was known as "The Great War" or "The War to End All Wars" at the time, players agree to a 70% pay cut. The financial landscape of the league is completely changed.

January 1918: New Minor League structure announced that will place teams across the country.

July 1918: Secretary of War Newton Baker rules that baseball is not an essential occupation and players are not exempt from the "Work or fight" rule. The regular season ends August 14, allowing the Presidents Cup Series to be finished by the September 1 deadline set by the government.

THE PRESIDENTS CUP SERIES HISTORY

Year	United League	Wins		Columbia League	Wins
1914	Reading Reds (71-55)	5		Chicago Whales (81-45)	1
1915	Washington Grays (90-50)	3		Chicago Whales 84-56)	5
1916	Chicago Orphans (96-58)	5		Philadelphia Centennials (84-70)	1
1917	New York Gothams (100-54)	5		Brooklyn Titans (97-57)	2

THE CHAMPIONS EXHIBITION HISTORY

Year	United Baseball Association			Major League Baseball
1917	New York Gothams (100-54)			Chicago White Sox (100-54)

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HALL OF CHAMPIONS

The 1912 Reading Reds



In a fantastic conclusion to the inaugural United League season, the Reading Reds ended out on top and won the 1912 Presidents Cup.

With five games to go, four teams were within two games of each other. But Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and New York could not overtake the Reds as they swept Richmond to clinch the championship.

On defense, the team was anchored by pitcher Owen Chaney who went 18-10 with a 2.77 ERA. He also led the league with 212 strikeouts.

The offense was led by Wash Teal, who won the batting title with a .356 batting average and also led the league with a .475 on base percentage and 94 runs scored.

The 1913 Pittsburgh Keystones



Finishing the season with a 74-52 record, Pittsburgh dominated the United League in 1913. They were in first for practically the entire season and really got hot at the end of the year.

One of the great stories of the 1913 season was Denis Pendleton. Pendleton was a 38-year-old pitcher who was traded from Chicago in 1912. He made little impact in that season, but came back and used his experience to dominate United League hitting.

In 26 starts, Pendleton went 20-4, becoming the first 20-game-winner of the United League. His 2.28 ERA was bested only by his teammate Carlos Burrell.

On offense, the team was led by right fielder Ferdinand Witherspoon. He topped the league with 66 RBIs, hit for a .301 average, and hit 6 home runs.

The 1914 Reading Reds



The first Presidents Cup Series took place in 1914, a match-up between the United League Pennant winners, Reading, and the Columbia League Pennant winners, the Chicago Whales. The Whales, in their first season, put together the best record in the history of the league at the time, going 81-45.

However, the Reds, who went 71-55, played extremely well in the series. After losing game one, the team went on to win the next five games. In the sixth and deciding game, Reading came back from a one run deficit in the 8th inning by scoring five runs and went on to win 9-4.

On the mound, Owen Chaney was the anchor of the rotation. Going 21-10, he had a 1.90 ERA and struck out 252 men, the most in the UBA's three year history.

On offense, it was center fielder Wash Teal. The 35-year-old hit just .252, but hit 22 doubles, 8 triples, and 7 home runs.

The 1915 Chicago Whales



The Chicago Whales were looking for revenge in 1915. In the previous season, they won more games than any other team had in the leagues short history, but played very poorly in the series and lost to the Reading Reds.

This year, the team once again won the Columbia League pennant, but took advantage of their opponent, the Washington Grays, and won in eight contests, five games to three.

The team had a great pitching staff, but was led by Mississippi native Whitey Upchurch, a 29-year-old who posted his second straight 20+ win season in his second season in the league. His 22-11 record and 227 K's were the best in the Columbia League.

The only Columbia League leader the Whales had was Connie Hayward, the team's third baseman. He led his league with 76 RBIs. But one of the team's best producers was second baseman Duck Bucher, who hit .277 but had a whopping 34 doubles, which was good for second best in the entire Association.

The 1916 Chicago Orphans

The Orphans are a perfect case of a team that was willing to be patient. They started off in 1912 finishing in last place, twenty-one games back of the first place team.

But each year, the improved a bit. In 1913, they finished in 5th place. In 1914, 4th place. In 1915, they finished in 3rd. And finally, they made the leap this year and finished with the best record out of all sixteen teams. Winning 96 games, they sat atop the United League standings as the season came to a close.

In the Presidents Cup Series, they faced off against the Philadelphia Centennials. After losing the first game, they won five straight to clinch the championship.

On offense, the team was led by Ezekiel Peel, the 27-year-old right fielder who hit .276 with 11 home runs and 79 RBI.

Their pitching staff was the best in the league. 29-game-winner Earl Ebert and 26-game-winner Harmon Putman anchored the rotation. Ebert's 1.83 ERA was second best in the league.

The 1917 New York Gothams



The 1917 New York Gothams took some big risks when the team was very aggressive in free agency, bringing in stars like pitcher Floyd Bennett and second baseman Boots Groat. They also brought in pitcher Whitey Upchurch in the middle of the season through a trade.

In the end, the team beat up on teams like Cleveland and Boston, whose combined salaries just surpassed New York's. The Gothams finished with exactly 100 wins, becoming the first team to reach that plateu in UBA history.

They faced their cross-town rivals, the Brooklyn Titans, in the 4th Presidents Cup Series. It was the first inter-city series of the league, and it definitely caused sparks between the two fan bases.

The team was down two games to one after the third game, but won the next four straight to take the title.

The team was led on offense by Boots Groat. He hit .294 and drove in 58 RBI while stealing 36 bases. On the mound, the club was led by Ed Gale as usual. The lefty finished with a 23-11 record and a league best 1.67 ERA.

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HALL OF HEROES & LEGENDS

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FRANCHISE HISTORY

Baltimore Terrapins (1914 - pres)

1914: Inaugural Season

Boston Shipbuilders (1915 - pres)

1915: Inaugural Season

Brooklyn Titans (1916 - pres)
Brooklyn Tip-Tops (1914 - 1915)

1914: Inaugural Season
1916: Brooklyn Tip-Tops sold, nickname changes to Titans
1917: Columbia League Pennant Winners
1918: Columbia League Pennant Winners

Chicago Orphans (1912 - pres)

1912: Inaugural Season
1916: Presidents Cup Champions

Chicago Whales (1914 - pres)

1914: Inaugural Season
1914: Columbia League Pennant Winners
1915: Presidents Cup Champions

Cleveland Maroons (1912 - pres)

1912: Inaugural Season

Detroit Wolverines (1915 - pres)

1915: Inaugural Season

Kansas City Packers (1914 - pres)

1914: Inaugural Season

New York Gothams (1912 - pres)

1912: Inaugural Season
1917: Presidents Cup Champions

Newark Peppers (1914 - pres)

1914: Inaugural Season

Philadelphia Centennials (1915 - pres)

1915: Inaugural Season
1916: Columbia League Pennant Winners

Reading Reds (1912 - pres)

1912: Inaugural Season
1912: Presidents Cup Champions
1914: Presidents Cup Champions

St. Louis Terriers (1914 - pres)

1914: Inaugural Season

Indiana Blues (1916 - pres)
St. Paul Saints (1915)

1915: Inaugural Season
1916: St. Paul Saints move to Indiana and become Indiana Blues

Washington Grays (1913 - pres)
Richmond Cardinals (1912)

1912: Inaugural Season
1913: Richmond Cardinals move to Washington, DC and become Washington Grays.
1915: United League Pennant Winners
1918: United League Pennant Winners

Yonkers Knights (1917 - pres)
Pittsburgh Keystones (1912 - 1916)

1912: Inaugural Season
1913: Presidents Cup Champions
1917: Pittsburgh Keystones are sold and moved to Yonkers, NY. Team changes name to Yonkers Knights.

Defunct Franchises

Cincinnati Ruby Legs (1912)

1912: Inaugural Season
1913: Team expelled from league due to poor management and bad attendance.

Washington Statesmen (1912)

1912: Inaugural Season
1913: Owner Hugh McKinnon forced to give up franchise after declaring bankruptcy.

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UNITED BASEBALL ASSOCIATION LEADERBOARD
as of Nov. 1917

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UNITED BASEBALL ASSOCIATION AWARD WINNERS

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W.A. Willan Announces United League

NEW YORK, NY. November 28, 1911 - William Abbot Willman of the Willman Railroad Co. issued a statement from the Hotel Imperial in New York City last night announcing the formation of a new baseball league that will begin play in April of 1912.

When asked where the new teams will play, Willman responded "We are currently in discussions with twelve possible franchises, but I can not make any statements on how many teams will play next season. We hope to have at least eight, but ten or twelve is a possibility."

As of today, there has not been an official reaction from the American or National Leagues.

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United League Reveals New Plans

READING, PA. January 15, 1912 - United League President W.A. Willman announced new plans for the league last night.

"Baseball is a fantastic sport. There is enough to go around for everyone," he said last night as he announced the hopes and desires of the outlaw baseball league.

"There is no such thing as too much good baseball, and good baseball as what we will offer. Does anyone really believe that the 400 players under contract to the teams of the American and National League are the only people who can play this great game? We do not want a war. We will not start a war. We will not attempt to bring players here that are already under contract with those teams. But if they start a war, we will fight it. And we will win."

"We have a lot to offer players who are not under contract. Players in the two other leagues are tied up under the reserve clause. Players in our league, after eight seasons of play, will be free to sign with any of our teams. There are thousands of players in high schools and colleges that now have more choices. Black ballplayers that are barred from the other two leagues are welcomed to sign contracts with our teams."

"We will arrange our schedule so that teams that share cities with major league clubs will play the majority of their home games while the other team is away. This means that baseball fans in those cities will get baseball nearly every day from April to September. We are in this business to bring baseball to baseball fans, and that is what we will do."

"Finally, I would like to announce the first franchise of the United League. I will own a team located in my home city of Reading. Expect more news about this team and others in the next few weeks."

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United League Meeting

NEW YORK, NY. February 17, 1912 - Yesterday, President Willman of the United League presided over a meeting between the twelve prospective owners for the new league.

Eight of the twelve men were: Jack O'Connor, Chicago; Charles White, New York; W.A Willman, Reading; High McKinnon, Washington; E.C. Landgraf, Richmond; W.L. Murphy, Cleveland; J.J. Ryan, Cincinnati; and Marshall Henderson, Pittsburgh.

Four other potential franchise owners were there but their names were not released. However, we have learned that the four men were looking to own a franchise in Brooklyn, Baltimore, Manhattan, and Buffalo.

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Eight Franchises to Begin Play in April

READING, PA. March 1, 1912 - In a bulletin released from the office of President Willman of the United League, it was announced yesterday that eight franchises will begin play in April.

The Chicago Orphans, owned by Jack O'Conner of O'Connor & Whitfield Oil.

New York Gothams, owned by Charles White of White Shipbuilders, Inc.

Reading Reds, owned by William Willman of the Willman Railroad Co.

Washington Statesmen, owned by Hugh McKinnon of McKinnon Automobiles.

Richmond Cardinals, owned by E.C. Landgraf, the son of oil baron Simon Landgraf.

Cleveland Maroons, owned by W.L. Murphy of Glover & Murphy Steel.

Cincinnati Ruby Legs, owned by J.J. Ryan, the son of Malcolm Ryan, owner of Ryan Rail Co.

Pittsburgh Keystones, owned by Marshall Henderson, a real-estate mogul.

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Cleveland May Leave United League

CLEVELAND, OH. March 10, 1912 - With just a few weeks to go before the start of the inaugural United League season, the Cleveland Maroons, owned by W.L. Murphy may not make it to opening day.

Murphy has been very quiet lately on his plans. With very limited backing, Murphy still has not been able to lease a stadium for his Maroons to play in. With many other teams already down south practicing in the warm weather, Murphy believes that going ahead with his original plans could be a financial disaster.

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United League Teams Still Need Parks

NEW YORK, NY. March 15, 1912 - With less the one half of a month left, the United League's future is looking grim. Only two teams, the Chicago Orphans and the Cincinnati Ruby Legs have secured a lease on a ballpark for the 1912 season.

With limited financial backing, most owners do not have enough capital to build their own parks. And with every single outlaw league before this ending in a colossal financial failure, ballpark owners are reluctant to lease out their fields.

President Willman will hold a press conference tomorrow to discuss the future of the league.

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United League Meeting, Owners Create Tentative Schedule

NEW YORK, NY. March 17, 1912 - Yesterday, the eight United League owners met to discuss the future of the league and the schedule for the inaugural season if it does indeed happen.

"As you all know, things aren't looking great for the United League so I will be frank with you. We need a miracle. Six of the eight teams do not currently have a home field and have two weeks to secure a lease for the 1912 season. If they fail to secure ballparks, we will have to put the league on hold indefinitely. Maybe we can come back in 1913."

Willman did not announce an exact schedule, but did mention that a tentative schedule was created. "With Cleveland not sure of their own future, we can not announce a schedule at this time."

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Anonymous Financier Injects Hundreds of Thousands into United League

NEW YORK, NY. March 21, 1912 - Last week, President Willman said that the league needed a miracle to stay alive for this season. Yesterday, he announced that they had gotten their miracle.

"I don't know what to say. We were approached by someone with a large sum of money. He told us that he believed in what we wanted to do. This man, who I promised would stay unnamed, has saved the United League. With six teams needing ballparks, our only hope was to put together enough money to build our own fields for this season and prove that we can be stable enough financially to expand the parks for next season or get a lease in a bigger stadium."

"Work has been started last night. We need another small miracle to get something put together in time for the start of the season, but we can do this."

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United League Begins Play Tomorrow in Richmond

RICHMOND, VA. March 29, 1912 - It's been a bumpy road, but the United League will begin it's inaugural season tomorrow with a game between the Cincinnati Ruby Legs and the Richmond Cardinals.

A few more details have been revealed, as well. President Willman has announced the formation of three developmental leagues that will begin play in a few weeks. This will allow teams to sign more than the nineteen active players and get them playing experience. The three teams will play in the same cities as their parent franchise.

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New League Opens Season in Richmond

RICHMOND, VA. March 31, 1912 - The United League is on its way. In the presence of 2,500 fans, the Cincinnati Ruby Legs faced off against the Richmond Cardinals at the makeshift Liberty Park.

Cincinnati manager Francisco Tracey's nine men defeated Richmond manager Greg Bax's nine men in a close 6-4 game.

With the game tied at 4-4 at the start of the 9th inning, it looked like a possible extra inning game could open up the play of the new league. But a leadoff single from Cincinnati right fielder Ambrose Dodd and then an error on a steal attempt got things started for the Ruby Legs, giving them a man on third with no outs.

A sacrifice fly from catcher Tobias Lander drove in the go ahead run, and then a two out triple and then a single drove in another, putting the team up 6-4.

In the bottom of the 9th, Cincinnati pitcher Lorenzo Dubois forced Richmond hitters to fly out three straight times, sealing the first win for the pitcher, team, and league.

The opening game for the United League was not without fanfare. League president William Willman threw out the opening pitch and made a short speech thanking the fans for giving the league a chance. Also in attendance was Richmond mayor James Delehey, who thanked President Willman for bringing quality baseball to the city.

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United League to Play 126 Games

NEW YORK, NY. March 31, 1912 - The opening day of the new league went off without a hitch yesterday. Last night, President Willman sent out a bulletin that revealed a 126-game schedule for each team. The team with the best record at the end of 126 games will win the Presidents Cup.

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Orphans Off to Slow Start, Trade Away Starting 3B

CHICAGO, IL. April 27, 1912 - In a shocking move, Chicago Orphans owner Jack O'Connor has reacted to his teams slow start by selling his top hitter Curtis Caton to the New York Gothams.

While the Orphans certainly are off to a bad start at 7-16, it is still very early to sell off a twenty-eight-year-old third baseman who still has many, many years of quality play ahead of him. Fans are calling the move a "purely financial" one and have quickly started to question their team's owner and his desire to win.

O'Connor immediately fired back, stating that the move was good for the team.

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Pittsburgh's Hallock Dominating New League

PITTSBURGH, PA. May 1, 1912 - Phil Hallock, the 33-year old pitcher for the Keystones is off to a blistering start. In seven starts, Hallock has won six and lost none and has won our player of the month award for April.

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Keystones Go 22-6 in April

PITTSBURGH, PA. May 2, 1912 - The Keystones were certainly not the favorite to win it all this season. That honor would go to teams in the big cities of New York and Chicago. But Pittsburgh is the home of the best team in the United League through one month of play.

The team went 22-6 last month, putting them five games ahead of the next best team, the Reading Reds.

Pittsburgh owner Marshall Henderson, a real-estate mogul is known as having a very strong desire to win. It's clear now that he was willing to spend some extra money on building his team and it has paid off.

"We're doing a great job," he said while walking around downtown Pittsburgh. "Callahan's doing a great job managing the club. I think I'm doing a great job getting fans out to the park. We're going to keep this up."

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McKinnon Fires Wallerstein, Statesmen Looking for New Manager

WASHINGTON, DC. May 10, 1912 - The Washington Statesmen finally pulled the trigger today, firing manager Eddy Wallerstein. Wallerstein was rumored to be on the chopping block for some time and the team ownership had apparently had enough of the club lack of success.

Team owner Hugh McKinnon said, "We had a good relationship, but we just didn't make enough progress under his leadership. We thought we gave him everything he needed for success, but it just didn't happen."

No replacement has been named.

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Carrington Named Skipper

WASHINGTON, DC. May 12, 1912 - Former National League coach Fortunato Carrington was named the manager of the Washington Statsemen yesterday.

Owner Hugh McKinnon was looking for an aggressive manager to match his personality. "Our former manager was a good guy, but he didn't have that fire. I have that fire, and I want someone with that fire. Carrington has it, and I think he'll do a fine job with our boys."

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Wash Teal Hits .423 in May

READING, PA. June 1, 1912 - Wash Teal, the center fielder for Reading has put up great numbers in May and has helped his team get into second place behind the Keystones.

Teal has hit .423 with two home runs, 24 RBIs, and 18 runs scored. He also drew 14 walks to post an on-base percentage of .487.

Through 53 games, Teal is hitting .375 with 5 home runs, 41 RBI's, and 46 runs scored.

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Reading's Chaney Strikes Out 17

The Reading Reds were victorious over the Chicago Orphans today 4-3 at Reading Grounds after getting an outstanding performance from starting pitcher Owen Chaney. The 25-year-old Chaney brought his top game to the mound, striking out 17 batters while allowing 12 hits and 5 walks.

"He made a lot of good pitches out there," the Chicago manager said. "He made some of our guys look bad. We didn't help matters by swinging at everything, but we really have to give him credit -- he didn't make many mistakes."

In 16 starts this season Chaney has registered a 10-5 record and a 1.77 ERA.

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Richmond's Calhoun has Terrific June

RICHMOND, VA. July 1, 1912 - Richmond's Eli Calhoun was voted June's United League Rookie of the Month by baseball officials after putting together a fine month-long performance.

The 28-year-old second baseman really attacked the baseball, putting up 35 hits, 3 home runs, 22 RBIs and a .324 average while playing in 27 games.

This season in 66 games, Calhoun has hit at a .322 clip with 85 hits, 3 home runs, 43 RBIs and 55 runs scored.

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Pittsburgh, Reading Tied for First Place

READING, PA. July 3, 1912 - In an 11-6 victory over the Cleveland Maroons yesterday, the Reading Reds have finally evened up their record with the Pittsburgh Keystones.

The Keystones had been in first place alone since the first month of the season, but they've cooled off a bit and now the two teams are in a deadlock. Pittsburgh had a one game lead but lost it after Reading's win and the Keystones 2-1 loss to Richmond yesterday.

New York is currently in 3rd place with a 43-38 record and is five games back.

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Chicago Sends Pendleton to Pittsburgh

CHICAGO, IL. July 22, 1912 - Chicago owner Jack O'Connor announced today that pitcher Denis Pendleton has been traded to the Pittsburgh Keystones.

Pendleton, a thirty-seven-year-old right hander isn't much use to the Orphans who are in 7th place, so they traded him to Pittsburgh, a team battling for the Presidents Cup and in return pick up four younger players that can help for the future.

Up to now Pendleton has compiled an ERA of 2.65 with a 11-10 mark over 23 starts. He has 126 strikeouts in 186.2 innings and has held opponents to a .243 batting average.

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Top Players in July

NEW YORK, NY. August 1, 1912 - Jeremiah Mooney let his bat do the talking in July and the United League heard him loud and clear. He made plenty of noise as he put together a .392 batting average and was named the top hitter of the month.

Mooney's month to remember saw him accumulate 29 hits, no home runs, 19 runs batted in, 18 runs, 12 walks and a .500 on-base percentage.

Mooney has a .317 average and a .415 on-base percentage for the year. He has picked up 92 hits, no home runs and driven in 56 runs.

When the Ruby Legs skipper wrote Burrell on the lineup card, it was a bad omen for the opposition. Outing after outing in July he took command and usually got the win.

He dominated with a 6-0 mark and 1.17 ERA in 6 starts. The gifted Ruby Legs star pitched 54 innings, fanned 29 and held opposing teams to a .224 average.

For his excellent mound work Burrell was named the UL Pitcher of the Month by the baseball writers.

Burrell has made 23 starts this season, posting 12 wins and 7 losses. Opposing clubs are batting .250 against him and he has 94 strikeouts in 172 innings with a 2.88 ERA.

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Reading Takes Five Game Lead

READING, PA. August 5, 1912 - Winning seven of their last ten games, the Reading Reds have taken the lead in the chase for the Presidents Cup.

Pittsburgh has lost seven of ten, giving Reading a commanding lead with 19 games left to play. On the defensive side, a big reason Reading is in the league is twenty-five-year-old Owen Chaney. Chaney, in 27 starts, has gone 17-7 with a 2.61 ERA. In 234 innings pitched, he's struck out 193 batters. which leads the league.

But Wash Teal, the Reading center fielder, has put together a great 1912 campaign so far. He's hitting .351 with 6 home runs, 65 RBIs, and has got on base at a .477 clip. On top of all that, he's stolen 55 bases, good for second best in the United League.

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Four Teams in Hunt for Presidents Cup

READING, PA. August 15, 1912 - It looked like a two team race for a while, but a week long injury to Wash Teal of Reading has really hurt. They've lost seven of their last ten games, and now Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and New York are all within three games.

At 65-50, Reading still holds the lead with eleven games left to play.

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With Five Left, Presidents Cup Still Up for Grabs

NEW YORK, NY. August 22, 1912 - With five games to go, four teams still have a legitimate shot at the Presidents Cup.

Reading has put together a 67-54 season and is one game up on the Pittsburgh Keystones. Reading will play one more in Chicago, face Richmond at home for three games, and then play one game against the Keystones.

Pittsburgh plays one more in Cincinnati, and then faces off against Washington before the one game against Reading.

The two other teams in the mix are the Cleveland Maroons and the New York Gothams. Both teams are just two games out. New York will face Richmond and Chicago. Cleveland will face off against Washington and Cincinnati. Interestingly enough, Cleveland and New York will play their final game against each other.

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Reading Wins the 1912 Presidents Cup

READING, PA. August 29, 1912 - After a grueling 126 games, the Reading Reds have come out on top and have won the leagues first annual Presidents Cup.

"This was exactly what we were hoping for," said W.A. Willman, owner of the Reds and league president. "Obviously, I'm incredibly excited that my Reds won the first Presidents Cup. But as league president, this year went as well as we could have hoped. We were a little worried about league balance. It could have been one team in the lead the entire season with no excitement. But with five games left, there were four teams that had a legitimate shot at winning. That's what we love."

"In the American and National Leagues, money wins championships. The teams with the most money get the best amateur players. We have taken a revolutionary step and introduced an amateur draft. Next March, each team will be able to select ten players in a draft format, with the worst team from this year picking first, and the Reds picking last. While money will definitely allow teams to sign the best veteran players, the amateur draft will give a much better balance to the league."

"Changes may come in the offseason. While this season was a rousing success for many teams, it is possible that teams will want to leave the league. But overall, I have to take the time to declare the United League a success."

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President Willman Awards Presidents Cup to Reading

READING, PA. September 1, 1912 - In a somewhat awkward moment, William Willman, president of the United League and owner of the champion Reading Reds, awarded the Presidents Cup to manager Rube Coffee, the twenty-five Reading players, and himself.

"I hereby declare the Reading Reds the winners of the 1912 Presidents Cup, and would like to present the Presidents Cup trophy to manager Rube Coffee, the twenty-five Reading ballplayers, and, well...myself," he said laughing.

As he handed the trophy over to Rube Coffee, the two embraced in celebration of their terrific season.

"I'd like to thank Mr. Willman for giving me a shot to lead this team. A huge thank you to the players, the fans, everyone that's a part of this organization. Also, the seven other teams. They were all a great challenge and I look forward to facing off against them again next year."

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UL's Best Batsman Selected, It's Teal

READING, PA. September 5, 1912 - Wash Teal of the Reading Reds proved that you can step out of the shadows and onto the stage if you've got the talent and the drive to hone your skills. Hard work, long hours and a tireless resolve paid off for him today in the form of the United League MVP Award.

Teal hit for a .356 average while collecting 160 hits, 22 doubles, 8 triples, 7 home runs, 77 RBIs and scoring 94 times.

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Reading's Chaney Nets UL Pitcher of the Year Award

READING, PA. September 6, 1912 - 25-year-old Owen Chaney of the Reading Reds put together a good year in 1912 for such a young player. Chaney was named today as the winner of the United League Pitcher of the Year Award.

Chaney crafted an impressive 18-10 record and a 2.77 ERA. In 269.1 innings he allowed 232 hits, struck out 212, and walked 110.

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Hotel Imperial Hosts United League Meetings

NEW YORK, NY. December 11, 1912 - The eight owners of the United League, including Reading owner and league president W.A. Willman met for a two day affair at the Hotel Imperial in New York City to discuss the future of the league.

Washington owner Hugh McKinnon announced at the meeting that he was considering selling his team or dropping out of the league, citing very poor attendance and financial difficulties.

The Cincinnati franchise, owned by the young J.J. Ryan, may meet a similar fate but not by choice. The owners are considering removing the franchise from the league for very poor attendance and plain bad management from the 37-year-old Ryan.

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Washington Owner Out

WASHINGTON, DC. January 24, 1913 - At last months league meetings, we learned that Hugh McKinnon, owner of the Washington Statesmen, was considering pulling his squad out of the United League.

Yesterday, we learned that McKinnon has filed for bankruptcy and will lose the team. McKinnon, who made his small fortune from running an automobile company, sunk his money into buying the franchise but could not put a competetive team on the field and attendance suffered. The team averaged just 880 fans per game, the lowest in the league.

In a bulletin released by the league office yesterday, President Willman states that he was unsure about the future of United League baseball in Washington, DC, but did reveal that if a replacement team could not be found, the leagues next round of expansion will most likely bring a team to the D.C. area.

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E.C. Landgraf Moves Squad to D.C.

RICHMOND, VA. February 1, 1913 - In a somewhat surprising move, E.C. Landgraf, owner of the Richmond Cardinals has moved his team to Washington, D.C.

The team will now be known as the Washington Grays. Landgraf issued a statement, saying "We want to thank the fans in Richmond, but we feel that our club will be in a better situation closer to the capitol."

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J.J. Ryan's Ruby Legs Expelled from United League

CINCINNATI, OH. March 5, 1913 - We heard rumblings that this could happen a few months ago at the owners meetings, but today it became official.

President Willman did not speak publicly, but in a press release explained that the other owners voted to expel Ryan's franchise from the league due to "bad management and poor attendance."

Former Ruby Legs players are now free to sign with any of the six franchises. Willman also announced that the 1913 season would remain a six team league but would expand after the season back to eight teams. This season's schedule will remain 126 games.

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United League Opens 1913 Season

PITTSBURGH, PA. April 6, 1913 - Yesterday at Keystone Park, the Chicago Orphans faced off against the Pittsburgh Keystones in the opening matchup of the 1913 season.

Chicago, in their gray uniforms with blue stockings and a blue cap defeated the Keystones who wore white uniforms with a blue "P" stitched over the left side of the players chests.

Squire Ludwig, the 31-year-old Chicago pitcher threw nine innings, giving up five hits and just one run. The Orphans went on to win the opening day game 5-1.

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Top Players in April

NEW YORK, NY. May 2, 1913 - Eli Calhoun of the Washington Grays was named the United League's best batter for his fine performance in April.

He compiled a .329 batting average and .462 on-base percentage during the month. In 23 games he piled up 27 hits, 2 home runs, 19 RBIs and 12 runs scored.


Owen Chaney took a much-deserved turn in the spotlight earlier today as he accepted the United League Pitcher of the Month award for April.

The 26-year-old Reds starter is a relative newcomer to the league, but nonetheless racked up an impressive 5-1 won-lost record in 6 starts. He has fanned 46 batters in 58.2 innings and sports a 1.53 ERA.


Dilly Munger's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Reading catcher has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month.

In April he was voted the Rookie of the Month Award.

During the month he hit .275 with 1 double, no triples and 1 home run. Munger also scored 11 times and drove in 4 runs.

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Reading, Pittsburgh at it Again

READING, PA. June 3, 1913 - For the majority of last season, it was Reading and Pittsburgh that were in the hunt for the Presidents Cup. This year, they're at it again.

Reading, at 32-22, is in first place but cannot get comfortable. Pittsburgh is one game back through fifty-four games.

Wash Teal, the star center fielder for Reading, is off to a slower start but is still playing very well for Reading. He's batting .302 and is on track to drive in 68 runs and hit 19 doubles.

In Pittsburgh, right fielder Ferdinand Witherspoon is leading by example. At 24-years-old, Witherspoon is getting better each month. Last year, he was quietly solid, hitting .290 with 64 RBIs. But this year, he's raised his average 30 points and is on track to drive in 75 runs and have 200 total bases.

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38-year-old Denis Pendleton On Fire

PITTSBURGH, PA. June 27, 1913 - Denis Pendleton has weaved an interesting path in his short time in the United League, but the 38-year-old right hander is throwing like his 25-year-old self.

Pendleton, a Boston native, started with the Chicago Orphans franchise. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to play for an extended amount of time, he chose the Orphans because he knew they had a shot of putting together a competitive team.

However, by the time July rolled around, Chicago was in 7th place and had no shot at competeting for the Presidents Cup. Orphans owner Jack O'Connor also knew that Pendleton didn't have a ton of time before his skills deteriorated, so he sold him off to the Pittsburgh Keystones for four prospects.

With Pittsburgh, Pendleton was able to put together a 2-3 record with a 3.35 ERA. However, this year has been a different story.

Pendleton has been absolutely unstoppable. In 19 starts, he's gone 17-1 with a 1.92 ERA. To put that in perspective, the pitcher with the next most wins, Babydoll Hurst of New York, has only twelve.

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After Three Months, Pittsburgh On Top

PITTSBURGH, PA. July 2, 1913 - As the United League enters the fourth month of play under the hot summer sun, Pittsburgh has a six game lead over second place Reading.

"We're really playing well out there. We're getting key hits on offense and getting big performances from our pitchers," said Keystones manager Edmon Callahan. "We just need to keep it up and watch our backs. That Reading team is tough."

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Reds, Grays Agree to Swap

READING, PA. July 15, 1913 - The Reds and Grays confirmed this afternoon that a trade had been agreed upon. In the deal, Reading will get 35-year old left fielder Mansfield Covington, while Washington will receive 25-year old starting pitcher Tookie Bynum.

Bynum has worked 65.1 innings this year with 26 strikeouts en route to a 6-3 record and 1.65 ERA, while Covington is hitting .315 with no home runs.

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Vincent Hittin' on All Cylinders

CLEVELAND, OH. July 17, 1913 - Getting 4 hits in a game is no easy feat, but hitting for the cycle is much more rare. Snooks Vincent was on fire today, going 4 for 5 and hitting for the cycle against New York at Murphy Park. His batting escapade sparked the Cleveland Maroons to a 4-1 victory over the Gothams. For the day the Maroons second baseman scored 2 runs and drove in 1.

The feat is rare in baseball as it requires a game of no fewer than four hits and the unusual combination of a home run, which requires a batter to hit for some power, and a triple, which requires a batter to have both speed on the basepaths and a well-placed drive deep into the outfield.

He told reporters after the game, "It just happened. Must have been fate or something... you can't plan this. I was more concerned with winning the game."

Vincent hit a solo-shot off J. Beebe in the 1st, grounded out in the 3rd, tripled in the 4th, doubled in the 6th and singled in the 8th.

This season-to-date Vincent has 1 home run and a .282 batting average.

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Manager Dots Seeley Fired by Grays

WASHINGTON, DC. August 2, 1913 - The Washington Grays have ended their relationship with skipper Dots Seeley, firing him this afternoon. The Grays indicated they will soon be interviewing candidates for the position.

"This time we hope to get someone with a proven track record. We want an experienced manager and will take our time in getting one," the general manager told reporters.

"No hard feelings," Seeley said. "This is just part of the game. Washington gave me an opportunity and I appreciate it. They treated me well and fairly. I just wish we could have done better."

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With Ten to Go, Pittsburgh Up Six Games

PITTSBURGH, PA. August 9, 1913 - Each team in the United League has played 116 games, leaving ten more to go before the Presidents Cup is officially won.

Pittsburgh has a commanding lead and needs to win five games to clinch. They'll face off against Cleveland, Chicago, and Reading to finish up the year.

Reading sits in second place, down six games to the Keystones. They'll play Chicago, New York, and Pittsburgh to finish the 1913 campaign.

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Pittsburgh Clinches 1913 Presidents Cup

PITTSBURGH, PA. August 17, 1913 - In a 7-5 win over the Reading Reds, the Pittsburgh Keystones have clinched the 1913 Presidents Cup!

"This is incredible. It's been a few years in the making. When I put together this team, I can honestly say it wasn't about the money. I have enough of that already," said Keystones owner Marshall Henderson. "This was about winning a championship."

When asked if winning over five teams instead of seven made it feel less important, he responded "No. Not at all. 126 games is 126 games. It's a grueling season no matter how many teams your playing against."

He went on to thank his team and coaches. "We never could have done this without our manager, Edmon Callahan. He's the best manager in the game today and we're so lucky to have him. Also, to the nineteen players on the active roster and any reserve players that contributed in any way, thank you. And Mr. Pendleton, you have outdone yourself. Congratulations."

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Reds Mckay Takes Batting Crown

READING, PA. August 20, 1913 - For Snooks Mckay of the Reading Reds, 1913 was a very good year. Mckay nabbed the United League batting championship with a .327 average. On the season, the 28-year-old right fielder registered 165 hits, 78 runs, 26 doubles, 9 triples, no home runs and 41 RBIs.