1 - HooiserAltHistorian
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National Professional Baseball League (NPBL)
I will forward this all with; I am not an artist. I don't really have any artistic talent to create logos or uniforms. I am looking for someone to help me with this, but for right now I hope a text story is alright.
Pre-History up until league formation in 1890
Late-1840s to early-1860s:
As more European immigrants began making their way into the United Sates through New York and other eastern ports, they pick up some peculiar traditions of sport. One of those was the New York style baseball (or what is what we call the fundamental structure of modern baseball), and it was carried out to the large industrial cities like Cleveland, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, St. Louis, and Louisville as well their surrounding cities.
1864:
A young man is born to a German-American family in Fort Wayne, Indiana; that man is Linus Gerzburg.
Late-1860s to mid-1880s:
Multiple baseball leagues across the northeastern and mid-western United States form and fold during this time period, as it is a very tumultuous time in the country as the fast rise of industrialization begins to swell the cities and many peoples begin to live together, and with that the growing nation begins to crave professional sports entertainment. As baseball continues its growth as the professional sport, another sport begins to dominate the collegiate level: American football
1880:
Linus Gerzburg begins an apprenticeship at the local ironwork's shop in Fort Wayne, working under the shop owner Frederick Heider. Here he learns more about running a business successfully and starts also experimenting with steel for more applications for consumers.
Early-1885:
Sylvanus Bowser invents the first kerosene pump in Fort Wayne, garnering attention from the east and investments from a few local patrons, which culminates in the creation of The Bowser Company a few months later, as Sylvanus begins testing as many applications of his invention as possible
Mid-1885:
Linus took over management of the ironwork's shop as Frederick's health began to decline. As a way to handle the stress of running the business, Linus started playing baseball with local workers. Linus fell in love with the game, and wanted more of it.
Late-1885:
Linus met and began dating the daughter of Polish immigrants, Amelia Janas.
Early-1886:
Frederick passed away following the new year, and Linus fully took over the shop. He was also left Frederick's personal fortune of $50,000 which he promptly used a very small portion of to pay for the wedding of himself and Amelia.
Mid-1886:
Amelia, now Amelia Gerzburg, becomes pregnant. During that summer, Linus uses about $25,000 to build what he calls the "Exhibition Field of Fort Wayne" and finances the creation of a local baseball league comprised of local factory workers and surrounding farm workers. A dozen games are played throughout the course of May to August, and the only team that plays the whole summer is the Fort Wayne Generals, a perfect 12 - 0. As the summer begins to fade, Linus promises to the city, that the league will return next summer.
Late-1886:
A fire burns down The Bowser Company, Linus sees an opportunity to purchase the one-of-a-kind invention and offers to purchase the fuel pump design from Sylvanus, but he declines. Sylvanus instead offers to come work with Linus, and Linus agreed to his terms. Thus, the partnership is formed and this results in the creation of The Gerzburg-Bowser Company.
Early-1887:
In January, Amelia gave birth to hers and Linus’s son, Frederick Gerzburg, named in honor of the man that taught Linus all he knows. If tragedy couldn’t stop haunting the family, Sylvanus contracted a deadly strain of the flu and died in his sleep in early-February. So, Linus was left in control of both a growing fabrication factory and Sylvanus’s work, which he began himself exploring what to do with the invention. In March, Linus was approached by a group of business owners from the Toledo area about a handful of exhibition games for his league, and after some negotiations they came to an agreement.
The Wabash League is formed in April 1887 with an agreement among its owners to field 4 teams from Mid-June 1887 thru the end of August 1887 for a total of 15 games each and a final between the top two teams.
[list=1]
Summer-1887:
Ready to play, the league enjoyed a successful season generating $30,000 in profit after paying for league expensive, that was then split between the 4 teams, as stipulated in their agreement, that resulted in each team actually generating a profits as well. The Generals won the league, as expected in a final against the Lakers.
Results of 1887 Season
[list=1]
Final: Generals 4 Lakers 3
League Champion: Fort Wayne Generals
Fall-1887:
Following the season, Linus returned to his focus to the newly renamed Gerzburg Company. He begins to rely heavily on the Wabash Railroad, which connected the cities in his league, for his business as well.
Winter-1887:
Amelia becomes pregnant for the second time. Linus began working on an idea of his for a new type of steel, that would be corrosion resistant, and begins producing in small batches a steel that contained nickel resulting a shiny finish to the steel. Seeing the winter as an ideal testing ground, he shows off the new steel to few potential customers, and it proves successful. Linus sees an additional profit during the winter after being commissioned for a few custom orders.
Spring-1888:
Linus invested another $1,500 into the Fort’s Wayne Field, official renaming it to Gerzburg Field; now featuring a grander entrance with gates built from Linus’s new steel, fences running all the outside border of the park, and an additional set of stands alongside the third base line boosting official capacity from 500 to 1,000. He is contacted by two industrialists from Detroit and Indianapolis regarding additional teams joining his summer league. Linus called together the other owners and they all agree to let the two teams join for the summer with new rules regarding profit sharing.
- Indianapolis Grays: a team that had multiple incarnations in the prior years but was finally bought and financed by Kingan & Company which also resulted in the restoration of the small ballpark close to their plant that had been neglected for years. Officially renamed Kingan Field that spring, it had a capacity of 2,000 and a team that was ready to compete
- Detroit Brown Stockings: the first true team that Detroit could call its own, the team was comprised of local factory workers and owned by Frederick K. Stearns. The team would play at Recreation Park which had a capacity of 1,850
Right before the start of summer and the season, Amelia would give birth to hers and Linus’s first daughter, Theresa Gerzburg, in April.
Linus, only 24 at the time, also soon began to understand that his league was more than just a summer attraction; there was a real opportunity to create a real professional league.
Summer-1888:
The league once again enjoyed a successful season, generating almost $68,000 in profit after paying for league expenses, which was split 20% each to the top 3 in profit contributions and 13% each to the bottom 3 in profit contribution. Once again, all teams generated a profit as well, which much better margins. The Grays shocked the home crowd in Fort Wayne to take home the league title
Results of 1888 Season
[list=1]
Final: Grays 4 Generals 0
League Champion: Indianapolis Grays
Fall-1888:
A second Great Fire rages though Chicago, burning for nearly 2 weeks in September and destroyed almost the entirety of the city once again resulting in nearly $300 million in damages and over 1,500 people killed in the flames or from fire related injuries. The difference this time was following the fire, the donations and charity were greatly inferior than after the 1871 fire. Chicago would never be the same, and some would say that its destiny was completely rewritten. Over the course of the next 2 months, nearly 200,000 of its residents would leave the city for St. Louis, Detroit, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Fort Wayne. Chicago’s total population growth over the decade, by the end of the year had been essentially voided as the same amount of growth had just been lost. What would follow would also be many thousands of new immigrants would deviate to Detroit and St. Louis spurring growth for years to come. Unlike in 1871, this fire didn’t have as much of an effect on the nation’s economy, because much of what was coming out of Chicago at the time was processed food and consumer products, which while important, had been much more decentralized to other cities (also an unmentioned deviation from our history)
Displaced by the fire, some 10,000 people come to Fort Wayne area for work and shelter increasing the population of the city to 45,000 inhabitants. Linus is able to put 120 of them to work and sees his product output increase because of it. He also begins constructing his new train-repair shop that he had entered in to an agreement with the Wabash Railroad to build. Linus’s reputation as a young and intelligent businessman was beginning to spread around the region and nation, which would bring him into contact with some powerful figures from the east.
Winter-1888:
With the city having received aid money from the federal government to build quick housing for the displaced citizens, settled in for what would be a fairly mild winter allowing for construction projects to be carried out till nearly December and resume in late February. This would see the new Embassy Theatre built in the heart of city to entertain its wealthy patrons as well as the construction of the 30 acre Headwaters Park alongside the north banks of the St. Mary’s River.
Linus business was doing well and generating him a good profit, which was quickly increasing his wealth in the region. However, Linus was a devout Catholic and a humble, pious man; so he would use his wealth to help the needy in his city by purchasing a small retail space in downtown and converting it to a shelter/soup kitchen. Knowing that there were more to the displaced residents than just factory workers; Linus also commissioned art pieces from local and displaced artists as well as financing a handful of musicians from the area.
Spring-1889:
Linus once again expands Gerzburg Field’s official capacity to 1,300 with the installation of a small upper deck along the first base line of the park.
As the turmoil from the fire continued to ripple out, professional baseball faced a crisis, having lost a huge market combined with decline in attendance across the top leagues, this spring would see the demise of the American Association and the National League, resulting in teams being disbanded and cities left with no baseball.
Chicago had begun to pick up the pieces from the fire, and as almost a miracle, the 3,000 seat Memorial Field on the south-side of the city, had survived the flames more or less untouched. So what remained of the local industrialists, decided they’d pool their resources to field a team to lift the spirits of the city. They contacted Linus with their proposal, and Linus responded warmly with a quick yes.
St Louis had been the recipient of many avid baseball fans due to the fire, and with the collapse of the existing professional leagues, Anheuser-Busch stepped in to fill the void not only purchasing the St Louis Brown Stockings, but also Sportsman’s Park which had a capacity of 2,000. The company promptly renamed the park Busch Field and intended to use it not just for baseball long-term. Having known of Linus’s league thanks to the Wabash Railroad, Linus agreed to let to let them join on the condition that they’d change the name.
[list=1]
Summer-1889:
With the league now at 8 teams the schedule now sits at 20 games for each team, and to accommodate the additional games the league agrees to play 5 of the games on Saturday as well as the usual Sunday games, so there will be 5 weekends that would be series games.
This would also result in the attempted night game between Detroit & Indianapolis at Recreation Park, using gas lighting to illuminate the stands and the field, albeit fairly dimly. This resulted in a 11 - 10 game, and resulted in a Detroit loss.
As in the previous two seasons, this season was massively successful generating an astounding $105,000 in profit after league expenses, generating buzz around the region and beginning talks of professionalizing the league. The league fiercely debated profit sharing with much of the revenue coming from Detroit and St Louis, and with attendance for North Toledo being extremely small. The resulting percentages were;
- Detroit, St Louis, and Chicago would each receive 22% of the profit, resulting in these teams making decent profit after their expenses were paid
- Fort Wayne and Indianapolis would each receive 10% of the profit, resulting in these teams making a slim profit after their expenses were paid
- South Toledo would receive 8% of the profit, resulting in the team more or less breaking even on the season
- North Toledo and Logansport would each receive 3% of the profit, resulting in North Toledo losing money and Logansport only breaking even after it received the title money
The final would come down to a riveting game between the Malt-Men and a late-season run Midways, resulting in a Midways’ victory.
Results of 1889 Season
[list=1]
Final: Midways 6 Malt-Men 5 (11 innings)
League Champion: Logansport Midways
Fall-1889:
What would follow the season, would be a serious of meetings between the team owners and the league’s wealthier patrons which would result in the following;
- The formal declaration of professionalism for the league, which would allow for player contracts and an enforced detachment of a team from specific businesses
- North Toledo will be booted from the league and bids from Cleveland & Louisville will be explored, and South Toledo will be renamed to just Toledo. George Young also agrees to purchase the team and manage it operations.
- Logansport may also be considered relocation and current field would be used for a youth league that will also be founded to supplement this league
- The name of the league is changed to the Central League to establish its regional presence
- Linus Gerzburg unanimously elected league president
- Each team must maintain a stadium with a capacity of at least 1,000, Logansport being the exception with an official capacity of 600 but an avg attendance above it
- Teams will play a 48 game season staring in May and ending in September
- 20 Sunday games
- 20 Saturday Games
- 8 Friday games
- Chicago will play two games at Athletic Park in Milwaukee as part of an agreement with the city to showcase league baseball to the area
- There will no longer be profit sharing, only a fee paid to the league for operations of $2,500 a team
Winter-1889:
Continued growth of Linus’s business with the opening of the Gerzburg Rail-Works, employing an additional 100 people in Fort Wayne, bringing the total number of employees for his businesses to 800. This cements his business as vital to Fort Wayne’s growth
The league official selects Cleveland as the city to expand to, bringing in the struggling Cleveland Spiders, who had been dormant for nearly a year following the demise of the National League. Their owner Frank Robinson had seen a few of the league’s games in Toledo earlier in the year and was very impressed by the level of organization. Once he signed the agreement to join the league, he quickly announced the news to the city of Cleveland, to which the city rejoiced for the chance to see professional baseball played again. The city agreed to help finance a new riverfront stadium that would seat 5,000 people and be built by the 1891 season, but for the meantime, the Spiders would have to play at the small 1,750 seat Exposition Field for the 1890 season.
In the continued rippling effect of the 2nd Great Fire in Chicago, the cities of Cleveland, Detroit, Toledo, and Fort Wayne are growing faster with their industries starting to become more interconnected.
Early Spring-1890:
As the season drew closer the teams began aggressively reaching out to players to come play for them in an attempt to get the best regional players
In an attempt to spread awareness, the league paid for newspaper articles discussing the teams and their stadiums
Chicago Braves: Memorial Field 3,000
Cleveland Spiders: Exposition Field 1,750
Detroit Brown Stockings: Recreation Park 1,850
Fort Wayne Generals: Gerzburg Field 1,300
Indianapolis Grays: Kingan Field 2,000
Logansport Midways: Veteran’s Field 600
St Louis Malt-Men: Busch Field 2,000
Toledo Glasshoppers: Union Park 1,100
- Steelman
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Re: National Professional Baseball League (NPBL)
Hi Hoosier, welcome to the boards! Stoked to see a new series here. Excellent write-up. Since I have a friend from Fort Wayne, I'll root for the Generals in these early days.
I'm sure you could find some graphic artists to contribute to your series around here, mostly would be a matter of expressing your vision for what you're looking for.
AHS Admin. Creator of the THL, PUCH, WHA: Redux and Retroliga.
- HooiserAltHistorian
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Re: National Professional Baseball League (NPBL)
Steelman wrote:
Hi Hoosier, welcome to the boards! Stoked to see a new series here. Excellent write-up. Since I have a friend from Fort Wayne, I'll root for the Generals in these early days.
I'm sure you could find some graphic artists to contribute to your series around here, mostly would be a matter of expressing your vision for what you're looking for.
Thank you, and I hope I can 
Late Spring-1890:
The season started out going really well for the league with mostly high attendance and exciting baseball. The the Toledo Glasshoppers took the the initial lead going 8 - 0 in the first 4 weeks of the season, but as the season continued it became very clear that the dominant teams were going to be from Chicago, Cleveland, and St Louis. Logansport was struggling to keep a lot of fans coming to games due to the sudden lack of talent on their roster, and it was obvious they'd need to relocate or face folding. Linus and the other owners were very pleased, as the season continued, with the fact that they were all making money and cementing this league as both viable and expandable. The two exhibition games in Milwaukee for the Braves proved successful, not only selling out both games, but with victories in both by the Braves.
Around the middle of July, Linus was approached by one of his foremen about stepping back from the fabrication plant, and he agreed to do so on the condition that he'd be kept up-to-date weekly on the situation at the plant.
As the season wrapped up, it came down to St Louis and Cleveland in the top two spots respectively.
Results of 1890 Season:
1. St Louis Malt-Men (38 - 10)
2. Cleveland Spiders (36 - 12)
3. Detroit Brown Stockings (30 - 18)
4. Indianapolis Grays (29 - 19)
5. Fort Wayne Generals (27 - 21)
6. Toledo Glasshoppers (25 - 23)
7. Chicago Braves (20 - 28)
8. Logansport Midways (15 - 33)
Final: Malt-Men 3 Spiders 1
Central League Champion: St Louis Malt-Men
Top 5 Players:
1. James Hurt, 1B, Cleveland Spiders
2. George Lawson, P, Indianapolis Grays
3. William Trenton, OF, Cleveland Spiders
4. Frederick Kuhn, OF, St Louis Malt-Men
5. Aaron Kleiber, P, Fort Wayne Generals
Revenue => Profit Per Team:
1. Detroit Brown Stockings: $21,750 => $4,500
2. St Louis Malt-Men: $19,800 => $3,500
3. Chicago Braves: $17,250 => $2,350
4. Cleveland Spiders: $16,500 => $3,000
5. Indianapolis Grays: $14,000 => $1,250
6. Fort Wayne Generals: $10,250 => $1,000
7. Toledo Glasshoppers: $7,500 => $750
8. Logansport Midways: $3,200 => -$1100
Fall-1890:
Facing the inevitable, Logansport folded after just 4 seasons and even a league title. In the end, the city was never going to grow to size to have lots fans or enough money to compete for players. The league owners all met to discuss the impact of Logansport folding and what to about it. It was decided that beyond the planned expansion of 2 teams for the next season, they'd secure an additional 3 teams as well. Linus was uneasy about potentially over-extending themselves, something that had hurt the previous leagues before them. Investors and business owners were contacted in Louisville, Milwaukee, Memphis, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Cincinnati, and even New Orleans.
After a few weeks of back-and-forth, the expansion cities were decided upon;
- Memphis
- Milwaukee
- Pittsburgh
- Cincinnati (With the AA and NL gone, there's not much in the central and eastern United States left in terms of leagues, so expect the Reds to be the first of a few current teams that get incorporated)
With the league's business wrapped up for the year, Linus returns to his plant to continue running operations there.
Winter-1890:
A particular nasty winter hits the mid-west keeping the region to minimal activity until the spring, and in that cold seclusion, Amelia became pregnant for the third time. As the winter continues, Linus is contacted by the well known financier J.P. Morgan to come meet with him in New York regarding an investment....
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Thread Starter- CCLXXXVII
- All-Star
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Re: National Professional Baseball League (NPBL)
Like the writeups so far. Good stuff.
Also, if you want someone else to help with the art, don't be afraid to ask around.
- HooiserAltHistorian
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Early Spring-1891:
Once Linus arrived in New York for the meeting he was invited to, he was shocked to learn that J.P. Morgan not only was a fan of his league, but also wanted a part of it. The two of them spent several days talking about expansion, goals for the league, and long-term stability. The last thing they discussed was bringing the league to the coast as well. Linus, still overly-cautious of expansion took quite a bit of convincing, but the two agreed to have J.P. come out to Fort Wayne to pitch the idea to the other owners.
Late Spring-1891:
After months of organization, the expansion to the league was finalized and while initially chosen, the city of Memphis opted out of a team due to lack of investment and fan interest;
1. Cincinnati Red Stockings: a team owned by James Kenton, who had existed since 1881 as a member of the American Association (AA) but due to the league's dissolution, were left league-less and relegated to two seasons of sporadic exhibition games. The team will play its games at League Park which has a capacity of 4,000 with future plans of renovation contingent on a permanent occupant
2. Milwaukee Blue Caps: a newly formed team owned by an native industrialist of the city, Rolf Stoiber, this team will play its games at Athletic Park which has a capacity of 2,150
3. Pittsburgh Burghers: another casualty of the dissolution of the NL and AA, was the city of Pittsburgh. In the years of instability, the city had seen teams come and go, but they were truly desperate for baseball. The nickname, a term for residents of the city, was chosen because this team was meant to represent them according to owner Ned Hanlon. The team will play its games at Exposition Park which has a capacity of 1,500
Which the league expansion comes new rules; with the biggest change being the adoption of divisions for the league.
West Division:
1. Chicago Braves: recently purchased by William Hulbert, plays at Memorial Field (capacity of 3,000)
2. St Louis Malt-Men: owned by the Busch Family, plays at Busch Field (capacity of 2,000)
3. Fort Wayne Generals: owned by Linus Gerzburg, plays at Gerzburg Field (capacity of 1,300)
4. Indianapolis Grays: owned by the Kingan brothers, plays at Kingan Field (capacity of 2,000)
5. Milwaukee Blue Caps: owned by Rolf Stoiber with a major donation from the Miller Family, plays at Athletic Park (capacity of 2,150)
East Division:
1. Toledo Glasshoppers: owned by George Young, plays at Union Park (capacity of 1,100)
2. Cleveland Spiders: owned by Francis "Frank" Robinson, plays at the new Riverside Field (capacity of 5,000)
3. Cincinnati Red Stockings: owned by James Kenton, plays at League Park (capacity of 4,000)
4. Detroit Brown Stockings: owned by Frederick K. Stearns, plays at Recreation Park (capacity of 2,500 with newly added upper deck)
5. Pittsburgh Burghers: owned be Ned Hanlon, plays at Exposition Park (capacity of 1,500)
New League Rules:
- Schedule increase to 52 games
- 20 Sunday games
- 20 Saturday games
- 6 Friday Games
- 6 Thursday Games
- Schedule format
- 4 home & 4 away games against divisional opponents (32 games)
- 4 games against other each of the other division's teams (20 games)
- Title game series of 3 games between division winners
- Soft salary cap of $45,000 per team
Stay tuned for 1891 season.........
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Thread Starter- HooiserAltHistorian
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Re: National Professional Baseball League (NPBL)
Early Summer-1891:
At the beginning of the season, Amelia gives birth to her last child, hers and Linus's second daughter, Martha Gerzberg. The Generals wear small ribbons on their jerseys in the following game, in honor of all mothers.
Results of the 1891 Season:
In an attempt to cash in on the warmer weather leading up to the season, the league set-up a handful of exhibitions against minor-league and local teams, including games against the new Logansport Midways, a member of the minor-league Mid-America League. Once the season started, Fort Wayne and Chicago both started out hot, both reaching their first game against each other at 11 - 0, however Chicago fell in the match-up 4 to 0, and stumbles back to mediocrity for the rest of the season. As the season continued, Fort Wayne, Cleveland, and St Louis all put on great showings for their fans as they kept winning. The final series would be between Fort Wayne and Cleveland, with the Spiders winning in game three in the series, after a shut-out in front of the Fort Wayne crowd.
West Division
1. Fort Wayne Generals (44 - 8) West Division Winner
2. St Louis Malt-Men (35 - 17)
3. Chicago Braves (25 - 27)
4. Milwaukee Blue Caps (23 - 29)
5. Indianapolis Grays (19 - 33)
East Division
1. Cleveland Spiders (40 - 12) East Division Winner
2. Detroit Brown Stockings (30 - 22)
3. Cincinnati Red Stockings (18 - 34)
4. Toledo Glasshoppers (17 - 35)
5. Pittsburgh Burghers (13 - 39)
Final Series
1. Fort Wayne 2 Cleveland 0 @ Fort Wayne
2. Cleveland 4 Fort Wayne 3 @ Cleveland
3. Cleveland 6 Fort Wayne 0 @ Fort Wayne
Central League Champion: Cleveland Spiders
Top Players:
1. James Wilson, P, Fort Wayne Generals
2. James Hunt, 1B, Cleveland Spiders
3. William Trenton, OF, Cleveland Spiders
4. Frederick Kuhn, OF, St Louis Malt-Men
5. Aaron Kleiber, P, Detroit Brown Stockings
Revenue => Profit Per Team:
1. Detroit Brown Stockings: $24,250 => $6,500
2. St Louis Malt-Men: $21,500 => $5,300
3. Cincinnati Red Stockings: $20,850 => $2,600
4. Chicago Braves: $19,450 => $3,700
5. Cleveland Spiders: $19,200 => $4,000
6. Fort Wayne Generals: $18,750 => $2,150
7. Indianapolis Grays: $14,000 => $1,250
8. Milwaukee Blue Caps: $13,500 => $2,150
9. Pittsburgh Burghers: $11,450 => $1,300
10. Toledo Glasshoppers: $9,500 => $1,150
- Total League Revenue = $172,450
- Total League Profit = $30,100
Fall-1891:
Following the season, all the owners were happy with the direction of the league as all of them made significant revenue improvements due to extra fan support and a continued effects of the lengthened seasons. Milwaukee finally addressed the petition from their fans that had been circulating in local newspapers; they agreed to change the name of the team to the Milwaukee Brewers honoring not only the legacy of brewing in the city, but the multiple teams before them that held the name.
Linus is approached by John Bass to purchase The Gerzberg Company for $65,000 in a further attempt to consolidate all the iron-works and machine-shops across the city. While initially hesitant to sell, Linus goes ahead and accepts the offer on the condition he can keep the business's name for further use. Linus sets-aside $15,000 to improve his ballpark and $20,000 would be used to fund his next business venture; a delivery service the following year. He saw the need due to increasing number of manufacturers in more remote towns that needed service as well as the cross-town deliveries in his city. So on October 15th, 1891; Linus Gerzberg founded the Hoosier Delivery Service, setting up offices in both Fort Wayne and Indianapolis to be opened the following spring. With the remaining $30,000, Linus decided it was time to focus on his family for a while.
Elsewhere in the nation and world, the economic turmoil of the 2nd Great Chicago Fire that heavily effected the shipping industry, the state of Illinois, and northwestern Indiana has begun to recover. An attempted coup in Argentina was met with less harsh terms then most in the USA expected, and has resulted in both an increase in investment into the nation as well as a closer relationship with the USA. William Wrigley Jr leaves Philadelphia to head west to Fort Wayne with an idea to start a business selling scouring soap to the growing number of industries in the city. Tensions continue to rise at Pullman's factory in Chicago, having been one of only a few major factories that survived the fire.
Winter-1891:
The league is finally visited by J.P. Morgan regarding expansion eastward, and after several days of discussions; the league agrees to search the coast for viable teams over the next season for addition in the 1893 season. With several very large cities on coasts, the league did worry about more talent heading east due to better pay, but anxieties were calmed when Linus made it very clear that the salary cap would be enforced. He also made it clear that these teams were coming to their league and they'd have to play by the league's rules.
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Thread Starter- HooiserAltHistorian
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Re: National Professional Baseball League (NPBL)
Spring-1892:
In early March of 1892, Linus is approached by a young black American by the name Charles Bonnaire regarding the recently formed Fort Wayne Keiongas, a negro baseball team. Charles would like the team to play at Gerzberg Field, and after some discussion about a lease, Linus agreed to let the Kekiongas play at his field. Linus has always been a bit disgusted by the racism in the US, as he sees no difference between himself and another man. After news of the team playing at Gerzberg Field, Linus receives a letter from James Kenton of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, demanding he retract his offer to Charles or the Red Stockings won't play any games at Fort Wayne. Linus responds with a simple yet effective message; "Play here or forfeit the season, there is no cause for your objection to my business decision to allow the Kekiongas to play at my field". Two weeks pass and Linus receives a letter from Kenton informing him that the games will be played.
Also during March of 1892, the Hoosier Delivery Service begins to deliver primarily shipments of industrial goods across the cities of Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, as well a private shipments to the towns north of Fort Wayne and the the towns in between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. The initial profit margins are very slim, but begin to increase within a few weeks as business picks up.
The nation begins to stir with political activity as incumbent Benjamin Harrison and his challenger former president Grover Cleveland both began there campaigns.
Early-Summer 1892:
With the season right around the corner, the teams begin practicing and getting ready for the next 4 months of baseball. Early favorite for the title look like the Chicago Braves having acquired James Wilson, P, from the Fort Wayne Generals to bolster their pitching core and give them an advantage over the rest of their division. Toledo looks to likely finish last their division having lost most of their players to other teams or higher pay in factories.
The format of this year is repeated from last year;
West Division:
1. Chicago Braves: owned by William Hulbert, plays at Memorial Field (capacity of 3,000)
2. St Louis Malt-Men: owned by the Busch Family, plays at Busch Field (capacity of 2,000)
3. Fort Wayne Generals: owned by Linus Gerzburg, plays at Gerzburg Field (capacity of 1,300)
4. Indianapolis Grays: owned by the Kingan brothers, plays at Kingan Field (capacity of 2,000)
5. Milwaukee Brewers: owned by Rolf Stoiber, plays at Athletic Park (capacity of 2,150)
East Division:
1. Toledo Glasshoppers: owned by George Young, plays at Union Park (capacity of 1,100)
2. Cleveland Spiders: owned by Francis "Frank" Robinson, plays at Riverside Field (capacity of 5,000)
3. Cincinnati Red Stockings: owned by James Kenton, plays at League Park (capacity of 4,000)
4. Detroit Brown Stockings: owned by Frederick K. Stearns, plays at Recreation Park (capacity of 2,500)
5. Pittsburgh Burghers: owned be Ned Hanlon, plays at Exposition Park (capacity of 1,500)
Results of the 1892 Season:
Once again cashing in on the warmer weather leading up to the season, the league set-up a handful of exhibitions against minor-league and local teams, including games against a few of the region's negro leagues. One game matched the Fort Wayne General against their negro league counterpart the Kekiongas. The game came down to the bottom of the ninth inning when pitcher George Blackwell of the Kekiongas threw 3 strike-outs to win the game in a no-hitter 2 to 0. The fans erupted in applause, in a shock to Linus, when he expected boos. After the game, he began to ponder signing some of the Kekiongas' players.
As expected the Braves played well all season finishing first in the West Division due to a strong pitching rotation as well as a strong outfield. The final series would come down to a match-up between the Braves and the Red Stockings, with a 2 - 0 game sweep by Chicago to win the title.
West Division:
1. Chicago Braves (40 - 12) West Division Winner
2. Fort Wayne Generals (30 - 22)
3. St Louis Malt-Men (27 - 25)
4. Milwaukee Blue Caps (22 - 30)
5. Indianapolis Grays (21 - 31)
East Division:
1. Cincinnati Red Stockings (38 - 14) East Division Winner
2. Detroit Brown Stockings (29 - 23)
3. Pittsburgh Burghers (25 - 27)
4. Cleveland Spiders (19 - 33)
5. Toledo Glasshoppers (16 - 36)
Final Series:
Game 1: Chicago 4 Cincinnati 1 @Chicago
Game 2: Chicago 3 Cincinnati 2 @Cincinnati
Central League Champion: Chicago Braves
Top Players:
1. James Wilson, P, Chicago Braves
2. George Lawson, P, Cincinnati Red Stockings
3. Frederick Kuhn, OF, St Louis Malt-Men
4. Wilhelm Gessner, 1B, Detroit Brown Stockings
5. Joseph Lingenfelter, SS, Fort Wayne Generals
Revenue => Profit Per Team:
1. Chicago Braves: $28,650 => $4,500
2. Cleveland Spiders: $27,850 => $6,500
3. Detroit Brown Stockings: $26,900 => $7,800
4. St Louis Malt-Men: $24,850 => $6,150
5. Cincinnati Red Stockings: $23,400 => $3,500
6. Milwaukee Brewers: $21,500 => $5,650
7. Fort Wayne Generals: $20,550 => $4,250
8. Indianapolis Grays: $18,500 => $3,450
9. Pittsburgh Burghers: $17,750 => $2,500
10. Toledo Glasshoppers: $11,750 => $2,000
- Total League Revenue = $221,700
- Total League Profit = $46,300
Stay tuned for the 1892 off-season and other developments........
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Thread Starter- Steelman
- superadminguy
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- Registered: 5/19/2019
- Posts: 1,601
Re: National Professional Baseball League (NPBL)
Good to see another installment!
Looks like Pittsburgh really outperformed their expectations on the field even if the money only trickles in at times. I'm surprised Cincinnati wouldn't see at least a small uptick in finances by getting to the finals, unless they did and they were much worse off previously.
Good stuff. Enjoying the story!
AHS Admin. Creator of the THL, PUCH, WHA: Redux and Retroliga.
- HooiserAltHistorian
- Starter
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- Registered: 7/30/2019
- Posts: 18
Re: National Professional Baseball League (NPBL)
Good to see another installment!
Looks like Pittsburgh really outperformed their expectations on the field even if the money only trickles in at times. I'm surprised Cincinnati wouldn't see at least a small uptick in finances by getting to the finals, unless they did and they were much worse off previously.
Good stuff. Enjoying the story!
Thank You! I appreciate the support, the owner of the Reds has a serious character flaw and bans a specific racial group from attending games, so he's experiencing financial troubles due to it.
- •
Thread Starter- HooiserAltHistorian
- Starter
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- Registered: 7/30/2019
- Posts: 18
Re: National Professional Baseball League (NPBL)
Fall-1892:
The nation is quiet following the October Strike at Homestead Steel Works in Pennsylvania. What started as a strike for higher pay, turned into an all out war the spilled into neighboring Pittsburgh. Over 75 left dead in its wake, many across the country have begun to question their government allowing something like this to happen. The city of Pittsburgh sits at a crossroads of doing nothing to ensure industrial growth while Carnegie exploits its citizens or to step in to protect its citizens from unfair & unsafe work. What follows is a national election where the challenger former president Grover Cleveland soundly beats sitting president Benjamin Harrison; 340 electoral votes - 82 electoral votes as Cleveland picks up the industrial states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan in an unexpected gain as a what many would call after the election, "a nail in the exploitation of American workers".
The league took a step back to acknowledge their own personal practices, as many of them had deep Catholic beliefs and knew exploitation was wrong. Chief among them was Rolf Stoiber, who even though a wealthy industrialist now, had worked his way from humble beginnings as a textile mill worker.
Linus Gerzberg halted all of his industrial service for a week following the incident, and then proceeded to raise his workers wages.
Winter-1892:
Following the somberness of the fall and the presidential election, the league formally admits 3 new teams to the league following the decision by George Young to relegate his team to semi-pro in order to save money;
1. New York (NYC) Giants: a team owned by John B. Day and plays their games at Manhattan Field with a capacity of 10,000. The club had seen previous incarnations in the failed leagues of the past 20 years, but with a stable league to support it, the Giants looked ready to play
2. Boston Blue Stockings: a team owned by James O'Cahill, a self-made millionaire in the shipping industry, who's team plays their games at the Congress Street Grounds with a capacity of 8,000. This club was formed from the remnants of a handful of teams that had previously donned the name BOSTON on their jerseys
3. Philadelphia Athletics: a team owned by William A. Sharsig and plays their games at the Jefferson Street Grounds with a capacity of 9,500. Another club that had seen previous incarnations in failed leagues, but now also with a stable league to support it, the Athletics are ready to put on a show for their city.
With these new additions, the league agreed to conduct meetings in the spring to establish a new schedule and new league re-alignment.
Stay tune for Spring-1893........
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Thread Starter