Hello, baseball fans and welcome to the 1890 edition of your Brooklyn Bridegrooms. Coming off of a very successful 1889 campaign where they won 93 games under Bill McGunnigle to lead the American Association. The team moves out of the American Association to the newly formed National League of Professional Baseball Clubs.
The Brooklyn team will be playing this season in Washington Park II. This is the second season the team will have games here and the first season they will play the entire schedule in this park. We Brooklynites have every reason to be proud of our boys.
The offense is led by 1st baseman, Dave Foutz, and outfielders Oyster Burns and Darby O’Brien. O’Brien and Burns have shown considerable skill with the bat, and Foutz is a veteran and still very skilled batsman. Adonis Terry, who doubles as a hurler for the team is the 3rd outfielder.
2nd base is manned by Hub Collins. He is steady at the bat and is skilled on defense. SS is manned by Germany Smith. Smith is not very consistent at the bat and is equally inept in the field. 3B is handled by 31 yr old George Pinkney. Pinkney is a skilled fielder and also very consistent with the bat.
Receiving the balls are C, Tom Daly, Doc Bushong, George Stallings and last years starter, Bob Clark. Daly because of his youth will get the bulk of the receiving duties. Spare outfielders are Patsy Donovan, and Pop Corkhill.
Our hurlers are a talented lot. Starting with Tom Lovett, then Adonis Terry and Bob Carruthers. Those chaps are backed up by Lady Baldwin, Dave Hughes and Dave Foutz. The Brooklynites hope to make a fine showing in their first season in the new league. And erase the taste of losing in the postseason to the cross-town rival Giants.
I thought it would be fun to go back to the Dodgers first season in the NL and try and introduce the team the way I thought the papers of the day might do it. Not historically accurate by any means, but fun none the less.
For the record, the Bridegrooms finished 1st in 1890. Winning the pennant in the NL’s inaugural season. They had a record of 86-43 beating the 2nd place Chicago Colts by 6.5 games. The Colts won 83, but due to rainouts and other factors, they lost 53. Playing 7 more games than the Bridegrooms. That added 3.5 games to the lead.
The Giants finished 24 games back in 6th place. The NL that year was made up of teams from Cleveland, Chicago, Brooklyn, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, and Cincinnati. Cleveland would later move to the AL and be replaced by a team from St. Louis. Brooklyn would play a 7 game post-season series against the American Associations Louisville Colonels which would end up 3-3-1.
Brooklyn’s leading hitter in 1890 was Darby O’Brien who posted a .314 mark. He stole 38 bases which was 4th on the team. Collins stole 85 and Foutz and Pinkney were over 40. Burns led the team with 13 HR’s and was the only player to drive in 100 with a 128 mark. No other hitter managed double-figure HR’s, but Foutz drove in 98, just missing the century mark. 3 batters hit over .300. Foutz, Pinkney and O’Brien.
The pitchers were very good with Lovett winning 30, Terry 26, and Carruthers 23. They scored 884 runs and allowed only 620. All of that on 43 HR’s which was 2nd in the league. They stole 349 bases to lead the league. 6 of those were by pitchers. It was a pretty good showing in their first year in the NL. They had begun the journey which would eventually lead to Ebbets Field and then Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
I am one who thinks history and your roots are very important. The Bridegrooms began the NL history of the present-day Dodgers, although the uniforms and the names have changed, it is still part of the team’s history. The winning started then. There would be some great seasons, some not so great, some heartbreaking.
There would be times they were alternately loved, despised, laughed at and missed. Going to those games would have been for most of us, a foreign land. People dressed up wearing hats suits and ties. Concessions were nothing like they are today. I am not sure when, but the hot dog had not even been introduced to the game yet. 50 cents would get you a box seat. Gambling on games was the norm. Fights would break out in the stands, and sometimes spill onto the field.
It was a whole other ball game as they say. But you have to love the names. Oyster Burns, Lady Baldwin, Patsy, how many guys do you know today named Patsy or Lady? I think one of my favorites is Adonis Terry. Terry’s WAR that season works out to 6.2. He was the Ohtani of his time. He did not look like what one might imagine Adonis did look like, but he was not a bad-looking fella.
And they did all that for 136 total games with 17 players. Those pitchers threw in excess of 300 innings each. Just the starting three. The reserves pitched a total of 103 innings. Period. Won’t happen in today’s game. One other note, almost all of the players were purchased from other teams. There was no minor league system as we know it today. Hope you enjoyed your trip to 1890.
Discussion (30)
Disagree, not disagreeable
I think Kenley stays in LA for 2 years/$25 Million.
Kenley si 3 years older than Iglesais.
Yadiel Hernandez of the Nats, on his Instagram, just published a photo of CT3, why would he do that?, Will CT3 go to the Nats?
JP Morosi reporting Raisel Iglesias back to the Angels, 4 years/58 mil.
I’m assuming Kenley feels he’s worth just about the same. Let’s see if anyone, most of all Andrew Friedman, agrees with him.
Freeman would be a franchise-altering move.
Let’s do it.
I think that with the signing of Corey and Baez the market has been closed to Correa, I do not see at this moment a team that gives him what he wants in money and in years, I think he will receive an offer of something like: “this it’s what we have for you, take it or leave it. ”
I don’t see the Phillies, Cards, NYY, Houston, nor to any other team, offering 10/300 +.
I think it was Bear that wrote that the Dodgers are looking to possibly extend Trea Turner. They should. However, there is absolutely no reason for Trea Turner to extend, unless AF is going to overpay. AF wasn’t willing to overpay for Seager, so I do not see him overpaying for Turner. Next year TT’s competition in FA will be Elvis Andrus, Didi Gregorius, and Dansby Swanson. Tim Anderson has a $12.5MM club option that CWS is sure to pick up. Xander Bogaerts could opt out of the remaining three years of his contract ($60MM). That is possible. But Trea will be driving SS FA bus next year. He is going to get $19MM to $20MM this year in arbitration. There is not urgency for Turner to extend.
This could be the year (2022) when the Dodgers get a lot younger and bring up a lot of guys to fill in. I am not that confident that Chris Taylor will resign but the Dodgers have his replacement in Zach McKinstry basically. Dodgers teach most of their players multiple positions in order to maximize their bench. The starting pitching depth and the relieving group depth is a problem. I think that the whole lockout thing is affecting if and when a lot of guys sign. Dodgers may have deals mostly in place but wont pull the trigger just yet. I hope the Dodgers move Trea to SS and have Lux or Busch at 2nd and backing up the outfield on occasion. I just hope that the whole Bauer thing gets resolved one way or the other before next season.
See OldBear. Like I said, too many left handed relievers. Raley lives to fight another day. But, I wouldn’b bet that he survives the entire offseason. 😉
I am expecting to read that the Dodgers have signed Matthew Boyd and/or Chad Kuhl both non-tendered. It sure seems this is the direction for 2022.
Andrew Vasquez draws the short straw. Dodgers have non-tendered him to make room for Hudson.
Riley contract estimate
https://twitter.com/RobertHefnerV/status/1465419950911365125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1465419950911365125%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-9070743003271851751.ampproject.net%2F2111152338002%2Fframe.html
Farhan Zaidi makes a great point when he said you shouldn’t focus on one player. One or even two players really won’t impact the success of a team, no matter how good they are. Look no further than Mike Trout and the Angels.
Even with Corey Seager and Max Scherzer, the Dodgers couldn’t get past Atlanta. Those players will now receive almost a half billion dollars.
You still need pitching, starters and relievers, other players to play outfield and infield. A bench is important. Obviously some depth is needed.
So maybe, just maybe we put too much stock in the impact high price players can actually make. Is Corey Seager worth what the Rangers are paying. Probably not, but perhaps his name helps them build their fan base. They have a new stadium and want to make an impact. I get that. The Max Scherzer contract is risky. Will Scherzer hold up? Even if he does, will the Mets be able to overtake the Braves? All this smacks of a desperate owner who thinks money will put the Mets into the playoffs. Seldom does that work.
If the $250 million over eight years is what the Dodgers offered Seager, that’s a pretty good offer, especially since the Dodgers are in the playoffs every season. Seriously, how much money do you need? Every penny you can get Scott Boras would say.
So I’m glad the Dodgers passed.
Where do we go from here? We probably won’t know for awhile. But Andrew Friedman is pretty good at this. I’m guessing he figures it out. Obviously, the Dodgers will have financial flexibility moving forward, especially if MLB suspends Trevor Bauer.
Maybe there is a trade out there, but right now this is a pretty good team with a need to address starting pitching. Hey, the Giants patched together a pitching staff that led to 107 wins.
It would help, of course, if Cody Bellinger returns to normal and the team avoids the injury bug. But with two or three moves, the Dodgers can again be a force.
As far as shortstop, Trea Turner is better defensively, is a threat to steal 30 bases, lead the league in hitting and hit nearly 30 homeruns. It also opens up a chance for Gavin Lux to flourish. I’d like to see the Dodgers lock up Turner long term.
Cubs signed Clint Frazier to a one year deal. Kelly leaves Notre Dame for LSU. College coaching merry go round continues. 1 hour 8 mins to tender deadline. No Dodger news as of now.
1. Dodgers didn’t so much lose Scherzer as they lost 6 years+ of Ruiz and Josiah Gray but they still have a year left with Trea Turner.
2. The Dodgers traded Verdugo plus others for Betts and were able to extend Betts. They could extend Trea if the contract looks more like the one Baez got and less than the one Seager got.
3. Signing Freeman should push Muncy to DH and not second base because Lux should be the second baseman.
4. I think the Dodgers can trade for Chapman and extend him and that would allow Muncy to stay at first until Vargas or Busch replace Muncy. If Vargas or Busch can’t show enough in the next two years then on to plan B.
5. I guess I traded Rios and maybe White for Chapman or maybe Busch and Rios or maybe some combination.
Corey did not turn down a $75 million pay cut to stay with the Dodgers. Texas has no state income tax and California has a top marginal income tax rate of 13%. In other words, Seager would have had to turn down close to an additional $40 million dollars in income tax difference to stay in California. Added to the 75 million difference in contracts and that’s about $115 million better off to sign with Texas, not to mention the significantly increased level of freedom there for him and his family.
Richie, the deadline you refer to is just for teams to non-tender ballplayers. That has nothing whatever to do with Freeman who, by the way, is not a free agent at the end of 2022. He’s a free agent right now.
For Trea to give up his chance at free agency and sign an extension now, it would IMHO take just about the same contract that Corey got yesterday. If AF wouldn’t spend that on Seager I’m thinking he might not spend it on Trea either.
Less than 4 hours to go to the deadline. I’m sure AF will do something before the deadline but getting Freddie Freeman is not one of them. The man has spent his entire career with Atlanta and as such he must OK any deal. He’s already 32 yo and a FA at the end of 2022.
With the money we saved by not signing Max and Corey we should extend Trea Turner; resign Knebel, Kelly; Taylor for 2B. As far as the pitching is concerned our BP will be fine. Our SP needs attention and without knowing what CK intends to and TB status still unresolved we will need 3 more SP.
With that in mind here is what I Propose:
A trade with Cincinnati: They send us Castillo; Gray; Suarez and Moustakas and in return they receive Lux, Rios, Gonsolin, White, Pepoit and Luis Rodriguez.
I know I’m going to get slammed for that but WTH.
Jeff (and anyone else who cares to comment), Rays are supposedly shopping Joey Wendle. Lefty bat who plays third, short and second all at above average defense and hits well enough. He was a 3+WAR player last year.
I think we need to see what it would take to get him. He would be some protection if we lose CT3 (although he doesn’t play outfield). He’s kind of like what we had hoped Zmac would be, except a far better fielder.
Are we interested? He made about 2 mil last year and has two years of arbitration left. Seems like a worthwhile use of funds to me.
Lots of rumors floating around today. One has LA kicking the tires on Freddie Freeman. A local boy who might be enticed to come home, also rumors LA is talking extension with Trea Turner. We will get some idea of how much Andrew values players on his roster by 5PM Pacific time as that is the deadline to tender contracts. Cody is now a dad. His daughter Caiden Carter Bellinger just arrived.
Of course Corey went for the $$$. Scott Boras is his agent. Boras will always go for the most $$$. When was the last Boras client AF was able to negotiate a deal with? Harper? No. Cole? No. Rendon? No. Scherzer? No. Seager? No. How successful do you expect him to be with Belli, Urias, or Graterol? I have no idea how far he got with Semien. I am guessing that Castellanos is off the table for a variety of reasons, one being Boras as well as Bryant who is also a Boras client.
The 8 year $250MM extension would have been a nice deal for both Seager and LAD, but I am sure that Boras told Corey, “I will get you at least $300MM”. How often is Boras wrong? He was wrong with Moustakas at least once, but maybe twice. Although he is nicely paid for an oft injured infielder. But Boras got an overpay for Hosmer. And we know how successful he was with, Cole, Rendon, Strasburg, Scherzer (twice now), Altuve , and Semien. Boras was not wrong, and Seager got a guaranteed $75MM more than AF offered. We can all be p***** off, but how many out there are going to walk away from $75MM? Seager is a North Carolina boy. Texas will fit his personality better than LA or NY. LA is not his home. He lived in LA less than 100 days days of the year. LAD paid Seager $24.7MM for 7 years. I think he repaid the Dodgers plenty, especially with his 2020 playoff run. That is about a 3.0 WAR. His career bWAR is 21.3.
I will miss Corey. Max not nearly as much. He was with LAD for such a short time. LAD has faced Scherzer in the playoffs before (in his prime). I wish them both well.
As the team stands RIGHT now, if the Dodgers are healthy, there are not many better teams in MLB.
1. Every position player has been an All-Star, except Lux;
2. There are two former MVPs on the team;
3. The bullpen is deep; and
4. The Dodgers’ Farm System is top 10.
Pay little attention to William’s Impersonation of Chicken Little.
Thanks Bear. An enjoyable read and some history gathered.
I feel really bad for people like William who manage to look at everything from the worst possible angle. To think that this team doesn’t have a shot at a pennant is ludicrous. I remember at the beginning of last year, this team was going to be one of the best EVER! To some, it probably disappointed. To me, 106 wins is freaking great! It’s great without all the injuries we endured. But, to do it with all those injuries was phenomenal.
Just for fun, here’s last year’s opening day roster vs this years, right now before the offseason is over…
Catchers
2021 Smith, Barnes
2022 Smith, Barnes
Infield
2021 Muncy, Lux, Seager, Turner
2022 Muncy, Lux, Turner, Turner
Outfield
2021 Betts, Bellinger, Pollock
2022 Betts, Bellinger, Pollock
Bench
2021 Taylor, Rios, McKinstry, Beaty
2022 Rios, McKinstry, Beaty (Replacement for CT3)
Rotation
2021 Kershaw, Bueller, Bauer, May, Urias
2022 Bueller, Bauer, Urias, Heaney, Gonsolin
Bullpen
2021 Jansen, Treinen, Alexander, Gonzales, Knebel, Gonsolin, Nelson, Price
2022 Treinen, Kahnle, Vesia, Gonzales, Bruihl, Graterol, Hudson, Price (Phillips, Bickford, Ferguson, White)
Can anyone tell me how we are so bad now that we go from Historic to not competing for a pennant like William suggests? I still don’t see a team, especially in the NL that is as complete as ours.
Sure, starting pitching could be a little weak to start the season whether or not we retain Kershaw and when Bauer makes it back. But, the fact that the Dodgers didn’t go out and get a front line starter should tell you that they think Bauer is indeed coming back.
Needs… Another Starting Pitcher and a bat off the bench. Anything else is gravy.
I am fine with Corey and Max leaving.
Way too much money for both on them IMHO.
Corey is injury prone and Max almost at the end of the line in his career.
If the Dodgers can sign a guy like Stromann our rotation would be fine IF Bauer comes back .
Bauer, Walker, Julio, Strohmann, Gonsolin and Dustin when he comes back in August is a fine rotation. And dont forget Bobby Miller who I think will make a push for that Nr. 5 starter in Spring Training.
You notice I left out Clayton. Again, IMHO I do not see him pitch for us in 2022. Just a gut feeling .
TT will fill in just fine for CS at ss and I have all confidence that Lux finally will assert himself at 2b.
That should leave us some financial wiggling room to sign a solid RH bat and a top notch reliever .
Go Dodgers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had felt that Seager’s heart wasn’t really in it last year, but maybe that was just my imagination. He seemed to be stoic, but I know that he is never that effusive. But I had expected him to leave. I don’t know why AF said at the end of the season that he was 80% sure that he would re-sign Seager.
I have said before that the way baseball is now structured, all it takes is one team with one owner who wants to go big, who really wants your player, to outbid you on any individual player. That mostly happens to the Dodgers, with the notable exceptions of Betts and then Bauer. Cohen of the Mets is apparently willing to spend unlimited amounts. That is not good, but it is the reality.
We just lost one of our best hitters, someone I wanted to see with Betts as the two cornerstones of the franchise. Now we have one, if Betts is even healthy. Along with Buehler, perhaps, but pitchers are rarely cornerstones, they get injured. So we have a team which lost two of the best players we had during the stretch of last season. And our minor leagues simply do not have the talent level as before. Oh, and we probably have lost Taylor, too.
So what is ownership and management going to do? Make a few small changes, as with picking up Heaney and Hudson, and send the team out there with no real chance of a pennant? Totally rebuild, take four or five years to get back up there–if we even can? We’ve got the payroll back down, but will the fans be satisfied to see a team whose talent is limited?
One is always looking back and forward in history, and wondering what the verdict will be. I would say that the Dodgers had a great run from 2017-2021, but only one one title, that in a shortened season. I would contend that Dave Roberts’ overmanaging in big games cost us at least one more title. To have the talent we did, and to win all those games, and to not even win one full season title, is pretty bad, but it is obscured by the one title and the fan base. Now our run is over, and who knows how long it will take to build this back.
Quite a while, if we re not inclined to spend big any longer. We just don’t have the minor league talent to get us to having the best talent in baseball any time soon. We could get rid of everybody, have two bad seasons, and get high draft picks. Or more likely, we can be prudent, relatively frugal, and just be one of the pack. Next year, I would expect the Braves, Cards, Mets, Giants, maybe Padres, to be better. We’ve got two reliable pitchers ,though Urias’ stamina is still a question. The bullpen could be our strength, if we signed Knebel, unlikely, though. Our lineup is not great, we don’t even know how Muncy will be. Bellinger could hit .240. We’ve got no bench. We will be decent, but hardly great. The question is, how will management, with a self-imposed spending limit, outdo the other franchises which it seems are wiling to spend big on the top players? I am not particularly inclined to go through three or so decent but not great seasons, but that is what it looks like to me. Maybe some are more optimistic. Maybe AF can surprise everybody and come up with a couple of stars for the depleted lineup. We need them.
Players come and they go. Free agency ended any loyalty any player might feel. Kersh has stayed in LA and made his money, if he retires tomorrow it is ok with me. Today is non tender day. Teams have to submit their lists today, and the Dodgers need a roster spot for Hudson, bye bye Raley. Yan Gomes signed with the Cubs and Baez finalizing a deal with the Tigers for 6 years.
Dodgers: Corey Seager Reportedly Turned Down Massive Contract Extension Last Spring
by Eric Eulau
After seven years with the Dodgers, Corey Seager is trading Dodger blue for a whole lot of green. A big, Texas-sized pile of green. Seager agreed to a 10-year, $325 million deal with the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, leaving LA in his rearview mirror.
In the wake of Seager’s signing with Texas, AM570’s David Vassegh revealed a bit of inside information he had been holding on to for quite some time. It seems that Seager turned down an eight year, $250 million contract extension from the Dodgers before the 2021 season began.
Wow Bear. You must have put a lot of nickels in the way back machine for this article! A fun read. Hardly the same game back then, but without it we wouldn’t have today’s game. I appreciate your efforts and time with this article.
Sad to see Corey leave LA. It’s, obviously, all about the money with him. Why else would he go to a pathetic team such as the Rangers. These teams never learn. Spending tons of money on players usually doesn’t lead to success or a championship. I’m sure in time Corey will regret his decision and will eventually request a trade. The money Texas has spent already in FA is ridiculous. But, not my money.
With Scherzer, it was surprising to see him get the money he received. With a frustrated owner in Steve Cohen, he just went bat shit crazy after losing out on some FA pitchers recently. To pay $130M for three years for a soon to be 38 year old is nuts. But, for Cohen it’s damn near a rounding error. I think the Mets still have a long way to go to compete for a World Series title. Again, not my money.
I hope Kershaw decides to retire as a Dodger. I think his recent injury history is too risky for any type of contract. The platelet procedure he has considered has rarely been successful. With all the money Texas is spending let them add to their lunacy and sign Kershaw. Kershaw got his legacy contract with his last extension of 3/$93M which he vastly underperformed. It’s time to move on.
With insane and irrational FA environment I think AF is taking the right approach and letting other, mostly weak teams, spend their wallets out. He will probably wait for the CBA to be resolved before consider signing anymore free agents or make any trades. Except for last year, he’s been a bargain hunter for MLB talent or sly in his acquiring prospects. Let’s hope the CBA gets resolved soon.
Carry on.
Always thought Bridegrooms was a funny name. I assume all of these players worked other jobs during the off-season. By chance, do you know what they were paid back then.
Fun read. Thanks, Bear.