‘The most beautiful base ball game in the history of the league’

Aug. 17, 1882, Providence Grays 1, Detroit Wolverines 0, in 18 innings.

http://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/august-17-1882-radbourn-slugger

The box score is at the end of the story. The 18-inning game took 2 hours and 40 minutes to play.

Unusual baseball statistics

Dan Brouthers, 1B, Detroit Wolverines.

1886 – 11 HR, 72 RBI, .377 avg. Also: 40 doubles, 17 triples

1887 – 12 HR, 101 RBI, .228 avg. Also: 36 doubles, 20 triples.

1888 – 9 HR, 66 RBI, .307 avg. Also: 33 doubles, 11 triples.

To go from a .377 average with 72 RBI to a .228 average with 101 RBI is unusual.

Brouthers played 19 years, with the Trojans, Bisons, Wolverines, Beaneaters, Redstocking, Bridegrooms, Orioles, Colonels, Phillies and Giants. His lifetime batting average was .335. Brouthers was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1945.

www.baseball-almanac.com

Gimme a new infield! And an outfield, too!

Frank Meinke pitched in 35 games for the 1884 Detroit Wolverines. He started 31 games and completed every one. His won-loss record was not particularly good – 8-23. ERA 3.18 was good.

Meinke didn’t get much help from the iron hands playing around him. In 289 innings pitched, Meinke gave up 102 earned runs. But, in total 217 base runners crossed the plate in his games. By baseball math, that comes out to 115 unearned runs.

The next year was not so good, either.

In 1885, Meinke pitched in one game. He started the May 22 game and lasted for five innngs. With the same iron hands behind him, Meinke gave up 12 runs, two earned.

He also played 51 games at short, five in the outfield, three at second base and three at third. His batting average was .163. In those 51 games at short, Meinke made 39 errors.

Life can be tough in The Show.

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=meinkfr01