[6] players

The player records published by Spalding's for the collegiate leagues
vary in scope, evidently partly because of variable scoring and
compiling practices by the collegians. The collegiate section for
1885 opens with this observation.

The official data for making up the averages of the College Clubs of
1884 were not of a very reliable character, the official scoring,
except in a minority of instances, not being up to the required
mark. In fact, the existing system of College Club averages ought
to be improved upon by the College Clubs themselves, and they should
not follow the professional methods so much as the do when there is
such a field for improvement. In making up the fielding percentage,
wild pitches and passed balls have been counted errors, while bases
on called balls have not been classed with errors.

Here the scope of Spalding's player data is illustrated, omitting only
what is redundant because it is literally repeated or it can be
derived. Format mimics Spalding's main table for each league-season.
"Surname" includes a first initial when necessary to distinguish
people who share a surname.


WCA 1883

For 38 players in one list ordered by batting average, who played at
least 3 of 6 games (mainly 6 of 6 games); and for five players in a
second list ordered by batting average, who played 1 or 2 games:

SURNAME,
CLUB,
POSITIONS,
rank in batting,
-games played,
-base-hits,
-batting average,
-runs
runs per game,
-fielding average,
rank in fielding.

That is five independent data(-) in the eight numerical columns.
For example,

Player Club Pos. Batting Runs Runs
Fielding
Rank Games Hits Avg perG Avg Rank
Chandler U of W lf 1 6 15 .500 9 1.50 .857 9
Rollins N W U 3b, cf 2 5 13 .500 9 1.890 .473 35
Polley N W U cf, 3b 3 4 9 .500 5 1.25 .750 17
Crooks R C c, p 4 6 11 .423 11 1.83 .700 23
. . .

Unfortunately, the league secretaries and Spalding's editor did not
cooperate to publish such ample coverage for other league-seasons.


WCA 1884

For 36 players in one list ordered by batting average, who played at
least 3 of 6 games (mainly 6 of 6 games); and for 9 players in a
second list ordered by batting average, who played 1 or 2 of 6 games:

surname, positions, club, games, batting avg, fielding avg & rank

That is surname, positions, club, and three independent numerical data,
games played and the two averages. For example,

Batting Fielding
Player and Position Club Games Average Average Rank
Huxford, lf N W U 6 .500 .909 9
Arnd, p N W U 5 .500 .866 12
. . .
Pellett, lf B C 6 .000 .777 21


ICA 1883

For 10 to 12 players on each of five teams, grouped by team; and for
each team in sum at the bottom of its table:

surname, positions, games by position, at bats, runs, batting avg,
fielding avg

That is five independent numerical data for every player; six or seven
for those who played two or three fielding positions. Coverage may be
complete; some games by position and runs scored do not add up but
some one-game players are included. For example,

Average Fielding
At Bat Runs B-Hits Average
YALE
Hubbard, c 8 35 9 .314 .952
...
Booth, lf 1; p 1 7 3 - -
. . .
BROWN
Bassett, c 4; 3b 3 29 7 .448 .750


ICA 1884

For precisely 9 players on each of six teams, who played at least 9 of
11 games (for playoff participants Yale and Harvard) down to 6 of 10
games (for one player on each of two teams), grouped by team:

surname, position, games played, batting avg, fielding avg.

That is three independent numerical data for each regular player, one
per team at each fielding position. For example,

Batting Fielding
Pos. Games Average Average
YALE
Terry 2b 11 314 952
...
Booth p 11 224 943
. . .
BROWN
Bassett 3b 10 317 847

For each team, batting and fielding averages, ranks by batting and
fielding average, and the "general average" of batting and fielding
averages(!). That is two independent numerical data beyond the W-L
records and runs scored-allowed records that are in the game logs.
Completely,

ICA 1884 Batting Fielding General
Average Rank Average Rank Average Rank
Amherst 246 4 887 1 567 1
Yale 287 1 838 5 563 2
Harvard 257 2 861 3 559 3
Brown 250 3 867 2 559 4
Dartmouth 245 5 859 4 552 5
Princeton 205 6 827 6 516 6


The End.


P/\/ \/\/t
Paul Wendt, Watertown MA, USA <pgw@...>
Chair, 19th Century Committee, SABR
Owner-Administrator, 19cBB (egroup at Yahoo)