The Brown Stocking Directors, though working like beavers to secure a team which will bring the championship here next season, are not inclined to be communicative on the subject. It is known that Clapp, Dehlman, McGeary, Battin and Blong will occupy their present positions next season; that Remsen will succeed Pike at center, and that Force will attend to short. The Chicago Times intimates that Cuthbert is wanted in that city. Admirers of the Browns would doubtless hate to see Cuthy go as an outfield composed of Cuthbert, Remsen and Blong could not possibly be improved on. The momentous question seems to be who will succeed Bradley, and the question is supplemented by the conundrum, can Nichols fill the bill? Should the New Haven man not come up to anticipations, would it not be well for the St. Louis Club to engage a home player who has puzzled the Browns themselves more than any man in the country, and practice him during the winter? This is merely a suggestion.
-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 7, 1876
I would imagine that the local pitcher in question was Pud Galvin.
6 comments:
Am I remembering correctly that Nichols had actually been signed months before? And I am right (I almost certainly must be) that it's Galvin they're being so coy about?
Yeah, they had signed Nichols in early July. And I think I mentioned Galvin at the end of the post. I would think that he's the guy they're talking about. Who else could it be?
Yes, I overlooked your last line.
When I was reading your entry about the game between the Browns and the Reds, I remember thinking that in 1876 probably nobody would have thought the Reds had the better of the two pitchers. They do seem to have realized how good Galvin was, but of course for this one season Bradley was the best.
Galvin was only 19 years old in 76 and had never really pitched at the level of competition were talking about here. He got a few games with the Brown Stockings in 1875 and pitched well but he was just used as an extra/emergency pitcher. While Bradley was only three or four years older than Galvin, Pud didn't reach his peak until 83 or 84. It's easy to look back and say Galvin was the better pitcher but it probably wasn't true in 75 and 76. And Galvin never had a year like Bradley had in 76.
In the end, I'm not sure how much Galvin would have helped them in 77. Their was a lot more going on than just the loss of Bradley.
I beg to differ. Galvin had a fantastic season in 1884 (and 1878, apparently.)
The question is whether or not Galvin would have helped the Brown Stockings in 1877 and, given everything else that was going on with the club, I don't think he would have. Certainly, he was, for his career, a better pitcher than Bradley or Nichols but that hadn't been decided in 1877.
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