The Afterthoughts

The Empires have not yet filled the vacancies in their nine, and have done no practising during the past week.  They will play a practice game among themselves to-day at Solari's park.  -St. Louis Republican, April 4, 1875It's amazing how quickly you can be forgotten.  The Empire Club dominated St. Louis baseball for fifteen years, dating back to before the Civil War.  They were perennial champions and those few times they didn't win the championship, they were still the team to beat.  And here they are, in 1875 - an afterthought.  The previous season, they had won the championship in a brilliant five game series against the Reds and the excitement that season and that series generated helped lay the groundwork for the introduction of National Association...

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Posted in: 1875,Empires

At The Missouri Gymnasium

At about 10 o'clock the members of the St. Louis professional base ball club make their appearance and for an hour or two try to work off some of their superfluous fat which has accumulated upon them since last season.  They are a healthy looking set of young men, full of fun but decidedly more fond of ball-tossing than dumb-bell brandishing.  In the afternoon they frequently come around again and indulge in more jostling of iron weights. -St. Louis Republican, March 19, 1875Off-season weight training goes back to at least 1872 and, depending on your definition, you might be able to trace it back to Jim Creighton.  One point that Peter Morris made in A Game of Inches was that this kind of off-season training was expensive and, therefore, rare unless all the players lived...

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Posted in: 1875,Brown Stockings

Wanted: One Veteran Professional

We learn that our Red Stocking club have secured Dennis McGee, the "Mack" of the Philadelphia club last season, now playing with the Lone Stars of New Orleans as their second baseman.-St. Louis Republican, February 21, 1875This is pretty interesting.  Now, obviously McGee didn't sign with the Reds in 1875 but this shows that they were looking for a veteran, Eastern professional for the club.  That sheds a great deal of light on the Charlie Sweasy signing. ...

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Posted in: 1875,Charlie Sweasy,Red Stockings

Gossip

The Red Stockings of this city talk of running into the professional business with a co-operative nine, but we can learn nothing official in regard to their progress.-St. Louis Republican, January 31, 1875This was in a column titled "Base Ball Gossip."  I'm guessing that the Brown Stockings had made up their minds to play to the Grand Avenue Grounds and Thomas McNeary, the president of the Reds and an early investor in the Brown Stockings, was not pleased with the decision.   ...

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Posted in: 1875,Brown Stockings,Red Stockings,Thomas McNeary

Jack Chapman Brings Down The House

The players engaged by the St. Louis Base Ball club, with the exception of Pike, Waitt and Hauge (not yet arrived), were introduced to the stockholders of the association last evening in the reading-room of the club manager's store, No. 619 Olive street, which the latter has neatly furnished for the convenience of the players and the base ball fraternity generally.  All the sporting papers are kept on file, and the latest base ball news cheerfully communicated.  A large number of the members dropped in during the evening and inspected the material that is to represent St. Louis in the coming struggle for the flag of 1875.  All the boys were in good health, and confident of giving a good account of themselves.  They are, one and all, muscular and active looking fellows,...

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Posted in: 1875,Brown Stockings,Jack Chapman

Prospects Of The Most Brilliant Character

The national interest in base ball is by no means on the wane.  During the season which closed on November first, audiences composed of the best class of people, and numbering all the way from wight to ten and twelve thousands have been drawn together in St. Louis, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago and New York whenever there was to be a game between two crack organizations.  Those familiar with the game and its patrons say that the prospects for the coming season are of the most brilliant character.  More money will, they say, be put into professional clubs, several additional organizations will then enter the diamond field, while the tone of the clubs has been perceptibly raised, and to a greater extent than formerly the interest has been transferred to the better portion of the...

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Posted in: 1875,Brown Stockings,Mase Graffen

The Game Not Played

The game of base ball advertised to take place yesterday afternoon, at the Grand Avenue park, between the Chicago White Stockings and Philadelphias, did not come off, as neither club put in its appearance.  At least twenty thousand people visited the grounds, thinking that they would enjoy a treat, but they were doomed to be disappointed.  As to who is to blame, our reporter gained the following from a reliable source: Mr. Williams, secretary of the reds of this city, has been correspounding with the Chicagos for some time, in regard to getting up a game, and at last succeeded so far that he turned the game over to Mr. Solari of the Grand Avenue park, thinking it would be an advantage to the club in drawing a large crowd, on account of its proximity to the Fair grounds.  Then...

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Posted in: August Solari,Ballparks

May 4, 1875

Bat And Ball.St. Louis vs. Red Stockings.Description of the First Professional Game Ever Played in St. Louis.Excellent Playing by Both Nines.Redmond Bears off the Honors of the Day.The St. Louis Victorious by a Score of 15 to 9.About one thousand spectators were present yesterday afternoon at the Compton avenue park to witness the first professional game ever played in St. Louis, the contestants being both St. Louis clubs, namely, the "Brown" and "Red Stockings."  The weather, which had prevented the games on Saturday and Monday, cleared off about noon and a more beautiful afternoon could not have been wished for.  Had the sun made...

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Posted in: 1875,Brown Stockings,Red Stockings

Spiritualism Extraordinary, or The Ghost Of Asa Smith

Well, this evening we were in the back parlor with quite a number beside, when a modest, quiet gentleman called for a sitting.  Foster [the spiritualist] was loath to leave his friends, but we insisted; he passed through to the front room and told the new-comer to write the names of deceased friends or relatives on the slips of paper, carefully fold them and place them on the table.  Returning to us, he left the stranger to his literary efforts.  Conversation was very merry for a few minutes, Foster in the gayest spirits, when suddenly he turned pale and dropped his cigar, saying: "That man has called up the spirit of a drowned...

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Posted in: Asa Smith

Town Ball In Pocahontas, Illinois

Football and baseball, as played today, were unknown games.  What was known as townball, however, was a popular sport.  This was played with a yarn ball covered with leather, or a hollow, inflated rubber ball, both of which were soft and yielding and not likely to inflict injury as is so common today in baseball.  Townball was much played in the schoolhouse yard during recess and at the noon hour.-Illinois in the Fifties, or, A decade of Development, 1851-1860References to town ball, like the one above, are fairly common.  They come from a variety of histories that were written in the last quarter of the 19th century or at the beginning of the 20th century and are based on the recollections of people who were children during the settlement period of the Trans-Appalachian...

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Posted in: Illinois Country,orgins,Pocahontas,town ball

It's Like Christmas Morning

The Reds have been practising daily at their park during the past week.  They will not play to-day as the Atlantics have engaged the park for their own use.  The work on the new fence at the park is well under way and will soon be completed.  Their new uniforms will be done to day.  This uniform consists of a gray cap, gray shirt and gray pants, all trimmed with red, and red stockings.  The nine is now definitely fixed with "Pack" Dillon, Dan. Morgan, Wm. Redmon, J. Blong, John McSorley, Chas. Houtz, Arthur Croft, Thos. Oran, and Chas. Sweasy.  John Dillon will be the tenth man.  Sweasy is a new man, and will arrive in the city on Tuesday [April 13].  He was one of the old Cincinnati Red Stockings and is a very strong player.-St. Louis Republican, April...

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Posted in: Charlie Sweasy,John Dillon,Red Stockings,uniforms

The Browns Enter A Float In The Parade

Sportsman's Park Association have a miniature representation of the entrance to their park on the front of their float.  Three bats, each about 20 feet long, are crossed over the middle of the car and from their intersection a huge base ball depends.  Ten uniformed boys will be in position on a miniature diamond and at the back of the float a decorated bulletin will show the standing of the American Association Clubs...-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 27, 1884I wish I had a picture of this float, which was entered in the Trades' Display Association parade.  It must have made quite the impression. ...

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Posted in: Browns,Sportsman's Park and Club Association

We Won The Fight

[From the Pittsburg Dispatch, August 25.] President Lucas, of the Union Association, arrived in the city yesterday in company with his famous team of ball players from St. Louis.  During the conversation last evening he expressed himself as highly pleased with the turn of affairs in the base ball world, and serenely confident in the ultimate success of the association which he has created and now represents.  In response as to how the battle was progressing, he replied, with a smile and an air of refreshing confidence.  "Why, there is no battle; the strife ended some weeks since.  We won the fight against great odds and are now on top.  Next season the Union Association will be composed of eight clubs, representing an equal number of the best and largest cities in...

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Posted in: 1884,Henry Lucas

The 1884 Maroons: One Of The Rankest Ever Played

The weather to-day, although a trifle too warm to play ball, was all that the spectators desired.  About 2,000 persons assembled at the Exposition Park to enjoy the exhibition.  In contrast with the preceding day's game this was, as Shafer more tritely than elegantly expressed it, "one of the rankest ever played."  The St. Louis representatives fielded execrably and piled error on top of error until it really became monotonous.  Notwithstanding the loose playing of the visitors, it was a very exciting and closely contested game, the score standing 5 to 4 in favor of the Lucas nine.  The Pittsburg team were first at bat,...

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Posted in: 1884,Maroons

The 1884 Maroons: Lucas' Pets Head East

This afternoon was the time fixed for the appearance of the new Pittsburg Union Club at the Exposition Park.  They were pitted against the St. Louis Unions.  Jupiter Pluvius seemed inclined to oppose meeting one hour before the opening of the game and doubtless kept a great number from attending.  However, between 2,500 and 3,000 people witnessed one of the finest games ever played hereabouts.  It took eleven sharp innings to decide the contest.  Hard hitting and sharp fielding were the features of the game, and the pitchers of both nines were excellently supported especially by their respective catchers.  Daly and...

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Posted in: 1884,Fred Dunlap,Joe Battin,Maroons

How Two-Arm Daily Became One-Arm Daily

Very few people are acquainted with the way in which Hugh Daly, the famous on-armed pitcher of the Chicago Unions, lost his arm.  He was employed in the Front Street Theater, in Baltimore, and one night, while mixing up some red fire and other fancy lights to be used in a spectacular play, there was a terrible explosion, and poor Hughey was knocked senseless.  When he regained consciousness his left hand and forearm were a shapeless mass.  It was injured so badly that amputation was necessary.-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 25, 1884As soon as I read this, I was certain that the story wasn't true.  According to his bio in Major League Baseball Profiles, 1871-1900, Volume 2, at the age age of thirteen, Daily "was reportedly shot through the left wrist with a loaded musket...

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Posted in: Hugh Daily

In An Alternative Universe, He Became Spider-Man

Frank McLaughlin, of the Kansas City Unions, while on a train last Wednesday night, en route from St. Louis to Kansas City, was bitten over the right eye by a spider.  The Kansas City Times said that on his arrival home "he looked as if he had taken second money in a catch-as-catch-can scrap."-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 25, 1884Well, I guess the spider would have had to have been radioactive or genetically altered or something like that.  If it had been, Frank McLaughlin would have become Spider-Man eighty years before Peter Parker.And I'm looking forward to seeing the kind of spam that a reference to Spider-Man will bring to...

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Posted in: Spider-Man

The 1884 Maroons: The Best Contest They Had Ever Witnessed

Over 7,000 persons witnessed yesterday's game at the Union Grounds.  Strengthened by the Cleveland trio the Crincinnati Unions undoubtedly present the strongest team that has visited St. Louis this year, and, while they are a magnificent appearing lot of men, the League discipline has penetrated their ranks, and their movements on the field now resemble those of a military organization rather than a ball team.  The sensational feature of yesterday's game was the appearance on the Union grounds of Tom Dolan, who for so many years has rendered the Brown Stockings good service.  The game was not called promptly, and the crowd fretted...

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Posted in: 1884,Maroons,Tom Dolan

The St. Louis Base Ball Club

Tomorrow, I'll get to the great St. Louis/Cincinnati exhibition game of August 23, 1884, when Tom Dolan made his debut with the Maroons, but first I have to pass this along:The St. Louis Base Ball Club, composed of men with money, has undertaken to pay the traveling expenses of a strong nine of colored baseballists to travel through the Eastern States early 1871.  They desire the address of the secretaries of colored clubs in the United States North.-Daily Observer (Utica, NY), November 29, 1870James Brunson sent this to be last week and it's extremely interesting.  First, Brunson identifies the club in question as the Brown Stockings, a black club that I have seen a few references to but nothing this early.  Also, I love the fact that the club goes by the name of the St. Louis...

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Posted in: Black Baseball,Brown Stockings

More On Dolan

I have to pass this along because it's full of awesome:A master of deception his entire career, Tom Dolan claimed to be 17 when he caught for the independent St. Louis Reds in 1876, but he was really 21.  He then spent the next dozen years deceiving ML teams into believing he was a good player even though most of the evidence was to the contrary.  His grandest deception of all was actually not of his making - seemingly not, anyway.  For a number of years The Sporting News Official Baseball Record Book recognized him as the record holder for the most outfield assists in a season with 63 in 1883 even though most of his assists that year came as a catcher.Nevertheless, Dolan truly does own some significant distinctions.  Beginning in 1877, he was Jim Galvin's most frequent...

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Posted in: shameless self-promotion,Tom Dolan