It Was Too Good To Be True

It has been announced that there will be no charge for admission to the game between the colored clubs at Union Park to-morrow, which is true so far as the gate and free seats are concerned.  For seats in the grand stand, however, a small charge will be made.  It was feared that the public might be mislead by the announcement, hence this correction.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 30, 1884 


Okay, first of all, let's be clear that there will be no charge for the free seats.  Secondly, the reason the public may have been confused about all of this was because the Globe, the day before, stated that admission to the Black Stocking/Athletic game was going to be free.  They specifically stated that there would be no charge for seating in the grand stands. 

But don't think I'm complaining.  The Globe did correct their error, something that modern newspapers usually refuse to do.  And this was back to back issues that featured multiple pieces on the goings on of the Black Stockings.  So I'm rather pleased with that.   

Read more »

Posted in: Athletics,Black Baseball,Black Stockings

The Eclipse Answer The Black Stockings

Chas. Brooks, who signs himself "Manager of the Eclipse Base Ball Club, the champion colored club of the United States," writes to the Globe-Democrat to say that if Henry Bridgewater, Manager of the Black Stocking Club, has any business proposition to make to the Eclipse club, "for love or money," it will be promptly accepted.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 30, 1884


Back to back issues that mention the Black Stockings.  This is more like what I was expecting when I started going through the 1884 season.  And there will be a little more about this tomorrow.   

Read more »

Posted in: Black Baseball,Black Stockings,Henry Bridgewater

Von Der Ahe And The St. Louis Amateurs

A meeting of the Board of Directors of Sportsman's Park was held at the grounds last evening, there being present Messrs. Von der Ahe, O'Neill, Nolker and Reid.  In answer to the call for the local amateur clubs desiring to compete for the handsome ebony bat and silver ball offered by the Directors, the following clubs were represented: Pinafore, by H.C. Hoener; Lyons, P.B. Golman; Comptons, N. Corbey; Wedge House, H. Sexton; Paragons, A. McHose; Westerns, Geo. Flood; St. Louis Grays, L.C. Waitt; Carr Place, A.W. Sumner; Enterprise, Wm. Cahill; Prickly Ash, H.E. Hobbs; Griesidicks, Geo. W. Alexander.  These clubs all expressed a desire to enter the competition and the Directors will decide upon those to be admitted very shortly and a schedule will be duly prepared.  No admission will be charged to the games and an effort will be made to develop the amateur talent of the city, Mr. Von der Ahe stating the willingness of the Sportsman's Park directory to stand all expense of advertising and ground appointments.  Another meeting will be held Thursday, September 4, when matters will be put in more definite shape.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 29, 1884


I've posted information about this amateur competition as I've found it and I'm hoping to find out how it all came out but it's rather interesting to see Von der Ahe promoting the amateur game in St. Louis, especially for the stated purpose of developing local talent.  I'm thinking that this has more to do with creating an alternative product to compete with the Maroons but I could be wrong.  Von der Ahe would, in the future, take unique steps to develop talent for the Browns - specifically the failed attempt at a farm team in 1888.   

Read more »

Posted in: 1884,Chris Von Der Ahe

A Free-For-All Affair

The colored Black Stockings and the colored Athletics, each claiming to be the champion colored club of the city, will play a deciding game at the Union grounds on Sunday next.  The Union management have tendered the park to the colored troops, and the latter have concluded to make it a free-for-all affair.  There will be no charge either to the grounds or grand stand.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 29, 1884


Holy cow - two references to black baseball clubs in one issue of the Globe.  Be still my heart.  And what about free admission to a championship game?  Can't imagine anything like that these days.   

Read more »

Posted in: 1884,Athletics,Black Baseball,Black Stockings

For All The Money

Harry Bridgewater, manager of the Black Stockings Base Ball Club, offers to play his nine against the Eclipse (colored) Base Ball Club, who say they are the champions, etc., for all the money they can raise, for gate receipts or for fun.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 29, 1884


I don't think I've ever seen Henry Bridgewater referred to as Harry but I'll take any reference to that Black Stockings that I can get.   

Read more »

Posted in: Black Baseball,Black Stockings,Henry Bridgewater

A New Illinois Corporation

The Belleville Base Ball Association, of Belleville; capital $250.  Incorporators - G.C. Wagner, H.C. Henderson, Geo. Thomas, W.H. Smyler, Jr., Al Davison, C.P. Fluschbein and A.G. Fleischbein.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 29, 1884


I guess I'm a bit surprised that the Belleville club officially incorporated.  I don't know if I should be but I am. 

Read more »

Posted in: Belliville

The 1884 Maroons: Was There Anything Dunlap Couldn't Do?

Two thousand people came together at Exposition Park today to witness the third contest between the Pittsburg and St. Louis Union clubs.  The weather was fine and the game full of interesting and exciting incidents.  The visitors played a strong game from start to finish, while the Price team spurted along quite gamely.  At one time it looked as if the home nine was to be badly whipped.  In the eighth inning, after Gleason had had a chance to retire the side, some of the hardest hitting seen about here for some time saved their bacon, and they piled up 6 unearned runs tieing the score.  Lucas' men, in the ninth, earned 2 runs and the home club only succeeded in getting 1, losing the game by one run.  Daily, the one-handed pitcher, set the audience wild by sending the ball down into deep middle field, making three bases on the hit.  In the ninth inning, after one man of the home team was out, Dunlap, the captain of the visitors, sent Werden into right garden and occupied the pitcher's box himself, or it was the general opinion of many spectators the nine from St. Louis would have lost the game, as the Pittsburg boys seemed to have "caught on" to Werden's delivery in great shape.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 28, 1884


Fred Dunlap pitched two and two-thirds innings in his major league career, with an ERA of 6.75 and and ERA+ of 73.

Read more »

Posted in: 1884,Fred Dunlap,Maroons

The Great Game Of The Season

The Great Game

Of the season, that is, to the people of St. Louis, will come off, weather permitting, next Thursday afternoon, when the nine that Chicago has been boasting of all the winter will play our Brown Stockings on the Grand Avenue park.

We can tell after the game is over as well as any one else which side wins the game, but predictions as to the probable result would be idle.  We can only express our confidence in the nine selected to represent us in the contest.  Their splendid physical condition, steady earnest play and mutual reliance one upon the other are qualities that if persevered in, will prove triumphant over stronger nines than our sister city has got together.

Persons desiring to avoid the rustle at the gates can purchase tickets at the base ball headquarters for any of the championship games the coming week.

-St. Louis Republican, May 2, 1875

Remember that this piece appeared in the Republican prior to the game between the Brown Stockings and the Reds.  I understand the build-up that went on in the off-season and the back and forth that was going on between the St. Louis and Chicago papers, as well as everyone's desire to see a St. Louis club beat the Chicagos.  But, come on.  You had the first league game in St. Louis history coming up in a couple of days and it pitted two St. Louis clubs against each other.  That wasn't the great game of the season (to date)?

Now obviously it wasn't and there really wasn't a comparison between the Reds and Brown Stockings.  But I didn't think that was recognized in St. Louis prior to May 4, 1875.  I might be wrong about that and it what is obvious in retrospect may have been obvious to the baseball fraternity of St. Louis at the beginning of the 1875 season.

In the end, the Republican is absolutely correct in saying that the first Brown Stocking/Chicago game was the game of the season.  Not only that, it's one of the most significant games in St. Louis baseball history.  As far as 19th century St. Louis baseball games are concerned, it might be the important game ever played by a St. Louis club.  If not, it ranks right up there with the $15,000 slide game and a couple of the games that the Empire Club played in 1865.

And now I have a new idea for a series of posts.  The only question is should I limit the list of the most significant 19th century baseball games to ten or go all out and put together a top twenty-five?  I can do ten off the top of my head so I'm thinking I'll have to do a top twenty-five.

But I digress.  The point here is that with the Reds/Brown Stockings tilt just a couple of days away, they're looking past that to the Brown Stocking/Chicago game.  And that's kind of fascinating.   

    

Read more »

Posted in: 1875,Brown Stockings,Red Stockings

Just Your Run-Of-The-Mill Baseball Ad

Oh, but wait...

This is an advertisement for the first big league game in St. Louis baseball history.  Of course, the game as advertised didn't come off because of rain and the first big league game wasn't played until a few days later.  But still. 

Read more »

Posted in: 1875,Brown Stockings,Red Stockings

Dear Sirs: Stop Making Stuff Up

To the Editor of the Missouri Republican:  At a meeting of the Empire base ball club held last evening the secretary was instructed to answer a card that appeared in your paper last Sunday, and signed by one of the twelve professional players of the St. Louis team.  As no arrangement had been made by the officers of the Empire club for a game with the St. Louis professionals it was therefore impossible for the base ball reporter of the Democrat or any one else to have broken up the game that never was arranged.

Respectfully, Chas. H. Stevens, Secretary Empire Base Ball Club.

-St. Louis Republican, April 8, 1875

Read more »

Posted in: 1875,Brown Stockings,Empires