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

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Posted in: 1875,Brown Stockings,Empires

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, 1875


It'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 clubs in St. Louis.  They would win the championship again in 1875.  But their day was done; their era was over.  

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Posted in: 1875,Empires