Baseball History, and (eventually) the rise of the Dodgers

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 13, 1884

Today brought more disappointment for the boys in blue, as the Brooklyn Atlantics fell to the visiting Baltimore Orioles by a final score of 6-4. Baltimore’s Oyster Burns did much of the damage, getting three hits including a triple against Conway. In losing the game, the Atlantics wasted a strong three-hit performance from first baseman Tug Wilson and six strikeouts by Conway. Catcher John Crowley had more defensive woes at a tough time, and some observers wonder whether he is the right man for the job. Still, as a new club the Atlantics can be expected to struggle some.

Around baseball:

New York 3, Buffalo 1 – Strong pitching and defense led the way for Gotham, as Frank Pearce ran his record to 4-0.
Cleveland 13, Philadelphia 6 – Fred Dunlap got three hits as Cleveland easily got the victory.
Detroit 5, Providence 3 – Bill Boyd had two hits and scored three of Detroit’s five runs.
Boston 4, Chicago 3 – A newcomer to Boston, pitcher Denny Driscoll picked up his first win for them.

New York 10, Pittsburgh 4 – John O’Rourke hit a double and a triple for the Metropolitans.

Standings

New York 7-2
Detroit 6-3
Cleveland 5-3
Philadelphia 5-4
Boston 5-5
Buffalo 4-6
Providence 2-6
Chicago 2-7

Philadelphia 7-1
St. Louis 6-2
Cincinnati 5-2
BROOKLYN 5-3
Washington 4-3
Indianapolis 3-3
Columbus 4-5
Louisville 4-5
New York 4-6
Baltimore 3-6
Pittsburgh 3-7
Toledo 2-7

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 13, 1884

Today brought more disappointment for the boys in blue, as the Brooklyn Atlantics fell to the visiting Baltimore Orioles by a final score of 6-4. Baltimore’s Oyster Burns did much of the damage, getting three hits including a triple against Conway. In losing the game, the Atlantics wasted a strong three-hit performance from first baseman Tug Wilson and six strikeouts by Conway. Catcher John Crowley had more defensive woes at a tough time, and some observers wonder whether he is the right man for the job. Still, as a new club the Atlantics can be expected to struggle some.

Around baseball:

New York 3, Buffalo 1 – Strong pitching and defense led the way for Gotham, as Frank Pearce ran his record to 4-0.
Cleveland 13, Philadelphia 6 – Fred Dunlap got three hits as Cleveland easily got the victory.
Detroit 5, Providence 3 – Bill Boyd had two hits and scored three of Detroit’s five runs.
Boston 4, Chicago 3 – A newcomer to Boston, pitcher Denny Driscoll picked up his first win for them.

New York 10, Pittsburgh 4 – John O’Rourke hit a double and a triple for the Metropolitans.

Standings

New York 7-2
Detroit 6-3
Cleveland 5-3
Philadelphia 5-4
Boston 5-5
Buffalo 4-6
Providence 2-6
Chicago 2-7

Philadelphia 7-1
St. Louis 6-2
Cincinnati 5-2
BROOKLYN 5-3
Washington 4-3
Indianapolis 3-3
Columbus 4-5
Louisville 4-5
New York 4-6
Baltimore 3-6
Pittsburgh 3-7
Toledo 2-7

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 14, 1884

It was another disappointing day against Baltimore for the Atlantic club today, as they were defeated at Washington Park by a final score of 7-2. The club managed only six hits, and failed to score until the ninth inning, when they were already behind 7-0. While of course it is understandable that with a new club there will be some growing pains, Baltimore has never been a competitive club and this is the sort of bunch our Brooklyn boys should be beating. These last two days have not been good for the honor of the borough and hopefully things will turn around soon.

On the bright side, Adonis Terry did strike out eight Baltimore hitters and Oscar Walker showed some sign of breaking out of his early season slump with two hits. Also, John Crowley, who has been the club’s best hitter so far, added two hits of his own.

Around baseball:

Buffalo 3, New York 1 – Ed Cushman won a pitcher’s duel in Gotham.
Cleveland 4, Philadelphia 0 – John Harkins gave up only two hits in shutting out the Quakers.
Detroit 5, Providence 2 – Detroit pitcher Stump Weidman had as many hits – two – as he gave up.
Chicago 6, Boston 1 – Bert Dorr pitched well and Eddie Fusselback got three hits for Chicago.

St. Louis 6, Indianapolis 4 – Big Jim Clinton, with three hits and two runs driven in, was the hitting star.
Toledo 7, Louisville 2 – Tom Poorman and Ed Brown had three hits each for the Blue Stockings.
New York 10, Pittsburgh 8 – Chief Roseman drove in three runs for the Metropolitans.
Cincinnati 2, Columbus 0 – Cincinnati pitcher Bill Sweeney left the game injured and Ren Deagle finished the shutout.
Philadelphia 6, Washington 0 – Curry Foley went five for five with a home run for Philadelphia.

Standings

Detroit 7-3
New York 7-3
Cleveland 6-3
Philadelphia 5-5
Boston 5-6
Buffalo 5-6
Chicago 3-7
Providence 2-7

Philadelphia 8-1
St. Louis 7-2
Cincinnati 6-2
BROOKLYN 5-4
Washington 4-4
New York 5-6
Indianapolis 3-4
Columbus 4-6
Louisville 4-6
Baltimore 4-6
Toledo 3-7
Pittsburgh 3-8

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 15, 1884

There was celebration at Washington Park today, as the Brooklyn Atlantics club managed to end its three-game losing streak against Baltimore. However, the game was much closer than it should have been, as even though the Atlantics got eighteen hits and the Orioles only nine, it still went into ten innings, with Brooklyn first falling behind in the top of the inning, then winning the game in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by substitute John Dwyer. Dwyer had never before entered a game for Brooklyn, but he chose the right time to come through. Still, the lack of hitting with men on base has to be worrisome for the club.

Around baseball:

Cleveland 8, New York 7 – A wild pitch by Myron Allen surrendered the winning run.
Buffalo 6, Philadelphia 3 – Emil Gross had a triple and a home run in a losing cause.
Chicago 10, Providence 3 – Tom Burns got three hits for Chicago.
Detroit 7, Boston 3 – Martin Powell went five for five and George Derby ran his record to 5-0.

Cincinnati 12, Columbus 4 – Pop Snyder of Cincinnati had three hits, driving in three and scoring three.
Indianapolis 12, St. Louis 2 – The Hoosiers were led by Chicken Wolf, who had three hits including a run-scoring triple.
New York 6, Pittsburgh 4 – Dave Orr hit the game-winning home run in the eighth inning.
Louisville 3, Toledo 1 – A strong pitching performance by Hugh O’Neil.
Philadelphia 7, Washington 2 – Sam Weaver pitched well for Philadelphia.

Standings

Detroit 8-3
Cleveland 7-3
New York 7-4
Buffalo 6-6
Philadelphia 5-6
Boston 5-7
Chicago 4-7
Providence 2-8

Philadelphia 9-1
Cincinnati 7-2
St. Louis 7-3
BROOKLYN 6-4
New York 6-6
Indianapolis 4-4
Louisville 5-6
Washington 4-5
Baltimore 4-7
Columbus 4-7
Toledo 3-8
Pittsburgh 3-9

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 17, 1884

The Trolley Dodgers won their second consecutive game at home today, as they defeated the last place Pittsburgh Alleghenys by a final of 9-3. Adonis Terry pitched well, as usual, getting six strikeouts for the win, and both Oscar Walker and Fred Warner managed three hits for the Brooklyns. In addition, young Willie Murphy, the club’s 20-year-old outfielder, got his first big league home run in the contest. Brooklyn may not have the players to compete with Association elites such as Cincinnati, Philadelphia and St. Louis in this first season, but it begins to look like a competitive season is not impossible.

Around baseball:

New York 12, Buffalo 11 – The Gothams had twenty hits, with five players getting three or more.
Cleveland 15, Philadelphia 1 – Jerry Denny drove in four runs and scored two.
Providence 8, Detroit 7 – The Grays rallied from a late 7-1 deficit and John Radcliff had a key home run in the comeback.
Boston 9, Chicago 6 – Cal McVey came on as a pinch hitter and got a key double.

St. Louis 9, Toledo 5 – Ten errors by the Blue Stockings marred a sloppy game.
Cincinnati 6, Indianapolis 1 – Gus Shallix went to 5-0 and Bid McPhee hit his third home run.
Philadelphia 9, Washington 6 – Sam Weaver’s record rose to 4-0 and Jack O’Brien scored three runs.
Baltimore 2, New York 0 – Pretzels Getzien of Baltimore threw a three-hit shutout with twelve strikeouts.
Louisville 13, Columbus 4 – Podge Weihe of Louisville went 3 for 5 with four runs driven in and three scored.

Standings

New York 9-4
Cleveland 8-4
Detroit 8-5
Boston 7-7
Philadelphia 6-7
Buffalo 6-8
Chicago 5-8
Providence 3-9

Philadelphia 11-1
Cincinnati 8-3
St. Louis 8-4
BROOKLYN 7-4
Indianapolis 5-5
Louisville 6-7
New York 6-7
Baltimore 5-7
Columbus 5-8
Washington 4-7
Toledo 4-9
Pittsburgh 3-10

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Sunday, May 18, 1884

The Nine: Top Hitters from Baseball’s Top Leagues

National League

King Kelly, Providence - .389
Buck Ewing, New York - .368
Roger Connor, New York - .360
Fred Dunlap, Cleveland - .357
Hardy Richardson, Buffalo - .346
George Hall, Cleveland - .340
Ned Hanlon, Detroit - .339
Mike Dorgan, New York - .333
Sadie Houck, Detroit - .333

American Association

Jon Morrison, Indianapolis - .381
Henry Larkin, Philadelphia - .380
Bill Kienzle, Philadelphia - .375
Thorny Hawkes, Washington - .358
John Crowley, Brooklyn - .357
Fred Carroll, Columbus - .344
Al Spalding, Philadelphia - .343
John Glenn, St. Louis - .333
Charlie Levis, Indianapolis - .333

The Five: Top Pitchers from Baseball’s Top Leagues

National League

Frank Pearce, New York – 5-0, 1.56
George Derby, Detroit – 5-1, 3.02
John Harkins, Cleveland – 5-2, 1.17
The Only Nolan, Cleveland – 3-2, 1.47
George Knight, Boston – 3-3, 2.75

American Association

Al Atkinson, Philadelphia – 7-1, 2.13
Gus Shallix, Cincinnati – 5-0, 0.80
Ed Morris, Columbus – 5-2, 2.15
Sam Weaver, Philadelphia – 4-0, 1.69
Hugh O’Neil, Louisville – 4-1, 0.82

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 19, 1884

It took some late heroics today, but the Brooklyn baseball club won another game from the Pittsburgh Alleghenys at Washington Park. This marked the club’s third consecutive victory. Although the team led 4-2 late in the game, Adonis Terry surrendered a two-run home run to Ned Williamson of the Pittsburgh club to tie it. From there, things stayed tied at 4-4 and went into extra innings. However, in the extra frame Brooklyn managed to right things and secure the victory thanks to a two-out hit by second baseman Charlie Jones. Jones has been used only as a substitute so far this season, but he has hit safely both times he has come to bat – perhaps the club should consider him in a larger role.

Meanwhile, John Crowley went 1 for 4 and thus continued his hitting streak – he has now hit safely in all twelve of Brooklyn’s games this year.

Around baseball:

New York 4, Buffalo 3 – Eleven strikeouts for Pearce as he ran his record to a league-leading 6-0.
Cleveland 4, Philadelphia 3 – Harkins got his sixth win of the season in a low-scoring battle.
Providence 8, Detroit 7 – A key ninth inning hit by King Kelly gave Providence the win.
Boston 6, Chicago 0 – Outstanding pitching by George Knight.

Baltimore 6, New York 5 – Oyster Burns got a double and a home run for Baltimore.
Philadelphia 4, Washington 3 – Jocko Milligan hit his fourth home run of the season for Philadelphia.

Standings

New York 10-4
Cleveland 9-4
Detroit 8-6
Boston 8-7
Philadelphia 6-8
Buffalo 6-9
Chicago 5-9
Providence 4-9

Philadelphia 12-1
BROOKLYN 8-4
Cincinnati 8-4
St. Louis 8-4
Indianapolis 6-5
Baltimore 6-7
Columbus 6-8
Louisville 6-8
New York 6-8
Washington 4-8
Toledo 4-9
Pittsburgh 3-11

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 20, 1884

Today was a difficult day for the Brooklyn club, as they simply were unable to get any offense started against Pittsburgh pitcher Fleury Sullivan, and thus the visiting Alleghenys took the game by a final of 5-1. Mike Mansell of Pittsburgh got four hits on the day, while the entire Brooklyn team scattered just six. Though baseball is a game of ups and downs, this will be a contest best forgotten.

Following the game, the club boarded a train to Baltimore, as they will play the Orioles there for the remainder of the week before returning home.

Around baseball:

Boston 5, Philadelphia 4 – Three hits and two runs driven in Ross Barnes of Boston.
New York 11, Providence 10 – Mike Dorgan went 4 for 4 with two singles, a double, a home run and a walk.

Columbus 15, Louisville 2 – Jake Goodman drove in five for the Buckeyes, who scored 14 of their runs in the sixth inning.
Indianapolis 4, Cincinnati 1 – Larry McKeon pitched well, though he did surrender a home run to Bid McPhee.
New York 18, Baltimore 1 – A laugher in which everyone on the Metropolitans contributed to the offense.
Philadelphia 10, Washington 5 – Lou Say went 3 for 3 with two walks for the Athletics.
St. Louis 7, Toledo 0 – Daisy Davis pitched a two-hit shutout for St. Louis.

Standings

New York 11-4
Cleveland 9-4
Detroit 8-6
Boston 9-7
Philadelphia 6-9
Buffalo 6-9
Chicago 5-9
Providence 4-10

Philadelphia 13-1
St. Louis 9-4
BROOKLYN 8-5
Cincinnati 8-5
Indianapolis 7-5
Columbus 7-8
Baltimore 6-8
New York 7-8
Louisville 6-9
Washington 4-9
Toledo 4-10
Pittsburgh 4-11

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 22, 1884

Today was a long and difficult day for our Trolley Dodgers in Baltimore. They seemed to be the better club than the Orioles in every way, and young Willie Murphy, who only patrols our outfield because he failed a tryout with the National League Cleveland club, hit two home runs in the game to lead the way. Nevertheless, the defense was poor throughout, with numerous errors, and Baltimore got the chance to tie the game at 4 in the late innings.

The game moved into extra innings and with most of the Brooklyn players having been substituted, there were few good hitters left in the lineup. The club had two chances but failed, and in the bottom of the eleventh inning Baltimore was able to score the winning run. Two different times in the game the Atlantics had the bases loaded but failed to score, including once with no one out. To make matters worse, second baseman Bill Greenwood was hit on the hand with a pitch and it looks as though he may have a broken bone. It looks as though Charlie Jones is going to get that chance for more playing time.

Around baseball:

Cleveland 12, Chicago 11, 11 innings – Sam Trott of Cleveland, only in the game because of injuries to the regular catcher, went 5 for 6 in a wild game.
New York 12, Boston 1 – Frank Pearce went to 7-0 as the Gothams dominated. Is there a new top club in the National League?
Philadelphia 6, Providence 2 – Fred Lewis and Bob Casey each had three hits for the Quakers.
Buffalo 10, Detroit 6 – In his major league debut, Frank Meinke of Detroit had a triple and a home run in a losing cause.

St. Louis 7, Columbus 3 – Daisy Davis threw eleven strikeouts and got three hits for St. Louis.
Indianapolis 8, Louisville 1 – Larry McKeon had another strong pitching performance for the Hoosier club.
New York 7, Washington 3 – New York was led by pitcher Smiling Tim Keefe.
Philadelphia 5, Pittsburgh 4 – Curry Foley hit his fourth home run as the Athletics’ winning ways continued.

Standings

New York 13-4
Cleveland 10-5
Boston 10-8
Detroit 8-8
Buffalo 8-9
Philadelphia 7-10
Chicago 6-10
Providence 4-12

Philadelphia 14-1
St. Louis 11-4
Cincinnati 8-5
Indianapolis 8-5
BROOKLYN 8-6
New York 8-8
Baltimore 7-8
Columbus 7-9
Louisville 6-10
Washington 4-10
Toledo 4-11
Pittsburgh 4-12

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 23, 1884

On a sloppy day in Baltimore, the Brooklyn ball club was able to put together a victory from behind by scoring eleven runs in the ninth inning to win 16-8. In that inning, the team managed just four hits, but seven Baltimore errors allowed the numerous runs to score. Tug Wilson and Fred Warner each had multi-hit games for the Trolley Dodgers, but in truth this was a game more notable for lack of defense than anything else.

Around baseball:

Cleveland 4, Chicago 3 – Rookie John Harkins pitched well and veteran George Hall hit a home run.
New York 10, Boston 9 – Boston’s Harry Stovey had a big day at the plate, but New York’s Dasher Troy had the game-winning double in the eighth inning.
Providence 7, Philadelphia 4 – Cub Stricker got four hits for Providence.
Detroit 9, Buffalo 5 – Art Whitney got three hits and scored three runs.

Columbus 4, St. Louis 2 – Rookie Cannonball Morris struck out nine St. Louis hitters for the win.
New York 5, Washington 2 – Dave Orr hit a key three-run home run.
Pittsburgh 8, Philadelphia 0 – Good defense and a three-hit game by John Peters finally cooled off the Athletics.
Cincinnati 18, Toledo 8 – Bid McPhee, Joe Hornung and Pop Corkhill each scored four runs.

Standings

New York 14-4
Cleveland 11-5
Detroit 9-8
Boston 10-9
Buffalo 8-10
Philadelphia 7-11
Chicago 6-11
Providence 5-12

Philadelphia 14-2
St. Louis 11-5
Cincinnati 9-5
Indianapolis 8-5
BROOKLYN 9-6
New York 9-8
Columbus 8-9
Baltimore 7-9
Louisville 6-10
Pittsburgh 5-12
Washington 4-11
Toledo 4-12

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 24, 1884

Today young Willie Murphy once again was the hero for the Brooklyn Atlantic club, as he led the club to an easy 12-5 victory in Baltimore. Murphy had three hits, including another home run, and he has now driven in 19 runs in Brooklyn’s 16 games so far this season. This prodigious pace has him tied for the top spot in the entire Association, and despite Cleveland’s success in the National League, they surely must regret having dismissed the young phenom. Jack Conway pitched reasonably well for the win to pull his record for the season to 4-3.

Around baseball:

Cleveland 8, Detroit 5 – Monk Cline went 4 for 4 for the Blues.
New York 16, Providence 6 – Many Gotham players hit well, particularly Mike Dorgan, who had four hits and four runs.
Boston 6, Philadelphia 5 – George Knight got seven strikeouts in winning the game for Boston.
Buffalo 5, Chicago 4 – Hugh Daily kept the Chicago bats quiet for most of the game.

Indianapolis 6, Louisville 2 – Larry McKeon had another strong pitching performance with eight strikeouts.
New York 12, Washington 1 – Seven New York starters had two or more hits, and Tim Keefe had a dominant pitching performance.
Pittsburgh 19, Philadelphia 12 – A sloppy game in which the Athletics’ infielders committed eleven errors.
Toledo 7, Cincinnati 6 – Six strikeouts and a victory for Hank O’Day.

Standings

New York 15-4
Cleveland 12-5
Boston 11-9
Detroit 9-9
Buffalo 9-10
Philadelphia 7-12
Chicago 6-12
Providence 5-13

Philadelphia 14-3
St. Louis 11-5
Indianapolis 9-5
BROOKLYN 10-6
Cincinnati 9-6
New York 10-8
Columbus 8-9
Baltimore 7-10
Louisville 6-11
Pittsburgh 6-12
Toledo 5-12
Washington 4-12

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Sunday, May 25, 1884

The Nine: Top Hitters from Baseball’s Top Leagues

National League

King Kelly, Providence - .400
Buck Ewing, New York - .370
Roger Connor, New York - .351
Mike Dorgan, New York - .351
Hardy Richardson, Buffalo - .346
Ned Hanlon, Detroit - .342
Bill Boyd, Detroit - .341
George Hall, Cleveland - .333
Art Whitney, Detroit - .321

American Association

John Richmond, Columbus - .394
Jon Morrison, Indianapolis - .362
Henry Larkin, Philadelphia - .361
Chicken Wolf, Indianapolis - .357
Fred Carroll, Columbus - .356
Marr Phillips, Indianapolis - .345
Willie Murphy, Brooklyn - .338
Barney Gilligan, St. Louis - .333
John Glenn, St. Louis - .323

The Five: Top Pitchers from Baseball’s Top Leagues

National League

Frank Pearce, New York – 7-0, 1.67
John Harkins, Cleveland – 7-3, 1.22
George Derby, Detroit – 6-2, 2.97
George Knight, Boston – 6-3, 2.41
The Only Nolan, Cleveland – 4-2, 1.85

American Association

Al Atkinson, Philadelphia – 9-1, 2.10
Ed Morris, Columbus – 8-2, 1.71
Tim Keefe, New York – 7-3, 1.79
Gus Shallix, Cincinnati – 6-1, 1.74
Larry McKeon, Indianapolis – 6-3, 2.19

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 27, 1884

At Washington Park in Brooklyn this afternoon, the Atlantic club battled with the Indianapolis Hoosiers for the first time this season, and they came away with the worst of things by a final of 5-1. Although Adonis Terry battled well for the Trolley Dodgers, Larry McKeon, the star pitcher of Indianapolis, was even better. As has often been the case this season, his opponents could do nothing with the pitches and Indy won rather easily. Brooklyn managed only six hits scattered over the course of the game, with none of them going for extra bases. It is this prowess of McKeon that has Indianapolis ahead of all the other new clubs in the Association.

Around baseball:

Detroit 6, Cleveland 4 – Bill Boyd and Martin Powell each had three hits for the Wolverines.
Boston 5, New York 3 – George Knight of Boston had a key hit in the ninth inning to break the tie game.
Philadelphia 8, Providence 1 – Philadelphia’s Dan Brouthers had four hits in the game.
Buffalo 6, Chicago 0 – Ed Cushman pitched the shutout.

New York 1, St. Louis 0 – Tim Keefe pitched a masterpiece, throwing ten strikeouts and shutting out the Browns.
Philadelphia 17, Toledo 12 – Lou Say went 5 for 5 in the game for Philly.
Washington 12, Louisville 8 – Thorny Hawkes had three hits, including a home run.

Standings

New York 15-6
Cleveland 13-6
Boston 13-9
Detroit 10-10
Buffalo 10-11
Philadelphia 8-13
Chicago 7-13
Providence 6-14

Philadelphia 16-3
Indianapolis 11-5
Cincinnati 10-6
St. Louis 11-7
BROOKLYN 10-7
New York 11-8
Columbus 9-9
Baltimore 7-11
Pittsburgh 6-12
Louisville 6-13
Washington 5-12
Toledo 5-14

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 29, 1884

The boys of the Atlantic ball club had another difficult afternoon today, as they welcomed St. Louis, the defending pennant winners, to Washington Park. The boys battled hard, but ultimately fell by a score of 9-5. In the end, Brooklyn simply could not stop Walt Goldsby and Big Jim Clinton at the top of the lineup for St. Louis. In the top two spots, the pair went 6 for 11 with four runs scored and four driven in. That simply was too much for the Dodgers to overcome today. It appears that the club may be at its proper level in the middle third of the American Association. Although that is respectable for a first year ball club, it does feel a bit disappointing given the auspicious start.

Around baseball:

Providence 10, New York 7 – The Grays jumped out to an early 8-1 lead then barely hung on.
Buffalo 4, Cleveland 3 – Old Hoss Radbourn outpitched John Harkins for the win.
Boston 6, Philadelphia 3 – John Coleman ran his record to 4-0 and Harry Stovey hit a home run.
Detroit 7, Chicago 6 – Ned Hanlon went 4 for 4 and led the Wolverines to a narrow victory.

New York 6, Indianapolis 3 – Sharp defense gave this game to New York even though they were outhit 12-4.
Philadelphia 16, Toledo 9 – Three hits from Curry Foley led the way and Atkinson got his tenth win.
Pittsburgh 9, Columbus 3 – Lee Richmond pitched well and helped his own cause with an RBI triple.
Baltimore 8, Cincinnati 7 – Chappy Lane had the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth.

Standings

New York 15-7
Cleveland 13-7
Boston 14-9
Detroit 11-10
Buffalo 11-11
Philadelphia 8-14
Chicago 7-14
Providence 7-14

Philadelphia 17-3
Indianapolis 11-6
St. Louis 12-7
Cincinnati 11-7
New York 12-8
BROOKLYN 10-8
Columbus 10-10
Baltimore 8-12
Louisville 7-13
Pittsburgh 7-13
Washington 5-13
Toledo 5-15

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 30, 1884

For the Decoration Day holiday today, the Brooklyn ballclub played a double-header at Washington Park, first taking on the Indianapolis club in the morning, then battling with St. Louis in the afternoon following their morning game against the Metropolitans.

In the opening game, the Atlantics were outhit by the Hoosiers 8-5, but they ended up winning the game by the same score due to superior defense. Indiana was undone by four errors from second baseman Long Jim Holdsworth and three from third baseman Pat Callaghan.

In the second game, the Brooklyn club was even more impressive, easily defeating the St. Louis squad by a score of 13-4. Willie Murphy hit his fifth home run of the season, and Oscar Walker added three hits and became the first Brooklyn player ever to score four runs in one game. Jack Conway pitched both halves of the doubleheader to get two wins, another first for the Atlantics. It was an impressive Decoration Day of games for the team, as they beat two teams ahead in the standing and made a clear bid to remain in the first division.

The big story, however, was in the nation’s capital, as Columbus defeated the Nationals 11-0 in the morning game and Ed “Cannonball” Morris struck out 11 batters while surrendering no hits at all, the fourth time this has ever been done. He joins a club that includes Harry Salisbury, Will White and George Knight. Truly, this is a pitching achievement that will go into history.

Around baseball:

New York 6, Providence 4 (first game) – John Ward of the Gothams got three hits.
Boston 7, Philadelphia 5 (first game) – George Knight threw seven strikeouts as Boston won despite being outhit 14-9.
New York 9, Boston 4 (second game) – Five starters had multi-hit games for New York.
Philadelphia 7, Providence 6 (second game) – Three hits and three runs scored for Brouthers of Philadelphia.
Cleveland 3, Buffalo 1 (first game) – The Only Nolan pitched well and Monk Cline got three hits.
Buffalo 4, Cleveland 3, 11 innings (second game) – Jim Lillie of Buffalo had the key hit in the eleventh inning.
Chicago 5, Detroit 1 (first game) – Larry Corcoran of the White Stockings surrendered only five hits.
Chicago 8, Detroit 7 (second game) – Corcoran didn’t pitch as well here, but still got the win thanks to Tom Burns, who had three hits including a home run.

New York 7, St. Louis 1 (first game) – Jack Lynch thoroughly shut down the Browns.
Indianapolis 8, New York 2 (second game) – Larry McKeon of Indianapolis gave up only two hits.
Philadelphia 6, Louisville 5 (first game) – Two errors and a passed ball allowed in the winning run in the ninth inning.
Philadelphia 11, Louisville 10 (second game) – A ninth inning double by Al Spalding gave the Athletics their second walk-off win of the doubleheader.
Pittsburgh 12, Toledo 5 (first game) – The Blue Stockings committed an astonishing 17 errors in the game.
Pittsburgh 19, Toledo 9 (second game) – They added another 16 errors in this game – no surprise where they are in the standings.
Columbus 11, Washington 0 (first game) – Cannonball Morris of Columbus pitched a no-hitter in the game.
Baltimore 5, Columbus 2 (second game) – Pretzels Getzien pitched well to lead Baltimore to victory.
Cincinnati 10, Washington 3 (second game) – Dan Stearns of Cincinnati went 2 for 3 with three walks.

Standings

New York 17-7
Cleveland 14-8
Boston 15-10
Buffalo 12-12
Detroit 11-12
Chicago 9-14
Philadelphia 9-15
Providence 7-16

Philadelphia 19-3
Cincinnati 12-7
Indianapolis 12-7
BROOKLYN 12-8
New York 13-9
St. Louis 12-9
Columbus 11-11
Baltimore 9-12
Pittsburgh 9-13
Louisville 7-15
Washington 5-15
Toledo 5-17

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

May 31, 1884

Today the Brooklyn Atlantics completed their first full month of top flight baseball with a loss to the St. Louis Browns, falling 11-6 mostly due to a seven-run third inning that opened the scoring. This put the club at 12-9 for its first month, a completely respectable finish. Willie Murphy and Adonis Terry have been the best players for the team so far, and there are several other players who have shown themselves to be acceptable players on a good team, such as Oscar Walker, Fred Warner and Billy Geer. They seem to lack the star power that the pennant favorites in Philadelphia have, but given time it appears this club can represent the borough quite well.

Around baseball:

Philadelphia 9, Providence 7 – Buster Hoover scored two runs and drove in two to lead the Quakers.
Cleveland 11, Buffalo 5 – Jack Glasscock went 3 for 4 with three runs scored.
Boston 6, New York 5, 10 innings – Jim Manning knocked in the game winner in the bottom of the tenth.
Chicago 5, Detroit 3 – Good pitching by Bert Dorr helped Chicago overcome two home runs by Martin Powell.

Washington 5, Cincinnati 4 – Art Hagan pitched well for the Nationals.
New York 7, Indianapolis 1 – Ten strikeouts got Tim Keefe his tenth victory on the season.
Philadelphia 7, Louisville 0 – Sam Weaver shut the Louisville club down to continue the Athletics’ hot streak.
Columbus 16, Baltimore 0 – Pop Smith drove in a record nine runs with three triples and a home run, while Cannonball Morris followed up his no-hitter with a two-hitter.
Pittsburgh 12, Toledo 10 – Cap Anson went 5 for 5 for the Alleghenys.

Standings

New York 17-8
Cleveland 15-8
Boston 16-10
Buffalo 12-13
Detroit 11-13
Chicago 10-14
Philadelphia 10-15
Providence 7-17

Philadelphia 20-3
New York 14-9
Cincinnati 12-8
Indianapolis 12-8
St. Louis 13-9
BROOKLYN 12-9
Columbus 12-11
Pittsburgh 10-13
Baltimore 9-13
Louisville 7-16
Washington 6-15
Toledo 5-18

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

Sunday, June 1, 1884

The Nine: Top Hitters from Baseball’s Top Leagues

National League

Ned Hanlon, Detroit - .374
Roger Connor, New York - .352
King Kelly, Providence - .340
Monk Cline, Cleveland - .337
Bill Boyd, Detroit - .333
Fred Dunlap, Cleveland - .327
Buck Ewing, New York - .327
Fred Lewis, Philadelphia - .324
Mike Dorgan, New York - .317

American Association

John Richmond, Columbus - .352
Fred Carroll, Columbus - .351
Marr Phillips, Indianapolis - .350
Pete Browning, Louisville - .340
Willie Murphy, Brooklyn - .330
Dan Stearns, Cincinnati - .326
Henry Larkin, Philadelphia - .323
Cap Anson, Pittsburgh - .322
Jon Morrison, Indianapolis - .321

The Five: Top Pitchers from Baseball’s Top Leagues

National League

George Knight, Boston – 8-3, 2.24
John Harkins, Cleveland – 8-5, 1.53
Frank Pearce, New York – 7-2, 1.95
George Derby, Detroit – 7-4, 3.33
The Only Nolan, Cleveland – 6-3, 2.32

American Association

Ed Morris, Columbus – 12-2, 1.29
Al Atkinson, Philadelphia – 10-1, 2.14
Tim Keefe, New York – 10-3, 1.68
Sam Weaver, Philadelphia – 8-2, 2.32
Larry McKeon, Indianapolis – 8-4, 1.73

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 2, 1884

In a battle between two top pitchers, Brooklyn’s Adonis Terry came up a little short today, as the Atlantic club fell to Indianapolis and Larry McKeon, 3-1. Although Warner, Fogarty and Corcoran all got three hits for the Trolley Dodgers, the club simply could not break through with a big hit to change the course of the game. Terry did have eight strikeouts in an overall strong performance, though on this day it was not enough to get them past the Hoosiers.

Around baseball:

Detroit 3, Cleveland 2 – Bill Boyd went 3 for 3 to help the Wolverines seize control of this pitchers’ duel.
New York 5, Providence 2 – Frank Pearce pitched well and got his eighth win.
Boston 8, Philadelphia 7 – A ninth inning rally was keyed by a single from Ross Barnes.

St. Louis 6, Philadelphia 4 – St. Louis overcame a 12-strikeout performance by Al Atkinson.
Washington 4, Cincinnati 1 – Art Hagan pitched the Nationals to victory.
Columbus 5, Baltimore 4 – Tom Sullivan got his first career victory for the Buckeyes.

Standings

New York 18-8
Boston 17-10
Cleveland 15-9
Buffalo 12-13
Detroit 12-13
Chicago 10-14
Philadelphia 10-16
Providence 7-18

Philadelphia 20-4
Indianapolis 13-8
New York 14-9
St. Louis 14-9
Cincinnati 12-9
BROOKLYN 12-10
Columbus 13-11
Pittsburgh 10-13
Baltimore 9-14
Washington 7-15
Louisville 7-16
Toledo 5-18

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 3, 1884

Today the Brooklyn club welcomed the Louisville Eclipse to Washington Park for their first matchup of the season, and it was an easy victory for the home team, as they led by 14 runs after three innings and from there got the easy 16-1 victory. In a game such as this, there is much to celebrate – three hits each for Oscar Walker, Willie Murphy and Jim Fogarty, and four for Fred Warner, and a strong pitching performance from Conway with five strikeouts and no walks. Despite Louisville’s two years more experience than the Atlantics, it seems that Brooklyn is the better ball club, at least for now.

Around baseball:

Providence 11, New York 3 – Ed Swartwood drove in three runs and scored two as the Grays surprised the league leaders.
Detroit 9, Cleveland 1 – Jack Jones of Detroit gave up only two hits in this one.
Philadelphia 7, Boston 6 – Former Beaneater Fred Lewis got three hits as Philadelphia took a close one.
Buffalo 5, Chicago 3 – Dave Eggler and Arlie Latham each got three hits and Old Hoss Radborn pitched well.

Indianapolis 5, Pittsburgh 2 – Al McCauley kept the Allegheny bats quiet for most of the afternoon.
New York 7, Cincinnati 1 – Smiling Tim Keefe had another dominant performance.
St. Louis 7, Philadelphia 4, 10 innings – Jim Britt went 4 for 5 for the Browns, including a key tenth inning hit.

Standings

New York 18-9
Boston 17-11
Cleveland 15-10
Buffalo 13-13
Detroit 13-13
Philadelphia 11-16
Chicago 10-15
Providence 8-18

Philadelphia 20-5
Indianapolis 14-8
New York 15-9
St. Louis 15-9
BROOKLYN 13-10
Cincinnati 12-10
Columbus 13-11
Pittsburgh 10-14
Baltimore 9-14
Washington 7-15
Louisville 7-17
Toledo 5-18

[Eckstein 4 Prez]

June 4, 1884

One day after Brooklyn humiliated the Louisville club at Washington Park, the Louisvilles managed to even the season series at one game each, beating Brooklyn by a final score of 8-5. The Atlantics actually outhit Louisville 11-9, and overall the game was close, but the Atlantics were undone by poor defensive play. With six different defensive players committing errors, Brooklyn made it easy for the Louisville club. Thus far, their starter Fred Corey has had a difficult season, but he came through for them today to raise his season record to 3-12.

Around baseball:

Providence 9, Philadelphia 5 – King Kelly drove in three runs and scored two in a rare victory for Providence.
Cleveland 9, Detroit 5 – Catcher Sam Trott had a single, a double, a triple and four runs driven in.
Boston 5, New York 1 – Pitcher John Coleman (5-0) is being given his first chance to start and seems to be making the most of it.
Chicago 8, Buffalo 1 – Veteran Levi Meyerle went 4 for 5 in the game.

New York 5, Cincinnati 4 – Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the ninth, New York rallied for five runs. Steve Brady had the game-winning double.
Pittsburgh 10, Indianapolis 7 – Cap Anson and Ned Williamson went 5 for 9 between them for Pittsburgh.
Columbus 12, Washington 0 – Another gem from Ed Morris, who threw a two-hit shutout.
Baltimore 8, Toledo 0 – Pretzels Getzien pitched well and Jerry McCormick drove in three runs.

Standings

New York 18-10
Boston 18-11
Cleveland 16-10
Buffalo 13-14
Detroit 13-14
Chicago 11-15
Philadelphia 11-17
Providence 9-18

Philadelphia 20-5
New York 16-9
St. Louis 15-9
Indianapolis 14-9
Columbus 14-11
BROOKLYN 13-11
Cincinnati 12-11
Pittsburgh 11-14
Baltimore 10-14
Louisville 8-17
Washington 7-16
Toledo 5-19