The Carbonale Blue Stockings

The Carbondale Club, of Carbondale, are now on a two weeks' tour of Central New York, playing in Unanvilla, Oneouta, Albany, Utica, Syracuse, Auburn, Rochester, Ithaca, Elmira, Oweo, Binghampton, Norwich, Deposit and Cortland. The Carbondale "Blue Stockings" have been very successful this season, playing twenty-three games and having been beaten but by two amateur teams.

-The St. Louis Globe-Democrat, September 21, 1875


I occasionally post about Illinois teams, such as the clubs in East St. Louis and Alton, because I consider these cities to be part of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Plus, I live on the East Side and I'm interested in baseball history on this side of the river. However, Carbondale is a good one hundred miles south of St. Louis, down in Little Egypt. So why am I posting about the club? Because I went to school in Carbondale, lived in the area for several years after graduating, and I'm fascinated by the fact that not only did Carbondale have a baseball club in 1875 but they went on an Eastern tour.

To get even further off-topic, Southern Illinois has a Frontier League team now called the Miners. I'm not totally sure but I think their stadium is either in Marion or somewhere between Carbondale and Marion. I keep meaning to get down there and see a game but I haven't been down that way in about two years.

Go Dawgs!