The 1887 World Series: The Scene In Brooklyn

The Brooklyn base ball grounds this afternoon were crowded with hucksters and enculars of all kinds, and the scene was not unlike that around a large country circus. When the champion ball clubs drove up in their carriages they were looked upon as patriarchs of the country. Returning veterans from a successful war never met with a more enthusiastic ovation. By 11 o'clock today all the seats on the grand stand were sold, and still applications came in. At 1 o'clock a long line extended up and down fifth avenue and much shoving and pushing was indulged in...

A line of carriages fringed the back of the grounds and off in the distance trees and electric light poles bore a freightage of men and boys. Mayor Whitney, Police Commissioner Carroll and all the city officials of Brooklyn were on hand. Many a ball lover from the Polo grounds was also there and made comparisons...

-Boston Daily Globe, October 15, 1887

It was an overcoat day at Washington Park yesterday when the St. Louis Association champions met the Detroits, the boss team of the league...A shivering crowd of between 8,000 and 9,000 men sat on the grand and free stands and warmed themselves ever and anon by trampling their feet all together in a way that sounded like 100 mills at work. There were a score of St. Louis men along and about the same number of Detroiters, including newspaper men who are watching every play made by their home teams, ready to prove jealously on the faintest indication that any of the boys are not trying to win. Very few ladies looked on and the bar patronage did not amount to so much as was expected. People were too cold to drink beer. A wind came over Red Hook that made the stoutest pair of whiskers in the field shiver like prairie grass...

The boys in the trees outside the ground had the hardest time of any spectators. Some of them got into the branches at 1 o'clock and waited there till the last ball was pitched...The trees ought to be cut down before some of the boys break their necks. They crowded the branches in a very foolhardy manner yesterday. Many swarmed up the telegraph poles and sat on cross pieces...

The players wore heavy flannels and needed them...

-Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 15, 1887