Tuesday, January 10, 2012

The 1884 Maroons: George Washington Bradley, Umpire



The game yesterday afternoon was not a championship contest, as announced.  Holland, the umpire who should have officiated, missed a train in Cincinnati, and failed to arrive.  Manager Dan O'Leary, of the Cincinnati Unions, promptly took advantage of the situation, and produced his book containing the rules to establish that under the circumstances only an exhibition game could be played.  After this point had been argued at length it was finally conceded by Manager Sullivan and Capt. Dunlap, of the St. Louis nine, who presented William Bowman as a competent man to umpire the game.  Not knowing Bowman, O'Leary declined to accept him.  Then Dunlap, who had noticed that Bradley, of the Cincinnati team, who occupied a seat in the grand stand, had been giving points to O'Leary, concluded to call on him to act.  Bradley, realizing how embarrassing the position would be for him, protested at length, but finally yielded when the patience of the crowd had nearly been exhausted.  Donning a St. Louis Union cap, he took his stand, and to the merriment of the crowd called the first ball delivered to Dunlap a strike.  He proved a very accurate and impartial judge, and his decisions were generally highly commended...The game was a very remarkable one.  With 12 hits and a total of 18 bases, the Cincinnati team earned 5 runs, all they made, and with 4 hits and a total of 7 bases the home nine did not earn a run but scored eight through errors on the part of the visitors.  Holland will be on hand to-day, a telegram announcing that he was on a train from Cincinnati having been received last night.  
-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 8, 1884


It's kind of odd that Lucas didn't have a couple of local guys on the payroll to umpire St. Louis games.  Regardless, the crowd must have had a great time watching Bradley, a local favorite, umping the game.  

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