Thursday, January 19, 2012

The 1884 Maroons: Hotly Contested From Beginning To End


Four thousand people saw a most exciting game at the Union Park in [Cincinnati] to-day between the St. Louis and Cincinnati nines.  It was hotly contested from beginning to end, and not until the very last man was out was the result a settled thing.  Both nines fielded magnificently.  Several running catches were effected by both teams, one by Rowe saving at least three runs.  The local nine clearly outbatted their opponents, but lost a victory through very sluggish base running, they having twelve men left on bases.  Taylor was quite effective for four innings, but after that he was pretty badly thumped.  Bradley pitched wonderfully strong, and Taylor was the only Missourian who could gauge his delivery successfully, he securing two three-base hits.  Harbidge and Burns did the best batting for the local nine.  The visitors began the fun in the first inning.  After Dunlap had flied out, Jones allowed Shafer his first by a poor throw.  Dickerson then flew out, while Rowe and Taylor followed with three-baggers and Baker a single, all of which netted three runs.  Neither side did anything more until the sixth.  Then Crane reached third on a bad throw by Brennan, Dunlap juggled Bradley's grounder, and a three-baser by Harbidge sent them home.  The latter could have easily scored a home run, but he was foolishly held at third by Barber.  Each gained a run in the seventh.  The visitors made theirs on a muffed fly by Burns, a fumble by Jones and a poor throw by Kelly, which, although it caught a man, should have kept Quinn from crossing the plate.  Jones tallied for the home nine on his single, a wild pitch and Crane's baser.  Taylor's three-baser and a single earned the only run in the contest.  The Cincinnatis had two men on bases in the last inning, with nobody out, but could not get them home.
-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 16, 1884

No comments: