The 1884 Maroons: Dunlap Returns With A Bang

Putting aside, for a moment, the chaos of the Providence Grays and what I think is one of the most entertaining stories in the history of 19th century baseball, lets return to the game on the field.  While Sweeney was melting down in Providence, the Maroons were playing a game in Cincinnati.

The weather was beautiful for the game of base ball played here to-day between the Cincinnati Unions and the St. Louis Unions, and a thousand people witnessed the contest.  In the first three innings the visitors hit Burns very hard and earned four runs.  After that the play was more even.  There were scored in the game one home run, two three-basers and one two-baser, all by the St. Louis Club.  Of these Dunlap made the two-base hit and the home run.  In addition to his hard hitting, Dunlap earned honors by his splendid work at second base, taking all chances and making every opportunity tell.  Rowe challenged admiration by his great center fielding.  Sylvester opened at the bat with a rap along the right foul line.  He made second on a passed ball, went to third on O'Leary's sacrifice and came home on a field throw by Baker to head off O'Leary at second.  In the third Kennedy opened with a safe hit, stole second, made third on sacrifice, and got home on Harbidge's single, making for the Cincinnatis their solitary earned run.  In the fifth Swartz went to first on a strike, took third on Hawe's single and came home on a long sacrifice fly by Burns.  Crane made a run in the seventh, on his own single, Rider's fumble and Kennedy's safe hit.  The St. Louis nine earned 2 in the first inning, in which Dunlap led off with a two-bagger and Shafer and Rowe followed with singles, bringing Dunlap and Shafer home.  They passed the second inning without scoring, but in the third inning earned runs on a single by Whitehead and a home run by Dunlap.  Their 1 run in the seventh the visitors made on a single by Rider, a stolen second, a disputed steal of third, which Umpire Devenney decided in Rider's favor, after which he came home on a sacrifice.  The visitors earned their 1 run in the eighth on a three-bagger by Rowe and a single by Boyle.  Gleason and Baker each scored a wild throw, the only ones made in the game, and the only passed ball of the game is scored against Baker.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 23, 1884


A couple of quick points.  First, B-Ref is correct that Tom Ryder's first game was on July 22, 1884.  Not that I ever doubted them.  Also, Dunlap returned from his leg injury with a heck of a game.  The Globe, on July 23, noted that "Dunlap is evidently well again.  He played as if in good health at Cincinnati yesterday."