The 1884 Maroons: A Very Pretty Exhibition Of Ball-Playing

The St. Louis team defeated the Baltimore Club this afternoon at Union Park by a score of 4 to 0.  The first three innings were marked by some sharp fielding, which prevented both sides from scoring.  In the fourth inning the St. Louis boys scored 1 run.  Shaffer led off with a two base hit; Dickerson struck to Overbeck, who threw out the runner at first base; Levis threw to third base to catch Shaffer, but Shaffer ran into Overbeck and scored.  Both sides drew blanks from this until the eighth inning, when the visitors scored 3 runs.  Shaffer led off with a base hit, Dickerson followed with a safe hit, Shaffer scored on an error by Sweeny, Gleason went to first on called balls, Boyle made a base hit and Dickerson scored.  Gleason went to first on called balls, Boyle made a base hit and Dickerson scored.  Gleason scored on a wild pitch.  This ended the run-getting.  The game was a very pretty exhibition of ball-playing.  The visitors, however, showed a decided superiority both at the bat and in the field.  Robinson was put in to pitch by the home club, and proved quite effective until the latter part of the game, when he was hit freely.  Boyle, the new pitcher for the St. Louis Club, proved a mystery to the home team, only one safe hit being made off his delivery.  Baker and Sweeny both caught well.  Fusselbach at short stop and Lewis at first base played a good game.  Seery at left field did the best fielding for the home club.  Dunlap and Quinn carried off the fielding honors for the visitors, while Skinner for the home club was the only man that made a safe hit.  The attendance was 2,000.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 13, 1884


After this game, the Maroons were 44-6, had an .880 winning percentage and were fourteen games up over second-place Baltimore.  They were having a pretty good season.