The 1884 Maroons: Burying The Lede

The fourth and last game of the home series between the Kansas City and St. louis Unions was played at Union Park yesterday afternoon in the presence of about 7,000 spectators.  There was a high wind blowing, which made the outfielders' work doubly difficult, but otherwise the weather was very pleasant.  The home team was short of Dunlap's services, that player being laid up with a sore hand.  The home battery were Sweeny and Baker, and it was evident that the crowd was deeply interested in the work of the former.  Black, who was announced to pitch for the visitors, failed to arrived, and Cruthers, a local amateur, was presented, with Baldwin behind the bat.  Sweeny's work created a very favorable impression.  He held the Kansas City's down to four hits, and retired nine of them on strikes.  For the first six innings he took matters very leisurely and pitched a moderate pace, occasionally delivering a slow drop, but in the last three, when the game became doubtful, he settled down to earnest work, and the speed he displayed was indeed terrific.  At the same time his command of the ball was well nigh perfect.  Baker was not in his best form, and his support was only fair.  He was quite ill on Saturday, and therefore could hardly be expected to be up to his usual standard.  He had no passed balls, however.

Opposed By Local Talent.

The audience expected to see Cruthers quickly knocked out of position, and was surprised when, in the first six innings, the heavy hitters scored only six scattering hits off his delivery.  As the game progressed he became a decided favorite with the crowd.  Baldwin's catching was a treat, and was greatly enjoyed by the spectators.  He is a prize for the Kansas Citys.  He made two low throws to second, one on an occasion when it would have been judicious for him to have held the ball, but otherwise his work was simply grand, and was repeatedly applauded.  The fielding of both sides was loose.  Gleason was conspicuously off, andd had three errors charged to his account.  Ryder let two hits to left get by him, Rowe muffed a hot line hit from Davis' bat, and Whitehead made a fumble.  Turbidy, of the visiting nine, carried off the fielding honors, some of his stops being surprisingly brilliant.  The game bristled with fine plays, and was exciting throughout.  When the St. Louis nine went to bat the last half of the ninth inning the score stood 3 to 3.  Then Rowe led off with a three-base hit to center, and was quickly brought home by Gleason's drive to left.  Geo. Seward umpired to the satisfaction of all concerned.  

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 4, 1883


I'm not a newspaperman or anything but don't you lead with it was a tied game in the bottom of the ninth and the home team won the game in their last at-bat?