The 1884 Maroons: Exhibitions

October 6, 1884

October 7, 1884

So the Maroons played two exhibition games against Cincinnati on October 6 and 7 and these contests pitted the two best clubs in the league.  Cincinnati was a vastly improved club after poaching some real players and were probably the equal of the Maroons.  I've said this before but if the Cincinnatis had started the season with the players they had at the end of the season, they would have challenged for the UA championship.  They were every bit as good as the Maroons. 

But that isn't saying much.  And, in all honesty, I don't have much enthusiasm for the Maroons' league games and have developed a extreme dislike of all things UA.  So I apologize for not giving you the game accounts of two exhibition games played between two clubs from a minor league.  But I will pass along the box scores.

The truth of the matter is that these were actually well played games between two evenly matched teams.  But while two crappy games between the Maroons and St. Paul counted in the standings, even though neither went nine innings, these two games, played between the best two teams in the league, didn't count.  And that's the Union Association for you.