The 1884 Maroons: My God - They Lost To St. Paul

The St. Paul Club again proved themselves a fine lot of ball players yesterday by defeating the St. Louis Unions, before a gathering of nearly 5,000 persons.  In the opening inning Sweeny was sent in to pitch for St. Louis, and in the two innings in which he held the position six of the visitors struck out in the order of their coming to the bat.  Not caring to make a record against the St. Pauls, however, and just to give the fielders a chance, Sweeny went to left field and Boyle went in to pitch.  He did quite well, and honors would have remained easy but that in the fourth inning, after Carroll had flown out to Whitehead, the latter fumbled a grounder sent him by Barnes.  After reaching first Barnes lost no time in stealing second.  Hengle hit to Boyle and the ball was thrown to first.  Barnes ran at top speed for third.  Quinn threw over there to catch him but threw too low and the ball getting by Gleason, Barnes came home.  In the fifth threatening clouds hovered above the park and the home team tried hard to even things up but failed and before a sixth inning could be played the clouds broke and the rain came down in torrents...[After] the expiration of thirty minutes Umpire McCaffery pronounced the field too wet to play upon and called the game.  

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 6, 1884 


It took an act of God but St. Paul beat the Maroons.

And this tells you everything you need to know about the UA:  "Not caring to make a record against the St. Pauls, however, and just to give the fielders a chance, Sweeny went to left field and Boyle went in to pitch."