tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5985668569918053928.post9086588032208671990..comments2024-01-24T05:19:09.805-06:00Comments on This Game Of Games: St. Louis Players Wanted At Ludlow, KentuckyJeffrey Kittelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02367989375750209078noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5985668569918053928.post-21163689673319170692008-12-18T13:23:00.000-06:002008-12-18T13:23:00.000-06:00Flint was in StL in 1876 playing with the Reds but...Flint was in StL in 1876 playing with the Reds but with the way these guys moved around I had no problem believing that he could have played some games with the Ludlows. It's a shame if it's not true because it fits the StL/Cin/Indy pattern nicely. Oh well.Jeffrey Kittelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02367989375750209078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5985668569918053928.post-83785962887665539822008-12-17T19:19:00.000-06:002008-12-17T19:19:00.000-06:00I was talking off the top of my head about Flint a...I was talking off the top of my head about Flint and no doubt was mistaken.<BR/><BR/>A lot of players moved from St. Louis to the Cincinnati area in these years, but I didn't believe their was much traffic the other way.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5985668569918053928.post-65701088841480058932008-12-17T13:56:00.000-06:002008-12-17T13:56:00.000-06:00I didn't know that Flint played with the Ludlows. ...I didn't know that Flint played with the Ludlows. There are some (non-contemporary) sources that had him playing for the Stars late in 1875 but there is no evidence to support this. But if he was playing for the Ludlows in 1876 then it's easy to see how that information got confused. <BR/><BR/>Flint, McSorley, and Charlie Houtz (all former Reds) ended up playing in Indy in 1877. Packy Dillon was with the club the previous season. <BR/><BR/>One day I'm going to have to make a chart laying out all the playing movement between StL, Cincinnati, and Indy during the 1875-1877 period.Jeffrey Kittelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02367989375750209078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5985668569918053928.post-66177840856796896192008-12-16T08:48:00.000-06:002008-12-16T08:48:00.000-06:00Pearce actually did join the Ludlows very briefly,...Pearce actually did join the Ludlows very briefly, then jumped the club to play in Rhode Island. A considerable controversy followed as to whether Pearce had violated his contract, keeping advance money, or the Ludlows had failed to live up to their promises to him. <BR/>As always, these teams that look like mere semipro clubs actually turn out low-level professional clubs bringing in players from considerable distances. I think this version of the Luds had Silver Flint as well; the previous one in 1875 featured Charley Jones.<BR/><BR/>The business about asking the players to send terms seems to be pretty The business about asking the players to send terms seems to be typical of the times, at least below the highest level: the player made an offer to the club rather than the other way around. The part that strikes me is what Gifford says to the effect that we offer no fancy salaries, but what we agree to pay, we really will pay. That he would say that is a tipoff to what happened to a lot of players in those days, probably including the Ludlows in their previous incarnation. However, the Luds quickly ran into trouble because political interference prevented their playing Sundays and they went out of business. Besides the fuss with Pearce, a Philadelphia catcher (Ritterson?) was hired by the Luds and then released immediately and reportedly left stranded with no money and no way to get home. Probably the team as a whole was shorted salary when it disbanded, in spite of Gifford's promises. I believe Silver Flint and one or two other St. Louisans (McSorley?) went from Ludlow to a very strong team at Indianapolis.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com