The 1884 Maroons: Driven Out

Dunlap, Dave Rowe and Shafer have driven Ted Sullivan out of the St. Louis Unions, and as he is on the black list his lot is not a happy one.

-Cleveland Herald, June 18, 1884


Well...

You kind of have to take anything the Herald says about the UA or Dunlap with a grain of salt.  But this is the best piece of evidence we have about what went down between Sullivan and his players.

Regardless, Sullivan would land on his feet and be back in baseball, with the Kansas City Unions, in July.  And thinking about that fact, that Sullivan would get another job in Lucas' UA, leads me to believe that it really was the players, rather than Sullivan, who instigated the whole thing.  

The 1884 Maroons: Men Like These

In the Union team there are six of the strongest batsmen in the country.  Dunlap led the Clevelands in batting Dickerson and Taylor were about the heaviest hitters in the Allegheny team; Rowe was the hardest hitter in the Baltimore nine; Jack Gleason could hit the ball harder than any man in the Louisville Club, while Shaeffer, next to Brouthers, was as good a batsman as there was in the Buffalo team.  Men like these make the leather fly no matter what the quality of the pitcher.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 10, 1884

Who Knew That Rowe Had Enemies?

Enemies of Dave Rowe who claimed that he was a disorganizer and a bad man to have in a team, should see him at the Union Grounds where with both manager and players he is one of the most popular of men. There are no better batsmen in the country than Dave, while as a fielder he has few if any superiors, and these things will make him a most valuable man in the club team.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 5, 1884

Distinquished Representatives Of The Beauty Of American Beer And Liquor

Dave Rowe and the American Association St. Louis Club are fighting. Mr. Von der Ahe claims that Rowe agreed to sign with his club, but when the contract and advance money were sent to him, he returned them and signed with the Lucas Club. Of the latter fact there is no doubt, but the fight has caused Mr. Lucas to publish Rowe's telegrams to him. In one of them Rowe refers to a "good man" that he can secure, and in another that he had contracts awaiting him from Cleveland, Providence and the St. Louis American Association Club. This shows that Rowe has used tricks. He never had a contract from Cleveland in his possession. The "good man" was evidently Dunlap.

Meanwhile no new Union Association Clubs are being organized. It is still hard to see the ability of the Association to gather the knot of clubs necessary to play through a season. If one is raised by one syndicate, the public can and will have no faith in it. If the St. Louis Club is to be run round the country on the old Hop Bitters plan, it may pay its owners as an advertisement for a brand of St. Louis beer. In the latter case the judgement of Mr. Lucas in selecting such men as Bill Taylor, Mike Mansell and "Little Buttercup" Dickerson is to be commended. They are distinguished representatives of the beauty of American beer and liquor as applied-in liberal quantities-to the ball player...In a letter to the editor clear-headed Frank Bancroft, in commenting on the St. Louis Club, says: "I met Ward recently, and he denies signing with the St. Louis. A League player who joins any such wild-cat scheme, certainly can be questioned closely as to his sanity, for the League, who has fostered base ball and nursed it into its present flourishing state, does not propose to let such mountebanks take its talent away without doing something to convince deserters that they will be remembered."

-Cleveland Herald, November 29, 1883

It's not everyday that you see "mountebanks" used in a sentence. That's a word we need to bring back.

And, for the record, it looks like Dave Rowe was the one who recommended that Lucas sign Dunlap.

He Is Pretty Slippery

In an interview with a Globe-Democrat reporter last night, President Von Der Ahe stated that he believed that there were sufficient grounds for the expulsion of Dave Rowe by the American Association. "Under our rules," he said, "he could not have signed with any other club after he had given me his terms. I did not do the business with him. It was done by Williams, who reported to me that he had accepted Rowe and had agreed to give him $200 advance money. I then sent on a contract and a draft for $200. The draft, which has come back, was dated November 14. On the 17th, Williams wrote me that he was afraid that Rowe would not keep his agreement, and, to settle the matter, he had written him a sharp letter, requesting him to either sign or refuse to. The next day he wrote that Rowe had signed with another club, and that he had black and white on him, and would present the case to the annual meeting at Cincinnati. Rowe wrote, as well as telegraphed, to Williams, and there is where we have got him fast. He is pretty slippery. He fooled Barnie out of reserving him by assuring him that there was no necessity for naming him, as he wanted to play ball in Baltimore next season. Barnie had made him a sort of assistant manager, and had great confidence in him, and so all that he had to do to get off was to say to Barnie: 'You needn't reserve me. I know that you want more than eleven men, and as I want to remain with you there is no occasion to reserve me. I'll sign with you anyhow.' Barnie took him at his word and did not reserve him. That was the way that Rowe tied up the other Baltimore players and got free himself. For my part, I don't care about a violation of the reserve rule. I never did approve of it, and don't think it will stand; but when a man names terms to a manager and is accepted, and then signs with another club, that is

A Different Thing,

and I think that man ought to be punished. To my mind, the reserve rule is doing more harm than anything else. It is forcing up salaries, because a player feels more important when he has been reserved than he would if left to find employment on his merits, and he won't sign as quickly nor on as reasonable terms as if he had to look for an engagement instead of having one forced on him. And then I don't want any player that I must force into my club. I don't see how any one can think that such a man will do his work as earnestly and as well as a man who works where he pleases. I told all my men they could consider themselves free, and the only one I have lost is Mullane...

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 28, 1883

I must say that it's interesting to hear Von der Ahe's thoughts on the reserve rule. I'm not sure if I'm buying what he's selling but it's interesting none the less.

Dunlap Deserts To The Black Banner Of The Lucas Lager Beer Syndicate

Not to Dunlap's credit be it said that the report of his signing with the Lucas gang in St. Louis is true. His friends in Philadelphia say his figures were $3500, $1,000 of which was paid as advance money. There is no certainty about the truth of the latter news. But Dunlap has deserted Cleveland. It might only be for the purpose of the forcing the Cleveland Club to higher terms, as in base ball matters his contract with St. Louis amounts to nothing. He could desert St. Louis at any time he chose before next season opens, because the League will not recognize the Union (so called) Association while it persists in its piratical course.

And now to consider that course so far as it has been shown. The Lucas club is as yet alone in the "association" to which it was given a name. It is financially strong, backed by a large lager beer establishment, and of course an advertisement for its mainspring. Lucas, its executive head, is certainly a "hustler." His business methods are not reputable, but of the sneaking order. One of the first players he secured was Dave Rowe, who played here one season. Dave is sharp and well known, and has been the agent through which Dunlap, Shaffer and others were secured. As was said before, the St. Louis Club is the only one in the alleged "association" that is not on paper. But Lucas at times has talked of establishing clubs in Cincinnati, Chicago and other places. Whether the "enemy" Cincinnati papers connect with robbing that city's club of their grounds is the Lucas gang or not, the future will show. A.H. Henderson is gathering players for the Chicago "Unions," and talks about giving four Buffalo men $10,000 for a season's work. Where is Henderson to get $10,000? Only through a backer of the greenest short. That backer may or not be the Lucas lager beer syndicate...If any "association" is to be formed it must come out of these tactics. Can such an "association" arrange games for its own convenience and gain the patronage of the people who want fair games and a hot contest every season? Hardly. Such must be inevitable when one gang owns all the clubs in a league or association.

Thus the matter stands. Looked at on all sides it appears like an insane scheme. We believe the future will show it to be such, and that its financial men and the players who enroll themselves under its black banner will be sorry for their venture. Of the two last men who have joined it, Shaffer has some excuse. He dislikes Buffalo and O'Rourke and wants to get away from them. Dunlap has no such excuse. Here he was a universal favorite, pampered by the public and not hampered in any way. His last words to the managing directors before he left for Philadelphia were: "Don't worry about me. I am all right." In his present position the latter is doubtful, and it was at first thought and hoped that his game was purely one of bluff and that he might come back. Anyway, the intervening time between 1883 and 1884 will be full of interest. Dunlap will go to St. Louis and the Cleveland Club and all reputable ball clubs will avoid him as plague-stricken in the future.

It is said above, "it was at first thought that Dunlap's game was one of bluff." But it is not. From local acquaintances it is learned that the man never intended to sign with the Cleveland Club. He has been plotting all summer to get away from Cleveland, and his well-satisfied air and protestations were all in that line of tactics. Had a contract been presented for his signature, he would have wriggled out. May the luck of a traitor go with him. The Cleveland Club's course is plain. They will not consider Dunlap at all, until he proves his treason by not signing his contract or turning up to play by April. In the meantime the rule permanently expelling jumpers of the reserve clause in the tripartite agreement will have been passed. Dunlap will be reported as one of the violators of that rule, and will, so far as the League, American Association and Northwestern League are concerned, have gone on the list with a Hall, a Doscher, a Craver and a Devlin. We believe those associations will rule in the base ball of the future, and that Dunlap will be to all intents and purposes black-listed forever. When good faith and fair dealing are rewarded as Dunlap has rewarded the Cleveland Club such punishment is deserved.

-Cleveland Herald, November 28, 1883

I really wanted to call this post "Dunlap Takes His Talent To South Beach" put "taking my talents to South Beach" has become an interesting euphemism with a colorful definition. Regardless, this article did remind me of Cleveland's reaction to Lebron's desertion, only with a veneer of 19th century rectitude. It also made me thing of what the reaction in St. Louis might be if Pujols leaves after the season.

Lucas Returns From The East, Part One

Henry Lucas returned from the East yesterday morning, looking hearty and cheerful, and expressing perfect satisfaction over the results of his trip. In the afternoon a Globe-Democrat reporter had an interview with him and obtained the following story of his work for the new ball club while away:

"First of all, I want to say three things that I want distinctly understood, because of a mass of contradictory reports that have been given general circulation by the press. They are: The club that I am interested in will belong to the Union Association, and not the Union League. I have signed Mike Mansell and I have signed Dave Rowe. The Union League will form an Eastern circuit and none of its clubs will come West, while the Union Association will have Western and Eastern members, and, consequently, will play games in both sections. I signed Mansell as I went East, at Buffalo, where he met me in response to a telegram that I had previously sent him. From Buffalo I went to New York. I signed Rowe at Baltimore. I see it stated that Secretary Williams has officially reported Rowe as signed with the St. Louis Club, but I can assure you that he will play with my nine. A contract with the St. Louis Club was sent on to Baltimore for Rowe to sign, but when it arrived he was under contract to me, and sent it back without his signature. Now that fact makes it imperative on Mr. Williams to rise and explain why he reported that he had signed Rowe for the St. Louis Club. In all my negotiations with players I have neither talked nor written to any one of them after he had informed me that

He Was Under Contract

or had made a verbal agreement to sign a contract. After signing Rowe I went back to New York, where I closed a contract with Dunlap. Rowe brought him there to meet me, at my request. While I remained in New York the only local ball players that I saw were Clapp and Kennedy. I was informed that Kennedy was not engaged, and asked him his terms. I had previously obtained terms from Schaffer, and when Kennedy gave me his terms it became a question which I would take. I finally decided to take Shaffer, and did so. I have not yet signed him, but have made a verbal contract with him before witnesses, which is just as good. I did not at any time ask any of the Philadelphia players to sign with me. I telegraphed Gross asking his terms. He answered that he would not decide until January, and after that I paid no further attention to him.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 25, 1883

Lucas had a rather productive trip East and returned to St. Louis with a ball club in place. In the second half of the interview, which I'll post tomorrow, he mentions all the players that he had under contract. Even more exciting, of course, is this gives us our first mention of Fred Dunlap and the some of the details of how he signed with the Maroons.

The 1884 Maroons: Materializing Into An Organization

The Lucas-Wainwright Club is materializing into an organization that will command the respect and admiration of the whole country. Early yesterday afternoon news was received that Mr. Lucas, who was in Pittsburg, had signed Mike Mansell, Wm. Taylor and J.P. Dickerson, respectively the left fielder, first baseman and center fielder of the Allegheny Club of this year. Later in the day messages came announcing that Gross, the catcher of the Philadelphia Club, Dave Rowe, center fielder of the Baltimore club, and Jack Rowe, catcher of the Buffalo nine, were secured, making in all six important acquisitions. Mike Mansell is a grand left fielder, a good left-handed batsman, and one of the fleetest runners in the profession. Taylor is an all-around player, who is able to acquit himself in an exceedingly creditable manner in any position on the field. Dickerson is a center fielder of merit and a reliable left-handed batsman. These three men will come here on salaries of $2,000 each. Gross is one of the tallest catchers in the country, and has a remarkably long reach, which he utilizes to the greatest advantage. He is also a wonderful thrower and an excellent batsman. The Rowe brothers are highly esteemed by both the public and the management, the latter's appreciation of their ability being attested by contracts providing them with salaries of $2,600 each...Besides being a grand catcher, Jack can play any position on the field.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 9, 1883

Of the players mentioned above, only Billy Taylor, Buttercup Dickerson and Dave Rowe actually played for the Maroons in 1884. It appears that the Allegheny's had given Dickerson and Taylor their releases and they were free to sign with any club.

The Sensation Of The Day

The sensation of the day in base-ball circles was the action of T.P. Sullivan, who last night severed his connection with the St. Louis Union Club. Sullivan has been the manager of that organization since the date of its birth and has been very successful in the position, his club, until the Bostons arrived here, having an unbroken chain of 20 victories. Mr. Sullivan when spoken to about his action in tendering his resignation said: "Three of the leading spirits tried to run the club and opposed all others in it. I would not tolerate this, and as I was not backed up in my actions by President Lucas, I tendered my resignation. The three I mean are Dunlap, Rowe, and Shafer. They formed a faction, and I and the others could not agree with them, and as a result there was nothing left for me to do but resign. In so doing I have placed myself in a delicate position, for as you know I was claimed by another club, a party to the tripartite agreement, and by sticking to the Unions my name was placed on the black list. I have no engagement just now, but have something in view which I don't care to speak of at present."

-The New York Times, June 16, 1884


The "something in view" which Sullivan was talking about was most likely a job as manager of the Kansas City Unions.