Glasscock Unhappy In Indianapolis

In an interview to-day Glasscock said:

"It might as well be understood right now that I am not satisfied to play ball in Indianapolis, never was and never will be. I won't play here again next year no matter what may happen. I will quit the business first. I never have been treated right here and have been a mark for almost everybody. I have been given errors when I wouldn't have gotten them in any other place in the country, and in spite of the fact that I have played the best ball I ever played, my record was away down."

"What do you care for a record?" was asked. "You never have played for one, and don't need it."

"I only want what I'm entitled to, that's all," said Glasscock. "Another thing-there are men in this club I don't speak to and never will. I am dissatisfied here, and it would be better all around for them to trade me off. I know they can get Pfeffer for me. Anson and I talked it over the other day and I think they can get Sam Thompson for me, and they had better take one of them. Either of them is a more valuable man to this club than I am and would get along better. A lot of papers lately have quoted me as saying that I was satisfied here. It is not so. I never wrote such a statement of Joe Pritchard, of St. Louis."

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 7, 1887

Glasscock was back in Indianapolis in 1888 and 1889. However, based on the letter we have from him, it doesn't appear that he was ever happy there. This interview sheds some light on some of the specifics but, in the letter, it appears that the root cause of the problem was that Glasscock never wanted to go to Indianapolis. He was happy in St. Louis and, after the Maroons shuffled off the mortal coil, there was a deal for him to go to Boston but the League stepped in and he was forced to play in Indianapolis.

And, for the record, Glasscock was credited with 73 errors in 1887, the highest season total in his career. He was also third among shortstops in fielding percentage.

King Short Stop

The greatest short stop in the business, taken as a short stop only, is John W. Glasscock, sometimes called "Pebbly Jack," and universally known as Jack. His habit of picking up pebbles, clods of grass and other things that he can seize when in his position earned him the nickname of "Pebbly Jack."

There are only two short stops who can approach Glasscock in fielding. These are Ward and Williamson; only one who can equal him in brilliant plays-Ward; none that can excel him in batting, and only one-Ward again-who can equal him in base running. Aside from short stops Kelly is the only base runner I know of that can touch Glasscock for daring on the bases. Many people think Ward and Kelly use better judgment, but on this point I am doubtful.

Glasscock is a peculiar man any way you take him. On the field he is never in repose. Always on the move, anxious, enthusiastic, spurring and inspiring, the universal opinion has always been that on a great team in a great city he would be the greatest ball player of the day. He is now in just that position, and as captain of the New York team it is my opinion that he will prove that, as a ball player, he is as great as any in America. Not even Ewing, Ward, Kelly or Anson will excel him.

Glasscock's disposition is little understood. He appears to be a man of morose and surly disposition, but this is but his outward semblance. He is uncouth, perhaps rough, but not near so black as he has been painted. Speaking of him, Charley Bassett, of the New York team, says "Jack is a hard man to understand. When I first played with him his apparent surliness used to break me up. But I soon learned to know him."

Beneath his roughness Jack is a good fellow, and can give some of his detractors points on manliness. He is a good friend and a bitter enemy. I have seen him when he appeared to be in a bad temper, when I knew he was just the reverse. When Jack was made velvet was left off. Hence he cannot gild his words like some other men whose hearts could not be seen if placed alongside his.

Glasscock is the most enthusiastic base ball player I ever knew. His peculiar temperament hides much of it. He is the ball player and nothing else when on the field. He is tricky-all great players are-to the verge of unfairness, and his anxiety to win, as is the case with Ewing, Kelly, Anson, Ward and others, often leads him beyond it; he seldom lets a point escape him; he has very little use for what he calls "mildness" in base ball; he believes in winning, fairly if you can, unfairly if you must and can get away with the umpire, but win, no matter how; a hard man to manage, and yet a good man to manage others, a driver always, and seldom a persuader; during a game lost to all but the thought of winning and the methods for doing so. Such is John Glasscock on the field. Away from it he is quiet and deep, not over talkative, not always agreeable, but on the whole an every-day, decent sort of fellow, gentlemanly and fairly entertaining.

Glasscock is a resident of Wheeling, W. Va., having lived in that city since a young man. He is now about 34 years of age. As a ball player he came into prominence when playing short stop and second base for the famous gilt-edged Cleveland team in the years 1881 and 1882. Previous to this he played with numerous minor organizations, none of which were of any prominence. With the Cleveland team he was immediately recognized as a superior fielder in the above positions and it was here that he gained the title of "King of Short Stops." His famous jump from the Cleveland team to the Cincinnati Unions is still fresh in the minds of base ball cranks. With the Cincinnatis he played only a few months, being transferred from that club to Henry V. Lucas' famous aggregation in St. Louis. This club was known as the Maroons, and under this name, in 1885, was taken into the League.

In 1886 Glasscock was transferred to Indianapolis, where he has since remained. Last season during the closing months he was manager of the Hoosiers and got better work out of them than anyone had ever been able to do previously. He is now captain and short stop of the New York League team.

Glasscock's punishment for his Cleveland jump was a fine of $1,000 and the necessity of playing for tail-enders ever since at a less salary than other men not half his equal were earning elsewhere. Surely he expiated that offense, which has always been the regret of his life. Glasscock is not ungrateful. He knew he was wrong and he realized that the League had treated him with great leniency. He hesitated when the Players' League scheme was presented to him. Finally he decided to remain with the League.

Glasscock and the Players' league men differ materially in their stories of his relation with the Brotherhood. Ward and others contradict him. They say he lies, and Glasscock returns the compliment. Among batsmen he stands foremost. He has always been well up in the averages, and generally stood quite as well from a utility and reliability standpoint. In 1886 he stood sixth with .325. In 1887, the year when "ghost hits" were in vogue, he stood twenty ninth, but in actual base hits he was up near the top. He was twenty sixth in 1888 and second in 1889 with .353, having made the largest number of hits, 209, made by any player for many years...

Glasscock's attitude at the bat is characteristic of the intensity with which he plays ball. He stands in a slightly crouching attitude, so much so that he appears round shouldered; he favors his left foot...and swings his stick clear of his body with a sort of menace that makes a pitcher hate to give him a ball that he can hit. When he hits square the ball goes to the field like a shot and the man who gets in front of it is often "sorry for what he has done." Glasscock, with his heart in his work as it was last year, as it is this year, ranks with Anson, Ewing, Brouthers, Kelly, Tiernan, H. Richardson and Connor as a giant with the stick. He is a more scientific hitter than any, barring Anson and Ewing, and fully the equal of either. His worst enemies admit that as a ball player he is a king. In my estimation he is the equal if not the superior of any in the land.

-Wheeling Register, May 4, 1890

This article, written by W.I. Harris, is just outstanding and gives us a fantastic portrait of Jack Glasscock. I don't think I've ever read a 19th century newspaper article that gave a better sense of the personality and character of a baseball player. I wish we had more articles like this one.

Times Change

But Few of the "Old Guard" in Base Ball Left

Anson and Connor are the only two men who were playing ball in 1876 that were found in the major League this year, while Glasscock and Hines, who were playing from 1876, were with minor league teams during the past season. Of all the other players of the leading teams of 1886 only Nash, Brouthers, Thompson, Pfeffer, Ryan, Donnelly, Ewing, Ganzel, Clements, McGuire, Quinn, C.F. Dailey, Miller, W. Robinson, Bierbauer, Lyons, McGarr, Terry, George Smith, McPhee and Latham were found with the major League teams of 1896. Of these Dailey, Brouthers and Latham remained only a short time, the last two finishing the season with minor league teams.

-From Sporting Life, January 16, 1897

I like the use of the phrase "major League" in this piece as compared to the modern usage of "Major League(s)." When we talk about Major League Baseball or the Major Leagues, we tend to forget about the "major" part and that the NL and AL are the major baseball Leagues. It's something we take for granted and this older usage is a good reminder.

The Maroons Visit Little Rock

After the Maroons finished the city series with the Browns in October of 1886, the team traveled to Arkansas in early November for a series against the Little Rock club. It was a hodge-podge group of players that made the trip. Jack Glasscock, who ran the team after manager Gus Schmelz was fired in October, did not travel with the team. The only regulars who went to Little Rock were Emmett Seery, John Healy, and Joe Quinn. Henry Boyle (the team's third pitcher) and Joe Murphy (a nineteen year old pitcher who had appeared in four games) also made the trip.

This motley group of Maroons had their hands full with the Little Rock nine. In the first game, played on November 2, the Little Rocks got two runs in the ninth to upset the visitors by a score of 3-2. The next day, the Maroons jumped out to a 5-1 lead and won 5-2. On November 5, the series concluded as the Maroons were able to hold on for a 3-2 victory.

As far as I can tell, these were the last games ever played by the St. Louis Maroons.

And The Maroons Are No More

The agony is over. The National League has met and to-day Indianapolis is a member of that body. Kansas City has been paid $6,000 for her club and franchise. The St. Louis League club has been paid $12,000 for her players and franchise and now all things are lovely. The clans gathered at the Fifth Avenue Hotel on Monday last...

The Indianapolis delegates offered the committee (of John Day, Nick Young, and Al Spalding who were meeting to select an eighth club for the NL) $12,000 for a franchise, and the League then offered the St. Louis club the same sum for its resignation. The St. Louis delegate (W.S. Stromberg) thought the amount too small, but said he would consider it and give an answer on Tuesday at the 10 o'clock session. On Tuesday morning as soon as the meeting was called to order Mr. Stromberg, on behalf of the St. Louis Maroons, accepted the offer of $12,000 made by the Indianapolis men, and arrangements were at once made to transfer the players. It was thought that his price would not suit the St. Louis men, and the delegates were somewhat surprised when, after the articles had been signed Mr. Stomberg remarked: "Why, I would have taken $6,000 for the players. I am perfectly satisfied...

The Maroons have sold their players, but still hold their franchise...

-From The Sporting News, March 12, 1887

A couple of notes:

-It appears that the death of the Maroons was not foreordained. Prior to accepting the League offer, the Maroons had been planning for the 1887 season. They had been fighting in League meetings for the right to play games on Sundays and a compromise had been reached were they would be able to play Sunday games against non-League teams. This was a big victory for the Maroons who were at a competitive disadvantage in St. Louis due to the ban on Sunday games (as well as because of the higher ticket prices they were forced to charge). The team had lost money in 1885 and most likely in 1886 as well (although the sale of Fred Dunlap to Detroit in 1886 probably had them close to breaking even). The team had been arguing for some time that it needed Sunday games and 25 cent ticket prices to compete against the Browns and it appears that the League was beginning to heed their call and offer some relief. In the end, the Maroons were offered a deal that they couldn't refuse. "I would have taken $6,000 for the players," Stromberg said after accepting twice that amount.

-The statement at the end of the article about the Maroons still holding their franchise is interesting. With the acceptance of the League offer, the Maroons were no longer part of the National League. However, at this time, Al Spink was involved in the reorganization of the Western League and The Sporting News was full of news about the WL and the possibilities of placing a team in St. Louis. In later issues of the paper, it was mentioned that the Maroons would likely join the WL. With the end of the St. Louis League club, Spink most likely saw an opportunity to place a WL team in the city under the Maroons name and have them play at the Union Grounds. In the end this never happened and Spink identifies Chris Von der Ahe as the reason. It's ironic that Von der Ahe blocked a St. Louis WL team in 1887 because of his involvement with the Whites the following season. It's unknown if Von der Ahe already had plans to place a "minor league" club in St. Louis or was inspired by Spink to do so. Either way, the city would be a part of the Western League in 1888.

-The transfer of the club's players was a little more complicated than it would appear. While nominally it was a simple transfer from St. Louis to Indianapolis (or Washington, in the case of Billy O'Brien), there were several issues that muddied the waters. The players themselves had some say in the matter. "During the progress of the meeting," The Sporting News wrote, "communication was received from (Jack) Glasscock, (Jerry) Denny, and (Henry) Boyle, who insisted that the Indianapolis club give them a guarantee that they shall receive their salary for one year before they will sign a contract. Indianapolis has a bad reputation among ballplayers. Mr. Newberger said that he did not propose to pay any of his men over $2,000. Glasscock got $3,000 last season, and there are reasons to believe that he, Denny, and Boyle would not sign for the amount stated." The Sporting News also reported a rumor "that the brotherhood of professional base-ball players would take some action in the matter if the demands of the men are not complied with." To further complicate matters, it appears that the League clubs were fighting among themselves for the rights to some of the Maroons. The services of Glasscock and Denny were specifically valued. Washington wanted Glasscock and other teams were making bids for the players that "went up as high as $16,000, but no one was able to secure their services as the league had given them to Indianapolis with the understanding that they must not be sold." Some of the players, while not assigned to League clubs, were "reserved by the league in case some of the other clubs (needed) their services." To top it off, Von der Ahe stepped in and offered $500 for Joe Quinn.

The Glasscock Letter

At David Rudd Cycleback's Online Museum of Early Baseball Memorabila, there is a transcription of a letter that Jack Glasscock wrote in 1941. According to Cycleback, the letter, which was written when Glasscock was 82 years old, consisted of four pages with writing "on both sides of two sheets." The letter is autobiographical in nature and presents a fascinating first hand account of Glasscock's days as a baseball player.

The letter is presented below as it appears at Cycleback's site.

Wheeling , July 20, 1941

Mr. Don Bassingfelder
My Dear Sir,

Your letter at hand. And contents noted. I will endever to try and give you some information that never came out. I am writing out. I am starting from my boyhood. Our peoples was very poor and not having theirs at fingernail. My father was a carpenter, a house carpenter also. A cabin builder. He built a cabin on steamboat from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati. And of course when I got big enough I had to help provide. My dad was a good one. And I got to handle tools pretty well myself. We were Scott and Irish descent. We had no high school at that time, and I went through the four room we had. And also went to night school. I would work through the day, and play ball of the evening. That how I learnt. But I am telling you, this is how I got good. Well, I never worked work on Saturday afteroon, and we always had a game on that day. Well we were working on a boat. And Saturday some at noon. And I laid off and father come home that evening and told me the Captain told him. He said Son, the Captain said you would either give up baseball on Saturday afternoon or quit. So I quit. And some businessmens got together and formed a club. And I was lucky enough to get a chance. I was played (40.00) a month to play. I started as a third baseman and our clubs played all clubs coming through here to Pittsburgh. And the managers of those club liked my playing. And I came to get out the following season. I went to Pittsburgh, and played two month. And theys disband. And I didn’t get any salary. Went to Cleveland, an independent club and finished the season. That was the year (1878). And the business of Cleveland got together and went with the National League (1879). I played third base that season. Well, the next year (1880) they decided to put me at shortstop. And there I stayed my career of playing in the National League. I was in Cleveland from 1878 to 1884. And went to St. Louis under Henry Lucas (1885). And got $1,600 for this work. Where I got only a thousand. I want to tell you what happened about this first month of (1880). I was pretty young at that time. I got word my mother was very sick and (not) expect to live, so I come home. After a few days he pass away. I went to club at Cincinnati, I think. And played one game. Don’t think I made a hit in that game. We went to Chicago. I came to bat with three mens on the bases with two out. Goldsmith pitching. He was a good one. And I struck out. Well, we went to Boston and after I was told to go on the gate (Editor’s note: this means being his salary was a cut of the attendance, instead of a fixed salary). I never asked about it. Our Manager was named Evans. A high hat man. He would put our club up at a hotel and he would go to a better one. I didn’t think he new much about the game. We played 2 games at Boston minus myself. And went to Worcester and still on the gate or those there. Well, we went to Albany to play an exhibition game. I was put I again. Tim Keefe was the pitcher. And I made three hits off him. And one a three baser. That was the one time I was laid off for not hitting in all my career. Then Albany want to buy me, because I guess I maken then those three hits. Evans wouldn’t sell me. I often wonder what would have been my fate if that players put in my place would have done any hitting. He didn’t make a hit in the whole six games. I guess I was lucky. Well, I was in St. Louis in 1880 to 1886, and Mr. Lucas lost money and throwed up the franchise. And then the Indianapolis step in. The fans at St. Louis presented me with a diamond pin. And that fall when Lucas quit, I could have gone to Boston. Theys offered to give me, the St. Louis club, $7,500 for me. And the league stepped and paid us players. And no clubs buy us. That was done so no club to get us and sell us. That was the way we went to Indianapolis, under those conditions. I was three years at Indianapolis. And Mr Brush, President, he got the confidence of the National League. So he owned us. And when the year of 1889 came along, the brotherhood (Editor: brotherhood was The Players Leaguer, a rebellious league formed by players. It was eventually aborbed into the National League), we were sold to New York Club. I think 1889 was my best year as I played great ball. I made 209 hits. And ought to led the league but Brothers. Went to New York in 1889. Led the National League in hitting that year. And that year the Brotherhood and National came together, and I was kept with them. I had a bad year. I went to St. Louis under Von Der Ahe, and sold to Pittsburgh the following year. Was released from Pittsburgh the following year and went to Louisville. And throwed my arm out. Was release and went to Washington D.C., and played a couple month. And hurt my arm again. And that wound up my career in the National League. So you got all my life as a player in the National League. You can look over it, and search out what you want. I was up at St. Paul for three years with Comiskey. But played First Base. Never went back to short stop again. My name have always been Jack Glasscock. But my right name home was always John WEsely. But always been been called Jack.

Egerton R. Williams Popular Indoor Base Ball Game

The Egerton R. Williams Popular Indoor Base Ball Game was a card game that was patented in 1886 and copyrighted in 1889. A "parlor game" put out by the Hatch Litho Co., it consisted of 55 cards, 19 of which had pictures of popular ballplayers. The game also had 18 playing pieces, tan and red circular markers, that most likely were used to represent the players in the field. The game also came with an instructional booklet and a card box.

The cards had rounded corners and a greentone back. Those with images of players contained head-only portraits of two players. Players represented on the cards included Dan Brouthers, Arlie Latham, Charlie Buffington, Bob Caruthers, Hick Carpenter, Cliff Carroll, Charlie Comiskey, Roger Conner, Dave Foutz, Pud Glavin, Jack Glasscock, Silver King, and Curt Welch.

A complete game set is very rare. In 2005, one sold for $31,200. A picture of a complete set can be found at Cycleback’s Online Museum of Early Baseball Memorabilia. Just click the link and scroll about half way down the page.

The individual cards are less rare and are valued at around $300, depending on the quality of the card. In 2006, the Cap Anson/Buck Ewing card was sold at an auction for $2,200.

There seems to have been several of these kind of baseball themed card/parlor games released in the 1880's. Base Ball-A Professional and Social Game of Cards, Game of Base Ball, and Lawson's Base Ball were all released around the same time as the E.R. Williams game. A great source for information on these games is Baseball Games, a Yahoo egroup.

Jack Glasscock

"In the 1883 season by common consent Jack Glasscock, then a member of the Cleveland Club of the National League, was considered the greatest short-fielder.

Glasscock was a member of Cleveland's famous stone wall infield, which included Bill Phillips at first base, Fred Dunlap at second, Jerry Denny at third and Glasscock at short-field.

These four were all great players, but in fielding none of them had the edge on Glasscock. He was such a great player that when the Union Association was organized in 1884 and its manager went hunting for phenomenal players, men who would draw the crowds, Glasscock was among the many selected.

He was one of the trio of Cleveland players, Briody and McCormick being the others, who left the Cleveland team in the midst of the 1884 season to join forces with the Cincinnati Club of the Union Association. At this time Glasscock's playing was simply wonderful and his accession by the managers of the Union Association gave that organization a mighty boost.

When the Union Association was disbanded in 1884 Glasscock joined his old partners, Dunlap and Denny, on the St. Louis National League Club, which held forth at the old Union Grounds at Jefferson and Cass avenues for a single season. The St. Louis infield that year included Alex McKinnon, first base; Fred Dunlap, second base; Jerry Denny, third base; and Jack Glasscock, short-field.

St. Louisians were very proud of this organization and expected great things of it. But the team was not successful, either from a playing or financial standpoint and before the season was half over its owners were plunged into bankruptcy. But Glasscock's great playing was often talked of afterwards.

After leaving St. Louis, Glasscock went to Indianapolis, where he led the League short-stops in 1889 and then went to Pittsburgh, where in 1894, he again bobbed up as the leading man in his position.

Glasscock is now a carpenter working at his trade in Wheeling, W. Va. He was one of the greatest players from a fielding standpoint the game has ever known."

-From The National Game