The Western Team

The St. Louis Reds and Niagaras played a pretty game of base ball yesterday afternoon, on the grounds of the former club, which was witnessed by about 1,000 spectators.  The Niagaras gave the Reds a good close rub, and the game was therefore interesting from the beginning to the close, and was greatly enjoyed by all in attendance.  Both teams had on their new uniforms, which looked so much alike that it was hard to tell at times a Niagara player from a Red Stocking man.

Packy Dillon, the catcher of the Red Stockings, having a sore hand, could not play, so their substitute was put on, Redmond being placed behind the bat, Oran at third, and McSorley in short field.  "Old Swees" took a hand in the game, and played at second base, which position he filled right up to the handle...

The game was the best one that has been played here all season.  The Reds did not "show up" very well because some of their men did not play in their home positions.  The playing yesterday allows that they have got it in them to play a good, rattling game, and in a week or two, under old "Sweez's" coaching they will be able to do much better.

The Niagaras are no "slouches" in handling the ball, and should they improve in batting they will play a first-class game this season and give the Empires all they can do to get away with them.  

-Mears Baseball Scrapbook, Volume 5

It appears that this account of the game comes from the St. Louis Democrat of April 20, 1875.

The most interesting thing about this account, other than finding a Reds/Niagara game in the Mears scrapbook, is the appearance of the elusive John Dillon in the game.  Packy's brother played left field.  Also of note is that Pud Galvin pitched for the Niagaras. 

An Early Pud Galvin Sighting

On June 11, 1874, the Empires played a banged up Turner Club at the Grand Avenue Grounds. The Turners were missing three of their regulars due to injury and another player "was so indisposed that he could not play up to his standard..." While the Empires went on to win the game easily by a score of 12-2, the interesting thing was who the Turners had on the mound. The Turners pitcher that day was a young man named James Frances Galvin, who would become better known as Pud Galvin, go on to win 364 games in the big leagues, and enter the Hall of Fame in 1965.

Prior to this, the earliest record I could find of Galvin playing in a game was a May 30, 1875 contest between the Reds and the Empires where he played left field for the Empires. That same year, Galvin was signed by the Brown Stockings as their token St. Louisian and played in eight big league games. Late in the 1875 season, he would join a reorganized Reds club for whom he would play in 1876.

E.H. Tobias, in a letter to The Sporting News on January 18, 1896, names the seventeen year old Galvin as a member of the Turner Club in 1874. There also appears to be an even earlier game in 1874, between the Turners and the White Stockings of Chicago, where it appears that Galvin may have been playing second base for the club. However, the box score is a bit difficult to make out and Tobias makes no mention of Galvin playing in the game.

Edit: Tobias also presents records of games in 1874 and 1875 where Galvin was playing with the Niagara Club. So between 1874 and 1876, Galvin would play with the Turners, the Niagaras, the Empires, the Browns and the Reds. Tobias also casts some doubt on Galvin's status with the Browns. While I've read on more than one occasion that Galvin was signed by the Browns because they thought it best to have at least one player from St. Louis on the team, Tobias notes that Galvin didn't join the Browns until well after the season had started and only because George Bradley was ill and unable to pitch.

Jack Dillon Muffs A Fly Ball

Tuning up for their championship games, the Reds played the Niagara Base Ball Club of St. Louis on Sunday, April 18, 1875. More than 1,000 fans came out to the Compton Avenue Ball Park and saw the Reds win 14-6. According to the Globe-Democrat, both teams were sporting new uniforms.

The Reds' lineup for the game, which started at 3:15 p.m., was a little different than normal. They played Charlie Houtz at first, Charlie Sweasy (in one of his first games with the club) at second, Trick McSorely at short, Joe Blong, Tom Oran, and Jack Dillon in the outfield, Billy Redmond catching, and Pidge Morgan pitching. One of the reasons for the switch up was that Packy Dillon, the Reds' starting catcher, was out with a "sore hand." Dillon's hand problem would keep him out for much of the season and force the Reds to bring Silver Flint over from the Elephants.

The Globe-Democrat's coverage of this game is one of the few references I can find to Jack Dillon playing for the Reds. They mention the fact that he played left field, went hitless, and muffed a fly ball.