The Top Twenty Games In 19th Century St. Louis Baseball History: # 19

19. October 15, 1885: St. Louis Browns vs. Chicago White Stockings

The first game at Sportman's Park between the Chicago Club and the Browns proved a poor contest, very badly umpired and terminating in a forfeiture by the home club to the visitors, the end being attended by a scene of excitement and confusion that was rarely, if ever, been equaled at any previous ball game in this city. Sullivan, the League umpire, came down from Chicago to act in the game, and a more unfortunate selection could not have been made. In the first inning he gave Kelly out at second on a steal, when nearly everybody thought the runner was safe. In the third he more than evened up matters by declaring foul a safe hit to right by Foutz, who, on the hit and a fumble by Clarkson, reached second, from which he was called back. This decision aroused the spectators to great indignation and Sullivan was loudly and roundly denounced. When, in the third inning, Barkley was called out on a ball that was above his head, another storm of hissing and shouts of "Get another umpire" followed. During the fourth and fifth inning nothing especially exciting occurred, but in the first half of the sixth a crisis was reached. After Sunday had led off with a double to right and gone to third on a passed ball, Kelley hit a grounder to Gleason, who fumbled and then threw to first, clearly putting out Kelley. Sunday scored on the play and Kelley was decided "safe." While the crowd uttered exclamations of amazements, some of the more impetuous shouted "robbery." Comiskey came in off the field, protested against the decision, and objected to Sullivan umpiring any longer. Sullivan immediately went to the players' bench, put on his coat and sat down. Anson refused to permit a change of umpires, and a long wrangle followed. Finally Hon. John J. O'Neill stepped out of the grand stand into the field and joined the wrangling players. Anson asked what his business was on the field, and the answer was, "That's none of your business."

"Well, it is my business, and you have no business on the field," retorted the big captain of the Chicago team.

"I am the President of the club," said the Representative of the Eighth District.

"I always thought Von der Ahe was the President," remarked Anson as he was very suspiciously eyed the M.C.

"Well, I'm the Vice President of the club, and in the absence of the President from the city the Vice President takes his place, don't he?" was the rejoinder of the friend of the laboring man.

The upshot of it was that O'Neill remained and the game proceeded.

Kelly quickly stole second, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a single to center by Anson. Pfeffer raised a fly to short right and Nicol muffed it, but threw Anson out at second, while Pfeffer secured his base. After Pfeffer had stolen second Williamson hit a slow grounder along the line to first. The ball was spinning as it traveled, and when near first base it reached the outside of the base line it struck the edge of the turf and turned so sharply inside the line that Comiskey failed to stop, and it struck the inside of the bag and ran a short distance beyond it. Meanwhile somebody shouted "Foul!" Pfeffer ran in from second and Williamson, after hesitating when the ball was outside the line, made a dash when it changed its course and reached first in safety. Comiskey claimed that the ball was foul, Sullivan insisted that it was fair, but Comiskey said it was not under American Association rules, to which Anson answered by calling for the rules. Another squabble was followed by Comiskey calling his men off the field. There was a rush of spectators into the field and while one crowd gathered around Anson, Superintendent Solari and a special officer escorted Sullivan off the field, a second crowd following them to the gate and abusing Sullivan at every step.

By leaving the field Comiskey made a serious blunder, for the rules made it the imperative duty of the umpire to declare the game forfeited, and while the act caused the home team the irretrievable loss of a game that they had a chance to win, it also gave to the backers of the Chicago Club considerable money that was wagered on the result. Under all rules the ball was a fair one, and the umpire was in no way to blame for the deceptive course it took. It was generally believed that Sullivan had called the ball "foul," but this he denies, and is supported in his denial by Robinson, the home catcher, who asserted that it was Anson who made the call in question; but even if he had declared it "foul" before it had passed inside the line, he would have been obliged to correct his decision and declare "fair."

Anson stated that he had not brought Sullivan here, that the Browns brought him, and he was their selection. Sullivan admitted that he was rattled, but said members of the home team stood near him and abused him from the first inning, and having no way to protect himself against their insults, he could not help getting excited. When the game stopped the score stood 5 to 4 in favor of the Chicagos, on uneven innings. The Browns scored 3 in the first inning and 1 in the fourth. The Chicagos scored 1 in the first, 1 in the second and had made 3 in the sixth, with one man out, when the game broke up. The game will go on record as 9 to 0 in favor of Chicago.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 16, 1885


This was the second game of the 1885 World's Championship series and, in the past, I've covered this game in detail.

This was one of the most controversial games in 19th century St. Louis baseball history and it can be argued that it cost the Browns the 1885 championship.  I don't really agree with that but, as the series ended up a tie, if the Browns had pulled this game out, they would have had an undisputed championship.  They claimed it anyway but that's kind of beside the point.

That lost or disputed championship, I believe, tarnishes the historical reputation of the Four Time Champions and therein lies the true significance of this game.  If the Browns had not walked off the field and come back to win the game, they would have finished 2-2 against the NL in post-season play rather than 1-2-1.  Their defeats in 1887 and 1888 were rather severe and I think that plays a role in the argument that the NL was superior to the AA.  If the Browns had broke even in the post-season against the NL, the argument for the Browns as a historically great team and for the quality of play in the AA would have been greatly strengthened.  In that sense, this game changed history.  It helped to create our perception of 19th century baseball and that makes it rather significant.    

The 1885 Champion Browns

Not sure if I ever posted this and since we've been talking about this specific team for a bit, I figured I might as well put it up. So here you go.

Tomorrow, I'll start on the 1886 World Series.

The 1885 World Series: Aftermath

When the St. Louis and Chicago clubs came upon the field at Cincinnati Saturday, Oct 24, it was announced that the clubs had cancelled all future dates, and would make this the final game of their series. The first game at Chicago, Oct. 14, resulted in a tie of 5 to 5. In the second game at St. Louis Oct. 15 the score stood 6 to 5 in favor of Chicago when a row occurred; St. Louis left the field and the game was awarded to Chicago by 9 to 0. The third and fourth games were also played at St. Louis, Oct. 16 and 17, and both were won by the American team by scores of 7 to 4 and 3 to 2. The fifth and sixth games were played at Pittsburg and Cincinnati respectively and Chicago won both by scores of 9 to 2 each. This left the record in favor of Chicago by three victories to St. Louis' two. Before Saturday's game, however, it was mutually agreed to throw out the forfeited game, leaving the clubs even at two games each, and that Saturday's game decided the series. Under this agreement the game was played and the result was an easy victory for the American champions.

-Sporting Life, November 4, 1885

Before the game began it was announced that by mutual agreement the forfeited game given to Chicago had been declared off, and today's game was to wind up the series, each club having won two games.

-Chicago Tribune, October 25, 1885

"The telegram published in this morning's papers," said President Spalding yesterday, "to the effect that the disputed game at St. Louis between the Browns and the Chicagos had been declared off, and that the Browns became the world's champions by winning yesterday's game at Cincinnati, is a mistake. The game was not declared off, and nobody would have had any authority to take such a step. The series consequently stands tied, as stated in yesterday's Tribune, each team having now three games, with the first game...tied...There is another mistake, which, through the enterprise of the newspapers, has become widely established, and that is that the series just finished has been contested to decide the championship of the world. That is nonsense. Does any one suppose that if there had been so much as that at stake that I should have consented to the games being played in American Association cities, upon their grounds, and under the authority of their umpires? The truth is, that the St. Louis people were anxious to play a series of exhibition games in the cities in which they have since appeared, and that to make the play interesting Von der Ahe and myself contributed $500 each toward a purse. I should have given the boys the $500 anyway, as I have done before when they have won the championship, and presume Von der Ahe would have done the same. Unquestionably, our boys have played very poor ball during the entire series, but their interest in play was gone, and as a test of the relative playing strength of the two nines, the series has been a failure."

-Chicago Tribune, October 26, 1885

Cincinnati, O., Oct. 25.-[Special.]-Viewed from an Association standpoint the Commercial-Gazette says of the world's base ball championship:

By their crushing defeat of the Chicagos yesterday the St. Louis team, champions of the American Association, have the right to lay claim to the championship of the world. They won three games on their merits, while Chicago won but two.

-Chicago Tribune, October 26, 1885

So there you go. There were two decisions made before the seventh game on October 25. First, given that the series was not a big draw at the gate, the rest of the games were cancelled. Second, and more importantly, there was an agreement made between someone, most likely the players, that the forfeited game two would not be counted. By that reasoning, St. Louis won the series, three games to two, and claimed the 1885 World's Championship.

As much as I want to mock Spalding for his "there was no agreement and even if there was, nobody had the authority to make one and even if they had that authority, this wasn't a series to decide the championship of the world but regardless, the whole enterprise was a dismal failure" reasoning, I'm pretty much in agreement with everything he said. The series was nothing more than an exhibition and the forfeit has to stand. The 1885 "World Series" ended tied.

Lucky for us, there would be a rematch in 1886.

The 1885 World Series: Game Seven

The game to-day between the St. Louis Browns, champions of the American Association, and the Chicagos, champions of the League, was the decisive one in the series between these two clubs for the championship of the world, and resulted in an easy victory for the St. Louis team. It was Clarkson's day to pitch, but he appeared on the grounds five minutes late, and Capt. Anson ordered McCormick, who pitched yesterday, into the box. But two hits were made off McCormick yesterday. To-day he was hit for a total of sixteen bases, and this, with the miserable fielding of the Chicagos, decided the game. The Chicagos took a lead of 2 runs in the first inning on hits by Sunday and Kelly, and an error to Barkley. In the third inning Welch made a three-bagger and crossed the plate through Dalrymple's poor fielding. Barkley and Comiskey made hits and Barkley scored. Comiskey was forced out by Robinson. Robinson stole second and came home on a passed ball. The St. Louis Club won in the fourth inning, by batting McCormick safely five times. The fielding of the League champions in this inning was the worst seen here for some time. Anson made two bad muffs, Williamson a wild throw and Dalrymple a wild throw, and Flint had two passed balls. The result was 6 runs for the St. Louis team, only 2 of which were earned. In the fifth inning the Chicagos made 2 unearned runs, but they had no chance to overcome the lead of their opponents, and the game thereafter was devoid of interest. The last half of the eighth inning was not played on account of darkness, but it is counted in the score, as the St. Louis club had the game without playing their half. The game was played under League rules, and the score is made according to League rules. Attendance 1,200.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 25, 1885

And the 1885 series mercifully comes to an end.

However, even though the series ended tied at 3-3-1, St. Louis claimed the championship. What? How in the world did that happen? I'll explain tomorrow.

The 1885 World Series: Game Six

About 1,500 persons saw the Chicagos defeat the St. Louis American champions this afternoon [in Cincinnati]. The game was marked by miserable fielding, Anson being particularly weak. McCormick's pitching was the feature. Only two hits were made off his delivery, and one was a scratch. In the eighth inning he struck out Welch, Barkley and Comiskey. Dalrymple did some good batting.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 24, 1885

Again, very little ink spent on this series in the newspapers.

Chicago was up in games, 3-2-1, after the first game in Cincinnati and had a chance to win the series with a victory in game seven.

The 1885 World Series: Game Five

The fifth game of the series between the champions of the League and American Association was played at Pittsburg Oct. 22. The weather was cold and not over 500 people were present. The Chicagos won easily [9-2] through superior batting and fielding. At the end of the seventh inning the game was called on account of darkness.

-Sporting Life, October 28, 1885

This series between St. Louis and Chicago simply failed to capture the imagination of the press and public. The St. Louis Globe-Democrat didn't even mention the score of this particular game. While I understand that these were really nothing more than exhibition games, the fact that a St. Louis/Chicago baseball game couldn't get any ink in a major St. Louis newspaper that was known for its baseball coverage is strange.

I couldn't find a box score for this game in a format that I could post, which speaks to the lack of coverage that these games received. Dalrymple and Anson were the hitting stars for Chicago, with five hits between them. Anson also had a triple. St. Louis committed seven errors and gave up eight unearned runs.

The 1885 World Series: Hopefully This Solves The Officiating Problems

Al Spaulding and Christ Von der Ahe have agreed upon Bob Ferguson to umpire the remaining games in the series between the Browns and Chicago Club for the championship of America.

The Browns leave this morning for Pittsburg, where they will play the Chicagos to-morrow. They will play in Cincinnati Friday and Saturday...

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 21, 1885

The 1885 World Series: Game Four

The Browns scored another victory over the Chicagos yesterday in a contest that was one of the most exciting that has taken place at Sportsman's Park this season. The visitors outbatted and outfielded the home team, but they ran bases with very bad judgment and three of their four errors were very costly. Anson would not accept McCaffrey as umpire and the opening of the game was delayed forty minutes before a choice was made, William Medart being finally agreed upon. Mr. Medart tried to satisfy both sides, but failed to please the visitors, and after the game was ended declared that he would never again be found in such a position. To the eyes of the reporters he made a mistake in the fifth inning in deciding Burns out at third on Robinson's throw to Latham, but otherwise his decisions were correct, and there was no reason in the kicking that the Chicago players persisted in. In the last inning, after Burns had obtained first on an error by Barkley, McCormick raised a fly to Comisky, who muffed the ball. Burns then ran for third and Comiskey picked up the ball, turning his arm as if to throw to third, causing McCormick to move away from first base, and made a dash to cut off McCormick. The latter tried to get back, but did not succeed, and Comiskey, after touching him, fell over him. When McCormick was declared out he stood on the base and refused to come in, and Sunday walked up to Medart and told him he knew "that man was not out." Medart informed Sunday that he was "a liar" and ordered him to shut up, adding "if you don't do it I'll make you." Sunday shut up, but stood back with his fists clenched, prepared for an attack and looking as if ready to make one. Kelly stepped up to Sunday and led him to the bench. Then McCormick came in from first, with his face glowing like fire, and was making a bee line for Medart, when Kelly met and stopped him. But for Kelly's intervention there doubtless would have been a row, for McCormick is not only hot-tempered but is a fighter, and had he got near Medart there would have been a fight. Had one occurred the Chicago players would undoubtedly have been roughly handled, for the feeling was very strong against them.

The first run was scored by Latham in the third inning. After he had batted the ball, which McCormick ran to field and then let roll about an inch outside of the left foul line, Anson called Kelly close up behind the bat. Then he drove a slow one by McCormick to center and took first. A low throw by Kelly to Pfeffer gave him a life at second, and Foutz out at first advanced him to third. When Caruthers hit to Williamson and the latter threw to first, he broke for home and tallied. The visitors made their 2 in the fifth. Burns led with a single to left, went to second on a passed ball and third on Barkley's fumble of McCormick's grounder. McCormick then ran slowly for second to induce Robinson to throw to Barkley. Robinson, however, threw to Latham, and Burns was declared out. After Halliday had been called out on strikes, Balrymple drove the ball over the right field fence, bringing in McCormick and scoring a home run himself. The winning runs were made in the eighth inning. Latham obtained first on Burns' failure to stop a grounder to short, took second on a passed ball, third on Foutz's hit to Anson and out at first; and scored on Caruthers' single to left. When he crossed the plate, the crowd in the grand stand stood up and cheered. Caruthers got second on a passed ball, but was run down between second and third when Gleason hit to McCormick. Pfeffer scored the out and threw wild to Anson to catch Gleason off first, with the result that Gleason ran to third and scored on Welch's grounder, which Williamson fielded back of third but could not get to Anson in time to put out the striker.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 18, 1885

No one can say that the 1885 World Series lacked for drama.

William Medart, for those who are interested, had been a board member of the old NA/NL Brown Stockings and had previously umpired League games in games in St. Louis. However, it had been pointed out in the past that he was not a particularly good umpire.

The 1885 World Series: Game Three

The Browns and the Chicago team met again yesterday afternoon and the result was a victory for the home team by a score of 7 to 4. Harry McCaffrey umpired the game and everything passed off smoothly. The home team won by superior fielding, the batting of the two teams being exactly equal, each making eight hits with a total of twelve bases. League rules governed the contest and bases on balls, wild pitches and passed ball figure in the error columns. A muff by O'Neill, a fumble by Gleason, a base on balls and muff of a foul fly by Bushong were all the errors charged against the Browns, while a total of twelve appear in the score of the visitors. A muff by Dalrymple in the first inning when two men were out was the costly error of the game. It was followed by a base on balls, a wild pitch, a single, a double and a triple, the whole yielding five runs, one more than the visitors secured in their nine innings. The batteries were Caruthers and Bushong for the Browns and Clarkson and Flint for the Chicagos. Caruthers struck out seven men and Clarkson five. The visitors were first at the bat. Dalrymple opened the game by striking out. Sunday followed and secured a tally on a base on balls, Kelley's hit to Comiskey and out at first, and O'Neill's muff of Anson's high fly to left. A single to right by Pfeffer advanced Anson to second, and both were left by Williamson hitting dead in front of the plate and being thrown out at first by Caruthers. Gleason led for the home team with a safe hit by second, but was forced at second when Kelley muffed Welch's fly to right and saved an error by assisting to Pfeffer. Welch got second on Pfeffer's muff of Flint's throw, and after being given two lives by Burns' muffs of throws from Flint, reached third on a passed ball, and, after Barkley had struck out, scored on Dalrymple's muff of Comiskey's fly. Six balls gave Robinson first base and advanced Comiskey to second, and a wild pitch gave each another base. Then O'Neill hit safe to center, bringing in Comiskey and Robinson, and ran to second when Sunday fielded to the plate. A double to left by Latham sent O'Neill home, and a three-bagger in the same direction by Caruthers tallied Latham. Bushong closed the inning by foul-tipping to Flint. The second inning yielded 1 run to the Chicagos, Clarkson scoring on a single to center, Flint's out at first on Caruthers' assist, and Dalrymple's safe hit to right. Anson made the circuit of the bases in the third. After Kelley had been retired, he got first on a grounder to Latham that was too hot to handle, and was advanced to second by Pfeffer, who, having been given a life by Bushong muffing a foul, hit safely to center. On Williamson's hit to Gleason, who threw to Barkley, forcing Pfeffer, the latter ran into Barkley, preventing a double-play, and also enabling Anson to score. No more runs were made until the sixth inning, when the Browns secured 2. O' Neill led with a single to center, and was quickly brought home by Latham, who drove the ball to left for two bases and took third on Pfeffer's throw over Flint, after receiving the ball from Dalrymple. Latham scored on Caruthers' grounder, which rose over Anson, but was intercepted by Pfeffer, who ran to first and scored a put-out. In the ninth, after Pfeffer and Williamson were out, Burns hit over Welch for three bases, and scored on Clarkson's double to right. Flint settled the game by striking out.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 17, 1885

It took three games but we finally have an unambiguous outcome to a game. Not much to say about this other than I don't think I've ever seen a single, double and triple hit consecutively in a game before. That would be kind of neat to see. If I'm not mistaken, Matt Holiday hit a single, a double and a triple in consecutive at bats a few weeks ago. And then, instead of letting him go for the natural cycle, Tony double switched him to bring in his worst pitcher. Oh, the joys of baseball.

The 1885 World Series: Rashomon (or Groundhog Day)

I might as well give you a fourth witness:

The second game was played at St. Louis Oct 15 and...broke up in a row in the sixth inning, owing to Sullivan's umpiring, which was most unsatisfactory to the home team. In the sixth inning play was suspended for some time by a kick over one of his decisions in giving Kelly safe when he was clearly out. Later on, after a ball which hit outside the foul line, but rolled inside before it reached first, had been declared foul, it was given safe, letting in a run, and Comiskey called his men off the field. Sullivan claims it was not he, but Anson who called out foul. Sullivan made no decision of the game on the grounds, but gave it to Chicago that night at the hotel by a score of 9 to 0. The Browns claim the decision will not stick, as it should have been made on the grounds.

-Sporting Life, October 21, 1885

Nothing really new here; I just wanted to make the comparison to Rashomon.

Also, I wanted to point out that this game kind of reminds me of Game 6 of the 1985 World Series. Played one hundred years later, that game saw a poor call at first base (and I'm trying to be kind to Mr. Denkinger), a dropped ball in foul territory and a passed ball. Whitey Herzog has said in the past that he should have pulled his team off the field in protest of the call at first. And if that game or Game Seven had been played in St. Louis, things would have gotten pretty ugly (or uglier, I guess). I think the real difference between the games is that the Browns were trying to systematically intimidate the umpire while the Cardinals just lost it. But time heals all wounds or so we tell ourselves.

And I promise that tomorrow I'll move on to Game Three.

The 1885 World Series: The Very Entertaining Tribune Account Of Game Two

The second game for the championship of the world between the Chicago and St. Louis clubs today broke up at the end of the sixth inning in a disgraceful row which almost culminated in a riot. The umpire narrowly escaped mobbing and for a time the feeling was so intense that the mob were on the point of laying violent hands on Kelly and Anson of Chicago...Sullivan, the umpire, had given several close decisions against St. Louis, and was subjected to considerable abuse from the crowd. Sunday opened the sixth by a terrible drive over Nichol's head and reached second. He reached third on a wild pitch while Kelly was sawing wind at the plate. Kelly finally got on to the sphere and landed it in Gleason's hands. As Gleason threw the ball to first Sunday started for home and this play attracted the attention of Umpire Sullivan, and he did not see the play at first. The ball beat Kelly to the base [by] at least ten feet, but Sunday scored. The umpire, to the surprise and indignation of the crowd, declared Kelly safe...Play was suspended and all the players gathered around Anson, Commiskey, and the umpire, who were quarreling in a disgraceful manner. Commiskey threatened to take his men from the field, and was told by Sullivan that if he did the game would be given to Chicago. After the umpire had called play at least a dozen times without any notice being taken of it he finally gave the two Captains just two minutes to get their men in position. This had the desired effect, and amid curses and jeers play was again resumed. Anson took up his favorite bat and hit safe in centre, and Kelly, who had meantime stolen a base, came home and tied the score. Pfeffer hit a fly back of first base, which Nichol dropped but fielded the ball to second and forced Anson. Williamson danced around the plate for five minutes, during which time Kelly went to third on a passed ball. The big third baseman at last hit the ball and it struck outside the foul-line, but curved in on fair ground. Commiskey gathered it in and fielded the ball quickly to first base, which was covered by Burkley. Williamson, however, beat the ball to the base and Sunday came in. Commiskey claimed the ball was foul, and the umpire at first agreed with him and told Williamson he would have to come back. Then Anson and Kelly came to the front and in a few minutes convinced the umpire that the ball was fair. The players had by this time again congregated around the umpire another scene occurred. The crowd could not be controlled, and about 200 men jumped into the field and made for Sullivan. He would have been handled roughly but for the police. When this demonstration was made nearly all the male spectators in the grand stand jumped into the field and took sides in the trouble. The Chicago men seized their bats and held their ground, but the umpire was escorted from the field by the police. The spectators and players walked off the field in a bunch, and now the Chicago men claim the game by a score of 9 to 0 because the Browns left the field. The latter claim that they did not leave the field before the Chicago men and did not leave at all, but were forced off by the crowd. Sullivan was seen tonight by your correspondent and said that Anson called foul when Williamson hit and not him. He decided the game after he reached the hotel 9 to 0 in favor of Chicago. Commiskey says that this can't be done: that the home game had to be decided in the field. Sullivan will not umpire tomorrow and the St. Louis men will contest the game.

-Chicago Daily Tribune, October 16, 1885

I gave you three different newspaper accounts of game two of the 1885 World Series (along with Jon David Cash's version) and nobody can agree on what happened. That's not exactly unusual but I think it does speak to the chaos that broke out in the sixth inning. While Sullivan certainly lost control of the game and the Browns may or may not have left the field in protest, the biggest factor in the forfeit has to be the actions of the crowd. It doesn't matter what rule is used to decide fair and foul; it doesn't matter that Sullivan had botched some calls; it doesn't matter if Comiskey pulled his men off the field, if the Browns left the field at the same time as the White Stockings or if they fled the field in fear for their safety. It doesn't even matter what rules Sullivan used to declare the forfeit or if his declaration of a forfeit was correct within the confines of the rules. It doesn't matter because the St. Louis fans stormed the field in protest of an umpires decision and broke up the game. Putting aside the details and the legalities, the rules of common sense declare that the game is forfeited to Chicago.

St. Louis would try to claim this series based on their argument that the forfeit didn't count and this argument was aided, in part, by certain members of the White Stockings. I'll get to all that eventually but the argument was specious. The first game of the series was called due to darkness and was counted as a tie. The second game was broken up by a mob of St. Louis fans and forfeited to Chicago. After two games, regardless of all argument, the Chicago led the series 1-0-1.

The 1885 World Series: More On Game Two

The second game for the base ball championship of the United States came to an abrupt termination today. The day was bright and warm and 2000 persons assembled to see the game. The Chicagos were minus the services of Gore, their crack batsman, and the St. Louis were without Bushong, their regular catcher. In the first inning Sunday, after Dalrymple had been retired at first by Comiskey, hit safe to left, and then went to second on a passed ball. Kelly hit safe over Gleason, and Welch fumbling the ball Sunday came all the way home. Gleason led off for the Browns with a hit over Clarkson for two bases, Welch sent the ball through Williamson's legs and Barkley advanced Welch to second by sacrificing to Pfeffer. Comiskey hit to Pfeffer, who threw home to catch Gleason, but failed. Kelly threw to Pfeffer to catch Comiskey as he stole second. Pfeffer muffed the ball, and Welch came home while Comiskey went to third, and the latter scored a moment later on a passed ball.

In the second inning Pfeffer hit to right field for two bases, and came home on Nicol's muff of Burns' fly. In the fourth Robinson reached first on Burns' error. O'Neill hit to Burns, forcing Robinson at second. Then Latham hit to centre for three bases, and O'Neill came home. In the fifth both sides drew blanks, and at the commencement of the sixth inning the Browns were in the lead by 4 to 2.

Up to that time Umpire Sullivan of the regular League corps had been giving the home team a tough deal, and the crowd were ripe for a row. Sunday led off in this inning with a double over Nicol. Kelly hit to Gleason and was thrown out at first, but Sullivan, who was watching Sunday steal home, did not see the play at first and refused to declare Kelly out. There was a great to-do in consequence. Play was suspended for full fifteen minutes and Captain Comiskey threatened to withdraw his nine from the field. He was at last induced to go on with the game. Kelly held his place at first, went to second on a wild pitch and came home with the tie run on Anson's hit to centre. Pfeffer hit an easy fly to right, which Nicol muffed, but Anson was forced out at second. Pfeffer stole second and went to third on a passed ball. Williamson was at the bat, and the Chicago's prospects of securing another and leading run were excellent. Williamson hit the ball on the ground in such a way that it first rolled foul and then curved around into fair ground. Comiskey fielded the ball on fair ground and threw it to Barkley, who had covered first. Williamson beat the ball to the bag by at least five feet, and Pfeffer scored on the stroke, but Comiskey claimed that the ball Williamson hit was foul, and that Sullivan had shouted foul, and he asserted that unless the umpire called it foul he would quit the field. Sullivan at first said that Comiskey was right, and that Williamson would have to go back to the bat, but when the Chicagos kicked he changed his mind. Before the controversy ended the crowd had jumped from the grand stand and had taken possession of the field. Several persons made for the umpire, but he was taken care of by the police. In the midst of the uproar both sides left the field.

Tonight the Chicagos are claiming the game by a score of 9 to 0, on the ground that the St. Louis left the field, while St. Louis deny that they left the field, and claim they were simply forced off by the crowd. Umpire Sullivan left the grounds with the Chicagos. At the hotel tonight Sullivan gave the game to Chicago by a score of 9 to 0. Tomorrow's game will be played with some local man umpiring.

-Boston Daily Globe, October 16, 1885

The Boston Globe's account of the game differs significantly from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat's. The Boston paper claims that Comiskey did not take his team off the field until after the crowd took the field and that the White Stockings also left the field at the same time. The St. Louis paper stated that Comiskey took his team off the field first, at which time the crowd stormed the field. Only then did the Chicago club leave the field. The Boston paper also states that the decision to award the game to Chicago by forfeit was not made until later in the evening.

While the Boston account seems to absolve Comiskey of some of the blame that the St. Louis Globe-Democrat assigned to him, the forfeit still seems to have been awarded correctly. Regardless of whether Comiskey pulled his club off the field or the St. Louis crowd put an end to the game by storming the field, the game was rightly given to Chicago by forfeit. Game two of the series is rightly counted as a Chicago victory.

Jon David Cash writes about the game in Before They Were Cardinals:

...while bickering ballplayers from each side swarmed the umpire to offer their own perspectives on the play, the [Chicago] Tribune reported that "about two hundred men" left their seats and stormed the field with intentions to do bodily harm to Sullivan. Amidst the subsequent pandemonium, Sportsman's Park security personnel whisked Sullivan off the field to an awaiting carriage, the White Stockings armed themselves with their baseball bats to fend off the uncontrolled mob, and the Browns left the ballpark.

The question of precisely when the Browns departed the diamond later took on increased importance. Sullivan, from the safety of the Lindell Hotel, ruled the game forfeited to Chicago on the basis that Comiskey had pulled his men from the field of play. The Browns raised two objections: they had not left the field prematurely, but had exited with the White Stockings when both teams simultaneously were forced off by the rampaging spectators; and the declaration of a forfeit was invalid because Sullivan did not issue it on the playing site as required by the rules, but waited instead until he was ensconced at his hotel. Ironically, a Chicago newspaper offered a time sequence supportive of the Browns' version of events. The Tribune noted that "the spectators and players walked off the field in a bunch," thereby lending credence to the Browns' claim that they had been "forced off by the crowd." In another surprise, however, three St. Louis newspapers concurred with Sullivan's opinion that Comiskey pulled the Browns off the field before the fans rushed onto the diamond. These St. Louis newspapers differed only in how they assessed the propriety of Comiskey's actions.

Cash, while noting the contradictions in the various newspaper accounts, does take Comiskey to task for his actions in game two. Quoting Francis Richter and Joe Ellick on the abuse that umpires of this era were subject too, he writes that "Comiskey, still fuming over Sullivan's earlier mistakes and angry at himself for not hastily fielding Williamson's grounder, had provoked hundreds of St. Louis fans into attempting an assault upon the suddenly endangered umpire."

I'll post the Chicago Tribune's account of the game tomorrow and I'll try to sort out all of my thinking of this game before we more on to game three.

The 1885 World Series: Game Two

The first game at Sportman's Park between the Chicago Club and the Browns proved a poor contest, very badly umpired and terminating in a forfeiture by the home club to the visitors, the end being attended by a scene of excitement and confusion that was rarely, if ever, been equaled at any previous ball game in this city. Sullivan, the League umpire, came down from Chicago to act in the game, and a more unfortunate selection could not have been made. In the first inning he gave Kelly out at second on a steal, when nearly everybody thought the runner was safe. In the third he more than evened up matters by declaring foul a safe hit to right by Foutz, who, on the hit and a fumble by Clarkson, reached second, from which he was called back. This decision aroused the spectators to great indignation and Sullivan was loudly and roundly denounced. When, in the third inning, Barkley was called out on a ball that was above his head, another storm of hissing and shouts of "Get another umpire" followed. During the fourth and fifth inning nothing especially exciting occurred, but in the first half of the sixth a crisis was reached. After Sunday had led off with a double to right and gone to third on a passed ball, Kelley hit a grounder to Gleason, who fumbled and then threw to first, clearly putting out Kelley. Sunday scored on the play and Kelley was decided "safe." While the crowd uttered exclamations of amazements, some of the more impetuous shouted "robbery." Comiskey came in off the field, protested against the decision, and objected to Sullivan umpiring any longer. Sullivan immediately went to the players' bench, put on his coat and sat down. Anson refused to permit a change of umpires, and a long wrangle followed. Finally Hon. John J. O'Neill stepped out of the grand stand into the field and joined the wrangling players. Anson asked what his business was on the field, and the answer was, "That's none of your business."

"Well, it is my business, and you have no business on the field," retorted the big captain of the Chicago team.

"I am the President of the club," said the Representative of the Eighth District.

"I always thought Von der Ahe was the President," remarked Anson as he was very suspiciously eyed the M.C.

"Well, I'm the Vice President of the club, and in the absence of the President from the city the Vice President takes his place, don't he?" was the rejoinder of the friend of the laboring man.

The upshot of it was that O'Neill remained and the game proceeded.

Kelly quickly stole second, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on a single to center by Anson. Pfeffer raised a fly to short right and Nicol muffed it, but threw Anson out at second, while Pfeffer secured his base. After Pfeffer had stolen second Williamson hit a slow grounder along the line to first. The ball was spinning as it traveled, and when near first base it reached the outside of the base line it struck the edge of the turf and turned so sharply inside the line that Comiskey failed to stop, and it struck the inside of the bag and ran a short distance beyond it. Meanwhile somebody shouted "Foul!" Pfeffer ran in from second and Williamson, after hesitating when the ball was outside the line, made a dash when it changed its course and reached first in safety. Comiskey claimed that the ball was foul, Sullivan insisted that it was fair, but Comiskey said it was not under American Association rules, to which Anson answered by calling for the rules. Another squabble was followed by Comiskey calling his men off the field. There was a rush of spectators into the field and while one crowd gathered around Anson, Superintendent Solari and a special officer escorted Sullivan off the field, a second crowd following them to the gate and abusing Sullivan at every step.

By leaving the field Comiskey made a serious blunder, for the rules made it the imperative duty of the umpire to declare the game forfeited, and while the act caused the home team the irretrievable loss of a game that they had a chance to win, it also gave to the backers of the Chicago Club considerable money that was wagered on the result. Under all rules the ball was a fair one, and the umpire was in no way to blame for the deceptive course it took. It was generally believed that Sullivan had called the ball "foul," but this he denies, and is supported in his denial by Robinson, the home catcher, who asserted that it was Anson who made the call in question; but even if he had declared it "foul" before it had passed inside the line, he would have been obliged to correct his decision and declare "fair."

Anson stated that he had not brought Sullivan here, that the Browns brought him, and he was their selection. Sullivan admitted that he was rattled, but said members of the home team stood near him and abused him from the first inning, and having no way to protect himself against their insults, he could not help getting excited. When the game stopped the score stood 5 to 4 in favor of the Chicagos, on uneven innings. The Browns scored 3 in the first inning and 1 in the fourth. The Chicagos scored 1 in the first, 1 in the second and had made 3 in the sixth, with one man out, when the game broke up. The game will go on record as 9 to 0 in favor of Chicago.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 16, 1885

Not a great start to the 1885 World's Championship Series, with a tie and a forfeit in the first two games. But game two gave us a serious controversy that would affect the outcome of the series and will take a few days to sort out.

It was always my understanding that the Browns claimed that they had won the 1885 series and I believed that this was based on disputing the forfeit of game two. However, based on the Globe's account of the game, I see no basis for the claim. Comiskey took the Browns off the field, quit the game and Chicago was rightly awarded the forfeit. The Browns forfeited one of the seven games of the series. And they were losing that game when they quit. Game two of the series, regardless of how it happened, was a victory for Chicago and a loss for the Browns.

The umpire for the game was David F. Sullivan, who umpired National League games in 1882 and 1885 and lived in Chicago. I think Anson was being a bit coy when he said that the Browns had selected Sullivan to umpire the game. It's likely that his name was put forward by Chicago, along with a few others, and the Browns picked Sullivan off of the list supplied by the White Stockings. Yes, the Browns had selected Sullivan but only after he was suggested by Chicago.

I searched high and wide for a box score to this game and did find one. Sadly, it was not in a format that allowed me to post it here. Interestingly, the Globe did not publish a box score to this game. Looking at the box score I did find, it looks like the Browns were having problems hitting McCormick and had only two hits in the game, through five innings. It was a sloppy game with Chicago committing five errors and the St. Louis battery of Foutz and Robinson combining for three passed balls and a wild pitch. Gleason, Welch, Comiskey and O'Neill scored for the Browns; Sunday and Pfeffer each scored twice for Chicago and Kelly scored once. Chicago had the only earned run in the game.

If this was the big controversy surrounding the 1885 series than it's not much of a controversy at all. Umpire Sullivan made some bad calls but Comiskey's decision to take his club off the field cost his team a chance to win the series. If the Browns had kept their composure instead of storming off the field, they could have come back and won game two. They were only down a run, had a rowdy home crowd on their side and the umpire was shaky. However, they walked off and forfeited the game. After the forfeit, the Browns had to win three of five to salvage a split series and four of five to win it. The only real controversy, according to the Globe, is Comiskey's decision to pull his team off the field.

However, there are other contemporary accounts of the game and they differ with the Globe's account. I'll take a look at those tomorrow.

The 1885 World Series: More On Game One

The last professional game to be played in [Chicago] this season took place yesterday between the St. Louis Browns and the White Stockings, resulting in a tie game at the end of the eighth inning, by a score of 5 to 5. The Browns are, without doubt, a very smooth organization, and can play ball with the best of them. Had they been the League instead of the American Association team at St. Louis during the past season, the Mound City would quite likely have ranked other than last in the race. Latham's play at third was admired by every one of the 2,000 people that witnessed it yesterday, and the invariable rule which seems to obtain among the entire nine of going for everything and missing nothing was seen and appreciated. They pull together splendidly, and are unquestionably one of the strongest teams in the country. It is undeniably a fact that Chicago has let down astonishingly since winning the pennant by beating the Phillies in the first game of their last series. The strain upon the boys had been a long and hard one and with the championship in their possession they have seemed to feel that their season's work was accomplished and that the many restrictions that they had voluntarily placed themselves under could with safety be tossed overboard. The result is that late hours and other indiscretions have unfitted the boys for work upon the diamond and their play has most plainly shown it of late. One of the results of the game yesterday was the suspension of Gore, who for some time past has been playing indifferently. Yesterday his indifference was so marked that he was told by Anson at the conclusion of the game that he might remain in Chicago, and that Sunday would look after his territory during the coming games with the Browns. Gore's disposition is not one of the most amiable in the world, and the lesson may prove of value to him. It has been intimated that the centre fielder has been playing for his release, but this report is not credited, and Gore himself refuses to talk upon the subject. The Whites left for St. Louis last night for games with Browns at St. Louis today, Friday and Saturday, at Pittsburg on the 22d, Cincinnati on the 23th and 24th, Baltimore the 27th, Philadelphia on the 28th and 29th, and Brooklyn on the 30th and 31st. The team winning the majority of the games in the series will take the $1,000 deposited by Spalding and Von der Ahe as a special purse to be divided equally among the players of the winning team. The season has practically ended here and interest in the game has vanished with the season.

-Sporting Life, October 21, 1885

I think this article gives an idea of how the players were looking at the World Series. Yes, there was some money at stake but the real championship had already been won and the season was over. These were nothing more than exhibitions. Sporting Life treated the games similarly, putting the box scores with the box scores of all the other exhibition games that were being played around the country.

The 1885 World Series: Game One

The first of the series of games between the Chicagos, champion club of the National League, and the St. Louis, champion club of the American Association, for the championship of the world, was played this afternoon [in Chicago], and resulted in a tie in eight innings, though the Chicagos would doubtless have won in the next, as they had just begun to play when game was called. Previous to the game throwing and running contests were held. Williamson threw the ball 133 yards, 1 foot, 4 inches, defeating five others. Pfeffer ran the bases in 15 1/4 seconds, defeating five contestants. The Chicagos sent the visitors to bat, and toyed with them. The runs were made as follows: For the visitors, Comiskey got a base on error and scored on two other errors in the second. In the fourth O'Neill, Robinson, Latham and Caruthers got in runs off of two safe hits and three errors, Kelly scoring. In the eighth Gore got a base on balls, and scored off singles by Kelly and Anson. Pfeffer followed with a home run, and tied the game. The umpire called the game on account of darkness. The two clubs go to St. Louis, Cincinnati, Baltimore, Pittsburg, Philadelphia and Brooklyn.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 15, 1885

This was a rather inauspicious start to a series that would supposedly decide the world baseball championship.

There was very little build-up in the press for this series. I can't even find a mention of it in the Globe in the days leading up to the first game. The Tribune mentions it in a brief paragraph on the day of the game. This is in comparison to the massive coverage that each club received in their respective city papers after they won their league championship, when there were full page spreads about the celebrations in the cities and short biographies and pictures of each of the players. Of course, the goal of each club was to win their respective league and the series was little more than an exhibition but I was surprised at how little press there was in the days before the series started.

One interesting thing of note was that the first two games were played as benefits for the players. The Chicago players split the gate from game one in Chicago and the St. Louis players split the gate from game two in St. Louis. I'm not certain, as of yet, how the rest of the money from the series was divided but I'm assuming it was pocketed by the clubs.

A quick note: It looks like I'm in the process of going through the 1885-1888 World Series. Hopefully, I can find all of the box scores and find something interesting to say about them. Like I said yesterday, I'd love to go through the Browns' 1897 season day by day but I don't have easy access to that material. So right now, I'm going through the World Series stuff. I'm thinking about doing the 1884 Maroons after this but I'm open to suggestions.