I Thought Dunlap Was An Orphan

Dunlap was visiting his mother in Philadelphia while the St. Louis Unions were being drubbed by the Bostons.  The weather is generally frigid for the St. Louis boys when Fred is not with them.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, September 24, 1884


I'm pretty sure Dunlap's parents were both dead in 1884.  In fact, without checking my notes, I believe both his parents were dead by the time Dunlap was twelve years old.  So either the biographical information we have about Dunlap is wrong or he was just making up an excuse to take some time off.   

The 1884 Maroons: Was There Anything Dunlap Couldn't Do?

Two thousand people came together at Exposition Park today to witness the third contest between the Pittsburg and St. Louis Union clubs.  The weather was fine and the game full of interesting and exciting incidents.  The visitors played a strong game from start to finish, while the Price team spurted along quite gamely.  At one time it looked as if the home nine was to be badly whipped.  In the eighth inning, after Gleason had had a chance to retire the side, some of the hardest hitting seen about here for some time saved their bacon, and they piled up 6 unearned runs tieing the score.  Lucas' men, in the ninth, earned 2 runs and the home club only succeeded in getting 1, losing the game by one run.  Daily, the one-handed pitcher, set the audience wild by sending the ball down into deep middle field, making three bases on the hit.  In the ninth inning, after one man of the home team was out, Dunlap, the captain of the visitors, sent Werden into right garden and occupied the pitcher's box himself, or it was the general opinion of many spectators the nine from St. Louis would have lost the game, as the Pittsburg boys seemed to have "caught on" to Werden's delivery in great shape.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 28, 1884


Fred Dunlap pitched two and two-thirds innings in his major league career, with an ERA of 6.75 and and ERA+ of 73.

The 1884 Maroons: Lucas' Pets Head East

This afternoon was the time fixed for the appearance of the new Pittsburg Union Club at the Exposition Park.  They were pitted against the St. Louis Unions.  Jupiter Pluvius seemed inclined to oppose meeting one hour before the opening of the game and doubtless kept a great number from attending.  However, between 2,500 and 3,000 people witnessed one of the finest games ever played hereabouts.  It took eleven sharp innings to decide the contest.  Hard hitting and sharp fielding were the features of the game, and the pitchers of both nines were excellently supported especially by their respective catchers.  Daly and Kreig occupied the points for the home nine, while Werden and Brennan acted in the same capacity for the visitors.  Dunlap, of the Mound City nine, covered second base in his usual unapproachable style.  Joe Battin, at third, for the home team, received quite an ovation.  All present enjoyed the fine exhibition to the fullest extent.  A fight was started in the 25-cent place, but was quickly squelched by the energetic management.  

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 26, 1884

This was the first game of a twenty-two game eastern road trip.  The Maroons wouldn't play in St. Louis again until September 28. 

George Washington Bradley Gets A Second Opinion

The injury sustained by Geo. W. Bradley, of the Cincinnati Unions, in his collision with Dunlap during Thursday's game at the Union Grounds, proved to be more serious than at first reported.  An examination made yesterday morning developed the fact that one of the small bones of his right forearm was broken, and he will be forced to retire from the field for at least a month, if not for the rest of the season.  He left for Cincinnati last night.  No more earnest or painstaking player ever appeared on the diamond, and the accident will cause general regret among patrons of the game in all parts of the country.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 9, 1884


I'm much too lazy to go look up game accounts but it's possible that this was the end of Bradley's pitching career.  While he continued his baseball career, playing in various leagues for several more years (including a short stint with Philadelphia in the AA), Bradley never pitched in the major leagues after 1884.  So maybe we should add to the list of Dunlap's accomplishments that he ended George Bradley's pitching career.

The 1884 Maroons: Dunlap Quickly Procured A Glass Of Brandy

The St. Louis and Cincinnati Unions played the last game but one of their championship series yesterday afternoon, and it was a most interesting contest.  In the first inning, after the home team had drawn a blank, Hawes hit to Sweeny and was fielded out at first.  Then Harbridge hit away out to the left fence, and Boyle, after a hard run, just touched the ball and then dropped it.  On Silvester's hit Harbidge went to second, and on a passed ball he got to third.  Crane then hit to right field and Harbidge scored.  Crane stole second and third and came home on a passed ball.  The visitors held the lead by a score of 2 to 1 until the sixth inning.  Then Dunlap sent a slasher to left field, and a moment later had stolen his way to third.  He scored on Shafer's hit, and the latter was advanced to second on Gleason's safe drive past Jones.  After Sweeny's fly had been taken by Barber, Boyle hit to Bradley, forcing Gleason at second, but Shafer went to third on the play, and came home on Crotty's throw down to catch Boyle at second.  In the seventh the home team increased their lead.  Brennan hit safe to left and reached third on a wild pitch and passed ball.  He scored on Dunlap's line drive to left for two bases.  A moment later Dunlap, who had stolen third, started for home on a ball that had got a short distance by Crotty.  The latter fielded to Bradley who covered the plate with his back turned to the runner.

As Dunlap reached home Bradley at the same moment received the ball and swung around with it.  A collision was the result, Bradley falling to the ground looking pale as death and apparently insensible.  Two or three of this comrades took hold of him, while Dunlap quickly procured a glass of brandy.  The liquor brought Bradley too but he was so badly shocked by the collision that he could not regain his feet without assistance.  He complained of great pains in his right arm and said he thought it was broken, but Dr. Robert Luedeking, who was present, examined the injured member and pronounced it only badly sprained.  Little Dick Burns, who was just recovering from an attack of malarial fever, happened to be on the grounds and went to center field for the visitors while Sylvestor was brought in to pitch.  Gleason hit him safe as a starter and Boyle followed suit.  Then Quinn batted to Jones, who threw to Crane, forcing Boyle, and a double play would have resulted, but Crane threw low and Gleason scored the last run of the game.  

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 8, 1884


This was the Maroons' thirteenth win in a row and they were at the beginning of a stretch where they would go 37-2.  They were twelve and a half games up.

In Case You Were Worried

Dunlap's hands are all right again and he will cover his old position at second to-day.

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

The 1884 Maroons: Sweeny's First Game

The Kansas City Unions met their second defeat at the hands of the St. Louis Unions to-day, by a score of 8 to 2.  The game generally was not so exciting as the opening game, the visitors taking the lead in the start and increasing it steadily as the game proceeded.  So far as the merits of the play were concerned, however, there was little difference, both teams being credited with an equal number of base hits, while in fielding errors, outside of bases given on balls, the honors were easy.  The work of the Kansas Citys in the field was better than that of the visitors, with the exception of the brilliant work of Dunlap at second, who accepted all of ten chances, making some very fine stops of hard ground balls.  But the outfield work of Berry and Wyman was execrable, the former misjudging two fly hits, and the latter one that gave at least three of the runs made by the champions.  Their work at the bat was however commendable, they together with Turbidy, leading at the willow.  The great Sweeny, in the left garden, captured the only fly ball that came his way and led at the bat, with Dunlap and Boyle close seconds.  The work of the respective batteries was not as good as in the Sunday's game both pitchers being hit freely.  Brennan, the St. Louis catcher, did nobly, throwing out four men who tried to steal second, Turbidy being the only one to make the sneak successfully, and he was thrown out the first time he tried it.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 29, 1884

The 1884 Maroons: Dunlap Returns With A Bang

Putting aside, for a moment, the chaos of the Providence Grays and what I think is one of the most entertaining stories in the history of 19th century baseball, lets return to the game on the field.  While Sweeney was melting down in Providence, the Maroons were playing a game in Cincinnati.

The weather was beautiful for the game of base ball played here to-day between the Cincinnati Unions and the St. Louis Unions, and a thousand people witnessed the contest.  In the first three innings the visitors hit Burns very hard and earned four runs.  After that the play was more even.  There were scored in the game one home run, two three-basers and one two-baser, all by the St. Louis Club.  Of these Dunlap made the two-base hit and the home run.  In addition to his hard hitting, Dunlap earned honors by his splendid work at second base, taking all chances and making every opportunity tell.  Rowe challenged admiration by his great center fielding.  Sylvester opened at the bat with a rap along the right foul line.  He made second on a passed ball, went to third on O'Leary's sacrifice and came home on a field throw by Baker to head off O'Leary at second.  In the third Kennedy opened with a safe hit, stole second, made third on sacrifice, and got home on Harbidge's single, making for the Cincinnatis their solitary earned run.  In the fifth Swartz went to first on a strike, took third on Hawe's single and came home on a long sacrifice fly by Burns.  Crane made a run in the seventh, on his own single, Rider's fumble and Kennedy's safe hit.  The St. Louis nine earned 2 in the first inning, in which Dunlap led off with a two-bagger and Shafer and Rowe followed with singles, bringing Dunlap and Shafer home.  They passed the second inning without scoring, but in the third inning earned runs on a single by Whitehead and a home run by Dunlap.  Their 1 run in the seventh the visitors made on a single by Rider, a stolen second, a disputed steal of third, which Umpire Devenney decided in Rider's favor, after which he came home on a sacrifice.  The visitors earned their 1 run in the eighth on a three-bagger by Rowe and a single by Boyle.  Gleason and Baker each scored a wild throw, the only ones made in the game, and the only passed ball of the game is scored against Baker.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 23, 1884


A couple of quick points.  First, B-Ref is correct that Tom Ryder's first game was on July 22, 1884.  Not that I ever doubted them.  Also, Dunlap returned from his leg injury with a heck of a game.  The Globe, on July 23, noted that "Dunlap is evidently well again.  He played as if in good health at Cincinnati yesterday."

Dunlap's Leg Injury

Dunlap hurt himself running bases at Washington last Saturday.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 18, 1884

I kind of made fun of Dunlap's injury the other day but reading this short piece from the Globe, I realized that Dunlap actually had a history of lower-body injuries.  It was leg injuries that effectively ended his major league career by the time he was 31 years old.  So maybe I was a little too quick to make the fun.  

Dunlap's "Lower Body Injury"

A letter from Boston says that Dunlap has hurt a leg, but will be all right again in a few days.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 16, 1884


So the initial report was that Dunlap was ill and the next day we hear that he had a leg injury.  It's good to know that deception, when it comes to reporting sports injuries, is not a new thing.

The 1884 Maroons: A Decided Superiority At All Points

The St. Louis Union Club dropped into Union Park this afternoon and cleverly won a game from the Baltimore team.  The game was a pretty exhibition of ball as far as the visitors were concerned.  They played a perfect game.  Not even a single passed ball or wild pitch was charged against them.  The fielding of Gleason at third base was brilliant.  Of course Dunlap, at second base, played a fine game.  Billy Taylor pitched a great game, and the entire nine acquitted themselves with credit.  Dunlap led in the batting, making two clean home runs.  For the home team the story is different.  Say, who has had a three-days' holiday, made his reappearance and made four errors.  Apart from this the home club fielded well.  Their batting was light.  The visitors displayed a decided superiority at all points.  The game opened with the St. Louis team at the bat.  They scored 2 runs.  Dunlap led off with a home run, Shaffer followed with a base hit and finally scored on two errors by Say.  The home club made a run in the third inning on hits by Levis and Cuthbert.  The visitors added 2 runs to their score in the fifth inning.  Brennan made a base hit and Dunlap sent him across the home plate on a hit for a home run.  The visitors again scored in the seventh inning.  Dunlap went to first on an error by Say and scored on Shaffer's base hit.  The attendance was 2,000.  The same clubs play again Wednesday afternoon.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, July 8, 1884

The 1884 Maroons: Chicago Plunks Dunlap

There was a large attendance at the Union Grounds yesterday, the attraction being the Chicago and St. Louis Unions.  It was the final contest of home series of spring championship games, and the fine performance of the same clubs on Saturday caused a general anticipation of an interesting and exciting struggle, and between 6,000 and 7,000 people turned out to witness.  The result was quite disappointing, the game being one of the poorest ever played on the grounds.  The weather was very hot and sultry when play was called.  During the first half of the second inning a heavy shower necessitated a delay of fifteen minutes, and thereafter the ball was wet and difficult to handle, and the diamond became so slippery that it was quite amusing to see the fielders slipping in their efforts to intercept the ball, and the runners slipping by the bases, falling in trying to stop and scrambling back on all fours.  In one instance Rowe's feet shot from under him and he sat down with a dull thud, and in another Daily lost his footing in the pitcher's box and measured his length.  In the second inning Dunlap was hit by a pitched ball on the left forearm, on which a big lump was raised.  During the interruption caused by the rain, he left the field, Hodnett coming out and taking right field, Brennan moving to the center, and Rowe, who took charge of the nine, going to second.  The home nine batted Daily from the start, scoring fifteen hits with a total of nineteen bases off his delivery.  In five times at the bat Dickerson scored four hits, three drives by third and a slow one in the same direction that Leary could not handle in the time to score an assist.  Rowe made three hits, Taylor two and Quinn two.  Whitehead struck out three times, twice missing the first three balls pitched to him.  The visitors hammered Taylor for ten hits, so scattered that they did not earn a run.  Gross, Krieg and Leary led for their side at the bat, each scoring two hits.  Daily made one base hit and drove to left a fly that Dickerson had to go back after, each hit eliciting hearty applause.  Whitehead's work at short was the feature of the home nine's fielding.  Baker made a difficult foul fly catch, taking the ball close to the north wing of the grand stand.  In the fourth inning he let in two runs by a wild throw to Gleason.  Rowe piled up four errors at second.  After fielding a ball in front of second, he threw so wide to Whitehead, covering second, only fifteen feet away, that the ball went untouched out to center field, giving Ellick second and Householder one, and right afterward a passed ball was charged to Gross.  Notwithstanding his errors, McLaughlin played brilliant at second.  Krieg made a fine running catch at left that was loudly applauded.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 23, 1884

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: Manager With .903 Winning Percentage Gets Fired

Ted Sullivan was released from the management of the St. Louis Unions last night.  Ill-feeling between Sullivan and some of the players had existed for some time.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 14, 1884


And there it is, short and sweet.  I just missed it when looking at the Maroons' June 13th game against Cincinnati.  Anybody want to speculate about which players had "ill-feelings" towards Sullivan?

*Cough*  Dunlap  *Cough*

Not that Sullivan was a saint or anything, as we'll see later, but how does the manager get fired when the club is 28-3?  I have to image that it would have something to do with the highest paid player in all of baseball going to the owner and saying something along the lines of "It's him or me."  But thinking about it a little bit, I can also imagine Sullivan going to Lucas and saying something similar about Dunlap.  Those two guys were serious pieces of work and it's impossible to say who was the bigger a**hole.  At the moment, I'm leaning slightly towards the idea that Sullivan got himself fired but, really, it's a pick 'em.

Honestly, I feel kind of bad for Henry Lucas.  He was just a guy who loved the game and had the resources to start his own team and league.  That's a noble thing.  But he made some bad decisions and got saddled with these two j*rk-*ffs.            

The 1884 Maroons: The Beautiful Plays With Which The Game Abounded

By clever work with the bat and backing their batting up with brilliant fielding the St. Louis Unions gained another victory from the Chicago Unions yesterday.  Up to the eighth inning the game was one of the prettiest contests that has taken place upon the Union grounds.  The visitors were blanked until the eighth inning when they scored one run on a two-base hit by Daily and Gleason's low throw to first.  In the ninth they secured three earned runs, on a home run by Gross, who drove the ball over the fence, a two-base hit by Kreig and singles by McLaughlin and Leary.  For the home team in the third inning a single by Dunlap, aided by an error of Leary's, scored one run.  In the seventh a single by Whitehead, aided by a wild throw, let in another run.  In the eighth two-basers by Dunlap and Taylor, singles by Dickerson and Quinn increased their total to 4 runs.  Hodnett pitched a remarkable game for the home team, holding the giants down to four hits up till the eighth inning when they got on to his twirling so hard that in the middle of the inning Dunlap deemed it best to substitute Taylor.  His support by Brennan was excellent, not a passed ball being charged against him.  Daily and Krieg, who formed the visiting battery, played a creditable game.  The fielding honors were carried off by Dickerson and Rowe, each of whom made catches that electrified the spectators.  The attendance was about 2,500, and the crowd manifested keen enjoyment of the beautiful plays with which the game abounded.  Many of the spectators declared that it was the prettiest game they had ever witnessed.  Dunlap was fined $10 by Sullivan for failing to run back from second after he had been put out.  Dunlap was ordered to hurry up, but disregarded the order, whereupon the fine was imposed.  Dunlap, who is now manager and captain of the nine, should set a better example to his men.  His great ability as a ball player is conceded by all, but he must learn and impress upon his team that respect for umpires and gentlemanly deportment on the field are essential elements of success on St. Louis ball fields.  

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 22, 1884


I am, of course, amused by Dunlap's lack of gentlemanly deportment but this article raises a question I've been meaning to address for awhile.  The Globe writes that Dunlap was "now manager and captain of the nine" but I didn't see anything about Ted Sullivan leaving the club.  In fact, going through the season day by day, I haven't seen any mention of Sullivan at all.  There was plenty of talk about Sullivan during the off-season but once the season started, it was like he wasn't a part of the club.

We know that Sullivan was the manager of the club to start the season and Baseball Reference has him managing the club for the first thirty-one games.  The Maroons' thirty-first game was played on June 13th, a 16-11 win over Cincinnati at home.  They then left for a four game set against the Outlaw Reds in Cincinnati.  So it appears that Dunlap took over as manager starting with the trip to Cincinnati.  But the Globe doesn't mention this until June 22nd?

I think I obviously missed something and I'm going to go back and see if I can find any references to Sullivan leaving the club.  I'd like to know how and why all of this went down.              

The 1884 Maroons: That's Just Dunlap Being Dunlap

The St. Louis Unions and Chicago Unions played the first game of the second home series yesterday afternoon at Union Park.  The attendance was about 2,000.  Daly and Gross were the visitors' battery and Taylor and Baker were in the points for the home team.  Daly struck out thirteen men and Taylor six.  Dunlap led off with home run, sending the ball over the fence at left center, making the longest hit that has been made on the grounds.  The home nine played an errorless game, and the visitors, who made but seven scattering hits, were blanked.  It was a quick game.  On one occasion, when Umpire Sullivan called a strike on Dunlap, the latter turned and scowled at him.  Sullivan very quickly ordered him to look the other way or he would fine him $25. A few more such umpires as Sullivan would be a benefit to the Union Association, and particularly to the home club.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 21, 1884


That's an eventful game for Dunlap.  Essentially wins the game with a monster, lead-off home run and then later gets into a bit of a row with the umpire.  That's Dunlap in a nutshell.  If he had refused to play the game unless he got a raise and then did all that, it would have been the perfect summation of Dunlap's baseball life.

The 1884 Maroons: Things Are Looking Bad

The St. Louis Base Ball team lost its second game this season, out of twenty-four played, to the Chicago Unions today, after an exciting contest of ten innings.  Taylor and Baker formed the battery for the visitors, and Daily and Krieg did the fine work for Chicago.  During the first five innings the home nine failed to get a base, while their opponents scored four runs.  They then tied the game by two runs in the sixth on a base on balls, a hit and two wild throws, and two more in the seventh on Krieg's hit and three errors.  Daily made the winning run and ended the game in the tenth inning by a base on balls, Ellick's clean hit and a wild pitch.  The St. Louis nine made their runs in the second and sixth innings, by hard hitting, coupled with costly errors by the Chicago infield.  They had men on bases in every inning but one, and their field play was perfect until near the close of the contest, when wild throws lost them the game.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 2, 1884


With their second lose in six games, the Maroons were falling apart.  Lucas needed to go to Providence and get Charlie Sweeney drunk.  Up four nothing, they gave up two in the sixth and two in the seventh.  Then in the tenth, they lose by a walk, a Joe Ellick hit and a wild pitch.  That's a tough way to lose.  And to make matters worse, they lost a half game in the standings, their lead falling from 6.5 games to 6.  Somebody buy Sweeney some drinks.

As if things couldn't get any worse, I think Fred was in a slump.  What Did Dunlap Do?  He had one measly hit, after going hitless in the last game.  The T-800 needed a tune-up.    

The 1884 Maroons Face A Pitcher With A Lame Arm

About 2,000 persons attended the base ball game between the Keystones, of Philadelphia and the St. Louis Unions at Union Park yesterday afternoon.  The visitors put in Weaver to pitch in response to a generally expressed desire to see him in the points.  He was, however, in no condition, being suffering from a lame arm, and was unable to do much more than toss the ball to the batsman.  On one occasion he stopped a hit with his left hand, and there was a chance for a double play, but he was unable to throw, and in an effort to pitch the ball to Peak sent it low out to center.  He held the points until the eighth inning, when he retired to left, Hoover went to third and McCormick undertook to do the twirling.  The features of the game was a home-run by Gleason, double-plays by Rowe and Quinn of the home team, and Hoover and McGuinness, of the visitors.  The home nine scored 20 hits with a total of 35 bases.  A total of 6 singles represented the visitors work at the bat.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, May 31, 1884


I just don't think that it was a good idea to throw a dead-armed pitcher against the 1884 Maroons.  

And What Did Dunlap Do against a pitcher with a lame arm?  About what you would expect.  He had three hits, including two doubles, and scored four runs.  Doesn't really seem fair, does it?  

The 1884 Maroons: Sounds Like A Heck Of A Catch

Between 1,500 and 2,000 people witnessed the second game between the Keystone Club, of Philadelphia, and the St. Louis Unions, played yesterday afternoon at Union Park.  As in the first meeting between the same nines the local team won.  The visitors were outbatted and outfielded, but by bunching hits earned most of their runs.  William Sullivan, a new discovery, occupied the pitcher's box for the home team for six innings.  He showed that he was a promising twirler, but hardly a safe one to put against experienced players.  In the third inning Dickerson opportunely became sick and Taylor was uniformed and sent out to left field.  Then in hte seventh inning Taylor's opportune presence was utilized by his going to the box, Sullivan retiring to right and Shafer moving to left.  Dickerson said his trouple was neuralgia.  Some unsympathetic people intimated that his affliction was superinduced by the hard hitting the Keystones were doing on Sullivan's delivery.  The visitors presented Bakely and Gillen.  Weaver had been announced to pitch, but was indisposed.  Bakely was hit for 17 singles and a total of 22 bases, and Gillen, whose support was brilliant in many respects, allowed three balls to pass him.  Brennan had one passed ball charged against him, but handled the widely differing deliveries of Sullivan and Taylor with equal ease and reliability. 

The feature of the game was a catch by Dunlap that deservedly elicited general and prolonged applause.  In the second inning, when Dunlap was playing about ten yards from second, Cross hit a high-line ball almost directly over second, the hit appearing to be safe beyond doubt.  To the astonishment of the entire assemblage, Dunlap ran back, sprang into the air, and with a right hand reach performed the seemingly impossible feat of capturing ball.  The performance has never been surpassed on a St. Louis ball ground.  

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, May 30, 1884


So...what DID Dunlap do?  Just your regular, old two for six with three runs scored.  He also turned a double play in the field.  And he made a running, jumping one-handed catch of a line drive that was hit ten yards to his right.  No big deal.

The reference to "William Sullivan, a new discovery" is interesting and may point to an error in the records.  It looks to me that the record has Sleeper Sullivan pitching this game for the Maroons.  The problem is that William Sullivan can not be Sleeper Sullivan.  Sleeper Sullivan's name was Thomas Jefferson Sullivan not William and he was not in any way a new discovery.  Sleeper Sullivan had played in the major leagues since 1881 and was with the Brown Stockings in 1882.  He was a popular player in St. Louis and I think that the Globe's baseball reporter would have recognized him and identified him properly.  

Unless there was some kind of attempt at deception going on, we have to take the reporting at face value and conclude that William Sullivan, rather than Sleeper Sullivan, pitched this game.  But Baseball-Reference does not list William Sullivan on the Maroons 1884 roster, although, when you search for William Sullivan, you get this.  Something is wrong here and my gut feeling tells me that the error is on our end.  

I'm going to look into this some more and see what I can find but, right now, I think that the record is in error.  Maybe the Globe has it wrong or I'm missing something but I don't think so.  We'll see.  

Note:  This gets curiouser and curiouser.  In Major League Baseball Profiles, 1871-1900, Volume One, David Nemec states that Sleeper Sullivan pitched in the game on May 29, 1884.  Peter Morris, on the other hand, states at his website that there is "overwhelming evidence" that William Sullivan, rather than Sleeper Sullivan, pitched in that game.  I'll check in with both men but I'm more than inclined to agree with Peter on this one.

Note the second:  Talked to Peter about this and he shared some references that I hadn't seen about William Sullivan and the May 29th game.  In my opinion, the evidence is pretty conclusive that this game should be credit to William Sullivan, rather than Sleeper Sullivan, and Peter has passed all of this on to the powers that be in order to get the record corrected.    

Dunlap's Trickery

A very amusing joke was played on the Altoona catcher by Dunlap.  In a recent game of St. Louis vs. Altoona, there was a foul ball knocked close to the catcher, but near a bench.  The Altoona catcher was just about putting his hand on it, when Dunlap hollowed, "Move that bench, quick!"  The catcher looked to see the bench and missed the ball.

-Cleveland Herald, May 29, 1884