The 1884 Maroons: I Don't Think You Can Strike Out Eight Men In One Inning

The St. Louis Unions won another 11-inning game from the Pittsburg Club this afternoon, in the presence of 1,000 spectators.  Up to the seventh inning the contest was between the pitchers, with the honors pretty evenly divided.  Boyle, who pitched for the visitors, proved a puzzler to the home club.  In the eleventh inning he succeeded in striking out eight men, and escaping with only six hits being made off him.  Daily struck out ten men, but the six hits which were made off his delivery all counted.  Shaffer knocked out a three-bagger and a home-run.  The last was in the seventh inning and ended the game.  Gardner, of the home club, scored in the seventh inning on the errors of Whitehead and Dunlap.  The other two runs of the home club were made on Schoeneck's and Kreig's singles and a passed ball.  The St. Louis' runs were made by Shaffer's three-bagger and singles by Gleason and Quinn in the seventh inning, Dunlap's single and a base on called balls, and an error by Strief in the eighth, and Shaffer's fly in the eleventh.

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


Okay, theoretically, you can strike out eight guys in an inning but it's a difficult task to accomplish if you have a half-competent catcher behind the plate.  I'm thinking the author of this little article meant that Boyle struck out eight in eleven innings rather than eight in the eleventh.  Also, I think this might be the first reference I've ever seen to Hugh Daily that didn't mention his hand problem. 

How Two-Arm Daily Became One-Arm Daily

Very few people are acquainted with the way in which Hugh Daly, the famous on-armed pitcher of the Chicago Unions, lost his arm.  He was employed in the Front Street Theater, in Baltimore, and one night, while mixing up some red fire and other fancy lights to be used in a spectacular play, there was a terrible explosion, and poor Hughey was knocked senseless.  When he regained consciousness his left hand and forearm were a shapeless mass.  It was injured so badly that amputation was necessary.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 25, 1884

As soon as I read this, I was certain that the story wasn't true.  According to his bio in Major League Baseball Profiles, 1871-1900, Volume 2, at the age age of thirteen, Daily "was reportedly shot through the left wrist with a loaded musket in backstage horseplay at Baltimore's Front Street Theater...Daily ever after that was in effect one-handed..."  I always make the joke that One-Arm Daily actually had two arms and I'm pretty darn sure that there was no amputation.  To the best of my knowledge, he had two arms and two hands but the one hand didn't work after the accident.  A better joke, made in Profiles, is that Daily's true handicap was his temper. 

The 1884 Maroons: A Pitcher's Duel And A Walk-Off Hit

By all odds the most interesting game played on the Union grounds was yesterday's contest between the Chicago and St. Louis Unions.  Eleven innings were required to decide it, and the final score was 3 to 2 in favor of the home club.  It was to a great degree a pitcher's duel, Sweeney and Daily doing remarkable work.  Sweeney held the visitors down to four safe hits, and struck out seven men, while Daily, whose earnest and skillful efforts deserved a victory, limited the home team hits to six and retired ten men on strikes, only Rowe and Quinn avoiding the struck out list, and Dunlap, Boyle and Whitehead going out twice each on strikes.  A few rank errors were made on both sides, but the play as a whole was sharp, brilliant and exciting.  The home nine was without the services of Gleason, who was nursing a sore hand, and Whitehead covered third, Rowe short, and Werdon center.  Rowe played his position in fine form, making two excellent catches and a remarkably brilliant running, one-hand stop of a low grounder from Schoeneck's bat.  Whitehead made a fumble and an overthrow to first.  The work of both Krieg and Baker behind the bat was admirable, neither having a passed ball.  Baker made two wild throws to second.  In the eleventh inning he made a bad one that came near losing the game, but a moment later he retrieved it by going back after a foul from Gardner's bat, taking it while running at full speed within two yards of the stand, against which he dashed with sufficient force to have broken an ordinary person in pieces.  The crowd first looked to see if he was hurt, and then set up a deafening veil.

Daily's Popularity.

As usual whenever he appears in St. Louis, one-armed Daily was the favorite of the occasion.  Twice he received ovations; once in the third inning, when he caught a high fly sent up by Shafer, and again in the sixth, when Boyle and Sweeny struck out.  In the fourth inning he failed in an attempt to catch Quinn's fly.  In the eighth he struck out Dunlap in three balls, and that achievement was followed by shrieking enthusiasm.  In the first inning Dunlap retired the visitors, fielding Ellick and Gardner out at first and catching a high fly raised by Wheeler.  Going to the bat he popped up a very high ball, which Ellick squarely muffed, and by good base running he secured second.  On Shafer's safe hit to right he advanced to third.  After Shafer had taken second on sufferance, a wild pitch enabled Dunlap to score and Shafer to reach third.  Then Rowe hit to Berry, who held the ball and hesitated about throwing to the plate or first.  While Berry was deliberating, Shafer got under way and beat the ball to the plate.  Rowe reached first without obstruction.  Boyle hit safely to right, and Baker's sharp fielding held Rowe at second.  Then Sweeny, Quinn and Baker successively hit to Ellick, who fielded to Gardner, forcing Rowe, Boyle and Sweeny at third.  The Chicago team tied the score in the third inning.  McGarr led off with a bounder which Sweeny tipped and checked so that first was secured before either Sweeny or Dunlap could field the ball.  Berry followed with a two-bagger to left, advancing McGarr to third.  Daily's safe hit to left brought McGarr across the plate and gave Berry third.  Berry scored on Baker's wild throw to Dunlap when Daily ran for second.  After Ellick's fly was captured by Shafer, Wheeler's hit to Rowe and out at first gave Daily third, where he was left by Gardner flying out to Boyle.

First Hesitancy.

The visitors came very near winning in the eighth inning.  Berry reached third on Whitehead's fumble and wild throw to first and Shafer's throw over Dunlap's head.  Daily hit direct to Whitehead, who fumbled and then threw low to Quinn, from whose breast the ball bounded back about five yards.  Berry, who had moved away from third, got back on the bumble, started when the ball was forwarded to Quinn, stopped when the latter did not let it get by him, and then broke for home.  His hesitation destroyed a splendid opportunity, for it enabled Quinn to recover the ball and throw to Baker in time to score an out.  In the eleventh, Daily got first on Dunlap's fumble, and third on Baker's shocking throw to Dunlap, but was left by Ellick raising a foul fly that Quinn nipped, Wheeler foul tipping to Baker, and the latter's great catch of Gardner's foul.  For the local team, Shafer led off with a slashing drive to left center, which looked like a two-bagger, but, owing to Wheeler's sharp work, proved to be but a single.  Then Rowe fired a grounder to right, and Shafer attempted to make third, the ball going direct from deep in right field to Gardner's hands.  Rowe ran to second on the throw.  Boyle sent a fly to right center, and Baker not only took care of it, but threw to second so sharply that Rowe had a narrow escape from being doubled up.  As it was, the crowd manifested a disapproval of the umpire's decision that he was safe.  The final play occurred on Sweeny's low fly to center.  Wheeler made a dashing effort to intercept, and by very fast running got under it, only to fail to hold it, and let Rowe cross the plate and tally the winning run.

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

The Ball Says "Whiz"

Lewis Pessano Dickerson

Lew Dickerson says:  "Boys, that Dailey is the boss pitcher.  When he fires a ball at you it says 'whiz' as it goes by and makes you think it would burn you up if it touched you."

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


Buttercup Dickerson was no scrub.  He was a heck of hitter who played in the big leagues for seven seasons.  So when he says that Hugh Daily threw the ball hard, I'm inclined to believe him.

An interesting fact:  According to Baseball-Reference, the most similar hitter to Buttercup Dickerson is Nyjer Morgan.  It's kind of rare when the similarity scores kicks up a modern comp for a 19th century guy.

The 1884 Maroons: The First Championship Game Of The Season

Notwithstanding the disagreeable temperature and dampening drizzle that prevailed yesterday afternoon, fully 10,000 persons attended the opening game in the Union Association championship schedule for this city, between the St. Louis Unions and the Chicago Unions.  This fact may appear quite incredible to those who sat all the afternoon in their homes and pitied people who were obliged to be out and exposed to the dreary elements, but it is nevertheless an astonishing yet positive fact.  What was most remarkable was that at least 6,000 occupied uncovered seats, and all sat through a six inning contest apparently cheerful if not grateful for having an opportunity to see the game.  It is doubtful if under similar circumstances any other city in the country could produce such a gathering.  considering the conditions under which it was played it was the most remarkable base ball event that ever occurred in the West, and, perhaps the most remarkable in the annals of the game.  To a man the spectators were base ball enthusiasts, if not absolute cranks.  But they were good-humored, and evidently appreciating the fact that brilliant playing should not be expected, laughed at errors and heartily applauded each good play.  As a matter of course, they were partial to the home club, but they were liberal to the visitors, and particularly so to Hugh Daily.  In fact the one-armed pitcher was the favorite of the occasion.  He caught the sympathy of the crowd in his preliminary practice, in which his catching with one hand and a stump was greatly admired.  When the first time at the bat, after two strikes, he knocked a grounder to left field, scoring a two-base hit, he became

The Hero Of The Hour, 

and was wildly cheered.  The field and diamond were both very slippery and the spikes of the fielders were of comparatively little value.  Dunlap suffered twice from this cause.  In one instance after securing first base on a hit, he sneaked away from the bag.  Daily threw to Schoenick to nip him.  He got back all right, but in sliding, passed the bag, and was put out before he could get back.  Then in the fifth inning he nearly fielded a grounder from Cady's bat, hit near second, but after getting could not steady himself, and in throwing to first sent the ball over Taylor's head.  In the outfield, owing to the peculiar atmosphere, the players experienced great difficulty in judging fly balls.  The home battery was Hodnett and Brennan, while Daily and Krieg were presented by the visitors.  Hodnett executed some remarkable curves, but was quite unsteady in his delivery.  Brennan fully sustained the high opinions that have been expressed concerning his ability, and there need be no hesitation in pronouncing him the most promising young catcher in the country.  Daily did not have his usual control of the ball, and besides being somewhat wild gave three men bases on balls.  The young players, Whitehead, Brennan and Hodnett, were his special victims, and were sorely puzzled by his delivery.  Krieg's support was excellent.  Indeed it was quite a surprise.

 The Game.

The game was called at 2:10, twenty minutes before the announced time.  There was, however, no reason for further delay as the crowd present was very large and impatient to have the contest begin.  The St. Louis team were first at the bat.  Dunlap led and was given his base on balls.  Shaffer followed with a hit to short that gave an opportunity for a double play.  Mathias made a clean pick up, but threw so high to second that Hengle had to get back from the bag to stop the ball.  Deing unable to return to the bag before Dunlap had reached it, Hengle threw to first and just managed to put out Shaffer.  Dunlap then stole third and came home on a passed ball.  Dickerson struck out and Gleason retired the side by hitting to third and going out on Foley's assist to Schoenick.  The visitors failed to score.  Ellick hit to Dunlap and went out at first.  Krieg hit a liner to left field that Dickerson misjudged, and it fell just beyond his reach.  A good stop and throw held the striker at first.  Heugle raised a foul fly to right and Shaffer attended to tit.  A passed ball gave Kreig second base, but he died on the very next ball.  Brennan fumbled it but recovering quickly threw to Gleason and cut short the runner in an attempt to gain third. 

In the second inning neither side scored.  Rowe started with a two-base hit to right and was finally left at third.  Taylor made

 A Stupid Play

hitting high to the right of Daly he stood and watched the one-armed man attempt to catch the ball, and did not leave the plate until Dunlap ran up, pushed him off and started him for first.  Daly muffed, but Kreig who was right under him, gathered the ball and threw Taylor out at first.  Rowe ran to third on the error.  Then Whitehead and Brennan struck out.  The Chicagos went out in quick succession.  Householder and Foley on Hodnett's assist to Taylor, while Schoenick hit direct to Taylor.  Both sides realized blanks from the third inning.  Dunlap scored first on a safe one to center, but was put out by Daly's throw to Schoenick.  Daly made a two-bagger for the visitors and then was left.

 In the fourth inning the local club scored two runs and the Chicagos one.  Gleason led off with a drive over the left fielder's head, the ball bounding against the fence, but had to be content with one base.  Rowe hit between second and first.  The ball was fielded by Schoenick and Daly covered first only to make a muff on which Gleason reached third.  After Rowe had taken second by sufferance he and Gleason were brought home by Taylor's slashing grounder to left.  The ball was fielded home and Taylor thereby gained second.  A passed ball gave him third where he was left, Whitehead, Brennan and Hodnett striking out.  Kreig opened for the Chicago team by getting first on called balls.  In attempting to steal second he was nipped by Brennan's brilliant throw to Dunlap.  Hengle, who also started with a base on balls, stole second, Brennan throwing a trifle wide to Dunlap, and came home on Householder's hit to short, which Whitehead fumbled and then threw wild to Taylor.  That was the only run scored by the visitors.  In the next two innings the game dragged and became slow and tedious.  The misty rain increased in density, the pitcher became unable to handle the ball with effectiveness, and the players slipped at almost every run on both turf and bare ground.  Two more innings each realized two runs for the St. Louis nine, while the Chicago contingent retired with zeros.  The game was then called.  The crowd would have been satisfied with a call at the end of the fifth inning, but in order to avoid possible dissatisfaction Dunlap had an additional inning played.

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


A few thoughts on the Maroons first official game of the season:

-Gleason's hit in the fourth was interesting.  A ball to left field that went over the outfielder's head, it only resulted in a single.  Either Gleason was really, really slow or this is evidence of the Union Grounds being a small ballpark.  It's possible, I guess, that Gleason thought the ball was going to be caught and did run it out but a ball over the left fielder's head with no one on base should have been a double.

-I forgot that Joe Ellick played for the Chicago Unions.  Always nice to see an old Red Stocking.

-"It is doubtful if under similar circumstances any other city in the country could produce such a gathering."  You hear that a lot in St. Louis.  You'll be sitting at the ballpark on a Tuesday night against Colorado, there will be 40,000 people there and you'll hear somebody say something like "They probably have 2,000 people at the game in Florida."

-Again, I think it's necessary to point out that One Armed Daily actually had two arms.  Also, his middle name was Ignatius.

-No mention of Ted Sullivan.  Dunlap was the guy who made the decision to play or call the game and you would think that Sullivan, who was the manager, would have made that decision.  Dunlap was the field captain so maybe that fell to him.  It's just kind of odd that Sullivan isn't mentioned in the article at all, especially given his relationship with the press.    

-And that brings us to:

What Did Dunlap Do?

Teh Fred went two for two, with a walk, a stolen base and three runs.  A nice start to the season.  He also got picked off first and made a throwing error, but the Globe blamed those on the weather.  Even more interestingly, he probably really pissed off Bollicky Bill Taylor.  Taylor was a veteran and one of the older guys on the team so I doubt he appreciated Dunlap shoving him out of the box in the second inning, regardless of circumstances.  Teh Fred was not exactly known for his people skills and this is kind of an example of that.
       

    

One Arm Daily

A dispatch just received here states that A.H. Henderson, of the Baltimore Union Association club, tonight signed one-armed Hugh Daily; price $3,100.

-Cleveland Herald, January 30, 1884

I'm posting this only because I wanted to mention that Daily, who actually played with the Maroons in 1885, struck out 483 batters in 1884. He was known as a guy with a bit of a temper and I almost posted something last week about a fight he got into with a teammate earlier in his career. It should also be mentioned that One Arm Daily actually had two arms but only one hand. But, again, 483 K's and I'm back to the thought of what kind of season Radbourne would have had in the UA in 1884.