The Empire Club Crowns Themselves Champion

 We are glad to see that this noble national game is fast gaining ground in popularity in our city.  There are several fine clubs in St. Louis, and our readers will not have forgotten that the championship of the West is held by the Empire B.B. Club, having wrested that proud title from the Empire Club of Freeport, Ill., last 4th of July, in commemoration of which event our well-known citizen, Martin Collins, Esq., has presented the club with a magnificent belt, gotten up in the most artistic manner.  The presentation was accompanied by an eloquent and interesting speech, delivered in our friend Martin's most happy manner, and was appropriately responded to by Messrs. J. Fruin,. B. Higgins, and other members of the club, all of whom expressed the sentiment that the club would give a "hard fight" to whatever club may endeavor to take it from the Empire.

We understand that an interesting game will shortly take place between the married and single men of this club; also that the second nine propose to play any other first nine in St. Louis.

-Missouri Republican, September 7, 1865


There should be no doubt about the fact that the Empires were the self-proclaimed "Champions of the West."  I usually refer to the championship as mythical but I think self-proclaimed may be a better description.  Collins, who presented the club with the championship belt, just so happened to have been a club member and it looks like the Empires invented a championship, threw themselves a party and presented themselves an emblem of said championship.  A year later, the Chicago all-stars would show them what that what that self-proclaimed championship was worth.   

The Nationals At St. Louis, Part Three

On Tuesday the Nationals played the Empire Club of St. Louis on the same grounds, at 10 A.M., the game being called thus early in consequence of the Nationals having to leave for Chicago in the 4:30 [train...]  The Empire Club was the champion club of the State last year.  Their first game with the Unions this season resulted in the success of the Union Club, and they now claim the championship honors, though the Empire do not lose the title until they have lost two games out of three played, providing they do not refuse to meet the Union Club.  At an early hour on Tuesday, President Fruin, of the Empire Club, with a committee of reception [was here] on hand with carriages to take their guests to the grounds, and at 10:30, all being in readiness to begin, play was called by Mr. Coon, who had been especially solicited to act as umpire by the Empire Club.  Far better order was observed on the occasion by the crowd than the day previous; the police, too, were more efficient in keeping the crowd back, the strictures in the Democrat evidently having had a good effect.  But few ladies were present in such numbers as marked the games in Cincinnati and Louisville.  Several ladies, however, occupied seats and some were in carriages.  The attendance of spectators was not generally as numerous as the day before, the early hour keeping many away.

The Nationals led off at the bat in the game, and in a decidedly better style than the day before, five runs being the result of their first innings' play.  The Empires for their share managed to secure two, the tally standing at 5 to 2 in favor of the Nationals.  Two things were apparent in the play of even the first innings, the one being that all "vim" had been taken out of the fielding of the Nationals by their day's hot work on Monday, and secondly, that they had a better trained nine against them than they had in the Union game, the Empires playing more in the New York style than any of the other nines.  In the second innings the result of the contest in favor of the Nationals was made a dead certainty by their scoring 21 runs.  But as the Empires followed the lead of their able captain, Jerry Fruin, by good batting, he leading off with a fine hit, no less than nine runs were scored, the fielding of the Nationals showing how totally unfitted they were for play, Fox fielding very loose in this inning; in fact, it looked as if he did not care about the game at all, and the Empires were not slow in taking advantage of it.  After four runs had been scored, Wright went in to pitch, Williams going to left field, and Parker at second.  The moment Parker touched second he began to feel at home, and, of course, fielded better.  Had all the chances offered off Wright's pitching been taken, not another run would have been scored, but three fly balls were dropped and four more runs were scored, the tally at the close leaving the Empire score at 11, while the Nationals stood at 26.  Barron took two balls well in this innings and Murphy one.

In the third innings the Nationals added 8 to their score, Worth capturing two prisoners at first, one ball being well picked up with one hand.  He will find that the one-hand business won't pay with swift throwing, and the sooner he gets out of the habit of it, the better.  He plays the base well, however, but he is not a Joe Start by any means.  On the Empire side but one run was scored, Duffy making a good hit.  In this innings the Nationals resumed their positions, with McLean playing behind well.

In the fourth innings the Nationals retired for thee runs, while the Empires scored five; in the fifth innings this order was reversed, the Nationals scoring double figures again, while the Empires secured but three, the tally at the close of the fifth innings standing at 50 to 20 in favor of the Nationals.  In the fifth inning Parker, when striking for the second time, hit a ball to Jerry Fruin, who sent it in hot to Worth, the latter taking it with one hand, but he did not hold it until it had rebounded in his hand, and before it was held the base was touched.  The umpire did not see the point, and Parker had to retire.  A ball must be held before the striker reaches the base, or he is not out.

In the sixth innings, the Nationals again had to retire for three, the fielding being quite sharp, while before the Empires retired they had placed six on their score book.  In this innings George Wright was at third base, dodging round, when a ball was thrown to the base man and not held.  George picked it up afterwards, and when he was off the base, and prevented the player from putting him out.  It was a clear case of obstruction, though doubtless not intentional; but a player on the in side has no right to touch a ball.  The tally at the close of the sixth innings stood at 53 to 26, and as it was now nearly half past one, and not time to play another innings out, the game was called, much to the annoyance of a party who had bet high on the Empires beating the score of the Union game, which they did not, though there is no doubt they would have done had the game been played out; but it should be taken into consideration that it is questionable whether the Empires would have made half the score they did had the Nationals played as strongly against them as they did against the Unions the day previous.

After cheers for the two clubs, the Nationals returned to their hotel, and after dinner took their departure for Chicago, being taken to the depot in carriages, escorted by both clubs, mutual cheers being given as the Nationals left the depot.

-The Ball Players Chronicle, August 1, 1867


Again, thanks to Richard for passing this along to me. 

Conduct Anything But Creditable

Empire vs. Union (of St. Louis). - A very exciting contest between these clubs took place June 18; and we regret to state that the match was marked by conduct anything but creditable to the followers of the Empire Club.  The games with the Athletics on the 12th and 13th of June were looked upon as testing the comparative strength of the two home-organizations and the result of those games led the partisans of both clubs to expect a close contest...

The trouble occurred on the occasion of the effort of Kennedy to play foul.  Murray popped up a ball, which Duncan settled himself to take; but just as the ball touched his hands, Kennedy, who had stolen his second, concluding to risk his third, ran with his full force into Duncan, causing him to drop the ball.  The umpire promptly decided "out"; but the partisans of the Empires, who had staked large sums on the result, raised a yell of disapproval, shouting "Not out; reverse that decision", and began to crowd inside the ropes, with threatening looks and other spiteful demonstrations.  For a few minutes great disorder prevailed; and it was with no little difficulty that the police succeeded in clearing the playground of the rabble.  The umpire being then appealed to by the Empire captain, promptly answered, "Out, for intentionally obstructing the fielder in catching the ball", when another hubbub arose.  Shockey, of the Empires, tossed his cap upon the ground, shouting that he would not play the game out, which (to say the least) unseemly demonstration was loudly cheered by the enraged crowd.  Mr. Jerry Fruin, however, advanced into the field, and with a few remarks appeased the tumult; and Mr. Worth, Captain of the Empires, promptly ordered his men to take their positions in the field.

We are glad to see one umpire manly enough to punish this mean style of play, which is only worthy of the lowest riffraff of the city.

-New York Sunday Mercury, June 28, 1868


E.H. Tobias wrote about this game in his series on the history of St. Louis baseball: "On June 18 the Union and Empire Clubs met in the first game of the season's contest for supremacy, the latter being the challenging club with the hope of regaining the championship.  Nearly 2,500 people witnessed the game, the interest in it being sustained by a close score throughout.  The issue of this game caused the Empire Club to appeal it to the State Association on the ground that the umpire in the eighth inning after having declared one of the Empire players "not out" reversed himself at the suggestion of the Union captain and decided him out and for a second reason cited fact that the umpire failed to sign the score.  This appeal was heard by the Judiciary Committee on the 9th of July and after hearing evidence took the case under advisement.  This committee was composed of E.S McKeon, of the Athletic Club, G.H. Denny, of Dirige, Jno. Halpin, Baltic, and C.P. Stener, Resolute.  Their decision, when given late in the season, sustained the action of the Empire Club and declared this game invalid, necessitating the game which was played Oct. 14 and which was won by the Union Club."

Two things should be pointed out.  First, these two clubs, by 1868, didn't like each other much.  The Unions had defeated the Empires for the championship in 1867, dethroning the Empires after a seven year run as the best club in St. Louis and Missouri.  Also, there was the whole silk stockings/blue collar thing going on, with the working class Empires not having much respect for the more well-to-do members of the Unions.  These two clubs fought each other for the championship over the entire second half of the 1860s and it was a rather heated rivalry.

The other interesting thing here is the role Jeremiah Fruin played in calming the situation.  Fruin, of course, had been the long-time captain and second baseman of the Empires and had recently retired from the game.  However, this incident shows the respect in which he was held by the Empire Club and the St. Louis baseball fraternity in general.  This is the second game that I know of where Fruin, through strength of personality and leadership, calmed an unsettled situation and stopped things from getting completely out of hand.

Lastly, I have to thank Richard Hershberger for sending this game account to me.  Richard always finds the best stuff.    

The Nationals Of Washington Visit St. Louis: Part Two

On Tuesday-morning, the 23rd inst., the Empire Club, of St. Louis, attended upon the Nationals at their hotel, and took them in carriages to the grounds on Grand avenue, the scene of the contest of the day previous.  The game was appointed to be called at 10 o'clock and to close at 1:30, P.M., in order to allow of the Nationals getting off for Chicago in the 4:30, P.M., train.  The weather was again excessively hot, though on this occasion the heat was moderated somewhat by the heavy breeze which prevailed.  No preparations were made in laying out the ground with chalk lines as the rules require, the field being used as it was left the day before, the lines being obliterated.  The field, too, was exceedingly dusty.  The police, however, were more energetic than the day before, and the crowd far more orderly.  Some strictures or the lack of efficiency of the police and the rowdy demonstration made in the first game by a portion of the crowd on the left, which appeared in the Democrat, having had the effect of inducing an improved condition of things in this respect.  Fewer ladies were present than the day before, the heat deterring the fair sex from attending.  The day before, some of the fashionable fair ones of St. Louis attended in carriages; but they had but a limited view of the game, the rough portion of the assemblage having monopolized the seats set apart for ladies before the latter arrived.

The game began at 10:20, A.M., Mr. Coon, by the special request of the Empire Club, having again kindly offered to serve as umpire.  All the clubs owe this gentleman a debt of gratitude, not only for standing hour after hour on the score as umpire, but for the very able and impartial manner, in which he discharged the duties of the position throughout each contest.  He is decidedly one of the best umpires in the country.  The Nationals opened play at the bat and began with some neat hits, a score of 5 being made before the innings closed.  Barron, Worth, Murphy, and J. Fruin fielding the side out well.  The Nationals then went to the Field with McLean as catcher and Berthrong at centre field - the latter being severely hit in the eye with the ball the day previous.  He was not in condition to field, but he would play - there being no give-up to "Johnny."  By the good fielding of McLean, Wright, and Fletcher, the Empires were disposed of for two runs; and on their second inning the Nationals ran their score up to 26, chiefly by really fine hits, grounders and daisy-cutters marking their batting to a considerable extent.  By loose fielding in this inning, in which Fox took part quite prominently, the Empires ran up a score of 9, when all the runs they earned was 2.  After the misses had saved them from a small score, however, they batted very well, Jerry Fruin batting splendidly.  The game, thus far, showed the Empires to be a far better trained nine than the Unions.  They backed up their position better, and watched the points closer, and played more in New York style than any nine outside Cincinnati, they evidently having been well trained.  The Nationals, however, could not play their game at all.  The fact was, the previous day's hot work was too much for them, and its debilitating effect was shown in their play in this game, for they could scarcely run a base or stoop to pick up a ball.  Before the close of the sixth inning, however, they managed to score 53 runs, and to keep down their adversaries' score to 26.  This latter result disappointed the betting portion of the crowd greatly, as they had bet high on the Empires scoring more runs than the Unions had done; but the calling of the game at 1:30, P.M., at the close of the sixth inning, as had previously been agreed upon, cut them off from getting another run, and the result was that bets were lost.  Had the game been played out, the Nationals would no doubt have made pretty near 100 runs at least, while the chances were that the Empires would have scored between 30 and 40, playing in the field as the Nationals were.

The crowd behaved in the most creditable manner, far better than the rough portion did the day previous, while the conduct of the Empires was praiseworthy in the extreme.  Not the slightest word or action against a decision of the umpire was made, while the utmost good-feeling prevailed throughout the contest, the Empires doing all they possibly could to show their guests not only a fair field, but every attention.  Great credit is due their President, Mr. Jerry Fruin, for the skillful manner in which he has trained his nine, and he has a right to be proud of his boys, as certainly they should be of such an excellent captain.  The umpire, as before, gave general satisfaction, even to the outside partisans.  At 3:30, P.M., the Nationals left the Southern Hotel...escorted in carriages by members of the two clubs to the upper ferry, and crossing the river to a special car for Chicago, the crowd cheering them as they left the depot.  Thus far St. Louis bears off the palm in giving the visitors the most cordial reception.  Especially did the President and members of the Union club exert themselves for two days, to make the Nationals enjoy their trip, as did the President of the Empire club, and the members during Tuesday.  The deportment of the Nationals, while in St. Louis, elicited the highest encomium from the citizens generally, their example doing much to advance the reputation of ball-players generally, and of the National Club in particular.  

-New York Sunday Mercury, July 28, 1867


Again, I want to thank Richard Hershberger for passing along this account of the Nationals' visit to St. Louis. 

Two points I want to make:

-It's really interesting to see St. Louis baseball in this era through the eyes of the New York press.  I think their coverage was fair and extremely detailed.  Certainly, there's no doubt that the New York sporting press was much more developed than that in St. Louis.  I wish there was this kind of detailed baseball coverage in the St. Louis papers in the 1860s. 

-I really like the way they pointed out how well trained the Empire Club was and how they played a New York style of baseball.  First, I think that's rather high praise coming from the New York sporting press.  Second, it confirms a lot of what E.H. Tobias has written about Jeremiah Fruin and his influence on the Empires, as well as some of Fruin's statements in The National Game. 

The Great Silver Ball

A great silver ball match for the championship of the Northwest will come off at Dubuque, Iowa, September 29th, 1865. The Dubuque County Agricultural Society offer a silver ball of regulation size as a prize to the club declared to be the champion base ball club of the Northwest, the championship and prizes to be played for on the grounds of the Dubuque County Agricultural Society, on Friday, September 29th, 1865, commencing at 9 1/2 o'clock A.M., and 2 o'clock P.M. The contest is open to all base ball clubs in the Northwest. Clubs from Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, and Iowa, are particularly invited to attend and take part in the contest.

We premise that our Empire Club-which carries the champion belt of the West-will not fail to be present and contend for the silver ball.

-St. Louis Daily Press, September 19, 1865

And now we arrive at the tale of how the Empire Club was declared Champions of the West in 1865.

The reference to the champion belt is interesting because I thought they got that after their victory in Dubuque (sorry, didn't mean to spoil the ending for you). I was talking to somebody last week about 19th century memorabilia and mentioned the belt and the trophy ball from the Cyclone/Morning Star match as the two pieces of St. Louis memorabilia I'd really like to find. My assumption is that they were both in a box in Jeremiah Fruin's attic and got thrown out after his death.

And I found the Tobias reference to the belt:

On September 6th, 1865, the Empire Club was presented with an elegantly devised belt as "champions of the West." The presentation speech was made by Martin Collins, Esq., on behalf of citizens who were interested in base ball and who desired that all Western clubs should take a whack at winning it, whenever they felt able to tackle the holders. As president of the club the late Judge John F. Walton accepted the belt in one of his most graceful speeches and it was placed in a...receptacle of the club room on Third street.

So the belt was not necessarily a representation of a championship that the Empire Club was claiming but rather a trophy to be won in a struggle for that championship. Essentially, the club was saying that they believed that they were the best club in the West and if you wanted that championship, you had to play them. If you wanted the belt, you had to beat the Empire Club.

Essentially, by winning in Dubuque, the Empire Club gained not only the Great Silver Ball but also a legitimate claim to the belt.

More On The Freeport Match

The game of base ball played at Freeport, on the 4th of July (1865), by the Empire Club of St. Louis and the Empire, of Freeport, was a closely contested and splendid game, and resulted in the victory of the St. Louis Club, by seven runs. We shall publish the score and particulars to-morrow.

-St. Louis Daily Press, July 6, 1865

The members of the Empire Base Ball Club, arrived from Freeport yesterday morning at four o'clock, greatly pleased with their excursion. The boys speak in unmeasured terms of praise of the generous hospitality extended to them by the citizens of Freeport, and by members of the Freeport Club. They were treated to the best that the town afforded.

The match game, which was witnessed by six thousand people, and in which the St. Louis Club came out champions, was one of the most spirited ever played in the West. There were present representatives from the Julien Club, Dubuque; Garden City Club, Chicago; Eagle Club, Laporte, Ind.; and the Rockford Club. After a splendid dinner, speeches were made by Col. T.J. Turner, of Freeport; J.R. Scroggs, editor of the Freeport Bulletin; R. Little, and by Capt. J. Fruin, of the St. Louis Empire Club.

The St. Louis boys were also invited to partake of the hospitalities at the fine residence of Col. J.W. Shaeffer, late Chief of Gen. Butler's staff, but owing to the lateness of the hour, the invitation was declined. The St. Louis boys desire an opportunity to reciprocate the attentions received from the Freeport people at the earliest opportunity.

-St. Louis Daily Press, July 7, 1865

The score of the match, which according to Tobias was the first fly ball match played west of the Alleghenies, was 27-20. Playing for the Empires was J.R. Barrett, c; A. Worth, 1b; J. Quinn, p; C.C. Norton, 3b; E.H. Tobias, ss; J. Fitzgerald, cf; J.M. Johnston, lf; J. Fruin, 2b; and Robert Duncan, rf. Playing for Freeport was R. Buckman, 1b; E. Cavanagh, ss; W. Lighthart, 3b; G. Butler, rf; J. Deifendorf, cf; H. Farwell, 2b; H.G. Tweed, p; L.F. Brewster, lf; and Wm. B. Thomas, c.

Looking at the box score, Jeremiah Fruin, who scored five runs while only making one out, had to have been the player of the match. Adam Worth seems to have had a touch game, making five outs while only scoring two runs. L.F. Brewster, for Freeport, also had a good game, scoring three runs and making only one out.

Interestingly, the box score of the game that Tobias published in TSN on November 9, 1895 is perfectly in order with the contemporary box score published by the Daily Press. I don't know if Tobias used the Daily Press or the records of the Empire Club as his source but this certainly speaks well of his reliability as a source.

A Biographical Sketch of Jeremiah Fruin

This biographical sketch of Jeremiah Fruin, of the Empire Club, appears in Encyclopedia of the history of St. Louis:

Fruin, Jeremiah, who has constructed a large share of the public works of St. Louis, and who has been, literally as well as in its broadest significance, one of the builders of the city, was born in the picturesque Glen of Aherlow, County Tipperary, Ireland in the year 1831. His parents were John and Catharine (Baker) Fruin, who came to the United States when the son was two years of age, and settled in the city of Brooklyn, New York. His father was a graduate of Maynooth College, an intelligent and successful man of affairs, who was actively engaged for many years in the construction of public works in Brooklyn and elsewhere as a contractor. He died in Brooklyn in 1861, and both he and his wife, who died some six years later, are buried in Holy Cross cemetery of that city. Jeremiah Fruin was educated in the public schools of Brooklyn, and when he was sixteen years old became associated with his father in business. He remained in Brooklyn until 1860, and as a young man was an active spirit, identified with many organizations around which cluster historic associations of more than ordinary interest. Among these was the famous "Water Witch Hose Company, No. 8," which, in the old days of the volunteer fire department, was the pride of Brooklyn. He was captain also of Company E of the Seventy-second Regiment of National Guards, of Brooklyn, and belonged to the old-time "Charter Oaks Base Ball Club," of that city. His interest in base ball was not left behind when he came West and in later years, when he was actively engaged in business for himself, he was captain of the old "Empire Ball Club," of St. Louis. Leaving Brooklyn in 1860, he first went to New Orleans, but remained there only a short time, and then came to St. Louis. This was on the eve of the War of 1861-5, and he did not become regularly engaged in business for himself until after the war closed. During the war he was connected with the Quartermaster's Department of the Union Army, and most of the time was stationed in St. Louis. When this connection ended he became engaged in the construction of sewers and grading of streets under contract with the city of St. Louis, and for thirty years he has been largely engaged in work of this character, and of a kindred nature. A large part of the contract work in connection with the building of the great system of street railways, which now traverse the city in every direction, has been done under his supervision, and, from time to time, he has furnished to the laboring classes of the city a vast amount of employment. In 1872 he formed a partnership with W.H. Swift, under which he engaged extensively in contracting, and in 1885 was organized the Fruin-Bambrick Construction Company, a corporation with W.H. Swift, president; J. Fruin, vice-president, and P. Bambrick, secretary; which, in addition to operating stone quarries in St. Louis, has engaged largely in the construction of railroads and other public works. The operations of the Fruin-Bambrick Construction company have extended from the Indian territory to the Atlantic Coast, and in 1897 it had contracts for building a large masonry dam at Holyoke, Massachusetts, and laying several asphaltum street pavements in the cities of New York and Brooklyn. It has engaged also in the construction of city water works in some of the larger and many of the smaller cities of the country, and the enterprise is one which has made Mr. Fruin and his associates widely known throughout the country. As a citizen of St. Louis Mr. Fruin has always taken an active interest in public affairs, and during the years of 1895 and 1896 he served as one of the police commissioners of the city. In politics he has been identified with the Democratic party, contributing to its success, and wielding an important influence in the party councils. He is a member of the Masonic order and a Knight Templar, and a member also of the Royal Arcanum. In 1856 he was married to Miss Catharine Carroll, of Brooklyn, New York, and has two children, a son and a daughter.

A Photo Of Jeremiah Fruin

The above photo of Jeremiah Fruin comes from James Cox's Old and new St. Louis.

The Ebb

It was manifest at this time that the interest in base ball matters in St. Louis had been on the ebb for a year or two as in fact had been the case in every part of the country where the playing had been left to purely amateur organizations. The cause of the decline was natural and is to be accounted for by reasons which were apparent to all in any way familiar with the game. The distance of the grounds from the business part of the city at this time when electric cars were not in vogue and the absorption of the attention of the fraternity by other matters had prevented the old time frequency of local contests while the superiority in almost every case of visiting nines, entirely or in a great part composed of professionals, exercised a depressing influence on the home clubs which were obliged to bear repeated defeats because they were altogether made up of amateurs.

-E.H. Tobias, writing in The Sporting News, December 28, 1895


Tobias wrote these words while discussing the 1870 and 1871 seasons and it ties in with the article from the Cincinnati Daily Times from July of 1868 that I was talking about in this post. The game, during this era, was certainly in a transitional phase. The changes that took place in the game during the late 1860's and culminated in the advent of the National Association in 1871 certainly were not universally popular among "the fraternity" and for someone like Tobias, who had been a part of the Empire Club since the end of the Civil War, the direction that the game was taking was not one that he approved.

In But Didn't We Have Fun, Peter Morris speaks directly to some of the issues that Tobias raised in 1895:

By the close of the Civil War, the elements that would lead to the end of the pioneer era were in place. In 1866 and 1867 the game seemed more vibrant than ever. But when doubts about the old standards began to arise, devotees turned to the traditional leaders and found that most of them had departed the scene. This led to a period of reexamination that moved baseball away from its childlike innocence and into the professional era.

In the process, attitudes underwent subtle alterations that produced changes in how baseball was played. The game's prevailing spirit of forthright honesty gave way to competitiveness, and this in turn revealed that other elements of the game's spirit were fragile. The "patience of hope" that sustained clubs after a convincing loss began to be replaced by demoralization. An unquestioning adherence to playing by the rules yielded to efforts to find loopholes in them. Unswerving allegiance to one's club was succeeded by a more mercenary approach.

The first generation of leaders of the St. Louis baseball scene were, by 1870/71, no longer active in the game. Men like Asa Smith and Jeremiah Fruin, who had been incomparable leaders in the post-war era, had left the game just at the time when their leadership and experience were needed to help their clubs adjust to the new realities of the baseball world. Smith had done an outstanding job in recognizing the new trends and helping the Union Club adapt but as these trends reached their pinnacle Smith had retired from the field and the Unions essentially died as a baseball entity rather than further compromise their "gentlemanly" principles. The Empires and Unions, the two great clubs of the post-war era in St. Louis, would soon be overtaken on the playing fields by the Red Stockings and, later, the Brown Stockings.

It would take St. Louis baseball several years to recover from this "ebb" and to fully adapt to the changes that were taking place in the game. It's ironic that a decade after St. Louisians first picked up the game, they had just about caught up with the baseball mainstream. They were involved in the game on a national level, playing teams from all over the country both at home and on the road. They had built enclosed grounds and were charging admission to games. Despite Tobias' protest that the St. Louis clubs were "purely amateur," St. Louis players were most likely receiving compensation. They had developed a strong state association and had organized a system to decide a championship. But just as they were making substantial changes in the way the game was organized in St. Louis, baseball was undergoing a radical change that would leave men like Tobias questioning what was happening to the game that they loved. It would not be until 1874 and 1875 that baseball in St. Louis would recover from the shock of the changes that baseball was undergoing in the late 1860's and regain the popularity that it had in the immediate post-war era.

E. C. Simmons And The Union Club

I got an email yesterday from John Mena of the St. Louis Unions Vintage Base Ball Club and when I was checking out their website I noticed that they mentioned that E. C. Simmons was the first captain of the Unions of St. Louis. I didn't recall ever seeing Simmons mentioned as an original member of the Unions, let alone the captain, so I did a little quick digging.

In The National Game, Al Spink quotes Jeremiah Fruin as saying that "E. C. Simmons, now at the head of the Simmons Hardware Company, was I think the first captain of the Unions. But he was so overbearing and arbitrary that his players fell out with him and he went in another direction and started a team of his own."

Edwards C. Simmons was born in Fredrick, Maryland on September 21, 1839 and, according to Bertie Charles Forbes in Men who are making America, he "trekked to St. Louis when a young lad." As president of the Simmons Hardware Company, "he made St. Louis the greatest hardware centre on earth..."

In 1854, Simmons, at the age of 16, was working for Child, Pratt, & Co., the largest wholesale hardware store in St. Louis at the time. By 1860, according to Kennedy's St. Louis city directory, he was working for Wilson, Levering, & Waters, the company that would become the Simmons Hardware Company. His is truly one of the great American success stories.

Fruin's claim, however, that Simmons was one of the founders of the Union Club or the first captain of the club is without merit. According to E.H. Tobias, "The original Union Club was composed of high school pupils who organized under the name in 1860 with Asa W. Smith, president; Robert Niggeman, vice-president; J.P. Freeman, secretary; E.F. Finney, treasurer...In the latter part of '61 the Union Club disbanded on account of the Civil War and did not reorganize until 1865. Of those who belonged to the original club Asa W. Smith, Wm. E. Greenleaf and J.P. Freeman were the promoters of the new organization."

Simmons is mentioned by Tobias as a member of the Unions in 1865. On May 31, 1865, the Unions played a match against the Empires and Tobias noted that "E.C. Simmons now of Simmons Hardware Co. was substituted for O. Garrison (in center field)." There is no mention of him through 1865 as either the captain or as an officer of the club.

Fruin, of course, did not arrive in St. Louis until 1861 and he had no first hand knowledge of the antebellum Unions. His conversation with Spink took place fifty odd years after the fact and it's understandable that his memory is faulty. However, while Simmons had nothing to do with the founding of the 1860 version of the Unions, he was an original member of the post-Civil War Union Club. While it's highly unlikely that he ever captained the first nine, the rest of Fruin's statement (regarding Simmons leaving the club and starting a new one) is possible and needs more research.

The Long Drawn Out Fraud

Throughout the whole season of 1866 the rivalry between the Union and Empire Clubs grew in intensity and the success of the latter had embittered the feelings of the former to a red hot degree when both clubs left St. Louis on Sunday night, Sept. 9, 1866, for Bloomington, Ill., to participate in a tournament to be held under the auspices of the Agricultural Fair Association of that city at which a number of prizes were to be awarded. Both clubs were represented by their best players and a goodly number of their respective club members, all filled with anxious hope that their favorite might win the highest honors in the five-day contest with the clubs from Chicago and other cities that had been announced as having entered the tournament...After arrival at Bloomington the entries were found to be as follows: Excelsior, Atlantic, Monitor, Pacific and Excelsior, Jr., of Chicago; Empire, of Freeport; Olympic, of Peoria; Hardin, of Jacksonville; Monitor, of Lincoln; Perseverance, of Ottawa, and the two St. Louis Clubs. It was early developed to Capt. Jerry Fruin's Empire clubbers that the honors of the tournament would not be permitted to go out of the State of Illinois and this part of the programme was faithfully carried out.

In arranging the order of play the Empire was loaded down, handicapped to the utmost limit in order that it should not win. Notwithstanding the gross injustice done and felt, Fruin and his men concluded to show their mettle and abided by the arranged order of play which, briefly stated, caused the Empire Club to open the tournament by a game with the Pacific, to play each day with on of the other clubs and to close the tournament with the Excelsior Club, which game was the only one that club played during the week. And to add to the flagrant wrong, after the Empire club had beaten every opponent and the last day came around when the Excelsiors were to play, that club was permitted by the management to select the best players from the other Chicago Clubs and to make surety doubly sure an umpire was selected, who did not dare to have the Empire win and this game still stands upon record as occupying the longest time, six hours and twenty minutes, through the efforts of the Umpire, Mr. Thomas, of the Freeport Club.

In placing his team for this match Capt. Fruin was forced to dispense with the services of Norton, third baseman, he having injured a hand the previous day and Tobias, who had not played during the week, having been engaged in his duties as secretary of the club, was assigned to third base, much against his own wishes then and to his own sorrow since, as a broken, crooked finger will attest. This accident happened in the second inning and through the perversity of the Excelsiors captain, Tobias was forced to remain in the game, though unable to use his right hand enough to hold up a bat. The Excelsiors played a waiting game all through by which Quinn, pitcher of the Empires, was required and did pitch 208 balls in two innings. Among the Excelsior players were Bancker and Williard, of the Harvard University nine, and Oliver, of the Eureka club of Newark, N.J. Interfering with base running was also one of the Excelsior accomplishments to which the Empire players were unaccustomed, as Bob Duncan demonstrated by splitting one player's pants wide open in front with his spikes on purposely getting in his way.

The crowd that witnessed this final game was a large and respectable one, running up in the thousands, more than half being ladies who did not hesitate to express their admiration and approval by numerous floral gifts, cheers and waving handkerchiefs at every success of an Empire player, and when the long drawn out fraud culminated in a score of 31 to 10 in favor to the Excelsiors, the applause was weak and soulless. Having been deprived of the just right to a fair and impartial game the Empire Club refused to accept anything but what they were entitled to, the first prize, though tendered the second. The list of prizes was as follows: First senior club, a gold ball and gold mounted bat; second senior club, a gold mounted bat; First junior club, a silver ball and bat; second junior club, a silver mounted bat; best pitcher, silver ice urn and goblets; best catcher, emblematic breast pin; best thrower, silver pitcher; fastest runner, silver mounted belt; largest number of home runs, silver goblet; best first baseman, silver cup and saucer; second baseman, silver jewel case; third baseman, two silver cups; left and center fielder, each a silver cup; and shortstop, a silver cake basket. Of the players' prizes the Empires received eight out of the nine, losing only that of pitcher...

The Union Club having failed to win a single game during the tournament was entitled to the consolation prize and on their return home went into winter quarters. The decadence of base ball at Agricultural Fairs dates from the day of the above game, September 15, 1866.

-E.H. Tobias, writing in The Sporting News, November 16, 1895

First Fly Match Played In The West

It was in the Spring of 1865 that the Empire Club having successfully demonstrated that it was cock of the home walk became seized with a desire to spread its wings and let the outside world know how good a game it could put up and in looking around for "men worthy of their steel" the club managers came into correspondence with the Empire Club of Freeport, Ill., which eventuated in a match being made for the approaching Fourth of July at Freeport. As this was an event of no ordinary magnitude, the club went into extra training, more particularly as the opposing club sustained a fine reputation and on July 2, the selected players to the number of twelve accompanied by about an equal number of non-playing members started on their journey of conquest. They arrived at their destination the next evening (having been delayed through a mis-connection of trains at Pana, Ill.) with four players quite ill from the effects of the water drunk on the cars. After supper Capt. Fruin gave strict orders for the players to remain in the hotel and a physician was called in for the sick ones. Through strict obedience to orders at noon on the Fourth the players were all in good physical condition. This game of ball had been extensively advertised through the press and the leading citizens, headed by Col. Schzefer, chief of Gen'l. Ben Butler's staff, exerted themselves to entertain their visitors, a grand complimentary dinner at the Busby House being among the many courtesies arranged. In fact, the ball game was the feature of that Fourth of July, not alone for Freeport, but for the entire surrounding country and visitors had flocked into the town to the number of several thousand from Iowa as well as Illinois.

...Fruin passed the order that no player should partake of (alcohol during the festivities), promising that after the game they could have all they wanted. This order was obeyed strictly, not a man wishing to hazard his share of the honors and glory of playing in this the first fly match west of the Alleghenies, for such this proved to be. No definite arrangements were made as to whether it would be "a bound or a fly" game until the two club captains faced one another on the diamond, when in reply to the question as to what it would be, Frain promptly responded: "Just as you please" and the answer came promptly: "Fly it is." It afterward developed that the Freeport Captain thought he had gained quite an advantage by thus choosing, as the "fly" game was still quite a novelty, and though some of the St. Louis boys felt a little weak over the chances of winning, Fruin had not the least misgiving, as he knew full well that his men "just doted" on fly balls when they came along.

Mr. S. Hoye, of the Garden City Club, umpired the game and learned more that day than he had picked up in all his previous experience. The possibility of putting out three men at once was there demonstrated by the St. Louis team, though the umpire gave the credit for two outs only after having the triple play explained to him thoroughly, his original decision having been one out! It was the first occasion when the St. Louis team had been called upon to face a crowd of nearly seven thousand strangers, whose sympathies were naturally with their opponents, and the victory, achieved by a score of 27 to 20, was a most creditable one, adding much to the club's prestige...

The victors made two aces (home runs) as they were then denominated. This game not only added fresh laurels to the Empire Club, but it gave a local impetus to the game that was lasting in its effects and from that time forward, the club became the target for numerous challenges as well as the increased envy of its main home rival, the Union Club.

-E.H. Tobias, writing in The Sporting News, November 9, 1895

The Morning Star Club

One of the earliest match games played was between the Cyclone and Morning Star Clubs on grounds just back of where now stands the amphiteatre in the Fair Grounds and resulted in the Morning Stars winning the game, by a score of 36-21. The players on the Morning Star nine were: Wm. Henry, 1b; Robt. Henry, c. and captain; Jno. Henry, lf; David Naylor, rf; Dolf, 3b; Chas. Scudder, 2b; Richard Perry, ss; Martin Burke, p; H. H. Franklin, cf...Capt. Martin Burke, pitcher of the Morning Star Club, went into the war of the Rebellion on the Confederate side and in a short time was brought home severely wounded. He did not long survive and was buried here. The ball won by the Stars on this occasion was sent East to be gilded and inscribed and on its return the defeated gave a supper to the victors at the Planter's House. A legend is extant that a few years after Jerry Fruin borrowed the ball and forgot to return it. Both (the Morning Star and Cyclone Clubs) were disorganized by the war, most of the Stars going into the Union Army under Maj. Zagonyi, in command of Gen. Fremont's Body Guard...

-E. H. Tobias, writing in The Sporting News, November 2, 1895

Tobias' account of what happened to the trophy ball from the first match game played in St. Louis appears to be supported by Merritt Griswold. In his letter to Al Spink, Griswold wrote that "the ball used in that first match game was for years used as the championship trophy, it going from one club to the other, and the last the writer ever heard of it, it was in the possession of the Empire Club." Fruin, of course, was a long-time member and captain of the Empire Club. Griswold also wrote that he was the person who sent the ball East to be gilded and engraved.

The Morning Star Club was a town ball team that played at Carr's Park and were convinced by Griswold to try baseball. After a bit of coaching, the Morning Star Club "never played town ball" again.

The Empire Club Celebrates Their Anniversary

Illustrative of the discipline maintained (by Jeremiah Fruin) is an incident that occurred soon after the Home Guards were put into service throughout the city. The Empire Club was celebrating the anniversary of its organization by a match game between the married and single men on Gamble Lawn, and as usual had erected their tent at a convenient spot for the safe keeping and change of clothing, ice water, and other refreshments. From the tent pole was suspended a blue and gilt banner that originally had been presented by Col. John McNeil to one of the old volunteer fire companies from whom it was inherited by the Empire Club. About the middle of the game when the large attendance, composed mostly of ladies and children, was getting at fever heat interest, it was suddenly discovered that the grounds were almost completely surrounded by detachments of Home Guards, a squad of whom marched straight to the middle of the field surprising the players and causing such consternation among the audience that it quickly dispersed amid the shrieks and cries of the terrorized women and children, and to the deep indignation of the members of the club, some few of whom giving way to their anger, seized on bats, bases (they were movable in those days) and anything with which they could make a fight. Fruin sprung to the front of the soldiers, ordered the ball players back and caused a suspension of hostilities. Among the players, as an invited guest, was Capt. Griswold, an officer in the Home Guards and a member of the Cyclone Club, who accounded Fruin's peace-preserving efforts by addressing himself to the officer of the intruders, a somewhat fresh importation, from whom it was soon learned that they had been informed and so believed that the banner was a secession flag and the gathering was one of rebels. It was impossible to make the officer understand the truth of the situation. His "Dutch was up" owing to the imprecations and jeers that had been hurled upon him and his men and he would not be appeased without taking several players prisoners to headquarters at Turner Hall on Tenth street just South of Market. As further proof of his prowess the officer also took along that much despised and tear provoking "Secesh" banner. At Turner Hall, Col. John McNeil was in command. He quickly recognized his own old banner and understood the situation by at once liberating the prisoners. It was owing mainly to Fruin's ready action and control of his men that no actual conflict took place on the ball field, for one over-act on the part of a ball player would have doubtless caused an indiscriminate firing from the Home Guards, wherein the women and children would have suffered and perhaps another chapter of the "Slaughter of the Innocents" added to the history of those dark and troubled days.

-E. H. Tobias, writing in The Sporting News, November 2, 1895




While Tobias doesn't give a date for this game, the implication is that it took place in 1861. Al Spink writes in The National Game that the Empire Club was founded on April 16, 1860 so this game was marking the first anniversary of the club's founding and most likely took place during one of the most chaotic periods in the history of St. Louis. If the game was being played in the middle to late April of 1861, it takes place as the struggle for control of the city between Union and Secessionist forces is coming to a head.

In March of 1861, the Missouri Constitutional Convention votes to stay in the Union but not to supply military aid to the Federal government. On April 12, Confederate forces fire on Fort Sumter. On April 20, pro-Confederate forces seize the arsenal at Liberty, Missouri. On April 29, Nathaniel Lyons seizes the arsenal at St. Louis for the Union. On May 1, Gov. Jackson calls out the Missouri Militia. And on May 10, Lyon seizes Camp Jackson.

In the middle of all of this, the Empire Base Ball Club celebrated their anniversary by playing a game.

Note: The picture at the top of the post is of the St. Louis arsenal. The second photo is of the Nathaniel Lyons monument in St. Louis. The arsenal can be seen in the background.

Life In The Empire Club In The 1860's

The club uniform consisted of blue cap and pants, white shirt and leather belt with spiked shoes. The monthly and special meetings were held in a hall on the West side of Third street nearly opposite the old City Hotel which stood where is now located the Murphy trunk manufactory. This hall was neatly furnished and adorned with flags and pictures as well as trophies won by the club or some of its players. The custom prevailed of presenting the winning club of a match with the ball used in the game which was afterwards gilded and the date and score of the game painted theron in black letters. The bat was usually given as an individual prize for catching, running of bases, long distance throwing and other meritorious feats.

It will be readily seen that in those days, membership in a club instead of being a source of income was one of no inconsiderable expense. Uniforms would wear out, monthly dues had to be paid the club treasurer, fines were imposed for non-attendance, rude or unbecoming conduct, use of profane or vulgar language on the field and disputing the umpire entailed personal disgrace if not financial bankruptcy. These rules and regulations being made by the votes of the members themselves were the more readily observed and consequently lightened the labors of Captain Fruin in whom they found a strict disciplinarian on the field and a jolly good fellow off it. So well trained did the players become that from this commanding position at second base Fruin would convey his orders by a motion or slap of the hands or by a single world and his admonitions and instructions given prior to the opening of a game were closely heeded.

-E. H. Tobias, writing in The Sporting News, November 2, 1895

The Martial Make-up Of The Cyclone Club

I've been looking at the members of the Cyclone Club and noticed that several of the members were either in the military in 1860 or would go on to have prominent military careers.

Merritt Griswold was a Captain with the 3rd regiment of the United States Reserve Corp. Orville Matthews was a graduate of the Naval Academy, Class of 1855. Joseph Fullerton was practicing law in St. Louis in 1860 but would serve as an officer in the Civil War and rise to the rank of General. Edward Bredell was an officer in the Confederate army and served with Mosby's Rangers. Charles Kearny was the son of General Stephen Watts Kearny. Fred Benton would serve as a Captain under General Custer.

One would have to assume it's common for teams of this era to have a high percentage of members who would serve in the Civil War. But I think the Cyclones may be a bit different. Matthews was an active duty naval officer in 1860. It's likely that Kearny was an active duty army officer and Griswold was already a member of Reserve Corp. This leads me to speculate that the Cyclone Club may have been formed by some of the military men in St. Louis and their friends (heavy emphasis on speculate).

Add to this the fact that Jeremiah Fruin was in the army prior to the Civil War and was stationed in St. Louis in 1861 and one can begin to see a pattern. The influence of military men who came to St. Louis prior to and during the Civil War on the development of baseball in the city seems to be rather prominent and demands more research.

Note: The picture at the top of this post is of the cemetary at Jefferson Barracks around the turn of the century.

Fruin Lives!

-From The New York Times, March 6, 1887

And I don't know why this interests me so much but the company that Jeremiah Fruin started in 1872 as Fruin & Company General Contractors is still in existence. Now known as the Fru-Con Construction Corporation, the company is headquartered in Baldwin, Missouri and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bilfinger Berger.

Jeremiah Fruin And The Charter Oak Club

Before coming to St. Louis in 1861, Jeremiah Fruin played baseball with the Charter Oak Club of Brooklyn in 1859. According to Marshall Wright, Fruin played in all four of the club's match games that year. On May 26, 1859, the Charter Oaks lost to the Star Club of Brooklyn by a score of 26-22 with Fruin playing first base. The Brooklyn Eagle's account of the game is below.

Charles H. Turner

This weekend I was doing research on three projects that I wanted to get off my plate. The first was a basic genealogy of the Lucas’s, a prominent St. Louis family that was deeply involved in the history of 19th century baseball in the city. The second was the makeup of the board of directors of the 1875 St. Louis Brown Stockings. In A Newspaper Man’s Motion-Picture View of the City, Bill Kelsoe lists the members of the board and I wanted to gather some general information about the men who were instrumental in financing and organizing the team. Finally, I wanted to find more information about the social makeup of the Union Base Ball Club of St. Louis. Based on a few sources that I have, it appears that some of the members of the Union Club came from prominent and wealthy St. Louis families. That members of the Union Club came from the city’s upper class seems to be fairly unique among baseball clubs of the era and demanded more research. While I was unable to finish any of the three projects, interestingly all three research threads came together in the person of Charles H. Turner. As a wise man once said, “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Charles Turner was born in 1849 to Henry S. Turner and Julia Hunt. Henry Turner was a West Point graduate and classmate and friend of William T. Sherman who served with Stephan Kearney in the Mexican-American War. Julia Hunt was the daughter of Theodore Hunt, a naval officer and favorite in St. Louis social circles, and Anne Lucas, the only daughter of J.B.C. Lucas, one of the earliest settlers of St. Louis and one of its wealthiest and most influential citizens. H.S. Turner, with the support of his wife’s powerful family, would serve as a member of the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, the Missouri State Legislature, and as Assistant United States Treasurer. In the 1880 census, he listed his occupation as “retired capitalist.” In the 1870’s, H.S. Turner, as a member of the Board of Aldermen, would introduce legislation that established the street car system in St. Louis. Within a few years, his son Charles would own the company that his father helped to establish.

Charles Turner, according to Jeremiah Fruin, was an original member of the Union Base Ball Club of St. Louis. Other members of Turner’s social set who were members of the club included his cousin Robert Lucas, Shepard Barkley, Joseph Charles Cabanne, Orrick Bishop, and Harry Carr. Turner, a catcher, was described as a part of the original battery of the Union nine. He also pitched and played second base for the club. His membership in the original Union Club raises some questions. If the club was founded in the early 1860’s at about the same time as the Empire Club (and they were certainly playing baseball by 1861) then Turner could not have been an original member, being too young. It’s most likely that Turner did not join the club until after the Civil War.

In 1875, Turner was involved in the founding of the Brown Stockings. With the urging of newspaper men W.C. Steigers and R.P. Thompson, “several young St. Louisans of prominence” set up an organization to create a professional baseball team in St. Louis that could compete with the professional Chicago White Stockings. The board of directors that was elected to run the new organization included J.B.C Lucas, president; W.C. Steigers, vice-president; Charles A. Fowle, secretary; and Charles Turner, treasurer. Other members of the board included Orrick Bishop, William Medart, and Joseph Carr. Interestingly, the Union Club was heavily represented on the board with Turner, Steigers, and Bishop all being members and with the possibility that Lucas and Carr were as well. The Lucas family was also well represented with Turner joining his cousin J.B.C. Lucas on the board.

While it’s unknown exactly what role Turner played with the Brown Stockings, he was involved, according to Jon David Cash, in the signing of the Louisville players in 1877. These signings which were an attempt to duplicate Chicago’s raid on the Boston Red Stockings, coupled with the gambling scandal that involved both the signed Louisville players as well as members of the Brown Stocking nine, helped to bring about the collapse of the Brown Stockings organization and the experiment with professional baseball in St. Louis.

It’s difficult to overstate the prominence of Charles Turner in 19th century St. Louis. Not only was he a member of the wealthiest St. Louis family, he also married into another prominent family. His wife Margaret was the daughter of Stephen Barlow, the cousin of Stephen Douglas and a wealthy politician and railroad magnate in St. Louis. Turner himself was the president of the Suburban Railway Company, which owned the St. Louis street car system, and the Commonwealth Trust Company. He was described by Lincoln Steffens as being a millionaire and served on the St. Louis Board of Police Commissioners in the 1880’s. Turner also was a member of the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, which raised the money to put on the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

Turner’s influence in St. Louis was exposed in a negative way by Steffen in 1902. In what became known as “The Boodle Scandal,” Turner was shown to have been a member of a cabal that bribed city aldermen and state legislators in order to get legislation passed that was favorable to their business interests. In grand jury testimony, Turner was shown to have paid over $144,000 in bribes to secure legislation that would double the value of the Suburban Railway Company, which he was looking to sell. The case was tied up in court for several years and Turner died in 1906 before facing the legal consequences of his actions.

While “The Boodle Scandal” and Steffen’s exposes may have tarnished Turner’s reputation, his legacy was saved by the service of his grandson. Charles Turner Joy was the son of Charles Turner’s only daughter, Lucy Barlow Turner, and Duncan Joy. He graduated from Annapolis in 1916 and served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. During Korea, Rear Admiral Charles Turner Joy served as Commander of Naval Forces, Far East. After he passed away in 1956, a destroyer was named after him. The USS Turner Joy, pictured above, served the nation proudly until it was decommissioned in 1982.

Kelsoe On St. Louis Amateur Baseball In the 1860's

AMATEUR BASEBALL.

The death of Asa W. Smith, president of the Union Baseball Club of St. Louis, was reported in the papers of August 2 and 3 (1874). Asa, who was a son of Sol Smith, the actor, was accidentally drowned off the coast of Maine, at Biddeford Pool. The Keokuk Baseball Club had arrived in St. Louis, but the game scheduled with the Unions was abandoned. The visitors played the Empires, winning by 7 to 6.

The Unions were the principal competitors of the Empires for the city and state amateur baseball championship, the Reds being excluded from the contest, as some of their players were paid for their services. The Empires had held the championship two or three years and were again winners in 1874. The last president of the Unions, Judge C. Orrick Bishop, remembers that their winning championship team consisted of Eugene Greenleaf and Jim Freeman, pitcher and catcher; Joseph Charles ("Charley") Cabanne, E. C. Meacham and Rufus J. Lackland, Jr., on the bases; Bob Duncan, at short, and Asa W. Smith, Bill Duncan (Bob's brother) and Tom McCordell in the field. The last surviving member of that team, Mr. Cabanne, died in 1922 (March 17). Judge Bishop used to play occasionally, and so did W. C. Steigers (who died May 25, 1923), well known for over forty years as business manager of the Post-Dispatch; also Robert J. Lucas (died May 18, 1922). Judge Shepard Barclay, remembered as a crack pitcher in his college days, pitched for the Unions in a notable victory over the Nationals of Washington. Then there were Arthur Strong, Henry Berning, Harry Carr, Billy Yore and others who had won honors with the Olympics of Washington University or the Pickwicks of St. Louis University before joining the Unions. In their best days the Unions and Empires made a good showing against the best clubs of the country, including the famous Cincinnati Reds, the Forest Cities of Cleveland, the Rockfords and the Nationals, the Atlantics of Brooklyn, the Excelsiors of Chicago, the Unions of Morrisania, N. Y., and the Athletics of Philadelphia.

Among the local ball players of note in the sixties and who became prominent later in the industrial field were John D. Fitzgibbon, Jeremiah Fruin and John W. O'Connell. Mr. Fruin died in March, 1912, and Mr. O'Connell in August, 1918. Mr. Fitzgibbon is still with us. All three played with the Empires, Mr. Fitzgibbon being the club's captain and pitcher. When I called Capt. Fitzgibbon on the phone recently (in November,1923) he named, in addition to Fruin and O'Connell, already mentioned, most of their fellow players of fifty and more years ago-Pitcher Little, Tom Oran (catcher), John W. Shocky (later assistant chief of the St. Louis Fire Department and killed at a fire), Tom Murray, Tom Walsh, Charley Stevens, Adam Wirth, John Heath and Joe Schimper (a fireman who played ball under the name of Cambers, as stated elsewhere, and who, like Shocky, was killed by a falling wall at a fire). All these had passed away, said the veteran builder, except Stevens, one of the last to go being Fireman Wirth of Engine Company No. 14, a famous first baseman in amateur days.

The night of the conversation with Pitcher Fitzgibbon I had one also with Judge Shepard Barclay, referred to in a former paragraph as a crack pitcher of the Unions in his St. Louis college days. The judge had pitched for the Pickwicks of St. Louis University in their games with the Olympics of Washington University before he joined the Unions. He pitched the Unions to victory in one of their games with the Empires for the championship of Missouri and was their pitcher when the St. Louis Unions defeated the Nationals of Washington City. His fame as a pitcher for a college club continued with him after he left St. Louis University. This was the Barclay who pitched in the game that won for University of Virginia the championship of the South over the Washington and Lee University, the contest being reported by Chadwick for his publication. Nor was that all. Not content with his pitching victories in America, the St. Louisan crossed the ocean and pitched a winning game for "Columbia," a newly organized college club in the University of Berlin. The victory, however, dearest to his heart, the one this ex-member of the Missouri State Supreme Court loves to talk about most, was the one played in St. Louis, May 23, 1867, by the Olympics and the Pickwicks, a contest between the college clubs of, respectively, Washington University of St. Louis and St. Louis University, the latter winning with Barclay as the pitcher. The Judge remembers that Nat Hazard pitched for the Olympics and that the only player in that locally famous game still living, besides the two pitchers, is George A. Strong, now a New York lawyer,who played second base for Washington University. The umpire of the game was Adam Wirth, of the St. Louis Fire Department, as before stated, and nationally famous (because of the honor of having his picture in Harper's Weekly) as the first baseman of the old St. Louis Empire Club. The judge told of a game in which one side scored 127 runs, but I think that was another contest, perhaps one between the Unions and Nationals. Judge Barclay died November 17, 1925.

I have several letters somewhere from Henry Chadwick, but have mislaid them. In one he expressed a great desire that I try to locate a championship baseball won by the St. Louis Unions, rivals of the Empires, and have it presented to The Missouri Historical Society, but I have not been able to find it. The ball has gilt lettering and some reader of this page may know where it is.

-From A Newspaper Man's Motion-Picture Of The City

Note: This is a fascinating piece by Kelsoe on the St. Louis amateur baseball scene of the 1860's. The first thing that jumped out at me was Kelsoe's statement that the Union had defeated the Nationals which was simply not true. Also, there's obviously some connection between the St. Louis Fire Department and the Empire Club which I was only vaguely aware of and that needs further research. It's also interesting that Kelsoe states that the Reds were excluded from the amateur championship when I have other sources that say they not only competed for the championship but they actually won it in the early 1870's. Finally, the ball that Chadwick was looking for may have been the ball that was used in the game between the Morning Stars and the Cyclones in 1860, the first game played in St. Louis. Supposedly, the ball was gilded and used as a trophy ball in St. Louis for years. According to Merritt Griswold, the ball was last in the hands of the Empire Club.