Tom Oran's First Game With The Empire Club

The match between the Empire and Rowena took place on the afternoon of the 11th, at the Base Ball Park, and called forth a goodly attendance of the friends of either club.  The Empire Club made a fine appearance on the field in their very handsome new uniforms, and also presented for the first time their new catcher, O'Ran, who made good play throughout the game, and will prove a valuable acquisition to the club.  The "Rowenas" belong in South St. Louis; have a good reputation as ball players, and are a very fine appearing set of men, physically.  It was evident from the early part of the game that they were not of sufficient calibre to successfully cope with their opponents, yet they played their "level best" with determination and with good nature, enjoying even their own discomfitures as heartily almost as the friends of their adversaries.  Occasionally they gave an example of heavy batting, and throughout the game their infielders did well.

The Empire Club was represented by its full first nine, though three of them were not really in good health.  Their batting was excellent generally, but still there is a chance for improvement, by ceasing to bat "sky balls," of which they had several "muffed" by the Rowenas.  Their throwing to bases and base-running were superior to anything hereabouts, and demonstrated their ability to play a first-class game with any "cousins" from abroad.

-Missouri Republican, July 13, 1869

The 1869 Missouri State Base Ball Association

The adjourned meeting of the State Base Ball Convention occured last evening, in the hall of the Empire Club, on Third street, Capt. C. Overbeck, temporary Chairman.

On call of the Convention it was found that the following Clubs were represented:

Union, Empire, Lone Star, Resolute, Magnolia, Rowena, St. Louis, Iron State, Olympic, Eckford, Missouri, Baltic, Buck Eye, Atlantic, Haymakers, Turner.

The election of permanent officers resulted in choice of Asa W. Smith, of the Unions, President; James Foster, of St. Louis, 1st Vice President; Joseph Ketterer, of Lone Star, 2d Vice President; F.T. Caroll, of Resolute, 3d Vice President; Thos. McCorkle, of Union, Recording Secretary; G.D. Barklege, of Iron State, Corresponding Secretary; C. Overbeck, of Lone Star, Treasurer.

After which, a committee of five were appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws, who were instructed to report at the adjourned meeting on the 18th inst.

-Missouri Republican, June 11, 1869


To the best of my knowledge, the Missouri State Base Ball Association was founded in 1868 so this would have been the second election of officers.  While Asa Smith was reelected president of the association in 1869, it appears that all of the other officers were new. 

Giants On The Ball Field, Part Five

John W. O'Connell, who served long enough in the School Board to entitle him to a pension, was one of the original founders of the Empire Club and was a good, all-around player.  He was president of the club several terms and still retains all his youthful love of the game.

E.C. Simmons, president of the largest hardware company in the world, was a player in the Commercial Club in antebellum days.

Joe P. Carr, the Merchants Exchange caller, was one of the Union Club's most enthusiastic, if not one of its crack players.  He could play any position equally well, but that of spectator was more to his own liking as it afforded opportunities to display his manly form as well as to take in or drop a few shekels.  

Harry Carr was, par excellence, a ball player in every respect.  He was one of the best of fielders and a safe batter.  With him, it was just as much a matter of business to win as it now is to keep straight the books of the Simmons Hardware Company.

William Medart of the Medart Pulley Company was prominent in ball affairs and did as much to promote the game as anyone.  He was the organizer of several clubs and was always in great demand as umpire, in which capacity he witnessed many matches and proved a most correct and satisfactory arbiter.

P.J. Cooney, the Cass avenue carriage and wagon manufacturer, was an Empire player from "way back."

William C. Dyer, principal of the Madison Public School, belonged to the Union Club and kept a neat score.

Robert Franklin, resident manager of the William Barr Dry Goods Company, played in the Morning Star Club, as also did George M. Wright, the cashier.

Chas. F. Gauas, wholesale hat and cap dealer, was one of the Commercial's players.

Louis Schrader, the Franklin avenue cigar manufacturer, was a reliable fielder in the Rowena club and a fine umpire.

C. Orrick Bishop of the Circuit Attorney's office was an active member of the Union club and was managing director at the original organization of the Brown Stocking Club.

Thomas C. Doan, the tenor singer, was secretary of the Union club for a time.

Archie Easton achieved great distinction as a baseman and safe batter in the same club, and Rufus J. Lackland, Jr., played well in right field.  Matt F. Prouty had charge of first base for one or two seasons, and Wm. Freeman, son of W.P. Freeman, a leading commission merchant, was at home in the field or batting, but catcher was his strong position.

Wm. Gorman, whose father was one of the best-known river captains, was a splendid catcher.

-St. Louis Daily Republic, February 9, 1896  

Tom Oran Jumps To The Reds

We know that Tom Oran was playing with the Empire Club on July 4, 1874 in a game against the Liberty Club of Springfield, Illinois. On July 12, however, Oran was playing with the Reds against the Rowenas. So sometime between those two games, Oran jumped from the Empires to the Reds.

E.H. Tobias wrote that there was a great deal of jumping going on in 1874, specifically mentioning Peters and Collins jumping to the White Stockings, but certainly he had Oran's defection in mind as well. This was a move that, like Chicago stealing Collins, had a direct effect on the fortunes of his club. Oran's move had the potential of tilting the balance of power in the St. Louis baseball world. The Empires were forced to a deciding game five in their championship series against the Reds in 1873 and Oran's defection did nothing but improve a strong young club while leaving a hole in the champion's outfield.

The Rowenas noticed Oran playing with the Reds and protested the game. The State Association had adopted a rule that stated a player upon leaving one club was not eligible to play for another until sixty days had passed. However, while the State Association would eventually sustain the Rowenas' protest, before the judgment came down the two clubs mutually agreed to call the July 12th game a practice game and the Reds were subject to no penalty.

This would not be the last time the Reds were hauled before the State Association in 1874 and the Empire/Reds series, as well as the championship of 1874, would be decided by the Reds' use of an ineligible player.

A Reckless And Carelessly Played Game

The final game of the (1873) season for the still champion Empires was with the Rowenas on November 9, who defeated the former in a score of 12 to 7. It was a reckless and carelessly played game with nothing in it for the Empires to win or loss and but a portion of the regular nine participated in it. Andy Blong Umpired the game and he and the scorers all say that there was not a single earned run in the whole game.

-E.H. Tobias, writing in The Sporting News, January 18, 1896


That's a bit odd. Eighteen runs scored in a game and all of them were unearned. I can honestly say that I've never seen anything like that in all my years of watching baseball. Certainly, the number of unearned runs scored in a 19th century baseball game was very high due to the lack of gloves and large number of errors but to have a game played where not one single earned run was scored must have been exceedingly rare. It was certainly unique enough for Tobias to mention it.