The Old West Ends

One of the new major stockholders in the Browns is James W. Garneau, a name probably strange to most followers of baseball of the current time, but by no means foreign to the early history of baseball in St. Louis. To identify Mr. Garneau with baseball lore, we're forced to hard back to 1877, and that's considerable hark.

In those days there flourished in this city an amateur baseball organization, essentially a blue-stocking affair, that was only a shade below the standard of the best professional clubs of that time. Indeed, the old West Ends, of which Garneau was captain and second baseman, played the real, original Browns to a long drawn-out tie game in 1878, the last year of the West Ends' existence.

Senior fans of the present day well remember that there never since has been organized such a luxe club as the West Ends. This team had the backing of the late Johnny Blow, a two-handed spender who set a high-water mark for the price of uniforms that has endured to this day.

As was the custom in those days, the West Ends carried only nine players, which was quite fortunate for the "angel" of the club, who furnished each with a uniform that cost $86. That's a rather steep price for an entire amateur club's outfit in this day.

However the West Ends had "class" written all over them. Their uniforms were the most expensive silk, with hand embroidered initials on the shirts. A blue silk ribbon striped each pants' leg, while the stockings were the most expensive wool, of grayish hue. The shoes were of choicest leather and, on the whole, the uniform was almost too nice to "muss up." But that didn't tend to interfere with the club's playing.

The team had its headquarters at the old "Willow Grounds," Compton avenue and the railroad tracks, and practiced often with the Brown club, which embraced in those days such men as Mike McGeary, Joe Battin, John Clapp and Mike Dorgan.

"We didn't lose a game that year," said Mr. Garneau, telling of his old club the other day. "Bob Aull, who died not long ago, was our shortstop, and he could field as well as he could sing. Bob had a pretty fine baritone voice.

"Johnny Blow, also deceased, was the third baseman and organizer of the club. He was the son of Henry T. Blow, the distinguished statesman, who left an estate worth $300,000. The West Ends were lavishly promoted. Blow was the first man to ride a bicycle in St. Louis, and it was an injury caused by a fall from the wheel that hastened his death.

"Castleman Webb did most of the catching, while he also reversed the order, and occasionally pitched. Billy Buskett was the regular pitcher and he was a good one. However, I believe Webb was the first amateur to curve a ball in St. Louis, and for that reason he was more famous as a pitcher than catcher.

"Eugene Picott, Cliff Able and Hal Truesdale, who made up the outfield, have been dead for several years. Millard Funkhouser, who played first, is in Chicago, I believe, and like other members of the old team, is doing well.

Garneau later captained the St. Louis U. team, the best baseball club the Billiken school ever had. He still is identified with collegiate athletics, having served on the St. Louis U. board for several years.

The new officer of the Browns, therefore, isn't a stranger in the baseball ranks. But if ever suggests $86 suits for the Browns, Fielder Alanson Jones will do a high dive off the Syndicate Trust Building.

-St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 17, 1916

This is a rather interesting article and there's a ton of information here. Just for instance: John Blow was the grandson of the owner of Dread Scott, the son of a congressman and the brother of the woman who founded the first public Kindergarten in the United States. It might take me awhile but I'll take this article apart and dig out all the good details.

The coolest thing about the article, which I found in the archives of the Missouri History Museum, is that it came with a team photo of the 1878 West End Base Ball Club. You can't image how excited I was to see it. Images of St. Louis baseball clubs are very rare prior to the 1880s. In my files, I have an illustration of the 1865 Empire Club and a photo of the 1876 Brown Stockings. If you count the cover of the Union Base Ball Club March and this picture of the West Ends, I now have four team pictures of pre-1883 St. Louis baseball clubs. So this was a really great find. Even better, all the players in the photo were labeled, which is pretty rare. Sadly, at the moment I only have a photocopy of it and can't share it with you.

I've been saying for a long time that there are a bunch of photos of St. Louis clubs and players out there that we haven't found yet. I'm convinced that there are photos from the 1860s and early 1870s just sitting in boxes somewhere, waiting for me to find them. Finding this picture of the West Ends kind of validates and encourages that thinking. Somewhere out there is a picture of Asa Smith and a photo of the 1875 Reds. I'm convinced of this. Heck, I just found pictures of Ferdinand Garesche and the 1878 West Ends, so why not?

The Von der Ahe Building

While Ed Achorn was in town, we went to the Mercantile Library to do a bit of digging around and Ed found a reference in the Western Manuscript Collection to "the Von der Ahe building." I went and dug it up and found the above picture.

According to the description on the back of the image, this building stood at the corner of Grand and St. Louis, which would have put it right across the street from Sportsmans Park. Also, it stated that the building was used by Chris Von der Ahe as the Browns' office during the 1880s. Sadly, the building was torn down in the 1930s.

It was, without a doubt, one of our better finds over two days of digging through archives. I'll mention a few of the other things that I found but was unable to get digital images of and, therefore, am unable to show you. At the Missouri Historical Museum's Research Center, I found a photo of Ferdinand Garesche, the shortstop for the antebellum Cyclone Club. Also, while there, I held a stock certificate for the 1875 Brown Stockings in my hand. They also had a great picture of a reunion of St. Louis baseball pioneers that was held at a game in the 1920s. In the picture was Shepard Barclay, Bill Kelsoe, James Fitzgibbons, and others. The museum also had a rain check signed by Chris Von der Ahe from the early 1890s. They had a lot of cool stuff and I'm going to have to go back and get digital images of all of everything as soon as I can because I want you to see it.

Tomorrow, I'm going to post some information that I found there about the West Ends.

All There Is In The Matter

To the Editor of the Globe-Democrat.

St. Louis, February 3, 1884.-Dear Sir: In your issue of to-day there is an intimation that Mr. Von der Ahe, President of the St. Louis Club, had been concerned in a "pool," whose object was to buy Mullane's services from the Lucas club. Now, without further argument in the matter, I wish to designate this as purely and entirely false, and its object can only be to injure Mr. Von der Ahe and his club in the good graces of the St. Louis public. Now, I desire to state all there is in the matter, so far as the St. Louis Club is concerned, and what connection it has had with the business, and I will leave nothing unsaid, so the public can draw its own inference.

The St. Louis club has known for weeks that Mullane would be glad to return to its service. Indeed, Mr. Von der Ahe was approached by friends of Mullane with intimations that all that was necessary was his consent and Tony would jump the Lucas contract in a moment. Further than this friends of Mr. Von der Ahe, knowing of the matter, have blamed him severely for not accepting the offer. He has consistently refused to treat with Mullane or his friends, as he declares he had made Mullane a bona fide offer, which he had seen fit to refuse after promising to accept it, and that he would have no further intercourse with him. On Wednesday last Mullane sent the following dispatch: "Have signed agreement to play in Toledo. Will you release me? Please send release at once." To which Mr. Von der Ahe replied: "St. Louis Club releases you from reservation." This ended the correspondence. The entire cost to the St. Louis Club of Mullane's purchase by the Toledo, if it can be called a purchase, was the cost of that telegram.

As to the intimation that there is any pool for the purchase of any Union Association players, I simply desire to say the St. Louis Club has no knowledge of it whatever.

Hoping you will publish this in justice to the St. Louis Club, which is doing all it can to furnish St. Louis base ball lovers with first-class sport during the season, I am very respectfully,

J.A. Williams

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 4, 1884

Anything That Savors Of Trickery

Tony Mullane's case was on yesterday, as on Saturday, the leading topic wherever there exists any interest in base ball. What a general favorite he is with local patrons of the national game not even his most ardent admirers realized until the present complications arose. It may be that it is because he is such a pronounced favorite that the means which contributed to his prospective loss to St. Louis are so unanimously condemned, but the fact that they are vigorously denounced is none the less suggestive, as it shows conclusively that the public opinion is diametrically opposed to anything that savors of trickery or intrigue in base ball affairs, regardless of whether it crops out in managerial or playing circles. That Mullane of his own volition, and without being influenced, decided to break his contract with the Lucas Club, no one who knows the man will believe.

Space is given to a card from J.A. Williams, Secretary of the St. Louis Club, in which he gives an official statement of President Von der Ahe's connection with the case, and denied that the St. Louis Club had any knowledge of any pool for the purchase of Union Association players. The Globe-Democrat did not state that there was a pool, but stated that such was the general acceptance of the case. What the Globe-Democrat did state was that the defection was the result of a matured scheme arranged within the American Association, and this it is prepared to maintain. Several weeks ago information concerning the scheme was confidentially communicated to a representative of this paper by a gentleman who is very nearly if not quite as well informed in American Association affairs as Secretary Williams, and, while the name of the gentleman will not be made public, Mr. Williams can learn it at any time he so desires. The gentleman referred to made a small bet with the reporter that Mullane would play at Toledo, and also stated that Mullane's release would be granted just as soon as he would agree to sign with the Toledo Club, and emphasized his remarks with, "Now, I know what I am talking about." The results bear out the assertion that he did know what he was talking about.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 4, 1884

I'll have Jimmy Williams' side of all of this tomorrow.

A New Abuse

A new abuse has crept into the professional arena within the past year, and that is the open transfer of players from one club to another. We do not refer to cases where a player who has signed a contract with one club an then desires to get a release, and to do this induces the club he wants to change to pay a bonus for his release. What we have reference to is the actual bargin and sale of contracted players from one club to another without the consent of the professionals immediately concerned...This plan of course can be exended to include a whole team of players, who are thereby made to become a mere herd of base-ball cattle, as it were. This phase of the transfer business is simply a gross abuse, in violation of all equity and common justice. If it is not in direct opposition to the rules of the national agreement it should promptly made so. Of course if the player consents to this indiscriminate transfer of his services it ceases to be oppressive. But under the best view of the working of the system it is objectionable, and should not be encouraged.-[New York Clipper.]

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 3, 1884

This isn't really St. Louis related but, as we've been talking a lot about player movement, it seems relevant to consider what the Clipper had to say about all of that.

The Return Of The Old Colors

The St. Louis Club will this season play in a handsome suit of white, with brown belts and stockings. The uniform will be the most tasteful ever shown in St. Louis, and the return of the old colors will doubtless be enthusiastically greeted by the admirers of the team.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 3, 1884

Well, this certainly raises a few questions. The quote from the Globe is clear about what the Browns uniforms looked like: white shirt and pants, brown belt and brown stockings. However, the photo that I've posted above is supposedly the 1884 St. Louis Browns and they sure aren't wearing white shirts and pants. Now, I also have photos that were identified as the 1883 and the 1885 Browns and both those clubs were wearing white.

I think there are a couple of possibilities here. First, the Globe could be wrong about the uniforms. Second, the photos are misidentified. The Globe mentions a return to "the old colors" which implies that the club wore white in the past, didn't wear white in 1883 and then returned to white uniforms in 1884. I have three photos, for three consecutive years, when the club wore white, then a dark uniform and then returned to white. It's possible that the team photos I have are for 1882, 1883 and 1884 rather than 1883, 1884 and 1885. The final possibility is that the club in the photo above is not the Browns at all.

I'm not exactly sure what the problem is here but something is amiss. Maybe someone with better eyes than me can take a look at the above photo and help us identify it. But at the moment, I don't feel that I can identify the early Browns' team photos with any accuracy.

Update: Both David Ball and David Nemec were kind enough to take a look at the above photograph and it is there opinion, which I share based on my confidence in their knowledge, that it's a picture of the 1887 Cleveland Blues and, therefore, not a picture of the 1884 St. Louis Browns. My thanks to both of those gentlemen for their help.

The Result Of A Matured Scheme

The defection of Tony Mullane from the Union Association ranks is the topic of the day in base ball circles. It not only partakes of the nature of a sensation, but is engendering a strong feeling of partisanship, and leaves little room for doubt that the coming season will witness a vigorous war between the Lucas and St. Louis Clubs. The general acceptance of the case is that a pool was formed to deliberately purchase Mullane's dishonorable conduct, and so far as public sentiment is concerned it strongly condemns both the means and the end. It is useless to attempt to conceal the fact that the St. Louis Club management comes in for strong denunciation, the withholding of Mullane's release until it would subserve American Association ends, and the alacrity with which it was furnished when the Toledo Club asked it, being taken as conclusive evidence that they were parties to the questionable transaction. Judging by popular expression, if President Von der Ahe contributed anything toward a fund to be used to secure the breaking of Mullane's contract, he has made a costly mistake, and would do well to pay a considerably larger sum to recall that act. The extent of the interest manifested in the affair in business circles is actually incredible.

As stated in the Globe-Democrat yesterday, the defection of Mullane is positively the result of a matured scheme arranged within the American Association. Information to this effect was obtained some weeks ago from a gentleman closely identified with that association, and there can be no doubt of its authenticity. The scheme also comprehends the return of Bradley to the Athletic Club, which explains the intimations of the Commercial Gazette that that player will not pitch for the Cincinnati Unions. The project may be regarded as a judicious and commendable one among base ball managers, but among the patrons of the game it fails to commend itself, and if the legitimate result shall be, locally or generally, the disrepute of the national game, the managers will have only themselves to blame. Intrigue, trickery and bribery are not calculated to inspire public confidence.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 3, 1884

Nothing Will Stop Me

Mr. Lucas arrived at his office shortly before noon to-day, and was besieged by a number of persons who were waiting to see him on various matters of business. When spoken to in regard to the Mullane business he said: "I have heard nothing officially and nothing beyond the rumors which have come to me. I can simply say that if there is anything in it, it will not stop me in the least, and I will have a pitcher at any cost. If Mullane had asked me for his release a month or six weeks ago I would have willingly given it to him, as I could have supplied myself then. If, however, he has jumped me, I will push the matter through. I will not receive his advance money, and I expect him to report for duty and to be here with the rest of the men as his contract calls for him. I have too much money in this venture to be turned aside now by any circumstance of that kind, and nothing will stop me. If Mullane comes on the field here with any other club I will stop him playing." Mr. Lucas did not appear much perturbed over the matter, and went to work complacently attending to other matters as though there was no such thing in the world as base ball worry.-[St. Louis Post-Dispatch.]

-Cleveland Herald, February 3, 1884

Things Of An Agnostic Tendency

Notwithstanding the increased interest among college students in base ball, chicken fighting and other things of an agnostic tendency, it seems that they have not entirely lost sight of religious matters. Recent statistics show that of 35,000 students in 170 colleges of the country, 14,000 are church members...

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

Heh. It's not everyday you see baseball and chicken fighting grouped together.

A Defiant Lucas Responds

[Responding to the reports in the Cleveland Herald, Henry Lucas stated,] "I have received no notification that Mullane has deserted the club, and I do not believe he has signed a contract with the Toledo club. When he signed with me he showed more principle than others who agreed to sign and were influenced not to, and it seems impossible that he can have undergone so radical a change of character as the signing of a Toledo contract implies. However, I wish to assure you that the Lucas Club will in any event have a good nine in the field and play in the Union Association next summer. To do that we must have a good pitcher and catcher, and we are going to have them. You may say to the public that the arbitrary rules and dishonorable conduct of the League and American Association will not deter those who have invested their money in the Union Club here from carrying out their purposes. We will play ball this year, and not only this year, but the next, and will remain in the field after many of the League and American Association clubs have become things of the past. When my friends and myself invested our money in base ball we did not expect to have smooth sailing. We expected to meet obstacles, and resolved to surmount them; and you can be assured that we will go right along, whether Mullane remains with us or not."

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

Just another reminder that today is Ed Achorn's talk at the St. Louis Library on Lindbergh. Check yesterday's post for more details. I hope to post something in the next few days about how that went as well as some of the other things we're doing while Ed's in town. There might even be pictures.

Just A Reminder

I just want to post this reminder that tomorrow is Ed Achorn's talk at the St. Louis Library on Lindbergh. Doors open at six. Hope to see you there.

Lucas Don't Like It

The news that Tony Mullane had broken his contract with the St. Louis Union team and signed an affidavit to the effect that he would pitch for the Toledo Club, caused considerable commotion in local base ball circles to-day. Mullane some time ago had a talk with the manager of the club, that individual offering him $2,500, and $500 advance, for the season's play. This was what the St. Louis Unions paid him. He told the Toledo managers that he would accept this offer provided the St. Louis American club would release him from the reserve rule. The latter were willing to do this, and then Mullane sent back the advance money Lucas had given him, and also asked to be released from his contract. Subsequently, it is said, and good authority is given, Mullane signed the affidavit in which he took oath that he would play in Toledo next year. This is the whole and true story. When spoken to to-day concerning Mullane's action, Lucas said that he had received no authoritative notification to the effect that Mullane had signed the affidavit named. He added, "but, if he has done such a thing, has the time come for the Union Association to fight the enemy with his own weapons? If I lose Mullane I will have as good a man if I have to enter any of the associations fighting us."

The Mullane Deal Completed.

...Secretary Wikoff, of the American Association, has received notice that the St. Louis Base Ball Club has released Tony Mullane from reservation.

-Cleveland Herald, February 2, 1884

Mullane Repents

It developed in base ball circles to-day that Tony Mullane, who was the first to break the reserve rule by signing a contract with the Lucas Club, St. Louis, while on the reserve list of the St. Louis American Association Club, repents and will return the Lucas advance money. Mullane has been in Toledo for the past few days in company with Manager Morton, of the Toledo Club, and to-day agreed to sign a contract with the Toledo Club, if the proper release could be secured from St. Louis. As this had been previously arranged, the St. Louis Club was notified by telegraph, and an answer came back that the release would be forwarded to Secretary Wikoff, of Columbus, O., at once. The terms are the same as paid by Lucas, $2,500, with $500 advance. The advance paid him by Lucas will be returned to that person at once. Toledo is thus assured one of the best pitchers in the country. Mullane's action will be the sign for another outbreak of war between the three legitimate associations and the Unions, and is regarded here as sounding the death knell of the wreckers.

-Cleveland Herald, January 31, 1884

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.

A Reserve Nine

The Lucas Club have now fifteen men under contract, which is as many as they want. The reserve nine is to be made up of the extra men with an installment of St. Louis amateurs who can play good ball. It is sheer nonsense to be stepping over good men at home and sending off for unknown experiments.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, January 27, 1884

Right. That worked really well for the Reds in 1875.

The Uniform Of The Lucas Club

The uniform of the Lucas Club will be white suits with maroon caps and stockings. It will be one of the neatest and most attractive ever worn by any nine.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, January 27, 1884

The Best Of Everybody

"One of the oldest attendants at games in St. Louis is L.C. Waite, a reporter; or, as he is best known by the boys, Deary Waite. Last year he organized the St. Louis Reds, and one day, after they had sustained a terrible defeat, a friend caught hold of Waite's ear and [said:] 'Your team is very snide.' 'Yes, yes.' shouted Waite in return. 'Very fine. They would have won but that they were without their regular pitcher.' 'That pitcher they had,' said Waitey's friend, 'looked like a terrier. You ought to put a chain around his neck and sell him for a fighting dog.' 'Yes, yes,' said Waitey, 'they nearly killed him. We would have taken him out, but we hadn't any one to put in his place.' But when scoring, Waitey was the best of everybody. Questions hurled at all other scores never affect him, and in the midst of a regular uproar he is serenity itself, and his score card always looks near and clean."

-Cleveland Herald, January 22, 1884

No Sunday Baseball For Scott

Milton Scott has backed out of his contract with the Lucas Club. He objects to Sunday playing and will return the advance money. He will probably play in Detroit. Bushong telegraphs from Paris to the Lucas Club that he will soon set up in business as a dentist, and will come to St. Louis if proper inducements are offered. [Note-Bushong always was a wag. But he is talking about dentistry and Lucas about ball playing. If Bushong plays ball next season, we repeat, it will be in Cleveland. He has so said and is a man of his word.]

-Cleveland Herald, January 22, 1884

I Will Be In St. Louis

President Lucas on Saturday last received a letter from Fred Dunlap. The great second baseman is in Philadelphia, and writes: "No matter what anybody says, if I am alive I will be in St. Louis when the season opens to play with your club, just as I contracted to."

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

A Ballpark For First-Class Amateur Clubs

A new base-ball park will be erected for the amateur clubs. The park will be located at the corner of Russell and Missouri avenues, and be of the same dimensions as the professional parks. It will be erected and maintained by a corporation to be known as the St. Louis Amateur Sporting Association. First-class amateur clubs are requested to send their address to C. Kargus, 1619 South Broadway, or G.D. Nischwitz, corner Miller and South Broadway, so as to make arrangements for the season, and assist an enterprise that ought to be patronized by the amateur clubs of this city.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, January 20, 1884

The Judas Association

The Union Club of St. Louis sends a cablegram to Bushong, who is now in Paris, offering him a very large salary to play in the Mound Citys next season.-[Cincinnati Enquirer. Bushong is not of the class of players that the Judas Association have dealt with. If he plays at all next season it will be in Cleveland. And, by the way, he is at Bordeaux, not Paris.]

-Cleveland Herald, January 18, 1884

The Rights Of Baseball Players

According to Judge Pershing, the base ball player is not a laborer within the meaning of the statutes giving laboreers a preference over other creditors in the distribution of an insolvent estate. There will be no disposition to find fault with this decision. The salaried base ball player is altogether too much of a professional man to share in the protection which the law extends to the manual laborer and mechanic.

-The North American, January 17, 1884

I thought this was really interesting and somewhat relevant to discussion at hand.

Lucas, when discussing the reserve rule and the decision to ignore it, talked about it in moral terms. He was essentially talking about the rights of man, broadly defined. He was talking about the right of a free man to ingage in free commerce and to sell or buy whatever property they had or were offered.

Just law defends and encourages these rights. While I don't know all the particulars about the case that's being discussed above, it doesn't appear that the law as applied was defending the rights of baseball players or their property. However, this does seem to fit right in with a hundred years of American jurisprudence which also failed to do so.

The St. Louis Baseball Historical Society Proudly Presents: Ed Achorn

Ed Achorn, author of the great Fifty-Nine in '84, will be in St. Louis on June 23rd and speaking at the St. Louis County Library. The St. Louis Baseball Historical Society, of which I am humbly involved, is one of the sponsors of the event. I am planning on attending and hope to see all of you there. It's going to be a lot of fun.

I haven't talked at all here about the StLBHS but it's one of the big projects that I'm involved in. Steve Pona is running the show and I've been helping out where I can to get it launched. I truly believe the StLBHS is going to be a major asset to the city of St. Louis and to the baseball research community. We have a lot of cool stuff planned and I'll talk about those as they come up. This particular event with Ed is pretty much the first public event that we're doing and I'm excited about it.

If you're interested in attending, I think the flyer at the top of the post has all the necessary information. Just click on it for a better view. Also, feel free to email me at thisgameofgames@gmail.com and I can answer any questions you might have.

To The Last

We take occasion to state that Fred Dunlap has informed us most positively that no matter what other players may do, he, at least, will stick to his contract with the St. Louis Club to the last.-[Sporting Life. Dunlap told you what was false. He is already preparing to get away from St. Louis.]

-Cleveland Herald, January 16, 1884

It comes as no surprise to any of my four regular readers that I'm a bit obsessed with Fred Dunlap and the above quote from the always fantastic Herald is one of the reasons why Dunlap is such a fascinating character. They present two contradictory statements about Dunlap's intentions and both, given the nature of the man, are completely plausible. The stubborn Dunlap, always sensitive to what he believed to be his due, couldn't have cared less about what others were doing and would stick to his decision, damn the consequences. The calculating Dunlap, always practical when it came to taking actions that were in his best interest, couldn't have cared less about what others were doing and would have jumped his St. Louis contract in a heartbeat, damn the consequences.

What some may see as congnitive dissonance is just Dunlap being Dunlap and this is what makes him, in my opinion, the most interesting of all 19th century baseball players.

Characteristic Of The Young Man

The base ball situation is getting hotter...[The Union Association] is on the retreat now, with the old associations aggressive and pursuing. Corcoran's break will be followed ere long by the return of G.W. Bradley, Mike Mansell and Fred Dunlap to the Athletics, Alleghenys and Clevelands. I have it on the best authority that all these men are "weakening and would return but for shame..."

There is something going on. Dunlap is ready to leave the Union Association tomorrow if he can go where he wants to, at least he says so, and Cleveland is being urged to release him on the cry of "you cannot have him and must do your duty and snatch him away from the Union Association by giving him a release and letting him sign with us." At any rate this is treachery to Cleveland, by a number of the National group and won't work. Dunlap will play here, retire from base ball or go to the Union Association and be operated on by the Day resolution. But the parties who are with Dunlap, even if they succeed in their efforts to procure his release, would themselves be victims to a trick. Once released by Cleveland he would be free, and could go where he chose, or hang out and sell his services after the season opened to the highest bidder. The latter would be characteristic of the young man.

-Cleveland Herald, January 14, 1884

I Wish The Season Were Open Now

As far as my club is concerned [said Henry Lucas,] I now have fourteen men under contract and everyone of them has assured me that they will stick by their contracts. Dunlap and Schaffer have both written me expressing surprise at Corcoran's action, and authorizing me to contradict all stories to the effect that they are not coming here to play. Schaffer says if anybody thinks he won't be here I can bet $500 that he will, and draw on him at sight for the money. Sullivan has just engaged two men that I think well of-Scott and Roche. He says he brought out Comiskey, and he thinks Scott fully as promising as Comiskey was. I wish the season were open now. I am impatient to see the boys at work and the balls flying about.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, January 13, 1884

Dan Collins' Obit

Danny Collins' Last Home Run

Daniel J. Collins, better known as "Danny," has made a home run. The popular, good-humored and expert ball player died on Friday morning. Danny's last games were played with the Clarkes, but he was better known as the pitcher of the Lee, and one of the first to introduce curve pitching here. He was about twenty-nine years of age and has been playing ball since boyhood. He was change pitcher of the Chicagos for a year, played with the St. Louis Reds, and was at one time with the Milwaukee club. Danny was of an open handed, warm hearted disposition, and did not leave much to support his wife and three children after his death. It is suggested that a game be played for their benefit, and no doubt all of his fellow-players will volunteer to make the event attractive and successful.

-New Orleans Times-Picyune, September 21, 1883

Hat-tip to Paul Batesel, who was kind enough to pass this along to me. Much thanks to Paul.

Collins had an interesting stint with the Reds. He joined the club in late 1875, after their NA season had fallen apart, and jumped the club in August of 1876 to join Louisville, creating a bit of a scandal. In 1874, he was playing with the Empire Club and, after the Chicagos came through town and crushed all St. Louis opposition, he was signed by the White Stockings. Chicago's signing of Collins (and John Peters) was one of the factors that led to the creation of the Brown Stockings.

And this is a total coincidence but Collins' death in the fall of 1883 fits in with the period we're currently exploring. I love it when a plan comes together.

Too Brilliant

Fred Dunlap is said to have come to the conclusion that the Union Association is an unsafe one. He is sensible. The fact is that Dunlap is too brilliant a ball player to jeopardise his chances for the future in any wildcat scheme. Public opinion here is still with him. He is regarded as the best second-baseman in the land and will be welcomed back.

-Cleveland Herald, January 13, 1884

Setting aside the Herald's narrative of a Union Association in disarray, I feel it necessary to point out that they called Dunlap a brilliant ballplayer and the best second baseman in the game. And this was before his monster 1884 season. Remember: Never a legitimate star in a legitimate league.

Illigitimate Baseball Interests

Ted Sullivan, of St. Louis, has been hanging on the outskirts of the [Northwestern League] convention [in Chicago] to pick up men for the Union Association. He has signed two inferior players. During the past twenty-four hours the Union Association has lost six men. Their names are known to your correspondent. Four of them rank with the best players in the country. For obvious reasons I cannot make public these names, but evidence of the truth of the assertion has been furnished me in a shape that forces conviction. The Chicago Unions will lose one of their strongest men. He deserted when he found Corcoran had changed his mind. Legitimate base ball interests have been greatly strengthened by this convention.

-Cleveland Herald, January 12, 1884

Obviously, the two players signed by Sullivan were Scott and Roach. As always, I love the Herald's spin on the story. Sure, Sullivan signed two players but they weren't any good and, in the meantime, four of the best players in the country deserted the UA. Good stuff.

Also, it's of interest that the Herald states that Sullivan was signing players "for the Union Association" and not, specifically, for the Maroons. This is evidence that Sullivan was acting as an agent for the league as a whole and not just for the Maroons. While this isn't anything earth-shattering, it's not something that I've touched on before. So let it be dully noted that I've now mentioned it.

Sullivan Signs A Couple Of Players

Milton Scott, the first baseman of the Fort Waynes, and William Roach, shortstop of the Bay Citys of last season, were engaged in Chicago yesterday by T.P. Sullivan for the Lucas Club of St. Louis.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, January 11, 1884

Neither Mikado Milt Scott nor William Roach played for the Maroons in 1884. Scott played with Detroit and I have no idea who Roach played with. I'll have a little more on this tomorrow.

More Predictions

The Philadelphia Record remarks that with the players already signed and T.P. Sullivan as manager, the Lucas-Wainwright St. Louis Club should have a walk-over in the Union Association.

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

I find it interesting that already, in early January, the Maroons are seen as the class of the UA and everyone was predicting that they'd win the league. I'm not saying that that view wasn't correct or obvious but I just think it was a little early to have that kind of concensus.

Predictions For 1884

Base ball prophets are predicting already the champions for 1884. It looks to us as if Cincinnati or the Athletics had the call in the American, Boston in the League, St. Louis in the Union Association, Richmond in the Eastern League, Altoona in the Inter-State and Dayton in the Ohio League.

-Cleveland Herald, January 8, 1884

I'm not sure what happened in the Eastern League, the Inter-State League or the Ohio League in 1884 (and don't really feel like looking it up) but Providence won the League in 1884 and New York won the AA.

Dunlap Knows What Is Good For Dunlap

Base ball matters are booming now. No less than twelve associations are looking for players, four of them for first-class ones. And there is room for all. The Union League has finally thrown off the Lucas influence, will go its own way, sign the National agreement, and live honestly. I am glad of it. There has been altogether too much bitterness used as it is. But the Union Association is responsible for it. The man or corporation who will not defend its rights is a poor one. There is no reason for believing that the Union will take less lofty ground. It will be necessary if they want to exist.

[Larry] Corcoran has left them. He signed with his old club, the Chicagos, on Saturday...

Dunlap will follow, if he is wise. He will find that Cleveland can better afford to lose him than leave its stand. Dunlap is another of your would-be capitalists. He likes money and saves it. One thousand dollars meant a good deal to him, but it is questionable if two months' pay at $3,500 is worth six months at $2,100 or so. That's what it means. The Unions will never finish the season, and must break up after at most a month or two of play. Then Dunlap will be in the position of a man with a talent for which there is no field, for he will be expelled by the old associations...

But Dunlap is of good habits, a fine player, and though with no book learning, knows what is good for Fred Dunlap. He'll return.

-Cleveland Herald, January 7, 1884

In A Quiet Condition

The local base ball situation is one of extreme quietude, neither of the rival organizations developing anything of public interest...

The Union Association Club is working quietly to perfect its organization, and while President Lucas has nothing specific to communicate he says that he is receiving numerous applications for positions on his nine from good ball players, and there need be no doubt that the vacancies in the team will be filled with first-class men. It is a quiet rumor that Bushong will be here to face Mullane when the club takes to the diamond. He is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Dentistry, and is now in Paris studying the French practice of the profession. It is said that in letters that have been received from him he states that if he played ball again he desires to do so in a place where he can devote himself remuneratively to dentistry in the winter months, and eventually retire from the diamond to a good practice. If this is true there is little doubt but President Lucas can offer him much better inducements to come to St. Louis than can be offered him by the Cleveland Club managers, and that he will become a citizen of this city is highly probable.

Ted Sullivan arrived home on Thursday. His trip extended through the Northwest, Milwaukee and Chicago.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, January 6, 1884

Let The Good Times Roll

I can't believe I'm going back to this but it's necessary.

The Lucas nine will be managed by Ted Sullivan, who closed an engagement with Mr. Lucas on yesterday afternoon. The success of the St. Louis Club while he handled it the past season is evidence of his capacity as a manager. He will not have an easy task in controlling the nine that he is about to take charge of and there appears to be but one thing for him to do, and that is, enforce strict discipline. Good ball playing and dissipation do not go hand-in-hand and as every member of the team will be paid a good salary to play ball, dissipation by any of them must not be tolerated. There is good material on the nine, and it is to be hoped that Sullivan will succeed with it.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 23, 1883

Timothy Paul Sullivan officially agreed to manage the Maroons on December 22, 1883. End of story. Res ipsa loquitur. Let the good times roll.

This Is Wickedly Cynical

I love it:

The idea advanced, some days ago, that the Union Association would leave the players that have joined it in a tight place after the season opened, is being used on all sides. It is true. After the seceders from the old associations have been black-listed, they are settled, so far as those associations are concerned. With no other avenue for their work, the Union Association can do with them as it likes. I predict that next season a more stringent rule than that of reservation and salary limit will be adopted by the Unions, and the seceders cannot again secede, but must stand the grind.

-Cleveland Herald, December 31, 1883

A healthy dose of cynicism is just the tonic I need to wash away the bitterness of that Sullivan nonsense. Of course, a week earlier, the Herald was predicting that the UA wouldn't even make it to the opening of their first season and here they're predicting not only a second season but what kind horrendous results a second season would bring about.

Never let consistency and logic stand in the way of a good argument.

Really? Are We Absolutely Sure About This?

The paragraph that appeared in yesterday morning's Globe Democrat, stating that T.P. Sullivan had not been engaged by the Lucas nine as manager was an error. It should have referred to Tom Sullivan, the well-known catcher. Tom has not signed yet, notwithstanding the statement of a morning paper that he had. T.P. Sullivan, familiarly known as "Ted," has signed as manager of the Lucas nine.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 31, 1883

Frustrating. I've just spent about an hour of my life writing up these last few posts and running down information about "Ted" Sullivan. And it was all an error. Now I'm not going to pretend that I've never confused Ted Sullivan and Tom Sullivan because I do it all the time but this is making me a bit cranky.

And, just to complicate matters a bit more, Thomas Jefferson Sullivan (a.k.a. Tom Sullivan, a.k.a. Sleeper Sullivan, a.k.a. Old Iron Hands) did sign with the Maroons at some point. Unless I'm confusing this Tom Sullivan with another Tom Sullivan or, possibly, Tim Sullivan.

Sometimes You Just Throw Your Hands Up (or Difficulties in Historical Methodology, Part Two)

T.P. Sullivan, manager of the Lucas Union Base Ball Club of St. Louis, to-day, engaged Joe Quinn, formerly of the Dubuques, as a member of the reserve nine of the above club. Mr. Quinn is a remarkably active and ambitious player, and will undoubtedly fill his position with credit.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 30, 1883

Seriously.

This not only appeared in the same edition of the Globe in which it was reported that Sullivan denied that he had agreed to manage the Maroons but it actually appears in the paragraph directly above the one which reported the denial.

So in the same edition of the Globe, on the same page and in consecutive paragraphs, you have Sullivan signing players for the club and identified as the manager and then you have Sullivan stating that he was not the manager of the club.

Then again, if we parse his words, maybe Sullivan was only denying that he had signed a contract. I really don't know. Sullivan was a bit of a slippery fish and he had a way of getting his view of things into the papers. If I had to guess what was really going on here, I'd say that Sullivan still had some sort of contractual agreement with the Richmond club that had not been resolved but he had already decided, by the end of October, to manage the Maroons. He was acting in that capacity throughout the fall of 1883 but, because he had not been officially released from his committment to Richmond, had to deny that he was doing so.

Difficulties In Historical Methodology

T.P. Sullivan, who managed the St. Louis Base-ball Club last year, has signed a contract to manage the new Union Club that has been organized in [St. Louis.] Henry N. Lucas, the President of that organization, has sent Sullivan on a roving commission with power to engage any player whose services would be likely to strengthen the new club. Sullivan will visit Pittsburg, New York, Cleveland, and other League and association cities. The club needs another first-class pitcher and two catchers, and Sullivan will secure these at any cost.

-New York Times, December 28, 1883

T.P. Sullivan says the report that he has signed with the Lucas Club as manager is incorrect, and he wishes it denied.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 30, 1883

We know that Sullivan was working with the Maroons as early as late October 1883. In the first week of November, it was mentioned that he would be the new manager of the club and, at the end of November, he was signing players for the club. But in late December 1883, according to his own words, he had still not agreed to manage the Maroons. He may have still had ties to the Richmond club but I thought that had all been settled in early November.

Regardless, we know that at some point Sullivan will agree to manage the club.

The Fight Grows More So

The fight between the new and old base ball association has grown "more so" during the past week. The Union Association held its meeting in Philadelphia, and, as predicted, has coalesced with the Union League. This sharpens the issue and simplifies matters. It is the associations who are parties to the National agreement against the Unions. Neither will win if the unions last until the opening of the season...

The manner in which the Union Association is arranging its clubs in Baltimore, Chicago and St. Louis makes it sure that one management is financially supporting all three clubs. That management is in St. Louis. The question is, will the public take interest in games between clubs thus connected? The life has been sustained in the League only by clean, hard fighting, and for the new association to prosper it must throw off all suspicion of prearranged games. As it is, the surface appearance of affairs between these clubs looks as if such an arrangement will be on...

Of course anything like an interchange of games between rival Association teams in the several cities will be impossible. If they were, the Union teams, except St. Louis, would be found weaklings...

The Unions are trying to snare the Ohio League into their Alliance. The Ohio League is not to be caught by such a proposition when they can enter the National agreement pool upon application. It is for the Ohio League to consider whether they can get a more profitable exchange of games from the League and American Association on one hand or the Union Association on the other.

-Cleveland Herald, December 24, 1883

I'm enjoying the Herald's coverage of all of this. Their editorial stance is a nice counter to the Globe's. I don't necessarily agree with what they write but I really like how uncompromising they are in their opinion.

A Very Intelligent, Respectable And Infuential Body

Henry V. Lucas, President of the Union Base Ball Association, arrived home last night from Philadelphia, where he had been attending the Association's Convention. He said that he found the gentlemen composing the Convention a very intelligent, respectable and influential body of men, and felt highly honored by being chosen as their presiding officer. As for news, he has none. He had devoted himself exclusively to the convention while away, and did nothing of special interest to this community. Desiring to be at home during the holidays he carefully avoided becoming involved in negotiations with players which might lead to his detention. The Globe-Democrat reports, he says, covered the transactions of the Convention so fully that he is left with nothing new to impart. In his opinion the six clubs now in the Association will be all that it will take into membership for a year. The sentiment of the Convention was to that effect. Future circumstances may make a change of plans, but none is now anticipated. When asked about a catcher for his nine he said: "Don't be alarmed about that. We will have a catcher, and one that will be a credit to the club and the city."

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 22, 1883

A Complete Success

At 11 o'clock this morning the Union Base Ball Association held an adjourned session in the Bingham House. All persons not members of the association were rigidly excluded from the meeting-room. President Lucas called the meeting to order, and after roll-call the association discussed at length the admission of certain clubs into membership, the arrangement of finance and other questions. It was decided to leave the matter of uniforms with each individual club, with an arrangement that no two clubs should wear the same kind of uniform. Thomas Gunning was not expelled from membership in the association, as was erroneously stated yesterday. Letters of explanation were received from him, and no action will be taken in the matter until the next meeting of the association, in Baltimore, on the third Tuesday of December next. In the meanwhile he will be held to his contract with the Chicago Club. It was arranged that the Schedule Committee should meet at Cincinnati some time between March 5th and 20th next. An extended discussion on the newly adopted Standard Ball engaged the attention of the Association for some time. After a long debate on the matter of official umpires it was decided that they should be appointed at the meeting of the Schedule Committee at Cincinnati. About two dozen applications for the position of umpires were received and placed on file...

Two applications were also received from gentlemen in two prominent cities who wish to organize clubs as members of the association. Several prominent ballplayers of Philadelphia were busy effecting negotiations for membership with the various Union Association clubs. It was rumored that George W. Bradley has completed a contract to play with the Cincinnati Club. At 1 o'clock the meeting adjourned. This first annual meeting of the Union Association has been a marked success. Fifty-five players from all portions of the United States have rallied around the new organization and have effected membership with the various clubs, while about a dozen others are negotiating for contracts.

Six Strong Clubs

are now in the Union Association, and the full complement of membership will be made when two more clubs are admitted. Then the Association will probably have a membership of about 100 players.

Secretary William Warren White, in a conversation, said: "The status of our association is established beyond a doubt, and it is the firm determination of each individual club to weather the season of 1884. I have been a base ball player for twenty years, and during all that time no association has launched out under more favorable circumstances than the Union. The individual members are gentlemen of well-known business integrity and ability. Then, too, we guarantee security that all players who sign with this association shall have their salaries forthwith upon demand. Overtures are also being made by the Union League for co-operation, interchanges of games and recognition of contracts with the Union Association."

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 20, 1883

Proceedings Of The Union Association Of Base-Ball Players

The first annual meeting of the Union Association of Professional Base-ball Clubs was begun at the Bingham House to-day, and after two long sessions an adjournment was had until to-morrow morning. The delegates were: From Baltimore-B.F. Matthews and J.W. Lowe; Chicago-A.H. Henderson and E.S. Henzel; Cincinnati-Justus Thorner; Philadelphia-Thomas J. Pratt; St. Louis-Henry V. Lucas and Theodore Benoist; Washington-A.B. Bennett and M.B. Scanlan. The first business was the election of the new Cincinnati Club as a member. Applications from Dayton, Ohio, Covington, Ky., and Kingston, N.Y., were referred to the Board of Directors. The remainder of the day and evening was spent by the convention in revising the constitution, by-laws, and playing rules of the American Association, which were first adopted as a whole. Among the changes made in the constitution was the rule on election of new members. A majority vote now elects. No exhibition games will be made with association clubs and managers will not hereafter be engaged by written contract. A player released by one club will not be eligible to contract with another club until 10 days have elapsed. The championship is to be decided by the greatest number of games won. An alliance clause was adopted and initiation fee was placed at $10. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President-Henry Lucas, of St. Louis; Vice-President-Thomas J. Pratt, of Philadelphia; Secretary and Treasurer-William Warren White, of Washington, and A.H. Henderson, of Chicago. Messrs. Pratt, Thorner, and Henzel were appointed a Schedule Committee, to meet at Washington in March.

-New York Times, December 19, 1883

I Forgot About This One

Henry V. Lucas and Ellis Wainwright, St. Louis capitalists, have rented a large plot of ground at Twenty-fifth and Biddle streets, and intend fitting it up for base-ball purposes.

-New York Times, October 25, 1883

I'd been looking for the earliest reference to the Lucas-Wainwright partnership and posted that it dated to mid-November 1883. But I forgot about this article from the Times, talking about the establishment of the Union ballpark. While this specific ballpark didn't get built, we can say with certainty that Wainwright's involvement with Lucas and the Maroons date back to at least the end of October 1883.

Also, I had written that Wainwright was involved with two of the more important pieces of St. Louis architecture, the Wainwright Building and the Wainwright Tomb. I don't think it's much of a stretch to add the Union Park to that list. It might not have been designed by Louis Sullivan but it was a significant piece of 19th century St. Louis baseball architecture.

The Meeting At Bingham House

The first regular meeting of the Union Base Ball Association was held at the Bingham House yesterday. Five clubs were represented at the opening of the convention, which included the cities of Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington. Immediately after the organization the Cincinnati club was admitted to the association and the delegates took their seats. The report of the Committee on Constitution was received and adopted, with a few slight alterations. The principal features of the rules adopted were the abashment of the foul-bound rule, and the strict enforcement of the rule in reference to pitching, requiring the pitcher to keep his hand below the line of the shoulder. Each club will play sixteen games with each other, of which eight will be played on each of the home grounds. The graduated system of the division of the receipts was adopted, each home club supporting itself and giving each visiting club $75. A schedule committee was appointed, which will report at a meeting to held in Cincinnati on the 20th of March. H.B. Lucas, of [Philadelphia,] was elected president and Warren White secretary.

-The North American, December 19, 1883

The North American had a few of the facts wrong. Lucas, of St. Louis, was elected president and Thomas Pratt, of Philadelphia, was elected vice-president. Regardless, the Bingham House meeting marks the official birth of the Union Association. I'll have more on the meeting over the next few days.

Sensational Developments May Be Expected

Henry Lucas says his last trip was entirely in the interest of the association and that he made no effort to engage a single player while away. His park is nearly graded and the space for the diamond is being sodded. Just as soon as the grading is completed the field will be sown with blue grass seed and the cinder path will be laid out and built. He left last night for the East, his objective point being Philadelphia, where the Union Association meets to perfect its organization on Tuesday. Before going he dropped an intimation that sensational developments may be expected within a few days.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 16, 1883

He Had A List

Mr. H.V. Lucas, of the Lucas-Wainwright club, and the prime mover in the new Union Association, now creating such a stir in baseball circles, arrived [in Cincinnati] last evening, and held a conference with Mr. Justus Thorner, ex-President of the Cincinnati club, and the leading spirit in the new Union team to be organized here. The gentlemen were closeted at the Gibson House for quite a long time perfecting the arrangements for securing a team of good playing ability to represent this city in the association. Mr. Lucas is on his way home from a trip East, and he is very enthusiastic over the prospects of the Union. He says that there is not the slightest doubt but that Cincinnati will be admitted and that with clubs at St. Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, it will be a good enough circuit to open up with. He had a list of the reserved players in the league and association nines who had not yet signed contracts. These were examined carefully, and correspondence will be opened soon by the Cincinnati management to secure several of the most desirable men. The clubs that are now sure, Mr. Lucas assured Mr. Thorner, were all backed by rich capitalists, and there was no doubt in the world of their ability and willingness to play through the entire schedule of games, even if they had to do it to losing business the first year. "It is all a mistake about my paying such enormous salaries," said Mr. Lucas. "I have now eleven men under contract, and I will venture to say that they will not average over $1,900 apiece."

Mr. Lucas will return home to-day and will start east Sunday evening to attend the meeting of the Association at Philadelphia next Tuesday.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 15, 1883 [from the Cincinnati Enquirer]

The last quote from Lucas is, obviously, the most interesting thing about this article but what really struck me was that these guys were working off a list of unsigned, reserved players from the NL and the AA to secure players for their clubs. That was obviously one source of talent but it doesn't appear to have been a very effective one.

As I mentioned in the comments last week, the baseball talent pool had to have been larger then the players that were in the NL, the AA and the Northwestern League. There must have been talented players who were not in those leagues and available to the UA clubs. I understand that it would have taken some effort to find those players but it was rather short-sighted on the part of Lucas and the UA not to pursue that avenue of talent. In the end, they got dregs and that had a negative impact on the quality and health of the league.

Mr. Lucas Goes To Washington

Mr. Henry V. Lucas, of the Union Base Ball Association, St. Louis, is [in Washington] in conference with Baltimore and Washington base ball men, regarding the association's prospects for the coming season.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 12, 1883

This was Lucas' final trip before the Philadelphia meeting that would officially organize the Union Association (not to spoil the ending or anything). I'm hoping that once I get passed that meeting we can move quickly to the 1884 season and get to some baseball. But I'm not promising anything. I'm finding the organization of the Maroons to be rather fascinating and I'm enjoying the day to day coverage of all of this.

A Mean, Silly Fabrication

A story is going the rounds of the press that Henry Lucas offered Morrill, of the Boston Club, $3,600 to play with his nine next year. Mr. Lucas says he did not see Morrill when at Boston, and has not made him any offer through any third party. The report is undoubtedly a mean, silly fabrication.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 11, 1883

This isn't particularly relevant but I loved that turn of phrase in the last sentence. So I'm posting it.

Morrill, one has to assume, is Long John Morrill. If you check his stats at B-Ref, he doesn't, on a surface glance, look like much but, if you really look at the numbers, the guy was a rather useful ballplayer. He had some power, took some walks, and could run the bases. Morrill was a decent offensive player and would have done well in the UA.

Ellis Wainwright

Ellis Wainwright was a significant figure in the history of 19th century St. Louis. Born on August 3, 1850 in Godfrey, Illinois, Wainwright was a prominent businessman and brewer and his name is linked to two of the more important pieces of architecture in St. Louis.

His father, Samuel Wainwright, was the founder of the Wainwright Brewing Company, which began operations in 1846. While the history of the company is complicated, Ellis Wainwright gained control of its operations by 1875 and incorporated it as a stock company in 1883. In 1889, the company was bought by the St. Louis Brewing Company, of which Wainwright was president. The company was probably the second largest brewing company in St. Louis during the 19th century.

In 1890, Wainwright wanted a new office building for the company and hired Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler to build it. The Wainwright Building, at the corner of Seventh Street and Chestnut Avenue, was completed in 1891 and was one of the prototypes of the modern office building and the modern skyscraper.

In 1902, Wainwright was caught up in the Boodle Scandal (along with Charles Hunt Turner) and he is mentioned in Lincoln Steffens' The Shame of the Cities. As a result of the scandal, in which he was accused of bribing Missouri legislators, he fled to Paris, where he lived for the next twenty years. It appears that he returned to St. Louis in 1911, when he was indicted for his participation in the scandal, but the charges were dropped in November of that year due to the fact that all the main witnesses had either died or fled the city. Wainwright then immediately left again for Paris.

At some point in 1924, Wainwright once again returned to St. Louis and died in the city on November 6, 1924. He is buried in the Wainwright Tomb at Bellefontaine Cemetery. The mausoleum, like the Wainwright Building, was designed by Louis Sullivan and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It has been described as one of Sullivan's masterpieces.

The two photos above were taken by Connie Nisinger and Jim Miller respectively and appear at Find A Grave.

Wainwright, as I've been chronicling lately, was also involved in the establishment of the Union Association and was one of the owners of the St. Louis Maroons. His involvement with the Maroons is significant, I believe, because it appears to represent an attempt by the establishment of St. Louis to regain control of the city's baseball market after Chris Von der Ahe had seized control of the Brown Stockings in 1882.

St. Louis In 1814

Note: This was the post I was working on as the Great Blogger Crash of 2011 occurred. I'm thankful that it was restored. I may have my problems with Google and Blogger but I appreciate the folks who were, I'm certain, busting their rear ends trying to get all of this fixed. Good work on their end.

I'm working on a short biographical sketch of Ellis Wainwright that I hoped to have finished and posted today but, as the poet said, the best laid schemes o' mice an men gang aft angley. I'll have it up tomorrow. Until then, here's a neat picture of St. Louis as it looked in 1814, just fifty years after the founding of the city. The picture comes from the February 16, 1964 issue of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. I found it at Genealogy in St. Louis and it is part of Dave Lossos' personal collection.

To tie all of this to baseball, you'll find Charles Gratiot's house in the picture (labeled as 12). Charles Gratiot, Sr. was the father of Henry Gratiot, who we know played ball in St. Louis in the late 18th/early 19th century. Motard's Mill, the site of Gratiot's ball-playing, would have been out to the left of this picture and over the hill.

And to give you a sense of where those buildings stood, the Arch is currently located on top of the hill that see in the back of the picture. Here's what the area looks like today:

Blogger's Been Down

Blogger's went down yesterday at about 2:30 and it ate the post that was supposed to go up this morning. I was finished with the thing and was going to attach a couple of pictures when the thing went all wonky. We'll return tomorrow with our regular scheduled programing.

Thank you, Google.

Edit (7:45 PM): I just exported my blog to an external hard drive and copied that file to Dropbox so all my stuff, through today's post, is safely backed up. Should do that more often and, after seeing what has happened to some other folks who use Blogger, I plan on doing it on a regular basis.

Drink Wainwright Bottled Beer: It's Awesome

I went back to find the first mention of Ellis Wainwright's involvement with the Maroons and, just to get this out of the way, there's a reference to the Lucas-Wainwright club in the Globe on November 15, 1883. I don't see anything prior to that. But, even better, I found a bunch of advertisements for the Wainwright Brewing Company that are so cool, I feel the need to pass some of them along. All of these blurbs appeared in the Globe in April and May of 1883:

The Wainwright Brewing Company is now bottling a very superior article of larger beer, to which the attention of the public is directed. It is entirely free from the objectionable features usually attached to bottled beer. It is bright, clear and strong, and especially adapted for fine family trade.

Go to Wm. Gundelfinger's for Wainwright's Bock Beer.

It has become fashionable to have the Wainwright bottled beer in the house. Fashionable people know what is nice and appreciate what is good.

Don't allow your grocer to substitute any other brand of beer if you order the Wainwright bottled beer. It is the best, brightest and purest.

The Wainwright bottled beer is unsurpassed as a tonic. Hops and malt are its ingredients.

Ladies who drink beer by advice of their physician should take the Wainwright Bottle Beer for its strengthening properties.

To which I can only say that I, also, drink bottled beer for its strengthening properties, on the advice of my physician.

In all seriousness, the image above, which is just fantastic, comes from carlylehold's flickr stream and he reserves all rights to said image. He's got some really neat vintage advertising stuff that I'd encourage you to check out.

I Don't Get It

Corcoran, of Chicago, is likely to sign with the Lucas club. It has more cash than experience.

-Rocky Mountain News, December 10, 1883

I understand the insult but what I don't understand is how, specifically, the insulting charge would apply to signing Larry Corcoran. Assuming that that's who they're talking about, Corcoran was a darn fine ballplayer and would have made a fine addition to the Maroons. This doesn't really have anything to do with anything but I'm just puzzled why anyone would think that signing Corcoran would be a bad idea.

Mert Hackett Doesn't Sign With The Maroons

Hackett signed to-day to play with the Bostons next season at a salary of $1,600. President Lucas, of the St. Louis Union Association Club, offered him $2,500 and a blank contract was sent [to Boston] for him to sign. Mr. Lucas' agent did everything in his power to urge Hackett to accept his offer, but Hackett said he preferred to play with the Bostons.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 8, 1883

There had been rumors floating around for at least a week that the Maroons were going to sign a League catcher and Lucas, himself, had stated that he was close to signing someone. Obviously, the guy he was after was Mortimer Hackett.

Dunlap Liked Money

A letter was received from Dunlap, in which he coolly asks for his release. He will not get what he asks. The reason given for signing with St. Louis is the large amount offered.-[Cleveland Herald.]

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 7, 1883

Was there ever any doubt that Dunlap signed with the Maroons for the money?

The House Organ

The St. Louis Republican is the Lucas-Busch Annhiser Brewing Company's Union Association organ.

-Cleveland Herald, December 7, 1883

This is interesting for two reasons. First, there was something in the Globe a few days prior to this replying to a charge in another paper that they were the Maroons house organ. They said something along the lines that they were journalists and not anyone's organ. And then I found this same charge directed at another St. Louis paper a few days later.

The second reason is a bit obvious. If the Republican was the Maroon's house organ, then I really need to get my hands on the Republican. Sadly, at the moment, all the microfilm is being stashed in a warehouse in St. Louis as the public library downtown is being renovated. I can't just walk in and grab what I need. That is a pain in the rear but I'm stashing the information away for future reference.

The Lucas-Wainwright-Busch Club

[From the Cincinnati Enquirer, December 2.]

...Henry V. Lucas, the moving spirit in the well-known Lucas-Wainwright Club, of St. Louis, and A.H. Henderson, prominently connected with the clubs at Chicago and Baltimore included in the new [Union Association,] spent the most of yesterday in the Queen City...They left early last evening, but before their departure were seen by an Enquirer reporter, who had received a "quiet tip" that they were in the city...

"Is the outlook good for your association?" was the first question propounded by the scribe.

"It is far better than we expected," was Mr. Lucas' reply. "Every day it is becoming more flattering."

"More than that," broke in Mr. Henderson, "every club that has joined forces with us has a strong financial backing, and numbers among its stockholders some of the most influential citizens in the places they represent. This enterprise is of no mushroom growth," he continued, "but has been organized carefully, and has come to stay."

"You have ignored the reserve rule held so sacred by the three older organizations. Are you not afraid you will get yourself into trouble?" suggested the reporter.

"That," said Mr. Lucas, "is the most arbitrary and unjust rule ever suggested, and ought to be broken. I can not see how a body of men has the right to dictate what another man shall do. It is all right when a player signs a contract. Then I have nothing to say but as long as the reserve clause is the only thing hanging over him it will not deter me from hiring a player if I want him. The players seem to appreciate this fact, and if I dared show you all the letters I have received, you would be surprised to see the names of some League players who want to go with me."

"What cities will be represented in the Union Association?"

"Well," said Mr. Lucas, "St. Louis, Chicago, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington will be sure. Boston and Hartford probably, with a possibility of a club in [Cincinnati.] This talk about the men at the back of the club being irresponsible is all bosh. Mr. Wainwright is worth over $2,000,000 and Mr. Adolph Busch, of the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Company, who is also associated with us, is one of the wealthiest men in the West. When I started out to sign players the latter said: 'Don't stop until you have secured the strongest nine that ever represented St. Louis, no matter what it costs.' I pride myself that I have already secured that, and I am not through by any means..."

"What play will you adopt as to the division of receipts?"

"The same as now used by the National League. This will give clubs in the smaller cities something to depend on beside their home patronage."

"Who are your officers?"

"We have not elected any yet, but at the annual meeting, which takes place at the Bingham House, in Philadelphia, on the 18th of this month, we will organize."

"Have all the clubs grounds?"

"Yes, and in nearly every instance they are more centrally and desirably located than the parks used by the clubs in the older associations."

"Who will compose your nine, Mr. Lucas?"

"So far I have secured Bill Taylor, Lou Dickerson and Mike Mansell, of the Alleghenies; Mullane, of Von der Ahe's team; Tom Brennan and Woulffe, of New Orleans; Dunlap, of the Clevelands; Jack Gleason, of the Louisvilles; George Schaeffer, of the Buffalos; Dave Rowe, of the Baltimores, and Gallagher, an amateur, of St. Louis. I am now negotiating with a prominent league catcher, and I think I will get him."

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, December 3, 1883

This is the first real mention of Lucas' partners that I've seen in the papers. There was talk of the Lucas-Wainwright club (as you see at the beginning of this article) but I hadn't come across anything specific prior to this. Obviously, Lucas, Wainwright and Busch had reached some kind of partnership or investment agreement prior to this and that most likely took place sometime in early November. I really should go back and see if I can find anything about when, specifically, Wainwright and Busch joined up with Lucas.

The Report Was Probably False

One of the rumors that was floating around at the end of November in 1883 was touched on in the last post but I thought I'd lay it all out:

The new Union Base-Ball Club of St. Louis, it is reported, have signed contracts with Ward, the pitcher, and Connors, the first base man, of last year's New York team. Both these men have been reserved by the New York Club and they have broken the reserve rule to sign with St. Louis.

-New York Times, November 21, 1883

The followers of base-ball in this City were agitated yesterday by a report from St. Louis claiming that Ward and Connor, of the New York team, had signed with the new St. Louis Club. Neither of these players could be found, but it was stated on good authority that the report was probably false. Both are very shrewd business men, and it is not likely that they will sever their connection with a club competent to pay their salaries and join a new organization, being ignorant of its financial backing. Ward and Connor have both received large salaries from the New York Club. The former was not satisfied with the manner in which he was supported by the remainder of the team, and before last season was half over said that he would go to college next year and retire from professional ranks. Connor, however, had nothing to complain of.

-New York Times, November 22, 1883

Buck Ewing, the high priced catcher of the New York League base-ball team, is negotiating with the new St. Louis Club. Letters were seen to-day and as the terms which he named are acceptable, he will in all probability be engaged immediately by T.P. Sullivan, the new St. Louis Club's agent, who is now playing with Sullivan in the South.

-New York Times, November 28, 1883

The new St. Louis Club deny that they have entered into a contract with "Buck" Ewing, of the New York League team...

-New York Times, November 30, 1883

This, to me, all smells of fear and panic. Lucas was shaking things up and nobody really knew exactly what he was up to or what he was going to do next. The baseball establishment was afraid that Lucas was coming for their guys next and I think that was what fueled a lot of the rumors that we see in November of 1883. By ignoring the reserve rule, Lucas created a rather chaotic situation that stoked the fires of the hot stove league. Rumor upon rumor followed in his wake.

Distinquished Representatives Of The Beauty Of American Beer And Liquor

Dave Rowe and the American Association St. Louis Club are fighting. Mr. Von der Ahe claims that Rowe agreed to sign with his club, but when the contract and advance money were sent to him, he returned them and signed with the Lucas Club. Of the latter fact there is no doubt, but the fight has caused Mr. Lucas to publish Rowe's telegrams to him. In one of them Rowe refers to a "good man" that he can secure, and in another that he had contracts awaiting him from Cleveland, Providence and the St. Louis American Association Club. This shows that Rowe has used tricks. He never had a contract from Cleveland in his possession. The "good man" was evidently Dunlap.

Meanwhile no new Union Association Clubs are being organized. It is still hard to see the ability of the Association to gather the knot of clubs necessary to play through a season. If one is raised by one syndicate, the public can and will have no faith in it. If the St. Louis Club is to be run round the country on the old Hop Bitters plan, it may pay its owners as an advertisement for a brand of St. Louis beer. In the latter case the judgement of Mr. Lucas in selecting such men as Bill Taylor, Mike Mansell and "Little Buttercup" Dickerson is to be commended. They are distinguished representatives of the beauty of American beer and liquor as applied-in liberal quantities-to the ball player...In a letter to the editor clear-headed Frank Bancroft, in commenting on the St. Louis Club, says: "I met Ward recently, and he denies signing with the St. Louis. A League player who joins any such wild-cat scheme, certainly can be questioned closely as to his sanity, for the League, who has fostered base ball and nursed it into its present flourishing state, does not propose to let such mountebanks take its talent away without doing something to convince deserters that they will be remembered."

-Cleveland Herald, November 29, 1883

It's not everyday that you see "mountebanks" used in a sentence. That's a word we need to bring back.

And, for the record, it looks like Dave Rowe was the one who recommended that Lucas sign Dunlap.

He Is Pretty Slippery

In an interview with a Globe-Democrat reporter last night, President Von Der Ahe stated that he believed that there were sufficient grounds for the expulsion of Dave Rowe by the American Association. "Under our rules," he said, "he could not have signed with any other club after he had given me his terms. I did not do the business with him. It was done by Williams, who reported to me that he had accepted Rowe and had agreed to give him $200 advance money. I then sent on a contract and a draft for $200. The draft, which has come back, was dated November 14. On the 17th, Williams wrote me that he was afraid that Rowe would not keep his agreement, and, to settle the matter, he had written him a sharp letter, requesting him to either sign or refuse to. The next day he wrote that Rowe had signed with another club, and that he had black and white on him, and would present the case to the annual meeting at Cincinnati. Rowe wrote, as well as telegraphed, to Williams, and there is where we have got him fast. He is pretty slippery. He fooled Barnie out of reserving him by assuring him that there was no necessity for naming him, as he wanted to play ball in Baltimore next season. Barnie had made him a sort of assistant manager, and had great confidence in him, and so all that he had to do to get off was to say to Barnie: 'You needn't reserve me. I know that you want more than eleven men, and as I want to remain with you there is no occasion to reserve me. I'll sign with you anyhow.' Barnie took him at his word and did not reserve him. That was the way that Rowe tied up the other Baltimore players and got free himself. For my part, I don't care about a violation of the reserve rule. I never did approve of it, and don't think it will stand; but when a man names terms to a manager and is accepted, and then signs with another club, that is

A Different Thing,

and I think that man ought to be punished. To my mind, the reserve rule is doing more harm than anything else. It is forcing up salaries, because a player feels more important when he has been reserved than he would if left to find employment on his merits, and he won't sign as quickly nor on as reasonable terms as if he had to look for an engagement instead of having one forced on him. And then I don't want any player that I must force into my club. I don't see how any one can think that such a man will do his work as earnestly and as well as a man who works where he pleases. I told all my men they could consider themselves free, and the only one I have lost is Mullane...

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 28, 1883

I must say that it's interesting to hear Von der Ahe's thoughts on the reserve rule. I'm not sure if I'm buying what he's selling but it's interesting none the less.

Great Pictures Of Hall Of Famers

I'll pass this along because I figure you all will like it and it's pretty neat stuff.

Summer Anne Burton, an artist from Austin, has a website called Every Hall of Famer, where she's posting her work. You can see some examples above.

I think these are just great and encourage you to stop by her site and maybe even purchase some of her work. It looks like she does requests.

Hat tip to keystone at Baseball Fever for passing along the information.

This Was Probably A Little Awkward

Fred Dunlap was awarded the gold medal offered by a merchant of Cleveland for the member having the best batting and fielding average in the Forest City nine.

-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, November 27, 1883

Well, it probably wasn't that awkward for Dunlap. I'm sure he had no problem taking the medal.

Asserted On Good Authority

It is asserted on good authority that Dunlap, the well-known second base man of the Cleveland Club, has deserted the League and will play in the new St. Louis team. His salary is said to be $3400 a year, $1000 of which he received in advance. Dunlap was one of the best players in the Cleveland Club and his loss will weaken the team to some extent.

-New York Times, November 28, 1883

Dunlap was not "one of the best players in the Cleveland Club." He was the best player on the club and arguably the best player in the League.