Henry Chadwick, The Game of Base Ball. How to Learn it, How to Play it, and How to Teach it, (New York: George Munro & Co., 1868); 94-95, 102-107.

Book Third.

How to Learn the Game

[Page 94]

Chapter III.

One of the most noteworthy events of the season of 1867 was the trip of the National Club through the South-Western States, and of the ten games the club played on their tour-that with the Excelsior Club of Chicago was not only the best fielding game of the series but the most successful display of the kind the club ever made. There are so many occurrences connected with the games of the Nationals in Chicago that we shall devote more than ordinary space to the subject.

The match in question was played on Friday, July 25th, 1867, the Nationals having the day previously been defeated by the Rockford Club of Illinois, by a score of 29 to 23. This triumph by the Forest City players bad led the Chicago editors-who knew nothing of base ba11-to believe that the Excelsior Club of Chicago would have no difficulty in winning a ball from the defeated

Nationals, and hence they began to crow rather prematurely, as the event proved. The Chicago Times, in an editorial on the defeat, stated that: "When the Nationals shall have lived among us a few days, imbibed pure water from the clear depths of Lake Michigan, breathed the healthy breezes from the prairies and taken a few lessons in base ball playing, they will begin to realize how profitable has been their trip to the Northwest." The other papers had editorials in still more of a braggadocio style, all anticipating the greatest of triumphs for the "Champions of the West," the noted Excelsiors. Of course the effect of these articles on the Nationals was greatly to Increase the sting of their de-[end page 94] feat, and to urge them to greater exertions to offset their previous defeat with a victory so signal as to make it a surprise how they were ever defeated.

The 26th of July, the day of the contest, dawned cloudy, and threatened rain, but towards noon it cleared up, and in the after-ternoon [sic] the weather was delightful, a pleasant breeze prevailing from the prairies. At 12 o'clock the Nationals took carriages for the ground, and by 1.30 P. M. were all on hand, and eager for the tray. A strong breeze from the south, on the occasion, made it bad for batting purposes, and hence led it to be more of a fielding game, the breeze blowing in the face of the catcher, while on Thursday it blew strongly in the face of the pitcher. As soon as the Nationals got on the field they began their preliminary practice of throwing the ball around, and the style in which it was handled gave assurance of first-class play. After nearly an hour's delay, during which the lines were marked, and the two nines grouped and photographed, the two captains consulted as to an umpire. The Excelsiors refused any Eastern man, and the Nationals, adopting the same course, refused any Western man, except Mr. Dietrich, who had so ably acquitted himself in the Rockford game. Although that gentleman did not want to serve, he finally consented, and the game was commenced. A large crowd had been anticipated on the occasion, but not so vast an assemblage as eventually surrounded the field, for by 4 P. M. there could not have been less than ten thousand people encircling the players, between five and six hundred occupying carriages, every hack in the city being engaged at an early hour, while not a light wagon was to be bad at a livery stable, so great was the demand. The scene presented, of course, was one never before beheld at a ball match outside of New York and Philadelphia, the crowds at the Atlantic and Athletic games in 1866 alone excelling it; and as the admission fee was half a dollar, the Excelsiors took in quite a large sum. As this contest proved to be one of the finest on record, we give the details by innings.

At 2.30 P. M. the Excelsiors, having won the toss, sent the Nationals to the bat, and "Play Ball" was the call of the umpire, as Parker took his stand at the home base, Bunker playing at first base, and Willard at short field-both old Harvard players-while Blakeslee, of the Waterbury Club, played at center field, all, of course, being members of the Excelsior Club. Parker opened

the game by hitting all easy one to the pitcher, who as easily passed it to Bancker at first, and Parker retired. Williams was next, and as he began by tipping out, the result was two outs and no runs, with the promise of a blank score. George Wright now came to the rescue, and, waiting for a suitable ball, sent it bounding to right field, easily scoring his first. … [end page 95]

[begin page 102] ….

THE LAST INNINGS. -Willard opened play in the last innings of the Excelsiors, and by a safe hit secured his first base. By a muff of Parker on a throw of Norton's to second, Willard made his second, and running to a third, not only reached that base safely, but got in home, Parker throwing the ball badly to Fox, and the latter muffing it. This was the only poorly fielded innings of the game on the National side. Foley was then caught out on a foul fly by Norton, and though Blakeslee thought lie had hit a safe one out of reach, George Wright managed to run out and take the ball on the fly. Bancker was next, and had his base given him on three balls, Williams putting on the speed to show that he could pitch swift in a long game. By an overthrow of Norton's he secured his second, but on trying to get home he was captured at third by Fox, on a good throw by Williams, thus closing the innings for the one run scored by Willard, leaving the total score of the Excelsiors at 4 only, of which they were not entitled to a single run, had the fielding in every innings been up to the high mark it was in six of the nine innings. A wild throw of Norton's lost the Nationals the chance of retiring their opponents for a blank score on the third innings; one by Fox did the game in the seventh, and the errors by Parker and Fox in the ninth.

Thus closed this memorable contest, the National winning by a score of 49 to 4, a ratio of over twelve to one in their favor, it being the most signal victory of the tour, and the finest game of ball the Nationals had ever played.

The following is a summary of the game:

Batting Score.

O. R. B. O. R. B.

Parker, 2d b. 5 2 2 Stearns, c. 3 1 1

Williams, p 5 4 3 McNally, p. 3 0 0

Wright, s. s. 1 8 9 Kennedy, 2d b. 3 1 2

Robinson, l. f. 5 5 3 Budd, l. f. 3 0 0

Fox, 3d b. 3 7 3 Willard, s. s. 2 1 2

Fletcher, 1st b. 2 6 1 Foley, 3d b. 4 0 0

Norton, c. 3 6 4 Blakeslee, c. f. 2 1 0

Studley, r. f. 1 6 4 Barker, 1st b. 4 0 0

Berthrong, c. f 2 5 2 Oberlander, r. f. 3 0 1

______ ______

SCORE OF INNINGS.

National 7 5 21 5 1 8 1 0 1 ------------- 49

Excelsior 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 1-------------- 4

[end page 102]

FIELDING SCORE.

Fly Catclies-Wright, 3; Berthrong, 2; Norton, 2; Parker, 2; Fox, 1; Robinson, 1; total by National, 11. Stearns, 3; Blakeslee, 2; Foley, 2: Kennedy, 1; Budd, 1; Oberlander, 1; total by Excelsior, 10.

Foul bound Catches-Stearns, 3; Foley, 1.

Catches on Strikes-Norton, 3.

Base play-Put out-By Fletcher, 8; Parker, 2; Fox, 1; Wright, 1; Norton, 1; total by National, 13. Assisted by Fox, 4; Parker, 4; Williams, 2; Wright, 1. Put out-By Bancker, 10; Foley, 2; Kennedy, 1; total by Excelsior, 13. Assisted by McNally, 4; Willard, 3; Stearns, 2; Kennedy, 1; Budd, 1; Foley, 1.

Double plays-By Parker and Fletcher, and by Foley and Kennedy.

Bases on Called Balls-National, 6 times; Excelsior, 2 times.

Out on Fouls-National 3; Excelsior, 8.

Time of Game-3:30.

Umpire-Mr. Dietrich, of the Bloomington Club. Scorers-Messrs. Munson. and Cleveland.

In this match, as in the other two games in Chicago, the Nationals, as well as their opponents, were fortunate in securing the services of Mr. Dietrich, of the Bloomington Club, as umpire, for lie not only acted with thorough impartiality throughout, but manifested a degree of promptitude, determination, and sound judgment in the position, which ranks him as a first-class umpire, and as such we commend him as the right man in the right place in contests between rival clubs in the West. Despite the intense desire of the Excelsiors to win this game, not the slightest feeling was shown in the contest other than that characteristic of two gentlemanly nines contesting for the supremacy, the utmost good feeling prevailing throughout.

After this brillant [sic] victory, the Nationals returned to the Sherman House with very different feelings to those experienced on their return from the Forest City game. On that occasion, they had marred the record of their tour by a defeat which they would not have sustained for a thousand dollars, especially in view of the fact, too, that their friends in Washington, after their brilliant achievements in the previous games, had backed them heavily to win every game of the tourney. Now, however, they had more than redeemed themselves, for they had defeated the conquerors of the Rockford Club, and that, too, by s. score such as never before had been placed on the Excelsior's records, besides having the honor of winning a trophy from the acknowleged [sic] "champions of the West." They, therefore, naturally felt exultant, and, moreover, were extremely curious to see what the Chicago editors would now have to say after their premature braggadocio over the Forest City victory.

Sunday came, and with it the Times, Tribune, and Republican, each having full reports and also editorial comments. As a [end page 103] general thing the reports were fair and correct, but the editorial articles were a discredit to their writers and to the Chicago press. Knowing nothing of the uncertainties of base ball, and ignorant of the fact that the strongest clubs sometimes play the poorest or games when least expected, and that the weakest nines sometimes do the very reverse, they had no allowance to make for the comparatively few errors of their own city club, or the common courtesy to acknowledge the superior play of the strangers, or the generosity to give them any credit for their victory. On the contrary, taking up the rumor started by disappointed gamblers and blacklegs, that the Nationals had "thrown" the first game-viz., purposely sustained defeat for the purpose of winning heavy bets on the second match-they proceeded to stamp the club as a party of men "whose trade was base ball, and who looked to the money received for entrance fee, and gained by betting for the means of subsistence." In fact, the Tribune pronounced the whole proceeding as "a regular confidence game," and concluded the article by stating that the defeat could be attributed to no other cause than the trained skill and "scampish smartness" of the Washington players. The Republican editorial was not as savage as the above, but equally imputed unfair conduct to the National Club; while the Times contented itself with claiming the defeat as a victory for Chicago, in proving themselves to be the greatest muffs in the country.

These editorials were as false in their charges and as ungenerous to the strangers as the previous boasting had been discourteous and premature. On reading them in the morning, some lively indignation was aroused among the Nationals, and strong retaliatory measures were talked of. In the evening, Colonel Jones and Mr. Gorman, the President and ex-President of the National Club, called upon the editors of the Tribune and Republican, to ask all explanation of the libelous charges made, and on learning the true status of the National Club and the falsity of the rumors about "throwing" the Rockford game, &c., the editor of the Tribune wrote an amende honorable, which appeared in the Tribune of Monday, July 29th.

On calling on the editor of the Republican, the latter denied that any imputations were made on the character of the club by his article, whereupon Colonel Jones handed him the following card, and requested him to publish it, which he did in Monday's Republican, and as it tells the whole story, we give it in full:

The National Base Ball Cub of Washington.

Sherman House, July 28^th, 1867.

Sir: As President of the National Club of Washington, D. C., I feel called upon to reply to the foul aspersions upon the character of our club, contained in an editorial of your issue of to-day headed " The Base Ball Contest." In doing this, I at once pronounce the statements made false in every particular as far as they refer to the National Club. It is false that we travel around the country for gambling purposes: it is false that the game with the Rockford Club was "thrown," it is false that our nine is a "picked nine;" [end page 104] and, lastly, it is false that noted gamblers accompany our club, or that such a class is in any way countenanced by the National Club.

Our Defeat on Thursday was as legitimate as one as was our victory yesterday, and as great a surprise to us, and as much of a disappointment as was that of the Excelsiors yesterday to their friends in Chicago. With as much justice might the Excelsior Club be charged with throwing their game yesterday for betting purposes, as we are for our errors of Thursday; the contrast between the fielding of the Excelsiors in the early part of the game of yesterday and their play in their latter innings being as unaccountable as our glaring weakness in the field and at the bat on Thursday.

The boastful editorials in the Chicago papers on Friday had much to do with our victory of yesterday, as they proved a powerful incentive to extra exertions. A generous, high-toned press should have accorded us due praise for a victory as fairly won as was our previous defeat fairly sustained, but liberal sentiments never go hand in hand with partisan braggadocio and partisan disappointment.

But for the fact that your statements have been made upon supposed reliable information, I should have taken a different course of action in the matter. As it is, however, I trust this statement will be sufficient to induce a retraction of the gross aspersions upon the reputation of a club which, I think, stands as high in the estimation of the fraternity is any club attached to the National Association.

The contrast between the editorials of the Chicago press and the generous comments of the press of other Western cities we have visited, is very striking and noteworthy. If every club visiting Chicago that unfortunately runs up against the local pride of the city, as ours has apparently done, meets with such abuse in return, I would suggest to clubs making tours in the West to give Chicago a wide berth.

The following list will show the occupations of the gentlemen who have played in our games since leaving Washington:

Regarding the entire party, reference may be made to the Secretaries of the Treasury, Navy, and War Departments; to the Surgeon and Paymaster-General, to the Treasurer of the United States, to the Auditors of the Treasury Department, to the First National Bank. Washington; Jay Cooke & Co., Geo. W. Rigqs & Co., Rittenhouse, Fowler & Co., L. Johnson & Co., and numerous others, if necessary.

Trusting that in common justice to us you will give this as prominent a place in your columns as was given the editorial remarks referred to, I remain yours, &c.,

FRANK JONES,

President National Base Ball Club.

The italicised words in the above convey a stinging rebuke to the Chicago press. At the suggestion of several Chicago players and others, we wrote an explanatory card, which the Republican published, as follows:

The Washington Nationals-Card From Mr. Chadwick.

Sherman House, July 29, 1876.

As an ardent admirer and advocate of base ball, it was with extreme regret that I read the editorial comments, on the game of Saturday, which appeared in to-day's Republican and Tribune. To the direct charges made against [end page 105] the National and Excelsior Clubs, I leave those clubs to reply, my object being to relieve the game from the stigma the editorials attach to it.

The evil of gambling, in connection with base ball, in the form of betting heavily on the result of leading contests, is one I have battled with for years as the most potent evil the game has to contend with; and therefore, under no circumstances would I countenance a club who either engaged in such a practice or whose object was to make base ball playing solely a business or a means of subsistence. Knowing the National Club to be governed by gentlemen who have the best interests of the game at heart, and being aware that one of their objects in taking this tour was to extend the popularity of the game westward, I accompanied the club to duly chronicle the games in the columns of the metropolitan journals with which I am connected; and throughout the tour I have yet to see the first action of any member of the club evidencing either any desire to make the contests pecuniarily advantageous to themselves or their club, or in any way to countenance the evil of heavy betting, which you very properly condemn.

At all the cities the club have visited, their gentlemanly deportment on and off the field, their fair and manly style of play, and the skill they have generally displayed as experts, has elicited general acknowledgment at the hands of the editors of all the journals of the Western and Southern cities they visited until they reached Chicago; and here, for the first time, I regret to state, they first meet with boastful comments over a defeat sustained under peculiar circumstances, and, lastly, are charged with fraudulent conduct when victory rewards them in an honorably fought battle.

The reports of the games which have appeared in the Chicago papers have been in striking contrast to the editorial comments, the former being as well written and as fair as the latter have been hastily penned, prejudicial and unjust. In regard to the defeat of the Nationals on Thursday, I have to say that under the circumstances, such a result was almost a natural sequence. The Nationals entered the contest more confident of success, and less prepared to do themselves justice, than in any game of the tour, while their opponents were not only stronger than ever, but played a better game than they ever did, while they had the advantage of everything to win and nothing to lose-an important aid to success in all contests. An analysis of the play will show that the victory was fairly won by the Rockford Club, and there is not the slightest evidence to prove that there was a single willful error of play on the National side. As far as betting is concerned, the friends of the club in Washington, who wagered on the continued success of the club throughout the tour, lost more by this defeat than all the partisans of the club won by their victory on Saturday. And in this connection I have to state that no bets, beyond the ordinary trifling, amounts all indulge in who patronize outdoor sports, were made by any members of the club, the alleged wagers of thousands of dollars being made being mere rumors; or, if such were made, they were between the local betting men.

Of the victory of Saturday, I have to state that with the exception of one or two games, there were no more errors of play committed by the Excelsiors-though, perhaps, more glaring at times-than have marked other contests of the tour. The fact that in four innings of the Nationals only three runs were scored, proved that good fielding was shown by the Excelsiors, and certainly over a dozen fine hits in the game were made by the Excelsiors, which would have elicited runs under ordinary circumstances. But both the defeat of the Nationals and their victory were exceptional games, the poor play on Thursday being as noteworthy as the rare skill of Saturday.

Trusting that these explanatory remarks, which I have been called upon to make in the interest of the game, will tend to remove the unjust impression created by the mistaken editorial comments on the play of the National Club, I beg to remain, yours very truly,

HENRY CHADWICK,

Editor of The Ball Player’s Chronicle, No. 102 Nassau street, New York.

The editor thus commented on these letters in Monday's paper: [end page 106]

THE BASE BALL CONTEST.

In another column of to-day’s Republican, will be found a letter from Col. Jones, President of the National Base Ball Club of Washington, written in rather an excited style, regarding an editorial which appeared in our Sunday edition. Regardless of the style, however, we publish the letter as it was penned; but it is not, in any sense of the word, a reply to our comments of yesterday, except that it gives us a list of the occupations of the Nationals, showing, that they are nearly all engaged in some of the official Departments at Washington, and that they are not "professionals".

There is also a letter from Mr. Chadwick, who is well known in base bill circles, defending the Nationals from the charges made against them in this and other Chicago journals. This letter is quite temperate in its tone, and is better calculated to aid the cause it represents than that of Col. Jones, who has evidently allowed hi 8 feelings to get the better of his judgment.

The Times, of Monday, rather enjoyed the annoyance of the other editors and got off the following lively hits, in its editorial columns:

Will not those men who have won money of Chicago people by betting on the late base ball match, oblige the two morning republican newspapers by returning the money to those they won it of?

Wanted immediately, it the offices of the Tribune and Republican newspapers, a base ball club that the Excelsiors can beat, and that will agree not to win or carry off any Chicago money.

Anybody who has won any Chicago money in the late base ball match is earnestly requested to return it to the afflicted losers, care of the offices of the Chicago Tribune and Republican.

The cry of fraud raised by the two morning republican newspapers over the late base ball match, is the basest bawl of all.

Base bawlers-the men who, having lost some money in the late match, are asserting that they have been swindled.

The best fly -catchers-bats.

The Post came out in a handsome editorial, which, in a measure, offset the abuse of the other papers. It was the only fair treatment the Nationals received at the hands of the Chicago editors during their stay.

It will be seen by the above extracts that we have given more space to the events occurring during the visit of the Nationals in Chicago than may appear necessary, but we have done so with a view of preventing any similar injustice being done to other clubs who may visit towns where they are not generally known….[page 107]