The 1913 St. Louis Terriers

The St. Louis Terriers originated as a minor league club in the outlaw Federal League in 1913, the year before the league declared itself a major league. The Federal League followed in the footsteps of the independent United States League, which formed in 1912 with similar ambitions, but folded in June. The Federal League organized with clubs in six cities - Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Covington, Cleveland - and an express intent not to honor the reserve rule that the National and American Leagues demanded. As such, it was branded an outlaw league, and players jumping contracts to join it were put under suspension by the major leagues. While the league formed in March, 1913, the Terriers were not formally admitted until late April, giving manager Jack O'Connor (a former St. Louis Brown) barely a week to put together a club for the season opener against Chicago, scheduled for May 6. The club was backed by Otto Stifel (president of the Union Brewing Co.); Henry Laumeier, a prominant real estate operator; contractor and former president for the St. Louis Cardinals E.A. Steininger; Walter Fritsch; and State Senator Michael Kinney. Steininger was named the club president, while Art Bader (briefly a St. Louis Brown and a prominent local player) was named vice-president and treasurer. To find players quickly, O'Connor held tryouts prior to the start of the season. Coming out of these tryouts, the squad as published in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat (May 2, 1913, pg. 11) consisted of:

Pitchers: Moxey Manuel (formerly of the Chicago White Sox), Marvin Bridges, Jack Frey, John Fisher and Foster
Catchers: Andy Pettit and Tom Walden
Infield: Duke Sheahan (1b), Jimmy Barton (2b), Charlie Stis (ss), Bill Prout (3b), and Robert Murphy (substitute)
Outfielders: Joe Zoellers, Buck Hooker, Scotty Kempin, Sullivan and Zarmack
Note: First names were not provided in the article.

Of these players, Foster, Sullivan and Zarmack never showed up in a box score for the Terriers. Of the remaining players, only Rob Murphy lasted the full season as O'Connor worked to build a competitive club on the fly. Over the course of the season, more than 50 players appeared in box scores for the Terriers.

The Terriers played their first game on May 6, 1913 at home against Chicago. The reported attendance was 3000 people at the game played at a park located at Kingshighway and Manchester, on the grounds of St. Louis University, which was renovated to house the club. Admission was 25 cents, with the Grand Stand costing 50 cents and Boxes 75 cents (Globe-Democrat, May 5, 1913). The intended Opening Day lineup, as published on May 5 in the St. Louis Star and Times was Hooker (cf), Murphy (3b), Kempin (rf), Barton (2b), Zoellers (lf), Stis (ss), Sheahan (1b) and Pettit (c), with Bridges or Frye starting. Come game time, Prout started at third base, and Frye was the starter. Bridges relieved Frye in the third after Frye allowed three runs that inning. A pinch-hitter, identified as Van Horst in the Globe-Democrat, batted for Bridges in the eighth inning and Fisher pitched the ninth. St. Louis lost 7-4 to Chicago. By the end of May, most of these players were no longer with the club.

Following a three-game series against Chicago (St. Louis lost all three), the club set out on May 8 on a road trip through Covington, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. The roster underwent wholesale changes during this trip. Hooker and Bridges were released before the club even left town, while Louis (Chief) Rehmer and Fred Arbeiter joined the club. Rehmer was signed in time to start the third game against Chicago, on May 8.

By the time the club returned to St. Louis, the entire pitching staff had been revamped, as well as the outfield. Sheahan and Zoellers both lasted just one game into the trip, resulting in the club using a series of outfielders to fill in alongside Kempin and Dusty Miller, who joined the club in Covington to play left field. Chick Waters, the brother-in-law of Eddie Hohnhorst, played three games in right field in Covington, and Jack Powell filled in for three games in right field in Pittsburgh and Indianapolis. After Leo Witterstaetter, playing under the name Leo Jones all season, joined the club in Indianapolis, he settled in in left field, moving Dusty Miller to right field, with Kempin in center field.

The overhaul of the pitching staff started when Jesse Gwin, late of New Orleans, joined the club in Covington for his first start on May 9. Arbeiter, Fisher, Frey, Jesse Beebe, Manuel and Luther Smith (playing as Brown) all pitched for the club on the road trip; none came back to St. Louis. Jack Ridgway (playing as Jack Mullin), jumped from Charleston (along with Whitterstaetter and Smith) to start on May 18. Pitchers Jack Reis and Al Pfyl joined the club upon its return to St. Louis, Ed Green (who played for O'Conner the previous season in Cleveland) replaced Pettit behind the plate, and Jack Mertens (playing as Jack Collins) and David Gaston were signed for the outfield, resulting in the release of Ed Hohnhorst at the end of May and Scotty Kempin a few weeks later. On June 1, 1913, when Carman pitched his few innings for the club in Chicago, he became the 32nd player to appear in at least on game for the Terriers, less than one month after the club's first game. By the middle of June, Murphy, Prout and Barton were all that were left from the Opening Day club after Stis was injured in batting practice when he was beaned in the head.


The 1913 St. Louis Terriers (May 1913)
 Full season roster for the 1913 St. Louis Terriers.