The 1875 season
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The 1875 season |
The National League
Thirteen teams competed in the National Association in 1875, the most ever, with the second most being the 1871 season, which featured eleven clubs. However, of those, six did not complete the season, including the Red Stockings (19 games), Keokuk (13 games), the Phiadelphia Centennials (14 games), the Washington Nationals (28 games), the Brooklyn Atlantics (44 games), and New Haven (47 games). The Red Stockings had the best winning percentage of the group, at 4-5 (.211). Of those six clubs, only the Atlantics had competed in prior seasons. As the season progressed, and the newer clubs dropped out, some of the oder clubs began to discuss moving forward without these teams.
It is said that a Western clique has been formed by the St. Louis Brown Stockings, Chicago, Louisville and Cincinnati clubs, and will also embrace Boston and Hartford. The object of the ring is to break the power of the Athletic Club in the National Association and Judiciary Committee next year. A prominent director of the Browns says they will also keep the Atlantic, New Haven, Washington and St. Louis Red Stockings Clubs out of the professional arena. The former object, it is to be hoped, will be attained, but the idea of debarring clubs that have been unsuccessful and unfortunate from the association is ridiculous, and in no danger of succeeding. It is not probable that two or three clubs can run the whole National Association, and should the Western clubs try to keep the above-mentioned clubs out of the arena, it will result greatly to their disadvantage. This is intended as a hit to the St. Louis Reds, but that club will probably lead the Browns a close race for the pennant next year, as a stock company, with large capital, is to be organzied, and Manager McNeary intends keeping his best men together, and with the addition of three or four first-class players, expects to assume an important position in the championship contet. As his nine are nearly all heavy hitters, the probabilities for his success are very good."By February of 1876, the National League of Professional Base Ball Players had organized with clubs in Boston, Philadelphia (the Athletics), Hartford, New York (the Mutuals), Chicago, St. Louis (the Brown Stockings), Louisville and Cincinnati. One provision in the rules of the organization prohibited two clubs from the same city entering for the championship. This rule prevented several clubs from the National Association of 1875 from joining the League, including the St. Louis Reds, the Philadelphias and the Atlantics of Brooklyn. A second provision prohibited League clubs from playing teams outside the League as a visiting club, which prevented visiting NL clubs from playing the Reds while in St. Louis. The two rules left the Reds (and many other clubs) on the outside of the top tier of professional baseball. The Reds nonetheless pushed forward in 1876 as a professional organization. Their lineup included Redmond (ss), Morgan (p), and Dillon (now at 2b), the last holdovers from the original 1873 club. Art Croft (1b), Tom Oran (cf), Dan Collins (3b), John Magner (lf) and Tom Loftus (rf) returned from 1875. Rounding out the nine was Tom Dolan (c), who appeared in one game with the team in 1875 (as a fill-in in Louisville).
St. Louis Globe-Democrat, October 1, 1875, pg. 8.
The season started in April with games against "picked nines" and amateur clubs in St. Louis, including a surprise loss to St. Louis University on April 12, 1876. "One of the queer things which continually happens in base ball happened in the city yesterday, when the nine of St. Louis University defeated the professional Reds by a score of 14 to 12."(1) The Reds were missing Billy Redmond that day, who was newly married the day prior; McNeary (most likely Tom, but possibly one of his younger brother Frank or John) played center field as the ninth player in place of Billy. After a series of wramup games, the Reds met the Brown Stockings on April 18, and again on April 22, losing both games. They then split two games in St. Louis against the Covington Stars before setting out on a short trip to Memphis and Louisville. It was the first of four road trips for the club in 1876. They went 6-1 on the trip, with their only loss a game againt the Covington Stars in Covington, in which Dolan could not play (hurt foot), so Dillon caught (and made seven errors) and "Bohn, the Reds substitute, was placed on second, and he... failed to do anything, although he had four opportunities given him."(2) On their return, Tom (Sleeper) Sullivan was signed as the change catcher and tenth man.
In 1876, St. Louis had three professional clubs, the Brown Stockings, the Reds, and the Stocks, a club organized the previous summer, and whose president in 1876 was former Red Zach Mulhall.(3) The Stocks built a park for the 1876 season near Easton (now Martin Luther King) and Vandeventer, a site the Brown Stockings had initially considered in 1875 for their park. At the tail end of 1875, the Stocks and Reds split four games in October, and the rematch in 1876 was highly anticipated in the city. The Stocks roster included imported players John Abadie, Joe Simmons, and John (Studs) Bancker, as well as brothers Jack and Bill Gleason and pitcher Pud Galvin. After the Stocks lost the first game on May 21 by a score of 10-8, they lured Harry Luff and Jack Farrell away from Memphis. The Reds still beat the Stocks in their second matchup, on June 4, by a score of 6-2. The Stocks notched a win in the third game by a score of 10-9, with the Reds scoring four in the final inning to fall just short on the comeback. The fourth games was a decisive 8-0 voctor for the Reds on June 11.. Jack Gleason received a trial with the Reds a few days later, while it seems the Stocks disbanded.(4)
Games identified to date for 1876.
| Game No. | Date | Opponent | Outcome | Location | Notes | |
| 1 | April 4, 1876 | Picked nine | W | Grand Avenue Park | No details beyond the win provided in papers | |
| 2 | April 6, 1876 | St. Louis University | W 15-5 | Red Stockings Park | ||
| 3 | April 9, 1876 | Picked Nine | W 33-6 | Red Stockings Park | ||
| 4 | April 12, 1876 | St. Louis University | L 12-14 | Mutual Grounds | ||
| 5 | April 15, 1876 | Cote Brilliante | W 27-0 | Red Stockings Park | ||
| 6 | April 16, 1876 | Willows | W 10-3 | Red Stockings Park | ||
| 7 | April 18, 1876 | St. Louis Browns | L 3-5 | Red Stockings Park | ||
| 8 | April 22, 1876 | St. Louis Browns | L 0-4 | Grand Avenue Park | ||
| April 23, 1876 | St. Louis Athletics | Rained out | Red Stockings Park | Game called after four innings with Reds leading 12-2 | ||
| 9 | April 27, 1876 | Covington Stars | W 15-6 | Red Stockings Park | ||
| 10 | April 30, 1876 | Covington Stars | L 2-10 | Red Stockings Park | ||
| Departed for Memphis on May 2 | ||||||
| 11 | May 4, 1876 | Memphis | W 16-14 | Olympic Park (Memphis TN) | ||
| 12 | May 5, 1876 | Eckfords | W 34-4 | Olympic Park (Memphis TN) | ||
| 13 | May 7, 1876 | Memphis | W 14-7 | Olympic Park (Memphis TN) | ||
| 14 | May 9, 1876 | Covington Stars | W 13-9 | Stars Park (Covington KY) | ||
| 15 | May 11, 1876 | Covington Stars | L 2-13 | Stars Park (Covington KY) | ||
| 16 | May 13, 1876 | Louisville Riversides | W 14-11 | Olympic Park (Louisville KY) | ||
| 17 | May 14, 1876 | Louisville Riversides | W 47-4 | Olympic Park (Louisville KY) | ||
| Returned from road trip on May 15 with 6-1 record | ||||||
| 18 | May 18, 1876 | St. Louis University | W 22-6 | |||
| 19 | May 20, 1876 | Haymakers | W 12-0 | |||
| 20 | May 21, 1876 | Stocks | W 10-8 | |||
| 21 | May 28, 1876 | Empires | W 38-1 | |||
| 22 | June 4, 1876 | Stocks | W 6-2 | |||
| 23 | June 8, 1876 | Stocks | L 9-10 | |||
| 24 | June 11, 1876 | Stocks | W 8-0 | |||
| 25 | June 13, 1876 | St. Joseph Pastimes | W 26-6 | |||
| 26 | June 14, 1876 | Jacksonville IL | W 18-8 | Played in Jacksonville | ||
| 27 | June 15, 1876 | St. Joseph Pastimes | Not played | St. Jospeh left town after a 20-7 loss to the St. Louis Hartfords on June 14. | ||
| 28 | June 18, 1876 | Philadelphias | L 0-6 | |||
| Departed on road trip East on June 21 | ||||||
| 29 | June 22, 1876 | Indianapolis | W 6-3 | |||
| 30 | June 24, 1876 | Columbus Buckeyes | L 2-3 | |||
| 31 | June 26, 1876 | Alleghenys | L 4-5 | |||
| 32 | June 27, 1876 | Pittsburgh Braddock's | W 7-5 | |||
| 33 | June 29, 1876 | New Castle Neshannocks | W 10-4 | |||
| 34 | June 30, 1876 | Hollidaysburg Juniata Club | W 7-4 | |||
| 35 | June 30, 1876 | Altoona Mountain City | W 15-3 | |||
| 36 | July 1, 1876 | Hollidaysburg Juniata Club | W 5-3 | |||
| 37 | July 3, 1876 | Reading Actives | L 0-5 | |||
| 38 | July 4, 1876 | Philadelphia Phillies (NL) | W 11-0 | |||
| 39 | July 10, 1876 | New Castle Neshannocks | W 12-5 | |||
| 40 | July 11, 1876 | Alleghenys | W 12-8 | |||
| 41 | July 12, 1876 | Columbus | T 4-4 | |||
| 42 | July 13, 1876 | Columbus | L 0-8 | |||
| 43 | July 14, 1876 | Indianapolis Capital City | W 1-0 | |||
| Returned from road trip on July 15 with 10-4-1 record | ||||||
| 44 | July 18, 1876 | New Havens | W 9-3 | |||
| Departed for Memphis on July 21 | ||||||
| 45 | July 23, 1876 | Memphis Reds | W 10-3 | |||
| 46 | July 24, 1876 | Memphis Reds | W 11-4 | |||
| 47 | July 25, 1876 | Memphis Reds | W 11-1 | |||
| 48 | July 26, 1876 | Memphis Riversides | W 11-5 | |||
| 49 | July 27, 1876 | Memphis Blues | W 1-0 | |||
| 50 | July 29, 1876 | Picked nine (Mix of players from Memphis and St. Louis) | L 2-12 | |||
| Returned from Memphis on July 31 | ||||||
| 51 | August 6, 1876 | St. Louis Hartfords | Rained out | Red Stockings Park | ||
| Departed for Jackson, MI on August 7 | ||||||
| 52 | August 9, 1876 | Cass club of Detroit | W 6-2 | |||
| 53 | August 10, 1876 | Jackson Mutuals | W 5-3 | |||
| 54 | August 11, 1876 | Cass club of Detroit | W 16-7 | |||
| 55 | August 12, 1876 | Detroit Aetnas | L 3-4 | |||
| 56 | August 14, 1876 | Cass club of Detroit | W 9-3 | |||
| 57 | August 15, 1876 | Detroit Aetnas | L 4-5 | |||
| 58 | August 17, 1876 | Jackson Mutuals | W 3-0 | |||
| 59 | August 17, 1876 | Cass club of Detroit | W 11-0 | |||
| 60 | August 18, 1876 | Detroit Aetnas | L 3-6 | |||
| 61 | August 19, 1876 | Detroit Aetnas | W 4-2 | |||
| 62 | August 22, 1876 | Cass club of Detroit | W 15-12 | |||
| 63 | August 24, 1876 | Detroit Aetnas | W 10-5 | |||
| 64 | August 25, 1876 | Hamilton Standards | W 22-0 | |||
| 65 | August 28, 1876 | Buffalo | W 11-1 | |||
| 66 | August 29, 1876 | Erie Brown Stockings | W 15-8 | |||
| 67 | August 30, 1876 | Oil City | W 6-3 | |||
| 68 | August 31, 1876 | Oil City | W 20-4 | |||
| 69 | September 2, 1876 | Lockport, NY | W 55-2 | |||
| 70 | September 4, 1876 | Auburn | W 9-6 | |||
| 71 | September 5, 1876 | Syracuse Stars | L 0-1 | |||
| 72 | September 6, 1876 | Binghamton | L 7-13 | |||
| 73 | September 8, 1876 | Ilion | L 2-7 | |||
| 74 | September 11, 1876 | Lockport, NY | W 16-15 | |||
| 75 | September 12, 1876 | Cass club of Detroit | W 9-6 | |||
| 76 | September 13, 1876 | Columbus Buckeyes | L 4-15 | |||
| 77 | September 14, 1876 | Cass club of Detroit | W 7-1 | |||
| 78 | September 16, 1876 | Alleghenies | W 10-3 | |||
| 79 | September 19, 1876 | Indianapolis | L 3-10 | |||
| 80 | September 20, 1876 | Indianapolis | W 3-0 | |||
| Returned from road trip on September 21 with a record of 21-8 | ||||||
| 81 | September 24, 1876 | St. Louis Black Stockings | W 16-1 | |||
| 82 | September 26, 1876 | St. Louis Browns | L 1-5 | |||
| 83 | September 27, 1876 | St. Louis Browns | L 3-4 | |||
| 84 | October 8, 1876 | Athletics | W 5-1 | |||
| 85 | October 14, 1876 | Columbus Buckeyes | Game not played | Red Stockings Park | Columbus club did not show up | |
| 86 | October 15, 1876 | Columbus Buckeyes | L 0-4 | |||
| 87 | October 20, 1876 | St. Louis Browns | L 10-14 | |||
| 88 | October 21, 1876 | St. Louis Browns | L 4-6 | |||
| 89 | October 22, 1876 | St. Louis Alerts | W 14-4 | |||
| 90 | October 29, 1876 | Grand Avenues | W 28-3 | |||
| 91 | November 3, 1876 | Picked nine | W 10-3 | |||
Eighteen different players appeared in the boxscores found to date for the Red Stockings from 1876. The core of the club, Morgan, Redmond, and Dillon were all that remained of the core from 1873, all playing in at least 90 games. Art Croft finished his second full season with 91 games.
| Player | # games | Years with Reds | |
| Dan Morgan | 90 | 1873-1877 | Played in more than 180 games from 1873-1877 |
| Billy Redmond | 91 | 1873-1877 | Played in more than 180 games from 1873-1877 |
| Packy Dillon | 91 | 1873-1877 | Dillon returned to the Reds in 1876 to play second base |
| Tom Oran | 16 | 1874-1876 | |
| Art Croft | 91 | 1874-1876 | After joining the club late in 1874, was with the club the entirety of 1875 and 1876. |
| White | 1 | 1874; 1876-1877 | White is identified as an old Reds sub in 1877 |
(1) "Base Ball. The Reds Defeated by the St. Louis University Nine Yesterday," St. Louis Republican, April 13, 1876, pg. 8.
(2) "Our Reds," St. Louis Globe-Democrat, May 14, 1876, pg. 6. In addition to commenting on Bohn's poor play, the article mentioned that Dillon was unable to catch Mogan's swift pitching, so Morgan had to "let up," while Collins missed five chances to dispose of the Covington Stars hitters, contributing to the loss. For that road trip, the team signed William Bohn, a player from Cleveland, as a tenth man. "Local Gossip," St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 26, 1876, pg. 4. Both William and brother Charlie had minor league careers lasting into the 1880s. Charlie pitched two games for Louisville of the American Assocoaition in 1882.
(3) "The Coming Sport," St. Louis Globe-Democrat, February 27, 1876, pg. 2.
(4) There are no box scores for Stocks games in the St. Louis papers after their final game with the Reds on June 11. Simmons joined the Columbus Buckeyes in June, while Luff turned up in memphis again in late June.
