The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-24

"REMINISCENCES OF
old BASEBALL STARS
Famous Games of Years Ago
and the Men Who Played
In Them.
BY T. HARRY SMITH.

/
| The history of baseball in America dates
back to the halcyon days of the early if
! ties. 1t was then that the old Knicker-
| bockers Empires, GOthams and Eagles
| of New York were organized, and their
headquarters was the old Elysian fields,
! located at Hoboken, N. ]. The KnicKer-
! bockers of New York was the first club
| TO be organized. Then came the Empires
and the Gothams. The rivalry was very
| intense between those clubs, and the
| hnlckerbockers finally won the champion
! ship. In 1867 the players were divided
| up between the EXcelsiors of Brooklyn
| and the Athletics and Eckfords of New
York The Knickerbockers were organ
| lied back as far as 1916, and then the
| game was known as town ball. About
! the hrst game under regular rules was
| played in 1857 between the Knickerbock-
ers and the Gothams, but it was not until
1867 that baseball became the national
pastime in the United States. 1t was in
| that year that the Excelsiors of Brooklyn
| the Athletics and Mutuals of New York
and the Haymakers of Troy, the Mu-
tuals of Albany, and the Hartford and
| Baltimore teams were organized. There
are few left of the old guard that played
In those days Among those living there
is none more prominent than A. G. Spald-
ing, the millionaire sporting goods manu-
facturer of Chicago. al Reach, in the
same business in Philadelphia, and your
Venerable Uncle" as dubbed by the
ball fans. Adrian c. Arson. The Forest
fea in their fme sdn Msr9 who a sfeTt
wards became famous as a tWirler with
Boston and Chicago, was their pitcher,
and Arson, who was then a big country
LAD, covered third base, and did it well.
Al Reach Played Second.
Al Reach was great second baseman
In his time, and filled that position for
the Athletics of Philadelphia Mills, the
crack first baseman Of the Old Excel
was, prominent business man of New
York city few years ago. Dave Egg
gler. one of the most brilliant outielders
connected with the New York Central
railway. Zettlien and Mcbride were the
star pitchers in those days, and both are
still living: In the early seventies Zett
lien went back to his old home in Ger
many. He was one of the best in the
first decade of baseball, but Mcbride,
star of the lot. It was only short time
later that the famous Red Stockings of
Cincinnati made their memorable record
IN their trip from the Atlantic to the Pa
cftic in 1863, winning every game and
losing none. Doug Allison, who was the
star catcher of the Excelsiors was also
was then the greatest Of all catchers.
He afterwards caught for the Boston and
the famous Nationals Of Washington, who
made'a great record in the early seventies.
Allison died only year ago in Washing
ton, D. c., where he was a prominent Of
hcer In the government mail service. Tom
Foley another great catcher and all
around player in the seventies, who was
also in the mail service of Chicago, died
a short time ago in that city.
First to Throw Curves.
few years later came to prominence
Bobby Matthews, Of the Athletics of
tons, and Arthur Cummings, all Of whom
claimed the distinction of being the first
to introduce curve pitching; but Cum
Bond was the main support of the IA
nous Boston team when they, held the
pennant for several years. Doug Ali
son and Mcclure were his catcherS. Bond
is now Catholic priest in Boston. He
had fine out curve and great speed.
Little Bobby Matthews was one of the
bratniest and headiest pitchers in the
early days of baseball, and 1t was through
his magnificent work that the Athletics
Of Philadelphia became 50 famous. It
pitching ball. Fergy Malone and Sensen-
derfer were his catchers, and Malone aft
erwards became one of the stars of the
country. He is now lieutenant of police
in Philadelphia.
In the early seventies the famous
team of Boston contained some of
the most prominent best baseball ma
Harry Wright, the famous pitcher, who
afterwards managed the Boston and Phil
adelphia National league teams, died a
considered one of the greatest pitchers
of the early days, and was one of the most
popular managers end players who ever
wore uniform. Harry, with his brother
George, and Andy Leonard, the famous
left fielder of the BoStonS, came from
England in the sixties to teach the Amer
leans how to play cricket but became so
infatuated with baseball that they aban-
doned their own national game and be-
came very enthusiastic over baseball.
| George Wright, the other star of the
champion Boston team, is now the head
of the firm of Wright &, Ditson, sporting
goods manufacturers in New York and
Boston.
Tim Murnanr Played First.
Tim Murnane, who was considered one
of the greatest first basemen at that
time, is now sporting editor of the Bos-
ton Globe, and one of the best writer's
| Of the national game in the country. Ez.
Sutton, the crack third baseman of the
Bostons, IS residing in Palmyra, N. Y.
l met him there only few years ago, and
he was then playing on q semi-profess-
and shortstop Of the team, and putting
up as good an article Of ball as the young
er members of the club, and was old
enough to be father of any of them.
asked Ez. how old he was, and he said,
well, guess about f1fty-two, and if
| was not bothered with this Charley horse
| Would be playing in the National league
| today" Burdock the second baseman,
| who was great one in his time, is still
living, and Harold Mcclure, who was
attorney in Boston. This was the same
| team that went to England with the Ath-
| letics of Philadelphia: and played all over
| England, Ireland and Scotland. Mcbride
and Matthews were the pitchers for the
| Athletics, and Wright and Bond for the
| BOstons. They also played a great many
games of cricket with the English, and
| their brilliant fielding aStonished the ma
.tiveS there. few years later on, in
| 76, II and 78, the once famous Inter
| national league and American associa ton
| was organized, which developed and in
| troduced some of the greatest stars of
| the national game.
| Turned Out Great Pitchers.
The old International league developed
| some of the most famous pitchers of the
| country. Among them was Goldsmith, of
| New Haven, and Tecumsehs, of London;
! Purroy, of Rochester; Critchley, of Albany;
| Nick AlcOtt, of the Crickets of Bingham
] ton; Larry Corcoran, Of Worcester who
| afterwards pitched great ball for the
White Stockings of Chicago; Long John
Whitney, 1.-THE Only Nolan" of indian
| apolis; Harry Mccormick of the Stars
| of Syracuse; William Bradley who aft
| erWardS pitched for Cincinnati; Sullivan
! and Bailey, of the Maple Leaf of Guelph;
| Vile; Kennedy, of Rochester; Johnny
| Ward and Charles Radbourne, of Provi-
| dence, and Bob -Emslie and Billy Mount
| joy, of the Atlantics of st. Thomas, Ont
| Toad Ramsey, MountjOy and Enslie were
| the youngsters of the international league
| but later became stars in the once famous
! Northwestern league, and still later in the
! National, and the American association
| Toad Ramsey and his famous drop ball