Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-10

Success of the First Profess
sionaI Base Ball Team of
the United States.
Notable Contest Between the
Crack Cincinnati Club and
Famous Local Players.

Real professional base ball began in 1869
The year previous had seen several at
tempts to transform the game into an &C.
cupation. when the big business houses of
Philadelphia, New York, Cincinnati and
Washington offered high-salaried positions
| to certain diamond stars.
But 1869 more truly marks the begin
ming of professional base ball in this coun-
try. From the moment it was introduced
| the contests took on finer finish, and the
| improvement has steadily continued ever
since. During all this period there has
| been but one scandal arising from profess
sionalism in this sport-the prominent
Louisville affair of 1877. =
To Cincinnati is generally attributed the
| beginning of professionalism, for it was Its
management that first sent agents into the
east to corral the best players. Cincinnati
originated the idea of Offering high salaries
merely to play ball.
Not wishing to be left in the shuttle, the
manager of the local National club went
out on hunt, and induced several of the
lights from northern diamonds to come
| here, Turing them with visions of easy jobs
| in the governments employ. 1t was ny
[ this device that the local magnates still
could boast Of an immaculate record OF
amateurism, and they even went SO far as
to state over their signatures that not one
| man on the team received penny from the
treasury Of the team. Literally, this was
| true; but,
It was in this way that the Nationals Sc
| cured Charlie Pabor, the clever Eureka
New York; pitcher and his catcher, Hen
| Birdsall There were also signed Bean"
Shelly of the New York Mutuals, G!opony
| Of the Irvingtons. and Coughlin, also from
New York team. But later Pabor decided
that the government job was not 80 easy
after all, and he hurried back to join the
Eureka outfit.
The RED Stockings" of Cincinnati had
| induced George Wright and Asa Bralnard
l. >1o Of
play with Cincinnati. and their wonderful
work with that team won them wide ad-
IMITATION. Consequently when the Reo
Stockings" made their eastern trip men
appearance in Washington was eagerly
| looked forward to by all local followers OF
the game.
The contest took place Friday, June 25, as
I described as follows in The star; never
| in the annals of base ball was there sucn
a crowd to witness game. for NOT only
was every permanent seat occupied, but
| every inch of available space within the IN
closure was taken. The sodded banks.
which in winter converts the field into a
skating park, We're alive with people, while
| the housetops in the vicinity were taken
advantage of by hundreds OF swelterlng
| spectators to witness the battle from afar
! off while outside the fence crowds number
| ing away up in the thousands. had places
on ladders carts. drays. omnibuses and
| their heads on a level with the fence. It
/ is estimated that 1900 people went out to
| see the game Newspaper men represent
| ing local as well leading northern Jour-
nails abounded and had to squat on the
grass, as the press accommodations were
meager and the places reserved Tor their
| exclusive use was. as usual on such occa-
sions, occupied and surrounded by bogus
| reporters and other dead beats usurptng
| the privileges Of the press.
l. ''The Red Stockings arrived on the
grounds at 1920. and after various gymnas-
/ tic amusements very pleasing to thescrowd
Mr. Bob Drinkard of the Unions was chosen
as umpire, and the Nationals. winning the
| toss sent the Red Stockings to the bat.
"Col Frank Jones. the president OF the
Nationals, was sent in to pitch for the 10
| Gals, and his slow, tantalizing delivery was
| constant worry to the Red Stockings
| they claiming that his style was the hard
est to solve they had run up against on this
successful trip.
| "By reference to the score below it will
be seen that up to the fifth inning the Ma
| tionals had not made a tally, while the
| Cincinnatis had put in thirteen. and every
! one believed the Nationals would be goose
| egged' all the way through. but matters
| changed right here In the fifth inning two
were put out successfully, when Coughiin
! by lucky stroke, succeeded in reaching
| first Then in came Fox. who with one OF
| his good old strokes. sent the ball out OF
sending Coughlin in and making home
run himself. The most tremendous applause
greeted him.
'The fielding Of both sides was excel
| lent, but the batting of the Red Stockings
| won for them the victory Allison (now
clerk in the dead letter Office. Post ONCE
DEPARTMENT. is certainly wonderful. tax
| ing three lightning fouls direct from the
bat in succession. In the sixth inning ne
received an injury to his hand ne rh and
was not q passed ball in the game, and
hardly q mistake In the play.