The Washington herald., 1907-08-18
ASTORIAS WERE FAST
One Of the Strongest Local
Clubs Thirty Years Ago.
PLAYED AT OLD CAPITOL PARK
At That Time the Different Sections
of the City We're Represented by
WeII-baIanced Aggregations, but
the Rivalry Finally Got So Great
that Players Were Imported.

Sporting Editor The Washington Herald;
The chroniclers Of history Of baseball
in the District of Columbia appear to
have overlooked one club which certainly
is worthy Of mention as having done a
great deal in reviving interest in the na-
tlonal game-the Astorias. a club that
fourished for some years in the late
los and early SOS.
Why the name Astoria" was chosen
will always remain a mystery, for GER
tainly the promoters Of the club and the
players were largely descendants Of va
tives of that little green. isle that has
furnished soldiers of fortune 10 fight un-
der every flag.
In the spring Of ISL Il was that the
club of that name first attracted atten-
tion. Baseball had been practically dead
in the District for some years, but the
Astorias started In that spring with a
collection Of crack players. and by their
good playing attracted so much atten-
ton that rivalry in the different sections
OF the city sprang UP and large crowds
gathered 70 witness the contests.
There was no organized league, as /
recollect II. but there was club repre-
senting each section Of the csy. The
Nationals, of the Northwest: the Eagles.
Of the Southeast; the Astorias, Of the
Northeast, and. I think the club from
South Washington was called the Poto-
macs.
The Nationals were in charge Of de-
partmental people, mostly from the Treas
ury. and among the players were Bic
laskl, Hollngshead, White, Byington,
Sadie Houck. Ecky Stearns. John Lin
ney. and, believe, one OF the Doyle boys
The Eagles counted among their stanch
supporters Col Frank P Morgan and
Charlie Shelton, and their crack battery
was Homer Gates. pitcher, and Sammy
Dean, catcher, and of the players the
DarneiHe boys. Julius Lyons. Gates, Seu-
ter. and Campbell stood out prominently
The South Washington club cut so little
figure that. after thirty years. 1 fail to
recall any one prominent on that team
But the Astorias had such good sports
back of them as Col Andy Gleeson, John
Ready. Maurice Tally, and all the fans
of the Government Printing Office, and
the players were Ned Sullivan and Jack
Reagan. catchers; Grove. Delaney. and
MCElfresh. pitchers; Jennings, Frank
Sweeney, Danny Sheehan, and Sam Hess
Ter, ,infelders, and Johnny BTesnahan, Jack
Rafferty,. and the Miller boys in the out
field.
AstOrias VS.. Nationals.
The contests between the Astorias and
the Nationals became the talk Of the
town, and the crowds that attended ex-
ceeded in numbers and partisan feeling
any of the amateur contests of to-day.
In fact. the rivalry became so pronounced
and money was wagered on the games
in such amounts as to cause both
clubs 10 resort to almost any ex
pedient TO win, and the Nationals i'm
ported paid players to such an extent that
they eventually became q professional
club. In one Of the games the Astorias
brought four players from Baltimore. and
that was the first appearance here Of the
afterward famed one-armed pitcher
DAILY, who played here with a cluh in
the National League. The other PLAYERS
were Blogg, first base; Smiley, second
base. and Louis Say, shortstop, for many
years a star in the big league
The Nationals grounds were at Sly
teenth and streets northwest, the Eagles
played near the Congressional Cemetery
and the home Of the Astorias was at Can
itol Park, North Capitol and G streets
afterward the grounds of the National
League club representing Washington
when it was owned and managed by that
good old sportsman, Col. Bob Hewett
One OF the social events in the history
OF the Astorias was a banquet and picnic