Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-29
GREATEST BALL GAME
IN THIS COUNTRY
Ted Sullivan Recalls the Great
Contest Between the Red
and White Stockings
in Chicago in 1870.


ball you ever saw" was the question
asked recently of Ted Sullivan, who has
organized and managed more ball clubs
and given other managers points on
players than any man in the country.
That's easy one: for while I have
seen many thrilling scenes on the ball
field, none can compare with the contest
back in 1870 when the Red Stockings and
the White Stockings met for the deciding
game on the old Dexter Park. in Chicago.
in the presence of over 5000 persons. the
largest crowd ever assembled in America
to witness single contest.
Chicago was then, as now the metrop-
oils of the middle west. and the people
Of that lively town did not relish the idea
of any other locality leading in anything
Of national character. Especially were
they jealous Of their sporting supremacy
and viewed with envy the success Of the
celebrated Red Stockings Of Cincinnati.
They have never played second fiddle
Witness the rapid strides OF the city in
population, passing from a provincial to
a metropolitan city, and then to the
cosmopolitan. 1t stands today the great
est ball ,ss eent .T under the American flag
United States, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. without losing a game, and in
the fall Of that year the spirit Of envy
entered Chicago. and the well-known
Foley-was selected to pick and man
age the new ball club. Foley iname-
diately hustled away to Lansinsburg, N
Y. and secured the cream of the old
lawmakers. a team that had beaten the
Mutuals, Atlantics and Eckfords OF New
York, the Athletics Of Philadelphia and
the noted Nationals of this city. The
aggregation was composed Of rough and
ready men. with the inscription on their
go up San Juan hill and never falter
until they had captured its crest. Their
success was due to their ability to hit
the ball. and not to abuse OF their oppo-
players were obtained by Foley from
the Eckfords and Athletics OF Philadel-
phia, and the final makeup was as fol-
lows: Bill Craver. Mart King, Mike Nc
Atee. Clipper Finn, Jimmy Wood
bert and Levi Myerle. forming the first
professional team Of Chicago.
The opening game at Cincinnati the
White Stockings won by 10 to 6. the
home team assribing their defeat to the
them, for he was the king in those days.
The Game at Chicago.
lie utAt 6diiC was pidyCO III WV
Der at Chicago. and as I recall the
environments and scenes attending that
game, I am sure it was the greatest I
ever saw ON the ball field in my career
as a manager. during which I have
visited every section of the country.
The whole attention of the whole coun-
try was riveted on this game with as
much anxiety as if IL had been presi-
Dental election. The great base ball ex-
$Io% t~I Dab ~
the Atlantics of Brooklyn-was selected
by mutual consent to act as umpire.
Chicago, in its provincial pride. threw
its whole heart and soul into the great
contest The contamination OF its de-
sire to defeat Cincinnati was paramount.
Every one-the sage, the scholar. the
millionaire and the vender OF shoestrlngs-
all wero permeated with the same de-
sire.
thousands Of people came to Chicago
with the team from Cincinnati. loaded to
bet on the hitherto invincible Reds. The
betting element of Chicago at that time
Monte Carlo. and before noon Of the day
of the game they had the Cincinnati con-
tingent bet to standstil.
.'When the game started there we're over
81. 900 persons on the grounds. and when 1t
is remembered that in 1870 Dexter Park
was a good distance outside the city. hard
to reach except by steam cars. you can
imagine the tension on the Chicago pub
lie over the game.
THE Reds soon forged to the front.
playing in their old-time form, and they
held the lead up>to the eighth inning, and
by a good margin. In the seven innings
that Cincinnati was in the lead the vast
multitude and l was one Of them. was
held spellbound by the magnificent field
ing and perfect defense in stopping the
run getting Of the Chicagos. but when the
enthusiasm of the Chicago people broke
loose it overleaped it's bounds.
bave seen fielding in all of It's phases
but that day surpassed all In my history.
In some innings Andy Leonard. the left
fielder of the Reds, would be seen racing
with his back turned out to deep
left field making almost impossible catches
from Bill Cravers and Mart Kings bats,
and in other innings McVey was doing
the same stunt out in the right garden,
while George Wright and Charles Swazey.
wonderful stops from Cuthbert, McAtee
and Tracy and getting them over 20 first
ahead of the runners.
Terrific Slugging Exhibition.
The score was 5 to at the beginning OF
the eighth, and the next two innings were
the grea test exhibition of base ball that
was ever witnessed on a ball field, for the
ba ting was the most terrific that ! ever
saw and the runs made were not helped In
a single instance by an error of any kind.
In the two innings twenty-one runs were
chased over the plate. Think OF 1t! Not
an error helping in any way to get them
on their way home.
In the eighth inning: continued Mr..
Sullivan. Mart King called out to Nc
Aztec. who was at the bat: Let's do some
thing for old Lansngburg.' 1t acted like
an Inspiration just as that of wellington
at Waterloo-'Boys, remember old Eng
land-for they went in and pounded out
six runs, putting them three ahead But
the Cincinnatis came back strong, and by
making three runs tied the score.
I'm the ninth the White Stockings scored
eight runs by strong. clean hits. and the
Reds made five by Just such another ex-
hibition ,f batting. leaving the final score
at IL 20 13. setting the people OF Chicago
bast. bail crazy-which they have kept up
vas the greatest game ever played on
any diamond in America.