Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-19
FIRST EXTRA INNING
GAME IN THIS CITY
When the Old Nationals De-
feated the Famous Hay
makers of Lansing
burg in 1863.

Capt. Billy" O'Meara said he sat
out the game last week when Walter
Johnson was facing the st. Louis Browns:
THE first instance of extra innings here
i'm Washington caused quite a sensation.
heightened of course, by the fact that
the Nationals in going the extra innings
defeated the celebrated team known as
the .Haymakers' of Lansingburg, y. Y,
in 1868.
1.-The 'Haymakers. as they were nick
named. were the famous Unions of New
York. who in 1867 won the championship
of the north by successfully defeating the
Atlantics Of Brooklyn. Excelsiors of New
York and Athletics of Philadelphia, and
came down here fully prepared to wipe
out the Nationals of this city. then known
as the champions of the south.
Great things were expected OF the Hay
makers, and large throng assembled at
the old Baltimore and Ohio depot to well
come the players, who came down here
accompanied by about Seventy-hVe
friends-fans they would be called now
and they made Wizards Hotel their head
quarters. The crowd escorted them to the
hotel and later on in the evening the Wis
itors were serenaded by Withers Cornet
Band. Now 1t reads like fairy story TO
relate such instances as these, in the light
Of today, where teams come and go Tor
ever and never noticed.
1T was the opening game also for the
new grounds at 18th and T streets, and
naturally with the champions as an at
traction a big crowd was in attendance,
the two teams coming out to the grounds
in four-horSe omnibuses OF the hotel. IL
was q sight worth seeing, and the state
Department, then on 14th street, IN the
building now used as the orphan asylum,
IN
windows watching the game.
with the prestige Of the Haymakers
preceding them, few, If any, of the locals
expected a victory, SO the money OF the
New Workers went begging at pig oods
before the contest was started; but from
the way the Nationals went out after
Abrams, the noted pitcher Of the Hay
makers, It looked like easy going for the
champions of the south.
"Up to the sixth inning the score was
16 to 6 in favor Of the locals, and George
Wright, who was pitching, was COM
pletely fooling the heavy hitters from the
meadows around New York, but in their
half they began a cannonading and bat
ted in eleven runs. which placed them
one ahead. Billy Williams relieved
Wright In this inning. but in the next one
the Haymakers added nine more, while
the Nationals tailed six times. making
the score Is to % in favor Of New York.
I'm the eighth inning the Nationals
scored four more runs ana lieu tlle SCore
amid great excitement, In which the New
York contingent went wild in their en-
deavors to place some of their money on
the ultimate result. Billy Williams was
pitching his best and in both the eighth
and ninth BANKED the visitors, and as
they failed to score in the ninth also an
extra inning was necessary. Strange to
say, the Nationals scored in every in
ming but the ninth.
'Jn the tenth the Haymakers, aided by
some salty errors on the part OF
Hodges and Parker, scored two runs and
it looked as though it was all over, but
the heavy hitting bunch on the Ma
tionals walloped the ball all over the lot
scored five tallies and defeated the cham
pions In the first extra inning game ever
played in the National capital.
1.-The score of that first extra inning
game Is worth publishing" said Capt.
Billy, and here it is: