The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-03

ord of having beaten every team that
they played against, excepting only
one. They bore all the expenses per-
sonally, some $4,000, as no gate re-
ceipts were taken at any of their
games. But the great measure of the
value of their trip is the impetus that
their superior playing gave to the
game in the towns that they visited,
for from that day there was a great
revival of baseball and a study of
improved methods all through that
section.
1t is not too much to claim as one
of the direct results of the Nationals
trip that the great Red Stockings of
Cincinnati, that almost Immediately
became the first club in the country.
to the visit of the Washington team.
Makeup of the Nationals.
The Nationals in that year were
composed of w. F. Williams. pitcher.
law student; F. P. Norton. catcher,
treasury clerk; G. A. E. Fletcher, first
base, clerk in third auditors office; N.
c. Mclean, outfelder, clerk. third au-
ditor's office; E. A. Parker, left field.
internal revenue department; E. G.
Smith, shortstop, clerk, fourth audit
or's office; S. L. Studley. right field,
clerk, treasury; H. w. Berthrong. CEN
ter field. clerk, comptroller of cur
rency; George Wright second base
clerk, 238 Pennsylvania avenue; A. v.
Robinson. clerk; George II. Fox, third
base, Georgetown college.
The trip took the greater part of
July, 1857. At Columbus. Ohio, they
met the Capitols, and the score was:
Nationals. 80; Capitols, 10. At Cincin-
natl they played the Buckeyes, the best
team In southern Ohio. and the score
was Nationals, So; Buckeyes, ~. They
met the Louisville club and the score
was Nationals, 80; Louisville, FL. At
Indianapolis they played the Western,
with a score of Nationals, 106; Vest
ern, 81. AtNSt. Louis they played the
Unions of that town and the score was
Nationals, 106; Unions. 26. Here, too,
they met the Empires. the crack st.
Louis team, and the score read Nation
ais, So: Empires. 26.
Then on to Chicago. where, in a
great game on July IS, they met their
| only defeat at the hands of the Forest
City club of Rockford, Ill, where the
score was, Forest City, 20; Nationals,
1923. But two days after they met the
Excelsiors of Chicago, that was con-
ceded to be the greatest team in all
that region, and the score was: Ma
Itionals, 40; Excelsiors. 4.
Comment of the Newspapers.
OF this game the Chicago Tribune
in putting the question, 'fWho are the
champions?" said that the Excelsiors
had beaten the Forest City, the Forest
City had beaten the Nationals, and the
Nationals had beaten the Excelsiors
The Chicago Republican, in speaking
of the Washington team after the
game, said: "Of the general playing
of the Nationals we can speak only
in the highest terms A better ex-
hibtion of skill and the beauties of the
game than that given by them has
never been seen. All their movements
were prompt and rapid, and made with
admirable judgment. Their drill
seemed perfect, and their action, di.
rected by Fox. was in complete obe-
position, and there was no impeding
of play, one by another"
The same paper stated that there
. was no doubt that the Nationals were
, tired with their long trip when they
met the Forest City team, who were
, fresh from home, else the score would
have been different. A hearty meet
of praise from Chicago. The gam,
. with Forest City is also remarkable
. because the pitcher of that team OF
that day was AL Spalding, who latei
! pitched pennant-winning ball for boil
Boston and Chicago.
The game in which the champion
, Excelsiors We're beaten with score o.
40 to 4 looks strange when the scor,
. is displayed by innings.
Nationals. II 81 s 1 II.
Excelsior. 20 o 2 90 0 1 l.
Band Meets the Players.
When the Nationals got home Their,
was Heald's band to meet them ant
play Home, Sweet Home to them al
the way up to Cronin's. and Major Ell
lerbeck told them and every body tn
things that are always told on sue!
occasions, and as the boys were al
tired out further demonstration wa
postponed until the following Frida,
night, when there was a big banque
at the Kirkwood House, the headquar
tiers for the players in those days, an,
they had jolly good time.
Hardly had the boys gotten home be
fore the famous Unions Of Lansing
burg, n. Y, known as the "Haymak
ers," wanted a game. This team wa
of a different caliber from those the
had met. The Unions had beaten /
a clubs around New York, including tn
), most famous old champion. the Union
of Morisiana. The New York EXPIRES
told how the ''Haymakers'' would ca
the Nationals up; the betting was 1(
u to 70. There were Craver, catching
= McKeon, right field; Abrams, pitching
Flynn on second, Leavenworth on frs
Mart King out in center, Ward q
" short, Steve King In left. and Penfiel
Il on third. No wonder the champion
= of the south" faced that aggregation
&C famous stars with fear and trenholm.
and no wonder there was no Washing
ton money in sight. But they playe
r. on September 4, 1867, on the Frifteent
street grounds. and this is how tt