Evening star., 1946-10-13
Baseball Teams Of Bygone Days
By John CIuqett Proctor

The 43d omclal WOrld series
Ia romping to . close-fought finish,
marking the official end Of the base
ball season for ls46, and stirring
memories Of other years In which
washington had part In determine
ing the championship. As the cur
tain falls on Americas top sport for
this season, shades OF the past crowd
recollections Of many, for baseball
In Washington has 86 years Of re-
corded history. The years 1924,
1926 and 1888 stand out In the an
mails of professional baseball, when
the Senators bid for fame. They
finished fourth In the American
League this year. but probably did
much better than predecessors Of
bygone days, whose prowess was
faithfully recorded in early sports
stories Of The Star.
In Washington baseball goes back
to ante bellum days. and there are
some very bright as well as very
dark spots In its history. On No
yember 4, 1859. The Star published
an account Of what was probably
the first baseball club organized in
Washington. 1t says:
"A baseball club has just been
formed in this city and promises to
prove an efficient organization. 1t
is called the Potomac has 81 men,
bers, with McLane Tilton as presi-
dent; Leonard c.. Gunnell as vice
president, and Richard B. Irwin as
secretary. 1t is good sign to see
such h cal h promoting exercises
taking the place of insipid ener-
waiting amusements.
The National Club could not have
been far behind the Potomacs, for
In The Star Of May Z, 1860, we find
recorded a contest between these
teams, and the reporter was good
enough to tell us what part Of the
city the clubs hailed from-the Ma
tional Club from Capitol Hill and
the Potomac Club from the first
ward, which subsequent to 1920 in
cluded the area west Of Fifteenth
street to Rock Creek.
4O-to-24 Defeat
Followed by Banquet
In the early days Of the sport the
team that made II runs first won
the game. but this particular game
was allowed to 60 to the score Of
IS to Is, as the following account
states:
"Basebsll-A game of baseball was
played on Saturday last on the Mall
between the Potomac Club of the
first ward and the National Club
of Capitol Hill, in which the latter
club was worsted. IS to IS, in seven
innings. The Potomac Club has
challenged a club in Baltimore to
play a match game here on the 9Th
Of June next, and 1t was understood
the National Club accepted the
challenge, which gave only 4s hours
notice to prepare in, more to get
the first warders in good play for
the coming match with Baltimore
than to exhibit its own skill. The
Capitol Hill Club has only been or
ganized lately. and Is composed OF
novices. while the Potomac Club has
in its ranks several first-rate per-
formers. who understand the game
perfectly and have had much prac-
tice." -a~ a
The writer turned the pages to
June 7, 1860, and there found the
result, 40 to "a, the Nationals being
on the short end and the Excelsiors
Of Baltimore the victors. Here is
The Stars report of the game:
The friendly match between the
Potomac Baseball Club of this city
and the Excelsior Club Of Baltimore
came of on the grounds south of
the Presidents Mansion yesterday
afternoon. Quite a number Of visi-
tors were present and witnessed the
sport and were highly pleased with
the game throughout, the opposing