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Charlton's Baseball Chronology - 1869
April
| April 3 |
A reporter for the New York Clipper comments on pitcher Alphonse "Phoney Martin‚ writing‚ "His style is peculiar‚ being neither slow nor swift‚ but a 'happy mean.' He is an extremely hard pitcher to hit for the ball never comes in a straight line‚ but in a tantalizing curve." This argues that Martin predates Candy Cummings‚ generally given credit for inventing the curve. |
| April 5 |
The first practice game of the year takes place on the Capitoline Grounds in Brooklyn‚ with members of the Atlantic‚ Mutual‚ and Eckford clubs participating. It snowed yesterday. |
| April 20 |
The first appearance of the Champion Mutuals occurs on their home grounds‚ the Union Park in Brooklyn‚ there being no baseball grounds in NYC. Several hundred spectators braves the brisk breezes to see a 5-inning game. The Mutuals win over a picked nine‚ 30-7. |
May
| May 4 |
The Cincinnati Red Stockings‚ baseball's first admittedly all-professional team‚ play their first game of the year‚ defeating the Great Westerns 45-9. |
| May 23 |
The Mutuals of NY journey to Boston on a 3-day visit‚ during which time they will beat the Tri-Mountains (69-17)‚ the Harvards (43-11)‚ and the Lowells (26-21). |
| May 27 |
The heavy hitting Atlantics of Brooklyn demolish the Olympics‚ 89-7. Lipman Pike hits 4 home runs for the winners. |
| May 31 |
The Red Stockings leave Cincinnati for a month-long Eastern tour‚ playing 25 games. |
June
| June 5 |
The first championship match of the year takes place at the Union Grounds between the Mutuals and the Eckfords. Alphonse Martin handcuffs the Mutuals‚ allowing a run and 3 hits in 5 innings. The umpire calls the game in the 6th because of rain. The Eckfords win‚ 6-1. |
| June 8 |
The largest score on record occurs in a 3-hour game between the Niagara and Colombia clubs‚ both of Buffalo‚ NY. The final score is Niagaras 209‚ Colombias 10. Niagara scores 58 runs in the 8th. Three hours only were occupied in amassing this mammoth total. |
| June 12 |
In a rematch of their June 5 game the Mutuals pound the slow-ball Martin and win‚ 24-8 before 5‚000 fans. |
| June 15 |
After a rainy morning the skies clear and before 1‚500 fans the Cincinnati Red Stockings defeat the champion Mutuals‚ 4-2. The Reds have 6 hits to the Mutuals 8. Asa Brainard scores the lead run in the last of the 9th on a passed ball. |
| June 16 |
The largest crowd of the year-12‚000-watch Cincinnati give the Atlantics their first loss of the year‚ 32-10. |
| June 19 |
At the new Union Baseball Grounds in Boston‚ the first game takes place between the Brooklyn Atlantics and a picked nine from Boston. The stadium has seats for 3‚000‚ and is 396 feet by 635 feet‚ and enclosed with a 12-foot fence. The game ends in a 28-28 tie. |
| June 21 |
The Cincinnati Red Stockings continue their triumphal tour of the East with a 27-18 victory over the Athletics in Philadelphia. A crowd of 20‚000 is on hand. Dick McBride‚ the star of the A's‚ is still indisposed‚ and the team is lackluster without him. |
| June 28 |
The first championship match between the Atlantic club and the Mutuals is played on the Capitoline Grounds before a crowd of 10‚000. The game is scoreless until the 5th when Zettlein singles‚ steals 2B‚ and scores on a hit by McDonald. Swandell scores in the top of the 6th for the Mutuals‚ and in the last of the 6th John Chapman's double scores Smith with the lead run for the Atlantics. The Atlantics score 5 runs in the 7th before torrential rains stop play and the game is called. The final is 2-1. The New York Clipper comments‚ "Leading off the last of the first Pearce took his stand and‚ after watching and waiting a little‚ just tapped the ball and sent it along the ground slowly and reached first safely." |
July
| July 1 |
The victorious Red Stockings reach Cincinnati after the tour through the East‚ and are met at the depot with a brass band and driven to a reception at the Gibson House. In the afternoon they go to the ball park where they are presented with a huge bat made of ash‚ 27 feet in length and weighing over 1‚000 pounds. It is a gift from the Cincinnati Lumber Company. |
| July 3 |
With the series tied at one apiece‚ the Eckfords and the Mutuals meet at the Union Grounds. With the Mutual backers confident of the outcome‚ only 3‚000 fans are on hand. The betting is 10-3 in favor of the Mutuals‚ and very few place bets even at those odds. But Eckford scores 8 in the 2nd and 15 in the 5th‚ while "Phonney" Martin holds the Mutuals to 5 runs on 10 hits. The Eckfords win easily‚ 31-5‚ and are now considered the Champions of 1869. They'll remain that way until some team defeats them in a home and home series. |
| July 5 |
The largest score on record in a game between professional nines marks the game between the Atlantics of Brooklyn and the Athletics of Philadelphia‚ won by the former‚ 51 to 48. Fifteen thousand spectators are present. The Atlantics make six home runs and the Athletics 3. |
| July 19 |
The Olympic Club of Washington‚ on their way home after a 3-week tour of the West‚ makes a stop in Brooklyn to play the amateur Star Club. With Candy Cummings pitching‚ the Olympics are held to 15 hits‚ and the Stars win‚ 49-11. |
| July 24 |
The Red Stockings host a match with the Forest City of Rockford‚ and Harry Wright pitches against Al Spalding. Cincinnati scores 3 runs in the 9th to pull out a 15-14 victory. |
| July 26 |
In Cincinnati‚ Forest City takes on the Buckeye Club and wallops them 40-1. Al Spalding is the winning pitcher. |
| July 31 |
At Ogden Park in Chicago‚ the Red Stockings whip the Rockford Forest Citys‚ 53-32‚ before a crowd of 8‚000. It is the 3rd game in the series that the Red Stockings have won. |
August
| August 2 |
The Brooklyn Atlantics take a steamboat up the Hudson to Troy‚ where they are trounced by the Haymakers‚ 17-10. The winning pitcher is Cherokee Fisher. |
| August 4 |
A unique game is played between the Champion Eckford Club and a team of veterans of the 1863 Champion Eckford team. Frank Pidgeon is on hand but does not play. Al Reach plays 3B‚ while Jimmy Wood plays 2B. The "youngsters" are too strong‚ winning 30-7. |
| August 16 |
In Cincinnati‚ a crowd of 8‚000 show up to watch the Champion Eckford play the Red Stockings. Led by Cal McVey‚ who has 7 hits and 7 runs‚ the locals overwhelm the Eckfords‚ 45-18. |
| August 26 |
The Red Stockings gain their toughest and most controversial victory in their incredible winning streak. Tied with the Troy Haymakers 17-17 after 5 innings‚ Troy C William Craver claims to catch a foul tip off the bat of Cal McVey on the first bounce for an out‚ but the umpire disagrees. After a fierce argument‚ Troy leaves the field‚ and Cincinnati is awarded the game by forfeit. The ump's decision is later overruled‚ and the game is officially recorded as a tie. |
September
| September 1 |
The champion Eckford Club begins a new Championship series with the ex-champion Mutuals‚ a most unusual event to occur so soon after the title changes hands. Despite a high wind‚ the Mutuals defeat the Eckfords with 5 runs in the bottom of the 9th to win‚ 28-25. |
| September 6 |
The Eckford Club starts another championship series for the pennant with the Atlantic club of Brooklyn at the Capitoline Grounds. 8‚000 spectators watch the Atlantics whip the champs‚ 45-25‚ behind 4 homer runs by Joe Start. |
| September 8 |
In the start of a much-anticipated series in Philadelphia‚ the Athletics beat the visiting Mutuals‚ 45-28. |
| September 14 |
The Cincinnati Red Stockings leave on a month-long tour of California. |
| September 15 |
At the Union Grounds in Brooklyn‚ the Mutuals tie the score at 22 with a run in the top of the 9th‚ but the Athletics score 2 in the bottom to win‚ 24-22. The New York Clipper‚ which had asked that the match be arranged‚ awards a Gold Ball to the Athletics. |
| September 18 |
The Pythians of Philadelphia become the first black team to play a white team when they take the field against the City Items. The Pythians win 27-17. |
| September 28 |
While the Cincinnati Red Stockings are playing in San Francisco‚ there is a short break. A Cincinnati writer notes: "One thing noticeable in this game was a ten minutes' intermission at the end of the sixth inning-a dodge to advertise and have the crowd patronize the bar." (Cincinnati Commercial). |
October
| October 1 |
A social game (as opposed to a championship match) is played between the Champion Eckfords and the visiting Haymakers‚ with the Eckfords winning‚ 23-19‚ in 8 innings. Alphonse Martin is effective on the mound‚ giving up 23 fly outs and foul ball flies. Jimmy Wood‚ 2B‚ catches 7 flies. |
| October 9 |
In the 2nd game of the Championship Series at the Union Grounds‚ Eckford defeats the Atlantics‚ 23-9. Surprise starter Pinkham is the winning pitcher. |
| October 12 |
The Chicago Baseball club organizes with an express object of employing a picked nine of professional players for the 1970 season. The impetus behind the move is thought to be the success of the Cincinnati team. |
| October 18 |
The Philadelphia Athletics travel to Cincinnati for a return match. 8‚000 fans cheer the Reds on to a 17-12 win‚ their 58th win of the year without a loss. Asa Brainard is the winner over Dick McBride. |
November
| November 5 |
Seven thousand Cincinnati fans brave the cold weather to watch the Red Stockings win their 60th game of the season without a defeat‚ beating the visiting Mutual Green Stockings of New York 17-8. |
| November 8 |
In a chilly final game of the Championship Series in Brooklyn between the Atlantics and the Eckfords‚ Pinkham's double in the 5th with the bases loaded gives the Eckfords a 9-8 lead. But the Atlantics score 4 in the 6th and go on to win‚ 16-12‚ winning the U.S. Championship A controversy arises when the Atlantics claim the pennant based on the custom of defeating the current title holder in a home and home series. The undefeated Red Stockings are hailed as the best team in baseball. |
