Early baseball in Wisconsin/Club 1
From SABR Encyclopedia
| Spread of baseball: Home -> Wisconsin -> Early baseball in Wisconsin/Club 1 |
| Location | Wisconsin |
|---|---|
| Year | 1860 |
| Month | 4 |
| Date | 2 |
| City | Milwaukee |
| State | WI |
| Country | US |
| First in Wisconsin | Yes |
| Found by | Dennis Pajot and |
"Base Ball – This game, now so popular in the East, is about to be introduced in our own city. A very spirited impromptu match was played on the Fair Ground, Spring Street Avenue, yesterday (on a late fall) afternoon six on a side."[1] A facsimile of the article was provided by Dennis Pajot, 6/23/2008; Dennis adds that this is the first mention of a game he can find. The box score reflects a seven-on-seven game lasting three innings with a score of 25-21 after two and a final tally of 40-35. The record of runs scored per inning hints that they may have played by an all-out-side-out rule.
The game is currently considered the first game of base ball in Wisconsin.
In April 1860, the Sentinel reported another "lively" game, and added, "The game is now fairly inaugurated in Milwaukee, and the first Base Ball Club in our City was organized last evening.[2]
The Base Ball club received a boost in June when one of its members, J.W. Ledyard, visiting New York, sent back six bats and twelve baseballs made to the specifications of the National Association.[3]
In a June 26 1860 article, Porter's Spirit of the Times noted: "This Club is the only one in the State of Wisconsin which plays the National Association game. It was organized in March, 1860 . . . ."[4]
Sources
- Protoball record 1859.45 from Protoball Chronologies
- Milwaukee Sentinel articles were found by Dennis Pajot, Protoball tabulation referenced was compiled by Craig Waff.
Footnotes
- ↑ , pg 1. Milwaukee Daily Sentinal, 1859-12-01.
- ↑ "Base Ball". Milwaukee Daily Sentinal, 1860-04-03.
- ↑ "Base Ball". Milwaukee Daily Sentinal, 1860-06-13.
- ↑ http://retrosheet.org/Protoball/GT.Mil.htm, retrieved on 2010-03-25.
