Old Boston Boys and The Games They Played

By James D'Wolf Lovett

[Editors note: In 1907 James D'Wolf Lovett published a book about the games that he played as a young man in Boston in the mid 19th Century. Chapters 12 through 19 were dedicated to baseball and tells us much about the teams that began in the 1850s playing the "Massachusetts Game" and ended up playing the imported "New York Game." The author himself states that this "is not intended in any way to be a history of baseball in New England," but it is an insightful look into this important part of the early history of The National Game by a former member of the Lowell Base Ball Club. These chapters are reproduced below.]

See also: National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, 'Early Baseball' Terminology.

CHAPTER XII

IT seems to be the natural instinct of a boy, as soon as he finds the use of his arms, to want to "bat" something, accompanied by the desire to see the object thus batted give some evidence of having been affected by it, either in the exclamation of Nurse, as he lands his dimpled boxing glove upon her physiognomy, or, if the object be an inanimate one, to see it recoil before his prowess. This latter is naturally a ball of some kind, and is patiently brought back that he may repeat the operation ad infinitum.

As soon as he can toddle alone he pursues and kicks the ball from place to place, or strikes it with his hand, stick, or what not, thus developing the incipient stages of football or baseball, until his efforts gradually increasing through the coming years, finally culminate upon the "gridiron" or "diamond." This natural affinity between bat and ball is as old as the human race.

The affinity between "bats" of a different nature and "high balls" will not be touched upon, though it might be noted that this relaxation also sometimes culminates in the gridiron, the bars, however, assuming a perpendicular, instead of a horizontal position.

Games in which a ball was used are of very ancient origin, as we know; but when, where, and by whom first played is beyond our ken. Homer, in the Odyssey, mentions the Phaeacian damsels as playing ball to the sound of music; and later, Shakespeare speaks of the games of "base" and "rounders." This latter some authorities claim to be a direct ancestor of our present game of baseball, while others differ from this opinion. Mr. A. G. Spalding disclaims the rounders ancestry, and thinks that the game as now played was evolved from what was known as "two old cats, three old cats," etc.

That veteran and "father" of our national game, Mr. Henry Chadwick, in a treatise upon the subject, published in 1868, holds to the opinion that "rounders" was changed to "town ball," and that this later on was again changed into our old Massachusetts game, the change consisting mainly in the fact that the ball was increased in size and weight and thrown to the batter instead of being pitched or tossed; and that this latter was in turn converted into the "New York" or National game as we know it to-day.

In view of the fact that when we could not get hands enough for the Massachusetts game we used to content ourselves with two, three, or four old cats, as the case might be, and counted the latter as merely a makeshift instead of a distinct game by itself, it seems to me that each of them contributed something towards the game as played to-day, instead of either one being the direct parent of it.

However, whatever the origin of our National game may have been, it is to-day a good, healthy recreation, calling for recruits who must be sound mentally and physically, and therefore a game making for the good of our young men, and, together with other outdoor sports sprung up since its adoption, it has effectually freed us Americans from the reproach that used to be cast upon us by our English relatives, of being a nation given only to seeking the almighty dollar.

Moreover, the game has come to stay, and while, doubtless, still capable of many improvements, it will increase in popularity as time goes on, rather than fall off, as cricket has, in this country. The first regularly organized club to play the Massachusetts game in New England was the "Olympics" of Boston, in 1854. In 1855 the "Elm Trees" took root, and in 1857 the "Green Mountains" and "Hancocks" saw the light.

The last named was a junior club for which Sam Bradstreet caught and I threw. We played many matches with other junior clubs from the suburbs but were never defeated. Bradstreet was a fine catcher and could almost pick a ball off the striker's bat. I used to throw a swift ball about where he signaled for it, and the battery was counted a good one. The ball had a small buckshot in its centre and was covered with buckskin or chamois leather.

Instead of throwing to the baseman, to cut off a runner, as is now done, the ball was thrown directly at the runner himself : a moving object, however, is not so easy to hit and many misses were made as well as bull's-eyes. I remember once seeing Harry Forbush of the Olympics in a hard-fought game with a Holliston club, which was one of the best in the State, following up a base runner, but a little afraid to throw at him for fear of a miss, the man being ready to " duck at the flash," so he feinted and the man dropped like lightning upon his stomach, whereupon Harry, who was now nearly over him, grinned with triumph and let him have it as tight as he could throw. The fellow squirmed a little, but nothing could be said. The close rivalry between the clubs no doubt put a little unnecessary ginger into Forbush's arm; but that was the game.

Four stout stakes driven into the ground, leaving about five feet out, were used as bases. In one of the Hancocks' games a runner was playing well off the first base and I, instead of throwing to Bradstreet, changed the direction a little and struck the unsuspecting runner full in the stomach. It did not hurt him much, but the surprise and dismay upon his face at thus suddenly finding himself put out caused much laughter. It was a risky shot, but the game was a close one and I took the chances.

Fred Nazro, Bert Bradish, Jack Oviatt, and Gus Bradstreet also played on this team.

As there were no foul balls in this game, some of the players had a knack of shortening up their bat, — that is, grasping it near the middle, — and by a quick turn of the wrist striking the ball, as it passed them, in the same direction in which it was thrown, thus avoiding the fielders and giving the striker a good start on his bases. This mode of striking, however, led to lots of trouble for the catcher, who sometimes got a bad blow from the bat as it was swung back; and it moreover led to bad blood between rival teams, as there is no doubt that catchers were sometimes intentionally disabled in this way.

A purse was usually played for by the senior clubs, which naturally encouraged any sharp practice of this kind. This mode of back striking was carried so far that bats not more than twelve or fifteen inches long and with a flat surface were used, and instead of making any attempt to strike with it, this bat was merely held at a sharp angle and the ball allowed to glance off it, over the catcher's head. The back of a hairbrush would have served this kind of batter's purpose equally well, and afterwards might and should have been vigorously applied to him, in the good old-fashioned way.

CHAPTER XIII

TO go back a little way, let me say, not as a matter of interest to anybody, but simply as a means of connecting the events in the career of a mature ball player with the circumstances which led up to them, that my first attempts at this game were made with the leg of a chair and a quilted ball which my father made for me.

The ready-made ball of those days, for sale, was either a mushy, pulpy-feeling thing, with a soft cotton string quilting over it which wore out in a few days; or else a rubber one, solid or hollow, as one preferred; but all equally unfit for batting purposes.

The balls which my father taught me to make were of tightly wound yarn, with a bit of rubber at the core, quilted with good, tough twine, and would last a long time; and when needed new jackets could be put upon them.

Thus equipped I used to whack the ball about in my back yard, until I felt the need of a real bat; but bats could not be bought then as they are now — hundreds to choose from, of all shapes and sizes.

Clubs had them made to order, and boys had to do likewise or make them themselves. There were no shops carrying "athletic goods," and bats were not often enough called for to be carried in stock by anybody.

This being the case, my father again came to the rescue, as he always did, God bless him ! and made me a little bat of black walnut. I can see it now; it had a round handle for about a foot and was then gradually widened out into two flat sides, being perhaps an inch and a half thick. I describe it thus minutely simply because I can see it so plainly and thought so much of it.

He took me onto the Common with him one afternoon to see how it would work and it was a great success. Once a boy stole it from me, and I ran after him, crying, until a man rescued it and made me happy again.

Like all the other boys I saw, I used to toss up the ball and then swing the bat around my head, describing a great circle, and perhaps connect with the former once in five or six times. I puzzled my head trying to find a better way to do this and finally hit upon the plan of drawing the bat back in a straight line, instead of round in a circle, and by this method I could soon strike the ball nearly every time.

I once saw Charlie Troupe bat a solid rubber "peach" ball, as they were called, straight up into the air, where it went so high that I could scarcely believe my eyes. Several of us who saw him do it laughed in a silly sort of wonder at the length of time it remained up there. It really was a most remarkable stroke and I have never seen a ball knocked so "sky high" since.

I have sometimes thought that it might prove rather interesting to time balls knocked up in this way, in order to test a batter's powers in this direction.

Well, the little black walnut bat at last went the way of all bats, and broke; but by this time I had outgrown it and wanted one like the others in use, — that is, round and not square, — so I got a carpenter to make me one out of spruce, according to my directions; it was good enough for a boy of my age, and stood all the strength that I could put into it.

At this time a lot of the mechanics, firemen, etc., of the West End occasionally used to meet on the Common for a game among themselves, and would let me take a hand; but I could not strike a thrown ball with any great success and so they would toss them to "young Jimmy," as they called me. I did not, however, distinguish myself in spite of this leniency, and they would laugh to see me cut stripes in the atmosphere. I suppose that I did sometimes make a hit, but I can't recall one. However, I enjoyed the fun and kept at it and a little later got in with some older boys who, though not a regularly organized club, used to congregate almost every day, choose sides, and take in any boy who might want to play, if the sides were not already filled.

With these boys I was put upon my mettle and improved rapidly. I was naturally a good thrower for a short distance, and my "batting eye" grew to be pretty accurate, so that I soon came to be chosen among the first.

The mode of choosing sides was about as follows: one of the two captains would sharply toss a bat, held in a perpendicular position, to the other, who would catch it wherever he could. The one who tossed it would then place one of his hands above and touching that of the other, and so on, alternately, until the knob on the end was reached, when the last one would endeavor, by digging his thumb and finger nails down inside the other's grip, to get such a hold upon it as would enable him to swing the bat three times around his head. Failing to do this, the other had his first choice of the players for his side, and then the choosing proceeded alternately and rapidly.

The reader will, no doubt, wonder why a coin was not "flipped" up and the first choice decided in a jiffy. Well, it was a boy's way of deciding; and it afforded some sort of fun, mingled with a mild excitement, as the two neared the top of the bat, to watch the last one try to get a hold upon the rounded knob and with clenched teeth swing the bat around his head.

Boys are queer animals, anyway. The proverbial old maid is not a circumstance to him as I knew him fifty years ago. He had to do things in just such a way and at just such a time. Each game had its specially appointed season. Kite flying was not allowed to infringe upon top spinning, nor could the latter be continued when marbles came on deck, and so on.

Old maid, indeed!

CHAPTER XIV

IN 1857 the Hancock Club was started, as I have related; and in that same year the New York game got the thin edge of its wedge into New England.

Mr. E. G. Saltzman, a member of the Gotham Club of New York, for which he played second base, came to Boston in this year, and feeling the lack of his favorite pastime, set to work to form a club and teach the members the mysteries of this latest form of the game. It was uphill work, however, as the Massachusetts game was in full blast, and new-fangled ideas were looked upon with that coy conservatism which came over from England and landed upon a Rock down Plymouth way some years previously.

Mr. Saltzman, however, was a "stayer," and he had a good article; the consequence being that the Tri-Mountain Club was formed that fall and had the honor of being the first organization in New England under the new rules.

The next city to follow the Tri-Mountain's lead was Portland, Maine, where the Portland Club was formed in 1858 and in the fall of that same year visited Boston to try its newly fledged strength against its yearling rival. This of course was the first match ever played in New England under the new rules, and took place on the Common.

The Portlands won by the score of 47 to 42. This match was attended by many ball players, local and otherwise, who were curious to see what the new thing was like, and who looked on with a dignified toleration befitting those who "guessed" that the old game was good enough for them. But some who came to scoff remained to pray. It was evident that this new type was "catching" and that many present were in that condition when they are said to "take things." There were points about the new game which appealed to them.

The pitching, instead of swift throwing, looked easy to hit, and the pitcher stood off so far, and then there was no danger of getting plugged with the ball while running bases; and the ball was so lively and could be batted so far! Yes, decidedly, there were points about this new game which pleased many who had never played ball before, and who thought that they would like to try it; so the reports spread until they reached Springfield, and there, the next spring, 1858, the Pioneer Club was formed, and also the Atwater of Westfield, the Nonotuck and Union of Northampton, as well as two or three others. The first-mentioned two were the leading clubs in Western Massachusetts, and, later on, played some fine games.

In 1859 the Bowdoin Club was formed in Boston with the intention of playing ball in the good old Massachusetts way; but, just for the fun of the thing, they tried the new rules to see how they worked and, behold! the whole nine proved to be in the receptive condition above alluded to, and were promptly infected with the new germ, so that the New York game was adopted forthwith, and their conversion was of great assistance to the cause, as they were one of the leading clubs in New England until 1863, when they disbanded.

They played but one game in this, their first season, which was with the Tri-Mountains, beating them 32 to 26.

As it will interest some of the old-timers to know who played in this game, the names are herewith given : The Bowdoin Club was John Lowell, catcher; Archibald, pitcher; Albert Crosby, first base; Sawyer, second base; Crowley, third base; Harry Gill, short-stop; Gardner, right field; Leach, centre field; and Harry Forbush, left field.

Tri-Mountains: Ben Guild, catcher; Saltzman, pitcher; Dinsmore, first base; Coe, second base; Bigelow, third base; Arnold, short-stop; Chandler, right field; Fletcher, left field; Lyons, centre field.

This is not intended in any way to be a history of baseball in New England; I am only striving to give some of the more salient features of its progress amongst us which came under my own observation, and to relate a few of my own personal experiences and those of the club with which I played. Consequently, the Lowell Club will of necessity stand out prominently in the following pages, which fact I trust will be pardoned by the reader.

The return game between the Tri-Mountains and Bowdoins was played on the Common September 22, 1860, when the latter again won, 36 to 19.

In 1861 the Civil War cloud burst and many baseball plans were disarranged thereby, some of the players enlisting upon the first call for troops; and during the war's progress upwards of fifty members of Boston clubs were to be found in Uncle Sam's ranks.

Before this time many of us boys had been allowed occasionally to take a hand in the Tri-Mountains' or Bowdoins' games, and were found to be ready converts to the new style of playing, our previous training, of course, proving of great service to us.

Our aptness was quickly recognized by the seniors, and one evening Mr. Horace Chandler, one of the Bowdoins, and son of the late Hon. Peleg W. Chandler, called at my house and said that he did so at the request of John Lowell, who, with himself and others, thought it most desirable that a junior club be formed, as the material promised well, etc., etc.

The result was that I and several others went at once to work and procured enough names without any difficulty. In fact, nobody, as far as I can remember, refused.

We held the first meeting at John A. Lowell's office, then on the corner of Summer and Washington streets, over Shreve, Crump & Low's jewelry store, and elected the following officers: President, George G. Richards; Vice-President, Samuel Bradstreet, Jr.; Secretary, George S. B. Sullivan; Treasurer, William French; Directors, Marsh P. Stafford, George B. Wilder, and J. D'W. Lovett.

The club was named in honor of Mr. Lowell, then President of the Bowdoins, and who had most kindly encouraged us in every way. The Bowdoins gave us a good send-off by voting us a full set of implements, and we went at it with a will. This was in March, 1861, and by the next October we tried our wings in a game with the Medford Club at Medford. There was a good-sized crowd to see our maiden effort, as we had lots of friends who anticipated for us a fair chance to win from the senior club.

Lowell The 1865 Lowell Base Ball Club. From left to right: J.D'W Lovett, S. Adams, W.H. Alline, G.S. Miller (captain), W.B. Joslin, R.C. Watson, G.B. Wilder, A. Crosby, F.H. Sumner.

"On the 16th inst. a very exciting match of baseball between the Lowell Club of Boston and the Medford Club of Medford was played on the grounds of the latter. This being the debut of the Lowells (which, by the way, is a junior club), called out quite a concourse of the friends of both parties. Miller's pitching on the Lowell side was swift and to the mark, and the way he generaled the game does good credit to himself and his club. Wilder, as catcher, was very effective and marked his play by some difficult catches of foul balls; one in particular, a left-hand catch on the fly. Lovett's short was brilliant throughout, he not missing a fly. Lovett's short was brilliant throughout, he not missing a single stop or throw to the bases, and his backing up of the bases was a specimen of good fielding. Adams held with vice-like grip every ball that was passed to him. Joslin's second was well attended to, as was also the third. In the outfield some tall fielding was done by Hawes and Richards; Fuller, as is quite unusual, not having anything to do, owing to Miller's swift pitching.

"Of the Medfords, Rapp, as short, although the position was new to him, did good execution; Clark pitched in a steady manner and watched the bases well. Banker¹ is a cool player and his score of no outs and three runs looked well for his side. Burbank played his second in good shape, but was very unfortunate at the bat. Another season the senior clubs will have to look out for their laurels, for such fielding as was shown by the Lowells seldom occurs."

Thus were we fairly launched upon a career which continued for nearly twelve years.

In looking back over this period it seems evident to me that it would have been for the best interests of the club to have disbanded either in the spring or fall of 1869, when it was at its best; for, although we afterwards won games occasionally, still, as I shall later on endeavor to show, for good and sufficient reasons and through no fault of ours, '70, '71, and '72 were regrettable years to the original members and their friends, and would much better have been forestalled by non-existence of the club.

The season of 1862 opened with bright prospects for us, and in June we played our second match, this time with the Bowdoins, who beat us 23 to 14.

On July 10 the Excelsiors of New York arrived in Boston. They were in their prime at this time, and, being the first New York club to visit Boston, created much excitement. Their nine consisted of Young, Russell, Pearsall, Polhemus, Brainard, Flanley, Creighton, Cook, and Leggett. Ball players from all parts of New England came to see them play, and our eyes were opened to many things.

They beat the Bowdoins 41 to 15. Much good-natured chaff was passed back and forth between John Lowell and Joe Leggett in this game, which made fun for everybody. Once when the latter was at the bat, he motioned to John, who was then playing centre field, to go back a little further; John backed off about ten feet, upon which Leggett sung out, "A little further, still, John," and the latter, laughing, backed away another ten feet, whereupon Leggett struck a ball and sent it flying over John's head for a home run, amidst shouts of laughter from the crowd.

It was certainly a privilege to have seen Jim Creighton pitch and Joe Leggett catch him. Creighton was at this time but sixteen years old! And yet nobody had ever approached him in speed and accuracy of delivery. He was equally popular in cricket and baseball. He died at the age of twenty one years, mourned by the entire athletic community. He went through an entire season without making a single out, — a feat nobody has ever accomplished before or since, to my knowledge. The Excelsiors erected a fine monument to his memory, and he is to-day spoken of as the "lamented Creighton."

Creighton had a great influence upon my success as a pitcher. I noted him very carefully and found that his speed was not due to mere physical strength, but that this latter was supplemented by a very long arm and a peculiar wrist movement, very quick and "snappy " — so much so that he was accused of underhand throwing, as I was, afterwards; and I have only to say that if a throw can be accomplished with a perfectly rigid elbow-joint, then he and I were both guilty; but a throw was never proven and neither of us was ever ruled out.

However, as I have said, I studied his style very carefully and acquired as well as I could (a very poor copy, by the way) his effective wrist movement. Later on, when the rules compelled the pitcher to deliver the ball with both feet planted firmly upon the ground, I found this movement of great assistance in getting a good pace on the ball.

On the next day, July 11, 1862, the Excelsiors played a picked nine, composed of four Tri-Mountains — Chandler, Saltzman, Troupe, and Arnold — and five Lowells, — Miller, Wilder, Joslin, Adams, and myself. We were beaten 39 to 13. In this game Joslin's playing at left field was mentioned as a "feature of the game; " and Chandler, Miller, and I had the honor of making a home run apiece off Creighton.

Moses E. Chandler, mentioned here, has always been a lover of clean and healthy sport. In 1867 he presented to the New England Baseball Association a beautiful silver-mounted bat made of six pieces of wood, each of which possessed historic value.

Mr. Chandler had also the distinction of being the first ball player in New England who, when running the bases, made a "dive" for one of them. This happened in 1859 in Portland, Maine, in a match between the Tri-Mountains and Portlands, and the feat fairly astonished the natives, who at first roared with laughter; but Chandler scored the run, and they then woke up to the fact that a large, new, and valuable "wrinkle" had been handed out to them.

About this time we lent our aid to the Class of '66 in organizing the first club at Harvard under the New York rules. We helped them lay out their grounds on Cambridge Common, near the Washington Elm, and several of us used frequently to go out and teach them what we knew of the game.

The prime movers in starting this game at Harvard were George Flagg, Frank Wright, Arthur Hunnewell, Tom Nelson, Eugene Greenleaf, Frank Harris, now the well-known veteran Medical Examiner, Ned Sprague, George Parker, Putnam Abercrombie, Charlie Fiske, and others.

Thus was the pioneer Baseball Club of Harvard College duly organized, and a little later on the Nine appeared in a uniform of gray flannel, with a large Old English "H" worked in magenta upon the front of the shirt. It was a very neat and attractive suit; but why a magenta "H" instead of the time-honored crimson?

Harvard The 1867 Harvard Base Ball Club. From left to right: G.A. Flagg, N.S. Smith, G.G. Willard, R.G. Shaw, A. Hunnewell, J.B. Ames (captain), C.F. McKim, H.P. Parker, E.E. Sprague.

This query involves an' interesting bit of College history, which seems to be but little known to-day, and it will interest many to read the following graphic account of how the substitution came about, written for the "Harvard Bulletin " by the late Frank Wright, captain and pitcher of this Nine. Wright says : —

I take pleasure in giving you a bit of ancient history regarding the change in the colors of Harvard from crimson to magenta, the history of which has never been written.

We have all heard that Rome was saved by the cackling of geese, but few, only the very select few who were honored by the ministration of Dr. Peabody during the middle 60's, know that the Harvard colors were changed from crimson to magenta by an obscure Boston seamstress, and that magenta remained the color of Harvard for eight years.

The change of the Harvard color is interwoven with the origin of baseball at Harvard, and I must account for them both in the same breath. One afternoon in March of 1863 a classmate of mine, during Professor Lane's Latin recitation, passed a slip of paper to me asking if I would help him in starting a baseball club. We had talked of this before, and I adopted the suggestion and wrote upon a slip of paper and passed it round, asking the fellows to meet in Flagg's room in Stoughton at eight that evening and form a baseball club. After the recitation the hint was given out to men of other divisions, and the result was that the room was well-filled at the appointed hour. An organization was effected without much delay, and the question of the kind of baseball was discussed. A majority of the fellows wished to form a club to play Massachusetts baseball, which was then in vogue, a game slightly improved upon town ball, which was an improvement upon the old English game of rounders, but a few of us who hailed from New York state carried the meeting in favor of the new game, then called the "Brooklyn" game.

A committee of two was appointed, consisting of George A. Flagg and myself, to arrange the preliminaries and to suggest a uniform. Flagg and I went to Boston the following day, and under the guidance of John A. Lowell, the president of the Lowell Baseball Club of Boston, went to Hovey's in Summer Street to select cloth for a uniform. At that time all the base-ball clubs wore a fierce, fireman-like uniform of red or blue flannel shirts with any kind of trousers and a gaudy leather belt. We decided to try some quiet color and selected a gray French flannel, to be trimmed with crimson, with a crimson "H" to be embroidered upon the shirt front. We bought flannel enough for one shirt, and it was decided that I was "to bell the cat" and have the first shirt made for me. Mr. Lowell steered me to a seamstress in Essex Street, who made uniforms for his club, and she took the order for a shirt to be embroidered with an old English "H" in crimson. When the shirt was sent to me a note came from the seamstress that she had taken the liberty to embroider my "H" in magenta instead of crimson, as magenta was much more fashionable and much prettier than crimson. I was of course disgusted, but the shirt was there and the magenta "H" looked fine. I called a meeting of the club and appeared in my outfit.

Every one liked the shirt and the color, and it was decided to adopt it. The crew could wear crimson if they liked, but the baseball color should be magenta.

A nine was selected, uniforms were made, and we played a game with the old Tri-Mountain Club of Boston, which resulted in an easy win for us. We then arranged a match with the Brown University Club and went to Providence for the game and won easily. Our success attracted the attention of the college, our girl friends began to wear our magenta colors, and by the time the boat-races were on at Worcester, magenta was talked of as the Harvard color. In those days the crew rowed in the "buff," but with crimson silk handkerchiefs about their heads. When Horatio Curtis of '65 and his crew appeared on Lake Quinsigamond with magenta handkerchiefs, magenta as Harvard's color was established.

FRANK WRIGHT, '66.

CHAPTER XV

IN 1863 there was a little more activity among the clubs, but the war kept down anything like a furor. The Bowdoins disbanded in this year, having been foremost among the New England clubs for four years and sustaining but two defeats, — by the Pioneers of Springfield and the Excelsiors.

On May 29 we beat the Tri-Mountains by the score of 37 to 1, and, to use the words of a report of the game next day, "we doubt the ability of either club to do the like again." (This score was duplicated by the Eckfords in 1868 against the Uniques.)

In 1864 John A. Lowell, with his well-known generosity, public spirit, and kindly intentions, presented a silver ball to be played for, thinking that by this means a greater number of crack clubs would be brought together in friendly rivalry and thus the best interests of the game would be greatly advanced.

This no doubt is as it ought to have been and would have been under normal conditions; but unforeseen circumstances arose which led to contentions; and the end sought for by the donor was frustrated, and in 1867 it was deemed advisable to withdraw the trophy from the field.

The records of seventeen match games were beautifully engraved upon this ball, and it should undoubtedly have been preserved in some museum; but instead, it was injudiciously voted by the Committee of the Association that it should be destroyed, which vote was forthwith carried into effect.

On July 9 of this year, before the silver ball had appeared, we played our first match with the Harvards (Class of '66 team), defeating them 55 to 25. This game was won by heavy batting, Miller, Alline, and I each making one out and eight runs. The report of the game gives Joslin the credit of making "the most beautiful one hand catch at left field which we have ever witnessed," and adds, " it does one good to see such fielders as Joslin and Alline play."

On September 27, 1864, the first game for the silver ball was played by the Tri-Mountains and the Osceolas of Portland, Maine, the former winning by the score of 53 to 18, and on October 4 we won it from the Tri-Mountains, 33 to 18.

On October 18 the Hampshires of Northampton came to Boston to "lift" the silver ball; but, like more recent attempts to "lift" things, it proved a bit too heavy for them, and we retained it after a game of 83 to 10. The next year, 1865, on July 15, the Harvards, wanting to have a finger in the championship pie, came for us with such good effect that the ball took a horse-car for Cambridge that evening amid great rejoicings. This, our first real defeat, coming just before our departure for a New York trip, was a little discomposing; but no doubt it was good medicine and taught us that there were "others." So we took the dose and lay low until after the College vacation, hoping for better luck next time. On July 18 we started for New York to play the Resolutes, Atlantics, and Excelsiors.

The Resolutes beat us 33 to 14. The Atlantics, helped by a stupid decision of the umpire, which cost us thirteen runs, beat us 45 to 17, and the Excelsiors made 39 to our 31.

I quote from an account of this last game, which shows that the Lowells made a pretty good impression in spite of the scores against them : —

"The batting in the last four innings on both sides was really excellent; indeed, no better has been seen on the grounds this season. Jewell (of the Excelsiors) obtained two home runs in one inning, by splendid hits to long field, and Fletcher, Brainard, and Flanley also marked their batting by similar runs. Lovett, of the Lowells, also secured two home runs, his score being the best on either side, in any of the three games, by six runs, no outs, besides being left three times on bases, he making his base by his hits no less than nine times. In batting, in the whole series of games Lovett is first, Miller second, and Joslin third. In fly catching, out of 33 catches Alline took 8, taking the lead, Lovett 7, Lowell 5, Joslin 5, Wilder 3, and G. Miller, Adams, and Sumner 2 each. G. Miller deserves warm praise for his fine play in his position (pitcher), and seemed as fresh at the conclusion of the game as on the first day's play. Lovett is certainly a splendid player and gives great promise of rivaling the very best short-stops. Lowell's catching was first-class in every respect. Adams is an A1 player at first base, and Sumner a very effective man for second base; and three finer outfielders than Joslin, Alline, and Wilder, the two former especially, it would be difficult to obtain outside of our very strongest clubs."

Favorable comment was also made in the report upon our "deportment!" and in this respect we were held up as an example to all other clubs, at which we all, no doubt, blushed with pleasure and becoming modesty.

Physically, also, they sized us up pretty accurately, describing us as "exceedingly young and light-built men, their average ages being 19, and their average weight only reaching 130 pounds."

In the Atlantic game John Lowell brought down the house by stealing a base on "Dicky" Pearce, who was catching. Pearce had a habit of leisurely rolling the ball back to the pitcher; John had just made his first base and at once "caught on" to this trick of Pearce's, so as soon as the latter started to roll the ball, away went John, safely reaching second, amidst much laughter and applause.

This trip was memorable in that it brought us in contact with the late Mortimer Rogers, who met us upon our arrival at the station, and instantly won the esteem, friendship, and regard of us all. This feeling deepened and strengthened as years went by. Eventually he played with the Lowells, and later still made Boston his home.

As an outfielder, Mort. was ahead of his time, and to-day there is no player who can run in to a swiftly batted liner and pick it up within six inches of the ground better than he could; and those players who can do it at all to-day are not any too numerous. Long, high hits, which are caught with one hand, or taken over the shoulder, the fielder running with the ball, are more showy and appeal to the "gallery; " but every real player knows that the true test of a fielder lies in his ability to take the low flies while running into them at full speed.

And here just a word about the up-to-date outfielding where a padded contrivance, like a huge mitten, is worn upon one hand. These mittens measure about ten inches in length and the same in breadth, with a hollow in the palm wherein the ball fits like a " baby in a basket."

What credit is there in catching a ball in such a trap? True, it protects the fingers of a high-priced player, and he must exercise judgment in timing the ball and getting under it; but there all skill ceases.

I have seen an outfielder jump into the air and stop a ball with this invention which he could not possibly have touched with his bare hand, thereby just as surely robbing the batter of a fairly earned two or three base hit, perhaps a home run, as if he had held up a plank and intercepted the ball with it.

There is no more call for this mitten in the outfield to-day than there was forty years ago, as balls are batted there no oftener, no harder, and no farther. The average bare hand covers an area of some thirty-one or thirty-two square inches, whereas this mitten covers one hundred! And the thumb, clear to its tip, is connected with the body of the mitten by a gore-shaped web or membrane, like that in a duck's foot, so that the ball cannot possibly be forced through this opening. O tempora, O mores!

CHAPTER XVI

ON September 25, 1865, we played the Atlantics of New York, then champions of America, on Boston Common. They had not been defeated for two years, and therefore attracted a very large crowd, as may be supposed.

We gave them a pretty good game, but they beat us 30 to 10. The famous Joe Start, of first base fame, played on this team, and also Frank Norton, the finest catcher of his day. Thirty-nine years after this game, during which interval we had not met, a rather stout, full-whiskered, gray- haired man of about — well, never mind the age — called at my office and greeted me with, "Hello, Jim." I looked him over and had to acknowledge that he had the drop on me. He laughed and wondered if I remembered Frank Norton and I thought of the graceful, brilliant young fellow as I had last seen him. I think he was fully as surprised as I was at the changes which time had wrought upon its victims.

The next day the Tri-Mountains were beaten by the Atlantics, 107 to 16; and on the 27th the Harvards engaged them and came off with a score of 22 to the Atlantics' 58. This game of ours with the Atlantics was a memorable one, it being the last in which our captain, pitcher, and all-round most reliable man, Gat Miller, made his appearance upon the Lowell team for several years.

He had entered Harvard College, and in the natural course of events would have played with them against us in the game for the championship, which was to take place in five days, on September 30; but Gat was "true blue" and would not resign as a Lowell man and consequently could not play against his old nine; and it should be said, on the other hand, that he was equally loyal to his college, and never would play with us against it.

He was so popular with both parties that he was unanimously invited to umpire this game, and although it was a trying position, he fulfilled the duties to the perfect satisfaction of both sides. We had, of course, for some time been anticipating Miller's leaving us, and I had been at work practicing to fill his position as well as I could.

I had never before pitched in a match game, and I think that the rest of the team, and our friends generally, had many large-sized misgivings about the as yet untried man in so important a game; but I felt eager to get into it and see what I could do, and the result after all was not so bad, as we beat them 40 to 37. This gave us the championship once more; but our possession of it was short-lived, as the Harvards, with their indomitable gameness, wanting to winter the silver ball in Cambridge if possible, asked for one more game.

In the mean time I was disabled and was unable to play. Jim Burton, however, took my place and no doubt batted better than I should have done, his score being one out and five runs. The college boys, however, struck a batting streak and knocked out 73 runs to our 37.

There occurred in this game a most remarkable hit made by Tom Nelson, which is to-day often referred to as "Nelson's great strike." There was a high west wind blowing during the game and Tom caught the ball square on the nose with the full swing of his great strength and away it soared, truly, upon the wings of the wind. Over the Flagstaff hill it flew and bounded down the other side, in the direction of West Street. There are numerous legends extant as to where it was finally picked up.

One was that it was stopped while trying to get through West Street gate. Another, that it went down West Street, bounced aboard a passing horse-car and went out to the Norfolk House.

As I was confined at home, I do not know anything about it, but anyway Nelson wandered around the bases, and then "waited patiently about until it did appear," and often laughed about it in after years.

Speaking of long strikes reminds me of one which I once made where the ball was never heard from afterwards. It gives one a queer sensation to bat a ball up into the air and never see it again, yet that is what happened upon this occasion. I was batting up to the boys one afternoon, and the ball, when thrown back to me, rolled on to Beacon Street Mall. I picked it up and batted it from there. It went straight up into the thickly leaved trees. I do not remember hearing it make any sound, and never saw it again. Whether it wedged itself into a fork, plumped into a hole, or imbedded itself in a limb, like the cannon-ball in the old Brattle Street Church, I cannot say.

Another afternoon, while I was again batting to the outfield, Mr. Francis Gardner, Master of the Public Latin School, came along the Spruce Street path and stood watching me a while. Presently, he approached and said, "Lovett, I hear that you can put a ball about where you like; can you send it down to Hawes " (pointing to Henry Hawes, down in the long field), "so that he won't have to move out of his tracks for it?"

Now, if Mr. Gardner had asked me to give him a list of the twenty-six prepositions (or was it a hundred and twenty-six?) followed by the accusative, I should probably have balked; but I was now on my own quarter-deck and so answered with brazen assurance that I thought I could.

"Let her go, then," he said, and I accordingly let her go, and knew, the instant the ball left the bat, that it was going true.

Sure enough, Henry never moved an inch and took it about breast high, upon which Mr. Gardner chuckled once or twice to himself and went on his way without another word.

That Mr. Gardner was a rugged, stern man is well known, but that he was possessed of a most kind heart and gentle ways when occasion called for them is not so generally recognized.

At recess one day he called up and was questioning a very frail and delicate looking fellow, named Loring, about a lesson in which he had failed badly. Under Mr. Gardner's stern eye he completely broke down, and throwing his arms about the strong man's neck, hid his face upon his shoulder and sobbed passionately.

The really sweet and tender way in which Mr. Gardner comforted that little fellow, the gentleness with which he stroked the little head with his big hand, and finally brought back the smiles to his face, was a revelation to those of us who were present.

CHAPTER XVII

MARCH 26, 1866, the Lowells leased a club-room on the corner of West and Mason streets, and for five or six years enjoyed it, summer and winter. Curiously enough, over one of the windows of these rooms was a carved "L," and "1861," the date of our organization.

We had two fine pianists in Ned Harlow and Jim Hovey, a vocal quartette was formed, dancing parties were given, and the Lowell Club was at its zenith.

I am sure that Clude Belches will agree with me when I state that the rendering of the "Larboard Watch," by two prominent members has never been duplicated.

Lowell The 1866 Lowell Baseball Nine. From left to right: W.H. Alline, H.J. Burton, G.B. Wilder, J.D'W. Lovett (captain), C.L. Fuller, Gardner, W.C. Page, J. Lowell, W.B. Joslin, A. Crosby, F.H. Sumner.

John Lowell's inimitable character sketches, together with songs and stories, were always a source of pleasure, and, what with boxing and social enjoyments of all kinds, the winter months sped rapidly in those far-off days.

On June 2, 1866, we met the Flyaways of East Boston, and for four hours ran around the bases, making one hundred and twenty-one runs to fourteen. We went to Portland on July 4 and played the Eons, whom we beat 33 to 23, upon a park a mile or so outside the city limits. While playing we could see that there was a good-sized fire raging in the city, and when we returned thither found ourselves in the midst of the "big Portland fire."

We had intended returning home that evening, but stayed and worked nearly all night in assisting to save the jewelry stock of Messrs. Lowell & Senter, who very handsomely acknowledged our efforts in the newspapers.

On July 14 we again tackled Harvard for the championship, and once more won it, this time by the score of 37 to 27.²

In this game it seemed as if the "fickle goddess," a little disturbed in her mind for having so heartlessly abandoned us in the last one (73 to 37), had thought the matter over and concluded to square herself with the Lowell boys. Accordingly, she graciously lent us her aid, which resulted in our winning by the above score; and she, also thinking, no doubt, that it was but fair that Nelson's great strike in that game should be offset by something similar in this one, decreed that one of the Lowells should make a catch to keep the strike company. That Her Royal Fickleness booked me for this honor was doubtless due to the fact that my position as pitcher being nearest the batter, possessed possibilities which the other positions lacked. Be that as it may, Ames was at the bat and I pitched him a ball which he struck with such force that, before any eye in the crowd could mark its flight, it had returned to my hand as the latter was in the act of swinging back after delivery, and was caught without requiring any extraneous movement upon my part to indicate the fact, so that not a soul excepting Ames and myself knew what had become of it. This circumstance, however, did not occur to me until after I had stood a moment or two, expecting to hear the Lowell yell. But not a sound came; and then instantly it dawned upon me that nobody knew that I had caught the ball. My position was a peculiar one, and I do not know how long the deception could have been sustained; but I had to do something, so I tossed the ball into the air, whereupon everybody at once "caught on," and the yell came.

Indeed, tiny, faint echoes of this applause have filtered down through the forty intervening years, and I am, to-day, often asked questions about this catch by persons who are utter strangers to me. I have actually been asked, "Did you see it coming?" "Did you know you had caught it?" "Wasn't your first impulse to dodge it?" etc., etc.

I am giving this matter much more space and prominence than it deserves; but I have been asked to set forth the incident as it really occurred, as many people saw and remember it, and it has been suggested that they might be interested in hearing the facts at first hand. I will only add, simply as a matter of record, that upon four later occasions, I repeated this catch, but in none of these latter was the velocity approached with which Ames drove the ball at me.

It has always been a feather in the Lowell cap to have had Ames (now Dean of the Harvard Law School), upon its nine for about a year before he entered college, as his ability as captain of the 'Varsity team, his coolness and good judgment at critical moments, his ever alert fielding as second baseman, and his superior batting placed him easily in the front rank of ball players.

CHAPTER XVIII

ON July 25, 1866, in a match with the Phillips Academy nine, from Andover, we had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of that model catcher and universal favorite, the late Archie Bush.

Later on he entered Harvard and succeeded George Flagg, whose fine, plucky catching and brilliant base running made him famous during the four years in which he wore the gray and magenta.

We won this game only after a sharp fight, by the score of 32 to 20.

Like all winners we had lots of friends at this time, from the street gamins up to the "Chairman of the Committee on Commons and Squares," who very kindly issued to us a permit for two or three consecutive years, granting to us the "use of the grounds on which they usually play, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, in the afternoon, on the Common, to the exclusion of others." They also detailed a squad of policemen to guard the ropes during match games. These policemen were all good Lowell partisans, as the following incident will show.

Harvard The 1868 Harvard Baseball Nine. From left to right: G.G. Willard, E Bowditch, R.G. Shaw, N.S. Smith, J.B. Ames (captain), F. Rawle, A. Hunnewell, A. McC. Bush, E.E. Sprague.

Just before game was called with the Phillips Academy nine, a friend of mine overheard two men, evidently strangers who had come to Boston to see the game, discussing the probable result, one saying that he "guessed the Lowells would get beaten this time all right," when a policeman who stood within earshot of the remark instantly turned, gave him a withering look of scorn, and quietly said, "You talk like a damn fool."

It was while this game was in progress that Fred Nazro, ever loyal and true, lost a good hat but gained a halo in exchange, which metaphorically speaking, he has worn ever since.

It was like this. At the end of the fifth innings the Academy boys stood 18 to our 16 and were playing a winning game. In the sixth, we made a rally, knocked out ten runs and gave them a goose egg, and at this point the non-playing boys went wild. Fred, who was frantically waving aloft his hat, all unconscious of the damage that was being wrought, finally shook the crown free from the rim and continued to wave this accidentally created halo, not noticing anything wrong, until it slipped down over his head when he tried to put his hat on.

We played two more games that fall for the championship: one, on September 15, with the King Phillips of East Abington, which we won by 75 to 17, and the other on September 29, with the Granites of Holliston, which we also won by 47 to 11. In the King Phillip match Sumner carried off the honors in fielding, the report of the game describing his play at second base as "the best he ever made and the best we recollect ever having seen in that position, not even excepting Crane" (of the champion Atlantics).

In the Granite match Mort. Rogers made his first appearance upon the Lowell nine, and proved to be a most valuable acquisition to our outfield, he playing centre.

In the spring of 1867 the Harvard boys, thinking no doubt that the silver ball was growing dull from too long exposure to the Boston east winds, and that it needed a change of air, determined to take it a few miles further inland, if possible, and "brighten it up a bit," and, incidentally, polish off the Lowells at the same time.

Accordingly they sent us an invitation to play a series of match games, "best two out of three," for the championship. This was something new, as heretofore one game had decided the question, thereby saving much valuable time. We therefore notified them of our acceptance of their challenge, and also expressed our preference that, if agreeable to them, one game should settle the matter. To this they replied that the conditions were agreeable (as to the time, place, etc.), but that they preferred that the terms should be best two out of three, as originally proposed. Not caring to prolong the question, we acquiesced and at once made arrangements for the series, the first of which was played May 15, on the Common, where we won by a score of 37 to 28.

The second game was played on May 24, on Jarvis Field, Cambridge; this time the Harvards winning by 32 to 26.

Lowell's Big 3 Left to right: James D'Wolf Lovett, M. Mortimer Rogers, John A. Lowell.

The third and deciding game was played on a potato patch (I wish I could call it a ball ground), in Medford, where we were again beaten, this time by the score of 39 to 28. In this game Bob Shaw of the Harvards gave us a touch of his quality at first base, which one rarely sees equaled and never excelled by either amateur or professional. He made five fly catches and assisted in disposing of fifteen base runners, thus being instrumental in capturing twenty of the twenty-seven outs, and without an error!

On June 17 the celebrated Athletics of Philadelphia visited Boston, and on that date defeated the Eons of Portland, on the Common, 88 to 22. The next day the Harvards gave them a splendid game, but were beaten by a score of 22 to 10, the Athletics winning only by their heavy batting. The fielding of Harvard was fully equal to that of their powerful opponents, if not better.

The next day we played the Philadelphians, and a sort of "dry rot" seemed to take possession of the entire Lowell nine. We played like beginners and allowed them to pile up 53 runs to our 5, in five innings, when a most welcome thunder- shower put an end to the fun (?).

It seems evident that the Golden Rule was not intended to be prominent in athletic contests, where each participant is endeavoring to the utmost of his ability to do unto the other fellow just what he would not have the other fellow do unto him; and if A beats B, it seems to be the natural thing for B, failing to get back at A, to desire to take it out of C, if he can.

It is therefore tolerably certain that, if the Golden Rule ever comes to be universally applied, contests of all kinds must cease naturally, as the stronger will refrain from beating the weaker, the weaker cannot beat the stronger, and the result will be "nil."

As the above rule, however, is at present limited in its workings, and as the Lowells were smarting somewhat from their landslide with the Athletics, and being actuated by the praiseworthy desire to "take it out" of somebody else, if possible, they accepted with pleasure the kind invitation of the Rockinghams of Portsmouth, N. H., to visit them. The Lowells went to Portsmouth, met with a hearty reception, and relieved their feelings by prancing around the bases one hundred and seven times.

The U.S. Navy was represented in this match by Lieutenant Harmony, then on duty at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, and he fully sustained the reputation which the U.S. naval officers have established of being "jolly good fellows," for he was the life of the game. Here's hoping that his voyage through life has been a calm and prosperous one.

The green curtain was rung down on the silver ball in September, 1867, after we had lost it to the Tri-Mountains in a series of three games, we winning the first one 20 to 16, and they the other two, 40 to 35 and 42 to 22. In the second of these games we once more had the pleasure of having Gat Miller on the team, in his old position as pitcher; and once again and for the last time did we have his valuable and ever-welcome assistance on October 4, 1867, when we had the honor of being the first New England club that ever defeated a prominent New York team. This was the Excelsiors of Brooklyn, the same who paid us a visit in July, 1862; but they no longer had a Creighton and Leggett to pitch and catch for them, the former having died and the latter having given up playing. Still they had the then famous Cummings for pitcher.³ We beat them 29 to 21, and on the 7th the Harvards repeated our performance, only "more so," making 18 to the Excelsiors' 6.

After a few preliminary games in the spring of 1868, we started on June 9 for a tour through some of the New England cities in an attempt to be "neighborly." The programme was somewhat marred by rainy days, and several games had to be omitted; but it was a most enjoyable outing nevertheless.

Fitchburg was our first point, where on the 19th we beat the Rollstones, 50 to 14. Two days were then lost on account of rain, after which in New Haven on the 13th we ran up against the Yales for the first time. This was a memorable game for us, in that it was the only one of ten innings we ever played. At the end of the ninth the score stood twelve all, and we went in to do or die. I led off at the bat and went out ignominiously at first; but luckily there were better men who followed me, and Joslin, Rogers, Sumner, and Jewell worked their passage around the bases, thus again giving us a lead with which the Yale boys were unable to cope, they making but one run, the final score standing 16 to 13.

Games of more than nine innings were comparatively rare in those days, and some of the boys who accompanied us upon this trip nearly died of heart failure during the last innings.

We stayed at New Haven until the next evening, when we left for Hartford, where, on the 15th, we played the Charter Oaks, beating them 61 to 12.

Rain prevented our game with the Oceanics of New London, which was booked for the 16th, so we left that afternoon for Providence, where on the 17th of June we crossed swords with Brown University, on the Dexter Training Ground. This was to have been the "wind-up" to our trip, amid red fire, tom-toms, and the rejoicings of a large party of friends who came down from Boston to join in our apotheosis, but somehow we slipped a cog and the programme on the Training Ground got twisted, the Browns making 22 runs to our 19, instead of the other way about as was intended.

Frank Herreshoff, one of the most famous athletes who ever went to Brown University, pitched against us in this game. He is a brother of Nat Herreshoff, the famous yacht designer. He and I were old friends, and I am glad to say he is still living and prosperous.

Lowell

CHAPTER XIX

THIS ending to our trip took the sharp edge off the pleasures of home-coming, and we laid it up against Brown for a year, when, on the 17th of June, 1869, we went back and balanced accounts, making 40 to their 13, and then felt better.

I do not know if the present amateur clubs make these friendly tours, as was the custom in ante-professional days; but during the years when the championship of New England was held by either the Harvards or Lowells, we were treated royally wherever we went and enjoyed all the pleasures and glory that can be derived from ball playing. Private houses were open to us, balls were given in our honor, and even cigars were named for us. What more could heart desire?

The silver ball being out of the way, a series of friendly games, best two out of three, was now arranged for between the Harvards and Lowells, and on July 4, 1868, the Magenta and Lowell Blue again locked horns. We won, 23 to 20, and the second game was played on July 21, the Harvards winning by a close margin, 28 to our 27. A remarkable feature of the first of these two games was that each of the Harvard boys made just three outs. Up to that time this was, I believe, unprecedented.

The third game was never played, it being postponed until after the college vacation and then dropped as another series was arranged for instead.

These friendly bouts with Harvard were always enjoyable, as we were evenly matched; the college boys were at all times courteous and manly opponents, and both teams played upon the dead level, and for every ounce of which they were capable. Every scintilla of the feeling which had been engendered in the struggles for the silver ball, and then only by partisans and not participated in by the players themselves, had been buried and replaced by a healthy, virile rivalry, such as merely stimulated without intoxicating.

On October 3, 1868, we played the first game of the new series, which was won by Harvard, 27 to 24, and on the 9th we returned the compliment, winning by 33 to 30. In this game I made my top score, consisting of no outs and eight runs, earned first base six times, made seventeen bases, three clean home runs, and one three-base hit. I have always been a bit proud of this score against such a nine as the Harvards, and thus herald it forth with such brazen effrontery. I once made a score of no outs, fifteen runs, and one home run, in a match with the Andersons of Lynn, but this score is left lying around loose, while the former is kept wrapped up in a piece of pink tissue paper, so to speak. In the third game of this series the Harvards again beat us, 28 to 15, thus closing the season of 1868.

In the spring of 1869 the Common was plowed up, and, being thus deprived of all chance to practice, it was right at this point, or at least in the fall, that the Lowells should have disbanded and gracefully stepped down and out while yet they could have done so with a long string of victories and but comparatively few defeats for a record. (In the last six years we had played ninety-nine games and won seventy.)

It is seldom that baseball has figured in politics, but in December, 1869, through fear of being permanently deprived of the use of the Common as a playground, the ball players of Boston decided to take a hand in the political game and do what they could to help elect a mayor and aldermen known to be favorably disposed to-wards athletic sports and who were also willing to grant the use of the Common as a playground as it had been heretofore. Accordingly, on Saturday evening, December 11, three days before election, a hastily called meeting was held, and on Monday, the 13th, the following notice of it appeared in the "Boston Herald:" —

"BASEBALLISTS IN COUNCIL. NOMINATION OF A TICKET FOR ALDERMEN.

"A meeting of gentlemen interested in baseball and other outdoor athletic sports was held Saturday evening, December 11, in the Lowell Baseball Club rooms to organize for the municipal election. Mr. John A. Lowell presided. A committee was appointed at a previous meeting to nominate candidates for Aldermen, and reported the following statement, which was adopted.

"'To correct a misunderstanding which appears to exist as to the object of this movement, it becomes necessary to state that the design is to foster not the game of baseball and its interests alone, but outdoor sports in general as an important means of promoting the physical training of our youth and consequently the public health. The Common has been taken and nothing left in its place, and the main object is to select men who will grant our youth some spot for recreation. Beyond this, it has no object or aim, political or otherwise.' After perfecting the organization of rallying committees for each ward the meeting adjourned."

The baseball tickets were distinguished by a large red ball printed at the top and bore the names of aldermanic candidates which had been carefully selected from both Republicans and Democrats. In spite of the short time at their disposal, for organization, printing, etc., the " Red ball ticket," as it was known, was hustled through, and upon the 14th, duly appeared at the several polling places, where they were distributed by enthusiastic volunteers who explained to the voters the reasons for their existence.

The idea "took," a large number of these ballots were cast, and there is no reason to doubt their influence upon the election. At all events, the lower end of the Common was assigned to the boys the following spring, and Mayor Shurtleff, who was reflected, personally thanked Mr. Lowell, and through him the committee, for their efforts.

In May the Mutuals of New York took a trip to Boston and played the Tri-Mountains, whom they defeated 69 to 17. Then they played with the Harvards, beating them 43 to 11, and wound up with the Lowells, who made 21 to the Mutuals' 26, in an eight innings game. The paper next day said, "The Lowells acquitted themselves nobly in this game with the Mutuals. They outfielded the Mutuals, as these themselves acknowledged, and batted in a manner that reminded one of old times. With practice they may yet regain their old position as the foremost club of New England." But we could not get the requisite practice, and old times do not come back again.

Business was now the real and serious thing in life for all of us, and neither baseball nor any other game requiring skill, mental or physical, can be won upon past reputation. This lack of a practice ground affected the Tri- Mountains as seriously as it did the Lowells, and was sufficient excuse for their defeats, as well as ours, by country clubs, which a year earlier would have been victories.

On June 10 of this year Boston was visited by the renowned Cincinnati "Red Stockings," who were then upon their phenomenally successful tour. They traveled from ocean to ocean; played sixty-three games with the strongest clubs in the country and won sixty-three straight victories.

As this trip of the "Red Stockings" has never been equaled by any professional baseball nine, and probably never will be, ball players will be interested to see a few of its statistics.

They traveled 11,877 miles, played to about 200,000 spectators, and made 2677 runs against their opponents' 637. They made 3323 clean base hits and 169 home runs.

In running the bases, the players traveled 222 miles. This celebrated nine was composed of George Wright, short-stop; Harry Wright, centre field; Douglas Allison, catcher; Fred Waterman, third base; Charlie Gould, first base; Andy Leonard, left field; Calvin McVey, right field; Charlie Sweasy, second base; and Asa Brainard, pitcher.

George Wright led the batting, with a total of 339 runs, 304 base hits, a grand total of 614 bases and 49 clean home runs.

He assisted 179 times and made 82 fly catches out of 86 chances, thus making good his title to "King."

The Lowells ran up against this formidable aggregation on June 10 on the lower end of the Parade Ground and scored 9 runs to the " Reds' " 29. Being laid up with a sprained ankle, I had to forego the pleasure of playing against this champion team.

On the 11th they beat the Tri-Mountains, 40 to 12, and on the 12th made 30 to the Harvards' 11.

Very rarely, if ever, during the next two years, did the Lowells play a match with their full nine in the field, the vacancies being filled by inferior men; and with no practice between matches, the result was inevitable. The club lost ground, enthusiasm waned, many influential members withdrew to give all their attention to the Boston Club (professional), then just forming, and in short the end of amateur baseball playing in Boston was near at hand.

Protracted death struggles make neither a pleasing picture nor an agreeable subject upon which to write, and I do not care to parade those of the Lowell Baseball Club. Suffice it to say that for two seasons it somehow lingered on in a state of atrophy, during which many games were presented as gifts to clubs who, a little earlier, might have had to whistle for them.

The end came on December 12, 1873, when a few of us around a dining-table at the Parker House held a coroner's inquest, rendered a verdict of death from unavoidable causes, wound up its few remaining affairs, and the once famous Lowell Club was no more. Requiescat in pace!

Both the Tri-Mountains and Lowells had good stuff in them, and with the same opportunities for practice which were enjoyed by college nines need have feared no amateur club of New England for some time longer. Probably any promising ball player of to-day, of say eighteen years of age, has attained a proficiency equal to that with which we left off at twenty-five, he being born into the atmosphere of the national game, weaned and brought up on it.

In closing these gleanings of past years, which it has been a pleasure to collect and present to those who care to read them, I should be remiss if I neglected to mention the valuable services of George B. Appleton, for many years scorer for the Lowells. He accompanied us upon nearly all our trips, and in victory or defeat was always genial, optimistic, and light-hearted, — qualities which have won for him so many friends through life.

It is rather a curious fact, and one to which I called attention a few years ago, that the surnames of nineteen Lowells who, first and last, played upon the first nine, were composed of six letters. Following is a list of them : —
Alline, Arnold, Briggs, Burton, Conant, Crosby, Fuller, Jewell, Joslin, Lovett, Lowell, Mellen, Miller, Newton, Rogers, Sumner, Watson, Wilder, and Wright.

By way of apology for the frequent use, in the preceding pages, of the "first person singular, tall and perpendicular," as Thackeray once put it, I can only say that it seemed to be unavoidable in a collection of reminiscences, and I hope that it will be indulgently overlooked.

A miserly person, when asked why he deprived himself of all luxuries for the sake of hoarding up his money for others to spend after his death, replied, "If they enjoy spending my money one half as much as I have enjoyed saving it, they are welcome to it." And so I close this little volume with the thought that if any reader enjoys the trifles contained in it one half as much as I have enjoyed collecting them for him, I shall be well satisfied.

NOTES:
Old Boston Boys and the Games They Played, by James D'Wolf Lovett, printed by the Riverdale Press in Boston, 1907. Chapters 12-19, which cover baseball, are reprinted above.

1. He afterwards played first base upon the Class of ' 66 team at Harvard.
2. It is curious to note in how many of the Lowell-Harvard matches the total score on one side or the other was either a multiple of seven, or else a number in which the figure seven appeared; thus, 28 appears five times; 37, four times; 27, three times; 14, 17, 21, and 73, once each.
3. Arthur Cummings, here alluded to, is justly famous in baseball history, not for the discovery of the curve described by a ball in its flight through the air, but for being the first one who saw that it could be broken and driven to harness and who made practical use of it in his pitching.

This happened, as near as I can find out, in 1871. Of course the knowing ones at once got busy and vigorously disputed the curve and pronounced it to be an impossibility as they had formerly demonstrated scientifically — on paper — that an iron ship could not float. The fact that a ball, in long-distance throwing, describes a very decided curve, had been well known for years to baseball players and cricketers, but it was never thought of as possessing any practical advantages until Cummings showed them.

Other pitchers, earlier than this, notably J. Cheever Goodwin of the Harvard nine, in 1870, had come dangerously near the truth, but the time for the advent of the curve was not then ripe. Goodwin developed great speed for the old underhand pitching days, and also a now undeniable up-curve; but this last was quite without intent on his part, and escaped recognition. He and Archie Bush, Harvard's greatest catcher, formed a most powerful battery which achieved great success.

To the minds of many of us old-timers Archie Bush was one of the greatest catchers whom the game has ever seen. As he stood erect, close behind the batter, in an easy, graceful pose, gloveless, maskless, fearless, to those of us who remember him, he made a picture of what the ideal ballplayer should be.

To-day the curve, in its various forms, is the chief stock in trade of all pitchers, and is too common to excite special comment.

National Association of Base Ball Players sources/bibliography:
Baseball: The Early Years by Harold Seymour.
Baseball Before We Knew It: A Search For The Roots Of The Game by David Block.
Baseball in Blue and Gray: The National Pastime during the Civil War by George B. Kirsch.
Baseball (1845-1881): From the newspaper accounts by Preston D. Prem
But Didn't We Have Fun?: An Informal History of Baseball's Pioneer Era, 1843-1870 by Peter Morris
Early Innings: A Documentary History by Dean A. Sullivan
The National Association of Base Ball Players, 1857-1870 by Marshall D. Wright.
Playing for Keeps: A History of Early Baseball by Warren Goldstein.
When Johnny Came Sliding Home: The Post-Civil War Baseball Boom, 1865-1870 by William J. Ryczek

General Baseball History sources/bibliography:
Baseball: A History of America's Game by Benjamin G. Rader.
Baseball: A Film By Ken Burns (PBS DVD)
The Formation, Sometimes Absorption and Mostly Inevitable Demise of 18 Professional Baseball Organizations, 1871 to Present by David Pietrusza.
The Great 19th Century Encyclopedia of Major League Baseball, 2nd Edition by David Nemec.
Early Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball, 1825-1908 by Dean A. Sullivan.
Middle Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball, 1900-1948 by Dean A. Sullivan.
Late Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball 1945-1972 by Dean A. Sullivan
Past Time: Baseball as History by Jules Tygiel
America's National Game: Historic Facts Concerning the Beginning, Evolution, Development and Popularity of Baseball by Albert Spalding
Total Baseball: The Ultimate Baseball Encyclopedia by John Thorn, et al.