National Association

Washington Nationals History

By Patrick Mondout

The National Base Ball Club of Washington (or "Washington Nationals") were a team that played during the three non-consecutive seasons in the old National Association (NA). 

At a glance... WASHINGTON NATIONALS Franchise Facts Established (Amateur) 1861 Established 1872 Disbanded  1875 Located Washington, D.C. Executives Mr. Millar & R. Hough (1872) Nick Young (1873) A.F. Childs (1875) Year by Year Results W L % 1872  0 11 .000 1873  8 31 .205 1875  5 23 .179 Affiliations NABBP (1861-1871) National Association (1872-1873; 1875) Postseason/Titles NA Titles (0) Nicknames Nationals of Washington (1872-1873; 1875) Ballparks National Grounds (1872-1873) Olympic Grounds (1875) Top Performances Single-Season Career

The National might actually deserve more credit than the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings for the creation of what we now call Major League Baseball. It was the phenomenally successful "national" tour of the team in 1867 that brought first rate "New York base ball" to the "west" (meaning places like Cleveland and Louisville) and set an example other teams of the era would soon follow.

The team paid its $10 fee to join the NA in 1872 and tried to compete with the existing D.C.-based NA team, the Olympics. While both had seen success as amateur teams for some years, the cost of running a pro team proved to be too much with each competition for the same fans. 

There were three failed teams in the NA that have been called the "Washington Nationals." The first went 0-11 before giving up. The second team was by far the most successful on the field, going a miserable 8-31. At least they completed their schedule before returning to amateur status.

An article from a sporting journal in February of 1875 mentions that "Washington club has been reorganized for the professional campaign of 1875 under the management of Mr. A.Y. Childs."

This final club won its last game on July 4th against the St. Louis Red Stockings, who also played their last NA game on that day. At least they outlasted the Washington Olympics, who disbanded shortly after their game of May 24th (versus the Nationals).

Exactly how this three teams are related (other than by name) is unclear to this author. They are grouped here more for convenience than anything else.

National Association 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.
Blackguards and Red Stockings by William J. Ryczek
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

David Nemec, the tireless 19th Century Baseball researcher, has also written a novel called Early Dreams, which takes place during this era and features real-life characters such as Cap Anson, George Wright, and Henry Lucas.

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.