Saturday, October 3, 2009

The 1876 Brown Stockings: Bradley Vs. Galvin


The Stocks made their first appearance in public yesterday afternoon, at Grand Avenue Park, having as opponents the full Brown Stocking nine. Though short-handed-two of their principal players not having yet arrived-the members of the new club acquitted themselves nobly, and the score, at the end of the ninth inning, was only three to one against them. The threatening weather kept many away who would doubtless have been present, but the dark clouds passed over and rain did not interfere with the contest. Simmons, who is to captain the Stocks, lost the toss, and owing to his bad error, McGeary secured an unearned run in the first inning. In the sixth, McGeary and Clapp also secured unearned runs on errors by Ring and W. Gleason. In the ninth inning Monsell reached first on Bradley's poor throw, second on a passed ball, third while a man was being thrown out at first, and home on Johnny Gleason's model base hit over third. The Browns committed but three errors in the field, the two previously mentioned and one by Battin. Ring and W. Gleason were weak in the field, the latter, however, offsetting his errors by one or two brilliant plays. Galvin and J. Gleason played splendidly, the former making some magnificent stops. The pitching was unusually effective, the Browns securing but four base hits, two of which were scratches. Only two safe hits were made off Bradley's pacers. Blapp and Dehlman retired no less than twenty-two players.
-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, April 16, 1876


This was a nice duel between two outstanding young pitchers. George Washington Bradley was only 23 years old and about to have his finest season while James Francis Galvin was 19 and still several years away from establishing himself as a great pitcher.

Growing up in St. Louis in the 1980s, I developed a deep appreciation for small ball. So I particularly like how the Stocks scored their run in the ninth. Error, passed ball, fielder's choice, base hit-very nice. The description of how the run scored was also well done.

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