Sunday, December 11, 2011

The 1884 Maroons: Defeat



The St. Louis Unions received their first defeat yesterday afternoon at the hands of the Bostons Unions, who outbatted and outfielded them.  The visitors presented Bond and Crane, and while the former pitched one of the best games of his life, the latter's support could not have been bettered.  Only Dunlap, Shafer, Gleason and Whitehead were able to do anything with Bond's delivery, and the eight hits made off him were so scattering that, although three of them were two-baggers, only one run was realized.  Nine of the home batsmen struck out.  Rowe sawed the air twice, and Taylor three times amid mingled laughter and applause, the discomfiture of those two heavy hitters amusing one class, while another became greatly enthused over Bond's splendid work.  St. Louis presented Hodnett and Brennan.  Hodnett was hit for twenty-two bases, including seventeen singles, two doubles and one three-bagger, and Brennan had three passed balls charged against him.  In the field the Bostons played a perfect game, and the only error charged to them was a wild pitch by Bond.  The attendance was about 6,000, the grand stand crowd being one of the fines that ever assembled to witness a ball game in this city.
-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, May 25, 1884


All good things come to an end and the Maroons tasted defeat for the first time in their existence.  They started the season 20-0 and had a seven game lead going into this game.  But you can't win them all.

Even in defeat, however, the Maroons' captain and second baseman still had a decent game.  What Did Dunlap Do in defeat?  He went two for four and threw a guy out at the plate.

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