Saturday, June 16, 2012

The 1884 Maroons: Both Pitchers Were Batted Hard


The second game of the present series between the Cincinnati and the St. Louis Unions attracted about 1,000 spectators to Union Park yesterday afternoon.  Sylvester and Swartz were the visitors' battery, and to the latter may be charged their defeat, three passed balls at critical moments deciding the game in favor of the home team.  Werden and Brennan were in the points for the home team.  Both pitchers were batted hard, Sylvester for twelve base hits and Werden for nine, and besides these long flies to the outfield were frequent.  The work of Boyle, for the local nine, at left field, was surpassingly fine, he taking in five high-hit balls, three of his catches being very difficult.  Ryder, at center, also put out three men, making two noteworthy catches.  The Cincinnati outfield made ten catches.  At left Bradley captured three, each being perfectly judged.  O'Leary, at center, distinguished himself by two exceptionably beautiful running catches, one of which should have resulted in a double play, a muff by Crane destroying the chance for the second out.  His score shows three put-outs and three assists.  At right Harbidge made three good catches and made one assist to the home plate.  Ryder allowed a ground hit to get by him and also made a fumble; otherwise the outfield work was of rare excellence.  The infield honors were shared by Quinn, Hawes, Dunlap, Jones and Whitehead.  At first base Quinn put out fourteen and Hawes eleven, neither making an error.  Quinn made a very pretty running catch of a ball that was hit over him.  Dunlap put out one and assisted seven times, but made one error on an apparently easy ground hit.  Jones took a line fly from Shaffer's bat and made six assists.  Whitehead made two catches, going well out into left field for one, and assisted four times.  He made two fumbles, but saved errors by matchless throwing to first.  In the seventh inning, when Bradley was on second and Barber on first, Hawes hit over Ryder for three bases.  From the fence Ryder threw to Dunlap, who was fifty yards back of second.  Dunlap sent the ball straight to Brennan, who caught Barber at the plate.  O'Leary did not believe that Barber was out, but the decision was certainly correct, and Dan was mistaken.  
-St. Louis Globe-Democrat, August 7, 1884

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