On June 12, 1868, Sol White is born in Bellaire, OH. One of the early pioneers of black baseball, participating in the game as a player, manager and historian, White was a star in the 1890s with some of the top independent black teams, and in 1902, he helped found the powerhouse Philadelphia Giants. In…
1867 – Denton True “Cy” Young is born in Gilmore, a tiny village near Newcomerstown, Ohio. Young will earn his nickname for his cyclone-like pitching motion and he will win (and lose) more games than any pitcher in major league history with a 511-316 record and a 2.63 ERA over 22 seasons. Young will win 20 or more games 15 times, and top the 30-win mark five times. He will be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in 1937, with 153 votes on 201 ballots.
On November 26, 1866, future Hall of Fame outfielder Hugh Duffy is born in Cranston, Rhode Island. Along with fellow outfielder Tommy McCarthy, Duffy will be part of Boston’s famous “Heavenly Twins” in the 1890s. “Sir Hugh” was elected to the HOF in 1945.
1866 – The first game of the East Coast championship between the Brooklyn Atlantics and Philadelphia Athletics in Philadelphia, PA is a victim of its own success. Newspapers estimate that the crowd gathered around the baseball grounds numbers close to 40,000. The host ball club is ill-prepared to handle the huge crowd, which soon invades the playing field and forces the cancellation of the game. However, the fiasco does prove that there is a large potential market for top-level professional baseball.
On August 1, 1865, in Pittsfield, MA, future Hall of Famer Frank Grant is born. Often regarded as the greatest black ballplayer of the 19th century, Grant played all positions but excelled at second base, where his speed, range and acrobatic plays impressed all observers. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2006….
The Atlantics of Brooklyn finish a 4-game series in Philadelphia‚ beating the Athletics‚ 43 – 16. The visitors whipped Camden‚ 64 – 10, on the 8th‚ beat the Keystone Club‚ 65 – 10, on the 9th‚ and won, 58 – 11, over the 30-year-old Olympic Club yesterday.
Baseball’s first enclosed park, the Union Grounds, opens in Brooklyn, NY.
1861 – Wearing ice skates, the champion Atlantics defeat the Charter Oak Club, 36 – 27 on a game played on frozen Litchfield Pond in South Brooklyn.
1860 – John Montgomery Ward is born in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. During his illustrious career in the majors, Ward will hit for a .371 batting average twice, will win 40-plus games as a pitcher twice, including the second perfect game in baseball history, will be the captain and manager of the first and original New York Giants, and will be one of the prime movers in the constitution of the Brotherhood and of the Players League. Ward will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1964.
1859 – At a racetrack on Long Island, about 1,500 fans become the first ever to pay to see a baseball game. The spectators spend fifty cents to watch New York defeat Brooklyn, 22 – 18.
Enjoy our free trial and start listening to games, interviews and shows! Ruth, Mantle, Aaron, and Seaver!