View source for San Francisco Base Ball Club v Red Rover Base Ball Club of San Francisco on 22 February 1860

{{Ballgame
|Name=San Francisco Base Ball Club v Red Rover Base Ball Club of San Francisco on 22 February 1860
|Coordinates=37.7749295, -122.4194155
|Entry Origin=Sabrpedia
|Type of Date=Day
|Date=1860/02/22
|Country=United States
|State=CA
|City=San Francisco
|Field=Center Bridge
|NY Rules=Yes
|Home Team=San Francisco Base Ball Club
|Home Score=33
|Away Team=Red Rover Base Ball Club of San Francisco
|Away Score=33
|Description=<p>"According to John E. Spalding in his book <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Always on Sunday</span>, among the early [San Francisco] residents was a group of cricket players who organized the first base ball team -- late in 1859. Called the San Franciscos, the members issued a challenge in January 1860, to 'any nine base ball players, to a match game' on February 22 at the Center Bridge. A group called the Red Rovers accepted." "Using a ball made of woolen yarn from a sock and rubber from a pair of overshoes, teams battled to a 33-33 tie over nine innings in the Washington's birthday holiday contest."</p>
<p>This game pitted "[John M.] Fisher's San Francisco Base Ball Club and a rival club, the red Rovers.&nbsp; The game occurred at a long-gone spot in San Francisco called Centres' Bridge.&nbsp; Centre's Bridge, probably in what is now the South of Market area, was California's version of Elysian Fields.</p>
<p>"In the game at Centre's Bridge, a nasty squabble broke out after the Red Rovers charged the opposing pitcher with cheating. . . . The Red Rovers walked off the field in protest, although the game was tie, 33 - 33. . .</p>
<p><strong>Note</strong> -- Angus MacFarlane reports that the Red Rovers refused to play extra innings because they thought the SFBBC pitcher was pitching illegally.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
|Sources=<p>John E. Spalding, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Always on Sunday: The California Baseball League, 1886-1915</span> (Ag Press, Manhattan KS, 1992).</p>
<p>Kevin Nelson,&nbsp;<span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Golden Game: The Story of California Baseball</span>&nbsp;(California Historical Society Press, San Francisco, 2004), page 10.</p>
<p>William F. McNeil, The <span style="text-decoration: underline;">California Winter League</span> (McFarland, 2002), page 9.</p>
<p><em>California Spirit of the Times</em>, February 22, 1860. NY Mercury, March 18, 1860; Dec. 30, 1860.</p>
<p>The <em>NY Mercury</em>, March 18, 1860, notes this game. The <em>Mercury</em>, Dec. 30, 1860, labels this Feb. 22 game the first game ever played in CA. [BA]</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
|Has Source On Hand=No
|Comment=<p>The game is reported to have been played only hours earlier than a Union-Sacramento BBC game in Sacramento, played the same day. (Nelson, page 10).</p>
|Query=<p>Is it clear from contemporary accounts that New York rules governed this game?</p>
|Reviewed=Yes
|Submitted by=Angus Macfarlane
|Entered by=Bruce Allardice
|Players Locality=Local
}}