1845.4

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NY and Brooklyn Teams Play Two-Game Series of "Time-Honored Game of Base"

Salience	Noteworthy
Tags	Pre-Knicks NYCPre-Knicks NYC
Location	New JerseyNew Jersey
City/State/Country:	[[{{{Country}}}]]
Modern Address
Game	Base BallBase Ball
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Text	The New York Base Ball Club and the Brooklyn Base Ball Club compete at the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey, by uncertain rules and with eight players to the side. On October 21, New York prevailed, 24-4 in four innings (21 runs being necessary to record the victory). The two teams also played a rematch in Brooklyn, at the grounds of the Star Cricket Club on Myrtle Avenue, on October 25, and the Brooklyn club again succumbed, this time by the score of 37-19, once more in four innings. For these two contests box scores were printed in New York newspapers. There are some indications that these games may have been played by the brand new Knickerbocker rules. New York Morning News, October 22 and 25, 1845. Reprinted in Dean A. Sullivan, Compiler and Editor, Early Innings: A Documentary History of Baseball, 1825-1908 [University of Nebraska Press, 1995], pp. 11-13. This game had been announced in The New York Herald on October 21. Per Sullivan, p. 11. Craig Waff [4/30/2007] located an announcement of the first game the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, vol. 4, number 253 (October 21, 1845), page 2, column 3: it refers to "the New York Bass Ball Club," and predicts that the match will "attract large numbers from this and the neighboring city." For a detailed discussion of the significance of this game, see Melvin Adelman, "The First Baseball Game, the First Newspaper References to Baseball," Journal of Sport History Volume 7, number 3 (Winter 1980), pp 132 ff. For a long-lost account of an earlier New York - Brooklyn game, see #1845.16 below. Go here for the detailed accounts of these games
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1845.4 NY and Brooklyn Teams Play Two-Game Series of "Time-Honored Game of Base""

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Supplemental Text

Base Ball Match.

A friendly match of the time-honored game of Base was played yesterday at the Elysian Fields, Hoboken, between eight members of the New York Ball Club and the same number of players from Brooklyn. A cold wind from the North made the day somewhat unpleasant for the spectators, yet a large number, among whom we noticed several ladies, assembled to witness the sport. Play was called at 3 o'clock, P.M. Umpires--Messrs. Johnson, Wheaton and Chase. The toss was won by the Brooklyn players, who decided in favor of giving their antagonists the first innings, and accordingly Hunt took up the bat, and the game commenced.  The match was for the first twenty-one aces--three out, all out. Hunt made a single ace, but before another was added to the score, three of the New Yorkers went out in rapid succession, and the bats were yielded to Brooklyn. Many of the Brooklyn players were eminent cricketers, but the severe tactics of the N.Y. Club proved too effective, and they soon resigned their innings to their opponents, not scoring one.

New York now took her second chances, and the score began slowly to tell. During this innings, four aces were made off a single hit, but by the arbitrary nature of the game, a single mistake sometimes proving fatally irretrievable, they were soon driven to the field again. The second innings of the Brooklyn players proved alike disastrous, and the close of the third still left them, all their tickets blank. On the fourth innings the New York Club made up their score to twenty-four aces. The Brooklyn players then took their fourth, against hopeless odds, but with undiminished spirits. They were, however, forced to yield with a score of four only, and the New York were declared winners with a spare three and a flush of twenty. The fielding of the Brooklyn players was, for the most part, beautiful, but they were evidently not so well practiced in the game as their opponents.

The following abstract shows the aggregate of the four innings:

New York Ball Club	Runs	Hands Out
Davis	5
Case	2	2
Tucker	2	3
Vail	3	1
Miller	4	1
Kline	2	3
Winslow	4	2
Murphy	2
Total	24	12

Brooklyn Players	Runs	Hands Out
Hunt	2
Sharp		1
Gilmore	1	2
Whaley	1	1
Hardy	1	2
Ayres		1
Forman	1	2
Hine		1
Total	4	12

             

At the conclusion of the match, both parties sat down to a dinner prepared by McCarty in his best style; and the good feeling and hilarity that prevailed, showed that the Brooklyn players, though defeated, were not disheartened. A return match will be played on Friday next, commencing at 1 o'clock P.M., on the grounds of the Brooklyn Star Club, Myrtle avenue. Those who would witness genuine sport, should improve the opportunity.

[October 25, 1845]

    BASE BALL--The return match between the New York Base Ball Club and the Brooklyn players, came off yesterday afternoon on the ground of the Brooklyn Star Club, Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn boys, though keen players at cricket, it seems have not sufficient practice yet, to cope with their more skilful antagonists in this game, and as a consequence, have again been defeated. Give them, however, a little more drill, and their sure and agile fielding, even now, will eventually tell in their favor. Two more Base Clubs are already formed in our sister city, and the coming season may witness some extra sport. The liberal and gentlemanly bearing of the losing party is highly commendable, and on this, if on no other account, they certainly deserve ultimate success.

      After the match was concluded, a bounteous supper was provided at Sharp's, during the consideration of which, the utmost harmony and good feeling prevailed.

      The following is a correct record of the score.--Umpires, Messrs. Johnson, Wheaton and Van Nostrand.

New York Ball Club	Runs	Hands Out
Davis	2	4
Murphy	0	6
Vail	2	4
Kline	1	4
Miller	2	5
Case	2	4
Tucker	2	4
Winslow	1	6
Total	24	12

Brooklyn Players	Runs	Hands Out
Hunt	1	3
Haines	2	2
Gilmore	3	2
Hardy	1	2
Sharp	2	2
Meyers	0	3
Whaley	2	2
Forman	1	2*
Total	12	19

           

* Error in original. Should be 3.