Union Club of Matamoros
| Nick Name | Union |
|---|---|
| Earliest Known Date | Sunday, January 5, 1868 |
| Last Known Game | |
| Location | Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico |
| Modern Address | |
| NABBP Status | |
| Nine Class | Senior |
| Tags | |
| Description | The Two Republics, an English language newspaper of Mexico City, reported on Nov. 20, 1869: "Base Ball on the Rio Grande. The Rio Grande Club of Brownsville played the opening game of a series with the Union Club of Matamoros, Mexico, on the grounds of the former, on Oct. 21st." Brownsville won, in a game shortened to 8 innings by darkness. This account is probably based on the Brownsville Daily Ranchero of Oct. 23, 1869, which gives the same account and a box score. Brownsville won 29 to 22, in a game with 8 on each side. The Matamoros team comprised people with both "Anglo" and Spanish names. Same, Nov. 23, 1869 has the McClellan BBC (of soldiers in Brownsville) playing a picked nine of four of the Rio Grande BBC of Brownsville, and five of the Union BBC. The picked nine roster includes several Spanish-surnamed players--Caceres, Alamos, Elizondo and Ranado. The San Antonio Express, Wednesday, January 8, 1868: "The Two Republics--A match game of Base Ball was played on the Plaza, Sunday afternoon, between nine of the Matamoros club and the Brownsville club, resulting in the defeat of the Brownsville boys.--Rio Grande Courier." The Union Club played the Rio Grande BBC on Dec. 25, 1868, in Brownsville, winning 49-32. See Brownsville Ranchero, Dec. 27, 1868 For a later game between Brownsville and Matamoros BBCs, played at Santa Cruz, see the Brownsville Herald, Dec. 22, 1906 Matamoros is just across the Rio Grande from Brownsville. During the Civil War Matamoros filled up with Americans, seeking to trade with (or prevent trade to) Confederate Texas. Given that fact, and the name of the club ("Union"), it is probable that the Matamoros team was inspired by Americans. |
| Sources | The Two Republics, Nov. 20, 1869. The San Antonio Express, Wednesday, January 8, 1868. Brownsville Ranchero, Dec. 27, 1868
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| Source Image | [[Image:|left|thumb]] |
| Has Source On Hand | No |
| Comment | Several players on the Union club attended Seton Hall University and presumably were exposed to baseball there. See https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/latin-american-baseball-origins Edit with form to add a comment |
| Query | Edit with form to add a query |
| Found by | Bruce Allardice |
| Submission Note | |
| Entered by | Bruce Allardice |
| First in Location | Mexico |
| First in Location Note | |
| Entry Origin | |
| Entry Origin Url | |
| Local-Origin Study Groups | |
| Has Supplemental Text |
Win/Loss Records As Far As We Now Know
Warning: Users should not rely on a team's won-loss record as a reflection of its "standing" among all base ball clubs. Team schedules were not balanced, and a good record against mostly weak opponents does not signify a leading club.
| Year | Games | Wins | Losses | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1868 | 1 Played | 1 Won | 0 Lost | 0 Tied |
Ballgames
| Page | Date | City | Borough | State | Team 1 | Team 2 | Score | First in | Contributor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballgame | 1868-12-25 | Brownsville | TX | Rio Grande Club of Brownsville | Union Club of Matamoros | 32 - 49 | Brownsville, TX | Bruce Allardice |
Players
No players have been associated with this Club yet.
Playing Fields
Comments
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