pmeares17
07-24-2001, 05:51 PM
John R. Lucas formed a group of local businessmen to establish St. Louis' first professional team with a franchise in the National Association in 1875. The club, known as the Brown Stockings, hired professional players from the east to stock the team and included some local talent. The Red Stockings and the Empires also hired one professional player each, but did not pay any other team members. The Red Stockings team also entered the National Association.
The first professional league game in St. Louis was played on May 4th, 1875, with the Brown Stockings visiting the Red Stockings at their home field on Compton Avenue. The all-professional Brown Stockings won the game more easily than the 15-9 score would indicate. The Red Stockings scored 8 runs in the eighth inning, perhaps with a little leniency from the Brown Stockings' fielders.
The Red Stockings were unable to beat any of the good teams in the National Association, and in July the other teams refused to play them. The Red Stockings dropped out of the league but continued to play in St. Louis as a semi-pro/amateur team for many years.
The Brown Stockings, playing home games at the Grand Avenue field that later became the site of Sportsman's Park, did quite well against the other national professional teams. On June 5th they beat the previously unbeaten Boston Red Stockings, 5-4, snapping Boston's 26-game winning streak. The Brown Stockings finished the season in fourth place with a 39-29 record but were 26 and 1/2 games behind champion Boston.
The first major league was the National League which began in 1876 with eight teams. The Brown Stockings team, owned by John R. Lucas and associates, was a charter member. On July 15th St. Louis' only pitcher, George Washington Bradley, threw the National League's first no-hitter, defeating Hartford 2-0. The team finished in second place with a 45-19 record. The National League dropped to six teams in 1877 and the team finished in fourth place with a 28-32 record. Before the 1878 season, St. Louis' ownership signed five excellent players from the Louisville team and one from Chicago. This major effort to improve the team came crashing down because four of the Louisville players were accused of throwing games in 1877 and were banished from baseball for life. Amid allegations that the St. Louis owners knew of the accusations of thrown games before the players were signed, Lucas and his associates resigned from the National League.
In 1884 the Union Association, with major league status, was formed by St. Louis' own Henry V. Lucas, a nephew of John R. Lucas. Twelve teams played in the league during the season but only five played in more than 100 games. Henry Lucas also owned the St. Louis Maroons, who won the city's first major league championship with a remarkable 94-19 record. In December only four teams attended the league meeting to plan for the next season and the league disbanded.
This was not the end of the Maroons, but perhaps it should have been. The team obtained a franchise in the National League in 1885 and finished dead last, 49 games out of first place at 36-72. In 1886 the team improved to sixth place at 43-79 but was still 46 games out of first. Owner Lucas announced in August that he had lost $23,000 during the last three years. In March of 1887 the St. Louis franchise was sold and transferred to Indianapolis.
The first professional league game in St. Louis was played on May 4th, 1875, with the Brown Stockings visiting the Red Stockings at their home field on Compton Avenue. The all-professional Brown Stockings won the game more easily than the 15-9 score would indicate. The Red Stockings scored 8 runs in the eighth inning, perhaps with a little leniency from the Brown Stockings' fielders.
The Red Stockings were unable to beat any of the good teams in the National Association, and in July the other teams refused to play them. The Red Stockings dropped out of the league but continued to play in St. Louis as a semi-pro/amateur team for many years.
The Brown Stockings, playing home games at the Grand Avenue field that later became the site of Sportsman's Park, did quite well against the other national professional teams. On June 5th they beat the previously unbeaten Boston Red Stockings, 5-4, snapping Boston's 26-game winning streak. The Brown Stockings finished the season in fourth place with a 39-29 record but were 26 and 1/2 games behind champion Boston.
The first major league was the National League which began in 1876 with eight teams. The Brown Stockings team, owned by John R. Lucas and associates, was a charter member. On July 15th St. Louis' only pitcher, George Washington Bradley, threw the National League's first no-hitter, defeating Hartford 2-0. The team finished in second place with a 45-19 record. The National League dropped to six teams in 1877 and the team finished in fourth place with a 28-32 record. Before the 1878 season, St. Louis' ownership signed five excellent players from the Louisville team and one from Chicago. This major effort to improve the team came crashing down because four of the Louisville players were accused of throwing games in 1877 and were banished from baseball for life. Amid allegations that the St. Louis owners knew of the accusations of thrown games before the players were signed, Lucas and his associates resigned from the National League.
In 1884 the Union Association, with major league status, was formed by St. Louis' own Henry V. Lucas, a nephew of John R. Lucas. Twelve teams played in the league during the season but only five played in more than 100 games. Henry Lucas also owned the St. Louis Maroons, who won the city's first major league championship with a remarkable 94-19 record. In December only four teams attended the league meeting to plan for the next season and the league disbanded.
This was not the end of the Maroons, but perhaps it should have been. The team obtained a franchise in the National League in 1885 and finished dead last, 49 games out of first place at 36-72. In 1886 the team improved to sixth place at 43-79 but was still 46 games out of first. Owner Lucas announced in August that he had lost $23,000 during the last three years. In March of 1887 the St. Louis franchise was sold and transferred to Indianapolis.