1.
Washington Park (baseball)
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Washington Park was the name given to three major league Baseball parks on two different sites in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, located at Third Street and Fourth Avenue. The first two sites were diagonally opposite each other at that intersection, the third site was the same as the second site. The first Washington Park was bounded by Third and Fifth Streets, the property contained an old building then called the Gowanus House, which stands today, albeit largely reconstructed. Those events inspired the ballparks name, the ballpark was the home of the Brooklyn baseball club during 1883–1891, with a slight interruption by a destructive fire during the 1889 season. The team, then called the Atlantics, had started in a league in 1883, joined the then-major American Association in 1884. Streetcar tracks ran near the ballpark, inspiring the one of the many nicknames that ultimately stuck. In 1891, the split its time between Washington Park and a newer facility called Eastern Park in Brownsville, moving there full-time in 1892. That might have seemed like an idea at the time, but the park was a little too eastern for the fans convenience. The second Washington Park was bounded by First and Third Streets and it was located at 40°40′30″N 73°59′10″W. It consisted of a covered grandstand behind the infield and uncovered stand down the field line. The Brooklyn National Leaguers, by then called the Superbas as well as the Dodgers, moved into this new ballpark in 1898. On April 30,1898, the Dodgers played their first game at new Washington Park and 15,000 fans attended. One of the unusual features of the Park was the aroma from nearby factories and Gowanus Canal. Meanwhile, owner Charlie Ebbets slowly invested in the lots on a larger piece of property in Flatbush. So in 1913, the Dodgers, at that time most often called the Robins for their manager Wilbert Robinson, abandoned Washington Park. The old park took on an appearance, in fact. Part of the center field wall of this final Washington Park still stands on the east side of 3rd Avenue, south of 1st Street. A book by Barnet Schecter that includes and excellent study of the Battle of Long Island, ebbets-Field. com Brooklyn Ballparks page on Washington Park
2.
Brooklyn
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Brooklyn is the most populous borough of New York City, with a Census-estimated 2,636,735 residents in 2015. It borders the borough of Queens at the end of Long Island. Today, if New York City dissolved, Brooklyn would rank as the third-most populous city in the U. S. behind Los Angeles, the borough continues, however, to maintain a distinct culture. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves, Brooklyns official motto, displayed on the Borough seal and flag, is Eendraght Maeckt Maght which translates from early modern Dutch as Unity makes strength. Since 2010, Brooklyn has evolved into a hub of entrepreneurship and high technology startup firms. The history of European settlement in Brooklyn spans more than 350 years, the neighborhood of Marine Park was home to North Americas first tidal mill. It was built by the Dutch, and the foundation can be seen today, however, the area was not formally settled as a town. Many incidents and documents relating to this period are in Gabriel Furmans early compilation, what is today Brooklyn left Dutch hands after the final English conquest of New Netherland in 1664, a prelude to the Second Anglo–Dutch War. The English reorganized the six old Dutch towns on southwestern Long Island as Kings County on November 1,1683 and this tract of land was recognized as a political entity for the first time, and the municipal groundwork was laid for a later expansive idea of Brooklyn identity. On August 27,1776 was fought the Battle of Long Island, the first major engagement fought in the American Revolutionary War after independence was declared, and the largest of the entire conflict. British troops forced Continental Army troops under George Washington off the heights near the sites of Green-Wood Cemetery, Prospect Park. The fortified American positions at Brooklyn Heights consequently became untenable and were evacuated a few days later, One result of the Treaty of Paris in 1783 was the evacuation of the British from New York City, celebrated by residents into the 20th century. The New York Navy Yard operated in Wallabout Bay for the entire 19th century, the first center of urbanization sprang up in the Town of Brooklyn, directly across from Lower Manhattan, which saw the incorporation of the Village of Brooklyn in 1817. Reliable steam ferry service across the East River to Fulton Landing converted Brooklyn Heights into a town for Wall Street. Ferry Road to Jamaica Pass became Fulton Street to East New York, Town and Village were combined to form the first, kernel incarnation of the City of Brooklyn in 1834. Industrial deconcentration in mid-century was bringing shipbuilding and other manufacturing to the part of the county. Each of the two cities and six towns in Kings County remained independent municipalities, and purposely created non-aligning street grids with different naming systems and it later became the most popular and highest circulation afternoon paper in America. The publisher changed to L. Van Anden on April 19,1842, on May 14,1849 the name was shortened to The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, on September 5,1938 it was further shortened to Brooklyn Eagle
3.
History of the Brooklyn Dodgers
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The teams name derived from the reputed skill of Brooklyn residents at evading the citys trolley streetcar network. The team is noted for signing Jackie Robinson in 1947 as the first black player in the major leagues. Brooklyn was home to numerous clubs in the mid-1850s. Eight of 16 participants in the first convention were from Brooklyn, including the Atlantic, Eckford, Brooklyn helped make baseball commercial, as the locale of the first paid admission games, a series of three all star contests matching New York and Brooklyn in 1858. The Excelsiors no longer challenged for the championship after the Civil War. The Eckfords and Atlantics declined to join until 1872 and thereby lost their best players, the Eckfords survived only one season and the Atlantics four, with losing teams. When the Mutuals were expelled by the league, the Hartford Dark Blues club moved in, changed its name to The Brooklyn Hartfords and played its home games at Union Grounds in 1877 before disbanding. Byrne arranged to build a grandstand on a lot bounded by Third Street, Fourth Avenue, Fifth Street, and Fifth Avenue, the Grays played in the minor Inter-State Association of Professional Baseball Clubs that first season. Doyle became the first team manager, and they drew 6,431 fans to their first home game on May 12,1883 against the Trenton team. The Grays won the title after the Camden Merritt club disbanded on July 20. The Grays were invited to join the American Association for the 1884 season and they lost the 1889 World Series to the New York Giants and tied the 1890 World Series with the Louisville Colonels. Their success during this period was partly attributed to their having absorbed skilled players from the defunct New York Metropolitans, in 1899, the Grays merged with the Baltimore Orioles, as Baltimore manager Ned Hanlon became the clubs new manager and Charles Ebbets became the primary team owner. The team name, Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers, was coined in 1895, the nickname was still new enough in September 1895 that a newspaper could report that Trolley Dodgers is the new name which eastern baseball cranks have given the Brooklyn club. Some sources erroneously report that the name Trolley Dodgers referred to pedestrians avoiding fast cars on street car tracks that bordered Eastern Park on two sides, however, Eastern Park was not bordered by street-level trolley lines that had to be dodged by pedestrians. The name was shortened to Brooklyn Dodgers. Other team names used by the franchise that finally came to be called the Dodgers were the Grooms, the Bridegrooms, Wards Wonders, the Superbas, and the Robins. All of these nicknames were used by fans and newspaper sports writers to describe the team, the teams legal name was the Brooklyn Base Ball Club. However, the Trolley Dodgers nickname was used throughout this period, along with nicknames, by fans
4.
Doc Bushong
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Albert John Bushong, D. D. S, known as Doc Bushong, was a catcher in Major League Baseball. Bushong also made appearances as an umpire and after his retirement from baseball, some sources credit him with the invention of the catchers mitt. Descended from the Colonial immigrant Bushong family, Albert John Bushong was born September 15,1856, in Philadelphia, Bushong attended public schools in Philadelphia and graduated from Central High School in 1876. After playing baseball in various minor league teams for a couple of years, Bushong was one of the first to matriculate in the brand-new Department of Dentistry and he received his D. D. S. in 1882. While attending dental school, he played professional baseball every year, catching in more than 230 games as well as barnstorming in the off-season with a different team, Bushong was the first University of Pennsylvania graduate to play in Major League baseball. He did not play ball for the university, as he was already playing pro-ball, shortly after graduation Albert J. Bushong and Theresa M. Gottery were married and together they had seven children. Some believe his greatest success came in the part of his career. His most notable performance is most likely in the 1886 St. Louis Browns of the American Association when they beat the Chicago White Stockings of the National League, for the Championship. For his part in the championship, in 1886, the Missouri Pacific Railroad, honored Bushong, the town of Weeks in Kansas, became, Bushong, Kansas. In 1887 Bushong became one of the first baseball players to do paid product endorsements, in an advertisement for Merrells Penetrating Oil, which was a cold medicine. The sale was to the Brooklyn Bride Grooms and their owner, Charlie Byrne who paid, what was then, the enormous sum of $19,000, for the trio. On July 4,1889, in the game of a doubleheader in St. Louis, Bushong injured his arm. He never fully recovered from the injury, which marked the beginning of the end of his baseball career, the 1890 season, was Bushongs last on the Bridegrooms and in major league baseball and he was officially released on March 26,1891. Within a couple of weeks still wanting to play for the 1891 season, Bushong signed on with a league team. In a game that was traditionally played bare-handed, it is difficult to say who was first to make, the first player to wear a glove was catcher Doug Allison, in 1870. In 1888, Joe Gunson described his catchers mitt, and is associated with its invention, along with Doc Bushong. But his claim as first is brought into question by a Brooklyn Eagle article that describes Bushong with his glove at least a season before Gunsons claim. But it is easy to believe that on September 18,1887 when he returned, further, an article in October 13,1887, by the Brooklyn Eagle, tells of Bushong losing his old glove
5.
Dave Foutz
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David Luther Foutz was a Major League Baseball player for 13 seasons. He played multiple positions, including pitcher, from 1884 to 1896, compiling a 147–66 career record, as well as first base, from 1893 to 1896, he was the player-manager of the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. David Luther Foutz was born in Carroll County, Maryland on September 7,1856, always known as Dave, he was asthmatic all his life. When he was 21 Foutz drifted out to Leadville, Colorado, while in Leadville, Foutz started playing baseball, pitching for the Leadville Blues, an amateur team. Shortly after, he signed with the Bay City, Michigan minor league team, by 1884, Foutzs talent had been spotted by Chris von der Ahe, the owner of the American Association St. Louis Browns. He wanted Foutzs contract so badly he bought the entire Bay City, before joining the major league, Foutz acquired a reputation as a gambler and drinker, figuring if he was going to die young, he would enjoy himself before. As a player, Dave Foutz was often called Scissors and other nicknames, due to his tall and his first six seasons in the major leagues were spent in the American Association with the St. Louis Browns, all the while suffering from asthma. With the Browns he became their powerhouse right hander who pitched St. Louis to four straight American Association pennants. Along the way, Foutz built up a record and on April 10,1885, in an exhibition game, Foutz pitched a no-hitter to defeat the St. Louis Maroons. Later on June 3,1886, Foutz pitched a shutout against Brooklyn in what became a 19-0 rout. But on August 14,1887 while pitching against the Cincinnati Reds for St. Louis, Foutz was hit by a ball, sidelined for nine weeks, when Foutz eventually returned to pitching‚ he was ineffective and his pitching career was virtually ended. While he was pitching, Foutz won 114 games over a span from 1884–1887. He ended up with a 147-66 record, which is a.690 percentage and is tied for third-best ever, the sale was to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and their owner, Charlie Byrne who paid, what was then, the enormous sum of $19,000 for the trio. After the injury, Foutz pitched little for Brooklyn but helped the team to the 1889 American Association pennant, in both seasons, he was the regular first baseman. Later for four seasons, Foutz was a manager, but Brooklyn never finished higher than fifth. Foutz is still remembered for one play, that probably occurred in the game on September 3,1886. He was playing for the St. Louis Browns, who were facing the Louisville Colonels, apparently orchestrated by a signal from Albert Doc Bushong, catcher, with Charles Comiskey playing first base. On base, the runners for the Louisville Colonels were Pete Browning on first, sundays game between St. Louis Louisville, and in the presence of 6,000 persons, Foutz played the sharpest trick ever seen on the ball field
6.
Road (sports)
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A road game or away game is a sports game where the specified team is not the host and must travel to another venue. Most professional teams represent cities or towns and amateur sports teams often represent academic institutions, each team has a location where it practices during the season and where it hosts games. When a team is not the host, it must travel to games. Thus, when a team is not hosting a game, the team is described as the team, the visiting team, or the away team. The venue in which the game is played is described as the stadium or the road. The host team is said to be the home team, major sporting events, if not held at a neutral venue, are often over several legs at each teams home ground, so that neither team has an advantage over the other. Occasionally, the team may not have to travel very far at all to a road game. These matches often become local derbies, a few times a year, a road team may even be lucky enough to have the road game played at their own home stadium or arena. This is prevalent in college athletics where many schools will play in regional leagues or groundshare. The related term true road game has seen increasing use in U. S. college sports in the 21st century, while regular-season tournaments and other special events have been part of college sports from their creation, the 21st century has seen a proliferation of such events. These are typically held at sites, with some of them taking place outside the contiguous U. S. or even outside the country entirely. In turn, this has led to the use of true road game to refer to contests played at one home venue. In some association football leagues, particularly in Europe, the teams fans sit in their own section. Depending on the stadium, they will either sit in a designated section or be separated from the home fans by a cordon of police officers. However, in the leagues in England, supporters may be free to mix. When games are played at a site, for instance the FA Cup final in England which is always played at Wembley Stadium. This results in each team occupying one half of the stadium and this is different from other sports, particularly in North America, where very few fans travel to games played away from their home stadium. Home and away fans are not separated at these games
7.
George Stallings
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George Tweedy Stallings was an American manager and player in Major League Baseball. He was born on November 17,1867 in Atlanta, Stallings graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1886. He entered medical school, but was offered a contract by Harry Wright. He was cut in spring training.100, as a manager, he had a mixed major league resume prior to 1914, a poor record with the Phillies, then mild successes in the American League with the Detroit Tigers and New York Highlanders. In the minor leagues, he managed the 1895 Nashville Seraphs to win the Southern League pennant and he also managed Detroit before it became a major league team in part of 1896 and from the end of 1898 through its becoming a charter member of the American League. They then defeated the heavily favored Philadelphia Athletics in four games to earn the nickname Miracle Braves. Stallings is credited with being the first manager to use platooning to good effect and it was not strictly left/right hand platooning, but he did change his lineup significantly when the Braves played a team starting a left-handed pitcher. Bill James credits him with being the first major league manager to use platooning as a weapon, the 1914 championship was the only World Series title earned by the Braves during their tenure in Boston, which lasted through March 1953. It also was Stallings’ first and only big league championship and he managed the Braves through 1920, but posted no winning season after 1916. His career major league managing record was 879 wins,898 losses over 13 years, Stallings was responsible for bringing professional baseball back to the city of Montreal, Quebec. In 1928, his partnership with Montreal lawyer and politician Athanase David and they built the modern new Delorimier Stadium in downtown Montreal as the home for the team that would be where Jackie Robinson would break the baseball color barrier in 1946. Stallings was famous for his superstitions, and for his nervousness on the bench and he has been described as both distinguished and salty-tongued. He died in Haddock, Georgia at age 61 of heart disease, according to legend, when asked by his physician why he had a bad heart, Stallings replied, Bases on balls, doc. List of Major League Baseball player–managers Baseball-Reference. com – career managing record and playing statistics
8.
Oyster Burns
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Thomas P. Burns, who predominately played as an outfielder, also played as a shortstop, second baseman, third baseman and as a pitcher. Over his career, Burns compiled a batting average of.300 with 870 runs scored,1,392 hits,224 doubles,129 triples,65 home runs. Although the majority of his career was spent in the major leagues and he made his MLB debut at the age of 19 and was listed as standing 5 feet 8 inches and weighing 183 pounds. Burns, nicknamed Oyster because he sold shellfish in the off-season, was described as a loudmouth and having an irritating voice, nevertheless, Burns led the Bridegrooms to an American Association championship in 1889 and a National League pennant in 1890. After retiring from baseball, Burns died on November 11,1928, in Brooklyn, thomas P. Burns was born on September 6,1864, in Philadelphia. His parents, Patrick and Mary Burns, were both Irish immigrants, in 1883, Burns began his professional baseball career as a pitcher with Harrisburg of the minor-league Interstate Association. On the year, Burns posted a run average of 2.30 over 20 games pitched,15 of which were starts. When he wasnt pitching, Burns played second and third base, Burns began the 1884 season playing for the Wilmington Quicksteps, but left the team after they joined the Union Association, and joined the Baltimore Orioles. Burns—the youngest player on the Orioles and the seventh youngest player in the American Association— batted.298, despite playing in only 35 games on the season, Burns recorded a team-leading six home runs over 141 plate appearances. He continued his career with the Orioles in 1885, batting.231 with five runs and 37 RBI. His offensive struggles led him to be demoted to the Newark Domestics for the 1886 season, by 1887, Burns had reentered the majors for the Orioles and became the team captain until he threw a baseball at an opposing pitcher following a groundout, he was later fined $25. On the season, he recorded nine home runs—good for third in the American Association, Burnss 19 triples were enough to tie him with five others for the league lead, and his 140 games played were tied for the league lead with teammate Blondie Purcell. After playing in 79 games for Baltimore, Burns was transferred to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms by Harry Von der Horst, while he was playing for the Bridegrooms, the New York Clipper described Burns as the noisiest man that ever played on the Brooklyn team. His voice reminds one of a buzz-saw, Burns remained with the Bridegrooms for the 1889 season. He recorded team highs in on-base percentage, batting average, and home runs hit while the Bridegrooms, with an 89–48 record, in the World Series, the Bridegrooms played the New York Giants of the National League. Burns hit a home run to win the fourth game of the series. However, the Giants would take the World Series after winning five straight games, in 1890, the Bridegrooms had moved to the National League. Burns, now 26, led the league in home runs and he hit for the cycle on August 1, 1890—becoming the first Bridegroom to do so
9.
Adonis Terry
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William H. Adonis Terry was an American Major League Baseball player whose career spanned from his debut with the Brooklyn Atlantics in 1884, to the Chicago Colts in 1897. In his 14 seasons, he compiled a 197-196 win–loss record, born in Westfield, Massachusetts, Terry began his professional career with the minor league Brooklyn Grays in 1883, who won the Interstate Championship that season. The following season, the team was admitted into the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics, in that 1884 season, the team finished in ninth place, and his win-loss record reflected that. Although his record was 19-35, he led the team with a run average of 3.55. Over the next three seasons, Terry had average-to-good seasons, had a record of 40 wins and 49 losses. But it was not until 1888 that he turned into a star pitcher, in that season, he had a 13-8 record, a 2.03 ERA, and tossed his second no-hitter, this time against the Louisville Colonels on May 27,1888. In 1889, the won the American Association championship with Terry winning 22 games. He pitched five games, winning two, in the World Series after the season with the New York Giants, a series that Brooklyn lost six games to three. The 1891 season turned out to be a disappointment for both Brooklyn and Terry, as the finished in sixth place and Terry record fell to 6-16. On June 10,1892, Brooklyn released Terry, and was signed by the Baltimore Orioles on June 14. He played just one game for Baltimore, a complete games loss and he pitched well in his 2-plus seasons for Pittsburgh, winning 18 games in 1892 and 12 more in 1893. In 1894, he changed teams for the last time, after pitching in one game for the Pirates, he was then picked up by the Chicago Colts and had moderate success in his four seasons with them. He went on to win 21 games in 1895 and 15 more in 1896, on July 13,1896, he had the unfortunate distinction of giving up all four home runs to Philadelphia Phillie hall-of-Famer Ed Delahanty in a game played at the old West Side Grounds. Pitching the complete game, he and his Colts were able to prevail and he played only one game the following season in 1897, a complete-game loss, before his career came to end. His career totals include a 197 wins and 196 losses, a 3.74 ERA and he was also a versatile player, often playing other positions, including 216 games in the outfield, with games also played at shortstop, first base and third base. After his Major League career was over, he became an umpire for 39 games in the 1900 National League season and he had filled the umpire position from time to time during his playing days. In total, he umpired 51 games,48 of them as the plate umpire. Adonis is the honoree of old-time baseball events that are held in his hometown of Westfield, Terry died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the age of 50 from an episode of pneumonia, and was cremated
10.
National League
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Both leagues currently have 15 teams. The two league champions of 1903 arranged to compete against each other in the inaugural World Series, after the 1904 champions failed to reach a similar agreement, the two leagues formalized the World Series as an arrangement between the leagues. National League teams have won 48 of the 112 World Series contested from 1903 to 2016, the 2016 National League champions are the Chicago Cubs. By 1875, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was dangerously weak, additionally, Hulbert had a problem—five of his star players were threatened with expulsion from the NAPBBP because Hulbert had signed them to his club using what were considered questionable means. Hulbert had a vested interest in creating his own league. After recruiting St. Louis privately, four western clubs met in Louisville, Kentucky, Boston Red Stockings, the dominant team in the N. A. Hartford Dark Blues from the N. A. Mutual of New York from the N. A. St. Louis Brown Stockings from the N. A, the only strong club from 1875 excluded in 1876 was a second one in Philadelphia, often called the White Stockings or Phillies. The first game in National League history was played on April 22,1876, at Philadelphias Jefferson Street Grounds, 25th & Jefferson, the new leagues authority was tested after the first season. The National League operated with six clubs during 1877 and 1878, over the next several years, various teams joined and left the struggling league. By 1880, six of the eight members had folded. The two remaining original NL franchises, Boston and Chicago, remain in operation today as the Atlanta Braves, in 1883 the New York Gothams and Philadelphia Phillies began National League play. Both teams remain in the NL today, the Phillies in their original city, the NL encountered its first strong rival organization when the American Association began play in 1882. The A. A. played in cities where the NL did not have teams, offered Sunday games and alcoholic beverages in locales where permitted, the National League and the American Association participated in a version of the World Series seven times during their ten-year coexistence. These contests were less organized than the modern Series, lasting as few as three games and as many as fifteen, with two Series ending in disputed ties, the NL won four times and the A. A. only once, in 1886. Starting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1887, the National League began to raid the American Association for franchises to replace NL teams that folded and this undercut the stability of the A. A. Other new leagues that rose to compete with the National League were the Union Association, the Union Association was established in 1884 and folded after playing only one season, its league champion St. Louis Maroons joining the NL. The NL suffered many defections of star players to the Players League, the Brooklyn, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and New York franchises of the NL absorbed their Players League counterparts. The labor strife of 1890 hastened the downfall of the American Association, after the 1891 season, the A. A. disbanded and merged with the NL, which became known legally for the next decade as the National League and American Association
