It had been four straight years of playoff disappointment, but the streak looked like it could extend to half of a decade. For the second consecutive year, Brooklyn and Richmond had battled to a standstill in the Eastern League Cup 2-2. The Western League Champion–a familiar foe from 1901 and 1902–had already been declared with…
As the 1908 Legacy Baseball season came to a close with the Brooklyn Whales defeating the Twin Cities Empire five games to one, the Pittsburgh Oilers had finished in a respectable 3rd place in the Frontier Division of the Western League, with an even 60-60 record. The Oilers’ owner, Chester Colfax had decided a new…
With the 16th pick of the 1908 amateur draft, the Brooklyn Whales selected 18 year old outfielder Erwin Ford. Ford, a tall and slender switch hitter with a sweet swing had proven himself to be an excellent hitter in the Legacy Baseball Academy League with a career slash line of .278/.409/.524 (152 wRC+) with 47…
As the league lore goes, “The first pitch of the Legacy Baseball League was hurled by Stephen Millington of the Philadelphia Brewers from the mound at Libby Hill, Virginia, to CF Cooper Fowler* of the Richmond Rifles, on the first day of Spring: March 21st, 1895.” Fowler would go on to spark the movement for the Legacy Negro Baseball League and serve…
As the train chugged along the tracks, Rusty Hall gazed out of the window, lost in his thoughts. The invitation from his former baseball club, the Philadelphia Brewers, had stirred up a mix of emotions within him. It had been only a few months since he retired at the end of the 1907 season. Since…
by John M. It seemed strange leaving my team in mid-season, but I had received a summons- the kind of summons one could not refuse. A summons from Jack Vaughn, the owner of the Doves, to visit him and explain the direction the team was taking. Mr. Vaughn was currently residing at the famous sanitarium…
While “If” was only published in 1910, Kipling had been working on it since 1895. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was the summer of 1895, and we were living in Trenton, New Jersey, the place I was born. My father and mother, along with myself, had moved into my grandfather’s house a…
The Team Meetingby Steve Meyers New York Bakers April 20, 1908 Owner: Thatddeus Wolcroft 75 years old GM: Julien Henri 32 years old TW: I’ve got some concerns Julien. JH: I know, boss, we’re in the cellar, again, but it’s different this time. We are only… TW: I’m not talking about the team record Julien. …
The night before Opening Day. As usual, the Boeselager brothers, their general manager Martin Pitsch, and manager Troy Bujak sat in the Boeselager’s office in their own ballpark. They talked about the upcoming season and the work that still needs to be done but also chatted over some beers. All were excited to finally play…
As the soft hues of dawn painted the sky, the newly minted Eastern League Most Valuable Player ventured out onto the streets of Brooklyn. It was the spring of 1908, and the early morning air held a crispness that invigorated Charlie Taylor’s senses, awakening in him the natural rhythm that had captivated fans across the…