It was a bitter Fourth of July in Philadelphia. The Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in the hometown of the Philadelphia Brewers precisely 125 years ago, and the Brewers wanted to deliver a title on such an anniversary. The Boeselager brothers, Karl and Walt, sat down with their General Manager, Martin Pitsch. The…
Team Introduction: Pittsburgh Oilers
Titusville, PA – July 12th, 1894 The playful shrieks of children in the streets rang out through the midsummer air in Titusville. Their shrieks clashed with the morning song of several persistent birds. As soon as the disjointed melody between the children and birds started to die down, it would soon pick back up again….
Petersburg
The Richmond Saga, 1.05: Chapter Conclusion Jerusalem Plank Road Near Petersburg, Virginia July 6th, 1901 The heavy heat of the Appomattox fell upon the old plank road like a guilty memory, green and still on this Virginian summer afternoon. Heavy rains had washed away more of the old rail lines—once stewards of incalculable industry that…
Hortness Selected As New Doves GM
Friday July 5, 1901 Written by Scoop Waltner—Doves Beat Writer In an interesting spectacle, Eric Hortness has been tabbed as the new General Manager for the Chicago Doves, a member of the Legacy Baseball League that plays in the Great Lakes Division of the Western League. Hortness was introduced at a press conference that was…
Better Days Ahead
The 1901 Legacy Baseball League season was yet another exercise in futility for the Pittsburgh Oilers. In all seven years of their existence, the Oilers have failed to achieve a winning record. The Oilers’ mind-numbing ineptitude that has characterized their franchise since its inception has left many to wonder when there will ever be a…
Team Introduction: St. Louis Beavers
Written by Doug By the time venture capitalist and team owner Robert Schilling arrived at his recently constructed Riverlands Field the morning of October 19, 1894, the flames had mostly subsided. The large, newly painted grandstand and its buttressing block towers lay charred and crumbled. Firefighters scrambled about, and layers of smoke leapt and danced…
Making Detroit Great Again
Written by Nigel Monday May 20th, 1901 I had spent most of the last two months “Barnstorming” around Kansas playing baseball against the local teams, it had been a good time, we had won more than we had lost, but we are unfortunately, not that much richer for our tour. I decided to cheer myself…
Radio, Radio
Written by Brendan H. June 24, 1901 As he knocked on the door to the old man’s workshop, Landon Kerr, personal accountant to William Elwart Barclay and, as an offshoot of those responsibilities, the general manager of the Brooklyn Whales, braved for what he knew would come once the door opened. There was a certain…
NY Bakers Team Meeting Notes
By Steve Meyers Date: May 13, 1901, 9:00 AM The poorly lit locker room was the site of the Bakers team meeting. The players were scattered around the rectangular room in a U shape. Julien Henri stood at the front and prepared to address the team. A visual aid consisting of one large wooden chalkboard…
From the Archives: The Hershey Memo, 1901
Transcript: MEMORANDUM: RESPONSE TO MADIGAN HALL PROPOSAL 1901.1: FRANCHISE CAP AMENDMENT In response to the posting of Proposal 1901.1 at Madigan Hall, for review preceding vote in general assembly at the 1901 Winter Meetings, let the following be known: The Player’s Union accepts the salary cap, as expressed in the board-approved Proposal 1901.1, set at…