The Cleveland Blues were a professional baseball franchise that operated in the National League (NL), a "major" league, from 1879 until 1884.[1] They were organized by businessmen William Hollinger, and J. Ford Evans in 1878 as the Forest Citys, and played a season as an independent team.[2][3] The NL expanded from six teams to eight before the 1879 season, and the Forest Citys accepted an invitation to join the league.[2] Evans became their president and stayed in that capacity until C. H. Bulkeley assumed the role in 1882.[4][5] In their six seasons in the NL, the team never finished higher than third place in the standings.[1] They played their home games in League Park.[1][6]
For their first season in the NL, the franchise (now named the Blues due to their dark blue uniforms) employed Jim McCormick as the manager as well as the ace of their pitching staff.[1][7] Cleveland did not fare well, winning just 27 games against 55 losses, with a league-low .223 batting average.[1][2] The 1880 season was better, however, as the team increased its win total to 47 against 37 losses and a tie,[1] McCormick winning a league-leading 45 of those victories.[8] Over the next two seasons, the team changed the on-field leadership often; employing Mike McGeary and John Clapp as player-managers in 1881, and Fred Dunlap in 1882. The changes did not prove effective as the team was unable to finish higher than fifth place during that span.[1] The team had their best record and highest win total in 1883 under manager Frank Bancroft.[1] On September 13, 1883, Hugh Daily threw the franchise's lone no-hitter.[9]
An upstart baseball league was created in 1884 by Henry Lucas called the Union Association (UA). Several member of the Blues' signed contracts with teams in the UA despite being subject to the reserve clause: including star players McCormick, Dunlap, and Jack Glasscock.[7] These moves caused the Blues to become financially unstable. However, the franchise was able to secure a deal with the league for a better share of gate receipts.[10] This deal was not enough for the franchise to profit, and Bulkeley sold the team to Lucas for $2,500 ($71,530 current dollar adjustment) following the conclusion of the 1884 season.[10]
Players
§ | Player was a player-manager |
|---|---|
† | Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum |
| Player | Position(s) | Season(s) | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Allen | Third baseman | 1879 | Allen played in 16 games for the Blues after having been released by the Syracuse Stars in June. This was his only season at the major league level. | [11] |
| Joe Ardner | Second baseman | 1884 | Playing behind Germany Smith, Ardner had just a .174 batting average in 26 games played. | [12] |
| George Bradley | Utility player / Pitcher | 1881–1883 | Once a star pitcher in the mid-to-late 1870s, Bradley played various positions in the field and only occasionally as a relief pitcher. In June 1883, he was sold to the Philadelphia Athletics. | [13] |
| Fatty Briody | Catcher | 1882–1884 | Briody was the Blues' starting catcher in 1882, then became their back-up when Doc Bushong assumed the role. | [14] |
| Cal Broughton | Catcher | 1883 | Beginning his major league career with the Blues, he had a .200 batting average in four games. He finished the season with the Baltimore Orioles. | [15] |
| Ernie Burch | Left fielder | 1884 | Burch began his major league career with the Blues in 1884, playing 32 games. Two seasons later, he became the Brooklyn Grays' every-day left fielder. | [16] |
| Doc Bushong | Catcher | 1883–1884 | In his two seasons with the Blues, Bushong was their starting catcher. | [17] |
| Charlie Cady | Right fielder / Pitcher | 1883 | Cady played in three games for the Blues, two as their right fielder and one as a pitcher. He collected no hits in 11 at bats, and was credited with the loss in his only pitching appearance. | [18] |
| Tom Carey | Shortstop | 1879 | In Carey's final major league season, he had a .239 batting average as the team's starting shortstop. | [19] |
| John Clapp§ | Catcher | 1883 | He was the player-manager of the 1883 Blues team, his only season with the franchise. | [20] |
| Bill Crowley | Right fielder | 1883 | Crowley came to the team late in the 1883 season and he had a .293 batting average in 11 games played. | [21] |
| Hugh Daily | Pitcher | 1883 | In Daily's only season with the Blues, he had a 23–19 win–loss record and a 2.42 earned run average. On September 13, he pitched the only no-hitter in the franchise's history. | [9][22] |
| Herm Doscher | Third baseman | 1881–1882 | He played his final two seasons at the major league level with the Blues as their back-up third baseman. He later became an umpire, and his son, Jack Doscher, also played in the majors. | [23] |
| Fred Dunlap§ | Second baseman | 1880–1883 | Dunlap played the first four of his twelve seasons in the majors with the Blues, and was their player-manager in 1882. He led the league in doubles in 1880. As a fielder he twice led the league in assists and double plays. | [24] |
| John Dwyer | Utility player | 1882 | Dwyer played in just one major league game. He collect no hits in three at bats. | [25] |
| Charlie Eden | Right fielder | 1879 | In Eden's only season with the team, he led the league in doubles and in games played by a right fielder. | [26] |
| Dude Esterbrook | Left fielder | 1882 | Esterbrook had a .246 batting average in 45 games playing mainly in left field. | [27] |
| Jake Evans | Right fielder | 1883–1884 | Evans played two seasons as the Blues' regular right fielder, and in 1884, he led the league's outfielders with .917 fielding percentage. | [28] |
| George Fisher | Second baseman | 1884 | In six games for the Blues, he had a .125 batting average. | [29] |
| Gid Gardner | Pitcher | 1880 | Although he played mostly as an outfielder during his career, he pitched in nine games for the Blues in 1880, and had a 1–8 win–loss record and a 2.57 earned run average. | [30] |
| Barney Gilligan | Catcher / Left fielder | 1879–1880 | In his two seasons with the Blues, Gilligan had batting averages of .171 and .172, while playing mostly catcher his first season, and in left field during his second. | [31] |
| Pit Gilman | Left fielder | 1884 | In 10 major-league at bats, Gilman had just one hit for a .100 batting average. | [32] |
| Jack Glasscock | Second baseman | 1879–1884 | Played in each season of the Blues' existence. He played different infield positions in 1879 until settling in as their starting second baseman from 1880 until joining the Cincinnati Outlaw Reds of the Union Association during the 1884 season. Led the league in several fielding categories, including fielding percentage twice. | [33] |
| Fred Gunkle | Catcher | 1884 | Gunkle played one game at the major league level, and did not have a hit in three at bats. | [34] |
| Al Hall | Left fielder | 1880 | In his second, and last, season in the major leagues, Hall played in three games, and had a .125 batting average. | [35] |
| Frank Hankinson | Third baseman | 1880 | Hankinson played mainly as the team's third baseman, but played sparingly in the outfield and as pitcher. | [36] |
| Ned Hanlon† | Left fielder | 1880 | In the first season of his Hall of Fame career, Hanlon was the Blues' starting left fielder and had a .246 batting average in 73 games played. | [37] |
| John Harkins | Pitcher / Outfielder | 1884 | In his first season at the major league level, Harkins led the league in pitching losses, hits allowed and wild pitches. | [38] |
| John Henry | Pitcher / Outfielder | 1884 | Henry played in nine games for the Blues; he had a 1–4 win–loss record in five games started, and had a .154 batting average in 26 at bats. | [39] |
| Sonny Hoffman | Catcher | 1879 | Hoffman's entire career consisted of two games, and he had no hits in six at bats. | [40] |
| Pete Hotaling | Center fielder | 1883–1884 | As the team's starting center fielder, Hotaling led the league with 100 games played in 1883. | [41] |
| Lem Hunter | Right fielder / Pitcher | 1883 | Hunter played in one major league game. | [42] |
| John Kelly | Catcher | 1879, 1882 | Kelly played in one game for the 1879 team, then later reappeared with the Blues for the 1882 season. | [43] |
| Rudy Kemmler | Catcher | 1881 | Kemmler played in one game for the Blues. | [44] |
| Doc Kennedy | Catcher | 1879–1882 | Kennedy was the team's starting catcher in both 1879 and 1880. He became Fatty Briody's back-up in 1881. | [45] |
| Jim McCormick§ | Pitcher | 1879–1884 | McCormick was the franchise's all-time leader in most pitching statistical categories. Of his 265 career pitching wins, 174 of them were with the Blues. Twice he led the league in pitching wins; 45 in 1880 and 36 in 1882. He was the team's player-manager in both 1879 and 1880, as well as a short stint in 1882. | [8][46] |
| Mike McGeary | Third baseman | 1881 | In 11 games for the Blues, McGeary had a .220 batting average in 41 at bats. | [47] |
| Bill McGunnigle | Center fielder | 1882 | McGunnigle played in one game for the Blues in 1882; the final game of his playing career. | [48] |
| Bobby Mitchell | Pitcher | 1879 | In the last full season of his career, Mitchell pitched in 23 games and had a 7–15 win–loss record. | [49] |
| Sam Moffet | Pitcher | 1884 | In Moffet's first, and only, full season at the major league level, he had a 3–19 win–loss record in 24 games pitched. | [50] |
| Jerry Moore | Catcher | 1884 | Moore played in nine games for the Blues in 1884 before finishing the season with Altoona Mountain City of the Union Association. | [51] |
| Mike Moynahan | Left fielder | 1881, 1884 | Moynahan had a .230 batting average in 33 games played for the 1881 Blues, then later returned to the team in 1884 for 12 more. | [52] |
| Mike Muldoon | Third baseman | 1882–1884 | In 1882, Muldoon split his playing time between third base and the outfield, then settled in as the team's starting third baseman for the 1883 and 1884 seasons. | [53] |
| Willie Murphy | Left fielder | 1884 | Murphy played in one major league season, and in 46 games for the Blues, he had a .226 batting average. | [54] |
| The Only Nolan | Pitcher / Utility player | 1881 | Nolan's 1881 season with the Blues was the second, and last, full season at the major league level. He had an 8–14 win–loss record in 24 games pitched. When he wasn't pitching, he played at various other fielding positions. | [55] |
| Bill Phillips | First baseman | 1879–1884 | Phillips played in each season of the Blues' existence, and he is their all-time leader in most batting statistical categories. | [46][56] |
| George Pinkney | Infielder | 1884 | Pinkney had a .313 batting average during his lone season with the Blues. | [57] |
| Phil Powers | Catcher | 1881 | Powers played in five games for the Blues, and had one hit in 15 at bats. | [58] |
| Blondie Purcell | Outfielder | 1881 | Purcell played in 20 games for the Blues before finishing the season with the Buffalo Bisons. | [59] |
| Jack Remsen | Center fielder | 1881 | Remsen played in 48 games as the Blues' center fielder and had a .176 batting average. | [60] |
| John Richmond | Center fielder | 1882 | Richmond played in 41 games as the Blues' center fielder and had a .171 batting average. | [61] |
| Billy Riley | Left fielder | 1879 | Riley's appearance with the 1879 team was his only experience at the major league level. | [62] |
| Dave Rowe | Center fielder | 1882 | Playing mainly in center field, Rowe played in 24 games for the Blues, and had a .258 batting average. | [63] |
| Will Sawyer | Pitcher | 1883 | In his only season at the major league level, Sawyer had a 4–10 win–loss record in 17 games pitched. | [64] |
| Orator Shafer | Right fielder | 1880–1882 | Shafer played three full seasons for the Blues as their starting right fielder. In two of those seasons, he led the league's right fielders in games played. | [65] |
| Bill Smith | Left fielder | 1884 | At the age of 19, Smith played in just one game for the Blues. | [66] |
| Germany Smith | Infielder | 1884 | In his first major league season, Smith split his playing time between second base and shortstop. | [67] |
| Pop Smith | Third baseman | 1881 | Smith played in 10 games for the Blues, and he had a .118 batting average. | [68] |
| Len Stockwell | Outfielder | 1879 | Over a two-game span, Stockwell went hitless in six at bats. | [69] |
| George Strief | Center fielder / Infielder | 1879, 1884 | In 1879, Strief played in 71 games for the Blues, mainly in center field. He returned to the team in 1884, and played in eight more. | [70] |
| Billy Taylor | Left fielder | 1881 | Although he became a starting pitcher later in his career, Taylor played all 23 of his games with the Blues as a left fielder. | [71] |
| John Tilley | Left fielder | 1882 | In his one season with the Blues, Tilley collected just five hits in 56 at bats for a .089 batting average. | [72] |
| Fred Warner | Third baseman / Outfielder | 1879 | In 76 games for the Blues, Warner had a .244 batting average. | [73] |
| Harry Wheeler | Left fielder | 1880 | Wheeler played in one game for the Blues before finishing the season with the Cincinnati Reds. | [74] |
| Guerdon Whiteley | Outfielder | 1884 | In eight games for the Blues, Whiteley had a .147 batting average. | [75] |
| Julius Willigrod | Center fielder | 1882 | Nine of Willigrod's 10 career games were with the Blues. He had a .154 career batting average. | [76] |
| Tom York | Left fielder | 1883 | During York's one season with the Blues, he led the league in bases on balls and games played by a left fielder. | [77] |
References
Bibliography
- Egan, James M. (2008). Base Ball on the Western Reserve: The Early Game in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, Year by Year and Town by Town, 1865–1900 (illustrated ed.). McFarland. ISBN 0786430672.
- Purdy, Dennis (2010). Kiss 'Em Goodbye: An ESPN Treasury of Failed, Forgotten, and Departed Teams (illustrated ed.). Random House Digital, Inc. ISBN 0345520122.
- Spink, Alfred Henry (1911). The National Game. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press. ISBN 0809323044.
External links
🔥 Top keywords: Main PageSpecial:SearchIndian Premier LeagueWikipedia:Featured picturesPornhubUEFA Champions League2024 Indian Premier LeagueFallout (American TV series)Jontay PorterXXXTentacionAmar Singh ChamkilaFallout (series)Cloud seedingReal Madrid CFCleopatraRama NavamiRichard GaddDeaths in 2024Civil War (film)Shōgun (2024 miniseries)2024 Indian general electionJennifer PanO. J. SimpsonElla PurnellBaby ReindeerCaitlin ClarkLaverne CoxXXX (film series)Facebook2023–24 UEFA Champions LeagueYouTubeCandidates Tournament 2024InstagramList of European Cup and UEFA Champions League finalsJude BellinghamMichael Porter Jr.Andriy LuninCarlo AncelottiBade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024 film)