138:
passed at games. By this kind of enterprise
Washington clubs were able to keep a cadre of good players and to offer excellent accommodations. In 1867 the Nationals' park was located on a field four hundred feet square, surrounded by a ten foot fence, and shaded on the north side by roofed stands. To discourage gamblers, a sign which read "Betting Positively Prohibited" was posted.
264:
on July 3 and July 4. Next day the players announced by telegraph that a club official had absconded with the funds but (Ryczek 1992: 194) concludes that "the tale had been planted by the players in an effort to find enough good samaritans to foot the bill for the trip home". The club probably failed
78:
The first team in
Washington, the Potomac Club, was formed in the summer of 1859, and the Nationals were formed in November of the same year; both teams consisted mostly of government clerks. The two teams practiced in the backyard of the White House and played each other in the spring of 1860; the
137:
One writer, Thomas Henry, said the U. S. Treasury
Department was "the real birthplace of professional base ball in Washington." As a source of patronage for good players, this department was widely exploited after the Civil War. In addition, Washington players benefited from the collection plates
491:
or July 4 was a vital date for all ballclubs that played for paying customers. In 1875, it fell on Sunday, when many people resisted commercial baseball and most locales outlawed it. The Red
Stockings – Washington game was the only NA game played that day. The Brown Stockings and White Stockings
113:
By 1867, the
Nationals were much improved, and the new national network of railroads prompted them "to do the previously unthinkable by becoming the first Eastern team to venture west of the Alleghenies." They defeated the best the locals had to offer, crushing Columbus 90–10, the
79:
Nationals consistently lost to the superior
Potomacs, but the latter disbanded on the outbreak of the Civil War while the Nationals kept playing, and by the end of the war were "solidly in the esteem of Washington fans, with the club's shortstop, slight, 23-year-old
130:) 29–23. The Nats ended the road trip the next day by beating the Chicago Excelsiors 49–4. The "considerable expenses" of the tour were made possible by generous sponsors and "by the indulgence of the Treasury Department."
70:. Following poor on-field results over that period, that team disbanded after the 1873 season. Another Nationals team was fielded with some of the same players for the 1875 season, but folded before the end of the season.
881:
237:
Although there isn't a firm consensus on whether the 1875 Washington team was the same franchise as the 1872 one, the team fielded for this season fared better, as they won 5 games and lost 23.
886:
66:. They joined the National Association in 1872, playing 11 games that year, and 39 more games in 1873, although some sources recognize the 1873 team as a different franchise named the
602:
44:
47:(commonly referred to as the National Association), the first fully-professional sports league in baseball. The Nationals are considered a major-league team by those who count the
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106:, two of the major teams of the era, to Washington, losing to the former 87–12 and to the latter 34–19, before 6,000 spectators, including President
119:
671:
99:
273:. The final game was a 12–5 victory but the two local teams outscored Washington 42–5 in the first five games, which must have been repelling.
48:
33:
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83:, the darling of the spectators. Young Gorman quickly rose to stardom on the not-too-brilliant Nationals." (Gorman later became a
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203:
148:
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43:
of the 1870s were the first important baseball club in the capital city of the United States. They competed briefly in the
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293:(1879–1880), also referred to as the "National Association", which also included a team known as the Washington Nationals.
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by "unappealing play" and consequent receipts too small to support travel. On the final trip, they lost two in
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110:. They "jealously guarded their amateur status by refusing all payments, including travel expenses."
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The
National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (1871–1875) was distinct from the later
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Blackguards and Red
Stockings: A History of Baseball's National Association 1871-1875
174:
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88–12, beating
Louisville, Indianapolis, and St. Louis as well before falling to the
17:
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213:
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399:
But Didn't We Have Fun?: An
Informal History of Baseball's Pioneer Era, 1843-1870
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American Baseball. Vol. 1: From Gentleman's Sport to the Commissioner System
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527:. Retrieved 2006-09-12. (portal to detail data on each competing team)
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The team played their home games at the Nationals Grounds and the
32:
This article is about the 1870s team. For like-named teams, see
575:
241:
was again their top hitting regular, though with a much lower
882:
National Association of Professional Base Ball Players teams
208:
They won 8 games and lost 31. The Blue Legs were managed by
859:
Years in parentheses are years in the National Association
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They lost all 11 games before going out of business. The
547:
The National Association of Base Ball Players, 1857-1870
133:
Washington was one of the early homes of commercialism:
603:
National Association of Professional Base Ball Players
534:. 2nd printing 1999, Wallingford CT: Colebrook Press.
45:
National Association of Professional Base Ball Players
468:"The 1872 Washington Nationals Regular Season Roster"
694:
647:
620:
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337:
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343:"Washington Blue Legs History & Encyclopedia"
98:In the summer of 1865 the Nationals invited the
887:National Association of Base Ball Players teams
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153:The 1872 Nationals home games were played at
8:
380:(Pennsylvania State University Press, 1979:
877:1873 disestablishments in the United States
902:Defunct baseball teams in Washington, D.C.
617:
594:
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518:"Washington Nationals Team Index" (1875)
511:"Washington Nationals Team Index" (1872)
256:The Washingtons went out of business in
51:. Several other baseball clubs based in
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245:of .247. He was also one of the club's
173:. The team's leading players include:
49:National Association as a major league
907:Baseball teams disestablished in 1973
549:. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.
7:
897:Organizations disestablished in 1872
367:(G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1954), pp. 3–4.
165:for this season is listed as either
55:, have also used the historic name
27:American baseball team of the 1870s
892:Baseball teams established in 1859
318:"Washington Nationals (1872-1873)"
25:
233:1875 Washington Nationals season
204:1873 Washington Blue Legs season
149:1872 Washington Nationals season
291:National Base Ball Association
1:
567:Baseball Reference team index
791:Philadelphia White Stockings
496:and on Monday in St. Louis.
446:"1872 Washington Nationals"
126:(with future Hall of Famer
95:in the late 19th century).
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260:, after playing the local
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201:
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31:
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680:St. Louis Brown Stockings
545:Wright, Marshall (2000).
433:American Baseball. Vol. 1
219:, who went 60-for-181, a
783:Philadelphia Centennials
530:Ryczek, William (1992).
345:. baseball-reference.com
116:Cincinnati Red Stockings
807:St. Louis Red Stockings
637:Chicago White Stockings
520:. Retrieved 2006-09-12.
420:But Didn't We Have Fun?
365:The Washington Senators
212:. Their top hitter was
735:Cleveland Forest Citys
492:played on Saturday in
140:
100:Philadelphia Athletics
799:Rockford Forest Citys
767:Middletown Mansfields
672:Philadelphia Athletic
513:. Retrieved 06-09-12.
376:David Quentin Voigt,
231:Further information:
202:Further information:
147:Further information:
135:
124:Rockford Forest Citys
839:Washington Nationals
831:Washington Blue Legs
823:Washington Nationals
751:Fort Wayne Kekiongas
629:Boston Red Stockings
516:Baseball-Reference.
509:Baseball-Reference.
401:(Ivan R. Dee, 2008:
68:Washington Blue Legs
41:Washington Nationals
34:Washington Nationals
18:Washington Blue Legs
847:Washington Olympics
775:New Haven Elm Citys
743:Elizabeth Resolutes
727:Eckford of Brooklyn
711:Baltimore Marylands
656:Hartford Dark Blues
269:and five of six in
258:St. Louis, Missouri
120:Cincinnati Buckeyes
91:and a power in the
719:Brooklyn Atlantics
703:Baltimore Canaries
185:Holly Hollingshead
104:Brooklyn Atlantics
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525:"The 1875 Season"
81:Arthur Pue Gorman
16:(Redirected from
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93:Democratic Party
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322:. Retrieved
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239:Hollingshead
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214:left fielder
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167:Warren White
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85:U.S. Senator
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849:(1871–1872)
817:(1871–1872)
793:(1873–1875)
737:(1871–1872)
721:(1872–1875)
705:(1872–1874)
674:(1871–1875)
666:(1871–1875)
658:(1874–1875)
648:Now defunct
639:(1871–1875)
631:(1871–1875)
192:Jacob Doyle
871:Categories
409:), p. 138.
301:References
251:Bill Parks
217:Paul Hines
210:Nick Young
178:Paul Hines
171:Joe Miller
474:March 20,
452:March 20,
422:, p. 139.
388:), p. 10.
349:March 19,
324:March 19,
271:St. Louis
223:of .331.
57:Nationals
418:Morris,
247:managers
89:Maryland
695:Defunct
494:Chicago
431:Voigt,
163:manager
108:Johnson
841:(1875)
833:(1873)
825:(1872)
809:(1875)
801:(1871)
785:(1875)
777:(1875)
769:(1872)
761:(1875)
753:(1871)
745:(1873)
729:(1872)
713:(1873)
682:(1875)
553:
538:
405:
384:
187:, and
74:Pre-NA
277:Notes
87:from
551:ISBN
536:ISBN
476:2009
454:2009
403:ISBN
382:ISBN
351:2009
326:2009
227:1875
198:1873
143:1872
102:and
39:The
169:or
157:in
873::
334:^
309:^
253:.
194:.
189:SS
182:2B
180:,
175:1B
59:.
595:e
588:t
581:v
542:.
478:.
456:.
353:.
328:.
36:.
20:)
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