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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.
253:
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
67:
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
126:
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
480:
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
102:
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
68:
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
119:) 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."
59:. 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.
870:
226:
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.
875:
55:. 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
591:
33:
36:(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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95:, 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
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262:. 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.
37:
22:
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72:, the darling of the spectators. Young Gorman quickly rose to stardom on the not-too-brilliant Nationals." (Gorman later became a
477:
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192:
137:
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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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282:(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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99:. 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
163:
111:
88–12, beating
Louisville, Indianapolis, and St. Louis as well before falling to the
255:
202:
306:
388:
But Didn't We Have Fun?: An
Informal History of Baseball's Pioneer Era, 1843-1870
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331:
180:
239:
205:
166:
513:
367:
American Baseball. Vol. 1: From Gentleman's Sport to the Commissioner System
259:
177:
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482:
516:. Retrieved 2006-09-12. (portal to detail data on each competing team)
51:
The team played their home games at the Nationals Grounds and the
21:
This article is about the 1870s team. For like-named teams, see
564:
230:
was again their top hitting regular, though with a much lower
871:
National Association of Professional Base Ball Players teams
197:
They won 8 games and lost 31. The Blue Legs were managed by
848:
Years in parentheses are years in the National Association
150:
They lost all 11 games before going out of business. The
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The National Association of Base Ball Players, 1857-1870
122:
Washington was one of the early homes of commercialism:
592:
National Association of Professional Base Ball Players
523:. 2nd printing 1999, Wallingford CT: Colebrook Press.
34:
National Association of Professional Base Ball Players
457:"The 1872 Washington Nationals Regular Season Roster"
683:
636:
609:
598:
326:
324:
332:"Washington Blue Legs History & Encyclopedia"
87:In the summer of 1865 the Nationals invited the
876:National Association of Base Ball Players teams
301:
299:
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142:The 1872 Nationals home games were played at
8:
369:(Pennsylvania State University Press, 1979:
866:1873 disestablishments in the United States
891:Defunct baseball teams in Washington, D.C.
606:
583:
569:
561:
507:"Washington Nationals Team Index" (1875)
500:"Washington Nationals Team Index" (1872)
245:The Washingtons went out of business in
40:. Several other baseball clubs based in
295:
271:
234:of .247. He was also one of the club's
162:. The team's leading players include:
38:National Association as a major league
896:Baseball teams disestablished in 1973
538:. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co.
7:
886:Organizations disestablished in 1872
356:(G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1954), pp. 3–4.
154:for this season is listed as either
44:, have also used the historic name
16:American baseball team of the 1870s
881:Baseball teams established in 1859
307:"Washington Nationals (1872-1873)"
14:
222:1875 Washington Nationals season
193:1873 Washington Blue Legs season
138:1872 Washington Nationals season
280:National Base Ball Association
1:
556:Baseball Reference team index
780:Philadelphia White Stockings
485:and on Monday in St. Louis.
435:"1872 Washington Nationals"
115:(with future Hall of Famer
84:in the late 19th century).
912:
249:, after playing the local
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190:
135:
20:
846:
669:St. Louis Brown Stockings
534:Wright, Marshall (2000).
422:American Baseball. Vol. 1
208:, who went 60-for-181, a
772:Philadelphia Centennials
519:Ryczek, William (1992).
334:. baseball-reference.com
105:Cincinnati Red Stockings
796:St. Louis Red Stockings
626:Chicago White Stockings
509:. Retrieved 2006-09-12.
409:But Didn't We Have Fun?
354:The Washington Senators
201:. Their top hitter was
724:Cleveland Forest Citys
481:played on Saturday in
129:
89:Philadelphia Athletics
788:Rockford Forest Citys
756:Middletown Mansfields
661:Philadelphia Athletic
502:. Retrieved 06-09-12.
365:David Quentin Voigt,
220:Further information:
191:Further information:
136:Further information:
124:
113:Rockford Forest Citys
828:Washington Nationals
820:Washington Blue Legs
812:Washington Nationals
740:Fort Wayne Kekiongas
618:Boston Red Stockings
505:Baseball-Reference.
498:Baseball-Reference.
390:(Ivan R. Dee, 2008:
57:Washington Blue Legs
30:Washington Nationals
23:Washington Nationals
836:Washington Olympics
764:New Haven Elm Citys
732:Elizabeth Resolutes
716:Eckford of Brooklyn
700:Baltimore Marylands
645:Hartford Dark Blues
258:and five of six in
247:St. Louis, Missouri
109:Cincinnati Buckeyes
80:and a power in the
708:Brooklyn Atlantics
692:Baltimore Canaries
174:Holly Hollingshead
93:Brooklyn Atlantics
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514:"The 1875 Season"
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144:Olympics Grounds
82:Democratic Party
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336:. Retrieved
311:. Retrieved
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256:Philadelphia
244:
228:Hollingshead
225:
203:left fielder
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156:Warren White
141:
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74:U.S. Senator
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838:(1871–1872)
806:(1871–1872)
782:(1873–1875)
726:(1871–1872)
710:(1872–1875)
694:(1872–1874)
663:(1871–1875)
655:(1871–1875)
647:(1874–1875)
637:Now defunct
628:(1871–1875)
620:(1871–1875)
181:Jacob Doyle
860:Categories
398:), p. 138.
290:References
240:Bill Parks
206:Paul Hines
199:Nick Young
167:Paul Hines
160:Joe Miller
463:March 20,
441:March 20,
411:, p. 139.
377:), p. 10.
338:March 19,
313:March 19,
260:St. Louis
212:of .331.
46:Nationals
407:Morris,
236:managers
78:Maryland
684:Defunct
483:Chicago
420:Voigt,
152:manager
97:Johnson
830:(1875)
822:(1873)
814:(1872)
798:(1875)
790:(1871)
774:(1875)
766:(1875)
758:(1872)
750:(1875)
742:(1871)
734:(1873)
718:(1872)
702:(1873)
671:(1875)
542:
527:
394:
373:
176:, and
63:Pre-NA
266:Notes
76:from
540:ISBN
525:ISBN
465:2009
443:2009
392:ISBN
371:ISBN
340:2009
315:2009
216:1875
187:1873
132:1872
91:and
28:The
158:or
146:in
862::
323:^
298:^
242:.
183:.
178:SS
171:2B
169:,
164:1B
48:.
584:e
577:t
570:v
531:.
467:.
445:.
342:.
317:.
25:.
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