Baseball Tournament

Title

Baseball Tournament

Description

The Philadelphia Athletics Baseball Club played the Washington Nationals Baseball Club on the Ellipse, just south of the White House, in a special game on August 28, 1865. Thousands of locals, including President Andrew Johnson and his family, paid the $1 fee to sit in the newly constructed stands and watch the game. The Nationals were defeated 85-12.

Source

Daily National Republican, Second Edition.

Date

08/29/1865

Coverage

Text

Base Ball Tournament - The Athletics Win the Ball. - The match between the Athletic Ball Club of Philadelphia and the National of Washington, resulted in a signal defeat to the latter, as will be seen from the following score of the innings: 

[chart]

This great disparity, this overwhelming defeat, is not easily accounted for. The National Club has good players, and although they could hardly expect to compete with clubs from Philadelphia and New York, where these organizations are made up in good part of young meant who have practiced the game assiduously from early boyhood, and where so many such clubs exist, that a crack club may be made up of picked men - expertest of the expert - still such defeat as that sustained by our national yesterday is difficult of explanation. The Washington boys showed some good play, but their competitors proved themselves so much their superiors at both batting and fielding that they bore off the honors quite easily.

The Nationals took their defeat quite philosophically, and did not fail to observer Hamlet's injunction to see the "players well disposed." A supper was given to all the base ballers at the National Hotel last evening, where upward of two hundred persons sat down to a really sumptuous repast. When the "rage of hunger" had been daily quelled, the intellectual feast began. Mr. E. F. French, President of the Natioanls [sic], welcomed the guests of the occasion in an appropriate speech, and Mr. W. F. Williams made a formal presentation of the ball won by the Athletics, which was received by Col. Moore in behalf that club in an eloquent speech.

Hon. Thomas Florence was called out by his old friends from Philadelphia, and responded in an impressive manner.

Mr. D. S. Ward, Secretary of the Nationals, read the following toasts:

1. Friends and "fellow-pitchers," as well as catchers! Let us drink to the noblest of sports; may our Enterprise be ever as Active as now; may our Mutual love for our Athletic and truly National Pastime be as deep as the Atlantic; may our watchword never cease to be Eureka, and our motto Excelsior.

2. The Army and Navy: our defenders, afield, afloat, and at home; may God bless them and their work, and may a ransomed republic and a grateful people never forget either. 

3. Our renowned and victorious guests: May the career of each be a "home run" of prosperity, and may their "scores" and their shadows never be less.

4. To the memory of our martyred President: the assassin's bullet but added immortality to fame.

5. His Excellency the President: Aided by the confidence and love of the people, may he complete the immortal work his illustrious predecessor left unfinished. 

6. Farewell Toast - Let us drink to the safe return home of our most welcome guests - their only "home runs " that we cannot applaud. 

Col. Thomas Fitzgerald, of the Philadelphia City Item, made a happy speed in which he gave an amusing account of his first visit to Washington thirty years ago, as a member of a volunteer military company. The company were also addressed by Hon. B. B. French, L. A. Gobright, Esq., of the Associated Press, and others, while Messrs. Dixon and Lidicus, of the Athletics, added to the zest of the entertainment by singing some capital songs. The whole affair passed off int he pleasantest manner possible, and when it was over, the tired ball players retired to their beds much refreshed in mind, although fatigued in body. The Atlantics arrived from New York this morning, and the manly sport is to be resumed this afternoon.

The Athletics left the city in the morning train for Baltimore, where they are to play a match with the Pastime Base Ball Club of that city this afternoon. The Atlantic Club of New York arrived early this morning and repaired immediately to Willards' Hotel, but they were subsequently conducted to the National Hotel by a committee to the Nationals, who had secured quarters for them at that hostelry. 

Description

The Philadelphia Athletics Baseball Club played the Washington Nationals Baseball Club on the Ellipse, just south of the White House, in a special game on August 28, 1865. Thousands of locals, including President Andrew Johnson and his family, paid the $1 fee to sit in the newly constructed stands and watch the game. The Nationals were defeated 85-12.

Date

08/29/1865

Coverage

1860-1889

Source

Daily National Republican, Second Edition.

Geolocation