Just in time for the end of the 2005 World Series, our first baseball story! Six years before North Dakota became a state, the Grand Forks nine traveled to Minneapolis to face the locals at Brown Stocking Park. The park doesn’t turn up in a Google search, but the reference to “the Twenty-fourth street hill” might give some readers a clue about its location.

The game hasn’t really changed that much in the past 122 years. Fielding, batting, baserunning – and of course umpiring – were critical elements in the late 1800s. But pitching did not merit a single comment in this entertaining account in the Minneapolis Tribune.

The Base Ball Match.

The match game of ball between the Minneapolis and Grand Forks nines at Brown Stocking Park yesterday morning resulted in the defeat of the Dakota players by the score of 10 to 6. The weather couldn’t have been improved on if made to order, the morning being cool and somewhat cloudy, so that the sun did not bother the players enough to affect the course of the ball. The advertised time for calling the game was 10 A.M., but owing to delays on the part of the motor, which “got stuck” on the Twenty-fourth street hill, a large number of spectators and some of the players were unavoidable detained, and the game in consequence was not called until nearly 11 o’clock. Mr. F.A. Brown of Grand Forks was chosen umpire, and he filled that unpleasant and difficult position in a very satisfactory manner, his decisions being prompt, and, with one possible exception, correct. On the whole, the game was fairly well played, though either nine would be a “picnic” for anything like a first-class club. The errors were numerous and costly, but the batting was heavy, and at first both nines were too anxious and nervous. The Grand Forks boys played fully as good a fielding game as the Minneapolitans, but were outbatted, and were deficient in base running, a very important essential.

Grand Forks went to bat first. Lyons sawed the air three times; them Wilmett hit an easy one to Spear and retired. Fishleigh hit a liner to third, got his base on Foster’s overthrow and immediately after stole second. Webster hit to Whitcomb who fumbled the ball, giving the batter his base and allowing Fishleigh to come home. Perrie popped up an easy fly and the side was out. For Minneapolis, Bennett and Murphy retired in short order, Whitcomb made a base hit, O’Brien got his base on errors, Foster hit to left field who misjudged the ball and O’Brien and Whitcomb came home. Thomas failed to bat a ball out of the diamond and the first inning was over.

In the second innings Grand Forks, aided by some first class “muffing” on the part of their opponents, scored two runs, but Minneapolis went them one better, seven men going to bat. Webster, Fleming, Bennett and Whitcomb all batted hard, and O’Brien capped the climax with a rattling two baser, which completed the demoralization of the gentlemen from Dakota, three runs being the result. In the third innings both nines went out in one, two, three order. In the fourth both clubs scored two tallies, not one of which was earned, both nines batting freely and hard. Murphy, of the Browns, went clear round the bases on a series of amusing but costly errors, his daring base running being one of the features of the game. In the fifth the Browns struck another batting streak and the Dakota boys again indulged in some A No. 1 muffing. In the sixth Sherman made a fine two-base hit, bring LaGrange home. This ended the running getting, as both nines braced up and played a fine fielding game. The visitors made several desperate rallies, but could not succeed in getting round the bases. The Minneapolitans didn’t play their half of the ninth inning.

Following is the score by innings:

Manger Bennett of the Browns is now making arrangements for a match between his nine and the Chicago Browns – not the celebrated champions, of course, but a very strong semi-professional nine, which, if it comes here, is liable to administer a sound drubbing to the Browns. A game with the St. Paul nine is also on the tapis.

Spectators dressed up for baseball games in the late 19th century, at least when photographers were present. The ballpark shown here (in about 1892) was at 5th Street N. and 1st Avenue N., Minneapolis. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 27th, 2005 at 1:30 am and is filed under Main, Muscle. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.