The 1888 Colonels-June Takes a Turn for the Better Amidst Turmoil

The beginning of June saw the crises of the 1888 season come to a head. The ownership of the Louisville changed hands to Mordecai Davidson, manager John Kelly resigned, and the Colonels suffered a disastrous eastern road trip.

The battered Falls City aggregate arrived home on June 8 and at that time John Kelly formally handed in his resignation as manager and immediately accepted a job as umpire in the National League. Club owner Mordecai Davidson stated he'd assume the day-to-day responsibilities of running the Colonels.

The Courier-Journal conducted a postmortem of the season thus far and acknowledged bad luck, and most especially injuries to the catchers contributed mightily to the failures faced by the Louisville nine. The paper stated Louisville's pitchers could not throw as hard as usual due to injuries faced by the catchers. While the start proved discouraging, the paper seemed hopeful for a turnaround in the Colonels' fortunes.

The future indeed seemed brighter on June 9, as the Kansas City Cowboys arrived at Eclipse Park and promptly received a 14-4 thrashing by the Louisvilles. The game proved close until the sixth inning, when Louisville blew the game open. The Colonels played with the "old time vim and dash" exhibited by Falls City's clubs in years past. All Louisville players except Hub Collins got a hit and the crowd of 500 went home happy.

The next day saw another win for the Derby City boys, as they won 5-1 in a rain-shortened, six inning contest. 

They missed a sweep the next day, as Kansas City won 8-7.  Both clubs played well, but the Cowboys timed their hits just a little better. 

Considering the other world news of the day, things weren't so bad. Germany's Kaiser Frederick lay dying, the sovereign only recently assuming the throne from his father, Kaiser Wilhem I. Beloved American poet Walt Whitman fell ill and the nation feared the author of Leaves of Grass would soon join Kaiser Frederick in death. The fate of a ballclub in Louisville didn't seem so momentous in comparison.

After a short, three-game home stand, the Colonels boarded a train westward to face the St. Louis Browns and the Cowboys.

Louisville lost the first game against St. Louis 3-2 on June 13, after leading most of the day. A gruesome injury to Guy Hecker compounded the sorrowful tidings of the loss. He received a spike wound on his left hand in a play at the plate and subsequently fainted as a result of blood loss. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch stated Hecker would leave for Louisville that night to have a specialist look at his crippled hand.

In the words of the Post-Dispatch, Hecker's injury would "hurt Louisville's strength, if indeed such a thing be possible."

The next day, St. Louis again defeated the Falls City crowd 13-7 as Ramsey received "wretched support" from the Colonels. This defeat indeed seemed small, as news of the death of Kaiser Frederick reached America. Frederick's death meant Kaiser Wilhem II assumed the throne of Germany, as 1888 became the "Year of Three Emperors." The new Kaiser's policies in time helped contribute to the First World War, but that was 25 or so years in the future.

Back in Missouri, the Browns completed their sweep of the Colonels the next day, as they thumped the Colonels 12-3. St. Louis chased Ice Box Chamberlain out of the box in the second inning, and Louisville played in a "half-spirited, listless manner."

Louisville couldn't leave the Mound City fast enough, and the next day (June 16) they played the one team that almost guaranteed a break in a Colonel slump, Kansas City. Chamberlain again started and again got hit hard, but today he held on. In spite of being on the receiving end of a four-run first, the Colonels won 6-5. 

The Courier-Journal reported that day President Davidson lowered prices for all seats to $.50, with boys under 12 admitted for $.25, and ladies free on Thursdays when accompanied by a man. 

On June 17, the Colonels managed a two-game sweep of the Cowboys by the narrowest of margins, winning 7-6 as timely hitting saved the day for the Falls City club. 

After their 2-3 "Show-Me State" excursion, the Colonels made for the Queen City to play a four game tilt against the Reds, with two games in Cincinnati and two in Louisville.

The first game, played on June 21, shared headlines with the Republican National Convention, who set about determining their candidate for president. Being out of the White House, there was much more division than the Democrats encountered earlier in the month.

Louisville proved more decisive than the GOP as they defeated the slumping Reds 15-9. The Colonels took advantage of the Reds' suspect pitching and shoddy defense. Louisville hit well and in the words of the Cincinnati Enquirer, "presented a marked and favorable contrast to the banged-up, crippled, and dilapidated team" they'd played a month before.

The Reds evened the series the following day in dramatic fashion in the eleventh inning 10-8. This game surged back and forth (I would love to have seen a win percentage graph from this game) with the game being tied twice. Cincinnati took a 8-5 lead to the ninth, where Louisville promptly tied the score. The Colonels could do no more, however, and Cincinnati pushed two runs across in the top of the eleventh.

The next day, the series shifted to Louisville amidst a steady drizzle which fell upon the field all day. Rain stopped the game for 30 minutes during the third inning. The wet grounds and soggy ball contributed to the lackluster performance of both clubs and darkness mercifully put an end to the 10-10 game after the Reds scored two runs to tie it in the ninth. 

As a bit of an aside, Cincinnati's uniforms proved the second most interesting part of the "dreary, drawn out battle." I won't go into detail here, as the 19th Century base ball uniform database "Threads of Our Game" does a much better job of documenting the Reds' togs from that game than yours truly, though I'm happy to say my research of the Courier-Journal archives found a gem of a quote from this game about the Cincinnati uniforms, which certainly made me chuckle.

(Cincinnati's sartorial choices didn't elicit mockery alone, as the  Colonels' maroon uniforms elicited similar sneers, you can see their finery on "Threads of Our Game" as well. You're welcome in advance for all the valuable time you'll spend seeing the wonderful uniforms worn by base ball clubs in the 19th Century.)

The most interesting aspect of the third game in he series revolved around Pete Browning, who made his grand arrival in Louisville on June 23.  He'd lapsed from his temperance pledge made at the start of the season and got "roaring drunk" in Kansas City during the recent series with the Cowboys.

Browning got so intoxicated he bought a fishing pole and began fishing in a gutter in front of Louisville's hotel. As Louisville left for Cincinnati, Browning stayed and further enjoyed what Kansas City had to offer. 

Browning, "as is his usual" apologized and asked for mercy from Louisville's management, which was granted at a cost of a $100 fine (over $2,500 in 2018). As funny as this episode may sound, Browning's alcoholism had left a streak of such incidents through his playing career and would sadly contribute to an untimely and unfortunate death in the future for the "Gladiator."

Cincinnati closed out the series with Louisville in fine fashion, winning 11-4. The Colonels looked poor, as Scott Stratton got hit hard. Cincinnati pitcher Tony Mullane managed to stymie all but three Louisville batters that day. Browning, Chicken Wolf, and Joe Werrick all managed two hits apiece, but unfortunately the rest of the Louisvilles could do little against "The Count."

The generally listless showing this day infuriated President Davidson, as the defeat coupled with Browning's alcoholism and Toad Ramsey's mysterious illness which somehow managed to go away when he went to a saloon, proved too much. 

Shortstop Bill White became the target of Davidson's ire as he was suspended for his subpar performance in the recent days. However, in White's defense, he didn't carouse (at least not openly) and had been playing with a high fever the last few days. An indignant White demanded his release and if he could not obtain it, he'd retire to his Ohio home to run a general store. 

White's suspension wasn't the only personnel matter on the day, as the Colonels signed pitcher John Ewing and catcher Henry "Farmer" Vaughn from Memphis of the Southern League. The battery proved one of the best in the loop and the Courier-Journal hoped the duo would bolster the improving Louisville club.

In spite of the difficulties of the previous days, the Colonels had indeed played better than at any point during the season. Their better play came as a nasty surprise to the next club to come to the Falls City, the Association-leading Brooklyn Bridegrooms.

On June 26, the day after Benjamin Harrison won the Republican nomination for President, Louisville defeated Brooklyn 7-6.

A crowd of 1,000 saw Ice Box Chamberlain outduel Bob Caruthers, who uncharacteristically walked four batters. Louisville played a few men out of position, with Chicken Wolf at short, pitcher Scott Stratton in centerfield, and local amateur standout Hercules Burnett in right. In spite of the rearranged state of the club, the Colonels superbly supported Chamberlain and came back from an early deficit in the win. The win vaulted them out of the cellar, as the bumbling Kansas City Cowboys took possession of that exalted position. 

The Bill White situation further developed, as Davidson stated he'd attempt a trade with St. Louis for shortstop Joseph Herr.

Brooklyn evened the series the next day, winning 9-7. The Bridegrooms hit hard and often, and Brooklyn's pitching proved too tricky for the Colonels to fully overcome, as a late rally came up short.

Louisville won again the next day 6-1, dropping Brooklyn out of first place. The Courier-Journal stated "Chamberlain was invincible" and he received first-rate support from the rest of the club, especially Lave Cross at catcher. Wolf, still at shortstop and played it "as if he had been in that position all his life.

Louisville's new battery of John Ewing and Farmer Vaughn debuted in the closing match of the Brooklyn series and indeed the month of June. They performed well, with work that "was all that could be desired." Ewing's out curve and drop ball confounded the Brooklyn batters throughout the contest. However, Browning's sprained ankle and two runs scored off of errors by Chicken Wolf proved the difference in the 3-2 loss.

After a tumultuous start, June ended much more optimistically for Louisville. As June waned and July began, the American Association standings looked as such:

Club	W	L	Pct	GB
Brooklyn	39	18	.684	-
St. Louis	35	15	.700	.5
Philadelphia	32	19	.627	4.0
Cincinnati	32	22	.593	5.5
Baltimore	25	27	.481	11.5
Cleveland	17	35	.327	19.5
Louisville	16	38	.296	21.5
Kansas City	14	36	.280	21.5

Many valuable resources contributed to this post. Special thanks to Craig Brown at "Threads of Our Game" for allowing me to link to his pages on the uniforms for the 1888 Colonels and 1888 Reds. The Louisville Courier-Journal, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Brooklyn Daily Eagle, www.newspapers.com, and www.baseball-reference.com all proved incalculably vital in compiling this post.

Thank you again for looking!

Barons Play Two Against Iron Horses

Special-

The Iron Horses Club of Eastwood (Dayton), Ohio and the hometown Bluegrass Barons Club of Lexington met for two matches yesterday, with the Baron Club winning both sets.

The clubs played through a soaking, humid heat that drenched the contestants in buckets of perspiration, but doing little to sap the dash and energy of either club. Both sides struck hard, ran smart, and defended beautifully, however, the Barons managed to bunch their hits in a tremendous 16 run second inning in the first match. This prodigious output proved decisive in winning the desperate contest.

A perfect deluge, complete with thunder and lightning, inundated the field just after the start of the second game. With the bolts from the blue, both teams sought safety and shelter, and at this time, your humble correspondent's intrepid wife sought safe harbor in Frankfort, some 30 miles off. However, sources close to the Barons say both teams played an outstanding game on a now wet Waveland field, with the Kentuckians coming out on top.

Both sides enjoyed each other's company afterwards and the Iron Horses left for the long trip back to the Buckeye State in good spirits.

The Barons return to action on August 5 at one o'clock when they play against the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Club at Waveland State Historic Site.

Barons Lose Out of Heart of Vintage Base Ball Tournament

Special-The Barons played, and unfortunately lost both matches played today in the Heart of Vintage Base Ball Tournament. Losing 15-12 to Losantiville and to Moscow in the consolation game.

The Barons struck hard in the first match, but so too did the Black Stockings as the lead went back and forth throughout the contest. At the end of the time match, the scoreboard favored the gentlemen of Eden Park. 

Both sides played sharp ball, but Losantiville managed to bunch their hits just a bit better than did the Barons, which really decided the game.

In the consolation game, a determined late-game rally seemed to put the Barons ahead, but unfortunately they couldn't hold it against the hard-hitting Moscowites. Once again, the mighty men on the banks of the Ohio managed to hold off the brave Baron club.

The Cincinnati Vintage Base Ball Club, an aggregate of Red Stockings, Buckeyes, with a dash of Springfield Reapers added took home the winners honors for the 2018 edition of this tournament. Our hearty cheers go to them for their signal triumph. 

We also must thank our esteemed, honorable hosts, the Blackbottom Nine, for once again putting on a delightful tournament. Any day on the grass is a day well-spent.

Photos of Today's Contests

The 1888 Colonels-Defeat, Discord, and Disarray

As May 1888 turned to June, the Democratic National Convention convened to nominate its pick for the Presidential Election, with their party holding the incumbent, Grover Cleveland, it seemed safe he'd be their man. But nothing was certain, as politics, both then and now is a tricky thing to predict.

Elsewhere, the U.S. Army's Commanding General, the hero of Stones River, Third Winchester, and Cedar Creek, and the savior of Yellowstone National Park, General Phillip Sheridan suffered a massive heart attack. "Little Phil" the pugnacious fighter and terror of rebel soldiers opened June fighting his biggest battle, one just to live.

Amidst those headlines, the Louisville Colonels made their own news, none of it good. By this point, the bad tidings didn't simply confine themselves to the diamond, but off of it as well. On June 1, the Baltimore Sun reported "Certain members of the Louisville Club have entered into a combination to oust John Kelly from the management," the paper went on to say, "they refuse to play for him and always lose the game when is well in hand."

When asked about this article, Louisville President William L. Lyons stated he'd heard these rumors, but could find no evidence of their truth. He said the biggest problem facing the club was the debilitating injuries at catcher and the subpar performance of his infield. The Colonels were simply not as good as he, or anyone else, thought they'd be when the season began.

He said, "if some of our players were released they would not be able to hold positions in any but minor league clubs." Which indicated he thought it a talent rather than moral issue, and also did a great job of publicly trashing the men who took the field every day for his team. He went on to say he'd suspend any player he suspected of deliberately subpar play.

Pete Browning, when asked, stated there was no truth to the reports of a conspiracy against John Kelly.

The same day, the Courier-Journal reported there was no substance to the story of a conspiracy and they'd found no evidence to back it up. The players, according to the article regretted something like this getting out as they felt worse for him than themselves over the streak of recent poor results.

According to the Courier-Journal, the fact that many of the recent losses suffered occurred in the later innings made it appear the Colonels were deliberately trying to lose, or not giving their best efforts. Kelly himself didn't see anything which indicated the club played in any way dishonestly.

For the Derby City faithful, this must've invoked painful memories of the 1877 Louisville Grays, who had a commanding lead in the National League, until some of their best players conspired to throw crucial games, thereby losing the pennant. Rumors of gambling players weren't uncommon in this era, so news like this always tended to go to the darker end of the spectrum.

Kelly, realizing his job may well be on the line, and to reset the season, had a meeting with his players prior to the June 1 match against Baltimore. He stated he'd start fining players for mental miscues in the field and on the bases. He also warned his players against eating heavy dinners (in this instance I believe this is the colloquial use of "dinner" for lunch, with what's commonly referred to as dinner being "supper.") as "a loaded stomach clouds the eye and you can't see the ball." (Don't laugh, as even well into the 20th Century, baseball people thought strange medical notions could deliver diamond results. I seem to recall reading about front offices telling pitchers with arm troubles to have their tonsils removed to help their gimpy arms).

The talk seemed to give new energy to the slumping Louisville club as they defeated Baltimore 14-2 that afternoon. Guy Hecker started, giving up seven hits. Louisville banged out 19 of their own, as every Colonel in the lineup got at least one hit. Chicken Wolf went 3-5 as did shortstop Bill White.

The next day, Louisville and Baltimore closed out the series by playing two. The Orioles swept the day and made "the most of every opportunity which Louisville this year has been offering every club with which it comes in contact." They batted around Scott Stratton in the first match, winning 11-5.

Louisville did better in the second contest, losing 5-4, as Toad Ramsey pitched well until the eighth inning, when he left the game after beginning to feel unwell.

After the double defeats, Louisville departed Baltimore for Cleveland, to begin a four game series there on June 4.

On the off-day, the Courier-Journal elaborated on the accusations the Colonels laid down to get John Kelly fired. "Nothing in the conduct of the men seem to indicate a conspiracy or even dissatisfaction." The article once again noted the Colonels were frankly, not a good team.

It had also been their misfortune to start their season playing against the strongest clubs in the league. Up to this point, they'd played 20 of their first 35 games against Brooklyn, St. Louis, and Cincinnati, the top three clubs in the standings. They'd gone 2-18 against such a formidable schedule. They'd not done much better against the rest of the Association, save Kansas City.

The biggest problem thus far centered around their infield. Second baseman George Mack, shortstop Bill White, and third baseman Joe Werrick committed many errors in the field, giving many good teams more outs than they may have otherwise had. To make matters worse, their batting did not make up for the defensive slack. For instance, George Mack slashed the following for 1888: .217/.320/.289 (that's batting average, on-base percentage, slugging average) with an offensive wins above replacement (WAR) of .5 (his fielding percentage stood at .907). The rest of the infield was little better.

First base had a revolving cast of characters, pitcher Guy Hecker played there on occasion, as did three other players throughout the season. The outfield and pitching staff for the most part could stand against any in the league, but the infield play killed the Colonels.

Back to the June 4 article, it identified Hecker as the potential source of discontent within the team, stating he had was an opinionated man who did not hesitate to share his ideas. He had some disagreements with Kelly, but the article said the two talked and everything seemed fine.

Louisville started it's series against Cleveland in losing fashion, losing the first two games 8-5 and 6-5. The Courier-Journal stated little about these games and I don't have access to a Cleveland paper from this era, so I don't have a whole lot to share about these contests. However, compared to the news of June 6, 1888, these games really didn't matter much.

On June 6, William L. Lyons, the President of the Louisville Club and three other board members sold their interest in the Colonels to Mordecai Davidson, the club secretary who'd been with the team since the beginning.

The discord of the on the field ineptitude the Colonels showed on their eastern trip came to a head this meeting. Lyons, as he'd stated to the Courier-Journal, wanted to release first baseman Skyrocket Smith, George Mack, Bill White, and Joe Werrick and purchase an entirely new infield. Davidson thought the idea reckless and firmly disagreed.

One must remember in 1888 baseball clubs didn't have farm teams from which they could call up young players. They had to find and sign talent from the many minor league clubs around the country and hope they panned out. If not, the club plopped down a lot of money and got had nothing in return for such an outlay.

With the leadership at an impasse, Lyons decided he'd had enough as President of the Louisville Club. With this Davidson took over the leadership of the Louisville Colonels. The Courier-Journal stated the young businessman was well-liked by the players.

He hoped to get the club back on track, stating baseball was "too firmly established in Louisville for the citizens to allow the club to go to pieces and interest in the game to die out." He said he'd look into the problems and make corrections, thereby improving Louisville's standing. The paper also said Kelly probably would be released as manager, something then as now is typical when new ownership takes over a club. They want their people, and if the club's not performing well, the axe falls sooner.

Apparently, rumblings of a change had occurred for the days proceeding the sale. The Courier-Journal reported Guy Hecker's wife mentioned in a letter to him which he received when the team played in Brooklyn and stated Davidson looked as if he'd take control of the club. Hecker showed the letter to the other players and they told Kelly. The Courier-Journal intimated this may have been what caused the insinuation of player dissatisfaction.

Louisville celebrated the change in ownership on June 6, by losing a 23-19 defense/pitching optional match with Cleveland. Hecker started and Cleveland hit him hard. His defense didn't back him up, as the Falls City nine committed 13 errors on the day, and if not for the scorer's "charitable scoring" the total could've been much higher. Hecker did with the bat what he couldn't get done in the box, going 5-6 with three doubles. Pete Browning went 4-6 with a triple. All-in-all a sloppy day.

While the Democratic National Convention unanimously nominated President Grover Cleveland in St. Louis The John Kelly Era for the Colonels came to an end the next day as he submitted his resignation. The Colonels got swept by Cleveland (not the president) that day 13-4.

In his letter, he told Louisville's outgoing president Lyons "my request for new blood has been urgent, but the directory does not seem inclined to expend money to strengthen the nine." He went on by saying, "very naturally it is not my wish to be at the head of a losing club, when a comparatively small outlay, judiciously made would, I do not hesitate to say accomplish the end we all have in view, namely to win games."

The Courier-Journal stated rumors had Guy Hecker taking over the club, but he shot down such ideas. Other players said they didn't like Hecker and would not play for him if he became the manager. It appears most of the dissent on the Colonels came from Hecker, but to the degree we saw earlier in my post is difficult to surmise, he seemed a clubhouse cancer for sure.

Despite what many fans think, managers don't have total control over the outcome of games. They do have influence, don't get me wrong. They can mismanage certain elements of the game (calling for bunts, underutilizing young players, playing marginal talent, poorly constructing batting orders, and pitching staffs, for more evidence, reference Bryan Price), but for the most part, they put out the lineups the front office gives them. If the club puts together a talented, competent roster, they have better odds of winning than if they don't. Managers as I said, can negatively impact the team's play to a degree, but even a Sparky Anderson or Joe Maddon can only coax so much out of a club. It's difficult to tell simply from reading articles from 130 years ago, but John Kelly apparently did the best he could to produce a competitive ball club with little in the way of resources at his disposal.

The Louisville club on paper had some real assets, it had the nonpareil Pete Browning, a talented Chicken Wolf, and a capable pitching staff for sure. It also had some glaring holes, namely the infield and a terribly depleted crop of catchers. Good clubs cannot have many holes and it is the job of the front office to fill them. If the management is unable or unwilling to do so, no manager or no team will win. This is the case so far with the 1888 Colonels.

I liken it to the start of the 2018 season for the Cincinnati Reds. They too have some talented pieces (more than the '88 Colonels did for sure), but there were holes that injury to key players and front office inertia exposed to start the season. These issues contributed to a horrific 3-18 start for the club. Reds manager Bryan Price lost his job over the horrendous stretch of ball, and he did bear some of that blame for reasons mentioned above, but he wasn't solely to blame. The front office made glaringly bad roster decisions (Yovani Gallardo anyone?) which really caused the bulk of the Reds troubles.

A new manager in Jim Riggleman so far has shown a much better club, and so far he's been more innovative in roster management for sure, but can you lay the vast improvement at his feet? Some of it, sure, but it's talent which made the difference. The return from the DL of important pieces (Eugenio Suarez, Scott Schebler, Michael Lorenzen, and Anthony DeSclafani) and the improvement of young talent made the Reds better. A more talented roster makes all the difference.

In short, winning is a product of function and loss of dysfunction, always has, always will. A squared away front office makes the moves to put a winner on the field, it's energetic, and innovative. A dysfunctional front office doesn't do those things, the club suffers, and so too do the fans. A Pete Browning (or a Joey Votto) can only do so much.

The next few days for Louisville would bring a new manager, and new hope. In the next post, we'll find out who that was and how he'd fare.

Once again the Courier-Journal, Baltimore Sun, newspapers.com, and baseball-reference.com all contributed the meat of this blog. I'm merely the interpreter/misinterpreter.

Plenty of Vintage Base Ball This Sunday

For those interested in watching base ball played circa 1869 rules, you have two big chances to see matches this weekend.

The Cincinnati Red Stockings and Cincinnati Buckeyes make the trip down the Ohio to meet in friendly strife at the Farnsley-Moreman Landing in Louisville this Sunday, July 8 starting at one o'clock.

The Red Stockings and Buckeyes are pillars of the Queen City vintage base ball community and those who go out to see them on Sunday are guaranteed a thrilling match.

The Bluegrass Barons, Kentucky's sole entrant in the Vintage Base Ball Association, make the trek north to Hamilton, Ohio for the Heart of Vintage Base Ball Tournament at Joyce Park this Sunday, July 8, with their first match at ten o'clock against the Losantiville Black Stockings.

The Backbottom 9, a stalwart aggregate of sluggers and sure-handed fielders based in Hamilton, graciously host this tournament each year and are the defending champions. Their hospitality, artistic creativity, and logistical brilliance ensure a good time for all.

If one wants to indeed see vintage base ball's heart, they need to see this tournament. It encapsulates all that is right in vintage base ball.

The Barons, Blackbottom 9, Losantiville Black Stockings, Rising Sun Belle Rivers, Cincinnati Vintage Base Ball Club, Eastwood Iron Horses, Moscow Monarchs, and Tippecanoe Canal Jumpers all vie for the honors of winning this tournament. All are strong clubs and sure contenders and the winning aggregate will have to go a long way in order to take the winner's laurels.

If you can get to either of these contests, you'll not regret in so doing. We in vintage base ball hope to see you there.

The 1888 Colonels- A Disastrous May Ends

When we left the Colonels, they'd just been swept handily by the Reds and limped out of the Queen City, on its way to the "City of Brotherly Love" to face the Athletics

On May 19, the Colonels opened the Athletic series with a 6-5 win. Louisville native Gus Weyhing took the box for the Athletics, Ramsey for the Colonels and both pitchers commenced to mow down each batting order. Ramsey struck out 11, Weyhing 13. Philadelphia took an early lead, but the Colonels promptly roared back, aided by two walks and a wild pitch by Weyhing that allowed three Louisville runs. The Courier-Journal, somewhat hyperbolically stated "All in all, the Louisvilles put up a game that was well-nigh invincible.

Falls City fans should've savored the win, they wouldn't see another the rest of the month.

The next game occurred Monday, May 21 as Philadelphia, like many cities east of the Alleghenies prohibited amusements of any kind on Sundays. These local "Blue Laws" determined to keep the Sabbath holy and had immense sticking power. Philadelphia clubs wouldn't play Sunday ball until the 1930s.

On that Monday, Louisville lost more than just 14-4. Catcher Lave Cross went down with a split finger that tore off his nail and opened it to the bone. The Courier-Journal reported Cross would be out a month and departed for Louisville to recuperate. John Kerins replaced him but was in no better condition. He had two sore fingers and a game leg.

The injuries forced a rash of position changes for the Colonels. Kerins disability contributed to the shellacking "Ice Box" Chamberlain and Scott Stratton took that afternoon. Descriptions of Louisville's effort that day varied depended on what city's paper one read. The Courier-Journal said the Colonels played "pluckily" while the Philadelphia Inquirer stated they "gave a wretched exhibition."

With Cross lamed and Kerins not at full tilt, Louisville determined to find a "first-class man" to sign as a fill-in. 

The next day saw Louisville put up a fight with the Athletics, but still come up short 6-5. Louisville's shoddy defense undercut their effort and Pete Browning's offensive heroics (3-3 with a triple) and stellar defense (outfield assist to first for a double play) could not make up for it.

In spite of the lackluster field work, Louisville had the lead until the eighth inning, when a three-run Athletics rally doomed the Colonels.

The Falls City Nine departed Philadelphia to go to Brooklyn, to face the surging Bridegrooms (so called after a season where many of their players got married).

The first tilt (May 25) between the Colonels and Bridegrooms fell to the Brooklyn club, 4-1. The "Red Devils" as the Brooklyn Daily Eagle referred to the Louisville club in its crimson uniforms "played ball like a lot of cigar signs," according to the Courier-Journal. A steady rain fell throughout  the game, more than likely contributing to the defense's less-than-stellar support of Toad Ramsey.

The next day, Brooklyn pitcher William "Adonis" Terry added to Louisville's spring of woe, as he no-hit the flailing Colonels in front of 4,875 "intensely gratified spectators" as the Bridegrooms won 4-0.

Toad Ramsey pitched for the second time in two days for the Colonels, as he was the only man the hobbled John Kerins could catch effectively. Ramsey pitched well in the losing effort, but second baseman George Mack's error in the sixth inning gave Brooklyn a lead Terry wouldn't let them relinquish.

The Courier-Journal mentioned the no-hitter in passing, as no-hitters in that era didn't get a lot of publicity, though they were rare. The reporter with the Courier-Journal had to telegraph the game report back to Louisville, and he tried to keep it short and cheap. Also, with the malaise surrounding a 9-20 start, a no-hit loss was just one more misery for the Louisville fans.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle gave the event more attention, and rejoiced in the win, but the hoopla that surrounds such doings in this modern age didn't avail itself in 1888.

Louisville performed much better the next day as a steady rain fell, but still came up short to the Bridegrooms 6-5. The Falls City contingent held a 5-1 lead going into the seventh, but a Brooklyn rally in the eighth cut the lead to 5-3. The rain fell harder in the ninth and made the ball difficult to grip, with Brooklyn taking advantage as they scored three runs and avoided a "signal defeat." The win propelled the Bridegrooms to second in the American Association standings.

According to the Courier-Journal, Ice Box Chamberlain pitched well, but the Colonel defense-as it had all year-looked poor, with Browning fielding "like a blind man" and Chicken Wolf not looking "lively enough" and allowing two pop flies to drop as hits.

Brooklyn swept Louisville the next day. Smelling blood in the water from the wounded Colonel nine, the Brooklyn manager refused to allow a Toad Ramsey for Guy Hecker substitution. Paul Cook, the Louisville catcher, who was hurt (of course!) had difficulty catching Hecker, but could catch Ramsey. Seeing how this could hurt his odds of winning, the Brooklyn manager didn't allow it, as was his prerogative. He did allow Kerins (hurt too) to replace Cook, but after one inning Kerins left the game as his injuries prohibited him from competently playing.

Chicken Wolf came in to catch, and pitcher Scott Stratton went to the outfield in his place. Stratton proved a bright spot on the day, going 3-3 with a walk. One of the few bright spots of the day for Louisville.

On the whole, this trip had been a nightmare so far for Louisville, Browning had gone hitless against Brooklyn and that was merely a symptom of the problems bedeviling the Louisville nine. No one knew exactly what was wrong, but the Courier-Journal stated "they seem, each and all, the pitchers excepted, to be listless before the game commences."

Defeats will do that, losses pile up and a previously confident team will go from optimism and pessimism in short order. Add injuries and slumps into the mix and the ingredients are all too perfect for a horrendous stretch of play, as evidenced by the record up to this time. However, that alone couldn't explain what was going on, the team did seem dissatisfied.

Louisville happily put Brooklyn, with its bridge, Navy Yard, and overwhelming ballclub (but no hipsters at this time) behind them as they rode the rails south to Baltimore, where they'd face the Orioles.

"The Louisville Club came upon the Baltimore grounds yesterday for the first time this year, casting a lurid glare over the place by the intense brilliancy of their cardinal costumes," stated the Baltimore Sun. This comment really proved the most memorable thing about the game for the Falls City faithful, as Louisville played its last game of May, losing 7-3.

Rain mercifully cancelled a game the next day, ending the month in appropriate fashion for the flatlining Colonel nine.

The end of May saw a fierce struggle at the top of the Association standings, Louisville did its part by losing a total of 12 games to league leaders Brooklyn, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. Louisville wasn't last, they could thank the still-worse Kansas City club for taking that honor by a half game, but things looked bleak. The Colonels seemed dead in the water, with most of the season yet to play.

Something seemed terribly wrong.

American Association Standings- 05/30/1888

Club                W     L   Pct   GB

Brooklyn        25     9   .735

Cincinnati      23     9   .719    1

St. Louis        19     8   .704    2.5        

Philadelphia  14     15  .483   8.5

Baltimore      13     15  .464   9

Cleveland      11     20  .355  12.5

Louisville       9      23  .281  15

Kansas City   7      22   .241  15.5

The 1888 Colonels-A Difficult May Begins

When we last left the Colonels, the Reds had just polished them off in Eclipse Park in Louisville. 

Life didn't get easier for the Colonels, as the three-time defending champion St. Louis Browns arrived at the Falls City.

The Colonels, behind the formerly recalcitrant "Ice Box" Chamberlain, surprised the Browns in the first game, winning 7-4. According to the Courier-Journal, they played almost perfect ball and Chamberlain would "win it or pitch his arm off."

The performance proved an anomaly, as the Louisvilles lost 7-5 in front of a small crowd as foul weather threatened throughout the day. However, those who did show up were "rewarded by witnessing a sharp and exciting game of base-ball."

Scott Stratton started for Louisville and pitched well, as the vaunted Browns lineup made "spasmodic but vain attempts to smash the ball." In the end, his efforts weren't enough, as St. Louis held the edge that afternoon after a four-run fifth inning. 

The next day could not be called a fine ballgame, as Louisville put on a "sorry exhibition of base-ball" according to the Courier-Journal, losing 18-1 to St. Louis.

"Toad" Ramsey took the box for the Colonels and didn't pitch badly, but the rest of the team fielded poorly. St. Louis took full advantage of every Louisville miscue and made no miscues in the field.

But facing the champs and poor fielding alone couldn't explain the shoddy play of the Louisville Club. The club had talent, but as The Courier-Journal stated "there is something radically wrong with the club," and dissention seemed to rack the team. The article pointed out that when Toad Ramsey and Scott Stratton pitched, the Louisville fielders performed poorly, but Ice Box Chamberlain benefitted from a seemingly competent Colonel defense. Things would not get better in the coming days.

On May 6, Louisville lost 4-2 to St. Louis as the Colonels ran themselves off of the bases. Ice Box Chamberlain again pitched well, but critically walked three and hit one batter. All of those contributed to the loss. Luckily for the Louisville fans, only 2,500 turned out on a perfectly fine Sunday to see the effort. The club's previous ineptitude kept many at home.

After an off day, the battered Colonels welcomed the Kansas City Cowboys to Eclipse Park. There were almost more participants than spectators present as only 500 bothered to show up. Those who did show saw Louisville win 6-3.

Guy Hecker pitched well and helped his own cause with a three-run single. Pete Browning, well-renowned for his hitting but not his fielding prowess, killed a Cowboy rally with a crucial assist from centerfield that put out Henry Porter at the plate.

The Colonels lassoed the Cowboys again the next day (May 9) as they won 18-6. Kansas City pitching walked eight Louisville batters and their "rotund catcher" Charles "Fatty" Briody (The 19th Century wasn't a period for those who were overly sensitive) allowed two passed balls.
 

Louisville hit, pitched, and fielded well. William "Chicken" Wolfe and George Mack both had three hits, and Pete Browning struck two doubles. 

Chamberlain started for Louisville and pitched well and "had the big Kansas City batters at his mercy." He pitched so well that he did so with both hands. He pitched right-handed the first five innings and with Louisville up by an almost insurmountable margin, pitched the sixth and seventh innings left-handed. Ambidexterity is a rare trait among pitchers, as it's difficult pitching well period, much less with both hands, but some players can do it. 

That was the good news, the bad news for the day featured Toad Ramsey. Manager John Kelly suspended him indefinitely and without pay. Ramsey quickly gave up the temperance pledge he'd made early in the season and routinely drank and showed up in no condition to pitch. 

The next day (May 10), Scott Stratton pitched well, but lost 2-1 to the Cowboys. Stratton pitched well, issuing no balls and giving up three hits. However, catcher John Kerins allowed three passed balls, which proved devastating to the Colonels. The Colonels hit well, but ran themselves off the bases. All-in-all, a frustrating day on the field.

The next day featured heavy hitting and four double plays between the two combatants and it looked like yet another defeat for Louisville, but a three run ninth tied the game and sent it to extra innings. Unfortunately, about half of the crowd left in frustration and didn't see the rally.

Pete Browning saved the game in the tenth, once again displaying his unheralded defensive prowess, making a circus catch for the third out, stranding two Kansas City players in scoring position.

"Chicken" Wolf drove in the winning runs in the eleventh, and Louisville eked out the win. 

After the game, the Colonels departed Louisville and went up the Ohio to the Queen City, to pay a visit to the Reds.

In the first game of the four game tilt, "The Louisville Club added another chapter to its spring serial of base-ball ill luck" as it lost 8-3 to the Reds.

The Colonels, in desperate need for help, met with Toad Ramsey and successfully came up with an agreement, lifting his suspension. Ramsey "looking fresh as a buttercup" pitched well, but not as well as Cincinnati's Lee Viau, who also had strong support from his Association-leading Reds. 

A steady rain fell the next day (May 15) as both teams hit well, but Cincinnati hit better, winning 8-4. Tony Mullane started for the Reds and the Colonels hit "The Apollo of the Box" hard (Browning going 4-4), but the Reds defense bailed him out throughout the contest.

The Cincinnati Enquirer stated the Colonels, "disgusted with Ramsey's conduct" were entertaining offers for Toad Ramsey. Louisville wanted $10,000.00 for their former ace, whom the Enquirer implied had seen better days. Even though the Colonels and Ramsey had came to an amicable agreement, Louisville felt they could lose as easily without their former star as with him. This was another indicator of the ill-mood of the club.

Louisville closed out the series on the business end of the broom as the Reds swept them with a 5-3 win. Despite Guy Hecker's pitching, "poor old Louisville (was) again the sufferer" according to the Enquirer. Hecker had good speed and Cincinnati had difficulty with his deliveries, but they managed to hit him nonetheless.

As May passed it's midpoint, the Colonels were in trouble, they stood seventh in the eight team American Association with an 8-16 record. Only the hapless Cowboys played worse ball at this point. As the Colonels chugged east to play Association stalwarts in Philadelphia and Brooklyn, things looked bleak indeed.

The Louisville Courier-Journal, Cincinnati Enquirer, www.newspapers.com, and www.baseball-reference.com all contributed mightily to this article.