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!

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 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.

The '88 Colonels-April 1888, or Blue Ribbons, Pig-Stickers, and Bull Rings

As I stated in my previous post, unfortunately, an insanely busy April and May of this year prevented me from properly researching and posting about the 1888 Colonels. I've been working extra innings to rectify this, here's my first post to catch up with our friends from Gilded Age baseball.

When we last left the Colonels, they'd been mostly breezing through their spring exhibition schedule. Louisville scheduled a game against the defending National League Champion Detroit Wolverines, but April showers prevented the interleague encounter.

Louisville vented their frustration at missing an opportunity at playing the NL champs by sweeping two games against the Western Association's Milwaukee Brewers.

On April 16 and 17 Buffalo and Louisville split a two game series, Louisville's starters, Guy Hecker and Scott Stratton performed well in both games, Hecker didn't get support, Stratton, Louisville's "veritable wonder," did.

Before the April 16 game, an evangelist preached a temperance sermon, and according to the Courier-Journal, got every Colonel to sign an oath to abstain from alcohol, including the champion drinker/batsman, Pete Browning.

As base ball solidified its grasp as the National Game in the years following the Civil War, the temperance movement in America gained steam. Americans had earned a reputation for overconsumption of alcohol and the ill effects of drink worried many in the nation. A strong prohibition movement grew in an attempt to dry the nation out. Many people signed the pledge to stop drinking, this drive came to Eclipse Park on April 16 and at least for a time included the Falls City's beloved Colonels. The local press called them the "Blue Ribbon club," as the blue ribbon denoted one who'd taken the temperance pledge.

Pete Browning, certainly enjoyed a "drink of an eve" to quote Johnnie Parsons, it seems his drinking started as an attempt to dull the pain of mastoiditis, a painful, debilitating ear ailment. This self-medication grew into a fondness for drink, which was well-known to just about everyone in the city of Louisville and the American Association. His future endeavors indicated he didn't keep his pledge long.

The Colonels left Louisville on the evening of April 17 for St. Louis, where they'd face the three-time defending American Association Champion Browns to open the 1888 campaign.

St. Louis brewer, Chris Von Der Ahe built a dynasty in short time. They had such stalwarts as Arlie Latham, Charles Comiskey (the future owner of the Chicago White Sox), and Tip O'Neil. In 1887, O'Neil hit for the highest average in the history of Major League Baseball when he bat .435. This is incredible at first glance, however this number is inflated by the fact that in 1887 walks counted as hits. This is one of the many statistical anomalies of the game's history, one that I'd like to explore more later, but for now will just present to you in this truncated form.

It's safe to say the Colonels faced a formidable opponent to start the season.

On April 17, the Courier-Journal optimistically predicted a split for the St. Louis series. In my readings of the Louisville paper, it's safe to say the local writers didn't hide their partisanship and as a result overestimated the capabilities of the Colonels. The four-game tilt with the Browns proved this point.

St. Louis blanked Louisville in the opener 8-0 in front of 5,000 on a day that "was bright and sunshiny, a marked contrast to Manager John Kelly's face at the end of the ninth inning."

Louisville had trouble with every facet of the game, only eking out three hits, sloppy defense, and poor pitching.

The next day proved little better, Guy Hecker got hit hard, giving up 24 hits in a 13-7 loss. Pete Browning managed a triple in spite of a cold, but the Colonels performance proved forgettable otherwise.

Sports fans and the sporting press can be fickle, today's hero is tomorrow's goat. It's always been that way, as the Courier-Journal stated Guy Hecker was a "trifle too fat" and he "should condition himself better." The week before the same paper defended Hecker's apparent 30-pound weight gain from the writers of the Baltimore Sun, stating he was not "too fat" after he'd pitched well against Buffalo. How soon we forget!

After an off-day, the Colonels lost yet again to the Browns, 11-7 in spite of a strong outing by Scott Stratton. Louisville's defense again appeared to have stayed in the Falls City, as the Colonels committed many errors.

St. Louis completed the sweep the next day as the Browns pounded Toad Ramsey, who had difficulty commanding his drop curve. Once again, the Colonel defense did little to aid Ramsey's pitching woes and in spite of good base running, Louisville lost 11-6.

Louisville limped out of St. Louis and headed west to Kansas City for a four-game roundup with the Cowboys.

The hefty Guy Hecker took the mound against the Cowboys in what the Louisville press called the "bull ring" on the 24th and he got lit up a second time and the Louisville defense, as usual so far for 1888 didn't show up. However, the Colonels made a game of it, losing 15-13. Pete Browning came up a double short of the cycle and Reddy Mack homered, but the offense couldn't make up for a losing effort in the field and on the mound.

Scott Stratton and Pete Browning led the Colonels to their first victory in 1888, winning 15-6. The Colonel offense stayed hot, as Browning went got five singles in five at-bats and Stratton helped his own cause with two hits.

Louisville made it two in a row on April 25 as they stampeded the Cowboys 18-6. Toad Ramsey found the command of his drop curve he so sorely lacked in his previous start, and the offense continued to click on all cylinders.

Guy Hecker closed out the Kansas City series with a solid 7-3 win on April 26. He had control issues, but also scattered only four hits over the first eight innings.

Admittedly the Cowboys weren't as good as St. Louis, but the Colonels looked good in the 3-1 series win. As the Derby City boys pulled out of Kansas City for their home opener, they and the City of Louisville had high hopes for the next series against Cincinnati.

Cincinnati had just taken a series from St. Louis, three games to one and over their years in the American Association proved one of the best teams in the circuit. The proximity of the Falls City and the Queen City made the two teams bitter rivals. The Louisville press especially spewed invective against their foes up the Ohio. In the coming series, the Courier-Journal called Cincinnatians and their club chumps, "beer drinkers and pretzel eaters" in a slur on the city's German heritage (which is strange, as Louisville has a strong German history as well), and "pig stickers," as Cincinnati was a major pork processing center.

A strong crowd of 3,000 filled Eclipse Park on Saturday, April 28 and the Colonels didn't disappoint, winning 6-4 on the strength of a four-run second and the arm of Toad Ramsey.

An enthusiastic throng of 7,000 Derby City and Queen City residents showed up the next day of the second game. Three boats from Cincinnati brought 1,500 supporters, so a goodly mix of supporters filled the stands.

The Courier-Journal stated "the game was a contest for blood from the start" as the young Scott Stratton faced Cincinnati's "Apollo of the Box" Tony "The Count" Mullane. The handsome Mullane proved a stalwart of the Association and his record made him a formidable opponent for all AA clubs. Stratton found that out this day, as the Reds played well in every particular, winning 8-3.

On a cold close of the month of April, a small crowd of roughly 500 braved the weather to see Louisville go into the bottom of the ninth with a 5-3 lead and two outs. (Note, until 1950 the home team could pick to bat first or second, so Louisville batted first this game, giving the Reds the last at-bat.) Hecker, who'd pitched well, subsequently put two men on as second baseman Bid McPhee came to bat. The future member of the Baseball Hall of Fame subsequently hit a triple, tying the game 5-5. The next batter singled McPhee in and the Colonels lost in crushing fashion.

The Colonels closed out the Cincinnati series in abysmal fashion, as Tony Mullane scattered four hits, leading the Reds to an entirely dominant 18-2 victory. The painful loss of the day before apparently hung over the Louisville nine as the Colonels committed a ghastly 13 errors, and Toad Ramsey proved entirely ineffective in the box.

The end of the first three series of the season saw Louisville sit at a 4-8 record. So far the pitching proved uneven and the defense shoddy at best, while the offense for the most part proved highly competent. Baseball's a long season, and so far, while discouraging, nothing seemed to indicate the Colonels couldn't have a good season.

The coming days soon tested that notion.