Hamilton was of the cities
in 1885 that was the most baseball mad. There was not one, not two, but three
Hamilton teams in the Canadian Baseball League. They were the Clippers, the
Baysides and the Primroses.
The home tilts of all three
teams were played on a diamond in Dundurn Park, where a new grandstand had been
added for the 1885.
The Hamilton newspapers, the
Times and the Spectator, gave extensive coverage to the Hamilton teams with
each paper assigning a reporter who could describe both the games, and the
atmosphere around the games, in vivid detail.
Such was the case on
Saturday, May 30,1885 when two of the three Hamilton teams were in action. The
Primroses were the home team at Dundurn park for a game against the team from
Guelph, the Maple Leafs. The Clippers ventured to Buffalo for an exhibition
game against the travelers.
Here is what appeared in the
Spectator on Monday June 1, 1885 :
THE PRIMROSE-MAPLE LEAF GAME
“The Maple Leafs came to
town Saturday, with their new white uniforms, plaid hose and light green caps,
looking just as well as they ever did in their lives. They came to defeat the
Primroses, a necessary little job that didn’t amount to much, but had to be
done in order that the pennant might be won.
“The weather was bad. A
dismal sky and frequent showers during the greater part of the day kept many
people away from the game, they supposing that it could not come off. But at
the proper time the Maple Leafs showed up on the ground, looking just as well
and hearty as they ever did in their lives. There was a wide difference in the
build of the members of the two teams. The Maple Leafs, with one or two
exceptions, are big, powerful men, with plenty of muscle and weight, while the
Primroses are all little fellows that looked, in contrast with their opponents,
like juniors.
“When the game started, the
little fellows in dark blue seemed to be able to hit Dyson’s balls pretty much
every time they tried to, but the magnificent fielders of the Leafs promptly
raked everything in and prevented any damage being done., and the Maple Leafs
looked as well and hearty as they ever did in their lives.
“The Guelph men were never
able to hit Young’s balls much. He has always been a sort of puzzle to them,
and he pitched a wonderfully good game this time – just like his last year’s
pitching. But the Leafs are real batters and presently had three runs to their
credit, while the little blue boys had to be content with an unbroken goose
egg. And the Maple Leafs looked just as well and hearty as they ever did in
their lives.
“Again, a little while , and
the Primroses got more solidly onto handsome Fred’s balls, and got in three
runs tying the Leafs, and electrifying the audience into a prolonged round of
applause. Gentlemen who had , two to one, three to one, and even five to one,
on the visitors began to think that perhaps they had been a trifle hasty, and
to wonder when the Leafs were going to begin to play in earnest. And the Leafs
still looked as well and hearty as they did ever in their lives.
“The game went on, with
ever-varying luck, now on one side, now on the other. It was close and exciting
and consequently enjoyable. Some sanguine people thought there was going to be
a repetition of the celebrated fourteen inning game.
“And now came a notable
inning. The Primroses concluded to bat the life out of Dyson. They banged away
at everything, and knocked everything everywhere. The air was full of balls for
a spell, and the Maple Leaf outfielders had exercise enough to last them for
the season. It was the most ferocious batting ever seen on the Dundurn grounds.
Dyson was paralyzed. The Maple looked as sick and sore as they ever did in
their lives, and the game belonged to the little boys in blue.
“The Maple Leafs made a
noble effort to redeem themselves in the remaining innings, but failed to get
there by a majority of two, and the great surprise party of the season was
over.
“Time of game – 1:40
“Attendance – 400.
NOTES
“Let’s
see; didn’t somebody say that the Primroses couldn’t bat.
“Dundurn
ball grounds are fit to play on five minutes after the heaviest shower.
“To the
Clippers : Beware! The Primroses are on the warpath, and loaded for bear.
“And now
it is the Primroses that have their eyes firmly fixed on the championship
pennant.
“Dyson
owns up that the Prims fairly pulverized him; but, he says, they can’t do it
again.
“Men, who
had the reputation of not being able to hit a balloon, pounded Dyson to pieces
Saturday.
“The
Primrose uniforms are a very dark blue, but they are not half as blue as the
Maple Leafs at the close of the game.
“The
skinned diamond is rather deceiving to people who have been accustomed to play
on the turf. The ball works different.
“Somebody
left the Dundurn gate open for a few minutes Saturday, and let the draft in.
The Maple Leafs, in consequence, felt extremely cold.
“Jimmy
Henigan was the happiest man on the ground. When the Primroses began pounding
the ball into the next county and forming a regular procession around the
bases, he was so excited that he lost a suspender button.
“The Maple
Leafs have new stockings this season. The old ones, having done duty for a decade,
were tearfully laid away in the tomb. The hallelujah catcher, however, wanted
to hang on to his pair for the reason that they were very holey.
“Big Jack
Henderson was in the stands when the Prims tied the Leafs – 3 and 3. ‘I’ll get
out of this,’ said he, ‘the Leafs never have any luck when I’m here.’ He went
out and took to the woods in the southern part of the park. Then the game went
worse and worse for his team. Then he took to the road and made tracks for
home. Late at night, a dispatch was received from Aberfoyle, stating that a
weary tramp had passed there in an excited condition, damning the Primroses.”
THE
CLIPPERS AT BUFFALO
“The
clippers took a little trip to Buffalo Saturday to meet the Travelers of that
city, champions of the Buffalo city league, whom they met and defeated at
Dundurn park last season.
“It was
just noon when the Stafford house was reached, and the boys didn’t waste much
time in getting outside of a good dinner. They then went to the Olympic park
early enough to practice a little before meeting their opponents, who, it was
stated, had greatly strengthened their team since last season. The Travelers were already on the grounds, and
in practice, did really seem to be playing better than they did last season.
“Play was
called at 8:20, it being just a little too dark for baseball, and looking very
much like rain. Four innings over it was evident that the Travelers had no
chance to win, their fielding was way behind the mark, they didn’t bat well and
could do nothing at base running. There was very little interest manifested by
the spectators, except when a fine play was made.
“The umpire was a pronounced
Traveler, or else did not know when to call ball and when strike. It was on one
of his funny decisions that the Travelers got the run that they did. Even the
Spectators, all Buffalo people, couldn’t stand that mistake and gave Gainey a
very derisive cheer.
“The game was delayed at the
close of the eighth by rain, for about fifteen minutes. The Clippers batted
Kane pretty freely, but not safely. They played a very fine fielding game.
NOTES
“The Maple Leafs and
Clippers will meet again next Saturday at Dundurn.
“The Clippers took advantage
of their visit to buy fourteen new bats and a dandy mask.
“A deputation of the
Travelers met the first morning train,
the one that the Clippers did not go on.
“The result of the
Primrose-Clipper game was received at the grandstand just as the Clippers-Travelers
game closed.
“The theory that nine men
and an umpire can beat the best team in the world is not always good. At
Buffalo Saturday, the Clippers beat the travelers and the umpire.”1
1 “Two
Great Victories : Hamilton Ball Tossers Have Their Day On”
Hamilton Spectator May 26, 1885.
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