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Kevin and Karen Flynn
Baseball in the District "End of an Era" 1899
Baseball in the District "End of an Era" 1899
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It will be a dark winter for Washington baseball fans and an end of an era.
It has been seven years since the end of the last baseball war and the merger of the American Association and National League. The National League with twelve clubs reigns supreme.
Although at peace the owners, magnates as they are labeled in the press, are often in conflict with each other and sit uneasy in their version of Mount Olympus. Their discord with each other and arrogance have fostered a growing resentment, even talk of another baseball war.
At different times proposals have been floated, from reducing the League, even to the formation of a single trust to operate all the teams. There is also cross ownership of the franchises.
This was especially evident in 1899.
In Cleveland, the Robison brothers, owners of the Cleveland Spiders purchase a controlling interest in the St. Louis Brown of the League. They then transfer the best players from the Spiders to the Browns. The Spiders without standouts like Cy Young and Bobby Wallace became the worst team in baseball while the Browns became one of the strongest.
In Baltimore, owner Harry von der Horst removes many, but not all of the top players, to Brooklyn, a team he also has an interest in. Unlike Cleveland where all the top players are traded, the fiery John McGraw and reliable Wilbert Robinson stay. McGraw even stripped of his best players is not a person to be counted out.
For the weaker franchises, Cleveland, Louisville, Baltimore and Washington the future is bleak.
At their week-long winter meeting‚ the National League votes to continue the 154 game schedule for 1899. The status of Washington as a major league club is debated. There is talk of two eight club leagues‚ but nothing comes of it. One would have been the big League the other an auxiliary league, Washington being in the weaker of the two. League President Nick Young admits that it looks blue for Washington.
As if being unwanted was not enough the Wagner brother’s true to form begin selling off their players.
• 14 December, Washington trades Heinie Reitz to Pittsburgh for Dick Padden, Jimmy Slagle, and Jack O'Brien.
• 25 December, Washington sells Kip Selbach to the Cincinnati for $5,000. Selbach had been the most productive batters on the roster and a very popular player. This trade only adds to the disdain for the Wagner brothers in Washington.
• Sailor Zeke Wrigley SS, Charley Carr 1b and Bill Donovan are sold to Richmond of the Atlantic League.
Finally, the two best players on the team want to leave. In early October both Jim McGuire and Win Mercer make it known that they want out of Washington. Mercer, the best player on the roster has been one of the few stars not sold off. Because of Mercer’s popularity it is believed that he is worth more to the franchise then the money the Wagner’s could get for him. Mercer expects his arm to be back to form in 1899.
Arthur Irwin returns as the manager and fans hope the Wagners will allow Irwin to run the team and not interfere with its operation. The infield at the Capital Park is in poor shape after the bad weather and needs work, the money gained in selling off the players should be used to fill in the holes, on the field and in the lineup.
“Baseball in the District,” is the name we have assigned to our project to document the early baseball history for Washington DC. This book documents the 1899 season. The book follows a detailed chronological narrative, every game is covered. Information about the players is presented to give you a unique view of the season. Local papers and sporting publications are used in order to give the reader a perspective of the era. Historical events are presented as they happened. Page count is 346 pages.
Our series about baseball in Washington, “Baseball in the District,” includes the following titles. Most available as e-books at Barnes & Noble. Hard copy available upon request. Email us at
1869 Rise of the Olympics
1875 Twilight
1877 to 1885 Renaissance
1886 A League City
1887 Trials and Tribulations
1888 The Last Hurrah
1889 Ward Sold
1890 to 1891 The Dark Ages
1897 Tom Brown’s Team
1898 War!
1899 End of an Era
1900 to 1904 An Orphan in an Upstart League
1918 Uncle Sam’s Game
Baseball Memories, Tales and Anecdote’s
It has been seven years since the end of the last baseball war and the merger of the American Association and National League. The National League with twelve clubs reigns supreme.
Although at peace the owners, magnates as they are labeled in the press, are often in conflict with each other and sit uneasy in their version of Mount Olympus. Their discord with each other and arrogance have fostered a growing resentment, even talk of another baseball war.
At different times proposals have been floated, from reducing the League, even to the formation of a single trust to operate all the teams. There is also cross ownership of the franchises.
This was especially evident in 1899.
In Cleveland, the Robison brothers, owners of the Cleveland Spiders purchase a controlling interest in the St. Louis Brown of the League. They then transfer the best players from the Spiders to the Browns. The Spiders without standouts like Cy Young and Bobby Wallace became the worst team in baseball while the Browns became one of the strongest.
In Baltimore, owner Harry von der Horst removes many, but not all of the top players, to Brooklyn, a team he also has an interest in. Unlike Cleveland where all the top players are traded, the fiery John McGraw and reliable Wilbert Robinson stay. McGraw even stripped of his best players is not a person to be counted out.
For the weaker franchises, Cleveland, Louisville, Baltimore and Washington the future is bleak.
At their week-long winter meeting‚ the National League votes to continue the 154 game schedule for 1899. The status of Washington as a major league club is debated. There is talk of two eight club leagues‚ but nothing comes of it. One would have been the big League the other an auxiliary league, Washington being in the weaker of the two. League President Nick Young admits that it looks blue for Washington.
As if being unwanted was not enough the Wagner brother’s true to form begin selling off their players.
• 14 December, Washington trades Heinie Reitz to Pittsburgh for Dick Padden, Jimmy Slagle, and Jack O'Brien.
• 25 December, Washington sells Kip Selbach to the Cincinnati for $5,000. Selbach had been the most productive batters on the roster and a very popular player. This trade only adds to the disdain for the Wagner brothers in Washington.
• Sailor Zeke Wrigley SS, Charley Carr 1b and Bill Donovan are sold to Richmond of the Atlantic League.
Finally, the two best players on the team want to leave. In early October both Jim McGuire and Win Mercer make it known that they want out of Washington. Mercer, the best player on the roster has been one of the few stars not sold off. Because of Mercer’s popularity it is believed that he is worth more to the franchise then the money the Wagner’s could get for him. Mercer expects his arm to be back to form in 1899.
Arthur Irwin returns as the manager and fans hope the Wagners will allow Irwin to run the team and not interfere with its operation. The infield at the Capital Park is in poor shape after the bad weather and needs work, the money gained in selling off the players should be used to fill in the holes, on the field and in the lineup.
“Baseball in the District,” is the name we have assigned to our project to document the early baseball history for Washington DC. This book documents the 1899 season. The book follows a detailed chronological narrative, every game is covered. Information about the players is presented to give you a unique view of the season. Local papers and sporting publications are used in order to give the reader a perspective of the era. Historical events are presented as they happened. Page count is 346 pages.
Our series about baseball in Washington, “Baseball in the District,” includes the following titles. Most available as e-books at Barnes & Noble. Hard copy available upon request. Email us at
1869 Rise of the Olympics
1875 Twilight
1877 to 1885 Renaissance
1886 A League City
1887 Trials and Tribulations
1888 The Last Hurrah
1889 Ward Sold
1890 to 1891 The Dark Ages
1897 Tom Brown’s Team
1898 War!
1899 End of an Era
1900 to 1904 An Orphan in an Upstart League
1918 Uncle Sam’s Game
Baseball Memories, Tales and Anecdote’s
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