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JAMES MALCOI.M. llt short ClOthw,10 indicuto timt ho was at orso time tho Htar t wirier of Chicago. That's what ho was, though. 0:i days niu-ii n bis match was to 1-c played Jim Malcolm himself alone would attract two-thirds of the crowd’s ndniirn lion, .‘or ho was a born ball pluyor, and in thuso days tho game w.y played for fut:— no sorJi.1 motive.: such as at pre.-ent govern tho game and make it a niero financial *p'c ulntion.They were all natural bail plnj\r-\ as n matter of fact, and chief among tho ancient voioruns wni John J. (llllispi, who at One t no was president of tho club. Mr. Gillbpi iv.ij a veteran ball player when Al tSprll ii» wns in the caro of u nurse.W. W. Kennedy, who afterward became chief of police hero, was another projido.-it of tho old Kscolsior*.The early •»’* were not a season for base bill. More serious l.utiQrt* was to bo attended to and tho young man capnbloof making a good two-base hit was re! loved of hb bat and given a mukel and son t south £ ^ to fr.ee tho rapid dc-w^/ livery of the C-11 fed* ' e rat os. But when tho war was ;vci, or. to lie OXBCt us to figures, in JOHN STEARNS, tho Excelsiors were reorganized.All tho linn l-o*o pictur-s follow played with tho new E*Ci’»iora. Tho game in thou* doy* compared to tl.ob.ise b di of i.v.lny was as dlfforont, I'Orlisjvs, in its way n* the stage conch Is to tho vestihulo train. But the old players did ll.cir work wel*. Tiny helped establish the gnmo «# ll.o tu'Timmi game. They yelloJ and screamed and shouted applause, and withal w»-r« civil to Hie umpire. Yes, and they eat great store on tii * umplro nnd wero oxtroniely csroful about Ins ser:ch. who played right field for tho Excel-»ion«. was accounted tho star player in that position in this |lt;art of tho country.But such men a: Charley MiHs.'^Doug” Al-1 sen. G.—i ce Wright, and Harry Wright, who were with the visitor*, could play all anund him. Strictly speaking, tlio Nation-a’s wero u profc*sionul nine. They weren’t paid salaries—salaries weron’t )K»id bail players in those days—but A nil wero provided with • jobs in tho govern-ment service, tho un-derstuudiug being that tho biggest work thoy would hnvo to do was ball playing. Tho Ex-ccldors felt it Incum-bont on them to do a litclo entertaining, and some of the boys weron’t as steady as they ought to hove been tho day of the gnmo. Nhe Nationals walloped them frantic. Ono Inning thoy scored 21 runs, and kept tho Excelsiors almost breathless chasing tho ball It was groat fun for tho visitors and spectators. The laftor howled and ronrd and screamed and J.prod and addressed tho Excolslors In Inimical term* till thoy felt like committing harl-ksrh When tho gauio was ovor tho Chicago plnyors stole homo through the I»ack street*, and thoy didn't talk baso ball again for nmny a day.Tl.o Excelsiors dbhando 1 practically In 1S78. A yoarorso later Chicago bad a pro* fesslonnl nine In tho White Stockings.A. GOODRICH.One of tho qucerost tiling* about agrlcol* turo Is to soon Congressman plant gardeu •sod* nmong hi* constituent*. and thou loot cm.fi lontly forward to a crop of vot** noxt f.ii.
Newspaper Details
Davenport Morning Tribune
Davenport, Iowa, US
Fri, Aug 24, 1888
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Michael D.
MO, USA 17 Dec 2016
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