Early Baseball Game Played by Pelham Team in 1866

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Yesterday was opening day for the 2015 Major League Baseball season and today is opening day for the Yankees and Mets.  In honor of the commencement of the 2015 season, today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog documents another early instance of baseball played by a Pelham team.  

The earliest reference I have been able to find to baseball being played by a Pelham team is a brief reference to a game played in October, 1865 between the Nonpareils of City Island in the Town of Pelham and The Uniteds of Westchester.  The Pelham team won the match 26 to 19.  The Uniteds were pleased with the result because the Nonpareils had "experienced players from other clubs."  

The brief account of the victory earned by the Nonpareils of City Island was fascinating because it noted that "In fly-catchers the Uniteds stood one ahead."  The reference to "fly-catchers" is a reference to fly balls caught for a putout.  The author of the account thought it significant enough to note that the Uniteds caught one more fly ball for an out than did the Nonpareils because the rules had only been changed that year. Previously, catching a ball on the first bounce earned an out. After the rule change, the ball had to be caught on the fly -- it had to be a "fly-catcher."  See Fri., Mar. 28, 2014:  Earliest Evidence Yet! Baseball Was Played in Pelham Only Months After the Civil War Ended.  

Today's posting to the Historic Pelham Blog transcribes a reference to another game involving the Nonpareils of City Island only a few months later in 1866.  According to the reference, on July 4, 1866, the Nonpareil team of City Island played Una of Mount Vernon "on Nonpareil ground."  Una won the game 49 to 9.  The reference appears immediately below, followed by a citation to its source.  

“UNA CLUB. 

The Una Base Ball Club, of Mount Vernon, N.Y., was organized April 1, 1865, with the following officers: 

S.P. Moore, President; Wm. H. Howe, 1st Vice-President; Wm. A. Huestace, 2d Vice-President; J.S. Fleming, Recording Secretary; D. Van Cott, Corresponding Secretary; J. H. Johnson, Treasurer. 

Officers for 1866 are: S. S. Moore, Jr., President; Philip Lucas, Jr., Vice-President; C. W. Van Cott, Recording Secretary and Treasurer; J. Stevens, Corresponding Secretary. 

The Una Club members ninety members. Uniform: white cap, red star in centre; white shirt, blue trimming; dark blue pants. 

The following is a summary of the games played by the Una Base Bell Club since their organization: . . . 

July 4 [1866].—With Nonpareil, of City Island, on Nonpareil ground; score, 49 to 9, in favor of Una.” 

Source: Peverelly, Charles A., The National Game in The Book of American Pastimes, Containing a History of the Principal Base Ball, Cricket, Rowing, and Yachting Clubs of the United States, pp. 444-45 (NY, NY: Published by the Author, 1866).

Cover of the 1865 Edition of Beadle's Dime

Base-Ball Player.  This Image Depicts Ballplayers

as They Looked in 1865 and 1866 When the Nonpareils

of City Island Played.  Note the Cricket-Style of the Bat,

The Widely-Spread Hands of the "Striker" as the Batter

then was Known, the Tiny Caps of the Players, and the

Lack of Gloves That Did Not Come Into Wide Use Until the 1870s.   

From Book Published in 1866:  "DIAGRAM OF A BASE

BALL FIELD.  POSITION OF PLAYERS AND THE

MEASUREMENTS FOR LAYING A FIELD OUT."

Source:  Peverelly, Charles A., The National Game in The

Book of American Pastimes, Containing a History of the

Principal Base Ball, Cricket, Rowing, and Yachting Clubs of

the United States, p. 336 (NY, NY: Published by the Author, 1866).

*          *          *          *

Below is a listing, with links, of my previous postings on the topic of 19th century baseball in Pelham.

Fri., Mar. 28, 2014:  Earliest Evidence Yet! Baseball Was Played in Pelham Only Months After the Civil War Ended. 

Thu., Mar. 20, 2014:  19th Century Baseball in Pelham - Newly-Discovered References.

Tue., Feb. 16, 2010:  Photograph of Only Known 19th Century Women's Baseball Team in Pelham, New York.

Thu., Jan. 28, 2010:   News About Pelham Manor and Pelhamville in 1895 - Lighting Districts, Gas for the Village, Baseball and More.

Tue., Dec. 15, 2009:  Baseball Games Played by the City Island Beldenites and the City Island Rivals in 1884.  

Mon., Dec. 14, 2009:  Baseball Games Played by the City Island Shamrocks in 1889.  

Fri., Dec. 11, 2009:  Earliest Reference Yet to Baseball Played in Pelham.  

Thu., Dec. 10, 2009:  More 19th Century Baseball and Firefighting References. 

Wed., Dec. 9, 2009:  City Island Shamrocks Base Ball Club Changed its Name to the Minnefords in 1888.

Wed., Nov. 25, 2009:  Even More Early References to Baseball Played in Pelham.

Tue., Nov. 24, 2009:  Yet Another Reference to Early Baseball in Pelham.

Mon., Nov. 23, 2009:  Additional Brief Accounts of Baseball Played in Pelham in the 19th Century.

Friday, November 20, 2009:  More Accounts of Early Baseball Played in Pelham.

Fri., Nov. 13, 2009:  1894 Account of Developments in Pelham Including a Reference to a Baseball Game Played that Year.

Thur., Nov. 12, 2009:  More Early References to Baseball Played in Pelham.

Wed., Sep. 30, 2009:   Score of June 1, 1887 Baseball Game Between the Country Club and The Knickerbocker Club.

Fri., Mar. 20, 2009:   Another Reference to 19th Century Baseball in Pelham.

Tue., Mar. 4, 2008:   Another Brief Reference to 19th Century Baseball in Pelham.

Mon., Nov. 26, 2007:  Box Score of a Baseball Game Played on Travers Island in Pelham Manor in July 1896.

Wed., Nov. 21, 2007:  Baseball on Travers Island During the Summer of 1897.

Fri., Jul. 20, 2007:  Account of Early Baseball in Pelham: Pelham vs. the New York Athletic Club on Travers Island in 1897.

Fri., Nov. 10, 2006: The Location of Another Early Baseball Field in Pelham.

Mon., Oct. 9, 2006:   Reminiscences of Val Miller Shed Light on Late 19th Century Baseball in Pelham and the Early Development of the Village of North Pelham.

Thu., Mar. 23, 2006:  Baseball Fields Opened on the Grounds of the Westchester Country Club in Pelham on April 4, 1884.  

Tue., Jan. 31, 2006:  Another Account of Baseball Played in Pelham in the 1880s Is Uncovered.  

Thu., Oct. 6, 2005:   Does This Photograph Show Members of the "Pelham Manor Junior Base Ball Team"?

Thu., Sep. 15, 2005:  Newspaper Item Published in 1942 Sheds Light on Baseball in 19th Century Pelham.  

Thu., Feb. 10, 2005:  New Discoveries Regarding Baseball in 19th Century Pelham.  

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