Historic Pelham: The Nonpareils Base Ball Association of City Island During the 1860s

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The "Nonpareil Base Ball Association" was an early Pelham base ball club that operated out of City Island during at least 1865 and 1866. Until the research presented in today's Historic Pelham article, the earliest reference to organized baseball being played in Pelham previously known was a brief reference to a game played by the Nonpareils in October, 1865 against the Uniteds of Westchester. The Nonpareils won the contest 26 to 19. The Uniteds reportedly were pleased with the result because the Nonpareils had "experienced players from other clubs."

I have written twice before about the Nonpareils. See:

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

Mon., Apr. 06, 2015: Early Baseball Game Played by Pelham Team in 1866.

The Nonpareil Base Ball Association seems to have been a particularly active social and athletic association in 1865 and 1866. Like many such clubs, it seems also to have had an associated "Junior" club of younger players. Indeed, on June 25, 1866, the "Nonpareil Club, Jr." of City Island played a "match of base-ball" against the "Star Club, Jr." of Mount Vernon at City Island. The junior Stars massacred the junior Nonpareils by a score of 83 to 12.

As was the case with most 19th century amateur baseball clubs, the Nonpareil Base Ball Association was as much a social organization as a baseball club. For example, according to one account, on July 4, 1866, the Nonpareils were scheduled to "give a soiree at C. W. Bennett's Bay View House" on City Island. Similarly, the account of the previously-mentioned October, 1865 game between the Nonpareils of City Island and the Uniteds of Westchester ends with the statement that, after the game, "the 'boys' repaired to the hotel of George Blake, Esq., in Centreville, where they were regaled with a substantial repast, and lingered long over 'flowing lager,' while the 'jest and song went round,' and friends were toasted, and they had a good time generally."

Recent research regarding the Nonpareils of City Island has revealed what now is the earliest documented game of baseball involving a Pelham baseball team. On Saturday, September 23, 1865, the Nonpareils traveled to the Village of White Plains where they played the "Washington Club of White Plains." The Washingtons beat the Nonpareils 22 to 17 in a nine-inning game.

Thanks to a rudimentary box score published in the Eastern State Journal of White Plains, we now have at least the last names of nine of the players who were members of the Nonpareil Base Ball Association of City Island. In September, 1866, they were:

Stephens (Pitcher)
Murphy (Left Field)
Billar (Shortstop) - Likely City Island oysterman Samuel P. Billar.
Bell (First Base) - Perhaps Jerome Bell of City Island, later a member of the Town Board of Audit.
Hyatt (Second Base) - Likely James Hyatt, later Pelham Town Supervisor.
Fordham (Right Field) - Likely either of two surviving sons of Orrin Fordham living in 1865 including: John Oscar Fordham and William Rufus Forham.
Stillwell (Catcher)
Hegeman (Third Base) - Likely Benjamin Hegeman who served as Pelham Town Supervisor from 1862 until 1873.
Pippers (Center Field)

The nine-inning ball game lasted two and a half hours that day. Though the Washington Club of White Plains won the contest by five runs, members of the club clearly were unhappy with the umpiring. An account of the game in the Eastern State Journal ended with the statement: "It was thought by members of the Washington Club that the Umpire leaned rather in favor of the opposing Club in his decisions." The umpire of the game was listed as "William H. Van Cott, Sr." Although there was a Van Cott's Grove in Pelham at the time, it is not know with certainty if William H. Van Cott, Sr. was associated with that location. In any event, the U.S. Census for 1870 shows a William Van Cott living in the Pelham area (actually, in New Rochelle), perhaps accounting for the alleged bias.

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Below is the text of a number of items regarding the Nonpareil Base Ball Association of City Island. Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"A BASE BALL MATCH. -- A match game of base ball was played on the old Fair Grounds, in this village, on Saturday, Sept. 23, between the Nonpareil Club of City Island and the Washington Club of White Plains, which resulted in a victory for the Washingtons, by a score of 22 to 17. The following is the score:

WASHINGTON,	O.	R.	NONPAREIL,	O.	R.
Horton, p……………..	4	2	Stephens, p…….........	1	4
Miller, s.s……………..	3	5	Murphy, l.f…………….	4	2
Boyd, l.f………………..	3	4	Billar, s.s…………………	3	1
Tibbets, 2d b…………	1	4	Bell, 1^st b………………..	3	3
Long, 3d b…………….	2	2	Hyatt, 2d b…………….	2	2
Moran, r.f……………..	2	1	Fordham, r.f………….	4	1
Newhouse, 1^st b……	5	1	Stillwell, c………………	3	2
Ward, c.f……………….	3	2	Hegeman, 3d b………	3	2
Kennedy, c……………	4	1	Pippers, c.f…………….	4	0
	---	---		---	---
Total……………………..	27	22	Total………………………	27	17

INNINGS.

	1^st.	2d.	3d.	4^th.	5^th.	6^th.	7^th.	8^th.	9^th.
Washington…….	0	1	1	3	4	2	4	5	2	----	22
Nonpareil……….	2	0	1	1	5	2	4	0	2	----	17

Umpire -- William H. Van Cott, Sr.
Scorers -- Messrs. Watkins and Kinney.
Time of game, two hours and a half.

It was thought by members of the Washington Club that the Umpire leaned rather in favor of the opposing Club in his decisions."

Source: A BASE BALL MATCH, Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Sep. 29, 1865, Vol. XXI, No. 22, p. 2, col. 4.

"--The Star Champions are once more in the field. A very fine and interesting match of base-ball was played between the Nonpareil Club, Jr., of City Island, and the Star Club, Jr., of Mount Vernon, at City Island, on Monday, June 25, resulting in a victory for the Stars by a score of 83 runs to 12."

Source: [Untitled], Eastern State Journal [White Plains, NY], Jul. 6, 1866, p. 2, cols. 1-2.

"'NONPAREIL.' -- This base ball association are to spend the 4th of July at City Island, where they will give a soiree at C. W. Bennett's Bay View House in the evening. We tender our thanks for an invitation to join in the festivities of the occasion."

Source: "NONPAREIL", The New York Clipper: American Sporting and Theatrical Journal, Jul. 7, 1866, p. 2, col. 5.

Undated Currier & Ives Print: "THE AMERICAN NATIONAL

GAME OF BASE BALL" Depicting an Early Baseball Game.

NOTE: Click on Image to Enlarge.

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I have written nearly fifty articles regarding the history of baseball in Pelham and early baseball games played in the Town of Pelham. Below is a listing, with links, of previous postings on the topic of early baseball in Pelham.

Wed., Apr. 19, 2017: Pelham Manor Club Defeated Gramatan Country Club in Baseball Game in August, 1902.