Posts Tagged ‘Jim Creighton’

 

The sport’s first shutout – Thursday, November 8, 1860 in Hoboken, NJ

Pitched by Jim Creighton of the Excelsiors of Brooklyn versus the St. George Cricket Club

Note: Harry Wright catching for St. George

Wilkes’ Spirit of the Times (New York) 11/17/1860

Brooklyn Eagle 11/10/1860

 

Excelsiors of Brooklyn - 1860 Baseball Tours

The Excelsiors of Brooklyn took baseball’s first extended tour outside their home district in July 1860. Twenty-two members of the club took off by train on Saturday evening June 30, headed for Albany. They each paid their own expenses and promised to abstain from alcohol. Only two members of the first-nine did not make the trip – second baseman Tom Reynolds and left fielder George Flanley.

1860 Excelsiors’ Pix:

Reynolds, Whiting, Creighton, Polhemus, Pearsall, Russell, Leggett, Brainard, Flanley

Excelsiors lineup during the tour:

• James Creighton, pitcher
• Joe Leggett, catcher
• Andrew Pearsall, first base
• John Holder, second base, left field
• William Young, third base
• John Whiting, shortstop, second base
• Edward Russell, left field, shortstop
• Henry Polhemus, center field
• Asa Brainard, right field

The games took place in the morning, typically beginning at 10 am. They played six contests, winning each, before returning home on the morning of July 12:

Date	Location	Opponent	Score
July 2	Albany	Champion club	24-6
July 3	Troy	Victory club	13-7
July 5	Buffalo	Niagara club	50-19
July 7	Rochester	Flour City club	21-1
July 9	Rochester	Live Oak club	27-9
July 11	Newburgh	Hudson River club	59-14

 

The group spent the July 4 holiday at Niagara Falls. They also received an invitation to by the Detroit, Michigan club not chose not to make the journey. 

Vs. NIAGARA

The Excelsiors score 24 times in the fifth inning.

Buffalo Daily Courier 7/6/1860

Vs. LIVE OAK

The game took about four hours because of multiple rain delays.

Vs. HUDSON RIVER

A large contingent of New Yorkers met the Excelsiors in Newburgh (about a 75 mile trip) and traveled home with them. They returned on the morning of the 12th.

In September, the Excelsiors became the first to take a southern tour:

• 9/22 in Baltimore versus Excelsiors of Baltimore (Team started and named by a friend of catcher Joe Leggett), over 4000 in attendance, Brooklyn won 51-6
• 9/24 in Philadelphia versus a picked nine, 1500 in attendance, Brooklyn won 15-4

SOURCE LIST

• Baltimore Sun, 1860
• Baseballchronology.com
• Brooklyn Eagle, 1860
• Buffalo Daily Courier, 1860
• New York Herald, 1860
• New York Times, 1860
• Utica Daily Observer, 1860

 

Brooklyn Daily Eagle 8/6/1860

 

Jim Creighton, the game’s first superstar

Some appearances with the Niagaras of Brooklyn, where he played second and third base –  from the Brooklyn Eagle in 1858, at age 17:

8/20/1858

 

9/29/1858

 

11/4/1858

 

11/20/1858