From Bloomington the tourists procceded to St. Louis, where they had engaged to play the Unions and Empires. Sunday was spent in Bloomington in sight seeing and a much needed rest. Monday morning, July 27th, the boys arrived in the Mound City, and, after dinner, proceeded to the St. Louis Base Ball Park in hacks furnished by the Union Club, which had been quite attentive and courteous in the treatment of their guests. The grounds are large enough, but they slope so that the run to first base is uphill and the fence at one foul line is too near the batter. The Union won the toss and of course the Buckeyes went to the bat. They should have been whitewashed, but two lives were given and they scored three. The Unions then had three men out at first, by Doyle, in quick time. In the second innings the Unions were again whitewashed and McMullen made a tally after getting his base on three balls.
The next five innings the Union should have been whitewashed, but dropped balls gave them three each in the third and sixth innings. In the eighth they made two by square hitting and got another goose egg in the last innings. The umpire was a member of the Empire Club and not well posted. He did not hurry up the game, or call many balls, though the pitching on both sides was wild...The game was decidedly an inferior one, although played fast. The [Buckeyes] were tired and confident and did not exert themselves more than they thought necessary to win.
-New York Clipper, August 8, 1868
This was a nice account of the Buckeyes' arrival in St. Louis and of their match with the Unions. I particularly enjoyed the description of the Grand Avenue Grounds.
The umpire mentioned here was John Young, a long-time, non-playing member of the Empire Club. Tobias writes that Young "was one of the first members of the Empire Club and though too advanced in years to participate in playing, he took a deep interest in the sport and was so thoroughly conversant with the rules that by general acclaim he was always in demand as umpire, which position he filled so honorably and satisfactorily that his judgment went for 'keeps' undisputed, even when his own club suffered by it." The Buckeyes may not have liked him much as an umpire but there's no doubt that Tobias had a great deal of respect for him.
The umpire mentioned here was John Young, a long-time, non-playing member of the Empire Club. Tobias writes that Young "was one of the first members of the Empire Club and though too advanced in years to participate in playing, he took a deep interest in the sport and was so thoroughly conversant with the rules that by general acclaim he was always in demand as umpire, which position he filled so honorably and satisfactorily that his judgment went for 'keeps' undisputed, even when his own club suffered by it." The Buckeyes may not have liked him much as an umpire but there's no doubt that Tobias had a great deal of respect for him.
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