The Dubuque base ball team, the crack organization of the Northwest, came to grief at the Grand Avenue Base Ball Park, yesterday afternoon, the popular Brown Stockings adding another well-earned victory to their long list of triumphs this season. It was the best week-day attendance seen at the park thus far this year, and while the spectators were very impartial in distributing applause, it could be seen that they were gratified at the success of the home players. Recognizing the fact that the task on hand was a difficult one, the Brown Stockings presented as strong a team as they have placed in the field in many a day, Baker being the only absentee. McGinnis was in the pitcher’s square, Seward behind the bat, and the Gleason boys in their home positions. This is a rare sight in week-day contests, and one that lent confidence to the other members of the nine and the club’s many well-wishers.
The Game.
Owing to the terrible heat, Sullivan, Dubuque’s pitcher, was forced to retire in the seventh inning. Both nines had up to that time played a close and spirited game, but the change of pitchers raised the mischief with the visitors. Morrison was the man sent in to relieve Sullivan, and he was batted clean out of the diamond. Before he was retired again to his position at short field, the Browns had earned seven runs off his delivery, and might perhaps have earned more, but that Sullivan came to the front again. He put an end to the run, getting in short order. The visitors play a plucky fielding game, but as batsmen they failed to master McGinnis. Perhaps they will do better to-day. In yesterday’s game there were several splendid plays. Lear, the Dubuque’s right, and Keyes, their left fielder, made some magnificent running catches, while Macdonald, of the Browns, also distinguished himself in that way. Seward, in the absence of the mighty Baker, caught well. Loftus created any amount of laughter when he sneaked the ball away from Comiskey and then walked up to McGinnis and touched him out as he stood off his base. Seward did the best batting of all. Sullivan, who pitches for the Dubuques, Loftus, their second baseman, and Comiskey, who guards their first bag, are a little team in themselves. They play a grand game.
-St. Louis Globe Democrat, July 17, 1881
This was kind of a reunion of the 1879 championship Dubuque club, with five of the members of that great team on the field in this game. The Gleason brothers, Charles Comiskey, Tom Loftus, and Ted Sullivan were all members of the club that won the championship of the Northwestern League. Loftus had also played a few games for the NL Brown Stockings in 1877. So I'm not surprised that this game drew a nice crowd. I know I would have liked to have seen it. It's a shame that they couldn't get Radbourn to come to town and take part in this.
This game is also historically significant. It was, as far as I can tell, the first time that Comiskey played in St. Louis. The following season, of course, he would be playing with Von der Ahe's new AA Brown Stockings and would go on to achieve great things in St. Louis. But his first time stepping onto the field at the Grand Avenue Grounds was in 1881 as a member of the Dubuque Rabbits.
This game is also historically significant. It was, as far as I can tell, the first time that Comiskey played in St. Louis. The following season, of course, he would be playing with Von der Ahe's new AA Brown Stockings and would go on to achieve great things in St. Louis. But his first time stepping onto the field at the Grand Avenue Grounds was in 1881 as a member of the Dubuque Rabbits.
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