A match of base ball was played on Gamble Lawn, Saturday morning, between the Commercial, Jr., and the second nine of the Union Club, and was handsomely won by the Commercial...
-Missouri Republican, September 29, 1861
I love this box score.
First thing you should note is the fact that Tom Oran was playing with the Commercial, Jr., in 1861. Oran is widely - and rightly - recognized as the first Native American major league baseball player and gained that distinction by playing in the NA with the Reds in 1875. He was probably only about fourteen or fifteen years old in 1861 and just beginning what would be a rather interesting baseball career. This is the first record we have of Oran playing baseball and, therefore, is of some historical significance.
The other thing you should note is the guys playing for what is described as the Union Club's second nine. Asa Smith, Charles Cabanne, Willy Freeman, Joseph Carr, with Frank Billon keeping score. All of these guys would go on to make names for themselves as ballplayers in the post-war, amateur era. The Union had themselves a pretty nice second nine that would develop a lot of the talent that would go on to win the championship in 1867.
First thing you should note is the fact that Tom Oran was playing with the Commercial, Jr., in 1861. Oran is widely - and rightly - recognized as the first Native American major league baseball player and gained that distinction by playing in the NA with the Reds in 1875. He was probably only about fourteen or fifteen years old in 1861 and just beginning what would be a rather interesting baseball career. This is the first record we have of Oran playing baseball and, therefore, is of some historical significance.
The other thing you should note is the guys playing for what is described as the Union Club's second nine. Asa Smith, Charles Cabanne, Willy Freeman, Joseph Carr, with Frank Billon keeping score. All of these guys would go on to make names for themselves as ballplayers in the post-war, amateur era. The Union had themselves a pretty nice second nine that would develop a lot of the talent that would go on to win the championship in 1867.
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