1876-1900 Boston Red Caps / Red Stockings / Beaneaters

[RUKen]

The most dominant team of the first quarter-century of the National League was the Boston franchise. Baseball teams in the nineteenth century were usually known by their city name (e.g. “the Bostons”), but when nicknames were used, this team was generally known as the Red Stockings (and maybe the Red Caps; this is debatable) through about 1882 and the Beaneaters from 1883 on. The Bostons won 8 league championships during the period 1876-1900 (1877, 1878, 1883, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1897, and 1898), two more than the next best team, Chicago, which was the only other team to survive from the NL’s first season into the twentieth century. In 1901, the team lost many of its best players to the American League, and the Beaneaters became one of the NL’s worst teams. The nickname changed to the Doves in 1907 and the Rustlers in 1911 before they began to market themselves as the Braves in 1912. Prior to leaving Boston after the 1952 season, the franchise won only two more National League championships (1914 and 1948).

1876 Boston Red Stockings, 39-31, 4th place, 15 GB

Top Row (L-R): Tim Murnane (1B), George Wright (SS), Jack Manning (RF).
Second Row (L-R): Tim McGinley (CF/C), Joe Borden (P).
Center: Harry Wright, Manager.
Third Row (L-R): Frank Whitney (CF/RF), Bill Parks (LF).
Bottom Row (L-R): Harry Schafer (3B), Andy Leonard (LF/2B), Jim O'Rourke (CF).

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[RUKen]

1877 Boston Red Stockings: 42-18, .700, 1st Place (6 teams)
Clockwise from top left: Deacon White (1B), Lew Brown (C), Andy Leonard (OF), Tim Murnane (OF), Jim O’Rourke (OF), Unknown, Harry Schafer (OF/3B), Will White (P), Ezra Sutton (SS), John Morrill (3B).
Top center: George Wright (2B). Bottom center: Tommy Bond (P).

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[RUKen]

1878 Boston Red Stockings: 41-19, .683, 1st Place (6 teams)

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[RUKen]

1879 Boston Red Stockings: 54-30, .643, 2nd Place (8 teams), 5 g behind


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John Morrill (RF)
Tommy Bond (P) – Pop Snyder (C)
Charlie Jones (LF) – Jack Burdock (2B) – Ed Cogswell (1B)
Sadie Houck (RF) – John O’Rourke (CF) – Ezra Sutton (SS)
Bill Hawes (OF/C) – Curry Foley (P)
Harry Wright (Mgr.)

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The Bostons are on the left and the Providence Grays are on the right in this photo from Messer Park in Providence.
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[RUKen]

1883 Boston Beaneaters: 63-35, .643, 1st Place (8 teams)
Top, L-R: Joe Hornung (OF), Ezra Sutton (3B), Sam Wise (SS), Jack Burdock (2B).
Bottom, L-R: Charlie Buffinton (P), Paul Radford (OF), Jim Whitney (P/OF), John Morrill (1B), Mike Hines (C), Mert Hackett (C), Edgar Smith (OF).

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[RUKen]

1886 Boston Beaneaters: 56-61, .479, 5th Place (8 teams), 30.5 g behind
Top Row (L-R): Old Hoss Radbourn (Bos P), Sam Wise (Bos 1B), Con Daily (Bos C), Buck Ewing (NY C), Roger Connor (NY 1B), Mike Dorgan (NY RF), Pat Gillespie (NY LF), Jim O’Rourke (NY CF), Dude Esterbrook (NY 3B).
Middle Row (L-R): Tom Poorman (Bos RF), Billy Nash (Bos 3B), Ezra Sutton (Bos IF/OF), John Morrill (Bos SS), Jim Mutrie (NY Mgr.), John Ward (NY SS), Joe Gerhardt (NY 2B), Tim Keefe (NY P), Pat Deasley (NY C), Danny Richardson (NY CF/LF).
Front Row (L-R): Joe Hornung (Bos LF), D Johnston (Bos CF), W. Curry (Umpire), Mickey Welch (NY P), Larry Corcoran (NY RF), Unidentified.
Identifications by BMarlowe, from the website Threads of Our Game.
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[RUKen]

1887 Boston Beaneaters: 61-60, .504, 5th Place (8 teams), 16.5 g behind
Back Row (L-R): Kid Madden (P), Tom O'Rourke (C), Ezra Sutton (IF/OF), Dick Conway (P), Billy Nash (3B), Bobby Wheelock (possibly) (OF/IF), Old Hoss Radbourne (P)
Front Row (L-R): Sam Wise (SS), Dick Johnston (OF), King Kelly (OF/2B/C), John Morrill (1B), Pop Tate (C)
IDs provided by Bmarlowe.

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[RUKen]

1888 Boston Beaneaters: 70-64, .522, 4th Place (8 teams), 15.5 g behind
This photo is actually a composite, with head shots of the Boston players pasted onto the bodies of the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. (I’ve included a photo of the Brooklyn team for comparison.)
Top, L-R: Tom Brown (OF), Sam Wise (SS), John Morrill (1B), Bill Sowders (P), Dick Johnston (OF), Billy Nash (3B).
Bottom, L-R: Kid Madden (P), Old Hoss Radbourne (P), King Kelly (C), John Clarkson (P), Pop Tate (C), Joe Hornung (OF), Dick Conway (P).

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Top row (L-R): unidentified, unidentified, Sam Wise (SS), King Kelly (C), John Clarkson (P), unidentified, unidentified, Ezra Sutton (3B).
Middle row (L-R): unidentified, Old Hoss Radbourn (P), John Morrill (1B), Bill Sowders (P), unidentified.
Bottom row (L-R): Billy Nash (3B), unidentified, Kid Madden (P). IDs by BMarlowe, from the website Threads of Our Game.

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[RUKen]

1889 Boston Beaneaters; 83-45, 2nd place (out of 8), 1 g behind

Top Row (L-R): Joe Quinn (SS), Tom Brown (LF), Pop Smith (2B), Dan Brouthers (1B), Charlie Ganzel (C/RF), Charlie Bennett (C).
Middle Row (L-R): Hardie Richardson (2B), Old Hoss Radbourn (P), John Clarkson (P), James Hart (Mgr.), King Kelly (RF), Dick Johnston (CF), Billy Nash (3B).
Front Row (L-R): Bill Daley (P) and Kid Madden (P). Player IDs from Nigel Ayres.
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Composite photo:
Top Row, L-R: Kid Madden (P), Tom Brown (LF), Charlie Ganzel (C/RF), Joe Quinn (SS).
Second Row, L-R: Billy Sowders (P), John Clarkson (P), James Hart (Mgr.), King Kelly (RF), Irv Ray (SS/3B).
Third Row, L-R: Dan Brouthers (1B), Dick Johnston (CF), Billy Nash (3B), Old Hoss Radbourn (P).
Bottom Row, L-R: Hardie Richardson (2B), Charlie Bennett (C).
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1890 Boston Beaneaters: 76-57, .571, 5th Place (8 teams), 12 g behind
Top, L-R: Chippy McGarr (3B), Pretzels Getzien (P), Patsy Donovan (OF), Charlie Ganzel (C/OF/IF), John Taber (P), Marty Sullivan (OF), Tommy Tucker (1B).
Middle, L-R: Kid Nichols (P), Herman Long (SS), Charles Bennett (C), Frank Selee (Mgr.), John Clarkson (P), Pop Smith (2B), Steve Brodie (OF).
Front, L-R: Bobby Lowe (SS/OF/3B), Al Schellhase (C/OF/IF), Lew Hardie (C/OF/IF).
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[RUKen]

1891 Boston Beaneaters: 87-51, .630, 1st Place (8 teams)

Top Row, L-R: Bobby Lowe (LF/CF), Kid Nichols (P), Tommy Tucker (1B), Charlie Ganzel (C), Pretzels Getzein (P), Marty Sullivan (LF), Steve Brodie (CF).
Middle Row, L-R: Charlie Bennett (C), Herman Long (SS), John Clarkson (P), Frank Selee (Mgr.), Billy Nash (3B), Joe Quinn (2B), Harry Stovey (LF/RF).
Bottom Row, L-R: Jim Sullivan (P), Fred Lake (C).
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Clockwise from top left: Tommy Tucker (1B), Herman Long (SS), Harry Stovey (OF), Joe Quinn (2B), Billy Nash (3B), Charlie Bennett (C), Harry Staley (P), Bobby Lowe (OF), Steve Brodie (OF), Kid Nichols (P), John Clarkson (P), King Kelly (C/OF). Top center: Frank Selee (Mgr.). Bottom center: Charlie Ganzel (C).
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Top Row, L-R: Fred Lake (C), Pretzels Getzien (P), Kid Nichols (P), Frank Selee (Mgr.), Harry Stovey (LF/RF), Charlie Ganzel (C), Marty Sullivan (LF).
Middle Row, L-R: Charlie Bennett (C), John Clarkson (P), Billy Nash (3B), Herman Long (SS), Tommy Tucker (1B), Joe Quinn (2B).
Bottom Row, L-R: Jim Sullivan (P), Bobby Lowe (LF/CF), Steve Brodie (CF/RF).
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[RUKen]

1892 Boston Beaneaters: 102-48, .780, 1st Place (12 teams)
Top, L-R: Jack Stivetts (P/OF), Charlie Ganzel (C), Kid Nichols (P), Harry Stovey (OF), Charlie Bennett (C).
Middle, L-R: Harry Staley (P), Herman Long (SS), King Kelly (C), Frank Selee (Mgr.), Billy Nash (3B), Tommy Tucker (1B), Joe Quinn (2B), John Clarkson (P).
Bottom, L-R: Tommy McCarthy (OF), Bobby Lowe (OF), Hugh Duffy (OF).

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[RUKen]

1893 Boston Beaneaters: 86-43, .667, 1st Place (12 teams)
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Here is a nice shot of the South End Grounds taken that year, which shows the infield with much less bare ground than modern-day infields—just narrow baselines between first and second and between second and third, with a cutout near the shortstop position (perhaps for the umpire).

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[RUKen]

1894 Boston Beaneaters: 83-49, .629, 3rd Place (12 teams), 8 g behind
Standing: Fred Tenney (C), Charlie Ganzel (C), Frank Selee (Mgr.), Billy Nash (3B), Jack Stivetts (P), Harry Staley (P).
Sitting: Tommy Tucker (1B), Kid Nichols (P), Herman Long (SS), Jimmy Bannon (RF), Hugh Duffy (CF), Jack Ryan (C), Bobby Lowe (2B).
On the floor: George Hodson (P), Tom Lovett (P), Tommy McCarthy (LF). IDs by RUKen.
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1895 Boston Beaneaters: 71-60, .542, 6th Place (12 teams), 16.5 g behind
Top Row, L-R: Jack Ryan (C), Frank Sexton (P), Charlie Ganzel (C).
2nd Row, L-R: Jack Stivetts (P), Zeke Wilson (P), George Hodson (DNP*), Jimmy Collins (RF), Kid Nichols (P).
3rd Row, L-R: Bobby Lowe (2B), Hugh Duffy (CF), Billy Nash (3B), Frank Selee (Mgr.), Jack Warner (C).
4th Row, L-R: Cozy Dolan (P), Tommy McCarthy (LF), Jimmy Bannon (RF), Herman Long (SS), Jim Sullivan (P).
Bottom Row, L-R: Charlie Nyce (SS), Fred Tenney (LF/C), Tommy Tucker (1B).
*Did not play for Boston in 1895.
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[RUKen]

1896 Boston Beaneaters: 74-57, .565, 4th Place (12 teams), 29.5 g behind
Top, L-R: Fred Tenney (OF/C), Bill Yerrick (P), Charlie Ganzel (C/1B/SS), Willard Mains (P), Jack Stivetts (P/OF/IF), Tommy Tucker (1B), Jack Ryan (C), Joe Harrington (IF).
Middle, L-R: Bobby Lowe (2B), Billy Hamilton (OF), Hugh Duffy (OF), Frank Selee (Mgr.), Jimmy Collins (3B), Marty Bergen (C).
Bottom, L-R: Herman Long (SS), Jim Sullivan (P), Cozy Dolan (P), Kid Nichols (P), Jimmy Bannon (OF/IF).

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[RUKen]

1897 Boston Beaneaters: 93-39, .705, 1st Place (12 teams)
Top, L-R: Jim Sullivan (P), Jake Stivetts (OF), Bob Allen (SS), Charlie Ganzel (C), Fred Klobedanz (P), Ted Lewis (P), Fred Lake (C).
Middle, L-R: Herman Long (SS), Kid Nichols (P), George Yeager (UT), Frank Selee (Mgr.), Hugh Duffy (OF), Fred Tenney (1F), Billy Hamilton (OF).
Bottom, L-R: Jimmy Collins (3B), Chick Stahl (OF), Bobby Lowe (2B).

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