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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 in their early years and as the Beaneaters in the later years of the 19th Century. (There is an excellent discussion of the modern-day use of the nickname "Red Caps" for the early Boston teams here: 1884 Boston | Threads Of Our Game. 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).
image_123815.jpg
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).
image_123815.jpg
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