Joseph Hall photographs, 1888-1890

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Joseph Hall was a photographer based in Brooklyn who produced many of the photographs used in the baseball cards issued by tobacco companies in the late 1800's. In 1888 he produced a series of team photographs of the major league teams. The Brooklyn team of the American Association was photographed in foul territory in their home ballpark, and five of the seven other AA teams were photographed in the same location when they visited Brooklyn. The sixth and seventh teams (Philadelphia and Kansas City) and five of the eight National League teams were photographed in a studio, though one of the NL team photographs is actually a composite, as we shall see below. The New York Giants were photographed in the Polo Grounds. It is possible that all of the NL teams were photographed, but no copies are known to exist of Hall photos of the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia teams. Hall also produced a team photo of the New York Giants after their World Series win over the St. Louis Browns, and portraits of the individual players on the team. When the Spalding World Tour teams (the Chicago White Stockings and the All Americans) played a game in Brooklyn in early 1889 after visiting New Zealand, Australia, Egypt, and Great Britain, Hall produced photos of those two teams in the same setting as he had the previous year for the American Association teams. In 1890, he travelled with the Brooklyn team to St. Augustine for spring training, and took a couple of photos of the team visiting the historic sites of the city.

In this thread I have compiled the known team photos produced by Hall, and left room for the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia photos, if they ever become available. I have also included the portraits of the New York Giants players, except for Buck Ewing--I have not yet found the photo of Ewing that clearly belongs to this set. I welcome contributions from others on Baseball Fever.

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1888 Baltimore Orioles (57-80, 5th place)
Leading hitters: Oyster Burns (.298), Mike Griffin (103 runs, 55 stolen bases), Tommy Tucker (61 RBI)
Leading pitchers: Bert Cunningham (22-29), Matt Kilroy (17-21)
League leaders: Tommy Tucker led AA first basemen in assists (59). Billy Shindle led AA third basemen in assists (340).
Baltimore was a charter member of the AA in 1882, and never finished higher than 3rd place during the ten years of the AA. After the breakup of the AA, Baltimore joined the NL, and had three straight first-place finishes beginning in 1894 and two more second-place finishes after that, and won the Temple Cup after the seasons of 1896 and 1897. After a fourth place finish in 1899, the franchise was disbanded.

1888 AA Baltimore.png

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1888 Brooklyn Bridegrooms (88-52, 2nd place)
Leading hitters: Dave Orr (.305), Dave Foutz (99 RBI), George Pinckney (134 runs), Darby O’Brien (55 stolen bases)
Leading pitchers: Bob Caruthers (29-15), Mickey Hughes (25-13)
League leaders: George Pinckney led the AA in runs scored (134).
Brooklyn joined the AA in 1884, and was called the Atlantics and the Grays before being redubbed the Bridegrooms after several team members were wed during the off-season prior to 1888. After the New York Metropolitans disbanded following the 1887 season, Brooklyn purchased the players’ contracts and then sold all but five of them to the new Kansas City franchise. A trade with the St. Louis Browns also bolstered the lineup, and the team challenged St. Louis for first place before falling short. Highlights of the season included: Adonis Terry pitched a no-hitter against Louisville in May. Former Brown Dave Foutz was carried off the St. Louis field by home fans after he delivered a game-winning hit for Brooklyn in July. Brooklyn forfeited a game later in July to Kansas City after Adonis Terry reported to his teammates that he heard the Kansas City manager order substitute umpire Jim Donahue (a KC player) to call a Brooklyn runner out at the plate in a close game. The Bridegrooms finished in first place in 1889, and then joined the NL in time for the 1890 season and won the pennant in their first season in that league. They became known as the Trolley Dodgers and then the Superbas, and had first-place finishes again in 1899 and 1900 before a long period of mediocrity. The team eventually settled on being called the Dodgers.

1888 AA Brooklyn.jpg

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1888 Cincinnati Red Stockings (80-54, 4th place)
Leading hitters: John Reilly (.321, 103 RBI, 112 runs, 13 HR), Hugh Nicol (112 runs, 103 stolen bases)
Leading pitchers: Lee Viau (27-14), Tony Mullane (26-16)
League leaders: Long John Reilly led the AA in slugging average (.501), home runs (13), total bases (264), and RBI (103). Frank Fennelly led AA shortstops in errors (100) and assists (463). Pop Corkhill led AA outfielders in putouts (303).
Cincinnati was an original member of the AA, and finished in first place in the inaugural season of 1882. They moved to the NL in 1890 and became known as the Reds. They did not have another first place finish until 1919.

1888 AA Cincinnati.jpg

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1888 Cleveland Blues (50-82, 6th place)
Leading hitters: Ed McKean (.299, 68 RBI, 94 runs), Jay Faatz (64 stolen bases)
Leading pitchers: Jersey Bakley (25-33), Cinders O’Brien (11-19)
Cleveland joined the AA in 1887 and stayed for only two seasons before switching to the NL and becoming known as the Spiders. They had three second-place finishes (1892, 1895, and 1896) and won the Temple Cup in 1895. When their best players were transferred to St. Louis (because the two teams were owned by the same people), the team played to a record of 20-134 in 1899 and were then disbanded.

1888 AA Cleveland.jpg

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1888 Kansas City Cowboys (43-89, 8th place)
Leading hitters: Jumbo Davis (.267, 61 RBI), Jim McTamany (94 runs, 55 stolen bases)
Leading pitchers: Henry Porter (18-37), Tom Sullivan (8-16)
League leaders: Henry Porter led the AA in losses (37).
Kansas City’s first of just two seasons in the AA was in 1888, though there had been a Kansas City team in the Union Association in 1884 and in the NL in 1886. The 1888 roster was largely made up of players from the defunct New York Metropolitans, purchased from the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. KC overcame a 12-3 deficit in a June game against Cleveland, scoring 7 runs in the bottom of the 9th to win 16-15. Henry Porter pitched a no-hitter against Baltimore in June. Jim McTamany collected 6 hits in a game against Cincinnati in June. Billy Hamilton made his major league debut in late July. Jumbo Davis made 91 errors at 3rd base, including 5 in one game. The team improved to 7th place in 1889 before disbanding.

1888 AA Kansas City.jpg

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1888 Louisville Colonels (48-87, 7th place)
(1889: 27-111, 1890: 88-44, 1st place)
Leading hitters: Pete Browning (.313, 72 RBI), Hub Collins (117 runs, 62 stolen bases)
Leading pitchers: Toad Ramsey (8-30), Scott Stratton (10-17)
League leaders: Hub Collins led the AA in doubles (31).
Louisville was an original member of the AA, and the team was often called the Eclipse during its first few seasons. After their seventh-place finish in 1888, they had a dreadful season in 1889, with a record of 27-111. Many of the league’s best players left in 1890 to compete in the Players’ League, and the Louisville team finished in first place in the AA that year with a record of 88-44. They dropped to 8th place the next year and then joined the NL, never finishing higher than 9th before being disbanded after the 1899 season.

1888 AA Louisville.jpg

(BSmile has posted a much larger format of this photo (without the player IDs) in Vintage Panoramic Pictures, page 68, #1677. )

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1888 Philadelphia Athletic Club (81-52, 3rd place)
Leading hitters: Denny Lyons (.296), Henry Larkin (101 RBI), Harry Stovey (127 runs, 9 HR), Curt Welch (95 stolen bases)
Leading pitchers: Ed Seward (35-19), Gus Weyhing (28-18)
League leaders: Harry Stovey led the AA in triples (20). Lou Bierbauer led AA second basemen in assists (399). Wilbert Robinson led AA catchers in assists (143). Ed Seward led the AA in strikeouts (272) and tied for the league lead in shutouts (6). Gus Weyhing led the AA in batters hit (42) and wild pitches (56).
Philadelphia was an original member of the AA in 1882. They finished in first place in 1883, but never higher than third after that. The team disbanded following the 1890 season. 1888 highlights: Philadelphia scored 28 runs in an April game against Cleveland. Ed Seward no-hit Cincinnati in a July game, and Gus Weyhing no-hit Kansas City five days later.

1888 AA Philadelphia.jpg

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1888 St. Louis Browns (92-43, 1st Place)
Leading hitters: Tip O’Neill (.335, 98 RBI), Arlie Latham (119 runs, 109 stolen bases)
Leading pitchers: Silver King (45-20), Nat Hudson (25-10)
League leaders: Tip O’Neill led the AA in batting average (.335) and hits (177). Arlie Latham led the AA in stolen bases (109). Tommy McCarthy led AA outfielders in assists (42). Silver King tied for the league lead in shutouts (6) and led the AA in wins (45), complete games (64), and innings pitched (586).
St. Louis was an original member of the AA in 1882 known first as the Brown Stockings. They had four consecutive first-place finishes beginning in 1885. They won 3 of 7 games with a tie in the 1885 World Series against Chicago, and then beat Chicago in 1886 but lost in 1887 to Detroit. They joined the NL in 1892 and were later known as the Perfectos and then the Cardinals. Their next first-place finish did not occur until 1926. 1888 highlights: In an April game, Tommy McCarthy stole second, third, and home consecutively, the first time that was accomplished in the major leagues. In a May game, RF McCarthy picked off a runner at first on a throw from second base. He was 5-5 at the plate with 6 stolen bases in a game in July. The Browns moved into first place on July 20th and remained there the rest of the season. They obtained shortstop Bill White from Louisville mid-season and pitcher Ice Box Chamberlain from the same team in September.

1888 AA St. Louis.jpg

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1888 Boston Beaneaters (70-64, 4th place)
Leading hitters: King Kelly (.318, 71 RBI, 56 stolen bases), Dick Johnston (102 runs, 12 HR)
Leading pitchers: John Clarkson (33-20), Bill Sowders (19-15)
League leaders: Dick Johnston led the NL in triples (18). John Morrill led NL first basemen in assists (72). John Clarkson tied for the league lead in wins (33) and led the NL in inning pitched (483).
A charter member of the NL in 1876, the Boston team was usually known as the Red Caps or Red Stockings during their first seven seasons, and they had first-place finishes in 1877, 1878, and 1883, and subsequently in 1891, 1892, 1893, 1897, and 1898. They became known in the early 1900’s as the Doves and then the Rustlers before becoming the Braves. 1888 highlights: Joe Quinn hit a game-winning home run in the 9th inning against New York in his first game with Boston in August. Photographer Joseph Hall did not produce on-field portraits of the National League teams, but a few studio portraits exist. The Boston portrait is rather strange—the heads of the Boston players have been pasted onto the bodies of the Brooklyn team, which have been pasted on a studio background.

1888 NL Boston heads on AA Brooklyn bodies.jpg

Here is the Brooklyn team photo for comparison:

1888 AA Brooklyn.jpg

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1888 Chicago White Stockings (77-58, 2nd place)
Leading hitters: Cap Anson (.344, 84 RBI), Jimmy Ryan (115 runs, 16 HR), Fred Pfeffer (64 stolen bases)
Leading pitchers: Gus Krock (25-14), Mark Baldwin (13-15)
League leaders: Cap Anson led the NL in batting average (.344) and RBI (84). Jimmy Ryan led the NL in slugging average (.515), home runs (16), total bases (283), hits (182), and outfield assists (34). Fred Pfeffer led NL second basemen in assists (457). Ned Williamson led NL shortstops in assists (375). Tom Burns led NL third basemen in assists (273).
Chicago was the only original NL team besides Boston to survive through the 1888 season, and is the only one of those teams to remain in its original city. They became known as the Colts in 1890 and the Orphans in 1898 (after Cap Anson left) before being named the Cubs in 1903. They had first-place finishes in 1876, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1885, and 1886. They split seven games (three wins and a tie) in the 1885 World Series against St. Louis and lost the 1886 World Series to the Browns. They did not win another pennant until 1906. 1888 highlights: Fred Pfeffer introduced the hook slide. Cap Anson was 5-5 in an August game against Detroit. Joseph Hall’s portrait of the Chicago team includes actor DeWolf Hopper, who began reciting “Casey at the Bat” in 1888 as part of his vaudeville routine.

1888 NL Chicago.jpg

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1888 Detroit Wolverines (68-63, 5th place)
Leading hitters: Dan Brouthers (.307, 118 runs, 9 HR), Jack Rowe (74 RBI), Ned Hanlon (38 stolen bases)
Leading pitchers: Pete Conway (30-14), Pretzels Getzien (19-25)
League leaders: Dan Brouthers led the NL in doubles (33) and runs scored (118).
Detroit joined the NL in 1881 and finished in first place in 1887, and then beat St. Louis in the World Series 10 games to 5. They had a mediocre season in 1888, and were disbanded before the 1889 season. 1888 highlights: Sam Thompson missed much of the season with an arm injury. Detroit lost 16 games in a row during the summer.

1888 NL Detroit.jpg

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1888 Indianapolis Hoosiers (50-85, 7th place)
Leading hitters: Paul Hines (.281), Jerry Denny (63 RBI, 92 runs, 12 HR), Emmett Seery (80 stolen bases)
Leading pitchers: Henry Boyle (15-22), Egyptian Healy (12-24)
Three different major-league baseball teams played in Indianapolis between 1878 and 1889 for a total of five seasons, and none of them finished better than next-to-last. The Hoosiers joined the NL in 1887 and played three seasons. 1888 highlights: Indianapolis made 2 unsuccessful attempts to play night games by gas light. Indianapolis lost a game to Washington late in the season after taking the lead in the 9th inning when Connie Mack feigned an injury and the game was called for darkness after a long delay; the runs scored in the 9th were eliminated.

1888 NL Indianapolis.jpg

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1888 New York Giants (84-47, 1st place)
Leading hitters: Buck Ewing (.306, 53 stolen bases), Roger Connor (71 RBI, 98 runs, 14 HR)
Leading pitchers: Tim Keefe (35-12), Mickey Welch (26-19)
League leaders: Tim Keefe tied for the league lead in wins (33) and led the NL in strikeouts (333) and shutouts (8). Shortstop Monte Ward led the NL in errors (86).
New York joined the NL in 1883 and were known as the Gothams until manager Jim Mutrie referred to the team as “my giants” in 1885. They won their first of two consecutive NL pennants in 1888, and would then not finish first again until 1904. 1888 highlights: Roger Connor hit 3 home runs in a May game at Indianapolis; his teammates hit 4 more. Tim Keefe won 19 consecutive games. The Giants moved into first place on July 31st and remained there the rest of the season. Ed Crane pitched a 7-inning no-hitter against Washington in September.

1888 NL New York.jpg

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1888 Philadelphia Quakers (69-61, 3rd place) NL 1883-
Leading hitters: Jack Clements (.245), Sid Farrar (53 RBI), Ed Andrews (75 runs), Jim Fogarty (58 stolen bases)
Leading pitchers: Charlie Buffinton (28-17), Ben Sanders (19-10)
Philadelphia joined the NL in 1883, and were often called the Phillies by 1890. They would not win their first league title until 1915. 1888 highlights: Charlie Ferguson, one of the NL’s best pitchers the previous 4 seasons, died of typhoid fever in April. Ed Delahanty made his major league debut in May.

[Space reserved for the Joseph Hall photo of the Quakers, yet to be discovered.]