Produced Before Steroids: Happy Felsch’s Great Clouts in 1914

Oscar “Happy” Felsch was a Milwaukee boy who came to the American Association Brewers in August 1913, after playing with the Milwaukee/Fond du Lac Mollys of the Wisconsin-Illinois League. In the W-I League Felsch had hit .337, including 10 home runs, in 49 games—mostly as a shortstop. He only managed to hit .183 in for [...]

A New York View of the 1913 Merkle Play

For those who read the accounts of Fred Merkle’s handling the ball hit to him in the third inning of the final game of the 1913 World Series—from the Philadelphia sport writers’ view—I have some follow up that presents the play from the New York writers’ view. One major difference is the Philadelphia writers all [...]

Three Different Views of One Play

Below I print three descriptions of the same play from the 1913 World’s Series. After over 30 years of interviewing eye-witnesses at accidents and crime scenes, I know that people see the same incident differently, so that three sport writers might see the same play different does not surprise me. For whatever the reasons when [...]

The Milwaukee Brewers Once Famous Mascot

Most ballparks now have mascots. But how many have a real live animal mascot? Perhaps the oddest I came across were the 1902 proposed mascots for the Denver and Colorado Springs teams: a live Grizzly Bear and a live Mountain Lion. Other Western League owners frowned on the idea and the bear remained the pet [...]

Using Player Reminiscences

Many times we read stories told by players of an incident that occurred years previous. On occasion we use these in our research. But we should always be suspicious of taking these stories as the absolute truth. I would think there is almost always the basis of a true story there, but the details get [...]

Kid Elberfeld’s Trip From Washington T0 Montgomery–Through Milwaukee

I have not read a lot about Norman “Kid” Elberfeld, but between the very informative books “Clark Griffith: The Old Fox of Washington Baseball” by Ted Leavengood, and Jim Riesler’s “Before They Were the Bombers”, plus the splendid Terry Simpkins biography on Elberfeld at the SABR Biography Project, I have a working knowledge of him. [...]

A Good Old Fashioned Mano a Mano Fight in Milwaukee

Baseball fights still occur, but very seldom are they only a two-man affair. It seems the entire team has to show up now. But in baseball’s Deadball Era I have come across a number of one-on-one fights. One of the nastiest occurred in Milwaukee on May 8, 1913. The press coverage gives us the feeling [...]

The Man Who Brought The American League to Milwaukee: Matthew Killilea

If asked, most no doubt would answer Bud Selig was the man who brought the American League to Milwaukee–and that answer would not be wrong. But 70 years before the 1970 Brewers first played at Milwaukee County Stadium, Milwaukee had a team in the American League, and Matt Killilea was a major part of the [...]

One Season Hitting Wonder, But Major League Lumber Man: Otto Schomberg

Otto H. Schomberg was born in Milwaukee on November 15, 1864. His father, Henry, (listed as Schoemberg in the 1865 City of Milwaukee Directory) was a cooper, working and living at 710 West Lloyd Street.1 Otto Schomberg first appeared in a City of Milwaukee Directory in 1880 as a laborer, living at 721 7th Street [...]

Those Thrifty Milwaukeeans

Being born and raised in Milwaukee I know we have a reputation for being thrifty, frugal, financially conservative (O.K., cheapskates!). But I found it goes back well over one hundred years. The Western League Brewers built a new park on the city’s north side at 17th and Lloyd Streets in 1895. By the next year [...]

Milwaukee: Famous for Beer and Tall Baseball Players???

Over the years Milwaukee has been known for a number of things it produced, most famously beer. But how many of us knew Milwaukee was the home of the tallest–and perhaps the two tallest–baseball players in the land in 1884?

The Life of a Talented, but Troubled Man: Paddy Bolan

My book “The Rise of Milwaukee Baseball” is dedicated to the ball players of the 19th Century: “The great, the not nearly great, and everyone in between. Those players who set fine examples, and those who led troubled lives.” I had Patrick “Paddy” Bolan in mind when I wrote of the latter players. Reading of [...]

Some team nicknames that did not stick

With Matt Aber’s post regarding player nicknames still in my mind, I came across an article in the August 22, 1891, Sporting News which gave a number of team nicknames and background on the names. Most of the major league team’s nicknames and reasons for the names are well know. However, I found a few [...]

Milwaukee’s First All-Black Baseball Team and its Star Napoleon Broady

I imagine we have all done it. Found a tantalizing tidbit on a subject and decided to research it further. It sounds so exciting and newsworthy. Just find what there is to be found and put it into an article. Heck, maybe even a short book. There will be so much of interest. The big [...]

The Long and Winding Road–Milwaukee Baseball from microfilm to book

My book “The Rise of Milwaukee Baseball: The Cream City from Midwestern Outpost to the Major Leagues, 1859 -1901″ has been published by McFarland & Company. As many of you Seamheads are SABR members you perhaps saw my message at 19th Century and Deadball groups, so this post is not a plug for the book [...]

Another Use for an old Wooden Baseball Park: Fireworks!!!

On August 20, 1892, the Milwaukee Sentinel ran an article that C.R. Conable, business manager for H.B. Thearle & Co, general American agents for James Pain & Sons, the great London fireworks kings, was in Milwaukee looking to make arrangements for the production of “the gorgeous pyrotechnical exhibition ‘The Last Days of Pompeii’.” The show [...]

The First Black Baseball Team to Visit Milwaukee

The first games of baseball involving an all-Black baseball team in Milwaukee that I could find were played in 1879.

Baseball on Roller Skates

It is no doubt safe to say we will never see major leaguers playing an exhibition game on roller skates. Just as likely the prospect of minor league prospects risking a serious injury is considerably slimmer than winning the lottery. But in a different time–can I say a long time ago in a galaxy far, [...]

The Milwaukee Mets???

Think of it. Dwight Gooden, Tom Seaver, Bud Harrelson. All playing for the Milwaukee Mets. O.K. A bit of a stretch from what really happened–a really big stretch to be honest. But a few reports in 1888 talked of Milwaukee replacing the New York Mets franchise in the American Association.

The First Police-Fire Baseball Game in Milwaukee

Many cities have annual Policemen vs. Firemen baseball games. Here are the details of the first such game played in Milwaukee. My guess is a good many followed these same lines.

Baseball’s First World Series Goat: Abner Dalrymple and Game Six of the 1886 World Series

Almost one hundred years to the day before Bill Buckner’s error in game six of the 1986 World Series—forever blaming him for losing the series in some people’s mind, even though another game was played—a similar incident happened to Chicago’s Abner Dalrymple.

Anton Falch–Ballplayer, but much more in life

Anton Falch the baseball player is easy to overlook. Look him up in Total Baseball and your finger and eyes might easily pass over his 5 games in the 1884 Union Association. As with so many baseball players who filled in the gaps, Anton Falch’s life was more than just a line of stats in [...]

Almost An International Incident in Milwaukee

In 1935 a team of Japanese All-Stars toured the United States, and a problem with language brought about some confusion between a player and a scout. (This article was co-authored by Dennis Pajot of Milwaukee and Yoichi Nagata of Japan.)

An Ugly Ending to One of the Prettiest Races in Baseball History

Separate “ugly” incidents involving Milwaukee in the final week of the 1902 Western League season marred an otherwise fantastic pennant race that included four teams.

Talk of a Sold Out Game in 1876

The West End baseball club formed in Milwaukee in 1875 as a pure amateur club. For the 1876 season the club had decided to go semi-professional. Club officials explained to the public that by playing exhibition games with the leading professional clubs in addition to playing match games with amateur clubs of the country and [...]

Time to Credit Sam Weaver with a No-hitter in May 9, 1878 Game?

On May 9, 1878, in Indianapolis, the Milwaukee Gray’s Sam Weaver pitched a splendid game, beating the Indianapolis Blues 2 to 1. It is possible this is the first no-hitter thrown by a Milwaukee pitcher, and only the second in the National League. The reporting of this game is interesting and deserves space. The following [...]

The Sunday Baseball Issue in Milwaukee in 1898

Sunday baseball was under attack in many parts of the country in the mid-1890s, but in Milwaukee it was a popular day for amateurs to play and fans to attend Milwaukee Brewer games. But clouds were threatening this calm.