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1876 NATIONAL BASE BALL ORGANIZATION ALL-STAR GAME
GAME PLAYED AT BROAD STREET IN PHILADELPHIA; SUSQUEHANNA TOPS NOMINATIONS

NEW YORK CITY (July 24, 1876) – With three weeks left to play in the season, it’s time for the annual N.B.B.O. All-Star Game! Rules were the same as always:

• Places 1-6 in each team’s roster will go to the best pitchers in each league.
• The remaining 24 roster spots will consist of three players for every other position.

The game was moved back to Philadelphia this year, but it wasn’t hosted by Quaker State. Instead, Tiger Social Club and its home park, the Broad Street Diamond (CAP: 6,470), hosted the festivities for the first time. What makes the Broad Street Diamond interesting is its configuration, with its 15’ perimeter walls laid out in a diamond shape to mirror the basepaths.

This year the N.Y.L. rosters are back to parity, with #1 Minuteman sending three players, Brooklyn leaders Atlantic sending four, and N.Y.C. leaders Union sending only two. Over in the N.E.L. Susquehanna, which has the league’s best record by six games, brought a game-leading five players to Philadelphia. The other two leaders, Trenton Utd. & S.o.t.O., sent three each.

There were 27 first-time nominees in this year’s All-Star Game (N.Y.L.:14, N.E.L.: 13), with half of the N.Y.L.’s twelve Infielders playing for the first time and eight of nine N.E.L. Outfielders in the game for the first or second time. There were nine Greenhorns, including a record half a dozen representing the N.E.L. However, the only Greenhorn starter was N.Y.L. RF Jack Anastasio of N.Y.A.C.

Once again, the old hand at this year’s All-Star Game was Victory SS Henry Nabors, who was making his tenth appearance in the contest in eleven N.B.B.O. seasons, missing only the 1870 edition. For the N.E.L., the most experienced All-Star was Quaker St. CF Ned Morganti, who was making his eighth appearance in the All-Star Game.

Rosters for the 1874 N.B.B.O. All-Star Game were as follows, with starters marked in red:

So, how did this year's All-Star Game turn out?

The Northeastern League repeated as All-Star Game champs thanks to a seventh-inning rally.

The N.Y.L. opened scoring right away, thanks to a Double by CF Herb Verrett in the top of the 1st. The N.E.L. countered immediately with two runs on Singles by 3B Joseph Reed & 2B Frank Thomas, but the N.Y.L. scored on a Double by 3B William Dehnam in the top of the second to even the game 2-2. A Single by 1B Jesse Craig plated a run in the bottom of the 3rd, and the N.E.L. exited the early innings ahead 3-2.

The N.Y.L. took the lead back during the middle innings. A one-run Single by C William Lovato tied the game in the 4th, a one-run Triple by sub LF Callum Allison made it 4-3, and the N.Y.L. added another run during the inning via Sacrifice Fly.

5-3 was the score when the N.E.L. stepped to the plate for the bottom of the 7th, and they proceeded to score six runs on a series of Singles & Errors, the key hit being a two-run Single by sub LF Jacob Kaulback that gave the N.E.L. a 6-5 lead. Faced with a 9-5 deficit the N.Y.L. only sent four batsmen to the plate in the top of the 8th & 9th, and that meant the N.E.L. had earned a multiple-run victory in Philadelphia.

The All-Star Game Most Valuable Player was Sons of the Ocean 1B Jesse Craig:

• TOTAL: 2/3 (both 1B), 1 R, 1 RBI

N.Y.L. CF Herb Verrett was also 2/3 with a Run & RBI each, and one of his two base hits was a Double.

The pitchers of record were John Faulkner with the Win and Edward Pelham with the loss. Attendance was 6,470 at the Broad Street Diamond, and the sellout crowd was able to enjoy a game in 83-degree weather with clear skies.