Pre-MLB Players Photopack (before 1871)

[Patsy Tebeau]

Originally Posted by prewinter

Per Reed Howard, the following players were with the Olympics in 1869:
Barrett (5 g), Billings, Denison, Davy Force (26 g), Dick Hurley (8 g), Ed Leech (26 g), Fergy Malone (25 g), Harry McLean (22 g), William Miller (7 g), Bob Reach (24 g), Val Robinson (25 g), Michael Urell (16 g), Eddie Woods (15 g), Samuel Yeatman (5 g), and Nick Young (26 g). There are no dates for whom played when. Emmett is a new name, it seems.

It's possible that Emmett could have been a 1-game sub or something maybe. And I knew Robinson would've had to been Val! Only thing is we don't know which one he is in the picture and likely won't since we have nothing to go off of for that :/

[UKBaseballfan]

Originally Posted by Patsy Tebeau

It's possible that Emmett could have been a 1-game sub or something maybe. And I knew Robinson would've had to been Val! Only thing is we don't know which one he is in the picture and likely won't since we have nothing to go off of for that :/

I think there is reason to be positive.

A major breakthrough was CinemaOddyssey's identification of Nick Young which indicated the 1869-70 Washington Olympics. Identification of Force confirmed this and then as you suggest the proposed identification of Malone narrows it down to 1869.

Urell could be a noted figure in Military history and an amazing color portrait is attached.

The 9 players shown in the image are probably Force (3b) , Bob Reach (ss) , Malone (c), Young (rf) , Ed Leech (pitcher), Val Robinson (lf), Eddie Woods (2b) , Michael Urell (cf) and Harry McLean (1b).

Incidentally Michael Urell's full name is Michael Emmett Urell, and I believe normally referred to as Emmett not Michael, that will clear up the puzzling 'new' name in the box score. Is that him at 4 o'clock in the image?

Here is an image of McLean, again later in life. We have no contemporary images for Bob Reach but there are plenty of his brother Al. Here is one which appears to be a close match to the player at 2 o'clock in the composite.

Both McLean and Urell officiated as umpires.

Images of Leech, Robinson and Woods may exist in team images from the period which are unnamed. Now we have a reference point in the composite to try and match with.

[prewinter]

Originally Posted by UKBaseballfan

I think there is reason to be positive.

A major breakthrough was CinemaOddyssey's identification of Nick Young which indicated the 1869-70 Washington Olympics. Identification of Force confirmed this and then as you suggest the proposed identification of Malone narrows it down to 1869.

Urell could be a noted figure in Military history and an amazing color portrait is attached.

The 9 players shown in the image are probably Force (3b) , Bob Reach (ss) , Malone (c), Young (rf) , Ed Leech (pitcher), Val Robinson (lf), Eddie Woods (2b) , Michael Urell (cf) and Harry McLean (1b).

Incidentally Michael Urell's full name is Michael Emmett Urell, and I believe normally referred to as Emmett not Michael, that will clear up the puzzling 'new' name in the box score. Is that him at 4 o'clock in the image?

Here is an image of McLean, again later in life. We have no contemporary images for Bob Reach but there are plenty of his brother Al. Here is one which appears to be a close match to the player at 2 o'clock in the composite.

Both McLean and Urell officiated as umpires.

Images of Leech, Robinson and Woods may exist in team images from the period which are unnamed. Now we have a reference point in the composite to try and match with.

Gen. Urell's obituary in the Washington Herald (died 1910) mentions he played baseball with Nick Young, so he is likely the Olympics player by that name. When the Olympics went on a trip through Ohio in July 1869, M.E. Urell is listed as in the hotel with the club, but Emmett shows up in the box score, so that supports that he was referred to as Emmett. On the other hand, on that same trip, D. Barrett is listed at the hotel while Billings shows up in the box scores... but I found one box score with both a Billings and a Barrett.

I'm also not sure how much, if any, overlap there was between McLean and Urell, at least in box scores. McLean umpired some games later in the season, and he was identified as a member of the Olympics, but I haven't found a box score yet with both players. (I also haven't scoured the full season yet.) "Billings" seems to show up more often with Urell, and maybe Hurley.

As far as the timing of the photos, an article in April describes the Olympics uniforms as having a red and white check shirt, and the photos certainly don't look like that.

Late in August, or more likely early September, the club was set to get new uniforms, with shirt and pants of white flannel, a blue cord down the leg, blue stockings, blue belt, and white skull cap trimmed with blue, and an Old English letter O on the breast. The photos do not have an "O". There was one description in mid-September in the papers that did not include the "O", so maybe that didn't happen. But a new uniform would be an occasion to have photos taken.

[Patsy Tebeau]

Originally Posted by prewinter

Gen. Urell's obituary in the Washington Herald (died 1910) mentions he played baseball with Nick Young, so he is likely the Olympics player by that name. When the Olympics went on a trip through Ohio in July 1869, M.E. Urell is listed as in the hotel with the club, but Emmett shows up in the box score, so that supports that he was referred to as Emmett. On the other hand, on that same trip, D. Barrett is listed at the hotel while Billings shows up in the box scores... but I found one box score with both a Billings and a Barrett.

I'm also not sure how much, if any, overlap there was between McLean and Urell, at least in box scores. McLean umpired some games later in the season, and he was identified as a member of the Olympics, but I haven't found a box score yet with both players. (I also haven't scoured the full season yet.) "Billings" seems to show up more often with Urell, and maybe Hurley.

As far as the timing of the photos, an article in April describes the Olympics uniforms as having a red and white check shirt, and the photos certainly don't look like that.

Late in August, or more likely early September, the club was set to get new uniforms, with shirt and pants of white flannel, a blue cord down the leg, blue stockings, blue belt, and white skull cap trimmed with blue, and an Old English letter O on the breast. The photos do not have an "O". There was one description in mid-September in the papers that did not include the "O", so maybe that didn't happen. But a new uniform would be an occasion to have photos taken.

Here's some reports on the uniforms from after August according to the Threads of Our Game 19th C. Uniform Database:
September 1869: “The Olympics [of Washington] are going to change their uniform (dark pants, red striped shirt and caps) for a white suit, yellow belt and blue stockings and a flaming pink on their manly ‘buzzums’.” From the Cambridge (IN) City Tribune, September 9, 1869, reported as correspondence from ‘Washington City’, September 2, 1869. Research from Don Stokes. Note, belt color does not match the National Republican report from August 30.

September 9, 1869, Olympic, Washington DC, v. Jefferson, Washington DC, at Washington, National’s grounds: “The Olympics appeared, for the first time, in their new uniform of white caps, shirts and pants, with blue trimmings, namely, a blue cord down each outside leg of the pants, blue stockings, blue belt, and shirt and trim trimmed in blue. […] Heavy bedding added to the score of the ‘blue legs.’” From the National Republican, Washington DC, September 10, 1869. Research from Paul Winter.

September 15, 1869, Olympic, Washington DC, v. Alert, Washington DC: “Olympics new uniform, white flannel shirt and pants, blue cord down pants leg with buckle just below the knee, light blue stockings, white skull cap trimmed with blue cord, blue belt, old English ‘O’ on breast.” From Preston D. Orem, Baseball 1845-1881 From Newspaper Accounts (1961). No specific reference given.

[prewinter]

Here's a team photo of the 1867 Empire Club of St. Louis, published in the Sporting News on November 2, 1895. The Empire were one of the earliest clubs in St. Louis, dating back to 1860, and they were one of the dominant clubs in the city up into the 1870s. The St. Louis Red Stockings, briefly members of the National Association, were formed in 1873 in part to challenge the supremacy of the Empires.

On July 4, 1865, the Empire of St. Louis defeated the Empire of Freeport, IL, by a score of 27-20 for "the Championship of the West," per the New York Clipper. They were one of the first clubs from St. Louis to develop a national reputation. The belt in the photo of the 1867 club was likely one presented to them in 1865 (by supporters in St. Louis) in recognition of their victories that year.

Adam Wirth was one of the key members of the club for more than a decade. (He played first base in the game against Freeport.) He first turns up in connection with baseball in St. Louis in 1863 umpiring a game, and he was still in box scores with the Empires playing against the Red Stockings in 1876. He was profiled in the Illustrated Newspaper by Frank Leslie on August 4, 1866, from which the photo of him comes, where, unfortunately, his name was given incorrectly as "Adam North".

[Patsy Tebeau]

Originally Posted by prewinter

Here's a team photo of the 1867 Empire Club of St. Louis, published in the Sporting News on November 2, 1895. The Empire were one of the earliest clubs in St. Louis, dating back to 1860, and they were one of the dominant clubs in the city up into the 1870s. The St. Louis Red Stockings, briefly members of the National Association, were formed in 1873 in part to challenge the supremacy of the Empires.

On July 4, 1865, the Empire of St. Louis defeated the Empire of Freeport, IL, by a score of 27-20 for "the Championship of the West," per the New York Clipper. They were one of the first clubs from St. Louis to develop a national reputation. The belt in the photo of the 1867 club was likely one presented to them in 1865 (by supporters in St. Louis) in recognition of their victories that year.

Adam Wirth was one of the key members of the club for more than a decade. (He played first base in the game against Freeport.) He first turns up in connection with baseball in St. Louis in 1863 umpiring a game, and he was still in box scores with the Empires playing against the Red Stockings in 1876. He was profiled in the Illustrated Newspaper by Frank Leslie on August 4, 1866, from which the photo of him comes, where, unfortunately, his name was given incorrectly as "Adam North".

Great find!

[Patsy Tebeau]

In regards to the Olympics team photo we got nothing after I asked Bruce. I tried, everyone. :/

[Patsy Tebeau]

The Knicks are on the left and the Excelsiors are on the right. Here are the names of the players in order: Knickerbockers: James Whyte Davis, Charles DeBost, Doc Adams, R. Stephens (possibly Richard Stevens, though there was a player simply listed as 'R. Stephens' too), Harry Wright, Unknown, Unknown, Unknown. The unknown players are likely Norman Welling, Sam Kissam, Morrow(?), Napoleon Bonaparte McLaughlin, and Wood(?) according to the 'Threads of our Game' site, but this is not guaranteed as this is just Craig's speculation and determining which one is which would still need to be done.

The man in the middle with the top hat is Excelsiors' president Joseph B. Jones.

Names of the Excelsiors in order: Henry Polhemus, Aleck Pearsall, Unknown, John Henry Holder, Edwin Russell, Thomas Reynolds(?), Unknown, Joe Leggett(?), John Whiting(?). The unknown players are likely George Cole, Arthur Markham but I'm not sure which is which.

[Patsy Tebeau]

This is just a view of the uniforms from some old sheet music. I'm not sure if these players are supposed to be based off of actual members of the team or if they're just generic.

[Patsy Tebeau]

No info on who each player is.

[Patsy Tebeau]

Found a few others

[Patsy Tebeau]

Players in order from left to right: Charlie Mills, George Zettlein, Dickey Pearce, Joe Start, Charlie Smith, Bob Ferguson, Fred Crane, Tom Pratt, and Jack Chapman

[Patsy Tebeau]

A.D. Kennedy, Fred Erby, A. Goodrich, G. Charles Smith, and John Stearns

[Patsy Tebeau]

Was with the team in 1870

[Patsy Tebeau]

Chicago Excelsiors player who appeared on the roster in 1870 and also served as an umpire in the National Association in 1872

[Patsy Tebeau]

The 1868 Seneca Base Ball Club from Seneca Lake, NY

[Patsy Tebeau]

Various collection of images found on ebay, getty images, and other random auction archives with no info as to who they may be.

[Patsy Tebeau]

A few more

[Patsy Tebeau]

2 photos, the team Cap Anson started off with

[Patsy Tebeau]

Team photo, no info on who the players were