THE 1878 MILWAUKEE GRAYS

May 16, 1878 at Milwaukee
Grays defeat Reds, 12-9
Season record: 3-5-1

Victory once more rests with the Milwaukee boys, they having defeated the Cincinnati nine again. Yesterday afternoon, fully 1,500 people assembled to witness the second game between these two clubs. The day was pleasant, the grounds in excellent order, both clubs ready for work, and the enthusiasm and excitement of the spectators were great. Betting was even, and no great amount in the pools. The friends of the visitors, though not so enthusiastic as when they arrived in the City, still had faith in their pets, and confidently looked to them to retrieve the lost fortunes of Tuesday’s game. Somebody had stupidly spread a story to the effect that the Cincinnati boys sold the first game. But the well-known reputation for good faith which attaches to the visitors, joined with the magnificent work of the home nine was too much for the foreigners, the score at the end of the second innings standing 12 to 2 in favor of the home club.

The Milwaukee boys failed to show so good a record on the scorer’s book for the rest of the game, but this was the result of no fault on their part, but rather what might be expected from the renewed energy displayed by the visitors when they found themselves left so far in the rear. The fielding on both sides was good, and the batting was probably the best ever witnessed. In fact, the work at the bat was sometimes terrific. The closing game of this series will be played on Saturday afternoon.

Notable
- With the win, Milwaukee escaped the cellar, sort of. The Grays were 3-5-1, the Boston Red Caps 2-3. While Boston had a better winning percentage, in 1878, standings were determined by wins, not pct.
- Unlike last game, this time Milwaukee took the field first. Cincinnati went down 1-2-3 in the first and the Milwaukee Daily News reported that “These three ciphers were made in quick order, and the spectators applauded heartily.” The Grays then scored five times in the bottom half.
- In the bottom of the second, Abner Dalrymple hit a bases-loaded triple. “The Cincinnatis tried a change of men, putting McVey pitch and Kelly catch, but found it would not work, Kelly getting his finger sprained badly. The Whites went back.” [note: Kelly was future Hall of Famer King Kelly, who would go on to be one of the more colorful – and popular – players of the 19th century.]
- Summary of 7th-9th innings: “Each club tallied only ciphers in these innings, and the game closed amid much cheering by the friends of the home club.”
- The story also notes that “Seward, the umpire, was questioned in two decisions, but refused to reverse.” In addition, Golden and Bennett were singled out for catching several “long flys,” while Dalrymple made a “long running catch.” Pitcher “Buck” Weaver was credited with a “remarkable stop.”
- The box is hard to read, but it looks like Dalrymple, Goodman and Redmond all went 3-for-5 while Peters was 4-for-5. Peters also was credited with a double (as was Jones of Cincy) and Dalrymple had that triple.
- The story notes the fine fielding by Milwaukee, but the Grays did make nine errors, including two by 2b Peters and three by P Weaver.