Record 37–43 (.463) Stats ESPN.comBB-reference | League place 5th | |
The 1882 St. Louis Brown Stockings season was the first professional baseball season played by the team now known as the St. Louis Cardinals. The team began in the earlier St. Louis Brown Stockings franchise that played in the National Association in 1875 and later the National League from 1876 to 1877. After a scandal over game-fixing, combined with financial problems, the Brown Stockings left the league and continued to play as an independent team from 1878 to 1881. German immigrant Chris von der Ahe purchased the team prior to the 1882 season and placed it in the new American Association. The Brown Stockings posted a 37–43 record (5th place) in their first season in the American Association. The team played at the Grand Avenue Grounds, which would later be renamed Sportsman's Park, at the corner of Grand Avenue and Dodier Street in north St. Louis.
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Building the team
Assembling the Browns was a collaborative effort. Von der Ahe secured membership in the American Association, built enthusiasm for his new beer-selling venture, and provided funds to bring players to St. Louis. Von der Ahe's baseball knowledge may have been lacking, but others' efforts made up for his shortcomings. St. Louis developed a team that went on to win four American Association titles in the next ten years.
On the advice of team adviser Al Spink, Von der Ahe signed a skilled young first baseman playing in Dubuque, Iowa, Charlie Comiskey (later of Chicago White Sox fame).
[Ned Cuthbert]], a former pro player in St. Louis, had retired to bartending in the city. He also had influenced Von der Ahe's decision to venture into ownership of the team, and still was prominent in local baseball circles, so Von der Ahe hired Cuthbert to be his first captain, with all the duties of a field manager. Cuthbert used his experience to round up several players from the East, but most of the first-year Browns were St. Louis lads; brothers Jack and Bill Gleason, pitcher Jumbo McGinnis, outfielder George Seward, and catcher Tom Sullivan.
Regular season
Opening Day came on a beautiful May 2 afternoon at Sportsman's Park, site of the first professional baseball field laid out by Gus Solari 16 years earlier. Owner Chris von der Ahe made certain the first game was memorable for approximately 2,000 fans who paid a quarter apiece to watch. He hired a band to brighten the mood beforehand, then trotted out a team in new white uniforms with brown caps, brown stockings, and brown trim.
They had played numerous local nines in some April exhibitions. McGinnis was the first pitcher, he would start 45 of the team's 80 games. Jack Gleason had the franchise's first hit, a leadoff single in the first, and scored the first run on Comiskey's three-base hit. The Browns won, 9-7 with McGinnis not only getting the complete-game victory but contributing 2 doubles as well.
The Browns were tied for first in the six-team league late in May and were 8 games over .500, just a game behind first-place Cincinnati. In late June. But a dreadful stretch in which the Browns lost 16 games more than they won in a matter of seven weeks ended any hopes of contending.
The Browns drew more than 175,000 customers during the season and found early heroes in Comiskey, among the most productive offensive players in the league, and the workhorse McGinnis.
Starters by position
Pos=Position, G=Games played, AB=At bats, R=Runs scored, H=Hits, 2B=Doubles, 3B=Triples, HR=Home runs, SB=Stolen bases, BB=Base on balls, Avg.=Batting average, Slg=Slugging percentage
Other batters
G=Games played, AB=At bats, R=Runs scored, H=Hits, 2B=Doubles, 3B=Triples, HR=Home runs, SB=Stolen bases, BB=Base on balls, Avg.=Batting average, Slg=Slugging percentage
Starting pitchers
W=Wins, L=Losses, ERA=Earned run average, G=Games played, GS=Games started, CG=Complete games, IP=Innings pitched, H=Hits allowed, R=Runs allowed, ER=Earned runs allowed, HR=Home runs allowed, BB=Base on balls, SO=Strikeouts, WHIP=Walks plus hits per inning pitched
Other pitchers
W=Wins, L=Losses, ERA=Earned run average, G=Games played, GS=Games started, CG=Complete games, SV=Saves, IP=Innings pitched, H=Hits allowed, R=Runs allowed, ER=Earned runs allowed, HR=Home runs allowed, BB=Base on balls, SO=Strikeouts, WHIP=Walks plus hits per inning pitched
Relief pitchers
W=Wins, L=Losses, ERA=Earned run average, G=Games played, SV=Saves, IP=Innings pitched, H=Hits allowed, R=Runs allowed, ER=Earned runs allowed, HR=Home runs allowed, BB=Base on balls, SO=Strikeouts, WHIP=Walks plus hits per inning pitched