The American Association Almanac

For the past five years I've offered my subscribers a chance to order a wall calendar featuring vintage American Association photos for each month. This year I'm expanding my range by offering the calendar to readers of my online services, namely this blog and the blog I maintain at www.theoldaa.wordpress.com. You are being hereby invited to order the 2010 edition of the American Association's Collectible Wall Calendar, so consider this your formal invitation! The calendar, 11x17 in its finished format, is entirely designed, created, researched and produced by yours truly. I believe you will find this a handsome and unique addition to your wall space, one you'll enjoy using throughout the year. This year's calendar will be the most comprehensive and replete edition yet. With gift-giving season approaching, now is the time to make those holiday plans. The uniqueness of this handcrafted item makes a suitable gift for the discriminating receiver in your circle of frien...

Two games were played to wrap up the 1909 American Association season, both at Swayne Field in Toledo. The results from those games are provided here for the sake of completeness. Game 1 Toledo Mud Hens.....5 Minneapolis Millers.....3 After jumping on Irv Young for four runs in the first inning, the Mud Hens kept the Millers at bay as Earl "Chink" Yingling picked up the win during Game one of this Monday doubleheader. Toledo first-baseman, and former Miller, Jeremiah "Buck" Freeman, homered for the Hens in that productive first frame. Game 2 Minneapolis Millers.....5 Toledo Mud Hens.....3 (five innings) The Millers flipped it around on the hosts in Game two in the league's season finale. After grabbing a two-run lead in the second, the Hens gave up a pair in the fourth, and reclaimed the lead in their half of the fourth with one run. But the Millers rallied with three runs in the fifth and final frame, and the Hens could not answer. Tom Hughes the winner for th...

The American Association is fairly well-represented in the T-206 set of vintage tobacco cards from 1909. Here is a link for some Louisville samples, in celebration of their magical capture of the American Association flag..."one hundred years ago today!" http://baseballcards.galib.uga.edu/cgi/bball?action=query&term_a=louisville&index_a=kw&grid=3&format=_contact&_cc=1

With the pennant sewn up by the Louisville Colonels, it's a moot point to include the scores but for the sake of completeness, here are today's games for the top three finishers: At Louisville's Eclipse Park Game 1 Louisville Colonels.....6 Kansas City Blues.....5 The Colonels surmounted a rally after being down 4-0 after one inning of play, scoring three in the second, one in the third and two in the fourth frames. Hippo Vaughn the winnder, Gus Dorner the loser. Game 2 Kansas City Blues.....5 Louisville Colonels.....3 (seven innings) Again the Blues scored four in the first inning as John Clayton, appearing in only his fourth game of the season (his first was August 23), lasted only two-thirds of an inning before Gene Packard came on in relief. The Blues' "Vinegar Bill" Essick was the winner in a complete game performance against the champion Colonels. This was the final game of the season for both teams. At Swayne Field, Toledo Game 1 Minneapolis Millers.......

Games of Saturday, Sept. 25, 1909 At Eclipse Park, Louisville Louisville Colonels.....4 Kansas City Blues....2 Jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning set the Colonels up for the most important victory in the history of their American Association franchise. Jake Thielman held the Blues scoreless until the sixth, making it a one-run game. In the Louisville eighth the hosts padded their lead with a pair, and KC answered with a lone tally in the ninth. But it wasn't enough, as the Louisville Colonels nailed down the victory and clinched the American Association pennant in the process, the Brewers splitting their doubleheader in Columbus. It was an unusual contest, the Blues out-hitting the Colonels 11-4. But things were going Louisville's way the past two weeks and this game was no exception. Former Colonel hurler Patsy Flaherty the unlikely loser in this one. At Neil Park, Columbus Game 1 Milwaukee Brewers.....6 Columbus Senators.....0 Milwaukee native Lou Ma...

Friday, September 24, 1909 At Louisville's Eclipse Park Louisville Colonels.....4 Kansas City Blues.....1 The Colonels gain a game over the Brewers in the pennant race by defeating Kansas City. The Blues jumped out to an early lead against Jack Halla in the second, but the Colonels come back in the third with a pair. Those runs proved all they'd need in wrapping up another win. Halla was relieved in the second by Gene Packard who sewed up the victory for the hosts. Colonels center-fielder Frank Delahanty hit a home run to thrill the home crowd and boost the club's chances against a tough left-hander, Billy Campbell. It was an important win for Louisville in combination with the Milwaukee loss in Columbus. At Columbus' Neil Park Columbus Senators.....4 Milwaukee Brewers.....2 The Senators dampen Milwaukee's chances in the pennant race by scoring three runs in the eighth frame off Brewer starter Charlie Wacker who absorbed the loss in this critical game. The Brewers f...

At Swayne Field, Toledo For the second straight day a doubleheader was on the docket against the Mud Hens and Milwaukee Brewers but the second game was called because of darkness after six inning with neither team scoring. Game 1 Toledo Mud Hens.....2 Milwaukee Brewers.....1 Milwaukee's Stoney McGlynn held the Hens to four hits in eight innings but yielded two runs in the fourth which proved the deciding factor in the loss, the Brewers getting nine scattered hits of Toledo's Karl Robinson. Game 2 Called due to darkness after six innings. At Eclipse Park in Louisville St. Paul Saints.....3 Louisville Colonels.....1 St. Paul scored a pair in the third and were never behind after that. Louis Leroy the winner, Bill Hogg the loser as both pitchers went the distance. The Saints outhit the front-running Colonels, 11-4. At Neil Park in Columbus The Minneapolis Millers and Columbus Senators game was washed out by rain. The Millers gain a half-game on Louisville in the standings. And th...

The Louisville Colonels take over first place with a sweep of their doubleheader against the St. Paul Saints. At Louisville's Eclipse Park Game 1 Louisville Colonels.....4 St. Paul Saints.....2 By the time the Saints scored their runs in the sixth, the Colonels already had three, tacking on an insurance run in the eighth to get the "W" for Hippo Vaughn, Elmer Steele the loser. Vaughn had a home run on his own behalf. Game 2 Louisville Colonels.....8 St. Paul Saints.....4 (seven innings) Louisville bats busted out in the first inning with six runs, deciding the game early as Frank Decanniere went the whole route in this abbreviated contest, Hank Gehring the loser. The Colonels take over first place from Milwaukee with wins 87 and 88. At Toledo's Swayne Field Game 1 Toledo Mud Hens.....6 Milwaukee Brewers.....2 The Hens score a pair in the first inning and go on to take the first game of a doubleheader, Hi West the winner, Paul Stowers the loser as the Brewers lose ...

At Louisville's Eclipse Park Game 1 Louisville Colonels.....2 St. Paul Saints.....1 Both clubs mustered only four hits each in a classic pitcher's duel, as the Colonels maintained their surge in the standings. A recent arrival (9/14), center-fielder Ernie Diehl, belted a home run, no easy task at Eclipse Park. Louisville's two-run first held for pitcher Bill Hogg; Charlie Chech was the loser. Game 2 Louisville Colonels.....3 St. Paul Saints.....2 A three-run rally in the seventh frame sealed the tilt for the Colonels as they completed the sweep against the Saints in another very close game. Orville Kilroy was the loser as Gene Packard the winner in this abbreviated affair, as darkness descended. The Colonels gain a half-game on Milwaukee and Minneapolis. At Toledo's Swayne Field Milwaukee Brewers.....6 Toledo Mud Hens.....1 With the win the Brewers lost only a half-game to the sizzling Colonels. Posting three in the first and two in the third put the game out of reach f...

At Louisville's Eclipse Park: Louisville Colonels.....5 Minneapolis Millers.....3 The Colonels outhit the Millers 14-7 as Frank Decanniere defeats spitball artist Roy Patterson in the final game of the series. Despite the advantage in the hits column, it was a close game throughout. Louisville played errorless ball, and catcher Johnny "Runt" Hughes went four-of-four with a home run for the hosts. At Indianapolis' Washington Park: Milwaukee Brewers.....1 Indianapolis Indians.....0 Stoney McGlynn tosses another shutout on his way to another of his league record 14 blankings, stopping the Indians on two hits. McGlynn had a double against the Tribe, showing he could still wield the willow well for an old-timer! Indianapolis threatened in the ninth by putting two runners on base with one out, but the magician of the mound for Milwaukee put out the fire to enable the Brewers to keep pace with the Colonels who defeated Minneapolis. And that's your update for the 1909 pen...

From now until the end of the American Association season, only scores involving the pennant contenders will be listed here. Here is the scoreboard for Sunday, Sept. 19, 1909 The Louisville Colonels hosted the Minneapolis Millers in a doubleheader at Eclipse Park: Game 1 Louisville...8 Minneapolis...3 The Colonels had their way with Lou Fiene, smacking 14 hits on their way to a win. Orville Selby was relieved by Gene Packard for Louisville in the sixth; Selby was the winner. Louisville posted two runs in both the third and fourth frames, and the Millers were unable to mount a sufficient comeback, scoring two in the sixth, and one in the seventh. Louisville third-baseman Orville Woodruff went 3-for-5, all singles, while the lower five in the lineup all had two hits each. The Millers left 11 on base and made five errors. Game 2 Louisville...3 Minneapolis...2 Again the defensive work of the Millers was lacking, three errors enabling the Colonels to take Game 2 for a sweep at Eclipse Park....

Here are the standings for Sept. 18, 1909 inclusive of the day's games, as appeared in Sporting Life . Venues hosting pennant contenders are highlighted in yellow. Minneapolis.....84-68..... .553 Milwaukee.....86-71..... .548 Louisville.....81-72..... .529 St. Paul.....74-77..... .490 Indianapolis.....77-81..... .487 Columbus.....78-82..... .478 Toledo.....72-81..... .470 Kansas City.....69-86..... .445 ==================== At Eclipse Park, Louisville Minneapolis Millers.....2 Louisville Colonels.....1 The Millers won the second game in the series in a squeaker, posting one run in the ninth for which Louisville could not answer against Nick Altrock. Bill Hogg was the loser despite allowing only five hits. At Washington Park, Indianapolis Game 1 Indianapolis Indians.....6 Milwaukee Brewers.....5 The Indians rallied against Frank Schneiberg to score two runs with two out in the ninth to take game one, Oscar Graham the winner in relief of Vive Lindaman. Game 2 Indianapolis Indians.......

Today's games had a substantial effect on the American Association pennant race of 1909. A shift in the standings is the result of the day's actions, as the battle for the top spot continues to heat up. Venues hosting pennant contenders are highlighted in yellow. At Eclipse Park, Louisville Louisville Colonels.....3 Minneapolis Millers.....1 The Colonels score twice off "Long Tom" Hughes in the first inning. Hughes settles down and held them to only four hits on the day, but Louisville's Frank Decanniere is on his game as well, scattering six hits during the opening game of the series. At Washington Park, Indianapolis Indianapolis Indians.....5 Milwaukee Brewers.....2 The fifth-place Indians have their way with Charlie Wacker in securing the first game of their series. The Brewers were ahead 2-1 until Wacker unwound in the eighth as the hosts scored four runs, enabling Oscar Graham, in for starter Walt Slagle, to pick up the win. Milwaukee continues its late-seaso...

The pennant race heats up! At Louisville's Eclipse Park Louisville Colonels.....4 Milwaukee Brewers.....0 The Brewers gift-wrap this one, committing six errors. Gene Packard allows only four hits as his Colonels make the most of their five hits. Stoney McGlynn is pulled after two innings as Milwaukee's lead over Louisville slips a game. At Washington Park, Indianapolis Indianapolis Indians.....9 Minneapolis Millers.....2 The Indians turn the tables on the Millers, defeating them by the same score as the previous day's. Tribe's manager/first-baseman Charlie Carr hits a home run. At Swayne Field, Toledo Toledo Mud Hens.....2 Kansas City Blues.....1 Again the Hens win, 2-1, this time in dramatic style by tallying with two outs in the ninth. With Frank Owen on the hill for the Hens, the Blues muster only four hits, one a seventh-inning home run by second baseman Jack Love. By taking four-straight from KC they climb above Columbus in the standings and now occupy sixth place...

Venues hosting American Association pennant contenders are highlighted in yellow. The premier event takes place at Louisville: At Louisville's Eclipse Park Game 1 Milwaukee Brewers.....5 Louisville Colonels.....2 Stoney McGlynn comes away with the win, allowing only four hits. Game 2 Louisville Colonels.....1 Milwaukee Brewers.....0 McGlynn is the pick for the second game and permits only four hits, as the contest is called after seven frames. The Colonels lose no ground to the front-running Brewers. At Washington Park, Indianapolis Minneapolis Millers.....9 Indianapolis Indians.....2 Minneapolis scores three in the second inning and coasts to a win, picking up a half-game on Milwaukee. Starting pitcher Lou Fiene gets two hits and holds the Tribe to five hits, as the Millers win their third straight behind solid hitting. Center-fielder Bill "Tip" O'Neill, hitting out of the lead-off spot, goes three-for four with three triples, becoming the first American Association ...

Venues hosting pennant contenders Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Louisville are highlighted in yellow. Games of Tuesday, September 14, 1909 At Eclipse Park in Louisville Game 1 Louisville Colonels.....7 Milwaukee Brewers.....3 Game 2 Louisville Colonels.....2 Milwaukee Brewers.....1 (eight innings; called on account of darkness) The Colonels pick up two games on the first-place Brewers. Bill Hogg is the winner in Game 1 behind perfect defense. In Game 2, Jack Halla halts the Milwaukees despite only four Louisville hits, two of which were his own! At Neil Park in Columbus Columbus Senators.....5 St. Paul Saints.....0 Clyde Goodwin shuts down the Saints on six hits as the Senators play errorless ball. At West Washington Park, Indianapolis Minneapolis Millers.....3 Indianapolis Indians.....2 The Millers pick up a game and a half on the Brewers as Nick Altrock pockets the win over Oscar Graham. At Swayne Field, Toledo Toledo Mud Hens.....7 Kansas City Blues.....6 The Mud Hens flap 14 hit...

Site of games hosting pennant contenders is highlighted in yellow. At Toledo's Swayne Field Toledo Mud Hens.....4 Kansas City Blues.....2 Sebron Booles gets the "W" for the Hens, his only victory of the season. At Columbus' Neil Park Columbus Senators.....5 St. Paul Saints.....0 Glenn Liebhardt masters the Saints on four hits, striking out eight and walking two. At Indianapolis' West Washington Street Park Minneapolis Millers.....3 Indianapolis Indians.....2 The Millers stage a dramatic three-run ninth inning rally to upstage the host Indians, picking up a half-game on the Brewers. At Louisville's Eclipse Park Milwaukee Brewers.....0 Louisville Colonels.....0 Play was called after 11 frames on account of darkness. Milwaukee iron man Stoney McGlynn was still in the box for the Brewers, having allowed only four hits; Frank Decanniere yielded seven hits and was the only Colonel pitcher. And that's your scoreboard for Monday, Sept. 13, one hundred years ago to...

There was little movement among the contenders in the American Association standings ending the week of Sept. 11, 1909. With three weeks to play, the record stood as follows: Milwaukee Brewers.....85-63 Minneapolis Millers.....80-64....3 games back Louisville Colonels.....75-69....8 games back Playing all games at home, the Brewers won six, lost four. After losing a doubleheader to the Millers, Milwaukee took the remaining two games in the series ending Sept. 8. Their 7-1 win over St. Paul on Sept. 11 helped them maintain their lead over both the Millers and Colonels who suffered defeats. After beating St. Paul to end their homestand Sept. 5, the Millers headed for Milwaukee and Kansas City. They won five, lost four during the week. The Colonels won five games on the road, and finished the week with six wins, four losses. Losing both ends of a doubleheader Sept. 6 at Indianapolis, they bounced back to sweep the Indians in their Sept. 7 twin bill in a game featuring two shutout performa...

Pennant contenders are highlighted in yellow: Association Park, Kansas City Game 1 Kansas City Blues.....4 Minneapolis Millers.....2 Veteran Patsy Flaherty picks up the win in the opening game. Game 2 Kansas City Blues.....4 Minneapolis Millers.....1 The Millers' pennant hopes darken after being swept by the last-place Blues. Athletic Park, Milwaukee St. Paul Saints.....5 Milwaukee Brewers.....3 The Saints score three in the first inning and preserve their lead for the victory. Brewer pitcher Paul Stowers is the unlikely owner of a home run. Eclipse Park, Louisville Game 1 Louisville Colonels.....5 Toledo Mud Hens.....3 The Colonels pick up a game on the Brewers by capturing the first game in their pair with the Hens. A three-run fourth inning sets the table as Hippo Vaughn picks up the win. Game 2 Toledo Mud Hens.....2 Louisville Colonels.....1 Louisville left fielder Frank Delahanty hit "a clean home run" but owing to the ground rules in place because of the overflow cr...

West Washington Street Park, Indianapolis Game 1 Indianapolis Indians.....7 Columbus Senators.....6 The Indians grab game one of a doubleheader in 12 innings. Game 2 Indianapolis Indians.....7 Columbus Senators.....2 Indians complete a sweep of the twin bill in a five-inning affair halted by darkness. The Senators commit five errors in each contest. Association Park, Kansas City Kansas City Blues.....4 Minneapolis Millers.....3 Paul Carter pitches a complete game for the Blues. Athletic Park, Milwaukee Milwaukee Brewers.....7 St. Paul Saints.....1 Brewers tighten their grip on first-place with a win in a game that was decided in the second frame, scoring three runs off Louis Leroy. Eclipse Park, Louisville Toledo Mud Hens.....2 Louisville Colonels.....0 The Colonels drop a game in the standings as Toledo's Frank Owen twirls a six-hitter. That's the wrap for the Saturday scoreboard, Sept. 11, 1909, one hundred years ago today!

The American Association pennant race heats up! Here is your scoreboard Friday's games, with contenders highlighted in yellow: Athletic Park, Milwaukee St. Paul Saints.....4 Milwaukee Brewers.....3 The Brewers swat 16 safeties but submit to St. Paul. Recent call-up Sylvester Breen hits a home run for the Saints. Charlie Chech goes seven innings for the win. West Washington Park, Indianapolis Indianapolis.....6 Columbus Senators.....4 The Indians survive a 4-run fifth by the visitors as Walt Slagle earns the win. Association Park, Kansas City Minneapolis Millers.....3 Kansas City Blues....2 Third-baseman/manager Jimmy Collins swats a circuit drive, the deciding run, against veteran pitcher Ducky Swann. The Millers gain a game on the front-running Brewers. The game was attended by the nation's Vice President, James S. Sherman. Eclipse Park, Louisville The game between the Toledo Mud Hens and Louisville Colonels was postponed by rain. And that's your American Association scor...

Please refer to earlier blog for a summary of the American Association 1909 pennant race. Here are the scores for Sept. 9. Contenders are highlighted in yellow. At Eclipse Park in Louisville Louisville Colonels.....8 Toledo Mud Hens.....2 Colonels second-baseman Emery Olson hit a rare home run. Toledo committed five errors, as Bill Hogg came away with the win. At Association Park in Kansas City Minneapolis Millers.....3 Kansas City Blues.....0 Spitball artist Roy Patterson tossed a two-hit shutout. At Athletic Park in Milwaukee St. Paul Saints.....3 Milwaukee Brewers.....2 Orville Kilroy came away the winner for the Saints. At Indianapolis Columbus Senators vs. Indianapolis Indians was postponed due to rain. Both Louisville and Minneapolis gained a game on the first-place Brewers. And that's your scoreboard for the games of Thursday, Sept. 9, 1909, one hundred years ago today!

Your American Association Scoreboard for Wednesday, September 8, 1909 At Kansas City's Association Park Game 1 St. Paul Saints.....6 Kansas City Blues.....1 Game 2 St. Paul Saints.....4 Kansas City Blues.....3 (seven innings) At Columbus' Neil Park Columbus Senators.....8 Toledo Mud Hens.......1 At Milwaukee's Athletic Park Milwaukee Brewers.....2 Minneapolis Millers.....0 Despite a two-hitter by Irving "Young Cy" Young, the Brewers score one in the first and one in the third as Tom "Sugar Boy" Dougherty picks up the win At Indianapolis' West Washington Street Park Louisville Colonels.....7 Indianapolis Indians.....1 Aided by the strong pitching of 21-year-old Gene Packard and a 13-hit spree (all singles) by the Colonels, Louisville kept its pennant hopes alive And that's your American Association scoreboard for September 8, one hundred years ago today!

Here is your complete American Association scoreboard for September 7. Does the pennant race heat up or just simmer a bit? At West Washington Park, Indianapolis Game 1 Louisville Colonels........2 Indianapolis Indians.....0 Game 2 Louisville Colonels.......2 Indianapolis Indians.....0 21-year-old Hippo Vaughn and 20-game winner Orville Selby combine for a pair of shutouts, allowing the Indians ten hits on the day. At Athletic Park, Milwaukee Milwaukee Brewers.....6 Minneapolis Millers.....5 Brewers score a pair of 2-out runs in the ninth to overtake the Millers. Miller centerfielder Bill "Tip" O'Neill homered in the game. At Neil Park, Columbus Columbus Senators.....7 Toledo Mud Hens.....6 The Senators score in the tenth to pull out a win. At Association Park in Kansas City, wet grounds prevented baseball action between the St. Paul Saints and Kansas City Blues today. And that's your update for Tuesday, Sept. 7, 1909.

Here is the updated scoreboard for the games played Monday, Sept. 6. Pennant contenders are highlighted in yellow. At Neil Park, Columbus Game 1 Columbus Senators.....8 Toledo Mud Hens.......2 Game 2 Toledo Mud Hens.......7 Columbus Senators.... 3 At West Washington Street Park, Indianapolis Game 1 Indianapolis Indians.....3 Louisville Colonels........2 Game 2 Indianapolis Indians.....7 Louisville Colonels........1 Vive Lindaman stops the Colonels with five hittter At Athletic Park, Milwaukee Game 1 Minneapolis Millers.....8 Milwaukee Brewers......2 Millers jump on Stoney McGlynn with four in the first Game 2 Minneapolis Millers.....1 Milwaukee Brewers......0 Tom Hughes blanks the Brewers on eight hits At Kansas City's Association Park the Saints and Blues were rained out

Please see previous blog for the full report on the 1909 American Association pennant race, as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of this exciting campaign. In order to help recapture the thrills of this long-forgotten championship run, daily updates will be presented here, and will continue throughout the 1909 battle. Louisville, Milwaukee and Minneapolis will be highlighted in boldface. Update: Sunday, September 5, 1909 With the Milwaukee Brewers in front of the second-place Minneapolis Millers by 3.5 games and the Louisville Colonels behind by eight games to start the new week of play, here is the scoreboard for Sunday, September 5: At Neil Park in Columbus: Game 1 Columbus Senators 8 Louisville Colonels 3 Game 2 Louisville Colonels 5 Columbus Senators 4 At West Washington Street Park in Indianapolis Indianapolis Indians 9 Toledo Mud Hens 7 At Lexington Park in St. Paul Minneapolis Millers 1 St. Paul Saints 0 Nick Altrock throws two-hitter At Athletic Park in Milwaukee Game 1 Milwau...

As the American Association pennant race for 1909 continued along its tenuous course during late August and early September, here’s a look at how things shaped up between the principal contenders. From the above standings from the Sept. 11, 1909 issue of Sporting Life , the Brewers were still holding on to their perch, with the Millers and Colonels close behind. Note that the graphic's top section shows the won/loss record for each team in the league, while the standings are presented below. The Brewers, winding up the week ending Sept. 4 with a 3.5 game lead over the Millers, were successful in maintaining their late season momentum by winning six, losing two, and outscoring opponents 52-35. Starting out against the Millers at Nicollet Park on Saturday, Aug. 28, Milwaukee took one on the chin, 17-10 (see details below). Then it was on to St. Paul where the Brewers took four of five from the fifth-place Saints in a series which included a four-hit shutout by Frank Schneiberg on ...

Unfortunately, my brand new website at www.aaalmanac.com is sidelined for the time being. In my attempt to create a new website to host my many ballplayer grave photos, I over-wrote the content of the aaalmanac.com site and it all went kaput. The host site, justhost.com, is very unwieldy when it comes to such things, and I'm now searching for a new host site. Thankfully, I kept back-up files of most of the content I'd posted, so I hope to have aaalmanac.com up and running again in the very near future. Thanks for your patience!

The new and substantially improved American Association website has been up and running for a few weeks now. Please pay it a visit at http://www.aaalmanac.com/ It includes tabs on teams, hitters, pitchers, managers, ballparks and products available for sale. It's a work in progress, so bear with me while I finish up the details. As of this writing the ballparks section isn't yet complete, but you'll get the idea. In addition, I'm now periodically publishing my ballplayer grave photos at http://www.lostengraving.deviantart.com/gallery/ While I do not consider this to be the permanent home of my collection of grave photos, it's the best thing I've found so far, and you can't beat the price (free). Hope you'll pay it a visit. Eventually there will be a new site devoted to the grave photos, but I'm too busy to put it together right now. I'm currently working on the 2010 American Association Wall Calendar, and getting my notes together for next Almana...

The week ending August 14, 1909 found the Minneapolis Millers in first place by a game and a half over the Milwaukee Brewers. The Millers had a record of 67-50 and were in the midst of a homestand at Nicollet Park. On August 7, they defeated seventh-place Toledo for the fourth straight time, by a score of 8-2, in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader. The locals narrowly out-hit the Mud Hens 14-13 as pitcher Bill "Kiddo" Wilson teetered in the early going, Toledo scoring a run in the first and one in the third. Allowing only two hits, Wilson was relieved prematurely by Nick Altrock after one inning. The Millers tallied four in the third against Toledo ace Hi West , the staff workhorse who wound up the season with a record of 18 wins, 14 losses. West, who allowed 13 hits in six innings, was apparently off his game a little, taking the loss. He was relieved by John Bushelman . According to the Sporting Life report in its August 21 edition, "Minneapolis had better lu...

This past weekend was the 100th anniversary of the opening of the first double-decked stadium in the American Association, Swayne Field in Toledo, Ohio. Built to replace Armory Park which served as the home of the Toledo Mud Hens for seven-plus seasons since 1902, Swayne Field opened in historic fashion when it hosted the Columbus Senators on July 3, 1909. With umpires Clarence “Brick” Owens and Ed Eckman officiating, the Mud Hens were first to score, thrilling the Toledo throng of 9,350 in a game which lasted three hours, thirty-five minutes. It was a battle for the ages between two closely matched teams. In the first inning, Toledo posted three runs off Columbus starter Jacob “Lefty” Geyer . Center-fielder Homer Smoot , hitting third, scored on a two-run single by second-baseman Harry Hinchman , first-baseman Jeremiah Freeman following. Hinchman had five hits in seven at-bats on the day. The third run of the frame was scored by Charlie “Piano Legs” Hickman who crossed the plat...

My wife and I were able to visit Spring Hill Cemetery in Charleston, WV, on May 17 and found the grave of Hugh Ellis Hill , pictured here. The top view shows the landscape behind Hill's grave, second marker to the right in the foreground; the next shows a similar view for panoramic perspective. Born July 21, 1879 at Ringgold in northern Georgia, Hill began his professional baseball career at the age of 21 with the Nashville Volunteers (or Vols) of the Southern Association in 1901 as a pitcher. The following season he plateaued as a moundsman, compiling a record of 22 wins, seven losses. Why his pitching career didn't develop after such a successful start is not immediately known. In 1903 he played in his first season in the American Association, performing for both Nashville and the Kansas City Blues, when he showed considerable acumen for hitting. He posted a .400 mark in 75 at-bats for the Volunteers, and a .280 mark under Dale Gear in KC where he was used only as an outfield...

The 1909 American Association season opened with a bang around the circuit. Who could have predicted that the Milwaukee Brewers would contend the entire season, battling the Louisville Colonels for the pennant as the league's premier team until the final days of the season. The Colonels, with Jimmie Burke at the helm and playing third-base, came within 4 games of the championship in 1908 with a convincing record of 88-65, finishing second in a close race with Charlie Carr 's Indianapolis Indians Under manager Barry McCormick , who played in every game at second-base in 1908, the Brewers completed the season with a record of 71-83 in sixth place. But in the final days of the 1909 campaign, the Suds Men succumbed to the saber-rattling Colonels who took the crown by just 2.5 games! It was a strange year in the American Association. Pitchers held the reigns, as the league's cumulative batting average was a paltry .237, down from .246 in 1908. League-leading Louisville had one ...

The Almanac is offering back issues for sale to readers with an interest in the old American Association. Included in this three-volume set are issues dedicated to three stars of the American Association, slugging Nick Cullop, home run hero Bunny Brief and pitching ace Stoney McGlynn. Format features: 5.5 x 8.5" booklet, stapled binding; color cover; self-published in 2001 and 2002. Set 1 sells for $10.00 including postage. Direct all inquiries to Rex Hamann at pureout@msn.com or mail a check to Rex Hamann, 14201 Crosstown Blvd. NW, Andover, MN 55304-3311. Paypal also accepted. ========================================= Vol. 1, No. 1 November 2001: Nick Cullop 7 pages Features overview of the American Association career of perennial minor league outfielder Nick Cullop This seven-page look at the career of Nick Cullop features a statistical summary of the outfielder's American Association career and explains the search for Cullop's unmarked grave in the Columbus, Ohio area,...

In 1905, the Louisville Colonels signed 27-year old Edward Benninghaus Kenna , a pitcher who started his professional career with the Toledo Mud Hens of the Interstate League in 1900. Kenna was an interesting figure in baseball's early days. He grew up in Charleston, West Virginia, the son of John Edward Kenna , a U.S. Congressional Representative and Senator (a sizable collection of his personal photographs may be viewed at the website for the West Virginia Historical Society through www.wvculture.org/history/wvmemory/photointro.html). A most intriguing aspect of Kenna's life was his ability as a writer. He was known in baseball circles as the "poet pitcher," something I've known for some time. Not until I was researching my latest issue of the Almanac did I discover that he was actually a published poet. After his baseball career ended in 1907 he became an editor at the Charleston Gazette . He would succumb to a heart condition at the age of 34. Kenna's bas...