Category Archives: Uncategorized

Cautious generals, the 19th Illinois, and the beginnings of Tennessee baseball

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Christopher Ryland

In the late winter and spring of 1863, Union general William S. Rosecrans was well dug in at Murfreesboro, having held off Braxton Bragg at the Battle of Stones River. Unwilling to move quickly and take advantage of Bragg’s retreat … Continue reading →

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Did Herman Sandhouse bring baseball to Nashville?

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Christopher Ryland

I seem to spend a lot of my time searching the internet for terms like “Cumberland Club of Nashville,” in the off-chance that somewhere, someone has already written the book I want to read. I don’t suppose this surprises anyone, … Continue reading →

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Chattanooga Lookouts stake their claim (Part 2)

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Christopher Ryland

In Part 1 of this post, I looked at an account of a March 1866 intrasquad scrimmage of the Lookout Club of Chattanooga. If the Lookouts were in fact organized in 1865–as implied by that article–they would be the first … Continue reading →

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Chattanooga Lookouts stake their claim (Part 1)

Posted on April 17, 2016 by Christopher Ryland

Just as soon as I think I have a handle on the earliest instances of Tennessee baseball, there’s another entire archaeological layer to uncover. This time it’s the Lookout Club of Chattanooga, a club I had thought formed sometime in … Continue reading →

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Cumberlands Vs Rock Citys, Take Three

Posted on April 17, 2016 by Christopher Ryland

The hapless Rock City Club of Nashville, now 0-2 against crosstown rival Cumberland Club, hosted them once again on June 22, 1866. As on the two previous occasions, they dropped the game, this time by a relatively competitive score of … Continue reading →

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The Second Match Game in Nashville, 1866

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Christopher Ryland

After being roundly defeated by the Cumberlands on May 12, 1866, the Rock City club hosted the return match on May 19 at their Edgefield grounds near the suspension bridge (the vicinity of modern Woodland Ave. and 1st St.). Despite … Continue reading →

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“Be gentlemen, gentlemen, even if you are defeated a thousand times”

Posted on March 1, 2016 by Christopher Ryland

Behold! An elusive, comprehensive, newspaper account of an early Nashville base ball match providing some context to the 1866 season and the landmark Cumberland/Rock City rivalry. This clipping from the October 1, 1866, Nashville Press and Times, provides us with … Continue reading →

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The First Baseball Match Ever Played in Tennessee

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Christopher Ryland

The first match game of baseball played in Tennessee took place May 12, 1866. This match, between the Cumberland and Rock City Clubs of Nashville, had been originally scheduled for  April 21 (or maybe April 28), 1866, but for some … Continue reading →

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The First “Called Balls” in Nashville, Oct. 1866

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Christopher Ryland

“Called balls” were introduced (at the umpire’s discretion) into the National Association rule book for the 1863 season*, but this new rule did not apparently disseminate at the same pace throughout the nation. Below, the October 7, 1866 Nashville Republican … Continue reading →

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Nashvilles vs. Blue Stockings, August 1870

Posted on August 23, 2015 by Christopher Ryland

From the Nashville Union and American, August 13, 1870: “In a match game of base ball between the Nashville and Blue Stocking Base Ball Clubs of Nashville, the Nashville won by a score of 43 to 19. Those who deserve … Continue reading →

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