A Trip Through the 1880s with the Kansas City Cowboys and Blues

On May 31, 1884 the Altoona Unions disbanded; club president Lucas arranged for their best players to be transferred to Kansas City. As an inducement for Kansas City to pick up Altoona’s schedule, the results of all previous Altoona games were cancelled. The new Unions started with a clean slate. A.V. McKim, the Kansas City manager, scoured the reserve teams of St. Louis and Cincinnati to pick up additional players.

The first home game was played June 7 before 1,500. KC lost to Chicago 6-5. Trying to upgrade the team, McKim turned over the managerial reins to Ted Sullivan, who hustled to the disbanded Bay City, Michigan, franchise to sign Hungarian-born Joe Strauss, shortstop Turbiddy and Jumbo Davis as a third baseman. He next landed the famous “Kid” battery — Bob Black and Kid Baldwin — from Quincy, Illinois, of the Northwestern League.

A strange forfeit occurred August 22. With Kansas City leading 6-2 in the ninth, umpire Seward called St. Louis runner Brennan safe at the plate. Ted Sullivan, argued that his catcher Baldwin tagged the runner out. He called his men off the field for the forfeit loss.

Kansas City lost a game in Washington when Powell hit a long fly to the right-field foul line where Black muffed it. The ball rolled through a small hole in a platform near the line. Black could not reach the ball as three Washington National runs scampered across the plate. Though the Kansas City squad “kicked like Army mules,” the umpire did not change his decision and the runs counted.

At the Union Association meeting on September 24, a proposal was made to realign the league into East-West divisions: Cincinnati, St. Paul, Milwaukee, and St. Louis in the West; Kansas City, Washington, Baltimore, and Boston in the East. Union backers in Kansas City saw that they had no future in the Association.

Still, Kansas City and Milwaukee showed at the January 15 winter Union Association meeting in Milwaukee. They were surprised to discover that Union founder and league benefactor Henry Lucas had applied for a National League franchise and that the League wanted him! Milwaukee and Kansas City voted to disband the Union Association and began to work on a Western League for 1855.

Ted Sullivan is credited with organizing the new Western League on February 12, 1885 with Indianapolis, Kansas City, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Toledo, and Omaha as original clubs. The neophyte league was not without its own intrigue and skullduggery as a battle raged in baseball circles as to what was to be done with blacklisted players — every player in the Union Association was so tagged — while the main culprit, Henry Lucas, had already been accepted into the National League. The Cincinnati Unions, under Justice Thorner, had also been encouraged to apply to the National League. The Cincy group preferred to play in the new Western League. This scenario was impossible because the new league was a National Agreement league which meant adherence to the Reserve Clause that the Unions had so actively flaunted in 1884.

Eventually, all reserve and contract breakers from the previous year were reinstated at the insistence of Al Spalding, who persuaded the other owners that the reinstatement was a business deal, not a moral judgement.

Kanasa City baseball hopes began to flounder when manager Ted Sullivan initiated a mob to chase umpire Hoover out of town. a few days later, Sullivan and Hoover tussled in Milwaukee; bystanders saved the Kansas City manager from a physical beating by the burly arbiter.

In mid-May, Cleveland and Toledo officials were arrested and convicted of Sunday baseball violations. Kansas City continued to draw good crowds on that day. Omaha, the first casualty, disbanded June 6, and Keokuk was brought into the league. The “Westerns” from Keokuk sported the celebrated Negro second baseman, John “Bud” Fowler. The city had earlier been rejected by the Western League as being too small, but the circuit was now desperate.

Cleveland and Toledo — creditors attached gate receipts — disbanded in June, leaving only Kansas City, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Keokuk. A few days later the Indianapolis Hoosiers sold their best players to Detroit of the National League for $5,000/ When Keokuk won three straight road game at Milwaukee, that city wanted to quit also. The league went belly up, but not Kansas City’s enthusiasm for the National Pastime.

The next year witnessed the entrance of the Kansas City Cowboys into the National League. Eastern sportswriters were astounded in 1886 as three ex-Union Association clubs — Washington, Kansas City, and St. Louis — were in the Senior Circuit. Kansas City was admitted on a one-year, probationary membership. In the fall, the club would have to reapply for a 1887 franchise. The Cowboys sported two sets of uniforms: one, white with blue caps and stockings; the other, chocolate with red caps and stockings. Consigned by most as a last-place team, the Cowboys — 50-1 odds to win the pennant — opened the season before 3,500 fans at League Park. They lost 6-5 in extra innings to the defending League champ Chicago. David Rowe, who sat out the previous season on the blacklist, was the manager. His catcher was Charles Briody who at 250 pounds was known as “Alderman” or “Falstaff.”

Grasshopper Jim Whitney was the best pitcher on the undermanned staff. Midway through the season prejudice began to dominate Eastern articles on the Cowboys. Charlie Fulmer, on his first umpiring trip to Kansas City, was widely quoted as saying, “I ain’t afraid of their yells but as soon as they pull their guns, I’m goin’ to dust.”

The New York Giants’ visit was auspicious. The Easterners lost the first day because a cross-eyed man ate dinner next to the ball club the previous night. Following the Giant defeat, the Kansas City officials felt obligated to offer protection to the visitors. A cowboy rode a mustang alongside the New York stage that carried the players from the Lindell Hotel to the playing field. Much to the chagrin of the 1,200 pairs of cowboy boots at the park, the Giants prevailed 6-2.

Kansas City along with Detroit and Cleveland, applied for the vacancy in the American Association when Pittsburgh withdrew from that league. The Association, believing that Kansas City was to be ousted from the National League, felt that the Senior Circuit was trying to force Kansas City on them and voted to accept Cleveland’s application for membership. A stalemate developed over Kansas City’s membership because more pressing business took place at the winter meetings. Owner John B. Day of the Giants was miffed over comments by St. Louis Browns owner Chris von der Ahe that the New York club was a “third-rate nine.” Day challenged the beer baron to a seven-game series with Jim Mutire as umpire. The Browns were to be very busy next spring as they had already accepted challenges from Chicago and Detroit. A side bet of $250 was being held by the Baltimore club. Then the Kansas City issue reappeared.

The newly-formed Kansas City Westerns issued a challenge to the League to play for the city championship. The League (National) had already accepted Pittsburgh and was trying to get St. Louis or Kansas City — both former Union Association franchises — to resign. Both refused. Indianapolis offered $10,000 for Kansas City or $20,000 for the St. Louis charter. The two Missouri cities wanted to combine franchises and play in Kansas City. this the other League owners refused. Indianapolis had collected $10,00 and wanted a franchise for 1887. The forcible retirement of St. Louis — owned by Henry Lucas — was put on the agenda for a special March 7 meeting at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York.

If Indianapolis was accepted, the National League would have 10 teams instead of eight. The league directors voted six to one to accept Indianapolis’ application. A shouting match immediately ensued over the disposition of the St. Louis players. The directors retired to an upstairs caucus room. At 7:30 p.m. they returned with their Solomon-like decision: Indy would pay $12,000 to the League for its franchise, and the League would offer St. Louis $12,000 for its club and players. Kansas City would forfeit its players because they had failed to file proper reservations. Some of the delegates felt that something should be offered to Kansas City.

Then, all hell broke loose. President Stromberg of the St. Louis Maroons would not sell for $50,000 if Sunday ball was allowed. Al Spalding boiled at the mention of Indianapolis and declared that “it has never been a decent baseball city.” The influential Spalding wanted the National League to stay in Kansas City, but Arthur Soden of Boston said he would never consent to Kansas City and favored Indianapolis. The next morning, the delegated declared that St. Louis had accepted the $12,000 for its players. Indianapolis was admitted to the National League for $12,000 and was “donated” 14 players. Kansas City was offered $6,000 for its players, but refused to accept. Then , the League offered the Cowboys $3,500 for McQuery, Basset, Donley, Whitney, and Myers; $4,000 if Redford was added.

Indianapolis’ total payment was returnable at the end of the season if the club did not want to retain the franchise in 1888. Kansas City reconsidered and accepted the $6,000. The city would play in the newly-formed Western League in 1887. The St. Louis Maroons franchise became the Indianapolis Hoosiers; the Hoosiers folded after the 1889 National League season.

The Cowboys finished the 1887 season 30 games behind the Topeka Golden Giants who captured the pennant. It was the year of the walks-count-as-base-hits rule. In one Western League game, Lincoln defeated Wichita 46-7 on 50 base hits.

The following year a territorial dispute arose between the Western and American Associations with Kansas City as the battleground. Since the National League at the Board of Arbitration refused to take sides, Kansas City was destined to have two mediocre-drawing clubs instead of one well-heeled operation. Out of the turmoil came the city championship series and the nickname “Blues.” In order to differentiate the Western club from the American version, the Western Association squad dressed in blue. Blue stockings, blue caps, blue pantaloons, and blue jerseys were the vestments of the Blues. The blue uniforms would stay until 1900 when George Tebeau tried to institute cream-colored ones in an ill-fated modernization attempt. Kansas City fans voiced their displeasure with the new attire with in pickets around the stadium. Even local nuns were upset with the new color for the Blues and wrote editorials in the newspaper. After two weeks the Blues went back to wearing blue.

The Westerns challenged the Americans to a preseason tourney for the city championship. The American Association whipped the challengers 14-1 and 6-5 in 11 innings to take all of the gate receipts. The Americans were managed by David Rowe who had been with Kansas City in 1886 and 1887. The club was again expected to finish last. The crowds stayed away which caused Kansas City to become and advocate for the return of $.25 admission. While few fans bothered to come to the city ball park — known as the “Hole”, because it was prone to mud puddles of the field, the city with its many saloons quickly became a favorite watering stop among Association ball players.

Pete Browning, the original Louisville slugger, was quite inebriated on the rainy evening that he took a couple of poles to a water puddle and set up a fishing line in front of his downtown hotel. When the fish refused to bite his unbaited hook he went inside the hotel and created such a disturbance that the police were soon on his tail. Ol’ Pete eluded then, but failed to catch the morning train with the rest of his teammates.

The Association club also experimented with the “double umpire system.” Kansas City and Baltimore each chose one of their own players to umpire and each made decisions that favored his own club. Both sides played the game — won by Kansas City 2-1 — under protest. Midway through 1888, Kansas City, Louisville and Baltimore were estimated to lose $10,000 due to the $.50 admission rule. When the Association went back to the $.25 admission Kansas City upset the Brooklyn crowd by whipping the home team 1-0. The next day, Sunday, they piled it on 6-1 over the Bridegrooms. Meanwhile, the Western Association team was busy establishing itself as the minor league Blues.

The Blues failed to win the 1888 pennant, but they won over the fans with $.25 admission and the pitching of future Hall of Fame hurler, Charles “Kid” Nichols. Jimmy Manning made his first appearance in a Kansas City uniform. He would be involved with Kansas City baseball for the next two decades.

The next year, the Blues disbanded, giving fans one club to support. The Association club sported new uniforms that had “Cowboys” printed across the chest. It was an uneventful season despite the presence of Herman Long and Billy Hamilton on the roster. The club was subject to some intrigue as Al Spalding and Chris Von der Ahe met in Kansas City to discuss forming a 12-team league. L.C. Krauthoff of Kansas City ran for president of the Association as the delegates of St. Louis, Louisville, Columbus and Kansas City held a clandestine meeting in Philadelphia before the winter gathering. Kansas City’s involvement in postseason maneuvering led to ill feelings from Brooklyn and Cincinnati. They represented the anti-Von der Ahe clique. Delegates from the two cities affectively blocked the election of Krauthoff as president. Disappointed, Kansas City resigned from the American Association and entered the Western Association for the 1890 season.

In the Western Association Kansas City won a high-spirited pennant race over Minneapolis and Milwaukee. All three clubs played over .600 ball while the rest finished below .500. Six of the eight teams made money. The league and its members sought membership in the National Agreement as the looked forward to the 1891 season.

What a disaster that year was! As the American Association fell apart, its clubs dickered with Western Association teams: selling players, buying franchises and intruding on league politics. Both Associations went downhill. The Western, with Kansas City, started with eight clubs and limped home with four. Kansas City spend the entire year trying to gain entrance into the American Association and did not concentrate on defending its league title. As a result, Sioux City won the Western Association championship. The Soos also whipped the Chicago White Stockings and St. Louis Browns in a post-season play. Kansas City never re-entered the American Associaton as it died in December 1891. In the next century, Kansas City would become a charter member of a top minor league, named the American Association.