Blue Stockings Club of Chicago

Pre-pro Baseball

Chicago, IL Firsts, Games, Clubs, Fields, Predecessor Games Greater New York City Firsts, Games, Clubs, Fields, Predecessor Games IL Firsts, Games, Clubs, Fields, Predecessor Games United States Firsts, Games, Clubs, Fields, Predecessor Games

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Nick Name	Blue Stockings
Earliest Known Date	1870
Last Known Game
Location	Chicago, IL, United States
Modern Address
NABBP Status
Nine Class	Senior
Tags
Description	The Chicago Tribune, Aug. 24, 1870, under the headline "The Sporting World. Base Ball from a Colored Point of View" has a long article on "colored" baseball in Chicago, focusing on the Blue Stockings, a club "made up exclusively of dusky athletes who are employed as waiters" at the local hotels and bars. It focuses on a recent game at Ogden Park, with 400 mostly "colored" spectators, where the Blue Stockings defeated another "colored" club, the Rockford Club of Rockford, 48-14. Gives a box score. This was part of a three-game series, with the 3rd played in Rockford. The Chicago Inter Ocean, Sept. 28, 1870, reporting on an early inter-racial game (the second such game on record?), says the Blue Stockings (colored) lost to a nine of white players 17-15 at Ogden Park yesterday. Leslie Heaphy identifies this as part of a series of 5 games between the Blue Stockings and the "Independents" (white), played September 21, 23, 25, 28 and October 6. See Brunson, "The Early Image of Black Baseball" for more on this team and on the Uniques, their successor club. The Chicago Tribune, April 24, 1870 reports that the Blue Stockings lost to the Red Hots 64-19, the game played at the corner of 33rd St. and Michigan Avenue. George Brown(e) was captain of this club, and W. P. Johnson the secretary. The former is probably the George Brown, waiter, listed in the 1870 Chicago directory. The latter may be the William Johnson, coachman, in that directory. The New York Clipper published a letter from the Blue Stockings (Sept. 10, 1870) complaining that they'd been excluded from playing in the city amateur championship. Although the organizers of the championship claimed the Blue Stockings were excluded due to their lack of talent, the Blue Stockings alleged it was because of their race. AKA the Starlight? See Brunson, "Black Baseball, 1858-1900"
Sources	The Chicago Tribune, Aug. 24, 1870. Brunson, "The Early Image of Black Baseball".
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Found by	Bruce Allardice
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Entered by	Bruce Allardice
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