Clipping:The state of the Atlantics; an amateur reserve nine; the failed Brooklyn BBC
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| Date | Sunday, January 15, 1871 |
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| Text | On January 10 the Atlantic Club held a meeting at their headquarters for the reorganization of the club, and an election of officers for 1871. Considerable interest was manifested in the proceedings by all present, an eager desire being expressed to see the old club placed upon the record once more as one of the most prominent organizations of the country. The past season was shown to have been pecuniarily a very successful one, and that too in the face of drawbacks which are not likely to occur this year. It was resolved to continue the club as a professional organization, on the co-operative principle of last year. As Mike Henry has been appointed Assistant Keeper of the Penitentiary–where he will keep quarters for revolvers and other baseball frauds if he catches them at their tricks–the club resolved to change their headquarters, and in future their clubroom will be located at the Assembly Billiard House. Judge Buckley was elected President, and the Board of Directors includes John Chapman. McGonigle is also one of the newly-elected officials; and, in fact, quite a new order of things has been introduced, and we hope to see the old club better managed this season than it has been for years past. The Atlantics will play on their old field at the Capitoline grounds, and though they will not have old nine entire, they will have Zettlein as pitcher, and with a strong team of new hands under the training of the veteran, Pearce, the club will no doubt be able to hold its own with the best. Pearce is the man for Captain, for he has no superior in judgment, coolness, and nerve, and skill in the points of the game. Dick has learnt to control his temper, too, and in this respect knows how to handle his nine with more effect than before. No better man could be selected from the club to train up a new nine. We are glad to learn that the new directors propose to organize a junior nine, in connection with the club, as a school for substitutes. This is what all professional clubs should do, even if they have to go to some expense in doing it. Had this been done years ago clubs would not have had to go round hunting up players, tempting them to break engagements and doing other disreputable business of that kind. This reorganization of the Atlantics is the result of the breaking up of the project of a Brooklyn nine. The Brooklyn nine was to have been the crack nine of the country for 1871. The capital was fixed at $20,000, $10,000 of which was promptly subscribed. The officials were to have been influential political leaders, having snug sinecure positions in the municipal government at command. Heavy salaries were to have been paid, and a nine was to have been secured, upon whom the political and other “sports” of the city could have invested their funds in full reliance of every earnest effort being made to win every single game played. The fact is, the betting fraternity have become tired of having to beat round the bush and go behind the scenes to find out how this or that match is going before they bet. They want to see nines in the market that they can bet on as they did on the Red Stockings, and this they intend to have this season or they won’t patronize the professionals at all. This Brooklyn nine project, however, came to grief in consequence of the howl the taxpayers of all parties made over the outrageous increase of their bills for this year, and the politicians, not being able to stand the pressure, gave up the enterprise, and the proposed nine failed. Instead we are to have the old Atlantics again in the field, under new and more favorable auspices. New York Sunday Mercury January 15, 1871 Last month the fraternity of Brooklyn were considerably exercised over a rumor which was circulated, to the effect that the Atlantic Club was to be superseded by a new organization, to be known as the Brooklyn Club. The new club was to be built up on a capital of $20,000, and all the political “bit guns” of the City of Churches were to have control of the new enterprise. The rumor had not long been given publicity before the local democratic organ launched out against the excessive tax burdens, and called for prompt reform. The pressure was too great to be avoided, and consequently, all the snug sinecure places in the city government which had been “slated” for the new nine, had to be given up, and as the “liberal patrons of the game,” who were so ready do dip their hands in the public purse for base (ball) purposes, were loth to use their own funds for any such object, of course the new club fell through. Then it was that the friends of the Atlantic Club rallied around the old flag once more, and attending the annual meeting in force, they elected a new set of officers, with some energetic men amongst them, and once more the old Atlantic Club, which was reported as “gone up,” “disbanded,” and we know not what, was placed upon its feet again, and the coming season of 1871 will no doubt see the club once more taking the field and battling with the strongest for victory. New York Clipper January 21, 1871 The secession of so many of the best players of the old Atlantic Club has had the effect of rousing up some of the old grit of the club, and in this regard the whole fraternity of Brooklyn seem to have joined in a movement to build up the Atlantics stronger than ever. With four of their old nine in the Mutual Club, their pitcher in the Chicago nine, and the second-baseman with the Haymakers, but few are left wherewith to form the nucleus of a new nine. But Chapman who is one of the new directors of the club is busy organizing a very strong nine, which will include some of the most noted players in the country. There is plenty of material at command yet to enable the Atlantics to place in the field a Brooklyn nine that would rather astonish even the strongest of their rivals. New York Sunday Mercury February 5, 1871 |
| Source | New York Sunday Mercury |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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