Clipping:A history of the Atlantics and player recruitment
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| Date | Saturday, June 9, 1866 |
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| Text | [Harvard vs. Excelsior 6/1/1866] ...there was a strong partisan element, opposed to the Excelsiors, who visited the grounds purposely to do all they could to cause the defeat of the Excelsior nine, and but for the presence of a large police force their efforts would not have been confined to insulting comments and derisive jeers, but would have taken the form of over acts of assault without doubt. The facts of the case are these, and we refer to them by way of explanation before we proceed to describe the game. In fact a little wholesome plain speaking is required. We do so also in answer to several correspondents who desire to know what the position of affairs is between these clubs, an answer in our correspondent column requiring too much space. In the efforts made by the Atlantic club to retain their title of Champions, which they earned so creditably by the play of the nine of the club in many a well fought battle on the ball fields, they entered upon a course of action in strengthening their nine, when the veterans of the club one after another retired from service, which brought upon them the ill will of those clubs from whom they drew most of their strength, and naturally enough too, for the withdrawal of Chapman, Start and Crane from the Enterprise Club, after they had just achieved a noteworthy success over the Eckfords, weakened them to a degree that almost broke up this fine young club; and afterwards the withdrawal of Pratt from the Athletics, and likewise Sprague from the Eckfords, had a damaging effect on the success of those organizations for the time being. The result of this collection of strong players was the forming of a nine, which in playing strength has had no superior, as the successful career of the Atlantic Club during the past two years fully proved. Thus far things went on satisfactorily enough as far as the Atlantic Club was concerned, although some other clubs did not view it in that light. During the past winter, however, the champion nine became disorganized, from what we are not aware, but if half the stories told about “buying” and “selling,” &c., are true, the club who have been the sufferers act very unwisely in not giving the facts of the alleged corrupt bargains due publicity, and their not doing so argues very strongly in favor of the fact of their inability to substantiate the charges made. At any rate, three of the champion nine left the Atlantics and joined the Excelsiors, and another one returned to his first love. Now, this state of things was a very different one to the before mentioned condition of affairs, inasmuch as it was the Atlantic Club who were the sufferers, and the Enterprise, the Athletics, and Eckfords, or the Stars. When the poisoned chalice is placed to our own lips, we singularly enough realize the bitterness of the contents, and so it was in this case, but strange to say, a very virtuous, do doubt, but rather inconsistent indignation has been aroused by the Atlantics at the conduct of the Excelsiors in thus following an example set them by the Atlantics themselves. Now had the Atlantics and their friends entered court with clean hands as the complainants in this case of alleged base ball felony, this expression of indignation would have been just and proper, but as it is, it appears to us to be about as cheeky a thing to do, to find fault with another club for doing what they themselves have done, as we have heard of for some time past. That is just the light in which we view it, and in which hundreds of the reputable portion of the fraternity see it. The very best thing the Atlantics can do for the interests of their club is to go to work and build up a new nine and win new laurels with it, and to discountenance in every way they can just such action of their friends and followers as that which characterized the proceedings of the match at Bedford on the 1st inst. Any other course must necessarily create a reaction in favor of the club thus attacked. |
| Source | New York Clipper |
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| Submitted by | Richard Hershberger |
| Origin | Initial Hershberger Clippings |
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