The City Series Begins: The Phillies vs. Athletics, April 14, 1883

Blondie Purcell

A few veteran Philadelphia baseball fans may remember The City Series, an annual series of (usually three) exhibition games between the two Philadelphia professional baseball teams, the Athletics and the Phillies. The history of the City Series actually dates back to 1875, but the team we now know as the Phillies was not formed until the National League's Worcester, Massachusetts team transferred to Philadelphia in 1883 under the leadership of local sports equipment purveyor, Albert Reach. The team was formally called the Philadelphia Quakers, but even then, fans and sports writers alike often referred to the team as the Phillies. 

On April 14, 1883, the Phillies faced off against the Athletics of the American Association. This was not the same franchise that would enter the American League in 1901, but Philadelphia had had professional baseball teams in various leagues since 1860. The name was derived from the name Athletic Base Ball Club of Philadelphia. The 1883 iteration of the Athletics was one of the strongest teams in the American Association, having finished second in the league in 1882, they would go on to win the championship in 1893.

The Phillies first foray into the City Series was covered by a brand-new sports journal, called Sporting Life, that would publish its first edition the day after this first City Series game. This new journalistic endeavor was the brainchild of Philadelphian, Francis Richter, who published, edited, and wrote stories for this venture out of his offices at 202 South Ninth Street. Sporting Life would eventually become the most important baseball journal in the country and Richter a key figure in the development of professional baseball, but in this initial edition the focus was on local Philadelphia sports, especially baseball. We know every play of this game because of the comprehensive coverage of Richter and Sporting Life.

This very first game of the spring was apparently highly anticipated by local fans. The game was to be played at the Athletics home field, the Jefferson Street Grounds, a ball field at Jefferson and 26th Street in what we would today call Brewerytown. It had a capacity of about 5,000-6,000 fans.  According to Sporting Life, 

For hours before the game a constant stream of people was wending its way along all the streets leading to the grounds... By the time the game began fully ten thousand people were on the ground and "still they came."

The crowd was so large that it "encroached upon the playing field." The teams mutually agreed any ball hit into the crowd on the field counted as two bases. 

The more experienced Athletic team was heavily favored to win. Their pitcher was Bobby Matthews, recently arrived from Boston. Matthews would have three consecutive 30-win seasons for the Athletics. First baseman Harry Stovey, a Philadelphia native, was one of the top offensive players in the American Association. A rare combination of speed and power. he led the league in home runs four times and in runs scored three. Germantown native, fleet-footed Jud Birchall batted leadoff and played left field. Lon Knight, a graduate of Girard College (High School) was in right field. Another Philly native, diminutive Cub Stricker, all 5'3" of him, was the second baseman.

The battery for the Phillies was the 20-year-old youngster Hardie Henderson on the mound and left-handed catcher, "Roaring Bill" Harbridge behind the plate. Thirty-eight-year-old Bob (Death to Flying Things) Ferguson, who served as second baseman and manager of the club, is remembered today mostly for his nickname. Other members of the Phillies made their reputations off the baseball field. Third baseman Frank Ringo, left fielder Blondie Purcell, and centerfielder Fred Lewis all had reputations for heavy drinking and barroom brawling. First baseman Alex McKinnon played in this game but was sick during the spring and asked for his release, never appearing in the regular season. 

The game itself started inauspiciously when the Athletics Birchal dropped a fly ball from Phillies leadoff hitter Jack Manning. Catcher Ed Rowen then dropped a foul popup, before Purcell singled. Matthews wriggled out of the inning with the help of a good defensive play by Stovey at first. Birchall led off for the Athletics and drove the ball over centerfielder Lewis' head and into the crowd for a ground rule double. Henderson retired the Athletics without further ado. 

Bill Harbridge

In the second inning "a new ball was put in as the old one had ripped." Lewis "whanged" a ball to center for a single. Harbridge walked after his foul pop was muffed and both runners moved up on a passed ball. After two batters went out, Manning drove a ball to deep center over Jack O'Brien's head for a bases clearing double. Both runs were unearned.

The score stayed 2-0 Phillies, until the sixth, when the Athletics cut the lead in half on doubles by shortstop Mike Moynahan and Rowen. The Phillies got that run back in the top of the seventh, thanks again to some sloppy fielding by the Athletics. Frank Ringo got to third base on an overthrow at first by third baseman Bob Blakiston, and went all the way to third after a return throw from Knight hit him in the basepaths and ricocheted away. From there, Purcell drove him home with a single. 

In the ninth inning the Athletics "got another streak of muffery." After Henderson reached on Moynihan's bad throw, Manning hit another double to drive him in. Purcell drove a single to left and Manning scored when Birchall juggled the ball. After two outs, Purcell scored when Ferguson's popup fell between four fielders in shallow right field. The Athletics went down in order in the bottom of the ninth and the final score was Phillies 6, Athletics 1. 

According to Sporting Life,

After the game, the enormous crowd flocked across the field, and it was a long time before the ground was cleared. On the street and [street] cars, nothing was heard but comments upon the unexpectedly severe defeat of the Athletics.

Blondie Purcell with three hits and Jack Manning with two doubles were the hitting stars for the Phillies. The Athletics were guilty of six errors. 

The final two games of the City Series were played at the Phillies home field - Recreation Park. The field was at 24th and Ridge Avenues in Strawberry Mansion. The Phillies won both of these games as well by scores of 8-1 and 3-1. The sweep of the city series was not a harbinger of things to come for either team, however. The Athletics won the American Association championship with a record of 66-32, while the Quakers/Phillies finished dead last in the National League at 17-81-1. 

The City Series was held every year until the Athletics left for Kansas City in 1955.

Harry Stovey