The Nashville Seraphs, often known as the Nashvilles, were a minor league baseball team that played in the Class B Southern League in 1895. They were located in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...

, and played their home games at Athletic Park, later known as Sulphur Dell. The club won the Southern League pennant in their only season, becoming the city's first minor league baseball team to win a league championship. The Nashvilles spent the majority of the season at or near the top of the league standings and held an above-.500

winning percentage In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...

on all but

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent years ...

. From August 15 to the season finale on September 3, the Seraphs won 20 consecutive games, which propelled them from seven games out of first place to a tie with the

Atlanta Crackers The Atlanta Crackers were Minor League Baseball teams based in Atlanta, Georgia, between 1901 and 1965. The Crackers were Atlanta's home team until the Atlanta Braves moved from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1966. History Atlanta played its first ...

atop the standings. Both teams possessed .670 records and asserted to be the rightful pennant winners. At the league's annual winter meeting that December, nearly four months later, Nashville was declared the Southern League champion for 1895. The team was managed by

George Stallings George Tweedy Stallings (November 17, 1867 – May 13, 1929) was an American professional baseball catcher and manager. He played in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and Philadelphia Phillies in 1890 and 1897 to 1898 and manag ...

and included other former and future major league players Frank Butler,

Art Herman Arthur Herman (1871–1955) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Louisville Colonels of the National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two l ...

Lefty Marr Charles W. "Lefty" Marr (September 19, 1862 in Cincinnati – January 11, 1912 in New Britain, Connecticut) was a professional baseball player who played outfield and third base in the Major Leagues from 1886 to 1891. He would play for the C ...

Tom McCreery Thomas Livingston McCreery (October 19, 1874 – July 3, 1941) was an outfielder and pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played for the Louisville Colonels (1895–1897), New York Giants (1897–1898), Pittsburgh Pirates (1898–1900), Brooklyn ...

Sam Moran Samuel Alexander Moran (born 4 April 1978) is an Australian entertainer best known for having been a member of the children's band the Wiggles from 2006 to 2012. Early life Moran was born in Sydney and raised in Wagga Wagga. Career Moran stu ...

Bert Myers James Albert Myers (April 8, 1874 – October 12, 1915) was an American professional baseball player who played in parts of three seasons for the St. Louis Browns, Washington Senators and Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillie ...

, Jim Ritz, and

Mike Trost Michael J. Trost was a Major League Baseball catcher. He played for the St. Louis Brows of the American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * Ame ...

. Butler and Moran were sold to the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

and

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. Founded as part o ...

, respectively, during the season. Stallings and Moran, as well as George Cleve, played for the Nashville Tigers, the city's previous club, in 1894. Marr also played for the

Nashville Americans The Nashville Americans were a minor league baseball team that played in the Class B Southern League from 1885 to 1886. They were located in Nashville, Tennessee, and played their home games at Sulphur Spring Park, later known as Sulphur Dell. ...

, the city's first team, in 1885 and 1886.

History

Formation

Professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

was first played in

, by the

, who were charter members of the original Southern League from 1885 to 1886 and played their home games at Sulphur Spring Park, later renamed Athletic Park and

Sulphur Dell Sulphur Dell, formerly known as Sulphur Spring Park and Athletic Park, was a baseball park in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It was located just north of the Tennessee State Capitol building in the block bounded by modern-day Jackson Street ...

. This ballpark was to be the home of Nashville's

minor league Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in N ...

teams through 1963. In 1887, the city's Southern League team was called the

Nashville Blues The Nashville Blues were a minor league baseball team that played in the Southern League in 1887. They were located in Nashville, Tennessee, and played their home games at Sulphur Spring Park, later known as Sulphur Dell. Managed by George B ...

. The Nashville Tigers competed in the same league from 1893 to 1894. The Southern League disbanded in July 1894, as the result of league-wide financial instability brought on by the expense of travel and poor attendance. In the ensuing months, baseball leaders across the South considered which cities to include in the next iteration of the Southern League. Representatives met at The Read House Hotel in

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

on January 14 to reorganize for the 1895 season. Membership was granted to clubs in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,71 ...

, Chattanooga,

Evansville Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city i ...

Little Rock ( The "Little Rock") , government_type = Council-manager , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Frank Scott Jr. , leader_party = D , leader_title2 = Council , leader_name2 ...

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

Montgomery Montgomery refers to: People For people with the name Montgomery, see Montgomery (name) Places Belgium * Montgomery Square, Brussels * Montgomery metro station, Brussels Pakistan * Montgomery (town), British India, former name of Sahiwal, Punja ...

, Nashville, and

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoun ...

and

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to ...

. Each of the eight teams paid a US$1,000 deposit to guarantee they would play the entire season. They also pledged to pay dues of $100 per month plus 3% of total gate receipts for a

sinking fund A sinking fund is a fund established by an economic entity by setting aside revenue over a period of time to fund a future capital expense, or repayment of a long-term debt. In North America and elsewhere where it is common for public and priva ...

. Player salaries were capped at $1,000 per team. The Nashville Baseball Association elected R. L. C. White, physician and prominent figure in the Tennessee press, to serve as president of the Nashville club. Nashville's team has come to be known as the

Seraph A seraph (, "burning one"; plural seraphim ) is a type of celestial or heavenly being originating in Ancient Judaism. The term plays a role in subsequent Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Tradition places seraphim in the highest rank in Chris ...

s. Though there are no contemporary references to this moniker, the May 4, 1895, edition of the ''

Nashville Banner The ''Nashville Banner'' is a defunct daily newspaper of Nashville, Tennessee, United States, which published from April 10, 1876 until February 20, 1998. The ''Banner'' was published each Monday through Friday afternoon (as well as Saturdays unti ...

'' referred to the team as "Stallings'

cherub A cherub (; plural cherubim; he, כְּרוּב ''kərūḇ'', pl. ''kərūḇīm'', likely borrowed from a derived form of akk, 𒅗𒊏𒁍 ''karabu'' "to bless" such as ''karibu'', "one who blesses", a name for the lamassu) is one of the u ...

s". At the time, baseball clubs were often called only by the names of their cities. Newspapers generally referred to the team as simply Nashville, the Nashville club, or the Nashvilles.

Spring training

George Stallings 1895 Nashville American illustration

As early as October 1894,

, previously

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activities ...

of the Nashville Tigers, began acquiring players for a new Nashville ball club. Stallings would serve as its

player-manager A player-coach (also playing coach, captain-coach, or player-manager) is a member of a sports team who simultaneously holds both playing and coaching duties. A player-coach may be a head coach or an assistant coach. They may make changes to the sq ...

. He filled the rest of the roster with men he found to be of good character and skilled ball players, some of whom had experience on major league teams. Stallings had played a few games for the

Brooklyn Bridegrooms The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the club moved to Los Angeles, Californ ...

in 1890. He signed

of the 1890

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they ...

and Jim Ritz, who had played one game for the

in 1894. He also acquired the services of his former 1894 Tigers teammates George Cleve and

. With Stallings' players having gathered in the city, the Nashvilles commenced practice at Athletic Park, their home field, on March 18. In further preparation for the coming season, they participated in a number of exhibition games against amateur, collegiate, minor, and major league teams. The first such game was a 17–4 victory over the

Vanderbilt Commodores The Vanderbilt Commodores are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 16 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 10 women's teams), 14 of which compete at the National ...

on the campus of

Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...

on March 26. On March 28, they defeated the

Nashville Athletic Club The Nashville Athletic Club (NAC) was a sports club for young men founded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1884. The NAC was responsible for helping popularize the sports of baseball, football, basketball, athletics, gymnastics and swimming in the Nashvi ...

's baseball team, 12–2, at Athletic Park. On April 10 and 11, Nashville beat Ted Sullivan's

Dallas Steers The Dallas Rangers were a high-level minor league baseball team located in Dallas, Texas from 1958 to 1964. The team was known by the Dallas Rangers name in 1958, 1959, and 1964 and as the Dallas-Fort Worth Rangers from 1960 to 1963. It played i ...

of the

Texas-Southern League The Texas-Southern League was a sports league of minor league baseball teams that operated from 1895 to 1899, primarily in Texas. During the 1896 season, the league renamed itself as the Texas Association. History of the Texas-Southern League / T ...

, 19–3 and 9–1. From late March to mid April, the Seraphs served as the

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

competition for several teams from the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...

, the only major league at the time, who traveled south to prepare for their seasons in a warmer climate. On March 29 and 30, Nashville was defeated by the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

, 7–0 and 16–3. The St. Louis Browns handed them two more losses, 14–4 and 7–2, on April 1 and 2. Nashville defeated the

Cleveland Spiders The Cleveland Spiders were an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. The team competed at the major league level from 1887 to 1899, first for two seasons as a member of the now-defunct American Association (AA), followed ...

, 12–10, on April 3, but lost the next day's game, 18–3. On April 5,

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, who attempts to e ...

Sam Moran out dueled Cleveland's

Cy Young Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29, 1867 – November 4, 1955) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. Born in Gilmore, Ohio, he worked on his family's farm as a youth before starting his professional baseball career. Young entered th ...

, their 28-year-old ace, in a 4–3 win. Nashville bested the visiting

Louisville Colonels The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that also played in the American Association (AA) throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891. They were known as the Louisville Eclipse from 1882 to 1884, and as ...

, 9–8, on April 13, before traveling to

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

, where they lost the next afternoon, 22–5. In their final major league warmup, the Seraphs lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 19–2, at Athletic Park on April 15.

The season

April to June

With over a month's practice under their belts and optimistic about the campaign to come, the Nashville Seraphs were set to open the Southern League championship season of 1895 at Evansville on April 25. Nashville's

roster consisted of pitchers Ed Daniels,

, and Sam Moran;

catcher Catcher is a position in baseball and softball. When a batter takes their turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. In addition to this primary duty, the catcher ...

s Daniel Sweeney and Mike Trost;

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the major ...

/manager George Stallings; second baseman Henry Smith;

third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system u ...

;

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

Jim Ritz;

left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering sy ...

Frank Butler;

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...

Jack McCann; and

right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In t ...

George Cleve. Prior to the season opener, both the Seraphs and their opponents, the

Evansville Blackbirds The Evansville Blackbirds were a minor league baseball team from Evansville, Indiana, that played in the Class B Southern League in 1895. The team finished the season in third place with a 66–38 (.635) record. References {{reflist Southe ...

, were paraded in carriages to the ballpark in a procession which included a brass band and a steam

calliope In Greek mythology, Calliope ( ; grc, Καλλιόπη, Kalliópē, beautiful-voiced) is the Muse who presides over eloquence and epic poetry; so called from the ecstatic harmony of her voice. Hesiod and Ovid called her the "Chief of all Muses ...

. Contested under a light rain, both teams played poorly with only four of the game's 27 runs being

earned Earning can refer to: * Labour (economics) *Earnings of a company *Merit Merit may refer to: Religion * Merit (Christianity) * Merit (Buddhism) * Punya (Hinduism) * Imputed righteousness in Reformed Christianity Companies and brands * Merit ...

and committing 12

errors An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistic ...

between them, 10 by Nashville. Trost hit two over-the-fence

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run is ...

s to help the cause of his batterymate Moran, who was hit hard and walked six batters while

striking out ''Striking Out'' is an Irish television legal drama series, broadcast on RTÉ, that first aired on 1 January 2017. Produced by Bl!nder F!lms for RTÉ Television, ''Striking Out'' stars Amy Huberman as Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty, who i ...

six. Nashville lost, 17–10. For the benefit of hometown fans, telegraphed descriptions of the game were announced in downtown Nashville at the Merchants' Exchange and the Grand Opera House throughout the season. The Seraphs fared much better in their second game on April 27, outscoring the Evansvilles, 19–9. Tied 7–7 after two innings, Stallings substituted Herman for Daniels on the mound to start the third. He allowed only two runs over the remaining seven innings as the Nashvilles scored 12 on the way to their first win. From this point forward, Nashville was a fixture at or near the top of the standings and maintained a winning record through the completion of the season. They wrapped up their opening series by taking the third game from Evansville on April 28, 9–2, in which Moran limited hitters to just two runs on four

hits Hits or H.I.T.S. may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * '' H.I.T.S.'', 1991 album by New Kids on the Block * ''...Hits'' (Phil Collins album), 1998 * ''Hits'' (compilation series), 1984–2006; 2014 - a British compilation album s ...

, improving over his first start. The Seraphs returned to Nashville for their Athletic Park home opener on April 29. A large crowd gathered early in the day to welcome the teams which arrived to the park in a parade of open carriages accompanied by a marching band. Before the game, Mayor

George Blackmore Guild George Blackmore Guild (1834-1917) was an American Democratic politician. He served as the Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee from 1891 to 1895. Biography He was born April 8, 1834, in Gallatin, Tennessee. He attended the University of Alabama in Tu ...

gave a speech and tossed out the first pitch. The home team bested the visiting Evansvilles, 16–4, just as much on good hitting and fielding as on lackluster pitching by Fred Ossenberg. Only two of Nashville's 16 runs were earned; Ossenberg walked 11 batters and the Blackbirds committed five errors. Nashville Seraphs Trost coaching 1895 Banner illustration

Nashville Seraphs Trost coaching 1895 Banner illustration

Catcher Mike Trost, known for emphatically encouraging his teammates, was named team captain in early May. An otherwise disappointing 2–4 road trip, begun on May 10, ended with Nashville sweeping the

Chattanooga Warriors Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

in a

doubleheader Doubleheader or double header may refer to: *Doubleheader (baseball), two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day *Doubleheader (television), a broadcast of two games back-to-back *Double heading, using two railway locomoti ...

on May 19. They went on to win the next seven games at Athletic Park through May 28 to make it nine consecutive wins—three against the

Montgomery Grays Montgomery refers to: People For people with the name Montgomery, see Montgomery (name) Places Belgium * Montgomery Square, Brussels * Montgomery metro station, Brussels Pakistan * Montgomery (town), British India, former name of Sahiwal, Punjab ...

and two each against the

Little Rock Travelers The Little Rock Travelers were an American minor league baseball team located in Little Rock, Arkansas, and members (1902–1910, 1915–1958, 1960–1961) of the Southern Association, which as a Class A, A1 or Double-A circuit was typically two r ...

and

New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their home ...

. The

Memphis Giants The Memphis Giants were a minor league baseball team from Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the County seat, seat of Shelby County, Tennessee, Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is si ...

ended the streak on May 30, and the Nashvilles closed out their first full month of competition tied for first place with Evansville at 19–8 (.703). The Seraphs went five-for-five in an early June road trip, taking three games from Little Rock and two from Memphis, giving them sole possession of first place. Looking to keep his team at the top, Stallings released center fielder McCann on June 8. He had not played since June 2 following sporadic appearances after being

hit by a pitch In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is awarded first base, provided ...

in the arm in late May. Stallings also planned to release shortstop Ritz, whose errors the team blamed for at least five losses. Stallings instead signed Patrick Lynch of the

Bloomington, Illinois Bloomington is a city and the county seat of McLean County, Illinois, McLean County, Illinois, United States. It is adjacent to the town of Normal, Illinois, Normal, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomingto ...

Western Interstate League The Wisconsin State League was a class D baseball league that began in 1905, changing its name to the Wisconsin–Illinois League in 1908 and operating through 1914. The league re–organized under that name in 1926. Another Wisconsin State League ...

team to play short and moved Ritz to center field when Lynch joined the team on June 19. Ritz was later shifted to second, a position which he played much better, after Henry Smith, who exhibited poor fielding range and committed numerous errors on routine plays, was released after the game of June 29. Nashville won three games in a single day in a exceedingly rare June 26

tripleheader Triple header or ''variant'' thereof, may refer to: *Baseball tripleheader, three baseball games on the same day between the same two teams, see Doubleheader (baseball)#Tripleheaders *Television tripleheader, three telecast games in the same spor ...

against Little Rock at Athletic Park. The Tarvelers' manager refused to play the morning game after receiving a

telegram Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...

from league president J. B. Nicklin informing him that playing more than two games in a day was optional. With only the home team taking the field, Daniels threw three strikes over the plate to Trost, and the

umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...

awarded Nashville the game on forfeit. Nashville won the afternoon and evening games, 17–7 and 8–5. The forfeited morning game was later removed from the record when the league's directors confirmed Nicklin's ruling that no team could be forced to play more than two games in a day. By the end of June, approximately halfway through the season, Nashville was locked in a three-way tie for first place with Evansville and Atlanta, and the rest of the league was virtually out of contention.

July to September

On July 4, Art Herman flirted with a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher w ...

against New Orleans in the first game of a doubleheader at Athletic Park before a paid attendance of 1,300 people. He held the visiting batters hitless for eight innings until Billy York singled softly between third and short. The Seraphs won the game, 12–0, and the afternoon's game, 9–4, with 3,200 in attendance. In conjunction with that day's

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

celebration, additionally scheduled festivities included a fireworks display, an exhibition of tricks by a "one-legged fancy bicycle rider", and footraces between Seraphs and Pelicans players. Frank Butler 1895 Nashville American illustration

Frank Butler 1895 Nashville American illustration

With the team in a heated race for the pennant, a number of changes in late July and early August threatened to knock the Nashvilles out of the championship picture. On July 21 at

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ...

, which had transferred from Chattanooga on July 19, Ed Daniels came down with a case of

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or deat ...

keeping him out of action until August 5. On July 26, Butler was sold to the National League's

for $1,500. Butler was a skilled fielder and did well at the plate, but his throwing was deemed deficient and he was known for criticizing his teammates. The proceeds of his sale helped ensure the team would break even on the season and would help Stallings acquire more players. Earlier in the season, Trost had been suspended by Stallings for four days for not adhering to a pledge to abstain from liquor, which had been affecting his play. On July 20, "having accumulated a good supply of booze", Stallings planned to suspended Trost a second time and send him home from their road trip in Mobile, but he disappeared from the team after that afternoon's game on a drinking binge. He was evidently allowed to remain with the team as he showed up to a July 23 game in New Orleans too drunk to play. He did not appear in another game until July 27 wherein Stallings removed him after making two errors, and he managed to get himself ejected by the umpire as he sat on the bench. Trost continued to see playing time as catcher and at first base but did not appear in another game following the afternoon of August 9 when he was removed during the fourth inning. As the team slipped to third place, several players were added to make up for recent roster subtractions, but more were yet to come. Stallings signed first baseman Al Gibson, who joined the club on July 23, only to be released on August 1. Ritz, who had been struggling at the plate, was released days later on August 4. Stallings also acquired outfielder

, a member of the 1885 and 1886 Nashville Americans, who joined the team on August 6. The Little Rock club, in last place and in financial dire straights, was dissolved on July 27, and its players were dispersed among the remaining teams. Nashville received third baseman Richard Gorman and right fielder Julius Knoll, who played their first games as Nashvilles on August 2. Gorman remained with the Seraphs until being called away to the bedside of his dying mother on August 16. Sam Moran (1895 Nashville Seraphs)

The August 10 game versus the

at Athletic Park later played a key role in determining the pennant winner. Trailing 10–9 in the final

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

of the ninth inning, Sweeney stepped up to the plate with runners at first and second. With two strikes against him, he hit a high fly ball into

foul territory In baseball, a foul ball is a batted ball that: * Settles on foul territory between home and first base or between home and third base, or * Bounces and then goes past first or third base on or over foul territory, or * Has its first bounce occu ...

near the grandstand. As Atlanta's catcher, Tug Wilson, attempted to get under the ball, his foot slipped causing him to miss the catch. While reaching for the ball, a boy in the stands threw a baseball glove past his head. The umpire, Clark, ruled this as interference and called Sweeney out, resulting in a 10–9 Atlanta win. The police had to protect Clark from an irate Stallings and an incensed crowd of around 1,000 spectators. The Nashvilles protested the umpire's decision. The incident came to be known as the "glove game". Continuing to shore up his roster, Stallings acquired shortstop Ed Mrzena to replace the bereaved Gorman on August 17. Nearly a week later, the team lost one-third of its pitching rotation when Stallings came to terms to sell Moran to

Connie Mack Cornelius McGillicuddy (December 22, 1862 – February 8, 1956), better known as Connie Mack, was an American professional baseball catcher, manager, and team owner. The longest-serving manager in Major League Baseball history, he holds untoucha ...

's Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League. Mack had shown interest in adding Moran to his beleaguered team for weeks as he and Stallings negotiated a price, finally settling on $1,000. Moran struck out seven batters while allowing only four runs on ten hits in his farewell game, a 6–4 win over Mobile in the second game of an August 24 doubleheader. That same day, Stallings acquired the release of National Leaguer

from the Louisville Colonels. Though a pitcher, McCreery joined the team playing right field on August 31 in the place of Cleve after he sprained his left hand in a bicycle accident on August 30. Meanwhile, Nashville was in the middle of an improbable march up the league standings. Suffering back-to-back losses on August 14 at Atlanta, the Seraphs were in third place, seven games behind the first place Evansvilles. With the season set to close on September 3 and only three weeks left to play, these were the last games Nashville would lose. Starting with an August 15 win at home against Atlanta, the Nashville club won 20 consecutive games. The season-high win streak concluded on September 3 with a 7–0 shutout of Evansville before a crowd of 1,200 fans at Athletic Park. According to the final league standings and President Nicklin, Nashville and Atlanta were tied for first place with identical .670

s, Nashville at 71–35 and Atlanta at 69–34. Both teams took exception to the idea of a tie and reasoned that each was the rightful champion.

The pennant

Nashville asserted their right to the pennant for three reasons. First, that Atlanta's last game was scheduled for September 2, therefore a game they played on September 3 against New Orleans was illegal and should not be counted in the standings. Second, they believed the August 10 glove game should be thrown out because of the umpire's improper ruling. Third, they contested a number of games in which New Orleans fielded two illegal players, Ira Davis and Bobby Rothermel, who were competing under assumed identities to circumvent their suspensions from the

Pennsylvania State League The Pennsylvania State League was an American minor league baseball sports league that operated from 1892 to 1895, then became the first Atlantic League. The league member teams were exclusively based in Pennsylvania. Cities represented * Allen ...

, thus making them ineligible to play. Atlanta claimed a mathematical reason for being the pennant winner. They held that while rounding the teams' winning percentages to the traditional three decimal places yielded a tie, if rounded to four places, they would emerge ahead with .6699 (69–34) versus Nashville's .6698 (71–35). The Atlantas also sought to receive credit for games they played which were forfeited by their opponents but not reflected in the standings. They concurred with Nashville's concern over New Orleans using blacklisted players, but they countered that the league's rules provided for awarding such games to the opposing team rather than being nullified. J B Nicklin 1895 Nashville American illustration

J B Nicklin 1895 Nashville American illustration

On September 7 to 8, team representatives met at The Read House in Chattanooga to discuss awarding the pennant. Stallings and White attended on behalf of Nashville. Evansville's representative issued his voting proxy to White. Montgomery's proxy was transferred to Bill Cherry, a resident of Nashville. E. C. Bruffey, sports editor for ''

The Atlanta Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

'', represented Atlanta and New Orleans, the latter by proxy. Mobile was not present. Effectively, this made it Nashville, Evansville, and Montgomery against Atlanta and New Orleans. Rather than contend against three Nashville residents, Bruffey left the meeting. The remaining Nashvillians then voted unanimously to throw out the glove game on the grounds that umpire Clark's decision to award the victory to Atlanta based on fan interference was against the league's constitution. Stallings then withdrew his motion to remove the September 3 Atlanta–New Orleans game and the New Orleans games involving blacklisted players. This moved Nashville up to .676 (71–34), and Atlanta dropped to .667 (68–34). They next resolved that the championship pennant be awarded to Nashville. President Nicklin, dissatisfied with the meeting's outcome, wrote to each club informing them that the league's constitution required full representation from every team before business could be transacted. With no representatives from Atlanta, Mobile, or New Orleans, the decisions of the Chattanooga meeting were declared unconstitutional and nonbinding. He reinstated the tie record until another meeting could be held. Prior to and immediately after these events, the teams entertained the idea of a playoff series of seven games to determine a champion. On September 9, Atlanta reneged on the proposition and refused to play the series with Nashville. On December 21, league directors gathered in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

for the league's annual winter meeting. Chief among the agenda was to once-and-for-all award the 1895 pennant. Nashville and Evansville were represented by Stallings and White, while Atlanta, Montgomery, and New Orleans each had their own delegates. Mobile was again absent. After the reading of the previous Chattanooga meeting's minutes, J. B. Allen of Atlanta made a motion to reconsider the expulsion the glove game. Nashville, Evansville, and Montgomery voted 3–2 against Atlanta and New Orleans and the minutes were approved with slight undisclosed alterations. One-hundred nine days after the call of the last out, the Nashville Seraphs were declared champions of the Southern League and would fly their city's first professional baseball pennant.

Postseason exhibitions

While the fate of the pennant was being decided, the Nashvilles played a series of exhibition games against semi-professional teams in

Hopkinsville, Kentucky Hopkinsville is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Christian County, Kentucky, United States. The population at the 2010 census was 31,577. History Early years The area of present-day Hopkinsville was initially claimed in 1796 b ...

, and

Clarksville, Tennessee Clarksville is the county seat of Montgomery County, Tennessee, United States. It is the fifth-largest city in the state behind Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. The city had a population of 166,722 as of the 2020 United States ...

, into the second week of September. Sweeney managed the team while Stallings attended the league meeting in Chattanooga, and Marr was named team captain. In addition to Marr, Stallings, and Sweeney, other players remaining with the team at this time were Cleeve, Daniels, Herman, Knoll, Lynch, Mrzena, and Myers. Added to the roster were shortstop

Ollie Beard Oliver Perry Beard (May 2, 1862 – May 28, 1929) was an American Major League Baseball player who played shortstop for the Cincinnati Red Stockings/Reds from 1889 to 1890. He then played third base for the Louisville Colonels in 1891. B ...

, pitcher

Noodles Hahn Frank George "Noodles" Hahn (April 29, 1879 – February 6, 1960) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds and New York Highlanders between 1899 and 1906. The left-hander posted a 130–94 win–loss r ...

, catcher

Jack Brennan John Vincent Brennan (born August 16, 1937) is a retired United States Marine Corps officer and former political aide.http://www.providence.edu/library/archives/brennan/rppc_msbrennan.html He is best known as being U.S. President Richard Nixon's ...

, and an unidentified outfielder Smith. McCreery had returned to Louisville, and the Colonels had also acquired Trost. (46) Noodles Hahn

Nashville merchants and the club's directors organized a benefit game for the home team with the full proceeds of ticket sales going directly to the players. The day's festivities included a game between the Seraphs and the Nashville Athletic Club, several dashes including one for the "slow championship" between Herman, Sweeney, and Mrzena, a boxing match between Knoll and Lynch, Stallings would attempt to break the world's record for rounding the bases, and players would compete in long distance throwing and sliding competitions. About 1,600 tickets were sold at 50 cents apiece to the September 18 benefit, which was won by the Seraphs, 4–2, when the game was called after six innings so the athletic program could be gotten in before dark. Herman finished last in the slow race, the boxing match was a draw, and Stallings won the throwing contest. From September 24 to 28, the Nashvilles competed against the

Richmond Bluebirds The Richmond Bluebirds were a minor league baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia. Between 1895 and 1901, the Bluebirds played as members of the Virginia League in 1895 and 1896, Atlantic League (1896–1900), Atlantic League from 1897 to 1899, ...

, champions of the Class B

Virginia League The Virginia League was a minor league baseball affiliation which operated in Virginia and North Carolina from 1906 to 1928. It was classified as a "C" league from 1906 to 1919 and as a "B" league from 1920 to 1928. The most famous alumni to c ...

, for "the Championship of the South" at Richmond's West End Park. In game one, the home team easily won, 16–3, after Nashville committed seven errors allowing only four earned runs off of Herman. Game two was called on account of darkness in the bottom of the sixth inning with Nashville leading 10–2, tying the series at a game apiece. Down 7–4 in the seventh inning of game three, the Seraphs touched Bluebirds hurler Jack Knorr for 10 runs on the way to a 14–9 victory. Richmond took game four, 11–4, to even the series. In the seventh inning of that game, Myers, upset with what he believed was an incorrect call at third base, threw the ball hitting the umpire Hoggins in the side just above his kidneys causing him to fall the ground. Several policemen rushed out to arrest Myers shortly before some members of the crowd formed a mob and attacked him on the field. Protected by his arresting officers, Myers was removed from the ballpark and charged with felony assault with intent to kill. The next day, having made bail, Myers visited the ailing umpire, apologized for his conduct, and asked for the case to be dismissed. Myers plead guilty and was fined $10 plus costs, which he immediately paid. He and Hoggins both appeared in that afternoon's decisive game five. Herman held the locals to just four runs on three hits while Myers led Nashville batters with three hits including a home run. The Seraphs won, 13–4, and claimed the Championship of the South.

Dissolution

Soon after an early October series with the semi-pro

Knoxville Reds The Knoxville Reds were a minor league baseball team that played in Knoxville, Tennessee, from 1909 to 1914. The team was known as the Knoxville Appalachians from 1909 to 1911 before adopting the Reds moniker. They were members of the Class B Sou ...

, Stallings disbanded the team. The Nashville Base Ball Club planned to field a team in the Southern League season of 1896, but refused to participate when the Mobile club rejected putting up their $500 guarantee to finish the season, instead suggesting that each of the other clubs pay a portion of its deposit in addition to their own $500. Nashville's next professional baseball team, the

Nashville Centennials The Nashville Centennials were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Class C Central League in 1897. They were located in Nashville, Tennessee, and were named in reference to the celebration of the one-hundredth anniversary of Tennes ...

, were formed as charter members of the Class C

Central League The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently cons ...

in 1897.

Season results

The Southern League's 1895 standings were amended after the September 3 season's close with the subtraction of the August 10 Nashville–Atlanta glove game. The Chattanooga franchise was transferred to Mobile on June 19. Memphis dropped out of the league on July 23, and Little Rock followed on July 27. Records for these two disbanded clubs are given as they stood on their last days of competition.

Ballpark

The Seraphs played their home games at Nashville's Athletic Park. The first grandstand was built at the northeastern corner of the block bounded by modern-day Jackson Street, Fourth Avenue North, Harrison Street, and Fifth Avenue North to accommodate fans of the Nashville Americans in 1885. Located in Sulphur Springs Bottom, the land had hitherto been little more than solely a baseball ''field'' and required improvements to make it suitable for professional teams. The main Jackson Street entrance led past the ticket booth and into the grandstand's reserved seats behind

home plate A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

and a screen backstop. Rooms for players, directors, scorers, and reporters were built under the grandstand. Restrooms and water fountains, which pumped up sulphur water from the springs below, were also built. The distance to the

outfield The outfield, in cricket, baseball and softball is the area of the field of play further from the batsman or batter than the infield. In association football, the outfield players are positioned outside the goal area. In cricket, baseball a ...

fence was to left and right fields and to center. Extensive renovations were made prior to the 1894 season, including the construction of a new fence and grandstand just west of the original. The existing grandstand was refurbished and given a coat of whitewash, and a screen was placed to block the setting sun. Additionally, the diamond was leveled, and a new scoreboard was installed in right field. The total seating capacity was around 1,000, consisting of about 500 opera chairs, some in private boxes near the front, and bleachers along Fourth Avenue. The facility, known as Sulphur Dell from 1908, was demolished in 1969 after serving as the home of the

Nashville Vols The Nashville Vols were a Minor League Baseball team that played in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1901 to 1963. Known only as the Nashville Baseball Club during their first seven seasons, they were officially named the Nashville Volunteers (often sh ...

from 1901 to 1963. Since 2015, the site has been the location of

First Horizon Park First Horizon Park, formerly known as First Tennessee Park, is a baseball park in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The home of the Triple-A Nashville Sounds of the International League, it opened on April 17, 2015, and can seat u ...

, the home stadium of the Triple-A

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry, ...

baseball team.

Uniforms

The only known photograph of the team shows the Nashvilles wearing dark colored jerseys with a light serifed "N" on the left chest. About half of them are wearing long-sleeved shirts, while the rest have shirts cutoff at or just above the elbows. Dark pants terminating below the knees were tucked into either dark or light colored socks and paired with a variety of belts. Their caps were striped. The March 17 edition of '' The Nashville American'' sheds light on the color of their uniforms, describing them as consisting of "navy blue shirts and trousers, white stockings and belts, and white and blue college striped caps. On the breast of the shirt is a large 'N' in white." Also mentioned were matching double-breasted navy coats with white collars and cuffs and large pearl buttons. On June 18, ''The American'' makes reference to a change of appearance: "dark stockings and white caps have been adopted instead of the muddy-looking white hose and striped caps they have been wearing."

Players

A total of 19 players competed in at least one game for the Seraphs during the 1895 season. Only six of the 12 men on the April 25 Opening Day roster remained with Nashville for the entire season. Nine also played for major league teams during their careers.

References

External links

* {{Professional baseball in Nashville, Tennessee 1895 establishments in Tennessee 1895 disestablishments in Tennessee Baseball teams established in 1895 Baseball teams disestablished in 1895 Defunct baseball teams in Tennessee Professional baseball teams in Tennessee Southern League (1885–1899) teams Sports in Nashville, Tennessee