Nashville Americans
| Nashville Americans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minor league titles | |
| League titles | none |
The Nashville Americans were a minor league baseball team of the Southern League from 1885 to 1886. The team was one of eight charter members of the newly formed league. They were located in Template:City-state and played home games at Athletic Park, which was opened in 1885. The Americans were Nashville's first professional baseball team.
Team history
1885
Beginning play in 1885, the Nashville Americans were a charter member of the newly formed Southern League. The 8-team circuit also included the Atlanta Atlantans, Augusta Browns, Chattanooga Lookouts, Columbus Stars, Memphis Browns, and teams from Birmingham and Macon. The Americans played their home games at Athletic Park, which would later come to be known as Sulphur Dell. With a distance of 262 feet (80 m) to the right field wall, it was a notorious hitter's park.[1]
Prior to the inaugural season, the Americans hosted the Chicago White Stockings for spring training. Chicago competed in exhibition games against the Americans, local semi-pro clubs, and the Vanderbilt University team.[2]
The Americans played their first home game on May 4 against the Columbus Stars. First baseman Leonard Sowders led off the first inning reaching first base on an error. Batting second was third baseman James Hillery who scored the team's first hit. Second baseman John Cullen also reached base on an error. Shortstop Joe Werrick later stepped up to the plate hitting a triple, scoring Hillery and Cullen. Those would be Nashville's only runs of the game, a 2–3 loss in front of the home crowd.[2]
During a road trip to Atlanta, Georgia, on August 14, the Americans and the Atlanta Atlantans were involved in a tragic death as the result of rough play on the field. Atlanta's first baseman, Louis Henke, hit the ball and ran for first base. He collided with Nashville’s first baseman, Charles Marr, with such force that Henke fell to the ground. He then stood up, staggered, and fell again. He was taken to a local hospital where doctors diagnosed him with a ruptured liver, an injury which would cause his death later that evening. To support his widow, the Southern League played benefit games in each city that fielded a team that season.[3]
Nashville finished their first season of play in third place with a 55–37 record. Americans first baseman Leonard Sowders was the league’s first batting champion with a .309 batting average.[4]
1886
The Americans returned to play their final season in 1886. That year's incarnation of the Southern League included the new Charleston Seagulls, Memphis Grays, and a team from Savannah, as well as returning franchises in Atlanta, Augusta, Chattanooga, and Macon. The team's final game was held on September 4. The contest against Savannah resulted in a 10–9 Nashville loss.[5] They ended the season with a 46–43 record, putting them in third place.[4] This was the last season that the Americans were fielded as a team. In 1886, the franchise was replaced by the Nashville Blues.
Season-by-season results
| Nashville Americans | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Record | Win % | Finish |
| 1885 | 55–37 | .598 | 3rd |
| 1886 | 46–43 | .456 | 3rd |
| Totals | 101–80 | .558 | — |
References
- ^ Traughber, Bill. "Looking Back: Seraphs Win 1895 Championship." Nashville Sounds. 10 May 2004. Retrieved on 22 March 2008.
- ^ a b Traughber, Bill. "Looking Back: The 1885 Nashville Americans." Nashville Sounds. 8 May 2006. Retrieved on 21 March 2008.
- ^ Traughber, Bill. "Looking Back: Baseball Deaths Involve Nashville." Nashville Sounds. 15 May 2006. 21 March 2008.
- ^ a b Traughber, Bill. "Looking Back: 1885 Americans Return To Nashville (Part 2 Of 2)." Nashville Sounds. 174 June 2004. 21 March 2008.
- ^ Traughber, Bill. "Looking Back: 1885 Americans Return To Nashville (Part 1 Of 2)." Nashville Sounds. 14 June 2004. Retrieved on 10 October 2008.