The Monroe Times Saturday, April 18, 2020 SPORTS B1 Gratiot-born Abner Dalrymple A career nearly forgotten became 19th century star he last time there wasn’t a professional Tbaseball game played in the U.S. in the month of April was 1883. That year, opening day was May 1; and the Chicago White Stockings, now known as the Cubs, won the first of 59 games (out of 98). One of their top players was a homegrown local man — Abner Dalrymple; born in Gratiot and buried in Warren. Celebrating the town’s ses- quicentennial in 1993, Jim Nielson, the Warren High School baseball coach, want- ed to honor the hometown hero that had been all but for- gotten. “We made replica baseball cards of him,” Nielsen said. In the time before the inter- net, Nielsen had to dig deep to find information on Dalrymple — including mak- ing the trek to baseball’s Hall Times photo: Adam Krebs of Fame in Cooperstown, By Adam Krebs Meridian Park in Warren has a memorial plaque behind the fence near home plate to honor New York. akrebs@ Abner Dalrymple, a local player that played 12 years in Major League Baseball. Dalrymple, born “They let me into the back themonroetimes.net in Gratiot, began playing professional baseball in Milwaukee more than 150 years ago. He played rooms to do some research. most of his career for the Chicago White Stockings. BELOW: A baseball card of Dalrymple by They have the bat he received Old Judge Cigarettes in 1887 when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Alleghenys. from the National League engraved with silver from the year he led baseball (1878) in est on the team. none of which still stand: In 1879, the White second with batting average,” Nielsen While the rate of inflation runs, RBIs, extra base hits, Stockings finished fourth in 25 and Anson said. would put that amount at total bases and walks. the NL with a 46-33 record. fourth at 21. A plaque was also dedicat- about $67,000 in 2019, it was The following season, the Chicago ed to Dalrymple at Meridian nearly the amount the Dalrymple’s White White Stockings blew the top played its Park, just outside the fence league’s highest paid player Stockings in the off of the baseball world, win- games at near home plate. that year would make — Al 1880s ning 67 of 84 games. The Lakefront “That was the last time we Spalding, who played for club averaged 6.4 runs a game Park on the did anything for him,” Chicago before hanging up he White Stockings and hit a collected .279 — site of the old Nielsen said. his cleats in 1877 and moving were one of the pro- and that was not even the best Union into the role of team president Tlific dynasties of any season during Dalrymple’s Baseball Abner Dalrymple’s and co-owner. era. Thanks to a lack of free time in the Windy City. Grounds that backstory Dalrymple led the league in agency, the club was routinely In 1881, Chicago again had burned batting average as a rookie able to hang onto its best won the NL (56-28), this time during the alrymple was born with the Milwaukee Grays in players. Many of the team’s averaging 6.5 runs per game Great Sept. 9, 1857, near 1878. In 1885 he led baseball batting marks and winning and a .295 team batting aver- Chicago Fire DGratiot. By the time in home runs with 11 — percentage from the late age. The reign on the NL con- of 1871. The he was a teenager, he was liv- though the year before that he 1870s into the 1880s stood for tinued in 1882, as the White dimensions of ing about six miles away in hit 22. Teammate Ned years — and some still to this Stockings (55-29) took home the ballparks Warren and working as a Williamson had 27 that same day. The club’s roster had the pennant, hitting .277 with in the 19th brakeman on the Illinois year, a single-season home some of the game’s best play- an eye-opening 7.1 runs per century were Central Railroad. He played run record that would last 35 ers in that era, like Anson, game. Chicago played its much differ- baseball for various traveling years until a 24-year-old Williamson, George Gore, games at Lake Front Park. ent than in teams, including a hometown Boston slugger named Babe Bob Ferguson and Hall of The second-place finish in today’s game. club from Warren, a club Ruth set a new record. Ruth Fame outfielder King Kelly. 1883 still saw the team hit Many fields from Freeport, and a team would break his own record Dalrymple, a left-handed hit- .273 and average 6.9 runs a were very made up of railroad co-work- three more times. ting outfielder, was the team’s game, despite an added 14 shallow along ers. Dalrymple played 12 sea- leadoff man. games to the schedule. In the foul lines, In 1876 he joined the sons in the top tiers of profes- Chicago had the highest 1884, another 14 games were and incredibly Milwaukee Grays, then of the sional baseball, playing the team batting average five added to the schedule, but this deep in center League Alliance. Two years final three years of his career years in a row and won three time the White Stockings field. later, the club joined the with the Pittsburgh league titles from 1880-82. struggled to fifth place (62- Lakefront United States Library of Congress’ Baseball Cards National League and Alleghenys and then the The 140 team home runs hit 50) despite averaging 7.4 runs Park, howev- Collection photo Dalrymple led all hitters in Milwaukee Brewers of the in 112 games in 1884 was a and a .281 team batting aver- er, was shal- batting average at .354. In the American Association. He record that stood until the age. low all the opened a new park, West Side offseason, White Stockings had 43 career home runs, 407 1927 New York Yankees, with It was in 1884 that way around — the left field Park No. 1, which would be player-manager Cap Anson, a RBIs, 1,202 hits, 813 runs a lineup consisting of Ruth Dalrymple’s career high of 22 foul pole stood about 186 feet used until 1891. The foul baseball Hall of Famer, and just 359 strikeouts in 951 and Lou Gehrig and dubbed home runs put him among the from home plate, compared to lines were 216 feet from reportedly paid $2,500 to buy games. He had a career bat- “Murderer’s Row.” The most powerful hitters of the the right field pole at 196 feet. home plate to the pole, while Dalrymple from Milwaukee, ting average of .288. At one Yankees played 154 games era. Williamson’s 27 HRs Center field was a mere 300 center field was hundreds of and then paid him $300 per point, Dalrymple held five that season, hitting 155 home paced the league, with team- feet away. month — said to be the high- major league career records, runs. mate Fred Pfeffer finishing The next season, the club See REMEMBER, Page B2 OUTDOORS OVERVIEW FROM LEFT FIELD Challenging times Finding the ‘past’ in America’s favorite unveil compassion pastime a hard, worthwhile endeavor About a year ago I had an idea for a Baseball is a little bit different. The year, I learned more and more about Outside-minded people, even dances are so noteworthy that feature story: Find all the former local professional game is more than 150 that era of baseball. I already consid- when alone, are unveiling con- crane groups are sometimes players I could that played professional years old, and information on where ered myself a baseball guy — even tak- sideration, smiling to remain called dances, and also con- sports. players come from is based more on ing a baseball history class at positive, and structions, sedges and sieges. A couple of those birthplace than where they attended UW-Milwaukee. But you don’t learn marveling at A pair of Canada geese were are easy: Alex high school. the full history of a sport and all its the wonders doing their own version of Erickson of One search I had came up with just a players in a class that spends an hour of spring’s “look at me; here I am.” Again, Darlington currently handful of names, then I expanded to together twice a week for a semester. nature. the male bird was noticeably plays for the nearby towns, like Shullsburg, Back in the 1800s, the structure of A pair of larger than the female. Cincinnati Bengals Evansville, Mineral Point; and to the the sport looked different than today. sandhill The larger female bald eagle in the NFL, while south like Freeport. A few more names The National League was around, but cranes, like- was brooding her hatchlings, Ric Mathias, a for- were added, but for most, the theme was one of almost a handful of leagues ly a larger while the smaller male flew in mer Cheesemaker, was the same — when I came across a considered “major.” The American male and with a meat meal for mother played for the Adam name, they had played for a handful of Association, Western League, and slightly Jerry and child (children?). Bengals in a handful Krebs games or less, saw mediocre success Southern League were all big-named smaller Wood ducks followed one of games in the and that was that.