n 3; June 3d, at the same
place, Chicago 8, Boston 4; July 11th, at Chicago, Chicago 18, Boston 7;
July 12th, at the same place, Chicago 11, Boston 3; and July 15th,
again, Chicago 15, Boston 0; September 15th, at Boston, Chicago 9,
Boston 3; September 16th, Chicago 7, Boston 2; and September 22d, at
Chicago, Chicago 12, Boston 10. September 23d we met Boston for the last
time during the season, and, anxious as we were to make our victories
over them ten straight, that being the number of games called for by the
schedule, we failed to do so, being beaten by a score of 10 to 9.

I think that Harry Wright was happier that day when O'Rourke crossed the
home plate and scored the winning run than he would have been had
somebody made him a present of a house and lot, so anxious was he to win
at least one game from Chicago during the season.

Both the Athletics and Mutuals failed to play out their scheduled games
in the West that fall, and as a result they were expelled at the annual
meeting of the League held in Cleveland the December following, leaving
but six clubs to contest for championship honors in 1877.

That first year of the League was not a success when viewed from a
financial standpoint, as not a single one of the clubs that composed it
made any money, even the Chicagos, who carried off the pennant, quitting
loser. The men who had organized it were by no means discouraged,
however, and that they finally reaped the reward of their pluck and
perseverance is now a matter of history.

In the fall I again signed with Chicago, as did Spalding, McVey, Barnes,
Peters, Andrus, and Glenn of the old team, while Jim White returned to
his first love, the Bostons. The new-corners on the team were Bradley,
who had pitched for the St. Louis Club the year before, and who was
accounted as being one of the best in the business, and H. W. Smith a
change catcher and outfielder.

This was a year of disaster as far as Chicago was concerned, and we
brought up the tail end of the pennant race, the whip going to Boston,
which won 31 games and lost 17, while Louisville stood second on the
list with 28 games won and 20 lost, to its credit, Hartford being third,
St. Louis fourth, and Chicago fifth, the Cincinnatis having failed to
weather the financial storm, being expelled from the League because of
non-payment of dues.

There would doubtless have been a different tale to tell in regard to
the championship of 1877 had it not been for th