A Look Back at the 1871 Boston Red Stockings Season | Year 1 for Braves Franchise

Tags

1871, Al Spalding, Boston Red Stockings, George Wright, Harry Wright, Ivers Whitney Adams, National Association of Professional Baseball Players, Season Summary, South End Grounds

The Boston Red Stockings were one of the founding members of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players, the first professional baseball league in history.

• The team was formed in 1871 by Ivers Whitney Adams, a Boston businessman who wanted to bring the best players from the defunct Cincinnati Red Stockings to his city.
• He hired Harry Wright, the former manager and center fielder of the Cincinnati team, to lead the new franchise.
• Harry Wright brought along his brother George Wright, a star shortstop, and three other players from the Cincinnati team: pitcher Al Spalding, catcher Cal McVey, and first baseman Charlie Gould.

The Boston Red Stockings played their home games at the South End Grounds, a wooden ballpark that could seat about 5,000 spectators. They also played some games at the Union Grounds in Brooklyn, New York, where they had a large fan base. The team wore red stockings, white flannel shirts, and dark blue trousers with a red stripe. They were nicknamed “the Red Caps” by some newspapers.

The 1871 season was a successful one for the Boston Red Stockings. They finished with a record of 20-10-1, third in the nine-team league. They scored 401 runs and allowed 303 runs, both second-best in the league. They had a .310 team batting average and a 4.13 team earned run average, both third-best in the league.

The team had several individual standouts as well.

• Al Spalding was the workhorse of the pitching staff, starting all 31 games and completing 30 of them. He led the league with 19 wins and 248 strikeouts. He also batted .354 and drove in 47 runs.
• Cal McVey was the team’s best hitter, batting .431 with four home runs and 49 runs batted in.
• Ross Barnes of the Chicago White Stockings, who hit .432.
• George Wright was another offensive star, batting .337 with two home runs and 35 runs batted in. He also led the league with 49 stolen bases and 65 runs scored.
• Harry Wright was not only the manager but also the center fielder of the team. He batted .255 with 24 runs batted in and played solid defense.

The Boston Red Stockings were one of the pioneers of professional baseball and set the stage for future success. Three of their players – Harry Wright, George Wright, and Al Spalding – are enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame for their contributions to the game. The team’s legacy lives on today as the Atlanta Braves, who trace their roots back to the 1871 Boston Red Stockings.