May 25, 1871: New York's 1st Major League Baseball Game

"Death to Flying Things"

May 25, 1871: New York's 1st major league baseball game is played – sort of. It is played in the National Association, which some baseball observers count as "major league," while others don't.

Opening their season, The Mutual Base Ball Club, which had been playing since 1857, played their 1st NA game on May 18, beating the Troy Haymakers, 14-3 at the Haymakers' Grounds, in Troy, across the Hudson River from Albany, the capital of the State of New York.

One week later, on May 25, they played their 1st game in what would now be considered the City of New York, and lost to the Haymakers, 25-10 before a crowd of 3,000 at the Union Grounds in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

One week later, on June 1, the Mutuals got their 1st win, beating the Forest City club of Rockford, Illinois 7-3 before 2,000 at the Union Grounds.

The Union Grounds

The Mutuals were owned by William Cammeyer, who in 1862 built the Union Grounds as the 1st enclosed ballpark – and, thus, the 1st one where admission could be charged. Their manager was Brooklyn native Bob Ferguson, an infielder so good, his nickname was "Death to Flying Things." The team also included Joe Start, the sport's 1st great 1st baseman; and Dickey Pearce, who succeeded the Cincinnati Red Stockings' George Wright as the game's best shortstop.

In spite of all this talent, the Mutuals finished just 16-17, 7½ games behind the Pennant-winning Philadelphia Athletics. That team went out of business in 1876, and had no connection to the team of the same name founded in the American League in 1901, playing in Oakland since 1968. The Mutuals also folded in 1876.

The Union Grounds last hosted baseball in 1883. The site is now mostly taken up by New York State's 47th Regiment Armory.

May 25, 1871 was a Thursday. This was the only game played. So there were no other scores on this historic day.