amous as twirlers in base-ball history.

The Chicago team was that season the strongest that the "Windy City" had
yet put in the field. To succeed Ferguson, who had gone elsewhere, I was
selected as captain and manager, a position that I have always had
reason to believe came to me through the influence of Mr. Hulbert, and
that I retained for many a year, through both good and evil report,
finding it but a thankless job at best. The make-up of the team in full
was as follows: Larkin, pitcher; Flint, catcher; Anson, first base;
Quest, second base; Hankinson, pitcher and third base; Peters,
stortstop; Dalrymple, Gore, Remsen and George Schaffer in the field,
with Williamson alternating with Hankinson at third base.

Quest, Flint, Williamson and George Schaffer all came from the
Indianapolis team of the year before, and Dalrymple, who afterward became
a great favorite with Chicago "fans," from the Milwaukees.

Geo. C. Gore was a newcomer in the League ranks, he hailing from New
Bedford, but he soon made for himself a name, being a first-class
fielder and a batsman that was away above the average, as is shown by
his record made in after years.

It was my first season as a first baseman, though T had played the
position at odd times before, and that it suited me is shown by the fact
that I led the League with a fielding average of .974 and stood first
among the batsmen with .407, which was the largest percentage ever made
up to that time. Flint that season stood first in the list of catchers,
and Quest led the second basemen. It was some time during the close of
the season that an unfortunate accident happened to Larkin, and one that
caused his retirement from the diamond for some time afterward. A line
ball from my bat struck him on the head, and as a result, it was at
least so stated, he had to be sent to an asylum, where he remained for
some time, though I believe that he afterwards fully recovered from the
effects of the injury.

It was during this year also that the first reserve rule was adopted, it
being in the shape of a signed agreement by the terms of which each
League club was permitted to reserve five men for the following season,
an agreement that I have always looked upon as being one of the best
things that could have happened, for the reason that it enabled all of
the clubs interested to reserve at least the nucleus of a strong team as
a foundation upon which to build.

The season of 1880 I have always