, of Brooklyn; and Olympic and National, both of
Washington, D. C. Of these eleven clubs but six finished the season, the
others falling out, either because of bad management or a lack of
financial support, these six being the Athletic, Baltimore, Boston,
Mutual, Atlantic and Eckford teams. The first four of these were
regularly salaried clubs, while the two last were co-operative concerns.

The make-up of the Athletics that season was as follows: Malone,
catcher; McBride, pitcher; Mack, first base; Fisler, second base; Anson,
third base; McGeary, shortstop; Cuthbert, left field; Tracey, center
field; and Meyerle, right field. Outside of the Bostons this was the
strongest team that had yet appeared on the diamond. It was even
stronger than the team that represented the Hub in some respects, though
not equal to them as a whole, the latter excelling at team work, which
then, as now, proved one of the most important factors in winning a
championship.

That the Athletics were particularly strong at the bat is shown by the
fact that six of their players that season figure among the first eleven
on the batting list, the Bostons coming next with three, and the
Baltimore third.

In some of the games that we played that season the fielders had a merry
time of it and found at least plenty of exercise in chasing the ball. In
the first games that I played with the Athletics, our opponents being
the Baltimores, the fielders did not have 'a picnic by any means, the
score standing at 34 to 19 at the end of the game, and this in spite of
the fact that the ball used was a "dead one."

During the entire season and not counting exhibition games we played
forty-six games, of which we won thirty and lost sixteen, while the
Bostons, who carried off the championship, took part in fifty-nine
games, of which they won 38 and lost 11.

Figuring in twenty-eight championship games, I finished fourth on the
list of batsmen, with forty-seven base-hits to my credit, an average of
1.67 to the game, a performance that I was at that time very proud of
and that I am not ashamed of even at this late date.

The season of 1873 saw some changes in the make-up of the Athletics, the
nine that season being made up as follows: McGeary, catcher; McBride,
pitcher; Murnane, first base; Fisler, second base; Fulton, third base;
Anson, shortstop; Cuhbert, left field; Reach, center field; Fisler,
right field; and McMullen and Sensenderfer, substitutes.

This w