Saginaw Old Golds 1883 and 1884 Northwestern League Pennant Holders – Pennant Winner
The ‘Old Golds’ of 1883 and 1884 are not only a historical base ball club from Saginaw, Michigan’s point of view, but also nationally. They were the city’s 1st professional sports team. The 1883 team played in the nation’s 1st Minor League, the Northwestern League. There were only 3 professionally- recognized baseball leagues in America at the time.
The success they achieved was amazing. In 1883 they finished 2nd to the Toledo Blue Stockings, a team they beat 9 out of 12 games (once 20-7). The Toledo team, the very next year moved up to the Major Leagues in its entirety. Toledo’s catcher, “Fleetwood” Walker became the last black man to play in the Majors until Jackie Robinson made the Dodgers 64 years later. Stillwater’s ‘Bud’ Fowler played against Saginaw in 1884. He was the 1st ever black major leaguer. The ‘Old Golds’ never protested, a few other teams did. Saginaw was 54-30 in 1883 and 1 ½ games out of 1st, but they were awarded the pennant when Toledo left the league at season’s end.
In 1884 the ‘Old Golds’ won the pennant going 47-21, before the league disbanded from financial difficulties. The 12 stalwarts of the 1883 team all played Major League baseball (all 12). In a racially insensitive era the ‘Old Golds’ played 5 games against Negro League teams, winning all 5. They pounded the St. Louis ‘Black Stockings’, the mythic “Colored Champions” of 1883, by the scores of 20-6 and 8-2. They also blasted the ‘Gordons’ of Chicago 25-1 Stillwater 15-0, and Muskegon 21-5. They beat the Detroit Wolverines the first time they faced them, 8-7. The Wolverines won the 1887 World Championship Series.
Saginaw had talent. It was put together by John James Rust. He was the Saginaw team president for 2 years and the Northwestern League President for 1884. John went to the East Coast for most of his players and brought them to the lumbering Mecca of the Mid-West. John Clarkson was the team’s best pitcher going 31-8 in 1884. He also played most everywhere else when he wasn’t pitching. John is in the Baseball HOF in Cooperstown, N.Y. He won 328 M.L. games over 12 years. He had season wins of 53, 38, 36, 33, 33, and 49 games, with a no-hitter thrown in for good measure. Fred “Tricky” Nichols is credited with developing the game’s 1st ever drop ball. William H. “Yank” Robinson left Saginaw to play 978 M.L. games. He was known as a super-sub playing most positions, 3-times led baseball in the most walks, and 5-times was hit by pitchers more than anyone else. Playing manager Arthur Whitney played in 978 M.L. games and helped the N.Y. Giants win the 1888 and 1889 World Series. He was one of baseball’s 1st ever holdouts. Bill Hawes is said to have played in the 1st professional game in Boston in 1876. John ‘Doc’ Mansell was one of 3 brothers to play M.L. ball. Milton “Buck” West was a fine fielder and hitter. He later became a wealthy business man. Tom Forster played 666 M.L. games and was a renowned great 2nd baseman. William Henry “Gunner” McGunnigle was the team’s effervescent captain. He is the 1st catcher ever to wear a catcher’s glove (a bricklayer’s glove in 1870). He managed 2 teams in the World Series, tying for the title in 1890. “Gunner” played and managed in baseball for over 30 years. He had a short life of 44 years precipitated by a pitched ball to the head and being run over by an electric car while riding in a carriage. Malcolm “Mac” McArthur, pitcher from Detroit, was one of baseball’s 1st ever Scottish natives. Other members included catchers: John “Tug” Arundel, a comic personality and Bill Hunter from Canada. “Tug”, while catching, once chased a batter around the bases after he dropped a called third strike. He gave the hitter a running head start, only to never catch up, allowing 4 runs to score and lost the game by a run.
Research by Richard Curry
Links to more info regarding the Saginaw Old Golds
Old Golds set to play Vintage Base Ball here
Saginaw puts on the ritz
Professsional Baseball In Saginaw