1872
23rd Street Grounds in Chicago was the home park of the Cleveland Forest Citys of the National Association for two games in 1872. The Troy Haymakers also played four home games at the grounds during 1872 as well. Both teams were trying to stay afloat financially and utilized the park in hopes of increasing gate revenue.
1873
In 1873 the Boston Red Stockings and the Philadelphia Whites of the National Association played two games at 23rd Street Grounds. Each team would play host for one game at the neutral site.
1874
In 1874, 23rd Street Park became the full-time home for the Chicago White Stockings of the National Association. The White Stockings had been absent from the league for two years recovering from the Great Chicago Fire. Chicago finished the season with a 28-31 record in fifth place, 18.5 games behind the champion Red Stockings. Dismal records in June (5-10) and September (5-12) dropped the White Stockings out of contention.
Second baseman Levi Meyerle (.394/1/45) topped the Chicago batters leading the league in batting average (.394), on-base percentage (.401), OPS (.889) and OPS+ (183). Third baseman Davy Force contributed a .313 average and 26 RBIs. Outfielders Paul Hines (.295/0/34) and Ned Cuthbert (.268/2/24) provided support with Cuthbert stealing a team high eight bases.
Pitcher George Zettlein (27/2.43/26) started 57 of Chicago’s 59 games. Zettlein posted a 27-30 record while leading the National Association in earned runs allowed (139) and walks (43). Dan Collins started two games for Chicago posting a 1-1 record with a 4.91 ERA surrendering 17 runs (6 earned). Third sacker Davy Force appeared in one game and allowed 24 runs (12 earned) on 22 hits over seven innings.
1875
The 1875 White Stockings dropped to sixth place in the National Association with a record of 30-37 under Manager Jimmy Wood. Even a nine-game winning streak from May 11th to June 3rd could not help Chicago catch the Red Stockings who would finish the year with 71 wins and just 8 losses.
Outfielder Paul Hines (.328/0/36) led the team in average while first baseman Jim Devlin (.289/0/40) led the team in RBIs (40). Not a single player on the Chicago club would hit a home run the entire season. Catcher Scott Hastings stole a team high 13 bags but was caught a league high 11 times.
The pitching duties were more evenly distributed than in 1874. George Zettlein (17/1.28/18) started thirty-one games, Jim Devlin (7/1.93/23) started 24 and Mike Golden (6/1.89/14) started 14. The three men combined for an incredible 1.63 ERA over the teams 67 games.
1876
In 1876, the White Stockings jumped to the newly formed National League and found immediate success. Chicago posted a 52-14 record and won the National League by six games over the Hartford Dark Blues and the St. Louis Brown Stockings. The White Stockings were 35-7 by the end of July and finished strong in September by winning ten of twelve to take the title.
Second baseman Ross Barnes (.429/1/59) was the league’s best player in WAR (6.0), runs (126), hits (138), doubles (21), triples (14), walks (20), batting average (.429), on-base percentage (.462) slugging percentage (.590), OPS (1.052), OPS+ (235) and total bases (190).
N. L. Batting Champion (.429)
Ross Barnes (CHI)
N. L. Triples Leader (14)
Ross Barnes (CHW)
Catcher Deacon White (.343/1/60) topped the league in RBIs with 60 while hitting .343 for the year.
N. L. RBI Leader (60)
Deacon White (CHW)
Outfielder Paul Hines (.331/2/59) tied his teammate Barnes with a league high 21 doubles. A 24-year-old third baseman, Cap Anson, hit .356 with two home runs and fifty-nine RBIs for a team with a collective .337 average.
Al Spalding (47/1.75/39) carried the load for the Chicago pitchers starting sixty of the team’s sixty-six games. Spalding led the league in wins (47) and won-loss percentage (.797) posting a 47/12 record.
N. L. Wins Leader (47)
Albert Spalding (CHW)
Cal McVey (5/1.52/9) started six games for Chicago and won five of seven decisions. Deacon White, Ross Barnes and John Peters pitched a combined 4.1 innings in relief.
1877
The White Stockings followed up their championship season by tumbling to fifth place in the National League. Chicago posted their only winning month in August (7-4) and ended the season at 26-33, 15.5 games off the pace of the Boston Red Stockings.
Catcher Cal McVey (.368/0/36) led the team in average hitting .368 with thirty-six RBIs. Shortstop John Peters (.317/0/41) topped the club in RBIs with forty-one. Third baseman Cap Anson (.337/0/32) led the National League in doubles with nineteen. No White Stocking player hit a home run in 1877, but Lipman Pike of the visiting Cincinnati Reds hit the final home run at 23rd Street Grounds on October 2nd.
Lip Pike
Last Home Run
23rd Street Grounds
The White Stockings would move to Lakefront Park (Union Base-Ball Grounds) for the 1878 season.
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