Kingston Baseball History
The 1888 Eastern International League
The Eastern International League
by Kingston Diamond Dogs, December 23, 2009
In late April 1888, the Belleville, Ontario base ball club began organizing the Eastern International League and corresponded with clubs in Port Hope, Peterborough, Kingston, Brockville, Ottawa, Montreal, Ogdensburg, NY and Watertown, NY to gauge whether they would be interested in forming an alliance. Peterborough’s Amateur Athletic Association declined the invitation as a professional team would not be under their jurisdiction. Kingston actively pursued membership in the professional league, raising a large portion of capital through stock subscriptions and scouting for players while Montreal did not respond to the offer and Ottawa did not feel it could field nine players worthy of representing the Capital. By May 10, the Belleville team had eight ball players under contract, pitcher McNichols, signed for July and August only; first baseman Locke and right fielder Murray, both players hailing from Boston; second baseman Paddy Lyons; catcher Sullivan; pitcher Reagan; short stop John Williams and utility player Richard Robinson.
The fledgling Eastern International League was drawing interest from south of the border with Utica, NY throwing their hat in the ring, followed by Oswego, who hired Manager Harmon from the 1887 RutlandVermont club to start recruiting players.
The Kingston St. Lawrence Club was managed by Bob Eilbeck, a telegraph operator for the Dominion Telegraph Company located on Ontario Street. The 38 year old Eilbeck, formerly of Newcastle, Ontario landed in the LimestoneCity in 1871 and quickly made a name for himself on the baseball diamond. Excelling at all positions, he was the captain of the Kingston nine that formed the first Canadian Base-ball League in 1876.
On Wednesday, May 16th, representatives from both the Belleville and Kingston clubs departed for Oswego, NY and the following evening, May 17, 1888 at the Doolittle House, the Eastern International Baseball League was officially formed with three charter clubs from Belleville, Kingston and Oswego with a fourth team, either Utica or Watertown, to be named later. Kingston manager R.J. Eilbeck was elected President of the League with E.J.R Pense of Kingston named to the League’s Board of Directors. A player’s salary limit was agreed upon at the inaugural meeting and it was declared the season would begin with the American teams playing May 31, and the season would end in September. The Spaulding ball would likely be the sphere of choice, since A.G Spaulding donated a handsome pennant to the young league. The League ruled that three names of umpires be submitted by both teams, with the visiting team selecting the arbitrator and the home team covering expenses with the guarantee of $40 and half of the gate receipts on holidays to the visitors. After the meeting in Oswego, President Eilbeck stopped in Watertown to negotiate terms with a team to join the league. Eilbeck returned to the Limestone City and announced that teams from Utica, Oneida and Rome, NY have joined the Eastern International League and Kingston players would report this week [May 21].The next day the first players of Kingston’s professional team arrived, with pitchers J.T Flannigan of Kalamazoo, Michigan and Unsworth of Hamilton leading the way, followed by W.A Kelly, a catcher from the Albany, NY club; first baseman Miller, shortstop Pierce and catcher Baker all from Hamilton, Ontario; Morrison from Petrolia; from Syracuse, NY, the middle infielders Goodryder, shortstop and Doyle, second baseman; from Detroit, left fielder Wheary.
On May 23, the player Kingston manager Eilbeck thought was Flannigan of Kalamazoo was found to be an imposter, which caused quite a hullaballoo in the city. The charlatan promptly fled Kingston under cover of darkness to avoid arrest when it was discovered the real Flannigan was still in Wheeling, West Virginia.
On the financial front, 60 percent of the team’s stock had been paid and on Thursday, May 24th, the Kingston St. Lawrence Club would take the field against Belleville with the following lineup:
Kelly-catcher (Albany, NY)
Unsworth-pitcher (Hamilton, Ont.)
Morrison-right field (Petrolia, Ont.)
Goodryder-shortstop (Syracuse, NY)
Doyle-second base (Syracuse, NY)
Wharry-left field (Detroit, Mich.)
Miller-first base (Hamilton, Ont.)
Osterhaut-center field (Syracuse, NY)
Pierce-third base (Hamilton, Ont.)
Meanwhile, in Belleville, pitcher Lally, who was recently released from the Toronto professional team was signed to a contract and would face Kingston the next day. In preparation for the season opener, the Belleville professionals, some who had just arrived hours before, played the amateur Kingston Park Nine on May 23, with the visiting Park Nine winning the error-filled contest by a score of 14-2.
The opening game of the Eastern International League was played in Kingston on Thursday morning, May 24. The contest exposed weak batteries on both Belleville and Kingston sides, with Kingston’s Unsworth pitching wild and inconsistent while catcher Kelly proved incompetent, unable to catch pitches and was replaced by Doyle, who was up for the task. Belleville pitching was no better as the highly touted Lally was hit hard, surrendering seven runs in the first inning. Murray, the professional from Boston relieved Lally and held his own to no avail, as Kingston won the game 13-12. After the inaugural game of the EIL, both teams announced they would reorganize before playing again.
By May 29, Kingston Manager Eilbeck had revamped his roster, signing a battery of Reardon, pitcher and Fleisman, catcher, from Syracuse, NY; first baseman Little of Toronto; third baseman Ryder from London, Ontario and the veteran pitcher Glouster from Toronto. The Oswegos claimed Reardon and Fleisman although the wily manager Eilbeck claimed he had received the two players’ acceptance by telegraph. However, it appears Reardon did not report to Kingston as he is listed in the Oswego battery for a June 5th game versus Belleville. Nevertheless, the roster moves appeared to pay off for Eilbeck as the Kingston nine defeated the visiting Watertown team by a score of 13-4 on June 4, with the battery of Glouster and Somers notching the win.
On June 5, the Eastern International League Secretary was notified that Watertown had signed pitcher Egan from the Rochester team, but the EIL ruled the pitcher could not join the Watertown club until released from the International Association team. This ruling would also include any player under contract to a league club playing for a different league club as a rental player, which Watertown was found guilty of and as punishment would forfeit one game each to Kingston and Belleville while Oswego forfeited one game to Kingston. Team protests were sustained. The two forfeits to Kingston placed them at the top of the league with five wins and two losses, followed by Belleville (4-2), Oswego (3-3) and Watertown (0-5).
Kingston Manager Jack Eilbeck officially acknowledged the League’s ruling of the protested matches against Watertown and Oswego in a letter to League Secretary George Glynn, of Oswego, NY, and requested copies of the letter be sent to the managers of the other teams so there will be no further violations of the league agreement.
On June 5th, the Kingston club signed pitcher Jack Fisher from the Park Nine Club and Pat McGraw, a third baseman from Hamilton who had been playing with Newark. Eilbeck went on record saying the team covets a player by the name of Fred Macklin and the Eastern International League wants professional umpires. Watertown announced they released Osterhaut, who was Kingston’s opening day center fielder, and they also bought pitcher Donohue from the Syracuse Stars for $250.
In a game played at Watertown, NY on Friday, June 8, the visiting Oswegos needed eleven innings to defeat the home team by a score of 10-9, marking the eighth consecutive loss for the winless Watertown nine. The Watertown club remained optimistic their luck would change with the recent arrival of a pair of new players.
1 On June 9, the Watertown club’s fortunes reversed with a stellar pitching performance by Donohue, who kept the Oswegos off the scoreboard and allowed only one hit to Mears to claim the home side’s first victory (4-0) of the season. The game was an exciting pitchers duel lasting one and three quarter hours.
Watertown’s Donohue proved to be the elixir they were looking for as he produced another win against the Oswegos on June 13. Although winning 9-8, Watertown was outhit 10 to 5 and only committed six errors to Oswego’s ten miscues. In Belleville, the local nine showed superior fielding skills and had little difficulty defeating the visiting, error-prone St. Lawrence Club of Kingston by a score of 7-2. The Kingston team, fielding with hands of limestone committed ten mistakes in the contest but out hit their hosts with eight batters reaching base.
The Oswego club, after going down to defeat at the hands of the woeful Watertown nine, signed a couple of players, Hill and Kane from the Travelers Club of Buffalo, NY. Larry Corcoran and Marsh Quinton have also shown an interest in signing with the Oswegos. The bolstered Oswego lineup got back into the win column against Belleville on June 15, defeating the visitors by a score of 4-1. Belleville scored their only run in the first inning, with the home side scoring once in the fourth inning and three runs in the fifth inning. The hits were 9 to 5 for Oswego, while Belleville made three errors to Oswego’s one error.
On June 18, the Belleville Baseball Club announced it had released pitcher Delaney of Toronto, to reduce expenses. This transaction appeared to be the canary in the coal mine for the Eastern International League, for although the Belleville team appeared strong on the field, it was weak in the general ledger, as were most teams of the four club loop.
The St. Lawrence Club of Kingston faced the Belleville nine on June 22 in the Limestone City. Looking to avenge the previous loss to their Quinte cousins, twirler Gloster held the visitors to seven hits in a close 8-6 Kingston victory. The difference in this contest was fielding as the Belleville club committed six errors to Kingston’s four errors. The home team also doubled the visitors’ batting output with fourteen hits.
After an 8-7 loss to Belleville on June 23, Manager Eilbeck of the Kingston St. Lawrence Club announced that pitcher Jack Fisher would be laid up for some time with arm troubles and rejoining the club the week of June 25th would be pitcher Gallagher of Syracuse, NY and Atkinson of Petrolia. Kingston traveled to the States for games on Monday, June 25 in Watertown while Oswego was in Belleville and as luck would have it, it wasn’t a very good day for either Canadian team. Kingston was defeated 5-3 by an improved Watertown nine, despite making no fielding errors and outhitting the victors 8 to 7. Belleville lost 7-3, with McNichol surrendering 16 hits while his teammates juggled their way to seven errors.
In Belleville on Monday, June 25, the home side regrouped after Oswego jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, knotting the score 1-1 in the fourth frame only to see the visitors take the lead again in the fifth inning. Belleville flecked the home tile twice in the seventh inning to tie the game at 3-3 before pushing six more runs across in the ninth inning. The visitors mounted a four run comeback of their own in the ninth inning, falling just short and losing 9-7 to Belleville.
The recently signed pitcher Gallagher joined his team in Watertown, NY and pitched the St. Lawrence Club to victory despite giving up 11 hits.
On June 26, Belleville Baseball Club Manager Don Henderson tendered his resignation from the club. As a result, Silas Smith, a pitcher on the club was appointed manager by the Board of Directors. The club, carrying twelve men on its roster, released Dyson and Murray before heading to Ogdensburg, NY to play the Pastimes on June 28. Kingston announced the release of player Morrison on June 28.
June 28, 1888 Eastern International League standings:
TEAM W L
Oswego 11 7
Belleville 10 8
Kingston 9 9
Watertown 6 12
PART 2
June 29, 1888 saw both Canadian teams playing Stateside, with Belleville in Watertown and the St. Lawrence club in Oswego. At Watertown, the visitors touched the plate twice in the first inning, answered by the home side with runs in the second, third and fourth innings to lead 4-2. The lead was short lived as Belleville added a pair of runs in the fifth and eighth frames to win 6-4.
At Oswego, the home club scored two runs in the second inning and a run in the third and fourth inning to lead 4-0 before the St. Lawrence Club managed to complete a base path circuit in the sixth inning to foil the skunk in a 4-1 loss. The defeat left the Kingston nine with a record of 9 wins and 10 losses.
On Saturday, June 30 in Oswego, Kingston scored six runs in the second inning, one run in the third and two more in the fourth to lead the Oswegos 9-0. The home team answered with three runs in the fifth inning, three runs in the sixth inning and four runs in the eighth frame combined with fourteen Kingston errors to stage a remarkable come from behind 10-9 victory.
July 1, 1888 Eastern International League standings:
TEAM W L
Oswego 13 7
Belleville 12 8
Kingston 9 11
Watertown 6 14
Dominion Day, celebrated Monday, July 2, 1888 saw the Oswegos in the Limestone City for a holiday doubleheader against the St. Lawrence Club. The morning game opened with Kingston producing four runs in the first inning and a run in the second inning before Oswego answered with six runs in the third, five runs in the fourth inning and a single run in sixth to defeat the home team 12-5, Kingston’s twelfth loss of the season. In the afternoon match Kingston again jumped out to a 7-0 lead before the American visitors replied in the second inning with a pair of runs to cut the Kingston lead to 7-2. Kingston scored an unanswered run in the third frame and another run in the fifth inning. Oswego scratched out a run in their half of the fifth frame to make the score 9-3. The teams whitewashed the six and seventh with Kingston recording three runs in both the eighth and ninth innings to seal the 15-4 victory.
The St. Lawrence Club was not the only Kingston team involved in international matches as the Park Nine and the Pastimes of Ogdensburg, NY went head to head on July 2, 1888 with the Park Nine prevailing by a score of 15-3.
On July 4, the Kingston and Belleville teams were in America with the former in Watertown and the latter in Oswego for a holiday doubleheader. Kingston defeated Watertown 5-2 to give them their eleventh win of the year, while Oswego swept their twin-bill with Belleville by scores of 13-7 and 11-7. The afternoon game was attended by 2,100 people cheering on the first place Oswegos, which would result in substantial gate receipts for the game.
The Fourth of July fireworks in Oswego were not just restricted to the rockets’ red glare as there was a dispute regarding the amount of money Manager Harmon was to pay the Belleville team for the double header. Belleville claimed they were entitled to half the gate receipts as agreed upon at the initial league meeting in May while Harmon insisted the visitors were only entitled to their guaranteed $80. Belleville refused the money and demanded $116 as their share of the games gate receipts. Harmon stated his team had agreed to play two games in Belleville on the Canadian Civic Holiday taking only $60 in gate receipts if the Belleville club would do the same in Oswego, which of course Belleville declared they refused to participate in the greedy scheme. Representing the Belleville team, Mr. O’Brien travelled to Oswego, NY and threatened to sue the Oswego Baseball club directors for breach of contract if the money was not paid in full. Shortly thereafter, the first place Oswego team (16 wins, 8 losses) disbanded with Manager Harmon high-tailing to Canton, Ohio. Belleville promptly signed Keefe, the Oswego star pitcher and released catcher Morrison. The Ogdensburg Pastimes and teams from Utica, Rome and Auburn offered to replace Oswego but it was decided at a league reorganization meeting the remaining three teams would play out the season with a clean slate with the records to date deleted. The league would adopt the rules governing the International Association and set the match guarantee at $40, rain or shine.
Bob Eilbeck, Kingston’s manager, was once again elected League President; Belleville’s O’Brien, Vice-president and Charles Fowler of Watertown, League Secretary. In Belleville, Silas Smith, who replaced Don Henderson on June 29, retired as manager and Henderson was reinstated as manager once again.
Rampant rumours of the demise of the Kingston team were denied in the British Whig, stating the club was in good shape financially and would be active until the season’s end, adding the Oswego club folded “because it was controlled by those of whom the people seem to fight shy.” The League’s teams hoped to further swell their coffers with upcoming scheduled games versus the Cuban Giants later in the season.
Play resumed in the Eastern International League on July 9, with one of the finest displays of baseball ever seen in the Limestone City in 1888 taking place between the first place Belleville club (13 wins, 10 losses) and the second place St. Lawrence Brown Stockings(12 wins, 12 losses). Twirling for Kingston was young Gloster, who, according to the Toronto Globe was “more puzzling than ever” as he held Belleville to six hits and kept the visitors off the score sheet in an 8-0 victory. The St. Lawrence Club pounded Belleville’s recently signed prize pitcher Keefe for twelve hits, scoring deuces in the third and sixth inning, three markers in the seventh inning and a single run in the eighth frame to record.
Kingston and Belleville met again the next day [July 10] in a match won 9-1 by the Limestone City side, with the battery of Gallagher and Somers recording the win. Gallagher allowed only three hits and gave up the run in the eighth inning while his team scored a run in the second and third innings, three runs in the fourth inning, a run in the fifth and three runs in the sixth frame to put the contest out of reach. Belleville’s battery was Smith and Baker and curiously, the umpire was Morrison, a former Belleville player released from the club when Keefe was signed from Oswego.
In the third game of the series on July 11, Keefe pitched the visitors to a 9-2 victory, allowing two runs on four hits. Pitcher McNichol of Belleville requested and was granted his outright release from the team.
On July 12, in a pair of exhibition matches played in Kingston, the first was a poorly played contest between Belleville and Kingston won by the visitors 20-8. As the victors headed to Watertown, NY to play a weekend series, The St. Lawrence Club, using an amateur pitcher, defeated the Park Nine in a challenge match for $75 by a score of 13-2. Kingston deposited $50 with the Eastern League Secretary Glynn as a guarantee the St. Lawrence club would remain in the league until season’s end. The St. Lawrence Club also announced Charles Osterhaut, centerfielder on the club’s opening day roster, had rejoined the team and pitcher Jack Fisher was to be released.
The Watertown Townies doubled the score on Belleville 18-9 on a game played Friday the 13th. Two days earlier Watertown hosted the Syracuse Stars of the International League in an exhibition contest described as the best game ever played in the American town, won by the Stars in the ninth inning by a score of 4-3.
On July 19, Kingston was shutout by Watertown despite a superb performance from pitcher Gallagher, who only allowed four hits but seven fielding errors led to a 5-0 skunking. The St. Lawrence Club announced the signing of pitcher Young, currently of South Bend, Indiana. The twirler was a member of the 1887 Kingston nine and would rejoin the professional team that evening in Kingston.
In Kingstonon July 20, the St. Lawrence Club jumped out to an early 3-0 lead until Watertown answered with a run in the third inning. Kingston pitcher Gloster led until the seventh frame when the home side touched the home plate seven times to win the contest 8-3.
The arrival of pitcher “Brigham” Young turned the tide for Kingston as he led the local nine to a 7-4 victory over Watertown on July 21. Kingston had a 7-0 margin until the visitors put four runs on the score sheet in the sixth frame to break the shut out.
Eilbeck, manager of the St. Lawrence Club and President of the Eastern International League, in a dispatch released July 23 stated the Belleville club was experiencing financial problems due to spectators attending games refusing to pay admission and a public appeal for subscribers would be the only solution for the club to remain solvent. By all accounts, Kingston was the only team making money in the league. The same day in Belleville, the visiting Watertown team defeated the home team 7-3, scoring a run in the fifth inning and six runs in the seventh inning to hand pitcher Keefe another loss.
On July 24, the Belleville baseball club defeated Watertown 5-4 after the visitors had a 2-1 lead after two innings. Belleville answered with three runs in the third frame and a run in the fifth frame, making the score 5-3, although Watertown mounted a comeback but fell a run short in the ninth inning. Pitcher Lally allowed three Watertown hits in recording the victory.
The St. Lawrence Club travelled to Ogdensburg, NY to play an exhibition match against the Pastimes on July 24 with the visitors defeating the home side 7-4 with pitchers Gloster and Young holding the American batsmen to four hits while the Limestone City team reached base safely ten times.
League play continued on July 27 with a series of matches between Kingston and Belleville. Kingston defeated the visiting Bellevilles 15-8 in the first game on July 27 and by a score of 11-1 the next day. The two teams then travelled to Belleville to play a pair of games, the first match on July 30th being a well played affair won by the visitors 2-1.
The July 3oth match in Belleville was a financial disaster due to lack of patronage and the Kingston club only received $25 of the guaranteed gate receipts. Manager Eilbeck insisted on receiving the full amount agreed upon in the recent restructuring of the league and demanded the Belleville Base-ball Club stockholders be canvassed to make up the difference. The league decided the Belleville franchise would be relocated to Brockville, Ontario and the three teams would resume the remainder of the schedule. At a meeting in Brockville with a willing and enthusiastic crowd of supporters on Wednesday, August 1, League President and Kingston manager Eilbeck accompanied by Belleville manager Henderson announced the successful transfer of the Belleville team to Brockville. The Belleville team would play a weekend series of games in Montreal against the Beavers and would return to Brockville to begin Eastern League play against Watertown and Kingston the following week.
By Thursday, August 2, Eilbeck had not been paid the outstanding fees from the previous Monday’s match against Belleville and the St. Lawrence Club considered suing the Belleville stockholders for $55 –the remaining $15 from July 30th game and the $40 guarantee for the July 31st game that was not played. On the field the Kingston nine defeated Watertown 7-2 to mark their seventh consecutive win, prompting manager Eilbeck to seek games against teams in the International League, scheduling a game versus Toronto on August 7.
During this series of games the Watertown Townies Base-ball Club experienced a few problems on and off the field. Pitcher LaTouche left the club for Auburn, NY after the August 2nd loss to Kingston. In his stead, the American team signed pitcher Jack Fisher, who was released by the St. Lawrence Club on July 12. While in Kingston, the Watertown club accepted an invitation from the Kingston Park Nine for a match on the August Civic Holiday, unaware the St. Lawrence Club and Brockville had previously scheduled two games on the holiday in the Limestone City. The Park Nine were an up and coming club that had designs on overtaking the St. Lawrence Club as the premier base-ball team in the city. St. Lawrence manager Eilbeck was outraged, no doubt calculating the amount of money he would lose from holiday gate receipts and he threatened his team would not take the field for the August 3rd game scheduled against Watertown, unless the holiday match with the Park Nine was cancelled. After negotiations between the teams, Eilbeck reluctantly agreed to play the game under protest only if Kingston held the guaranteed money. The game went ahead and Jack Fisher faced his old teammates but was forced from the game in the third inning after giving up 14 runs in a 22-9 rout and Kingston’s eighth consecutive win.
The next day, Kingston defeated Watertown 12-3 for their ninth consecutive win while the Belleville club and the Montreal Beavers played to a 10-10 tie.
The Belleville franchise landed in their new home on Monday, August 6, playing the first professional game in Brockville, Ontario. Facing the Watertown nine, who had created such a hubbub in Kingston over a previously scheduled holiday match, the Brockville club gave a valiant showing in a fine exhibition of baseball, losing 7-6. Brockville recorded their first win the next day by shutting out Watertown 6-0 with pitcher Sam Bittle twirling a splendid game that lasted two hours and ten minutes.
In Kingston on Tuesday, August 7, the St. Lawrence Club hosted the Toronto Club of the International League, being a league off day for the professional big city nine and an opportunity for both teams to earn some money. The local nine played the visitors tough, with Toronto prevailing 3-2 behind the pitching of Doc Sheppard who allowed the home side five hits. Manager Eilbeck and all in attendance were elated at their club’s showing against the champions, so much that another match was scheduled for the next day. The outcome of the second game was much different as the Toronto club started the game with an inexperienced battery and rotated players to unfamiliar places on the diamond in the fifth inning with the teams tied at five runs. The poorly played exhibition saw Toronto commit fourteen fumbles and Kingston muffing nine plays as the home side came out ahead by a score of 14-10. The game was umpired by Toronto Club manager Cashman, who called a fair game to the satisfaction of all.
On August 9 at the Watertown fairgrounds, the Townies hosted the Brockville nine and the visitors jumped out to 12-2 lead after the initial inning of play and barely held on to win 19-14.
The next day in a game that lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes, which would also be the last game for Watertown due to financial difficulties, Brockville lost 11-7 to the Townies and then headed north for a series of matches against the Kingston St. Lawrence Club. At home, Kingston overcame a 4-0 deficit to score a pair of runs in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings to win the first match on Saturday, August 11 by a score of 6-4 and the second match on Tuesday, August 14 by 3-1.
The other Kingston team, the Park Nine, was also beginning to gain a reputation as recorded in an August 11th game versus Jolliffe & Co. in Toronto, with pitcher Hickey striking out 13 batsmen in a 10-8 loss.
In Brockville, Ontario on Wednesday, August 15, the St. Lawrence Club defeated the home team in an entertaining, well played match won by a score of 5-4. Kingston had 10 hits, 3 errors and Brockville had 10 hits, 4 errors, with the margin of error allowing the decisive run. The batteries for Kingston, Gallagher and Doyle; for Brockville, Bittle and Dillon; the contest umpired by Quinlan.
After the August 15th game, the Brockville Base-ball Club disbanded with Manager Henderson declaring returns of only $65. The Brockville players were outraged, with pitcher Bittle, backed by teammates, claiming his experience and expertise at sizing up grandstands indicated there was more than $150 in gate receipts on the day. After heated arguments, Bittle left on the first train out of town, followed by the rest of the team, leaving the Kingston St. Lawrence standing alone in the Eastern International League. Manager Eilbeck, out the $40 league deposit and the outstanding money owed by the Belleville club before its similar collapse and relocation to Brockville, had no recourse but to sue for the balance.
Despite the Kingston citizens’ interest in the club playing a series of matches during the fair, the players demanded full salaries and on August 24, 1888, the Kingston Baseball Club disbanded with the players leaving town[i].
[i]Manager Eilbeck left Kingston in 1892 for Montana before heading north to get in on the Gold Rush. In February 1902, Robert Eilbeck was spotted on the streets of Detroit, Michigan, according to the Editor of The Sporting Life, who recognized the first baseman from the Kingston, Ontario baseball club. The editor wrote about his conversation with Eilbeck who was in town for a few days. Eilbeck said he “had knocked around until he landed in the Klondike” and was now the Sheriff of the Yukon Territory in Dawson City.
In 1903, Sheriff Jack Eilbeck was President and financial backer of the Dawson City Civil Service Athletic Club, a powerful association that participated in hockey, lacrosse, curling and baseball. His legend had grown since his days in Kingston, as he was “famed in the Yukon as a baseball player” who played against Al Spaulding in the ‘70’s, according to the Dawson Daily News. Allegations of bribes, pay-offs and awarding good paying governments jobs to elite athletes hounded Eilbeck as he populated his club’s roster with the most talented players available. Eilbeck had organized a barnstorming hockey tour, a popular way to make some money, and as one thing led to another, Eilbeck found himself in Ottawa during the spring of 1904, promoting his upcoming hockey tour. Ever the salesman, Eilbeck proposed that his Civil Service team would challenge the Ottawa Silver Seven for the Stanley Cup and when told the Dawson league was not a legitimate senior league and therefore not qualified to play for the Cup, he proposed a Dawson league all-star team representing the Yukon Territory. His proposal was accepted and Eilbeck returned to Dawson to fine tune the plans and draft the challenge letter to the Ottawa club. On September 3, 1904, Eilbeck was fired from the Presidency of the Civil Service club for trying to influence the outcome of the Dawson baseball championship. Jack Eilbeck left the Klondike and headed south. In the April 6, 1905 edition of L’Abeille de la Nouvelle-Orleans, in an article describing Yukon baseball played under the midnight sun, R.J Eilbeck, Sheriff of the Yukon Territory, currently wintering in Port Townsend, Washington, is quoted regarding the fine baseball grounds and quality of talent in the Klondike.
The fledgling Eastern International League was drawing interest from south of the border with Utica, NY throwing their hat in the ring, followed by Oswego, who hired Manager Harmon from the 1887 RutlandVermont club to start recruiting players.
The Kingston St. Lawrence Club was managed by Bob Eilbeck, a telegraph operator for the Dominion Telegraph Company located on Ontario Street. The 38 year old Eilbeck, formerly of Newcastle, Ontario landed in the LimestoneCity in 1871 and quickly made a name for himself on the baseball diamond. Excelling at all positions, he was the captain of the Kingston nine that formed the first Canadian Base-ball League in 1876.
On Wednesday, May 16th, representatives from both the Belleville and Kingston clubs departed for Oswego, NY and the following evening, May 17, 1888 at the Doolittle House, the Eastern International Baseball League was officially formed with three charter clubs from Belleville, Kingston and Oswego with a fourth team, either Utica or Watertown, to be named later. Kingston manager R.J. Eilbeck was elected President of the League with E.J.R Pense of Kingston named to the League’s Board of Directors. A player’s salary limit was agreed upon at the inaugural meeting and it was declared the season would begin with the American teams playing May 31, and the season would end in September. The Spaulding ball would likely be the sphere of choice, since A.G Spaulding donated a handsome pennant to the young league. The League ruled that three names of umpires be submitted by both teams, with the visiting team selecting the arbitrator and the home team covering expenses with the guarantee of $40 and half of the gate receipts on holidays to the visitors. After the meeting in Oswego, President Eilbeck stopped in Watertown to negotiate terms with a team to join the league. Eilbeck returned to the Limestone City and announced that teams from Utica, Oneida and Rome, NY have joined the Eastern International League and Kingston players would report this week [May 21].The next day the first players of Kingston’s professional team arrived, with pitchers J.T Flannigan of Kalamazoo, Michigan and Unsworth of Hamilton leading the way, followed by W.A Kelly, a catcher from the Albany, NY club; first baseman Miller, shortstop Pierce and catcher Baker all from Hamilton, Ontario; Morrison from Petrolia; from Syracuse, NY, the middle infielders Goodryder, shortstop and Doyle, second baseman; from Detroit, left fielder Wheary.
On May 23, the player Kingston manager Eilbeck thought was Flannigan of Kalamazoo was found to be an imposter, which caused quite a hullaballoo in the city. The charlatan promptly fled Kingston under cover of darkness to avoid arrest when it was discovered the real Flannigan was still in Wheeling, West Virginia.
On the financial front, 60 percent of the team’s stock had been paid and on Thursday, May 24th, the Kingston St. Lawrence Club would take the field against Belleville with the following lineup:
Kelly-catcher (Albany, NY)
Unsworth-pitcher (Hamilton, Ont.)
Morrison-right field (Petrolia, Ont.)
Goodryder-shortstop (Syracuse, NY)
Doyle-second base (Syracuse, NY)
Wharry-left field (Detroit, Mich.)
Miller-first base (Hamilton, Ont.)
Osterhaut-center field (Syracuse, NY)
Pierce-third base (Hamilton, Ont.)
Meanwhile, in Belleville, pitcher Lally, who was recently released from the Toronto professional team was signed to a contract and would face Kingston the next day. In preparation for the season opener, the Belleville professionals, some who had just arrived hours before, played the amateur Kingston Park Nine on May 23, with the visiting Park Nine winning the error-filled contest by a score of 14-2.
The opening game of the Eastern International League was played in Kingston on Thursday morning, May 24. The contest exposed weak batteries on both Belleville and Kingston sides, with Kingston’s Unsworth pitching wild and inconsistent while catcher Kelly proved incompetent, unable to catch pitches and was replaced by Doyle, who was up for the task. Belleville pitching was no better as the highly touted Lally was hit hard, surrendering seven runs in the first inning. Murray, the professional from Boston relieved Lally and held his own to no avail, as Kingston won the game 13-12. After the inaugural game of the EIL, both teams announced they would reorganize before playing again.
By May 29, Kingston Manager Eilbeck had revamped his roster, signing a battery of Reardon, pitcher and Fleisman, catcher, from Syracuse, NY; first baseman Little of Toronto; third baseman Ryder from London, Ontario and the veteran pitcher Glouster from Toronto. The Oswegos claimed Reardon and Fleisman although the wily manager Eilbeck claimed he had received the two players’ acceptance by telegraph. However, it appears Reardon did not report to Kingston as he is listed in the Oswego battery for a June 5th game versus Belleville. Nevertheless, the roster moves appeared to pay off for Eilbeck as the Kingston nine defeated the visiting Watertown team by a score of 13-4 on June 4, with the battery of Glouster and Somers notching the win.
On June 5, the Eastern International League Secretary was notified that Watertown had signed pitcher Egan from the Rochester team, but the EIL ruled the pitcher could not join the Watertown club until released from the International Association team. This ruling would also include any player under contract to a league club playing for a different league club as a rental player, which Watertown was found guilty of and as punishment would forfeit one game each to Kingston and Belleville while Oswego forfeited one game to Kingston. Team protests were sustained. The two forfeits to Kingston placed them at the top of the league with five wins and two losses, followed by Belleville (4-2), Oswego (3-3) and Watertown (0-5).
Kingston Manager Jack Eilbeck officially acknowledged the League’s ruling of the protested matches against Watertown and Oswego in a letter to League Secretary George Glynn, of Oswego, NY, and requested copies of the letter be sent to the managers of the other teams so there will be no further violations of the league agreement.
On June 5th, the Kingston club signed pitcher Jack Fisher from the Park Nine Club and Pat McGraw, a third baseman from Hamilton who had been playing with Newark. Eilbeck went on record saying the team covets a player by the name of Fred Macklin and the Eastern International League wants professional umpires. Watertown announced they released Osterhaut, who was Kingston’s opening day center fielder, and they also bought pitcher Donohue from the Syracuse Stars for $250.
In a game played at Watertown, NY on Friday, June 8, the visiting Oswegos needed eleven innings to defeat the home team by a score of 10-9, marking the eighth consecutive loss for the winless Watertown nine. The Watertown club remained optimistic their luck would change with the recent arrival of a pair of new players.
1 On June 9, the Watertown club’s fortunes reversed with a stellar pitching performance by Donohue, who kept the Oswegos off the scoreboard and allowed only one hit to Mears to claim the home side’s first victory (4-0) of the season. The game was an exciting pitchers duel lasting one and three quarter hours.
Watertown’s Donohue proved to be the elixir they were looking for as he produced another win against the Oswegos on June 13. Although winning 9-8, Watertown was outhit 10 to 5 and only committed six errors to Oswego’s ten miscues. In Belleville, the local nine showed superior fielding skills and had little difficulty defeating the visiting, error-prone St. Lawrence Club of Kingston by a score of 7-2. The Kingston team, fielding with hands of limestone committed ten mistakes in the contest but out hit their hosts with eight batters reaching base.
The Oswego club, after going down to defeat at the hands of the woeful Watertown nine, signed a couple of players, Hill and Kane from the Travelers Club of Buffalo, NY. Larry Corcoran and Marsh Quinton have also shown an interest in signing with the Oswegos. The bolstered Oswego lineup got back into the win column against Belleville on June 15, defeating the visitors by a score of 4-1. Belleville scored their only run in the first inning, with the home side scoring once in the fourth inning and three runs in the fifth inning. The hits were 9 to 5 for Oswego, while Belleville made three errors to Oswego’s one error.
On June 18, the Belleville Baseball Club announced it had released pitcher Delaney of Toronto, to reduce expenses. This transaction appeared to be the canary in the coal mine for the Eastern International League, for although the Belleville team appeared strong on the field, it was weak in the general ledger, as were most teams of the four club loop.
The St. Lawrence Club of Kingston faced the Belleville nine on June 22 in the Limestone City. Looking to avenge the previous loss to their Quinte cousins, twirler Gloster held the visitors to seven hits in a close 8-6 Kingston victory. The difference in this contest was fielding as the Belleville club committed six errors to Kingston’s four errors. The home team also doubled the visitors’ batting output with fourteen hits.
After an 8-7 loss to Belleville on June 23, Manager Eilbeck of the Kingston St. Lawrence Club announced that pitcher Jack Fisher would be laid up for some time with arm troubles and rejoining the club the week of June 25th would be pitcher Gallagher of Syracuse, NY and Atkinson of Petrolia. Kingston traveled to the States for games on Monday, June 25 in Watertown while Oswego was in Belleville and as luck would have it, it wasn’t a very good day for either Canadian team. Kingston was defeated 5-3 by an improved Watertown nine, despite making no fielding errors and outhitting the victors 8 to 7. Belleville lost 7-3, with McNichol surrendering 16 hits while his teammates juggled their way to seven errors.
In Belleville on Monday, June 25, the home side regrouped after Oswego jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, knotting the score 1-1 in the fourth frame only to see the visitors take the lead again in the fifth inning. Belleville flecked the home tile twice in the seventh inning to tie the game at 3-3 before pushing six more runs across in the ninth inning. The visitors mounted a four run comeback of their own in the ninth inning, falling just short and losing 9-7 to Belleville.
The recently signed pitcher Gallagher joined his team in Watertown, NY and pitched the St. Lawrence Club to victory despite giving up 11 hits.
On June 26, Belleville Baseball Club Manager Don Henderson tendered his resignation from the club. As a result, Silas Smith, a pitcher on the club was appointed manager by the Board of Directors. The club, carrying twelve men on its roster, released Dyson and Murray before heading to Ogdensburg, NY to play the Pastimes on June 28. Kingston announced the release of player Morrison on June 28.
June 28, 1888 Eastern International League standings:
TEAM W L
Oswego 11 7
Belleville 10 8
Kingston 9 9
Watertown 6 12
PART 2
June 29, 1888 saw both Canadian teams playing Stateside, with Belleville in Watertown and the St. Lawrence club in Oswego. At Watertown, the visitors touched the plate twice in the first inning, answered by the home side with runs in the second, third and fourth innings to lead 4-2. The lead was short lived as Belleville added a pair of runs in the fifth and eighth frames to win 6-4.
At Oswego, the home club scored two runs in the second inning and a run in the third and fourth inning to lead 4-0 before the St. Lawrence Club managed to complete a base path circuit in the sixth inning to foil the skunk in a 4-1 loss. The defeat left the Kingston nine with a record of 9 wins and 10 losses.
On Saturday, June 30 in Oswego, Kingston scored six runs in the second inning, one run in the third and two more in the fourth to lead the Oswegos 9-0. The home team answered with three runs in the fifth inning, three runs in the sixth inning and four runs in the eighth frame combined with fourteen Kingston errors to stage a remarkable come from behind 10-9 victory.
July 1, 1888 Eastern International League standings:
TEAM W L
Oswego 13 7
Belleville 12 8
Kingston 9 11
Watertown 6 14
Dominion Day, celebrated Monday, July 2, 1888 saw the Oswegos in the Limestone City for a holiday doubleheader against the St. Lawrence Club. The morning game opened with Kingston producing four runs in the first inning and a run in the second inning before Oswego answered with six runs in the third, five runs in the fourth inning and a single run in sixth to defeat the home team 12-5, Kingston’s twelfth loss of the season. In the afternoon match Kingston again jumped out to a 7-0 lead before the American visitors replied in the second inning with a pair of runs to cut the Kingston lead to 7-2. Kingston scored an unanswered run in the third frame and another run in the fifth inning. Oswego scratched out a run in their half of the fifth frame to make the score 9-3. The teams whitewashed the six and seventh with Kingston recording three runs in both the eighth and ninth innings to seal the 15-4 victory.
The St. Lawrence Club was not the only Kingston team involved in international matches as the Park Nine and the Pastimes of Ogdensburg, NY went head to head on July 2, 1888 with the Park Nine prevailing by a score of 15-3.
On July 4, the Kingston and Belleville teams were in America with the former in Watertown and the latter in Oswego for a holiday doubleheader. Kingston defeated Watertown 5-2 to give them their eleventh win of the year, while Oswego swept their twin-bill with Belleville by scores of 13-7 and 11-7. The afternoon game was attended by 2,100 people cheering on the first place Oswegos, which would result in substantial gate receipts for the game.
The Fourth of July fireworks in Oswego were not just restricted to the rockets’ red glare as there was a dispute regarding the amount of money Manager Harmon was to pay the Belleville team for the double header. Belleville claimed they were entitled to half the gate receipts as agreed upon at the initial league meeting in May while Harmon insisted the visitors were only entitled to their guaranteed $80. Belleville refused the money and demanded $116 as their share of the games gate receipts. Harmon stated his team had agreed to play two games in Belleville on the Canadian Civic Holiday taking only $60 in gate receipts if the Belleville club would do the same in Oswego, which of course Belleville declared they refused to participate in the greedy scheme. Representing the Belleville team, Mr. O’Brien travelled to Oswego, NY and threatened to sue the Oswego Baseball club directors for breach of contract if the money was not paid in full. Shortly thereafter, the first place Oswego team (16 wins, 8 losses) disbanded with Manager Harmon high-tailing to Canton, Ohio. Belleville promptly signed Keefe, the Oswego star pitcher and released catcher Morrison. The Ogdensburg Pastimes and teams from Utica, Rome and Auburn offered to replace Oswego but it was decided at a league reorganization meeting the remaining three teams would play out the season with a clean slate with the records to date deleted. The league would adopt the rules governing the International Association and set the match guarantee at $40, rain or shine.
Bob Eilbeck, Kingston’s manager, was once again elected League President; Belleville’s O’Brien, Vice-president and Charles Fowler of Watertown, League Secretary. In Belleville, Silas Smith, who replaced Don Henderson on June 29, retired as manager and Henderson was reinstated as manager once again.
Rampant rumours of the demise of the Kingston team were denied in the British Whig, stating the club was in good shape financially and would be active until the season’s end, adding the Oswego club folded “because it was controlled by those of whom the people seem to fight shy.” The League’s teams hoped to further swell their coffers with upcoming scheduled games versus the Cuban Giants later in the season.
Play resumed in the Eastern International League on July 9, with one of the finest displays of baseball ever seen in the Limestone City in 1888 taking place between the first place Belleville club (13 wins, 10 losses) and the second place St. Lawrence Brown Stockings(12 wins, 12 losses). Twirling for Kingston was young Gloster, who, according to the Toronto Globe was “more puzzling than ever” as he held Belleville to six hits and kept the visitors off the score sheet in an 8-0 victory. The St. Lawrence Club pounded Belleville’s recently signed prize pitcher Keefe for twelve hits, scoring deuces in the third and sixth inning, three markers in the seventh inning and a single run in the eighth frame to record.
Kingston and Belleville met again the next day [July 10] in a match won 9-1 by the Limestone City side, with the battery of Gallagher and Somers recording the win. Gallagher allowed only three hits and gave up the run in the eighth inning while his team scored a run in the second and third innings, three runs in the fourth inning, a run in the fifth and three runs in the sixth frame to put the contest out of reach. Belleville’s battery was Smith and Baker and curiously, the umpire was Morrison, a former Belleville player released from the club when Keefe was signed from Oswego.
In the third game of the series on July 11, Keefe pitched the visitors to a 9-2 victory, allowing two runs on four hits. Pitcher McNichol of Belleville requested and was granted his outright release from the team.
On July 12, in a pair of exhibition matches played in Kingston, the first was a poorly played contest between Belleville and Kingston won by the visitors 20-8. As the victors headed to Watertown, NY to play a weekend series, The St. Lawrence Club, using an amateur pitcher, defeated the Park Nine in a challenge match for $75 by a score of 13-2. Kingston deposited $50 with the Eastern League Secretary Glynn as a guarantee the St. Lawrence club would remain in the league until season’s end. The St. Lawrence Club also announced Charles Osterhaut, centerfielder on the club’s opening day roster, had rejoined the team and pitcher Jack Fisher was to be released.
The Watertown Townies doubled the score on Belleville 18-9 on a game played Friday the 13th. Two days earlier Watertown hosted the Syracuse Stars of the International League in an exhibition contest described as the best game ever played in the American town, won by the Stars in the ninth inning by a score of 4-3.
On July 19, Kingston was shutout by Watertown despite a superb performance from pitcher Gallagher, who only allowed four hits but seven fielding errors led to a 5-0 skunking. The St. Lawrence Club announced the signing of pitcher Young, currently of South Bend, Indiana. The twirler was a member of the 1887 Kingston nine and would rejoin the professional team that evening in Kingston.
In Kingstonon July 20, the St. Lawrence Club jumped out to an early 3-0 lead until Watertown answered with a run in the third inning. Kingston pitcher Gloster led until the seventh frame when the home side touched the home plate seven times to win the contest 8-3.
The arrival of pitcher “Brigham” Young turned the tide for Kingston as he led the local nine to a 7-4 victory over Watertown on July 21. Kingston had a 7-0 margin until the visitors put four runs on the score sheet in the sixth frame to break the shut out.
Eilbeck, manager of the St. Lawrence Club and President of the Eastern International League, in a dispatch released July 23 stated the Belleville club was experiencing financial problems due to spectators attending games refusing to pay admission and a public appeal for subscribers would be the only solution for the club to remain solvent. By all accounts, Kingston was the only team making money in the league. The same day in Belleville, the visiting Watertown team defeated the home team 7-3, scoring a run in the fifth inning and six runs in the seventh inning to hand pitcher Keefe another loss.
On July 24, the Belleville baseball club defeated Watertown 5-4 after the visitors had a 2-1 lead after two innings. Belleville answered with three runs in the third frame and a run in the fifth frame, making the score 5-3, although Watertown mounted a comeback but fell a run short in the ninth inning. Pitcher Lally allowed three Watertown hits in recording the victory.
The St. Lawrence Club travelled to Ogdensburg, NY to play an exhibition match against the Pastimes on July 24 with the visitors defeating the home side 7-4 with pitchers Gloster and Young holding the American batsmen to four hits while the Limestone City team reached base safely ten times.
League play continued on July 27 with a series of matches between Kingston and Belleville. Kingston defeated the visiting Bellevilles 15-8 in the first game on July 27 and by a score of 11-1 the next day. The two teams then travelled to Belleville to play a pair of games, the first match on July 30th being a well played affair won by the visitors 2-1.
The July 3oth match in Belleville was a financial disaster due to lack of patronage and the Kingston club only received $25 of the guaranteed gate receipts. Manager Eilbeck insisted on receiving the full amount agreed upon in the recent restructuring of the league and demanded the Belleville Base-ball Club stockholders be canvassed to make up the difference. The league decided the Belleville franchise would be relocated to Brockville, Ontario and the three teams would resume the remainder of the schedule. At a meeting in Brockville with a willing and enthusiastic crowd of supporters on Wednesday, August 1, League President and Kingston manager Eilbeck accompanied by Belleville manager Henderson announced the successful transfer of the Belleville team to Brockville. The Belleville team would play a weekend series of games in Montreal against the Beavers and would return to Brockville to begin Eastern League play against Watertown and Kingston the following week.
By Thursday, August 2, Eilbeck had not been paid the outstanding fees from the previous Monday’s match against Belleville and the St. Lawrence Club considered suing the Belleville stockholders for $55 –the remaining $15 from July 30th game and the $40 guarantee for the July 31st game that was not played. On the field the Kingston nine defeated Watertown 7-2 to mark their seventh consecutive win, prompting manager Eilbeck to seek games against teams in the International League, scheduling a game versus Toronto on August 7.
During this series of games the Watertown Townies Base-ball Club experienced a few problems on and off the field. Pitcher LaTouche left the club for Auburn, NY after the August 2nd loss to Kingston. In his stead, the American team signed pitcher Jack Fisher, who was released by the St. Lawrence Club on July 12. While in Kingston, the Watertown club accepted an invitation from the Kingston Park Nine for a match on the August Civic Holiday, unaware the St. Lawrence Club and Brockville had previously scheduled two games on the holiday in the Limestone City. The Park Nine were an up and coming club that had designs on overtaking the St. Lawrence Club as the premier base-ball team in the city. St. Lawrence manager Eilbeck was outraged, no doubt calculating the amount of money he would lose from holiday gate receipts and he threatened his team would not take the field for the August 3rd game scheduled against Watertown, unless the holiday match with the Park Nine was cancelled. After negotiations between the teams, Eilbeck reluctantly agreed to play the game under protest only if Kingston held the guaranteed money. The game went ahead and Jack Fisher faced his old teammates but was forced from the game in the third inning after giving up 14 runs in a 22-9 rout and Kingston’s eighth consecutive win.
The next day, Kingston defeated Watertown 12-3 for their ninth consecutive win while the Belleville club and the Montreal Beavers played to a 10-10 tie.
The Belleville franchise landed in their new home on Monday, August 6, playing the first professional game in Brockville, Ontario. Facing the Watertown nine, who had created such a hubbub in Kingston over a previously scheduled holiday match, the Brockville club gave a valiant showing in a fine exhibition of baseball, losing 7-6. Brockville recorded their first win the next day by shutting out Watertown 6-0 with pitcher Sam Bittle twirling a splendid game that lasted two hours and ten minutes.
In Kingston on Tuesday, August 7, the St. Lawrence Club hosted the Toronto Club of the International League, being a league off day for the professional big city nine and an opportunity for both teams to earn some money. The local nine played the visitors tough, with Toronto prevailing 3-2 behind the pitching of Doc Sheppard who allowed the home side five hits. Manager Eilbeck and all in attendance were elated at their club’s showing against the champions, so much that another match was scheduled for the next day. The outcome of the second game was much different as the Toronto club started the game with an inexperienced battery and rotated players to unfamiliar places on the diamond in the fifth inning with the teams tied at five runs. The poorly played exhibition saw Toronto commit fourteen fumbles and Kingston muffing nine plays as the home side came out ahead by a score of 14-10. The game was umpired by Toronto Club manager Cashman, who called a fair game to the satisfaction of all.
On August 9 at the Watertown fairgrounds, the Townies hosted the Brockville nine and the visitors jumped out to 12-2 lead after the initial inning of play and barely held on to win 19-14.
The next day in a game that lasted 1 hour and 40 minutes, which would also be the last game for Watertown due to financial difficulties, Brockville lost 11-7 to the Townies and then headed north for a series of matches against the Kingston St. Lawrence Club. At home, Kingston overcame a 4-0 deficit to score a pair of runs in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings to win the first match on Saturday, August 11 by a score of 6-4 and the second match on Tuesday, August 14 by 3-1.
The other Kingston team, the Park Nine, was also beginning to gain a reputation as recorded in an August 11th game versus Jolliffe & Co. in Toronto, with pitcher Hickey striking out 13 batsmen in a 10-8 loss.
In Brockville, Ontario on Wednesday, August 15, the St. Lawrence Club defeated the home team in an entertaining, well played match won by a score of 5-4. Kingston had 10 hits, 3 errors and Brockville had 10 hits, 4 errors, with the margin of error allowing the decisive run. The batteries for Kingston, Gallagher and Doyle; for Brockville, Bittle and Dillon; the contest umpired by Quinlan.
After the August 15th game, the Brockville Base-ball Club disbanded with Manager Henderson declaring returns of only $65. The Brockville players were outraged, with pitcher Bittle, backed by teammates, claiming his experience and expertise at sizing up grandstands indicated there was more than $150 in gate receipts on the day. After heated arguments, Bittle left on the first train out of town, followed by the rest of the team, leaving the Kingston St. Lawrence standing alone in the Eastern International League. Manager Eilbeck, out the $40 league deposit and the outstanding money owed by the Belleville club before its similar collapse and relocation to Brockville, had no recourse but to sue for the balance.
Despite the Kingston citizens’ interest in the club playing a series of matches during the fair, the players demanded full salaries and on August 24, 1888, the Kingston Baseball Club disbanded with the players leaving town[i].
[i]Manager Eilbeck left Kingston in 1892 for Montana before heading north to get in on the Gold Rush. In February 1902, Robert Eilbeck was spotted on the streets of Detroit, Michigan, according to the Editor of The Sporting Life, who recognized the first baseman from the Kingston, Ontario baseball club. The editor wrote about his conversation with Eilbeck who was in town for a few days. Eilbeck said he “had knocked around until he landed in the Klondike” and was now the Sheriff of the Yukon Territory in Dawson City.
In 1903, Sheriff Jack Eilbeck was President and financial backer of the Dawson City Civil Service Athletic Club, a powerful association that participated in hockey, lacrosse, curling and baseball. His legend had grown since his days in Kingston, as he was “famed in the Yukon as a baseball player” who played against Al Spaulding in the ‘70’s, according to the Dawson Daily News. Allegations of bribes, pay-offs and awarding good paying governments jobs to elite athletes hounded Eilbeck as he populated his club’s roster with the most talented players available. Eilbeck had organized a barnstorming hockey tour, a popular way to make some money, and as one thing led to another, Eilbeck found himself in Ottawa during the spring of 1904, promoting his upcoming hockey tour. Ever the salesman, Eilbeck proposed that his Civil Service team would challenge the Ottawa Silver Seven for the Stanley Cup and when told the Dawson league was not a legitimate senior league and therefore not qualified to play for the Cup, he proposed a Dawson league all-star team representing the Yukon Territory. His proposal was accepted and Eilbeck returned to Dawson to fine tune the plans and draft the challenge letter to the Ottawa club. On September 3, 1904, Eilbeck was fired from the Presidency of the Civil Service club for trying to influence the outcome of the Dawson baseball championship. Jack Eilbeck left the Klondike and headed south. In the April 6, 1905 edition of L’Abeille de la Nouvelle-Orleans, in an article describing Yukon baseball played under the midnight sun, R.J Eilbeck, Sheriff of the Yukon Territory, currently wintering in Port Townsend, Washington, is quoted regarding the fine baseball grounds and quality of talent in the Klondike.
