1886 World Series Program - Game 4 - St. Louis Browns vs. Chicago White Stockings - Earliest Known World Series Scorecard

Auction: Summer Classic 2022

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1886 World Series Program - Game 4 - St. Louis Browns vs. Chicago White Stockings - Earliest Known World Series Scorecard

Scorecard issued for Game 4 of the 1886 World Series between the Chicago White Stockings, champions of the National League, and the St. Louis Browns, champions of the American Association. Nineteenth-century World Series scorecards and programs are exceedingly rare. The first interleague postseason series between the National League and American Association, which was called the "World's Series," took place in 1884 and the tradition continued for six consecutive years before being replaced briefly in the 1890s by the Temple Cup Series, which was played between the two top National League teams (the American Association disbanded after the 1891 season). This is, to the best of our knowledge, the only surviving World Series scorecard/program from 1886 and we cannot recall having seen one that predates it, making it possibly the oldest World Series scorecard/program extant. (The Baseball Hall of Fame has confirmed that no World Series scorecard/program from 1886 or earlier resides in its collection.) The scorecard originates from a longtime collector residing in the St. Louis area who has had it for decades. One of the probable reasons for the rarity of this 1886 World Series scorecard is that unlike those produced in preceding years its outward appearance is simply that of a regular-season Major League scorecard. Only by opening it and examining the preprinted lineups does its World Series provenance become apparent. The cover to the program, which was published by John B. Sage, features a colorful illustration of a generic ballplayer standing on first base, below which is the printed caption "Now You Go." Printed advertisements adorn the back cover and portions of the interior. The preprinted lineups include Comisky, O'Neill, Latham, and Foutz for St. Louis, and Kelly, Anson, Clarkson, Gore, Pfeffer, Williamson, Burns, and Ryan for Chicago. The game is scored in pencil to record a seven-inning 8-5 win for St. Louis. (Although the program is not dated, and St. Louis and Chicago also met in the 1885 World Series, the lineups and scoring are consistent with only Game 4 of the 1886 World Series.) The 1886 World Series was a best-of-seven affair. The first three games were played in Chicago, with John Clarkson and the White Sox winning games 1 and 3 for a 2-1 advantage in the Series. The change of venue obviously helped the Browns, as they won the next three games at home to win the Series in six games. Game 4 was a pitching rematch of Game 1, pairing John Clarkson against Dave Foutz, who won a league-high 41 games that year. Foutz avenged his opening game loss by defeating the White Sox 8-5 in a game that was called after seven innings due to darkness.  The scorecard (7.5x6"; unfolded) displays a slight tear along the spine, a small area of surface paper loss on the back cover, a few small edge tears, moderate creasing, and a few small stains on the interior. Fair to Good condition overall. This is an extraordinary World Series scorecard and its status as possibly the earliest-known example makes it one of the most important nineteenth-century baseball pieces we have ever handled.