When the baseball Hall of Fame decided to vote on players from the 1800s, the top vote-getter was catcher Buck Ewing. One of the most respected players of his day, Ewing got his start in Major League Baseball in 1880 with the Troy Trojans. The owner of the club was Gardner Earl whose family made their fortune in the Troy’s textile industry.
The Trojans of 1880 featured a star-studded roster with five future Hall of Fame members. In addition to the catcher Ewing, five time batting champion and first baseman Dan Brouthers, and the major’s career home run leader from 1895-1921 Roger Connor batted for Troy that year. On the mound was a pair of future 300-game winners, Tim Keefe and Smiling Mickey Welch.
In the collection is this letter from Earl dated October 12, 1880, a month after Ewing’s big league debut. Trojans owner Earl writes the letter to National League president and Hall of Famer William Hulbert. Baseball letters from the 1800s are few and far between; this one from a team owner to a Hall of Fame executive is a rare find.