A Fine-Looking Lot of Ball-Tossers: The Remarkable Akrons Of 1881

The Akron club’s accumulation of talented ballplayers and its success against the best opposition of the time set it apart from the general development of 19th century baseball. Like many of the independent baseball teams that proliferated in the 1870s and 1880s, it was formed as a joint stock company by prominent citizens and businessmen. Its talent led it to be raided out of existence. Of the 20 men who played with the Akrons during 1881, 14 played major league ball in subsequent seasons. Most prominent were Hall of Famer Bid McPhee and Tony Mullane.

This work traces the development and play of the team from its formation in 1879 through its great 1881 season and on. Biographical profiles of the players, with personal and professional details, are interspersed throughout. Appendices include the 1881 calendar of scores and 40 box scores (and compiled statistics) for the 1881 season, as well as the box score of the Akrons’ victory over the Chicagos of Cap Anson in 1880.

Richard L. McBane, a former reporter and editorial writer for the Akron Beacon Journal, lives in Lilburn, Georgia. He is a member of Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).