On July 13, 1867 the Washington Nationals baseball team that was made up by mostly government workers and were led by second baseman George Wright, played their first game of the their western tour. The Nationals could not have asked for a better start to their great tour as they beat up the Capital Club of Columbus by the score 90 to 10 the game is called after seven innings.
The Nationals ball-club next traveled to Cincinnati where they whipped up on the Cincinnati Red Stockings by the score of 53 to 10. The ball-club from Washington will go on to win their next five games and outscored their opponents 442 to 106. After playing a couple of games in 100 plus degree temperatures the team was a little fatigued as they traveled to Chicago.
With three days off from their last game the Nats were well rested as they entered their next game against the Forest City Baseball Club of Rockford. On the 25th of July the Nationals found themselves up against the best pitcher the team had faced on the tour when 17 year-old Albert Spalding took the mound. The young pitcher held the dynamic hitting Nats to only 23 runs and the corn crackers from Rockford scored 29 runs as the team from Rockford handed the Nats the team’s only loss of the tour.
The Washington ball club go onto outscore their next two opponents by the score of 127-26. The team ends their tour with a total nine victories and only one loss.
Information for this story came from Frank Ceresi and Carol McMains at FC Associates and Eric Miklich at 19cbaseball.
To read more about the Great Western Tour I invite you to read these news stories.
