Two years after the color barrier had been established in baseball an historic game took place. The 3 September 1869 match between the Olympic Club of Philadelphia and the Pythian Club of the same city took place, the first recognized contest between white and black clubs. Octavius Catto was a noted player on the Pythian Nine.
Soon after this match the Alert Club of Washington issued a challenge to the Olympic Club of Washington. The challenge was accepted and the game was played on 20 September 1869. The Olympics won 56 to 3.
The following are the nine: Olympic – Davy Force, 3b; Robert Reach, SS ; Fergy Malone, C; Nick Young, Rf; Ed Leech, P; AV Robinson, Lf.: William Miller, 1b; Dick Hurley, 2b.; “Emmett” ME Urill, Cf.
Alert – Boulden, Lf; Snowden, SS; Dent, 2b; Washington, C; J Nelson, P; Bowie, Cf; P Nelson, Rf; Thompson, 3b: Bland. 1b.
The report is the press, “A very large crowd of ladies and gentlemen, both white and colored, attended at the National base ball grounds yesterday afternoon for the purpose of witnessing the first game of baseball ever played in this city between clubs formed one or white, the other of colored men. Among those present we noticed many prominent persons, both in the affairs of the General Government and the municipal. The clubs to contend were the Olympics of this city who within the past year have acquired quite a reputation as “ballists” of a high order of merit and the Alerts, a club composed or colored men, who presented for their nine yesterday a body or stalwart players, who with one exception were evident Simon-pure Africans. They were uniformed neatly in blue shirts and caps, black cloth pants, with broad yellow leather bells. This club has been doing some this season, and are the special protégés of a number of our wealthiest colored citizens, who have materially aided their organization, and who had such a high opinion of their abilities as “ballists” as to cause them to propose a game with the dab acknowledged to present the strongest club of any in the city. The result of the game proved that the Alerts were no match for the Olympics’ boys, who did just as they pleased with them. Mr. OL Hart, of the Union club, having been chosen umpire, game was called about 4 o’clock, with the Olympics at the bat, who succeeded in batting the slow balls given them without any trouble. Eight runs were made before the side was put out. Urell, Robinson and Malone being the victims, the first and last on flys to Thompson and Bouldin respectively, while “Miley” retired on a foul tip. The Alerts were put out with a round 0; Bouldin, Thompson and Richardson going out, leaving Snowden on second base. In the second inning the Olympics added four runs to their score. Young and Urell were put out at first by Snowden and Bland, while Reach was a victim to a foul-fly by P Nelson retiring in one, two, three order. A beautiful catch with one hand of a red-hot ball by Hurley was deservedly applauded in this inning. In the third innings the Olympics by good batting and loose fielding by the Alerts, gained twelve runs, while the Alerts succeeded in making two runs, Bland and Bouldin being the lucky individuals. In the fourth inning the Alerts fielded well, and the Olympics only got three runs. The Alerts made out to take another round 0, the two Nelson’s and Bowie being again the victims. The fifth allowed four more to the score of the white boys, while their colored friends again retired with a goose-egg, Dent, Bland and Bouldin going out. In the sixth innings nine runs more were added, and the Alerts spirits seemed greatly cast down. They rallied; however, for upon going to bat again they succeeded by obtaining two more runs, leaving the score to 40 to 4. It was getting dark, and appeared certain that game would be called at the close of the seventh inning, so the Olympic boys went to work in good earnest, being so successful that sixteen more runs were added to their score. On the part of the Alerts, Dent, Bouldin, and Snowden were put out, giving the side another round 0. Here the game was called, with a victory for the Olympics by a score of 56 to 4. Time 2:10.
The New York Herald writes, The base ball match in Washington yesterday afternoon between the Olympics (white) and the Alerts (black) attracted one of the largest assemblages that have ever seen in that city at any exhibition of the national game. Five or six thousand spectators were present, the colored ladies and gentlemen largely predominating, and exhibiting the deepest interest in the success of their race. The game, however, was by no means close; the Alerts were beaten badly, though they played very fairly, by a score of 56 in favor or the whites and four for the blacks.
During this period the Alerts were losing most of their better players to the Mutual Club of Washington. In 1870, the Mutuals would make an historic tour of the east.
