Nashville Seraphs
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| Nashville Seraphs 1895 Nashville, Tennessee |
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| League titles | 1895 | ||
The Nashville Seraphs was a minor league baseball team of the Southern League based in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1895. The team was the fourth professional baseball team in Nashville, and the first to win a league championship. They replaced the city's previous entry, the Nashville Tigers, and played their home games at Athletic Park.
[edit] Team history
In 1895, Nashville fielded a new professional baseball team. The franchise was called the Nashville Seraphs and would compete in the Southern League. The team played its home games at Athletic Park, which would later come to be known as Sulphur Dell. With a distance of 262 feet to the right field wall, it was a notorious hitter's park.[1]
In their first and only season of play, 1895, the Seraphs were managed by George Stallings, who also played as an infielder. Stallings previously managed the Nashville Tigers and would eventually manage the 1914 Boston Braves to a World Series championship.[1]
The Seraphs opened up the season with a 17-10 loss against the Evansville Blackbirds.[1]
Towards the end of the season, Nashville was in third place behind Evansville and the Atlanta Crackers. The race for the Southern League championship, determined by winning percentage, heated up following a disputed call during an August 10 contest at Athletic Park versus Atlanta. Nashville was trailing 8-10 in their last at-bat in the ninth inning. They scored a run and still had men on first and second with their catcher, Sweeney, at-bat. He hit a high foul fly back toward the grandstand. As Atlanta's catcher, Wilson, attempted to get under the ball, his foot slipped causing him to miss it. While reaching for the ball, a boy in the stands threw a glove or cap past his head. The umpire, Clark, ruled this as interference and called Sweeney out, resulting in a 9-10 Seraphs loss. This incident would come to be known as the "Glove Game."[1]
Following the defeat, Nashville went on a 20-game winning streak, moving them into first place with only a few games left to play. Nashville stood at 65-35 (.650), Evansville, 61-33 (.649), and Atlanta was third at 62-34 (.646).[1]
The last day of scheduled play was September 2, but Atlanta played an additional game the following day. The win by Atlanta moved them into a tie with the Seraphs for first place with the same .670 winning percentage.[1]
Nashville claimed the pennant and protested the final standings for three reasons. Firstly, the August 10 "Glove Game" should have been thrown out because of the umpire's bad call. Secondly, the New Orleans Pelicans used an ineligible player who had been suspended from the Pennsylvania State League, and should forfeit all games he participated in. Lastly, since Atlanta played a game one day after the official end of the season, their September 3 win should be stricken from their record.[1]
Southern League and team representatives held a meeting in Chattanooga to determine a winner. The members decided to throw out the "Glove Game" on the basis that the umpire's ruling was illegal since there was no rule providing for the punishment of a club for the offense of an outsider. Atlanta's August 3 game was also declared null since it was played after the end of the season. Nashville withdrew its protest of New Orleans’ ineligible player. These rulings caused Nashville's winning percentage to rise to .676 and Atlanta's to fall to .667, making the Seraphs the league pennant winner.[1]
Despite the championship season, the Seraphs did not return to play in 1896. The city of Nashville was left without a professional baseball team until the Nashville Vols franchise was formed in 1901.[1]
[edit] Season-by-season results
| Nashville Tigers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Record | Win % | Finish |
| 1895 | 71-34 | .376 | 1st (of 8) |
| Totals | 71-34 | .676 | - |
