Posted By:
Alan ElefsonHi-
I recently acquired the Oliver Optics Magazine from 12/18/1869 that is scanned at the bottom of this post. As I have indicated in previous posts, I love this magazine as there is almost always an article about baseball as well as a front cover with a couple of baseball scenes (always the same cover). Perusing this particular issue, I discovered a very early reference to professional baseball and gambling. Unfortunately, no specific teams or names are mentioned, but I thought the article was interesting regardless. I have scanned it below, but you probably need to save the image on your computer to be able to enlarge it and read it. So, I have also copied the salient sentences, and summarized the remainder of the article below my email address. Has any one seen an earlier professional baseball/gambling written reference? Does any one have early references to players or teams involved with gambling? I'd would love to know how gambling influenced the game in the late 1800s.
On another interesting front, there is an advetisement for the Lee and Shepard 1869 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (the original came out only four years before!) replete with illustrations and a selection from the text (scanned below).
As usual, any additional information about early baseball and gambling would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Alan Elefson
aelefson@hotmail.com
The first paragraph and half of the second consists of naming the first professional teams in 1869 (and defining what professional means), as well as the new teams for the 1870 season (or at least their cities). Below begins about midway through the second paragraph:
"To continue successful, however, these clubs will have to steer clear of that pest that attaches itself to all kinds of sport - betting rings and their influence." This 'ring' influence is what caused all the trouble there was among professional clubs last season; and, in fact, for the last three years many of the principal professional clubs have been more or lless subject to 'ring management'."
The next few paragraphs detail the ways the rings influenced games.
1. Travelling team loses a couple of games against easy opponents and then plays a home team that has won a couple of easy games. Non ring gamblers bet against the travelling team that easily beats the home team.
2. I thought this second one was more interesting (and perhaps pervasive, although it is built on pretty flimsy logic). The author describes a scenario where one team beats another and then purposefully loses a second match so the owners can get geven greater gate receipts for a third and deciding match (as well as lining the gamblers' pockets who are in on the fix).
08-10-2008, 09:14 AM
Pro Baseball/Gambling early reference
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