Oldest Memorabilia

[bbpostcards]

It's not often you get to hold a document penned by someone who in 1860 played in the first true baseball game in Philadelphia, one of America's most important baseball cities, who fought in the Civil War that contributed to his club's demise, and who in the document is seen in his own hand vainly trying to restore the team's pre-war standing.

William H. Litzenberg was the Equity Base Ball Club of Philadelphia's catcher in the historic June 11, 1860 first game between two organized ball clubs played under the New York rules in Philadelphia. Their opponent Winona, another local team, prevailed 39-21. The box score confirms Litzenberg's participation. See New York Clipper, June 30, 1860, p. 85. That contest is "generally given the distinction of being the first match game ever played in Philadelphia under the New York rules." Base Ball Founders (Morris et al., ed.) at p. 242.

The Civil War led the Equitys to suspend play. Litzenberg then fought with the Union Army. After the war the team tried to resurrect itself. In the fall of 1866 the Equitys sent representatives to the National Association of Base Ball Players convention. It was not enough for the team to survive. For these and further details on the team's history, see generally Base Ball Founders, pp. 241-246. In the midst of that unsuccessful rebuilding effort Litzenberg wrote and signed this May 28, 1866 telegraph proposing that Wayne Litzenberg (likely a relative) become a team member and directed it to the Equity team's president, officers, and members.

The Equitys are credited with being one of the clubs that "sparked a major shift from town ball to baseball that took place in 1860" and as having "a strong claim to having been Philadelphia's best prewar club and might well have remained a major force on the city's baseball scene if not for the intervention of the Civil War." Base Ball Founders, pp. 241, 244. Litzenberg was involved at every turn.