An Unlikely Baseball Organizer
The driving force behind Tombstone's first formal baseball association was Endicott Peabody, a 24-year-old Episcopal minister who had arrived from Boston in January 1882, barely two months after the O.K. Corral gunfight. The Tombstone Epitaph welcomed him to town with the note that “a parson who doesn't flirt with the girls, who doesn't drink beer behind the door, and when it comes to baseball, he's a daisy.” Peabody made good on that assessment. The evening after his first sermon, he sat on the parsonage porch and began scheming to field a team. He traveled to mines outside town to organize games, captained sides himself, and on April 26, 1882, helped field Tombstone's first formal nine, serving as treasurer and later vice president of the association. He personally leveled the playing field while unwell. His journal recorded the games with competitive precision: “Capital game of base ball. I was capt[ain] of 1 side which was victorious — but I made 2 disgusting miffs.”
Peabody left Tombstone in July 1882 after six months, but baseball outlasted him. When selecting his successor, he chose a man partly for his ability to hold his own on the diamond, ensuring that organized sport remained part of the congregation's mission. The Tombstone nine continued to develop through the 1880s and eventually claimed the territorial championship in 1890.
The physical home of Tombstone baseball was the work of another remarkable figure. Nellie Cashman, the Irish-born entrepreneur and philanthropist known as the Angel of Tombstone, built a baseball diamond on the infield of the Doling Driving Park racetrack. According to city historian Don Taylor, the Tombstone team played at that location from 1882 until 1929.
Newspaper Accounts
The following notices from the Tombstone Epitaph document the rise of organized baseball in Tombstone, from early practices in the spring of 1882 through a territorial championship in 1890. Note that the word “practising” was spelled that way in the original articles.
A match game of base ball is shortly to be played in our city between the Tombstone and San Pedro nines. The boys of our town are practising daily on Mr. Light’s lot, corner of Third and Safford streets, and all ball tossers are requested to come down during the afternoon and join them. As yet the clubs have not been fully organized, and it is hoped that these who are fond of the sport will assist in completing the arrangements. A well played game of ball would be much appreciated by the public, and if the boys will go in with a will, get their respective clubs up in trim, and play with science, we will insure them deserved success.
Tombstone Epitaph, March 6, 1882, Page 6 (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84021939/1882-03-06/ed-1/seg-6/)Two months after teams began practicing, a formal meeting was called to organize a baseball association.
A PRELIMINARY meeting, tending towards the organization of a base-ball association in Tombstone, was held last evening. Much interest was manifested and another meeting called for next Monday night at 7:30 o’clock, at Mr. Rice’s rooms, opposite the Vizina office. All desiring to join are requested to attend. A game is to be played at the Boston mill, Saturday afternoon, by a picked nine from here and the Boston Mill club.
Tombstone Epitaph, May 1, 1882, Page 6 (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84021939/1882-05-01/ed-1/seg-6/)Two weeks later, the Epitaph reported on territory-wide competition, with the San Pedro club planning to challenge Tucson for the territorial championship and the local Tombstone nine preparing to join the competition.
The base-ball season is about to open in earnest. An effectual organization of the local nine will be made next week. This club will play with the San Pedro boys Saturday, at the Boston mill. The San Pedro club, of which Geo. S. Rice is captain, is practising continuously and will play a match game at Tucson on the 12th of May, against the professional ball tossers of that place. Of course the Cochise boys can beat anything in Pima county, and after “whitewashing” the nine of Tucson the San Pedro club propose to play against the other ball organizations of the territory for the championship of Arizona.
Tombstone Epitaph, May 15, 1882, Page 5 (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84021939/1882-05-01/ed-1/seq-5/)By December 1882, Tombstone was playing a full schedule against regional competition. This detailed game report covers a match against a Tucson nine that had brought in a professional pitcher. Tombstone lost, but took the defeat in good humor. Since travel between the two towns was lengthy, teams would often have dinner together after a game and the visitors would return home the next day, building friendships between players.
TOMBSTONE VS. TUCSON
The “Ancient Pueblo” Sends a Nine Which Makes the Tombstoners Weep.
Doling’s park was thronged Thursday with the lovers of base-ball, and the enjoyment of the various sports presented never lagged. Much talk had been occasioned by the friends of the respective nines, and large amounts were wagered on the result of the game, but owing to the Tucson nine having Mast, a professional ball-tosser and one of the most expert pitchers in the country, with them, the umpire very properly declared all bets off. From the commencement of the game it was seen that the Tombstone nine would be defeated. At the end of the fifth inning the home club was eleven runs behind; but owing to poor fielding and wild throwing on the part of the visiting nine, reduced it to seven in the sixth inning. From that time to the end of the game the Tucson boys had it all their own way, the score at the finish being as follows:
Earned runs—Tucson, 4; Tombstone, 6.
First base on errors—Tucson, 11; Tombstone, 8.
First base on called balls—Tucson, 2; Tombstone, 4.
Left on bases—Tucson, 7; Tombstone, 7.
Struck out—Tucson, 7; Tombstone, 7.
Called balls—Mast, 122; Goodale, 33; Hawke, 53.
Passed balls—McQuilken, 5; Flynn, 3.
Called strikes—Tucson, 11; Tombstone, 21.
Missed strikes—Tucson, 30; Tombstone, 39.
Fouls struck—Tucson, 30; Tombstone, 31.
Home run—P. Corpstein.
Umpire—R. E. Kearon.
Scorers—F. J. McQualkin, Tucson; E. W. Stump, Tombstone.
Time—3 hours 5 minutes.
INCIDENTS OF THE GAME. James Nash, while endeavoring to field A ball, collided with Hawke, another player bent on the same errand, the result being that Jim’s optic now bears the insignia of mourning,
Billy Hopkins, of the Palace hotel, Tucson, made a good record in the game. He is justly considered one of the best general players in the territory, and is certainly one of the best fellows.
Mast, the pitcher of the Tucson nine, has been a member of several crack professional nines in California, and justly earned the reputation of being one of the most expert pitchers in the business. He can curve a ball until it looks like a blacksnake going through a wheat field. He is immensely popular with all the boys. He sings a good song and plays a seven octave harmonica with rare ability.
Both the Tombstone and Tucson nines are credited with a game each. It would be well for the home nine to issue a challenge for a match game to take place at an early day and definitely settle the claim for supremacy.
F.J. McQuilkin, of Tucson, and E. W. Stump, of this place, acquitted themselves in a most creditable manner, in the capacity of scorers.
The pitching of Hawke, of the home nine, was highly spoken of by all who witnessed the game.
The selection of R. E. Kearon, as umpire, was a most fortunate one. His decisions were prompt and impartial, giving general satisfaction to all.
Corpstein, as captain of the home nine, won golden opinions, not only by his excellent playing, being the only one who made a home run, but by his good judgment and generalship.
Tombstone Epitaph, December 2, 1882, Page 3 (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn95060906/1882-12-02/ed-1/seq-3/)The last article reprinted here, from May 10, 1890, shows that Tombstone baseball endured well past the silver boom — and eventually claimed the territorial championship.
Champions!
Base Ball!
Territorial Championship!
At last a series of square games have been played and Tombstone is on top with the record of winning every game.
Tucson played well but Tombstone played better.
We are not in receipt of the complete scores, but it is sufficient that we have won, and our boys will be given a royal reception when they return.
Tombstone Epitaph, May 10, 1890, Page 3 (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn95060905/1890-05-10/ed-1/seq-3/)Sources
- Tombstone Epitaph issues cited inline above (Chronicling America digital archive).
- Lori Underhill, "If You Go, You Must Dress Up: Social Life in Tombstone, Arizona, 1879–1892," Journal of Arizona History, vol. 57, no. 3 (2016). Source for January 1882 team organization by Percy Thompson, team names (True Blues and Nuggets), and first game score.
- William B. Hampton, "'Religion is Truly Manly': Endicott Peabody, Muscular Christianity, and Reform in Tombstone, Arizona," Journal of Arizona History, vol. 57, no. 2 (2016). Source for Peabody's baseball organizing role, the Epitaph's "daisy" quote, and his journal entries on the games.
- Don Taylor, Tombstone, the First Fifty Years, 1879–1929, p. 102. Taylor is the Tombstone City Historian. Source for Nellie Cashman's construction of the baseball diamond on the Doling Driving Park infield and the team's use of that field from 1882 to 1929.
Location
The baseball diamond was built by Nellie Cashman on the infield of the Doling Driving Park racetrack, located half a mile north of town. City historian Don Taylor confirms the Tombstone team played at that location from 1882 until 1929. The following satellite image shows the gravel road to the Schieffelin Monument and the oval that was the Doling Driving Park is barely visible below it. Note: this image was enhanced; the track is not identifiable from the ground.