19th Century Baseball Teams: Mutual of New York 1876

 

Mutual of New York was a leading baseball club throughout its 20 year history. The club was established in the year 1857 during the first baseball convention, though it was not a founding member of NABBP.  However, it was a chartered member of both the national league (1876) and professional league (1871). After failing in the coffer and in the field, it refused to make its last western trip of the

inaugural season.  For this reason, in December, it was expelled and soon there-after was defunct.

Initially, the club played all its home games at the Elysian Fields, Hoboken alongside New York Knickerbockers and other clubs in Manhattan. Later on, it moved to the Union Grounds located in Brooklyn in 1868.

In 1869-1870, after the liberalization of NABBP, the Mutual of New York chose open professionalism.  It is at this time that they joined professional league and NABBPA for 1871-1875 period.  In the following year (1876), Chicago White Stockings started the national league where it recruited members from West – East wrestling partly control of the professional baseball from the Eastern interests.  Mutual of New York was one of the eight charter members of which six came from the national Association.  Weak finish (6th place 21-35) and poor cash saw the club refusing to complete their playing obligations in the west which lead to expulsion.

On 13th may 1876, Mutual of New York executed the 1st triple play which became major league history. It was during a game between Mutual of New York and Hartford Dark Blues. Today, William Cammeyer is listed as being the owner of the Mutual of New York club. He signed Hartford Dark Blues to play at the Union Grounds in the year 1877. This team was effectively the replacement of the now defunct Mutual of New York and at times was called Hartford of Brooklyn by the fans.