Ruby Legs

Ruby Legs

The talk by some Worcester politicians about getting the minor league Pawtucket Red Sox to move to Worcester from Rhode Island is probably just a pipe dream. There once was a time that Worcester had both a minor league team in the National Association and a major league team in the National League.

 In 1880 the Worcester Club joined the Majors replacing the Syracuse New York club which went bankrupt. It seems that the Worcester team was the Worcester Worcesters. Sometimes it was also known as the Brown Stockings, Brownies, or the Ruby Legs.

The team played ball in the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds which were located in the general area of Becker College and divided by Highland St.

(John) Lee Richmond was the team’s ace and stopper. Reading about him reminds me of Steve Carlton of the Philadelphia Phillies. In 1972 Carlton won 27 of the 59 games won by the Phillies.

Lee Richmond pitched three years with the Worcesters. Each year he pitched over 400 innings. His best year was when his record was 32 wins and 32 losses. It is likely the great number of innings pitched caused him arm trouble and shortened his career. He ended his playing days with the Providence Grays of the National League where played outfield.

Richmond is probably best known for pitching the first perfect no-hit game in the Major Leagues.  He did so in the second to last game of the 1880 season. It occurred in Worcester on the then Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds. There is a marker in front of the Becker College Academic Center marking the field.

Also in the same year the Worcester club was no hit by Buffalo on the same field. The first record of a team being no hit on its home field.

In 1882 the Worcester Worcesters had such poor attendance that it financially failed. At the last game of the season there were only 6 paying fans. The Worcester Club was always at a disadvantage in terms of attendance. All of the other National League teams were located in cities with at least 75, 000 people. Worcester at that time only had 58, 000 people.

The Ruby Legs  folded and the National League went looking for a club to replace Worcester. It choose the Philadelphia Quakers, a minor league team, to join the National League.  The Philadelphia Quakers later became the Philadelphia Phillies of the modern baseball era.

There is some talk today about how the Worcester Worcesters moved to Philadelphia and became the Phillies. This seems not to be true. Although the Philadelphia Quakers replaced Worcester in the National League, no players nor managers nor owner went to Philadelphia.

Worcester MA has a long baseball history and present. The minor league Bravehearts play baseball at Holy Cross’ field. The Worcester Tornadoes, a minor league team before the Bravehearts, played in the City for many years.

Going pass Lake Park field in Worcester I see the Babe Ruth League teams playing ball; many of them with players I am sure are professional hopefuls.

I have mixed feeling about the efforts to get the Pawsox to come to Worcester. It seems like a slap in face to the Bravehearts.