AMERICAN GLADIATOR: The Life And Times Of ... - The Book Locker

AMERICAN GLADIATOR
The original caption reads as follows:
Above is a half-time reproduction of what is probably the most valuable photograph
in the world. It was taken in 1877, and contains the pictures of the Louisville players who
sold out to gamblers and prevented the local club from winning the pennant in the
National League from Boston.
The players on whom the guilt was fastened were Devlin, Hall, Craver and Nichols.
Catcher Snyder was also under suspicion for a time, but it was not proven that he was
bribed to throw the games to Boston.
The players, it was alleged, were paid considerable money by Detroit gamblers to
lose enough games to keep Louisville from winning the pennant. The team left Louisville
with only fourteen games to play, and two victories out of this number would have given
Louisville the pennant. The gamblers bet a considerable amount of money that Boston
and not Louisville would win the flag and won their money, as the Louisville team won
but one game on the trip.
Detectives were put on the case and the facts were made known. The players were
blacklisted forever, and none of those against whom this action was taken has since
played professional baseball. The photograph reproduced here was taken when there
was every indication that Louisville would win the championship.
For many years, it hung in Nick & Jake’s place, and was later acquired by A.J.
Alford, of 340 West Jefferson Street, who loaned it for reproduction. The picture was
never before printed in a newspaper, and very few persons had any idea such a
photograph was in existence. (Eclipse BBHR)
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