Foul Flag Association (1875)
The Foul Flag Championship was a baseball association that operated in Little Rock, AR in 1875. The association consisted of five amateur Little Rock teams.History
The Foul Flag Association was created in August, 1875 to determine which of Little Rock’s many amateur teams was the best. Fred Syberg was made president while George Russell Brown and Andrew Eakin filled the other spots on board.
All teams who entered into the association were required to play under the rules of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players. In addition, all teams were required to play three games with every other team. However, because the season did not start until September, no single team was able to meet this requirement. Subsequently, the rule was either lifted or intentionally overlooked.
Sixteen total games were played between five teams. The tournament was won by the members of the Accidentals, who were awarded with the championship flags. The runner-up ‘Independents’ were voted the best team and presented with a special bat made of 78 different pieces of wood valued over $100 dollars, equal to about $2000 today.
Schedule and Results
A report of all 16 known games played for the Foul Flag Championship was given in the Arkansas Gazette after the season on December 5th, 1875:
Date | Winner | Loser | |
9/13 | Accidentals 28 | La Roques/Red Sox 19 | |
9/14 | Phenix 21 | Accidentals 16 | |
9/18 | Phenix 13 | La Roques/Red Sox 12 | |
9/20 | Independents 15 | La Roques/Red Sox 13 | |
9/21 | Accidentals 23 | Phenix 14 | |
9/27 | Independents 18 | La Roques/Red Sox 9 | |
9/28 | Arsenal 35 | Phenix 20 | |
9/-- | Arsenal 21 | Independents 8 | |
10/8 | La Roques/Red Sox 20 | Arsenals 17 | |
10/9 | Independents 29 | Arsenal 28 | |
10/12 | Independents 15 | Phenix 15 (tie) | |
10/13 | Accidentals -- | La Roques/Red Sox 3 | |
10/18 | Accidentals 24 | Independents 3 | |
10/21 | Accidentals 37 | Phenix 9 | |
10/23 | Accidentals 24 | Arsenals 8 | |
10/-- | Accidentals 19 | Independents 14 |
Standings
The Arkansas Gazette reported that the Accidentals won 6 games, the Independents won 4, the Phenix won 2, the Arsenals won 2 and the La Roques/Red Sox won 1. However, tallying up the known games reveals that the Accidentals won 7 and the Independents won only 3.
Team | W | L | T |
Accidentals | 7 | 1 | - |
Independents | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Arsenals | 2 | 3 | - |
Phenix | 2 | 3 | 1 |
La Roques/Red Sox | 1 | 5 | - |
Players
See 1875 Foul Flag Association Players
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