The Maysville area has a long baseball tradition, dating back to before the United States Civil War.

Although there is not a great deal of information available regarding that era, the Mason County Museum Center has been gracious enough to assist me in my research and the kind ladies at the museum have provided me with old articles and photographs about baseball in the Maysville area from the 1800s.

My intent is to give Ledger Independent readers a glimpse into Maysville’s rich baseball history.

As I am in the infancy of my research, I continue to learn more each day; therefore, I am asking you for assistance with this project.

I’d like your memories, photographs, or scrapbooks detailing Mayville’s baseball past. I am interested in the teams, players, and ballparks.

I have already found some nuggets of information.

According to the Maysville Tri-Weekly Eagle, Maysville’s first baseball team was formed in 1860. At the time, East Maysville also fielded a team.

The Eagle described a game between the teams: “A match game of Town Ball was played at the grounds of the Maysville Town Ball Club between seventeen of that Club, and seventeen of the Union Town Ball Club of East Maysville, which resulted in the favor of the latter by thirteen runs. The batting and fielding on both sides was very creditable, and in view of the fact that these clubs have only been organized a few weeks, we have every reason to be proud of our friends on both sides. An earlier match two weeks ago resulted in a tie.”

In 1895, the Maysville team defeated the Cincinnati Reds twice in a three-game series and was designated the “Champion Amateur Team of the World.”Joe Murch, who was born in Maysville in 1858, went on to pitch in the big leagues before the turn of the century. Murch compiled a 22-28 record in 1888 for the Memphis Grays, with an amazing 50 complete games. He pitched 448 innings and posted a 3.60 ERA.

Major league pitchers today would be hard-pressed to pitch 50 complete games in an entire career, let alone in one season. Just imagine what the currently hapless Cincinnati Reds could accomplish with pitchers like Murch.

Barry McCormick, a Maysvillian born in 1874, , played in the majors from 1895-1904. He was an original member of the St. Louis Browns, who formed in 1902.

McCormick had a lifetime batting average of .238 and also played for the Washington Senators.

Another name from the past is Frank (Don) Hurst, who was born in Maysville in 1905. Hurst was a power-hitting first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs. He finished his career with 976 hits and a .298 batting average.

His career began with Paris in the Blue Grass League

Hurst’s best years in the bigs were 1929 and 1932. He hit .304 with 31 home runs and 125 RBI in 1929, and hit a robust .339 in 1932, smacking 24 home runs and driving in 143 runs.

There are many other old-time baseball stories involving Maysville teams and players. I hope to present more stories throughout the summer.

One claim to fame for Maysville is that Hall of Famer Casey Stengel began his illustrious career with the Maysville Rivermen in 1910. Stengel, at that time a 19-year-old lefthanded hitting center fielder, hit only .221 that season but two years later was in the outfield for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

He played 14 years in the majors, compiling a .284 career batting average. His New York Yankees managerial career would be his ticket to the Hall of Fame after winning seven world championships in a 12-year period.

In more recent years, Maysville featured semi-pro teams, including the 1944 Blues.

Any Blues team members who would like to share their stories are encouraged to do so.

I am looking forward to sharing some of Maysville’s (and the surrounding counties) vast baseball history with you this summer.

Chuck can be reached at 564-9091, ext. 251 or email chuck.hamilton@lee.net