| Pittsburgh Allegheny | |
|---|---|
| Minor league affiliations | |
Previous leagues |
|
| Team data | |
| Name |
|
Previous parks | |
Owner/ Operator | Denny McKnight |
| Manager | Denny McKnight (1877) |
Pittsburgh Allegheny was the name of the first professional baseball club to representPittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team was an unrelated forerunner to theAmerican Association's Pittsburgh Alleghenies that were established in 1882, which continue today as thePittsburgh Pirates.[1]
.jpg)
Following theAmerican Civil War, the leading baseball clubs in Pittsburgh were the "Enterprise", "Olympic", and "Xantha" teams. They played atUnion Park, was located in the city ofAllegheny, before it became annexed into Pittsburgh in 1907.[2] On February 2, 1876, Pittsburgh lost its bid for a franchise in the newly establishedNational League. Twenty days later, several local organizers formed theAllegheny Base Ball Club.[3] Allegheny played their first game, defeating the Xanthas 7–3 at Union Park on April 15, 1876.[2]
On February 20, 1877, the International Association was founded in Pittsburgh, and consisted of seven teams that played within Canada and the United States. It is probably the firstminor league in baseball history.[4] On February 22, 1877, after a year of playing as an independent club, Allegheny officially joined the new league.[2] The club paid a $25 ($738.00 in 2024 dollars[5]) entry fee and joined the new league.[3]
The Allegheny would finish the season with a 13–6 record, the second best winning percentage in the league.[4] The club consisted of 12 players in 1877, all of which later made it the majors. No other team in the league used so few players or had a total progression rate to the majors. The manager of the team wasDenny McKnight, a lifelong Pittsburgh native who later went on to manage the major leagueAlleghenies 1884 season for 110 games.[4] McKnight also served as the International Association's president afterCandy Cummings resigned.[6]
Allegheny did make two historic firsts in their brief history. On June 2, 1877, Allegheny played in the first professional game to be decided in 19-innings. That day the club was defeated by a club representingMemphis, Tennessee in theLeague Alliance. Later that month, on June 20, 1877, Allegheny tied a club representingIndianapolis and the League Alliance, 2–2, in the first game to be decided in 17-innings.[7]
The league existed for the 1878 season and while none of the players returned to the team, the roster did include future Pittsburgh Alleghenys players;Chappy Lane andGeorge Strief, who would later hit the very first home run in the history of the Pirates franchise.Jack Glasscock, who played shortstop for the 1893–94 Pirates received his start with International Association's Allegheny club as did an 18-year-old pitcher,Mickey Welch. He would go on to win 307 major league games and gain induction into theBaseball Hall of Fame.[4]
Despite gaining membership to the International League the following season, the club folded in 1878, unable to compete with the strong, local independent squads like the East Liberty Stars or the Olympics, which were better-rooted in the Pittsburgh neighborhoods and workplaces.[1] Despitea rule prohibiting "a person leaving one club and joining another without proper release" Allegheny was hit hard with player defections and formally folded on June 8, 1878, posting a dismal 3–23 record.[3]
Having no official nickname, the Allegheny team was commonly referred to by its pluralized city name, i.e., the Alleghenys or Alleghenies.[1][8][9][10][11]
(fromBaseball Reference Bullpen)
| 1877 Pittsburgh Allegheny | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Fielders | Manager * Future member of the | |||||||
(fromBaseball Reference Bullpen)
| 1878 Pittsburgh Allgeheny | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster | |||||||||
| Pitchers | Catchers Fielders
| Manager
* Future member of the | |||||||