1888 Louisville Colonels season

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1888 Louisville Colonels season

The Louisville Colonels played in the American Association at Eclipse Park in Louisville, Kentucky. After a strong 1887 season, 1888 was a disappointment. The main problem was pitching: the team’s top pitcher from the previous year, Thomas “Toad” Ramsey, was hampered by a sore arm and won only a few games, while the rest of the staff couldn’t compensate. The Colonels finished seventh in the league and had a record well below .500.

Midseason changes occurred when Mordecai Davidson bought out most of the other shareholders on June 7, becoming president; two days later he also took over as manager. John Kerins served as team captain on the field. The organization’s owners included W. L. Lyons, Zach Phelps, W. L. Jackson, John Phelps, Mordecai Davidson, and John R. Botto.

The club’s best-known player was outfielder Pete Browning, a fearsomely strong hitter with a reputation for heavy drinking and eccentric behavior. One famous anecdote from June 19 in Kansas City describes Browning fishing in a hotel gutter after a heavy rain—a story often told in Louisville lore.