Once Upon a Team: The Epic Rise and Historic Fall of Baseball's Wilmington Quicksteps

by Jon Springer

In 1884, professional baseball was still in its infancy. The National League was less than a decade old, the National Association (which had been around since 1871) was now defunct, the American Association (which began two years earlier) were nipping at the NL’s heels, and a new league—the Union Association—was in its first year.

With all that going on, a hard-playing, hard-drinking club out of tiny Wilmington, Delaware—the Quicksteps—were so dominating their minor-league opponents that they would receive the opportunity of a lifetime.

At 51–12, the Quicksteps were easily handling the struggling Eastern League, which was still in its inaugural season. Led by archetypal stars Tommy “Oyster” Burns and Edward “The Only” Nolan, the Quicksteps attacked opponents with a spike-sharpened, rough-and-tumble approach to the game that was only then coming into style, including Nolan’s revolutionary the curve ball. They clinched the league title with six weeks left in the season, and then did something no other team had ever done before.

The UA’s inaugural season wasn’t going as well as they had hoped. Four teams folded before the season’s conclusion, and the red-hot Quicksteps were slated to be promoted to the professional league—something which, then and now, is unheard of—replacing the defunct Philadelphia Keystones.

Unfortunately, things did not go as well for Wilmington in the UA as it did in the Eastern League. As the first shots are fired in a near century-long battle for player rights, mass defections, and a comedy of on-field error and misfortune resigned the Quicksteps to a virtually unassailable record for baseball futility. In 18 games, the Quicksteps went 2–16, giving them a .111 winning percentage (compared to their .810 winning percentage in the Eastern League). The UA would fold at seasons’ end—as would the Quicksteps.

Loaded with colorful characters, highlight plays, and behind-the-scenes drama, Jon Springer ( Mets by the Numbers ) tells the forgotten true story of a tumultuous and remarkable summer; a team driven and summarily destroyed by its own dream of success.

Genres: Baseball

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2018

Reviews

[Greg Masters · Rating 3 out of 5]

A marvelous investigation drawing on obscure newspaper reports, this book chronicles the beginnings of the nation's past-time. The era is brought to life as Springer harvests data from local papers to resuscitate events from the 1880s. The genesis of baseball unfurls from the chaos of poorly funded teams with rosters of talented though often rascallion players barnstorming via rail to play games to enthusiastic crowds. Rivalries complicate the proceedings as better funded teams lure away the better players from the less solvent.

It's a telling of a number of local histories that link up as regional leagues form and newspaper reporting spreads the word to fans eager for the news of their teams and favorite players.

Admittedly, the series of reports on local games can get as tedious as the grind was for the players, but the book is a celebration of a time of formation, of entrepreneurship, a hopeful era as folks united in pursuit of a central enthusiasm.

[Derek · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at a baseball team that existed when the sport was changing rapidly and only really starting to become America's pastime. Scattered throughout are also some great bits of baseball history (unrelated to the Quicksteps) that I would do well to remember for future trivia nights. My main criticism of the book is that there are a lot of names, both players and local places (which someone from Wilmington would probably appreciate more than me). I did enjoy reading some of the player backstories because they highlight how different the game and the country were back then, but there were a few too many names for me to remember. I would certainly recommend to someone who loves baseball.