When the Dodgers Were Bridegrooms: Gunner McGunnigle and Brooklyn's Back-to-Back Pennants of 1889 and 1890

by Ronald G. Shafer

Overview

Urbane real estate investor Charles Byrne and hustling news editor George J. Taylor joined forces in 1883 to create the club that would become the Brooklyn Dodgers. Nicknamed the "Bridegrooms" by sportswriters after several players got married, they won their first major league pennants in 1889 and 1890 under pioneering manager Bill "Gunner" McGunnigle. This first history of the birth of the Dodgers franchise chronicles the owners' efforts to build the team, woo fans, and oversee the antics of the colorful cast of athletes—with nicknames like "Adonis," "Needles," and "Oyster"—who filled the Bridegrooms' roster.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786458998
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	04/14/2011
Pages:	212
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

A reporter and editor for the Wall Street Journal for nearly 40 years, Ronald G. Shafer is a freelance writer in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he lives with his wife, Mary Rogers, the great-granddaughter of Gunner McGunnigle. Visit his website at brooklyndodgershistory.com

Table of Contents

Preface 1

1 A Team Grows in Brooklyn 5

2 Der Boss President 24

3 Gunner McGunnigle 44

4 Stars for Sale 60

5 Here Come the Bridegrooms 74

6 A Bridge Too High? 89

7 Down to the Wire 109

8 The Pre-Subway Series 126

9 Revolt of the Players 144

10 Pennant Fever and Labor Pains 160

11 Final Inning 175

Epilogue 184

Chapter Notes 191

Bibliography 197

Index 199