Bull Stockings
The Red Stockings and Bull Dozers were real teams that played base ball in Wichita in the 1870s. The Cowtown Vintage Base Ball Club has brought these two teams back and they compete against each other when playing games at Old Cowtown Musuem. Unlike these two teams, the Wichita Bull Stockings was not a real team in Wichita in the 1800s. The Bull Stockings is the team name used when the club merges the two teams to play games against competition from around the country. Yes it is very difficult for these competitive players to set aside their displeasure towards the members from their usual Cowtown foe, but in the spirit of the game and the desire to show the quality of Base Ball played in Wichita they manage to come to terms as a team. The Bull Stocking have traveled around the state of Kansas playing the local 'nine' in many communities. The Bull Stockings have all also displayed their talents beyond the borders of Kansas, travelling to neighboring states for tournaments and games.Bull Dozers History
written by Sam Sargent and Michael Alves:
"Around 1880, the common usage of 'bull-dose' in the United States meant administering
a large and efficient dose of any sort of medicine or punishment. If you 'bull-dosed'
someone, you gave him a severe whipping or coerced or intimidated him in some other way,
such as by holding a gun to his head... In 1886, with a slight variation in spelling,
a 'bulldozer' had come to mean both a large-caliber pistol and the person who wielded
it... By the late 1880's, 'bulldozing' came to mean using brawny force to push over, or
through, any obstacle."
Westerns vs.Bulldozers - Wichita City Eagle, August 1879
The Westerns, of Topeka, came on the noon train Saturday and were received
by a proper committee and conveyed in buses to the Occidental where they
had dinner, after which the two clubs repaired to the Fair Grounds, where
there were about three hundred ladies and gentlemen in waiting to see the game.
After a few preliminaries the game commenced, the Westerns to the bat, The
first inning they made two scores before Mr. Burlingame, the umpire called out.
The Bulldozers got whitewashed the first time, but were on deck the second time
making for themselves a good record, but the Westerns proved too much for them,
and at the end of the seventh inning they were compelled to stop the game account
of the lateness of the hour, the Westerns having beaten the Bulldozers nearly
four to one. The best of reeling prevailed throughout the game among the members
of the two glad of the pleasure of meeting and playing with the boys from the
capital, every member of which is a gentleman, and they hope to meet them on their
own grounds and give then another tilt. And we wish to say right here, in our
judgement, for pure, unadulterated, and unbiased umpiring, commend us to Ward
Burlingame. He is just that kind of a man. In order that no point should escape
his notice he worked harder than any other man on the grounds, and we think our
boys are perfectly satisfied with his decisions. We might offer some criticisms
or suggestions to our club, but we will leave that for others, and say, upon the
whole those who witnessed the game were well played and highly entertained, and
the Wichita people are proud of their club - the Bulldozers. The names of the
Westerns are. Ches. West, Hale Richie, Rich Phelan, Joe C. Knight, F.B. Rix,
E. Millham and F. Halm.
Red Stockings History
reprinted from an 1879, Wichita Daily Beacon
We take pleasure in stating that the Red Stocking Base-ball club has been
organized on a substantial basis, with a corps of executive officers, and
a "nine" that are destined to acquire more than a local reputation. The
following is a list of the officers and members of the club;
President, E.B. Jewett; M.M. Alexander, Vice President; W.A. Richey, Treasurer;
A.F. Stanley, secretary and Capt. L. N. Woodcock, manager.
Board of Directors, J.P. Allen, L.N. Woodcock, E.B. Jewett, W.A. Richey,
T.L. Nixon, M.M. Alexander, Geo. A. Martin, C. Smythe and A.F. Stanley.
The "nine" are made up as follows: E. Nudd, catcher, E. Ozanne, pitcher,
E. Blackman, s-s, N. Marsh, 1st-base, Ed. Lauck, 2nd-base, E.H. Nudd, 3rd-base,
Ern Lauck, l-field, R. Dines, c-field, A. Parshall, r-field with E. Blackman, captain.
Honorary member's tickets admitting to all games can be procured of E.B. Jewett,
W.A. Richey or E. Ozanne, at a cost of one dollar. The players have been selected
for their special merits, from the Wichita club, and the Bulldozers. They are
ambitious to make a record, and in the contest, to-morrow, at the Fair grounds,
with the Shawnees, from Topeka, we anticipate some playing that will place them
high up on the baseball scroll of fame. As this is the first public contest of the
club, we hope to see a large turn-out, to-morrow, on the part of our citizens, to
encourage by their presence and by their contributions at the gate. The club have
just received, from Chicago, fifteen dollars worth of bats.
Base Ball - Wichita Beacon Sept. 1879
The match game of base ball which came off Saturday between the Westerns,
of Topeka, and Red Stockings of Wichita was an immense affair. A thousand
people at least were present to witness. The Westerns proved themselves
masters of the situation. The game resulted in 32 for the Westerns and 12
for the Red Stockings. During the game Mr. Caton, of the Westerns was
disabled so that he had to draw off, and Mr. Ozanne, of the Red Stockings,
the pitcher was also hurt so that he had to take the field, which weakened
the chances for the Red Stockings very materially.