1888 Indianapolis Hoosiers

1888 Indianapolis Hoosiers / Franchise: Indianapolis Hoosiers / BR Team Page

Record: 50-85, Finished 7th in National League (1888 NL)

Managed by Harry Spence

Ballpark: Athletic Park

History, Comments, Contributions

According to contemporary sportswriter Guy M. Smith, writing a few decades later, the 1888 Indianapolis Hoosiers attempted to sign African-American infielder Bud Fowler when his team in Crawfordsville, IN folded in mid-season. This was at the urging of owner John T. Brush, who had seen Fowler play against his teams a few times in previous seasons. However, he was prevented from going ahead when the other players on the team objected. Fowler certainly had the talent to play in the majors - he was a dominant players in various integrated minor leagues around that time, but the color line was becoming more and more strictly enforced at the time, and soon the few African-American players in the minor leagues, like Fowler, would be forced to form their own segregated teams as no league would allow them to play.

The Hoosiers of 1888 had also attempted to play night games using gas lights in August, but it didn't work very well, and the idea was eventually abandoned.

Further Reading

• David Kathman: "Did Bud Fowler Almost Break the Major-League Color Line in 1888? A Midwestern Memoir of John T. Brush and Guy M. Smith", The National Pastime, SABR, 51, 2023, pp. 11-17.