1894 & 1895 Petersburg Baseball Players

John Foreman's 1895 Season
from The [Petersburg, VA] Daily Index-Appeal
John Foreman played baseball for the Petersburg Farmers during the 1894 and part of the 1895 seasons. He signed with the Pittsburg "Pirates", at a fine salary of $250 per month, and played his last game for Petersburg on 9 July 1895. He was called "Kid Foreman" and the "left-handed twirler" by the Petersburg newspaper. While the paper usually praised his pitching, he was sternly criticised when he did not perform to their standard.

The following information was extracted from The [Petersburg, VA] Daily Index-Appeal, Microfilm reel # 77, at the Petersburg Public Library, and any errors or omissions are mine. The headlines for each date are given, followed by extracted information about Foreman, in brief context. Eve Gregory

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MAY

JUNE

JULY

16 Apr. Tuesday.
STATE LEAGUE GAMES. "A Great Crowd Present at the Opening Game in Richmond."
Richmond, Va., April 15. The state league season opened today, most auspiciously...Foreman will probably pitch tomorrow evening...

18 Apr. Thursday.
FARMERS POOR SHOWING. [Foreman did not play.]

19 Apr. Friday.
PETERSBURG FAIRLY SLAUGHTERED BY SOMMERS' CLAMS. [Foreman did not play.]

20 Apr. Saturday.
YESTERDAY'S BALL GAMES. PETERSBURG, PORTSMOUTH AND ROANOKE AMONG THE LOSERS.
Norfolk, Va., April 19. Both McDonald and Foreman were very wild this afternoon, but a lucky bunching of hits and the fielding blunders of the visitors gave Norfolk a commanding lead early in the game. This lead was never overcome...Foreman struck out ten men...
Batteries: McDonald and Tenley; Foreman and Hayden...

21 Apr. Sunday.
BASE BALL YESTERDAY. NORFOLK TOOK THE THIRD OF THE SERIES WITH PETERSBURG.
Norfolk, Va., April 20. Norfolk made it three straight from Petersburg today...Beginning tomorrow afternoon with the Portsmouth club, the home team will meet every other club in the league before it again leaves the city. There will be fifteen straight games...Dunkle, the Pennsylvania pitcher, is exceptionally good, and what with Foreman, who has not his superior in the league, and Harris, the tide ought to turn this week....

23 Apr. Tuesday.
KICKING BUT NOT PLAYING. AN EXHIBITION OF THE NATIONAL GAME THAT WILL NOT GO ANYWHERE
...From the time Foreman threw the first ball over the plate until the rain caused a cessation of the playing, Portsmouth was constantly engaged in nagging the umpire and in doing everything except play ball...

SCORE BY INNINGS	1	2	3	4	R.	H.	E.
Petersburg	3	1	1	0	5	4	0
Portsmouth	0	0	1	1	2	3	3

Batteries: Foreman and McClung...Struck out - Foreman 1...Bases on balls - Foreman 2...

24 Apr. Wednesday.
THE ICE IS BROKEN. AFTER AN EXCITING CONTEST PETERSBURG WINS ITS FIRST GAME. [Foreman did not play.]

25 Apr. Thursday.
IT WAS A SLUGGING MATCH. PETERSBURG WON BUT THE GAME WAS VERY UNCERTAIN TO THE END.
...To cinch the game, Foster was taken out after the eighth and Foreman pitched the last inning. He struck out the first two batters and would have thrown Joanes out at first on an easy grounder if he had not fallen down as he started to field the ball. As it was, Joanes was thrown out at second on a hit by the fourth man who went to the bat and the game was over...Today the crack Lynchburg team will be here for a series of three games...Foreman and Purcell will be the battery for Petersburg...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	0	0	0	0

...Struck out by Foreman, 2...

26 Apr. Friday.
PETERSBURG STILL WINNING. LYNCHBURG DEFEATED YESTERDAY WITH COMPARATIVE EASE.
...Foreman and McKenna were the opposing pitchers, and neither did the gilt-edged work of which both are capable on occasion. Both were wild, and while Foreman gave only one base on balls, he struck five of the Lynchburg batters; while McKenna presented seven Petersburg batters with their bases. Eight hits were made off Foreman, while McKenna was touched up for ten. The features of the game were home run hits by Foreman, Pender, McKenna and Sanford...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	2	1	0	1	2

...Home runs, Foreman...bases on balls, Foreman 1...Struck out by Foreman 6...hit by pitcher, by Foreman, Smith, McIntyre, Leahy, Purcell and McKenna...wild pitches, Foreman 1...

TOP
1 May Wednesday.
A MISERABLE EXHIBITION. FOREMAN COULDN'T PITCH AND PETERSBURG GENERALLY COULDN'T HIT.
...Petersburg was beaten and beaten badly - the score standing 13 to 3 in favor of the Roanoke. Their defeat is attributable to three things - their inability to bat the opposing pitcher; the splendid field work of the Roanokes and last, but not least, Foreman's miserable attempt at pitching. He had no control of the ball and when he happened to get the sphere across the plate, it was hammered all over the lot. That Foreman can pitch good ball has been demonstrated beyond question. Hence, there can be no good excuse for yesterday's exhibition. There is a saying as true as it is trite that "a bird that can sing and won't sing ought to be made to sing," and as this rule applies as well to pitchers as to feathered songsters, the management will do well to make a note of it. It is time for Foreman to know that the Petersburg public do not attend the game of base ball to see him make an exhibition of himself and sulk in the box as he does constantly. Nor was the work of the others up to the usual standard...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	0	0	0	0

...bases on balls, Foreman 4, James 3...struck out, Foreman 2, James 6...

5 May Sunday.
COULDN'T HIT MCCREARY. SO NORFOLK TOOK YESTERDAY'S GAME IN A CANTER.
John Foreman went into the pitcher's box yesterday with the determination to pitch a winning game. It was not his fault that he did not. He had good control of the ball and tossed all sorts of bewildering curves over the plate. But unfortunately the Norfolk batters had blood in their eyes, and for once in their lives they hit the little pitcher at the very time that he didn't want them to do it. The result might have been different after all, however, if Lyons had not fallen down after making a good pick up and thus allowed the batter to make first, as McCreary came along and put the ball over the fence with a net result of three runs...Primarily, however, the cause of the defeat was Petersburg's failure to find McCreary. Twice when the bases were full and a safe hit would have brought in two runs each time, Petersburg was unable to find the ball. So after all the blame does not rest on Foreman, but is to be attributed to our weakness at the bat at critical times, and to the errors above recorded, which gave to the Norfolk batters chances that they would not have had with clean fielding by the home team...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	1	0	0	1	0

...Bases on balls- Foreman 1...Struck out - Foreman - 6...

10 May Friday.
PITCHED A GREAT GAME. WITH PROPER SUPPORT FOREMAN WOULD HAVE SHUT OUT ROANOKE.
Roanoke, Va., May 9. Roanoke defeated Petersburg in a closely contested game today, in which luck favored the home team. Foreman pitched a strong game for the champions, and had he received proper support would have shut the home team out...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	1	0	3	0

...Double plays - Foreman, Pender and Sullivan...Bases on balls - off Foreman 1.../struck out - Foreman 6...

SCORE BY INNINGS
Roanoke	1	0	0	0	0	3	1	0	0	- 5 5 5
Petersburg	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	- 3 11 6

12 May Sunday.
FOREMAN'S FINE PITCHING. YESTERDAY HE WAS SUPPORTED AND HE WON HIS GAME.
Roanoke, Va., May 11. Today's game was a battle between pitchers in which Foreman had slightly the best of it. Both teams put up an excellent fielding game and several brilliant plays were made...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	0	0	1	0

...Bases on balls - off Foreman 3...Hit by pitched ball - Foreman 1...Struck out by Foreman 9...

SCORE BY INNINGS
Petersburg	1	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	X	- 4
Roanoke	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	- 3

21 May Tuesday.
EASY FRUIT FOR ROANOKE. DUNKLE NOT EFFECTIVE AND OUR TEAM A PATCHED-UP ONE.
The Petersburg team is badly demoralized. McClung and Lippert were sick in bed yesterday. Foreman is out of the city and James has not recovered the use of his injured arm...

23 May Thursday.
ROANOKE SHUT OUT. FARMERS PLAYED GILT-EDGED BALL AND WON WITH EASE.
The Farmers put up a gilt-edged game yesterday and won from the Magicians by the score of 2 to 0. Foreman was in the box for Petersburg and Gaffney for the visitors. Barring the latter's wildness, both pitched fine ball. Foreman was hit safely eight times, but he kept the hits well scattered, no tow being made in one inning...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	0	0	1	0

...Bases on balls - off Foreman 1...Struck out by Foreman 8...

30 May Thursday.
FARMERS GET BOTH GAMES. ONE WAS FORFEITED AND THE OTHER WAS WON WITH THE STICK.
...The regular scheduled game was called at 4:30 and proved to be a decided improvement on the second game of the series - especially as the home team won. Foreman was in for the Farmers and pitched his usual brilliant game, also fielding his position splendidly...Neither side scored till the fourth, when Norfolk got two men over the plate on McCreery's hit. Kelly's scratch, a wild throw to first and a passed ball. They added another in the fifth on Herr's hit, a couple of bases on balls and a hot grounder to Foreman, who fumbled. Gill retired the side by a beautiful catch and throw to first...It was in the seventh that our boys got their eyes on the ball and opened up the fireworks. Foreman hit to left; Gill bunted safely; Pender followed suit, filling the bases. Lippert then lined the ball to right field for two bases scoring Foreman and Gill...Lyons, the next man up, hit an easy fly to McCreery, who muffed, allowing him to reach first. He scored on Clarke's magnificent drive over the curtain. Foreman then fouled out and the greatest "cake-walk" of the season was over. The visitors failed to score after the fifth, while the locals piled up ten - seven in the seventh, one in the eighth and two in the ninth...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	1	1	1	3	1

...Bases on balls - off Foreman 1...Struck out by Foreman 1...Wild pitches - Foreman 2...

31 May Friday.
KNOCKED GAFFNEY OUT. THE MAGICIANS DEFEATED YESTERDAY BY A PATCHED-UP TEAM.
The game yesterday was devoid of features with the exception of the fourth inning, when Petersburg sent nine men across the plate. Alloway, the new pitcher, was in for the home team and made a very good showing. He has good speed and curves. Foreman was put in after the seventh inning to clinch the victory, and did well...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	1	0	0	0

...Bases on balls - Foreman 1...Struck out by Foreman 2...

TOP
2 Jun. Sunday.
LOST IN THE EIGHTH. BUT ROANOKE HAD TO WORK HARD TO BEAT THE CRIPPLED FARMERS.
The Farmers were entitled to yesterday evening's game by the score of 9 to 0, as the Roanokes failed to have ten uniformed men on the grounds, and under the rules which govern the game it was the locals by the above mentioned score...Finally Captain Pender, finding that Roanoke would not agree to play an exhibition game, withdrew his protest and the game was started. Petersburg would never have claimed the game under this rule, but for the crippled condition of her players. Lippert was sent to second, Alloway and Dunkle to the outfields and ex-Manager Breen of Roanoke went to short. Foreman was in the box for the home team, and for seven innings he pitched great ball, only two scattering hits being made off his delivery up to the eighth inning...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	0	0	1	0

...Bases on balls, Foreman 3...Struck out by Foreman 5...Wild pitches, Foreman 1...

5 Jun. Wednesday.
BLUE BIRDLINGS BEATEN. DINSMORE WAS WILD AND THE FARMERS HAD ON THEIR BATTING CLOTHES.
Richmond's "Birdlings" met a crushing defeat at the hands of the farmer boys yesterday afternoon...Foreman was in for the locals and, barring his wildness, pitched a very strong game...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	1	0	2	0

...Bases on balls - Foreman 5...Struck out - by Foreman 13...

7 Jun. Friday.
IT WAS A SLUGGING MATCH. AND PETERSBURG WON BY SUPERIOR STICK WORK.
...It was a slugging match from beginning to end. Seven pitchers officiated and all except Foreman were pounded unmercifully. Petersburg made sixteen runs in the first three innings and after that the game possessed no interest whatever except the batting of both teams...Alloway went in for the home team, but on account of a sore arm was taken out after the first. Foreman was then substituted and "lobbed" them over for three innings, when he was replaced by Dunkle, who finished the game..

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	1	1	0	0	0

...Bases on balls - Foreman 3...Struck out - by Foreman 3...Stolen bases - Foreman...

SCORE BY INNINGS
Petersburg	1	8	7	2	1	2	2	3	1	- 27 21 3
Lynchburg	3	0	0	0	2	5	0	1	4	- 15 22 8

8 Jun. Saturday.
HILL CLIMBERS THE WINNERS. FOREMAN DID NOT PITCH HIS USUAL GAME AND WAS HIT FREELY
...The locals...playing lacked the ginger and snap which has characterized the work of the home team for the past week. Foreman was in for the Farmers, but failed to pitch his usual game. He was very wild at times and was hit right hard in a few innings...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	1	2	0	2	0

...Two base hits - Foreman...Bases on balls - Foreman 4...Struck out - by Foreman 7...Wild pitch - Foreman 1...

SCORE BY INNINGS
Petersburg	0	2	1	0	0	0	2	0	0
Lynchburg	0	3	0	1	0	4	1	2	x

NOTES...The directors last evening suspended Foreman indefinitely without pay and also fined him $5 for disobedience in the game...

12 Jun. Wednesday.
CLAMS AGAIN BEATEN. O'HAGAN FINED AND PUT OUT OF THE GAME.
...Petersburg won from Norfolk yesterday in one of the prettiest games of the season on the part of the home team...Foreman was taken off the bench and put in the box. He was in great form, having fine control of the ball and great speed. Only three hits were gotten off his delivery and these, apparently, were more by luck than anything else...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	1	1	0	0	0

...Bases on balls - Foreman 1...Struck out - by Foreman 5...

14 Jun. Friday.
ELEVEN INNINGS TO A TIE. A STUBBORNLY FOUGHT CONTEST AT ROANOKE YESTERDAY.
...In the eighth inning, with two men out, Foreman did not seem to be able to get the ball over the plate, or else McLaughlin was off, as three men were sent to bases on sixteen balls which the little pitcher delivered...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	1	1	0	0	0

...Bases on balls - Foreman 6...Struck out - by Foreman 5...Wild pitches - Foreman 2...

21 Jun. Friday.
DOWN GO THE HILL CLIMBERS. PETERSBURG TAKES THE FIRST OF THE SERIES AFTER A HARD FIGHT.
...The visitors played their usually snappy, clean game, and the victory belonged to neither club until the ninth inning had been finished. They got only five hits off Foreman, who, barring a little wildness, pitched a strong game...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	1	0	0	1	0

...Bases on balls - Foreman 1...Struck out - by Foreman 3...Double plays - Foreman...

SCORE BY INNINGS
Petersburg	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	- 5 8 2
Lynchburg	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	- 3 5 1

23 Jun. Sunday.
PLAYED A BETTER GAME. AS THE RESULT THE HILL CLIMBERS CARRIED OFF THE THIRD.
...In the game yesterday between Petersburg and Lynchburg the visitors won strictly on their merits...Foreman was in for the home team, but failed to pitch his usual brilliant game. It was his third game for this week, and the little fellow is hardly equal to three games a week...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	1	1	2	1

...Struck out - by Foreman 3...Wild pitch - Foreman 1...

SCORE BY INNINGS
Petersburg	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	- 3 7 3
Lynchburg	3	1	0	0	0	4	0	0	x	- 8 9 1

27 Jun. Thursday.
PORTSMOUTH LOST ALL THREE. THE LAST GAME OF THE SERIES THE BEST OF THEM ALL.
...Portsmouth played with more snap yesterday then in any of the preceding games of the series...For Petersburg Foreman pitched a fairly good game, but he was too wild to hold the visitors down to a small score...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	1	0	1	1

...Bases on balls - off Foreman 6...Struck out - by Foreman 6...Double plays - Foreman...

SCORE BY INNINGS
Petersburg	0	1	2	3	0	2	1	3	0	- Total 12
Portsmouth	0	0	0	0	4	0	4	0	0	- Total 8

30 Jun. Sunday.
FARMERS TOOK THE THIRD. A BATTING STREAK AND FOREMAN'S PITCHING DID THE WORK.
...Foreman's splendid pitching and a superb batting streak in the fifth and sixth innings gave Petersburg the victory over the Hill Climbers yesterday...Foreman did not let down in his pitching, however, but sent the balls over the plate just as though he were receiving the most perfect support...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	1	0	0	1

...Bases on balls - Foreman 4...Struck out - by Foreman 4...

SCORE BY INNINGS
Petersburg	0	0	0	0	7	3	0	0	0	- Total 10
Lynchburg	3	0	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	- Total 6

TOP
4 Jul. Thursday.
FARMERS TOOK THE THIRD. THE MAGICIANS AGAIN LOSE IN A BEAUTIFULLY PLAYED GAME.
...The Magicians were again taken into camp yesterday afternoon, and at the end of the eighth inning it looked as if it would be a shut out. Foreman pitched a fine game and was beautifully supported. In the third inning the Farmers jumped on Lloyd and batted out six runs, and this lead was never overcome...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	0	0	1	0

...Bases on balls - Foreman 1...Struck out - Foreman 8...

SCORE BY INNINGS
Petersburg	0	0	6	0	0	0	1	1	0	- Total 8
Roanoke	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	- Total 4

7 Jul. Sunday.
WON A CHINESE GAME. HILL CLIMBERS DEFEATED YESTERDAY BY THE FARMERS.
Lynchburg, Va., July 6. Petersburg won from the Hill Climbers this afternoon in a game which was very loosely played by both teams. Foreman pitched fairly good ball for the visitors...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	1	1	0	1	0

...Bases on balls - Foreman 3...Struck out - Foreman 8...Wild pitch - Foreman 1...

SCORE BY INNINGS
Petersburg	0	2	2	4	4	0	0	0	x	- Total 12
Lynchburg	0	3	1	5	0	2	0	0	0	- Total 11

TOP
9 Jul. Tuesday.
BASEBALL NOTES. Pitcher John Foreman has been sold to the Pittsburgh club on the National League and will join the "Pirates" next Thursday. He will pitch his last game in the Virginia league this afternoon, and as this is his last appearance in the box here his friends will probably turn out in large numbers this afternoon to see his farewell performance...Foreman signs with Pittsburgh at a salary of $250 per month. The Petersburg management paid him $150 a month...

10 Jul. Wednesday.
FOREMAN WON HIS GAME. BUT THE LITTLE FELLOW HAD THE BENEFIT OF SUPERB SUPPORT. John Foreman made his last appearance in a Virginia league game yesterday and aided by the beautiful support which he received, won his game. Weeks, Norfolk's crack left hander, was pitted against Foreman. Both men were wild - Weeks giving seven bases on balls and hitting one batter, while Foreman gave away five bases and hit three batters. Thus honors were even in that respect. Neither pitcher was hit very hard, although both were saved from what might have been hits by the close fielding of the men behind them...

GAME RESULTS	R.	H.	P.O.	A.	E.
Foreman, p	0	0	0	0	0

...Bases on balls - off Foreman 5...Struck out - by Foreman 5...

SCORE BY INNINGS
Petersburg	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	2	- Total 6
Norfolk	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	- Total 2