Year In Review : 1881 National League

Off the Field…

President James Garfield was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau, who was angry because he didn’t get a government job he felt he deserved. The Republican president had only served one-hundred ninety-nine days in office when he was shot in a Washington, D.C. train station. He died two months later and was replaced by Vice President Chester A. Arthur. Garfield had fought for civil service reform and believed that people should take a written exam to prove they could do a job.

In the National League…

Roger Conner of the Troy Trojans hit the first grand slam in Major League history en route to an 8-7 win over the Worcester Ruby Legs.

On September 27^th, twelve die-hard fans braved a rainstorm to watch their hometown hero Chicago White Stockings beat the Troy Trojans 10-8 as the smallest paying crowd in major league history.

A rival league known as the American Association was formed in St. Louis to compete against the Nationals in 1882.