Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Arts & Culture, Event

Location

300 Broadway, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA

Lat/Long

42.641358, -73.746331

Grant Recipient

City of Rensselaer

Historically, one of America’s favorite pastimes is the sport of baseball. On September 10, 1881, two National League teams, the Troy Trojans and the Worcester Worcesters, played against each other. In the ninth inning bases were loaded. Troy Trojan Roger Connor stepped up to the plate and hit the first grand slam. An article from the September 12, 1881 Albany Morning Express describes the game and Connor’s historic hit:

The few persons who crossed the river Saturday to the Troys and Worchesters play saw an astonishing game of base ball. To the surprise of all, the Troys won the game by a long and lucky hit in the last inning.

The article later continues:

Worchester scored one in the ninth inning, and the game was a forlorn hope for Troy. Welsh made a hit, Ewing a hit safe and Evans went out, Hankinson hit safe, filling the bases. To the surprise of all Keefe was given his base on balls, giving welsh a run. Cassidy went out and when Connor went to the bat is required three runs to tie and four to win. After waiting a minute he sent a long one over the centre fielders’ head and down to the south fence, clearing the bases and reaching home plate himself before the ball, amid the cheers of the few who were present.

It would not be until after 1903, when the National and American Baseball Leagues merged to create Major League Baseball, that the famous grand slam became an official play of the game.