ABOUT THE BOSTON MINUTEMEN

Boston (the city itself) had its ups and downs in the 19th century when it came to its baseball clubs. There was the Boston Pilgrims, who were an original Century League franchise in 1876 and lasted 10 years before leaving the league after an ill-advised coup attempt against Century League founder William Whitney. Then there was the Boston Minutemen (the first version) - added to the Century League in 1887. That club was never good and disappeared in a merger following the consolidation of the Peerless, Century and Border circuits in the winter of 1891-92. Then there was the Brahmins - this club, founded as part of the Peerless League in 1890 - was the one that became today's Minutemen. The Brahmins were bad in 1890, but owner Steve Cunningham was aggressive after that first season and his revamped squad won the second - and final - Peerless League pennant in 1891. Merged into the Federal Association upon FABL's founding in 1892, the Brahmins became the Minutemen in 1902, a name change that coincided with the first of five straight pennants. Cunningham and manager-personnel man George Theobald had a tremendously successful working relationship before Theobald moved on and the pair made Boston the flagship franchise for the first decade of the 20th century. The club was the first to build a concrete-and-steel palace for it's home and Cunningham Field remains one of baseball's best venues. Cunningham's son Harold (Harry) took over as owner upon his father's death in 1923.