Brooklyn Hartfords

1877:Looking to expand his fan base, Owner Morgan G. Bulkeley moves his team from Hartford to Brooklyn but keeps Hartford in his heart as the team is called the Brooklyn Hartfords. The two arms that led Hartford did not accompany the team to Brooklyn, as Tommy Bond joined the Boston Red Stockings and Candy Cummings ended up playing with the Cincinnati Reds. Playing at the Union Grounds, one of baseball’s first true stadiums, the Hartfords played Boston to a 1-1 draw in their first game on April 30th. Without Bond and Cummings, the pitching was done mostly by Terry Larkin, who posted a record of 29-25, while John Cassidy was the top hitter batting .378. The Hartfords would finish in third place with a record of 31-27 as fan interest did not live up to Bulkeley’s expectations. The disappointing attendance figures soured Morgan Bulkeley on the business of baseball and led to him disbanding the team at the end of the season. Bulkeley would go on to long and successful political career, serving as Governor of Connecticut and later as a Senator.