George Ellard

Shortly after the creation of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, the organization hired George Ellard to manage the team. Originally a member of the Union Cricket Club, Ellard was responsible for bringing, future Red Stockings manager, Harry Wright to Cincinnati, when he offered Wright a salary $1,200.00 a year to play cricket with the Union Cricket Club. In addition to managing the team, Ellard also played in right field. He lasted only one season with the Red Stockings, posting a 2-2 record. Ellard also supplied the city with baseballs, as the the machine-made ones were scarce.

Following the inaugural season, Ellard stepped down as manager, but continued to play in the outfield. He was replaced as manager by Wright. Ellard was involved in some of the day-to-day operations, such as planning of the construction of a clubhouse on Freeman Ave. as well as working out an agreement with the Union Cricket Club over game matches.

When the 1868 season started, the team appeared on the field in white uniforms complete with a crimson old-English "C" in the middle of the uniform; the team also sported bright red stockings. It is not known whether or not Ellard or team president Aaron Champion was responsible for designing these uniforms, which gave the team its nickname.

Ellard even penned a poem for the courage of the catcher to move closer to the plate, despite lacking any protection:

"We used no mattress on our hands;
No cage upon our face.
We Stood right up and caught the ball;
With courage and with grace."

After his short tenure with the Red Stockings, Ellard faded into obscurity. His son, Harry published a book in 1908 on the history of baseball in Cincinnati.

Further Reading

• Chris Drew: "The Cincinnati Red Stockings: The Team That Shaped Modern Baseball", The Society for Cincinnati Sports Research, 2009. [1]
• Harry Ellard, Base Ball in Cincinnati: A History McFarland Historical Baseball Library, 1907
• William F. McNeil: Backstop: A History of the Catcher and a Sabermetric Ranking of 50 All-Time Greats, McFarland, Jefferson, NC, 2006.

Related Sites

• Baseball in Cincinnati chronology