Rockford Forest Citys

Ballpark: Agricultural Society Fairgrounds (May 5 – Sept. 26, 1871)

The Rockford Forest Citys' official name was the Forest City Club. The team played only one year professionally, in the National Association in 1871, but was an amateur team beginning in 1865. The city of Rockford, IL was a hotbed of baseball activity with several amateur clubs.

List of known amateur Forest Citys players (before 1871)

• Al Spalding - Pitcher
• Ross Barnes - Second baseman
• Tom Foley - Third baseman
• Bob Addy - Second baseman
• Fred Cone - First baseman
• Scott Hastings - Catcher
• Gat Stires - Right fielder
• Joe Simmons - Center fielder
• Al Barker - Outfielder
• Dent Sawyer - Center fielder
• George King - Catcher
• Mart Wheeler - Left fielder
• Frank Trumbull - Outfielder
• Ernest Waxham - Unknown
• Harry Starr - Unknown
• Val Osborne - Unknown
• Wallace Lightheart - First baseman
• H.J. Warner - Shortstop
• M.L. Wheller - Center fielder
• T.T. Webster - Second baseman
• J.H. Manny - Sub/Scorer
• J. Doyle - First baseman
• S. Lakin - Third baseman
• W. Stearns - Left fielder
• Stearns? - First baseman
• Brown? - Right fielder
• Buckman? - Third baseman
• Cheney? - Unknown
• Ryan? - Unknown

Source:

• Peter Filichia: Green Cathedrals: The Ultimate Celebrations of All 273 Major League and Negro League Ballparks Past and Present, Addison Wesley Publishing Company (March 1993)
• John Molyneaux: Nuggets of History Volume 46 Number 2: No Longer Amateurs: The Forest City Base Ball Club in 1868 (June 2008)

See also

• 1871 Rockford Forest Citys