Lowell Baseball Nine, 1865

Baseball history photo: Baseball history photo: The 1865 Boston Lowells. This club was originally formed in 1861 as a junior club. The Lowells were one of only three New England teams to hold the Silver Ball trophy, pictured in a case on the table. The other two were the Tri-Mountain Club and the Harvard Club. The trophy was commissioned by John A. Lowell, an engraver, who was once the president of the Boston Bowdoin Club and a respected umpire. The results of championship matches were engraved on the ball and a total of seventeen matches were recorded at the time of its destruction in 1868. The New England Association of National Base Ball Players elected to destroy the trophy due to the bad behavior the players exhibited while attempting to win it. The Silver Ball was melted down and sold for $19.46. Click photo to return to previous page.