The Brooklyn Excelsiors (a.k.a. Excelsior Base Ball Club of Brooklyn) were an amateur baseball team that played in Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 1854, the club featured future pitching stars Jim Creighton, Asa Brainard, and Candy Cummings.Gilbert, Thomas W., Death in the Strike Zone: The Mystery of America's First Baseball Hero (Godine, 2026)
The team is known for originating the "Brooklyn-style" baseball cap, precursor to the modern cap."Baseball cap has endured generations as the all-American hat, USA Today, April 26, 2014 They also were the first baseball club to undertake a long-distance tour to compete against clubs based outside their home region.
Their uniform consisted of bow ties, black Baseball caps with white brims, dark pants, white shirts with a button-on shield sporting a large black 'E', and a belt with "Excelsior" written in Blackletter.
The club motto was "Ever Onward!"
1860 Championship Season
In 1860, the Excelsior club made a now-famous tour around New York and large cities in surrounding states. They defeated the Champion Club of Albany, the Victory Club of Troy, the Buffalo Niagaras, and the powerful Brooklyn Atlantics. Besides establishing the tradition of ball clubs traveling long distances to compete with other clubs, the tour helped advance the New York rules-based game's popularity outside the New York region.
In 1860 the Excelsiors compiled a record of 19 wins and two losses, and were champions of the National Association of Base Ball Players, finishing in a draw with the Brooklyn Atlantics Club. However, the Atlantics were the accepted champions.
During the 1860 season, the Excelsiors began wearing an ancestor of the modern, snug-fitting baseball cap, including a long visor and button top."19th Century Baseball Cap History," StrictlyFitted.com, July 28, 2008 The cap, which became popular by the 1900s, was known as "Brooklyn-style", and was the predominant baseball cap until the 1940s.
The Club After 1860
In 1861, due to the departure of many young club members who went to fight the Civil War, the Excelsior played only one game, against the Eureka Club of Newark, NJ, in August. (The exact date and outcome are unknown.)Excelsior of Brooklyn game log at Protoball.org
The Excelior played more games in 1862, and remained a competitive team. Following the tragic death of their 21-year-old star pitcher Jim Creighton in October of that year, the club became less dominant. Although the club remained active through 1870, they eventually drifted into irrelevance and failed to compete against increasingly powerful opponents in the pre-professional era.
References
External links 19th Century Baseball Champions 1860–1869