Atlanta Braves History: Joe Adcock sets new record for total bases (1954)

In the afternoon game on May 30, 1894‚ Boston 2B Bobby (Link) Lowe hits HRs in 4 consecutive at bats‚ including 2 in the 3rd inning‚ to lead his team to a 20-11 first-game conquest of Cincinnati and a sweep of the doubleheader. The homers came off Iceberg Chamberlain‚ and all were lofted over the 250-foot LF wall of Boston's Congress Street Grounds‚ the Beaneater's temporary home. Lowe also adds a single to total 17 bases for the game‚ a record tied but not beaten until Joe Adcock in 1954. After Lowe's 4th homer‚ the crowd showers him with $160 in coins. There are 9 homers hit in the opener with Bug Holliday hitting 2. In the two games‚ Lowe's teammate Herman Long sets a ML record by scoring 9 runs (5 runs in game 1)‚ which has since been tied only once. Lowe‚ who used the time between games of the twinbill to help himself to the shore dinner at the North Boston Railroad Station‚ will try the same meal tomorrow‚ but will go hitless.

Atlanta Braves History: Fred Tenney "volunteers" to play in Boston (1894)

On June 16, 1894, despite scoring 26 runs in the 3-game series‚ Louisville is swept by Boston‚ extending its losing streak to 18 games. The streak will reach 20 games before the Colonels manage to win. The next day‚ Fred Tenney‚ star catcher of Brown University‚ "volunteers" to play for Boston. He gets his first hit‚ drives in 2 runs and scores‚ before breaking his finger while catching in the 5th inning. He'll return to action in 5 weeks. In the 1890's, it was rare for a college graduate to play baseball. Fred would become one of the first.

The King died (1894)

Sometimes we are tried and the Boston Beaneaters (now know as the Atlanta Braves) certainly were in 1894. Mike "King" Kelly was major figure in the Braves early history. He was probably the most popular player of his time. On November 8, at the age of 36, he died of pneumonia. Another misfortune also conspired to try the Braves that year. This on was minor compared to King's death but challenge the Braves. For much of the season, they were on the road with no home stadium.

On May 16th, a fire destroyed the South End Grounds. Imagine playing a game and in the third inning, a fire breaks out. They were playing Baltimore and the fire broke out in the right field bleachers. Gave new meaning to so and so "smoked that one".

So they switched some of there games to road games and then played some of them in Boston at the old Brotherhood League Grounds on Congress Street adjacent to the Boston Harbor.

Despite those trying happenings, they had a good season finishing in third place.