1899 University of Tennessee
Picture of 1899 UT Baseball Team
Image from 1899 The Volunteer.
Season Notes
The 2022 University of Tennessee Baseball Record Book states: Lack of available newspaper coverage in the two following years, 1898 and 1899, meant those game accounts and won-lost records were lost to the ages. (p. 47) Looking at newspapers, school annuals, and other research shows this to be not founded in fact.
Prior to the season, Frank Moffett was reported to be the coach. Official records state that W. R. Harrison was the coach (2022 UT Record Book, p. 54). According to The Volunteer (1899 annual), William R. Harrison was the manager. A coach is not listed in the annual. No record of Moffett being coach was found.
The team had high hopes of a good season, with reports of several opponents (Furman College, University of Virginia, University of North Carolina, and Nashville University) being lined up. These games did not come to fruition.
Reports of games against a Knoxville city team were published in the local papers in early May, but the team disbanded on or about May 12. "On account of Pitcher Newman having strained his arm the base ball team has been disbanded and no more games will be played except one or two with Moffett's team." - The Knoxville Sentinel (Knoxville, TN), May 13, 1899. The disbanded UT team played the Knoxville city team on May 13 and lost, 5-3.
The team went 1-10 for the season (not including the game of May 13) for a .090 winning percentage. They scored 47 runs in their 11 games, with their opponents scoring 122. That works out to 4.27 run scored per game and 11.09 runs scored against per game.
1899 Season Record
Credit
This page was researched, formatted, and presented by Mark D. Aubrey.
Please see Copyright info.
