The Milwaukee Mets???

Think of it. Dwight Gooden, Tom Seaver, Bud Harrelson. All playing for the Milwaukee Mets.

O.K. A bit of a stretch from what really happened–a really big stretch to be honest. But a few reports in 1888 talked of Milwaukee replacing the New York Mets franchise in the American Association.

In January 1888 the American Association was looking for an eighth club, to replace the New York Metropolitan franchise.

The January 12, 1888 Milwaukee Journal printed a story out of Chicago there was a possibility that Milwaukee could be selected as the eighth city in the American Association. The report stated “it is no secret that the association is willing to transfer the Metropolitan franchise to Milwaukee, providing anyone will accept it and organize a team, which can easily be gathered from the old Metropolitan contingent and contributions of players from other association teams.” This Chicago report went on to say that Byrne of the Brooklyn club had been in Milwaukee and “openly favored Milwaukee for the American Association’s eighth club, and expressed the opinion that with Sunday games the eighth club would make money in that city.”

James Hart was the manager of the Western Association franchise in Milwaukee, and had decided not to take up the American Association offer. Hart’s team had played in the park at 11th and Wright Street, but now was looking for new grounds, which within a month they would find at 7th and Chambers. The owner of the Wright Street Park, mattress and bedding manufacturer Charles Kipp, was thought to be “just the kind of man” the American Association would like. While the report never stated Kipp himself had been approached, it was stated “persons who are very close” to him were contacted and it was thought by some there might be some interest.

The Journal contacted Charles Kipp, who stated this newspaper notice as the first he had heard of the Mets’ situation: “If it is true I do not know anything about it.” But Kipp did reveal that the year prior he had been contacted by “a party” interested in having Kipp own a part of an AA franchise, but nothing was done and Kipp had heard no more. Kipp stated he preferred to keep out of baseball at this time, having had a “disastrous experience” two years before.

The next day in the Milwaukee Sentinel Charles Kipp was quoted as saying: “There is no truth whatever in the report that I am interested in getting a representation in the American Baseball association for Milwaukee the coming season. Furthermore I know of no such attempt being made by anyone else. I am at a loss to know how the rumor started….You may state that I have no such idea, and know of no one else who has.” Commenting on the story a few days later, the Sentinel wrote “the utter absurdity of any such scheme has been only to patent, but as usual there have been plenty of believers in the story, especially in outside cities. That such a venture would be merely money-sinking is a certainty, and the Kipp Bros. are too shrewd not to know this.” In addition, with Hart’s Western Association club already being established in Milwaukee, the National Agreement’s rule of a least 4 miles distance between playing grounds would rule this out from any practical stand point.

Around the time of this rumor in Milwaukee representatives from the American Association (Byrne, Von der Horst and Barnie) talked to Ted Sullivan about placing his Troy club in the AA. The sides could not reach an agreement. The eighth franchise of the American Association for 1888 was placed in Kansas City.