In April 1862, several young men gathered in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to form the Summit City Club to play baseball.
[5] On 9 Nov, 1866, the Kekiongas played the last game of their season against the same Summit City ballclub, winning 80–29.
Kekiongas hit twelve home runs during the game, with Bell accounting for four and Hoagland, Hadden, F.A.
Frank H. Wolke, who served as a non-player with the club, was the Vice President of the 1867 State Base Ball Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Rather than treat other teams as opponents, clubs would often go to great lengths to extend graciousness and hospitality to their rivals.
In the opinion of the Kendallville newspaper, the umpire then "favored the Fort Wayne Club in every instance, and giving a number of most outrageous and unjust decisions."
The Fort Wayne newspaper refers to Kendallville bragging after a victory against the Kekiongas earlier in the year.
[13] On 10 Sep 1867, the Fort Wayne Daily Gazette published a letter from "a member of the Kendallville baseball club" which displays contemporary insults during the early American Civil War.
We did not thing you would associate with Such Low Vagabonds, Scape Gallowses, and Pickpockets, Gamblers and Hellish Looking Specimens of humanity as they are.
Mr. Democrat Said that if the Keyiongas could not beat us playing the would whip us, that is nice talk for an Editor of a Copperhead Papper did you thing about fiting when Our Country were about to be destroyed by Some of your Brethren in the South, you would Like perhaps to get the game fought out by some others, and you would stop at your Cheese Press and Blow, all wee ask is for you to keep your blubber head Shut and not disturb yourself About the B.B.
affairs, and if you are a Jentleman for God Sake Place it in your Local So that Others ma See Some of your Wonderous Works up here.
[14]Fort Wayne hosted a team from Peru, Indiana, and defeated them 23–7 in six innings on 9 Sep 1867.
Cincinnati won the first game 86–8, but as Fort Wayne had improved over the summer, they only achieved a 41–7 victory in the second contest.
The following summer, the Maryland Club of Baltimore broke up in mid-season, and the Kekiongas recruited their best players, including pitcher Bobby Mathews, who is credited with having invented the spitball and being the first master of the curveball.
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was formed in New York City in 1871.
Season tickets, or "Subscriptions" for the Kekiongas sold for $5 in 1871, and allowed entry to games for two people.
The honor of playing the first game of the newly organized National Association of Professional Base Ball Players was decided by coin flip.
Deacon White was another historic player, ending his 22-year career as playing owner of Buffalo's Brotherhood team.
By mid-season, the team had fallen apart, and the last game was played on August 29, giving the Kekiongas 7 wins for the year.