The St. Louis Brown Stockings were owned by John R. Lucas who became involved in a fixed game scandal during the 1877 season. He was facing the possiblity of being disbanded and expelled from the league so he turned the club into an independent team until they joined the American Association in 1882.
Did you know that the Brown Stockings had a team ERA in 1876 fo 1.22? If you enjoy this type of baseball history, please try out Baseball Almanac's message board which includes forums on baseball history, trivia, current events, and much more.
On July 15, 1876, George Bradley of the St. Louis Brown Stockings tossed the first National League no-hit game in history.