In 1879, Worcester played in the
National Association, a league consisting of teams in the
Northeast. The National League was interested in Worcester as a potential replacement for the failed
Syracuse Stars franchise primarily based on the performance of their ace pitcher,
Lee Richmond, who pitched several exhibition games against National League opponents and went 6–2. He also pitched and won one game for the
Boston Red Stockings. To admit Worcester to the National League, the league's board of directors waived the requirement that league cities have a population of at least 75,000 (Worcester's population was 58,000). To raise the capital to support their entry into the major leagues, the team sold shares for $35 (with the price including a season ticket), sponsored a walking race that attracted 3,000 people, arranged for discount packages of train fare and baseball tickets for fans from outside the city, and held benefit concerts and dramatic performances. In December 1879, Worcester became the first professional baseball team to visit Cuba. The trip was a financial failure, as they were only able to play two games against Cuban teams. On June 12, 1880,
pitcher Lee Richmond threw the first
perfect game in Major League history, against the
Cleveland Blues. A monument to the perfect game stands on the grounds of the Becker School of Design & Technology of
Clark University at 61 Sever Street in Worcester. The inscription reads:On June 12, 1880, the first perfect game in professional baseball history was pitched on this site (the former Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds) by J. Lee Richmond of Worcester against Cleveland in a National League game. The team made history again on August 20 of the same year, by becoming the first team to be
no-hit at home, when
Pud Galvin of the
Buffalo Bisons defeated them 1–0. The Worcester club formally tendered its resignation to the National League at the circuit's annual meeting in Providence on December 6, 1882. The club was placed on the league's roll of honorary membership. , four-time MLB home run champion Needing an eighth team to balance the schedule, the National League granted an expansion franchise to
Philadelphia, known as the Philadelphia Quakers. This team would evolve into the
Philadelphia Phillies (a name used interchangeably with Quakers until 1890). Many sources, including the Phillies themselves, suggest that the Worcester club was moved to Philadelphia; however, only Worcester's former NL spot was moved. There is no direct link between the two teams, since Worcester resigned from the National League, and the franchise was not sold and moved to Philadelphia. One of the items on the agenda at the December 1882 annual meeting was whether to award new franchises to New York and Philadelphia. Further, no players from the 1882 Worcester club played for the Philadelphia team in 1883. ==Notable alumni==