team's spring exhibition games. In the first such game held at the not-yet-completed ballpark, the Americans were defeated by the Indianapolis Hoosiers of the minor Western League, 8–4, on March 30. Nashville's first home win came on April 1 against the Cleveland Forest Cities of the same league, 15–7. On April 10, nearly 4,000 people were in attendance as the National League's Chicago White Stockings defeated the locals, 4–2. Work continued throughout the Americans' spring training slate and was not complete until May 24, over a month into the season. As charter members of the Southern League, the Nashville Americans played their regular season home opener on May 4 against the Columbus Stars. In the top of the first, Nashville's Joe Werrick hit a two-RBI triple scoring James Hillery and John Cullen, but these were to be their only runs of the game. Tied 2–2 in the fifth, a bad throw allowed Columbus' Joe Strauss to score the winning run for the visitors. Alex Voss pitched well in the 3–2 Nashville loss, allowing only three runs on five hits and striking out four, but opposing pitcher Doc Landis held the Americans to just two runs on five hits. Errors, five by Nashville and four by Columbus, hampered both teams as none of the game's five runs were earned. The Americans won their first league home game three games later against the Birmingham Coal Barons, 12–5, on May 9. Hillery led Nashville's offence that day with a single, a double, two triples, and three runs scored. On May 30, Toad Ramsey of the visiting Chattanooga Lookouts pitched a no-hitter against Nashville in a game where only three locals reached base, two via walks and one on an error. The Americans played another season in 1886 and were followed by the Southern League's Nashville Blues in 1887. The ballpark was built with hosting other sporting events in mind. A bicycling and running track measuring 150 yards (137 m) was constructed around the outfield. On Thanksgiving Day in 1885, Nashville's first organized football game was held at Athletic Park. The Nashville Football Club defeated the Nashville Athletic Club, 6–4. Several improvements were made prior to the Americans' 1886 season. The first scoreboard was a blackboard on which scores were displayed by writing figures in chalk. It was replaced with a larger board using painted tin squares which hung on hooks. In September 1885,