Hide Article Text (OCR)
THE L A' CROSSE TRIBUNE21NORTHWESTERNLEAGUE A FAILURE(Continued from Fage 19 ) curring near the end of the season. La Crosse signed Billy Herrington, a Chicago major leaguer to manage the team.President Roche and Secretary Quinn of the league, at the first annual meeting, were appointed a committee to draw up a set of playing rules, which was done and later accepted by the eight clubs in the organisation. These rules were unique and if read today would present a ludicrous and comical appearance beeide the scientific regulations which are now imposed on clubs and players governed by the national commission.No Salary Limit It was the intention of the league to pay the players from $100 to $150 per month at the start of the season. As there were no rules regulatingthe salaries of the men in the game trouble soon started when the Oshkosh club began to secure big leagu® players of national repute, paying them salaries which in those early j ings of the teams, omitting protested days were regarded as princely. This | games which were not settled uhtil principally was the cause of the die* j after the percentages were publish-sixth place, playing the last gamejsOn, First Baseman Scott, one of the Tuesday, October 11, with the St. j most brilliant players in the league Paul team, which won, score. La I and a first sacker whose equal hasCrosse 3; St. Paul 8. The final stand-IE WISEn fScARME : XDWf r WONDETOl i (WHAff CAUSED THAT7 t TO GET SO WKATHYled, were:solution of the organization at the end of the season.The Local Team La Crosse opened the year at home, April 30, playing before a crowd of 12000 fans and losing to ♦he Minneapolis aggregation by the j Minneapolisclose score of 5 td 4. The first team La Crosse......... 45lined up as follows: Moriarity, rf; \ Duluth ..........40Crowley lb. Corbett, 2b; Hardie. cf; |Eau Claire ........ 39Oshkosh . Milwaukee • Des Moines St. Paul ..W.7678737553L.4143454865777684Pet..649.644.619.610.449.369.345.317Rooks, If; McCauley, c; Miller, ss: Meiuke, 3b; Harper, p. The other twirlers on the nine were Kennedy who is now famous as a big league scout, McKeough and Hines Ingraham was a utility catcher and first baseman The games were plajed at the old ball park which until a few years ago was located near the Gund Brewing company's buildings in the southern part of the city.Season a Financial Loss The season proved to be a financial loss for the local association asIncidents of the seasonThere are many Incidents of the season which are worthy of mention. One is an anecdote related about President Sawyer of the Oshkosh club. In one of the games nearing the close of the season at which the head of the association was present, the outfielders seemed to have an “off” day and hits were sifting through them frequently. Seeing a hit made between left and center fields, called in the Oshkosh manager and said, “You need anotherwell u for the other cities In the rlayer In the field between left and league. The hiring of big league '*“‘*1: cPm® »r°unlt;J tonight and we players, started by Oshkosh, was fol- * * ‘ -lowed by the other teams who wished to remain In the race for the pendant. The closing of the season saw many new faces on ihe local aggregation. The famous Pyle and Hardie battery were brought to the city from San Francisco at a salary of $500, then considered as much money for professional ball players as $10,000 is today. Other players brought here were Kinzie, rf; Dwyer, p;Jevne, cf; Dougherty, 2b; Scott, lb, and Sallstrom. p.A Dispute for the Pennant The race for the flag at the end of the season was close between Oshkosh. Milwaukee and Des Moines Oshkosh went to extremes to secure players of ability to capture the bunting. President Sawyer of the club purchased Shortstop Joe Miller from the La Crosse club for the last five games of the season, paying $500 for his services. At the close of the season there was some dispute as to the winner of the pennant, Oshkosh and Des Moines claiming It. Manv protested games caused the doubt as to the winner The annual meeting of the league directors was held at Chi cago. Tuesday, October 25, 1887, and Oshkosh was officially awarded the pennant. Des Moines being given second place. There was some dispute as to the eligibility of plptyer Murphy of the Oshkosh club. He had played with the team for five games and had not signed In the regular bona fide manner. It was finally decided, by the directors, that a rule to the effect that a player could play five games with a club, on approbation, as it were, without the officers of that club being compelled to sign him. This covered the case and the dispute was settled in favor of the Oshkosh club.La Crosse finished the season inwill fix it so that we can sign an other man.” Later in the game the same thing occurred between center and right fields and Sawyer bellowed: “Here, you need another man there; here’s a thousand dollars, get a couple more players.”A Costly PennantIt Is alleged that it cost the Oshkosh stockholders more than $50,000 to win the pennant, a statement which is not incredible when it is known that major league ball players were on the pay roll of that club.The season was a financial loss to the local association also, as was the case with moat of the clubs In the ill-fated organization. The deficit In the treasury of the local club amounted to about $12,000 at the end of the season.Duluth Player DrownedOne of the casualties of the season was the drowning of 8econd Basemin Acke of the Duluth club while swimming at the head of Barron’s Island while that club played here. The baseball players of both clubs and many citizens spent the greater part of the night dragging the river for the body of the victim.It Is also recorded In the annals of the game how Manager Herrington of the local club, who is now dead, after returning from a long road trip, related a woeful tale of how a grip containing nearly $1,000 belonging to the club, had been stolen from under the pillow in his berth while returning home from Milwaukee. The old fans will tell you they aare certain the mo^ey was stolen by Herrington and his accomplices but he was never brought to trial for the alleged theft. The 106s was made good by local parties.During the latter part of the seanever been seen in this city since, according to the old fans, broke his log. A benefit baseball game was arranged, the receipts of the contest going to the injured player. The two teams playing were called the north and the south eide nines, and were composed of men who today are numbered among the foremost citizens of La Crosse. The personnel of the south side team was as follows: McGrath, rf; Cooper, cf; Berry, lb; Thompson, c; Donovan, 2b; Burr, ss; Hopkins If; Simonton, p, and William Burns, 3b. The substitutes were John C. Burns, John D, Wilson and Jake Becker. Benedict, c; Suiter, p; Cornell, se. Morris, 2b; Mahoney, 3b; Winter, lb; Schultz, cf; Olson, If, and Horan, rf, was the way the way the north side aggregation lined up. Hahn, Spence and Goddard were the reserves for this teamMany of the present day fans of the younger generation never knew that many of the above mentioned men played the great American game. For instance take Walt Sim onton. He was some pitcher if the records’ are authentic, and then there were the Burns brothers, J. Wilson, Jake Becker,Dr. Suiter, Paul Mahoney,Morris and others. They all played the game with a vim. Now they are content to sit and .watch the younger fellows play the game and tell the stories of the contests in which they participated relating many wlerd and wonderful tales of the diamond that would make Mugsy McGraw alt up and take notice.Result in Doubt The result of that game is still in doubt. No official account of It was published in the papers and if you ask any of the members of the teams you are almost certain to get two versions of the affair. Suffice It to say that the game proved to be a success as money maker and Mr. Scott realized a neat sum for his hospital expenses.League is Dissolved The end of the year saw the dissolution of the Northwestern league. Many of the cities decided that baseball was a failure, that they were not ready for the game and that the support which had been given the teams during the season warranted them in seeking retirement from the limelight of publicity in the sporting world. 8everal of the clubs including Dea MOlnes, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and St. Paul secured berths In a new organization the next spring, giving the initial Impulse to an organization, the Western association, which afterward destined to become what is now known as the American asso-siatlon.A Struggle for Supremacy The history of the game from this year until the year 1893, Is one of struggles of the many amateur aggregations in the city for supremacy. The Burns Fruit Houbs team had started early in the eighties and wag always a strong contender for thecity championships. There was also the Browns, the Clippers, the Badgers, the Black Gaps, the Jewels, and many other teams made up of local baseball talent.Ttie Cttf League In the winter of 1892 men interested in local baseball held a meeting and organized a city league consisting of the Fruit House, the Mor-ris Co., the Diamonds and the Polyclinics. Jake Becker, as before, was manager of the Frnifc House nine, while Panl Mahoney acted in the 6me capacity fbr the Morris Ss Co. aggregation, this team being composed mostly of north aide beys. Games were played every Sunday And at the end of the season the Diamonds, managed by J. Novacek, had won the pennant by a wide margin. The Fruiters as they were called, finished in last place. This team in the course of time became the. principal nine in the city and became known as the La Croese aeml-profes-sfonai team.The Second Season The year 1894 opened with the city league still intact with a somewhat changed personnel of teams. The Polyclinics dropped out and the W. B. TJ. placed a strong team in the league. At the ehd of the season the Morris Co. bine had won the pennant by a Wide margin. Paul Mahoney was a star member of the team. Inquiry among the old fans of the city brings out the fact that Paul could hit the ball any place and at any time. He was one of the leading clouters in the organization but his fielding record was not of the best. Frank Stuesser, now captain Of fire department No. 2, played shortstop with the Morris Co. nine which was one of the leaders at this time. Cap. Stuesser, as he la now known, will sit by the hour and relate to you how he could slug the ball and then with a laugh he will tell you he would sit on first base and wonder how he was going to get to second. Stealing bases was net exactly his fofte. He was a slow runner. It is recorded in the newspapers of the day how at the end of thev season “Cap.” was presented with 'a fire foot bat weighing 25 pounds. The bat was presented td Mr. Stuesser as a testimonial from the club “for his ability to wield the /willow. In the Fruit House team were Jake Becker, Chris, William and “Cy Burns, now well known and respected citizens of La Crosse. One of the fast Amateur organisations of this time was the Black Caps, a north side team which received Its name from the color, of the head gear which the players, wore. Among the players was Jacob Hahn, now a prosperous north side grocer. They won many a game from the fast teams in the city and vicinity. .A Change of Name After the year 1895 the Fruit House team changed its name to the La Crosee club. This was the principal team in the city and was composed of the fastest and the beet (Continued on Page 23.) ’
Newspaper Details
La Crosse Tribune
La Crosse, Wisconsin, US
Fri, Jul 29, 1910
Page 160
Full Page
Clipped by
La C.
WI, USA 16 Nov 2023
Other Publications Near La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse Daily Badger
La Crosse Weekly Appeal
Amerika
La Crosse National Democrat
La Crosse Democrat
