Chickasha Daily Express · Chickasha, Oklahoma · 1909

The butchers play the grocers, then the Democrats play the Republicans

Chickasha closed its stores for a charity doubleheader: butchers versus grocers at 3, Democrats versus Republicans at 5, every quarter to the hospital fund. The printed lineup includes two catchers and no pitcher.

Chickasha put a whole town on the field for its hospital fund in August 1909. The stores planned to close so everybody could attend, admission was a quarter, the refreshment money went to the fund too, and anyone with a private rig was asked to haul their neighbors to the grounds. The butchers played the grocers at 3 o’clock and the Democrats played the Republicans at 5.

The paper printed the full first-game lineup, and it rewards a close look. The Butchers fielded a Russell, a Buckey, two Hopkinses and a Ray against the Grocers’ Branstetter, Atkins, McKinney and Bond. R. Bullard and Brannon are listed at catcher twice, and no pitcher is listed at all. Either the compositor had an off day or Chickasha had invented a very defensive form of baseball.

The front page also promised the ladies in charge would station someone at every entrance “to prevent any from intruding their presence.” Nobody watched this game for free.