The Forest Republican · Tionesta, Pennsylvania · 1914

Two Oil City base ball stars extend the scope of their operations

May 1914: David Slesnick and Donald Grove, Oil City base ball stars, set off for Wellsville of the Interstate League, one to try out as a pitcher and one to catch. The Tionesta paper reprints the Derrick's item, then adds the only editorial that matters: Donald is a Tionesta production, and so it goes without saying, that he will make good.

Two local boys make the jump, announced in the finest business prose of 1914: “David Slesnick and Donald Grove, two Oil City base ball stars who have made good records with local teams, have decided to extend the scope of their operations.” Not trying out. Extending the scope of their operations, like a firm opening a branch office.

The branch office was Wellsville, New York, “which is a member of the Interstate league.” A real rung on a real ladder: “Grove is in for a tryout for a pitching position, while Slesnick expects to sign up as catcher.” The item closes with a credit, “—Derrick.”, the Oil City Derrick being where the Forest Republican of Tionesta clipped it from. Papers clipped from papers long before this site made a habit of it.

But Tionesta did not reprint the item out of mere regional courtesy. It had skin in the game, and it appended the sentence that earns this clipping its place here: “Donald is a Tionesta production, and so it goes without saying, that he will make good.” No evidence offered, none needed. He is from here, therefore he will make good, and the paper says so in print where his mother can cut it out and keep it. If Grove wanted to be properly shod for the tryout, the folks at Levi & Co. had him covered three years earlier.