The 1900s

35 clippings from the 1900s.

News item headed Base Ball Sunday, announcing that the local nine has arranged a game with the Perry nine at the Island Park grounds, noting last Sunday's thirteen inning game at Perry ended three to four, promising Kid Bevis will pitch for Perry and Burke for the home nine, and reporting several hundred tickets already sold.

A good, red-hot game of the national sport is assured

The Guthrie Daily Leader
Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory · 1901

Advertisement bordered on all four sides by the repeated word Spalding. The copy reads: Hello! Say boys, we have just received a new and complete line of Spalding Base Ball Goods, and Lawn Tennis. Also Schmelzer's and A. J. Reach Base Ball goods. Fishing tackle till you can't rest. Remember the place and the name. Chickasha Ave. Phone 67. W. L. Mobley.

Hello! Say Boys

W. L. Mobley
Chickasha, Indian Territory · 1902

Full-length newspaper portrait of Jesse Burkett holding a bat, headlined Burkett Chases a Bleacherite, with a caption explaining he chased a heckler who bolted out the Grand Avenue gate.

The sun god bolted when he saw Burkett climbing the fence

St. Louis Browns
St. Louis, Missouri · 1902

Short column item headed Base Ball Game, reporting that Manager W. E. Smith of the New Theatre has organized a base ball team among the attaches of his theatre, to play their first game at California Junction against W. A. Smith's team of base ball artists.

W. A. Smith's team of base ball artists

Missouri Valley Times
Missouri Valley, Iowa · 1903

Full-page newspaper photograph of pitcher Joe McGinnity in a New York uniform waving his right arm overhead, headlined This Is the Famous Iron Man of McGraw's Team, credited to a Republic photographer.

This is the famous Iron Man of McGraw's team

New York Giants
St. Louis, Missouri · 1903

Short front page item headed Indoor Base Ball, Ladies Night, announcing that Thursday night at 8:15 the two leading teams in the Indoor Base Ball League, McCormick and Gammon, will play for the Price Cup, with the ladies of the city cordially invited to witness the game.

Indoor Base Ball. Ladies Night.

The Leader
Brookhaven, Mississippi · 1904

Boxed column advertisement reading Base Ball! To-Day! Ladies' Day. Savannah vs Charleston. Ladies to grounds and grand stand free. Admission 25c, grand stand 50c, box seats 75c.

Base Ball! To-Day! Ladies' Day. Savannah vs Charleston

Savannah Morning News
Savannah, Georgia · 1904

Newspaper column headed Aberdeen Loses in a Slugging Match at Centralia Sunday, with a four-team standings table for Olympia, Centralia, Aberdeen and Hoquiam, a story blaming the loss on Farmer Brown leaving his rabbit's foot at home under his pillow, describing Centralia sluggers taking to Hanson's curves like a duck to water, and reporting that a wireless dispatch received just before press time said the scorer had finally got the score added up at 14 to 13 for Centralia, followed by a subhead Olympia Wins at Hoquiam with an account of an errorful game and a protest over Baker being called out for cutting first base, closing with the score by innings.

Aberdeen Loses in a Slugging Match

Aberdeen Herald
Aberdeen, Washington · 1904

Long column headlined Day of the Umpire, the parable of an ordinary baseball game and its chief executive, written entirely in mock biblical language.

Behold now the man that is an umpire, even a baseball umpire

The Ottumwa Courier
Ottumwa, Iowa · 1904

Story headed Base Ball recounting a three game series between the Sedalia Sentinels and the Versailles Merchants: Sedalia takes Friday 5 to 4, the Merchants win Saturday 19 to 4 and close the series Sunday 5 to 2, with Prof. J. M. Stith umpiring the whole series.

Each game was liberally patronized by lovers of the national sport

Versailles Merchants
Versailles, Missouri · 1905

Two letters from the Mexico Weekly Ledger. The first, headed Opposed to Sunday Base Ball, was read at the Methodist church before the sermon. The second, headed Working Man on Sunday Base Ball, defends the local Sunday games and is signed A Working Man, E. E. T., followed by an editor's note insisting future letters be signed with full names.

Oh! But what do we care for the poor working man

Mexico Weekly Ledger
Mexico, Missouri · 1905

Newspaper item reading Call the score please. Here it is: Monday's game, Yellville 8 Newark 1. Tuesday, Yellville 5 Newark 3. Wednesday, Newark 4 Yellville 1.

"Call the score please." Yellville takes two of three from Newark

Mountain Echo
Yellville, Arkansas · 1905

Newspaper item about a boy with the financial acumen to climb a tree outside the ballpark to watch a base ball game and save his fifteen cents, ending with Don't interfere with him.

Don't interfere with the boy in the tree

Mountain Echo
Yellville, Arkansas · 1905

Four-line newspaper item saying Ben Ward says it takes a good man to umpire a ball game and referee a fight at the same time, but that he did it last Tuesday.

Ben Ward umpired the ball game and refereed the fight at the same time

Mountain Echo
Yellville, Arkansas · 1905

Short newspaper item reporting that the ball team at Walnut Ridge flunked on the local team too late to match a game with any other team, ending with Guess they got afeard.

No game on the Fourth. Guess they got "afeard"

Mountain Echo
Yellville, Arkansas · 1905

Newspaper column headed Browns 9, St. Elmos 0, This Was the Way Cavanaugh's Kids Treated the Old-Timers Yesterday, reporting a game at Traction Park between the McIntosh Browns and a St. Elmos team of incapacitated Browns, Santa Fe Centrals and Barelas players, describing a rain delay in which the clouds wept great tears of grief for the dead ones while fans huddled in the dry spots of the grand stand, Old-timer Snapper Hale retiring from the field under cover of the rain, the muddy grounds favoring the Browns because they had their McIntoshes on, Gallegos pitching gilt-edged ball with twelve strikeouts, full lineups, a line score and Umpire Mason.

Browns 9, St. Elmos 0

Albuquerque Evening Citizen
Albuquerque, New Mexico · 1906

Tall column advertisement headed Base Ball in a double-ruled box, for games at Finkle's Park Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, May 27, 28, 29, Waterloo vs Brownies, games called at 3:30, Sunday games at 3:00, admission 25 and 35 cents, ladies' days Tuesdays and Fridays.

Base Ball at Finkle's Park: Waterloo vs. Brownies

Times-Republican
Marshalltown, Iowa · 1906

Spalding's Encyclopedia of Base Ball advertisement with a drawing of a batter and catcher, listing numbered how-to booklets from How to Bat through How to Run the Bases, plus Spalding's Official Base Ball Guide for 1906.

Everything from How to Bat to How to Organize a League, ten cents each

The Times-Journal
Malvern, Arkansas · 1906

Newspaper story headed Amusement Features describing a base ball game between the White Seals and a Poteau team, and a comic game between the town's carpenters and painters.

One mysterious home run and the carpenters threw up the sponge

Mena White Seals
Mena, Arkansas · 1906

Short locals column headed New Hartford News, reporting that Frank Hoffman the butcher is racing around in his new automobile, that a number from New Hartford went to Cedar Falls Thursday to see the Boston Bloomer Girls play base ball, and that the New Hartford team lost to Parkersburg 9 to 0 at the Stout carnival.

A number from New Hartford went to see the Boston Bloomer Girls

Times-Republican
Marshalltown, Iowa · 1907

Large advertisement headed Base Ball, Old Timers vs. Elks, Friday, May 17, 3:45 p.m., with a boxed line up naming both nines, a list of substitutes and umpires, a note that each team will be in fantastic costume, and a set of adopted rules including no more than ten runs per inning, spit ball pitching prohibited and lunch served on third base, at Roswell Amusement Park.

Old Timers vs. Elks: Lunch Will Be Served on Third Base

The Roswell Daily Record
Roswell, New Mexico · 1907

Column article headed Women Play Base Ball, Married Ladies of Baxter Defeated by Basket Ball Team, reporting a game at the Baxter Athletic park won 19 to 18, with the batteries named, gate receipts going to the Junior band, and a chicken pie supper by the Ladies' Aid society.

Women Play Base Ball

Times-Republican
Marshalltown, Iowa · 1907

Tall newspaper column headed Outgrowth of the Game of Town Ball, with the deck A. G. Spalding Tells of His Research Into the Origin of the National Game, in which Spalding traces base ball from the colonial games of One Old Cat, Two Old Cat, Three Old Cat and Four Old Cat through town ball, quotes pioneer H. H. Waldo of Rockford on town meetings, gingerbread and cider, describes the square town ball field with goals sixty feet apart, tallies kept by notching a flat stick, and follows the Massachusetts game of base ball until it died a natural death and the New York game became the only game of base ball played anywhere in the world.

Outgrowth of the Game of Town Ball

Evening Star
Washington, D.C. · 1908

Two stacked advertisements. The first reads Base Ball, Today and Tomorrow, Northwestern League, Spokane Indians vs. Tacoma Tigers, Recreation Park, game called at 3:15 p.m., take E. Broadway or Gonzaga traction cars. The second, in ornate lettering, reads Baseball, Natatorium Park, Sunday June 14, first game Bradley Engineering Co. vs. Union Iron Works, second game Slater and Slater vs. Cubs, two games one admission 25 cents including grandstand, first game at 2:15.

Base Ball Today and Tomorrow

Spokane Indians
Spokane, Washington · 1908

Story headed Chicks Won First Sunday Game, Defeated the Paterson Union Leaguers by Score of 3 to 2, reporting Wilmington's first Sunday game of the season before 3000 spectators in weather far too cold for baseball, with full box scores of both teams, and below it a boxed advertisement reading Baseball, South Side Park Tuesday Afternoon, Wilmington vs Altoona, Game Called 3.30 o'clock, Admission 25c, Grand Stand 25c, Ladies Grand Stand Free except Saturdays and Holidays.

Chicks Won First Sunday Game

Wilmington Chicks
Wilmington, Delaware · 1908

Column article headed Ardmore Girls to Play Base Ball, Young Ladies' Team Is Being Organized and May Challenge Rabbit Foots, reporting a picked nine of young ladies organizing in Ardmore, then quoting a New York Journal story about Riley's Wonders, whose 12-year-old captain Nellie Riley struck out ten boys, with the girls practicing at night by electric lights.

Where That Girl Learned to Curve 'Em

The Daily Ardmoreite
Ardmore, Oklahoma · 1909

Short newspaper item headed Fine Chance for Lively Ball Player, quoting a want ad from an eastern paper seeking a first class grocery salesman capable of driving a delivery wagon, taking orders, working in the store nights, managing the business when the owner is away and taking care of the stable, who must also be a good pitcher and first baseman able to hit .300 so he can manage the local ball team, at fifty dollars a month, ending with the parenthetical note that when we get the address of this modest grocer we will publish it.

Fine Chance for a Lively Ball Player

The Spokane Press
Spokane, Washington · 1909

Small newspaper advertisement headed Seattle Series, with Base Ball in large type, reading Tomorrow, Northwestern League, Recreation Park, Spokane vs. Seattle, game called at 3:15, admission 25c and admission to grandstand 25c.

Seattle Series: Base Ball Tomorrow

The Spokane Press
Spokane, Washington · 1909

Locals column headed Rose Creek, reporting that the base ball game between the married men and the single men resulted in a victory for the single men, 49 to 48, followed by town notes and a complaint that the Sunday game between the Packing house and Rose Creek was one of the dirtiest the correspondent ever witnessed.

A victory for the single men, 49 to 48

Mower County Transcript
Lansing, Minnesota · 1909

Story headed Extry! Poor Old Man Is Mobbed Once More, reporting from Galveston that the feature of yesterday's game with the Buffaloes was the assaulting of Umpire Derrick by Catcher Quiesser of the Sand Crabs, whose removal cost Galveston the game, with the line score of the 6 to 3 loss.

Extry! Poor Old Man Is Mobbed Once More

Galveston Sand Crabs
Galveston, Texas · 1909

Cartoon by P. Fox of President Taft as an enormous balloon-round figure floating over a ballpark grandstand eating from a bag of peanuts, above a dispatch reporting Taft called baseball the cleanest, the finest and the manliest sport in all Christendom and declared I believe they should hit it out.

Speaking of Fans, He's Got the Bug Right, This One

San Antonio Light and Gazette
San Antonio, Texas · 1909

Column headed Amateur Base Ball Doings reporting that the faster amateur clubs are playing two and even three games on Sunday, offering the paper's services arranging games and organizing a league, with the caveat that the only thing we don't like to do is to umpire, followed by results including the Government Hill Tigers, Viaduct Reds, Jokers, Saps and Household Furniture Company.

The only thing we don't like to do is to umpire

San Antonio Light and Gazette
San Antonio, Texas · 1909

Large boxed advertisement reading Base Ball, Magnolia Bluff To-Day, Mobile vs Pensacola, Game called 4 p.m., See line up elsewhere, Free dancing every night, Prize dance Friday. Stitched below is the story Pensacola To Play Mobile At The Bluff, announcing the Mobile Beavers arrive this morning for a series of games and printing both teams' lineups position by position.

Base Ball, Magnolia Bluff To-Day: Mobile vs Pensacola

The Pensacola Journal
Pensacola, Florida · 1909

Two side-by-side stories from 1909: Navigators Blow Up and Broncs Win, a 12 to 4 slugfest account with box score in which the locals fatten their batting averages, and Cap's Answer Characteristic, in which Cap Leidy is presented a joke floral horseshoe made of beets and answers with five clean line drives in five times at bat.

Navigators Blow Up and Broncs Win

San Antonio Broncos
San Antonio, Texas · 1909

Front page story headlined Baseball for Charity Tomorrow Afternoon, describing a doubleheader for the hospital fund with a full lineup of the town's butchers against its grocers.

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

Chickasha Daily Express
Chickasha, Oklahoma · 1909