A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume II, Part 8

Author: Lincoln, Allen B
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co.
Number of Pages: 960

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WILLIMANTIC'S LEAGUE BASEBALL TEAM

In 1910, the Connecticut Association or "Shoulder Steak League" was organized. This league was under National League protection and was made up of teams representing New London, Norwich, Willimantic, and Middle- town, the players being under salary. Danny Dunn had planned a trip to Ireland that season with his wife but decided to postpone the trip and give Willimantic league baseball. He succeeded in entertaining the people of Wil- limantic and won the pennant at a cost to him personally of over $2,000. Fa- mous pitchers on his team that year were "Joe" Conzleman, better known as "Harris" who two years afterward was one of the star twirlers of the Pittsburg team of the National League, and "Lefty" Smith, the star twirler

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of the Baltimore team of the International circuit. The year 1911 was a dead one in Willimantic.

REMINISCENCES

In 1911, the old ones passed on to a great extent and a new crop arose ill the firmament known as the Emeralds, and the Mill League furnished the sport. In the six years of the Willimantic Baseball Association's existence, 1901-6, 142 match games were played of which 114 games were played at home and twenty-eight abroad. This for the reason that the association was more eager to have games at home than out of town. The receipts from all sources sur- mising what the expense in 1906 might have been were about $20,000. Noth- ing remained at that time but the past and the memories were summed up with the feeling that the baseball fans of the Thread City had had their money's worth. It certainly was worth every cent of it, and brought many local personages into the local spotlight. In 1914, the historic Windham Field was dismantled, the scene of many a hot-fought baseball game between the famous rivals of the home team in those years including Rockville, Manchester and Bristol, as well as the best in Southern New England. The 2,000 feet of eight-feet-high wooden enclosure were taken down by men in the employ of the Quidnick-Windham Manufacturing Company and this in a small way repaid the company for rent due on the ground.

The season of 1910, when State Comptroller Daniel P. Dunn backed the game at a willing financial sacrifice, marked the finish of high grade baseball on this famous baseball ground. Games have been played occasionally on this field and meanwhile Quidnick-Windham Company generously gave the rent. When the original baseball association "blew up" in 1907, the company came in possession of the grandstand, bleachers and fences of the association and the incident was closed.

Many memorable games were played on Windham Field. The opening game was played on May 28, 1901, with the Dublins of Meriden and the latter team won by a score of 2 to 0. In the same year the Rockvilles, the greatest opponents the Willimantics ever had, were defeated in a five game series. The deciding game was won by the late "Mike" Healey's home run in the last ball pitched in the game. It was what would be called a "Krucial moment." Willimantic was on the short end of a score 10 to 12, with two men on bases, two out, two strikes and three balls on Healey. The next ball he poled over the right field fence, sending the required number of runs to win this remark- able game. Then again in 1902, Willimantic won four out of five games from Rockville, and strange to say, of all the games played the losing teams did not make a run! In September (Labor Day), 1902, a world's record for an eleven-inning game was made with Easthampton, Mass. The game was played in sixty-three minutes. Eddy Mann, of the Trinity College team, pitched that game for Willimantic, and the home team won 1 to 0. The games played in following years were all exciting. Several players who later won fame in the big league teams were seen in action in those years on Windham Field with the home and outside teams, including Ira Thomas and Danny Murphy, "Stuffy" McIness, of the Philadelphia Americans, all participants later in world series; "Hi" Ladd and "Art" Nichols, Jack Hoey and many others of national importance. "Red" Rority first made his fame as an umpire on Windham Field and "Flag" Doyle strengthened his reputation in this de-

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partment of the game, according to the Manchester and Rockville point of view. The late Charles Kennedy, a state umpire, and one time holder of the indicator in the big leagues, once figured in a triple play on Windham Field. Such famous pitchers as "Doc" Moriarty, formerly with Newark, and Sam MeLean of the Connecticut league, were brought out by former Mayor Dunn in the early season of 1901. Eddie Mann, who pitched on the 1902 team, twirled a no run, no hit game against the Rockville team at the latter place on May 31st of the season, Willimantic winning.

EMERALD BASEBALL TEAM

About the season of 1912, a baseball team was organized with players aver- aging eighteen years with monakers showing that they were descendants of the royal families of "Erin Go Bragh," with a sprinkling of names famous in the days of early Canadian history. Like Topsy they "jest grew" and in a couple of seasons they were looked upon as the representative team of the Thread City. For the most part the members were distributed in the lineups of the different teams of the Thread Mill League. The Emerald played Sun- day games mostly for the reason that the Thread Mill League had the monopoly on the only enclosed grounds in the place at Recreation Park. The Emeralds were a great drawing card out of town. During the seasons of 1915 and 1916, the team played Sunday games on Holbrook Oval at the western end of the city. The Emeralds had a poor season in 1917 and went but half way through the season then disbanding. In 1914-15 another contender for the city cham- pionship loomed up in a team called the Independents. This team was a strong one captained and managed by Jack Nichols. There were a number of past, present, and future stars on the team. In a couple of series youth triumphed over crabbed age and the Emeralds were proclaimed champions. This cham- pionship series was played on Rhodes Field, the Independents bailiwick.

AMERICAN THREAD COMPANY BASEBALL TEAM

The organization of the American Thread Company Baseball Association was in the season of 1912. This was the year that the American Thread Com- pany announced some of their future plans, for a playground for their em- ployes which later was announced would also be for the townspeople. The following year as told in the history of the old fair grounds, the company started the preliminary work of beautifying the park. The old diamond on which hundreds of famous games were played by Willimantic teams, was improved and later a new diamond was built on another part of the park. The history of this league is still fresh in the memory of the baseball public and little need be said of it until some historian muses in years to come over its doings, when the players are as old as the survivors of Willimantic's first regular team. Suffice it now to say, that at the close of the American Thread Company's eighth baseball season, its officials and past and present players look back with pleasure on the history of the association. The people of the city and vicinity were well entertained during the long Saturday afternoons of the summer and on holidays with a brand of baseball which ranked with the calibre of the leading minor league teams. Gen. F. E. Kaley, chairman of the American Thread Company board of directors, and then local agent Austin D. Boss, were much interested in the association, which has had their support at all times. The Thread Company has done much to increase the

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interest in baseball in the city. During those years, not a few extra dollars found their way to the pockets of the players, for it was the rule that if there was a surplus in the treasury, the money was distributed on percentages to the teams of the league according to their standing in the league race at the close of seasons. Every year showed a surplus, which went to show how care- fully the finances of this league were looked after. Among the men who were officials of the association were George K. Anderson, Charles W. Hill, William L. Jenkins, Robert Higgins, William Champlin. In 1912 there were eight teams in the league, the Dye House team winning the majority of the games played. The prize was a pennant.

In the spring of the following season, 1913, a carnival was held and a large sum of money realized, so much so that the six teams which made up the league were fully equipped with uniforms and other baseball paraphernalia. The opening of the season was most auspicious and was held Saturday after- noon May 17th, with a parade of the baseball teams led by Wheeler's Amer- ican Band from the Young Men's Christian Association Building to the ball grounds. The opening game was played between the Dyers and No. 6 Mill teams. General Kaley made a short speech and threw the first ball over the plate. No. 3 Mill team won the league race that season and received a silver loving cup from the Gustave Fischer Company of Hartford. There were six teams in the league season of 1914, with No. 6 Mill team the winners. This team received a very handsome loving cup from the Hartford Courant, which paper's sporting department took an active interest through the writer of this article. In 1915 the interest seemed to lag in the league, there being but four teams in the circuit. The "Dyers" were by far the fastest team in the league and were given a silver cup donated by the Gustave Fischer team of Hartford. This trophy adorns the office of the Dye House, while the other cups mentioned can be seen in a conspicuous place in the Dunham Hall Library, a section of the main office of the Thread Company in Willimantic. At the annual meeting of the baseball association in March, 1916, it was decided to have but one team to be picked from the cream of the players employed by the Thread Company. The season was a fine success, and the new departure was also carried out the following year with renewed success. The best semi-profes- sional teams in the state were played and the Thread Company team gave a fine account of themselves. John P. McQuillan was manager of the team for the two seasons and at the annual meeting of the association on March 4, 1918, was again reelected manager of the team for that season. During the seasons of 1916-1917 the Thread Company gave a series of band concerts weekly dur- ing the summer months in connection with the baseball season.

The American Thread Company baseball team had fair success during the season of 1918, the year of the war. With war work and other things allowed to be done on Sundays the same acted as a lever for Sunday baseball playing in Willimantic as in other places; the games were staged on Sabbath after- noons at Recreation Park in the season of 1919 without interference by the local authorities or were any complaints entered. The season was a fine one both financially and otherwise. The team won thirteen out of twenty games played, and at the end of the season something like nine hundred dollars was divided among the baseball players on the team.

The following report by secretary-treasurer, William Champlin, showed

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HISTORY OF WINDHAM COUNTY

how successful was the 1919 baseball season of the American Thread Com- pany team :

Total receipts from 20 games of which 17 were home games,

and including $49.95 from Industrial league. .$3,380.03

EXPENSES

Total paid for guarantees .$1,071.00

Total paid to local and outside players 738.00

Cash, expenses, equipment, balls, etc. 659.73 $2,468.73

Balance

$911.30

Divided among local players 904.65

$6.65

During the winter following the season of 1919 the small balance of $6.65 was increased to $108.90 through the sale of tickets on a bag of sugar leaving that amount to start the season of 1920.

SEASON OF 1920

The baseball season of 1920 brought with it increased interest and was most successful in every way. While the expenses in running the team were fully as great in the seasons of "frenzied ball" of 1905-06, the financial returns were equally large and the American Thread team's treasury contained a fine surplus at the end of the season. At the annual meeting held March 1st, the name American Thread Company Baseball Association was slightly changed. the organization taking the caption, "American Thread Athletic Association" in that not was only baseball to be fostered but every other line of sport car- ried on, even to the girls having a say in the doings of the association. A ways and means committee was appointed to devise means to raise money and right well they did a good job. One of the plans was the enrolling of as many of the operatives of the plant as possible as members. Something like one thousand seven hundred and fifty members were secured at the nominal monthly dues of 10 (ten) cents a month. This means alone brought in over twelve thousand dollars during the summer months. A canteen was established in the Thread plant, the profits on candy, milk, and other luxuries also adding to the fund. The officers elected were: President, Charles W. Hill; vice president, Dr. Herman C. Little; secretary, Harry Lester; treasurer, William Champlin; board of directors, W. Raymond Brittland, William L. Jenkins and James H. Aspinwall, with the officers. Assistant officers were chosen from women members of the association. John McQuillan was chosen manager of the baseball team, with a salary as was also paid to the secretary and treasurer of the association. Art Nichols was selected as coach of the team. The at- tendance at the baseball games was large with games played on Sunday after- noons at Recreation Park. The players were paid off at the end of every game. The very best semi-professional teams in Connecticut were played and at the end of the season, the local team had a record equally as good as any other baseball team in the state. Every accommodation was made at the grounds for the fans for besides the commodious grandstand, a fine bleachers were erected

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and settees placed at all available points of the field. Visiting baseball teams always had a fine word to pass along for the hospitality shown them by the local management and fans. As to the grounds the verdict was that there was none better.

THERE WERE OTHER TEAMS TOO

Not all the baseball was furnished by the "first teams" of the city as there were a number of strong amateur nines during the history of the game in Willimantic, whose players later in years graduated to the big teams. The Windham High School in various years had excellent teams and one year won the championship of Eastern Connecticut but lost in the honors for the state championship on Yale Field. A number of the players of the high school teams have played on the Willimantic team and also on teams in surrounding places.

MANY FINE PLAYERS TURNED OUT

In the history of the game, Willimantic has furnished players for both the major and minor leagues. The player who made the most fame was Arthur F. Nichols who started to play with the Colchester team in 1893, from there going to Naugatuck of the state league in 1894. His first league experience was with the Springfield, Mass., team. His record, a brilliant one, was with the St. Louis Nationals, Chicago Nationals, Indianapolis, Nashville, Water- bury and many other places. He has been out of professional baseball for a number of years, but has a fine record to look back upon. Another famous p'aver was "Pete" Gilbert of the Sodom Stars of 1888-90, who made fame on the Springfield, Mass., team and the Baltimore team of the Eastern League. "Tommy" Downey, who was a member of the famous "Sidehills" (Chapman Street) has played in both the major leagues and many of the minor leagues. Edmund ("Monte") Peloquin first got his fame on Dunn's champion team of 1903, and for a number of years later met with success on various minor league teams. "Hi" Ladd was another player born in Willimantic who played for many years on New England and Connecticut state-league teams. Sam McLean and Eddie Moriarty who were members of the Connecticut Agricul- tural College baseball team first got prominence on the Willimantic team of 1901.

For several years later, their names were a household word among base- ball fans on the Atlantic seaboard. Michael F. Sullivan, retired, was a catcher of rare ability and for several years was a star performer on teams in the Eastern League and the Atlantic League. Sullivan, with Jimmie Nichols, one of the famous Nichols family of baseball players, also Michael Driscoll and Peloquin, were at one time the stars on the Villa Noca College baseball team. These are only a few of the baseball players of Willimantic who through their prowess have made fame for Willimantic.

BASEBALL GAVE DANNY DUNN HIS FAME

Baseball was the one great thing that got Daniel P. Dunn in the political "spotlight." It was following his successful career of baseball manager of the years of 1901-4 that he ran for mayor of the city and representative of the Town of Windham. For six terms he was mayor of the City of Willimantic and five terms representative. He was also once comptroller of the State of

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Connecticut. Dunn, during his political career, made many speeches. He was so well known, that in the height of his career as a baseball manager, he often got first-page notices in the state and metropolitan newspapers. For many years people who never had seen Dunn but had heard of him generally made it a point to look up the "mayor" when they happened to stop off at Willi- mantic. It was usually baseball that was talked over in those years. Later it was politics and the doings under the dome of Bushnell Park Hill in Hartford.

The most famous family of baseball players in Windham was the Nichols family, whose real name is Meikle; but as the baseball public pronounced it Nichols, the sporting writers took it up and were the real sponsors for the ruling, the name clung. There were five of them in the game: Art (who has been spoken of already), "Jack," "Jamesie," "Alfred" and "Joey." Jack retired from the game this season after twenty-six years on the diamond. A story is told of the quintet. Several years ago, the Willimantic team was playing an out-of-town team at the old fair grounds, and about the second inning, the father of the Nichols boys came to the gate, laid down the price of admission, 25 cents. The ticket seller pushed the money back with a smile saying, "Mr. Nichols, your admission is already paid." "How's that, me b'y?" And the ticket seller was right on the job when he replied, "Why, old top, you've got five nickles (Nichols) inside !"

SOMETHING ABOUT HI LADD

Hiram Ladd, a real native son of Windham, was probably one of the most frugal men in baseball. He played professional ball for many years and never received what might be termed "big money" for his playing, but as he used to tell other players who squandered their earnings, "Boys, it ain't what you pull down of the long green, it's how much of it you can save!" So when he quit the game after he had passed the two-score mark, he had saved a modest competence and owned real estate.

Ladd was born in the Borough of Willimantic, February 8, 1870, the son of Edward L. and Mary Ann Ladd. His birthplace was the little wooden building which is now used as a store house and can be seen from the railroad station across the tracks near the electric light station. When Ladd was eight years old, the family moved to Rhode Island. When quite young he broke into the game and never was hurt while playing and missed only five games from the time he signed his first professional contract. For holding the best batting average in the season of 1907 on the Bridgeport team of the Connecti- cut State League, he was presented with a handsome silver gold-lined cup. When sixteen years old, Ladd blossomed out as a pitcher on a semi-profes- sional team in Rhode Island. He used to pitch in his bare feet but was soon weaned of that stunt by a peppery manager who insisted that he put on reg- ular togs. His first professional engagement was for two years on the River- point team of the Rhode Island State League. In the spring of 1891, Ladd was secured for the Woonsocket team of the New England league. At that time he had a job in a cotton mill that paid him $8.00 per week. He got a friend to hold the job down for him so that if he failed to make good on the diamond he could return to the cotton mill. Ladd made good with a rush and never after had he occasion to look after spinning machines or looms. For two seasons Ladd played the Woonsocket job, and was then bought by

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Fall River, the team that Lajoie graduated to the major leagues from. Ladd played on the Fall River team for six seasons, 1892-98.

While playing on this team Ladd got the name of "Ili." A wild-eyed English rooter picked out "Hi" as his favorite player and every time the old vet came to the plate, the Johnny Bull would shout, "Hi laddy, Hi laddy ; 'it, 'it oot !" In 1899, Ladd booked it up with the Paterson team of the Atlantic League. The next year he was with Derby in Connecticut State League. From 1902 until his retirement in 1913 he was the mainstay of Jim O'Rourke's Bridgeport team in the state league. During those years Ladd was the dean of baseball players in the league. Ladd's first visit to his native home from the time he left in 1878 was in September, 1910. The Bridgeport team was trimmed on that occasion by Mayor Dunn's team of the Shoulder Steak League. Ladd's reception when he came to bat that day for the first time was in the nature of an ovation-but he struck out-even as once mighty Casey did! To make up for the whiffing, "Hi" made two home runs later in the series. Hi never drank strong waters, chewed Battle Axe or any other kind of tobacco and was very set against the use of cigarettes. He always saved his money. When he quit the game he had a fine bank account and string of paying tenement houses in Greenwich, R. I. The high cost of living never bothered "Hi," for in the winter he would beat the plumbers, carpenters and painters to it by making all the repairs himself !

WILLIMANTIC'S FAMOUS BASEBALL TEAM OF HIBERNIANS

In connection with the baseball history of Willimantic, there was one fa- mous date which the old-timers will long remember. It was on August 19, 1904, which was by the way Hibernian day for the entire state, with the events in connection staged in Hartford. The Hibernians of Willimantic gobbled all the honors in sight. The local division made a swell appearance coming down Main Street in the Capitol City 400 strong reviewed by "Phil" Sullivan, Mayor Harbison and other big guns from the "ould sod," headed by the biggest band in the entire parade-"Charlie" Wheeler's Symphony organiza- tion ! At Charter Oak Park, when the sporting events were pulled off, a series of baseball games for a couple of silver loving cups were on the bill. Division No. 1 of Willimantic had an entry and the line-up was a caution. The other starters thought that they would have a cinch with the Willimantic contenders. The latter were to a man members of the famous "Danny" Dunn's Willi- mantic's "Champions of Southern New England," every one a bona fide mem- ber of the organization. They were "Mike" Sullivan, "Mike" Healey, "Mike" Driscoll, "Jake" O'Rourke, "Jack" Curran, "Jack" Nichols, "Shaun" Sulli- van, "Jim" Casey, "Jim" and "Art" Nichols,-all togged out in regulation panties, black jerseys with A. O. H. in green letters across their breasts, mak- ing a dangerous proposition for even state league teams at that time. Each member had a clearance card showing good standing in the ranks of the or- ganization. The Derby's, the Willimantic team's opponents, got cold feet and passed up a chance after seeing the Thread City team whipping the ball around in practice. Willimantic was awarded the cup for this game by default. Mcan- time New Britain and Middletown went nine long leather chasing innings at another part of the field, the New Britain team winning something like 25 to 17. Captain O'Rourke challenged the winning team of this match for a game for the cup that the New Britain team worked so hard for. Umpire Vol. II-5

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"Darby" O'Brien took sides with Willimantic and told the New Britain ag- gregation to get busy, but they couldn't see it. Finally Lawyer Thomas J. Kelley of the Willimantic Division called matters off by remarking that Willi- mantic had honors enough coming for one day, and the New Britain team was allowed to retain its cup, although O'Brien was ready to forfeit the game to Willimantic. This Hibernian team trimmed Bristol for the state champion- ship two straight games the following month. Dan Shea was so pleased over the prospects of the day's doings that he set up the "smokes" for all the people on the train on the trip to Hartford on that memorable morning. "Danny" Dunn was an aide-de-camp to President John P. Murphy in the parade, making a profound hit mounted on a black charger !

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A modern history of Windham county, Connecticut : a Windham county treasure book, Volume II, Part 8

Author: Lincoln, Allen B Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co. Number of Pages: 960

Author: Lincoln, Allen B
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke publ. co.
Number of Pages: 960