USA > Maine > Oxford County > Porter > History of Porter > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21
Another time we were playing some team at the Cornish Fair and winning. Fred had reached the stage when he wasn't too fond of legging it around the bases, so he aimed to even up matters by mak- ing prodigious swings at bat. He hadn't been having pronounced success until the 7th inning when, in picking up his bat, he rolled his eyes up at me and muttered, "You see that light board in the fence away out in left field? Well, I'm going to knock the d-ball out of the grounds right there." Then he ambled slowly up to the plate; swiped at the very first ball, and did it! After a slow jaunt around the bases, he calmly seated himself beside me, saying in a low voice, "Don't you wish you could do that?"
I was at bat shortly thereafter and by some unexplainable coinci- dence duplicated Fred's stunt. Naturally, I felt pretty cocky when I sat myself down beside him and glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. I knew he wouldn't enthuse noticeably, yet did hope for some encouraging reaction on his part. Instead, he sat there like old Sitting Bull, his eyes focused on the ground, apparently oblivious to all else but his thoughts. That was Fred to a T, but if he had just then heard some one belittling my stunt, he would have exploded quite emphatically.
Uncle Fred was the very last of the old timers to go, meaning the local players of the late eighties and mid-nineties. He died suddenly,
.
KF
K.E.A.L. 123
K.F.A.L.
FALLA
K.F. A.A
KE.A.L. 123
-123
123
IK.F. A.L. 1
K.F. A.L. 123
K.E. A.L. 123
K.FA.L.
EZAR
FALL
1.23
123
123
Kezar Falls Legion Team, 1948. Front row, left to right: 1. Roger Hussey, 2. Chester Cutting, 3. Harry Hadlock, 4. John Garner, 5. Myron (Mike) Stacy, 6. Arnold Dahl, 7. Harold Mason, 8. Roscoe Pease, Manager. Rear row. left
to right: 1. Myron Weeks, 2. Ernest Hussey, Jr., 3. Willard Hussey, 4. David Granville, 5. Edmund Langlois, 6. Charley Churchill, 7. Owen Griffith, Field Manager. The bat boy - Richard Stacy (Mike's son).
K.F.A.L.
openings hoge
293
BASEBALL FROM PAST TO PRESENT
with his boots on, at the age of 84, on Aug. 17, 1956.
From 1887 to the early nineties such other players as Edgar Ham, Ernest Ham, Wm. Bushby, Illingsworth, Fred Weeks, Burt Fox, B. Ridlon, D. Ridlon, G. Ridlon, Leslie Weeks, Nathan Currier, Bert Collins and Frank Hubbard played on various teams. During this era the regular battery consisted of Fred Fox, pitcher, and Bert Collins, catcher. At the close of the '88 season, the highest batting averages were, Collins 360; Kezar 308; Norton 300; Towle 294.
The only picture handed down to us from those days shows the following players: Collins, c., F. Fox, p., Elwin Norton, 1 b., Percy Davis, 2 b., N. Currier, 3 b., Frank Hubbard, r.f., C. Fox, c.f., and manager, Geo. Kezar, l.f., Fred Towle, s.s. and subpitcher, and Frank Palmer, scorer. Later on the star catcher for several years in the '90s was Bill Bushby.
It was in the late '90s that several real stars came to the fore, the most scintillating of whom was Harry Lord; a name well known throughout the professional baseball world from 1905 until Harry retired from the game in the 'twenties. But before I elaborate on Harry's career, something about the others.
The name Eben Day, southpaw, ranks well up among those of Fred Fox, Fred Towle, Walter Ridlon, Ralph Stacy, Archie Stanley and John Garner, the last of the line of old reliables to date. Eben was a tireless worker and maintained a very creditable record of vic- tories during the years from late '90s to 1904 when his services were sought by various other teams here and there. The writer recalls having played with him on a Norway summer team in 1905 and of his good work against such teams as Oxford, Bryant Pond, So. Paris, and others.
During the late '90s when the names Towle and Bushby were be- coming less frequently seen, Day and McDaniel became common, and frequently Ridlon and McDaniel.
One game in particular stands out in my mind as clearly as though it were but a few years ago; a game in which Bill Bushby "stole the thunder." It was around 1897. The game was being played in the old Sam Newton pasture against some Portland team that was ex- pected to trim the locals. Bushby, who had not been in uniform for
294
HISTORY OF PORTER
some time, was behind the bat once again.
No runs were scored during the first half of the opening inning. Then the Kezars came to bat, with Bushby as the first man up. The pitcher looked him and his beautiful moustache over, then, after a bewildering series of contortions, propelled that nice, new, snow- white sphere across the plate. Bushby didn't believe in permitting such a ball to slip past, so he swung. It was a terrific swipe that met the ball right on the waistband. Such a crack! Within seconds that ball was traveling on a line far beyond the center fielder who had become all tangled up in the sweet fern out there, and Bill was rounding the bases at quite some velocity, his moustaches waving in the breeze.
The crowd being a typical, loyal Kezar Falls throng, let loose in characteristic fashion, with the voices of Pedro Benton, Abisha Thomes, Lewis Pendexter, and Geo. Day, blaring forth in such thun- derous tones, that a shower of pine cones rattled loose from over- head. Bushby, in real gladiator style, strode to the home plate, faced the crowd, doffed his cap, and admonished everyone to reserve his exhuberance until more sure of the game. It was a magnificent gesture - a gesture that no one could ever forget.
And now, on second thought, another spectacular, as well as side- splitting incident of that game comes to mind through the haze of over 59 years. Fred Towle had also donned the old uniform again and was playing first base, the meanwhile, in the quite common old- fashioned style of those days enjoying a huge quid of chewing to- bacco. A rather modest little pop foul was trying to drop between first and the opponent's bench (so called) of players. Fred wanted it; in fact he exerted himself nobly to get it. It was beating him to the punch, so to speak, when he made his all-out dive for it, landing flat on his tummy with such force that a copious stream of tobacco juice escaped, to be projected at least five yards and all over several pairs of the opposing players' feet. Fred lay there for a minute; a big grin on his face, with the ball safely reposing in his mit.
Many interesting anecdotes could be told about baseball at Kezar Falls during those years from 1895 to 1905 when the old timers were gradually beginning to fade away and new ones take over.
295
BASEBALL FROM PAST TO PRESENT
Another incident of those thrilling days of baseball in the old Newton pasture, too spectacular to pass by, was recently recalled to mind by Arthur Davis and Charley Fox. It really belongs in the "Believe It or Not" book of phenomena. Some team from Portland brought along a player who, years later, was to make history in Maine sports.
It was the custom in those days for spectators who drove their horse-drawn vehicles into the pasture to park all the way from the left field area to just off third base; so occasionally, a long foul to that vicinity was out of play for the ordinary left fielder. But this chap in question happened to be an extraordinary player. Some lo- cal hitter sent a soaring foul fly deep into the left field area where it seemed fated to land among the horses and wagons, but this fielder in question went after it, saw a horse blocking his way, made a spec- tacular vault over the animal and caught the ball! Years later, Char- ley Fox dropped into the sporting goods store of Herbie Welch in Oquossoc. Welch, at the time, was the champion fly-caster of Maine, if not of the Nation. On hearing Charley mention Kezar Falls, Welch casually remarked, "Kezar Falls? Well, well, that's where I made the baseball play of my life years ago when, on the dead run, I vaulted a horse near the left field line, and caught a fly from the bat of one of Kezar's sluggers."
This was the era when many tried, but few stayed on. During this period new faces to appear on the scene were those of Eben Day, already extolled, and Archie McDaniel, one of the best hitting catchers ever to play on a Maine field. Scarcely a local game ended in which he participated without his having hoisted at least one soaring 3-bagger to left field. Again I can speak from experience of having been privileged to play many games with Archie - at Bridg- ton Academy in the spring terms of 1903 and 1904; at Norway in the summer of 1905, and later on in 1907 on the Blue Stockings of Kezar Falls.
For awhile, beginning late in the summer of 1905, Archie played with Nashua of the New England League and ranked well up with the best hitters. Later on he was with Brockton. Others to make
296
HISTORY OF PORTER
the grade at Kezar Falls along with Day, McDaniel, etc., were Wal- ter Ridlon who pitched many years and with effective results; Win Watson whose bare right-hand reaches on first base were thrilling; Coote Elliot who was one of our best outfielders until a tricky knee cap forced him to give up playing; Frank Wescott ("Wesey"), one of the peppiest little short-stops ever to cavort about the Newton field, as well as one of the surest single-base hitters; Ralph Merri- field, the only cross-handed hitter I ever knew, and yet effective, a good runner as well as third baseman; Art Smith, whose long line drives were beautiful to behold; the author, who played his first game on the "big team" in 1902 in right field, and who in later games played second and filled in at pitching; Sherman Stanley, an- other snappy, reliable first baseman; Frank Stearns, another live-wire as well as "heady" player - Frank roamed the outfield, mostly - and finally, Harry Lord, third baseman, deluxe.
Harry always gave Fred Towle, then captain, the credit for getting himself started as a real player. I well recall that start. It was in 1896 that Fred handed Harry a uniform and told him to take center- field. I don't recall who the opponents were, but do know 'twas a victory game for us, and that a lot of credit was given Harry, for he not only played a perfect game in the field, despite rain part of the time, but also made a timely hit and scored at least one run. Harry had "arrived," and at the age of 14. From then on for some 20 years Harry went up and up on the climb to baseball fame, from the crude fields of Kezar Falls through Bridgton Academy where he not only played third, but also pitched very creditably. Bridgton Academy's 1904 team for which Harry did the twirling, and captained, won the championship of a special tournament played at Bates College be- tween B. A., Hebron, and Kent's Hill. McDaniel and French also played on B. A., French hitting the only home run of the series.
Harry entered Bates College in 1904 where he played in the spring of 1905, as did French. From Bates he went to the Pine Tree team for two years, then was taken over by the Boston Americans (the Red Sox) and sent to Worcester in 1906; then to Providence in 1907, and in 1908 he became a fixture on the Boston team for several years, serving as captain and third baseman. Lord then played three years
297
BASEBALL FROM PAST TO PRESENT
on the Chicago White Sox as third baseman and captain, eventually signing a three-year contract with Buffalo in the Federal League which lasted a very brief period. Harry was typical "bred-in-the- bone" baseball player - fast, heady, scrappy, fearless, and a good hitter. At some exhibition given by American League sprinters Harry's record of three seconds from home plate to first base made baseball history.
I repeat that Harry was a baseball man instinctively. He was never known to quit. His aggressive characteristic was aptly demon- strated during a game in 1903 on the Newton field when Eben Day was pitching and he was playing 3rd, a pop fly went up about half way between 3rd and the pitcher's box. Eben yelled, "I got it," but Harry yelled louder, "It's mine, Eben!" Eben, having a bit longer reach, took it, whereat Harry gave him a call-down in real baseball lingo.
At another time we were playing Westbrook on their grounds. Several wrangles with both their players and umpire had served to raise the temperature of all of us, but Harry's in particular, the re- sult being that three successive times while in said mood he drilled the ball to first and the home plate with such force that it tore its way through the receiver's hands and kept on traveling. These, however, are trivial incidents in the career of a man so good during his playing days that at this time (1956), his name is being quite seriously considered for Baseball's Hall of Fame.
Harry was born in the Porter section of Kezar Falls, in the build- ing just back of the former Advent Chapel, in 1883. After giving up big league baseball, he settled in So. Portland, ran a grocery store, coached and played locally, participated in politics, and for several years before his death in 1948 conducted a coal business in Portland. Meanwhile, being an ardent hunter, he had bought the Simeon Day place near Colcord Pond in Porter, remodelled it, and spent much time there, hunting and entertaining old friends. Lord's only son, Donald, carried on as a high school player of repute in So. Portland and at the University of N. H. around 1930 where he pitched on the varsity.
Time marches on and we are now looking over the records of the
298
HISTORY OF PORTER
years from 1904 to the end of World War I. A host of boys have graduated from the ranks of the twine-ball players and together with some of the veterans carry on.
The team of 1908, known as the Blue Stockings, carried out a full schedule under the capable managership of Frank Stearns, with old timer Archie McDaniel as captain. Other old reliables on this team were Frank Wescott, Walter Ridlon, Sherman Stanley and Arthur Smith of So. Hiram. Even the author ranked as somewhat of a veteran, having played off and on various teams since 1902, and Fred Towle was still holding on, pitching several games during the sea- son. New players were Carl Stacy, a very consistent hitter, Harold McDaniel, Vernon Gilpatrick, Manager Stearns, and Carroll Wales- faster on his feet than many a college player, Frank Holmes, one of Par-Sem's star players, and Geo. Farrell who caught a few games. A new ball field was then in use north of the present Mountain View Avenue.
We must not overlook Elwood Elliott's connection with baseball over the years. Before the turn of the century and later, he was either manager or umpire, or both; in fact he was as familiar a figure on a Kezar Falls baseball field as any player. Even as late as 1925 his services were constantly sought, as his judgment was excellent and his honesty as an umpire unexcelled. Elwood's son, Herbert, made good as a pitcher at the University of Maine.
Speaking of managers, we pay tribute to our player-manager, and later manager, Frank Stearns, who pepped up baseball for more than twenty years. In fact he was still working in the interest of the game at Kezar Falls as late as the nineteen thirties, during which Allen Garner did his bit and Roscoe Pease held the lines for several years.
Another good sport, always interested in the game and ready to serve the cause, was Frank Palmer. His bit consisted mainly of handling the score book efficiently. He was on the job, off and on, from the mid eighties to well into the twenties.
And yes, there's still another all-around booster who not only did managerial duties, but also a good umpiring job. That was Owen Griffith, always a loyal supporter who knew the game from A to Z.
299
BASEBALL FROM PAST TO PRESENT
Now before I leave the old timers out of the picture let me run back to around 1896 when So. Hiram bestirred itself and came up with a team that gave its neighbor team at "The Falls" considerable competition for a year, at least. This group of bat wielders grabbed Archie McDaniel for its catcher, and around him developed a team of huskies made up of Mel Smith, Arthur Smith, Bert Smith, Bert Gilpatric, Frank Gilpatrick, Frank Ridlon, Bill Chellis, and Frank Stearns, with Earl Stanley and Will Stearns acting as scorer and man- ager, respectively. I recall a game played at Brownfield in 1897 by this aggregation in which Art Smith with his wagon tongue bat of unusual length drove a liner so far into the spaces beyond center- field that I, as a kid, wondered if it would continue over Burnt Meadow Mountain.
The team disbanded after a severe injury to its pitcher, Mel Smith, who received one of Eben Day's deliveries in the face while at bat in a game in which bitter rivalry prevailed between the neighboring teams. After this, Art and Archie joined the Kezars, with Frank Stearns following suit later on.
After World War I, almost an entirely new group of players rep- resented the Kezars, and on a real ball field laid out back of the high school. Its personnel was not confined to players residing in Kezar Falls and So. Hiram. Instead we find on it such men as Roy Linscott, Carl Pugsley, Harley Parker, Mit Burnell, Fred Small and Harry Watson, all of Cornish; Harold Mitchell of Freedom, Elwin Towne of East Parsonsfield, and various others from time to time. Local players were Archie Stanley, pitcher and outfielder, Charley Fox, shortstop, Edson Hadlock, 2nd and outfield, old war-horse Wal- ter Ridlon who still had a little spring left in his good right arm, and Frank Jock, catcher. Occasional players were Dan Mulloy, Paul Marston, and Roy Day.
Frank Jock hailed from Dexter where he played such good base- ball that he was given a tryout in the New England League. This young veteran of World War I deserves special mention because of his remarkable record during that war - he not only fought on all of the major battle fronts, but also kept such an accurate record of his experiences that his papers constitute a most valuable source of
300
HISTORY OF PORTER
information, and are considered by national personnel as priceless.
Speaking of Charley Fox, here was another player of natural abil- ity who possessed both speed and skill and ranked among our best hitters; in fact his batting average for several years headed the list - around 1921 to 1923. It was at the Philadelphia Textile Institute, 1914-1915, that Charley was molded into a shortstop of real merit. He played on the varsity both years, thus learning the game from the ground up, and fitting himself for yeoman service with the locals on his return from "the Institute."
It was in the early "thirties" that baseball at Kezar Falls reached its peak and continued on a high level as long as John Garner did the twirling. Fresh from Lowell "Tech" where he first awoke to the fact that he had an arm of real baseball calibre, and a pair of legs that could take him around the bases with the fastest players, he brought back to his home town such a reputation and inspiration that baseball here zoomed to a peak of par excellence.
John, known as "Zeke" among friends and the sporting fraternity, worked his speedy left arm throughout many a victorious combat in this section of Maine, from the time of his debut, to the late "forties." A good hitter, as well as fast and clever, he was of major league calibre, consequently was wanted by various clubs, especially by the Philadelphia Athletics, and Connie Mack who tried to sign him up and farm him out for a year. John's aim, however, was to carry on among and in the interests of his home people. During his first years here after leaving Lowell Tech several of his team mates came along with him, thus adding tone and color to a group of players so enthusiastically supported by townspeople and neigh- boring enthusiasts that games on the local field were not unlike the old time circus days - the grandstand ran over; cars lined every available nook, horns blared, and even the area for grass-sitters was constantly warm.
No amateur foes were too formidable for Kezar Falls teams of the 1933 to 1949 era, even the Colored Giants of Philadelphia once succumbing to their prowess.
Here is the personnel of an early "thirties" team: John Garner, p., Joe Weeks, c., Joe was of big league calibre; was signed up by
301
BASEBALL FROM PAST TO PRESENT
the Chicago White Sox at one time. Following a fine record with the Worumbo team of Lisbon Falls, he was signed up by the Chi- cago White Sox and played on Fort Worth in the Texas League; John Casey, first base; Dave Turcotte of Lowell Tech, 2nd base; Dan Hadlock, one while a player in the Pine Tree League, shortstop; Harry Hadlock, the mighty midget who wielded a mighty wicked bat, and was as peppy as a pepper pot, third base; Del Collomy, who played with Lowell awhile in the New England League, out- fielder; Howard Fox, a rangy, sure outfielder and long-ball hitter, Myron (Mike) Stacy, outfielder and occasional catcher, another local boy good enough to play in fast company in a Canadian league; My- ron Weeks, catcher and outfielder; Harry Huntress, sub; Wm.Cross of Cornish who pitched, occasionally, and played in the outfield; Arthur Stacy; and Eddie Carleton of Cornish who coached and man- aged one of our teams around 1930.
It was in 1931 that Kezar Falls made what is probably its best rec- ord, losing but one game for the season in the Saco Valley League.
So many different players appeared on Kezar Falls teams in the later 'thirties and 'forties that I may have omitted mention of a few - I hope I haven't.
Certainly the names of Clinton Stacy, Ralph Stacy, Clark Weeks, and Edson Hadlock, Jr. merit a place on the honor roll of players. Ralph was a pitcher of no little repute, while Edson, Jr. was another player who went places after leaving town. It was at Gorham State Teachers' College that he developed into a pitcher of real note, so much so that he was given a berth in the New England League on the Portland Pilots. This was in 1948-49. Back in 1945 or '46, af- ter returning from service in the Navy he pitched for the local (Ke- zar Falls) team; graduated from Gorham in 1947, then, as stated, joined the Pilots where his prowess attracted the attention of such big league teams as the Phillies, and the Brooklyn Dodgers. In fact the latter team tried to sign him up, but he chose to carry on as a teacher and a coach, and do his playing on the side, so to speak. He has taught and coached at Portland High since 1953. In 1955 and 1956 we find him playing for Liverpool in Nova Scotia. He also played for St. Johnsbury in the Northern League, and again in the
302
HISTORY OF PORTER
Canadian League.
Baseball seems to have been sort of second nature to the Hadlocks of Porter, for with Edmund who played outfield around 1940, Dan, Edson, Harry, Edson, Jr., and now a new generation of them making headlines with the popular Little Leaguers, the name Hadlock has been a distinctive one in local baseball line-ups for over thirty-five years.
In the late 1940s and early '50s baseball at Kezar Falls sort of reached another peak. The Legion. Post lent its support by remak- ing the high school ball field. Roscoe Pease worked out several sea- sons of excellent schedules and many young players appeared on the baseball horizon such as Wayne Stacy, a University of Maine stu- dent and later a teacher, son of former player Carl - Wayne held down third base in commendable fashion and did his part well at keeping the team on its toes. Then there was Chester Cutting, a good catcher and opportune hitter, with Harold Mason, Charley Churchill, David Granville, Edmund Langlois, and Roger Stearns as utility players, and the three Hussey boys from North Parsonsfield- Ernest Jr. at first, Willard at second, and Roger at short. All three were unusually fine fielders and made many superb plays that won the plaudits of the spectators.
Among the older players on these teams John Garner was still pitching, Myron Stacy catching or playing in the outfield, Arnold Dahl covering first base, Myron Weeks catching or playing outfield, and Harry Hadlock, the mighty mite with the dangerous bat play- ing 3d.
By the mid-fifties, many of the old reliables had sort of drifted away into lines of activity and business that absorbed their attention, and the younger fellows were scattered far and wide, consequently major baseball hereabouts sort of faded away.
However, another army of youngsters is on the march, many of whom will be heard from before many years. In fact, as a team, they already have proven their metal by winning the championship for 1956 in Saco Valley Little League. They came through without losing a single game. The players: Wayne Hadlock, Terry Had- lock, Jim Hadlock, Robert MacDonald, Joe Langlois, Jeff Griffith,
303
BASEBALL FROM PAST TO PRESENT
Sterling Lowe, Carroll Eastman, Rodney Moody, Peter Davis, Wal- ter Ridlon, Glen Ronco, Gary Davis, and Stephen Grames. This team was coached by Sidney Griffith who also coaches Cornish High, in addition to serving as Principal, and doing an excellent job in each field.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.