This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website
Watertown Baseball
1888
07 06 Baseball players should be a little more choice in their language especially
when ladies are present, than some of those who played on the Dennis ground
last Sunday were. There were quite a
number of the fair sex present on this occasion, and they were decidedly
opposed to this part of the programme.
WG
1899 Sacred
Heart 1899 Baseball Team
1905 “Jumbo” Keel
There
is hardly a section of the state that the baseball “fans” are not acquainted
with, or have heard of, R S “Jumbo” (R S)
Keel as he has been a noted baseball player throughout this section for
years and was signed with the Milwaukee league team one season but, owing to an
injury, was unable to play the entire season.
1906 There
are all probabilities that the Watertown city team and Northwestern University
will cross bats next Wednesday, May 30, on the N. W. U. Campus. No definite
arrangements have been made as yet, but the two managers will undoubtedly come
to an agreement today. This will probably be one of the most exciting contests,
since both teams will have their crowd of rooters and make things warm. The day
will bring forth many baseball enthusiasts, the day being on a legal holiday.
The Leader will announce more after
the managers have come to a satisfactory agreement. May 26 WL
1906 Johnson
Creek, June 26 - A good many of our people attended the base ball game between
Jefferson and Watertown at the fair grounds at Jefferson last Sunday. We have
always sent strong delegations to whatever was going on in Jefferson and hope
the boys will retaliate and come and spend the Fourth without fear. We only
advertised what we actually offered to the amusement loving public and can
guarantee a good game in the forenoon as well as afternoon. The carnival will
be something new in this next section and you can have as much fun as a barrel
of monkeys. The arrangement committee has been trying to secure the Arion
Military Band of Jefferson and offered them for a half day's playing more than
we ever paid any band years before, but we were not able to make them see our
way. Other arrangement have, however been made since. Come to Johnson
Creek! June 29 WL
1906 Fred Schaetzke, who is spending the winter with his folks in Milwaukee,
spent Thanksgiving in the city and remained over to attend the dance in the
evening. Mr. Schaetzke will be
remembered as one of the old stars in the Watertown baseball team, leaving here
five years ago, when base ball enthusiasm was at its height and Watertown had a
team that ranked among the highest with the amateur teams of the northwest During the season recently ended Schaetzke
played with one of the Texas League teams and has a contract to play there next
season. The gentleman has been in league
company several times and has a good reputation in baseball circles. While in Watertown, he played second base and
was the star player, being a heavy and sure batter. The visit of Schaetzke was much enjoyed by
his many local friends. Dec 9
1908
07 17 Watertown defeated Hartford at
Washington Park WG
07 24 Watertown defeated Miller Brewing Co.
of Oshkosh WG
09 23 Fred Merkle During a game rookie Giant first baseman
Fred Merkle . . . as was the custom of the time in such situations, headed for
the Giant clubhouse in center field. Cub second baseman Johnny
Evers - a stickler for rules - noticed that Merkle had not gone on to touch
second . . .
10 02 Addie Joss [1880-1911]. The perfect game. Cleveland Naps hosted the Chicago White
Sox. Addie Joss monument at Watertown’s
Washington Park
Watertown Rooters The
Historical Society has a number of images of the Watertown Rooters attending
the Watertown-Columbus baseball game of 09 04 1908 in Waterloo (WHS_007_KR216,
220, 221 and 356).
1909
03 05 Milwaukee City League, Watertown
baseball team admitted to WG
04 02 Elks Baseball Club WG
04 30 City League's
championship season, Frank Lange WG
05 28 Watertown suffered first defeat and
coat of whitewash of the season WG
06 11 Sixteen hundred howling fans at local
game WG
09 10 Watertown team left field after decision
of umpire WG
1910c
WHS_007_KR349
Watertown
Baseball, Milwaukee City League, c1910
Front row: Ed Schultz, J Miller, Boettcher
Sitting: George Richard, Frank McAdams, William
Richard, W Kuenzi
Back:
Pat Kronitz, John Bergan, F Leschinger
1910
Watertown Champions, Milwaukee City League,
1910
1912
Watertown Champions, Milwaukee City League,
1912
1913
05 23 Chicago
White Sox vs Watertown Goslings at Washington Park
1915
09 10 Chicago Cubs hosted by Watertown Goslings
of the Central State League at Washington Park
1923 Peter J. Norton, Old-Time Ball Player,
Passes Away
Peter
J. Norton, who died Wednesday night at his residence, 427 Wisconsin Avenue, in
Oak Park, was the organizer, captain and one of the great players of the
Dreadnaught team, which was the leading baseball nine of Chicago in the late
sixties. That was before the
professional White Stocking team won the first championship for Chicago in
1870. “Pete” was also one of the
organizers and directors of the Old Timers’ Baseball association and President
Joe Lawler and other of its members will act as active pallbearers at the
funeral tomorrow morning at
My
Dear Jim:
The
above is from the Chicago Daily News,
9th inst.
I’ll
never forget the first real game of baseball I ever saw in Watertown. “Pete” Norton pitched, John T. Flavin, Percy Werlich and George Matthes were on the
“Live Oak” team at that time, they played the “Rock Rivers” of Jefferson. I was nine or ten, the uniforms made such an
impression on me that I can see them vividly to this day.
The
game was played on the Commons, near the C. & N. W. Ry. north of
J. T.
McGiveran
John
T. McGiveran, the writer of this above, and a former Watertown boy, never
allows anything to “go by” of interest to Watertown people, hence sent the
above to The Gazette editor, his old
time friend.
1953
11 08 Al Linde, son of Fire Chief Al Linde of
the Watertown Fire Department, ended his
career in softball by being named to the all-star team of the world tournament
which was held in Miami, Fla., recently. Linde, who plays with the Dow
Chemicals, of Midland, Mich., was selected for the left field position in the
all-star array. He has competed in seven world tourneys and is considered one
of softball's greatest performers. He has been a player for 23 years.
1955
The Watertown Goslings won the state baseball
championship. It was the first time for
such an achievement. A planned article
will document the occasion by commemorating the team and team players. The author, Dave Stalker, researched the
newspaper clippings and box score's associated with each game and contacted
most of the championship team members so to add updating information and
perspective.
1956
04 26 Watertown boys between the ages of 16
to 21 years old are in for “Big League” schooling and try-outs this summer. The
Watertown Daily Times is inaugurating
its first annual “Silver Sluggers” baseball program with the cooperation of the
Milwaukee Braves. One or more boys who participate in the Watertown “Silver Sluggers”
try-outs and school will be named to the Wisconsin-Upper Michigan All Star
squad; and compete in the “Silver Sluggers” All Star game, Tuesday, Aug. 7, at
the Milwaukee County Stadium following a Braves-Cub afternoon tilt. The program
was originated by the Milwaukee Sentinel and has the participation of leading
Wisconsin and Upper Michigan daily newspapers.
1957
07 06 The Watertown Cardinals will hold a full
dress practice session at Washington Park tonight at 8 o'clock to set final
plans for participation in the district tourney at Oconomowoc. Manager Erv
Buchert has selected his tournament squad. On the roster are: infielders, Glenn
Braunschweig, Jack Bast, Al Maas,
Lou Kuckhan and Dave Balmer; outfielders, Mel Wagner, Bob Schultz, Dave
Veldhuizen and Mike Mullen; catchers, Jerry Rabbach and Don Hartwig (Fort
Atkinson); pitchers, Don Schmidt, Jim Thompson, Ronnie Braunschweig and Penny
Dittman; utility, Dan O'Brien (Fort Atkinson).
1957
11 01 Rich Block recognized for more than four
decades of work with the Watertown Cardinals
WDT
1959
03 23 Watertown Cardinals reinstated in
Central Wisconsin League's northern division
WDT
07 11 Rich Block, Cardinal shortstop, named to
Central Wisconsin League's all-star squad
WDT
1999
06 10 Watertown’s baseball team was welcomed home
after winning the WIAA Division 1 state baseball tournament Friday with a
reception at Washington Park. Watertown
athletic director Ivan Thompson, head baseball coach Rusty Tiedemann, longtime
fan Don Richards and several players addressed the fans assembled in the
bleachers. They celebrated the team’s
second baseball title in school history, with the first one coming in 1955. The only other state championship won by a WHS
team was the girls basketball squad in 1977
WDT
Cross References:
Washington Park, chapter on, Merkle Field
Etched
in Stone: A Lasting Tribute to the Deadball Era, by David Stalker
