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Jumbo Baseball
Team
1905
Watertown Base Ball
Team
1906
Robert “Jumbo”
Keel
1861 - 1929
1905
Jumbo baseball team, team photo, 1905
High resolution image file is WHS_005_195.jpg
Sitting (l-r): Ed Schultz, Babe Lemke, W Wendroff
Middle Row:
M Bachhulter, William Richard, Jumbo Keel, Emil Boetcher, Romy Hahn
Standing:
Walter Kuenzi, Fal Leschinger, Frank McAdams
1906
Watertown Daily Times, 03 28 1906
The Jumbo baseball club held its annual meeting at R.
S. Keels' place and selected the following officers for the ensuing year:
Manager and Treasurer, R. S. Keel, Captain, R. M. Hahn; Rec. Sec'y. W. M.
Kuenzi. It was decided to erect a grand stand this spring at Washington Park
for the comfort of the lovers of the game - a move in the right direction. The
outlook for the team is very encouraging. Last season the Jumbos won 19 games
and lost only 6. The team is strong, well balanced and no doubt will maintain
its reputation as expert baseball players and continue to win victories on the
diamond.
1906
Watertown
Base Ball team
Watertown
Daily Times, 04 10 1906
The baseball season will soon open here. The Jumbos
adopted the more metropolitan name this year. It will hereafter be known as the
Watertown Base Ball team. The opening game is planned for May 6 with a
Milwaukee team. There will be a new grandstand at Washington Park. The boys
will start the season with even brighter prospects and greater encouragement
than was extended them last year. A fact that is worthy of note is the
exceptionally good record of the “Jumbos” last season. They participated in
twenty-four contests and victory crowned their efforts in twenty of the games.
That is certainly a record to be proud of and the fact of the matter is the
citizens of Watertown do take a justifiable pride in this team and are giving
support this spring in that substantial way of voluntary contributions. The
management of the team is desirous of raising the sum of $200 for the purpose
of making some needed improvements in the Washington Park.
_________________________________________
1897
Waterloo Democrat Annual, 1897, P H Bolger, p 36
R S Keel
Proprietor of one of our city [Waterloo] saloons, was born on a farm in the town of Scott,
Columbia County, Wis., August 1, 1861.
He has always lived on a farm, with the exception of
two years that he was in business at Cambria, three years at Columbus and six
years at Watertown. About eighteen
months ago “Jumbo,” as he is commonly called, came here and bought out his
present business and since that time has enjoyed a very lucrative business.
There is hardly a section of the state that the base
ball “fans” are not acquainted with, or have heard of, “Jumbo” Keel as he has
been a noted base ball 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. Last year he
played with the local team, filling the position of catcher.
“Jumbo’s” place is base ball headquarters in the city
and he has a host of friends here.
He was united in marriage in 1885 to Miss Lena
Dallman.
1929
Watertown Gazette, 08 01 1929
Sudden Death of R S Keel
At 9 o’clock last Tuesday morning [07 30 1929] R. S. Keel died suddenly at his home of heart disease,
aged 68 years. In 1861 he was born at Cambria,
son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Keel, and when a young man he went to
Columbus to reside and a few years later come to Watertown.
He was familiarly known as “Jumbo” on account of his
large physique and good natured manner.
For many years he was catcher for the famous Watertown
Mutual baseball club, composed also of the late Joe and Frank Smith, “Tony”
Oestreicher, and Pat Diekoff and “Bud” Fowler (colored), all dead, and Ed.
Steinberg of Jefferson, Yox Christenson of this city, Mattie Smith of Escanaba
and several others.
He also played with the Cambria Whites, the strongest
amateur baseball team in the country at the time.
He was a general favorite in Watertown and his hosts
of friends here and elsewhere learn of his death with sincere regret.
Shortly before he died he went to a grocery store near
his home and purchased some groceries, apparently in good health, and on
returning home went out to his lawn and toppled over.
His wife died in 1919.
One daughter and two sons survive him, Mrs. Geo.
Richards, Ary G. Keel of this city, and Garrett Keel of Engerton [later also known as “Jumbo”], also three
sisters, Mrs. G. S. Sager and Mrs. Rudolf Rausch of Cambria and Mrs. Fred
Phillips of Richfield, Minn. There also
four grandchildren surviving him.
His funeral took place this afternoon from his late
home. The interment was in Oak
Hill Cemetery.
Cross-References:
No 1: Robert S Keel
Saloon, 823 Main (east assumed), Watertown City Dir, 1913-14
No 2: As recorded in
the Oak Hill interment ledger, he was age “67 years, 11 months, 29 days” at the
time of his demise.
No 3: Watertown Baseball chapter
