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ebook History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Watertown Baseball
1860
03 15 Ball playing seems to be the favorite
amusement just now. Parties may be daily
seen on the common warmly engaged in this healthful exercise. It makes one think of old times when we had
nothing else to do on a fine day in spring.
WD
1886
WATERTOWN
MUTUALS BASEBALL TEAM
F. Amann, E. Berg, S. Baumann, Frank Smith, William “Tony”Diekoff, C.
Amann, E. Steinberg, Mattie Smith, C. Christensen
05 14 We, the S. C.'s of Woodard & Stone's candy department, hereby
challenge the Hard Tacks of the cracker department, to play a game of baseball
on the Dennis grounds Saturday afternoon, May 15, 1886.
Signed "S. C.s'
[Sure Cures]
We accept the above,
and will play you on the above date.
HARD TACKS. Turn out everybody
and see the game. WG
05 21 The game of baseball played on the
Dennis’ grounds last Saturday afternoon between the Sure Cures and Hard Tacks
of Woodard & Stone's bakery, resulted in favor of the formed the score
standing 32 to 72 at the close of the 7th inning. Time of game, 14 hours, umpire, W.C.
Stone. Had the boys played nine innings
we presume they would still be batting.
A better record would
undoubtedly have been made were the weather more favorable, it having rained
nearly all the time the game was in progress.
The boys marched from their headquarters to the grounds in fine style,
being headed by their own band, consisting of a fife, base and snare drum. George Hill did the heavy scoring for the
Hard Tacks, running bases with velocity of a cannon ball, while W. E. Cowen of
the Sure Cures, made himself remarkable for the way his smile drove the ball
heavenward every time it came within smiling distance of him. Although the game was not one of
professionals, it was full interesting incidents. In connection herewith the participants in
the game wish to extend their thanks to the ladies who so kindly furnished them
button-hole bouquets for the occasion; also to the members of the band. WG
1887
05 04 CRACKERMEN vs. CANDY-MAKERS
Woodard &
Stone's Crackermen and Candy-Makers indulged in a game of baseball Saturday
afternoon on the Northwestern college grounds.
At the end of the exciting contest the score stood; Candy-makers. 36;
Crackermen, 33.
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
09 12 BASEBALL GAME OUTCOME DISPUTED
NOTICE. We did not lose the game of ball Saturday at
Jefferson by playing, but by the umpire and crowd present. We will play the Jefferson Base Ball club for
$50.00 on neutral grounds agreed upon.
FRED
HOFFMANN,
Manager of H.
W. Vogel’s B.B. Club
1891
08
26 BALL
PLAYING IN THE CITY PARK
Mr. Editor: By
private taste and enterprise we have a small but attractive park kept up on
Third and Fourth streets. Within a short
time similar private enterprise has embellished it with flowers. Of late, however, a gang of boys has taken
possession of it for ball playing. As a
consequence, the turf gets torn up, the flowers endangered, and passers-by
annoyed. Have civilized communities no
rights which ball-playing idlers are bound to respect?
LAW AND ORDER.
There is a time to
regard to play ball and there should be a proper place to play ball, and
certainly there should be no grounds for complaints like the above. WR
Cross reference note: Lewis monument in park was not
erected until 1898-1899.
1894
11 21 Lumber in the fences and stands at the
Watertown baseball park has been sold and the park is a thing of the past. Baseball on an extensive scale is probably at
an end in this city, at least for a number of years. WR
1898
05 18 An interesting game of baseball was
played Sunday afternoon on the new diamond at Washington Park between the
Crescents and the Sacred Heart College team.
The game was by no means devoid of errors, but some pretty playing was
done, and the closeness of the score kept up the interest. The batteries were Gleason and Carr for the
collegians, Berndt and Schulz for the Crescents. The score stood 13 to 11 in favor of the
Sacred Heart. Next Sunday the Crescents
play at Juneau. WR
09 14 The ball game at Washington Park Sunday afternoon
between the cigar makers and the barbers was won by the former by a score of 13
to 12. The score was a tie, 12 to 12, at
the close of the eighth inning, but in the ninth the cigar makers secured a run
while the barbers were blanked. There
was some good playing done on both sides.
WG
1899
05 09 The baseball enthusiasts who attended
last Sunday's game at Washington Park between the Sacred Hearts and the Badgers
of Milwaukee were considerable disappointed over the exhibition. The Badgers were touted as a good team, but
they proved no match for the collegians, who won by a score of 25 to 0. Joss pitched his customary strong game and
allowed but three hits, while the Badgers' pitcher was battered all over the
lot. O'Malley of the Sacred Hearts did
some great hitting, having two home runs to his credit in one inning. The other Sacred Heart players were also in
fine form. WR
05 16 Though a drizzling rain set in about 12:30 o'clock Sunday, the baseball
cranks were not prevented a little bit from going to see the great game
scheduled for the afternoon between the Jefferson Blues and the Sacred Heart College team at the new park in
Jefferson. A special train was run over
the Northwestern Road and large crowds from all around this vicinity were
aboard it. The weather being rather cold,
the spectators exerted themselves to keep warm and their continual moving about
and yelling tended to arouse the enthusiasm to its highest pitch. The game was called at 3 o'clock, with
Jefferson at the bat. Claude Elliott,
the famous Portage twirler appeared on the slab for the Sacred Hearts, with
Kleinow behind the bat. WR
05 23 FENCE AROUNDWASHINGTON PARK
The
members of the baseball association are very thankful for the donation of Wm. Hartig, the brewer. He was asked to subscribe to the fund, and
forthwith agreed to erect the necessary fence around Washington park.
WR
05 26 WHACKING GLUCOSE OUT OF PIG-SKINS
Out at
Watertown they have a baseball team that bids fair to be shifted to Milwaukee
before the season ends if the boys continue the early season’s pace. It is the Sacred
Heart college team, with an outside battery, and the way they are eating up
all the amateur teams they are meeting is a
caution to dyspepsia. The citizens
of Watertown don’t understand what can be the matter with their Madison cousins
in giving up baseball in disgust. The reason
it is said there is no fever in the Philippines just now is because Watertown has gone out and gathered
together all kinds of fever known to man and centered fire on baseball
interests.
Wisconsin’s
close second German city is becoming dissatisfied with its former quietude and
bids fair to get wide awake this summer in the baseball business. Nobody pretends to do any business out there
these days when there is a baseball game on.
The residents can hardy finish their dinners in time to get out for the
preliminary practice. If anybody has an
idea that Watertown has not a lot of solid business men and good red-hot
sports, just let him take out his role the next time there is a game scheduled
at that attractive city and commence to offer bets on the visiting team.
They
can make fun of Watertown’s not having
half a dozen American merchants in her city limits and all that sort of
thing, but her boys know how to whack the everlasting glucose out of Spalding’s
pig-skins. The citizens will endeavor to
keep the team after the college year closes and if they are successful will
loan it to Mack at the end of the season to help him win the
pennant." — Milwaukee Journal, May 20, 1899.
WG
05 30 BASEBALL
BOOSTERS / WASHINGTON PARK LEASED
Three
persons have agreed to back the baseball team this year. They are Gustav
Buchheit, Albert Fredrich and Reinhold Schott.
A lease has been granted for Washington park and everything will be done in the proper
way. The season will open about June 2
and it is hoped that only success awaits the undertaking. WR
07 28 "Foul"
There
was a game of baseball the other day in one of the local ball parks between a
local team and a picked nine. The clerk
in one of the dry good stores got the afternoon off and took his girl, who is
not a connoisseur of a ball game. In the
second inning the ball came skipping into the grandstand and the umpire called
"foul." "Say," said
the wise girl, "why did he call that ball fowl? I didn't see any feathers on it." "Didn't I tell you that it was a picked
nine?" he replied.
08 29 STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
The
baseball "fans" surely got their money’s worth Sunday afternoon, when
Oshkosh and Watertown met on the diamond at Washington park in the second game
of the state championship series. A
large crowd sweltered through an eleven inning contest and then kicked because
the game was called in time for supper with the score tied 4 to 4. They were so intensely interested that they
wanted to see the game decided right then, but the managers wisely concluded to
take an adjournment and play off the tie next Sunday at Juneau. WR
09 05 STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES, cont.
Oshkosh
and Watertown played off their tied game at Juneau Sunday afternoon, it being the
second of the series of three games for the state championship between these
teams. An excursion train was run from
this city over the Northwestern, carrying about 300 people; and there was a
total attendance at the game of over 1,000.
Things looked blue for Watertown at the beginning of the contest, for in
the first inning Oshkosh hit the ball hard and often and scored five runs, but
after that Root braced up and pitched splendid ball, allowing only one more run
to be made. Notwithstanding this discouraging
opening, the Watertowns made a gallant up-hill fight, and before the close of
the ninth inning had amassed a total of nine runs on good, clean hitting that
made glad the hearts of their numerous admirers. It is expected that the deciding game of the
series will be played in this city next Sunday. Following is the . . . WR
09 12 STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES, cont.
The
final and deciding game of the series of the state championship between Oshkosh
and Watertown was played Sunday in Washington park and was rather a
disappointment to the large crowd present.
From the preceding contest it was expected there would be a "battle
royal," but Oshkosh showed up in a demoralized condition, of the original
team only Hanford, Morrissey, Bruyette and Matzler being on hand. The local team loaned pitcher Apel to the
visitors and he put up a good game at second base, while they also received
efficient aid at shortstop by Sullivan, of Janesville. Claude Elliot, the noted pitcher, was also
here to assist Oshkosh, but in place of pitching he went behind the bat, while
Hanford, the regular catcher, essayed the twirler's job, thus reversing the
regular battery positions and giving the spectators an impression from the
start that the game would be a fiasco.
If Hansford ever had any idea he could pitch it must have entirely left
him Sunday. Such a fusillade of base
hits has not whizzed past the ears of any twirler on the home ground this
season. Home runs, three-baggers,
two-baggers and singles followed each other in rapid succession. Whenever Watertown was at bat, the result of
the terrific hitting being 14 runs, nearly all earned. By luck Oshkosh ran into a lone run, but they
should have been shut out. The home team
put up their usual fine game and Root pitched steadily, although suffering from
a lame arm. . . . WR
1899
Sacred
Heart 1899 Baseball Team
Issues of Watertown Republican during the summer
of 1899 have quite a few articles about baseball games played with Jefferson
etc. They invariably ended in protest or
with one team just walking off the field
1900
-- -- WATERTOWN
BLOOMERS BASEBALL TEAM
All-female team of bombers and
bunters
01 30 EIGHT
CLUBS IN NATIONAL LEAGUE
As was
expected the National league has decided to reduce the circuit to eight clubs,
this having been accomplished by the committee consisting of Messrs. Brush,
Hart and Rogers. At the secret meeting
at Cleveland yesterday the members practically agreed to the terms arranged by
the committee and all that remains is for the league to ratify the agreement at
a meeting to be held in New York later on.
According to the terms the American league takes the Cleveland and
Louisville territories and the Eastern league the Baltimore and Washington
rights. WR
02 20 CONNIE
MACK, MILWAUKEE CLUB
Manager
Connie Mack of the Milwaukee ball club has arranged a number of good games for
the Brewers this spring and the practice will no doubt be the best they have
had in several seasons. The practice will be done at Richmond, Ind., the
arrangements having been completed for the team there some time ago. The
climate at that place is expected to be as favorable as any point above
Louisville. WR
03 06 MANAGER
SCHOTT
Manager
Schott, of last season's baseball team, is arranging to have Watertown
represented again the coming season with a strong aggregation of ball
tossers. A first class twirler will be
secured and also a few other outside players of well-known ability. However, most of the team will be selected
from home talent. There is no doubt that
a good baseball team is a splendid advertisement for our city and Mr. Schott
should therefore be liberally encouraged in his undertaking. WR
03 27 “JIM”
HANEY
“Jim” Haney,
the baseball twirler, has several offers under consideration for the
season. The best is one of $150 a month
from Woodstock, Ont., to play in the Canadian league, but Haney does not like
the idea of going to Canada, and will probably accept something nearer home. — Madison Journal. Haney played on the Watertown team a while
last summer. WR
05 04 WATERTOWN CAMPERS vs. THE SKIDMORES OF
MILWAUKEE
Sunday's
baseball game at Washington Park between the Watertown team and the Skidmores
of Milwaukee was a very interesting one, the score in a ten-inning game being 5
to 4 in favor of Watertown. The
Watertown boys put up a splendid game.
Eddie Heimer was in the box for the home team and struck out 17 men,
several times retiring the Skidmores on strikes. Umpire Fallon, of the Sacred Hearts, umpired
to the satisfaction of everybody. WG
05 29 BASEBALL
GAME CONSIDERED A FARCE
The team from St. John’s Military Academy, Delafield, met
the Sacred Hearts Saturday afternoon at Washington park. The soldier boys were entirely outclassed
sand were kept busy chasing the leather while their opponents fattened up their
batting averages. At the end of seven
innings the visitors said they had had enough and quit, the score standings 29
to 0 against them. The game was
considerable of a farce. WR
06 19 WATERTOWN vs. JEFFERSON
One of
the most interesting games of ball ever seen here was played Sunday afternoon
at Washington park between the Jefferson and Watertown teams. It took ten innings to decide the contest,
the locals finally winning out by a score of 14 to 10. Up to the seventh inning it looked like
Jefferson’s game, but by a streak of good batting the home boys tied the score
and in the next inning forged ahead three runs.
Jefferson came to the front again, however, in the ninth and made the
score a tie. The tenth saw four more
runs added to the Watertown side of the score, while the visitors were
blanked. It was a see-saw game all the
way through and furnished rare sport for the large crowd in attendance. Both pitchers were hit hard and the fielding
was not of the best, but nevertheless it was a good game to look at. WR
08 03 ROXY”
WALTHERS
“Roxy”
Walthers, of Juneau, a very popular infielder of last year’s Watertown baseball
team, has been signed by the Cleveland American league team as third baseman.
This season thus far he has been playing in the Sheboygan club. WG
c.1900
-- -- BASEBALL
GAME AT WASHINGTON PARK
1901
YOUNG ADULT ACTIVITY CLUB (assumed) /
Watertown baseball team
07 26 WATERTOWN CAMPERS vs. JEFFERSON
The
game of baseball played by the Jefferson and Watertown Campers last Friday afternoon
furnished more than mere amusement than anything that has transpired in this
town this season. The two nines and
their friends were in for fun and they found it. The Jefferson people had a band of four
pieces with them to liven up the occasion, and the band, whether scientific or
not full, met the objects of the occasion by furnishing a good time for all,
adding much to the enjoyment which the campers were seeking in their
outing. The score was 19 to 17 in favor
of Jefferson, but there was no boasting over the victory and no evidence of
jealousy, and all returned to their camps in a happy, jolly mood. WG
10 04 SHERIFF SNEAKS OFF TO PLAY BALL
About
twenty-five years ago, one of the strongest baseball teams in this county was
the aggregation that represented the town of Shields. Among the expert ball-tossers who comprised
the team, no one was more widely known as a comer" than Jim Solon, the
present Juneau sheriff. In his balmy
days Jim was a hard one to beat, and it seems that he has not yet forgotten a
few of the tricks which he learned down on the Mud Lake marsh. Last Sunday, unbeknown to his family or many
Juneau friends, he sneaked off to Beaver Dam on the pretense of doing a little
professional business connected with his office as sheriff, and got mixed up in
a game of baseball with a few Drubvillle professionals. During the contest he was known as one of the
“Fats." The game was played, as we
understand, behind closed gates and a ten-foot fence. A small boy who sneaked in without being
detected, says that the contest lasted three hours, and during that time each
team came to bat but twice. The feature,
as the kid says, was “de timely two-bagger of de guy what wore de star on his
vest." This slugger was undoubtedly
our Jim. When questioned as to the truth
of the little fellow’s statement, Jim admitted that he hit the ball as hard as
he could, but he claims he was stopped at second base by the umpire. Anyhow, "Fats’ won and the county’s
chief executive is elated over his success.
WG
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.
Click
to enlarge WHS_007_KR349
Watertown Baseball, Milwaukee City League, 1905
Front
row: Ed Schultz, J. Miller, _?_
Boettcher
Sitting: George Richards, Frank McAdams (former
mayor), William Richards, R. Hahn, W. Krueger
Back: Peter Kronitz, John Bergan, F. Leschinger
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 Sunday
afternoon at Washington Park the local first team will meet the St. Matthew
baseball team of the Catholic City League of Milwaukee. That team is one of the fastest in the league
and is near the top of the percentage column.
The locals have played two of the teams belonging to this league and
both gave the locals a hard argument which goes to show that they are a first
class team. The local fans who journey
to the park Sunday afternoon will witness one of the best games of the
season. Watertown is playing fast ball
and if they can keep up the pace they will make the city boys go home without a
win. Aug 3 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
HARTIG’S BREWERS
07 17 Watertown defeated Hartford at
Washington Park WG
07 24 Watertown defeated Miller Brewing Co.
of Oshkosh WG
09 04 WATERTOWN ROOTERS attending the Watertown-Columbus
baseball game of 09 04 1908 in Waterloo
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
11 13 Bittner Baseball Club, 1908, Mention of, WG
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
BITTNER TEAM
-- -- 
“Champions of Wisconsin”
-- -- LAKE
MILLS GRAYS
In 1909
image, the Lake Mills Grays were burning up the baseball diamonds, as
successors to an earlier team, the Lake Mills Blues.
E. L.
Mills, catcher; Lee Putnam, pitcher; Frank Everson, first baseman; Alvin E.
DeMerit, outfielder; and George E. Greenwood, center fielder. William Latsch, third baseman; Nelson H.
Falk, first baseman; Charles S. Greenwood, outfielder; and Herman J. Setz,
shortstop, and standing is William Penn, who managed the squad.
Only
half of the team members shown in the picture are still living. Putnam is a salesman working out of Chicago;
Everson, George Greenwood, and Setz are here in Lake Mills, and Latsch is at
London. Old-timers still recall the exploits of the Grays, who met and
conquered some of the best teams in this section of the state and helped put
Lake Mills on the map as a rip-snorting baseball town. Lake
Mills Leader article of 01 08 1942 includes photo
1910
Watertown team
consider best in league; those with difference with players, lay it
aside WG
Watertown Champions, Milwaukee City
League, 1910
c.1910
-- -- WATERTOWN
CITY LEAGUE TEAM
Field
and fans in stands at Washington park
-- -- BITTNER’S TEAM
1911
03 02 WATERTOWN TO AGAIN PLAY IN CITY LEAGUE
Watertown,
champions of the Milwaukee City league for the season of 1910, will again be a
member of the local semi-pro organization this year.
This
information was given out by R. Hahn, secretary of the club, on Sunday,
There
have been reports of late that Watertown would sever its relations with the
City league this season and was going to affiliate with a new
organization. All these stories
apparently originated from the prospective organizers, however.
At a
meeting of prominent businessmen and baseball fans held at Watertown Saturday
evening everyone was in favor of remaining with the Milwaukee City league. The matter of joining another league was
brought up but was quickly turned down.
A
committee was appointed to be present at the next league meeting in this city
in order to renew the franchise.
Reports show that
Watertown enjoyed a prosperous season last year and bigger things are expected
in 1911. The team promises to be as
strong as ever, for all of the 1910 champions promise to return to the fold. WG [Milwaukee Sentinel, Feb. 27]
03 23 Watertown Catcher Gets Offer From Brewers
— Lester Ruedig, star third baseman of the Watertown club in the Milwaukee City
League, will travel in faster company this season. Ruedig has signed a contract with the Madison
club of the Wisconsin-Illinois League.
Another Watertown player is considering an offer from the Milwaukee
team. Herman Bahr, the young catcher of
the Watertown club, has received an offer from manager Jimmy Barrett and he is
undecided whether to accept or not. Bahr
is 19 years of age and weighs 165 pounds.
He hit .340 in the City League last season. Bahr has a good position at Watertown and
hates to give it up for the chance of making good in professional
baseball. WG
05 04 The Bee-Dee Co. team opened the season with a victory
by defeating the strong Northwestern College
team on the college campus by the score of 6 to 3. George Richards did the twirling for the
Bee-Dees and pitched first class ball while Miller did good work behind the
bat. Berg, Masch and Mahnke were the
batteries for the college boys.
Unfortunately the stunt Creuz tried to perform and pick up the ball with
his teeth turned out to be a fizzle and allowed the N. W. C. team their runs,
who might have left the diamond with but one run to their credit had it not
been for this incident. WG
07 06 Seventeen hundred sweltering fans packed
the south side park Tuesday afternoon and watched the Kosciuskos, the crack
Polish team, slaughter the champion Watertown by a score of 16 to 5 . . . When
Jack Howey sent out a screeching double to the fence off Heimerl in the fifth,
the once famous portsider was chased from the rubber. George Richards, who relieved him, was not
treated any better, however, and after the Poles had scored eight times in two
innings he was also derricked [sent to the gallows: from Derrick, name of a
celebrated hangman]. Manager Bill
Richards then finished the game . . . WG
1912
02 06 ENTERING THE LAKE SHORE LEAGUE CONSIDERED
Monday
evening a meeting of the Watertown baseball team was held at the Washington
house, and matters pertaining to baseball the coming season were
discussed. One of the principal things
discussed was the probability of Watertown entering the Lake Shore League. Clarence Klocksin, president of that league,
has written the following letter to "Mike" Davy, manager of the
Watertown team:
"I
write to advise you of several matters pertaining to the Lake Shore league's
circuit for the coming season. As I told
you when at Watertown, if we decided to take a Chicago club into our league it
would be practically impossible to also take in Watertown, as we could then
arrange our circuit better by adding Waukegan, Ill., or Kenosha, Wis. However,
the matter of our going into Chicago is far from settled and especially if we
finally secure the Milwaukee American Association club's open dates at Athletic
park about, which the present fight with our league and the Wisconsin-Illinois
league has centered itself; it being the Milwaukee club's wish that if we are
given the open dates at Athletic park, that we stay out of Chicago, as they are
of the opinion that the National Baseball Commission might impose a heavy fine
on them if they gave us their park under such conditions, as both of Chicago's
big league clubs might make a complaint to the National Commission after our
season is under way. At the present writing
I think we will secure the Athletic park, but we don't care very much which way
the deal goes. If they want to give the
park to us we will of course take it, and if they don't we will have our own
park.
Now
figuring that we will not enter Chicago, we could then make a strong circuit by
including only six clubs, namely Watertown, Kosciuskos (Milwaukee),
Weinbrenners (Milwaukee), Port Washington, Sheboygan and Manitowoc. Such a
circuit would be an assured money maker and one which must be given close
consideration. I suggest this merely for
your advice and what you think of such a combination. A six club league can be managed much easier
than an eight club one and the race is always more interesting as the clubs are
generally bunched more than in a league of eight clubs. At least we have found the six club league to work out favorably,
and I believe that a circuit like above stated with a good championship race
would result in a banner year, financially as well as in the other departments
of the game."
02 15 BASEBALL MEETING
There was an enthusiastic meeting of baseballists at
the city hall last Monday evening, which was called to order by Will Richards,
manager of the team in 1911. Chas. A.
Kohn and R. M. Hahn officiated at the meeting as president and secretary. By a unanimous vote of all present
“Mike" Davy, proprietor of the Watertown Dye Works, was chosen manager of
the 1912 team, and he said as the boys seemed to want him to undertake the
pleasant task, he would put forth his best energies to make baseball in
Watertown this year popular with all classes of people.
A vote of thanks was extended Will Richards for his
excellent services as manager during the year 1911. R. M Hahn was elected secretary and treasurer
of the club, which position he has so acceptably filled for several years. H. A. Kronitz was elected captain of the
club, Fred Hinze manager of the grounds, Ernst Leschinger was elected ticket
seller and Fred Hinze ticket taker. Fred Hinze was elected
chairman of the finance committee and Herman E. Krueger and Chas. A. Hinze his
assistants. Jesse Theobold, formerly of
the Madison State League, "Nig" Abler of Milwaukee and "Roxy”
Walther are being considered as pitchers for the present season. WG
-- -- WATERTOWN
CHAMPIONS, MILWAUKEE CITY LEAGUE
Watertown Champions, Milwaukee City League,
1912
05 02 WATERTOWN LOSES CATCHER BAHR
Fence-Smashing Backstop of the Goslings Signs Up with
Marinette - Herman Bahr, catcher for the Watertown team, has accepted a fine
offer from the Marinette baseball team of the Upper Peninsula-Wisconsin league
and will leave for that place Saturday.
Bahr is one of the best catchers Watertown has ever had and is very
popular among the fans, who will be sorry to learn that he is to leave. He is a clean, gentlemanly player, of good
habits, and all his friends are confident that he will make good. He may prove to be a serious loss to the
Goslings, as his heavy clouting has won many games for the Watertown team,
which has many poor batters on its list.
Bahr showed up in fine form in its opening game of the season this year
and if he keeps up in his present form, we predict, it will not be long before
he is traveling in big company. The Gazette joins his many friends in
wishing him success and good luck in his new position. WG
06 27 BAHR SIGNED WITH THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Herman Bahr, formerly of this city, has been signed
with the Milwaukee Brewers baseball club.
Bahr no doubt will make good in that club as he was one of the best ball
players Watertown has ever had. WG
07 11 BAHR, THE STOCKY DUTCHMAN FROM WATERTOWN
In the account of the game last Friday between the
Milwaukee Brewers and Kansas City, the Milwaukee Sentinel says of Bahr: "In the ninth the Brewers threw a scare
into the enemy but nothing resulted.
[Tom] Jones singled to right with one dead, but Schalk fanned. [Herman] Bahr, the stocky Dutchman from
Watertown, who knocked down so many fences in the City League last season that
Dick Marcan chased him out of the league to keep the organization out of
bankruptcy courts, was then trotted out for first inspection. The kid let the first go by and then rammed a
pretty single to left, putting Tom on second.
With Nemo up, [pitcher] Big Bill's expansive pins began to tickle, but
he fussed and fumed and finally fanned [struck out] the kid." WG
08 08 SIXTEEN INNING GAME WON BY EVERWEARS
Great Battle in City League Lost by Watertown after
Great Struggle
On Sunday, in one of the greatest battles ever seen at
White City Park, Milwaukee, lasting through sixteen innings, the Everwear
Hosierys, the fast west side team, downed the husky Watertown aggregation, the
City League leaders, 3 to 2. It was
Watertown's first appearance there this season and a monster crowd turned out
for the fray.
When Jerry Paulson of the Everwears stepped to the
plate in the last half of the sixteenth and smashed out a double to left, the
stands roared. But Honegger, who
followed, fanned, while Bunte grounded out.
It was now up to manager Mike Neuens and the noisy leader, after having
two called on him, cracked a Texas leaguer to center on which Paulsen raced
home with the winning run.
`Lindauer and Leonard Aubey, the opposing twirlers,
pitched the most brilliant ball of their careers and the two backstops, Esch
and Hornickle, caught in big league style.
Aubey, though touched up for twelve hits, struck out twenty men, while
Lindauer allowed but nine safeties and fanned fourteen. Score . . . WG
08 22 2500 FANS AND FANETTES SEE 1 TO 0 GAME
Clarence Esch, crack catcher of the Everwear Hosierys,
broke up a sensational ten inning game at Washington Park on Sunday, when he
drove the ball over the right field fence for a homer, which gave his team a 1
to 0 victory over the league leaders.
The Everwears are now within close range of Watertown for the city
league pennant. The game was a thriller
and the 2500 fans and fanettes yelled themselves hoarse. Lefty Lindauer and Len Aubey again faced each
other on the mound and covered themselves with glory. Lindauer was effective against the Watertown
sluggers this time. Only four safeties
were secured off him and eleven men fanned.
Aubey was in his usual good form, for he allowed the Hosierys but four
hits and got six via the strikeout route.
Score . . . WG
1913
02 06 THE LAKE SHORE LEAGUE
Monday evening a meeting
of the Watertown baseball team was held at the Washington House and matters
pertaining to baseball for the coming season were discussed. One of the principal things discussed was the
probability of Watertown entering the Lake Shore League. Clarence Klocksin, president of that league,
has written the following letter to "Mike" Davy [Davey], manager of
the Watertown team:
"I write to advise you of several matters
pertaining to the Lake Shore League's circuit for the coming season. As I told you when at Watertown, if we
decided to take a Chicago club into our league it would be practically
impossible to also take in Watertown, as we could then arrange our circuit
better by adding Waukegan, III., or Kenosha, Wis.
However, the matter of our going into Chicago is far
from settled and especially if we finally secure the Milwaukee American
Association club's open dates at Athletic Park about which the present fight
with our league and the Wisconsin-Illinois league has centered itself; it being
the Milwaukee club's wish that if we are given the open dates at Athletic Park
that we stay out of Chicago, as they are of the opinion that the National
Baseball Commission might impose a heavy fine on them if they gave us their park
under such conditions, as both of Chicago's big league clubs might make a
complaint to the National Commission after our season is under way.
At the present writing I think we will secure the Athletic Park,
but we don't care yery much which way the deal goes. If they want to give the park to us we will
of course take it, and if they don't, we will have our own park.
Now figuring that we will not enter Chicago, we could then
make a strong circuit by including only six clubs, namely Watertown, Kosciuskos
(Milwaukee), Weinbrenners (Milwaukee), Port Washington, Sheboygan and
Manitowoc. Such a circuit would be an
assured money maker and one which must be given close consideration. I suggest this merely for your advice and
what you think of such a combination. A
six club league can be managed much easier than an eight club one and the race
is always more interesting as the clubs are generally bunched more than in a
league of eight clubs. At least we have
found the six club league to work out favorably, and I believe that a circuit
like above stated with a good championship race would result in a banner year,
financially as well as in the other departments of the game." WG
02 13 TRI-COUNTY BASEBALL LEAGUE
Plans are being made to organize a Tri-County Baseball
league. A number of cities are
interested in such a league and undoubtedly before the baseball season closes
local fans will have a chance of seeing some classy games. The cities considered to form the league are
Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, Watertown, Lake Mills, Beaver Dam, Columbus, Waterloo
and Palmyra.— Fort Atkinson Union. WG
03 13 TO STAY IN CITY LEAGUE
At meeting of baseballists held at the city hall last
Tuesday evening it was decided that the Watertown team will stay in the city
league the present year. Bert W. Smith
presided at the meeting. F. W. Heinze
was appointed chairman of the finance committee to solicit funds for the coming
year, and Alderman R. M. Hahn, City Assessor Herman Krueger, E. W.
Feldschneider and John Bruegger were appointed to assist him. Dr. T. F. Shinnick, R. M. Hahn and Pete
Kronitz were appointed to go to Milwaukee to confer with the president and
league managers regarding better baseball teams the coming season than were
played last season. M. Davy, the
efficient manager of the Watertown baseball team, declined to serve another
year, stating that his business affairs required his entire attention. WG
05 23 Chicago
White Sox vs Watertown Goslings at Washington Park
1914
-- -- PENNANT
WINNERS
Hahn,
George Henke, Anweiller, Schumann, Koenig, Lewandowski, Hinze, Kronitz, Nowack,
Dohr, Hornickle.
03 12 PETER
KRONITZ ELECTED MANAGER
Herman
Wertheimer, Otto Wegemann and Charles A. Gamm have been elected board of
directors for the 1914 Watertown baseball club.
Peter Kronitz has been elected manager of
the Watertown baseball club. WG
09 24 MILWAUKEE
CITY LEAGUE CHAMPION
Watertown
is the champion of the Milwaukee City League for the season of 1914. By winning a sensational thirteen inning
battle in the closing game of the season from the Makers Shops on Sunday at
Washington Park, 1 to 0, the Kronitz machine clinched the flag, finishing
one-half a game ahead of Beaver Dam. The
Beavers won their game with the Bernhardts and finished runners up, while the
Leaders, by trimming East Troy, wound up in third place.
The struggle
between Watertown and the Makers Shops will be long remembered. Both teams fought desperately for every inch
of ground and Watertown finally won out in their half of the thirteenth.
Rube
Felsecker and Bert Anweiler hooked up in one of the prettiest pitchers’ duels
ever witnessed in the Gosling city. For
twelve rounds the two hurlers were going at top speed and up to this time
neither team was able to bring a single counter over. But in the thirteenth the Kronitz pets
managed to squeeze in a lone tally without even getting a semblance of a
hit. Lewandowski walked, with one out
and stole second. Anweiler sent a
grounder down to Meyers, who kicked it and then threw wild at first, Lewandowski
raced home with the run that meant victory and incidentally the pennant for
Watertown . . . WG
10 29 Pete Kronitz, manager of the Watertown
baseball team, gave a banquet at the Washington
House Sunday evening to the members of the team and the board of
directors. Seated at the festive board
were Ex-Mayor Herman Wertheimer as toastmaster, and at his right sat C. A.
Gamm, member board of directors; Fred Hinze, grounds keeper; H. W. Kronitz,
manager; R. M. Hahn, fielder; Arthur Powers, fielder; F. A. Lewis, pitcher;
Alfred Dohr, shortstop; Walter Nowack, second baseman; and at his left Otto
Wegemaan, member of board of directors; V. P. Kaub, scorer; Otto Schumann,
fielder; Henry Schumann, third baseman; Erwin Hornickle, catcher; George
Lewandowski, fielder; George Henke, fielder; Franz Koenig, first baseman. The Saxophone Orchestra furnished music for
the occasion and nearly everyone present joined in the speech making at the
close of the banquet. It was a decidedly
pleasant gathering and Manager Kronitz and his amiable wife are certainly to be
congratulated on the excellence of the menu served. WG
1915
03 04 BASEBALL MEETING
At the
baseball meeting at the city hall last Thursday evening Mayor Kading presided
and the following officers were elected:
H. W. Kronitz, manager; R. M. Hahn, secretary and treasurer; H.
Wertheimer, Chas. A Gamm and O. A. Wegemann directors. The meeting was well attended and was a most
enthusiastic one. WG
09 10 Chicago Cubs hosted by Watertown Goslings
of the Central State League at Washington Park
c.1915
WATERTOWN BASEBALL TEAM
William Schumann third from right
William Schumann kneeling, right
06 27 MARRIED MEN VICTORS
AT TURNER’S BALL GAME
Prove
Their Superiority Over Single Men
Who
says that the married men are not good for something after all? Didn’t they beat the single men in a ball
game Sunday at the annual Landfahrt [a rural excursion] held in Knispel’s
grove. However, the Turners weren’t
satisfied with one game and so had two.
The first one was won by the married men from the single men by a score
of 14 to 10. Emil Tanck, who is noted
for his fair and square decisions, was umpire.
Quite a sensational catch was made in the afternoon’s game by Geo.
Kunert, who had to go over a fence for a ball while three men were on
bases. The afternoon’s game was a
“scrub" game and resulted in a score of 16 to 10.
Besides
the enjoyment offered by the ball game everyone had a fine time at the “eats,”
swimming and fishing. The cooks were O.
Rose and F. Beerbaum. Several group
pictures were taken in the afternoon. A
band concert was furnished by the Turner band of fifteen pieces.
08 08 NOW
THEY BLAME WAR FOR HIGH COST OF BASEBALL
For
more than a year we have been reading about the effect of the European
unpleasantness on the cost of food and everything pertaining to life and the
pursuit of happiness, from the dye that discolors “milady’s” hair to the
leather beneath her heel; from the curtains on the front door to the garbage
can on the back porch.
But as
far as ascertained, no one has yet used the war as an alibi for raising the
price of baseball to the fans, although the cost of producing and staging the
sport has been increased by the belligerents across the water.
One
can watch a ball game for the same old two-bits or $2 . . . as before the
war. Yet the cost of the paraphernalia
needed for the spectacle has been increased perceptibly.
Uniforms
Cost More.
Start
with the uniforms, which have to be of special weave and extra quality to stand
the strain of sliding along rough base lines and resisting the sharp spikes of
opponents. Everybody knows that wool has
advanced in value to a great degree since the war broke loose. If everybody does not know it he hasn’t
talked to his tailor recently. The same
ingredients are used in manufacturing the sweaters and the stockings, and here
enters the matter of dyestuffs which have reached the vanishing point in some
colors if we can believe the magazine writers, or what the manufacturers tell
them.
Perhaps
you have noticed that traveling uniforms in the major leagues are more often
gray than they used to be, several teams having discarded blue suits by advice
of the uniform makers. Still it is
almost imperative to retain the distinctive colors of stockings and sweaters,
particularly in such teams as the Red Sox, the Browns, and the Reds. Comiskey is lucky again in that the cost of
dyes does not enter into the color scheme of his White Sox.
Gloves
and Shoes Up Also.
Gloves
and shoes worn by players require a lot of leather, and what has happened to
the cost of producing leather since the war began is something awful, if you
listen to the boot seller when you start kicking about the increased cost of
footwear. And the ball players’ mitts
and gloves must be of just the correct quality or he will begin to make errors
by the score.
Catcher’s
masks require steel of the very best quality, and in order to get it the makers
of masks have to compete with the nations of Europe, who have been bidding
against each other to increase the dividends on steel common. Even the spikes on the players’ shoes are
affected by the cost of steel. And as
for the bats, while the war has not found much use for the particular kind of
timber out of which they are made, still it requires steel tools to turn them
out.
Baseball
at Same Price.
Baseballs
themselves are composed of cork, woolen yarn, and rubber on the inside and
horsehide on the outside. Every one of
those ingredients has been affected by the demands of the warring nations. Yet baseballs cost no more than formerly, and
Prexy Weeghman of the Clubs has adopted a plan that will not prove popular with
other club owners of giving away to his patrons all the baseballs that are
fouled into the stands during a game.
A veteran
maker of baseballs once told me he could get out of a whole horse hide cover
for only eight first-class baseballs.
The reason he gave was that only a small portion of the equine epidermis
was of a thickness and texture sufficiently uniform to be used. Some other parts of the hide may be utilized
in covering inferior qualities of baseballs for the kiddies, but only the best
is used for [the] major league.
The
war has taken thousands of horses out of America and reduced the supply of
baseball covers, with a consequent increase of cost. Even if the makers send to Europe for the
hides of the horses that are killed in battle, there is the greater cost of
bringing them back across the water.
The Watertown Republican
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.
1925
07 22 GRANDSTAND
ORDERED FOR CITY BALL PARK
Plan program
in connection with opening games
The proposed new grandstand, discussed for some time
as an urgent necessity at the municipal stadium, is to become a reality. At its meeting Tuesday night the city council
approved the recommendation of the Washington park
commission for the erection of such a stand.
The bid for the erection of the grandstand had
previously been let to the Watertown Construction Co. [Mass Bros] which agreed
to build the stand for the sum of $1,555.
Work on the stand is to begin at once and it is
planned to have it ready within a few weeks.
The stand will be used for the first time the first part of August and
the Washington park commission consisting of Aldermen Carey, Bublitz and
Glatzel have worked out a plan to hold a booster celebration in connection with
the event. It is planned to play a
doubleheader that Sunday. The date is to
be announced later. The advance sale of
tickers will begin soon and those in charge hope that every fan will be back of
the move to put this game across.
The American Legion team and the city team will play
one of the games. It is also planned to
have Mayor J. E. McAdams on the lot to take part in the program.
Both the American Legion band and the Watertown city
band will be secured to furnish the music and in baseball annals here the event
will be one of the biggest and most important in years.
The grandstand is to fill a long-felt want. It will be the best obtainable for the
purpose it is to serve and will greatly add to the pleasure of baseball fans
when it is ready for use. WDT
06 18 1925
Plans drawn by Arthur
Kuenzi, engineer (with Otto Biefeld Co., later Biefeld president)
Plans match grandstand
seen in Washington park photo.
c.1920
ART KOHLI / FORMER SEMI-PRO BASEBALL PLAYER FROM WATERTOWN
Became Watertown Bar Owner
Kohli, Arthur E., b. Jul 30, 1897, d.
Dec 4, 1952, Pvt Brty C9 TM BN 9th Div WWI
BASEBALL AT WASHINGTON PARK
c.1920
1926
10 28 BABE RUTH
PASSES THROUGH CITY
George Herman Ruth, better known as “Babe” Ruth, king of swat, passed
through Watertown with a party of friends this morning.
The
Babe came through in a closed car from Beloit on Highway 26 and passed through
Main Street from the intersection of Main and Third streets and along West Main
Street to Highway 26.
The
party was on its way to Oshkosh and from there they will go to Ironwood,
Michigan.
Police
officers met the party and escorted them through the city. They arrived here at 8:25 a.m.
Word
of their arrival in Watertown was sent to Chief of Police Charles Pieritz and
hardly anyone was aware of the Babe passing through town.
1928 Booth Shoes, Pennant Winners, Industrial
League
1928
Booth Shoes, uncertain year
1930
&’40s
HEY DAY OF BASEBALL IN WATERTOWN.
The Hiawatha’s
The Goslings
used Washington Park for their home field and the Hiawatha’s used the Hiawatha
diamond as their home field.
The
Hiawatha’s home field was on South Third Street, just south of the railroad
tracks and east of South Third. Home
plate and third base were pretty much parallel to the tracks, with first base
to the south and then second base following the line between home plate and the
pitcher’s mound. A large area back there
and was before the Lindberg plant was expanded.
Deep center field was out by the Crosby Squares Shoe Company (today it’s
Johnson Diversey) and hitting that building took a monumental swing. Bill Schumann, the superintendent of the shoe
factory at the time and a big sports fan himself, liked it when the building
was struck by a home run. A memory is
that “if someone broke a window in the place from a home run old Bill Schumann
would not only have the window repaired, he would give the hitter a free pair
of the company’s best shoes!”
The
Hiawathas were owned by Clem Schoechert, the proprietor of the Hiawatha Bar, a
block south of the tracks on the corner of Hyland Street and River Drive. He was quite a character and an important
factor in the history of baseball in Watertown.
Cross Reference: Clem Schoechert, Chef
01 18
1967: It’s back to the kitchen for Clem
Schoechert, Watertown salesman and former owner and operator of the Hiawatha
Bar. About this time of the year Mr.
Schoechert reverts to being a chef for a short time and so he will spend the
next two weekends preparing several big dinners — one private and the other
public. The private dinner is Sunday,
Jan. 22 at Andy Anderson’s place at Sharon, Wis., where he will prepare a
venison-sauerbraten dinner for 125 sportsmen who will gather there for the
affair. But the big public dinner will
be prepared by Mr. Schoechert at Tony Wagner’s Dugout Tavern at Lannon, Wis.,
on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 28 and 29 when Clem has charge of the big annual
moose dinner which is a regular feature there.
WDT
Hi-Spots Baseball team, served as a feeder
team for the Hiawathas
Later
the Goslings and the Hiawathas combined their efforts and
ultimately the Watertown Cardinals
were the team that resulted. WDTimes
article
1935 AMERICAN LEGION POST 189 baseball champs
Erv Buchert, Henry Maltz, Pete Doerr,
Jip Neubauer, Zem[?] Hady, Bill Beisner, Clarence Schuman, Chirp Dollase, Don
Bittner (mgr), Chet Hady, Chet Blaese, Paul Hoppe, Art Zielsdorf, Harold Jahn,
John Biefeld. [link to chapter on American Legion]
1930s RIVERSIDE PARK BASEBALL DIAMOND
1944–1948
DORIS TETZLAFF
Doris
Tetzlaff [″Tetz″] (Jan 1, 1921 – Apr 11, 1998) was an infielder and
chaperone in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Little is known about this woman who played
different roles during ten years in the All-American Girls Professional
Baseball League. A native of Watertown, Wisconsin, Tetzlaff came from a family
of German origin. She was a valuable utility, playing mainly at third base for
five different teams from 1944 through 1948.
Online article
c.1946
-- -- WEBER
BEER BASEBALL TEAM
William
Fitzgerald, George Hackbarth, Vernon Erdman, Edwin Lucas, Milton Engel, Robert
Bush, Don Marek, Don Gerth, Howard Stallman, Joseph Fendt, Melvin Wagner,
Forrest Melius[1], Peter Euper Jr., William “Chirp” Dollase. Bat
Boy William Dollase Jr. [1] F W
Melius Distributing Co, 205 S. Second
05 18 NEW
BASEBALL DIAMOND AT WASHINGTON PARK
1950
12 12 CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE BOYS’ BASEBALL SCHOOL
TOURNAMENT
Won by the Seventh ward playground
team.
Ronald
Feder, Dean Duddeek, Kenneth Lueck, Richard Block, Richard Tietz, Kenneth
Smith, Jerome Hady and Kenneth Butzine, Bernard (Stoney) Luther (coach);
Francis Godfrey, Don Tietz, Richard Nowatzki (who assisted in coaching), Kenneth Boeder,
Paul Hady and Jerome (Zem) Hady (coach).
1950
12 12 BOYS’ BASEBALL SCHOOL
Diplomas
awarded at the Moose hall to nearly two dozen youngsters who completed their
baseball training at the boys’ baseball school.
Erwin
L. Buchert, who presided; Ray Kern, director; Fred Hoffman, Charles Johannsen,
Floyd Shaefer and Charles Kading; Dean Van Ness, city manager; and William
Dollase, coach.
Herman
Schumacher, coach; Elmer Strehlow, umpire; Richard Woelffer, Allen Worden, Leon
Gans, Thomas Hargraves, Kenneth Boeder and Kermit A. Biefeld and Bernard E.
Luther, coaches, Gilbert Tietz, umpire; Thomas Lange, Jerome Hady, Merle
Zastrow, Kay Buchert, Kenneth Butzine, and Jerome Hady, coach, Edward Dusowsky,
umpire; Robert Block, Robert Lundy, David Bentzin, Robert Burbach, Myron
Jahnke, Niki Kiessling, Ronnie Braunschweig, Glenn Braunschweig, umpires; and
Don Jahn who assisted in the coaching.
Umpires
unable to attend the banquet were Earl Maas, George Kuckkahn, Wayne Wendt and
Robert Schauer. Boys who were unable to
be present to included: Lawrence Rowald, James Krueger, and Glen Goecke.
IXONIA BASEBALL TEAM
1953
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TEAM
08 10 BOY'S
BASEBALL SCHOOL
Riverside park team in the Boy's baseball
school won school championship by defeating Union park
Roger Block, A. Christenson, Toby Tesch, Bob
Tesch, C. Buchert, K. Krueger, R. Fernholz, Don Fendt, Russ Block, Jim David,
L. Bleecker, R. Eicksted, R. Korth, Erv. Buchert (coach), E.
Wiedenhoeft, R. Plenge, C. Halverson, _ Ruegg, and K. Buchert (coach).
08 31 BOYS
BASEBALL SCHOOL ALL-STARS
Comprised of players from Clark, Union,
Washington and Lincoln parks, defeated the champion Riverside park team in the
school’s annual star game at Washington park.
Coach Herman Schumacher, John Wright, Tom
Kuckkahn, John Westermeyer, Al Koser, Mike Mullen, Bob Willman, Phil Hertel and
Coach Chet Hady.
Coach John Scullin, Roger Rothschadl, Bob
Kohloff, Bruce Kasten, Roger Theder, Jerry Caine, Dave Pirkel, Jim Schumacher.
Coach Neil Fellensbee, Bill Summers,
Dan Zeiner, Larry Rehbaum, Duke Appenfeldt, Coach George Kuckkahn and Coach
Kermit Biefeld.
08 31 MAJOR
FAST PITCH SOFTBALL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
Rex’s Beer Depot won the
championship of the major fast pitch softball league the summer of 1953
Al
Rex, sponsor, Joe Cuccia, Dave Balmer, Don Zimmermann and Lou Kuckkahn, Bob
Schramm, Gene West, Bill Rex, batboy, Chuck Haseleu and Roger Schleif. Others on the team were Jack Kern, Bob
Madzar, Leroy Tesch, Ken Baneck, Bob Stallman and Don Drost.
11 08 AL
LINDE
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.
12 07 WATERTOWN
HIAWATHAS, BASEBALL GRAND CHAMPS
Webb
Schultz, Delavan, league president, Ed Blank, Jefferson, league treasurer,
Billy Bruton, Milwaukee Braves outfielder, Clem Schoechert, team sponsor, and
Billy Fitzgerald, team manager.
1954
01 06 A good looking, tall, slim blond young
man captivated a good-sized audience at the Turner Hall last evening. “Captivated” isn’t quite the right word,
especially as applied to the effect he had on that part of his audience between
the ages of eight to 13 years — these he positively “mesmerized!” This person was none other than the Milwaukee
Braves’ famed pitcher, Lou Burdette. He
appeared here under the sponsorship of the Immanuel Lutheran Brotherhood, but
his appearance at gatherings of this kind is made possible through the good
graces of the Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee, and Bob Klink, local
distributor, Miller High Life beer. It
is well known that the Miller Company is intensely interested in promoting
national sports in Wisconsin, and to say that Lou did a good job for them in
Watertown is putting it mildly. His
modest manner, friendly disposition, and unconcerned way of expressing himself,
won over his audience from the start. He
opened the program by telling something about himself. It was revealed that he did not attend
college but quit to begin his baseball career.
This career was interrupted by military service. His advice to the “kids” was that they take
care of themselves physically and get all the education they can because both
are necessary as preparation to a “big league” career.
He went on to tell of some of his experiences
in the Coast League and later with the Yankees, and finally with the
Braves. He also showed the movie, “The
Milwaukee Story,” which covered the 1953 season of the Braves from their spring
training, through their most enthusiastic welcome from Milwaukee for the
opening game, through their undreamed of successful season, to its dramatic
conclusion. The film was narrated by
Miller’s announcer Earl Gillespie, and really covered the highlights of “the
most remarkable thing that has happened in baseball” for 50 years, the
Milwaukee Braves.
1955 THE 1955
STATE CHAMPION Watertown High School Baseball Team
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.
-- -- STATE CHAMPION
WATERTOWN HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TEAM
08 23 The annual Boys Baseball School all-star
classic will be played at Washington Park Saturday night and the star team has
been selected to meet the champion Riverside Park club. The all-star squad includes Bob Polensky,
Russell Marcks, Jim Hady, Ron Newman, Dick Seeber and Don Wolf of Clark, Pat
Weber, Don Zimmermann, Rich Crupi, Dick Schuman and Tom Torkelson of Lincoln,
Jim Cahoon, Jim Pirkel, Dave Engelbrecht, Lee Domfeldt and Tom Theder of Union
and Kent Schroeder, Lynn Schroeder, Don Gorder and John Goethe of Washington.
1956
04 26 “SILVER
SLUGGERS” BASEBALL PROGRAM
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. WDT
11 08 Watertown
Cardinals received Central Wisconsin
League grand championship pennant and first place trophy. WDT
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).
-- -- CARDINALS STARS OF
TOMORROW CHAMPIONS
1957
11 01 Rich Block recognized for more than four
decades of work with the Watertown Cardinals
WDT
1958
06 20 Softball
diamond tarpaulin, Riverside Park 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
1962
07 10 7th ANNUAL JAYCEE
INVITATIONAL SLOWPITCH SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Fair weather smiled
on the Watertown Jaycees as their 7th annual invitational slow pitch softball
tournament opened at Riverside Park today with an enrollment of 51 teams. Tournament play started at 1 o’clock this afternoon
with Mayor Robert P. White slated to toss out the first ball officially
launching the meet. Action was to
continue through the day and tonight.
Midland of Watertown is the defending champion of the 14-inch division
while Hank’s Tavern of Milwaukee is the 12-inch champ. WDT
1965
08 14 DON BITTNER
Don Bittner has to stretch
himself and include his baseball cap to attain five feet three and a half
inches in stature but he’s Mr. Big in baseball and softball scoring in this
sports minded city. The little guy is an
expert in the realm of RBI’s, ERA’s and the other symbols and statistics that
are often gobbledygook to the average fan but are mighty important to the
baseballer. And he can claim a lot of
experience. His career in the realm of
sports scoring dates back a long 41 years to 1924.
1967
07 03 12th ANNUAL JAYCEE
INVITATIONAL SLOWPITCH SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
The 12th annual
Jaycee Invitational slowpitch softball tournament gets under way at Riverside
Park Saturday with a husky enrollment of 71 teams, including 10 from
Watertown. The tourney will start with
two games at 11 a.m. and his honor, Mike Bentzin, mayor of Watertown, will loft
the first pitch to get the meet rolling.
A total of 22 games is scheduled to be played Saturday afternoon and
evening and 18 more contests are slated for Sunday as the eliminations in the
two divisions continue. The 10 local teams
in the tournament are Club 19, Melius (2 teams), Bowl-A-Fun, Rock River Co-op,
Judge Alice, Strege’s, Veldhuizen Vending, Lindberg Hevi-Dutry and Timmel’s Bar. WDT
1968
07 11 13th ANNUAL WATERTOWN JAYCEES SLOWPITCH
SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Ten
Watertown teams are slated to compete for the trophies and prize money in the
13th annual Watertown Jaycees Slowpitch Softball tournament which begins
Saturday at Riverside Park. The local teams participating include Veldhuizen
Vending, Jensch Auto Supply, Strege's Super Market, Timmel's Tap, the Nibble
Nook, Sunset Bar, Durant Manufacturing, Bowl-A-Fun, Riverview Tavern and
Grocery, and Judge-Alice's. One team, Timmel's Tap, is scheduled to play in
both the 12" and 14" divisions. A total of 83 teams, 12 more than
last year's record 71, are scheduled to participate in the meet. Because of the
greater enrollment, both lighted diamonds at Riverside are to be used. WDT
1969
04 19 HARTFORD-GOSLING GAME AT WASHINGTON
PARK
07 11 JAYCEE INVITATIONAL SOFTBALL TOURNEY
Tom
Lees, co-chairman of the tourney, displays some of the awards that will be
presented to winning teams in the annual event which opens Saturday at
Riverside Park
1970
05 27 WIAA
DISTRICT BASEBALL TOURNEY
Held
at Washington park. Hustisford High won
the championship, beating Columbus. Scroll
forward through 10 images in portfolio
06 17 CINCINNATI REDS TRYOUT CAMP
Young
baseball talent from southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois got some baseball
knowledge at a Cincinnati Reds tryout camp held at Johnson Creek. The camp was conducted by Fred Goodman, Reds
scout. Goodman is shown with Rick Wagner
of Sullivan and Steve Hotter of Jefferson.
07 03 BREWERS REPRESENTATIVES HERE
07 13 JAYCEE SLOW PITCH
INVITATIONAL TOURNEY
Dan
Herbst of Watertown Wethonkitha eluded the tag of Racine Bob's catcher for an
inside the park homer but Wethonkitha lost the game 9-7, in the Jaycee
Slowpitch Invitational tourney.
07 29 MEMBERS OF THE OLD
HIAWATHA SPORTS
Reunited
on the playing field at recent Oldtimers game.
Braunschweig, Bob Schauer, Francis Pirkel, Herman Rohr, Gordon Madsen,
John Knispel, Arnie Schultz, Glenn Braunschweig, Roy Block and Don Marek. The Hiawathas were grand champions of the
Central League in 1945 and again in 1953.
08 14 CLASSIC LEAGUE TITLE
Degner's
downed Jensch's, 17-15, to annex the Classic League title. Earlier this week they also won the National
pennant.
Randy
Schlesner, Fred Oestreich, George Engelke, Keith Fuchs, Lyle Borth, Dale Borth,
Dale Lenius, Randy Strunz, Lee Klug, Bob Braasch, Milo Zwieg, Chris Tews, Jerry
Wockenfuss, Lance Tews, Rich Wagner, Warren Braasch and Scott Turke.
08 25 MAAS BROS. WON JUNIOR
FAST PITCH LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP
Bob Maas
Maas
Bros. Construction won the championship of the Junior Fast Pitch League by
defeating Knick Agency. Stephen Wallman,
A. Kraemer, Bruce Pagel, Terry Reynolds, Steve Hoppe, Mike Weihert, D.
Neubauer, Dan Wilkes, Mike Riedl, Willie Gasper.
08 26 WINNERS OF THE MAJOR
LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STAR GAME
Winners
were the Giants and Pirates, first place and fourth place all-star teams. Dennis Schwenkner, Rocky Catman, Bob Bohlman,
Junior Marten, Randy Busler, Kyle Koski, Keith Kieffer, Tom Fricke, Tom Wolter,
Dan Reed, Jay Dietrich, David Wetzel, Jess Kleinschmidt, coach L. J. Herro
1987
06 09 WATERTOWN NIGHT AT BREWERS GAME
MILWAUKEE
- The 1,511 persons from Watertown who attended the Milwaukee Brewers game
Saturday night set a record for the largest local turnout for Watertown
Night. The evening began with several
bus loads of Watertown residents tailgating at the stadium. St. Bernard’s Boy Scout Troop #44, under the
direction of Scoutmaster Jim Romlein, presented the colors before the
game. Duane Floyd, director of Beverly
Terrace, threw out the first ball.
Beverly Terrace organized the largest group of persons attending the
game from Watertown. WDT
1989
11 06 ELMER MARKS (Mr.
Baseball) honored
Watertown’s Elmer Marks
— Mr. Baseball to this area — will be honored for his 60 years of participation
in amateur baseball at the Rock River League Oldtimers Association’s 10th
annual Hall of Fame Dinner at Mayville Country Club Saturday. Marks, 75, will receive the organization’s
first ever “Lifetime Achievement Award.” Being honored with the same award will
be Carl Heimerl of Jackson and Tony Notheis of Beaver Dam. WDT
1992
05 05 ROCK RIVER LEAGUE: 63rd SEASON
The Rock River League
will open its 63rd season this weekend with 18 teams in two divisions. The Ashippun Mudcats will return to defend
their Grand Championship. Also in the Southern
Division are the Clyman Canners, Hustisford Astros, Johnson Creek Pioneers,
Lebanon A’s, Madison Davis & Duehr, Madison Laurel Tavern, Neosho Rockets
and the Watertown Cardinals. The
Northern Division will be comprised of the Brownsville Brownies, Fond du Lac
Redbirds, Horicon Honkers, Juneau County Seaters, Kewaskum A’s, Oakfield Oaks,
Rubicon Red Sox and Waupun. Watertown
will be managed by Corey Block this season.
Joining Block is his brother Rick and a bevy of other Watertown High
School alumni including Aaron Buss, Jeff Hertel, Andy Kasten, Joe Parish, Lance
Pirkel, Scott Pompe and Troy Schaefer.
Several of this year’s Gosling players are expected to join the team as
well. WDT
1999
06 09 Watertown
picked up right where it left off as the Division 1 state baseball championship
game continued at Appleton’s Fox Cities Stadium this morning. When play was suspended by inclement weather
Thursday, the Goslings held a 6-1 lead in the fifth inning. The lead would remain Watertown’s to clinch
the title 7-2. The Goslings’ Jesse
Schwefel, who became eligible to pitch with the postponement of Thursday’s
game, allowed an RBI groundout to the first Janesville batter he faced, as
action picked up with runners on first and third. Watertown scored an insurance run in the top
of the sixth inning after two were out.
The Watertown speed contributed as Justin Munzel drew a two-out walk,
stole second and scored on Ray Lauersdorf’s RBI single up the middle making it
7-2 Watertown. WDT
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
2004
09 03 Jerry
Peters is not ready to hang up his cleats yet, and the retirement party for the
local softball pitcher has been put on hold.
His 39th year in softball was a tough one, but his 40th year is going
well, and he now has his eye on another.
He was ready to quit last year after pain from arthritis hampered his
game, but now his pitching is better and he is working on his hitting. WDT
2012
05 21 WHS’
27-INNING GAME TIES FOR 10TH LONGEST
CHIPPEWA
FALLS — Much like baseball, softball is a game of numbers. Watertown’s game Saturday at the Chippewa
Falls Invitational against No. 1 ranked Appleton East was stuffed full of them.
— 5
hours, 58 minutes.
— 705
pitches.
— 188
at-bats.
— 5
runs.
— 31
hits.
— 11
errors.
When calculations
became final, the result was a 27-inning affair, the 10th longest game in the
history of high school softball in America, the longest game ever played in the
state of Wisconsin. Almost inconsequentially,
Watertown lost 3-2. WDTimes
article
05 06 SUNDAY AT RIVERSIDE, DIAMOND #2
2022
06 18 YOUTH BASEBALL AT RIVERSIDE
Cross References:
Washington
Park, chapter on, Merkle Field
Etched
in Stone: A Lasting Tribute to the Deadball Era, by David Stalker
H.W.
Kronitz, active in early day baseball in Watertown
History of Watertown,
Wisconsin