BRITISH COLUMBIA
BC INTERIOR
[Cranbrook Herald, May 30, 1907]
Base Ball. –
Sing a song of baseball,
Balls muffed on the fly,
Five and four lawyers
Knocked sky high.
When the game was opened
The lawyers began to cry,
But oh, wasn’t that a mighty score
Twenty-four to five.
***
The lawyers went to bat,
Missed the ball as it came,
And it’s whispered on the street corners
The bankers won the game.
When the game was finished –
And it was very tame –
It was whispered on the street corners:
Lawyers better learn the game.
It was a great game. It is true that the score was 24 to 5, but it was ginger all the way through. The bankers, under the leadership of J.F.M. Pinkham, of the Imperial bank, and the lawyers, captained by “Baldy” Morris, gave the town the best entertainment that it has had for years. This game was played on the 24th of May, and it was a starter for many more games of this character that are to follow. It would take columns to give the game in detail. The plays were numerous and the gentlemen gave evidence that some time in their lives they had played golf, cricket, croquet, ten pins and seven up. The bankers had an advantage in their battery, as Peterson and Miller had learned in advance how to throw and catch the ball. And that is quite an important item in a baseball game. With a side of the new opera house for a backstop the game could be greatly expedited. And the Fink Mercantile Company, with their usual loyalty to town sports, offers to furnish baskets for the fielders at the next game. That will help some. Time and space forbid further comment, but a pessimistic baseball reporter of the Herald has furnished some observations on the game that will prove interesting and instructive.
OVERDRAFTS AND FORECLOSURES.
“Baldy” Morris is a great pitcher, but he would look better on a stand than in the box.
J.A. Harvey, who held down center, got a move on himself like a discarded street car horse.
Macdonald has a good suit for damages against the person who told him he could play ball.
“Ernie” Small gave satisfaction as umpire. He learned the game in P.E.I., throwing fish balls.
Darling, who caught for the lawyers, is not a “darling” catcher. He muffed everything that came his way.
J.F.M. Pinkham, captain, duplicated his Calgary record – by hitting the ball twice.
A.G. Wilmot, the bankers shortstop, is like whiskey. He will improve with age.
Notwithstanding that “Baldy” Morris is an officer of the law, he “stole a base” in broad day light.
Foster, center field, did not astonish his friends. He plays ball like a balloon making an ascension
in a wind storm.
On account of the great work done by Grubb, left field for bankers, he ought to join the public school
(first division) baseball team.
W.F. Gurd was wise. He showed what he knew about the game by not playing.
The bankers kept up the “interest” from start to finish.
Judge Wilson even refused to act as assistant umpire. He knew the kind of work the lawyers would put up.
C.A. Cock made a hit with the players as manager of the refreshments.
The ladies orchestra was a feature of the game.
A rank outsider has little chance when the lawyers and bankers get together.
Dunbar, the New Brunswick player, on second was a false alarm.
Cooper at right field needed a little fixing. But then he never saw a game before.
Second baseman Ayre would be more at home playing ping-pong than baseball.
Grey, when at bat, hit the ball as wickedly as he would when playing golf.
Nelson , the left field, played a great game. His catching – well, we’ll let that pass as we cannot describe
it. But nevertheless he can play as good ball as anyone up the Skookumchuck.
Had the ball been a balloon, Hoskins might have hit it once.
The bankers battery, Peterson and Miller, was all right. Wasa is trying hard to get this battery
next season.
Lawe would be all right – if he knew the game.
The lawyers have protested the game because the umpire was changed in the fourth innings.
They threaten to bring the case up before the bar – probably the Cosmopolitan.
A song and spoofed update on baseball game played between Cranbrooks bankers and lawyers.
[The Cranbrook Herald, July 4, 1907]
SOME GREAT GAMES. – THE LOCAL LEAGUE TEAMS ARE PUTTING UP GOOD BASEBALL
The formation of the local baseball league was a great move in the way of securing for the people of this town some mighty good sport. The interest in the games is increasing and each night the crowd is larger than before. The first match was between the Shops and the Clerks and proved a big victory for the clerks, the score standing 15 to 2. The second game was between the Town Team and the C.P.R. offices, and the game was closely contested and resulted in a victory for the Town by a score of 8 to 7. The third game of the series was played last night between the C.P.R. Shops and the Town Team, and it was for blood from start to finish. The rule is to play seven innings, but at the close of the seventh, with a red hot finish, the score stood 11 to 11, and another inning was played without changing the result, and the game was called on account of darkness. Messrs. Bates and Small are the official umpires and A McCowan official scorer. Before the end of the series there will be all kinds of excitement, as the people are becoming generally interested in the result of the games, and the sport is showing up some mighty good baseball timber. The grounds have been improved and there will be seats provided for the ladies, as there is an expressed desire on their part to attend the games.
Next Saturday afternoon the Wycliffe team will play a picked team from town on the local grounds and the baseball fans are looking forward to a red hot game, and there will be all kinds of rooters on hand.
BASEBALL AT WYCLIFFE
An interesting as well as amusing game of ball took place at Wycliffe last Sunday afternoon between a picked team from Cranbrook and the Wycliffe nine. The Cranbrook team left here at 2 o’clock in a four horse team, accompanied by many rooters, and immediately upon arrival at Wycliffe the game commenced. The play was fast all through and there were some brilliant plays made. The score was pretty even all through the game until nearly the end, when Scott, the second baseman for Cranbrook, let a “slippery one” through his fingers, like an Nova Scotian would an eel, letting in two runs, which let the trail blazers ahead, which lead they held and the game ended with a score of 8 to 7 in favor of the Wycliffe team. It is likely a return game will be played, as the Cranbrook boys are of the opinion that they can at least tie with Wycliffe. The Cranbrook boys speak in high praise of the hospitable manner in which they were treated by the people of Wycliffe.