Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-08-03

Repeat History In Coming to Davenport
ana Carrying on the Honors Some
stars That Have Been Previously De-
vsIopsd.
The baseball nine of the village of
Gilchrist. ILL.,, came over here one
day not many weeks ago and beat
the boys of this town, and Sunday
they did 1t all over again. The
game took place at the grounds Of
the Forester Gun club. It was at
tended and witnessed by . large
number of people, and it was quite a
brilliant event of the kind. The
Davenport club was the one that was
matched against the visitors. The
score stood to 0 in favor of the lat
ter. They have q strong combina-
| ton, and they are reported to have
q pit her that kept the batters Of the
homo team guessing. and very un-
certain most Of the time Davenport
Democrat.
1t is not entirely q new experience
for the Mercer county boys to come
up here and whallop the life out of
Davenport's base bali teams. Some
time less than twenty years ago Dav-
export had crack home team. IL
was non-prefessional when it started
and was known as the Remington
club, and l.. c. Stockwell, now of
Cordova, who has since shown as q
star in the diamond in various parts
of the country, and Harry Glaspell,
a well known travelling salesman iv-
ing in Davenport; George Preston,
now in the southwest, and Billy
Barnes, still in Davenport. we're the
most prominent members. For a
time the Kemingtons successfully
vanquished everything that came
along. including two or three teams
from Chicago. But one day an awk-
ward squad Of players cnms up feom
Keithsbarg. The aggregation was
composed Of coal diggers fl ON Keiths-
burg aud GilchrIst MINES. The
members wore green stockings and
belts and were known as the Golfers.
They went up against the Reming-
tons and won with ease. With the
visitors was a pisc her who threw ball
as if it was discharged from a cannon.
That mans name was Rockwell
About the time the Davenport batter
began to think about striking the
sphere 1t had reached the catcher and
was on its way back to the pitcher.
The whaling the Remingtons re-
ceived did not discourage them.
They at once engaged this wonderful
pitcher and two others of the Mer.
Ger county nine to fill out the weak
places in their own team. The
players picked from the Golfers were
Rockwell; q second baseman named
IBID" McPhee, and a fielder named
Maskrsy. They reported for duty
at once. The Golfers had no catcher
who could receive Rockwell's pitch.
ing off the bat, but Billy Barnes. the
Remington catcher, could, and he is
still wearing the evidence of it in
distorted thumbs and fingers. This
was the beginning Of professional
base ball in the tri-cities. The Rem
ingtons cleaned up everything that
came along the remainder OF
that season. The next year
tho Davenport all-professional
club appeared with Rockwell,
McPhee. Maskrey, Stockwell, Glass.
pell and Barnes, all that were carried
over from the victorious team of the
lyear before, and q league including
also Dubuque. Peoria and Rockford
was organised.
FamOus Piayera Developed.
That league developed some of the
most famous players in the base ball
world. Rockwell was regarded as q
wonder. He threw q straight ball
right over the plate. knew nothing
of the curve, but he put such speed
into his delivery that the average
batsman could not guage him. 1t
took but short time for Rockwell to
"pitch his arm off," go to speak, and
as he could play 10 other position, he
went back to Keithsburg. After the
dissolution of the league McPhee
went to Cincinnati and he is still
there regarded as the greatest second
baseman in the country. Maskrey
went into the National league. but
Is now q ''has-been." Stockwsll be-
came q professional player. and dis
tinguished himself. but he has seen
his best days. He is now living at
Cordovn and plays occasionally. He
led q nine down to Davenport few
Sundays ago and was beaten some
thing like II to 0. Glasspell and
Barnes retired and both still live in
davenport. The other members of
the professional team continued in
the business in other cities, but
none Of them we're stars. While
Davenport was developing great
players, so were Peoria and Rock
ford, for in their teams the Rowes,
the Gleaeons. Radbourne, Carol,
Taylor and others, afterward famous,
came out.
And this all started with the Mer.
Ger county Collier boys.