Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1902-08-01
Red Lodge Neatly Turns the Tables on
Billings in Return Games
in This City.
TWO EASY VICTORIES
Visiting Professionals Humbled in Dust Of
Double Defeat by High Alti-
tude Amateurs.

Wlt0 uOUOI3 ctGIl OcUWCCA AWOA AAOAt5S
and Billings, the amateur baseball cham
pionship of eastern Montana remains un-
settled. The way it now stands each
club has two straight games to its cred
it, Billings having made clean sweep
on her own grounds two weeks ago in
scores of IL to and to 4, while Red
Lodge neatly turned the tables in this
city last Saturday and Sunday in scores
Of 10 to and IA to 10.
As the result Of the success achieved
at home, the Billings team came to Red
Lodge supremely confident Of winning at
least one of the two games. Flushed
with victory, the visitors were in some
what exultant mood, and therefore the
terrible drubbing which they received
stood out in bold relief and turned their
erstwhile confidence and Joy to chagrin
and grief.
When the result Of the first game was
flashed to Billings the baseball enthusi-
asts Of that city began to make excuses
for the decisive defeat and the knowing
ones accounted for the success Of the
Red Lodge boys on the mistaken hypoth-
esis that it was part Of the program to
lose the first contest in order to get mon
ey Up On the second game. But when
the news of the second round reached
Billings the throw, of proposition went
begging for supporters and some laugh
liable premises we're presented in an ef-
fort to reason out the cause for the
double downfall. Some Of the people Of
Billings advanced the ludicrous theory
that the high altitude Of Red Lodge was
responsible for the result, while others
jumped to the conclusion that the defeat
Of the Billings team was brought about
Through the importation Of professionals
i The one proposition is about as absurd
as the other. As matter Of fact there
wasn't but one imported player or sal
!, aried man in the Red Lodge club, and
he proved to be the poorest one in the
I team. This was Pitcner Donnelly and
the exhibition which he gave was SO rot
ten that he was taken out Of the boz
after the sixth inning and paid of anc
: released after the game.
It was great slaughter Of the inno
cents and Harker, the boasted twirlel
: for Billings, had all the conceit taken ou
Of him. Instead Of being iDvincible h
!, was dead easy. Before the game which
!, he pitched was half over he was up ii
!, the air and il the contest had lasted an
. other inning or two he would have beel
beyond the reach Of even Benbow's bal
: loon. The talk about the importation
. of professional players comes with poo
! grace from Billings, for it is well know
that the club OF that city is composed
, almost entirely Of salaried players. l
such is not the case how does it happe1
- that number of the players, as state'
: by Billings dispatch to the Helen
Record, were fined for their conduct i
= Red Lodge and otherwise called to ac
count for their first days performance j
this city? Members of an amateur clut
playing without salary, can't be fined.
But this doesn't matter. Red Lodg
y put it all over Billings on the HON
grounds, and there you are. OF eve
70 greater moment than this, however,
y the knowledge that the old time friendl
feeling between the two cities has bee
VI restored. 1t was commendable spir
u Of reciprocity which prompted Billing
81 for the second time this season to sen
u to Red Lodge by special train such
= splendid representation as came to Re
10 Lodge last Sunday from the Yellowstor
" metropolis, and now that another seri'
es of games must be played at Billings
settlement Of the baseball championshi
:. - it is to be hoped that the complime'
u will be returned with unsurpassed 81
~ thusiasm.