Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-20
READY MADE TEAM SECURED.
Waterviile Sigrs AIerts of ST. John
Men Will Arrive, Tuesday.


IF. Miller received q telegram from
John Phelan from st. John, Saturday
evening. stating that the Alerts of that
city had decided to come here, and
would arrive, Tuesday. The telegram
was given conspicuous place in the
show case at the store and Set the
nerves of all the cranks tingling, for
It meant that Waterville would have a
frst-class ball team all ready made
and fit for business by the last of this
week.
When it was decided to have a team
here. ard the time arrived for gather
| ing in the players, a telegram was
sent to Coombs in st. John, asking on
what condition he would come, and he
replied for the same that he was get
ting there, and that the whole team
was ready TO come with him. if wanted.
| This was Il 10-strike, all right, for it
meant a seasoned team at the start
| without any tedious trying out or train
| ing, But as it was not the intention to
get the salary limit up very high, this
| wear, there was some doubt about be-
| ing able to make satisfactory arrange
| ments with the bunch. The negotia-
| tons We're continued by wire, and
pushed to the point where a personal
interview was needed, SO Sperry Locke
packed his little Kennebecker for fly
ing trip over into King Edwards do
mains on a still hunt for ready-made
ball team. All the faithful knew he
had gone and have been anxiously
awaiting results which were announced
in the telegram from Phelen, Saturday
evening. This, doubtless, means that
the players have accepted Waterville's
original terms.
Most Of the Alerts will need no intro
duction here, as they are well known.
The progress of the team has been
watched and reports of most of the
games have been received. The last
one is dated July Is, and the lineup OF
the Alerts at that time was: Phelen,
cf.: Taylor, IT,; Hayes, If; Connors,
2b.; Britt, h.. Goode, 3D.; Cowing, c.:
White S.; Coombs, p. OF these, only
three. Hayes, Britt and White, are
strangers here, and it is possible that
these three have not been signed. Phe-
len Cowing and Coombs of course, need
no comment. They are all favorites
with Waterville baseball enthusiasts
Taylor. Connors and Goode are almost
as well known. The first two played
with Fairfield when the game was red
hot and were always in it at the finish,
however hard the fight had been
Goode played short stop for Beifasts
hot aggregation and helped slaughter
Waterville more than once, last year.
So these six men are true and tried.
, The Roses ana Alerts have been hav-
ing it hot and heavy all through the
season. Both teams have been batting
} the ball all over the lot in nearly every
{ game and have been fielding in fine
style Doubles, Triples and homers
/ have been almost as common as kids
about the field in their games and eX-
| ira innings have been plenty.
CoombS has been pitching great ball.
: An account of a game in paper dated
: July II. stated that he had won four
out of the five games he had pitched to
that date Phelen has been pitching
| and playing the field and doing his US
| ual start work, making sensational
: plays in the field and pitching good,
$ steady, effective ball.
l On July !, two games were played
and the AIerts won them both, the first
in the forenoon by score of 10 to 10,
and the second in the afternoon, 10 to
l. The total attendance for the two
games was estimated at 1000, the larg-
: er crowd being that of the afternoon.
1 Coombs replaced McDermott in the last
inning of the first game and pitched the
whole of the second.
All Of the men known here have been
D batting like nends, taking doubles and
: triples in the majority of games ana
storing away singles to beat the band.
Both teams have been putting up good
-. ball as the error columns show an av-
, erage of but two or three to a game on
: either side Sensational plays have
been sprinkled in pretty thicSly and
the men who are coming here have had
; more than their share.
, ! Socialists, the Indian, who at one
time was the great star in the big
leagues, has been playing field for the
7 Roses, but mostly on his reputation,
g according to the accounts of his work.
e If all Of the men are not brought
e here, enough scattering ones will be Sc
cured to fill in the vacancies and they
can be had any time by saying the
i word. The news that practically the
whole team had been signed was like
getting money from home, for the en-
thusiasts as they are now sure of
good team of well-known players ready
for business in few days
The first game is booked for Satur-
= day afternoon, with Fairfield, on their
= grounds Every one then will have a
chance to see what kind of ball they
have in st. John.