Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-01
THE DIAMOND.
sSRube" Viekers Wins His Last
 Game for Holyoke

Meriden Was Allowed But Three Hits
 -Connell of New Haven Thrashes a
 New Umpire-Hartford Was the
 Winner of This Game-NeW London
 Loses to Springfield on Bannon's
 Mistake.
 Meriden, July 1.-The Holyoke base gball contingent came to this city yester- day, armed with paint and brush, to Rpply coat of whttewash to the home team. They nearly got splashed them selves, however, for Mccormick was he only one able to bring in a run for either team. That lonesome run was well earned, and showed the strenuous playing that characterized the entire Agame. It was great day for the Paper city boys and for Meriden, for the Holyoke-M -Meriden games are red letter days here. The fans were all put, and were -zR&lling to bet high on Meriden, providing "Rube" Vickers did bot pitch. ''Rube" did pitch, however, and defed the Meriden sluggers. #This was Vickers's last game with Holyoke, as he goes back to Brooklyn to-day or Thursday. He was in his best condition and succeeded in fooling NEhe home team, and, more than that, he umpire, who was unable to get a inc on many of his benders and re peatedly called strikes balls. For this reason the strike-out record of yester day was smaller than it ought to have been, and the game longer than it Oth- erwise would have been. Both sides Bplayed a fast and snappy game, and 1t was only because the Holyokes played little better ball that they won the game. The home team found it hard to make connections with Wick ers's delivery, and the visitors found it equally hard to do anything at all with Rogers. They hit once or twice, and with telling results. The home team batted farther than Holyoke. but the perfect fielding prevented any runs coming in, and the hits happened at times when there were no base runners to run after the ball had been caught. >/ Nothing but goose eggs had been re corded until the seventh inning, when a hit by Mccormick followed by what served the purpose of a sacrifice by Rossman and neat single by Wood ruff, brought the "kid" across the plate and scored the only run of the game. Two others might have been made in the sixth and ninth, but sharp playing by the home team made it an Fmpossibility.
 The game was one of the finest ex- Nhfbitions of base ball that has been seen here for many a day, and there was not a man on either team but played first class ball. The playing of IAark1n of the Meridens took the grand stand by storm, and a difficult catch by Woodruff in center was a feature The is one thing certain, and that is that the fans here are sore on Holyoke and they are not slow to show their dis like, Theys remember the day that Holyoke refused to play under a cer- tain official, and are able to see but one side of any game with HoIyoke They remember Fitzpatrick, as he tried to reason with the local captain, and have stamped him as "the kicker" They remember Rossman with his long drives out into the far field. and have styled him ''the slugger." and Woodruff bears the name of 'fat-head." "Rube" N1ckers Is victim everywhere. and Mer1den is no exception to the rule. So there was great delight when "Rube" was hit by swift liner. and when the hoIyohe captain was Sflenced by the umpire when he insisted that he should have more than one ball in the game: but when Merrick yielded to "Fitz's'' protest there was silence till Woodruff came to the bat. and then cries of
 F'athead!' Hes b1ind"' etc. filled the air, while poor Dan O'Nefl over on the bench was asked if he had his regu- lar team today" or ''when was Wick CTS going back to Brooklyn" Even Merr1ck was the object of the fury of the fans when he called strikes on the nome players, and while some shouted 'Robber"' others suggested that Prick en would be an improvement. Meriden is hot for base ball. but is terribly biased in it's judgments, and wants the home team to have it all it's own way. The score:
 Meriden.
 A.B. R. B.H. 20. A. R.