Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-14
Rudderham Hired as Baseball
Coach for Next Season.
TIE Nine Expects to Have Some
Strong and Valuable Players.
Society Meetings and Lectures Sched-
uIed for This Week.

for the season of 1904. The contract
was signed in Albany, Friday, Dec. IL
and, today, Mr.. McDermott received q
letter to that effect. Negotiations have
some time and as it was rather doubt
| full whether he could be engaged, hav-
| ing had several flattering offers from
! teams within this State, the news was
received with no little show of salts
| faction by the college at large who
nave followed Mr.. Rudderham's sue
cessful record at this institution and
| who appreciate the Importance OF the
| announcement.
| Frank +. Rudderham first came to
| the University of Maine in the spring
| Of 1900, when he assisted Mr.. McGill
in the coaching department, and at
that time showed that he not only had
| a keen knowledge of baseball but had
the faculty OF inparting no small share
| of it to others In 1891 he served in Il
| like capacity, returning in 1902 and
again in 1903 to assume full charge OF
the coaching. The fact that since his
connection with the University of
Maine the baseball team has twice won
the championship of the State well at
tests his abilities not only as an eff
Gent coach but as Il careful trainer.
Frank F. Rudderham entered upon
his baseball career i'll 1891 with tn -.
John P. Lowell Arms Co., afterwar;l
signing with the Boston Association
team. From Boston he went to the
Portland team which won the cham
pionship of the New England League
in 1891. The next year Rudderham
went to Lowell and when this team
disbanded he joined the Manchester,
n. H., team which later was trans
ferrcd to Boston. The next year, he
went to Lowell ana played on that
team until it disbanded July 4, 1893.
He then signed with the Providence
Eastern League team, where he played
for five years (1S33-9D. During this
time Providence twice won the pen
mart. From Providence, Rudderharl
went to Rome, n. u, where he played
for three and one-half years with that
team. From Rome he went to AL
bany, ". Y, with which team he has
since been connected as pitcher, ana
last year managed the team. While in
the Eastern League Rudderham led thu
pitching twice in succession, and i"
the New York State League he at
tanned the highest percentage of games
WGI.
I;udderham will arrive in Orono, to
take charge of the squad, March l, and
will remain throughout the entire sea-
son, returning to Albany, June 1, AL
though there is some time before the
season really opens, not a few of the
men are getting into gear and almost
every afternoon some of the old or new
men can be seen warming up in the
cage. Captain Mitchell will have the
squad report for practice directly after
Christmas recess which ends, Jan. 4,
in order to have the men in fair shape
before Coach Rudderham arrives.
Maine lost two men last year by
graduation, Chase who played center
field, and ToWse in right field. But
Names greatest loss and one which
will be the hardest this year to supply
is Veazie, who it is only too well re-
mclnbcrcd, was drowned at Rockland,
last summer. Although but a freshman,
VeaZie was easily the star of the team,
last spring. his work at second base be-
ing at all times of the Gilt-edged type
while with the stick he headed the bat
ting list. For the season, VeaZie at
! tainld the highest batting percentage,
.324 and a fielding average of 1926. he
| also made the Ail-Maine baseball
team for 1908.
| In the box Maine will be as strong
| if not stronger th9n last year. "Gussie'
To will n
divide honors for twirling. thus in this
department the team seems well flxe1.
| Neil Violette who for the past two
years has been backstop on the Var
sity. will probably be called upon to
! fill this important position, as it is un-
derstood that he will again take uQ
| his studies at the School of Law either
| the latter part of this term or the first
| of next. 1t will be remembered
| that Violette sustained broken leg in
the Bowdoin Maine game June 3. at Ban
! gor last season; but he has fully recov-
cred and will doubtless be in good form
At first. Pat" Collins can be relied upon
| to keep the position warm, SO there is nc
/ anxiety in that direction. At shortstoD
| Thatcher is already anxious to make
| good and. as he has been playing during
the past summer from one to two games
a week, should be in better condition next
season than ever. Thatcher can also 81
| behind the bat at pinch and it was IL
this capacity that he played on the Dexter
! team last summer.
| At third base, Bird, '05, who played the
position. last year, is likely candidate
| although there are several men from the
freshman class who will make big tr!
for this place. Ben Larrabee, if he put:
10 tie game this season that he did last
should make left field easily. Ben hl:
had much experience and is a good mar
both in the field and at the stick. Thu
the positions left vacant and which viii
have to be filled ny new men are SECOND
base and center field. This does not meal
that the men mentioned above are by al!
means sure of their positions-far from i
ae every position gained on the Varsi..
in baseball, next spring. will be earned
and CAPTAIN Mitchell has enough baseball
ernerience under his cap to tell whetrs
or not the man is qualified for the place
Evary candidate will be given TAI
show and there promises to be some keel
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