The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-23
UNIQUE IN BASEBALL HISTORY
KANSAS CITY AND ITS LEAGUES
AND PLAYERS.

DtanlOnd VINO nave performed Tnofo'
Should a complete history of profess
slona baseball ever be written one Of its
most interesting volumes will deal with
the part Kansas City has played In the
national game. The self-reliant city on
the hits, where the Kaw pours it's turgid
waters into the Big Muddy, has been in
more leagues than any other city in the
country. Its baseball history is unique.
IL has seen more grades Of professional
baseball than any other city, has weathered
more ups and downs, and though In that
portion Of the United States which is
sopsAtmes described as wild and woolly has
har0ored aad produced players ofthe highest
degree Of skill.
No push Lacquer in the continent wide
arena OF baseball Is Kansas City. 1t has
seen the best and knows and appreciates
what is the best. The big baseball cities
Of the West are just as baseball wise as
those Of any other section, know the ins
and outs OF the game and its fine points
and are familiar with its history and the
records Of players from way back.
Kansas City is a good ball town. Like
every other city, the better showing the
home team makes the better the attend
ance, but all things considered it is per-
haps a better city for attendances than
some in major leagues. 1t is at a geograph-
ical disadvantage so, far as the big leagues
are concerned, but experience has been
RRood educatorin Kansas City, andit knows
and patronizes good ball. 1t has won its
share Of pennants, and long since underwent
the narrowing experience OF being torn
by local partisanship-that is. OF having a
club in two leagues in the same season.
As far back as 1888 there we're two leagues
represented there.
Writing partly from memory OF the early
days Of baseball in Kansas City one cannot
be accurate in all Of his statements, but
the writer's memory goes back TO the early
SOS. when professional ball was played
ON q diamond in the old Fair Grounds in
the n~eighborhood Of Sixteenth and Harrison
streets. The writer remembers climbing
q fence there, dropping surreptitiously
into the hallowed ground and seeing games.
Frank Ringo, who dice a number OF
years ago. caught on the team that
played on the Fair Grounds field, and a
we'll known outlelder in those days was
Milt West. or George West. Ringo hved
In Kansas City and afterward caught for
the Philadelphia National Leaguers,
Then there was the old Cooks Pasture
RTOu0QB IN Ul6 bOullWOobSlh polp VI VIZ
cty. They were at the foot of the eminence,
known as Cooks Pasture and a little wooded
stream ran along beside them. That sec
tdon yielded TO the demands Of a growing
population long ago and is all built up now.
When the outlaw Union Association was in
existence in 1884 its Kansas City grounds
we're the Cooks Pasture field. But there
had been games there before that, il memory
is not wrong. Willie" Bill Hutchinson, a
graduate of Yale, lived in Kansas City then
and had a big local reputation as a mound
expert before he joined Anson's Chicagos
and further extended his fame as a swift
and formidable curve maestro.
Just after they jumped the Cleveland
club and Joined the Cincinnati Unions.
thu famous trio, Glasscock, Briody and Nc
Cormick, played against the Kansas City
Unions. There was a noted battery about
that time composed Of Kid Baldwin and
Bobby Black, a pony battery that played
In Kansas City. Black was the pitcher
and Baldwin the catcher. Baldwin after
ward played with Cincinnati and was a
noted backstop. Black and Baldwin came
from I'D around Hannibal to Kansas City.
The former Kansas Cityan recalls seeing
games at the Cooks Pasture grounds in
which the Dubuques. managed by Tom
LOTUS, who played first base, and containing
Dutch Kuehne at third base, played against
Kansas City. He also recalls a game in
which a New York travelling man named
johnson doffed his coat OF fashionable
cut and in his shirtsleeves jumped in and
caught Hutchinson when there was no
other catcher handy who could hold the
~eolleeian's speed. just what league or
wear thisw was he does not recall.
Charley Bastian was the second baseman
OF the Kansas City Unions. fank Robin
son. afterward with the St. Louis Browns.
WA on the Baltimore Unions which visited
Kansas City and on the Boston Unions were
Tim Murnane and Myrtle Hackett. There
wa an umpire named Seward in those days
NOT the Seward who pitched for the old
Philadelphia Athletics.
From Cooks Pasture the ball grounds
we're moved a bit further east on Eignteenth
street and we're used by the newly organ
lied Western League in 1885. Big Jim
Davis, q powerful thrower, played third
base for Kansas City, while 1t is recalled
that on the Indianapolis team, which also
was In the Western League, were Mox
McQueery and the italian battery Larry
MoKean and Jim keenan,.
Kansas City broke into fashionable COM
pany in 1885. The National League reached
out and took it in, The National League
KTOuuOb pONh ~ u S
Ranson's Pond had been. On three sides
were precipitous hills, while on the north
wa a wall Of rocks extending up to indie
pepqence avenue. Independence avenue was
noN1he fashionable residence street then it is
nov. 1t was a joyous day for the young
rooters Of Kansas City when the National
League-the great National ~League--came
there, and it seemed odd, indeed. to them TO
ait and gaze worshipfully on such heroes
as Arson, Kelly. Ward, Farrar and Clements
Uhera once thew had sat in the sun and
dangled worms for catfish or played Skinny
on the ice in winter.
On the Kansas City National League team
were Myers, McQueery, Jimmy Donnelly.
Paul Radford, Charlie Bassett. Dave Rowe.
the manager: Jimmy Lille, who used TO run
up the side Of the incline and make catches;
Big Jim Whitney, Weidman, Briody, Hack
EFT, Conway and Krieg. 4 Mr.. McRim
owned the club. which finished seventh in
this its only National League eeaeon. The
writer cut short a business trip to Salina,
Kan, TO run in and see the opening game,
and his disappointment wa beyond words