The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1907-04-04
Reds Still Live in Memory

The Brookings Reds OF last year
have been getting all kinds OF ad-
vertising this spring on account OF
their great record last season. The
following appeared in the Minneapolis
Tribune Sunday morning:
ed Erickson, one of the star
twirlers of last years Bookings
Reds" left last week for the East.
He has signed a contract with Newark
OF the Eastern league. "Lefty" Bur-
well, the crack southpaw, will ioin
Watkins indianapolis club. Billy
Hilly is also on Watkins reserve list.
Cruikshank has en secured by the
South Bend club OF the Central State
association.
"When the Brookings club dis
banded last summer, Erickson, Bur.
we'll, Hille and Cruiksh hank went to
Montana, where they joined the
Forsyth team. About that time Matt
Quigley, a gambler Of Billings, or
ganized club Of the best tossers he
could secure, which was practically
the entire Butte league team, MacIn-
tyre, who played here some years ago,
managed the club. The Forsyth and
Billings teams then arranged a series
OF SIX games, which were played at
Billings and Forsyth. Mont, Fort
Sheridan and Basin, Wyo. Erickson
pitched two games, winning both, the
first by score OF to / and the second
to 0. Burwell twirled in four games,
winning two Of them. This series
netted the promoters perhaps the
largest sum of money that was ever
realized out OF bush league ball in the
West. The Brookings bunch, Hille,
Ora Eshank, Erickson and Burwell,
were all matched against four men at
BASIN, Wvo., in relay race and won,
realizing for their eXertiOns the neat
sum of $3.50
The following interesting item about
the Brookings Reds appeared in a
recent issue OF the Sioux City Journal:
Three great baseball clubs, Wash
ington, New York and Pittsburg,
would like to get the services of big
Doc Hillebrand, the Princeton pitch
ing wonder, who steadfastly refused to
report to WashingtOn last wear under
the management Of Jake Stahl. Doc
stayed up on his ranch in South Dak-
ota, near Webster, until late in the
season, and then went up into the
Catsk!ll mountains of New York to
amuse himself in one-horse organ
izatiOn.
Jake Stahl wanted Hillebrand very
badly last year, even going so far as
to make two personal visits to the
ranch OF which the big pitcher is the
manager. He found the Princeton
man one day decked out in a big blue
flannel shirt and bloomer overalls,
lacking up string OF barb wire. Jack
offered Doc all kinds Of inducements
to quit the cattle business and return
to the diamond, but the steadfastness
OF New York ancestry that flows in the
veins OF the celebrity could not be
persuaded
1t was about that time that the
independent teams Of Watertown and
Brookings were fighting for gore, and
the Watertown sports, having been
ground to earth, thought that in Hille-
brand they saw chance TO rise again
big game was schedule and the
magnates OF the prairie made super
human efforts to get Hillebrand to
come out OF his shell and pitch game.
Big Hllle declined, but one dav after
special emissary had been sent fifty
miles overland in an automobile it
was finally arranged that the Prince.
ton coach should pitch the game. 1t
was thought that the independent
bushers would die off with fearful re-
gularity before the smoke OF the big
fellow"
"The day came. Hillebrand came
also. He lasted about three innings,
by which time the Brookings team had
pounded him all over the lot for enough
safe hits TO last for whole week.
And this is the pitcher whom Joe Can
tillion wants, whom Clarke Griffith
would like to have and who Barney
Dreyfuss thinks is necessary TO his
business
"Hillebrand and Joe Cantillion are
great crOnies and the chances are the
big fellow will report to Washin gton." 4"
Mr.. and Mrs. Ed House, who have
neon Utcitinn h raio hnso "A