The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-11-13

Certain ball players are or have been
known to national game fame quite
as much from their association in
pairs as individually. Naturally there
are pitchers and catchers. deceivers
and receivers. who have become prom
inent as batteries The battery of
Plank and Powers of the Athletics of
the American league is a case in point.
Before death dissolved the copartner
ship this summer, DIR. Maurice Powers
was as closely associated with the
pitching Of Eddie Plank as the latter's
left arm, almost. Powers was in har-
ness up to short time before his
death, and while Plank was too good
a pitcher not to be able to get along
with another backstop, Powers had
caught him SO long and so well that
the two were as near perfect in their
battery team play as two men could
come to be.
A noted team of bygone days was
composed of Getzein anC Ganzel--the
pretzel batterdy they were called when
they played for the Dertoits in 1887.
The alliterations perhops helped in
keeping them before the public as
battery, but of course only slightly as
compared to their usefulness. The De-
troits were the champions that year,
and Getzein won more games for his
team than any other pitcher, twenty
nine. Then, too, in the defeat of the
st. Louis Browns in the post season
series that year he lent valuable
hand. Plank and Powers also were on
a championship team, the Athletics
when they won the American league
pennant in 1905.
Brainard and Atwater were leading
names forty years ago. They were the
pitcher and catcher of the Cincinnati
Red Stockings in go and 10. Another
famous old time battery was Mcbride
and Malone for the Athletics in III; but
OF those early times the battery with
the greatest reputation was Spalding
and Mcvey of the Bostons of 1872 A
year later Jim White was Spalding's
catch. The two went to Chicago to-
gether and helped win pennants.
Spalding was a mighty pitcher, and
here is the opinion passed by George
Wright on McVey:
II should say that Cal. McVey was
the greatest player, being good
catcher, first baseman, right fielder,
change pitcher and strong batter; a
hard earnest player, and strong in any
Of the above positions"
Another illiterative pair was Bond
and Brown-Tommy Bond and Lew
Brown-who afterward caught Tommy
Ward. One batter was all a club
could boast of in that time. Bond and
Brown were both big men, but their
aviordupois didn't effect their skill.
They played in Boston in 1877. An
other weighty old-time battery of note
had Jim Mccormick and Charlie
Briody in the points Broidy was one
of the biggest men that ever played
professional has ball, but he was a
good receiver. Mccormick was first
class pitcher, an easy and powerful
worker He and Broidy jumped the
Cleveland club and pointed the Gin
cinnati Unions in 1884, move which
caused a furore at the time, and the
writer recalls that 1t was with a feel
ing of awe that he gazed at them while
pitching game in Kansas City that
year
Cincinnati had another distinguished
pair. the italian battery, as they were
known. Mexican and keenan, composed
the italian battery, and the only thing
Italian about Them was their dark
skin They were both swarthy men,
McRean being a little fellow and
keenan, a big one. Both sperted mus
taches-this was In 1885, before the
vogue of the clean shaver player.
Along shout that time there was an
orher noted battery in the west,
Black and Baldwin. both little men.
They came to Kansas City together
from some other Missouri town ana
split when Kid Baldwin wen to Gin
cinnati, where he developed into one
OF the leading cabchers.
Everybody has heard OF Ciarkson
and Kelley, two OF the best and brain
est bah players Uhe cams ever has