Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-10-22
How Cy Coombs
Started in Baseball,

The following story entitled How
Coombs Got His Start" was taken
from q, Boston paper and was written
by +. II. Haggerty. now athletic direc-
tor of Buchtel College. MIR. Haggerty
will be remembered in this city, hav-
ing attended Colby College for short
time. as well as coaching several of
the athletic teams in the city. He
writes as follows:
Il was captain and manager of the
Waterville, Me. professional baseball
team while a student at Colby Univer-
F. Fl. Haggerty, the athletic director
of Buchtel College.
We lost the deciding game of the
championship series to the Gerald
team of Fairfield.
Frank Kane. the Amherst College
star pitcher. was in the box for us and
Phelan. now center fielder of the
Providence team. on whom Brooklyn
has strings at the present time, played
the same position that day for Water
vile. Clement of Jersey City and
Philadelphia was with the Gerald
team.
THE same teams were to play their
opening game at League park in Wa
terville on the morning of July 4, 1902
TfH Gerald team. with the millionaire
rail'rHd na"natc. AMOS Gerald, back
IL" I. :."h cot o"tner some of the
best b">"i.lll talent that could be OBJ
taine d. H.E!le We iId collected as was
supposed mediocre lalent for the Wa
tarI-i1l.. 4 ,,;t
ing to make our combination complete
During the previous winter John
Coombs. fresh from kennebunk port
had entered Coburn Classical Institute
without any reputation as a pitcher
; While he was pitching i'm one of the
early games against the Waterville
High team, which team | was then
coaching. he showed wonderful bursts
OF speed. but had poor control. This
vas decided characteristic of his
work for the next three or four years
Watcrville High won the game be-
cause the boys waited for him to pass
them.
1.-Two months later he was signed to
work with the professional team. and
when the umpire announced the bat
teries on that noisy day it was Coombs
and Cowan for Waterville AS Coombs
stood in the box that morning he ap-
peared more like a good, big natured
down east country boy than a pitcher
He was Is years old, nearly six feet
tall and weighed 10 pounds With his
hat pulled down over one side OF his
face and wearing that don't care smile
ne proceeded to cut down the opposing
batsmen with the same regularity that
the Pine Tree State clear the forest
when - men of the mighty Gerald
team had fallen. the score stood Is to
in favor of WatervilIe. Coombs not only
pitched a great game but also secured
two good hits.
After the game without waiting to
be cheered by his many admirers, lie
picked up his glove and strolled lazily
across tue Colby campus Needless ia
say. all the Maine Colleges wanted
him. but as he was pledged to the
Delta Epsilon Society at Colby he
entered there. His record in college
ball is matter of history in thai
quaint old city. He made all the
players on the big college teams steI
back when he would shoot the fas,
ones over. Clarkson. Crockett, Cush.
man. Nourse, Lynch and others Of the
big college teams took off their hats
to Jack. Or
"Coombs remained in college unit
June, 1905, when he was graduated
Notwithstanding the fact that he was