The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1916-03-31
FANS OF OLD DAYS RECALL
spEtOIEsT PITCHER IN TEXAS


not have any particular meaning
for the average spectator at a pres
cnt-day game OF base ball-no more
than that he is there for the mere
purpose of calling balls and strikes,
DOMINIC and doffing his mask and
body protector and making base de-
cisIons-sometimes very base.
But TO one who has followed the
fortunes and misfortunes OF baseball
in the great state OF Texas the past
quarter of a century or more the ap-
pearauce Of George Blackburn in this
day and generation as handler of the
Indicator has a distinct significance
meaning all his own.
II was the same George Blackburn
who presided as judge of play in the
Tiger Broncho games at League park
Wednesday and Thursday who was at
one time destined to become one Of
the greatest pitchers in the land.
That was back about in the middle
90s when George was moving EN-
down in this Texas league OF ours
one of the speediest pitchers then in
captivity.
Reports of his performances reach
ed the ears OF big league managers
and the mighty Ted Hanlon, who
assembled baseball machine, prob
ably the strongest in the history OF
the game, the Orioles, four-time win
ners for Baltimore, lost no time in
taking Blackburn under his wing. 1t
was his chance of a lifetime. Black
burn was paired with Frank Bower
man as an Oriole battery and here
Hanlon erred. The pair failed 10
pull together. Blackburn and Bow
erman agreed to disagree and Black
burn returned to the Texas league
with a spoiled chance of ever break
ing into the big show.
But it is said to his credit, he was
the master of all hur1ers in the Lone
Star circuit. When he was on the
lob the man at the bat was a sec
ond consideration. With his speed
end curves Blackburn possessed a
force of strategy that made other
pitchers look like fourth-raters. he
was the monarch of the diamond
and spectators as we'll as players re-
garded him with awe. Although
never in the local lineup, Black
burn commanded more baseball re-
spect from the local players and
spectators than any pitcher that ever
faced the home team.
Ii was in 1891 he first performed
on the local lot as the twirling star
with the Waxahachie team, an in
dependent organization, which was
brought all the way down here on
special inducements offered by San
Antonio, which after a siege of base
ball lethargy DEVELOPED a semi-pro
team under the leadership OF Jack
Phelan, which defeated all corners.
In a series of three of the fastest
games of baseball ever staged in this
city, won by the locals, Blackburn
was the opposing twirler each day
and the longer he pitched the bet
ter he became.
Blackburn name was on every
baseball tongue in town.
Later he. with his little catcher,
George Hawkins. was found in the
Houston lineup in the Texas league
with John j. McClosky at the
helm. This was in 1892, when the
Houston team made the record of
winning twenty-five games in row,
which stood until the record was
exceeded by the performance of the
Corsioana team under the leader
ship of Mike O'Connor, which won
thirty-six games hand running, a
record to this day unequalled in
league baseball.
Winning games became so mo-
notonous with us, remarked W. S.
formerly KIDD Alexander, who
was the catcher of the Corsicana
team then, the other day, that we
never cared whether we won or lost;
in fact, We played as indifferently
as though we were tail-enders. /
suppose we could have gone right
on winning if we had tried
But Blackburn's reign as premier
pitcher continued unremittant, his
final appearance in the Texas cir
cult being with the Austin team.
when Bobby Burns was shortstop-
ping at high speed for the Sena-
tors IL was shortly after that
Blackburn went into eclipse and he
had never been seen on the local
diamond again until last Wednesday
1