Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-07-05

Coney ls!and nearly twenty years
ago.
The knickerbockers and the Goth
ans were the leading baseball clubs
Of America at that period. In 1854
they figured in the first Of the
drawn battles on the diamond, play
ing ~ innings with final score OF
IL to IL. In those days the first
club TO score 2l runs was the victor,
and II the nine-inning system had
been In vogue the Knickerbockers
would have won, / to 9. 1t was
not until after the Clipper and other
weekly publications had set the OK
ample that the daily press began to
pay any attention to baseball. While
the game could not now exist with
out the newspapers, It is probably
equally true that the paper which
cut out baseball wouldn't last long,
ssy.-s~. - -
Major and minor league players
who are In class la OF the draft
are receiving extraordinary offers 10
play ball In steel and shipyard
leagues with the understanding that
they Will be excused from service In
the army. AS much as 5000 "a month
has been offered to more than one
star player, while propositions OF
5000 are numerous The steel and
shipyard baseball promoters are
spending money for grandstands and
parks, and also are said TO be very
anxious to receive patronage from
the public. They even talk Of hav-
ing a worlds series" in the fall.
IL is very doubtless. however, that
they will keep on paying high sal
aries during the winter months when
their ball players must be uBefully
employed. And then, besides, the
work or fight" order will undoubt-
edly affect them. What then?
Nine years ago today, July 6, 1909,
Stanley Ketchel defeated Billy Papke
In twenty rounds at Colma. This
was the fourth and last of the fam
Gus bouts between the Michigan
Assassin" and the Illinois Thunder
bolt" The had fought three pre-
vious times, all in 1908, Ketchel win
ming the first ten-round encounter
In Milwaukee, while Billy knocked
Ketchel out in the twelfth round at
Los Angeles in the second bout and
Stanley put the German To sleep in
II rounds at San Francisco a little
later. The Colma arena was packed
TO capacity on the afternoon of what
was to be the final contest between
the great middleweightA In the
early rounds the tide OF the battle
favored first one and then the other.
In the twelfth, after being knocked
nearly through the ropes. Papke
made "A great rally and for a minute
or so 1t looked as II he had Stanley
going After the fifteenth both men
slowed down, but in the last two
rounds they slugged violently as,
both trying for a knockout Ketchel
WAS given the decision, but he had
not won 1T by any wide margin, and
many Of the fans thought Billy was
entitled to a draw,
Baseball didn't get much publicity
in the early days, and the first game
which was diguifled by mention IN
print was played In 1853. In that
year the New York Sunday Mercury
and the New York Clipper began 90
sit up and take. notice that there was
such a pastime.
II was Just 65 years ago today, July
s, 1853. that the Knickerbockers and
the Gothaths OF New YORK played
a game which was reported In the
Clipper with tdhulatel score Civ
ing the number Of runs scored by
each player This was the daddy of
the box score Of today, although il
omitted most of the details now nee
essArS, 10 The adequate ouilghteu-
ment of tie fan, The Knicker bckcrs
Of E.r.tH ...t b.. al