Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-10-11
CAUGHT TWENTY YEARS
Baseball Fans of Eagle River
Remember Old War Horse
of Balloon on Fortieth
Birthday.


applied to the feminine part of
the man-woman populace, and
some times caused a ruction that
eventually ended in court. Call a
man that, and you were stared at
and out of luck because of the
misapplication.
In celebrating his fortieth birth
anniversary last Wednesday, the
old war-horSe of balloon, Max
Ewald, was remembered by his
many fan friends in Eagle River
by a token of their full apprecia-
ton of his labors for their plea
sures during the twenty years he
has played with the Eagle River
ball team.
With his knotty, gnarled fling
ers, one reads of the energies he
has expended in producing that
brand of fight-energies he has ex-
pended in building that brand
of fighting quality necessary, and
generally used by the ball play
er who is out to win. Max Ewald
always fought to the bitter end
every game he was a principal in.
His hands tell the tale of early
hardships in base ball when the
present catchers's mitt was a crude
affair more for looks than for
use.
Twenty years ago Mr.. Ewald
first started in the ball game. He
tried pitching, then outfield, and
then catching. The latter he
found was his proper place, and
that he was there with bulldog
tenacity all those years behind the
bat, is shown by the injuries he
received. He and Frank Adams
snapped" in pitching in the early
days, and when not in the pitch
er's box he occupied right field
But, when he once started behind
the bat, he never changed TO any
other position.
After Eagle Rivers paid team
lisbanded, just when numbering
interests waned in this section,
the following lineup of about the
first game played is taken from
the News files under date of June
BIRD, 1902. This game was play
ed between the Regulars and the
Buckwheats with the following
lineup of the Regulars.
Louis Morgan, C.
Frank Adams, p.
Bob Persohn, Id,
John Dockery, 20.
Vic Stevens, 30.
Martin Dockery, SIS.
Max Ewald, rf.
Harry Mcintyre, CT.
Percy Morgan, If.
Frank Murphy and Billy Walsh,
subs.
Eagle River trimmed Buckwheat
to the tune of 81 TO 26. Buck
wheat was known as the mill
team from where the Korzilius re-
sort is now located one mile north
of Three Lakes.
Mart Hirzel was the teams man.
ager, and he issued his challenge
little later when they had trim
med Rhinelander by a whale of a
score. Hirzel is claimed TO have
stated that "he challenged the best
teams in the state" This was too
much for the fans, and o. B.
Moon and Ernie Stewart organic
ed a scrub team with the follow
ing lineup:
John Diamond, p.
l.. II. Murray, c.
Francis Colman, 1b.
Fritz Foltz, 30.
]. Hare, %.
George Cavner, CT.
George Hall, IF.
George Steinmetz, If.
RUDE Slattery, SIS.
After a battle royal, the Scrubs
trimmed the Regulars 5 to 8. Lat
er on a challenge was issued by
Hirzel to the Scrubs, and a game
was played on Morgan's sawdust
pile on Aug. 3, 1902. According
to the write-up in the News, the
Scrubs. with the assistance of the
umpires, walked all over the Reg
ulars by a score of IL to 10. The
paper does not give the lineup
of either team, but an old-time
fan states that this was the last
game between the Regulars and
Scrubs. Max Ewald shortly after