Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-04-13

While publicity bureaus. enthusi-
astic residents and advertising
agencies are offering all sorts of in
ducements to live in Maine and
eventually be full fledged member
of the Three-quarters Century Club
there is a gentleman out on the
west coast who, despite the fact
that he has given up his residence
in the Pine Tree state, is still boost
ing this state as section that turns
out baseball players and coaches to
make their name in the world.
Willlie Clark, known and respect
ed throughout the western part of
Calvin Coolidge's reservation as a
sort Of miracle man, as far as pro-
ducing pennant-winning ball clubs
is concerned. is distinctly a product
of Maine. He completed his course
at the University of Maine in the
year of 1900 and after his gradua-
ton from the Pale Blue Institution
he launched on professional career
that landed him from Providence,
Birmingham, Toledo and Lincoln to
the Washington Senators.
Eventually, as the majority of us
do, Clark drifted back into his old
haunts around the State of Maine.
At various times he handled the
baseball teams of the University OF
Maine, Colby and the Bar Harbor
semi-professionai club. And the
best part of it was that he really
handled them. Under his guidance.
Maine celebrated thinning 7-6
victory over Harvard and the same
club also helped itself to the Maine
State title. While at, Bar Harbor,
Wilkie had club that contained
enough baseball talent to throw the
fear Of severe drubbing into the
hearts of the majority of Maine
teams. which We're pastiming
through the Pine Tree State at that
time. and there were some good
clubs wearing spangles for Maine
towns during that period. After the
death of his father in the east, Will
kie made his way back to the Pa
clf1c coast; he took hold of the base
ball team from Occidental College
ana boosted them to a team with
an average of 800 before the end
OF the season. Last year he pushed
them up to position where they
were unanimously considered as the
champions of the southwest, and
according to the Los Angeles Times
the baseball fans are backing him
to their last dollar to repeat his per-
Torrance.
Coaching such teams as the Uni.
versity of Maine, University Of Mich
tganl Colby and Occidental Colleges
and having travelled enough to for
get Maine half dozen times, yet
Wilkie still boosts the state that
gave him his start and the college
that gave him his diploma and
should therefore in addition to being
a champion builder of teams, be
ranked as one of the champion
boosters of the Pine Tree state,
The following paragraphs from
the sporting columns of the Los An
geles Times will be Of interest to
Wilkes many friends and admirers
in this state:
''Wilkie Clark, former major and
minor league baseball player, col
lege baseball coach, big league
scout, lumberman, hunting and fish.
ing guide, woodsman and surveyor,
could but does not boast of his va
ried and colorful career. He Is at
present baseball coach at Occidental
College.
His habit is turning out cham
pionship college mines, but aside
from that he has done such things
as sleeping for six years. nights only,
on a bed Of .boughs while in the
Maine woods. He has mastered the
of Maine with its l4OO
lakes to such an extent that he is
one of the foremost guides in that
section and when not engaged by
his lumber interests or coaching du-
ties is hunting and fishing or lead
ing parties through the Maine
woods in search, almost invariably |
fruitful, of the wild game of the /
Clark has the happy faculty. alb !
sent in most coaches in college !
ranks, of developing his players |
along the line most adaptable to the !
That is to say he is real |
ly qualified as coach. College |
baseball has been unfortunate In |,
having many mediocre mentors. A |
former major or minor league play |
Or takes over a team and tries to |
teach his men to play in the same
form the coach employed while act
I've himself.
Playing in the Southern League
with Birmingham, he caught 121
games in one season and batted 30
the aid of the present-day
lively ball. In addition, he was sec-'
'nd highest man in the club with