New Britain herald., 1928-08-04
Death of Jim Murphy Recalls Baseball History

l With the death of Jim Murphy of
 Plainville, this section lost the last of three colorful individuals who, for several years, owned the New 1 Britain baseball club, the others be- 1 ing Billy Hanna and Dan ONeill. Murphy took the team when en- | thusiasm over the game ran high.
 But baseball management required
 an iron jaw, stern discipline and the
 ability to show recalcitrant players
 their place. Jim Murphy was not of the type who could handle his fel-
 low human beings like numbers on
 payroll. To him they were mem-
 bers of the race, just like himself, and he realized as we'll as anyone
 that the men he was paying to play | baseball were not giving their best | efforts. This, of course, does not
 apply to all the men who wore the ! New Britain uniform but there were 1 several on the team who violated
 every training rule known to exist
 and consequently were not often in 1 the pink of condition.
 Tn an effort to remedy this situ-
 ation, Murphy transferred the 1 teams residence to Plainville so he | could keep an eye on the boys O evenings. But it was physically inn ! possible for him to watch them all
 and their escapades did not con- tribute to the success of the team. Under Billy Hanna's regime the
 New Britain team made q good showing. He was not the man to overlook breaches of discipline. But the players lived in fear of O'Nein,
 who had tongue in his head and could use it like Babe Ruth uses his ash. While O'Neill was owner discipline was vigorously maintain
 ed. Dad mad a deep contempt for cigarettes. He did not object to other forms of smoking but his description of cigarettes was decid- edly lurid.
 When the writer was callow youth, he was official scorer for O'Neill's team. A few days before
 the season opened in 1910, the writ
 CT went to Electric field to watch the players practice. He strolled out
 near home plate while batting prac- tice was in order. A minute later
 he was made aware of O'Neill's presence and of his deadly hatred of cigarettes. O'Neill glowered down on him.
 What's that you've got in your
 mouth ," he asked the scribe. "A cigarette" was the reply,
 Young fellow, now let me tell
 you something" Dan said. T hate cigarettes. So long as own this
 club don't you ever let me see you
 out here smoking those things. | Smoke 'em in the grandstand if you
 wish but don't you ever come out
 on the playing field with one in
 your mouth or in your hand. Do you understand
 The scribe understood.
 Soon after Murphy took over ! the ownership the club began to
 skid. The cash register failed to , tabulate the tintintabulation of the ; coins. Murphy hungon and did his
 best to give the fans run for their
 money but the team was spiritless game started. The fans were loyal and went to the ball yard as long
 as could be expected but the day came when the attendance was small and Murphy gave up, selling out to Luke Sinskie.
 In it's heyday, baseball in NeW
 Britain was sport that pac/cd the stands at Electric field. Intense
 rivalry existed between Hartford and New Britain and the local fans thought their cup of happiness was filled to oyerflowing when the col
 ors of the Capital City aggregation were lowered. Tom Connery, now a l big league scout, was manager
 of the Hartford team about that
 time and the fans delighted in rid
 ing" him and his players who did 1 not take any too kindly to the frank remarks from the bleachers. Jim Clarkin, then owner of the l Hartford club, was never popular in i this city and it is difficult to say
 whether he or Connery took more
 abuse from the ardent home town l rooters.
 The late Dennis O'Keefe attend ! ed most of the games and enjoyed
 poking fun at the visiting players.
 Tom Crook was playing first base
 one day for Bridgeport when ] O'Keefe shouted him: Hey Crook" :"
 Tom looked over to the spot where 1 O'keefe was sitting and replied with a snarl Well, whadda VT want?'
 To which O'Keefe replied: You're
 a Crook by name and crook by nature" This was too much for ! Crook who started on double gal ! lop across the diamond to beat ur
 his tormentor. But calmer heads | prevailed and there was no fight,
 much to the disappointment of the
 fans.
 Murphy tried to introduce Sunday 4 baseball. New Britain fans were
 overwhelmingly in favor of the
 movement but several residents of
 Plainvlle, where Electric field was
 located, objected Murphy announced
 that Sunday game was scheduled, : A short time before the time for
 the contest Deputy Sheriff M. D. { Stockwcll of this city entered the
 gate and declared that no game
 could be played. He explained cour- l teously that he had no personal in- terest in the matter but had been directed by his superior at Hart
 ford to prevent the contest. Murphy
 replied that he had scheduled a | game and 1t would be played. The ] visiting team went 10 bat and the
 New Britain team took the field
 The deputy sheriff went to home
 plate and stood there his position