The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-05-25
California Max ImproDing
LAUDER'SDEMISE RECALLS MEMORIES
 OF CONTESTS HERE
Harry Durant's Star of 30 Years Past Called to His Reward in N0rwalk - Career Was COlOrf1l

william (Bniy) Lauder, who pastimed with Harry Durants Yale Law School team here thirty some years ago, was laid to rest yesterday in Union cemetery, Nor walk, after 54 summers, many of which were marked by his mete- oric baseball career.
 Billy was known and highly re- spected by a generation of major league fans and college players whom he uttered, his career carry ing in from the Brown college nine and the old Connecticut League to the rank of third baseman with the New York Giants and later the Philadelphia Phillies. Following his retirement from active play ne coached at Williams, Columbia ana Yale.
 He had always been a consist ent player, but never a brilliant one. He broke into the majors in 1901 batting .239 his first year. He and his brother, George, put base- ball on the map in Norwich and frequently played in Waterbury with Harry Durant's nine. Durant, as many old-timers will recall. or- ganized the Connecticut League in 1894, and was instrumental in en- couraging Billy to enter Brown where for four years he was E member of the team which ranked first in the Eastern section.
 Tn the national intercollegiate series, held in Chicago for two years, Brown represented the East and Chicago U., under A1onzo Stagg, the west. Lauder was on both these Brown teams which won the nearest approach to a United States Intercollegiate championship played.
 Lauder's performances here were generally on the grounds south or the car barns. known in those days. as the old Monitor Grounds. Old timers will remember him pastim- ing with Rev William J. Fox. Dan. fel o'Neill, a Holyoke attorney at baseman then, Midget" Murphy. went to the Giants, Bergin, who caught on with Brooklyn, the late Judge Hubert o. Bowers of Man. chester who worked on the mound and Fritz Klobedanz of this city, who later went into the big tent with the Boston Nationals.
 He was one of the most genial players whoever graced diamond and was 8 most personal friend of Dr John Freney and the late Frank F. Becton. Critics hailed him as one of the fastest men in fielding q bunt. Local performers of those days will recall the famous Waterbury Meriden games and will undoubtedly chuckle when they tell how followers of each team always went to the ball parks with plenty of rocks in their pockets.
 Lauder's career on the Giants was national history. He was hard hitting, clever fielding third baseman with a wonderful throw ing arm, much of the Joe Dugan general type of player.
 He coached Williams College ana Columbia University several years, following his league career. which coverv of Eddie Collins, a school boy in Greater New York, in Hudson River preparatory school institution, injected that player in- to intercollegiate baseball. Collins made Columbia a headliner in col lege baseball for two years. It IS oidtime baseball gossip that Lau- der is believed to have been re- sponsible for Collins playing in Rockville, in the summer of 1s06' when strong rivals hines were de. yeloped between Rockville and South Manchester. In mid-season, Billy Lush, then Yale coach. acting as agent for Connie Mack, induced Collins, then at Rockville, to sign with the Philadelphia Athietics, paving his way to a wonderIui professional career. not yet endeo.
 Lauder was baseball coach at Yale in 1917 and 1919. He de- veloped strong teams, considering the World War conditions that prevailed.
 Lauder had resided at his home in South Norwalk since his retire ment. He had been in ill-healtn for more than a year.