The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-07-30

LIE I'LL was -
Billings and Helena supported base
ball teams that cost plenty in dollars.
Butte had two teams, good ball CLUBS,
though they were not MAINTAINED on
as costly a basis as the Billings n
Helena outfits: There was some tax Of
selectivity to insure a good club-one
that would take the brag and starch
out of the rival towns to The east ana
north. There was even talk OF import
ing a battery from the National League,
enthusiasts pointing out that If Blllngs
players, Butte could indulge in grand
larceny and invade the secret precincts
of the "big show"
One Butte fan who had such a poach-
ing complex was Mort Donoghue. MortS
two passions then were baseball n
the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
One Trip, Two Detectives
In June of 1896, Mort rode the steam
cars in an easterly direction. His ticket
read Detroit" where the annual Hi
bernian convention was to take place.
A town named Chicago, situated IN
planned to spend an afternoon and
night in Chicago, enroute to the con-
vention.
His Chicago afternoon was spent
watching the PhillieS and Cubs OF the
National league play at the old West
0lQc pd1h. tN11dG 4N4O1 SAo o4Aeo .
is his business.
Big Ed Delehanty was playing in the
Philadelphia outfield. Ed who wound
up his career with a grand batting
average of .346 owe a 15-year stretch,
had been a victim of a batting slump
of Ed getting the Philadelphia bounce.
Ders Lucky Day =,
Maybe Del was informed that Mort
Donoghue was in the stands. Anyway,
in that contest, Delehanty wrote base
ball history with his four home runs
The quartet of four-ply blows silenced
all talk of tying a can to the elder
of three ball playing brothers.
There wasn't a fan in the stands
who was more enthusiastic about the
Delehanty performance than MI. Don;
in a Butte uniform. He imagined n
the home run hitter would do against
Helena and Billings pitchers. His i'm
agination revealed a shower of home
runs.
That night Mort wired to friends in
the old home town. He sent a long
telegram about Del and his home runs
and suggested that he be empowered
to sign Delehanty to play for Butte.
"Please send okay by fast wire" was
the last sentence of the telegram.
One friend sent a wire reply as fol-
"Delehanty would cost too much
period wouldn't the big leagues raise
hell if we signed him?"
Mining City Enthusiastic
Donoghue'S enthusiasm wasn't Stilled
when he got the telegram. The picture
of Delehanty sending out a -volley Of
home runs was still fresh In his mlnd.
He wired:
"Delehanty is only. getting eighteen
hundred per annum from Philadelphia
period am sure can get him for five
hundred a month period I can raise
that sum on Park street in ten minutes
period W WI ! sign Pc hn11 SZ;t bef fSe
big league, let's get a ball player"
The Butte teams didn't merge. Dele
hanty wasn't signed. Mort returned
from the Hibernian meeting. His re-
port to the lodge members on the
R t! convention tsnort was St. a 6% as1ssr1ptiy,e
home run act. Del went on to lead
the league with a batting average over
400, for his paltry salary of $1,000
per annum.
Butte Bid for Star
The following. year when the calen-
the Rockies" Butte baseball plans were
shaping. A fan named Donoghue went
from store to store with a petition de-
manding that the Butte club hire a
person named Delehanty who knew
how to manufacture home runs from
pitched balls. It took less than no time
to get Butte merchants to sign their
John Hancock's to the petition. The
amounts each would pony up added into
heavy money.
Some good came from the offer
for the ball player, Delehanty was wired
an offer, 5000 per month. Del used
that offer to make the Philadelphia
club come cross with more jack. His
salary for 1897 was pushed up the
fabulous sum of $4,000 per annum. If
that t! figure wasn't 2 new high h1at Tor ia a
high, at least, for an outer gardener
on the PhillieS payroll.
Still Donoghue's No. l
Years come and go. Mort Donoghue's