This Page is part of the Allegany County, New York GenWeb site.

Baseball in Allegany County

The Baseball Song by W. J. Bullock, 1874


Base Ball On The Brain

First Game of the “Athletics,” of Cuba

Regulation Base Ball” is raging all over the country. Nearly every village in the land has its “Club.” Every man, woman and child has base ball on the brain. It is so conducive to health! There is so much excitement--so much amusement about the game. Playing it expands the lungs, enlarges the muscles, strengthens the sinews, and, although it occasionally gives one a black eye or a bloody nose, still it carries the mind back to the athletic sports of ancient Greece!

Cuba has caught the fever. Geo. Swift and Ed. Hunt have spread the “disease” all over the village. Everybody is a ballist! You inquire the price of mackeral at a grocery, and the polite clerk is as apt to say “tip the ball” as ten cents. You ask a young lady how many breadths there are in her dress, and then chances to one she will reply, “sixty feet between bases!”--We heard of one man who went into one of our drug stores teh otehr day and ordered a box of pills. The attentive clerk inquired of him what kind he would have. “O, no matter” was the reply; “any kind for 'a home run.'” He got 'em! Since then he has been inquiring for “short stops,” and takes them from the “pitcher”!

The Cuba Club has not had the practice that many other Clubs have; but the members are in a fair way to become experts--in time. They apply themselves so assiduously to work (play, we mean) that they can hardly “pitch” out o' beds o' mornings, on account of stiff joints. They played thir first regulation game Saturday evening. Everybody played that had a mind to. Our jolly friend E. Hunt, Esq., seated on teh axe-box, acted as Umpire, and was “monarch of all he surveyed,” although his “right” was often disputed by oursiders who never had played the game. When Mr. Hunt called out “Foul,” everybody soon learned to yeall “Fow-owl-l”, also! This showed conclusively that the members of the Club were fast learning the game!--While the game was progressing, Dr. Parker took a “fly” in good style. The fly was buzzing around the Doctor's nose, evidently thinking it could “fool old Parker” but it couldn't! A. L. Gregory, on first base, received a ball (from the batman's club) which came very near “putting him out.” Lawton, as pitcher, made some fine “catches.” He was seen to catch a whole handful of turf. when he couldn't catch the ball he done some long reaching in its direction! In pitching he showed superior science. On several occasions he pitched the ball with such a peculiar twist that the batman could not begin to hit it--nor the catcher catch it. In fact, he pitched it clear over the fence! H. A. Mead, Esq., entered into the game with all the zest of those younger, and “made time” round the bases with the best. Eason and Winsor rushed to the front like whirlwinds, "coming up to the scratch" in good order. Occasionally one would forget himself, and, to put another out, would ssend the hard, heavy ball against an opponent with a force taht would cause the recipient to “double up like a jack-knife” When a person got tired, he laid down in the shade and rested. but we cannot particularize all nor chornicle all teh fine playing that was done. It is sufficent to say that the first game of the Cuba Base Ball Club was played--after a sort--and at its conclusion all made “home runs.”

But the boys are gaining on it. they are getting used to the rules and getting over being sore, and they feel confident of being able before the season is over of holding their own with any Club in this section.

[Source: The Cuba True Patriot, Vol. VI, No. 2, July 5, 1867]


Saturday Afternoon, August 11th, at the Olean Driving Park, the Bolivar and the Belmont base ball clubs, will cross bats for $100 a side. -- The Democrat, Olean, New York, July 31, 1883, p. 8


The Hinsdale base ball club played the Cuba club at the latter's grounds Saturday afternoon and defeated the Cubans by a score of 31 to 21. The Hinsdale boys made 10 scores in their last inning, but so demoralized the Allegany county leek-diggers that they refused to take up the bat again. The Cuba folks undertook to bullrage and hoodoo the Hinsdale boys in great shape, but that did not prevent the home team from getting rattled and beaten.

The second nine of Hinsdale also went to Cuba the same day and played the second nine there, the game resulting in a score of 16 to 13, in favor of the Hinsdales. -- The Olean (New York) Democrat, August 18, 1887, p. 8



The Fillmore base ball club played the Caneadea club here Sunday. Fillmore beat the local team. We understand one of the Caneadea boys sprained his ankle.



Cuba Wins Championship of Allegany County Baseball League

Double Victory Over Shinglehouse Decides As Wellsville Splits

Riding the crest of league-leadership ball for all but two short weeks during the entire season, Cuba today is the championship club of the Allegany County Baseball League.

Defeating the 1929 champions two games over the week-end while Wellsville split a pair of games with Bolivar, gave the Cubanites an edge of the close of the regular schedule Sunday.

Childs Is Star

Shinglehouse bowed to the Lake aggregation Saturday 13 to 3 and on Sunday 13 to 11 Childs was credited with the first win and shared the honors of the Sunday victory with Guild.

Wellsville defeated Bolivar 9 to 0 on Saturday but lost the Sunday game by a 5 to 4 count. Franklinville split with Belmont, losing Saturday 15 to 3 but winning Sunday 9 to 8 in 14 innings.

Enter Eliminations

In winning the league championship Cuba now enters the elimination series for the New York State championship which series is prompted by the New York State Newspaper Suburban Baseball Club.

The champions took the zip out of the 1929 champs Saturday when they pounded four Shinglehouse pitchers for 13 base hits and came back Sunday to defeat Schlosser with 11 hits while the Franz' aggregation collected 12 singles.

Franz Clan Subdued

Childs pitched masterful ball on Saturday and held the Shinglehouse team to five scattered hits which netted three runs. After turning in his sensational performance the Cuba mound ace came back Sunday to relieve Guild for another victory.

The box scores:

ShinglehouseABRBHPOAE
Lunn, r.f.-3b.624000
El. Cornelius, 2b221420
Nichols, s.s. - 3b222130
McDonald, 1g411701
Schlosser, p.514141
Foote, c.300400
Dynes, c.f.300300
Creots, l.f.300300
Stisser, 3b-s.s.420422
Ed. Cornelius, r.f.000000
Totals33101227114
CubaABRBHPOAE
Malyas, 2b.-c402120
Hamel, 3b642010
Dexter, l.f.531300
Law, 1b.4121700
R. Guild, s.s.511121
Merritt, c.f.500200
Childs, r.f.p.423111
Eldridge, c. 2b.521330
W. Guild, p.400020
Totals42131227112
Cuba213200113
Shinglehouse330012011

Two base hits, Nichols, Schlosser; three base hits, Lunn, McDonald, Law; home run, Law; double plays, Shinglehouse 6-1 1-3; left on bases, Shinglehouse 8, Cuba 9; STruck out by Schlosser 2, Childs 3: hits off Schlosser in 7 innings 12; off W. Guild in 1 1/2 innings 4; off Childs in 8 1/2 innings 8, winning pitcher, Childs, losing pitcher, Schlosser; umpire Bridenbaker; time of game 2:45.

Saturday's Game

R H E
  Shinglehouse	000	300 	000 -->  3   5   0
  Cuba..........  243	030	01x --> 13  17   0
       Batteries:  Shinglehouse, Hand, Ball, Lunn, Wilcox and Dibble; Cuba, Childs and Matylas. 	 	
  
Totals
BolivarABRBHPOAE
Kroh, 1b420800
Goodrich, 2b412210
Donnelly, 3b422100
Cady, c.402700
Fox, s.s.400010
Gibbons, lf401100
Smith, cf401100
Miller, rf400200
Jordon, p.4012100
Totals335827120
WellsvilleABRBHPOAE
Wilbur, 3b402321
Baker, 2b300430
Hollod, lf200001
Kent, 1b400800
Gardner, p. rf.412120
Knorr, ss401120
Simmons, cf.311100
Kump, rf300000
Knowles, p.100130
Monroe, c.422800
324827162
  By Innings:
  Bolivar..........000 103 100  --- 5
  Wellsville ......001 012 000  --- 4
  

Two base hit, Donnelly; three base hits, Donnelly, Cady; home run, Simmons; stolen bases, Kroh, Wilbur; sacrifices, Cady, Baker 2, Hollod; left on bases, Wellsville 7, Bolivar 4; base on bolls, off Perkins 2; struck out, by Gardner 5, by Knowles 2, by Perkins 6; hits off Gardner 7 in 6 innings, off Knowles 1 in 3 innings, off Jordon 8 in 9 innings; hit by pitcher, by Jordon, Simmons; winning pitcher, Perkins; losing pitcher, Gardner; umpire, Ahern.

Saturday's Game

  Wellsville......... 000 200 007 -- 9  15  2
  Bolivar ........... 000 000 000 -- 0   5  3
    Batteries:  Wellsville, Knowles and Peterson; Bolivar, Perkins and Hunt.
Totals
FranklinvilleABRBHPOAE
Duroso, 2b723420
B. Bordeaux, 1b5001120
A. Breton, ss704031
Benjamin, 3b704031
Randall, cf701300
P. Bordeaux, lf723310
Gile, c.723310
M. Smith, rf711500
Briggs, p.712020
Totals5191942112
BelmontABRBHPOAE
W. Dyke, lf702000
Kurtz, 2b500350
Cline, rf733400
Potter, 3b713012
Horner, c.7021311
Snyder, cf311300
J. Frungello211100
T. Dyke, 1b7111420
O. Frungello, s.711242
Hall, p.603230
5881742165

  zSnyder for Hall in 14th.
  zz J. Frungello for Snyder in 8th.

Score by innings:

  Franklinville--
  Franklinville... 100 200 211 000 02--9
  Belmont......... 100 420 000 000 01--8
  

Two-base hits, Breton, Potter, W. Dyke, T. Dyke, Cline; three-base hits, Gile, Duruso; home runs, Potter, J. Frungello; stolen bases, Cline, Horner; sacrifices, B. Bordeaux 2; double plays, Frungello to Kurtz to Dyke; left on bases, Franklinville 12, Belmont 13; base on balls, off Briggs 2; struck out, by Briggs 13, by Hall 11, by Snyder 2; hits off Hall 17 in 13 innings, off Snyder 2 in 1 inning, off Briggs, 17 in 14 innings; hit by pitcher, by Briggs (Kurtz); winning pitcher, Briggs; losing pitcher, Snyder; umpire Mullin.

Saturday's Game

  Belmont..........  300 103 221 -- 15 13 1
  Franklinville....  100 100 001 --  3  7  6
  
  Batteries: Belmont, Hall and Horner; Franklinville, Stearns, Benjamin, A. Breton and J. Breton.

The league standings:

W. L. Pet.
  Cuba....................22	 8	.733
  Wellsville..............19	10	.655
  Shinglehouse............18	12	.600
  Belmont.................15	14	.517
  Franklinville........... 8	21	.276
  Bolivar................. 7	22	.241
  

Source: The Olean Herald, Olean, New York, August 18, 1930, p. 9


Present Cuba Award To Alfred Knowles

Wellsville, Aug. 18 -- Alfred "Peanut" Knowles, Sinclair moundsman, was presented with a handsome living cup Sunday as the reward offered to the best all round player on the Wellsville team this season.

The cup which was offered by Coville's jewelry store was presented by Albert W. Huseby, president of the Sinclair Athletic Association. Knowles was voted most valuable Sinclair player by patrons of the Wellsville-Belmont game here last Thursday.

Source: The Olean Herald, Olean, New York, August 18, 1930, p. 9



Friendship Baseball Club Elects

Friendship. Preparatory to the beginning of activities of the training season, members of the Friendship Baseball Club, and some fifteen local fans held a meeting and election of officers in the Town Hall.

Earl A. JORDAN, last year's manager of the Club, was re-elected to succeed himself in office for the coming season, with Paul T. SIMPSON, captain; Leon F. STEVENS, treasurer and Fred F. WILCOX, director.

Director Wilcox will represent the local club at the spring meeting of the Allegany County Octagon League, to be held in Wellsville, during the week of April first. The Club was a member of the League, last season, with baseball teams from Angelica, Andover, Belfast, Richburg, Ceres and Wellsville.

At their first gathering of the season, the Club voted to build a new diamond. The site selected is on North Branch Street, on the Mrs. Mary I. Renwick lot, which is a former site of the local baseball diamond a quarter of a century ago. The field is excellently adapted for use as a ball field, and operations will be begun as soon as weather conditions permit. Last season, the Club had the use of the high school athletic field to the rear of the Friendship Central School.

Source: Times Herald, Olean, New York, March 27, 1936, p. 16

Cuba Youth Signs 1950 Oiler Pact

The arrival of snow and action on the baseball front coincided here today.

The Olean Oilers have announced the acquisition of their first player for the 1950 season and reliable sources reveal that other players are likely to be signed.

Roger Swift of Cuba has been signed to a 1950 contract, and will report to the Oiler training base at Hershey, Pa. April 10.

He played four years of scholastic baseball with the Cuba Central School team as well as two years of semi-pro ball. last season he went south to St. Louis Cardinal minor league base at Albany, Ga. He was assigned to the Hamilton Cards of the PONY League but lost out to All-Star shortstop George Kremer.

He weighs 175, stands 6'1" and bats and throws right handed.

Source: Time Herald, Olean, New York, January 7, 1950, p. 2


Jokes

Difference between a girl and a bad base ball batter - one bangs her hair, and the other bangs the air.


Allegany Co. NY History
Allegany Co. NY GenWeb

Created on ... August 08, 2006

© Vivian Karen Bush 2006
This page is part of the Allegany County, New York GenWeb Site and is not affiliated with any other society or organization.
Artwork: Baseball Players Practicing, 1875
by Thomas Eakins
Courtesy of CGFA