Volume 9 , Issue 32

Grandpa Bill & Baseball In Oklahoma

We were searching through The Oklahoman's archives this week and found some baseball articles dating back to 1908 which mentioned our grandpa Bill McGill (a tall, lefthanded, fast pitcher in the early 1900's).

In an article dated 8/19/1908, The Oklahoman. pg 9, we found the headlines where Enid Loses Long Game to Joplin -- McGill Holds Fillman Tribe Safe for Seventeen Long Innings. Seventeen Innings? WOW!

It seems that when Grandpa McGill came back from playing in the Major league in 1907 with the St. Louis Browns, one of the Oklahoma teams he played for was the Enid (Oklahoma) Railroaders, a baseball team in 1908. Below is the 8/19/1908 article.

Enid, Okla., Aug. 18 (1908) -- "A Brilliant 17 inning game was won by Joplin today on an error. McGill pitched all the way through for Enid and was invincible after the third. Joplin took Quiescer out in the eleventh and put in Pollard. Enid's four scores were made in the fourth by Sheldon, who duplicated his feat of Sunday by putting the ball over the fence when three men were on bases."

The Enid players were: Wilhite, 1b; Runkle, 3b; W. Frantz, ss; Middleton, 2b; J. Frantz, rf; Brooks, lf; McGill, p; H. Allen, c; Ashley. The Joplin players were: Fillman, 3b; Wanner, 2b; Cobb, rf; Reed, 1b; Murray, cf; Persch, lf; Ragan, ss; Harrington; Pollard, p; Quiesser, p.

In another news article dated 9/11/1908, The Oklahoman, page 10, the headlines continued: Railroaders Win Real Live Game -- McGill Pitches Good Ball While McClintock Is Knocked Out.

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The news article goes on to state, "Beat the tom-toms, clash the cymbals, and kick the cow. Enid won the last game by a score of 5 to 4. Persons inclined to be mean might say Enid didn't win it, that the Mets lost it, but who cares about that.

Why not let "Parson" Frantz float out of town in the mellow glow of pious achievement and with the halo of victory resting on his classic brow? Anyone who isn't willing to do this much isn't fired with the noble sentiment of poetic justice and, what's more, is no sport.

The game was as lively and interesting as a mouse at a meeting of the ladies aid society. The Mets got an unearned score in the first when Wilhite made an excusable error on Jones' throw to catch Goes and McCormick made his customary two-base hit. In the third they polled two more on three hits, a base on balls and Brooks' error in left.

At that stage of the game nobody would have bet a cent to a dollar on Enid. McClintock seemed to be in a good way and had retired the Enid crew in order, fanning three of them. But in the fourth there was a big disturbance.

Runkle, first to face McClintock in the fourth inning hit the first ball pitched for a clean single over second. McClintock possibly had visions of a no-hit game and apparently felt hurt. At any rate he gave Jones a base on balls. Manager Frantz was next up and just to show how a manager ought to perform, biffed a stupendous two-bagger to right center, scoring Runkle and Jones.

Isbell took the cue and hit the safe spot between first and second, and Brooks was not to be outdone and carromed one over second, scoring Frantz. Joe Frantz bunted and McClintock threw the ball to third to catch Isbell and Emory -- missed it, though he might not have gotten the runner anyway.

With nobody out, three runs in and three men on bases, McClintock was whistled in and Clarence Nelson took up the burden. He hadn't warmed up and made a wild pitch scoring Isbell, but retired to the side without any more runs, which was doing well.

Rapps tied up the score in the sixth by a two-bagger and some excellent base running, and the spectators thought the Mets would pull out, but the thought was a mistake.

Neither side could score until the first of the ninth when Bill White threw crooked to first to catch McGill and the tall pitcher took third while Rapps hunted for the sphere in the weeds. Wilhite had already gone out and Allen got hit but not a hit.

Runkle popped a foul to Kelsey and it was up to "Tex" Jones. "Tex" had just been fined $5 for talking back to Shuster and was mad about it. By way of venting he smashed a single over second, scoring McGill.

The Mets could do nothing in their half, and Enid sacked up it's bats in a surprised way and asked each other how it happened. Just to be fair, McGill deserved to win this game, after the onslaught on McClintock.

Frantz' bunch only got three hits off Nelson in the six innings he pitched and probably he would have won if he had had the whole of it. You never can tell, though. It's ladie day and the rejuvenated Hutchinson crew today. The Salt-packers beat Wichita yesterday and the Mets will have to get on their toes."
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