Sweet Silly Sadie
NW Okie's grandpa, Wm. J. "Bill" McGill, played professional baseball in the early 1900's. Doing research in old newspaper archives, we found this mention in The Wichita Beacon, dated 15 April 1909, Thursday, page 7: "Are Practicing Team Work Today," as Manager Holland was giving regulars their first instructions. "Dad McGill had signed a Wichita contract - Richter and Bailey go to Enid - both were thought to make good there.
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Manager Holland started out on a new line of work with his baseball squad that morning (4/15/1909). He took up team practice and inside baseball, and would drill his regulars in that style of play from then on until the opening of the season two weeks hence.
Holland had been waiting for his pitchers to get into condition before he commenced this work, but the persistency with which the cold weather was hanging on, had prompted him to go ahead with it anyway. He realized that the twirlers were working under a handicap in trying to get their arms in shape in such temperature as that which had prevailed that spring, and did not expect them to show what they could do until it got considerably warmer than it had been to date.
As a student of the inside points of the game, Wichita's manager had few superiors in minor league baseball. It was because his teams played the game that they had won in the past, and it was the inside ball that had given Wichita teams, which were made up of players of only ordinary ability, credit for being the luckiest organizations in the circuit. It was usually a case of outgeneraling the opposition.
Holland believed that his team was now about as it would start the season. There possibly would be some additions to the pitching staff, and it was not known which of the four outfielders would start the championship race on the bench. It would depend chiefly upon which three were in the best condition.
McGill Now a Jobber
"Dad" McGill joined the local squad that morning. McGill was the big pitcher who formerly played with and was a student at Friends University. Since then he had played with the Austin, Texas, league team, the St. Louis Nationals and the Enid Western Association team. He pitched for a couple of weeks for Wichita in 1905, but was too young at the game then to show class. It was believed that he had some good pitching in his right arm, and he is confident that he can win tor the Hollanders. He had been trying for two weeks to land a job here, and finally succeeded in getting his release so he could become a member of the Jobber staff.
"Dutch" Richter and "Bill" Bailey go Enid as a result of the McGill and Westerzill acquisition. Both ought to make good in the Western association, for both are above the average for that class. Holland would keep his eye on both of them, and would be ready to put in a draft for both, should they develop into as good men as they not give promise of being. Enid was weak at third and Richter would fill a big hole there.
Good Night! Good Luck!
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