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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1983-06-29, Page 67Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, June 29, 1983 --Page 15b Murdie pays taxi fare to bring Chin for game... ®from page lab Mr. Murdie who ran the hardware store and a real fan (must have been $0 -years -old at the time) asked if George was coming to play the game. Charlie told him the only way George could come was after class and he would have to be back for class the next morning. Murdie said he would pay for the taxi to bring George and return him. George came and Murdie paid the expense out of his own pocket. The night of the game was warm and radio advertising brought out the fans. It was October but the night was shirt sleeve weather. This game was for all the marbles - a real pitcher's duel. They'd get a run and then Lucknow would get a run. Then about the seventh inning the bottom fell out. Charlie was coaching at third and the score was tied. Lucknow had two out and George came to bat. He hit a long ball out to left field. Now, George was a fast runner and he came right around to third and Charlie waved him in as the left fielder had just retrieved the ball. He made a perfect peg to the plate and got George out. Questions Call Charlie argued a fan had stopped the ball and that was how the fielder had got the ball. Humiliated by it all, Charlie promptly told the umpire off and the ump told Charlie to get back to the bench or he would throw him out of the game. Knowing umpires never their minds, Charlie went back to the bench like a whipped puppy. Lucknow was beaten 2 - 1. Following the game, Luck - now came home and had a big party. The Legion held a banquet and gave the team leather jackets with the Leg- ion fastball crest emblazoned on the front. This ended the first year. By the next year, most towns in the league had imported pitchers. They had the best out of Detroit, Toronto, Osh- awa and Hamilton in this league. Wingham brought in Guy Sparrow, a top notch pitcher from Detroit. Meaford brought in the best out of Hamilton, a pitcher by the name of Johnston and Kin- cardine brought in Bagnell from Oshawa. By this time the teams in western Ontario were bring- ing in the best pitchers in the rovince. Lucknow reached the playoffs every year, but they never won the champ- ionship. Hall pitched for us the first two years and Luke caught one year and Shelly Milley caught one year. The next year Charlie Justice pitched and Milley caught. The fol- lowing year Felix Mann from Buffalo pitched. By this time, expenses were becoming prohibitive and it was time to phase out importing of batteries. For a few years however, Lucknow gave baseball fans the best entertainment. As well, younger players coming on saw a new way of pitching. In the old softball leagues, only underhand pitches were permitted. But fastball al- lowed slingshot, coming from behind the back which gave a faster delivery or windmill by holding the ball in front going right over the shoulder and right around. The windmill proved to be a very fast ball and it was first introduced in this area by Hughie Hall. These two pitches are still used today. Over the years, many Lucknow boys played for the team and Charlie wouldn't attempt to name them all. As well, volunteers supported the team by acting as drivers travelling with the team. Play World Champions Exhibition games were necessary to help defray costs. Teams Lucknow play- ed in exhibition games in- cluded the Tip Top Tailors from Toronto who had won the world championship in Arizona. Charlie Justice and the rest of the team feared Hugh Hall would beat them, so Justice brought only the best of the team to play the exhibition game against Lucknow. They had to guarantee the Tailors $700 or 50 per cent of the gate, whichever was the greatest. Lucknow even took out rain insurance because they had to pay the Tailors from the moment they left Toronto whether they played ball or not. To this day, Charlie doesn't know how many were at the game. Charlie, as an agent for Tip Top Tailors who spon- sored the team, "persuaded the company to donate a man's or lady's tailored suit for a program prize. Two thousand programs were printed and sold for 10c each. Merchants in town took out advertising space on the program to cover the printing costs. The program included the names and positions of the players. There was only one en- trance to the park - at the fair gates. But Charlie knowsas many came in over the park hill and across the field as paid admission at the gate. It was a financial success but the home team lost, which was expected playing a team of that calibre. The following week Luck - now played the Chicago Hottentots, a complete col- oured team and again a very large crowd attended the game. The King and his Court, a four man team which played every year at the Toronto Exhibition also played a game in Lucknow. The King was Eddie Feigner and a four man team from California played behind him. Feigner was a real pro pitcher and the team had three players who could hit and field to back him up. King and His Court Very few teams beat the King and his Court, , but Lucknow did, 3 - 1. The King was upset over the defeat. If Hall made up his mind to pitch, there were few who could equal him. Charlie read an article in Sports Illustrated about Feigner in which he men- tions the few teams who beat , him, but he never mentioned Lucknow. People still talk about the days when the Lucknow fastball team imported black players from Detroit and the crowds on the Caledonian hill were amazing. Together with the Lucknow Legion, Charlie Webster and Bob McIntosh who thought of the idea gave Lucknow and the surround- ing area the chance of a lifetime to see the calibre of ball, the likes of which hasn't been played in Lucknow since. a rite 'Nave aac yawn 125e4 Ebttitetaf ROYAL HOMES Limited BOX 370 WINGHAM NOG 2W0 Arthur St.,Wingham 357-2606 Sales Office -357-2444 CONGRATULATIONS TO LUCKNOW ON YOUR 125TH BIRTHDAY Township of fast Wawanosh Council Officials and Ratepayers GEST WISHES TO OUR NEIGHBOURS IN LUCKNOW Lynn Hoy Enterprises Ltd. Hwy. 86 Wingham 357-3435 Ripley GEST WISHES, LUCKNOW. ON YOUR 12511 BIRTHDAY Ripley Abattoir & Meat Market 395-2905