100 years ago: Ministers and newspapermen to meet on baseball diamond
From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for June 14, 1913:
“There have been ball games and ball games, and there are going to be many more, but the one which has been scheduled for next Monday night at Woodland Park will never be duplicated again in the future and no such contest has ever been seen in the past, for on Monday night the ministers of Lawrence will forsake their pulpits and their studies and go forth to meet the vacationing members of the newspaper fraternity of Lawrence. That’s what it’s all about — Newspapers vs. Ministers, Baseball, Monday at 4:30 p.m. at Woodland Park, admission 10 cents. Yes, the ministers and the newspaper men are going to stage a real ball game, the rules of the national commission will be in operation, the umpire is to be absolute dictator, all disputes will be settled by Sheriff W. J. Cummings and Chief-of-police E. E. Meyers, order will be maintained by a squad of police and deputy sheriffs, ice cold soda pop will be dispensed but it shall be illegal to heave a bottle at any one but a deputy sheriff, and in every way it is guaranteed that this affair shall be as far removed from a World’s Championship contest as possible…. To be sure, it is going to be great sport for the participants, but they have a very legitimate excuse for their seeming rashness — it is to be in a good cause, the receipts to go into the fund to provide for a visiting nurse for Lawrence…. The preachers and members of the press have been busy today planning for this big event of the baseball season, and they are going to be a disappointed lot if the population of Lawrence doesn’t turn out for the occasion. Every person who shows up at the gate will be assured double his money’s worth in sport and then, just look what a worthy cause they are giving to. Nothing like it has ever been seen in fandom and the public is warned not to miss it…. Hon. J. D. Bowersock, that veteran enthusiast who knows all about every line of sport, has consented to act as umpire. Mr. Bowersock stated today that he was once an umpire about thirty years ago but that he had forgotten very much about the game. However, he is still confident that he knows more about the game than any of the contestants…. Mr. Bowersock will give bond that his decisions will be absolutely impartial, in fact, he is afraid to do otherwise. If he favors the ministers the newspapers will go after him in this world and the ministers will see to it that he suffers in the next should he give the press the best of it…. The preachers have announced what they claim to be a star line-up, an aggregation of veterans of the diamond, somewhat the worse for long idleness but still in the game. They are even threatening to shut out the editors entirely. However, the Press aggregation has nothing to fear, unless it will be arrest for committing the most unmerciful slaughter ever seen on a baseball diamond.”