1909 Indianapolis A.B.C.s

A Calendar, Including Newspaper Clippings, of the 1909 Indianapolis A.B.C.s

1909 Indianapolis A.B.C.s

Stories are placed in order of the date they appeared.

February 27, 1909

Chicago, IL
"RAN BUTLER PLEADS GUILTY. - A.B.C.s Baseball Team Owner Confesses Terrible Crime. - With handcuffs tightly clasped, Ran Butler, owner of the A. B. C. baseball team, was dragged to his home by two city patrolmen last week. Butler was quietly seated in his saloon in West Fiftieth street thinking over the future prospects of his fast team, when he was suddenly pounced upon by the police in whose district Ran's place of business is located. Again his will he was forced to leave his place and go with the police. With tears flowing down his cheeks, pleading for his wife and children, saying that he did not know whaf thev would do for the necessities of life if he were placed in jail, Butler was seen mournfully bidding his bartender farewell. He was taken to his home, where his wife, praised the Police for capturing her husband, and asked that they do all in their power to force him to plead guilty of being 50 years old. On his arrival home Mr. Butler was surprised by a large number of friends and relatives from all over the citv who were assembled in honor of his fiftieth birthday. Speechless and dumbfounded he stood, his tears of sorrow turning into those of joy. The house was decorated in a tasteful manner, and a large bell on which hung fifty small ones swung overhead in the center of the parlor. Everything imaginable to eat satisfied the palate in the dining-room, in which stood a well-filled and beautifully arranged table. Speeches of congratulation were made and an enjoyable time was had. Though the affair was for the men folks, several of their wives occupied the rear rooms. Pipes and small jugs tied with blue ribbons were given the guests as souvenirs."

March 6, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"The Indianapolis team will travel 8,071 miles this year."

"If it had been left to the mayor of Indianapolis, we would have had Sunday baseball."

"The A.B.C. squad is getting together and it is expected that there will be a lot of new material to try out when the weather will allow spring practice."

April 3, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"Owen Bush, of last year's Indianapolis team, will succeed Shortstop O'Learyu, of the Tigers."

"Elmer Grimes, who fights at 112 to 118 pounds, has arrived at French Lick, Indiana from the South. Kid Chenault, an ex-A.B.C. backstop, will put Grimes in active training in a few days, and expects to develop his student into a top-notcher. He has the punch and is a clever boxer. Both Grimes and the Kid say that they will meet all comers."

April 9?, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"Indianapolis lost its first exhibition game to Philadelphia by a score of 4 to 3, but won the second, 4 to 1."

April 11, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"The A.B.C.s and the T.T.s will clash tomorrow in a double-header at Northwestern baseball park. This will be the first of the games to be played at the park."

May 2, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"A.B.C.s Divided with Danville, Illinois Unions - Ranites Win First Game, but Visitors Take Second by a Score of 7 to 5, with S. Johnson in the Box. - Five hundred fans saw the A.B.C.s and the Danville, Illinois Unions break even in a double header Sunday afternoon at Northwestern Park. Talbott pitched the first game and won it by a score of 5 to 2. Talbott the visitors four taps and made several good plays. While the Ranites made five runs the Illinois boys were credited to the same number of errors, which accounted for their poor showing. Talbott fanned eight men and walked but one. Griff pitched the second game, but couldn't win. L. Johnson pitched for the Unions and seized the game by a score of 7 to 5. Johnson is an old A.B.C. star and worked earnestly to show the locals that he was as strong against them as he was when with them. The Unions found Griff for seven hits, but the little pitcher, with the smile, never lost his head. With five errors marked against the visitors, the localites should have won this game. The A.B.C.s played good ball, but luck was against them in the second game. Only four times did the home boys misjudge the sphere, while the visitors lost heads on ten different occasions. Lolla played first base and held it down without a single bad play, while his opponent lost his grip for more errors than the A.B.C.s made in both games. The games at the park are now beginning to take on class and the Ranites are determined to hold their own with all comers."

"The A.B.C. Base Ball Club, Ran Butler, Proprietor. - Northwestern Park. Games played at home and abroad. We bar no good team. Correspondence solicited. Address, 462 W. 15th Street, Ran Butler, Indianapolis, Indiana."

May 9, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"Wet Grounds. - The A.B.C. - Atkins game was not played Sunday on account of rain. The Atkins are the fastest players in the State of the white semi-professionals."

May 13, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"A.B.C.s Win and Lose. - Rain Prevents Third Game with the New York Cuban Giants. - The Cuban Giants were defeated in the first game of a series of three games that had been scheduled to be played with the A.B.C.s. The score was 7 to 3. Talbott pitched a splendid article of ball, allowing the visitors four scattered hits. The best the Giants could do was to score in the second and fifth innings. Both teams played fast ball."

May 14, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"Friday's game went to the New Yorkers with ease, by a score of 9 to 2. Higbee pitched for the local boys."

May 15, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"Wet grounds prevented the Saturday game from being played."

May 22, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"Rain prevented the playing of the A.B.C. - St. Louis Black Sox, Saturday."

May 25?, 1909

West Baden, IN
"A.B.C.s Beat Sprudels. - West Baden, Indiana. - The A.B.C.s of Indianapolis defeated the West Baden Sprudels in the opening game of the series 9 to 3. Batteries - Sprudels, Lyons, and Gordon; A.B.C.s Higbee and Knight."

May 23, 1909

Newcastle, IN
"Newcastle Defeats A.B.C.s. - Newcastle, Indiana. - Newcastle shut out the A.B.C. colored team in a game Sunday afternoon. Lacey featured for the locals by striking out twelve men. Newcastle 4, A.B.C.s 0."

June 11, 1909

West Baden, IN
"A.B.C.s Shut Out. - West Baden, Indiana. - June 11. - The West Baden Sprudels shut out the Indianapolis A.B.C.s Thursday, 2 to 0. Batteries - Sprudels, Lyons and Gordon; A.B.C.s, Talbott and Merida."

June 20, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"Ranites Beat Colts. - The A.B.C.s defeated the Thompson Colts, Sunday, by a score of 19 to 2. Griffin and Tiller pitched for the home boys. The Chicago boys couldn't hit. Davis, of course, made a home run."

June 27, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"A.B.C.s Win Two Games from Standard Giants - Tennessee Tossers Hit a Losing Streak at Louisville, West Baden, Indiana, and Indianapolis. - The A.B.C.s won two games from the Standard Giants of Nashville, Tennessee, Thursday and Friday. The first game resulted in a score of 9 to 4. Tiller and Higbee pitched for the locals and Church for the visitors. The second game ended with a score of 14 to 7. Talbott pitched for the A.B.C.s and Moorman and O'Neal for the Tennesseans. As the score shows, the home boys doubled the total marks on their opponents. Davis made a home run with two men on bases in the eighth. Herron and Coleman also made the circuit. Higbee stretched a two-bagger into a three-base hit, and then walked in home while Watkins, the Giants' catcher, stood waiting for him - having fun with the visitors."

Indianapolis, IN
"A.B.C.s Win First Game; Lose Second to Atkins - Score of First Game, 5 to 1; Second, 3 to 0 - Higbee and Davis Pitched for A.B.C.s - Two More Games. - The A.B.C.s and the Atkins played the first two games of the annual series Sunday at the South Side Park. This series for the season consists of four games, of which two remain to be played. In case of a tie a fifth game will be played to decide the city championship. Sunday's game attracted much interest, as there is a great rivalry between the white boys and the Ranites. Both teams have been holding their own, both in and out of the state. The two teams both broke even Sunday. The A.B.C.s taking the first game, with Higbee in the box, and the Atkins the second, with Noffke on the mound. Higbee pitched a good game and continues to do his part in putting the team on a winning streak. Only once did the sawmakers cross the pan for a single score, while the Northwestern tallied five scores with the aid of nine well placed timely hits. The hold in the willow was too large for the losers and eight of them kept cool by fanning. Higbee had good control over the ball as well as getting two hits. Morris, Lolla Allen and Merida circled the bags, Allen making it twice. Thompson, Merida, Davis and Higbee touched the ball for two-baggers. Board's mit had the glue in it and he cut them down in first class style, as did Merida at Home. Herron, as usual, put the steal on with Allen and Higbee doing the same. Only one error was made by either team. The infield of the A.B.C.s played like clockworks and kept things going all the time. The second game went to the Atkins without allowing the Ranites to score. Noffke gave them three hits, while Davis, who pitched for A.B.C.s, was bumped eight times. Either chalked up three errors. Though Davis had better control over the ball than his opponent, the latter received better team support, which accounts for the Sawmakers' victory. Davis and Merida stole bases. Thompson caught a good game."

July 3, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"Home runs are becoming common for Davis, of the A.B.C.s"

July 17, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"Four A.B.C.s are making good with Chicago Giants. They are: Shawler, Washington, Young, and Hutchinson."

Indianapolis, IN
"Jim Shaler, formerly of the A.B.C.s, is captain of the Chicago giants. They recently taxed Sterling's all-star team (white) for two games by scores of 5 to 4 and 11 to 0."

July 23, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"Browns Lose to A.B.C.s - Timely and Hard Pounding of Sphere Give Ranites Victory. - Danville, Illinois. - The Indianapolis A.B.C.s defeated the Danville Browns at Wilson Park Friday afternoon by the score of 4 to 3. The features of the game were the heavy hitting of the A.B.C.s and Ayers' pitching for the Browns. The same teams played at Northwestern Park, Indianapolis, Sunday."

July 31, 1909

Indianapolis, IN
"Passes Through City. - Charles Stephens, manager of the Eagles of New Orleans, was in the city two days of last week to arrange for a game with the A.B.C.s. The Eagles are on a northern tour."