July 25, 1917
Watertown, NY
"Pop Watkins May Move to New Location - Falling Returns and Desertion of Players Worry the Manager. - Watertown, July 25. - Pop Watkins and the Havana Red Sox are seriously considering a journey to other and more fruitful lands. The Sox have not made much money over the North Country Circuit this year and Watkins, the colored mentor of the team, is just about disgusted. He said Sunday that unless something happened mighty quick, and that seems improbable at this time, he and his cohort would pack their several kits and hike them for Buffalo, where he has an idea that the team would receive plenty of support. Lundy, Watkin's speedy shortstop, whom he imported from Atlantic City, where he played with the Bacharach Giants, deserted the ship Friday evening. His old team offered him his old position and Lundy was sorely tempted to accept it. He dug down into his jeans, found there a lone nicked and hopped the first train West, taking French leave, not having told Pop or any of his fellow warriors that he was about to recuperate his health in other climates. The Sox came to this city with a decidedly inferior team at the opening of the season, and the fans did not warm up to their brand of baseball. Pop steadily improved the team by weeding out the poorer players and importing such stars as Lundy, Thomas, Cason, and Baynard. But the best laid plans of mice and men "gang aft agley," (often go awry) as the poet (Robert Burns) put it, and just as the fans were evidencing an interest in the dusky skinned troupe, the street car strike came along to put a kibosh on the well laid plans of Mr. Popoleaders Watkins. With strikebreakers operating the cars the fans refused to ride on the conveyances provided by the Black River Traction Company, without which it is practically impossible to reach the Garland City Park - unless one wants to walk about three or four miles or choose the other alternative of paying from two to four bits for a taxi - and the fans refused to consider such a proposition. So after one attempt at staging a ball game after the opening of the strike, no other games were scheduled for this city for a month. Last Sunday another attempt was made to revive the game in this city, but conveyances were few and far between and as a result a small crowd turned out to witness the fracas. A little over $100 was poured into the treasury of the Athletic Association, ten per cent, of which went for the rental of the field, the remainder of which was divided 50-50 between the two teams. After the management got its slice, it can be easily seen that there was little left for the Sox. So has it been going here for the past season - only the crowds in the past have not been as large as the one last Sunday. In past years the Sox, finding money rather tight in Watertown, turned their energies in the direction of Gouverneur, Adams, and other northern villages and towns, where money seemed to be more free and plentiful. In this city they kept their pockets and stomachs filled. Now comes the Bacharach Giants of Atlantic City again with enticing offers to several of the Sox players, prominent among whom is O'May, who has been trying to fill T. Allen's shoes at first for the past season, a job which he has all but succeeded in accomplishing - but not quite. Thus it stands and Pop is thoroughly disgusted. when he may pull up stakes and depart, Pop neglected to say, but that it may be right sudden seems certain. The Red Sox have been here for the past three years and they have made countless friends."
July 26, 1917
Gouverneur, NY
"Red Sox Patch Up Row With the Bay and Play Them Today. - Gouverneur, July 25. - It was announced that there would be no ball game this week as the management is unable to procure a team to play the colored nine. They will play the Alexandria Bay nine at the Bay tomorrow, the differences between the two teams having been patched up. Pop Watkins the manager of the Red Sox is on the lookout for a pitcher as he is now with only one man who is capable of taking his regular turn in the box. McDonald, who has been pitching good ball all season left for New York and will not return this season."