WILDWOOD TIGERS LOSE

TO BRAUN SETTLEMENT--June 9, 1940

Transcribed by Duane Horn.

 

 

A capacity crowd of sport lovers braved threats of rain to watch the Braun Settlement Skylarks defeat the Wildwood Tigers at the Mattes Athletic Field on Sunday, June 9. The final score was 15 to 5.

 

The Tigers betrayed a conspicuous inability to solve the southpaw pitching of Ed Franz, Skylark starting pitcher, and the result was disaster. For five innings the Tigers had only two hits and no runs. In the sixth they scored one run, repeated with two more in the seventh, and added one in each of the last two innings. With 12 strikeouts to his credit and with the score five to two in his favor, Ed Franz gracefully retired from the game in the seventh, and was at once surrounded by the usual posse of leap year cuties posing as his admirers. Big George Kuester finished the game for Braun.

 

Braun Settlement, a husky bunch of sluggers scored five runs in the third, piled up five in the seventh, and added five more in the ninth for bad measure. The veteran Ted Braun made two hits and scored three runs and seems to be headed for the major leagues, though it is not yet certain in what role.

 

Cliff Hakola pitched well enough to win for seven innings, but developed a streak of wildness in the eighth, and in the last inning he weakened somewhat. Polnaszek came on the mound to make the last putout. Cliff's support was shaky in crucial spots, and the boys were unable to present him with a run until the sixth. The big guns of the Tiger attack were noticeably silent.

 

The collection netted $2.35 in cold cash. The fans contributed with a surprising liberality, and the response from the Braun Settlement cohorts was amazingly  generous. Even Norman Liebzeit, ordinarily a man of enlightened self-interest, donated five shiny Indian-head pennies, forcing himself to give up extravagant dreams of five luscious lollypops. Manager Huck Hakola, who has completely recovered from last week's Schlitzkrieg, issued a manifesto after the game thanking the sport-loving public for its loyalty, nobility and the silver and copper coins.

 

Next Sunday, June 16, the Tigers go to West Beaver to play the Bears on the tricky Pasture Pleasance ball ground. There will also be a game between St. Hedwig's Pirates and Atwood at the Mattes Athletic Field.