The Fort Dodge Messenger: April 8, 1904

Fort Dodge Loses Game to Preston

Battle for Indoor Base Ball Championship Results in Victory for Visitors.

Decision is Unsatisfactory

Winning Run Follows a Decision at Critical Stage – Return Game.

Company G, the pride of Fort Dodge lovers of the game of indoor baseball and claimant for three years to the championship of the northwest is no longer unbeaten. As for championship claims for a time at least those of Fort Dodge must remain silent. By the right of victory, Preston, Minn., whose claim has been voiced just as loudly as has the claim of Company G., is now the undisputed champion and enjoys the honor of being without defeat.

Preston invaded the local camp Thursday night and in a fierce battle, in which every effort of the invaders was contested with a resistance that refused to know defeat, in the phrase of the game, took the soldiers into camp by the margin of a single run. Preston upheld and Fort Dodge lost its claim to the championship by the score of 6 to 5 in the hardest fought and by all odds the best game of indoor baseball every played on a local diamond.

The invaders went home with Fort Dodge’s scalp, it is true, but at the same time it can be said in justice to the lcoal team that the taking of the scalp will go down in Preston’s history as the hardest task it has ever performed. At several states of the game the Minnesotans saw visions of their own pelts being raised and hung in the wigwam of Fort Dodge, but the fortunes of war said no and today for the first time in its history the local aggregation realizes how it feels to be other than champions.

Preston won the game in the ninth inning when there were two out and every indication for a tie score. Unfortunately the man who made the winning run was the subject of a vigorous protest over a decision on second base, where it was claimed by Fort Dodge that he had been put out. The decision was a most important one and for that reason leaves ground ofr doubt as to the outcome of the game had the umpire called him out instead of safe.

The runner was Johnson, backstop for the visitors, who had been given a lift on Richard’s error. In attempting to make second he was touched with the ball by Colwell but the Preston umpire declared him safe. It was claimed that Colwell was directly on the base and that the runner could not possibly touch the bag before being touched with the ball. The umpire ruled otherwise however, and his decision, although it ultimately decided the game, is not disputed, as the game is such that the position of umpire is by no means the most pleasant.

Fort Dodge was at bat first, and from the appearance of things when the first three men up walked, Preston’s stock went down. It was then that Kerr, the visitors’ pitcher, demonstrated that he is almsot what is claimed for him, as he struck out the next three men and from then on pitched a strike-out game, making no less than nineteen of the locals fan.

Preston made a run in its half of the first on two singles, a stolen base, and a wild pitch. Fort Dodge was the next to score. Three locals crossed the plate in the third on a base on balls and three singles. Preston pulled down the lead in the fourth when Plorf walked, stole second and went home on a bad throw by Richards. Two errors, a wild pitch and two singles in the fifth gave the visitors another run and tied the score.

Fort Dodge took the lead with one run in the sixth on Flahterty’s double and a sacrifice. In the seventh Fort Dodge apparently had the game in hand by making a fifth run to the Preston’s three, but in their half of the same inning, an error and a single and a singe gave the visitors one more and in the eighth a double, a single and a stolen base tied the score. Then came the ninth with its disputed decision and the winning run that gave Preston the game.

The visitors demonstrated that the game is one that calls for constant practice. Fort Dodge has a strong team, which may be said to be the equal of Preston, but Thursday night the want of practice proved fatal to its chances. Preston was especially strong in its battery and team work in general.

A return game will probably be arranged between the same teams to be played in Preston.

The score:

Tags: 1904