Tredyffrin Easttown Historical Society
History Quarterly Digital Archives

Source: October 1960 Volume 11 Number 2, Pages 31–40

The early days of baseball in Berwyn and vicinity

J.D. Hanft

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There is a portion of a famous poem about baseball that goes like this:

"From the benches dark with people there went up a muffled roar, Like the beating of the storm waves on a stern but distant shore."

Berwyn, like other small communities across the nation around the turn of the century, had its baseball and its enthusiastic onlookers, and quite probably the benches were dark with people and their cheers made a suitable roar.

The earliest ballfields were north of Conestoga Road at Price (Francis) Avenue, and south of Conestoga Road, east of Cassatt Avenue. A major field was known informally as Aiken Field, across Berwyn Avenue from the old Firehouse which is now a lawnmower repair shop. Other fields were west of the old Senior High School (now the T. E. Junior High) and called Fritz Field after the property owner, and also west of Waterloo Road at two locations, along the north line of the James Brooke property, and another in the general vicinity of what is now the Dogwood Vale development. Another one of the earliest fields was at the southwest corner of First Avenue and Waterloo Road and known as Coates Field.

The earliest record I could find at the Chester County Historical Society relative to baseball was a clipping from the West Chester Daily Local of August 2, 1883, pointing out that the quickstep Baseball Club of Howelville (sic) had played a game with the Berwyn Club Friday last but the result had not been learned. A subsequent story seemed to indicate that the Howellville Club was not from the present area in the Great Valley but from Gradyville in Delaware County. Another news item in February of 1884 stated that a local club was being organized for summer contests, and went on to comment wryly - in the vivid prose of the period - that "The paid baseball club for the West Chester area was doubtless a mythical notion which emanated from the brain of an over-zealous votary of the national game."

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Actually the relatively meager sports news in those one penny Daily Locals of the 1870's and 80's stressed rifle shooting, contests being discussed at great length, and reproductions of the groupings of each individual's shots around the bulls-eyes featured the stories.

The first real mention of Berwyn in a sporting sense (if somewhat far-fetched) was in the Local of August 12, 1879: "A flutter was caused among the Berwyn population on Monday A. M. by the sudden appearance and disappearance of a young man equipped in a sporty uniform and mounted on a high-wheeled velocipede. He entered the village by the Lancaster Pike and kept on westbound as far as the eye could discern. He was travelling at the rate of 8 - 10 mph and to which point he was bound was a mystery." End of news item, but the start of an intense curiosity as to just how provincial our counterparts of just eighty years ago were.

In 1883 and 84 brief mentions are made of Berwyn playing various teams including the Union nine of Tanguy which won 39 to 7, a rather rousing score. In March of 1888 there was an announcement that the Berwyn Baseball Club would give a grand hop in Wayne Hall with music by a celebrated orchestra. The Berwyn Band was to play in front of the hall, for the grand march and overtures (sic) during intermissions. The committee on arrangements was identified as consisting of such well-known ball-tossers as G. B. Hayman, J. C. and H.C. Seasholtz, Edward Kelley, and Harry Fritz. The article ended by trusting it would be a successful scheme for obtaining new uniforms, and also cited that the Berwyn Club was anxious to meet the strongest club from West Chester, "foemen worthy of their steel," In 1889, the Berwyn PRR was announced as having formed its baseball club for the season with S. A. Kromer as President-Treasurer; H.O. Garber, Secretary; J. Will Harm, Manager and Captain; and other names besides those mentioned previously such as J. Farra, J. Jardine, J. Fitzpatrick, and Hampshire. In 1890, this club made an urgent plea for games with Rex, Big Seven, Coatesville, Downingtown, Parkesburg, and all first-class uniformed amateur clubs in Chester County.

In July of 1890, Berwyn beat Ardmore 7 to 1, with John Rapp of Berwyn striking out twelve, and the errors were listed as Berwyn 3, Ardmore 8. The name of Rambo appears as well as Umpires Doyle and Patton. In 1891, the organization of the Berwyn team was again announced and that they would open the season on their own grounds on May 2nd against the strong Terra Cotta team of Philadelphia. The Berwyns were to be newly uniformed, "under considerable expense," and new names such as Speakman and Noblett appeared.

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Not long after, in April of 1891, it was reported that the Berwyn Club had started cut in earnest this year and that inferior clubs would not be invited to play - rather, clubs that in the judgment of the Manager would give the local club a fair rub. It was intended to play honest non-kicking games that ladies could attend and not fear to have their ears shocked by profane language or their patience exhausted by tiresome squabbles over umpires' decisions. Not only were new uniforms and a new mask and other paraphernalia being purchased, but the ground and stands were to be fixed up at considerable expense.

In May of 1891, a reader hastened to write to the Daily Local that their Saturday issue had been very much in error stating that the Berwyn Baseball Club was about to disband. This was news to the members of the Club, reassurance was given the Editor that Berwyn had the strongest team it ever had and games had been scheduled to October 1st. Members of the team were then named and new names appeared such as McAleer, Hacker, Wharton, Schemmer, McMonigal, and Schofield. In July of 1895, the Chester County Democrat reported on an unhappy incident. It seemed that the Berwyn Club had gotten themselves into an unenviable position by arranging with a female club of Hew York City to play a game on the home grounds with the ladies to get 85% of the gate receipts. After all arrangements had been completed, it was reported, the true character of the fair damsels who constituted the nine was learned to be not conducive to elevating the morals of the town. The arrangements were cancelled by telegraph at a late hour, but the night before the scheduled game the ladies, headed by their Manager (whose breath was recorded more eloquent than his words) arrived just the same, took up quarters at the hotel (probably where the Berwyn Hardware Store now is) and held the home team responsible for all expenses incurred. An animated skirmish followed between the Manager of the visiting club and the entire baseball population of the town. Nobody was hurt in the engagement and everything was finally adjusted amicably on private terms. A final word was that henceforth the Berwyn team would fight shy of baseball clubs of the feminine gender.

Lo and behold, a week later the same paper reported that the young ladies' club from New York had, after the cancellation, played a spirited game with a picked nine on a vacant building lot north of the railroad and were defeated 13 to 8. The decorum of the young women during their stay in town was recorded as being very praiseworthy and quite contrary to

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the reports that had been circulated concerning them. They left a few days afterward for Parkesburg where they played the local club there. Furthermore, the Manager of the Berwyn club denied the previous week's allegation that any game had been arranged with the fair players and stated that Berwyn was in no way responsible for their coming, as a flat refusal had been sent previously to the Manager of the female club. The question remained in this researcher's mind - was a libel suit threatened?

Incidentally, the only other mention of female baseball players found in the course of research for this article was in the Daily Local of August 1925 where a sports item pointed out the scarcity of lady teams this season. It went on to say that in former years a couple of these teams made tours of the country and some were seen locally although usually they were not given dates. It was recalled that a few years previous a member of a local male team had struck one of the ladies in the head with a thrown ball as she ran to second. She was badly battered and had to remain in town for two weeks under care of a physician.

Moving on to 1897, there was mention of the clubs of Berwyn and Radnor High School meeting, with Berwyn on top 17-6. The pitching of Campbell and the hitting of Lewis and Lapp were features of the Berwyn side. Other names were Yerkes at 3b, Fees catching, Burkey in center field, Aiken left field, Beaumont at first, and Ritner in right field. Concurrently the Actives of West Chester defeated an older Berwyn team "in a surprise on her home grounds," and more names occurred such as Ramsey, Potter, Walker, Leamy, Coleman, and Farley.

In that same year of 1897, the Brandywine team decided to give Fritz of Berwyn a chance at 3rd - the papers made it sound like a step upward for Fritz. Brandywine played Media but put a different new man named Mach at third. The sports column wryly reported that Mach made 5 errors but Fritz, who was loaned to Media because they were short a man, made only one error. The week following, the reporter declaimed that once more the Brandywine Club of West Chester, the Athens of Pennsylvania, had been dragged into the mud by Media. And worse, Fritz, who had now secured a steady berth with Media and was not considered good enough for the Brandywines by their astute management, had a double and two singles and played a brilliant game at the third bag. The reporter closed with "Enough said."

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In July of 1897, the Coming Greats of Berwyn met defeat in a somewhat one-sided game with Green Tree. The game was mercifully called in the fifth inning to allow the Berwyn boys to catch their train with the score standing at 45-0. Green Tree was at bat four innings of which one was scoreless. The other three innings saw scores of 11, 21 and 13.

Some of the humor of the times spread into the sport columns. An excited individual rushed up to the police and claimed that two masked members of the local baseball club had tried to rob him. Asked how he knew they were from the baseball team, he said "They struck at me three times and never touched me."

Typical of the sarcasm of the times was the report of a Brandywine loss at Kennett Square. The town was reported as going wild, strong men hugged each other for joy, and women wept. The West Chester reporter claimed it even affected the local restaurants because no meat was to be had in the sandwiches which were sold to the hungry visitors.

Vivid writing was standard. In September of 1900, the Daily Local reported this from the Berwyn Herald: "Words cannot describe the unutterable anguish in the soul of every baseball friend in Berwyn and the surrounding township, all on account of Saturday's game. To see their invincible Walker pounded, lambasted, and belted all over the lot; to see their peerless swatters lie clown before the prowess of Billie Burns and the gang of untutored savage lobsters who represent on the diamond field the placid village of West Chester, the village of Quakers and quiet; to be compelled to listen to the ghoulish glee of the rooters, the gibes and jeers of the worst crowd of fanatics seen in any town; to see the passing into the pockets of the enemy their good coin paid for extra players, to say nothing of the innumerable little bets made on the side. It was maddening, agonizing, excruciating. Score 8 to 4." Continuing from the Herald: "Right here let me say you mustn't blame the rooters too much. West Chester is such a quiet little country village that the least bit of undue excitement throws the people into a condition bordering on frenzy. Take for instance my friend, the sports editor of the Local News. He first came to West Chester just as nice and quiet a young little fellow as one wished to know. So he is now on six days of the week in common with the rest of the West Chester citizens. But let him go to a baseball game. Ye Gods! The transformation is wonderful. All the latent savagery in him is aroused he becomes a rip-snorting rooter, thirsting for gore, shouting, screaming, and yelling like a Comanche on the war path. No wonder he occasionally loses his number and scores six putouts in an inning as he did at Saturday's game."

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But as to the game itself: "Conn did all kinds of fierce stunts in the fielding line at short and in the adjacent territory; Doc Fritz got two hits, one a double, and worked Burns for his usual pass to first by sticking his leg in front of a slow one. Whiting pitched good ball. Exit Berwyn. That man Barton who catches for the Brandywine is a wonder. He's in the game at every stage and can get down to first faster than Roy Thomas. Whisper it - Billie Burns got a hit - first in years."

In the early 1900's, the name Paist first began to appear with regularity. This was Ed Paist, to be followed later by his son, Bob Paist. Along with Paist were the names of Detterline, Lewis (2), Watson, Slaughter, McClintock, Shank, Lehman, Olnes, Fertsch, Staples, and a mysterious T8mb (sic) in the vernacular of the box score. Also Lewis, Wach, Dickie and Daley.

The newspapers about the turn of the century reported game results between Berwyn and other teams such as Catasaqua, Piqua Club, Gay St. Giants, Crusade A.A. of Philadelphia, Sprague, Clearfield, West Philadelphia Y.M.C.A., Norristown, Austin of Philadelphia, Morris A.A., Rockford, The Actives, Parkersburg, Sharswood, University of Philadelphia, Ariel, Tannhauser Wheelmen, ("Berwyn made them look like 30 cents"), Crescents, Bellevue of Falls of Schuylkill. Most of the games appeared to be at Berwyn with Berwyn winning more often than not. As a good guessing game, here are some abbreviated names from a box score of the period: P'ter, F'tz, B'd, C'le, D'ie, G'rett, B'ey, Q'by, G'er.

In 1904 started a period of baseball which perhaps was the most organized era of Berwyn baseball, with the start of the Main Line League. Most of my information on this is from Mr. Daniel Redmond who played in the League on Berwyn and Narbeth (sic) teams and was President of the League in 1928 while also managing the Berwyn team. He provided a voluminous source of material in a 34th Anniversary history and Record Book.

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Berwyn was an early power in the League which started with Ardmore, Malvern and West Philadelphia as the other teams in 1904. Eventually, in the 20's and 30's, Narbeth (sic) became the champion of the League almost every year. There is a picture of the 1904 Berwyn team with Charles Ramsey, Ed Paist, Bill Potter, Jess Shank, Bill Smith, George Gartside, Charles McDowell, Sid Fees, Webb Kerhoff, and Manager Harry Garber and Asst. Manager Phyneas Pyott, Mr. Howard Okie remembers Mr. Pyott taking up collections in his hat at the games, in the time-honored custom of amateur teams everywhere.

It is recorded that loose organization, rivalry of a most bitter nature, inability to keep fans under control, and inefficient umpires, usually chosen from the crowd by the home team before a game, menaced the life of the League in its early years. Yet by 1938, forty-nine different localities or clubs had been represented in the League at one time or another, including Berwyn, Doyle's Nursery, Paoli, Paoli Men's Club, and Wayne.

Berwyn and Ardmore were always bitter rivals. The fans of both teams were loyal to the last dime and always bet heavily on the outcome when they met. On August 5, 1905, Ardmore came to Berwyn for a crucial battle. Berwyn had a slight lead in the race and Ardmore needed a victory to stay in the running. There was plenty of Ardmore money in sight and Berwyn rooters covered every penny. Ardmore was confident of victory.

However, this Ardmore confidence was badly jolted when Berwyn trotted out Weldon Henley, a full-fledged pitcher from Connie Mack's Athletics. Henley had been secreted in the fire-house until game time so the Ardmore boys with the heavy pocketbooks wouldn't get wise. Old timers claim that there never has been a sound to equal the howl of rage that went up from the Ardmore adherents when Henley took the mound for Berwyn. The first Ardmore batter hit a home run and the angry Ardmore team added two more runs before the inning was over. But Berwyn won out 7-4. The importation of Henley almost caused the league to break up right there. The Bryn Mawr Home News commented: " The action of the Berwyn management may terminate in the dissolution of the Main Line League as no team can expect to receive a fair game with them in the future. However, this should prove a warning to other teams who have Berwyn on their schedule and they would be wise to compel the Berwyn management to name their players at least three to five days before the game."

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Not to be outdone, Ardmore secured Babe Adams, a Washington pitcher, for the return game. He also was kept in hiding until game time but the Berwyn fans were suspicious and did not bite at the many offers to bet on the game. Adams lived up to his reputation and blanked Berwyn 5-0. Thus Ardmore had its revenge but it was by no means complete as the Ardmore fans never were able to regain the money lost in the earlier game which Henley pitched.

In 1906, Ardmore was playing Berwyn in an expanded eight-team league which now included Bryn Mawr, Cassatt, Delmar, Gladwyne, Narbeth (sic) and St. Johns. This game ended in a riot after an Ardmore player slid into first base with his spikes riding high. Ed Paist, known as one of the most fiery and colorful players in the league history, rushed from centerfield and accused the player of trying to spike Shank, the Berwyn first baseman. The Ardmore player and Paist squared off without further encouragement and in a twinkling all the players and fans were going at it hammer and tongs.

Berwyn and Ardmore happened to be the top teams of the league that year and had another game to play at Ardmore to determine the champion. However, due to the ruckus of the previous game, both teams were indignant at the thought of meeting again. After due time had elapsed for word battles through the newspapers, and challenges, charges and countercharges, the teams agreed to meet on a neutral field for a purse of $400, the backers of each team putting up $200. The Philadelphia Athletic field, then at 21st Street and Columbia Avenue, was obtained for the game.

The Upper Main Liners, managed by Phyn Pyott, won 9-2 for a delicious victory. Jack Stine, Berwyn moundsman, complained of a bad arm in the first inning, but Jack Coombs, the Athletics pitcher who sat on the Berwyn bench during the game, urged him on through the game. Ardmore blamed the defeat mostly on an injury to their star catcher, Pop Lynch, who had gotten a piece of steel in his eye while at work at the Autocar Plant the week before the game and could hardly see.

Ardmore had secured a substitute catcher from West Philadelphia named Diggins to fill Lynch's position. Diggins was supposed to have caught for Rube Waddell in his early days. But it turned out that Diggins was nothing but reputation and threw wild many times attempting to catch runners at the bases. He was so bad that Lynch finally went into the game in the fourth inning, able to see out of only one eye. For many long years after, there was a feeling that Diggins had sold out to the Berwyn fans.

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As years went on, more and more outsiders were brought in to strengthen the teams in the highly competitive play, forcing home-town boys to the sidelines. As a result, in 1919 a strictly amateur league was formed in addition to the regular circuit. This resulted in the league being reorganized on an amateur basis in 1920 under the leadership of Charles McCrea of Berwyn, and a Berwyn home-town team became a reality under Phyn Pyott again. Berwyn won the pennant that year and again in 1926 under Dan Redmond. In 1937, due to poor support the previous season, Berwyn gave up its franchise after having been in the league continuously since 1904.

Certain personalities of Berwyn baseball became better known than others. I have already mentioned several. There was a Duffy (Help me Lord) Lehman who caught for the Berwyn Pirates and was considered an unforgettable character. He was a wizard behind the plate and with the bat. Yet he was terribly afflicted with St. Vitus dance. His secret was to hold his breath as the pitch was made - this stopped his shaking nerves and left him steady as the ordinary player. He was thought of as one of the best catchers who ever played along the Main Line and probably would have gone far in baseball were it not for his affliction. He later became a gatekeeper at Shibe Park.

Many players from the Main Line league graduated to the major leagues. For instance, Amos Strunk and Barney Slaughter, Sr., both played with Berwyn and went on to the Athletics and Phillies. Perhaps the most well-known graduate of the Main Line League was Jack Lapp who was born and raised in Berwyn. At 16, he started playing under Harry Garber at Berwyn in 1905. As a catcher he attracted the attention of scouts for the Athletics in 1906 when Berwyn played Ardmore at the Athletics Park in that famous championship game. The Athletics sent him to Hazelton and then to Syracuse and eventually he became an outstanding catcher during the pennant-winning days under Connie Mack.

In a summary of the greatest players of the Main Line League, from a poll of the players themselves, Berwyn players were named at each position such as Eddie Shank at 1b, Dominic Verna at 2b, Martin Kelly at s.s., Ed Watson at 3b, Ed Paist in the outfield, Jack Lapp and Duffy Lehman as catchers, and Barney Slaughter Sr. among the pitchers.

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Finally it was with real interest for me to read that in September, 1923, "Redmond, the little left hander, pitched in brilliant fashion" and in July 1925 that "Bobby Doyle pitched and was hit freely." I have confronted these gentlemen, now slightly older, with such comments, and relished the glimmer in their eyes of recollections of golden days gone by. I could go on naming many more names and incidents. But perhaps I had best close with another quotation from the poem with which I opened:

Oh somewhere in their favored land the sun is shining bright; The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light. And somewhere men are laughing, and little children shout, But there is no joy in Mudville, mighty Casey has struck out.

A nostalgic piece and, in a way, a fitting comment on baseball in Berwyn and perhaps across America. Baseball seems to be shrinking back and is in the hands of Little Leaguers and Babe Ruth Leagues and such. It is no longer the center of athletic interest in the little towns. The golden age of baseball appears to be over.

Source material and much of the actual wordage of this article came from the excellent newspaper files of the Chester County Historical Society in West Chester. Also Mr. Howard Okie of our History Club (long an avid baseball fan) provided first-hand recollections and such information. Phyneas Pyott was the father of History Club member Sarah Pyott.

This paper was read at the Tredyffrin-Easttown History Club Meeting of July 28, 1960.