Baseball is known as America’s Pastime and Calvin Coolidge called it “our national game.” While we celebrate opening day this week lets look back at a game that played a vital role in Mansfield history.
A baseball team poses in front of the Mansfield Tire and Rubber Company sometime, according to marginal notes, between 1914 and 1920. Whether the team is a Mansfield Tire supported club or the city’s minor league team, the Tigers, who played at nearby League Park is unclear. The uniforms have “Mansfield” spelled vertically down the center of the jersey from neck to belt. Men in suits and hats stand at either end of the line of ball players. A marginal note identifies the man on the left, wearing a derby and bow tie as Oscar Kalbfleisch, long-time manager of the city water works, who died in 1954.
The Mansfield Merchants semi-pro baseball team poses for a team portrait, probably at Liberty Park. The twelve man squad poses in full uniform. The listed roster is: J. Heckert, H. Hamilton, Neil, Buzzard, R. Leedy, M. Leedy, W. Lockhart, Dean Hahn, R. Bogantz, A. Baki, L. Smith , W. Martin and Manager H. Hamman
Page from the 1910 Spaldings Official Base Ball Guide. Mansfield team, posing in uniform. Players are identified by last name.
The Renner-Weber baseball team poses in “League Park,” near the intersection of Newman and Wayne streets. Seven players stand while four sit in the grass in front of them. Bats, ball, glove and catcher’s mask are arranged in the grass in front of the team.
An Ohio State Reformatory team poses for a team portrait in front of a cell block. Thirteen uniformed players, a man wearing a fedora and smoking a cigar and a younger man pose behind an assortment of bats, balls, gloves and catcher’s equipment. It is not clear whether this is an inmate team or guard team. The uniforms bear a stylized “OSR” logo.
Fifteen young men in baseball uniforms pose for a team portrait. Several hold baseball bats or wear fielding mitts. A gothic “D” adorns their caps while the letters “MSTD” are sewn across the front of the jerseys. The Main Street Dutch called Crestline, Ohio home. Front row, Ernie Eckert, Clarence Helfrich, Otto Bauer; middle row, Frank Emmer, Larry Ackerman, George Ginther, George Biggons, Charlie Hipp; top row, William Dice, Albert Gehrich, Harry Foltz, Benny Foltz, James Carlisle, Bert Smith, Harry Pachard. (https://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/sports/2014/07/16/whats-the-real-story-behind-1909-crestline-baseball-team/12761841/)
“League Park” was located near the intersection of Newman and Wayne Streets, on the Reformatory streetcar line. This view looks west across the park toward the industrial flats on the north end. Aultman Taylor (Ohio Brass) is visible behind the park. The Mansfield Haymakers and Tigers of the Interstate League played here. Honus Wagner began his Hall of Fame career in this park.
This photo was taken from the grandstands behind home plate at Davey Field. Roof supports and silhouetted heads of other fans fill the foreground of the photo. Only a scattering of fans sit in the open air bleachers along first base line. Beyond the bleachers, West Fourth Street ascends the bluff along the east side of Touby’s Run. Advertisements on the fence try to sell United Woolen Mills suits to the fans-$24, $28 or $32. Beyond the right-center field fence Touby’s Run squeezes between the ballpark and the bluff to the east. On top of the bluff are homes visible along West Fourth and Elmwood.
View from center field of Davey Field looking toward home before a grandstand packed with baseball fans. The view looks toward the west with homes on West Fourth Street to the left, behind the stands running along the first base line. The catcher is throwing the ball back to the pitcher while the batter stands to the left of the plate. A runner on second does not take a lead.
Early Mansfield High School Teams
1908 Mansfield High School team from the 1908 Mansfield High School annual. Notes states “Mr. Blankenhorn is coaching the team and is getting good results from the efforts of the players.”
1919 Mansfield High School team from the 1919 Mansfield High School annual.
1920 Mansfield High School team from the 1920 Mansfield High School annual.
From the 1920 MHS Annual
Seventeen members of the 1923 Mansfield Senior High baseball team pose for a team photo in Davey Park. From the 1923 MHS Annual.
The Sherman Room at MRCPL 