1902 Missouri Baseball

The Fight is On
To-day we cuss the umpire;
To-day we cheer the team
Who, in our eyes are all the go,
And all but perfect seem.
To-day upon the pitcher
We put our little tag,
And tout him on to bring us home
That bonnie little rag;
And for a half a twelve month
We'll cheer him every day,
For now the season has begin,
Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
(Columbia Daily Tribune, April 1902)

On The Campus
(From the Columbia Daily Tribune, March 14, 1902)

Active Base ball practice has begun and candidates for the team are on the field every day.

On The Campus
(From the Columbia Daily Tribune, March 28, 1902)

The First and Second base ball teams have been playing exhibition games every other day on Rollins field. Some fine games have been played and it is productive of much good in their training.


Coming Events
Base ball M.S.U. versus Central college Rollins Field Monday April 7


MISSOURI THE WINNER
First Game of the Season is Base-Ball Won from Central College on Rollins Field this Afternoon
(From the Columbia Daily Tribune, April 7, 1902)

The base ball season was formally opened this afternoon on Rollins Field. Central College and M.S.U. tried for honors with the result of 15 to 1 in favor of M.S.U.

The lineup was as follows: M.S.U.--McCaslin, l.f.; Lieb, 2nd b; Broadhead, 3rd b.; Rothwell, c.f.; Birney, 1st b.; Gore, s. stop; McElmore, c; Keefer, r.f.; Hamilton, P. Central.-- Collier, 1st b.; Brumbine, 2nd b.; Bradley, c.f., Wagoner, P.; Ivie, r.f.; Capelle, l.f.; Bowles, s. stop. Captains: M.S.U. -- McCaslin; Central--Capelle. Umpire, Hawkins; Score keeper, Cunningham.

Lieb and Broadhead did the best sticking for Missouri and Wagoner for Central. The game was a pitcher's game all the way through, Hamilton striking out eight of the Central men, and Wagoner striking out 3 of Missouri's.


MISSOURI WINS AGAIN
Westminster's Nine Goes Down Before the Tigers with a Score of 24 to 4
(From the Columbia Daily Tribune, April 14, 1902)

Missouri again proved her supremacy this afternoon in base ball. No great crowd was present to see the Varsity defeat the opposing nine, but the four or five hundred enthusiasts witnessed a one-sided game with the advantage decidedly in Missouri's favor.


The Game Yesterday
Much Improvement in Every Respect Over Last Year's Work
Chances Good for Further Success
(Columbia Daily Tribune, April 15, 1902)

The showing made by the University base ball team in the games played with Central and Westminster colleges, were very gratifying and encouraging to all of its friends and to the "fans" as well.

In the first game Missouri's feeling was good but they failed to "connect with the ball" as often as they should have done and especially was this so when the bases were filled and a "single" or a "double" was needed to bring in one or more men, but the batters at these critical times were not equal to the occasion. However this weakness was most conspicuous in the Westminster game and on the contrary almost every man on the Missouri team had a "good eye" and "wielded the ash" with results such as to enthuse the rooters and greatly depress the opposing pitchers.

Judging from the exhibition given in the games already mentioned, Missouri has a team which will develop as the season advances, into one of the best that has ever represented the University on the diamond. The men play with a dash and spirit that is refreshing to all while the team is to be congratulated on its success thus far and its prospects for the future and they should bear in mind that overconfidence often loses games and victories are the things most desired.

"Play ball," hard, fast and snappy ball, and when the season is over a record will have been made which will reflect honor and credit on the University and on each member of the team.


Big Game Tomorrow
(Columbia Daily Tribune, April 18, 1902)

Washburn College will cross bats with M.S.U. to-morrow. This will be the first big game and will no doubt be a spledid game throughout. Everybody should turn out and encourage the home team , for it can hardly be expected that victory will be as easy over Washburn as in other games played.


MISSOURI WINS FROM WASHBURN
(Columbia Daily Tribune, April 19, 1902)

The final score was 10 to 6 in favor of M.S.U.
The Washburn base ball team of Topeka, Kansas, arrived on the 12 o'clock M.K.&T. train from Warrensburg, where they defeated the Normals by a score of 6 to 3. This afternoon they met the University in a match game on Rollins field which was bitterly ocntested throughout.

From the manner the Washburn boys handled themselves in preliminary practice, the large crowd present realized tha tMissouri was "up against the real thing;" but knowing the stamina of McCaslin' braves they felt sure that they would finish strong and add another to their unbroken list of victories.


Victorious Again
William Jewell Team meets Defeat by tthe Tigers -- Score 22 to 5.
(Columbia Daily Tribune, April 25, 1902)

Those who witnessed the base ball game between William Jewell and the University to-day felt repaid for going. There have been more exciting and harder struggles than this one but it was interesting nevertheless.

Missouri, flushed with three straight victories, played hard to make this one the fourth.

William Jewell recently played the Kansas City, "Blues" and were defeated by a score of 14 to 4, not a bad showing against professionals to be sure. They are a younger and lighter set of men than Missouri's team but they are no novices at the game by any means. It was a good game of ball and the best team won.


TWO TO ONE: HARD FOUGHT GAME
Kansas meets Missouri on Diamond at Rollins Field this Afternoon Before a Large Crowd
WIND MADE PLAYING UNCERTAIN AND DIFFICULT BUT KANSAS PROVED THE VICTOR.
(From the Columbia Daily Tribune, April 26, 1902)

This afternoon Missouri met Kansas on the baseball diamond and unlike yesterdays game was close and exciting from start to finish. The weather was cold and the wind made the fly balls hard to judge. This was supposed to be the big game of the season and it was. That "never give up" spirit which characterises Kansas in all contests was manifested in this afternoon's game. Missouri had played four games, won four and lost none, Kansas had played eight games, won six and lost two. There was no earned run in the game.