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| (The Daily Times. May 6, 1930) |
The Davenport Blue Sox met the Rock Island
baseball team, the Rock Islanders, at the fairgrounds for the season opener of
the Mississippi Valley League on May 7, 1930. And according to a story in The
Daily Times, enormous prizes were on the line.
Samuels Jewelers put up a $50 Bulova watch
for the first Davenport player to drive a ball against or over the center line
of the green fence in center field. Frank Duffy, the owner of the Puff Cigar
Store, offered a free glove from Kunkel’s to any player who made a hit. Every
Rock Island player who struck out was promised a new bat.
Martin Cigars offered a free box of
Charles Denby Cigars to the player who scored the first run, and a box of La
Fendrich Cigars to the player scoring the most runs.
City Hall Smoke House put up a box of
cigars for the player to catch the first fly. And Tri-City Electric promised a
free flashlight to the player driving in the first run.
There were more prizes. Too many to
mention, but it promised fun for all the players and an extra reason to stay
focused.
Players in photo: 1) Ed Hendee, first base—Blue
Sox; 2) Ed Reichle, manager of Blue Sox; 3) Ken Storme, left fielder—Blue Sox;
4) Fred Borgman, pitcher—Blue Sox; 5) Dixie Parker, catcher—Blue Sox; 6) Oliver
Boucher, catcher—Rock Island; 7) McAuliffe, right fielder—Rock Island; 8) Joe
Clancy, second base—Rock islanders; 9) Clarence Roper, Manager—Rock Islanders;
10) Bickham, first baseman—Rock Islanders.
