Baseball, Then and Now

In 1845 a New Yorker named Alexander Cartwright Jr. -- not Abner Doubleday -- invented the game that became America's pastime.  Then he headed West taking with him a ball and bat.

Cartwright designed the game complete, bases at 90 feet in a diamond shape, players at each position with only 9 on each team.  Bat in order with 3 outs, then exchange positions.

There had been many other games involving bases and balls before 1845 (some of them were even called baseball).  A crudely defined game that was known as town ball, derived from the ancient English sport of rounders, had attained some popularity in New York and New England.  (The New England version, with bases arranged in a U pattern and the batter's position entirely separate, was called the Massachusetts game.)

But all of these primitive exercises were static and aimless, and impossible to codify.  Only after Cartwright's revolutionary innovations did the game ignite general excitement.  Alexander Cartwright had invented baseball -- in the same sense that the Wright Brothers (and not Leonardo da Vinci) had invented the airplane, and Thomas A. Edison (and not Benjamin Franklin) had invented the electric light...

In the old days I guess every small town in America had a baseball team and Calaveras County was not to be outdone.  Most every small, and some larger towns, especially the mining towns, all had their baseball team.  Every team was in some sort of league.  The foothill teams were called semi-professionals which meant they didn't get paid but they did have fun.  And the town faithfully supported their team.  Some say Mountain Ranch and Sheep Ranch teams couldn't win a game without their rooters.  There was always a crowd to see the local boys play and when they played a rival team the rooters whistled, cheered, and rang the old dinner bell from the Sheep Ranch Hotel until the opponents were completely rattled.

There were very well organized teams at Mountain Ranch, Whiskey Slide, Murphys, Calaveritas, Sheep Ranch, RailRoad Flat, and West Point who played teams as far away as Sonora and the Stockton Pencil Factory.  The Mountain Ranch - Sheep Ranch team were known as the best ball players in the league.

As early as the 1850's there was baseball in the  Motherlode.  Bill Denig who ran the Pony Express in Calaveras County played on the Calaveritas Team.  Joe Reem the Eldorado Blacksmith also played.  Also Red Greve the local grocer.  The Rodesino Family had some boys who played on the El Dorado Team.  John Walker played, J.F. Bench, a local merchant, also played.  The population of old El Dorado was 200 in 1863.

In the 1920's and 30's those teams continued to produce some very good ball players.  During the second world war the baseball idea fell to the wayside.  But in the late 1940's and 50's it took off again with famous players like Yogi Berra, Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Pee Wee Reese, Stan Musial, Micky Mantle and others.  In 1947 Jackie Robinson was allowed to play Major League Ball.  Just so you will know about "Babe" Ruth, in 1920 he had 497 home runs, 1365 runs, 1240 walks and 795 strike outs.

The more sporting gents of Calaveras County have been known to place a wager on any sporting event.  Anyone who would bet on a frog jumping would certainly not hesitate to put his money on the line for his favorite baseball teams

In the 1880's Mark Bean from Sheep Ranch was the first pitcher to throw a curve ball in the Foothill League.  He had batters jumping in every direction trying to get out of the way of the ball and hit it too. John Canavera, foreman of the Sheep Ranch Mine also played ball.

In the early spring when the baseball field at Sheep Ranch was covered with grain the team practiced at Rigney Flat, sometimes called Martin Flat.  In Mtn. Ranch, the games were held on the Domenghini property behind the General Store.

Louis Domenghini, Paul Lewis, Clyde Cuslidge, Mr. Spiney, Charlie Valente and Warren Scott were the most faithful players.  H.R. Platte, general manager of the Sheep Ranch mine donated the uniforms for the local teams.  Mr. D. Fricot was a big supporter of all local sporting events.

Norbert Mudd played catcher for many years.  The Umpire was Arthur Tisher who played on the team in the old days.

Before the automobile invaded the Mother Lode country the Sheep Ranch team used the big wagon to travel the many miles to neighboring towns.   On the return trips from San Andreas the ball team always stopped at the Old Mountain Ranch Hotel to have supper which was served by Emma Fillippini.

Calaveras County developed a very active softball league which is still very active today.

Mtn. Ranch's first softball team was organized in 1980 after the local park and baseball field was built.

Jim Bennet, Jerry Howard and Phil Alberts put a team together that played West Point, Railroad Flat, Moke Hill, San Andreas and Valley Springs.

Through the years our local team has always been in the top three.  One year we even took first place in the League.

Phil Alberts has continued to sponsor, play, coach and keep the team going.  Sam Smith has been the manager and coach for many years and we are ready for the coming season.  Come watch a game!