Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told

Curveballs and Calamities: Eastland Disaster Baseball Connection

December 23, 2023 • Natalie Zett • Season 1 • Episode 42

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Come along on an evocative journey through Chicago’s rich baseball heritage, where the crack of the bat resonates with the heartbeats of a diverse immigrant community. This episode weaves a compelling tale of how America’s pastime offered solace and unity during turbulent times, especially leading up to and following the Eastland Disaster of 1915. With insights from sports visionary, Dr. Rich Luker, we scrutinize the immense cultural impact of baseball and how it became a symbol of hope amidst adversity, drawing together people from all walks of life in the Windy City.

Turning the pages of history, we honor the amateur baseball players whose dreams were abruptly cut short by the Eastland Disaster. Their stories are more than footnotes; they’re vivid snapshots of the era’s social fabric, showcasing the unbreakable bonds between sports, profession, and community. This episode also highlights the emotional weight of personal loss through the families, whose narratives of heartbreak and resilience remind us of the human side of historical events.

In our last section, we focus on Frank “Pete” Schreiner, an Eastland Disaster survivor whose life story is as gripping as any tale of survival and scandal could be. From his brush with death to his tangential connection to the infamous Black Sox scandal of 1919, Schreiner’s experiences underscore the depth and diversity of early 20th-century American society. Threading together baseball, personal tragedy, and Chicago 1915, we promise an episode that not only educates but also pays homage to the enduring spirit of those who found solace in the sport.

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Natalie:

Why Hello, I'm Natalie Zett and welcome to Flower in the River. Flower in the River is a podcast about a book I wrote of the same name, and that book is about the Eastland disaster that took place in 1915 in Chicago and how that long ago tragedy affected my family for generations. I'll talk about writing and family history and what you do when the supernatural comes into your life, when you're innocently doing a family history research project. Come on and let's have some fun with this. Hello, this is Natalie, and welcome to episode 41 of Flower in the River podcast. Are you ready for a curve ball? You should be, because this one connects baseball to the Eastland disaster and there's also a subtle reference to the Black Sox scandal of 1919. Field of dreams, anyone? Right? Yeah, with a nod to our international listeners, who make up a whopping 60% of this audience hailing from Europe and Asia, today's story will bridge continents and generations.

Natalie:

So in the late 19th and early 20th century, chicago became a mosaic of cultures, with waves of European immigrants. For them, baseball was more than a sport. It was an emblem of the American dream, a common ground to root for and a community to belong to. And this is the idealized version of this. As we know, reality was a little bit different. Baseball isn't just a sport in America, it's the fabric that weaves our diverse stories together. It's a unifying threat linking generations and communities. But what's the magic of baseball? It's more than just players hitting home runs or stealing bases. It's about the fans, the traditions, the collective excitement. Baseball captivates and connects us, not only in the USA but globally. It's this ever growing passion for the game that keeps it alive and thriving. And I'm speaking as someone who is not a big spectator, sport fan, but as someone who can step back and just look at the influence of this entity and be awestruck by it. It really is quite incredible. So these new Americans not only join the throngs of baseball fans, but they also took to the field, weaving their heritage into the city's sporting tapestry. They gifted this legacy to their descendants, making baseball an indelible part of their identity.

Natalie:

And as I was researching this, I came across a YouTube video of somebody that I knew once upon a time, Dr Rich Luker, a college classmate and visionary behind the ESPN sports poll. And it's this bond beautifully. He sees fandom as an intergenerational flame, brightened not merely by the games attended, but by the shared passion that endures through time In Chicago's vibrant neighborhoods. Baseball did more than entertain. It unified local industries and community-sponsored teams, and immigrant workers found camaraderie and pride in playing for them. When we think of baseball Chicago baseball we think white socks, we think cubs. But there's so much more to it than that. I was surprised.

Natalie:

So our journey begins in 1851, when amateur teams from neighboring towns laid the foundations of a tradition In post-Civil War. The sport captivated the city, with 45 amateur teams by 1867, and that's a testament to baseball's burgeoning appeal. As fandom grew, the Chicago City League emerged in 1887, and this was a collective of the city's elite amateur clubs. Now, this league marked the beginning of what's called semi-professional baseball, or the semi-professional era, with players earning a share of the gate receipts, blending their love for the game with the beginnings of a professional aspiration. However, by 1895, the City League gave way to independent schedules that promised greater profits. Now, this didn't slow the momentum. From 1900 to 1910, semi-professional baseball thrived, giving rise to celebrated teams like the Logan Squares you're going to hear about that one again and the West Ends. Concurrently, the amateur spirit flourished through leagues backed by an array of community organizations, illustrating baseball supremacy as a recreational favorite before softball took its share of the spotlight.

Natalie:

It's a really complicated history and I'm trying to simplify it, but it's kind of a challenge here, so bear with. At the heart of it all were the amateurs teams fueled by local pride, community spirit and an unabashed love for the game. What is it about baseball? We love it and we grew up with it and we're attracted to it. I don't know what it is, and it's not just Americans. People all over the world have been drawn by baseball. But these amateur teams, they were the bedrock upon which the semi-pros built their dreams, where the stakes were a touch higher and the whisper of a potential big league glory began to stir. So we got a little competition, we got money coming in here and things are going to change.

Natalie:

I want to talk a little bit about the Amateur Managers League. Yes, I'm really practicing my enunciation here. The Amateur Managers League was a notable part of Chicago's baseball history in the early 1900s. This was when amateur and semi-professional baseball flourished in Chicago. For instance, in 1902, over 150 ball clubs were members of the Chicago-based Amateur Managers Baseball League and by 1905 there were over 300 local teams, not counting clubs, in regular leagues, indicating a rich and vibrant baseball culture during that time, and this has everything to do with building the world of Chicago in 1915, during and after the Eastland disaster, but it also points to some other things that have ramifications even to today in terms of baseball and this country.

Natalie:

One fascinating event related to this era is the Chicago Tribune Amateur Baseball Contest of 1915, which was a significant event that brought together amateur baseball leaders to boost the game. Now let's go on our timeline here for a second. This was May 1915, and the Eastland disaster happened July 24th 1915. So this story almost mirrors the rising tension in a movie plot. Here's an article by Justin McKinney, which was published in the Spring 2018 Baseball Research Journal.

Natalie:

On May 23rd 1915, something unprecedented happened in the history of Major League Baseball. On that day, the Chicago Daily Tribune announced a contest to find the three best amateur baseball players in Chicago. The prize for the three youngsters would be a chance to join Chicago's major league teams the American League White Sox, the National League Cubs and the Federal League Wales. The contest's origin, execution and ultimate success were the result of a series of circumstances unique to Chicago in 1915. Including the city's vibrant amateur baseball scene, the Tribune's active role as an ambassador of amateur and semi-professional baseball and the heightened competition for talent and attention brought on by the team from the new Federal League.

Natalie:

On July 4th the first official tryout was announced for the following week, with approximately 50 entrants. At 7 o'clock in the morning on July 11th the first tryout took place in Wiegman Park, home of the Whales. Despite the tryouts not being open to the public, demand was so high that a crowd of 1,000 was eventually admitted by Wiegman. Heavy rains nearly canceled the tryouts. Of the 54 players scheduled to be tried out, only 30 or so were in attendance. Of those who appeared in the initial tryouts, 10 were deemed worthy of moving on to the final round. When the final entry date for the contest passed on July 15th, there were nearly 400 entrants from Chicago and its suburbs.

Natalie:

The next tryouts took place on July 17th at the Chicago American Giants Park. Approximately 50 youngsters appeared at the tryouts and the American League umpire noted that the quality of player was lower than that of the first tryouts and that outfield stars were especially lacking. Perhaps this is the only reason that only five finalists were named. Two more tryouts were scheduled for the next day, july 18th, one in the morning at Kamiski Park and one in the afternoon at West Side Park, which was the Cubs home field. The morning tryouts were canceled due to rain, to be rescheduled at a later date. The afternoon tryouts took place without a hitch. The next tryout was scheduled for West Side Park on July 24th but was canceled due to the tragic sinking of the SS Eastland on the Chicago River, which killed 844 passengers.

Natalie:

The Tribune announced that the entire receipts from the final tryout scheduled on August 1st at Comiskey Park would be donated to benefit the relatives of those who lost their lives in the Eastland disaster. That's the end of this article, and it's not over yet, because here's a continuation of the story that wasn't covered in this article. This one is from the July 27th 1915 Chicago Tribune headline 11 amateur baseball players among Eastland disaster victims, 11 active players, members of managers league, went down with the Eastland, according to the official count made by that association. At its weekly meeting at 175 West Washington Street last night, the association passed resolutions of sympathy which were ordered forwarded to the surviving relatives. Reeves were ordered for the funerals.

Natalie:

Those who lost their lives in the disaster were as follows John Farmer Freilich John was part of the Murley's baseball team. Harold Meyer he was part of the Logan Boulevard team. Albert Kennedy part of the Topaz team. Maurice or Morris Robel, Topaz team. George Tonneson, team. Gus Schwenke he was either part of the Widerrechts or Widerrechts Colts there's some debate about that Frank Rehor western electrics team. Charles Block or Bluc, western electrics team. George Bennett, western electrics team. Arthur or Adolf Locke no team mentioned and Henry Schutte, part of the ideal billiards baseball team. A benefit game for the survivors has been arranged between the Eclipse and Delwoods for Thursday at Roseland, a committee of ministers from Southside having arranged to handle the funds to be raised. The Snorky signs and Panhandle switchmen will also stage a benefit game on Sunday morning at 50th Street and Oakley Avenue, while others are in prospect.

Natalie:

That's the end of the article, and I want to mention that the same, or nearly the same, piece was reprinted in the Zjenik-Chikagoski, which is one of the Polish language papers that I've referenced previously. This demonstrated that these sports teams were another bridge between these various communities that otherwise might not connect. Now, if you've listened to any episodes of previous podcasts, you probably know that we are going to run into a lot of name confusion. So, along with the name confusion, we're going to have some discrepancies in terms of number of ballplayers who were killed. I'm still trying to get not just primary sources but corroborating primary sources to flesh this out. But this is what I have so far and I'll always follow up if there is additional information available. But again, this is what I have so far and if there are things that I can't corroborate, I will tell you. But again, this is one of those things that I don't think has been researched very much. Here's the thing Much of this has to do with the speed at which they got these articles out during and after the Eastland disaster and since many of these folks that are mentioned were immigrants or children of immigrants, some of the name differences are due to that as well.

Natalie:

So we'll get to that. But these guys who died were part of this amateur baseball scene, so let's take an opportunity to get to know them a little bit better. The first one is John Freilich, and, depending on the publication, he was also known as Jan Freilich, different spellings of his last name too. He was often called Farmer and that was his nickname, and he played for the Merleys baseball team. And this is from the sports editor on the 27th of July the Genek Shikagoski. And remember this is a secondary source because I translated the primary source Semi-professional Jan Freilich, and there's a sketch of Jan which I can't share on the podcast but I will put it on my website and you could take a look at this artist's rendition of Jan. So the article continues.

Natalie:

Semi-professional football clubs have lost three of their best players in this terrible Eastland ship disaster. Among the names of the unfortunate is also the name of the popular Polish player, jan Freilich, also known by the nicknames Farmer and Hoosier. He consistently played as a midfielder for the Merleys club and in the same position for the company team where he worked which organized that fatal picnic Western electrics. And again, as you see, they mentioned football, they meant baseball. I'll continue Along. With Jan Freilich, his wife Jadwiga and her sister Zimna also drowned. Other football players who perished in the disaster are listed below Shute of the third state club of Pinky Kennedy, pitcher for the club Topaz.

Natalie:

The joint funeral for Mr Jan Freilich, his wife Jadwiga and sister-in-law will take place on Friday 30th of July, from the morning house at 2453 Thomas Street near Campel to St Stanislaus Kostka Church and from there to St Adelbert Cemetery. The two-year-old orphan left behind is currently in the care of their grandmother and mother-in-law. The sport editorial team extends heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased, who died in the prime of their lives. Again, this is from the 27th July 1915 issue of the Genick Shikagoski, and that means in English, chicago Daily News, jan and Jadwiga Freilich. This couple they were both 25 years old and they were married in 1912. And also Jadwiga's 17-year-old sister, yosifah Zimna sometimes written as Zimna was killed. However, their two-year-old daughter, eleanor, was spared.

Natalie:

What happened to little Eleanor? Well, I'll tell you so. She was orphaned by the calamity and raised by her grandparents in Chicago. Eleanor later joined the school sisters of St Francis in Milwaukee, an order founded in 1874 by three pioneering German sisters. As a nun, eleanor, aka Sister Virgil, harmonized her love for music with a knack for numbers, serving as a music teacher and a finance department staff member. Her presence was a steady note in the lives of many throughout southeastern Wisconsin, echoing for decades. Eleanor's earthly song ended at the age of 90 in 2002, and she was laid to rest in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Milwaukee.

Natalie:

This is from a March 12, 2015 article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Let's continue, because we have so many. Here's Adolf Morris Locke or Arthur Locke. L-o-c-k-e is the spelling of his last name. A 21-year-old electrician who worked for Western Electric tragically lost his life in the Eastland disaster. His background is a tapestry of family and work. His parents hailed from Denmark and he was one of five siblings. His family dynamic was probably vibrant, with a maternal grandmother sharing their home in 1910. His father made a living as a cigar salesman, while his older siblings contributed to the family income through sales in the music and confectionary industries. The details of his sports team, however, for now remain unclear and I'm always convinced that we'll find more information as time goes by.

Natalie:

Our next ball player is Henry Schutte. Henry Schutte was a member of the ideal billiards amateur baseball team and was 28 when he died, and he was living with his mom and several siblings and step siblings at that time. His name is spelled a variety of ways. However, on his headstone at Concordia Cemetery it is S-C-H-U-E-T-T and here is Henry's inscription. Henry Schutte, newborn 2nd August 1887, gestorba, 24th July 1915, victim of Eastland disaster. A loved one from us has gone. A voice we love is stilled. The place is vacant in our home which can never be filled.

Natalie:

Our next ball player is Harold Meyer, at the age of 22,. Harold Meyer was not just any young man of his time. He was a gifted ball player, gracing the diamond for the Logan boulevards, and off the field he wielded his craftsmanship as a machinist for Western Electric. His story, however, is woven from threads that stretches back to lands far from the baseball fields of Chicago. The 1910 census tells more about Harold's lineage. His father, william, shared the trade of machinist, though the whereabouts of his workshop remain cloaked in history. What we do know that William's roots trace back to Germany, adding a rich layer to the family's American dream. Louisa Olson, harold's mother, bore Illinois credentials, but her bloodline carried the heritage of Norway. Together, william and Louisa raised Harold alongside a younger brother, norman, in a household that was a tapestry of the New World, stitched with the old country's resilience.

Natalie:

George Tonneson is our next player. George Livingston Tonneson's young life abruptly ceased at 23. His final moments are etched in the somber records of Trinity Lutheran Church. George channeled his energy onto the baseball field playing for the Merleys, a local team where camaraderie and the crack of a bat under the open sky were routine joys. Off the field, his life was defined by the steady rhythm of industry, as noted in the 1910 census, where he is listed as a clerk amidst the clang and clamor of steelworks, the location of which now lies, obscured by the passage of time. His lineage spoke of adventure and mystery, with a father hailing from the rugged landscapes of Norway, a man who delved into the secretive and intriguing world of private detective. Yeah, it's a chapter in the family's lore that begs for further exploration, rich with potential tales of intrigue and resolve. George's mother brought with her the essence of Sweden and, together with her husband, they raised a family in America where at least one daughter shared the Tonneson home, a place where Norwegian sagas and Swedish tales might have mingled with the dreams and ambitions of their American born children.

Natalie:

Our next player, albert J Kennedy. At the age of 24, albert, whose life was brimming with promise and vitality, was a beloved member of the Topaz baseball team, a place where his spirit and talent shone brightly by day. He was a diligent clerk at Western Electric, a cog in the wheel of America's industrial revolution. Albert's roots were as humble as they were diverse. His father, henry D Kennedy, an Indiana native, knew the meaning of hard work, his hands calloused from his laborer's toil. His mother, catherine Blake, carried the gentle strength of Canada in her veins. Together they built a life that was a blend of America's heartlands, grit and the expansive generosity of the Canadian spirit. He grew up alongside two younger siblings, their childhood undoubtedly filled with the echoing laughter of games and the shared whispers of dreams in the night. Albert's role as the elder brother would have been his first mantle of responsibility, one he would wear with the same earnestness that characterized his endeavors. Albert's story, like all the other players, was cut tragically short by the Eastland disaster. It's a mosaic of youth, work, play and hope.

Natalie:

Maurice Robble, otherwise known as Morris Robble. Maurice played for the Topaz team as well, and on Find a Grave it reads A former Springfield boy, morris W Robble, was among those drowned the Eastland disaster in Chicago Saturday morning. The boy was 21 years old and is survived by his parents, mr and Mrs Carl Robble, chicago, and by his grandfather William G White and uncle George E White, both of this city. Robble had been employed by the Western Electric Company in Chicago for several years. As a side note, there is also additional information in the Chicago Tribune, and the date of that issue is the 26th of July 1915, so shortly after the Eastland disaster and it mentions that there was also a mini M-I-N-N-I-E Robble of the same address, who was killed on the Eastland along with Morris. I don't know who she is in relation to Morris, but this needs further investigation as well, because she's not listed any place else. Also, morris was identified by a person called Siegfried Larson.

Natalie:

Gustav Schank Jr is our next player. Gustav Schank Jr's life was a vibrant thread in the fabric of early 20th century Chicago. At 25 years old, he was the embodiment of youthful industry. Skillfully working as an assembler at Western Electric by day, outside of the hum of the city, gustav's passion found an outlet on the baseball field, playing for the Widerrechts, also known as the Widerrechts Colts, where he was not just a player but a testament to the spirit of this American sport. Born into a family with deep German roots, gustav carried within him the steadfast qualities imparted by his father, a hard-working laborer who had crossed an ocean to build a new life. His mother, also from Germany, nurtured their home with the values and faith characteristics of Missouri synod Lutherans, providing a strong moral compass and a sense of community. Gustav was one of five siblings, a middle thread in the tapestry of his family, woven with the love and camaraderie that only a shared heritage and life experiences can create. Together they forged a life in their adopted homeland, balancing the traditions of their German past with the hopes of their American future.

Natalie:

Frank Rehor, frantzecek Rehor is our next player. In the heart of Chicago's industrial bloom, frank Rehor carved his brief yet resonant narrative. An office clerk at Western Electric by day, he was the embodiment of the company's spirit. A mere twenty years old, yet already a cornerstone in the burgeoning electric age, as noted in the Chicago Daily News on July 26, 1915. But like all the other players, frank's life wasn't all work. He channeled his vibrancy onto the baseball field, playing for the Western Electric's team. There, he was more than a player. He was a symbol of his generation's energy and community spirit, a living link between the workplace and the playful heartbeat of America's favorite pastime. He was the youngest of six, cradled in a Bohemian legacy, with both of his parents, joseph and Anna, hailing from the region known today as the Czech Republic. His father's hands, once dedicated to the Toils of Labor, found their artistry as a cooper in a packing house in 1910, shaping barrels that held the city's produce and products.

Natalie:

Our next player is Charles Bloch, sometimes known as Charles Bluk umlaut over the you for you, German-speaking folk. Charles Bluk of South Maplewood, a spirited 21-year-old whose life was deeply rooted in the heart of Chicago, is remembered with profound affection Born to Henry and Johanna. He brightened the lives of those around him with his dedication to the game as a player for the Western electrics and his commitment as an employee of the Illinois Central Railroad. His legacy is not defined by his tragic passing on the Eastland but by the indelible mark of joy, brotherhood and youthful exuberance he left on the community, forever cherished by a city that will not forget one of its own, george Bennett. He's listed just by name and address in a couple newspapers at that time and he's not to be confused with Leroy Bennett, who has a separate biography and is a different person. But George is the only player that I've had some challenges with insofar as I can't figure out what happened to his trail. But we do have a couple of clues. Besides his home address there was the fact that he played for the Western electrics, which probably means he worked for Western electrics. So a little more digging is required for this one and I will get new information on him and let you know as soon as I find it. There's another bit of connective tissue that I need to share with you because it points back to several of the players that I just discussed. Hang in there with this one.

Natalie:

There was a survivor, another baseball player for the amateur team who survived the Eastland disaster. Let me just read to you from the Stevens Point Daily Journal, and this is from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, july 26, 1915. Headline the are safe. A special delivery letter from Pete Shriners to Miss Verona Glinsky of this city says that both Mr Shriners and his wife were some of those saved from the capsized Eastland. Mrs Shriners is quite badly cut and bruised about the arms and hands. Mr Schreiners was not hurt at all. Mrs Schriener is the daughter of this city and the sister of Joseph and Steve of this city and John and Anton. John , that's her brother, was in Chicago a week ago. At that time he saw his sister. They were not planning to go on the excursion since Mr Schreiner expected to visit in Milwaukee on Sunday. Evidently they changed their minds, for both were on the Eastland when it capsized.

Natalie:

This morning's Chicago Tribune prints the interview with one of the survivors of the tragedy. Quote Al Kennedy, the star pitcher of the Western Electric team, left his sweetheart with Mrs Pete , wife of another ball player, and went to round up some of the boys. I'm going to pause here again. Al Kennedy was one of the guys who was killed. He knew Pete Shriners and his sweetheart was staying with Pete Shriners' wife. We'll continue with the article. He was just coming back when the boat tipped and I heard him yell grab a porthole, pete, which Pete did and was saved without even getting his clothes wet. Kennedy fell back into the hold with Morris, robel and Tonneson and all three perished. Kennedy's sweetheart, whose name I don't remember, and Mrs were both revived at the Iroquois Hospital. Again, we just mentioned Kennedy, Morris Robel and George Tonneson in the previous listing. So that's how these are all connected to the survivor and Pete Shriners.

Natalie:

Frank Shriners has a very intriguing background. He was a big deal and he also married into a prominent family in Stevens Point, wisconsin as well. Pete worked for Western Electric, according to his 1917 draft registration card, and I found an article about how Frank, aka Pete Shriners, was connected to baseball. Check this out. This is from the Daily Tribune in Chicago, wednesday May 14, 1913. So this is a couple years before the Eastland and this is a wedding announcement.

Natalie:

Headline Worzella Shreiner Kaukauna Sun: Frank Shreiner has surprised his friends and joined the army of Benedict's that appear each spring. He was united in marriage to Miss Anna Vosela of Winona, Minnesota, in St Mary's Church in Milwaukee on Wednesday April 23 by the Reverend Father Kilpinski. They were attended by Miss Anna Shreiner, sister of the groom, and Thay Young, pausing for effect, formerly a member of the Calcona Baseball League. A wedding breakfast was served at the home of the groom's sister, mrs Frank Nisler, to the wedding party and a few close friends and relatives. Mr and Mrs Shreiner left for a short wedding trip after which they will be at home to their friends in the Freedman building, flat Sea, east Chicago. The bride formerly lived at Stevens Point where Mr Shreiner became acquainted with her while he was the manager of the Stevens Point Baseball team. The groom is now employed as a checking clerk by the Green Engineering Company in East Chicago and he does extra work as cartoonist on one of the Chicago papers. He will also play on the East Chicago League ball team.

Natalie:

Okay, you heard the name Cy Young, right? Even if you're not a baseball fan, you probably know Cy Young. Was this the Cy Young? It's not, but I'll get into that. Well, hmm, it doesn't appear to be Cy Young , but I'm not 100% and we'll get into that, which is actually a great way to demonstrate how difficult doing this type of genealogical research can be and how easy it is sometimes to jump to a conclusion without having evidence lots of evidence to substantiate that conclusion.

Natalie:

But here comes the connection to the Black Sox scandal. So our survivor, Frank, aka Pete Shreiner. He was interviewed many years later, in 1956, in the Stevens Point Daily Journal, and he discussed this whole experience. This tale, woven from the threads of the 1919 World Series and the infamous Black Sox scandal, remains a gripping narrative, one that has not faded even as the years have passed. This incident is kept alive not just in the annals of baseball history but in the personal recollections of those intimately tied to the scandal, including Happy Felch and his confidant Pete Shreiner.

Natalie:

Happy Felsch, known by his cheerful moniker instead of his given name, Oscar, briefly played with the Stevens Point team in 1912, where his path crossed with Pete Shreiner, who would later recall the unfolding of Felch's career with both fondness and clarity. From his residents, shreiner, whose full name is Frank, reminisced about Felsch's assertion that, despite the gambler's influence, the accused players had not intentionally lost the games. Instead, they had planned to double-cross the gamblers. Felch had confided that financial dissatisfaction and being underpaid fueled the players' unrest. Felsch's journey to Stevens Point was via Wisconsin Rapids, brought there by Shreiner, the manager of the Point team, in 1912.

Natalie:

During a memorable game, Felsch hit a home run off a pitcher amusingly nicknamed Sai Young. Real name Jacob Young, not the famous Cy Young, but a worthy namesake, and this is a sidebar note from me. So you remember that earlier wedding announcement for Shreiner. I think when they referenced Cy Young in that wedding announcement it probably was Jacob Young, but I've not been able to prove that 100%, so let that stay as a theory that has yet to be proven. Ok, back to the article.

Natalie:

Shreiner, playing third base, was so impressed that he shouted an invitation to Felch to join the Point team if he ever decided to leave his current club. Feslch took up the offer on the Labor Day weekend and played for the Point team, which had an outstanding season, winning all but four of their games. After the season, it was who introduced Felsch to Charlie Moll, a part-time scout for the Milwaukee Brewers. Moll signed Felsch, who initially played for Fond du Lac in the state league, showcasing his talent by hitting numerous home runs. His performance led to a promotion to the Brewers and eventually to Chicago White Sox. Felch's career with the White Sox lasted several years until the scandalous accusation that he and other players had thrown the 1919 series, resulting in their exile from major league baseball. Post scandal, Felsch entered the tavern business in Milwaukee and distanced himself from professional baseball.

Natalie:

Pete Shreiner himself had a notable baseball career, playing in the state league with Wasaw and Oshkosh and even reaching the Western League with Denver in 1911. His move to Stevens Point was promoted by an offer made during his travels in the state league, an offer he took up after a stint in Denver. The Point team enjoyed a remarkable year under his management, including the storied performance of the pitcher Cy Young and again I'm not sure which one that is. Shreiner eventually moved to Chicago where he joined Western Electric and played in the industrial league, winning a national championship in 1914. After a long residence in Chicago, he returned to Stevens Point upon retirement with his wife, anna Warzala. An avid baseball fan and supporter of the Braves, shreiner cherished the memories of his playing days and the remarkable stories from that era, including the amusing anecdote of a team against Merrill where the lack of a catcher led to some unconventional team arrangements. Herman Menzel, a local player from the 1912 team, was part of this memorable incident and remained part of the community. This narrative, with rich personal connections, talent discovered and careers both made and marred, reflects the complex tapestry of America's baseball heritage, marked indelibly by the shadow of the Black Sox scandal.

Natalie:

I will post several of these articles that I located about Schreiner and you can look at them in their entirety, but I wanted to say a few things. Thanks to the movie Field of Dreams, which we just watched last night, it put the Black Sox scandal on the map and I know people joke about the sayings from the movie, such as if you build it, he will come, and I honestly think when people make jokes about things like this it's because it makes them nervous. It's hitting a nerve. So the best way to deal with that is through humor. I do it myself when things get a little too much, but really that movie has so many nuances and so many complexities, but the person we most remember is Shoeless Joe Jackson in that cast of ghost players that come out of the field. And the other thing I noticed last night when we were watching it is that one of the ghost players called to the other ghost player, hey happy, and they were probably referring to this Happy Felsch who was featured in this article.

Natalie:

So a couple of others' sidebars to this article. Pete Shreiner's wife, Anna Warzalla, her family, was very prominent in publishing in Stephen's Point and the company still exists. I'm not sure what they do at this point because this is many years later, but it's still a prominent company. And, as is often the case, I don't think any of these articles mention the Eastland disaster Again. I think that many people wanted to put that behind them, but it doesn't mean that this too was not part of their tapestry. So obviously, frank aka Pete and his wife survived and went on in their lives until their passing. But maybe late at night when they talked among themselves, they reminisced. They reminisced about Kennedy calling out to Pete to put himself through the porthole so he could save his life. Maybe it was safer to remember in the darkness than talk about it during the day.

Natalie:

Well, I'm not going to say too much because really these primary sources speak for themselves. I've tried to put them together in such a way where they make sense, but I've also left them in the condition that I found them, and it also for me as one of those people with immigrant ancestors in Chicago who was affected by the Eastland disaster. Reading these accounts, sharing them with you, also casts a different shadow and a different light on my own family's experiences of what that must have been like for them trying to be part of this new world that they were part of, but also retain their traditions, but also do these things like engage in baseball games, where they intersected with all kinds of people and they passed that love of the game down through the generations. That, to me, is the American story, where we all got to be part of this thing one way or the other called baseball, and I'm proud of the way these teams and these individuals stood up for their people who were killed on the Eastland and provided support financial and emotional and spiritual for those who were left behind.

Natalie:

As I'm writing this and doing this podcast, it is the 22nd of December 2023. Merry Christmas, happy Christmas to the people who celebrate that holiday, and I will be back before 2024 begins with another episode, because this has so much to it and I am still learning as I share these podcasts with you, so perhaps well for sure. I'll probably have more information next week. So, take care, enjoy your holiday and I'll talk to you soon. Hey, that's it for this episode and thanks for coming along for the ride. Please subscribe or follow so you can keep up with all the episodes. For more information, please go to my website, that's wwwflowerintherivercom. I hope you'll consider buying my book, available now as audiobook, ebook, paperback and hardcover, because I owe people money and I'm just kidding about that. But the one thing I'm not kidding about is that this podcast and my book are dedicated to the memory of the 844 who died on the Eastland. Goodbye for now.

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Natalie Zett

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