The Day the Seattle Ballplayers Brought the Noise
A scrappy, hard-fought victory at the ballpark saw tempers flare and a decisive home run that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Abner Powell's team moved to the top of the ladder today by reason of a splendid victory yesterday over Ollie Beard's men. For eight innings, it was a contest to set the 'fans' wild with enthusiasm, with but one run scored in the game, a home run drive over the fence by Captain Sam Laroque. The pitching of the big southpaw, Gilliland, was nothing short of magnificent. At the most decisive moments with men on the bases, he was master of the situation and struck out the batters who faced him.
In the ninth, the snappy, clock-work game fell all to pieces. Seattle's Lange reached base, and after a series of errors and defensive struggles, the Spokane catcher, Brennan, gave an ugly exhibition of temper. In a play at the plate, Brennan drew the ball back over his shoulder and brought it down with all his force on the little outfielder's hip. He was not in time, however, and was rewarded only by the derisive laughter of the Seattle players. The game ended with Seattle winning 3-1, though Spokane rallied for their only run in the bottom of the ninth.
“The fish horns, which had slumbered until then, sent forth their discordant notes, which served as a signal for everybody to shout.”
Long before T-Mobile Park or the modern Mariners, Seattle's early baseball culture was defined by localized rivalries and intense, often rowdy, community spirit. The 'fish horns' mentioned in the 1892 report remind us that while the stadium architecture has changed, the unique, cacophonous energy of a Seattle crowd has been a constant for over a century.
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