THE WATSONS

"The Weedsport Baseball Team was first organized in the Spring of 1865 to play in a district league of 4 or 5 clubs. About 45 men volunteered and from these a first team consisting of the following was chosen: Catcher, Murray Duncan; Pitcher, James Kiernan;First base, James Weed; Second base, Alonzo S. Fellows; Third base, George A. Beach; Short stop, Julius I. Turner; Left field, Charles Robinson; Center field, Andrew Hine; Right Field, O. C. Himan.

Will Watson, or "Uncle Billy," was very much interested in the sport and often closed his undertaking and furniture business to go to the games. He was chosen president of the Weedsport organization and the team was named the "Watsons." It has carried that name ever since.

The team went undefeated in 1868 and again in 1878. It won a silver ball at the tournament in Skaneateles defeating some of the best clubs in the state. The long list of victories resulted in a common expression at that time, "Going like the Watsons."

In 1877 the team reorganized with William Watson still president, and the following line up: Cather, Charles Faatz; Pitcher, Jay Faatz; First base, Clarence Sheldon; Second base, George Faatz; Third base, C. E. Wright;

Short stop, Barney Coyle; Left field, Y. ALkinbrack; Center field, John Sittser, Right field, F. Freeman; Substitute, Will Glass.

In 1895 Jay Faatz recommended an out-or-town pitcher to Manager Fred Smith. His name was William Dineen and he came from Gere's Lock. Barney McManus and Louis Paul, Weedsport. pitchers, saw Dineen pitch for Marcellus and asked him to pitch for the Warsons the next week in the deciding game of a series with Wolcott. The Wolcott team had several paid players, but secured only two hits from Dineen, while the Warsons with their one paid pitcher won the game 12 to 0.

Later that same season, Toronto of the Eastern League played an exhibition game in Weedsport, defeating the Warsons 16 to 8. They signed pitcher Dineen to a contract and he was on his way up through the Eastern League to the Boston Americans, the team that would put him in the star pitching position in a world's series. He later became an umpire in the American League."

"Probably the first Watson to enter the professional field was Jay Faatz, first baseman, who played with Syracuse, Toronto and Cleveland and was manager of the Buffalo Player's League in 1891. His brother, Charles Faatz, played with Oswego in the State League and with Grand Rapids.

An incomplete list of others would include: Dan Sweeny with Louisville; Marty McQuaid, St. Louis; Billy Stroh, Boston Nationsis; Dillon and Mulligan, Jersey City; George Stroh, with A. J. & G. of the State League; Villeman, Denver of the Western Leaque; Charles Kanaley, Auburn and Cortland of the State League; Fred Stevens and Jack Mc Nary, Newark and Auburn of the State Leaque; and last but not least, Harry Northrop, who was a pitcher with the Cuban Giants for three seasons.

A whole chapter and more could be devoted to that picturesque player, Harry Northrop, who played on the team, except when he was away from Weedsport, over a period of ten years. During this time he never lost more than three games in any one season. Usually he pitched but he could play any other position and did on occasions. And woe to the opposing pitcher who expected to toss up three lightly pitched strikes when Harry came to bat. Other players of the early nineteen hundreds would include Billy Coyle, the three other Kanaley brothers, Byron, James and John, the three Bibbens brothers, Frank, Sheldon and La Verne, Fred O'Neil, Harry Stickles and Fred Hopkins. No one who attended the qames in the first decade of the present century will forget the battery of Northrop and O'Neil. The latter was the team's master of strategy and from his position behind the plate controlled the team play quite in the modern manner. His throw to second had the aim of a rifle bullet and opponents who knew O'Neil took few chances."