Muskegon Baseball: Anglers (1923-24, Michigan Ontario League)

These two scorecards are the oldest programs in my collection. I stumbled upon them on eBay a few years ago. Didn't pay much for them either, and they're in excellent condition, considering they're 90 years old.

Regular Season--Anglers vs. Grand Rapids

     The Anglers were the eighth team to call Muskegon home since the 19th Century. They were part of the Michigan-Ontario League, an eight-team loop that had member teams with some of the most creative nicknames in baseball. Just look at them:

Muskegon--Anglers

Flint--Vehicles

Bay City--Wolves

Kalamazoo--Celery Pickers/Kazoos

Grand Rapids--Billbobs/Homoners

Hamilton--Tigers/Clippers

London--Tecumsehs

     In 1923, the Anglers would finish the season with a strong 73-57 record. Their record would put them in third place, as the Bay City Wolves captured the league championship with an 80-51 mark.

Regular Season--Anglers vs. Kalamazoo

     In 1924, the Anglers would slide all the way to seventh place. Their 58-79 record was a distant 28.5 games back of Bay City, who went on to win the league title over Flint. Despite the poor showing, a highlight of the season was a 6-1 victory over Grand Rapids, with MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis among the sellout crowd.

     That was one of the few large crowds of the year, as a dismal on-field product led to low attendance numbers, which eventually forced the Anglers to fold after the 1924 season.

     Even though the team struggled, the Anglers did send several players to the majors. A highlight of the season was Bud Clancy's 40-game hitting streak, which helped propel him to the majors at the end of the season. Several other Anglers went on to the show, including Tony Welzer, Buck Crouse, Verdo Elmore and George Loepp.

     Again, these programs are in great shape for their age. Score was neatly kept in both in pencil. The program on the right has a neat way to separate the two teams' scorecards. Instead of having them on separate pages, they're simply printed on small cards with the rosters on opposite sides. I like the Buick ad on the front of the first program. To stir up sales with baseball fans, the local Buick dealer listed the names of major leaguers that drove Buicks, including Connie Mack and Tris Speaker. If it's good enough for Hall of Famers, it's good enough for you!

Sources:

Okkonen, Marc. Minor League Baseball Towns of Michigan: Adrian to Ypsilanti. pages 137-38. Thunder Bay Press, 1997.