Feb. 9, 1931: MATT BROWN RECALLS OLD DAYS OF VALPARAISO MAROON NINE; THE LATE GUS WITTMACK PLAYED

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on February 9, 1931.

MATT BROWN RECALLS OLD DAYS OF VALPARAISO MAROON NINE; THE LATE GUS WITTMACK PLAYED

The death of Gus Wittmack at his home in Wanatah last week recalled to the minds of scores of old time baseball fans the diamond feats of the peerless Wittmack and the old Valparaiso Red Stockings, later the Maroons, back in the eighties.

Of this famous team which competed with the best professional nines in the middle west between 1884 and 1896, only five players are alive. They are Charles Holt who resides in New Hampshire, Ernest Gregg of California, Gus Meeker of Hammond and Matt Brown and Clate Thompson of Valparaiso.

Matt Brown, veteran of the Valparaiso city police force and first baseman of the team, takes a keen delight in recounting some of the more interesting events which occurred during the life of the Maron club.

“Back in the early nineties,” said Mr. Brown, “the Springfield, Ohio, team was regarded as one of the best in this section of the country. They came here highly touted to win but we defeated them in a game played on the fairgrounds diamond. Jack Zimmerman and myself hit home runs that day and the Springfield nine moved on to Winamac with the short end of the score.

“Winemac was a great betting town in those days and when Springfield beat their team they took about all the money out of the town.

“We were never shut-out,” boasted Matt, “although we came mighty close to it at Columbia City. They were staging a big celebration there, the occasion being the laying of the courthouse cornerstone, and we went there to play the home team. Columbia City imported a Texas league pitcher who held us scoreless until late in the game and things looked pretty dark for our record. But our catcher finally caught one on the nose and lifted it over the fence for a home run and our only score of the game.”