The Lodi Outlaws, pictured on June 16, 1910, ruled the baseball diamond. First names are not all known, but pictured from left are Graffigna, Peirano, Brown, manager Joe Friedberger at the steering wheel, coach Newt Whitaker, Benedict, Posey, Prentice and Corson. Seated on the running board are Wilson and Wilkinson. (Photo Courtesy of Ralph Lea)

Lodi crowds loved early baseball

It only took the crack of a wood baseball bat to draw a Lodi crowd on spring and summer Sunday afternoons in the early 1900s.

In those days, there was little entertainment in the community for the hard-working farmers, merchants and their families. Sure, there were a few community band concerts, dances and the nickeloden theaters downtown, but there was nothing quite like a hard-fought baseball game between the Lodi favorites and the out-of-town teams. These sometimes-rowdy baseball games were a more socially acceptable alternative to the Sunday afternoons once spent betting on the fastest dog or horse at the old racing track on Cherokee Lane at the turn of the century.

On warm Sunday afternoons, horses and buggies lined the edge of Lodi's dandy baseball diamond located just east of the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks on the south side of Lodi Avenue. This diamond also featured a nice grandstand for spectators. Often the grandstand would be full, and enthusiastic fans would spill out into foul territory and sometimes even interfere with base runners.

In the summer of 1905, Lodians cheered on the Lodi Tigers playing in the state semi-professional baseball league. The Lodi team played league teams from San Jose, Fresno, Oakland, San Francisco and Stockton. League standings were closely followed in the newspaper, even though Lodi had fallen into fourth place with seven wins and 10 losses in July.

Baseball was taken very seriously by the hometown fans. Important games always sold out, even with tickets at 25 cents each. The rivalry between the Stockton and Lodi teams would often lead to fists fights and even bottles hurled through the air at the umpire. Umpiring the games was a difficult job, but Cy Townsend still applied for a $250-a-month job as umpire in mid-July 1905. Townsend was scheduled to take the place of an umpire named Bray, "who has not been giving satisfaction," according to the Sentinel.

On Sunday, July 23, 1905, the first double-header ever played on the Lodi diamond was held. The games were between Lodi and San Francisco. Fans were allowed to see both games for 25 cents, the normal price for one game. The San Francisco team took a boat to Stockton and was picked up at the dock and given a ride to Lodi in stable owner Seigalkoff's "Pride of Lodi" wagon. The first game started at 1 p.m. in order to have plenty of daylight left for the second game. Lodi got the best of San Francisco by a score of 7 to 6 in the first game but fell to a tie, 5-5, in the second.

Later on in the summer of 1910, there was another Lodi ball club dear to the hearts of citizens. The Lodi Outlaws were enthusiastically managed by popular merchant Joe Friedberger and coached by Newt Whitaker.

The ball players were often former high school players who loved the game but continued to work at their jobs in town. In those days, the ball clubs would sometimes recruit out-of-town pitchers, but all other players lived in their team's town.

One of the key players in this time period was Jack Bare. Bare went on to play ball professionally for a couple of years, and he continued to clerk at Beckman's Store off-season. Another, Jack Keller was a hard hitter and first baseman who also later turned pro. "Ike" and "Chaw" Hamilton were favorite long ball hitters. Jack Plummer was also one of the best players.

Friedberger was an affable man who ran a stationery and jewelry store on Sacramento Street, just a few doors south of Elm Street. Friedberger was also a news agent who sold out-of-town newspapers in his store. Perhaps because of the newspapers and his friendly nature, Friedberger's shop was a favorite gathering place for men ready to sit and ponder political, economic and baseball topics.

In 1910, the Lodi Outlaws were a very successful and popular team with a great record. On June 7, the Lodi Sentinel wrote, "Lodi was never represented by a better home team." That month, the Outlaws and the Dam City team from Woodbridge battled over the bases three times in spirited contests for the northern San Joaquin championship.

Following the first game, in which Lodi blasted Woodbridge 9-2, the Sentinel was full of praise for both teams.

"The (Lodi) players worked together; there was no kicking at the umpire or anything else that characterizes games played by semi-professional or imported talent. The same can be said of the Woodbridge team, and both should continue to be supported, as evinced by the large crowd Sunday," the newspaper stated.

About two weeks later, the Outlaws again beat Woodbridge by a score of 9 to 3. While Lodi could claim the championship by winning two out of three, the Dam City boys from Woodbridge got some revenge during the Fourth of July game. Woodbridge beat Lodi, 9-6.

"The general impression is that the Outlaws and the visitors can do battle all summer and still furnish interesting games, not matter who wins," the Sentinel wrote philosophically about the city's passion for the game.

Vintage Lodi is a local history column that appears on the first and third Saturday of the month. This Vintage Lodi column originally appeared on May 18, 2002.