Battery in Doubt
The Butte Miner, Butte, 1918-07-16, p.2
Summary
Light sports-column item about an upcoming Butte amateur baseball lineup. Quoted line: "**Tish Maloney says he can't pitch, but he thinks he could hurl a few if they would move the pitcher's box in closer.**" Adjacent lines on "Ike" Austin (catcher candidate) and George Hageman (the same 1917 5th-ward Democratic aldermanic candidate from Tish's slate). Tish's self-deprecating wit + a 1918 social-baseball connection. Atmosphere for the Tish persona.
In its time
Narrative
The battery for an upcoming game remains unsettled: "Ike" Austin, said to have caught as many baseballs as any man living, is a candidate behind the plate, while Tish Maloney claims he can't pitch but might hurl a few if the pitcher's box were moved in closer. George Hageman declares himself game to play wherever he is put. [transcription partial]
- “"Ike" Austin has caught as many baseballs as any man living and might be on the receiving end”
- “he thinks he could hurl a few if they would move the pitcher's box in closer”
AI-generated (claude-opus-5). Verify against the transcription before quoting.
People
- Patrick "Tish" Maloughney (1883–1958; "Tish Maloney" in print; JJM's best friend by family tradition; Chatham cousin of Aggie Kelly)(as printed: Tish Maloney)role: quoted humorous self assessment · family confidence: 75 strong
Also mentioned
- "Ike" Austin · candidate_catcher
Named as a possible catcher ("has caught as many baseballs as any man living and might be on the receiving end"); not quoted. Not yet identified.
- George Hageman · candidate_player
Same George Hageman who ran on Tish's 1917 5th-Ward aldermanic ticket. Recurring Butte civic-and-social figure.
Places
- Butte, Montana (primary)
Themes
Story threads
Tags
Source type
news_item
Related sources
Transcription
Dotted underlines mark key terms on first mention — hover or tab to one for a reference note. The wording is the source’s own.