Ray Morgan Plays Base Ball - August 30, 1914

 
   One hundred years ago, 18-year old Ray Morgan played catcher for the Valley Falls team. The following is the story as it appeared on Thursday, September 3, 1914 in The Valley Falls New Era.

The best ball game ever pulled off on the Valley Falls diamond was the one played last Sunday when the Home Team won, 5 to 2, against the fast Winchester team.

For three and a half innings not a score was made. None had reached first base, except Ray Morgan in the third.

There was tense anxiety in the grandstand. Something would happen. And it did.

McKinney sent the ball over the fence in right and landed safely on third. Everybody shouted. Harding followed with another three base hit, scoring McKinney. Delk got a hit and scored Harding. In the fifth and sixth there was nothing doing. The Home team was 2 to the good. In the 7^th Goddard scored one for the visitors. Our boys drew a blank. In the 8^th Yeck scored another for Winchester tieing the score. Now it was anybody’s game.

But when the Home team went to bat they faced a new pitcher—though Housh had been doing fine, Stoeffler taking the mound. And that’s where our boys forged ahead, knocking out three scores. How the fans shouted! And so it ended 5 to 2. It was a great game. The winner took all the receipts, by previous agreement.

										R	H	E
Winchester	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	2	6	2
Valley Falls	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	3	X	5	6	1

Line Up

Valley Falls	R	H	E
Newman, lf	0	0	0
Lillie, ss	1	0	0
Chapman, 3b	1	2	0
McKinney, rf	1	2	0
Harding, p	1	1	0
Delk, 1b	0	0	1
Evans, 2b	0	0	0
Morgan, c	0	1	0
Figgs, cf	1	0	0
	5	6	1
Winchester	R	H	E
Royer, 3b	0	1	0
Wallace, 1b	0	1	0
Goddard, 2b	1	1	0
Stoeffler, ss	0	1	1
Thomas, cf	0	0	1
Kiernan, c	0	1	0
Thompson, rf	0	0	0
Yeck, lf	1	0	0
Housh, p	0	1	0
	2	6	2

Struck out by Housh 10; by Harding 11. Batteries for Winchester Housh and Kiernan; for Valley Falls, Harding and Morgan. Umpire Triggs. Time 2 hours.

The fast Mayetta Indians will come for a game next Sunday.

Winchester is a small community about 12 miles east of Valley Falls. It's tricky to read the box score because the hits and runs are to me reversed.

Ray Morgan 1916