The old Rich Hill Baseball Diamond

The documents for tonights blog were items in Miss Mary Griffin's research file.

For a number of years a plot of ground located at the south edge of town, large enough for a baseball diamond has been leased yearly by management of the Rich Hill Ball Club from Joe Peterman, Sr. for a playing field.

Now that a movement sponsored by Craig-Wheeler-Duzan Post No.67 of the American Legion, is under way to build a permanent park in Rich Hill, which will be used as a baseball park, the old playing field in Joe's pasture is to be abandoned.

Mr. Peterman an ardent baseball fan, hardly ever missed a game. He is quite proud of the following poem, composed and sent to him by another baseball fan:

The old cow pasture

So dear to us all

Is still as the grave

"Thout the call, "Play Ball"

Old Bossie and Brindle

And Billy, the goat.

In peace can meander,

Sometimes in a boat.

"S-t-r-i-k-e," says the Umpy,

"It's a foul" or "dead ball"

Or "Hold yer hat, Gertrude,

There she goes over the wall."

We'll miss his sad grimace

When the batters swing low,

He sits there in silence,

His objections are few,

And to quell his emotions

He just takes a fresh chew,

All the boys were his ideals,

He loved every one.

And all nine players

Were second to none.

Even the Dodgers, the Giants, the Reds or the Cards,

Are very small potatoes

With his boys in his yards.

So, goodbye to the old pasture,

our memories and spirits are low.

In sadness we leave the old diamond

With love and devotion to Joe.