The Martins and Manhattans

In Sandusky in the 1910’s, the Martins and Manhattans were two popular city baseball teams that often played each other at Sandusky’s Huron Park. Sandusky photographer N. J. Abele, who lived at 311 Huron Avenue, took the picture below. The Martins were sponsored by Martin’s Confectionery, a Sandusky business owned by Fred Martin that sold ice cream and other confections.

While not everyone in the photo postcard above have been identified, notes on the original item indicate that manager Pat Murray is in the dark suit in the back row, and the player who is the second from the right in the front row is Ed Oesterle. The first young man in the back row is Moses Thompson. A news article which appeared on the sports page of the October 7, 1912 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that Moses Thompson played “sensationally” against the Manhattans at Huron Park on October 6, 1912. He got a home run in the first inning, and later participated in a double play with a player by the name of Meyers. The final score of the game was the Martins with four runs, and the Manhattans with two runs.

The Manhattans team, sponsored by the Manhattan Clothing Emporium, is pictured below. The only person who has been identified is manager Ralph Roesch, in the dark suit in the center of the back row. Players who played for the Manhattans during the October 6, 1912 game with the Martins included: Fred Kubach, Charles “Pink” Bogert, and old Sandusky favorite ball players with last names Blancke and McConville.

On September 18, 1940 an article in the Sandusky Star Journal covered a baseball game to be held at the Ohio Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home between the baseball teams sponsored by the Clover Leaf Dairy and the Farrell Cheek Foundry. Carl Bloker managed the Clover Leaf Dairy ball club, while Moses Thompson managed the Farrell Cheek team. Carl Bloker and Moses Thompson had both played with the Martins in the 1910’s.

Moses Thompson was the brother of Sandusky-born physician, Dr. Clarence Thompson. Previous blog entries about baseball in Sandusky discussed Clarence Howard of the Sandusky Crescents, Olde Broderson, and Frank “Casey” Casserly, manager of the Shamrocks baseball team.