Muscotah, a small town in western Atchison County, will be the place for all things baseball and Joe Tinker on Saturday, July 27.
Joe Tinker Day, as proclaimed by the Kansas House of Representatives, will include a vintage baseball game between the Old Cowtown Base Ball Club and the Hodgeman Nine at 4 p.m. under the water tower. The teams will wear old-time uniforms and use 1870s equipment and rules.
Born in Muscotah on July 27, 1880, shortstop Joe Tinker was part of the famous Hall of Fame double-play combination of Tinker to Evers to Chance. The trio helped lead the Chicago Cubs to World Series championships in 1907 and 1908, the last time the Cubs have been in a World Series.
Artists Erika Nelson and Matthew Farley tracked down relatives of Joe Tinker to ask permission to use Tinker's likeness on a baseball mural in Muscotah. Tinker's grandson Jay and his two sons, Chris and Jon, were so pleased to hear about the activities that they decided to travel to the game from their home in Baltimore, Maryland.
Jay Tinker is the last living relative to have known Joe Tinker. He remembers sitting on the knee of Babe Ruth while visiting his grandfather. There will be a Q&A with the Tinkers at 1 p.m. in the Muscotah city building. Everyone is welcome.
Recently, the community has converted an old water tower tank into the World's Largest Baseball. A rural baseball and community museum will be located within the round tank. Donations from the vintage baseball game will go towards the museum as well as to silhouettes of Tinker to Evers to Chance which will be placed on the mini-infield next to the big ball.
Take Me Out to the Ballgame will be sung during the seventh-inning stretch. Peanuts, CrackerJack, hotdogs, apple pie, ice cream, commemorative fans and t-shirts will be for sale. A goat will be on the premises to help reverse the legendary billy goat curse . Local citizens will play a game at 3 p.m.
There is no admission fee to the game. The public should bring lawn chairs or blankets. For more information, go to www.kansassampler.org.
###