During El Paso's inaugural fair in 1909 professional baseball players were invited to join with local teams in a tournament with a $1,000 prize. Douglas won the tournament with James Scott as pitcher.
Photo: Rube Waddell (left) and Christy Mathewson, El Paso, 1909. Rube throwing for Socorro, Christy for El Paso. Socorro won 1-0. Waddell was elected to theBaseball Hall of Fame in 1946. Mathewson was added to the Hall of Fame in 1936 as one of the "first five" inaugural members.
10/31/1909
Teams of Southwest have Strengthened Ranks With Players of National Repute for Purpose of Winning Grand Prize of $1,000 - Such Men as Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb, James Scott, Rube Waddell and Others Will Be in the Game - Fair Association Has Put Up $2,000 for Winning Nines.
The baseball tournament in which teams representing El Paso, Douglas, Morenci and Socorro will bring together the strongest aggregations of baseball talent to be found in the southwest and strengthened as many of them are by importations of star players from the big leagues will furnish the fans who visit the fair with such exhibition of ball as have never before been seen except in big league cities. Such players as Christy Mathewson, J. Scott, Ty Cobb, Rube Waddell and others whose names have not been made public through a desire to spring surprises on the public as well as on opposing teams have been engaged by the teams participating in the tournament.
Tournament Will Open Today
In order that the games scheduled for the tournament may all be played it has been found necessary to play the opening game Sunday morning.
The details of the tournament are given in the sporting section of this issue of The Times.
On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the baseball games will be called at 10 o'clock each morning in order to clear the infield for the horse show and races which will be in the afternoon. Saturday forenoon a game of football between teams representing the University of Arizona and the New Mexico agricultural college will be played and on Saturday afternoon will be played the concluding game of the baseball tournament.
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