No More German Corner Pub – A 1916 Preview

Philadelphia, April 1916—It became a tradition for the Philadelphia Brewers Front Office to meet and discuss the immediate start of the season at the German Corner Pub. The infamous backroom where the Boeselager brothers and their general manager would spend hours drinking beer and playing cards was the starting point for every season. Only in 1903 did the brothers have to pick an alternative when the pub owner had a severe disease. The popular drinking destination of the German-speaking population of Philadelphia and the Germantown locals has existed for over five decades. The war changed a lot. After a submarine of the Imperial German Navy sunk the RMS Lusitania in 1915, killing 1,200 people, including more than 120 Americans, anti-German sentiment grew and caused people to turn away from businesses owned by anyone who had a German-sounding name. The German Corner Pub suffered from this, as did the Boeselager & Sons Brewing Co. Sales plummeted. Still, Walther sold the Boeselager beer to smaller, lesser-known breweries, some secretly found by a conglomerate of German beer brewers to hide their heritage. But the German Corner Pub met a less lucky fate. The Philadelphia Temperance Society gathered in front of the pub for weeks, blocking the entrance and reminding everyone of the German war crimes. The police refused to intervene, and in the end, the pub closed its doors and sold the location.

“Thank you, Kaiser,” Walther mumbled and looked up when the door opened. His GM, Martin Pitsch, and Karl Boeselager entered. Both carried some beers with them, which they placed on the table before Walther.

“So, let’s get to it. How did we do today,” Walther asked Karl and Martin. The season’s first series just ended, and the Brewers hosted the New York Bakers. On his way to Philadelphia, Walther only saw the scores in the newspaper. Their team desperately needed a win to avoid a four-game-sweep.

“Won 7-3. Avoided the catastrophe,” Karl answered. “Not the start we expected. But a lot of things didn’t happen as expected.”

Walther learned that Winfield Clark won the duel against Robert Batkin with a mediocre performance. Alfonso Buntine hit a two-run home run off Batkin, and the remaining offense scored five runs.

“I saw the Opening Day and this game, but I’m sure you understand that we had some other things to deal with. Tell us about the team.” Karl dealt with the brewery operations, while Walther handled everything that involved dollars.

“The team remained largely unchanged,” Pitsch began.

Only a few changes

After the devastating 1915 season, the Brewers GM tried to trade some players away and move some talent from Langhorn to Boeselager Stadium. Unfortunately, there was only slight interest in the major league players. Langhorn’s Daniel Johnson will continue his ten-month rehab with the Banshees. In return, Philadelphia moves up a few positions in the draft order and picks twice in the first round.

Two players from the 1915 roster—Howard Roebuck and Smith Evered—will not return and are looking for employment elsewhere. Philadelphia picked Roebuck in the second round of the 1910 draft. From 1911 until 1915, the outfielder started 60 of his 254 games for the Brewers. He was .251/.290 with two home runs and 34 RBI. Evered’s primary purpose was defense. Twin City released Evered in 1913. The Brewers immediately snagged him off the market to have another glove on the crucial shortstop position. Back then, Pitsch and Bujak knew that he wasn’t the most outstanding worker, and after two seasons, the club had enough. His defense didn’t justify his poor bat.

John Fletcher got the call for Evered and will compete with Herminio Cook for the shortstop starting role. It will be a battle of bat versus glove.

At 17, Earnest Rowe joined the Brewers as a first-round pick in 1912. From 1912 until 1914, he stayed in Allenton before spending 1914 and 1915 in Langhorn. In all these years, he shined with his leadership and strong bat.

What can we expect?

The rotation will return to its 1915 setup: Troy Duerden, Harley Averill, Reinhold Rogers, and Winfield Clark. Pitsch hoped to trade away Rogers and move Clark to the bullpen to make room for Mearl Sexton and George Cramphorn.

Chester Walker and Henry Shackleford remain behind the plate. Last season, Shackleford announced he would compete for the regular starter role. It seems that Walker won the battle for now, but Shackleford is rising. Last season, catchers were more successful with Shackleford, and his hitting was better.

First base has the most competition in the Philadelphia organization, which could be a cut-throat situation for Milan Featherstone. The 30-year-old only started 47 games last season in 1915 after losing his position to Leo McKenzie, who decided to add one more year to his legacy. Both players might end up on the bench, though, because Harry Anderson will play first base while there is no need for him in right field. This could become a big problem for Featherstone because roster space is scarce. If the Brewers decide to part ways, three talented Langhorn first basemen patiently await their chance.

The middle-infield will see Salvator Pallister on second base and Herminio Cook at shortstop. John Fletcher will be the backup if a player needs a rest. It’s worth to take a look at AAA, too. After releasing Evered and promoting Fletcher, Pitsch sent Gardner Mugglestone back to Langhorn. The 1914 first-round pick had a mixed 1915 but is a top candidate to play shortstop in Boeselager Stadium next season.

Tom Peterson must choose between Paul Butler and Cletus Stanbridge for third base. It’s rumored that Peterson is a fan of Butler.

Philadelphia’s outfield has changed in the past seasons. With Earnest Rowe in left field, Alfonso Buntine in center field, and Isidore Howse in right field, many see the 1916 outfield better than all the pre-1906 outfields.

OSA predictions see the Brewers finish third behind the Banshees and the Whales. The predicted 65-55 record would be a significant improvement over last year’s 54-66.

The Future

After Pitsch’s report, the three played some Skat, drank beers, and discussed the glorious past. After the 36th round of Skat, in which Walther won Grand ohne drei, Spiel vier, Schneider, Karl looked at his GM.

“What are your plans, Martin?”

“What do you mean? I wasn’t planning on retiring yet.”

Karl now looked at Walther. “I meant, what are you going to do if Germans aren’t welcomed here any longer?”

“We might leave the US,” now Walther intervened. “We planned everything, but we will have to take care of some things first.”

“Luckily, we’re not in a hurry.”

“But where to,” Pitsch asked.

“The Netherlands,” Karl answered. “We met a Dutchman interested in the brewery. He pays well and could provide us some ground to set something up.” Then he filled everyone’s mugs and poured three glasses of Williams Pear brandy into them.

“Are you sure that it’s the right time? Submarines … ” – “… submarines are now more cautious. The Marine doesn’t want to get the US involved,” Walther paused. “Still, you’re right. These are dangerous times. I don’t know who is more dangerous to us. Our former countrymen or the current ones.”