100 Years Ago: The Knot Hole Gang Catches a Cardinals/Cubs Game

ALTON - In the late 1800s, kids who did not have the money for a baseball game ticket gathered around knotholes in the wooden fences surrounding professional baseball stadiums so they could watch for free. In 1917, the Cardinal Knot Hole Gang began, and boys (just boys) could sign up to “see the [St. Louis] Cardinals play free and have good pavilion seats, too, without having to peek through a knothole as dad used to do.” Boys were enrolled through qualified agencies such as the Boy Scouts, the Y.M.C.A., and schools. George A. Rieder was an authorized agent in Alton for the Cardinal Knot Hole Gang during the 1925 season.

The Alton chapter of the Cardinal Knot Hole Gang and Alton High Band were scheduled to see the Cardinals play the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, June 23, but rain prevented the trip. An Alton Evening Telegraph article published that day mentioned that the band members still met at the high school at 11 a.m. as they had been told to do and waited there until the trip cancellation was confirmed. A small gathering of Knotholers also waited at the Y.M.C.A. just in case the rain let up, but they ended up disappointed as well.

On Friday, June 26, 1925, the Alton Knotholers and the Alton High School Band attended the opening game of the series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. Alton Kiwanis Club volunteers drove the Knotholers and the band to Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis. The “caravan of automobiles” left the Y.M.C.A. at noon to see the game. The Alton groups were treated as guests of honor at the game; they were met by a group of St. Louis motorcycle police upon their entrance into the “center of the United States” and escorted to the Park. The Cardinals won 3 to 2.

Special thanks to George Fuller for research help with this week’s article.

Sources

“Alton High Band Completes an Active Summer.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), August 28, 1925.

“Alton Knotholers to See Cardinals.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), June 22, 1925.

Borst, William. “Helene Britton: The Matron Magnate.” Baseball Research Journal, 1977.https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-matron-magnate/

“George Rieder Agent for Knothole Gang.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), April 16, 1925.

“High School Band in National League Golden Jubilee Fete.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), June 17, 1925.

“High School Band to See Baseball Game.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), June 16, 1925.

KeyMan, Steven. “Knot Hole Gang History And Memorabilia.” KeyMan Collectibles Newsletter, December 2022.https://keymancollectibles.com/newsletter/december2022.htm

“Knotholers Go to St. Louis Friday.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), June 25, 1925.

“Knotholers to Go to St. Louis Friday.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), June 24, 1925.

“Make Trip to See Cardinals Play.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), June 26, 1925.

“Plans Made for Trip of Alton ‘Knotholers.’” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), June 15, 1925.

“Weather Man Postpones Knotholers St. Louis Trip.” Alton Evening Telegraph (Alton, IL), June 23, 1925.

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