Jim Kershner’s this day in history

From our archives, 100 years ago

The Spokane Indians baseball team declared it to be Wicker Day in Spokane.

Spokane was giving a big welcome to new manager Bob Wicker, who arrived in town to take over the club.

The paper said it was shaping up to be “the most notable event in the history of the organization of baseball boosters.”  The event was held at the Davenport Hotel’s Hall of the Doges, and was “open to anyone who can spare a half dollar for the restaurant clerk.”

The mayor was scheduled to give a welcoming address and Judge J. Stanley Webster was to serve as the toastmaster. The Elks Club quartet were planning to provide the music entertainment.

Wicker was impressed with Spokane’s fine spring weather and said he planned to have his pitchers report to town early, to “get a start on the rest of the gang.”

“Then they would be able to put more stuff on the ball right from the jump, and no flashy, but really weak hitter, could fool me by the manner in which he could straighten out the early spring pitching,” said Wicker.

From the tennis beat: The Spokane Tennis Club was planning an innovation: The first “electrically lighted tennis courts in the Inland Empire.”

Lighted courts were already “a big success” on the East Coast.