The Logansport Ottos

The Logansport Ottos - Pro Baseball Team

Otto Kraus came to Logansport in 1869. He worked at a clothing store. Otto's brother, Max, came to town about 1870 and opened Kraus Brothers Clothing store. In 1886 Otto organized and sponsored a semi-pro baseball team, naming the team the Ottos.

1907 Ottos

Back: Evens, Wilson, Enyart, Manager, Ensfield, Wise

Middle: Gordon, Cuppy, Michell, Kesling, Conrad, Clark

Front: Kesling, Kummer, Carroll

Notable members included George Cuppy, who pitched for the Cleveland Indians, Johnny "Red" Corriden, Herald Ireland, Zeke Smith, Frank Bowerman, Frank Stapleton, Wallace Taylor and William Nies who all went on to play in the Minor or Major leagues.

1910 Ottos - back row right end is Johnny "Red" Corriden

Johnny "Red" Corriden (1887-1959) was a player, coach, manager and scout in American Major League Baseball. A short stop and third baseman in his playing days, he appeared in 223 major league games with the St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs, batting .205. After his playing career ended Corriden coached and managed in the minor leagues during the 1920s. In 1932 he was named a coach with the Chicago Cubs. For the next 17 years he would assist managers such as Rogers Hornsby, Charlie Grimm, Gabby Hartnett, Lee Durocher and Bucky Harris with the Cubs (1932-40), Brooklyn Dodgers (1941-46) and New York Yankees (1947-48) - working for 5 pennant-winning teams.

1914 Ottos

1914 Logansport Ottos

Back - Cody (ump), Watson (3b), Copeland (rf), Thomas (lf), Shirley (2b), Avery (p), Patterson (p), Moore (ump) Front – Brown (1b), Thorpe (cf), Wainscott (c), Berman (manager), Moran (c), Kennedy (ss), Michelle (c a p)

1916 Ottos

1916 Ottos Team, Indiana State Champions

Back: Richeson, L. Watson, Watson, Green, Beal, J. Watson, Coble

Front: Kesling, Claffey, Berman (insuit), Al Scheer, Wise, Barnard, Hayner (mascot)

Newspaper clip from August of 1916, Logansport Press:

Logansport Pharos Tribune, October 14, 1916, page 5:

The twelve inning tie which the Logansport Ottos and the Anderson Eagles staged last Sunday will be played off tomorrow at Anderson. The locals are all set for the contest and will go to Anderson with a stronger force than they had last Sunday. This increase in the strength of the locals is in the signing of Red Corriden to work with the Ottos the rest of the season.

In the local team will be Eller, pitcher, and Zeke Smith, Al Scheer. Corriden, Jay Watson and Leon Watson and Eddie Wise, together with Coble, Bruder and Roberts, who has proven a heavy hitter in the pinches. Seven of this nine have been in leagues and with such a force, dope points to the locals as victors in the contests. Cy Falkenburg will oppose Eller on the mound. Falkenburg is an Indianapolis A. A. twirler. He is not new to Scheer and Corriden as during the just closed American Association season each batted against him on several occasions. Last Sunday, Scheer touched "Falky" for two safeties while Eller himself got three. A number of local fans are going to see the Anderson game tomorrow.

In the 1914 season - the ball field.

The ball field was in the area where the Columbia Elementary and Middle School campus is now, described as " E. Columbia Street, Peter Street to Sycamore Street" (Sycamore was renamed N. Third Street)

1914 postcard image taken at a practice "Wainscott Behind The Bat"

The players of the Logansport Ottos minor league baseball team played in the Indiana State League (no classification) 1896. There were six teams in the Indiana State league in 1896; Anderson, Connersville, Elwood, Kokomo "Blues", Logansport "Ottos", and Rushville. Source baseballrefernce.com