Odds and Ends From The MUSEUM!
By Trudy Wyman, Curator, Millinocket Society Museum
Donkey Ball is coming to town! Posters informed residents in many small towns around Maine and further that Donkey Ball would be occurring in their community. One such poster was donated to the museum recently. This was for a donkey softball game to be held at the Millinocket Ball Park on Tuesday, June 30th. (Probably in the 1920’s or 30’s as other items in the donation were from those years.)
This Millinocket poster was for a softball game, but donkey basketball and baseball were also popular. These events were used as fundraisers for local community projects. All participants would ride on a donkey during the game. There were businesses in the US that would provide the donkeys and equipment for one event. The players riding the donkeys were all local men.
From the Millinocket poster… the event would benefit the Elks and the American Legion. Harry Carroll’s Legionnaire’s would compete against Carl Tewksbury’s Elks. There would be “fun galore, a thousand laughs for everyone, a laugh a minute, and a solid hour of fun.” Admission for children was 10 cents and adults 25 cents.
The poster lists the rules (short version follows):
1. Player rides a donkey except pitcher and catcher.
2. Batter must hit the ball, mount the donkey & ride to first. If safe & donkey is willing, continue around the bases.
3. Pitcher & catcher must stay in their spaces and cannot touch a batted ball.
4. Basemen not allowed to block a base runner (if the umpire is looking).
5. If infielder unable to catch the ball on a donkey, he must dismount, pick up ball, get back on donkey, then throw it. If he not on donkey when ball is thrown, base runner is safe.
6. Outfielders ride to the ball. If didn’t catch, rider dismounts (holds reins), picks up ball, gets back on donkey & can then throw the ball.
7. If a base runner loses his mule (lets go of reins), he is out!
8. A base runner can’t push, pull or carry his donkey to first base.
9. If base runner’s donkey heads for 3rd instead of 1st, runner not out if he is trying to guide his donkey in the right direction.
10. In touching base runners (for out), you have to touch rider, not donkey,
11. Rules cover most situations. If sometimes the donkey makes a decision not in the rules, the judgement is left up to the umpire in charge!
It would be interesting to find a news write-up outlining the Millinocket game, but to date, none has been found. There was donkey softball and baseball played outdoors at local ballfields. The above game would have been played at the local ballpark (area from former Gonya’s Garage/Aroostook Ave. School to Millinocket Stream.)
Around the country and here in Maine there was not only donkey softball and baseball, but also donkey basketball, played in local school gyms during the winter season. The companies that provided the donkeys usually offered all three games.
This writer has memories of being a spectator (with my family and crowds of local people) at of a couple of donkey basketball games in my town’s new gym in the 1950’s. The games were a fundraiser to help pay for that gym.
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