1914 Buffalo Baseball
by Scott Hollander
University at Buffalo Libraries
Dan Mellen 1914
U.B. baseball captain
For the first time in many years the University of Buffalo was represented on the baseball diamond in 1914. Athletics at U.B. had a new lease of life with the advent of the new department of arts and science. When a call for candidates was issued early in March, some thirty men responded. Manager Arthur O. Harris organized several games mostly with high school teams. (see “The U. of B. Gets Into Baseball Game” Buffalo Evening News, 24 April 1914)
Dan Mellen was elected captain of the baseball team. Standing over six feet tall and weighing over 200 pounds, Mellen was a gifted baseball catcher. Mellen graduated from the University of Buffalo with a medical degree in 1918. Dr. Mellen practiced medicine in Rome, N.Y. for 34 years.
Throughout his life, Dr. Mellen was a loyal baseball fan. He invested thousands of dollars in the Class “C” Canadian-American baseball League through the 10 years he owned the Rome (N.Y.) Colonels baseball team. The decade included the six seasons between 1937, the year Can-Am baseball was introduced in Rome, N.Y. and its war-time suspension after the 1942 campaign, as well as the four post war years from 1946 through 1949. In late 1949, he sold the Rome Colonels franchise to local businessmen.
The University of Buffalo cited Dr. Mellen for outstanding service to humanity in December of 1953. He died in Rochester, N. Y. on September 2, 1957.
1914 Buffalo Baseball Season
| Date | Home Team | Score | Visiting Team | W-L-T | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/25/19141 | Buffalo | 2 – 9 (5 innings) | Lafayette High School | L | Buffalo, NY |
| 4/29/19142 | Canisius College | ? | Buffalo | ? | Buffalo, NY |
| 4/30/19143 | Canisius High School | 15 – 3 (5 innings) | Buffalo | L | Buffalo, NY |
| 5/2/19144 | Buffalo | 5 – 6 | Central High School | L | Buffalo, NY |
| 5/7/19145 | Buffalo | 6 – 12 | Masten Park High School | L | Buffalo, NY |
| 5/9/19146 | Buffalo | ? | University of Rochester Freshmen | ? | Buffalo, NY |
| 6/4/19147 | Canisius College | ? | Buffalo | ? | Buffalo, NY |
- 1 – “Lafayette Trounces U.B.” Buffalo Courier, Buffalo, NY, 26 April 1914.
- 2 – “High Schools Busy in Diamond Battles” Buffalo Evening News, Buffalo, NY, 28 April 1914.
- 3 – “Canisius High Wins a Five-Inning Game From U. of B. Team” Buffalo Evening News, Buffalo, NY, 1 May 1914.
- 4 – “School Baseball” Batavia Times, Batavia, NY, 4 May 1914.
- 5 – “Masten Parkers Beat U. of B. Team” Buffalo Evening News, Buffalo, NY, 8 May 1914.
- 6 – “High School Teams Have Busy Day” Buffalo Evening News, Buffalo, NY, 9 May 1914.
- 7 – “Scholastic Baseball for This Week” Buffalo Evening News, Buffalo, NY, 2 June 1914.
THE U. OF B. GETS
INTO BASEBALL GAME
—
Blue and White Team May
Cut Some Shine on the
Diamond.
—
For the first time in a number of seasons baseball will come in for more than its share of attention at the University of Buffalo. Although the faculty governing board has not given permission for a varsity team to take the field, the ban has been lifted on inter-class nines and the freshmen of the arts department have come to the front in fine style.
Over a month ago the art students selected Arthur O. Harris as baseball manager and from the schedule that has arranged it looks as if the right man had been placed on the job. Manager Harris has drawn up an outline that will enable his team to face some of the strongest scholastic nines in this part of the state. Owing to the late start but few collegiate outfits will be taken on. the only college argument that is closed calls for the appearance of the U. of B. at Canisius Oval next Wednesday for a crack at the college team. A game is pending with the Freshmen of the University of Rochester for May 9.
The schedule follows:
Saturday, April 25 – Lafayette High at Lafayette field.
Wednesday, April 29 Canisius college at Canisius oval.
Saturday, May 2 – Central high at the Front
Saturday, May 9 – University of Rochester Freshmen at Rochester (pending).
Wednesday, May 13 – Canisius high at the Villa.
Saturday May 16 – Technical high at Urban Liberty park
Wednesday, May 20 – Buffalo Normal school (pending).
Saturday, May 23 – DeVeaux college of Niagara Falls (pending).
Wednesday, May 27 – East Aurora high at East Aurora.
Saturday, May 30 – (Decoration Day) – Open.
For the past two weeks the candidates for the team have been working out daily at the Front and the team is now in good shape. There are over 30 members in the squad and among them quite a few former scholastic stars. The team is to be selected this afternoon and uniforms are to be given out. A meeting will be held at managers this evening for the purpose of selecting a captain.
— Buffalo Evening News, April 24, 1914