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I was always told that during his playing days Bill Larkin was known as "Red Paint" Larkin. I'm not
sure where the name comes from-not sure that anyone ever really knew its origins. It may have come from his taking advantage of the occasional opportunity to earn a few extra dollars working as a painter and wallpaper hanger, since I
know that despite his Irish background he did not have red hair, and while I've heard of the baseball term "painting the black" with a
pitch, I've never heard the color red used!
But I had also heard that he was a pretty fair baseball player-a pitcher at that. Then among some old
newspaper clippings in a scrapbook I found a reference to him from his playing days. The article was from a weekly feature in the local paper that
recalled the news stories from 50, 25, and 10 years prior. Taking my cue from the article, I went to the newspaper archive to find out more. From the microfilms of the local news I followed
the 1925 Recreational League season of the Public Market nine-all the way to the championship. Here are a few tidbits from that season...
LARKIN WINS FOR MARKETS Pitches and Bats Walnuts to 7-3 Defeat in Twilight League Tilt Billy Larkin proved to be the all-around noise in Recreational Twilight League play at Seside park last night. Bill occupied the mound for the Public Market nine and not only pitched a four-hit edition of pitching but also lead his mates in opportune clouting for the Marketeers' 7 to 3 over the Walnuts. Billy got three hits, one riding for four bases. Dateline: Thursday, July 2, 1925
LARKIN HURLS ONE-HIT BALL Bill Pitches Public Markets to 4-0 Win Over Blessed Sacraments Bill Larkin, the star heaver of the Public Market team, was in rare form at Seaside last night, turning back the Blessed Sacramets in a Recreational League game by the score of 4 to 0. Bill allowed but one hit.
The Marketeers bunched bingles [sic] off Lilla in the first inning to score three runs to clinch the game.
The score:
Markets 3 0 0 0 1 0-4 Sacraments 0 0 0 0 0 0-0
Larkin and Liptack; Lilla and Guerin. Tonight the Sacraments will play the Lenox. Dateline: Tuesday, August 25, 1925
BRIDGEPORT SOCONY NINE TO MEET NEW LONDON FOR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP THIS SUNDAY The local Socony baseball team will travel to New London Sunday for the Socony state championship which has been held by the up staters for the last two years. The Bridgeport team has had one of its best years and captured the honors of the Southern Connecticut Socony League. Fortified with a real good infield combination, good hitters, and with Bill Larkin in the box they will have a good chance of bringing the honors to Bridgeport.
The game will be one of the features of the third annual outing and field day to be held by the New London Socony club at Gales Ferry,
outside of New London. The line ups:
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