1947 Iola, Kansas Cubs.

1947 Iola, Kansas Cubs

 

Front Row: Fred Lablanc, Bob Hewson, Buck Walz, Al Reitz (Mgr), Jim Yates and Hal Fortine.

 

Middle Row: Dick "Whitey" Wood, Alba Etie, Ken Aubrey, Joe Pollock, Jesse Raines and Leo Blandina.

 

Back Row: Oscar "Pappy" Walterman, John Barley (Business Manager), Jake Curnal, Paul Vickery and Roy Switzer.

 

(This is part of a two part photo submission covering the KOM career of Paul Ray Vickery.)

 

The KOM League

Flash Report

for week of

April 26 through May 2, 2015

 

Warning:

 

Everything these days, from medical prescriptions to golf balls, comes with a warning . Don’t over dose on medications or let someone hit you in the head with a golf ball else both could lead to pain, long suffering or death. You get my drift.

 

Fearful that these reports are far too voluminous I have come up with my own set of warnings.

 

1.Don’t consume in large doses. Read a little at each sitting. Pay attention to all warning labels.

2.Don’t attempt to drive or operate heavy machinery while around this report.

3.Never read while you are eating or drinking anything either extremely hot or cold.

4.Never share this medicine (report) with another person.

5.These reports may evoke strong emotions such as laughing out loud or sobbing uncontrollably. That is probably due to poor composition of thought on the part of the author.

6.Keep out of the hands of small children, adults up to age 65 and English teachers. None of these groups will understand the verbiage or syntax, let alone recognize the names of any of the people mentioned in the report.

7.In case of severe reaction take two aspirin and go immediately to bed. If symptoms persist erase the report from your computer and contact the author to request the reports never be sent again.

 

Any other problems encountered with these reports should be taken up with a competent expert in the field who can alleviate the distress. If you are not pleased with this product please return the unused portion for the amount of money it cost you to purchase it. Now, proceed at your own risk.

______________________________________________

Note from one of my proof readers.

 

I think the following line from the Report might have a typo at the end of the sentence: Jeptha McCormick was an Airman First Class during the Korean War and died in 2003 in North, South Carolina. Again, nice report and try not to get into any fisticuffs with Stanka - sounds a little dangerous! -Jerry in Arkansas

 

Ed reply:

 

North is a town in Orangeburg County, South Carolina. The population was 813 at the time of the 2000 census. North, South Carolina has been noted for its unusual place name.

 

Jerry’s reply:

 

I was thinking maybe "North, South Carolina" was a typo but maybe there is a North, South Carolina!

 

Ed reply:

 

Did you get my statement verifying that fact? There is also a town by the name of 96, South Carolina and there was a major league pitcher from there who turns out to be the only person ever to wear the name of his hometown on the back of his uniform. Do you know who that was?

 

Jerry’s reply:

 

Who wore the old 96 for his hometown?

 

Ed reply:

 

Wonder of wonders. If you pull up this site and look at the photos that pop up on Google you'll see a photo of the 96 on the back of Big Bill Voiselle. www.google.com/search?rls=aso&client=gmail&q=Bill...

 

Jerry’s reply:

 

There you go. Mr. Voiselle in his good old number 96. Cool.

 

________________________________________________

Note from television newsman.

 

John: I don't know any of these fellas, but I love baseball and history and very much admire your dedication in keeping up this work. Thank you for including me on your list. Scott Thompson—KOTV Tulsa, OK

 

Ed note:

 

In 1996, Scott Thompson and his cameraman covered the first KOM league reunion. It was held in Pittsburg, KS. His coverage won him some major awards and in my opinion was the best coverage done at any KOM event of which there were a dozen. Thompson made many of the former players at that reunion famous one more time in their lives. Somewhere there is still video of that coverage just waiting to “burst forth” once more. (Hint, hint.)

________________________________________________

Note from a surrogate reader

 

Did not know Rechichar played baseball. I did remember he held the 56 yard record for a long time & that he played for Baltimore. Kuenn was always a favorite of mine. Guess I got a real deal when Neil had you send me your Mickey book! Dave—in Texas

 

Ed comment:

 

For many years Neil Gibson of Arlington, Texas was one of the most faithful and supportive members of the KOM family. He never played in it but was still fascinated by those who did. I was his house guest during a trip to Arlington, Texas to celebrate the 60th wedding anniversary of Aletha and Boyd Bartley. Shortly before Gibson’s passing he introduced my Flash Report to one of his Army Ranger buddies. At first his friend was skeptical of what he was receiving but like a good soldier he went along with what his friend was sharing. After Gibson departed the scene, Dave, became the eyes for his departed friend. In many ways they are like twin brothers. They like and dislike a lot of the same things and hold similar views on a myriad of issues. Neil Gibson lives on through his pal Dave.

 

Ed reply:

 

Dave, I can tie everything and everybody to the KOM league. Last night I mentioned those "free" books and both my cell and home phones lit up like a Christmas tree. I heard from three of Mickey's first cousins who ordered nearly two dozen of those “free” books for their children. At the same time Mantle's first roommate in professional ball was also calling. So, within 15 minutes of releasing that free book announcement I had calls from Farmington, NM; Denver, CO; along with Afton, Glenpool and Oklahoma City. I didn't know I had some of those readers.

 

Harvey Kuenn and Len Van de Hey crossed paths many times in their youth activities in baseball and football and Van de Hey was always the better of the two. I think in the right organization Van de Hey would have gone all the way to the top. He told me he had six children and four became lawyers but he still loved them.

 

Van de Hey had his chance, one spring, to win a spot with the Giants. All he had to do was beat out incumbent Whitey Lockman and prospects like Bill White, Orlando Cepeda, Willie Kirkland and Willie McCovey for the job.

________________________________________________

Time for a trip down memory lane

 

Unless you click on this site you will not be able to participate in this version of “Who is it?”

www.flickr.com/photos/missouristatearchives/6198899206/

 

This is a site that I accidentally came across recently. For those of you without access to the URL I’ll describe the photo. There are five guys in it with four standing and one kneeling. All the players were wearing Joplin Miner uniforms. The caption claimed this was a 1950’s team and the fellow standing second from the right was Mickey Mantle. My first glance caused me to say “No way Jose.” It was obviously Jim Finigan. The fellow kneeling was also recognizable as it was Johnny Sturm the Joplin manager in 1948 and 1949. That information alone narrowed the photo to those two years. The trouble was that both Sturm and Finigan were both there for at least parts of those seasons.

Johnny Sturm replaced Lou Gehrig at first base after the Iron Horse’s retirement. www.google.com/search?rls=aso&client=gmail&q=Obit...

 

An attempt to figure out who the guy on the far right was led me to get in touch with Bob Hamric for he was on the Joplin roster in 1949. Hamric and I could both recognize Finigan and Sturm but not the other three. I leaned toward the big guy on the far right as either being Tom Hesketh or Dick Wuestling. To be able to identify either of those guys positively would have nailed down the date of that photo since neither Hesketh or Wuestling were with Joplin during the same year. But, I couldn’t do it. So, if you played for the Independence Yankees and Joplin Miners in the 1948-49 you may be able to identify that photo. Here’s hoping Cal Neeman pulls up that URL and gets in touch. I think he’s the guy with the best chance of telling me who those five guys are in that photo. (Note: At the time this report was prepared the site carrying that photo had not updated all my comments on the photo identification.)

 

As with most things when you are searching for something, you find something else. A member of the 1949-50 Joplin Miner pitching staff was a right-handed pitcher from Cincinnati, Ohio. When I was writing the Mantle book, a decade ago, (the ones I’m now nearly giving away) I spoke with Tom Hesketh. Here is what I discovered when preparing this report.

 

The Cincinnati Enquirer—this was from May 21, 2004.

GREEN TOWNSHIP - Thomas F. Hesketh Jr., co-owner of Brogan/Hesketh Formal Wear & Bridal Shoppe in Price Hill, died Tuesday at University Hospital.

His death resulted from a head injury he suffered after falling on ice Feb. 12. "He seemed to be recovering, then he got pneumonia," his wife, Susan E. Johnson Hesketh, said. Mr. Hesketh was 75.

He had been partners in the formalwear business with friend Dave Brogan of Delhi Township for 27 years. "It was a real venture," Brogan said.

"We had some good times (and) bad times. Our relationship lasted longer than some marriages."

At one time they operated four stores around Greater Cincinnati.

"It was a wonderful experience for me," Brogan said. "I was 20 years younger than Tom, (so) he sort of showed me the way. I looked up to him as a father image."

After growing up in Mount Auburn and graduating from the old Woodward High School (which was in the building that now houses the School for the Creative and Performing Arts), he attended Michigan State University with the goal of becoming a veterinarian.

But he left his studies and became a pitcher in the New York Yankees farm system. "At one point Mickey Mantle was his roommate," his wife said. "But Mickey Mantle didn't stay too long down in the minor leagues." (Ed note: He was a teammate of Mantle’s at Joplin. Mantle’s roommate was Tommy Gott).

Mr. Hesketh came home in the late 1950s and joined the Cincinnati Fire Department. "He spent almost all of his career at Engine Co. 5 at Vine and McMicken," his wife said. He retired in 1981.

He also owned and trained race horses. "That was his dream," his wife said. At the time of his death he was a part-owner of several horses including Suddenly Gone, with whom he had some success at Turfway Park.

Mr. Hesketh was devoted to his seven children and was a "big-time Elder fan," his wife said.

"He coached grade school when I was young," said his daughter, Linda Froehlich of Pleasant Ridge. "He just loved young kids. He enjoyed going to high school athletic events more than college or pro. That and his horses were it."

In addition to his wife of 36 years and his daughter, survivors include: another daughter, Patty L. Bloomfield of Batavia; five sons, Thomas F. Hesketh III of Camden, Ark., Robert S. Hesketh of Louisville, Charles E. Hesketh of Newtown and Timothy A. and Anthony T. Hesketh, both of Green Township; two brothers, Stanley Hesketh of Anderson Township and Bruce Hesketh of Monfort Heights; 15 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Visitation is 4-8 p.m. today at Radel Funeral Home, 650 Neeb Road in Delhi Township. Mass of Christian burial is 10 a.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Visitation Church, 3180 South Road in Mack.

(This might be a good time to stop reading this report for a while. Beware eye fatigue may result from reading any further without a long rest.)

Passing of Ray Nemec

 

It would be difficult to count the times Ray Nemec and I communicated over the past 20 years. He inherited the Heilbroner material that was commonly known as the Blue Books. In that collection was the largest source of biographical and player information anywhere on this planet or any planet for that matter.

 

We had another thing in common, old time radio. We exchanged a lot of information of radio station call letters and performers on such stations as KOAM in Pittsburg, KS, KWTO in Springfield, MO, WIBW Topeka, KS, KFRU in Columbia, MO and even the town where that station originated circa 1927—Bristow, OK. Nemec is one of the few people I ever ran across outside of Southeast Kansas, Northeast Oklahoma and Southwest Missouri who ever heard a KOM league broadcast. The station he could pick up in the metropolitan Chicago area, at night, was KGLC operating at 910 kilocycles from Miami, OK which was only a 1,000 watt station. He heard the play-by-play done by Russ Martin who broadcast all Miami games except for those played on Sunday. That day he was busy preaching to the largest congregation in the city at the First Christian Church. Martin’s side-kick for a couple of years was former KOM leaguer, Joe Pollock. A Catholic from Cleveland, Pollock even went to the church Martin pastured. After Martin left town Pollock was back to the Catholic Church and that is where I last viewed his physical remains when I delivered his eulogy on July 21, 2003.

 

In one of our conversations I mentioned A. J. Cripe and his Town Talk Boys who I heard on KOAM at Pittsburg, KS from the time I was first aware of anything. A few days after the conversation about Cripe I had two cassette tapes in my mailbox and they were old Cripe radio show recordings. That only proved to me what many people told me over the years “A. J. Cripe isn’t all that good.” He was rather “corn ball” in fact.

 

Tying Cripe into the KOM league fabric isn’t difficult. For example he was from Garnett, Kansas as was Jim Morris. Long before Morris went into WWII he was a chauffeur from Cripe when he was doing his country music shows, running for the Kansas legislature and promoting his bread business. Cripe aired his 10:30 a. m. country show from the Bess Hotel in Pittsburg which was the place many of the visiting KOM league teams stayed when they played the local Browns club. The more affluent teams stayed at the Bess and those less so were housed at the Stilwell. I was told by many of the ballplayers that they made fun of Cripe’s music.

 

Every baseball team in the history of the KOM league was always facing hard financial times. During the 1948 season the Carthage Cardinals were in dire straits and decided to have a special night to boost attendance. They decided to bring to town A. J. Cripe and his Town Talk Boys to play before, during and after the game. As a result of this big promotion the attendance was far less than the already poor regular turnout. Yet, the baseball club was out the expense of Cripe and the boys making the 30-mile trip to town.

 

Russ Martin, on the other hand, was quite a personality. He always signed off his sports shows and baseball broadcasts with the Grantland Rice quote “When the one great comes to mark against your name he’ll write not that you won, or that you lost, but how you played the game.” (Ed note: That is the way I recall it.) In the case of Ray Nemec he “played” the game very well. He will be missed by a lot of people. The last note he ever sent me was wishing I’d get feeling better for I had been making a lot of mistakes in my reports. I wrote him back with the statement that I had spoken with my doctor’s and that I’d never be in any better health than I was currently experiencing. I informed him that I’d either have to cease sending the reports or he’d have to accept them for what they were. That was true a year or so ago and nothing has changed.

 

His obituary is listed here:

www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicagotribune/obituary.aspx?n=...

 

When copied and then pasted it is difficult to reading because of the background but here it is for those of you who can’t pull up that site.

 

Raymond J. Nemec, 85, born June 19, 1929 passed away April 17, 2015. Raymond is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Loretta (nee Majerczyk); children, Thomas, Allen (Patti Pasquesi), Alice (Gary Blasen), and Jennifer Nemec; grandchildren, Brook and Stacie Blasen; great granddaughter, Hannah Boleyn; sister-in-laws, Felipa (late Robert) Nemec, Helen (late Martin) Jakubek, and brother-in-law John (Margaret) Majerczyk. Cousins Adelyn Krcek and Dorothy Bero, and many nieces, nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Anton and Anastasia (nee Rezabek) Nemec; brother, Robert; parents-in-law, Adolph and Josephine (nee Majka) Majerczyk; infant great granddaughter Makayla Boleyn. Ray was a man of many passions. After his family, came baseball statistics. At age 11, Ray knew he was more interested in statistics then playing; he would calculate his batting average, while running to first base. Ray made his mark as one of baseball's greatest minor league researches. He served as a founding member of SABR, Society for American Baseball Research. In August 1971 he and the group were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Ray contributed accurate player records to many publications. He served as the official score keeper for the Kane County Cougars in the late 90's. Ray coached and managed a little league team in Downers Grove. His love of numbers translated to a successful career in logistics and planning for Corn Products Co., serving 45 years in various capacities. Another interest was Radio. While serving in the Army, he announced live talent shows on the Armed Forces Radio. He hosted a radio show in the early 70's called, "Music, News & Nemec" airing on WDGC-FM. Growing up near trains fueled a love for LGB train's and Garden Railroading. Ray was a Charter Member of the Antique Doorknob Collectors of America; as a board-member, he spent years as editor of the newsletter. He was a kind, reserved and always-complimentary man. He had an amazing gift for numbers and remembering details. He will be missed by all those who loved him. Visitation will be Tuesday April 21st 3:00-9:00PM at Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill Street, Naperville, IL. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, April 22nd 11:00am at SS. Peter & Paul Catholic Church, 36 N. Ellsworth, Naperville, IL. In lieu of Flowers, donations can made to Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, 310 N River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016, Attn.: Sister M. Phyllis. For information please call 630-355-0213 or visit www.friedrich-jones.com

- See more at: www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicagotribune/obituary.aspx?n=...

________________________________________________________________________________

 

All time Iola team at least from 1946-50

 

Readers of the Iola Register, in the spring of 1951, were encouraged to vote on an All-Star team of former Iola Cubs and Indians who played there from 1946-50. This article begins by announcing the contest and then I got lost in the weeds for some of the stories were too interesting to ignore. Finally, I followed the bouncing ball until it led to the announcement of the all-time best Iola players and then to one of the players who was far from the best at his position but still won.. That in turn led me to track the fellow who wasn’t the best all the way to his tragic demise in 1984. Try to make it through this story. It will increase your knowledge of KOM league history

•

THE I0LA REGISTER, TUESDAY EVENING, MARCH 20, 1951. SPORTS News and Views: Boyd Bartley, four - time Ponca City baseball manager, is out of army service again now after doing a brief winter hitch and is looking for reassignment, in the Brooklyn Dodger organization. (Ed note: I found that mention of Bartley being out of the service by March of 1951surprising, since I own a letter that he sent to the Miami, Okla. Eagles asking them for an opportunity for his Camp Crowder team to play them in a spring exhibition game. The offer, by the way, was declined as Miami had already firmed up their spring schedule.

 

After seeing that statement contact was made with Bartley’s widow, Aletha. I asked about the series of events in early 1951. She replied with this. “1951 was the year he was recalled and we were in Camp Chaffee (Arkansas). Due to having boo coos (lots--a great quantity. from French "beaucoup") of kids he finally got his release and ended up scouting as (George) Scherger had the Ponca City team by then.”

 

Boyd was back at Ponca City in 1952 and Aletha picks up on their best summer in baseball. “We were so happy to get back home (Ponca City) as all the windows leaked in the (Arkansas) rental house, we had a real bad snow storm had towels stuck in all the cracks. It felt strange Boyd scouting that summer. Our best summer was when he had the Thomasville club (1954); he hit an umpire so was released as manager. We then went to Vero Beach for the rest of the summer as Boyd was part of the boys camp.”

•

(The Iola Register column picks up again)

Ed Simmons won't be the all-time Indian catcher, but he is getting a surprising number of votes in the current all-star contest. It wasn't realized the fans did have such regard for him. This department's catching choices, in order, are Gene Daily, Ed Simmons, and Buck Walz.

 

Carthage has received official word from the sponsoring Chicago Cubs that Don Anderson will again be the choice as manager of the Cub KOM entry in 1951.

 

—His Baseball Prize "Please split the. $5 equally between the Red Cross and Salvation Army," orders W. B. Kerr, while mailing an entry in the all-star baseball contest. He offers these names in the poll to select all-time Iola first and second teams in the KOM league: First team- Paul Vickery, c; Bob Yuhas, Hal Brydle and Bill Upton, p; Joe Pollock, Larry Singleton, and Don Bruss, of; Gordon Geibel, lb; Alba Etle, 2b; Ken Aubrey, 3b; Leo Blandina, ss. Second team-Al Dunterman, c; Jimmy Yates, Hugh Bisges, Paul Schnieders, p; Walter Dunkovich, Hal Fortine, Leo Kedzierski, of; Jack Curnal, lb; John Paul. 2b; Jerry Whalen, 3b; Art Sullivan, ss; Whitey Wood, utility. The Register is offering $5 to the fan whose first and second squad selections most nearly match the combined vote of all those participating.

 

—Mickey Mantle Hits 420-Foot Home Run Los Angeles (AP) — Mickey Mantle, the rookie 19-year old from Commerce, Okla., has enthused veteran and rookie alike in the New York Yankee training camp. The switch hitting and speed of the Yankee youngster has everybody in camp talking. On Saturday, Mickey socked a mighty homer that carried approximately 420 feet. Monday night in the Yanks' 6-3 loss to Hollywood of the Pacific Coast league, he got a single in his only time at bat to boost his average to .571 —12 for 21.

 

April 18, 1951

 

The All-Time Player: Ken Aubrey, third baseman of the 1946 and 1947 team apparently is the all-tune favorite of local KOM league baseball fans, and the 1946 club was the beat Iola has had In five seasons, results of a Register poll indicate. Only one of the fans voting failed to place Aubrey on the .first team. Four 1946 performers, Gordon Giebel, John Paul, Larry Singleton, and Aubrey are first team choices. Others are Paul Vickery. Bob Yuhas, Bill Upton, Windy Johnson, Ray Khoury, Hal Fortine, and Joe Pollock. Winner of the $65 prize for coming the closest in his own choices to the combined selections of all fans participating is Walt Stranghoner, 330 North Street. Stranghoner disagreed with the majority only in the case of Hal Fortine. He substituted Dick Getter for Fortine, giving Fortine a second team spot. The second closest selector was Earle Fatherlln, who missed by having Don Bruss in the outfield and Bob Phillips catching on his first team.

 

Credit was given for agreement on second team choices, but it did not affect the decision on the $5 prize. In third place was Earl Dulinsky, leaving out Fortine and Bill Upton. He put Dick Getter and Paul Schnieders on his first lineup. .

 

The surprise player showing might be credited to Bob Yuhas, pitcher who was here in 1948, and opened the season with a seven- inning no-hit game against Independence. (Ed note: Before his death Yuhas sent me that baseball.) Yuhas led all the 60 or more pitchers the Indians have had in five seasons. In fact, he almost doubled the point score on his nearest teammate. Bill Upton. Only three participants leftYuhas off. Yuhas won 15 games and lost 12 on Iola's seventh place 1948 club. He had an earned run average of 3.34, eighth in the league in that department. Knowledge of his baseball whereabouts last season is not at hand for mention, here. His name has not been found in the record books for 1950. (Ed Note: Iola had two pitchers who had brothers who played major league baseball. Bill Upton’s older brother Tommy started out with the St. Louis Browns and Bob Yuhas’s older brother, Ed, had one great year with the St. Louis Cardinals before ruining his arm by throwing a rock at a squirrel prior to the start of spring training in 1953. Bill Upton also had a short stint in the big leagues.).

 

Another who ran away from others in the poll at his position was Paul Vickery, 1947 catcher, despite the fact he caught in only one-fourth of the games in his one season here and had a batting average of .161. Fans took a decided fancy to him. Three of his 20 hits were home runs. The only close voting was on second basemen, where John Paul edged out Jack Jordan and Al Etie, who tied for the second team nomination. The five-year teams:

(Paul)Vickery, c

(Bob) Phillips, c

(Bob) Yuhas, p

(Hal) Brydle, p

(Bill) Upton, p

(Oscar) Walterman, p

(Windy) Johnson, p

(Jesse) Raines, p

(Gordon) Giebel, lb

(Jacob) Curnal, lb

(John) Paul, 2b

(Jack) Jordan-(Alba) Etie, 2b

(Ray) Khoury, ss

(Leo) Blandina, ss

(Kenneth) Aubrey, 3b

(Mervin) Dubbers, 3b

(Larry) Singleton, of

(Leo) Kedzierski, of

(Joe) Pollock, of

(Dick) Getter, of

(Hal) Fortine, of

(George) Boselo. of

 

(Now is the time to take another break in reading this report assuming anyone has gotten this far. Failure to do so will result in extreme boredom and/or fatigue)

 

The foregoing was an early 1951 season project to gin up some interest in the forthcoming baseball season. A few highlights from the Iola Register were selected. What that attempt at naming an All-Time Iola team which covered 1945-50 indicates that people don’t necessarily vote with a great deal of understanding but rather who they liked based upon the player’s personality.

 

One fellow who did very little to earn a spot on the All-Time Iola club was Paul Vickery. He unabashedly proclaimed to the Iola Register that he was the best looking player on Iola team during his 36-game stint in the “Oil city.” Vickery had graduated from a Dallas, Texas high school in 1944 and was signed by the Chicago Cubs (He could have possibly played between his junior and senior year in high school.). He spent some time that year with Marion in the Ohio State league and one game with Nashville in the Southern Association. He was back to baseball, in 1947, with Iola and Hutchinson, KS.. At Iola he hit .161 which wasn’t all-star stats. The next I knew of him was when he showed up at Ponca City, OK as their business manager in 1951. I have a photo of him taken at that time and I’d have to rely on the ladies to judge his self-declared handsomeness. On second thought his image will be posted on the Flickr version of this report.

 

A couple of years ago, I think it was, I wrote a rather lengthy story about Vickery. He spent his life in Dallas and was involved in the social life of that city. He even worked for the Dallas Cowboys in their sales and marketing functions for a while. All seemed to be going well until September 14, 1984. That was the day there was a tragedy in his home that took three lives and the former Iola All-Star was one of those involved. At the time of his death Vickery was the Vice President of Leader International Inc. and a member of the Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas. He regrettably left this life at the young age of 57. This citation contains the obituaries of Vickery and his wife. wcd.stparchive.com/Archive/WCD/WCD09191984P11.php I trust readers will be able to pull up that Find-A-Grave citation. If you can access the site it will provide you with the details which I am not doing. Vickery was buried at Minneola a town east of Dallas. www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=VIC&am...;

 

Not all stories about the KOM league have happy endings and the life of Paul Ray Vickery fits into that category. However, very few lives have a “happy ending.”

 

Post script:

 

Not many of the fellows mentioned in the Iola All-Star balloting survive other than, Leo Blandina, Dick Getter, George Boselo and Buck Walz. Howard “Buck” Walz is a native of Jefferson City, MO who now resides in Arizona. I sent him a note asking about the time Paul Vickery was with the Iola club. Walz caught for Iola in 1946-47-48 and should have been voted on the All-Time Iola team ahead of Vickery. Regarding Vickery here was Walz’ comment: “I remember Paul Vickery. He was a good looking guy. I think he was Italian. He would hang out with (Jacob) Jack Curnal. I never heard him say he was good looking. I can't believe the story of his life…. Thank you for this update.”

 

To document my case, during the 1947 season, Buck Walz appeared in 66 games with 55 being behind the plate. Vickery played in 36 games with 34 of them as the backstop. At the plate Vickery hit .161 while Walz hit .255. Go figure. As far as fielding was concerned they had nearly identical statistics.

________________________________________________

 

Just for fun:

 

The site that carried the photo of the five Joplin Miners and one of the guys who they attributed to being Mickey Mantle when it was obviously, Jim Finigan, had a number of other historical Missouri photos. Many of them couldn’t be identified as to where they were captured or who was in the photo. I found two that I’m sure I correctly identified and sent comments to that effect to the site manager. For you who are major league fans tell me who the other three St. Louis Cardinals are in this photo taken between 1948-53.

www.flickr.com/photos/missouristatearchives/6198382757/in... If you pull up this site and go to the comments you will see my opinion as to who the fellows in this photo are with Red Schoendienst.

 

www.flickr.com/photos/missouristatearchives/6198382885/in...

There are a few comments beneath that photo which I submitted. A number of e-mails went back and forth with the daughters of the late Goldie Howard, former KOM league player/manager, regarding their memories of this place when they were young girls and their mother and father worked at that camp. Some of the instructors at that camp operated by Carl Bolin were former big leaguers: Jim Bottomley, Eddie Miller, Wally Schang, Ty Cobb, (yes, the Georgia Peach) along with Goldie Howard.

 

I could write an entire Flash Report on this place. One of the better stories about it is in a book by a very fine writer, Paul Hemphill. Here is a snippet from that publication. books.google.com/books?id=bjfiyaFfUBMC&pg=PT130&l... There are a number of pages here so read a while. The guy Hemphill described as a “brawny former minor league power hitter” was Goldie Howard.

 

A photo of two former KOM leaguers, who attended the camp, was sent to Howard’s daughters. The two guys in the photo were Benny Leonard and Billy Wade Creech who both wound up in the KOM league. They had attended the Ozark Baseball Camp in 1944 and were living in Henryetta, OK at the time. Creech, a left-handed pitcher and Leonard, a catcher, both wound up at Iola in 1949 and Leonard stayed another year for good measure and played the outfield. Gotta’ stop that tale here. There is more to this story, with photos. Maybe that can be addressed at another time. And, then again maybe not. As I say “I have a long way to go with this material and a short time to get there.”

 

The final item: A great obituary regarding Stanley, North Dakota’s gift to many

 

In the past year I have mentioned Lewis Saum who had a week and a half with the Iola Indians, in 1951, but never got into a game. He was owned by the New York Yankees. In my searching for him I contacted his wife and learned his health was failing. About a year later I heard from her once again informing me of her husband’s death. In recent weeks I was promised his obituary and it came this week. This is it:

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Lewis Oliver Saum was born on his grandparents’ farm outside Stanley, North Dakota, on December 19, 1933. His birth coincided with an unusually heavy snow storm, even for North Dakota, and the temperature fell below 36 degrees. His parents divorced when he quite young; he and his brother, Estle, were raised by his mother, Elsie Hunter Saum, and helped by relatives, particularly his Aunt Beatrice and Uncle Howard. At school he played sports, loved Latin and greatly admired his school principal.

 

At 17 he won a scholarship to Minot State College where he played baseball. He was a pitcher. Baseball scouts spotted Lew and signed him to the minor leagues. An old acquaintance wrote that Lew was the youngest player in the league. He played for teams owned by the New York Yankees and the then Washington Senators in small towns across the Midwest and Texas. After two years Uncle Sam drafted him into the army. Lew served at a radar base in Silver Spring, Maryland, and at a small base near Wiesbaden, Germany. He remembered not so fondly spending his 21st birthday on guard duty in Germany, matching in heavy snow. By March he was playing baseball for the army, far from the base and Wiesbaden. He enjoyed playing on an army team but said he regretted it left his little time to travel in Europe. When the season ended, he returned to the U.S. and to Minot State. There he met and married his first wife, Elizabeth. His only daughter, Joanne, was born in Minot in 1957.

 

After graduation, Lew won a graduate scholarship at the University of Missouri in Columbia to study Intellectual U.S. history. He received his Ph.D. there. One of his former professors from University of Missouri wrote that Lew had been one of the History Department’s most gifted students. Lew taught for two years at Missouri State in Springfield before he left the Midwest in 1965 for the University of Washington. He moved west in body but not completely in spirit. He always remained a country boy from North Dakota.

 

In Seattle he began his long (34 years) and distinguished teaching-research-writing career in the History Department at the University of Washington. He published 4 books on topics such as fur traders, Native Americans, everyday folk, newspaper men, actresses, soldiers, and scoundrels. He utilized a combination of letters, government documents, and newspapers as he researched for his books as well as his many, many, scholarly articles. His talents were recognized and he won many major research fellowships. While he was at the UW, he served as Managing Editor of the Pacific Northwest Quarterly for five years. Several of his colleagues have written that they thought that Lew’s prose was so “precise,” he always had the “exact word” that “conveyed his meaning.” Others have written on his unique sense of humor, generous, never sharp. He was “one of a kind.”

 

At age 65, in 1998, Lew retired from teaching and moved to Chico, California, to be with his wife Judith Raftery, who taught at California State University, Chico. They had met at the Huntington Library in 1983 where he was researching his third book and she was finishing her Ph.D. dissertation, also in U.S. history. They married in 1994. In Chico Lew continued his daily routine of library research and writing. His fourth book and several articles were published while he lived in Chico. Judy and Lew made summerly treks, almost always by car, to libraries in Washington, Missouri, North Dakota, Minnesota, Colorado and places in between They often stopped to see Estle and Shirley, and after Estle’s death, to see Shirley. Lew accompanied Judy to the Philippines, Washington DC, New York, and other places in the east for her research. They tried as often as possible to return to the Huntington Library. Lew found items of interest wherever he went. He never used a computer and continued to rely on his typewriter. When he finished a manuscript, he sent it to a typist in Seattle who transcribed it on a disk and then sent to an editor.

 

Unfortunately, as his memory faded, he stopped his scholarly activities. His last article was published in 2006. He died in Chico on June 23, 2014, after a long illness.

 

Lew grew up very poor during the Depression and that early poverty affected him greatly. He was one of those people who never needed anything and he used a credit card only to hold a reservation. He preferred Travelers’ Cheques. Friends have written that they thought that Lew was very courtly, rather formal, with old-fashioned manners or at least manners uncommon in the 21st century. He was extremely private person who rarely spoke about himself. He had a wicked sense of humor and a twinkle in his eye when something amused him. I think Lew would like to be remembered as a kind and loyal man, as a highly regarded historian, a professor, an author, a baseball pitcher, and a football enthusiast from Stanley, North Dakota.

This report is now over. You can review it in the future on the Flickr site at: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/16644908453/

 

 

 

Done