This photo was taken July 28, 1952 at Lawrence Stadium in Wichita, KS. This is the Ft. Myer, VA Colonials, winners of the National Baseball Congress tournament. The individual players are identified in the narrative of this Flash Report.

The KOM Flash Report

for the Week of March 22, 2015

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These stories cover some of the men who played in the league that is now in its 63rd year of extinction. As you will see in this report one has to dig deep to keep the tales flowing.

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This story goes back to May of 2013

 

www.omaha.com/news/world-war-ii-veteran-richard-lang-was-...

 

By Pat Waters WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Richard F. Lang was a standout high school athlete, a semi-pro baseball player, a firefighter, a husband and a father. But in his mind, he was always a Marine, said his son, Bill Lang.

 

Rich Lang, 87, died Saturday (May 4, 2013) at the Veterans Administration Hospital. He suffered from congestive heart failure and was hospitalized about a week ago.

“He was just worn out,” his son said.

 

Rich Lang had enough experiences for two or three lives.

He graduated from high school early so he could enlist in the Marine Corps. At St. Joseph High School he scored a city record 61 points in a basketball victory over Sacred Heart High, and was a star pitcher on the baseball team.

 

After basic training he shipped out to Guam, where he was shot and seriously injured. A mix-up in the War Department resulted in a letter being sent to his family in November 1944 notifying them that Pvt. Richard Lang had been killed in action. His family thought he was dead until he called home in December.

 

According to a World-Herald story published on Memorial Day 2011, Lang took two bullets as he tried to crawl to someone else who had been shot. One bullet went through his hip and out his back. The other hit his right knee.

 

He was hospitalized for more than a year and received a Purple Heart; but for Lang, the war was over.

 

After his recuperation, he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and briefly played minor-league baseball with Jackie Robinson. But his wartime wounds stole most of his athletic promise, World-Herald reporter Matthew Hansen wrote.

 

Lang served 28 years with the Omaha Fire Department and was credited with saving the lives of 40 people over the course of his career.

 

Bill Lang said his father rarely talked about his World War II service or his exploits as a firefighter, unless someone asked. He just considered it his job, his son said.

Rich Lang was a volunteer physical education teacher at St. Patrick Catholic School and coached his sons' baseball and basketball teams.

 

“He was a great dad. I have good memories growing up,” Bill Lang said.

 

He said his father “was a tough old guy” who lived independently, despite numerous back surgeries and having to use a wheelchair after the amputation of a leg.

Bill Williams, whose Patriotic Productions sponsors Heartland Honor Flights for WWII veterans to Washington, D.C., said Rich Lang was on the first trip, on May 21, 2008.

“He was one proud Marine,” said Williams, who remained close to Lang and will speak at his funeral.

 

He was a superb example of the “grit and determination of the Greatest Generation,” Williams said.

 

For example, he initially refused to be helped onto the plane for the trip to Washington, Williams said, saying that he hadn't been carried since Guam.

“I saw him recently,” Williams said. “He was ready to go.”

 

Besides son Bill, survivors include another son, Dr. Rick Lang of Omaha; daughters Laura Mauro, Peggy Reynolds and Mary Jo Lang of Omaha; sisters Frances Rieschl and Marian Pruch of Omaha; 19 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

A funeral Mass will begin at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, 14th and Castelar Streets, with burial in St. Mary Magdalene Cemetery.

 

Ed note:

 

I spoke with Richard Frederick.Lang over a decade ago. He was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and sent to Ponca City, OK in the spring of 1947. However, there isn’t any record of him playing for Boyd Bartley’s crew. He was released by the Dodgers and went to Chanute, Kansas for a brief time. He was released by the Chanute A’s on June 9, 1947.

 

In 1949 Vernon Joseph Lang from Beaver, KS signed with Ponca City as a right handed pitcher. He made at least one appearance on the mound against Iola on May 18. Vernon J. Lang died in Derby, KS in 2005. I must admit those two names gave me a lot of confusion over the years of researching the old league.

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Hillsdale, Mich.

HENRY FECKER JR. 1929-2015

 

HILLSDALE — Henry Fecker Jr., 85, of Hillsdale and formerly of Detroit passed away Saturday, March 7, 2015, at Borgess Medical Center in Kalamazoo. He was born December 18, 1929 in Detroit to Henry Fecker Sr. and Josephine Grebik. He married Alice "Pat" Kummer on January 19, 1952 and she survives.

 

Henry graduated from Chadsey High School in Detroit and went on to attend Wayne State University. He played professional baseball for the St. Louis Browns and for one year in Nova Scotia in the Canadian Professional League. He enjoyed deer hunting, coaching his sons and grandchildren in baseball as the assistant coach for three years at Hillsdale High School. Henry worked at Ford Motor Co. and also the waste water treatment plant in Hillsdale. He was a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church. Henry served his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict.

 

Surviving besides his wife, Pat are five children, Deb (Craig) Langs, Henry Fecker III, Pamela Susan Fecker, Joseph Henry Fecker and Timothy Paul Fecker; 10 grandchildren & 18 great-grandchildren; and sister, Martha Scarpace.

 

He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Henrietta Amico.

 

Funeral services for Henry Fecker Jr. will be Thursday, March 12, 2015 at 11:00 A.M., at St. Anthony Catholic Church with Fr. David Reamsnyder as celebrant. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5-8 P.M. at the VanHorn-Eagle Funeral Home in Hillsdale with a Rosary recited at 7:30 P.M

 

Memorial contributions are suggested to the family to later be distributed to various charities. Online condolences at www.eaglefuneralhomes.com.

 

Ed comment:

 

I recall in talking with Fecker that he mentioned being a Jr. without a middle name. I did some census checking back then and never found anything regarding a middle name for his father. The only other thing I knew about him was his SSN. That was how I originally discovered he was still alive when I located him in 2009.

 

On August 6, 1948 Robert Becker pitched and Hank Fecker played third base for Pittsburg, KS in a game at Miami, OK. On numerous occasions, those two fellows were confused especially when only the line scores were carried on the Associated Press files. If Pittsburg played an away game the writer for the paper in that town might spell the name incorrectly or having Fecker instead of Becker on the mound.

 

When any player passes away I look at the team(s) roster(s) where he performed. The remaining members of the 1948 Pittsburg Browns still emitting CO2 are:

 

Willis Shannon Deniston—Age 96 Lakeside, California

Gerald Otto Beaman—Age 90 Uniontown, KS

Lawrence R. Tarbell—Age 89 Brea, California

Robert Mardsen—Age 89 Philadelphia, PA

Nicholas James Samela Jr.—Age 88 New Rochelle, NY

John William Knoke—Age 88 Lutz, Florida

Robert B. Paulausky—Age 87 Farmington Hills, MI

John Vernon Waltman—Age 86 Bedford, PA

Hugh Edgar Craig—Age 86 in Colorado (He was born and raised in Joplin, MO)

Peter Joseph Schober—Age 84 Pinole, California.

 

If I had written this story a couple of days sooner, John William Manopoli would have been on the list of the living. But, to prove that he isn’t I supply this reference: www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=102207789

 

Manopoli was a New York native who retired to Murrells Inlet, SC where he passed away. During the Korean War he had two pretty good assignments. He played for Ft. Myer, VA that represented the Military District of Washington, D. C., and won a National Baseball Congress title with the likes of basketball player Jack George and St. Louis Cardinal pitchers, Tom Poholsky as well as Johnny Antonelli of the Braves and Giants along with Bob Purkey who pitched for Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Manopoli was also a member of President Truman’s Honor Guard and that is why he was on the Military District of Washington ball team. I have photos to back up all those claims. I’ll have to dig that photo out of my “Heap of Rubbish” and run it sometime as the lead photo for a Flash Report on Flickr. Another guy on that Ft. Myer team was Pittsburgh Pirate and infielder, Danny O’Connnell. He was the MVP of the 1952 championships held in Wichita, Kansas. After his Pittsburgh days he also played for the Braves, Giants and Senators.

 

Note: (Later: I found the photo in that “Heap of Rubbish.” )The team photo of the 1952 Ft. Myer team was taken 8/16/1952 in Wichita, Kansas. As National Baseball Congress Champions they toured Japan and were joined by Baseball Commissioner, A. B. Happy Chandler and his wife, according to a letter received from Manopoli. The team photo and complete identification of each player is on the Flickr page identified with this Flash Report. For those of you who will never go to that site or see the photo here is how the Ft. Myer team posed for that photo:

Front Row: Bill Newman, Jerry Morgan, Johnny Antonelli, Bob Taylor, Art Ferguson, John Dobias and Sam Calderone.

Back Row: Bob Purkey, Doug Caussey, Rod Graber, Chuck Fowler, Sam Scarpone, Danny O’Connell, John Manopoli, Tom Poholsky, Jack George and team manager, Ralph Link and team chaperone Major Coker.

 

The two batboys weren’t identified and the individual on the far far left in the back row were not identified. Many of the guys in that photo played professional baseball other than Antonelli, Calderone, Graber, O’Connell, Purkey and Poholsky who had big league careers Jerry Morgan, Sam Scarpone, John Manopoli, Chuck Fowler and John Dobias all played professionally. In fact, Fowler is on the e-mail distribution list for this publication. He had a 10-year career in the Giants organization and played up to the Triple A level. Graber played 14 years of minor league ball and his reward was four games with Cleveland in 1958. He spent many years at the Triple A level in the Pacific Coast league.

 

Update:

 

Charles Fowler is mentioned in the previous paragraph and I sent him that photo. I got back an immediate response. He was wondering where in the world had I obtained that photo. We then shared a couple of additional e-mails and I learned the identity of the fellow on the far right in the back row. Fowler said that he was a Major at Ft. Myer with the last name of Coker and he accompanied the team on all their road games. The fellow on the far left of the back row hasn’t been identified either. Of course, the two batboys didn’t get any mention as far as identification goes but that is par for the course for guys filling that position.

 

Postscript:

 

From my many communications with John Manopoli, during the 1990’s, I learned that you can go from “Great to Goat” in an instant. For a couple of years all I heard from him was what a wonderful job I was doing and that I should win some type of award. Then I learned that admiration can turn into consternation abruptly. The process of falling from sainthood to sinner started when I sent him a copy of my first book. He shot back a note stating that for my information there was more than one team in the KOM league other than Carthage, MO. That really didn’t come as a revelation to me and I wrote Manopoli telling him that I had to have a focal point to my book and being from Carthage that was my frame of reference. That explanation only incurred another rather blistering missive. At that point I figured it was time to terminate any further contact. I never heard from him again and only recently did I see the obituary where he passed away in 2011.

 

In all the years of writing about the KOM league and helping out with 12 reunions and scores of appearances at public forums and book signings regarding the old league I ran across less than a handful of the former players that would fall under the category of “Non-KOM.” In this case KOM stands for “Kind Old Men.” They have all passed away so I don’t think I have any of the former players who now despise me. If I’m wrong, don’t tell me.

 

Now, the bonus round.

 

How the Ft. Myer team made it to the National Baseball Congress Tournament as the representative from Virginia is contained in a Danville, VA Bee newspaper article of July 19, 1952. I think old baseball fans might not be as upset with me as Manopoli was if I share this information.

 

Beat Fort Eustis. Fort Myer Wins State Semi-Pro Title CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP)-For the second straight year, an Army baseball team has walked off with the Virginia state semipro baseball championship. In a drama-packed, all-Army final here last night for a crowd of 2,267 frenzied fans, Fort Myers' Colonials (MDW) successfully staved off a last-ditch rally by Fort Eustis to gain an 8-6 decision. But not before Eustis had scored three times in the bottom of the ninth and had the winning run at the plate. The hectic ninth inning saw Myers' Johnny Antonelli, former Boston Braves bonus beauty, come in with one out, a runner on second and two runs already in. The southpaw, who fanned 18 batters for a new tourney record in his only starting role, struck out pinch hitter Joe Questieh for the second out. But the crowd was brought to its feet when Joe Golvas singled to drive in the third run and Larry Dorton reached first on an error by Doug Caussey. The Eustis drive ended along with their title hopes when Ed Wopinek hit an easy ground ball to shortstop Danny O'Connell to end the fireworks. Four of the six big-leaguers to participate in the double elimination affair walked off with trophies presented by State Commissioner John W. Williams. Willie Mays, erstwhile New York Giant "rookie of the year," was named the player exhibiting the most sportsmanlike conduct in tourney. Another ex-Giant star, Sam Calderone of Ft. Myer, was named the most valuable player. The husky backstop managed the Colonials last night in the absence of Ralph Link who was suddenly called away by a death in his family. Two other Ft. Myer stars, Danny O'Connell of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Pitcher Tom Poholsky of the St. Louis Cardinals, also received awards. O'Connell, who played errorless ball throughout the tournament, was chosen as leading fielder. Poholsky, who received credit for last night's deciding victory, was named leading pitcher with a 2-0 mark. Both wins for Poholsky came at the expense of Ft. Eustis. Joe Lonnett, Ft. Eustis right fielder received the leading hitter’s trophy with an average of .500. The All-Tournament team, as announced by Williams: Catchers--Hal Naragon, Quantico Marines and Sam Calderone Ft. Myer. First Base--Vernon Morgan, Ft. Eustis. Second Base--Ed Wopinek, Ft Eustis. Shortstop--Danny O'Connell, Ft Myer. Third Base--Ray Wiethcha, Quantico. Outfielders--Willie Mays, Ft. Eustis; Sal Oliva, Quantico; Jay Roundy, Quantico; Joe Lonnett, Ft. Eustis; and Jack George, Ft. Myer. Utility Infielders--Jim Ludtka. Ft. Eustis, and Claude Siple, Clifton Forge. Pitchers--John Antonelli, Ft. Myer; Tom Poholsky, Ft. Myer; Rudy Minarcin, Ft. Eustis; Tex Tyler, Schuyler; and Red Norwood, Quantico.

 

And a bonus story from that same edition.

 

The Bee: Danville, Va., Saturday, July 19, 1952 Sports Roundup By GAYLE TALBOT New York (AP)--One-round Billy Martin says he's hanging up the bare knuckles. The New York Yankee second baseman, a, wiry 156-pounder, is retiring as the undefeated middleweight champion of the American League--unless somebody throws a punch at him. In a way it's a shame, this sudden ending of the fistic career of a ball player who really can fight. But then the acute shortage of ball players who can play ball makes It necessary to conserve the supply. "Casey (Stengel) told me If the Yankees wanted a fighter they would have hired Rocky Marciano," said Martin in the Yankee Stadium dugout. Casey wouldn't have gone too far wrong if he had signed Marciano, either. For the hard Rock from Brockton, Mass., was a pretty fair catcher who tried out with the Chicago Cubs' chain a few years ago. That was before he found out a guy could collect a fortune for exercising 30 minutes with boys like Harry Matthews. Martin takes little pride in his ball park fights with Jim Piersall and Clint Courtney. Long ago he decided he wanted to be a ball player--not a fighter. "Sure, I had lots of fights, street fights, when I was a kid in Berkeley (Calif.)," he said. 'Funny thing:. I never really wanted to fight. But if somebody does something to you, you've got to fight. I never was in any Golden Gloves or anything like that. "I hung around with fighters. But I never wanted to be one. I always wanted to be a ball player. "A long time ago I made up my mind that I'd fight only if I had to. If it was a real fight, all right. But no boxing." It may surprise you, as it did me, to learn that Martin had a few bouts in his minor league days. One, in particular, was a preview of his Yankee stadium scrap with Courtney. "I was playing with Phoenix in 1947," he said. "Courtney was playing with Bisbee, the Yankee farm in the league. This was before 1 belonged to the Yankees. "Courtney roughed up our manager, Arky Biggs, at second base. Spiked him and broke his arm. And we were fighting for the pennant. Clint and I tangled, but good. " I hated to fight him again, because we're friends. He's a good guy, always hustling. "But I've got no regrets about that other fellow--Piersall. He had it coming." In case the details slip your memory, Piersall and Martin engaged in a bench jockeying duel this spring at Fenway Park. They wound up under the stands with Martin's right hand punch prevailing, until they broke it up. Last Saturday, Courtney of the St. Louis Browns kicked a double play ball out of Martin's hand and spiked Yogi Berra. Later in the day, when Courtney attempted to steal second, Martin planted the ball In Clint's mouth. As Martin trotted toward the dugout, Courtney started after him. Martin wheeled and deposited two whistling rights on the Brownie catcher in full view of the customers who recently yawned through the Ray Robinson-Joey Maxim fight in the same park.

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Death of Al Rosen:

 

As you would probably know Al Rosen passed away on Friday. I contacted Al twice and he signed these three cards for me but never did answer a questionnaire.

Jim Dyck was a teammate of Rosen’s at Kansas City in 1948 and had kept in touch with him. Barry McMahon—Ladysmith, British Columbia

 

Ed reply:

Rosen's time at Kansas City in 1948 was a story never told in the things that happened to him. First off the Indians pulled some strings to allow him to play for a Yankee farm team. Most of the KC team despised him and they schemed to keep him from winning a batting title on the last day of the season. It is a very intricate story that Lee Dodson who pitched for KC told me. I wish was Dodson was still around to tell it.

But, Rosen goes way back to a shipyards team in Florida and a Lakeland professional team that were managed by Al Reitz, the former long time player/manager in the KOM, who was around in every year of the existence of the league except 1949-50.

 

Back to your note from yesterday. When I went to Mantle's house at Loma Linda, Mo. there was a large painting of him, Snider and Mays on the wall behind his divan in the living room. Johnny LaFalier was showing me all of Mick's stuff and he pointed that out as Mick’s favorite item. When I told him that it wasn't photographing too well he took it down and went out on the back deck with it. I still have that photo some place in my house that I'll probably never find again. Willie Mays was one of the ballplayers whose bandwagon I never jumped on. Of course, if a guy didn't play for the Cardinals I wasn't a fan of any of them. I was a true "homer”. Mays tore up the leg of Cardinal catcher Del Rice that didn’t sit well with me. (I had a reader the other day confess that he didn’t know Del Rice played professional basketball while a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.)

 

McMahon’s reply:

 

I didn’t realize until this morning that Rosen finished second in batting in the American Association with a .327 average. I also noticed Glenn McQuillen won the title batting .329.

 

The homerun champion was 1st baseman Mike Natisin who hit 30.

 

John you’ll probably be familiar with Mike Natisin with him being Cardinal property. It appears that the 1948 season was the best one Natisin had during his eleven seasons in the minor leagues.

 

Ed reply:

 

McQuillen the former big leaguer with the St. Louis Browns was with Toledo, On the last day of the season a KC player was on the telephone after each at bat with his counterpart in Toledo. They had it worked out that when it was obvious that Rosen couldn't catch McQuillen that the word would get to him, in Toledo, and he would ask the manager, George Detore, to be absent for the rest of the game. I think it had been agreed to by Detore that he’d do anything to make his player the batting champion of the American Association. Lee Dodson had this story down to every detail. He liked Rosen but the same didn't go for many of the young Yankees. Somehow Louisville is in the back of my mind. Thus, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kansas City played their final two games in 1948 in Kentucky or against them in Kansas City.

 

Ed reply:

 

I only knew about Natisin from what Lee Dodson told me. In 1948, and before, I didn't know what a baseball, bat or glove looked like. I didn't even know they had bases.

 

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Reports are sometimes interesting:

 

Another interesting set of stories. When I read your newsletters, I always wonder how you learned so much about these players. I wish I had started my baseball endeavors sooner so that I could have reached your level of depth and understanding. When I put together my Old Timers Celebration in 2012, it was also to enable some of the still living men who played in the North Atlantic League and Colonial League to have a few days to recall their baseball lives and possibly to reconnect with someone that they knew from that time.

 

I spent about nine months trying to locate as many players as I could, but as you can guess, I was unable to locate many, and many others were gone, or too ill to travel to NY. The dozen or so that made it (the batboy came in from Reno Nev.) had a great time and enjoyed being in the spotlight again, even if for a very short time. The ones that were on the player panel or interviewed by the broadcaster during the Peekskill Tides ballgame were especially pleased with the opportunity to answer questions about their time on the field. Even Marty Appel and Jim Bouton had a good time talking to the guys. An event I won't forget, but as the players were already in their late 80's and one early 90s, I didn't think an annual gathering would fly.

 

So this month I gave two talks on African American baseball history for Black History Month, and now am sitting here re-reading my "Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book" signed by Fred Harris. I've no idea where I picked it up. Robert Mayer—Peekskill, NY

 

Ed note:

 

Most assuredly, I have spent way too much time reliving the memories of my childhood. Probably, could have done something far more productive with the last 20 years of my existence.

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Totally unrelated to baseball?

 

Beans, ham, and cornbread was our Monday washday meal too, sometimes with fried potatoes. YUUUUMMMM! One time my brother and I were both sick with pneumonia and our folks moved our beds into the living room so we could be warm from the stove. Nothing tasted good to me till she made the beans and cornbread and that was the only thing that I liked after the long illness so after that I told anyone who was sick that they needed cornbread and beans and then they would get well! It worked for me.

 

My mouth was watering reading your description. I think I have some beans in the pantry.....Joan (Joan’s last name is Speake and her husband’s first name is Robert.)

 

Ed comment:

It is doubtful if either Bob or Joan know of the existence of a “Top 100” list of all-time high school athletes from Southwest Missouri. That list represents both female and male stars in every conceivable athletic endeavor. Bob is on that list. To find out where he stands and the list of more guys on the list with baseball backgrounds, go right here: mosports.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=259223

 

Another former KOM leaguer, Bill Virdon, is also on that list. I noticed that Cletis Boyer is on the list with Cassville listed as his place of birth. Whoever put that list together doesn’t know the difference between an “A” and an “O.” Of course, they were using the “Official Record Books” which are flat wrong. Cletis was born, as I have stated and proven, many times, in Cossville in Jasper County, Missouri not Cassville in Barry County. I wonder if my great grandchildren will live long enough for the “experts” to get that error corrected? I have long wondered who the experts are and who ordains them to be so. Sometimes I get the feeling that the “experts” think Moses carved certain things about certain baseball players in stone and that is the final word and it would be blasphemy to change it, even if it meant getting it correct.

 

Of course, if you have read my Flash Reports over the years you’ll know that I take great exception to not only the birthplace of Cletis Boyer but also that of his older brother, Cloyd, and a guy born east of there, about 25 miles, by the name of Carl Hubbell. Right now, in the year of our Lord, 2015, two of those incorrect places of birth could be verified by Cloyd Boyer. But, it seems no one is willing to make that call or write the letter to someone who can do something about setting the record straight. Maybe baseball records books are Holy Writ in the minds of a few old men, or possibly young ones. If so, all I can say is that isn’t the book I accept as Gospel. Do I hear an Amen? Hallelujah and pass the offering plate.

 

That felt good to say those things. At my advanced age no one cares to hear an old man rant. Fortunately, the readers can hit delete when they tire of the rants. Oh, back to the top 100 list. I think that the sponsor of that selection group is now down to the top two. I haven’t seen Kenny Boyer’s name as yet. So, if he isn’t either 1 or 2 on that list something is terribly wrong. Kenny was by far the better of the two third basemen in the family. According to Cloyd, Kenny was the second best baseball player in the family right behind their oldest sister, Juanita. I’m not making this up. That is another question the “experts” can raise when they get hold of Cloyd to verify where he and Cletis were born. Pansy Boyer, the youngest sister, was born in 1939 and she married Russell Schell. My high school buddies will recall Russell going to school in Carthage for a couple of years before going back to Alba. He was also a good athlete. Russell and Cletis Boyer played on the same high school basketball team and they would play the Carthage B team in games at the Memorial Hall. Carthage had no solution at stopping Cletis from scoring. All of the Boyer boys were very good basketball players. I once witnessed a grade school game at Eugene Field School in Carthage. I was in the fourth grade and Lynn Boyer was a much older 8th grader. I recall him being a left-handed shooter. In our little bandbox gymnasium, Lynn would dribble the ball to half court and shoot. Most of the time he’d make the basket.

 

But, for those who really are “hungering and thirsting” after truth I refer you to the 1940 Census that shows where the Boyer family lived. search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?rank=1&new=1&...

 

If you don’t have Ancestry.com you will have to look up the family in some other Census record. There were eight children listed in the Census of 1940 but one had passed away by then. There were three, possibly four, more born afterward. In the 1940 Census on Ancestry.com there is a ten year old son listed as Mayne. That is Wayne, a left-hander who pitched in the KOM league for Carthage in 1947. He gave up baseball for the dental profession and practiced his craft in Kokomo, Indiana until his retirement. He still lives there.

 

Vern Boyer, the patriarch of the family, never left the Duval, Cossville and Alba areas in his life except for a time in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s when he sought work during the Great Depression in Liberty, Missouri. Both Wayne and Kenton were born in Liberty and/or Washington Township in Clay County, MO. For those not familiar with Missouri that is in the Kansas City area.

 

Another of the Boyer brothers was a left-handed first baseman by the name of Lynn. In the 1957-58 term at Joplin Junior College I had a number of classes with him and I learned a lot of “inside the St. Louis Cardinals” from our conversations. He had hung out at Sportman’s Park in St. Louis when his big brother, Cloyd, was pitching for the team with the birds on the front of their jerseys. From Lynn I learned that major league baseball wasn’t always like I had been led to believe during my formative years listening to Harry Caray and his many sidekicks on the Cardinal baseball network.

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One reader believes the Flash Reports are okay.

 

This was quite a Flash Report John. It shows you still have it! I enjoyed it very much.

Wolfe PC '51—That is code for Jack Wolfe of the 1951 Ponca City Dodgers who lives in Fullerton, CA.

 

Hold the phone—another reader liked the previous Flash Report

 

They are all good, but this one about lost youth and love, particularly so. Thanks. Bruce May.—Ohio

 

Ed comment:

 

What Bruce had no way of knowing that his father, Wilbert Roy May, could well have pitched against the unnamed player, in the last report, who lost his first love and only contacted her many years later to let him know of his mistake.

 

How about a “three-peat?”

 

This is a copier for Rich - the entire letter. Am again reading much of this with 'Dad looking over my shoulder'. Must be one heck of a get together when those baseball guys are meeting in the big stadium in the sky. Barbara-- in St. Louis

 

Comment:

 

Barbara’s dad played in the Nebraska State league in the early 1930’s and a couple of decades later her husband, Rich, played professional ball in St. Louis. No, it wasn’t the Browns, Cardinals in baseball or football but rather the St. Louis Hawks. If you don’t know what sport that was the team is now based in Atlanta and are still the Hawks.

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Suggestion for the Clark collections:

 

Does the MU Library have a Special Collections Department that might want Mr. Clark's collection of KOM League Flash Reports? Maybe the Boone County Historical Society (I'm assuming there is one)? Although I seem to remember you telling me one time that those entities weren't much interested in old baseball.

 

I'm getting ready to donate 7 or 8 of Jake Drake's old scrapbooks (on behalf of his stepson, a childhood friend of mine) to the Univ. of Ark. Special Collections. That's what made me think of how Mr. Clark might save all the KOM Flash Reports.

 

I particularly liked the story of the player in the SE Kansas town and his former lady love who met at the airport some 52 years after their near miss love story.

 

Thanks, Jerry Hogan—Fayetteville, Ark.

 

Ed note:

There was a much longer response to that note but my short answer was “No.” In short no one wants to collect and store paper in this electronic age of computers which are down as much as they are up.

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Comment regarding “Appy" league from previous Flash Report.

 

John, From my brief (25 game +/-) stint there in 1950, your ‘borrowed’ description of the Appy (Appalachian) League as being the ‘armpit’ because the crazy winding roads, would have been true for my Bluefield team, except for the fact our bus(es) were two 9 passenger Chryslers. So, for us, instead of being the armpit, the Appy League was only the ‘elbow’. And of course, there were those hot hillbilly babes. Bob S (That is Bob Schwarz of Clifton Park, NY).

 

Ed comment:

 

Bob Schwarz played first base and caught many balls thrown his way from the left side of an infield position during his month at Iola in 1950. One of the guys throwing the ball across the diamond was the young man who gave the young lady an engagement ring during that season and got it back in the mail during the Christmas holidays of that same year.

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Note about the late Don Bruss—Iola 1948

 

John: I don't know if you knew this but Don ( Smoky) Bruss lived on the same street and we were on two State (Illinois) Championship teams. We were both on the high school basketball team. Smoky was a good quarterback on the football team. He broke his ankle and was leading the Three I league in hitting. He never went back.

 

He married Mary Ann Ahman whose father had a big farm so Smoky became a farmer. He could bunt .300. Charles Fowler—Dallas, Texas and long time pitcher in the New York Giants organization.

 

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A note from Commerce, OK--Brian Waybright

 

If you are in Southeast Kansas, Northwest Arkansas, Southwest Missouri or Northeast Arkansas in early April here is something to do. I can attest that Brian Waybright has done more and worked harder at keeping the “real” memory of Mickey Mantle alive as much, or more, than anyone, And, he does so without seeking any praise.

 

The Mickey Mantle Classic has teamed with the Joplin Sports Authority to bring a new division to the already unprecedented wooden bat tournament. The “Miner” Division will consist of 6 teams with two pools of three. Pool games will be played at newly renovated historic Joe Becker stadium in Joplin Missouri (the same field Mickey Mantle played on with the Joplin Miners) with the championship game played at Mickey Mantle Field in Commerce Oklahoma. Teams are guaranteed 3 games.

 

Teams and fans will then be invited and encouraged to attend the Mickey Mantle Classic awards banquet held on Saturday evening in Miami Oklahoma with our special guest to recognize champions, an All Tournament Team, and other award winners. The banquet includes a catered meal along with auctions and other activities.

 

Teams in the Miner division will compete at the 5A 6A level. Spots are being filled now so if you are interested in getting a team involved contact us at the below information.

 

The Miner division will be played in conjunction with the Comet and Triple Crown divisions at Mickey Mantle Field and all three divisions will be represented at the awards banquet.

 

Tournament Director

Brian Waybright

Off: 918.675.4101

Cell: 918.961.6508

bwaybright@micketmantleclassic.com

 

 

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.That is about it for this time. Work if you get right or is that “Write if you get work?”

 

Done