Miami Blues Scorecard 1

The KOM League

Flash Report

For week of

July 26--August 1, 2015

 

The Flash Report and Flickr photo is found at this site: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/19377076223/ A second photo is included following the first one shown. Compare the two see how rosters changed. There will be a great deal of information, regarding those photos, added during the week covering this report. So, check early and often during that time period for updates.

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First pitch:

 

This report was prepared on July 25th which is a reminder that just five months from today it will be time once again for bad children to get chunks of coal in their stockings. It has jogged my memory regarding a few comments received recently, with respect to Flash Report articles. I’m sure the world will continue spinning even if I missed mentioning some of the items but I’m sure that the people sending the notes would think I’m sort of like the “Jolly Round Man” who puts coal in the stockings of the not so good children. So briefly, here goes:

 

1. A recent article contained the names of former KOM leaguers who made it to the big leagues. As I found out, Bill Virdon wasn’t the only future KOM leaguer who also played in the big leagues that Shirley dated. Here is her comment. “Did I ever tell you that I was in College with Bill Upton and his brother, Herb? I even had a "date" or two with Bill!! That would have been in 1948, 49, 50 or early 1951. Hope you locate the real Mr. Bowers! Bill is slowly regaining his strength. We are watching a lot of baseball (Pirates) on the TV, since Bill hasn't been feeling very well. And I'm learning to COOK again!! Take care. Blessings, Shirley V.

 

Ed reply:

 

Bill had another brother who played for the St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators, Tommy. He became a college math teacher in Arizona before his death. He was the person who told me about Bill (Upton). I finally made contact with Bill's widow who told me her husband showed the LA Dodgers the split finger before anyone in the big leagues was throwing it.

 

This was a follow-up note to Shirley Virdon. “Well, his older brother Herbert was Thomas Herbert Upton Jr. and he was the guy who played for the Browns and others. Thomas Herbert was three years older than Bill and they had an older sister by the name of Elaine. They were from Ester, MO as you know. Bill died in San Diego.

 

 

2. The article regarding Clifford Littledave caught the eye of my only known Canadian reader. Barry McMahon mentioned that Littledave’s manager at Bristol, VA in 1948, Ben Geraghty, was a former big leaguer, successful minor league manager and was also a survivor of the Spokane team’s bus crash in 1946. The most famous name affiliated with that crash was Jack Lohrke who had gotten off the bus at the last stop in order to report to the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League.

 

Ed reply:

 

Ben was happy to be anywhere in 1949 even Bristol, Va. That Appalachian league was a tough place to play and especially made worse by the bad roads. I'll never forget my first time in that area. My wife and I were headed to Charleston, WVA and were in the Hazard, KY area. All of the sudden I had a feeling there was no road and I was driving in a field. I saw a car coming and I flagged down the driver. I asked him where the road went and he said that I was on it. I asked him if it got better ahead and he said it only got worse. I could write a book about trying to get from Hazard, KY to Charleston. I still have nightmares about that experience.

 

3. Over a month ago a story in this forum alluded to the Ponca City Dodgers being detained by the Pittsburg, Kansas police for doing what most young boys do, flirt with young girls. Del Wichtendahl brought up the issue and it struck a responsive chord since I had heard various versions of it over the years. With a number of Ponca City Dodgers, from 1951 on my mailing list I shot off an e-mail to four of them. Knowing I’d get some great input on that story I waited a week, then two for responses that at best trickled in. Here is the response from the great Joe Stanka. “John, I have absolutely zero memory of that event, however, I have absolute zero about a lot of stiff like, what did you tell me your name is?”

 

Understanding that Stanka has been everywhere and done everything I excused him since his life has been filled with more important things. I then received this note from another big winning pitcher on that team, Dick Wiegand. Here is his response. “John, I may be losing my memory but I don't remember any such incident. I don't remember a Del Wichtendahl either. Are you sure this happened in 1951? No, I don't remember (Gordon) Meeres either. I did not have spring training that year and went directly to Ponca City from home. I really do not remember a lot of guys who were there for a short time. I am surprised that I didn't remember the Scherger and police incident. Thanks for the info though.”

 

At that point I was waiting on another member of that team, Jack Wolfe, to reply but I guess he missed reading that e-mail message and thus I struck out on that attempt at putting together the various viewpoints of the Ponca City ballplayers vs. the Pittsburg arm of the law.

 

My only recourse was to get back with Wichtendahl to let him know that he was probably the only person alive who recalled the post-game antics in Pittsburg. He wrote this note which will end this story, forever. “In my memory, the guys were all done eating and Scherger was left to pay the bill so we went back to the bus where we got arrested for hollering at some girls. The police came and marched all of us to the police station which was not that far away. Then Scherger came and got us out with no fine but a severe reprimand. Another day in the life a ball player.”

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Input regarding last week’s mention of Clifford Littledave

 

Last time this report convened there was quite a bit written about Clifford Littledave. I knew that Littledave’s path crossed that of Dick Getter during their rookie seasons in the New York Giant farm system. So, I wrote a note to Getter to see what he recalled. As it turns out he had some great comments. Here is his reply. ”John, Yes, I do have a slight remembrance of him. The reasons being, I just got out of high school, signed with the Giants. They sent me to Seaford. Being from the east I could not believe that I was seeing an Indian or rather playing ball with one. I also remember him as he was the first and only guy I ever saw that was able to throw right or left handed. I was amazed the day after I got there that this guy would pitch a game right handed and throw batting practice the next day left handed. I was only at Seaford for about 3 weeks. Playing a ball game (can't remember where) had gotten a base hit, bad slide, sprained my ankle, (very bad). A couple of days later I was released. Went home and then signed again by Cleveland the next spring finally ended up with the Giants again. I really did not have much association with him at all. The next year I was in Iola where another Cherokee Indian, Benny Leonard, was my best friend for years until he died from cancer. We would see him at least one time a year and saw him in Henryetta, Okla. the day he was on his way to Tulsa for his last treatment before he passed. We still miss him. Do you have any hats left from the reunions? If you do I want to buy one. This all brings back many memories, some good and some not so.” Dick Getter-Dallas, Texas.

 

Ed comment:

 

Did you notice that Getter asked about left over ball caps from the KOM reunions that ran for a dozen years from 1996 to 2008? Those caps are long gone but an idea hit me a few weeks ago regarding the 70th anniversary of the KOM league. I thought about having a special baseball cap produced for that event. Then, after thinking about it I thought, why bother. Purchasing those caps and having the design made and embroidered is fairly reasonable. The big headache is the packing and postage on those things. By the time you go through that process you have over $20 invested and no one wants to pay that much for such an item. So, if you don’t see 70th anniversary caps mentioned again you’ll know why. Oh, one other thing mitigates against producing those things. Everyone wants a different color and they are usually sold in lots of a dozen of the same color. Why did I even bring up the subject?

 

Later: As I sat at my computer I noticed some baseball caps with many logos from many sources. I looked closer and saw a “well-used” KOM reunion cap from 2003. I took a photo of it and sent it to Getter telling him it was his if he would accept a “brand new” old cap. He shot back a note to send it along. The postage on the thing was more expensive than the cap. A couple of days later I received a check in an amount that was 12 times more than the postage. I looked at the check and thought “I’d make up a dozen of those caps for that kind of wampum? Wampum may be a good term for what follows in a few of the stories in this report. Keep that in mind and see if you can make the connection.

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Conrad Noel Swensson’s “party.”

 

Here is the link to the video that Ercelle and Greg put together for Connie’s “party” on Sunday. We had a big crowd—79 if my count is correct—and all went well. Jackie E. Swensson

 

Ed comment:

 

Swensson passed away on June 25, 2015 in Denver. A celebration of his life was held on July 19 and some of the images of his life are found here. youtu.be/rkSzilr_Fdk There are some photos of his time with the Ponca City Dodgers. The single photos would be of him in either 1949 or 1950. The photo with him and two other guys represents him on the left, Don Keeter in the middle and Joe Stanek on the right. That trio of former Dodgers are now deceased.

 

Note:

 

Be careful not to confuse Joe Stanek with Joe Stanka. They were both on the 1950 Ponca City same roster for a while. That is the year Stanka shared his talents between the Duncan, Okla. Utts and the Ponca City Dodgers. Otto Utt ran a restaurant in Duncan as well as owning the team and liked himself so much he named the team in his honor. In news articles the roster players were called “Uttmen.” In verifying some of that material I came across an obituary for Otto Jr. who recently passed away. It really brought into focus how quickly the generations come and go. www.ardmoreite.com/article/20150625/NEWS/150629865/-1/news

The foregoing was shared for the benefit of the readers of this publication who had strong ties to the Sooner State league in the late 1940’s and early 50’s.

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Death of Paul Thomas

 

Not many people outside northeast Oklahoma would recognize the name of Paul Thomas. Most of the readers of this publication would most likely skim over the obituary unless a little background was shared. When writing my book about Mickey Mantle I stopped at a McDonald’s in Miami. I don’t recall how the person knew who I was but came over to introduce herself and to tell me of her father-in-law, Paul Thomas. She said that when Elvin “Mutt” Mantle passed away in 1952 he drove to Denver, Colorado to pick up the body and bring it back to Miami. She said that Paul did that as a favor to the family and didn’t charge them for the transport. At that time he was 28 years old. To say that he did it for publicity because it was the father of Mickey Mantle would be incorrect. Not many people knew a whole lot about the future Hall of Famer at that juncture in history. I’m quite aware that some sites on the Internet list Mutt’s death as being in Chicago but all I can say is “Don’t believe a whole lot of what you find on a lot of Internet sites.”

 

So, with that little bit of background I share the obituary of Paul Thomas.

 

William Paul Thomas, longtime funeral director and Picher, OK resident passed peacefully on Saturday, July 11, 2015 at his home in Miami, OK. He was 91.

 

Paul was born April 2, 1924 in North Century (Picher), OK to W.C. “Buss” and Rosa Belle (Brookshire) Thomas. He was raised in the Picher and Welch, OK area, graduating from Welch High School in 1943. He started to work for the Durnil Funeral Home in Picher at the age of 13 when he began his life career in the funeral business.

 

Paul served in the United States Navy during World War II as a Pharmacists Mate in Guam. After returning from World War II he married Wanda Fern Ingram on June 3, 1946 in Joplin, MO. Paul attended St. Louis College of Mortuary Science graduating in 1947 with honors. He and Wanda established Paul Thomas Funeral Home in Picher on December 14, 1948. In 1991 the Thomas family opened Paul Thomas Funeral Home in Miami and later Paul Thomas Funeral Home in Commerce in 2005.

 

Paul also owned and operated Paul Thomas Pecan Farm for many years. He was member of the First United Methodist Church in Picher, Miami Lodge No. 140 A.F.&A.M. for over 60 years, 32 degree Mason with Guthrie Scottish Rite Consistory in Guthrie, OK and Akdar Shrine Temple in Tulsa. He was a lifetime member of the I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 493 in Picher, the American Legion, the 40 et 8, Past Commander and Service Officer of the V.F.W. Post in Picher, Service Officer and member of the American Legion, past President of Miami Travel Club, longtime member of Picher Lions Club and a member of the Oklahoma Funeral Directors Association and National Funeral Directors Association for over 60 years.

 

Paul was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Leon Thomas and sister, Dorothy Smith.

 

Survivors include his wife of 69 years, Wanda Thomas of the home, his son Paul Ingram Thomas and his wife Kari of Miami, OK, his grandchildren, Annamaria Thomas, Dalton Young, Austin Brown and Tyler Joe Brown. He is also survived by his brother Jim Thomas of Miami, OK , two sisters Lucille Ingram of Miami, OK , JoAnn Ackerman of McKinney, TX and his sister in law Pearl Miller of Albuquerque, NM.

 

Services will be Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Christian Church in Miami. Pastor Leon Weece, The Rev. Mary Koppel, Rev. Geoff Buffalo, Rev. Charles Clevenger and Rev. Ray Clonts officiating. Interment will be in Welch Cemetery, Welch, OK with Native American Rites conducted by Kevin Dawes, Winston “Cap” Ulrey and Rannie McWatters and Military honors by the American Legion Post 140 Funeral Detail. Pallbearers will be Jimmie Bayliss, Jerry Bayliss, Danny Garner, Everett “Sonny” Green, Terry Heatherly, James Graves, Ron Sparkman and Johnny Sparkman. Honorary pallbearers will be Dabney Smith, Dabney Smith, Jr., Roger Ruth, Paul Kidd, Art Cousatte, Steve Brewer, Bill Crawford, Lloyd Stone, Tony Murray, Larry Linthicum, Bert Reeves, Sam Freeman and Cork Henry. The family will receive friends Tuesday evening from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Paul Thomas Funeral Home Chapel in Miami. Services are in the care of Paul Thomas Funeral Home and Cremation Service of Miami.

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Robert B. White 1949 Miami Owls.

 

In featuring Clifford Littledave in recent weeks, in these reports, that brought to Wylie Pitts’ memory some other fellows from Northeast Oklahoma who were Native Americans. Two he mentioned in a recent e-mail were Bob and “Dutch” White.

 

Robert White was a name familiar to me as he had signed in mid-August of 1949.along with Elmer Peacock, when some of the Miami Owls threw in the towel and left the team in disgust. White and Peacock had a lot in common. They were the same age of 31 and both were Native Americans. White was a Seneca and Peacock a Wyandotte. I knew more about Peacock basically from a near death injury in his fourth game with Miami. He was beaned by another fellow Native American, Joe Mallott of Ketchum, OK who was pitching for Iola, KS in a game at Miami. I have told the story of Peacock many times. The greatest impact that incident had one me was the day I visited Peacock in Wyandotte and his wife came out to explain the sheer horror experienced by the family that evening.

 

However, this tale is dedicated to Robert White since I have never written much about his one month in the KOM league. He pitched, pinch hit and generally performed admirably in his only professional stint in baseball that had shown great promise 13 years earlier when he first tried out for Dutch Zwillings Kansas City Blues.

 

Like researching the life of many former players they are deceased and having been born in 1918 even all the children of White are deceased. Robert White had five brothers and one sister and each of their first names started with “R.” I suppose that was done so the parents could call “RW” one time and every child would respond.

 

Every story I attempt to tell has different twists and turns and this one fits into the “no place to turn” category. I located White and his seven children on a site called Find-A-Grave or other sources. I was impressed with the accomplishment of his children prior to their passing. I would say they were a family of which any parent could be proud and most likely they turned out the way they did due to good parents. The following URLs cover that to which I just alluded. Please take the time to click on each one. (As always, I don’t rely on a single site in writing an article. I checked out the White family through many sources.)

 

www.findagrave.com/cgi-Bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=329572...

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=62330927

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=95327731

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=119142577

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=18629373

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=66203724

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=146851414

 

At this juncture I began looking for information on Robert and “Dutch” White in order to answer the question raised by Wylie Pitts “What ever happened to the White boys.”

 

March 17, 1936—Miami, OK News Record—

Robert White, 17-year-old Wyandotte youth, is making Manager Dutch Zwilling of the Kansas City Blues think awhile before turning him loose for further seasoning. White, a natural third sacker was impressive in his first drill with the American association club. His bat, swung powerfully from strong shoulders, connected with several line hits that pleased the Blues' manager. The Wyandotte (OK) youth, son of Mrs. Mandy (Amanda) White of Wyandotte, played third base last season for the Sycamore (OK) Indians, a team managed by Frank Rodgers. While playing at Seneca (MO), White was spotted by a scout. Today he stands a fine chance of breaking into professional baseball. White is tall and has long, powerful hands. His batting power is expected to give him extra consideration by baseball men.

 

Ruben White Sr. was the patriarch having been born in Kansas in 1866. He operated a truck farm in 1920 around Council House in Ottawa County, OK. By the time Robert came along his dad was 53 years of age. The elder White died prior to 1932 and Robert was being raised by his step-father, Edward Turkey. This appeared in the May 24, 1936 Miami paper. “Edward Turkey, 66-year-old member of the Seneca Indians, died in the Pawnee Indian hospital Saturday morning. He had lived in Wyandotte for many years and was well known there. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Mandy Turkey; a sister, Mrs. Mary Logan of Wyandotte, and a brother, David Turkey of Trenton, N. J. He also had three adopted children. (The adoptees included Robert and “Dutch.”)

 

Amanda White-Turkey, had gone back to using the last name of her first husband, even before the second husband passed away, if you can believe the newspaper stories from March 17 and May 24th of 1936. Ah well, history is fraught with inaccuracies.

 

Baseball wasn’t the only sport played in that area. Softball was popular as well. In some of these newspaper clips are familiar names and those of later professional baseball significance will be noted.

 

July 22, 1937

 

The Miami All-Star softball club will meet the highly touted CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) team of Scammon, Kans., at College Field Friday night. Play will begin at 8:0O

p. m. Carl Williams, manager of the All-Stars announced a starting lineup today that will include six Commerce Mining Royalty stars, two from the Oklahoma Tire and Supply outfit and one each from Eagle-Picher and Commerce Merchants aggregations. The Scammon team, piloted by Joe Batten, has compiled an enviable record this season, it has been reported here. The team has won several engagements from clubs in the Pittsburg, Kas., district. Miami's probable starting lineup—K, Elliott, c; McGoyne, p; (Ed note: Jack McGoyne was the long time player and manager of the Tri-State Miners). Williams, lb; Bettega, 2b; N. Keithley, SB; Gibson, 3b; Sailing, SS; Haynes, If; Collins, cf, and Al Shaffer, rf. The utility list includes Roy Neal and Bob White of Oklahoma Tire & Supply, Bob Montgomery and Oscar Lee Young of Eagle- Picher, Obie Edwards of Commerce Royalty and J. Campbell of the Commerce Merchants

 

Ed comment:

 

Bob White, Bob Montgomery and Newton Keithley all saw action in the KOM league. Montgomery was with the Miami Owls in 1946 and 1949. He lived two houses north of Mickey Mantle’s mother-in-law, Reba Johnson, in Picher, Okla.. She told me the morning after her daughter, Merlyn, married Mantle that there was a sign in her front yard proclaiming “Mickey Mantle’s Mother-In-Law Lives Here.” When I asked her what she did her terse remark was “I took it down.” I asked her if she knew for sure who did it and she said that although she didn’t witness the sign’s posting she was sure only Montgomery would do such a thing.

 

Some baseball researchers have long wondered how a guy could win a league batting title and never play another inning thereafter. Newton A. Keithley was born in Carterville, MO on February 7, 1920 (he died February 13, 2005) and his father moved the family a short time later to northeast Oklahoma where he worked for the Eagle Picher Mining Company. The elder Keithley was involved in the unrest between the company and the miners union. It resulted in the worst rioting in the nation in 1935. A book written by George G. Suggs Jr. and published by the University of Oklahoma Press entitled “Union Busting in the Tri-State” is a good resource that documented the mayhem. For baseball historians that is the point in time when Elvin “Mutt” Mantle gathered up the family and moved from Spavinaw to Cardin, OK which was in the epi-center of the riots. If you care to do independent research you can Google Newt Keithley (the elder) and view all manner of court records on PDF files that details the legal cases arising from the riots.

 

Now back to baseball. The younger Keithley attended school in Picher and Miami and then wound up playing quarterback for the Univ. of Tulsa. After graduating from college he taught and coached high school sports in Miami. When school was out in 1946 he joined the Miami ball club at the urging of Guy Froman and also with what he thought was an offer from the Miami Baseball Club to be their general manager the next year. Well, that didn’t work out and Keithley looked for greener pastures and decided to head for Alvin, Texas. He was very successful in that town and knew Nolan Ryan before any scout or baseball executive did. The Keithleys were great friends of the Ryan family. Nolan learned to pitch and Keithley son, Gary, took up football and eventually was the back up quarterback to Jim Hart with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973-75, playing only in 1973. You can check out Gary Keithley on this URL as I attempt to save some space. www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&am...

 

When Keithley was with the Cardinals his dad told me he traveled from Texas to see every Cardinal game. He recalled in our conversation his total disdain for Cardinal coach, Don Coryell. Hart was injured and Keithley was to start his first pro game against the New York Giants. Coryell had announced prior to the game that his quarterback wouldn’t be throwing any passes. Keithley’s first game as a starter featured only six passes.

 

There isn’t much of a purpose for me to delve any further into the Keithley matter when I have a statement from a man who knew the family very well. Jim Jones shared the following with me over a dozen years ago.

 

“To clarify an issue, the day that I went to Miami to talk with Guy Froman about playing for Miami, I stayed over for the game. My good friends Mickey Wood and Tony Bettega who I played with at Eagle-Picher Mining Co. actually played for Miami that night. I don't know what the contract situation was, but they played. (Ed note: If Wood and Bettega played for the Miami Owls that evening, in a regular season game, the roster players for the Miami Blues has to be adjusted. After 13 years I’ve not been able to document they played.)

 

N. A. Keithley was a very good friend. His father, Newt Keithley was a ground boss for the Eagle-Picher Mining Co, an older son Howard played football for Picher High School, graduating in 1935 and then he played for NEO Jr. College at Miami. Afterwards he played right field for the Eagle-Picher team.

 

N. A. lived and attended the Picher schools completing the 8th grade, his family moved to West of Miami (near Welch) and he attended Miami High School where he was an All-State Quarterback for coach Runt Ramsey and was also an outstanding basketball player.

 

After completing high school, he attended Oklahoma Military Academy at Claremore, OK ( a prep school for Tulsa U). In the summer he played second base for Eagle Picher (we always jokingly said that he played second so that he could cover ground near first base that Guy Froman could not reach. Ha!) He had a great career at Tulsa, alternating with Glenn Dobbs at quarterback, both made All Conference.

 

N. A. married Jeanette Christenson and after coaching a year at Miami High School, they moved to Alvin, Texas where they joined Jeanette's father in the John Deere implement business. They all became rich selling equipment to the rice farmers in the Alvin area I visited Howard and N. A. in 1971 and they had just opened a Saving & Loan Co and they made a lot more money.

 

I have been told by friends that N. A. retired several years ago and he has enjoyed wearing out the golf course, he developed glaucoma and has lost his sight, although he can see good enough to get around. Howard died several years ago.

 

Harve McKibben was a great athlete for Miami High School, our Picher Legion Team played them several times and Harve could really throw smoke. This is it for now! “

Jim Jones

 

Well, that is a brief look at some of the guys playing softball in Miami, Okla. in 1937. Now back to Robert B. White.

 

Thirteen years later August 12, 1949.

Owls Score Extra Inning Win over Bartlesville, 8-5 BARTLESVILLE, Aug. 12—(Special)—The, Miami Owl's last-ditch rally finally clicked last night as they pushed across three runs in the top of the tenth to take a hard-fought, 8-5 victory over the Bartlesville Pirates. And Bob White, Owl pitcher making his first appearance in a Miami uniform, received credit for the win after he went to the mound in relief of Jack Schaening in the tenth. White, a 31-year-old Indian whose home is in Tiff City, Mo., but who was born and raised around Wyandotte, was touched for only three hits and one run in 2 2/3 innings. Although he walked five, the new Owl chucker made a creditable opening performance as he pitched his way out of trouble with a blazing fast ball and a snaky curve. Deadlocked at 5-5 at the start of the tenth, the Flock pushed across the trio of runs on two walks, an error and a single by White. Catcher Earl Skaggs and shortstop Duane Melvin had both worked righthander Ed McLish, (Ed note: Younger brother of Calvin McLish—big leaguer) the last of four Buc pitchers, for passes. Joe Verbanic then cracked a sharp grounder to shortstop Cal Frazer, who let the ball get through him, allowing Skaggs to come across the plate. White drove in Melvin with a sharp single over second, moving Verbanic to third, arid the ruddy- complexioned second baseman tallied the final run when Jimmy Reaugh hit into a force play, nipping White at second. The new Indian hurler weakened in the tenth and loaded the bases on three straight walks. But then Melvin, in one of the prettiest fielding plays of the game, rushed over by second to field McLish's hard grounder, touched the bag for one out and threw quickly to Ike Robbins at first to complete the double play and hold the runner on third.

 

August 18, 1949

Tonight the Owls will try to strengthen their hold on their newly-earned spot when they take on the Carthage Cubs in a doubleheader out at Fairgrounds park. The first game is scheduled to get underway at 6:15 o'clock. Neither Lane nor Cub Manager Don Anderson were sure of their starting pitchers. Lane said that Bob Montgomery, former Commerce Merchant hurler, will start one of the tilts, probably the seven-inning game. Bob White, the Indian chucker from the Wyandotte hills, received credit for his second straight game, although he had to have help from Stephens, the Owls curve artist.

 

Using a fast ball and a change-up "knuckler," White was touched for six hits, including a triple by rookie Bill Courtney. The right- hander whiffed six Cubs and passed four. The big "pain in the neck" for the Owls—and White in particular —was Bill Hornsby, the son of the Cardinals' Rogers; "Big Rajah" Hornsby.' Following in his illustrious dad's basepaths, Hornsby slammed out three hard-line singles in four trips and only a brilliant stop by shortstop Duane Melvin stopped him from a fourth clean hit. The outfielder also batted in two runs. Carthage started out strong when they pushed across a pair of runs in the initial canto. After (Don) Schmitt reached first on a fielder's choice, (Hank) Paskiewicz was walked and Hornsby lined his first-hit of the game into right, plating Schmitt and moving Paskiewicz to third. Paskiewicz tallied on (Dean) Manns grounder. Another Cub tally was pushed across in the third. Courtney tripled high off the right center wall, but' was tagged out on a fielder's choice by Schmitt, who moved to second while the' play was going on. Paskiweicz grounded out but Hornsby singled hard again, this time into right center, scoring Schmitt. It seemed for a time that the Cubs weren't going to play dead for the Owls like they have in the past, but then in the seventh they finally decided to lose their 14th game of the season to the Flock. (Harry) Bright started the stretch-frame with a single through the hole, Melvin was passed and Joe Verbanic, in an attempted sacrifice, reached first safely when Cub pitcher George Erath fielded the bunt and then stood there holding the ball. White went down swinging for the first out, but Jimmy Reaugh looped a Texas Leaguer into short left to drive in Bright. With the bases still fully populated, Lane came to the plate and sent a 1-1 pitch bouncing off the center wall to quickly unload the sacks. Casey Wonka' flied to left, Ike Robbins walked and Skaggs lofted to left to end the canto. The Cubs came fighting back in the eighth and loaded the bases on an error by Bright of Paskiewicz's grounder, Hornsby's single and a base on balls to (Bob) Speake, with strikeouts by Schmitt and Manns sprinkled in between. That was all for White and Stephens went in.

 

INDEPENDENCE, Kas., Sept. 1, 1949—(Special)—

The Miami Owls closed their KOM season play with the first place Independence Yankees on a note of triumph when they nosed out the Yanks, 2-0, behind the effective chucking of Bob White here last night. (His third victory since joining Miami in August. Mantle went 1-3 against him and made an error which allowed two runs to score. Kenny Bennett took the loss. White fanned six and walked four and 1,313 people saw the game that lasted 2 hours and ten minutes.)

 

That concluded Bob White’s tenure in minor league baseball. In his time at Miami he beat Bartlesville, Carthage and Independence. He continued to play town team ball around Northeast Oklahoma for a number of years.

 

Note:

 

In writing about players from the region just discussed keep in mind that Commerce, Miami, Sycamore and Wyandotte in Oklahoma, Seneca along with Tiff City in Missouri and Baxter Springs, Columbus, Pittsburg and Parsons in Kansas were all within close proximity to each other. That is why so many outlaws from Jesse James, Cole Younger, Ma Barker, the Dalton Gang, Bonnie and Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd et. al. hung out around there since if they committed a crime in a place like Joplin they could be in Oklahoma or Kansas within a matter of minutes where they would be immune from arrest.

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I think I’m done.

 

In times past this would have been a good take-off point for another few pages of “stuff.” If I were to have done so this time a great piece could have been written on “Native Americans in the KOM League.” And, there were many. The manager of an All-Native American KOM team would have been Guy Willis Froman. I never got to speak with him, having missed locating him by one month.

 

However, I did speak with his widow, Gertrude, in 1994, and what an interesting conversation it was. Her husband managed the 1946 Miami Blues and their 13-year old son, Bill, was the batboy. Bill was one of six sons, all of whom were great successes in the game of life. By virtue of Bill still being alive I cannot claim to be “The World’s Oldest Batboy.” I can’t even claim to be the “Oldest Living KOM Batboy.” In fact, I believe than Dan Dollison who carried the lumber for the 1949 Independence Yankees is also older than I am. There may be one or two more guys who may wish to inform me they were born prior to Thanksgiving Day in 1939. If so, I don’t mind being pushed further back in seniority.

 

But, back to Gertrude Froman. In our conversation, in 1994, she kept telling me of a house guest that showed up for frequent “short” visits that turned out to be much longer stays. Guy Froman was a close from of another Oklahoman and when the fellow was down on his luck, which was often, he went to Miami, OK to stay with the Froman’s. For many years Guy Froman was the Chief of the Peoria Tribe. digital.libraries.ou.edu/utils/getfile/collection/dorisdu...

 

Gertrude told me that one of the greatest laughs she and her husband ever had is when it was announced that Burt Lancaster would play the lead role in the life of their friend. So, if you are a young person go here to find out who their friend was. www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&am...

 

Of course, most of those of us over the three-score and ten plateau know it was Jim Thorpe.

 

A very good resource about Guy Willis Froman’s life can be found at this site replete with a great photo. books.google.com/books?id=72jgsHZv2oIC&pg=PA98&lp...

 

Done