Glove with letter--Gabby Street presented this glove to Carthage, MO boy, Bob Dale, in 1930

The KOM League Flash Report

For week of

April 17 thru 23, 2016

 

A slight departure:

 

Most of the time I ignore stories or obituaries from the major league scene. I figure there are experts who handle that kind material and that by the time my reports come out that would be old news. However, with the recent death of Mike Sandlock www.google.com/search?rls=aso&client=gmail&q=mike...

it propelled Edwin Carnett www.google.com/search?rls=aso&client=gmail&q=mike...

to the top of the list as the oldest former big league player. That wouldn’t have made news in this publication had I not had a note from Barry McMahon in Ladysmith, British Columbia, Canada. The back and forth went like this. In his first e-mail McMahon mentioned the Sandlock issue and noted that he had a letter received from Carnett back in 1985 when the old ballplayer was living at Lebanon, Mo. I related to McMahon that I had met Carnett, in 1995, at a reunion of former Ponca City players from the Western Association, KOM and Sooner State leagues. McMahon surmised that I had met many former players, over the years, and my remark was “When you are as old as I am, you’re bound to have met a few people.”

 

At the Ponca City event Carnett approached me and said he’d like to talk with me because I was doing my first book at the time. As it turned out our scheduled meeting didn’t take place for one of those “emergencies” arose and I had to get out of Ponca City in a hurry.

 

Over the past few years I have received as much, or maybe even more, information on former Pacific Coast league players, from McMahon, than I have accumulated on former KOM leaguers.

 

Although Eddie Carnett graduated from Ponca City, OK High School he was a Missouri boy. His father was born at Marshfield, Mo. and later became a regional manager for Metropolitan Life Insurance. His dad served in Lebanon and Springfield, Mo. and then worked for "Mother Met" in Enid, Ponca City and Tulsa, OK. I was an agent for Metropolitan, in Tulsa, in 1963. So, Carnett's dad paved the way for one of my jobs. Jesse, was his father’s name, and is buried at Russ which is south of Lebanon. I imagine that will be Eddie's final resting place.

 

Unlike most of my reports I’m going to leave out a lot of the “filler” material that McMahon and Yours truly send back and forth. Carnett played for Ponca City after graduating from high school in 1935 and by 1936 he had made it to Los Angeles of the Pacific Coast league after performing most of that second season at Ponca City. He returned to Los Angeles in 1938 and that is where the human interest story comes in.

 

In a very nice handwriting style, Carnett shared this story with McMahon in 1985. “It was interesting to hear about old Sick’s Stadium (Seattle) and Wrigley Field in Los Angeles. They bring back lots of fond memories. Besides baseball another memory flashes back to me while playing in Los Angeles in 1938. A young man approached me one night early in the season and introduced himself. We spent many times having dinner at the old ‘Wichstand’ at the corner of Santa Barbara and Figueroa Sts. in L. A.. I always left a ticket at the ball park for him as he was having a hard time getting started as an extra actor in Hollywood. Many years later this young man became a star and I finally remembered from a note that his name was Richard Alban. But. later he went under the name of ‘Ricardo Montalban.’ (Fantasy Island) Back in those days all the movie stars came to the baseball games for exposure. There was no television then.”

 

Well, that is another story you wouldn’t have been apt to have known had it not been for Barry McMahon, so I thank him for sharing the material three times before it ever made it into a KOM Flash Report. For the youngsters who never heard of Richard Alban or Ricardo Montalban you can check him out right here: www.google.com/search?rls=aso&client=gmail&q=Rich... As the URL indicates, Montalban had a long life. However, if Eddie Carnett lives until October 16 of this year he’ll make the century mark.

 

In a bit of trivia the second oldest living former big leaguer, Carl Miles, also lives in Missouri at Trenton. But, you all know that or have a way of finding out. The trivia question to ponder this week is who were the other two Ponca City High School graduates to play major league baseball? Here’s a hint, only one of them was born in Ponca City. The other one was born in Alabama and died in Cuba. The Cuba, however, is in Missouri. This guy even had KOM league experience at the close of his career. Get those guesses in to be considered for the trivia championship. Actually, the question shouldn’t even cause anyone, with a computer, to break a sweat in solving.

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The Rose Bank School photo.

 

In the last issue of this seldom read publication the photo of where some of the Boyer brothers attended grade school was shown. It was mentioned that if anyone would like to have the identity of the student athletes, the names would be shared. Well, less than a thousand people responded to that offer so I’m sending along the names to the faces shown at the Flickr site last week. www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/25708676133/

 

Rose Bank School

District 17-Jasper County, MO—Taken in 1939

 

Front Row: L-R: Kenton Boyer, Ray Dell Coss, Lynn Brown, Milton Wayne Boyer, Leonard Brown, Harold Martin and Royden Laverne Coss (Ray's brother.)

Back Row: Carl Parker-Teacher, Charles Buford Coss (cousin to Royden. and Ray Coss), Cloyd Boyer, Dale Moore and Walter Comstock.

Photos from the John Hall Collection--1709 Rainwood Place--Columbia, MO 65203 Tel: 573 445-8125. Used by permission.

 

In viewing the photograph keep in mind this was a grade school baseball team. The members ranged in class range from the third to eighth grade. Think back in your life. That grade span seemed to be ‘”forever.” But, to have a team in small country grade schools they had to include all ages. From that group of eleven boys, five of them played professional baseball. They were Kenny, Wayne and Cloyd Boyer, Ray and Royden Coss and Dale Moore. Of that group only Royden Coss and Kenny Boyer missed playing in the KOM league. However, both Royden Coss and Kenny Boyer signed with the St. Louis Cardinals. Dale Moore was signed by the New York Yankees and spent a little time on the 1947 Independence, Kansas roster.

 

Not by popular demand, but due to it being too wet to mow or roto-till on a cool spring morning, I cooked up a brief bowl of stew on each of those in the aforementioned photo.

 

Kenton Lloyd Boyer:

Born May 20, 1931 Liberty, MO

Died: September 7, 1982 St. Louis, MO

It would insult most of my readers to talk about his baseball career since most know about it and one reader wrote a great book on the subject. So, the Internet is there for you to look up his life.

Okay, I give in. Here is a link to make life easier for the interested. www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&am...

 

 

Ray Dell Coss

Born: July 1, 1929 Oronogo, MO

Died: April 7, 2014 Cossville, MO

Ray was a friend for over 20 years and supplied me with most of the knowledge I have of early baseball in Alba. He took me to see the Alba Aces founder, Buford Cooper, who supplied many photos of that era.

Ray Coss obituary: Ray Dell Coss, 84, of Cossville, Missouri, passed away peacefully April 8, 2014. He was born July 1, 1929 in Cossville, MO to Royden and Frances Coss.

Ray grew up in Cossville attending the Rose Bank School. After graduating high school, he played baseball for the Carthage Cardinals in the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri league from 1946 - 1947. His baseball career continued in the Shreveport Baseball Club in Monroe, LA, from 1947 - 1950. He enlisted in the U.S. Army and served during the Korean Conflict from 1951 to 1953. He began working for General Motors Acceptance Corp. in 1956 in Monroe, LA. He worked for GMAC in various locations throughout north Louisiana, retiring in 1989 after 33 years service in Shreveport, LA. He was very active in the Central Christian Church in Shreveport, LA. His passions included Saint Louis Cardinals baseball and golf. He is one of few golfers to achieve a hole-in-one.

Ray is preceded in death by his parents, Royden and Frances Coss of Cossville. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Lynn Swope Coss, currently of Cossville. He leaves behind four children, Karen Limbird and her husband Mark of Scranton, AR, Carey Coss of Nashville, TN, David Coss of Cossville, MO, and Laurin Coss of Sarasota, FL. He also has four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

A graveside service will be conducted at Nashville Cemetery Thursday, April 10 at 2:00. Rev. Bob Simon will officiate. Arrangements are under the direction of Parker Mortuary (417)623-4321.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research or Avalon Hospice of Joplin.

 

Ed note: Exception to the obituary is taken by what Ray revealed to me in 1996. We had gone to visit Buford Cooper the founder of the Alba Aces. On the way back to Pittsburg, Kansas we passed by a road that led to Oronogo. At that time Ray said he was born in that old mining town. Legend has it that the mining company paid off their workers in company script. Local businesses didn’t take the script and wanted something of value and their motto was “Ore-or-no-go.”

 

If you care to see how Ray Coss appeared at age 10 and then at 84 look at the 1939 Rose Bank School photo and then the one that accompanied his obituary at: www.parkermortuary.com/home/index.cfm?action=public%3Aobi...

 

 

Lynn Brown and Leonard Brown:

As the photograph indicates they were twins. They were born in September 2, 1927 in the Township of South West which is located in Southwest Barton County, MO. That is east of Pittsburg, KS and North of Alba, Mo. The county seat of Barton County is Lamar which is where Harry Truman was born. That is your history and geography lesson.

 

Opal Brown’s was the mother of the Lynn and Leonard. Her father was from Canada. There was another brother and sister who were four and two years older than the twins, respectively. Not much was ever found on the Brown boys after 1939. It appears they attended high school in Webb City, MO and in 1946 Leonard was cited in the high school yearbook as having served in WWII. It was on a Memorial page that caused me to wonder if he had been killed in action. However, a check of WWII casualties didn’t indicate he was killed or injured.

 

Milton Wayne Boyer

Born: 1929 in Washington Twp. Clay County, MO near Liberty, MO

Graduated from Alba High School in 1947 and signed by Runt Marr to a St. Louis Cardinal contract. Pitched for the Carthage Cardinals in 1947.

 

Wayne graduated from the UMKC School of Dentistry. An institution that was a forerunner to that institution was the Western Missouri School of Dentistry where Charles Dillon “Casey” Stengel attended before going solely with baseball. Here is a citation for the history of “Learning Centers to Fix Teeth in Kansas City.” (My title for the school) library.umkc.edu/lc/dental-history

 

When the Boyer brothers were making headlines in big league baseball the Kokomo, Indiana Tribune covered the events due to Wayne being a dentist in that city. Here are a couple of items from the October 7, 1964 edition of that publication.

 

ST. LOUIS -Clete Boyar of the New York Yankees poses at Buseh Stadium in St. Louis with his brother, Ken, of the St. Louis Cardinals. The two teams opened World Series action Wednesday with the Boyer brothers holding down third base for their respective teams. Dr. Milton Boyer, a Kokomo dentist, and brother of the two men is in St. Louis for the series and will.see the games scheduled for New York later this week.

 

(AP Wirephoto) Who's on "Third Is Top Series in interest to Kokomo's Boyers-- By BOB FORD Tribune Sports Editor : Kokomo dentist Dr. .Milton Wayne Boyer and his wife Lois are in St. Louis for the start of the 1964 World Series. But they find it hard to choose a favorite. Dr. Boyer's brothers, Ken and Clete, will be facing each other in the World Series for the first time. Ken is the slugging third baseman for the St. Louis Cards; Clete's glove at the hot corner helped carry the Yanks into their fifth straight series. 'I wish they both could win," ·Dr. Boyer said, "but since I know it's impossible, I guess I'd rather see Kenny and the Cards win. Clete already has his World Series ring, and Ken doesn't have." The Kokomo Boyers flew to St. Louis Wednesday, morning to join the rest of .the family for what will be a joyous .reunion. They have never seen Ken and Clete on the field at the same time. On hand for the Series will be Mom and Dad Boyer, and all seven Boyer boys, five of whom are in organized baseball.. .All seven have played baseball at one time or another. Wayne, the second-oldest gave, up what appeared to be promising baseball career to become a dentist. Cloyd, the oldest, is a pitching coach in the Yankees' minor league system. He spent his last year as an active player with-the Indianapolis Indians. Dr. Boyer and Lynn, the third-youngest, are the only lefthanders in the family.

 

Harold Gene Martin

Born: May 12, 1932 Cass Township in Texas County, Mo. Trying to find a town close to where he was born was tough. The villages in that area are; Solo, Simmons, Tyrone, Grogan and Elk Creek. So I settled on Cabool, as the nearest large city. Everyone has heard of Cabool.

Further investigation shows Harold’s father, Archie, lived in Tyronne and moved to Cabool. On Christmas Eve of 1927 Archie and a girl by the first name of Golda, from Houston, MO, were married at Grove, OK. They went back to Texas County where they had two sons before moving to Jasper County in 1936. The elder Martin was a home builder.

Died: November 4, 1999 Joplin, Missouri.

This is his Find-A-Grave site: www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=77176975

 

Royden Laverne Coss

Born: January 27, 1928 Oronogo, MO

Currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

His occupation was that of an Engineer.

 

Carl Marion Parker

Born: November 4, 1919 Joplin, MO

Died: January 23, 2005 Daleville, AL and was buried at Ozark Memorial Cemetery in Joplin.

Carl was the youngest of eight children. By the time he was 20-years-old he was teaching at the Rosebank School.

When Carl was nine years, 1928, old his father, Lewis, died leaving eight children for his wife, Edna, to raise. Lewis worked in the lead and zinc mines in that area which led to the premature deaths of many men. He was a foreman for the Waco Mining Company during most of his later life and the family lived on R. R. #1 which carried a Webb City post office address.

During WWII Carl served in the Army Air Corps and attained the rank of Sergeant which is supported in the forthcoming URL.

This is a link to his grave site. Tombstone indicates he was a Mason. www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=103791...

 

 

Charles Buford Coxs

This link is the best documentation I have on any of the deceased members of the Redbank students of 1939. www.legacy.com/obituaries/examiner-enterprise/obituary.as... For the rest of you, without the link, you’ll only miss his photo in the following. “Buford Coss passed away Monday, November 9, 2015. Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, November 12, 2015 at East Cross United Methodist Church in Bartlesville, OK with Rev. Jeff Burress officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Walker-Brown Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Buford Coss to: Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 300 NE 18th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73105.

Charles Buford Coss was born August 20, 1927 in Oronogo, MO to Arthur and Marie (Harmon) Coss. Buford graduated from Neodesha Kansas High School and entered the US Navy as a seaman at the end of WWII and was discharged in July of 1946.

Buford married Thelma Marie Black on January 21, 1951 in Neodesha, KS. He started his career in accounting and worked up to General Manager of Independent Mfg. Co. in Neodesha. Buford & Thelma then went to Claremore, OK to become owners of the Coast to Coast Hardware Store. Buford was an accomplished artisan as a hobbyist woodworker. He was a devoted, kind, and loving husband, father, and grandfather to his family. Always positive in outlook, he brought out the best in everyone by his encouragement and patience.

Buford is survived by his wife, Thelma. Two sons: Clifford Coss and wife Nancy of Olathe, KS; Clayton Coss of Wagoner, OK. Daughter, Colleen Little and husband Randy of Harrah, OK. Buford was blessed with four grandchildren: Sara, David and wife Jen, Gabriel, and Katie. He is also survived by brother, Verlie Coss and wife Linda; sister, Alene Denney and husband Dean, along with numerous nieces, nephews and many friends.

 

Ed note: Buford’s mother lived to be 101 years-of-age.

 

Cloyd Victor Boyer

Born: September 12, 1927 Duvall, MO

He still lives in the same area as his birth and the address is listed as a Jasper, MO R. R.

I have visited with Cloyd at his home and it is just south of Baseline Road that stretches from from old Missouri highway71, now I-49, on the east and highway 171, on the west that goes north out of Joplin to Pittsburg, Kansas.

If you are interested in more about the baseball career of this former KOM leaguer it can be found, in abundance on the Internet.

Here is a site that will entertain you for as long as your attention span allows: www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&am...

 

Raymond Dale Moore

Born: April 3, 1927 Duval Twp. Mo

Signed by the Independence, KS Yankees in 1947.

Spoke to him in 2013 and he was retired and living in Springfield, Mo. He was the older brother of Ardell Moore, who I knew very well. Both the Moore brothers were in agricultural related businesses. Ardell operated a grain mill just east of Alba, north of Carthage and south of Jasper. Raymond Dale was in a similar line of work. Raymond had his 89th birthday just a week after I penned this article.

 

Walter Comstock

Born: 1927 Duvall Twp. Missouri

Around 1932 his father passed away and his mother, Nancy, married Calvin Storm of Jasper, MO. in 1933. The family lived at Oronogo, MO in 1935.

No further trace of Mr. Comstock has been found.

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Old ball gloves

 

Mention, and even better yet, photos of old baseball gloves bring back memories to oldsters when they were youngsters. The catcher’s mitt that Mickey Owen gave Joe Garagiola, who sold it to Oscar “Pappy” Walterman, who in turn gave it to the guy who writes this report, got a lot of attention.

 

Always wanting to seize the moment I shared a photo of an old baseball mitt Gabby Street gave Robert Dale of Carthage, in 1930, following his leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a pennant and World Series title. I dug that old glove out of the archives and am sharing a couple of photos of it with this report. It is on the Flickr at:

The letter with the glove: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/26160180330/

The old tattered glove: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/25828154094/

Backside of tattered glove: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/26433053575/i

The bird dog insignia on strap: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/26433064075/

 

 

To go along with the photo I prepared a bit of narrative which follows:

 

*****

History of the baseball glove Gabby Street gave Robert Dale in October of 1930 who gave it to John G. Hall of Columbia, MO on March 30, 1994. Robert Dale was the son of E. L. Dale who was one of the founders and long term president of the KOM league.

 

*

At one time Plymouth, New Hampshire residents thought about baseball year round. For many locals, baseball was their livelihood and they made thousands of baseballs at the D & M Baseball Factory.

 

In the late 1800s to the early part of the 1900s, Plymouth was synonymous with baseball glove manufacturing. Over the years, the high quality gloves manufactured by the D & M gained such popularity that baseball giant Babe Ruth traveled to Plymouth and posed for publicity photos stitching a baseball glove and hobnobbing with local officials.

 

According to information at www.nhhistory.org, Jason F. Draper and John Maynard began business together in Ashland, NH in 1881 by producing buckskin gloves.

 

It seemed a natural progression from gloves to baseball gloves. The businessmen had a suggestion from a baseball player that they should design a padded glove specifically for baseball. Soon the factory was off and running; some information says the D & M was the first-ever company to produce baseball gloves. They were very popular and in its heyday, the D & M produced a huge quantity of baseball gloves.

 

A move to Ashland provided the company with a new and bigger factory, and by the late 1800s the D & M employed over 200 workers. Surely local residents appreciated the business because it brought much-needed employment to the area.

 

The new factory was started in a lot on Plymouth’s North Main Street. Soon a three-story, 100-foot building rose above the downtown Plymouth area. This new space allowed Draper and Maynard to expand their sporting goods line even further, and by 1905 the company was considered a leading manufacturer in northern New England, with an annual income of about $275,000. For a small town such as Plymouth, this prosperity meant jobs and a boost to the local economy.

 

At that time, the sport of baseball gaining in popularity, but the game was played a bit differently then: catchers didn’t have the padded luxury of today’s baseball gloves. Instead the players used thin leather gloves, which must have proven painful in catching a fastball.

 

The idea for the baseball glove revolutionized the sport, and spilled over into other sports as well, when the D & M began making padded boxing gloves and other padded leather sporting goods. Another trademark was adopted as well, according to www.nhhistory.org, depicting Maynard’s bird dog, Nick (the “Lucky Dog”).

 

Although a fire completely destroyed the factory in 1910, D & M workers continued to produce baseball gloves and other products in makeshift headquarters until a new, even larger factory was completed on the same lot.

 

A cottage industry grew out of the baseball factory and women sewed baseballs for D & M from their homes. This increased production met the demand from the national baseball leagues that needed hundreds of baseballs each year. During the 1920s better than 90 percent of all major league players used D & M gloves and mitts, as well as the company’s balls and bats. Also produced were footballs and basketballs, popular items as the sports grew and many schools and colleges offered football and basketball.

 

Not long after, Plymouth became famous when Red Sox players visited the factory and picked out their own gloves and balls. Whenever a player visited town, crowds gathered and excitement was in the air.

 

The most thrilling for New Hampshire was the day Babe Ruth came to town, with journalists and photographers in tow. Many locals lined up for autographs and indulgent parents let children stay home from school in hopes of meeting the Babe Ruth.

 

Jason Draper died around 1913, and John Maynard continued to run the business until his death in the 1930s. Although Maynard had retired as president in 1930, he was still active as a director and helped the company with expansion of distribution branches in New York City and San Francisco, as well as launching a second factory in Canada.

 

A few months after Maynard’s death when P. Goldsmith Sons, a Cincinnati, Ohio competitor purchased the rights to produce sporting goods bearing the Draper-Maynard name and Lucky Dog trademark. Goldsmith stopped manufacturing Draper-Maynard products in 1962 when the company merged with MacGregor Sporting Goods.

 

However, baseball players throughout the country remembered the high-quality D & M equipment that helped them achieve fame and lifted the sport of baseball to new highs.

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News from 1949 Carthage Cubs

 

It seems to me that things happen to appear on my computer or I get other messages from people in order who played on the same team. For example I heard from two people telling me about a catcher and first baseman for the 1949 Carthage Cubs within minutes of each other. Neither of the former Carthage Cubs were doing the communicating as one doesn’t have a computer and the other is nursing a right arm after surgery.

 

With that bit of build-up out of the way here are the messages:

 

*****

Those pictures are so good of the kids and also the others that came up. I looked till we have to leave for a Wood Carvers monthly meeting. I am the designated driver since Bob has his right arm in a sling following right shoulder surgery on the 22nd. He is doing very well, actually had no pain which we understand is very rare after shoulder surgery. We had so many people praying for him and the Dr. don't know why we are surprised! He is in PT twice a week and will wear the sling for a few more weeks and PT for a few months. He is a good patient and does what the Dr tells him which is a big relief for me. Me being his driver may put him over the edge....but so far, so good. Thanks for the pictures. Joan Speake—Topeka, Kans,

 

 

*****

Hello John, I print your email reports and forward them to Hal Brown. He reads and saves all the them. I also enjoy reading your reports and the history of those who played in the KOM league. I can almost picture myself being there and playing with those you write about. Keep up the stories of those who you knew and have had contact with all these years, they are enjoyed.

Thank you. Jim Gray—Jim lives in Chicagoland and is the courier, as the e-mail denotes, with Hal Brown who caught for the 1949 Carthage Cubs when Dean Manns didn’t.

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This week’s word from Bernie Gerl

 

Have you ever seen this .a story must have happened to another catcher. In Duluth first hitter hit pop fly I caught, 1 out, next hit another l caught 2 out. Next hitter hit one up between our pitcher and third baseman. The whole Infield were screening “John, John” to our third baseman. His name was John Gierek. At same time I'm hollering, “I got it I got, l got it.” And I did. Three out going back to the dugout I figured I'm going to get chewed out by Al Todd, our manager, who was a manager in the majors. When I get to the dugout he pats me on the back and says “Way to go kid.” End of story. Hey, another story involved the toy bulldog, Clint Courtney.

For another time. Again pardon my spelling as I say I'm a rookie at this. Bernie Gerl—Joliet, Ill.

 

Ed reply:

 

Haven't heard that story but have heard of John Gierek. He played third base for the Miami, Oklahoma Eagles in 1950. In fact, I was the visiting team batboy for Miami a few times that year and had to have handed him a bat or two in the process. However, I’ll have to admit I don’t remember anything personal about him. His full name was John Thomas Gierek Jr. born November 19, 1929 in Chicago and died February 15, 2005 in Roselle, Illinois.

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This week’s missing person report

 

John, have you heard from Herb Heiserer lately? Bob Mallon –Highlands Ranch, Colo. 1949-50 Independence Yankees.

 

Ed reply:

 

I haven't heard from him in over a year, at least.

 

Ed comment:

 

The aforementioned is a way conversations get started by e-mail. Mallon sent me a couple of videos of his grandson taking batting practice and I asked him if that is how the ball sounded going off his bat when he was in the KOM league. Mallon and I discussed his two home run game at Independence in 1949. He hit the two homers off Bob Wheeler of Rockford, Illinois and he reminded me of a homer he hit in Joplin in 1950 that he had forgotten until I sent him a clipping regarding that achievement a few years ago.

 

Mallon recalled the night after his two homers. “Burleigh Grimes put me in to pinch hit and I struck out against a McLish. I don't remember first name as there was more than one McLish. One who made the majors with the Pirates. Bartlesville Oklahoma was a Pirate farm club.” To that comment I replied. “That was Eddie McLish who struck you out. His big brother was ambidextrous, Calvin, Coolidge, Julius, Caesar, Tuskahoma, McLish. That wasn't enough so they called him "Buster."

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Benediction:

 

Well, I guess that wraps up my ranting and verbosity for another week. If you read some or most of this report it prevented you from doing something that most likely would have been more entertaining, beneficial or productive to society. But, thanks for giving the report a glance, anyway. Each day I become more aware of the intrusiveness of all media from the telephone, television to the computer. I don’t hang out on the social media sites for I don’t think anyone cares about what I term as “Verbal flatulence.” My life isn’t that interesting and I don’t wish to burden anyone with my mundane existence. Thus, it has occurred to me that some people may regard these Flash Reports as nothing more than Facebook, Twitter or all the other junkie sites. If you do, and wish not to receive these reports, be sure and get back with me before I share another one.

 

Done