KOM Flash Report for Week of June 12-18, 2016

1947 Bartlesvile Oilers: Left to right: Ed Willshaw (LHP), Ralph Liebendorfer (RHP), Nick Najjar (LHP), Lou Tond (P), Ken Galbraith (OF-P), R. T. Upright (1B-OF), Carroll Red Dial (RHP), Ed Marleau-Mgr., Al Solenberger (CF), Elmo Maxwell (C), Lou Godla (2B), Jim Fink (3B-SS), Bill Pierro (RHP), Wayne Caves (1B), Jess Nelms (OF-C), Bill Waggoner (SS) and Charles Stock (3B-OF)--See more detailed analysis of this team in the body of this report.

 

KOM Flash Report

For week of

June 12—18, 2016

Flash Report and photo at www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/27511893266/

 

Introduction:

 

Each of these reports is usually started by remembering a former KOM leaguer who passed away. This week Darrell Wayne Caves is that person. He was one of the first guys I ever located when the hunt for former KOM leaguers commenced in 1994. That doesn’t seem like a long time ago but when I first conversed with Caves he had just begun receiving Social Security benefits. It seems that after retirement age is reached the remaining years go by in a blur.

 

Caves told me in our first conversation that in that era he had a nickname. It was “Ears.”

 

Thanks to Jack Morris you are seeing this obituary sooner than later.

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www.tulsaworld.com/obituaries/localobituaries/darrell-way...

 

Darrell Wayne Caves, 88, passed from this life on Monday, May 30, 2016 in Tulsa. Wayne was born April 23, 1928 in Tulsa the son of William and Marie (Birmingham) Caves. He graduated from Daniel Webster High School in 1946. He was a retired insulator for Texaco and a member of Trinity Baptist Church. He enjoyed traveling, fishing, golfing and playing with his grandchildren. He played minor league baseball from 1946 to 1948 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and coached baseball on the Westside from little league to American Legion.

 

Wayne married Frances Louise Caves in Tulsa in 1947, and she preceded him in death on November 10, 2015 after 68 years of marriage. He was also preceded in death by her parents; and his brother, Bill Caves.

 

He is survived by his son, Steve Caves and wife, Susan of Broken Arrow; daughter, Terri Slaymaker and husband, Jim of Broken Arrow; sister, Peggy Christiansen and husband, Orville of Bixby; eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

 

A funeral for Wayne is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, June 3, 2016 at Trinity Church, 1703 W. 41st St. and burial will follow in Floral Haven Memorial Gardens. An online guestbook is available at www.heathgriffithfuneralhome.com

 

For those of you who had the perspicacity and funds to purchase my second book, The KOM League Remembered, there is a team photo of the 1947 Bartlesville, Okla. Oilers on page 30 and Caves is in it. While the owners of that book go to their library to get it I’ll tell the rest of you that it is a bit different as far as team photos are concerned. All the players were in the dugout and lined up in single file. The faces are difficult to see whereas some young boys and an adult male in the grandstand are almost as distinct as the player images. To ensure the photo is looked at the question for this week is “How many young boys were in the grandstand?” For those of you who didn’t have the funds or perspicacity to purchase that book the photo is on the Flickr site where this report appears, directly below. www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/27511893266/

 

Bartlesville had a roster of 42 young men in 1947 There were five guys I never located namely:, Elton Leo Downing, Jack McDonald, John Moore, Charles Stock and a person without a first name but a last one of Wilson. Of the remaining 37 roster members I can only attest to the fact that Ralph Liebendorfer, Joe Turek, Keith Willoughby and possibly William Waggener survive. Many years ago, at a KOM reunion, a special guest attended who grew up with Charles Stock and he informed me his old friend died a number of years prior to our conversation. Since I’ve never found any evidence of Stock’s death I leave that as “undetermined.”

 

Confession is good for the soul. Up to the point where I wrote the previous paragraph I knew very little about a member of that team other than his name—William J. Christman-- who played 11 games at first base. A short time later I located the Veterans Compensation files for him and know now that his full name was William Joanest Christman who was born May 21, 1927 in Dreshertown, PA and passed away in Contra Costa, CA on December 28, 1981. The cause of him leaving the KOM league was probably due to Wayne Caves and R. T. Upright playing the bulk of the games at that position and he was hitting .167 when released.

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A current event story --Mantle auction

 

Thanks to Bob Imperato, President of Boston, Mass. Realty Associates, for sharing the following URL which dealt with the sale of a large Mantle collection. I’ve known the owner of that collection, Randall Swearingen, for many years and have spent time with him at a few events.

www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/article/Beaumont-collec...

 

Just to prove I read everything the readership sends, I absorbed every word and selected this paragraph to share. “Neatly spaced on the table were copper Hartland Mickey Mantle statue molds; an autographed bat Mickey had given to former coach Harry Kraft; the antique street sign of Mickey's home in Commerce, Okla.; and the 1948 "Bengal Tales" high school yearbook that pictured the young star before he signed with the most renowned franchise in baseball.’

 

I spotted the error in that Beaumont newspaper article and sent Imperato this note. “The guy who wrote the story had to be a huge baseball historian. Harry "Kraft" would have gotten a chuckle out of that reference. On the other hand, his last wife, Nell Craft, would have called the writer and given him an earful. “

 

A day or so later Mr. Imperato shared this link: www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/mickey-mantle-1951-spring-t...

 

When that article, with Mantle’s photo, first appeared on that site one of the quotes was: “He was only 19 years old, still very much a country kid from Commerce, OK when he arrived at the New York Yankees’ 1951 spring training camp in Florida.” Now, if you pull up that site that same sentence leaves out “in Florida.” How did that happen, you ask? You didn’t but here is what transpired. I noted to Mr. Imperato that the Yankees trained in Arizona and California that year for a number of reasons. First off, Del Webb, Yankee owner lived in Phoenix and he wanted to show off the heir to Joe DiMaggio to his Hollywood friends. springtrainingmagazine.com/history.html Imperato has connections and he sent the correction to the auction site and the correction was made.

 

Mr. Webb accomplished what he intended and there is proof of it in the many photos some of the Yankee players and Mantle had taken with Hollywood’s biggest stars. I could name them pretty easily for one guy who was in all those photos was Mantle’s Independence and Joplin teammate, Bob Wiesler. Many years ago he gave me a large number of those original 8 X 10 glossy prints and I still think I know where they are. I had a New York collector, a number of years ago, beg me for those photos and offered the enormous sum of less than $50 for the lot of them. I wouldn’t have sold them for any amount of money for I learned at an early age you don’t sell gifts.

 

In closing, Mr. Imperato had a suggestion as to my next career. “You could do an encyclopedia of baseball facts.” Seeing that I do need work that would be a nice challenge but I’ve discovered when I find a factual item that goes against what has appeared in record books for a half century, or more, I’m ignored.

 

Once in a while I put my feelings in print and live to regret it. Here is the latest sample of future ‘regretting’ in my last note to Mr. Imperato. “Frankly, the only reason I wrote the Mantle book was at the insistence of his former teammates at Independence, Joplin, Baxter Springs, Kansas City and New York. They all came at me with "Can you write a book about Mantle where the information is correct?"

 

Too much stuff about Mantle, and anyone else in the limelight, is a lot of here say and regurgitation of the same old same old. I asked Johnny Lafalier, who was Merlyn Mantle’s brother-in-law, what Mickey would have thought of my book. His reply was "John, he would have loved it for you are the only person who ever got it right?" For someone with limited writing skills I took that as a compliment. Any author ought to be able to do their research and not make up stories and most importantly spell names of people and places correctly. And, by the way, learn in what state the towns mentioned are located. Can anyone say “Independence?" In articles and books, since the arrival of Mantle on the baseball scene, that town in Missouri got more claim to his origins that the one in Kansas, where it all began. I try to explain that Harry Truman lived in Independence, Missouri and Bill Inge, the author, was from Independence, Kansas. So, think of “Picnic” and that is where Mantle started. Most every guy, my age remembers Kim Novak who starred in that movie and the gals all fondly recall William Holden. www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&am...

 

One thing mentioned in an article affiliated with that sale stated that when Mickey Mantle arrived with the Yankees they assigned him jersey #7. That is not correct according to what the late Cliff Mapes told me. It is a story I wrote many years ago but the short version is that Mapes was wearing that number when Mantle returned from Kansas City and thought Mantle had a great career ahead and he volunteered giving that number to the rookie. Mantle had worn #6 before being sent back to Kansas City. Mantle’s #7 was retired when his playing days concluded and #6 had to wait another few decades until it was retired in honor of Joe Torre. Numbers 1-9 have been retired by the Yankees with #2 being the most recent

 

Until Derek Jeter ended his career #2 hadn’t been officially retired. Some of the big names to don that uniform, other than Jeter were: Sandy Alomar, Paul Blair, Bobby Murcer, Red Rolfe, George “Snuffy” Strinweiss, Wayne Tolleson and last, but not least, George “Yats” Wuestling. . Yats was the uncle of Richard Charles Wuestling Jr., a St. Louis native, who signed a large bonus, $5,000, in 1947, and was sent to pitch for the KOM league’s Independence Yankees. He had a problem. Namely, it was a vision deficiency that prohibited him from seeing under poor lighting and in that era the only day games were on Sunday, the 4th of July and Labor Day. Goldie Howard, was the first guy to figure out his big pitcher was as blind aa a bat in the evening. But, Wuestling was a hit among his teammates at Independence for he invested his bonus money in a new car. And, as they say “A young baseball player, with a car, has many friends.”

 

George “Yats’ Wuestling was six years younger than Richard Charles Wuestling Jr.’s dad.

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After 70 years the imagine was remembered

 

Thanks for sending the picture of the Chanute Owls. I could pick out Ken Johnson in a minute. I remember Dodson, Grimsley, Curley and of course Goldie Howard. They were all good pitchers and a good manager. Buck Walz—I946-47-48 Iola Cubs and Indians

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Was he my Little League coach?

 

Thank you for the Flash Report. The picture you shared do you know much about Bob White? I had a little league coach by that name and he claimed to have played in professional ball. I would have been 10 years old which would have made it 52 years ago. I lived in Oklahoma City then.

Thanks, Frank H.—Columbia, MO

 

Ed reply:

 

White was purportedly from Riverton, Kansas. He was born around 1923 and attended Oklahoma A & M. It might have been your coach.

 

Ed comment:

 

To know more about Bob White I contacted Mary Ann and Wylie Pitts in Riverton, KS. They are my “go to” sources when I need to know about the Baxter Springs Whiz Kids or anything else relating to Southeast Kansas. I asked them about Robert White and received this answer.

“Wylie couldn't recall anyone by that name. He said he did play with a Bob (Dutch) White when he was in Bentonville, Arkansas, with and against him. I looked in the Riverton H.S. alumni list of graduates and didn't see anyone by that name. “

 

There are three other possibilities I’ve looked at over the years regarding the start and end of Robert D. “Red” White. I will have to check further on Springfield, MO; Topeka (Delia), KS and the State of Louisiana records to determine if White was born and/or died in any of those places.

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A future Hall of Famer turns down offer to play Ban Johnson baseball in 1941

 

In last week’s issue of the Flash Report a lot of information was shared regarding Lloyd “Rabbit” Ayers. There was not space to share a lot of things. One of the more interesting items was the mention of Wally DeBaets who Ayers was attempting to recruit. The April 16, 1941 news article, that follows this introduction, mentioned he was trying out for the Albany, GA team. As it turned out DeBaets stayed with the Cardinal organization that year and was on the Sioux City, Iowa; Union City, Tenn. and Decatur, Illinois rosters.

 

Someone in St. Louis is going to recognize Wally for his given name was Walter Barnard DeBaets. In 1979 he was inducted into the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. He was born in St. Louis on May 11, 1920 and lived there until his death on June 28, 2007. His obituary appeared in the June 29, 2007 edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch on page C 12.

 

Following is the account of how effort was made to have DeBaets play Ban-Johnson league baseball for Iola, Kansas in 1941. For those who document such things, DeBaets was primarily a third baseman who was a right-handed hitter and thrower.

 

Everyone can pull up one of the following references and for those who subscribe to Ancestry.com they can grab on to both of them.

 

www.stlabhof.org/hof-members.html

person.ancestry.com/tree/74439940/person/30295344211/facts

 

You can also find DeBaets on Baseball Reference. With the information I’ve supplied in this report you can fill in the missing blanks regarding his biographical information

www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=debaet0...

 

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APRIL 16, 1941. TOLA, KANSAS

 

B-J (Ban Johnson) Club Gaining Strength-- Ayers Announces Two Hurlers Acquired; May Sign Up Wally DeBaets;

 

Momentum is up now on forming the playing side of lola's baseball team. Parts are being fitted for the model. Manager Lloyd Ayers reports receipt of word from Jim Smith, the astute Illinois righthander, that he will join the lola club. He pitched for Humboldt last season. News that is equally reassuring is the announcement that Everett Bybee, the Uniontown high school basketball star, has stated he definitely plans to come here to join the lola club as soon as school closes. Bybee a righthander, pitches and plays first base, Ayers confides. He is six-foot, three inches tall. Bybee is a cousin of Mrs. Kenneth Abell and the Abells have been influential in inducing him that lola is the place to light. Other towns have been interested in him. ;

 

Another former member of the Humboldt team who has corresponded with Ayers is Wally DeBaets, the hustling third sacker. He has been receiving a professional tryout in Albany, Ga. Ayers would like to sign DeBaets but thus far the club doesn't know whether he could find the necessary employment here. Although DeBaets played third for Humboldt he is handy at any post. Ayers also has a catcher in-view who is anxious to join either Fort Scott or lola.

 

After Chuck Turley the manager has been on the trail of Charles Turley, the LaHarpe all-round athlete but thus far has missed him. Turley, however, has told several lolans that he plans to attend the junior college here next fall and probably will be available for the baseball team. The above mentioned possibilities, added to previously considered candidates who are pretty certain to be on hand, gives the club a stout foundation. With them, only a few more dependables would be necessary, in addition to the local rookies that Ayers plans to use. Daily practice sessions will start. Ayers says, as soon as weather becomes favorable again.”

 

Check here to see what happened to Turley in the remaining 60 years of his life after playing Ban Johnson baseball.. www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=365500...

 

Upon completing the aforementioned item I shared it with Barbara Eichhorst in St. Louis. She and her husband, Rich, know/knew about everyone connected with the St. Louis sports scene in the last half century or more. After reading the item she replied. “Wally was my husband’s favorite player - he rode his bike to Carondelet Park so he could bat boy for him. A "Muny League." (Rich) Thinks he was a postman. When he broke a bat Rich would take it home to nail and tape it to use it!!”

 

Rich Eichhorst played basketball for Southeast Missouri State and is the only graduate of that institution to have played in the National Basketball Association. He played for the St. Louis Hawks during the 1961-62 season. For a long list of references on Eichhorst dial up this station: www.google.com/search?rls=aso&client=gmail&q=Rich...

 

A researcher’ lament: I shared the foregoing with baseball necrologist, Jack Morris, and he can find just about any obituary ever filed. He found DeBaets obituary but stated “Attached is his obituary. Unfortunately, it doesn’t mention his minor league career.”

 

A response to Morris on that subject went something like this. When a guy only played in Ban Johnson baseball and one year in the minor leagues, many of their family members didn’t know about that part of their loved one’s life and the guy didn’t think it important enough to mention. To me, DeBaets baseball career merits mentioning and that is why I do what I do. A guy known as “Baseball Bill” has been a long time reader of the KOM stuff. He said in a recent e-mail “John, the people who count read your books. I would wager Ken Burns would see you as an unsung hero of real baseball/Americana! True !”

 

The foregoing precipitated a reply. “I would wager Ken Burns will never know I existed.” Baseball Bill retorted with “Maybe so. But I'm saying if he did know you and what you've been doing all these baseball years he would find you a kindred spirit. You have kept alive and well a big chunk of America past. Obviously, Burns loves baseball and its connection to America-- sort of an inseparable joining like space/time. You are a good baseball man. Enjoy !!”

 

And on that note I’d better stop now, while still ahead. Only one more comment. The folks who really appreciate my research are the companies that sell subscriptions to their services, such as genealogy and various newspaper sites.

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Done