KOM Flash Report for 7/16 thru 7/23/2016---The 1952 Iola Indians

The KOM Flash report

for week of

July 17 to 23, 2016

 

Departure from the norm

 

This week wasn’t a good one for the old writer of the Flash Report. Some of the “not so good” things were learning of the deaths of former KOM ballplayers and friends. The first note came on Tuesday, July 12. This is how it was very eloquently stated. “John, just wanted to let you know that Larry left with the angels on Sunday, July 10, 2016. He always looked forward to your emails. Have a great day." Gail Scott—Terrell , Texas

 

Never in the history of KOM league publications have I led off speaking about a non-KOM leaguer. However, I don’t apologize for making an exception in this case.

 

My first recollection of the deceased was the year 1957. At that time I was a student at Joplin Junior College and a young man from Neosho, MO came past my car as I was listening to a gospel music program aired over KGLC in nearby Miami, OK. The fellow classmate told me he worked part-time for radio station KBTN in his hometown. He said that if I was interested they had a guy who worked there on a regular basis by the name of Larry Scott and that he played Southern gospel music from 11:30 to noon each week day.

 

A year later I was pastoring a small, like miniscule, congregation in Noel, MO which is located south of Neosho. I heard Scott announce one day that there would be a singing at Neosho featuring the “Singing Speer Family,” "The Blackwood Brothers” and the “Statesmen Quartet” at the Neosho Civic Center. In that era and genre of musical performers that was the crème de la crème. That group of singers spent two nights in Neosho which I learned many years later was to make sure expenses could be met. At that time Larry Scott was just 21 years of age and was producing those singing events which meant he had to rent a facility, purchase advertising and pay the performers for their appearance and if he didn’t have sufficient paid admissions he was liable for the difference. He once told me that it was a close call many times in covering the expenses of those events. In that era he was also producing concerts for the Oak Ridge Boys when they were still the Oak Ridge Quartet and were driving a big car to their appearances rather than a tour bus. For the KOM fans I once saw Scott’s production for the “Oaks” in the KOM league town of Pittsburg, Kansas.

 

It isn’t my intent to write Scott’s obituary for his son did a magnificent job in doing it. Over the past 10 years I have been in contact with Larry both in person and by e-mail. He had a keen interest in baseball which was expected since he was close friends to the legendary Albert E. Brumley www.google.com/search?rls=aso&client=gmail&q=crem...

and his sons. All of the members of the Brumley family were huge fans of professional baseball in Carthage from 1946-1951 and begrudgingly had to shift affiliation to Joplin after Carthage left the KOM league. Albert Jr. even performed at the KOM league reunion, in 2002, which he termed as one of the great experiences in his life. Come to think of it Brumley also performed at the event, in 1999, when this old guy had his image placed on the entrance to the ball park at Carthage.

 

One of the conversations between Scott and myself dealt with a tape recording I had made of Stan Musial’s final game. He asked if I still possessed it. I told him I did but it had been recorded on a seven inch reel to reel tape and that the tape was probably in horrible shape as it had been around for 40 or so years and had been stored in everything from old barns to wet basements. Like everything else in the radio and recording business, Scott knew an expert. He told me to send him the tape. After sending it he notified me his recording expert revealed that the tape would have to be “baked” in order for it to have any chance of being played so that it could be captured and placed on CDs. A few weeks later a package arrived with my original Scotch tape recording along with four CDs that it took to capture all the content on Musial’s last day as a player.

 

In recent weeks I had an e-mail from Scott telling me the Flash Report for that week was the best one of all-time. A few days later I wrote him a note telling him of the death of a former pianist for the “Foggy River Boys” who I knew from grammar and high school in Carthage. He responded that he was working on a special program of former gospel music performers and when he finished he’d send me a copy. Well, I’m sure that project was never finished but Scott had done more for that style of music as anyone. I once thought I knew a little bit about at least one subject –KOM league baseball—but what Scott knew about country, gospel and western swing music makes me look like a first grader going up against a PhD. I believe Scott was the most knowledgeable person in those three fields of music than anyone. I never came up with the name of an individual or singing group that he didn’t know and they in turn knew him. And when it came to a radio voice there was none better.

 

Gotta stop. But when Scott mentioned working for Harry Caray at WIL in St. Louis I knew he was a baseball fan. That story and more is covered in the following obituary. I do wish to make clear what Scott did at WIL for Caray. He produced Caray's evening sports broadcast. He was never on the air with Caray during a radio broadcast.

 

Obituary for Larry Scott

 

Larry Scott was born September 27th, 1938. He was called home to glory shortly after midnight July 10, 2016 in Kaufman County, TX . He leaves behind wife Gail and son Kelly and many 100s of friends long with a great legacy, told briefly in the words below.

 

His life has a story book quality. It started as a young boy growing up in Southwestern, MO. He was the only child of Omer and Dorothy Scott. They were a hard working farm family near Stark City, MO. As farm families did in that era, they began working at sun up in the fields, stopped for lunch, then continued work until nearly dusk. Well for young Larry those lunch time breaks soon gave birth to the inspiration in which he would spend a lifetime pursuing. His love of radio began around that ol’ dinner table when he and his Dad came in from the fields. As was custom, they listened to the Ag reports and then listened to live broadcasts from Pappy O’Daniel’s Light Crust Dough Boys, Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys just to mention a few. He was mesmerized by Red Foley, “The Voice of the Ozarks “and patterned himself after Red, who had such style and perfect delivery and at the same time staying in touch with the people. He started his first radio job at KBTN in 1954 at the age of 16, a small but widely listened to station in Neosho, MO. It did not take long for the seed to fully take root. It was there his legendary career, spanning 60 years was born.

 

His first love was Southern Gospel. Soon after stepping on the air waves he began promoting Gospel music shows and met, perhaps the greatest Gospel Song writer ever, Albert E Brumley. They began traveling together selling song books and promoting Albert’s songs which would eventually lead to the Sun Up to Sun Down gospel singing in Springdale, AR. The bond between Albert, Goldie and the Brumley boys was instant and they all became life-long friends. Soon after his graduation he went to Springfield, MO and auditioned for the Ozark Jubilee. Falling short of the job he decided he needed to have a trade to rely on in case this radio thing did not pan out. So of all things, he decided to go to embalming school in Nashville, TN. He had an on air position with WAGG in Franklin, TN, worked as an ambulance driver and attended John C. Gupton School of Mortuary Science. All the while the good Lord was behind the scenes molding the future Career of Larry Scott. While in Nashville he soaked up the music business like a fresh sponge and he hung out places like the Grand Ole Opry, The Ernest Tubb record shop, Tootsie’s Orchid lounge, meeting everyone who were part of Country music.

 

After embalming school in Nashville he returned home to KBTN in Neosho and pursue his mortuary career. Soon after, he got a call from AL Brumley, Jr. and Al told him if he ever wanted to be anything in the entertainment business he had to get out of Missouri and head to the West Coast. He packed his bags and to California he went. After all, that is where dreams can come true.

 

He landed in Bakersfield and began working at KUZZ country radio and was an instant hit. He met and became lifelong friends with great entertainers such as Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Roger Miller, Red Steagall, Billy Mize and countless others. Not only was Larry an on-air personality but had a gospel television show to boot.

 

He left KUZZ to be program director at KVEG in Las Vegas. He left Vegas after a short time and came to KBOX in DALLAS IN 1966 to make it the first 24 hour country music station in the DFW metroplex. There he formed another life-long friendship with Bill Ward. Larry asked Bill if he would like to go to the Coast and Bill jumped at the opportunity. In June 1967, Bill left KBOX and went to KBBQ in Burbank, CA taking Larry with him. When the owner of KBBQ passed away and the station sold. Bill had made the move earlier to the 50,000 watt power house KLAC in Los Angeles. Bill hired Larry and sent him to WIL in Saint Louis to gain more experience. While there he was honored to be the color man with esteemed play by play announcer Harry Carey. His heart was in LA and he made another journey to the coast and stepped behind the microphone at KLAC in Los Angeles. Within a year he was voted the 2nd most popular Disc Jockey in LA. The Academy of Country Music voted him 4 times for radio personality of the year between 1968 and 1974 as well as KLAC being the best country music station. While at KLAC he started the first all night Interstate road show called the Phantom 570 club that boasted over 8000 members in 1975. Country Radio ruled Southern California and sitting at the helm was Larry Scott.

 

On July 20, 1974, he married Gail Watson and on May 16, 1975, she gave birth to their only child, Kelly. In December of 1975 Larry and the family moved to Wichita, KS to KFDI with his friend Mike Oatman and Great Empire Broadcasting. If you remember earlier in this story I mentioned Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. Dad had three loves besides Mom and I. They were gospel, country and Western Swing. Bob Wills had passed away May 13, 1975, 3 days prior to my birth. The band was without their leader and were still loved. Larry and Mike had common roots in western swing and they took the reins to preserve and promote that one of a kind sound. They booked them at the Cotillion Ball Room in Wichita. There the revitalization of the Texas Playboys began.

 

In September 1977, Larry accepted the program director job at KJJJ in Phoenix, AZ. So once again the happy caravan loaded up and were westward bound. Larry spent less than a year in Phoenix and found himself back at KLAC in Los Angeles where he continued blazing his own road into music history.

 

In 1979 the owners of Metro Media sent him to Dallas once again but this time to KRLD. Larry moved the family to Texas and found a home and land in Kaufman County. Whether he knew it or not roots were planted firmly as Mom was a native Texan and told him she would support him 100% but was not moving again. Dad agreed as he had a deep love for Mom and Texas as the qualities in each were the same, thus began his weekly commute to LA.

 

He was at KRLD until the fall of 1980 when their format changed from music to all talk. KLAC called again. He commuted DAL-LAX (Dallas—LosAngeles) until 1982. Radio was changing in LA and KLAC changed its format from country to top 40. He left LA and Mike Oatman called again, this time to KWKH which was the esteemed Louisiana Hayride, in Shreveport, LA. He continued the all night interstate road show for 14 years. In late 1998, KWKH was sold and he went to another Great Empire Broadcasting Station, KVOO Tulsa, again commuting. After some years there he partially retired from radio. He still recorded syndicated shows from his studio at his Lucky G Studio as well as continue promoting the Texas Playboys and younger artists who were continuing the legacy of Western Swing, good country music and cowboy music.

 

In 1984 he was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in Nashville, in 1999 The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame, The Academy of Western Artists, The Texas Western Swing Hall of Fame, The Texas Gospel Music association Hall of Fame 2007, four time Disc Jockey of the Year for the Academy of Country Music and honored as Disc Jockey Large Market 1980 for the Country Music Association. He was a charter member of the Academy of Country Music and The Gospel Music Association. He was also instrumental in the founding of the Academy of Country Music with 8 others.

 

I can tell you this with certainty. This short synopsis of his life does not come close to doing him justice. Despite all the accolades and fame he received over the years, he was the most humble, down to earth person you would ever want to know. In the beginning Albert E Brumley gave him a piece of advice he carried throughout his entire life. Albert said “If you never get far from the folks, then you will never be too far from the main stream”. Dad was grateful God gifted him with the ability to make people happy. He emceed gospel, country and swing shows across the US. Over the years he touched more lives and helped countless careers than even he knew. He was a gentle and kind man, great husband, wonderful father and most important a devout Christian. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that he is with our heavenly Father right now. As our dear friend and first pastor. Dr. Dick Sisk, when we moved to Texas said weeks before his death, “I have no doubt whatsoever that Larry’s last breath on earth will be his first in Heaven”. Dad, Mom and I will miss you more than anyone can imagine but we revel in the fact that we will see you again in Glory. Thank you for doing more than existing in Life but in leaving a legacy that made a difference. As you said so many times, “that ole clock on the wall says it’s time to go, so until the next time we meet have a great day, Goodnight and God Bless.”

 

A celebration of Larry’s life will be held by the family at a later date where these, and many more accomplishments and memories, will be joyfully shared together by every one whose lives he touched.

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Death of Kenneth Boehme—Iola Indians 1951

www.legacy.com/obituaries/nky/obituary.aspx?n=Kenneth-W-B...

 

Kenneth W. Boehme, devoted husband of 52 years of Jean Boehme (nee Trischler), loving father of Ken (Cathy) Boehme, Karen (Brian) Cromer, Billy (Jean Bohl) Boehme and cherished grandfather of Alex, Paul, Greg, Brian, Kayla, Billy and Mikey. Also survived by many caring relatives and friends. Ken was a Korean War Veteran, former Vice President of Ohio Knife Company, a member of West Point and Air Force Academy Parents Clubs, professional baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Yankees, a member of KOM Minor League Hall of Fame, and a longtime Baseball coach for St. Antoninus Parish. Died July 13, 2016 age 84. Visitation Tuesday 9 AM at St. Antoninus Church, 1500 Linneman Road, followed by the celebration of the Mass of Christian Burial 10:30 AM. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, 383 Main Ave, 5th fl, Norwalk, CT 06851 or Cincinnati VA Medical Center., 3200 Vine St, Cincinnati, OH 45220. www.meyergeiser.com.

Published in the Kentucky Enquirer on July 17, 2016

 

Ed note:

 

I learned of Kenny’s death very late in the process of preparing this report and will thus didn’t have time to pay full tribute to a gentleman I liked very much. I direct your attention to a statement in his obituary. Bet not many people ever heard of “The KOM Minor League Hall of Fame.” Possibly, in the next edition of this publication I can explain it. For those of you who don’t know the name of Boehme he gained his fame with the 1951 Iola Indians

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Death of Jerry Ronald Gleason—Iola Indians pitcher 1952

 

Any time the telephone rings after 7:00 p.m. I’m almost sure it is a robo-call from some politician or a computer “expert” in Bangladesh wanting to fix the problem with my computer. You have all heard that kind of stuff.

 

On July 11 I had an evening call and I almost hung up on the caller until he told me his name was Larry Flottman. He was the twin batboy for the Iola Indians, in 1952 along with Martin Wright. The numbers they wore on their uniforms were 0 and 00 respectively. Flottman didn’t call for the expressed purpose of telling me his birthday but managed to get it in. He wanted to know who was the oldest between us and I admitted I must be. However, he will celebrate his 77th birth anniversary July 12th (now past) and mine doesn’t come for another four months and 15 days. What a relief to know that I’m not the oldest living former KOM league batboy.

 

Flottman called to ask if I knew about Jerry Ronald Gleason. I told him the last time I saw him was in 2008 at a KOM reunion in Iola. He told me that Gleason had moved back to Colorado and died in Wheatridge on April 22, 2016. A period of about a month passed between his death and funeral. Not much information was contained in his obituary. He was born October 25, 1933 in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was signed by Bob Howsam of the Denver Bears and sent to Iola for the 1952 season along with Charles Sisson, Victor Damon and a couple of other “hopefuls.” Gleason was a tall, slender right-handed pitcher. His 6’ 6” height placed him in the top three of the tallest players ever to appear in a KOM league game. The others were Bernie Tye and John “Beanstalk” Hurley. Hurley was 6” 7” and Tye was 6’ 6 ½ .”

 

Gleason pitched late in in 1951 at Hopkinsville, Kentucky. After his 1952 season in the KOM league he was with Lubbock, Texas in the Longhorn league in 1953. In 1954 he spent time with Denver in the Western and Lubbock, in the Longhorn leagues. In 1955 he pitched for Clovis, New Mexico in the West Texas-New Mexico league and then took a sabbatical in 1956-57 by serving in the U. S. Army. He pitched the last time in 1958 with Amarillo, Texas of the Western and Lewiston of the Northwest league s.

 

During the 2008 KOM reunion, Jerry and his wife Jane, attended a number of sessions and it was great making his acquaintance.

 

The following is his brief obituary.

 

Jerry R. Gleason, 82, of Wheat Ridge. Husband of Jane Gleason. Father of David Gleason, Bill (Deanne) Gleason and of the late Jeffrey Gleason. Brother of Jim Gleason and Sally Burnside. Also survived by six granddaughters and eleven great-grandchilden. Graveside service and inurnment Friday May 20th, 2:00 PM., Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Contributions may be made to The Denver Hospice. - See more at: www.legacy.com/obituaries/denverpost/obituary.aspx?n=jerr...

 

Due to the death of Jerry Gleason his team photo is featured on the Flickr site for this Flash Report. www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/28290057236/

The guys in that photo are: Front Row: Martin Wright and Larry Flottman batboys. Second Row: Cecil Parks, Wayne Baker, Gasper del Toro, Tom Guinn, Woody Fair and Joe Vilk. Third Row: Paul “Cowboy” Weeks. Roy Coulter, Bill Schrier, Bus Hoffman and Chuck Sisson. Fourth Row: Jack Hasten Bill Wigle, John Brkich, Jerry Gleason and Ed Wilson.

 

It would be fairly easy to write a term paper or maybe a doctoral thesis regarding this team. Yours truly could write the term paper but Larry Flottman would be the guy to write the thesis. He spent an entire summer with these guys and has many tales he could tell but like most batboys, he wouldn’t. The guys in this photo were Canadian (2), Cuban (1), citizens of Carthage, MO (2), another guy in the photo became a drug enforcement agent, one became a priest in the Catholic Church and another was a Texan who married a girl from rural Carthage, MO. Yours truly even had visits from two members of that team in my home and another I visited in his. Another member of that team worked for the same company I did at one time but our paths never crossed. On the “too bad” side of the coin one member of this team took his own life due to depression over a very sick wife and another consumed alcohol at too fast a rate and died very young.

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Russell White Iola Cubs pitcher--1946

 

A few weeks ago I shared the following in a Flash Report and shortly thereafter I located Russell White and have since spoken with him and his wife and have corresponded, by e-mail, with their daughter, Shawna.

 

Recent Flash Report comment

 

This following newspaper clips was all I knew about him until a recent ’stab in the dark.”

 

May 9, 1946--The Iola baseball team gained a new right-handed pitcher yesterday with the arrival from the west coast of Russell White, whose home.is at Long Branch, Wash. He has been with the Chicago Cubs Visalia, Calif. team of the Class C California league this spring. He is 20 years old.

 

After sharing that clip with Shawna she contacted me again and said. “John, sorry to bother you yet again, but below in the report you had mentioned that a newspaper clip was all you knew about my dad until your stab in the dark -- Do you have a copy of the newspaper clip or do you know in what newspaper this story was in?” Thanks Shawna

 

Ed reply:

 

Glad you got in touch. I was wondering if you were still reading the material. That article appeared in the May 9, 1946 edition of the Iola, Kansas Register. I don't have the original clip. What I do is pull up the Iola Register on Newspapers. It is available to access by subscription but I don't subscribe for I'd go broke trying to subscribe to so many papers. You can pull those editions up on the Internet and you can see each one in optical character recognition format. They take some deciphering but it can be done.

 

Shawna’s reply:

 

I hate to say, but like I mentioned I am printing the report off - not sure if they read on the computer - being as they aren't real computer people, that it why I decided to print the report out -- and I have been slacking -- shame on me -- but I did print out the one that mentions dad and he carries that around with him everywhere and lets people read it -- it has really brought some joy into his old life -- Thank you for taking that "Stab in the Dark" --

 

I will say, I did get the ones that I have received copied off now and will deliver this weekend for the folks to start reading - I know they will enjoy them - memories of baseball is good times for dad -- but also sad times - as you know --

 

I will try to find the article - will give me a challenge --

 

Bless you and look forward to continuing to receive and I will do a better job at getting them printed out and to the folks for their reading pleasure Shawna

 

A reminder

 

When you’re all alone and feeling blue and have nothing else to do let me suggest …well, maybe my advice wouldn’t work, come to think of it. However, I have a cure for those who write to tell me they have lost the last Flash Report. Can anything be worse than that? In the past a link has been shared that when you access it there are scores of previous Flash Reports at your fingertips or fingertip if you only use one.

 

Here is that site once more: www.flickr.com/search/?text=KOM%20League%20Flash

Whenever you see a photo on that link all you have to do is click on it and a Flash Report is contained below. There should be enough reading material there to last as long as the two bottles of Lowrey’s seasoning salt I purchased last week. When the grocer asked if I needed anything else I told him that much seasoning salt will last me “from now until the great hereafter.”

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From Miami News-Record

 

Will have you a story on Mickey Mantle Day activities in Oklahoma City yesterday. Sports editor Dannie Oliveaux went down and is working on a story. He talked to the boys and several other people who were there. It's part of a Mantle exhibit at the Oklahoma History Center in OKC. Jim Ellis—Editor, Miami News-Record

 

Ed note:

 

This is the site where the article is located: www.miamiok.com/sports/20160709/sons-share-stories-about-... There are a number of pages to this story so be sure to click on each of them

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Nothing goes unnoticed.

 

When writing any Flash Report I attempt to drop as many names, places and things as possible. That is done due to having so few readers that I’ll go to extremes, with impossible schemes just to awaken a memory in someone. In doing the story of Charles Yerbic of the “spring” 1951 Carthage Cubs I threw in a reference to a radio station for the expressed purpose of awakening a memory. Here is a note from Jerry Hogan in Fayetteville, Arkansas. “When Mr. Starwyck was writing his letter from KGRH here in Fayetteville I was 5 1/2 years old and lived just a few blocks away from the station. By the fall of 1951, when I started first grade, we lived only about two long blocks from KGRH. I remember visiting the station one time around then. Now I wonder if I may have met Mr. Starwyck without even knowing it! Also, thanks for ID'ing all the Baxter Springs kids. I didn't think I saw The Mick in the group and figured it was too early for him but it was good to get the confirmation in your listing of the players, batboy and such. “

 

Hogan concluded by saying “Proof again that I'm reading all the KOM Flash Reports but just not always commenting on them!☺”

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Another targeted reader

 

In last week’s report there was a listing of guys who showed up at Carthage, Mo. in the spring of 1951. I identified one of the guys this way.

James Kenneth Grubb

Born: 12/3/1926 Kankakee, Ill

Died: 1/8/1960 Chicago, Ill

Married Shirley Jean Alexander at Edwardsville, Ill. in 1950. She lived until 2007.

Paris, Ill begged Carthage to release Grubb to them in the spring of1951 and they did and he won 15 games for them.

Having died just short of his 34th birthday raises a question I can’t answer. Maybe someone out there knows the details of his death. (Ed note: That is a subtle hint to baseball necrologist, Jack Morris to work his magic on “My Heritage.”)

 

Shortly, I had the following note from Jack Morris. “John, I bet you were wondering how closely I read your Flash Reports - I guess pretty closely. Attached is James Grubb's obit. Not much there but it's clear that he died from something along the lines of cancer.”

 

From the Edwardsville, Intelligencer in Edwarsville, Ill. the obituary appeared on January 8, 1960 on page 2. It read “James Kenneth Grubb, 33 of Kankakee, husband of the former Shirley Jean Alexander and son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Alexander of Edwardsville, died Friday at 12:35 p. m. at Billings Hospital in Chicago following an illness of the past three months. Funeral plans are indefinite.”

 

Following a little more research I learned the Grubb was an elementary school teacher, in Kankakee at the time of his passing. In a note to Jack Morris I wondered if that occupation precipitated a short life span.

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Yerbic not remembered by teammate

 

Unless a fellow played with a ball club for a while very few of his teammates remember him. I shared the obituary of Charles Yerbic who was vying for a roster spot for the 1951 Carthage Cubs with Walt Babcock who was doing likewise. Here was Babcock’s response. “I never knew he existed until today. Thanks for keeping me up-to-date on such things.”

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Health update

 

Many e-mails are received asking if I have heard from “so and so” and if so, how are they doing. In recent weeks I’ve shared the information with those asking about Sam Dixon that he has been having a tough time. One person with whom that information was shared was Casey Casebolt who played American Legion Baseball for Dixon.

 

He shared a note received from Sam’s daughter that I’m quoting. “Thanks so much for the email. Dad is doing well now but we almost lost him two weeks ago. Right now he is in the Transitional Care Unit at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. We have a care team meeting in a few hours. He is doing better than he has in several months so I anticipate his release tomorrow.

 

I know he would love to hear from you and anyone else! It is true, his eyesight is failing so he doesn’t read much of anything, including email. So phone calls are best. He is usually gone from 10:00 to 3:30 on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for dialysis. Otherwise he is usually there. Just a warning, his hearing is only slightly better than his eyesight!

 

Please share this and my contact information with his buddies. I try to leave a voice mail on his phone so people will know how to get information when he is in the hospital or skilled nursing. I am happy to answer emails. I always print them out for him although I read them to him.

 

Thanks so much for contacting me.”

 

Karen Dixon

kdixon@sunflower.com

785-979-5388

 

Ed note:

 

On the afternoon of July 9th I called Sam and he was at home. He was in good spirits but told me that two weeks ago he had one foot in the grave. He said his doctor told him that after the fact. Sam has always been a good talker but if anyone calls him try to limit the length of the conversation. That is enough advice from this source, for now.

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John Hall is finally explained

 

A couple of years ago or so, I became friends with a sports writer/blogger out of Little Rock named E. D. (Name withheld to protect the innocent) E. D. has a wide range of interests in sports but one area he's particularly interested in are black sports teams in the Arkansas-Missouri area that played back in segregation days. I've found a number of items for him in our local paper. He's a very decent, sincere guy and he ran into an online feature about you in the KC paper and wanted to know if I happened to know you. Hello! Just since basically Day 1 of my own baseball research. Anyway, as you can see in the e-mail exchange we had below, he would like to contact you if you're okay with that.

 

Let me know if it's alright and I will give him your e-mail address or if you prefer you could contact E. D. - his address is in the following e-mail.

 

Thanks, Jerry Hogan—Fayetteville, Ark.

 

P.S. I hope you're okay with the description of you that I sent E. D..

 

Hogan’s description of the editor of this publication.

 

I've known John Hall for at least 15 years. We've never met but we communicate via e-mail very frequently. John is a few years older than I am and is an outstanding baseball researcher. He's originally from Carthage, MO but has lived in Columbia ever since I've known him. He's self-published several books including Majoring in the Minors (which has a section on the Ark. State/Ark-Mo League and the reason we became baseball/internet friends) and a bio on Mickey Mantle. His main emphasis is on the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri (KOM) League, which he considers as sort of a follow on to the old Arkie-Mo. Just about every week, he puts out a KOM Flash Report by e-mail and on Flickr. He knows the whereabouts and what became of virtually every player who ever suited up in the old KOM. The flash report, these days, almost always includes 2-3 obituaries of players. The ballpark in Carthage, where the teams from the Ark-Mo and KOM played is still standing and it has a plaque to John on the outside - near the entrance I think.

 

So, there you go. That's who John Hall is!

 

Talk to you later, Jerry

 

Ed reply:

 

Sounds good to me. I never saw but two entirely black teams in my life other than the KC Monarchs and Indianapolis Clowns. I did see a reference one time that when Carthage folded after their Ark/Mo days their uniforms were taken over by the Carthage Rockets. The only name I recall who would have played for that team would have been the late Claude “Feller” Redmond.

 

I never knew Joplin had a black football team. I wonder who they played? They would have had to have done a lot of traveling.

 

I hope so. When I thought of Joplin and black teams the one guy whose name that stands out is Alton Clay. He played for everybody in the area, even at Baxter Springs. Many guys who talk about Clay placed him head and shoulders above anyone who ever played in the four state area and they ranged from the Boyers to the Mantles and everyone in between.

 

Clay was a big man who always warned opposing catchers to get as far from the plate as possible for he had a horrific back swing. He knocked out a few catchers in his day.

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Once again we come to the best part of any of these reports—the end. Just for fun I’d like to know if I’m only preparing these things for my own amusement. I think that the story on Larry Scott should be a test of that question. Since he was on the radio in places like Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California I’d like to hear from anyone who thinks they may have heard him. I suspect I won’t hear from anyone under 60 years of age for obvious reasons and I might not hear from anyone older than that since they have most likely forgotten. Anyway, let me hear from you. As I walked through my flower patch this morning a vehicle stopped in the middle of the street and a voice rang out “Go Cubs.” I shouted back “They still have time to blow it.” Back came the retort “This is their year to win it.” And as the vehicle headed into the morning sunrise the last words I heard were “Keep the reports coming.” I guess that must of have been someone on the mailing list. If you can drive by my house and shout out words of encouragement like that , that’s great. Most of you can’t. So, if you wish to keeping reading stuff like this drop me a note and some material I can include in the next report.

 

 

Done