Site for KOM Flash Report for week of 8/7/2016 _____ Mr. & Mrs. Russell White Iola Cubs 1946

The KOM League

Flash Report

For week of

August 7 thru 13, 2016

 

 

Introduction:

 

Time passes rapidly and keeping up with all the surviving members of the KOM league is a daunting task. In this section of obituaries are death dates of; April 10, 1949, February 25, 2015, July 25, 2015, and January 29, 2016. The most recent death came as a shock for I found and spoke with the gentleman, for the first time in December of 2015, following a two decade attempt at doing so. Within a month of that conversation he died and it took me eight months to find out about his passing.

 

Each time I read an obituary the Bible verse found in Hebrew 9:27 comes to mind. I could recite it here but if you look it up on your own it will stay with you longer. I am thankful that judgement is in the hands of a Higher Power not talking media heads, politicans, pollsters or voters. That is my political statement of the week.

 

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Richard E. Sager –1946 Pittsburg, Kansas Browns

 

To date, Richard Sager was the most difficult former KOM leaguer to locate or determine their fate. When he reported to Pittsburg, Kans. in 1946, as a pitcher, his hometown was listed as West Coxsackie, New York. Over the two decades of searching for him there weren’t many clues. It was established, to my satisfaction, that he enlisted in the U. S. Army or December 12, 1942 at Albany, New York and that his father worked in either a pharmacy or a medical laboratory in 1925.

 

On August 4, 2016 I somehow came across a newspaper in the New York State Library. The name of the publication was the Green County Examiner Recorder which was published weekly in Catskill, New York. The April 14th 1949 edition was printed on Thursday which gave me the answer to the day of Sager’s passing. Here is the obituary and you’ll see he had to die on April 11th even though that fact wasn’t stated specifically. No date of his birth was given but by deductive reasoning he was born in 1924. The Pittsburg, Kansas Morning Sun listed his age as 22 when the St. Louis Browns assigned him to the KOM league. Later I located Sager’s tombstone and it lists his year of birth as 1924 and that he served in the Army Air Corps. www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=161047716 Thus, his birthday would have come after April 14 of 1924.

 

 

The obituary:

Robert E. Sager-24, son of the late Fred and Elizabeth Young Sager passed away at Memorial Hospital, Catskill on Monday. Funeral services will be held from his late home on Hailey Street, Coxsackie, this afternoon at 2:30 p. m.. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery. Full military rites will be accorded to the deceased who was a veteran of WW 2. Surviving are a sister, Mrs. Dorothy Schoonmaker and a brother, Donald, both of Coxsackie.

 

Comment:

 

Sager is another of the many former KOM leaguers who never appeared in any record book. Honestly, after all the years of searching I never expected to find a trace of him. However, it has been a challenge to document the coming and going of every person to have worn the uniform of a KOM league team and now the list of guys still not found, or their fate determined, is down to 90 out of around 1600 who played in at least one game.

 

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Elden Edgar McHugh – Miami Blues 1946

www.legacy.com/obituaries/dodgeglobe/obituary.aspx?page=l...

Photo of deceased is on the aforementioned site. Compare it with the link I have for him in the introduction to this article.

 

Introduction:

 

Since the start of searching for former KOM leaguers I had no success in locating Elden Edgar McHugh who played for the Miami, OK Blues in 1946. Then came December of 2015 and in the last Flash Report of the year I wrote an article about finding McHugh, in Kansas City, Mo. and even included a photo of him with his Dodge City, Kans. High School basketball team. www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/23565523889/ How thankful I am that I found him for just over a month after doing so he passed away. I just located his obituary on August, 1, 2016. His obituary matches the story he related in our interview with the interview information being a bit more descriptive.

 

Obituary:

 

Elden Edgar McHugh, 92, was called to his Heavenly home on Friday, January 29, 2016. A celebration of Elden's life will be held 1:00 PM, Friday, February 5, 2016 at the Avondale United Methodist Church. Visitation will held from 12:00-1:00 PM. Burial in Dodge City Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Avandale United Methodist Church.

 

Elden was born September 20, 1923 in Bucklin, KS to Anna and Perry McHugh. The fourth son of 5 boys, Elden and his family moved to Dodge City, KS where he and his brothers grew up together during the Great Depression. Elden loved to play sports of all kinds and was the first All State Tackle for his high school team, the Dodge City Red Demons. After high school, Elden joined the Army Air Corps where he served in the European theater of WWII as a tail gunner in a bombing squadron. From November 1944 to March 1945, Elden's unit flew 27 missions over Europe and North Africa.

 

When Elden returned home he met and married Frances Jean Carey. Together they raised two children and shared over 67 years of marriage. The family moved to Pineville, LA when Elden was transferred by Farmland Industries to manage the office of their newly built ammonia plan in nearby Pollock, LA. Later he was transferred to Kansas City's home office in 1979 where he later retired. Elden and Frances stayed in Kansas City for the remainder of his life. Elden was long-time member of the Avondale United Methodist Church.

 

He was preceded in death by: parents; older brothers, Orville, Harold and Virgil McHugh and younger brother, Noble McHugh. Elden is survived by; wife, Frances (Cary) McHugh, Kansas City, MO; son & daughter-in-law, Tim & Susan McHugh, Covington, LA; daughter, Sandra McHugh-DeAtley, Kansas City, MO; grandsons, Nick DeAtley, Hunter, Cole and Wesley McHugh as well as eleven nieces and nephews. (arr. Heartland Cremation 816-313-1677)

Published in Dodge City Daily Globe on Feb. 3, 2016

 

Ed note:

 

With the passing of Elden McHugh the lone surviving member of the 1946 Miami, Okla. Blues is Robert E. Field of Hutchinson, Kansas. On August 27th he will celebrate his 94th birthday. I have known Field for many years. In his youth he was the batboy for the Hutchinson Pirates of the Western Association during the 1937-38 seasons. One of the players during his batboy tenure was Frankie Gustine who encouraged him to try out for professional baseball when he was old enough. www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&am...

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William Frederick Conroy Jr.-- Carthage Cubs 1950

www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicagotribune/obituary.aspx?pi...

 

William Conroy Jr, 81, of Palos Park at rest Feb. 25, 2013. Veteran of the United States Army. Devoted husband of 56 years to Dorothy (nee Griffin). Father of William III (Karen), Kathleen (John) Steed, Kevin (Helen), James (Roseanne), Gregory (Roseann), and Jean (Mark) Link. Cherished grandfather of Jennifer (Adam) Cresse, William IV (Patricia), Timothy, Maura, Meghan, Daniel, Kerry, Kylan, Erin, Abigail, Patrick, Ryan, Emily (Landon) Thomas, Brenna, Kaitlyn, Michael, Meghan, Colleen, Devin, and Sean. Great-grandfather of Andrew, William V, Patrick, and Alex. Dear brother of the late Rosalie (late John) O'Brien, Marguerite (John) Knoebel, the late Thomas (Diane), and Patrick (Kathy). Fond uncle and friend of many. Mass celebrating the life of William Conroy Jr March 16, 2013 at 10:00 AM. Our Lady of the Woods Church 10731 W 131st Street Orland Park, IL 60462.

Published in a Chicago Tribune Media Group Publication on Feb. 28, 2013

 

Ed comment:

 

Conroy was an 18-year old third baseman when he reported to Carthage for the 1950 season. He was born October 7, 1931 in Chicago, Ill. He was left Carthage on May 25th of that year and went to Nazareth, Penn. in the North Atlantic league. He spent time with Danville, Ill. of the Mississippi Ohio, Janesville, Wisc. and Visalia, Calif. of the California leagues in 1951.

 

Conroy was another of the former KOM leaguers with who I communicated and like most of the guys they were thrilled to have been able to play baseball and then to be remembered a half century later.

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Frederick Stephens Carthage Cubs 1949

 

qctimes.com/news/local/obituaries/frederick-stephens/arti...

 

ROCK ISLAND — Frederick Stephens, 83, passed away peacefully at his home in Rock Island, surrounded by his loving family on July 25, 2015.

 

Cremation will take place at Trimble Crematory, and there will be no services. The Cremation Society of the Quad-Cities served the family.

 

Fred was born Aug. 9, 1931, to Alvin and Myrtle Stephens. He graduated from Wilton High School in 1948.

 

He was united in marriage to Bonnie Johansen in 1950 at the Little Brown Church in the Vale.

 

Those left to honor his memory include his wife of 64 years, Bonnie; their children, Randall Stephens of California, Gregory Stephens of Moline and Vicki (Barry) Neal of Bloominton, Minn.; grandsons, Derek Neal and Kevin Neal (fiancé, Laura Johnson); brothers, Alvin Stephens of Sun City, Calif., and Douglas (Jean) Stephens of Gilbert, Ariz.; and sisters, Glenda Johnson of Moscow, Iowa, and Rea Kay Bohnsack of Wilton, Iowa. He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Russell Stephens; and a sister, Sylvia Jacobs.

 

The family wishes to extend a special thank you to Genesis Hospice.

 

Ed comment:

 

Contact had been made with Stephens a number of years ago. He was a shortstop, for a brief time with the Carthage Cubs in 1949. Upon reporting to the team his hometown was listed as Wilton Junction, Iowa in the local newspaper. However he was born in Cranston, Iowa. During his first season in professional baseball he also played for Clinton, Iowa in the Central Association.

 

After his one year in the Chicago Cub chain he was picked up by the Philadelphia Phillies and played for that organization at Bradford, Penn., Lima, Ohio and Salina, Kansas. His major handicap was hitting the baseball. He was a 185 pounder who hit his weight exactly at Salina--.185 and came close to it with Clinton, Iowa when he hit .182. He hit .060 below that figure while at Carthage. But, when I last spoke with him he said he was having better luck at his favorite pastime, going to the local casinos.

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A Flash Report reader gets won bobble head

 

For the past couple of years one of my most frequent contributors of stories and comments has been Bernie Gerl of Joliet, Illinois. He was a survivor of the Duluth , Minn. Dukes bus crash in 1948 that stands alone as the worst incident in the history of professional baseball. Recently, he was awarded with his own bobble head. To see it and Bernie go to this site:

www.duluthnewstribune.com/sports/baseball/4084640-former-...

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Former Iola Cub bares the naked truth (really)

 

This is a message from Shawna Clough written for her father, Russell White. A few months ago I located the three-game performer for the 1946 Iola Cubs. That story was carried in the Flash Report at the time White was located.

 

Hello John, after reading these KOM reports, some of them have been rather down lately, so I convinced my Dad to tell you a little about himself. (Ed note: Down as in depressing due to obituaries much like this report.)

 

Here is what Russell White had to say:

 

I have been a little lax in writing to you as so many things happening, you'd think we were in the prime of our lives.

 

So, to settle things down and get on with the story, "This is my life."

 

(I was) Born April 27, 1926 on an Indian reservation in Oakville, WA. Wasn't there too long, only until the age of two when my Dad got a job in another town.

 

At six, we had moved and rented a house in Home, WA (a nudist colony). At seven (we) had moved to Longbranch, WA where I attended grade school. Proceeded to Vaughn to attend high school and where my short baseball career was started.

 

Having started in centerfield, I soon was called to pitch and did so until I graduated. In high school at that time, a scout from the Chicago Cubs was sitting in the stands and interviewed me and I was off to Visalia, CA to play with the Visalia Cubs (C), then was sent to Iola, Kansas (D) league where I pitched for the Iola Cubs to get prepared for the jump to the "Big League".

 

Unfortunately, this did not happen, as the story goes I found out later, my mother said she needed me home rather than me playing baseball. I regret that it happened that way, but - I would not have met Lauretta Murphy the love of my life. I had, before going to Visalia, drove school bus at the school where she went to, and taken a post grad course presumably wanting to be an archeologist.

 

After coming back from Iola, I played some baseball with the Cammarano Bros. in Tacoma, WA, the Gig Harbor Merchants, Port Townsend and Longbranch teams.

 

I then got a job working on a 65' freight boat trucking hay and feed to co-ops on the Sound (Puget), also became an engineer for a while. It had a 1912 steam landing barge motor in it. Like you John, I could go on forever about it but that's another story. It ran aground on a reef in the Sound and was then retired.

 

After that, I had begun cementing a relationship with this little Irish gal that I had met before, then I got a job as a meter reader for the local light company and retired from it in 1988 after 38 years. And to make a long story short, we tied the knot August 14, 1948 and on that date August 14, 2016 we will have been together for 68 years.

 

I may be leaving out a lot of my life story but the only thing that really matters to me is your "stab in the dark" and the "blast from the past" that brought my short story out of hiding.

 

I thank you again John for the call that made my day for the rest of my life. Russell White

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Mistakes become opportunities

 

In the previous edition of this publication I enclosed a link for Jerry Staab which announced the former Blackwell Bronco and his wife had celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Well that story was true, mostly.

Shortly, like within ten seconds of it reaching Walter Babcock, on Cape Cod, Mass., he sent me a note that it was Ed Staab, not Jerry, who pitched for the Ft. Leonard Wood Hilltoppers in 1953 and led the team to the National Baseball Congress Tournament in Wichita, Kansas. Of course, being of superior intellect and memory I knew Babcock was right. Moments later Babcock advised me to locate Ed Staab for him and this is the sequence in which the “search” unfolded.

 

JOHN, THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION, BUT IT IS THE WRONG STAAB. DARLEEN AND ED WERE FROM BROKEN BOW, NEBRASKA THEY MOVED TO CALIF. AND WE VISITED THEM THERE. THAN THEY MOVED TO ARKANSAS TO BE NEAR THEIR SON. THAT IS THE LAST WE HAVE EVER HEARD FROM THEM. WE HAVE TRIED TO LOCATE THEM BUT WE HAVE NEVER SUCCEEDED. MAYBE YOU CAN FIND THEM FOR ME. WALT

 

Ed reply:

 

Huh!! I must have lost my mind. The Staab's I communicated with over the years had moved to Colorado and were from Wichita. Mrs. Staab was from the Blasi family who were amateur and professional baseball players from Wichita and a couple are in the Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame. Richard Blasi played in the first game Bartlesville ever played in 1946, he had a triple and never played in another game.

 

Send me everything you have on Staab and I'll apologize in the next Flash Report to my five or six readers and then go in search of the "real" Staabs.

 

Gerald Raymond Staab played for Blackwell, OK in 1952 and then went into the Army. Obviously, he isn't the same guy who pitched for Ft. Wood. Do you have Ed's middle name. My Staab was from Wichita and moved to Longmont, Colorado.

 

I think I mentioned Edward Staab to Gerald Staab's wife a long time ago and if I'm not mistaken I think they were cousins.

 

Ed note to Babcock a few minutes later

 

Edward and Darleen Staab were living in Kearney, Nebraska in 1955 and he was enrolled in college. I can find a Darleen Alethia Staab who once lived in Orange, Calif. and now resides in Clarksville, Tenn. This Edward Staab has the middle initial "R."

 

The only other Darleen or Darlene Staab listed anywhere is in the State of Wisconsin.

 

There are still a lot of Staab's in Broken Bow. Here is a link to those with telephones. www.switchboard.com/name/staab/broken-bow-neb

 

Ed note to Babcock in an attempt to get feedback on efforts to date

 

I guess you got my message about the Staabs. If they lived in Nebraska and then went to California they are now in Clarksville, Tenn.

 

Babcock’s reply:

 

JOHN, THAT IS CORRECT INFO. HOW DO I GET A PHONE NUMBER? WALT

 

Ed reply:

 

You can get the information in various ways such as; going on Switchboard.com, operator information, guessing or wait to see if I can find one.

 

Ed reply about five minutes later

 

Try 913 552-_ _ _ _. The address is 215 Uffelman Drive. Clarksville, TN

 

Ask him if he is any kin to Jerry Staab who used to live in Wichita, Kansas. I think they are cousins. That's about it. Ed is now 85 so call him soon.

 

Babcock’s reply

 

JOHN, THANKS FOR YOUR EFFORT. IT WAS A WRONG TELEPHONE NUMBER, BUT I WILL WRITE HIM A LETTER AND HOPE I GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM. THANKS, WALT

 

Ed reply:

 

I'll try another way to find it. Try 931 648 _ _ _ _. If that doesn't work try 931 362 _ _ _ _. I believe that will get you his son.

 

Babcock’s reply:

 

JOHN, THANKS A LOT. I GOT IN TOUCH WITH MARK, ED’S SON, AND HE GAVE ME ED’S NUMBER. HAD A SHORT TALK WITH HIS SON AND ED ALSO. ED’S WIFE HAD A STROKE AND HE MOVED INTO AN ASSISTED LIVING PLACE WHERE THEY CAN HELP HIM CARE FOR HER. HE SAID HE WAS USING A CANE FOR BALANCE. IT WAS NICE TO CHAT WITH AN OLD FRIEND. I FELT HE MAY HAVE A FEW HEALTH PROBLEMS THE WAY HIS VOICE SOUNDED. THANKS AGAIN. WALT

 

Ed reply:

See what happens when I made a mistake and had Jerry in the role of Ed. I think there were about a half dozen of the Staabs who were cousins that played professional baseball in the 50's and even into the mid 60's. They were from places like Wichita and Catharine, Kansas into the Broken Bow and Lincoln, Nebraska areas. I think one of those boys even lived for a time in Paris. That isn't the place where they speak French but in Missouri where they speak the local tongue.

 

Ed note:

 

Edwin Roy Staab began his baseball career in 1951 with Duluth, Minn. in the Northern league. He started off with a 5-6 record his initial year and in 1952 he posted a 16-5 record. When he was drafted into the Army he was sent to Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri where he picked up the same pitching form he had demonstrated with Duluth in 1952.

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Extra credit reading assignment

 

One in a while I come across an interesting tale of a former KOM leaguer who went on to make his mark in life in a field other than baseball. A shortstop who stopped off briefly Carthage, Missouri, in 1949, later became a highly successful assistant and head coach in Wisconsin.

 

Bruce Knapton’s exploits are contained in the following story:

www.beloit.edu/archives/documents/archival_collections/fa...

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Midweek quiz results.

 

Well, the quiz I shared in mid-week about a former KOM leaguer doing a bunch of things resulted in the same outcome as when I shared it six years ago. Everyone responding was incorrect except for the person who stated “I don’t know.” He really wasn’t alone for no one else came up with the correct answer, either.

 

That quiz can be chalked up to my reporting over the years not being very good or else people can’t remember what was shared in past reports. That quiz was in a KOM League Remembered newsletter when it was still being printed, stapled, folded, addressed, stamped and taken to the United States Postal Service where it was mutilated and very often not delivered. That quiz was also featured in three editions of the Flash Reports during January of 2010. As I recall there were only two readers who came up with the correct answer. One was former Carthage Cub pitcher, Paul Hoffmeister and Larry Gilmore of Arkansas City, Kansas who was the son-in-law of Howard Scheurich . Scheurich was mentioned in a recent Flash Report as having passed away and was one local ballplayer Mickey Mantle couldn’t hit.

 

I had to mention Mickey Mantle for every response received, sans one, with regard to the quiz thought it was him. Here are the quiz questions and answers.

 

ANSWER IS JOE STANKA

 

The response to each of the points regarding the quiz.:

• Born in a small Oklahoma town in 1931. --- Born in Waynoka, Okla. July 23, 1931

• An all-around athlete. Played basketball, football and baseball in high school. Waynoka

High School.

• Signed with a New York affiliated Major League team. ---Signed with Brooklyn Dodgers in 1950

• Played in KOM league during first year. His initial foray into the league was anything but spectacular. --- Played for Ponca City Dodgers and also with Shawnee of the Sooner State league.

• Played on a pennant winning and league playoff championship KOM league team. Played for both the 1950 and 1951 champion Ponca City Dodgers.

• Married his high school sweetheart after her graduation. --- He had graduated prior to her. The wedding was in December. Married Jean McDaniel on December 13, 1949.

• His wife wrote a book which now brings over $100 a copy on e-bay. ---Title of book "Character, Culture and Crises." A great story of the hardships of a family of a baseball player struggling to make it to the big-time. This book carries the haunting account of how a gift Stanka won for being the MVP of the 1964 Japanese Series was instrumental in the death of one of his son’s. Hey folks, this is a great book.

• Was the father of four.--- Three sons and a daughter

• Recruited heavily by a major Oklahoma university.--- Recruited by the legendary Henry Iba to play basketball for Oklahoma A &M. That is now Oklahoma State Univ. He attended college for one year playing on the freshman team.

• Made it to the Major Leagues.--- (American League) Joined the Chicago White Sox in late 1959.

• Loved the taste of alcohol and in his later years finally gave it up along with cigarettes.--- He gave up alcohol before giving up "the weed."

• A baseball field in his home town is named for him.--- Field was named in his honor at Waynoka.

• A bona-fide .300 hitter. --- Hit .333 for the White Sox in 1959. Had one hit in three at bats.

• Was the star of a Championship Series.--- Japanese Major League series in 1964.

• Won a MVP award.---- Pitching hero of the 1964 Japan Series throwing three shutouts

• Was an idol of millions. ----Kids in Japan worshipped Stanka as much as Mantle was idolized in America .

• Appeared on the popular TV show “What’s My Line” after the 1964 Series of which this Editor has a copy of that telecast. --- One of the panelist even guessed that the mystery guest was Mickey Mantle.

• After baseball career ended moved from his native Oklahoma to Texas.--- Resides in Fulshear, Texas

 

Some of you might be curious as to why I would rerun an old quiz. Quite simply I was wondering if anyone out there ever reads the Flash Reports. I learned by the quiz that a few people still do. The first time I released the quiz I received some disgruntled comments that I “tricked” the readers and the second time around elicited the same remarks.

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Now comes the best part of any of these reports—the end.

 

Each week starts with a clean slate and I have no idea if a Flash Report will be prepared or not. Like the Maytag repairman I wait by the telephone or my computer terminal to see if anyone has anything to share. With the transmission of this report I’m back to a clean slate and there will only be another report if someone has a question or comment to share with Gordon Jump. Who’s Mr. Jump, you ask? He was a staff personality who was with WIBW in Topeka, Kansas whose big role came in the national syndicated sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati. After that show breathed his last breath Jump was hired as the Maytag repairman who sat around all day hoping to get a telephone call. I know a Maytag owner who said Jump attended all of the company’s conventions and if he ever met you he never forgot your name. In that comparison “John Hall is no Gordon Jump.”

 

Done