Part 2 KOM League Flash Report for week of August 14, 2016 ------- 1943 Central High School Oklahoma City 1943 Includes Cal McLish

KOM Flash Report

The second half of the report for

The week of

August 14, thru 20, 2016

 

Flickr site for this report is: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/28898652555/

Don’t miss the photo, it’s very rare.

 

When the preliminary Flash Report was sent earlier this week I mentioned it wasn’t complete and that the rather lengthy report wouldn’t fit within the confines of the Flickr site. The item that made the reporting incomplete was the lack of a formal obituary for Frank L. “Bobo” Nickerson. At the time of this report I still don’t have it. Thus, it will be added to the preliminary report when it is updated to the Flickr site later this week. The first part of this report is at: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/28771214452/

 

It was worth sharing the preliminary Flash Report since it accomplished a milestone. Ever since Cletis Boyer was signed by the Kansas City Athletics, in 1955, he was shown as having been born in Cassville, Missouri in some record books. My hat is off to the Sporting News for in the 1957 Baseball Register they had listed Cossville as his hometown. I don’t know when or why the town of Cassville got inserted. But, I noticed that by 1969 the Baseball Encyclopedia had moved Boyer’s birthplace some 65 miles south and east of where he entered this world. I have harped on that mistake every time I have encountered it. With the death of Lynn Boyer and the way his obituary described Cossville I’m happy to report the official records will be amended to show that Cletis and Lynn were born in the same place two years apart—Cossville, Missouri. Thanks go out to Bill Carle for his assistance in making that happen

 

Now, it’s time for a confession from the writer of these Flash Reports. There was a time span of two or four days that I have missed regarding the 1946 Miami, Oklahoma Blues. Three young men slipped into town on August 6th of that year and escaped my attention for almost 70 years to the day. Since I have long insisted the record books be changed for two of the Boyer boys at least one of them has been rectified. The following pertains to three former KOM leaguers who were ignored, far too long, and I take full blame for the oversight

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Stop the presses—KOM league history is updated

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Until August 8, 2016 I had never heard of Robert Dean Dennany, Robert Cornelius Chambers Jr. or James Wesley. These three fellows all signed with the Miami Blues for the last full month of the 1946 season and none lasted more than four days.

 

It is with a sense of ambivalence that I report this information a quarter of a century into writing about the old league. Ambivalence was once described as something a preacher feels when his daughter goes on a date and comes home late carrying a Gideon Bible.

The forthcoming information was precipitated by a slip of paper found in my collection of office files for the 1946 Miami club. It listed all of the guys being reserved for the 1947 season along with those the team released during the 1946 campaign. That is where I ran into the three names I had not previously noticed and I can attest there is no official record of them today as having played in the KOM league. Also, on that list were the names of four players the Brooklyn Dodgers selected for the 1947 season to send to their minor league affiliates.

 

Brooklyn only assigned a single player to Miami in 1946 and that was William Preston Morgan of Oklahoma City. They forked over a little seed money at the start of that campaign and for their investment they could choose up to six players at the end of the season They only selected four; Steve Jordan, Harve McKibben, Joe Beran and retained the rights to William Morgan. They were all pitchers at Miami but Beran became a slugger in the Dodger chain at Ponca City and elsewhere. Steve Jordan spent a few weeks at Ponca City and returned to Miami to coach an amateur team. Harve McKibben stayed in Miami and William Morgan wound up playing in the Sooner State league , in 1947, but was by then the property of the New York Giants.

 

Since the trio of Chambers, Wesley and Dennany have all passed away I’m including some tidbits I found on their lives. It was interesting to note that all the towns the Miami newspaper cited as the hometowns for those fellows weren’t the places where they were born. That is why in reading this you might think Dennany was born in Peru, Ill., Wesley in Wetumka, OK and Chambers in Sand Springs, OK. But if you read closely you’ll learn that was not the case.

 

August 6, 1946—Miami, Okla. News Record

 

SOUTHPAW WILL AID BLUES FOR PENNANT DRIVE--- Bob Dennany, a slim southpaw hurler, was added to the Miami Blues' mound staff today, Ted Vernon, club owner, announced. Dennany, who hurled for Lima in the Ohio State league in 1944 pitched one game this season for Leavenworth in the Western Association. Recently he has twirled for a semi-pro club at his home town Paris, Ill. Vernon said the new hurler weighs 140 pounds. He's five feet 10 inches tall. Dennany is the third new pitcher acquired by the Blues in the last few days. The other two, Chambers and Wesley, may see action tonight against Bartlesville.

 

Ed note: It took a bit of looking and a large magnifying glass but I did find where Dennany pitched for both Lima and Marion, Ohio in 1944. The Baseball Guide for 1945 that covered the 1944 season spelled last name incorrectly. He was listed as “Dermany.” That might have been a slip of the typewriter as the United States was at war with “Germany” at the time.

 

August 7, 1946 Miami News Record

 

Oilers clinched the argument in the top half of the 13th, when outfielder (Gerald) Cross singled with the bases loaded to plate a pair of teammates. Fans who stuck out the full program, which began at 6:30 p. m., got a glimpse of all three new mound prospects, including James Wesley, righthander from Wetumka; Bob Dennany, southpaw hailing from Paris, Ill., and the right- banded Chambers (Sand Springs, Okla.). Of the three, only Wesley lasted more than two innings, his appearance coming in the second game after Dennany was greeted with a five-run attack in the initial stanza. Chambers lasted less than two heats in the first game, during which Ralph Marler sparkled in a relief role until a leg injury forced him to retire.

 

On August 10, 1946 the Miami Blues released Dennany.

 

The next thing found on Dennany was a year later. Aug 1, 1947 Associated Press story written by Joe Reichler.

 

Higher Education-- Bob Dennany, An ambitions 21- year-old from Terre Haute, Ind., set out to become a baseball umpire by attending a Florida school for arbitrators . . . Then he discovered there was more dough in throwing strikes than in throwing ball players out of games (or else he found he could see the plate) so he turned from umpiring to southpaw pitching- ... At the last report, Dennany was Opelika's leading hurler in the Georgia-Alabama league with a 7-2 record.

 

Next item—Terre Haute Tribune 4/20/1952

 

MR. & MRS. ROBERT D. DENNANY pictured atop the Empire State Building, New York City, send greetings to their Terre Haute friends. They are on their wedding trip. The bride is the former Miss Gloria Mary Bedino, daughter of Mrs. Pete Bedino and the late Mr. Bedino, this city, and the bridegroom is the son of Mrs. Mary Dennany, West Terre Haute, R.R. 2. For the present Mr. and Mrs. Dennany are living in Brooklyn, N. Y.

 

Item from January 22, 1960 Terre Haute Tribune

 

SPEEDER ARRESTED Robert Dean Dennany, 35, 2203 Lafayette Avenue, was arrested at 9:40 o’clock Thursday night at Lafayette and Barbour avenues by Patrolmen Coffey and Kellett and charged with reckless driving. Dennany was released to appear in City Court at 8:30 o’clock Saturday morning, Jan. 30. (Ed note: Most everyone has been stopped for some type of traffic violation. This insert shows the former KOM leaguer was still living in 1960.)

 

Final item regarding Dennany.

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pv&GRid=257594... This item shows his tombstone on inscribed was a death date of December 12, 1998. During his working years the Terre Haute city directories showed him as being a plumber and steam fitter.

 

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James Wesley—Miami Blues 1946

 

Birth: Jan. 1, 1924 Okemah, Oklahoma,

Death: Apr. 6, 1999 Okemah, Oklahoma,

 

WETUMKA - Rev. James Wesley was born January 1, 1924, in Okemah. He died April 6, 1999, in Okemah.

 

Funeral services were held April 10 at Middle Creek #1 Church with Rev. Bill Hobia and Rev. Mark Smith officiating. Interment was at Kialegee Cemetery.

 

He attended school at Hickory Ridge, graduated from Bearden High School, and attended Okmulgee Tech school in 1951 where he learned dry cleaning. He worked 31 years in this trade before retiring. He played professional baseball with the "old" Boston Braves National League in 1946 as a major league pitcher. (Ed note: Miami, OK in the KOM league was a long way from Boston, Mass in the American league in1946.)

 

He served as a tank commander under General George S. Patton in World War II during the Normandy Invasion and earned a Silver Service Star and the EAME service ribbon.

 

He was baptized April 24, 1949, at Salt Creek Baptist Church by Rev. Dan Scott and was ordained a deacon on March 17, 1950. He became a licensed minister July 18, 1954 and was ordained by Rev. Elliot Leitka and Rev. Coleman Lewis on October 27, 1957 at the Salt Creek church. He served as the Director of Cultural and Heritage for the Kialegee Tribal Town and was elected Meeko for 16 years.

 

He was the son of Polly Scott and John "Adam" Wesley, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Minnie Jean Yargee Wesley, whom he married November 4, 1945; and one grandchild, Taylor James Wesley.

 

He was survived by his three sons, Gary Wesley of Oklahoma City, Lowell Wesley of Wetumka, and Leo Wesley of Dallas, TX; his two daughters, Geraldine Harjo of Dallas, TX, and Sharon Smith of Dustin; 10 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

 

Burial: Kialegee Cemetery Wetumka, Oklahoma

 

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Robert Cornelius Chambers Jr.

B. 11/25/1927 Ryan, OK

D. 3/2/2009 Modesto, CA

Buried San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery. Merced County, CA

Served in U. S. Navy

 

1955 lived in Klamath Falls, Ore.

 

Final resting place.

www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=CHAM&a...;

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Wrap up of Miami Blues for 1946

 

In September of 1946 the Miami ball club listed the players they had secured for 1947. Of the 13 slated to be with the club in 1947 only Loren Packard made the team. Two players were mentioned who lived in Oklahoma City. They were second baseman Howard Raines and George J. Hanges a shortstop.

 

My search for them didn’t take long for they were both performers for Oklahoma City Central High School in the 1941-44 era. When I pulled up the yearbooks for Central High School there they were. Looking at that photo I saw a familiar face. It was none other than Calvin Coolidge Julius Caesar Tuskahoma McLish. Also, one of the top players on the team was a name I know pretty well—John Hall. Hall led Central High School to a state championship in 1942 hurling a no-hitter in the state baseball finals. Hall had the proverbial cup of coffee with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1948.

 

Just for the fun of it I ran a little research to find if either Hanges or Raines made it in pro ball for I knew they never showed up at Miami. They never played professionally before or after each came home from WW II. It would have been nice to have been able to speak with them but they are both deceased. Another thing I noticed was that Raines was spelled Rains when he was listed in Central High yearbooks.

 

The 1943 Central High School baseball team is at this site. www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/28898652555/

Cal McLish www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&am... is in the back row 4th from the left while Hanges and Rain(e)s are in the front row. Hanges is 4th from the left and Rain(e)s is the 5th from the left.

 

The previously mentioned John Sylvester Hall was born at Muskogee, Oklahoma in 1924. He parents were natives of Springville, Alabama and by the time John was in high school they had moved to Oklahoma City just as the McLish family had done. I once spoke with the “other” John Hall and wish that I had taken more notes about his brief career. His major league experience was limited to three games in about three weeks and I don’t find any records of him playing minor league baseball. I assume he played amateur baseball for one of the many teams of that classification in Oklahoma. But, I have no evidence he did. I’m sure someone out there has written a book or term paper on the other John Hall and can fill in the blanks. Go for it.

 

Done