KOM Flash Report for June 16, 2019---Father's Day.

The KOM League

Flash Report

For

Father’s Day 2019

 

To view this report go to: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/38144681264/

This edition is long and varied in content. The photo for this issue is that of Warren Liston (right) and his teammate at Iola and Enid, Oklahoma, Howie Hunt. It was taken at the KOM league reunion in 2003 at Carthage, Mo. Be not misled by the reunion shirt Hunt was wearing. It was the one from the 54th anniversary reunion held in 2000 at Chanute, Kansas.

 

Making amends for incomplete reporting: A hole was left in the last Flash Report big enough to drive a couple of dump trucks. In referring to the umpires of the KOM league, in 1950, the information was insufficient. A whole lot of time was spent digging into the background of both Paul Orr and James Cecil Johnson and the results are feature of this report

 

Stories in these Flash Reports are never planned—which is intuitively obvious, even to the most casual observer upon first glance. This issue just happened to boil down to former players for the 1950 Iola Indians and umpires in that league the same year.

 

In the last issue, Joe Gilbert was mentioned and he too was a member of the 1950 Iola club for one game.

 

This report commences with an Iola Indian who saw action in just one game.

______________________________________________________________________________

Bruce Millan—A long career

 

Some ballplayers appeared in a league for more than one team, in the same year, and very little is known about them. One such player was Bruce Millan. He was the property of the Chicago Cubs and was sent to Carthage in May of 1950. There wasn’t much chance of him playing with Carthage and the Chicago Cubs worked out an arrangement, in late May, for him to play for the Iola Indians.

 

In the May 31, 1950 edition of the Iola Register the proof of Millan showing up in Iola is contained in this manner. “Ed Simmons, new catcher on option from the Cubs, has been in four road games but has not appeared here. Bruce Millon (sp), a third baseman belonging to the Cubs, who reported with Simmons, became peeved over a personal matter after playing one game at Independence and left the Indians.”

 

Many years later Millan was finally tracked down. After explaining the reason for the contact, Millan confessed being with Carthage for a short time but had no recollection of ever being at Iola. Maybe, as the news article from May 31, 1950 stated, he was really peeved and wanted to forget the entire affair.

 

Here is the latest on a former, short-term, KOM league infielder.

 

Bruce Millan steps down a head of Detroit Repertory Theatre

 

www.broadwayworld.com/detroit/article/Bruce-Millan-Steps-...

 

The foregoing link contains a photo of the former Carthage and Iola shortstop during the 1950 season. The following two links are videos of him in recent years. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoZEIKjrmiE

 

www.facebook.com/DetroitRepertoryTheatre/videos/bruce-mil...

 

Detroit Repertory Theatre - a progressive, one-of-a-kind institution - is preparing for its first new director in its 61 years with a $500,000 fundraising campaign to support the transition and the theater's ongoing operations.

 

The Kresge Foundation Detroit Program has granted $50,000 to kick off the effort. Theater officials hope to complete the fundraising campaign over the next three years as artistic director Bruce Millan hands over the reins to current marketing and development director Leah Smith.

 

"The $500,000 in bridge funding is intended to stabilize finances over the next three years and ramp up staffing to sustain the theater well into the future," said Smith. "The current staff of five - two of which are unpaid positions - would expand to seven paid positions."

 

Smith, who has been with the theater since 2003, is now director-in-training and will take the helm when the transition team is fully ramped up.

 

"The goal is to make the transition as smooth and visionary as possible to ensure the existence of 'the Rep' for the generations ahead," said Smith, citing the theater's mandates, which include producing quality theater with indigenous professional artists, providing training, fostering neighborhood revitalization, bringing cultural enrichment to the uninitiated, and demonstrating the power of diversity acting in unity.

 

"As a native Detroiter it had always perplexed me that there wasn't theater that looked like and spoke to the people who live here, to the issues that are important to the people in this city. Then I found the Detroit Repertory Theatre and I knew instantly I had found my theater home. The founders of the Rep have created a unique Detroit cultural institution. I look forward to ensuring that the Repertory's important mission of producing indigenous, union, socially relevant and diversity-centered theater lives to celebrate its 100th anniversary season!"

 

"Detroit Repertory is a unique institution in Detroit, a rare institution in the country," says Kresge Detroit Program Managing Director Wendy Lewis Jackson. "This is a theater that committed itself to consistent onstage diversity long, long before it was fashionable. It's a theater that is in the community, engaged with the community and programming with the community in mind."

 

Detroit Repertory's commitment to diverse casting goes back to its beginnings as a children's theater, Millan recalled recently. This approach to casting was "unheard of back then," he said.

 

"It's about the belief that we're all human beings. If two people are sisters in a play and one happens to be black - as Martin Luther King said, it's the content of the character not the color of the skin. We've been a symbol not only in Detroit but nationally for our orientation, for fighting racism and the power of diversity," Millan said.

 

At 88, he is believed to be the longest-serving artistic director of a professional theater company in America, and the theater he heads is the oldest professional nonprofit theater in Michigan.

 

The theater has also made a notable commitment to remain in the west side Detroit neighborhood it has called home since the early 1960s. The 194-seat jewel is inside a former dry goods shop on Woodrow Wilson Street in the shadow of the Lodge Freeway (M-10).

 

In that location, it has remained committed to high-quality production values, new playwrights, interracial casting and moderate ticket prices meant to keep the theater accessible to a broad public.

_____________________________________________________________________________

A late arriving note about another member of the 1950 Iola Indians.

 

Leo Albert Kedzierski—A guy who never bunted

www.legacy.com/obituaries/app/obituary.aspx?n=leo-kedzier...

 

Old Bridge - Leo Kedzierski, age 89 of Old Bridge (New Jersey) passed away Monday June 10, 2019 at the Venetian Care Center. Born in South Amboy Leo had resided in the state his whole life. Before his retirement Leo was employed as a marketing specialist with Ace Wire and Cable Marketing in Rahway. Leo was a proud veteran serving his country in the US Army as well as serving his community as a councilman for 2 years on Sayreville's Borough Council. Mr. Kedzierski will be best remembered for his time spent playing minor league baseball for Kansas City. He was an avid tennis player, bike rider, jogger and reader. Leo will be truly missed by all who knew him.

 

He is predeceased by his wife Trudy Kedzierski. Surviving are his daughter and son in-law Jill and David Zacek, his grandchildren Derek and Courtney Kwiatkowski, his daughter and son-in-law Kim and Jack Hulsart and their sons Jack and Christopher Hulsart, , his sister Jane Wortley, his cousin Joan Murphy as well as many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

 

Calling hours at The Carmen F Spezzi Funeral Home, 15 Cherry Lane, Parlin, NJ 08859 will be Thursday from 3pm to 7pm. Funeral services will take place Friday 9:45am from the funeral home with a 10:30am Funeral Mass being offered at St. Mary's, South Amboy, burial to follow at St Mary's Cemetery, South Amboy. Letters of condolence, complete funeral details and directions may be found on spezzifuneralhome.com

Published in Home News Tribune on June 12, 2019

 

Comments about Kedzierski

 

Upon receiving a tip from baseball necrologist, Jack Morris, the obituary was read and my immediate reaction was to contact Warren Liston. Kedzierski and Liston were teammates with both the Iola, Kansas Indians and the Enid, Oklahoma Buffaloes.

 

This section is going to attempt to major on Kedzierski with a lot of input received over the past 25 years from Liston and others being interspersed.

 

Upon his birth June 20, 1929 Kedzierski and his mother were living with her parents, Viola and Michale Baczynksi in South Amboy, New Jersey. At first glance it appeared that Leo’s father was not on the scene but in the 1940 Census it showed him, his father, mother and seven year old sister living in the same house.

 

Kedzierski was an all-around athlete and by 1946 he was listed as a second team all-county basketball player at St. Mary’s, high school in South Amboy. He also excelled in baseball and by 1948 he was on a semi-pro team that included Johnny and Eddie O’Brien, Ray Stockton and Jack McKeon. The O’Brien’s were All-American class basketball stars and took their talent to the west coast where they performed for Seattle University. After finishing college both signed bonus contacts with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Links to O’Brien’s --https://www.google.com/search?q=johnny+and+eddie+o%27brien&oq=Johnny+and+Eddi&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.8007j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

Here are some links to Jack McKeon. www.google.com/search?q=jack+mckeon&oq=Jack+mckeon&am...

 

One name that probably doesn’t stand out to baseball experts is Ray Stockton. After performing for the 1948 amateur team, in South Amboy, he was signed to a Class C contract by the Topeka, Kansas Owls and immediately sent to the Miami, Oklahoma Owls. One of the great things he accomplished, in 1949, was throwing a no-hitter and the greatest thing that happened was he donated the game ball to the KOM League “Hall of Fame,” when he found out someone was remembering an old league that went out of existence when Harry Truman exited the White House. The no-hit game ball resides very close to the spot where this report is being prepared.

 

An article in the South Amboy-Sayerville Times of April 25, 1998 paid tribute to the 50th anniversary of some of the accomplishments of St. Mary’s High School “Sister Mary Loretta was principal and some of the favorite teachers were; Sr. Helene, Sr. Celeste, Sr. Cleophas, Sr. Paula, Sr. Norine, Sr. Virginia, Father Coan, Fr. Gunner, and Fr. Toomey...The basketball team was one of the finest in the school's history, as was the baseball nine. Jack & Ed

O'Brien, Ray Stockton, and Jack McKeon were big guns on both clubs, and all went on

to become professional baseball players”

 

Playing third base for the South Amboy All-Stars in 1948 was Leo Kedzierski. The All-Stars entered the All-American Amateur Baseball Association tournament in Johnstown, Penn.. That tournament drew baseball scouts from many major league organizations and the New York Giants tendered a contract offer to Kedzierski. In 1949 he was the property of Erie, Penn. of the Class C Middle Atlantic league. Erie, decided to send him to Lawton, Okla. of the Sooner State league and after a short spell, in Oklahoma, Kedzierski was off to Rehoboth Beach, Maryland.

 

1949 ended Kedzierski’s time with the Giants. Not having any prospects he most likely had a conversation with Ray Stockton who had been the property of the Topeka Owls at the same time he had been in the Giants chain.

 

During the spring of 1950 Kedzierski made the trek to Topeka and made the team. He played for the Owls for about three weeks and on May 13 a KOM star was born. He hit most everything that was thrown his way except for the offerings of Carthage’s big right-hander, Paul Hoffmeister. Kedzierski told the Iola Register sportswriter that he couldn’t hit they guy and in attempting to do so broke two bats and grounded into a double play in a recent trip to Carthage.

 

Aside from Hoffmeister, Kedzierski hit most others pitchers and his batting average soared to league leading levels. It was as high as .355 when disaster struck He was hit in the head by a pitched ball and it was reported he had a “slight skull fracture.” That may have been akin to a “little garlic” or a “little bit pregnant.” The blow to the head kept him out of the lineup for nearly three weeks and upon his return to the lineup he suffered a sprained ankle which affected his overall ability to perform at a peak level. On top of that he received word that a coastal storm had damaged his home back in New Jersey.

 

However, Kedzierski kept going for a team that went through 56 roster players. For teams like that if you didn’t give an all-out effort it meant that anyone was expendable. He wound up with hitting .313 just .006 percentage points behind Stan Gwinn of Ponca City and .0061 behind Independence, Kansas player/manager Bunny Mick. His batting average was nearly a mirror image of what Mickey Mantle had hit the previous year at Independence.

 

When the 1950 season concluded it was believed by league statisticians that he was the league’s batting champion. However, in going through the final statistics it was found he was third among those playing in 100 or more games. It didn’t matter much at that time for he had told the Iola press that he was going to continue his education at Seton Hall Univ. and that he had attended Fordham prior to playing in the KOM league.

 

What Kedzierski accomplished at Iola was getting the attention of another major league organization In the winter meetings at Miami, Florida in December of 1950 he was drafted by a Pittsburgh Pirate affiliate, Waco, Texas of the Big State league. He was so great a prospect at the time that he brought $800 on the draft market.

 

When the 1951 spring drills rolled around he was a member of the Hutchinson, Kansas Elks another Western Association club, like the one he was with at Topeka to start the 1950 season. In a repeat of 1950 Kedzierski was sent to a KOM league team. He and Robert “Brandon” Davis left a team that included future big leaguers; Bobby Del Greco and Tony Bartirome and wound up in Bartlesville, Oklahoma with future big leaguer, Ronnie Kline.

 

Before the 1951 season concluded Kline and Davis were on their way to the big leagues via New Orleans and Kedzierski was on his way a bit west to Enid, Oklahoma, another Western Association outfit, where he wound up with some of his 1950 Iola teammates—Warren Liston and Howard Hunt. During at least one game the Enid outfield consisted of three former Iola players—Liston, Kedzierski and Jerry Whalen from the 1949 team.

 

During the winter of 1951 the Great Falls, Montana club of the Pioneer league drafted Kedzierski, for $300, from the Enid club and he reported to that team’s minor league training site at Columbia, South Carolina on April 16, 1952. Great Falls was an affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers managed by Lou Rochelli. That spring ended the professional baseball career of Kedzierski. But…the memories lived on.

 

The rest of the Leo Kedzierski story---or part of it, anyway.

 

Some 20 years ago Yours truly spent many hours traveling to the Kansas City area to speak at public libraries about the KOM league. The following is an excerpt from a KOM League Flash Report from March 25, 1999. It is lengthy so don’t stop until the narrative states that is has ended

 

That is a segue into a synopsis of the first two legs of the "KOM League I-70 Tour." The Kansas City Star with Rich Sambol got the tour off on the right foot. Rich ran a second page story a week ago Monday which most of you were advised about by my faithful secretary, me. On Thursday the 18th of March, 1999 Don Fortune of KMBZ radio in Kansas City gave me about 15 minutes of airtime and the tour publicity campaign was in full swing.

 

Publicizing these events is very important to the players. They want to know when the events are to be held so that they can hone their excuses and be sure and be out of town or otherwise occupied on those days.

 

March 18th was the site of the KOM League Program at Liberty, MO. The prospects of drawing a crowd weren’t good since no one signed up prior to the event. However, I convinced the library to let me attend anyway and two former KOM Leaguers showed up bringing with them some former Ban Johnson players from the Kansas City area. Lee Goodpasture of the 1947 Independence Yankees was there as was Warren Liston. Warren favored the crowd with his

vocal rendition of "Leo Kedzierski Never Bunts."

 

The March 23rd tour was hosted by the Blue Springs, MO Branch of the Mid-Continent Library System. The battery for the 1949 Independence Yankees showed up. Bob Newbill and Al Long sat on the front row and paid attention for over an hour. Another former KOM Leaguer showed up wearing a Dakota Rattler baseball team insignia on his shirt. He shook hands and said, "You know me." I shook back and said, "No I don't." He said, "I played at Iola in 1950." I retorted, "Are you Bill Hahn?" I said that for Hahn lives a short distance from that library. He said, "Guess again." I said, "Willie Sharp."

 

So during this session we talked about a lot of people and Willie Sharp was called upon to sing his version of "Leo Kedzierski Never Bunts." You know what? I now know that Warren Liston, Ray Khoury, Howie Hunt and Willie Sharp all knew Leo and that they must have worn the poor guy out singing that song. If you have never heard the Leo Kedzierski stories let me know and I will put you in touch with his 1950 teammates at Iola.

 

It just so happened that at the same time I was speaking with all of Leo's Iola teammates on my "I-70 Tour" the following e-mail came in from South Amboy, New Jersey. "John, Today I discovered another one of our locals, Leo Kedzierski played for your league in 1950, on the Topeka team.

 

According to my 1951 Sporting News Official Baseball Guide, he went only 8 for 40, a .200

avg. He went to the same high school as Ray Stockton, and was a cross-town rival with Rudy Neumann as you well know both alumni of KOM league battles. He remembers playing against Mantle, and said Mick batted righty against Topeka's American lefty pitcher, and blasted a double off the wall in rightfield, and in his next at bat with a righty on the hill, batted lefty

and blasted another ball to the exact same spot off the wall. Did Leo also play in KOM in '49 or '51? Do you have any other info on Kedzierski? Thank You, & Be Well, Tom Burkard

 

*****

I felt compelled to respond to the e-mail from Mr. Burkard and penned the following which maybe some of you guys can add your memories. Do I have any information on Leo Kedzierski?

 

"I wouldn't know where to start. I have had two programs at libraries in Kansas City in the past five days and four of his former teammates showed up.

 

Without a moment’s hesitation they can all sing, word for word and on key the hit tune, "Leo Kedzierski Never Bunts."

 

Never was there ever a more intense young hitter than Leo. He hated making an out worse than any hitter in KOM League lore. Ask Leo if he remembers Warren Liston, Howie Hunt, Dave Newkirk, Pudge Coulter and Willie Sharp. From that juncture Leo will become lucid when in days of yore he would have become livid. Willie Sharp told me last night that they all expected Leo to be the first man in space and that without benefit of a launch vehicle.

 

Leo was a .300 hitter if there ever was one. His temper, however, was uncontrollable. If a teammate would get a bloop single or some hit like that they would look back into the dugout and he would pick up anything he could find and start making kindling out of those wooden dugouts. I can't tell you all the Leo stories, but to say he loved to hit is an understatement.

 

Willie Sharp lives in Kansas City and he also told me last night that he roomed with Leo because no one else would. Leo was hitting over .300 in 1950 until he got hurt. His average fell afterwards.

 

This is Leo's playing career.

• Leo Kedzierski-(OF-3B) South Amboy, NJ Reported 5/13/50

1949 Lawton, OK Sooner State League and Rehoboth, DE Eastern Shore League.

1950 Topeka, KS Western Association and Iola, Kansas KOM League.. 1951

Bartlesville, OK KOM League and Hutchinson, KS-Enid, OK Western

Association. 1956 South Amboy, NJ Athletics State Championship Semi-Pro

team.

 

If you talk with Leo asked him how he liked the music in Iola. He called all the music in the Midwest "hillbilly" and all the cities, including Kansas City, hick towns.

 

Leo was a very bright guy and I have spoken with him in recent years and he is the calmest guy you ever heard. In fact, he will deny that he ever displayed all those antics like breaking up dugouts when he struck out. However, I have about 30 guys who could tell you stories that would fill a book.

 

The guys have been trying to get Leo to come to one of our reunions. I can assure him of one thing that if he does, Ray Khoury, Warren Liston, Dave Newkirk and Howard Hunt will sing that song about him."

 

*****

Okay, that 1999 Flash Report just concluded.

 

In my recent contact with Warren Liston I learned what has happened in his life since we had the final KOM league league reunion over a decade ago. For those of you who attended the reunions I learned that his wife Delores passed away in July of 2018. Everyone loved Delores. For those who knew Delores this is a link to her obituary.. www.marybutlermeyers.com/notices/Delores-Liston

 

Liston spends most of his time reading which he does in a profuse manner. He reads six to seven books a week and they are not of the “light” variety. He is a student of WWII and also enjoys spy thrillers. He claims the only two places he goes these days is to Wal-Mart on Saturday’s and to the library once a week. In our conversation he remarked he had to go to Wal-Mart later in the day. I reminded him it was Wednesday. He replied “What did you say your name is?” Yep, he hasn’t lost his sense of humor.

 

Had it not been for so much material on Leo Kedzierski there would have been more stories shared of my conversation with Liston. Early readers of my seldom read works will recognize Liston for some of the funny letters he used to pen to this forum on old yellow sheets of typing paper that he used when he was a police beat reporter for the Kansas City Star.

 

In upcoming issues some of the stories shared by Liston in our conversation will be featured if there is any interest. He verified at his young age of 92 what most people have known since Abner Doubleday first saw the light of a baseball field. Baseball players like two things, playing the game and girls and not necessarily in that order.

 

One riddle Liston shared concerned jelly beans. He and his teammates, on a KOM league club, were always baffled by their manager purchasing a large amount of those sugary treats just before the team headed home from a road trip. Finally, Liston asked his skipper why he did so. The answer he received was funny but logical. The jelly beans were for his children but how they were distributed and why is the clever aspect of the story. Anyone have a guess as to what happened? I may share the “official” answer next time.

 

Well, this has gone on long enough. However, I know that someone must have wondered how the song “Leo Kedzierski Never Bunts” went. Not daring to try it on my own, contact was made with Liston’s daughter who told me when I called her dad that she remembered Leo Kedzierski and she had a 29 –year old nephew who did by virtue of stories Liston, his grandfather, had shared with him.

 

Thus, I made a request to Jennifer to have her dad sing that song and here is her reply.

 

“Well, he sang it for me this afternoon. As far as I can tell, it was pretty much to the tune of, "In the Good Old Summertime," and the words were, "Leo Kedzierski never bunts, oh, Kedzierski never bunts, he swings and swings and swings all day, but Kedzierski never bunts."

 

However, when he sang it again later, it was a slightly different tune. I'm trying to get his grandson Josh to record it for posterity. I hope his family has as sense of humor! You sure brightened Dad's day, he talked all afternoon!

 

Parting shot:

 

It is great talking with someone and making their day brighter. It doesn’t happen that I do that very often. Liston also recalled Bruce Millan’s short stay with the Iola Indians in 1950. If you didn’t read the first article in this report you will have to return there to understand what was just referenced.

___________________________________________________________________________

A fan letter from Shawnee, Kansas

 

Hi John: Hope things are well these days with you and Noel. Surely too hot, too early, for me though. Sure never used to bother me in those "good YOUNGER days" but just don’t tolerate it well anymore. Think OLD has any bearing on that?

 

Seems like a good day to hit the old keyboard and reminisce a bit, especially after reading your great June 4 Milestone Edition last night. Must say I believe I enjoyed that one perhaps more than any previous. In fact I have put it in my Archives of laptop to save so just hope I did it correctly as have never used that feature before.

 

There were obviously several topics and entries of interest in that edition but the one which really attracted my attention was the reference to Billy Jack Cornsilk. With that comment, let me digress a bit. You might remember way back shortly after we met at the Red Bridge Library on that fateful Saturday afternoon, I learned about your "bible," Majoring In The Minors. You made reference to it and I was immediately fascinated by your description of the subject matter.

 

For my lifetime I have always been an avid reader of books.(No Kindle or other electronic media for me either---I want a real book in my hands, no preference of paperback over hardcover!).

 

Not sure exactly how I proceeded but do know I went online and must have been eBay as I know I ordered a used copy. (I have shared this with you previously I am sure.) It was located in Illinois. Not sure what I paid but it was a bargain for sure. When it arrived, it is in MINT condition. Paperback. But then when opened it I was shocked to find a copy of a lead pencil image of BJC, whom I had never heard of at that time. It is literally "perfect and beautiful". Then I looked further in the front of the book and discovered more. You yourself had autographed the copy (487/500) and sent it to one Don Bigelow in New Castle, Ohio. (Is he still living?) There was also a one-page letter from you typed on KOM League Remembered letterhead and dated September 3, 1997. And you enclosed a copy of a KOM League newsletter.

 

NOTE: I am not sure now how the book got from Don in Ohio to the seller in Illinois, although I seem to recollect contacting the seller for that info and seems he told me perhaps had purchased at an estate sale or something similar. Also included in that book was a copy of your letter of September 26, 1997 with the correct picture of BJC to place on page 289 of the book. (Actually when I looked that up right now I find it was actually page 280. And when I went there, that picture had in fact already been placed there over the original of another, Wayne Wiley.

I suddenly realized today I have never sat down and fully read the book cover to cover. So, in your honor (that has a nice ring to it!) it shall be my next "read.".

 

Just finished the latest one last evening, a thriller by Ken Follett, one of my favs. So now a thriller from John G Hall!!!

 

When I pulled the book from my bookcase this morning and opened it I also found two other "keepsakes" from my archives. One is a clipping from the Chanute Tribune 50 Years Ago column from April 15, 2000. The short blurb from 4-15-1950 reads as follows: "Sponsors of local baseball and softball teams met last night to begin a search for ways to alleviate the crowding at the town's one ball diamond, located at City Park. Not only is the diamond subject to occasional flooding, it also is expected to provide space for games of the Sunday School league, the merchants league, the junior college teams, the Chanute Athletics of the KOM professional league, and the American Legion teams."

 

Of course this is the current Katy Park and the ball diamond is now Paul Lindblad Stadium. Concrete grandstands and storage areas underneath are still original. Today it is under several feet of water from that mean and nasty old Neosho River. In the great flood of 1951, my family had 7 FEET of water IN our home, which was located about 4 blocks northwest of the park. My grandfather, Mr. Rollo Usher, longtime blacksmith in Chanute, lived directly across Main Street north of the entrance to the park and had more water than that. Terrible memories.

The other item in the book was a handwritten note from "The Coach", the wonderful and great Sam Dixon. He had heard about you and me connecting and was hoping he and wife "Babs" would be seeing me soon.

 

There were also several emails written by Don Bigelow to berlin@cwnet.com, which I think was BJC? Very interesting reading.

 

I note in last night's edition you mention that Cornsilk is still living in Calif? I think I did contact him one time just to let him know I had that pencil drawing and believe he even replied but not sure.

 

Now one more thing before you shut this thing down from boredom. You might remember I have told you of a Chanute high school classmate who moved to Albuquerque at the end of our sophomore years. Rodney Siever---his father was the John Deere dealer in Chanute back in late 50's, early 60's. He was an avid St Louis Cards fan and overall baseball fan as was I. For all these years we have maintained constant contact mainly regarding the sports part of life. Both of us are soured on baseball in today's age but the old days still enthrall us. He is a retired history prof at Humboldt State University in Arcata, Cal (Redwood country near Oregon line). At one time, many years ago he offered a non-credit course at HSU entitled "Baseball History 101". Only one class per semester and ALWAYS full!! He sent me a copy of the final exam one year---I flunked it flat out!!

 

Anyway, I have talked to Rod many, many times about you and the KOM, which he vaguely remembers being in Chanute. I have also sent him occasional copies of Flash Reports. He has been fascinated. Well, John, today I rewarded him----after last night’s edition I decided to go on Amazon. Unbelievable, I found a USED copy of M in the M In EXCELLENT condition for the absolute bargain price of $11.69 plus postage. I purchased it and am having it shipped to him as a surprise. He will spend weeks and months delving on every sentence, page and picture I assure you. There were others on there also but out of my budget---Retired Budget.

 

Think that is it for now John. When you awake from your boredom nap, maybe you can finish reading this diatribe.

 

Thanks for all you do and have done for so many OLD ball players, who enjoyed the game for what it meant to them, and that was not $$$$.

 

Your fan in Shawnee, KS (transplanted from Chanute, KS) by way of detour to Pittsburg, KS and Kansas State College (now my alma mater Pittsburg State University!) Go Gorillas!! Casey Casebolt

 

Ed comment:

 

About the only thing that was replied to regarding that e-mail was the fact that the original owner of the KOM book, Don Bigelow, died shortly after receiving it. Bigelow and Billy Jack Cornsilk served in the US Air Force during the Korean War.

 

Casebolt got back in touch regarding some sightings of the first book written about the KOM league and sent along the following “asking prices.”

 

John---a correction and some interesting info. I found this cheaper copy on Amazon this morning, not EBay. I looked under "paperback" only. Here are some figures as just looked again and wrote down.

 

9 USED

$60.73 to $150.00

 

3 NEW

$154.00 to $1294.00

 

1 COLLECTIBLE

$40.00

 

Ed comment:

 

To that listing a note was sent to Casebolt that I’d sure like to see the $1294 issue. That thing must have been dipped in gold after it left my basement. Also, it was pointed out that there isn’t a “New” issue of that book anywhere, so, if anyone makes such a claim they are fibbing.

______________________________________________________________________________

Updating last report

 

In the previous issue of this report the umpires from 1950 were recognized. To my chagrin I wasn’t very kind to the memories of Paul Zane Orr and James Cecil “Zeke” Johnson who was referenced as Carl instead of Cecil.

 

So, for those who have any interest this is a bit of background on two umpires from 1950

 

***

Paul Zane Orr

 

In the last issue, Orr was said to have been born in Missouri. Indeed he was. He first saw the light of day on December, 1, 1916 at Weaubleau, Missouri which is located in Hickory County, Mo. Yours truly has passed through there many times and always called it “Way below.”

 

Upon announcing the umpires for the 1950 season all the newspaper accounts stated that Orr was from Buffalo, New York. That is the way it appeared in my database for 25 years until research was undertaken last week. As a young boy Orr’s father died and he, his mother and much older sister moved to Buffalo, Mo. some 43 miles from Weaubleau. There he stayed until the start of WW II. (Joe Gilbert, mentioned in the last report was also from Buffalo. I’m guessing Orr and Gilbert didn’t know each other but will find out when Gilbert reads this issue.)

 

By 1943 Paul Zane Orr’s name showed up on ship manifests. Some of these ships were troop ships—USAT’s- for the U. S. Army-- such as the George Washington. From 1943-to the end of WW II, Orr’s name was also on the manifest of U. S. Wisteria. After the War he was on the Alexander M. Patch and the Marine Jumper. The Marine Jumper sailed from Naples, Italy on Nov. 21, 1949 to New York City.

 

It appears that Orr was ready to get off the high seas and at the age of 34 he decided to embark on an umpiring career. Someone may be able to locate the exact place but he either attended and graduated from the George Barr or Bill McGowan school of umpiring.

 

Whether Orr decided to go back to the big ships or Uncle Sam determined that for him, at the onset of the Korean War, he was on the manifest of the U. S. General George Callan by November 5, 1951. Through 1956 Orr’s name is found on the manifests of: U. S. General Simon Buckner, General R. M. Blatchford, U. S. General W. F. Hase, U. S. General Harry Taylor and the General Edmund B. Alexander.

 

During a thirteen year span it isn’t difficult to ascertain what Orr did aside from one year as a KOM league umpire. He first served as a waiter on the George Washington and then was an oiler, fireman, evaporator utility man and a water tender while on board ship.

 

From 1956 until August 20, 1991 confession is made that Yours truly has no idea what occupied Paul Zane Orr’s waking hours. However, on the last date mentioned he passed away in Los Angeles, California.

 

A bit of trivia: Another former KOM leaguer was from Weaubleau, Missouri. His name was John Hartley Williams born March 9, 1925. He was a catcher for the 1950 Iola Indians. During the games he caught and Orr called the balls and strikes, the town of Weaubleau was “behind every batter.” It would have been great to speak with Williams to learn if he and Orr knew of their mutual connection but he passed away on August 23, 1985 in Kansas City.

 

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James Cecil “Zeke” Johnson

 

On March 4, 1893 James Cecil “Zeke” Johnson entered the world at Webb City, Mo. His father was a lead and zinc miner and thus the family moved wherever the ore was in most abundance. Thus “Zeke” lived in Purcell (1910) and Neosho, MO along with Commerce, Oklahoma. (Know anyone by that name who ever lived there?)

 

On June 15, 1917 Zeke registered for the draft and listed his birth place as Webb City, MO on March 4, 1892. At the that time he listed his residence as Commerce, OK and lived on River Street. His place of employment was the Sullivan Mining Company and his occupation was “job engineer.” Three years later, 1920, he had moved to a boarding house on South Vine St. in Commerce and he was listed as being a Hoisterman at the zinc mine.

 

It is pretty obvious Zeke worked around the mining communities most of his life with a few breaks in the action to spend time both playing and umpiring in professional baseball. The Coffeyville, Kansas Daily Dawn in a September 20, 1924 edition mentioned that he had been signed by the Enid, Oklahoma Harvesters, of the Southwestern league as a catcher. The article stated that he had earlier been an umpire in the old Southeastern league which would have placed him there between 1910-12.

 

By 1930 Zeke was a patient at the Bone and Joint Hospital in Tulsa. When the Census was taken his occupation was listed as a painter. By 1940 he was listed as being a laborer foreman in Bonneau, South Carolina. However, he was back in the Midwest by 1942 and residing at 822 Byers St. in Joplin. He commuted to Neosho, MO where he worked for Tarleton-McDonald Construction company. When signing up for the WW II draft his age was listed as 49 but his birthdate was listed as March 4, 1893 compared to the WW I draft card where he had placed his year of birth as 1892. At this time he was 5’ 10 ½” tall, weighing 200 pound with gray hair. ruddy complexion and have a scar on his left ankle. That scar was most likely the reason he was in the Tulsa Bone Hospital in 1930.

 

Johnson was an umpire not only in the Southeastern league around 1912 but he also worked Western Association games in 1928 when he was still residing in Commerce, Okla. In 1948 and 1949 he worked in the Western Association. He started the 1950 season in the Cotton States league but was there a short time. He returned to Joplin also worked one series in May of 1950 on an emergency basis during an Iola/Independence series.

 

When the Cardinal Junior league was formed, in 1946, Zeke was one of the first umpires selected. That league featured the Baxter Springs Whiz Kids, Alba Aces et. al., and if I have to tell people who played in that league as aspiring ballplayers I have failed horribly over the years in writing about the Mantle and Boyer families.

 

Over the years Zeke kept up with baseball while working in other areas such as stone crushing. He was affiliated with Harold Youngman who operated the Baxter Springs, Kansas Chat Company. Youngman was the gentleman who befriended Merlyn and Mickey Mantle and built the Holiday Inn, in Joplin and placed Mantle’s name on the marquee as the owner.

 

When Joe Dean “Red “ Crowder, baseball legend from Seneca, Missouri drowned in 1953 a large tribute was planned. A baseball game was planned to raise money for Crowder, a Mantle teammate with Independence and Joplin and opponent with the Seneca, Mo. Indians from 1946 through 1948 in Gabby Street and Cardinal Junior league baseball. The game was scheduled when Mantle could both manage and play in the games. He returned from the 1953 World Series that ended on Thursday and headed for Joplin arriving in time for the game on Sunday.

 

Baseball stars from the Arkansas-Missouri-Kansas-Oklahoma area were all invited to play and it was sort of a “Who’s Who.” affair. However, one thing that the organizers of the event demanded was excellence in umpiring. This is a quote from the Oct. 15, 1953 edition of the Joplin Globe. “Zeke Johnson, colorful and veteran umpire of the KOM and Western Association told (Joe) Becker, in a telephone conversation earlier this week that ‘If it’s the last bit of umpiring I do, I want to work the Joe Crowder benefit game. I worked behind Joe in both the KOM and Western Association and he never griped about one of my calls.’ Johnson formerly lived in Joplin. He now lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas and is a powder explosions expert at a plant near Fayetteville.”

 

On November 5, 1964 the Joplin Globe carried the news that James Cecil “Zeke” Johnson died November 2 and that the Rev. Thurman D. Kelley would officiate and burial would be in Ozark Memorial Park Cemetery. In a twist of fate Johnson and Barney Barnett of the Baxter Springs Whiz Kids, who were friends in life, died twelve years to the date apart. Rev. Kelley officiated hundreds of funerals during his tenure at the Forest Park Baptist Church. He had officiated at the Joe Crowder funeral eleven years previous to the death of Zeke.

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Mercifully, that’s all

 

Done