KOM League Flash Report for 10/1/2019

The KOM League

Flash Report

for

October 1. 2019

(Sent a day early, don’t open until the 1st)

 

The obituary of a very familiar name appears in this edition. In fact, it is very close to home. Read it and see why. When you run across it you’ll know why.

 

This photo is posted at: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/48822993022/

This photo was one of many shared with Barbara Wade the wife of Gale of the same last name who played in the KOM league with a Dodger team and in the big leagues with the Chicago Cubs. Barbara is an artist and recently asked for photos of canaries, honey bees, bumble bees and sunflowers. So, if the effort of writing newsletters is not a big hit among the masses at least some of the photos are.

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Identifying the fate of a former KOM leaguer—Independence Yankee shortstop-1947

 

When playing for the 1947 Independence Yankees he was known as Jerry Sullivan. He also played for Fond du lac, Wisc. that same year and the Baseball Reference shows his name as George Sullivan. However, his full name was Gerald Edward Sullivan.

 

For many years I was aware that he was a native of St. Paul, Minnesota and that he passed away around 1980. That information was provided by at least four of his former Yankee minor league teammates.

 

In recent days I decided to delve a little deeper into Sullivan’s background. He was born July 21, 1927 and graduated from high school in the spring of 1945. On July 20th of that year he joined the United States Marine Corps. In the spring of 1947 he commenced a one year career that spanned about 60 games almost equally divided between Fond du lac of the Northern and Independence of the KOM leagues. The first part of that summer was spent in the Northern league and he reported to Independence on August 7th.

 

Sullivan passed away on November 28, 1976 and was buried at Ft. Snelling Military Cemetery in Minneapolis.

 

Another 1948 Independence Yankee’s fate documented

 

For a quarter century a search was undertaken to locate Bruce Otto Schroeder. He started out with the 1948 KOM league Yankee affiliate but was soon sent to McAlester, Okla. where he enjoyed a great season.

 

Schroeder was a left-handed pitcher from Salt Lake City who was born 13 days before Christmas in 1925. However by the time he returned from his service, in the United State Navy, he had lost two years on his age and he claimed to have been born, you guessed it, in 1927.

 

When clicking around on the internet recently the name Robert Bruce Otto Schroeder was located. It was found in regard to his final resting place. When inserting the name, just cited, this tombstone information was found:

Name: Bruce O. Schroeder

SIC U. S. Navy WW II

Dec. 12, 1925---October 8, 2013

Inscription on tombstone partially obscured by grass read; “Baseball Star Marries Jerome Girl.”

That inscription obviously referenced the girl he married was from Jerome, Idaho.

 

Bruce served in the Navy from Nov. 1, 1944 to May 19, 1946. He played professional baseball in both 1948 with Independence and McAlester and then in 1949 was assigned to Twin Falls, Idaho of the Pioneer league. By 1950 he was called back into the Navy and spent time there through 1951. In 1952 he resumed his career in with Greenville in the Tri-State league and then was released to Anderson in the same circuit. Anderson was a Browns farm team and by that time the “Baseball Star” called it quits. After his baseball career he worked as a plumber. He was another player who had talent and fell into the “what if” category. What if there hadn’t been a Korean War? He stated, in 1948, that he was thrown in the brig, while in WW II, for leaving his ship to play baseball while in Hawaii.

 

Schroeder passed away in Boise, Idaho and is buried at the Idaho State Veterans Cemetery. If you would like to witness his tombstone click on this URL www.findagrave.com/memorial/187406884

 

An article was found in the August 10, 1948 of the McAlester newspaper reporting that Schroeder had pitched a no-hitter for eight innings against Pauls Valley and gave up a single to Bob Hyatt in the 9th inning. That was the only hit Pauls Valley had that evening. In 1947 Hyatt had played for Bartlesville, Okla. of the KOM league. By virtue of that Hyatt became one of the hundreds of players tracked over the years. A few years ago his daughter was located and she sent me a book her father had written about his minor league career. It’s title is memorable…”The Keys to the Batter’s Box.” Of course, it was a joke pulled on every young batboy who was told by the players to go to the manager and ask for them.

 

With the passing of Schroeder the remaining members of the 1947 Independence Yankees are John M. Bachar, Robert Ehrlich, Andrew Ray Goldkamp, Richard Pertzborn, William McProuty and Gerald Winton “Sven” Schold. The youngest members of this group are 92 and the others 95. They live in the states of California, Washington, Missouri, West Virginia, Iowa and Florida. Getting this group together for a reunion would be a monumental task.

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A look back at the life of the late John Hall

 

During the baseball season of 1948 there was a young boy in Carthage, Missouri who had never witnessed a professional baseball game. He had been introduced to the game by the husband of a first cousin of the nine-year old. That introduction came by virtue of having the kid listen to a couple of guys by the names of Harry Caray and Gabby Street announce the games of a team in St. Louis that went by the name of Cardinals. As the husband of the first cousin worked around the house of the neophyte baseball listener the score of the game would be passed along to the much older man upon each request he made.

 

Much of what Caray and Street said went right over the head of the young boy but their verbal accounts of what was transpiring was fascinating. The youngster had a second cousin who was the visiting team batboy for the teams that came to Carthage and it was soon learned it too was called “The Cardinals” and was somehow affiliated with the team in St. Louis. The first baseball bat the nine-year ever owned was given him by his second cousin but that didn’t matter. It was a real bat.

 

As the summer progressed the young man listened to St. Louis Cardinal games and learned a few more things about baseball and also that Gabby Street had planned to visit Carthage for a game and sit in the radio booth and make a few comments around the 7th inning. That news spread to the young boy’s uncle. He told the youngster’s mother that he would take the kid to the game to see Gabby Street if he could get off work in time. The mother told her son not to get his hopes build up too high for her brother was the only air-conditioning repairman in town and that during the hot days of summer he was always on call.

 

Well, the young man dressed up in his Sunday best and waited for an uncle who never made it. The no-show brought the young man to tears so instead of going out to the ball park to see Gabby Street he turned on KDMO 1490 on the dial and listened to Jim King announce a game between the Ponca City Dodgers and the Carthage Cardinals. Gabby Street did come on the air during the 7th inning stretch and tell the fans how fortunate they were to see major league ballplayers in the making.

 

So, that is the end of that story, right? You be the judge. Some 47 years later the young man who didn’t get to attend the Dodger-Cardinal game in 1948 embarked upon a project to memorialize that league.

 

When leafing through the pages of the Carthage Evening Press, some 47 years later, the now not so young man, found an account of a game where Gabby Street showed up to be honored by the local team. With great excitement the account of that game was read and the box score had a surprise. It showed the starting pitcher as “Hall.” The reader of that article searched some more to determine if the pitcher was Don Hall or John Hall. It turned out to be John and that was as exciting to the young pitcher from 1948 as it was discouraging for the boy who had missed the game that year. He had shut out Carthage 2-0 earlier that season.

 

Not long after making that discovery, John William “Bucky” Hall was located in Sarasota, Florida. In making contact with “Bucky” it was revealed that the fellow calling him had lived with the disappointment that John Hall never got to attend the game in 1948 with his uncle but in fact that he, John “Bucky” Hall, had pitched that evening. Bucky interjected he beat Carthage that night 2-0. Oh, what a great tale that would have been. But, after all those years I had to inform Bucky he lost 3-2.

 

In fact, Bucky Hall never recalled Gabby Street being at a game in Carthage. His memory was of another big league manager, Burt Shotten. He said that on July 15 of that 1948 season something was going in New York. Mel Ott resigned as manager of the New York Giants and upon learning this Leo Durocher asked to be released from his managerial role with the Brooklyn Dodgers to take over the helm with the Giants. Before the game on July 15th the Dodgers called Shotten, who was in Ponca City looking over the talent. Instead of seeing the Ponca City Dodgers for a few days he was in the dugout of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

 

Over the years Bucky Hall and his wife Anne attended numerous KOM events and he always told the story about the John Hall who wanted to see that game in 1948 and had to give way to another John Hall who was the pitcher of record in that contest.

 

In recent weeks a conversation with Dick McCoy, a teammate with Bucky at Ponca City asked if I had heard any news on that front. I told him I hadn’t but would check. Both McCoy and I figured he was probably in a nursing home.

 

Upon finding the 13-month obituary on Bucky Hall it was shared with baseball necrologist, Jack Morris and Molly and Dick McCoy. Mollie replied “We were surprised to hear about John Hall’s. Death I talked with him some time before his passing. Sorry we didn't get to send his children a card of our sympathy for him. Thanks for letting us know.” Morris responded thusly; “We missed this obituary. Thanks for sending it along.” In this case “we” is a group of people who monitor the media for news of the death of former professional baseball players.

 

Following is the obituary for the former Ponca City Dodger.

 

John William (Bucky) Hall passed away in Sarasota, Florida, on August 24, 2018.

www.homerfuneralhome.com/obituary/john-bucky-hall

 

Bucky was born to John Wharton Bates Hall (West Medford, MA) and Madge Louise Finlason (British West Indies and Costa Rica) on October 25, 1926, in Cartago, Costa Rica. They lived in Bocas del Toro, Panama where his dad worked with the United Fruit Company/Chiquita Banana Division.

 

Bucky graduated from Cristobal High School in New Cristobal in 1944 where he played basketball and baseball. During the war years and until he was signed by the Dodgers organization to play with the KOM (Kansas Oklahoma Missouri) League in 1947, he pitched and played First Base with fellow Zonians and Army/ Professional players for Colon “Carta Vieja” in the Pro League in the Canal Zone. He left Ponca City and the KOM League upon the outbreak of the Korean Conflict and trained with the Navy in San Diego to repair radial aircraft engines on PBYs and PBMs.

 

Bucky returned “home” to Panama in 1952 and took a job with Canal Zone Customs. Bucky played First Base in the Atlantic- side Twilight League until the late 1950s.

 

Bucky met Margaret Anne Cosgrove, a nurse at Gorgas Hospital. They were married at Holy Family Catholic Church in Margarita, Canal Zone in April of 1955. Their son Will was born in 1961 and daughter Jill in 1964.

 

Bucky also ran the Pro Shop at Brazos Brook Golf Club during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

 

Bucky retired from the Panama Canal Company in 1979 as Special-Agent-in-Charge of the Canal Zone Customs Criminal Investigations Division. Anne retired from Gorgas Hospital at the same time and they returned to Anne’s hometown of Laporte, Pennsylvania for a year before cold weather and snow reminded them why she went to Panama in 1952 in the first place. They then permanently settled in Sarasota, Florida, near Bucky’s parents but continued to spend their summers in Laporte.

 

Bucky was predeceased by Anne in 2014. They are survived by their two children, Jill Tekampe (John) of Sarasota and Will (Kim) of St. Augustine, and five grandchildren Sumner, Virgilia, Will, Claire, and Katherine.

 

There will be a celebration of Bucky’s life with family following his interment in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Laporte, PA and a scattering of his and Anne’s ashes together in Panama.

 

A Graveside Service will be held on Friday, November 23, 2018, at 11:00 A.M. in the Sacred Heart Cemetery, Laporte, PA, with the Msgr. Stephen D. McGough, presiding. To send condolences or sign the e-guestbook, please go to www.homerfuneralhome.com

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The long list has grown very short

 

Over the years of writing about the KOM league the list of those still with us has dwindled to a precious few. Every few days a fresh reminder of that reaches me by e-mail. The messages come from Legacy.com and since most of the passing’s of former players are noted by this source, a reminder is sent offering the chance to send flowers or well wishes in the name of the deceased. In most cases there isn’t anyone left who would get those condolences or messages. However, Legacy.com would reap some financial benefit which I’m not here on earth to facilitate.

 

For those readers with an interest in older obituaries try this site:

www.google.com/search?q=kom+league+bituaries&rlz=1C9B...

 

Not all those mentioned are former KOM Leaguers but they are up to the name of Donald Brickell. Brickell’s obituary stated he played for Iola in the KOM league but he was only with Iola in the month of August in 1954 when they were in the Western Association and struggling to hang on. If you read any of those obituaries and wonder if they guy was a KOM leaguer, and the obituary is unclear, I’ll bet you know where to find the answer.

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A former Independence Yankee recalls a great era

 

The following is a feature article about Jim Qualls of the 1950 Independence Yankees.

countyjournal.org/james-qualls-reflects-on-his-days-in-pr... Pictured in this URL is James Qualls from when he was playing baseball for the 1950 Independence Yankees.

 

Ed comment:

 

This story is almost 100% correct. What is “iffy in this account, concerns Yours truly. It was attributed that I became the editor of a newspaper in Columbia, Mo. The closest I ever got to that was publishing a newsletter about the KOM league. Just make that clarification so as to not give newspapers in Columbia a bad name. However, the largest newspaper in town did print my newsletter on their presses alongside the Midwest edition of the New York Times.

 

Also, in the attached article it was asserted that Yours truly was the batboy for every visiting team. That was not the case as a couple of teams brought along their own batboy. A prime example was Tedd Gullic Jr. His daddy managed Bartlesville for three years and Jr. went along to most every road game as well as working every home contest. Personally, I know that he got tired of that.

 

Written by Dan Zobe1--Thu, Apr 26, 2018 (County Journal –a publication located in Randolph County, Illinois)

 

In the 1940s and 1950s, Gorham High School made its presence known on the baseball diamond.

During that time, the Mustangs won five district titles and advanced to the Final Four on two different occasions.

 

That baseball program produced numerous ball players who went on to play professionally.

One of those athletes was James Qualls, 87, who now resides in Sparta with his wife Marge. The two have been married for 65 years.

 

Qualls spent 30 years working for Prudential Financial and was the charter president of the Trico Lion’s Club in 1955.

 

He is also a pilot, though he does not fly anymore, and he loves golf, something he and Marge played a lot of as a team.

 

Before all of that, however, his dream, like many aspiring young men, was to play baseball for a living.

 

He recently sat down with the County Journal to talk about and relive his playing days.

Qualls starred for the varsity baseball team at Gorham in the late 1940s, where he was captain of the team for two years and the hitting and fielder leader for the club several seasons.

 

In 1947 and 1948, his baseball dreams started to become reality when Qualls competed in several baseball tryouts.

 

“Today they draft you from college and high school,” Qualls noted. “In the old days, they held baseball tryouts. It was mostly the Yankees, Cardinals and St. Louis Browns that held those. The Yankees showed the most interest in me. They kept in touch with me and indicated they would sign me someday.”

 

During his senior year at Gorham, the Yankees sent Qualls to advanced tryout camp twice in Branson, Missouri, so the Yankee big brass could see him play. It was at that time Qualls said he could tell the Yankees were definitely interested in him.

 

In May of 1949, Qualls graduated from Gorham, and the next day, he boarded a train for Clay Center, Kansas, to play in the Amateur Baseball League of America.

 

It was there that Qualls met Bill Virdon, who would later go on to play 12 seasons of Major League Baseball and manage nearly 2,000 games in the big leagues.

 

“We were roommates,” Qualls said. “He was a college boy, and I’m just out of high school. He was a tremendous ball player.”

 

Qualls and Virdon were signed by the Yankees to play in 1950 for the Independence Yankees in Independence, Kansas as part of the KOM League.

 

“I’ve been told I was the 17th player to sign professional out of Gorham High School,” Qualls said. “After me, there were several more who did, and a couple made the big leagues.”

 

The contract signed by Qualls was for a total of $1,000, including $750 for signing the contract.

“I was hopeful this was the beginning of a great career,” Qualls said. “I gave up a college scholarship to play professionally. It was good fun. I’d do it again. It was exciting. They let a lot of players go, so I guess I was good enough that they kept me. It was a good experience.”

In that year with Independence, Qualls batted .238 over 344 at-bats, including 18 doubles and three triples.

 

One of the things that stands out to Qualls from those days was the conditions of the uniforms.

“The Yankees were a first-class operation except for the ball clubs in the minor leagues,” Qualls said. “The only thing that was first class about us was we had a good bus to travel on. They passed all the uniforms down, and it was horrible.”

 

Pointing to a team picture of that Independence team, Qualls explained that the uniform he was wearing came down from one of the big heavyset guys on the Yankee big league team.

“They were old wool uniforms,” Qualls said. “I had one, and the ball cap was so big it fit down on my ears. That was the only way I could keep it from falling off.”

 

Laundry services, or rather a lack thereof, also stood out in Qualls’ mind.

 

“We played all summer without (the uniforms) being laundered,” Qualls said. “They would stack them up, and they would almost stand up by themselves. There were no showering facilities in our ball club. We had to go back to where we were staying. It was bad, but that’s just the way it was.

 

“It was the low minors. The more you went up, the better the facilities. Most of the ball diamonds were converted football fields. We had one of the better ones, but it was still a converted football field.”

 

Qualls played all but two weeks during the summer of 1950 in Independence. During the two weeks he did not, he was sent to Vincennes, Indiana, in the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League, which also included teams in West Frankfort and Paducah, Kentucky.

 

“I OK’d that so my parents could see me play,” Qualls said. “After two weeks, I was back to Independence for the rest of 1950.”

 

The motivation to keep playing came from trying to do their best to hopefully move up through the minors and striving for every victory possible.

 

“We wanted to win,” Qualls said. “Everybody on that ball club was a good ball player; otherwise they wouldn’t be there. Some of them got more attention than others because they were paid a bigger bonus. We were on the bottom of the totem pole, so we had to earn our way more.

“I just did my job. I enjoyed the company. The ball players came; the ball players left, and I was always glad I was not one of them that went out on the road.”

 

Following the summer in the Amateur Baseball League of America, Qualls and Virdon were sent to Springfield, Missouri to play against an all-star team of big league players.

 

Qualls said once the season was over a barnstorming team was put together from a bunch of major league players.

 

The minor league players were not just going to roll over, though.

 

“There was Mickey Owens and a whole bunch of guys who were pretty big time in the big leagues on a team,” Qualls said. “These little ol’ guys in Branson beat the crud out of them. That was really a thrill for us. They bussed us up there, and they thought they were going to show us, you know; and we showed them. I never will forget that.”

 

Qualls’ play for Independence set him up for a promotion in 1951, when his contract was assigned to Joplin, Missouri in the Western Association. That moved Qualls from Class D level teams at Independence to Class C.

 

In Joplin, Qualls formed a double-play combo with a future hall of fame player.

“During spring training of that year, I was on Joplin’s ball club,” Qualls said. “There were four different teams there. Every day on the wall, you didn’t know which ball club you would be on. I walked up there, and Mickey Mantle was playing shortstop opposite of me. I played two or three ball games that way.”

 

Following spring training, Qualls’ lifelong battle with asthma put a halt to his career.

“They sent us to Branson, Missouri, and I had asthma bad,” Qualls said. “That, combined with the cold weather, really set me back. That’s one of the reasons I ended up asking for my release. They gave it to me.

 

They wanted to send me to Georgia, but I did not want that. I came back home to look for a job.”

 

That did not last long, though, as later in the summer, Qualls received a phone call from former high school teammate Lavern Grace.

 

“He was from Gorham also,” Qualls said. “He was playing for the Green Bay Bluejays right across the street from the Packers. They used the Packers’ facilities and would walk across the street and play baseball. It was a nice stadium there.

 

“Grace said his manager wanted to talk to me. Phil Seghi, who later became the general manager of the Cleveland Indians, came on and said ‘Verne tells me you’re a better second baseman than I’ve got playing up here. Would you like to come play for me?’”

 

Qualls agreed and made the trip to Green Bay to play for the Bluejays, who were part of the Cleveland Indian organization and competed in the Wisconsin State League.

 

Qualls played 24 games for the Bluejays that summer, batting .307 with eight doubles in 88 at-bats. The next year, Qualls went back and hit .212 in 85 at-bats over 23 games.

That would be the last summer he played professional ball.

 

“I returned for four months in 1952 before stopping because I was not playing much,” Qualls said. “So, that ended my baseball career.”

 

Qualls paged through a green book called “Majoring in the Minors” by John G. Hall, who was a bat boy in the KMO League, while talking about how the book came about.

 

“This book, I don’t know this for a fact, but I’ve been told by people that it’s in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown,” Qualls said. “I can’t quote that as truth, because I went up there and couldn’t find it. If you look right there, though, that says James Lavern Qualls. That’s me. If that would be the case, that this is in the hall of fame, that means I’m in the hall of fame, too.”

 

The book has details about each team and player that ever played in the league.

“(Hall) had a personality that he knew everybody,” Qualls said. “He was the bat boy for every visiting team. He was just kind of a guy who everybody remembered. He grew up to be an editor of a newspaper in Columbia, Missouri, and he wrote this book.”

 

Whether Qualls has his name etched in a book in Cooperstown or not, the memories of those days on the diamond always have a way of coming back to him.

 

He talked about a time he and Marge were driving around the country and stopped back in Independence, Kansas, to see one of the guys he used to play with in his pro days.

“While I was in town, I went out to the old ball park,” Qualls said. “There’s no baseball field there anymore. It’s a high school and college football stadium.”

 

Qualls said when the baseball field was there, a picket fence served as the outfield fence.

He made his way through the stands and went underneath them to where the dressing room was. He then made his way onto the field.

 

“There was a little plaque there commemorating where home plate was," Qualls said. "They say you can’t go back (in time), but I stood at that place and I had the weirdest feeling that I was getting ready to hit again while I stood right there. I really felt it. It’s just a queer feeling.”

 

Concluding comments:

 

A note was sent to the publication responsible for this story asking permission to share the foregoing article with “readers like you.” This note was received in return. “Thanks for your email. Yes, you can use the Qualls article with our credit. Larry Willis Publisher” So, if you enjoyed this story a message to Mr. Willis would be a nice gesture and also prove this publication has a couple of readers. Sent to: cjournal@egyptian.net

 

It was shared with Mr. Willis that seldom have my old eyes ever seen anything written, concerning the KOM league, being so factual. I did point out that writing for a real newspaper was never on my resume and that the book Qualls shared with the writer of the article never made it into the Hall of Fame. However, every edition of the KOM League Remembered newsletter made it to the HOF library and was once cited as the best publication of its kind received by that institution. The only problem with that is, it was the only one of its kind they received. But, I still have the citation somewhere in my files for the great grandkids or their kids to peruse around 2080.

 

Over the years it has been vindicated that the reason for writing books about the KOM league was accomplished. They were written, primarily, for the former players and their families. Not many of the old guys are left but frequently, those who still remain will make contact and relate how they pulled out their copy of one of the books and relived the past for a few moments. Mission accomplished.

 

Note from Marge Qualls: “Hi John So good to hear from you...Jim is 88 now and dealing with bladder cancer. Lots of doctor stuff. Say hello to any and all of the KOM league. We often wonder about Bill Virdon.” Sincerely, Marge Qualls

 

Response: Bill hasn't been doing too well either. Shirley doesn't get on the computer anymore so I haven't heard from them in a while. Sure sorry to hear about Jim's condition. I'll try to get hold of the Virdon's and pass along the message you are thinking of them. It was sure good hearing from you and give Jim my best regards.

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A reader’s comment:

 

I like your commentaries after reading the obituaries... you bring these guys "back to life"

Thanks. Bdc

 

Ed comment:

 

It is a joy to “resurrect” the former players and one other thing needs the same treatment, my memory. Believe it or not, I don’t recall every e-mail address of those on my file. Thus, I had to use Bdc instead of his name. However, I think the person is Bob and lives in Columbia, MO. If I’m wrong Bdc will sure let me know.

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Donald Thomas Barclay 2/1/1926---1/3/2019

 

It was in early June, of 1949, when Yours truly saw his first baseball game. Bob Knell, Carthage mortician, took me to the game and we sat his “luxury” box seat—a folding chair-down the third base line, behind the Carthage dugout. The game was between Carthage and the visiting Independence, Kansas Yankees. In the ballpark that night were future big leaguers; Bob Wiesler Steve Kraly, Lou Skizas and former big leaguer, Harry Craft who was managing the Independence club. Mickey Mantle joined Independence and Bob Speake showed up at Carthage about a week after I witnessed my first professional game on either June 3 or 4 of 1949. Mickey Mantle played his first KOM league game at Carthage on July 15.

 

None of those names meant a thing to me. The person who caught my eye was a fellow wearing a snow white uniform with traditional Chicago Cub blue piping and lettering. He came to the plate swinging from the left side and was introduced by public address announcer, Lee Hooker, as Don Barclay.

 

Barclay was a 23-year old veteran by that point in time. He was born 2/1/1926 in Chicago, Illinois. (Most official baseball publications show the year of birth as 1928) He graduated from Mt. Carmel High School in 1943 and Uncle Sam greeted him with open arms.

 

When returning from military service, Barclay signed with the Chicago Cubs and played in the Arizona-Texas and West Texas league in 1947. In 1948 he tried his luck in Reno where he played for that Sunset league team.

 

With Carthage becoming a Chicago Cub affiliate in 1949 the Cubs attempted to intersperse some experienced players. Barclay played the outfield until June 15 and then was sent to Charlotte, NC of the Tri-State league and wound up with Concord in the North Carolina State circuit. In 1950 he was with Wellsville, NY of the PONY league and he concluded his career in 1951 with Flint in t, Mich. in the Central league.

 

During the years of writing about the KOM league contact was established with Barclay but in recent years it had waned. It ceased forever on January 3, 2019. Here is confirmation of that.

www.findagrave.com/memorial/195813684/donald-t_-barclay/

 

For those of you with more than a passing interest a photo of Barclay is on Ancestry.com If you don’t subscribe to that service don’t bother clicking on the following URL. If you subscribe to Ancestry.com you can find more of him by doing a search of Mt. Carmel High School.

 

Mt. Carmel High School photo 1942 -Don Barclay

 

www.ancestry.com/interactive/1265/43134_b184376-00149?pid...

 

A Carthage team photo with Don Barclay might have been shared at this juncture had he been in one. Of the two different ones on file he was in neither. I said “might have been shared” since I’m now seeing a number of the photos I have shared in different forums now on the Internet and they are being pitched as “one of a kind” in most instances. Of course, those sites displaying the photos are charging for them. When I spot one of my photos on any site I can easily identify it. One recent photo that I shared in a Flash Report showed up and the person trying to sell it claims he found it in his grandmother’s collection and needs to have the players identified. Funny thing is that most of them were. I have a positive way of identifying that photo as a copy of the original from my collection.

 

In short, this forum isn’t apt to be sharing many historical photos in the future.

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Francis Urban 1 of 57.

 

With the death of Casimer Stackowiak, reported in the last edition, it leaves Francis Urban as the lone survivor of the 1947 Chanute Athletics.

 

Urban was born April 11, 1925 in what was attributed to being Carthage, Mo. but he actually lived in the village north of town called Kendricktown. Your’s truly became aware of him when he pitched in the Carthage Twilight league. That league’s name meant the games were played after men got off work in the evening and before the sun set.

 

In both 1947 and 1949 the Chanute ball club came to town in a world of hurt for pitchers and in each instance Urban rode home with that team and pitched in a pinch. He saw action in 10 games during the 1947 season and in 1949 he was in less than 10 contests.

 

Most of the KOM league attendees at the last KOM league held in Carthage would not remember where the Civil War era house was located and the location for a large banquet.. It was in Kendricktown. Across the street from where baseball names such as: Cloyd Boyer, Jerry Lumpe, Bob Speake, Gale Wade, Joe Stanka and Whitey Herzog had a great meal stood an old grocery store and service station. It was called the White Spot Café back in the day Urban was playing in the Carthage Twilight league and with the Chanute A’s. It was there he made his living as a service station attendant.

 

Today, Francis F. Urban is 94 years of age and lives in Springfield. Mo.

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A second glance

 

John G. Handzo Jr. of the 1951 Carthage Cubs passed away May 3, 2016 and that event was mentioned in this publication. Taking another look at that obituary it was noticed that one account had his place of death as Rome, Pennsylvania. He passed away not in Rome but in Linden, New Jersey. The only people reading this who will know who is being referenced are Don Biebel and Walt Babcock.

 

Handzo had a second shot at the KOM league after the Carthage franchise evaporated he was with Blackwell, Okla. in 1952.

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Done