KOM League Flash Report for Friday 13th-- 2020

The KOM League

Flash Report

for

Friday, November 13, 2020

 

For those who care, this Flash Report is accessible by going to: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/50597060261/

 

In a note shared with a few readers on November 12 the following statement was made. “Can you imagine having a Friday 13th in the year 2020? I’m optimistic and believing it will not be a bad omen—Amen?” That message elicited many responses. However, around 5:00 a. m. a message was received from a faithful reader that stated “Charlie Pride RIP.” That was news to the old batboy and this response was sent in response to that terse e-mail. “He and Mickey Mantle used to run around together in Dallas. Mickey's mother-in-law told him she'd like to meet Charlie. Mrs. Johnson told me that around two in the morning, shortly thereafter, Mickey came into her bedroom and announced that Pride was in the living room and to get out of bed and meet him.”

 

Since it was now Friday the 13th a decision was made to look further into the Charlie Pride story and as a result this message was sent to the person apprising me of Pride’s passing.

“Charlie's death has been greatly exaggerated. He is not dead nor doth he sleep in Biblical jargon” www.wideopencountry.com/charley-pride-death-hoax/

 

With that rumor out of the way it might bode well that this Friday the 13th will be a great day.

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A great loss

 

In the October 18, 2020 edition of this publication the following paragraph concluded that report. “This publication regrettably carries the news of many deaths. Someone who has read this and other KOM league publication since their inception is now facing the end of their days. That person happens to have known me longer than anyone currently living. It has become my task, duty, honor or whatever to write that person’s obituary. It is a difficult assignment to reduce to a few paragraphs the scope of a life that has now reached 85 years and if the Good Lord permits will be 86 within the next five weeks.”

 

On Halloween the person mentioned in the previous paragraph left this world for a much better place. The obituary along with a picture of the deceased is carried on this link: www.knellmortuary.com/obituaries/Janice-Elaine-Pinter?obI...

 

If you availed yourself of perusing that link you will know that the deceased was the sister of this here guy writing the story. But, there is more to the story. Very few people had as much confidence in the KOM league publications than the deceased. When it was opined the writing effort should come to an end my sister would always have a reason why that shouldn’t happen. On one occasion her opinion was that her little brother did more good befriending the old ballplayers and helping them than he ever did in the various churches he pastored. After thinking over that observation for a little while the little brother concurred.

 

It was always “Little Brother’s” idea that something would cause the KOM league reports to come to a merciful end if not by death but due to another happenstance. When my sister departed, although she hadn’t read any of the material for a few years, the first inclination was that now was the time to shut it down.

 

A coincidence?

 

On the same day of the death of Janice Pinter a letter was penned by a long time reader. It didn’t reach the “KOM League Office and Dusty Baseball Register Archives” until November 2. The letter, which was sent in place of an e-mail, had some things that are direct quotes. “A strong suggestion—quit attempting to stop writing. It is not possible to stop.”

 

Since the aforementioned came from a guy calling himself “Ol Clark” it was necessary to keep reading. Bill Clark is the real name and he has been around the sports world and the actual world many times. He is a living storehouse of great stories which he promises he’s going to share with the world in the form of three books. This writer is dubious that three will be sufficient.

 

Much of Clark’s baseball archives were destroyed in a fire, two years ago, but I’m sure much of that remains in his total recall memory bank. So, I await his upcoming literary works as much as pondering what to do about continuation of these reports. However, a constant reminder will be ever present. Clark concluded his remarks by stating “So—writers write even when no one reads them.” And for clinchers he said “No charge for the sermon.”

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In the spirit of the times

 

With the spread of the Chinese plague one is always concerned about the elderly and those with immune deficient conditions. As readers are aware most of the former KOM leaguers are either at least 90 or are so close to it they can see it on the horizon.

 

At the start of 2020, the top five oldest living former KOM leaguers included Nicholas Timothy Kucher. In going through the listing of Nick or Nicholas Kucher’s, who passed away, there wasn’t anything located in an obituary listing. On a whim his name was entered into Ancestry.com and there was a Find-A-Grave citation for the former KOM leaguer. www.findagrave.com/memorial/214613060/nicholas-kucher

 

At that juncture an even more concentrated effort was made to find an obituary for the former Ponca City Dodger was undertaken. Even the standby source, Jack Morris, couldn’t locate one either. At that point Morris was advised that an attempt would be made to come up with some information on the deceased.

 

Nicholas Timothy Kucher was born November 1, 1924 in New York City to Alex and Mary Kucher who were Polish immigrants. On his Sporting News card the word “Ukrainian” is typed on the top of that document as shown here. digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll3/id/112856...

 

Upon reaching the age of 18 he signed up for the draft and was listed as living at 315 E. 9th St. in New York and was employed by the Baker and Taylor Company at 55 5th Avenue. He filled out his card as being 6’ and weighing 170 with a scar on his left forehead. It would not have been possible for him to call his employer to report being unable to come to work, for any reason, since the family didn’t own a telephone.

 

Upon reporting to Ponca City in late April of 1947 this profile was shared under the heading “Meet the Dodgers.” Nick Kucher—is an outfielder, 22 years old and played his first competitive baseball with the Seward Park high school in his home town, New York city. A first baseman in prep school, he worked both the initial sack and the outfield with a semi-pro club last season (1946). He served three years in the marines, including duty at Okinawa and Saipan, and was discharged in 1945. He stands an even 6 feet, weight 172 pound and is single. A lefthanded batter and thrower, Kucher trained at Thomasville, N. C. this spring.”

 

What led to Kucher coming to Ponca City is contained in this late April, 1947 edition of the Ponca City News. “…Business Manager Owen Martinez announced the trade of George Schneider, 18-year-old New York city lad who has been here since last weekend, for Nick Kucher of the class C Three Rivers, Quebec, club. Schneider left Ponca City by plane in an effort to arrive at Three Rivers in time for the Canadian-American league’s opening game today. Kucher is due here this weekend.”

 

Upon Kucher’s arrival the KOM league season had not commenced but the Ponca City club was playing exhibition contests around the area. The first game he ever saw was from the bench as his new team was playing the Oklahoma A & M Agvets at Stillwater. This was long before that school was known as the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Ponca City News reported “Nick Kucher, an outfielder who came in last weekend from Thomasville, N. C., on a trade with Three Rivers, Quebec was on the bench at Stillwater with a sprained ankle will probably be out of play a week, his doctor says.”

 

When the KOM league season began Kucher was in the outfield playing both right and centerfield but not at the same time. In his first nine games he hit nearly .300 but by his 18th contest his average slipped to the .200 level and his baseball days in the KOM league were history. In a long ago conversation with Kucher he blamed the bad ankle for his not being able to perform at the level he wanted.

 

Not long after leaving Ponca City Kucher returned to New York and married Anne Zatowsky on January 16, 1948. They lived happily ever after until her death in 2017. When this source communicated with the Kucher’s they lived in East Northport, New York at 154 Cedar Road. They later moved to Commack, New York. I believe that Nick even lived in Scottsdale, Arizona for a time in his later years.

 

It can’t be determined the day and month Kucher passed away but it was in 2020. Thus, he was either 95-96 when St. Peter came calling.

 

The ninety two year-old penny

 

Most of what is contained in this article came from scrapbooks kept by a young female fan of the 1946-48-49 and 1950 Ponca City Dodgers. It is my belief she fell in and out of love with someone on each of those teams. Her scrapbooks followed her to California where they were kept for over 60 years before she finally contacted Gale Wade and offered them to him. Wade, who had played at Ponca City in 1947 and 48, didn’t want those items and suggested she get in touch with a fellow who writes about the KOM league.

 

In those scrapbooks are hundreds of photos of Ponca City and other KOM league players that included future big leaguers Jim Baxes, Chris Kitsos, Gale Wade and former Dodger Boyd Bartley. The scrapbooks featured many social events such as picnics. Most every box score of Ponca City home games is in those scrapbooks along with a comment about the game inserted by the “keeper of the scrapbooks.” In some places a memento of a game or from a social gathering was included.

 

For over a decade Yours truly has looked at those scrapbooks, from time to time. One item placed under a box score was a penny scotch taped thereto. It dawned on me, in looking at that page, to decipher the number of games in which Nick Kucher played, that the tape was still holding the penny in place. Peeling back the taped it was a bit exciting to anticipate the date on the penny knowing it had to have been minted in 1947 or earlier. What was on the front of the Lincoln head—wheat ear coin was “1928-D.” On top of that it was in good condition. At the time it was placed in the scrapbook it was only 19 years old.

 

So, I guess I could offer that penny to some reader for their thoughts. Do I have to say “A penny for your thoughts?”

 

Who remains?

 

When a former KOM leaguer passes away a quick check is made to see how many of his teammates remain. As of this moment I believe the list includes: William Skeen, Dale Hendricks, George Fisher, Larry Tarbell and Gale Wade. Robert Clark Taylor and Phillip Adams were never located although there is a high level of suspicion where they currently reside.

 

In reviewing the list of the members of the 1947 Ponca City Dodgers who were once contacted and then nothing being heard from or about them in a long time included John Dominic Ferluga and Donald Andrew Tisnerat.

 

John Ferluga was a native of Seattle, Washington born 10/28/1926. He graduated from Queen Ann High School in 1946 and was the opening day hurler for the 1947 Ponca City Dodgers. That was the only game in which he played with them. There has never been an obituary located for him but a listing from his high school alumni publication shows he passed away on 2/13/2017 in Renton, WA.

 

Donald Andrew Tisnerat was born 4/14/1927 in Long Beach, CA . He also pitched for the 1947 Ponca City Club. He had graduated from David Starr Jordan high school in Long Beach and served in the U. S. Navy during WW II. He lived in a number of places and when this source contacted him a couple of decades ago he was living in Las Vegas, NV. That is where he passed away on 6/29/2014. He was buried at the Riverside National Cemetery in Riverside, CA. That is a spectacular and somber place. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverside_National_Cemetery

 

 

Done