This Day in History April 7th, Nine Homers, Kid Fixes Sked, Rebels Integrate

With no current action, we dig a little deeper in the history files to offer more images associated with the items. Usually the research desk has to share with Biscuit news this time of year, so its interesting to see what can be uncovered with more focus. While most of the items are from info already compiled, many of the images are new to me and so exciting to find! 

APRIL 7 1912
Montgomery lad finds error in league schedule....

APRIL 7 1954 
The Philadelphia A's beat Pittsburgh Pirates 17-10 in Montgomery in an exhibition game slugfest between two MLB teams. Nine homers were hit between the two teams.

Two homers each by Gus Zernial and Frank Thomas led the hit parade, Vic Power had four hits including a double. The announced attendance was a paltry 717 at Paterson Field, then known as Municipal Stadium.

APRIL 7 1954 
The Montgomery Rebels field a team with black players on its roster for the first time.

Veterans of the Negro Leagues and already with minor league experience, John Davis Oufielder and George Handy third baseman are the first to break the Montgomery color line.

Shortstop Price West, a Montgomery native also is among the first black Rebels, joining the team later in the summer as a rookie. .

Also, popular skipper Charlie Metro has been replaced as manager by Marv Olson.


The first game with this lineup is an exhibition game, against Birmingham, held in Tallassee! Johnny Davis had an RBI double, Handy also had a hit in the first game, which finished in a 7-7 tie. The season would begin less than a week later.


I wrote about this groundbreaking Rebels team in a previous post that can be seen here.

This was a brave but brief effort to join the modern baseball world, thwarted by the offseason death of the team owner. Montgomery would join the segregated Southeastern League until its demise due to low attendance, largely due to its refusal to include black and latin players.

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