Today in the Past 4/10 - Gray Sox, Phillies, Senators, Reds, Bama Come to Town

Remember when we all heard then-Mayor Strange say there had never been a major league team play in Montgomery before? I always think of that when I put together these posts. 

APRIL 10 1921 

The Montgomery Grey Sox host the Bacharach Giants at South Side Park on Holt Street.

Legendary pitcher Cannonball Dick Redding is the hurler for the visiting Giants, facing starter Slim Sallee of Montgomery.

The 1921 Gray Sox team is a powerhouse, the defending southern champion.  The Giants, out of Atlantic City, are Negro National League contenders.

A large crowd turns out to see the contest, including many whites. White fans seem to support the Gray Sox well, as evidenced by the efforts to accommodate them in the grandstand.

Bacharach Giants ca 1921, Dick Redding back row second from left

APRIL 11 1948 
The Philadelphia Phils rout the Washington Senators at Montgomery exhibition 9-1.

Knuckleballer Dutch Leonard allowed one run on six hits in a complete game. Leonard also contributed a pair of hits to help his own cause. Del Ennis had two hits and three runs batted in for the Phils.

Young Richie Ashburn, batting leadoff, was hitless in two trips to the plate. Ashburn would make his MLB debut for these Phillies just eight days later.



April 11, 1949 

Bud Lively

Reds blank Rebels 11-0 as Cinci faces down Montgomery in exhibition game.

The Reds starter is Buddy Lively, who pitches seven shutout innings. Dixie Howell has two bases loaded doubles to provide plenty of run support.

Pitcher Buddy Lively opened the 1941 season with Montgomery and his father pitched for Montgomery in the 1910's.
 

APRIL 12 1920
"Southern League Formed - Montgomery, Alabama, April 12. -

Final plans for the completion of the proposed Negro Southern Baseball League resulted in the formation of an eight club circuit, with a bright prospect of 10 cities composing the final arrangement of the organization.

A bird's eye view of the league reveals excellent grounds for the success of the venture; the cities selected appeal to be about evenly balanced in population, have good transportation facilities and are not too long a distance removed from each other for a heavy mileage to cut serious inroads and thus weigh heavily against the proper financial progress of the promoters.

C.I. Taylor who was cited for Conspicuous service through putting into being a like organization in the northwest, was a deeply interested participant in the final arrangements, and his words of wisdom went a long ways towards encouraging options on franchises.

The following cities qualified for franchises in the new league: Birmingham, Nashville, Knoxville, Atlanta, Pensacola, Montgomery, New Orleans, Jacksonville. A committee on the arrangement of a schedule hopes by the end of the week to have their dates allotted, as the opening day is set for April 29."


APRIL 12 1946 

Montgomery scores four runs in 10th to edge University of Alabama in a game in Tuscaloosa.

Manager Dixie Walker saw Montgomery win 12-10 with the Rebels tying the game with four runs in the seventh inning.