Game Report for 19th Annual SAC Baseball Research Conference, TWIMBH Greatness!!

 

The much-anticipated annual gathering of baseball researchers at Montgomery arrived on Saturday, hosted at the Farley Auditorium at the Alabama Dept. of Archives and History. A community outreach by the Rickwood Field SABR chapter, along with the Montgomery Biscuits and their owner Lou DiBella, it marks the first time in the 21st century that Montgomery baseball history has been given the full stage.

I was asked by the Rickwood Field SABR Chapter to help organize this wonderful event, a welcome challenge I found was much less daunting than I first expected largely due to the amazing assistance and guidance I received from so many talented professionals - Ryan Blocker and the ADAH staff, Brendan Porter the Montgomery Biscuits G.M., Jeb Stewart of the Rickwood SABR chapter, Murray Wilson with the City of Mgm. Parks, Dr. Meredith Wills, Randy at Capital Printing and many others.

 SAC GAME REPORT

Arriving early I was of course, not the first on the field. You gotta get up early to beat @Biscuitsfan1 to the park, he was already warming up as the doors opened. By the time I got my gear packed into the clubhouse - thats the Milo Howard Auditorium set off to the side of the Farley Auditorium which is the main playing field for the 19th Annual SAC, the fans were filing in and players were suiting up.

THE HOMETEAM

I set my grip up, laying a Montgomery flag across the table to accompany the Montgomery Rebels jerseys and programs I had selected. Of course I had some photos, including the Babe getting the key to the city in '47 and a rare image of the WW2 Military All Star team.  

Other players on the SAC Montgomery team had their gear out too, a great assortment of game-worn Montgomery jerseys from the last twenty seasons, every team in the modern Southern League was represented with a game used helmet and there was an impressive display of figurines depicting the great players who had appeared with and against Montgomery during the 21st century. 

Old timer Montgomery greats were in the house, with tobacco cards and one of the rarest of Montgomery Climbers autos ever displayed for the first time on the home field.

THE VISITORS

The Bham Club, comprised of a picked-nine All Star team from the Rickwood Field SABR chapter and the Friends of Rickwood were not to be outdone. Future HOF'er and author Clarence Watkins displayed some of the rarest of game programs from Montgomery history and brought a wonderful assortment of modern programs to share with those who might collect them. 

A smashing display of flannel jerseys of the traditional eight Southern Association teams was on show, along with many beautiful vintage gloves and other equipment in a very sexy baseball eyewash.

PREGAME CEREMONY

Dr. Miraculous handed out baseball cards with game-used relic swatches, signed and numbered as rare keepsakes of the first gathering of baseball minds focused on Montgomery, created by the amazing artist Angie Chandler.

Copies of the biography of Paul Hardy were available and books were also shared at the FREE BOOK table, a long-standing tradition of the SAC.

Fans were looking over the rosters in their programs as the ADAH staff took their positions as arbiters and the two clubs met for pregame lineup exchanges. 

Dr. Miraculous stepped forward and met the Bham team captain Jeb Stewart at the plate, donating a copy of the the Southern Association 1925 Constitution to the Friends of Rickwood library and a copy of the Southern Association Constitution 1939 to the Rickwood Field SABR Chapter in a gesture of thanks and welcoming the SAC to Montgomery for the first time. 

The captains shook hands and umpire/curator Ryan Blocker said "Play Ball"!

"Hello. My name is Shane. 

I am Dr. Miraculous, I will be your baseball sherpa today. We will be venturing into some uncharted territory, but don't worry, I've never lost anyone, yet."

BATTER UP! NOW BATTING - CLARENCE WATKINS!

Leading off was author and researcher Clarence Watkins, who literally wrote the book Baseball In Montgomery. I introduced him as "The man who has made Montgomery baseball history more accessible than any other single person" and I mean it.

Covering some of the history of the early days from Montgomery baseball found in his book and sharing stories as well as some items from his personal collection, Clarence Watkins had a great start for the Bham side, knocking one out of the park to open the first inning of the conference.

Seeing in person his 1953 Montgomery Grays vs Jacksonville Braves program with Hank Aaron was a special treat, as I had only ever seen it in photos in his book!

A MESSAGE FROM DR. PEARSALL

One of the items Clarence Watkins discussed was the first teams in Montgomery and Dr. A. T. Pearsall who helped organize them. 

No more important figure in Montgomery baseball history can be named, there is none more pedigreed than Dr. Pearsall who as a player was teammates with James Crieghton and appeared in the very first box score as invented by Henry Chadwick.

This week I was humbled and honored to be the recipient of an email from a descendant of Dr. Pearsall, who contacted me regarding our first baseball history conference. 

I took it as a high compliment that they wanted to reach out and make sure we were aware of Dr. Pearsall and his history and included images of my 2014 biography of Dr. Pearsall that helped get him recognized as progenitor of the game of baseball in Montgomery. If I was a little proud of that post before, having it sent to me as a reference by his ancestors seals the deal and I took it as a nod of approval from the O.G. for our efforts to raise awareness. 

 

BATTER UP! NOW BATTING  - JEB STEWART

Next I introduced the Bham sides star slugger and team captain, SABR biographer Jeb Stewart, who brought high heat with perfectly located images and highlighted facts. Watching master craftsmen hone their trade is a joy and Jeb Stewart threw strike after strike as he built up a solid profile of former Montgomery Gray Sox catcher Paul Hardy, who went on to be a top catcher and manager in the Negro League and later drove the bus for the Harlem Globetrotters.

Jeb took his at bat like the pro he is, building a fantastic view of the life of an unsung hero of baseball who was also a wartime veteran and spent many years touring the world with Abe Sapersteins great entertainment sports teams.

BATTER UP! NOW BATTING - DR. MIRACULOUS

Next up I got my turn at bat. Finally. After months of planning and writing and preparations involving everything from catering to tobacco cards.

I planted my feet and made my pitch.

The origins of black baseball in Montgomery, nobody talks about it and that is why I wanted to. I launched into the origins, how they were using banners and uniforms and roadtrips with the same ability and flair as white teams and... 

and..

I got six minutes into my thirty minute presentation when the laptop on the podium lost power and shuts down. No more images on the screen behind me. I tried to push through but it wasn't long before Home Plate Umpire Ryan Blocker called time out, stepped in and soon had order restored. 

Back on track I dug in and swung hard, then rounded the bases as fast as I could, knowing I was in for a close play at the plate IF I could make it in time. 

I started around first with Montgomery Blues, the first Colored Base Ball League, Normal School Hornets, Montgomery Gray Sox, Montgomery Cubs, Montgomery Tigers, Montgomery Giants and all the important teams. 

I touched second with names, guys like Henry Hannon and the Cunninghams, Sam Streeter and Lefty Glover. Sorry Tubby Scales, no time to talk now!

I turned the corner with the great exhibition teams that played here. I turned third base with the Homestead-Black Barons championship game in '43 at Cramton Bowl and slid safely into home with Satchel Paige's 1955 exhibition at Paterson Field. 

A score for the hometeam!

DOOR PRIZES

An assortment of items were in a box I put at the base of the podium, available for door prizes. As emcee, I asked a trivia question and the right answer earned a choice from the box. Oddly for me, I had placed the box where I couldn't see it and so I have no idea who chose what!

BATTER UP! NOW BATTING - BILL PLOTT

My homeboy, author and researcher Bill Plott has a unique view on Montgomery history as a former reporter for the Advertiser newspaper, so I knew to expect an intelligent outing with a fan friendly attitude from this SAC conference veteran who also wrote the book on the Negro Southern League history.

And indeed it was so, as Plott dazzled the crowd with his wit and stories of investigations into player histories and offering details never before known about some of the subjects of the days topics. Plott approached each topic with honesty and his usual easygoing humor, as well as expressing perfectly the feeling common among all the conference speakers about how difficult it is to differentiate between players when they are listed only with last names.

SEVENTH INNING STRETCH 

A few moments were taken during the seventh inning as Dr. Miraculous presented the Alabama Department of Archives with items to further the state's ability to tell the story of Montgomery's baseball history. 

A game worn jersey from Montgomery's 1968 Rebels, three baseballs used in games dating back the late 1960s and three programs from Montgomery teams were added to the state collection and Museum Collections Curator Ryan Blocker spoke on the importance of preservation of the items of every day life to tell the story of the people of Alabama in the future.

BATTER UP! NOW BATTING - DR. MIRACULOUS

I wanted to do my best in this late-inning at bat, this one was personal.

I went out there thinking of Johnny Davis, George Handy and all the guys on that '54 lineup who were just tryin to carve out a shot at the bigleagues. They didn't care about politics, just the linescore. And for Vandy, who really seems to have wanted what was best for Montgomery and was probably killed for it.

The presentation will hopefully be available soon online, I am told a video was made, you can be sure I will add it to my personal highlight reel. There among the brightest and most learned on Montgomery and its baseball connections, I straight up accused someone of murder. 

".. deliberate sabotage and successful concealment"

I laid out the way the Grays went bankrupt and Vandigriff saved the team, taking personal control of every aspect from the parking lot paving to the player signing. 

I covered the radio contract, the affiliation shuffles, the money paid out and Vandy's connection with the unpopular Gov. Persons. There's the fishing trip that the team enjoyed so much, then the disappearance of slugger John Davis and the struggles of the club afterwards. 

And of course, the crash. Vandigriff and three others died, and they weren't the only crash that year, not by a long shot. And every fatal crash was suspiciously involved in integrated entertainment, sports or politics. And each of them investigated by the same person, making it a short list of suspects involved in a possible coverup. 

If we moved the needle from "It is an accident" to "It might not be an accident" then I consider my presentation a grand slam.

 

ALL STAR BREAK

After j'accuse-ing a guy of a seventy year old murder, we took a break to share a look-see at the Alabama tobacco card collection's stars. A rare backed, red background Ty Cobb was my fave, alongside Christy Mathewson and Hal Chase among others.

NOW BATTING - GUEST OF HONOR SHELDON BURNSIDE

Absolutely the most anticipated speaker of the day at any SAC gathering, Sheldon Burnside did not disappoint in any way! 

Full of fun stories and such an easy demeanor, everyone felt like they had known him forever as we heard about his meeting his future wife at Paterson Field during a game and about his experiences with Lance Parrish, Alan Trammell, Lou Whitaker, Mark Fidrych and others.

Burnside

THE OLD YARD

Following the SAC meeting, a delish lunch at beautiful Riverwalk Stadium, which provided a wonderful air-conditioned view of the Biscuits batting practice for the VIP group, including patrons, volunteers and organizers. Getting a great view of the modern facility inside an old building was a terrific part of the experience for all involved.

The VIP group then headed for a tour of Montgomery's Paterson Field. Going through the locker rooms where Rebels suited up, the dugouts and bullpens where great teams and players enjoyed the accommodations of what began as Municipal Stadium and became Paterson Field. 

Walking the outfield, touching the walls and hearing the crunch of the warning track underfoot, feeling the breeze blowing in from the cemetery across the street really cemented the connection to the past events that we discussed in the morning.

VIP TREATMENT

After the tour of Paterson Field the VIP's and SAC volunteers were treated to a suite at the Montgomery Biscuits game, thanks to owner Lou DiBella and the Biscuits front office. 

The researchers, archivists, authors and organizers enjoyed a great Saturday night game between the Skitz and Wahoos that featured two homers from Carson Williams, a lengthy rain delay with impressive lightning, a Montgomery victory and finally, a late night fireworks show!

#BULLPENLIFE

THIS WEEK IN MONTGOMERY BASEBALL HISTORY

 Lots of great history to cover this week, including our very first game, a one pitch victory, some Gray Sox action, a major leaguer who died in Montgomery, a one armed pitcher, a manager with a broken nose and Satchel Paige too!

MAY 22 1972 

Denny McLain pitches five innings for the Barons against the Rebels in Montgomery, surrendering three homers in a rehab start. McLain had been sent down by the A's to Bham to regain his form. Gave up nine hits, six walks and one wild pitch.

In talking with Joe Marcus, former Rebels stadium announcer, it's confirmed that former Cy Young winner Denny McLain talks smack about his appearance against Montgomery. Denny was mad about being sent down, seeing it as a punishment more than a rehab and vows to shut the Rebels out when asked for a comment to give to local media. That comment obviously fueled the Rebels offense, which lit into him that night, much to the delight of Rebels fans.

MAY 26 1867 

Montgomery Base Ball Club plays its first game. A box score lists the Montgomery Base Ball Club as Club No. 1 and the Pelham Club No. 2. as MBBC wins 47-38 in a thrilling first-ever contest in Montgomery.

The home plate used by the first teams was kept for many years before being installed above the entrance to Cramton Bowl when it was built. It is unknown if that home plate was kept when the bowl was remodeled.

 

MAY 23 1920 "Colored Team Wins From Nashvilleans 

Red Cunningham

Montgomery Grey Sox Continue Their Winning Streak Here Sunday Afternoon - Before a crowd that overflowed to the field, the Montgomery Grey Sox beat the Nashville team of the Colored Southern League Sunday afternoon at Washington Park by the score of 9 to 6. 

The features of the game was the hitting of "Red" Cunningham of the Montgomery team and a long running catch by Centerfielder Carpenter of the Nashville club, robbing Cunningham of a possible home run."

 

MAY 23 1960 Rebels fall to Dothan, 10-7 with the Dothan Cardinals scoring four in the bottom of the ninth to win it. Montgomery is in the cellar and has yet to win a game after winning the league the previous season.

 

MAY 23 1907

Mgr. Mullaney

Montgomery manager Mullaney recieves a broken nose in a fight with Mgm fielder Mike McCann during a game at Little Rock. the quarrel started when "McCann would not live up to the temperance rules" of the club.

 

It wasn't the first time Mullaney had taken issue with players loose lifestyle choices. 

MAY 24, 1918 

Sharman

Ralph Sharman, drowned on May 24 while swimming in the Alabama River at Montgomery near Camp Sheridan. Sharman was only 23 years old and had temporarily left a promising big league career with the Philadelphia Athletics to join the Army. Sharman was captain of the Camp Sheridan baseball team.

 

May 24th, 1941 

Toenes

The Selma Cloverleafs (Southeastern L) pitcher Hal Toenes relieves in the top of the ninth inning against the Jackson Mississipians with a runner on 1B and two out (as noted by historian Bill Hickman). 

Without throwing a pitch, he picks the runner off 1B. Then the Selma Cloverleafs, four runs down, scores six runs to give Hal Toenes the pitchless win

MAY 26 1890 Ben Meyers, catcher, killed in Montgomery when a ball hits him in the mouth

MAY 26 1905 New Orleans P Dygert shuts out Montgomery on one hit.

MAY 26 1920 

Wing Maddox

"Grey Sox Home as Second in League - Fast Negro Baseball Team Will Meet Knoxville Here for Three Game Series - The Montgomery Grey Sox are back at home after two weeks on the road and will play the Knoxville Giants today, Saturday and Sunday. 

The one armed pitcher Mattox will pitch the game Saturday and all who have seen him play say that he is a wonder and he is the only one armed twirler that has ever appeared in this city. 

On Sunday, Steel Arm Smith will pitch and will be opposed by Montgomery's south paw. Streeter Smith has not lost a game this year and Streeter is by far the strongest pitcher on the Grey Sox staff, so this game should prove very interesting to the fans."

MAY 27 1908 After pitching 27 consecutive innings without allowing a run, Montgomery finally beats Little Rock starter Buchanan.

Gribbens

May 27 1911  Two successive wild throws past first by Thomas and Gribbens led to four runs and a victory for Chattanooga over Montgomery this afternoon. The game was long drawn out, full of hits and errors with some phenomenal fielding In between.' After the close of the eighth Inning Gribbens and Bills had a fight on the Montgomery bench and It took team- mates, Umpire Hart and several policemen to quiet the row.  

MAY 27 1920 

"Grey Sox Defeat The Bessemer Boys - In one of the prettiest games played here this season, the Montgomery Grey Sox team defeated the Bessemer Stars Thursday afternoon by a score of 2 to 1. Streeter and Harper engaged in a pitcher's battle, both having beautiful control and kep their hits well scattered."

MAY 27 1940 

Satchel Paige pitches KC Monarchs v Brooklyn Giants at Cramton Bowl, Monarchs lose 5-4