It is the middle of baseball season. Howell County continues to honor the big-league successes of local players Ted Gullic (St. Louis Browns), Preacher Roe (St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates, Brooklyn Dodgers) and Bill Virdon (St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates). But what was local baseball like in Howell County in the early years?
Articles published here were sourced from the West Plains Journal (WPJ), Willow Springs News (WSN), Howell County News (HCN), Journal Gazette (JG), West Plains Daily Quill (WPDQ), West Plains Weekly Quill (WPWQ), West Plains Semi-Weekly Quill (WPSQ), and the Mountain View Standard (MVS). No changes have been made to capitalization, spelling, or punctuation.
A Great Game.
---“One of the most interesting baseball games of the season will be “pulled off” at the Athletic Park Friday afternoon, June 3rd. Alf Curry will be umpire and the line-up will be as follows:
GIANTS LILLIPUTIANS
T. Aid captain and 3rd base A. B. Patterson Will Langston left field Thos, Rhodes Will Zorn center field Ed Simmons George Carter catcher A. Noe Fent Chapin short stop Wayne Langston A. T. Hollenbeck 1st base Jas. McGinty Webb Brooks 2nd base A. W. Lindsey
J. O. Carter pitcher Elmer Kellert Gran Meredith right field H. Woods
---“A detail from Co. K will be assigned to the duty of guarding the umpire.” (HCN May 17 & Jun 3, 1904)
---“A new baseball team has been organized in this city. It is composed of some of the best “old timers,” members of former local clubs, and when it has “practiced up” it will no doubt furnish our people with some good games (which have been scarce here lately) and become the champion team of South Missouri. Clyde McCulloch will be its manager, and the proposed line-up is as follows: Will Gum, pitcher; Jack Hogan, catcher; Fred Haydon, first base; Will McBride, second base; Hale Jones, third base; Allen Skinner, short stop; Ed Hogan, center field; Everett Galloway, right field; Johnny Robinson, left field. The team is to be known as the “West Plains Grays,” and the first match game under the new organization is being played with the Mammoth Spring club as we go to press Thursday afternoon.” (HCN Aug 11, 1905)
---“A large crowd was very much entertained at Athletic Park Wednesday afternoon by a game of baseball between the county officials and the post-office force. There were many interesting features. “Uncle Sam’s boys” were winners by the score of 21 to 16.” (HCN Aug 11, 1905)
---“The colored teams of Springfield and Jonesboro played an interesting game of baseball at Athletic Park last Friday afternoon. The score was 5 to 4 in favor of Springfield.” (HCN Jul 28, 1905)
---“The greatest baseball game of the season at Athletic Park will be played Wednesday, Sept. 6th, between the West Plains Grays and the Cleveland Bloomer Girls, who are said to be the strongest, fastest, and best all-round female ball players ever got together and who are now making their eighth successful annual tour of the United States and Canada. Don’t miss this game.” (HCN Aug 25, 1905)
---” Three exciting games of baseball were played at Athletic Park last Friday and Saturday between the Salem (Ark.) team and the “King Ozarks” of Brandsville. In Friday’s game the score was 10 to 9 in favor of the Arkansawyers, and in the two games played the following day the club from the State of Jeff Davis was again victorious in the first one, the score being 12 to 5. The King Ozarks were permitted to win the last one, as a sort of consolation prize, making a score of 8 to their opponents’ 5. The wine-bibbers seem to have been outclassed.” (HCN Jul 6, 1906.
---“Granville Bail, who is well known in baseball circles here, is very ill with typhoid fever at his home in Chapin.” (WPSQ Aug 27, 1907)
To Stop Sunday Baseball
---“It is said that a determinated effort will be made next spring to stop Sunday baseball in this section. The plan is to have Mountain Grove, Cabool, Mansfield, Houston, Willow Springs, and perhaps other towns act in connection in the matter. It is claimed if the Sunday games are discontinued and the ball teams will make week day dates the attendance will be much better and that instead of injuring baseball the game would be greatly benefited. It is pointed out that no Sunday games are played in Webster or Laclede counties, and that there have more and better ball games in those counties this season than in any of the surrounding counties where the Sunday game is the only opportunity given lovers of the sport to witness a game. Local ministers are a unit in condemning the Sunday game and say they expect to take active measures to prohibit it in the future.” (MVS Jul 23, 1909)
—"The Lyric will have moving pictures of the world’s championship baseball games Friday and Saturday nights of next week, Nov. 5 and 6, on which dates 100 rear seats will be reserved at 25 cents each. The baseball pictures will be in addition to the regular show. The “fans” are all expected.” (WPJ Oct 28, 1909)
Baseball Organization
—“At a meeting one night last week the West Plains Baseball Association elected officers and did some preliminary work looking to the organization of a strong team here this year. There is plenty of good local material for players, and much excellent sport in that line may confidently be expected. Sportsman Park, with its ample grounds, fine diamond, commodious grand stand and other facilities, affords an ideal place for the game. The following officers were elected: C. T. Aid, President; James Kellett, Secretary; A. B. Patterson, Treasurer, J. R. Reed and Tom H. Rhodes, Managers; Wayne Langston, Business Manager. Among the stockholders are J. Elledge, C. F. Funkhouser, Seth Garrison, Carol Bond, Elmer Kellett and Will Zorn.” (WPJ Jan 5, 1911)
Joann Blackburn grew up in South Fork and is a Zizzer alumna. She now lives in Kansas City near family members. The first installment of this series printed May 21. Watch upcoming issues of the Quill for future installments.
